attrition 
Attrition by virtue of the keys is made contrition. 
Quoted in Abp. Ussher's Ans. to a Jesuit, v. 
attrition-mill (a-trish'on-mil), n. A mill, 
usually centrifugal, in which grain is pulver- 
ized by the mutual attrition of its particles, 
and by frictional contact with the sides. 
attritus (a-tri'tus), . [L., a rubbing on, an 
inflammation caused by rubbing, < attritus, pp. 
of atterere: see attrite. For the sense here 
given, cf. detritus.} Matter reduced to powder 
by attrition. Carlyle. 
attryt, . See attcry. 
attune (a-tun'), v. t. ; pret. and pp. attuned, ppr. 
attuning". [< at-t + tune, q. v.] 1. To tune or 
put in tune ; adjust to harmony of sound ; make 
accordant: as, to attune the voice to a harp. 
And tongues, attuned to curses, roar'd applause. 
Crabbe, The Borough. 
2. Figuratively, to arrange fitly; make accor- 
dant; bring into harmony: as, to attune our 
aims to the divine will. 
The landscape around . . . was one to attune, their 
souls to holy musings. Longfellow, Hyperion, iv. 6. 
Though my ear was attuned, the songster was tardy. 
The Century, XXVII. 776. 
3. To make musical. [Rare.] 
Vernal airs, 
Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune 
The trembling leaves. Milton, P. L., iv. 265. 
attune (a-tun'), [< attune, v.] Harmony of 
sounds; accord. Mrs. Browning. 
attunement (a-tun 'ment), n. [< attune + -ment.~] 
The act of attuning. " [Bare.] 
atturnt, An obsolete spelling of attorn. 
atturneyt, An obsolete spelling of attorney. 
Attus (at'us), n. [NL.; cf. Atta.'] 1. A genus 
of spiders, typical of the family Attida>. 2. A 
genus of hemipterous insects. 
attypic, attypical (a-tip'ik, -i-kal), a. [< at-? 
+ typic, -al.~\ In zool., of the particular char- 
acter acquired, or in process of acquisition, by 
specialization, from a more generalized type, 
as from a prototype or archetype : opposed to 
etypical. 
Attypical characters are those to the acquisition of 
which, as a matter of fact, we find that forms, in their 
journey to a specialized condition, tend. 
Gill, Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., XX. -293. 
attypically (a-tip'i-kal-i), adv. In an attypic 
manner. 
atumble (a-tum'bl), i>rej>. phi', as adv. [< 3 + 
tumble.'} In a tumbling condition. 
-atus 1 . [L. -atus, fern, -ate, neut. -dtuin : see 
-ate 1 .} A Latin termination, the original of 
-ate 1 , -ate 2 , -ode 1 , -eel, etc., the suffix of perfect 
participles of the Latin first conjugation, and 
of adjectives similarly formed. It occurs fre- 
quently in New Latin specific names in botany, 
zoology, etc. 
-atus 2 . [L. -atus (-ate-), in nouns of the 4th de- 
clension, < -at-, pp. stem (see -atus 1 ), + stem 
vowel -u-. The Eng. form of this suffix is -ate : 
see -ate 3 .] A termination of Latin nouns, many 
of which have been adopted unaltered in Eng- 
lish, as apparatus, afflatus, flatus, etc. Such 
nouns, if they have a plural, retain the Latin form (L. 
atun), as apparatus!, or, rarely, take an English plural, as 
apparatuses. 
atwaint (a-twan'), adv. [< ME. atwayne, 
a-tweyne; '(. a 3 + twain. Cf. atirin and atwo.} 
In twain ; asunder. 
A fickle maid full pale, 
Tearing of papers, breaking rings a-twain, 
Storming her world with sorrow's wind and rain. 
Shak., Lover's Complaint, 1. 6. 
atweel (at-wel'). [So., appar. contr. from / 
wat weel. I know well: wat = E. wot; weel = E. 
well.} I wot well. [Scotch.] 
Atweel I would fain tell him. Scott, Antiquary, xxxix. 
atween (a-twen'), prep, and adv. [< ME. 
atweene, atwene; (. a- + -tween, equiv. to between, 
q. v.] Between; in or into an intervening 
space. [Old English and Scotch. ] 
But he, right well aware, his rage to ward 
Did cast his shield atweene. 
Spenser, F. Q., VI. xii. 30. 
atwint, adv. [ME., also atwinne; (. a 3 + twin. 
Cf. atwain.'] Apart; asunder. 
Thy wif and thou most hangen fer a-twinne. 
Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 403. 
atwirl (a-twerl' ), prep. phr. as adv. or a. [< a 3 
+ twirl."] In a twirl; twirling. 
Goody Cole 
Sat by her door with her wheel atwirl. 
Whittier, The Wreck of Rivet-mouth. 
atwist (a-twisf), prep. phr. as adv. or a. [< a 3 
+ twist, .] Awry ; distorted ; tangled. [Rare.] 
atwitet, v- t. [Early mod. E. also attwite, < ME. 
atwiten, < AS. cetwitan, < cet, at, + witan, blame : 
376 
see wife. Hence by apheresis mod. E. licit.} 
To blame ; reproach ; twit. 
atwitter (a-twit'er), prep. phr. as adv. or a. 
[< 3 + twitter.'} In a twitter, 
atwixt, atwixent, atwixtt, prep. [ME. atwix, 
iilirixcn, atwixe, atwixt, etc.; < a- + -twixen, twixt; 
equiv. to betwijcen, betwixt, q. v.] Betwixt; be- 
tween. 
Atmxen sonne and see. Chaucer, Troilus, v. 886. 
atWOt, adv. [ME., < AS. on twd, on tu : see a 3 
and two.} In two. 
An axe to smite the cord atwo. 
Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 383. 
Atwood's machine. See machine. 
atypic (a-tip'ik), a. [< (Jr. arun-of, conforming 
to no distinct type (of illness) (< a- priv. + 
i-inrof, type), + -io: see a-!8 and typic. ] 1. 
Having no distinct typical character; not typi- 
cal; not conformable to the type. 2. Produ- 
cing a loss of typical 
characters. Dana. 
atypical (a-tip'i-kal), a. 
