<$Jz 
arabesque 
Arabian artists brought it to high perfection, 
and were at one time supposed to be its origi- 
nators.] I. u. Arabian or resembling the Ara- 
bian in style ; specifically, in art, relating to or 
exhibiting the variety of ornament known as 
nrabesque. See II. 
Some cushions disposed in the Moorish fashion, and or- 
namented with ii<-tih>'--it>>' nri'ille-work, supplied the place 
of chairs in this apartment. Xett, Kenilworth, I. vi. 
II. n. 1. A kind of ornament of a capricious 
and fanciful character, consisting of lines, 
geometrical figures, fruits, flowers, foliage, 
etc., variously combined and 
grouped, and painted, inlaid, 
or wrought in low relief : used 
especially for the decoration 
of walls and ceilings, but also 
for the decoration of objects 
of any nature. In the arabesques 
of the Mohammedans animal forms 
were rigidly excluded, in accordance 
with tile requirements of their re- 
ligious law; but the Greeks and Ro- 
mans, and the Renaissance artists, 
among them Raphael and his scholars, 
to whom are due the rich arabesque 
decorations of the loggie of the Vati- 
can, laid all the kingdoms of nature 
under contribution. The Greeks un- 
doubtedly derived the idea of pictorial 
or plastic ornament of this kind from 
the Oriental stuffs, painted, woven, or 
embroidered with natural or fabulous 
forms of plants and animals, which 
Cinque-cento Ara- were brought to them by Pheuician 
besque, from tomb in traders from a very early period, 
in-vlncufo, Rome.""" 2. In bookbinding, a term used 
in England for impressed or- 
namental work on the side of the binding, pro- 
duced by the pressure of hot plates or rollers 
upon which the pattern is engraved. 
Also spelled arabesk. 
arabesque (ar-a-besk'), v. t. ; pret. and pp. ara- 
besqued, ppr. arabesquing. [< arabesque, n.] 
To enrich with ornament in arabesque. 
With its vermilioned initial letters, so prettily ant- 
beftqued. Eclectic Rev. 
Arabian (a-ra'bi-an), a. and n. [< L. Arabius, 
< Gr. 'Apdftiof, < "Apaijj: see Arab.] I. . Per- 
taining to Arabia, or to the Arabs: as, Arabian 
science or philosophy Arabian bird, the phenix 
(which see) ; hence used, like that, for any unique or singu- 
larly excellent person. 
She [Imogen] is alone the Arabian bird ; and I 
Have lost the wager. Shak., Cymbeline, i. 7. 
II. n. 1. A native of Arabia; an Arab. 
2. One of a Christian sect of the third century 
(commonly called Arabici) which sprang up in 
Perea, beyond the Jordan, a region often in- 
cluded in Arabia. According to Ensebius, its mem- 
bers "asserted that the human soul, as long as the present 
state of the world existed, perished with the body, but that 
it would be raised again with the body at the time of the 
resurrection." The point was discussed with them by 
Origen, at a council, with so much force that they were led 
to change their opinions. 
Arabic (ar'a-bik), a. and n. [ME. Arabik, n. ; < 
OF. Arabic,!. L. Arabicus, < Gr. 'ApafiiKtir,, < "Apa^, 
Arab: see Arab.] I. a. 1. Belonging to Arabia, 
or to the Arabian race or language. 2. [/. c.] 
Derived from certain species of acacia growing 
Arabic Architecture. Tombs of the Califs, Cairo. 
in Arabia and other eastern countries : as, gum 
arabic (which see, under gum 2 ); arabie acid. 
See arabin Arabic architecture, a general term for 
the Mohammedan or Mussulman, Moorish, or Saracen 
286 
styles of architecture, but applied especially to Egyptian 
and Oriental examples. This architecture shows in its 
systems of construction and ornament the profound in- 
fluence of Persian and Byzantine models, though, as a 
rule, in architectural science it falls far behind the work 
of the Byzantine masters. The ovoidoconical dome sup- 
ported on pendentives is a characteristic feature; the 
buildings are usually square or polygonal in plan, seldom 
circular; the roofs are in general Hat, and supported by 
arches resting on columns forming long parallel aisles, 
and often surrounding a central court. The arches are 
very commonly of the horseshoe shape developed in 
Persia, and from the beginning show the pointed form, 
though it is clear that neither form was adopted for con- 
structive reasons, and that neither influenced the meth- 
ods of building, much less revolutionized the entire art of 
architecture, as did the adoption of the pointed arch in 
western Europe. Walls, particularly interior walls, ceil- 
ings, domes, spandrels, etc., are commonly covered with 
an intricate lacework of arabesques, usually executed in 
relief on stucco, and often colored with at once great 
brilliancy and great delicacy. The most noteworthy ex- 
amples of the style exist in Cairo. Arabic figures or 
Characters, the numeral characters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 
0, so called as having been introduced into European from 
Arab use. They were so introduced in the twelfth century, 
and the work of Leonardo of Pisa, published in 1202, con- 
tributed much to their dissemination. They were taken 
from the Arabic work of Al-Khowarazmi (see algorism), 
who obtained them in India or Afghanistan. The system 
in its complete form (with the cipher) certainly originated 
in India; but what the ultimate origin of the characters 
was, whether they had been previously known in Europe 
without the cipher, and their history among the Arabians, 
are matters still in dispute. 
II. n. The language of the Arabians ; a Semitic 
dialect, belonging (along with the Himyaritic 
and Abyssinian languages) to the southern 
branch of the Semitic family, and generally re- 
garded as exhibiting more ancient features than 
any other Semitic tongue. It is the language of the 
Koran, the sacred language of Islam, and possesses an im- 
mense literature, almost wholly Moslem and later than the 
time of Mohammed. Many other languages have borrowed 
largely of its material, from the Persian, Turkish, Hindu- 
stani, and Malay on the east to the Spanish on the west. 
Arabicalt (a-rab'i-kal), a. [< Arabic + -at.] 
Arabian; Arabic. [Rare.] 
Arabicallyt (a-rab'i-kal-i), adv. According to 
Arabic usage; in Arabic. N. E. D. 
Arabic! (a-rab i-sl), n. pi. See Arabian, n., 2. 
Arabicize (a-rab'i-siz), '. t.; pret. and pp. Arabi- 
cized, ppr. Arabicizing. [< Arabic + -ize.] To 
render conformable to Arabic usage. 
arability (ar-a-bil'i-ti), n. [< arable: see 
-bilitij.] Capability of being cultivated ; fitness 
for cultivation. 
A Domesday hide, which one of our latest archaeologists 
with good reason maintains is variable according to the 
arability or pasturability of the land. 
The Nation, Aug. 7, 1879, p. 96. 
arabin, arabine (ar'a-bin), n. [< arab-ic (gum) 
+ -j2.] A variety of gum, (C 6 H 10 O B ) 2 +H 2 O, 
soluble in cold water; arabie acid, it is the prin- 
cipal constituent of gum arabie, which consists of salts of 
arabin, and is also contained in other similar substances. 
arabinose (ar'a-bi-nos), n. [< arabin + -ose.] 
A crystallizable sugar, CgH 12 O 6 , prepared by 
the action of sulphuric acid on arabin. 
arabinosic (ar"a-bi-no'sik), a. [< arabinose + 
-ic.] Of or pertaining to arabinose. 
Arabis (ar'a-bis), n. [NL., < Gr. 'Apafiic., Ara- 
bian, < 'Apafiia, Arabia, of which the more im- 
portant species are natives.] A large genus of 
plants, of the order Cruciferw; wall- or rock- 
cress. The species are mostly of little interest or im- 
portance ; a few are cultivated for ornament in rockwork 
and flower-borders. 
Arabism (ar'a-bizm), . [= F. arabifine ; < 
Arab + -ism; ef.. Gr. 'Apafji&tv, take part with 
the Arabs.] An idiom or a peculiarity of the 
Arabic language. 
Arabist (ar'a-bist), . [= F. arabiste; < Arab 
+ -ist. Cf. Arabis-m.] One versed in the Arabic 
language, or in Arabian literature or science. 
Arabize (ar'a-biz), . t.; pret. and pp. Arabized, 
ppr. Arabizing. [< Arab + -iee. Cf . Gr. 'Apafli- 
&iv, take part with the Arabs, < "Apafief, Arabs : 
see Arab.] To render Arabic in character; 
especially, to tinge with Arabisms. 
These Arabs of the Sudan are not true Arabs, but to a 
great extent merely Arabized negroes. Science, IV. 531. 
arable (ar'a-bl), . [< F. arable, < L. arabtlis, 
that can be plowed, < arare, plow, = Gr. apovv 
= Goth, arjan Icel. erja = AS. erian, > E. ear, 
plow: see ear s .] Fit for plowing or tillage. 
Arable land, laud which is cultivable by means of the 
plow, as distinguished from grass-land, wood-laud, com- 
mon pasture, and waste. 
Aracanese (ar-a-ka-nes' or -nez'), a. and n. [< 
Aracan + -ese.^. I. a. Relating or pertaining 
to Aracan or to its inhabitants. 
II. n. 1. sing, or pi. A native or the natives 
of Aracan, a division of Burma. 2. The lan- 
guage spoken by the inhabitants of Aracan, a 
dialect of Burmese. 
Also spelled Arakanese. 
Araceae 
aracanga (ar-a-kang'ga), H. [Braz.: see^ra 2 .] 
A kind of macaw, Psittacus macao (Linnteus), 
P. aracaiiga (Gmelin), now Ara macao; the red 
and blue macaw. Also araracanga. 
aracari (ar-a-ka'ri), n. [= Pg. aracari (NL. 
Aracarius), from a native name.] 1. A toucan 
of the genus Pteroglossus, differing from the 
true toucan in being smaller in size, with a less 
developed beak, and in having more brilliant 
and variegated plumage. See Pteroglossus and 
Ehamphastos. The aracaris breed in the hollows of 
decayed trees, which they enlarge by means of their beak. 
The prevailing color of their plumage is green, often varied 
with spaces or bands of black, or of brilliant red and yel- 
low. They are natives of the warm parts of South America. 
2. In orniih., the specific name of one of the 
aracaris, Pteroglossus aracari. It was made a 
generic name by Lesson in 1828, and was Latin- 
ized as Aracarius by Rafinesque in 1815. 
Also spelled aricari. 
araceH, *' t. [< ME. aracen, arasen, also ara- 
chcn, <. AF. aracer, OF. aracier, arachier (as if < 
L. *abradicare), mixed with eracJiier, esraelticr 
(mod. F. arrachfr) = Pr. araizar, < L. exradi- 
care, eradicare, uproot, eradicate : see eradi- 
cate.] To pull up by the roots ; pull away by 
force ; tear violently away. 
The children from her arm they gonne arace. 
Chaucer, Clerk's Tale, 1. 1O47. 
arace 2 t, r. t. Same as arose*. 
Araceae (a-ra'se-e), n. pi. [NL., < Arum + 
-acea;.] A natural order of monocotyledonous 
plants, of which the genus Arum is the type. 
The species are her- 
baceous perennials, 
mostly acaulescent 
from tuberous or 
creeping roots, but 
in the tropics often 
tall rooting climb- 
ers. The inconspic- 
uous flowers, usual- 
ly monoecious or di- 
(ecious, are crowd- 
ed upon a spadix 
surrounded by a 
spathe, with which 
it is sometimes con- 
fluent. The order 
includes 98 genera 
and about 1,000 
species, abundant 
within the tropics, 
but comparatively 
rare in temperate , spadix ; , , stamens, or male flowers ; 
regions. The larger c, c, ovaries, or female flowers ; d, spathe ; 
genera are Anthu- '.corm. 
rium, Philoden- 
dron, Ari#(Pina, and Pothox. In temperate North Amer- 
ica there are 10 species, belonging to 8 genera, of which 
the most common is the .Tack-in-the-pulpit, or Indian tur- 
nip, Arusatma triptnillum. The skunk-cabbage, Sympto- 
carpus fcetidus, and the sweet-flag, Acorux calanms, are also 
well-known representatives of the order. The tuberous 
roots of many species abound in starch, and furnish a 
wholesome food when cooked, or after the acridity has 
Cuckoo-pint, or Wake-robin 
(Arion mafulatiim). 
been removed by washing, as in the taro, Colocatna anti- 
quontin, which is extensively cultivated in tropical coun- 
tries. British or Portland arrowroot is manufactured 
from the roots of Am in inaciilatitm (the wake-robin or 
cuckoo-pint), the species of which are natives chiefly of 
tropical countries. A principle of acridity generally per- 
vades the Aracece, existing in so strong a degree in some 
as to render them dangerous poisons, as Dif/cnbachia 
>/"/ of the West Indies and South America, which 
receives its popular name ihntib-cane from the fact that 
when it is chewed the tongue becomes swelled by the acrid 
juice, and the power of speech is destroyed. Many species 
are cultivated in greenhouses, chiefly as foliage-plants, and 
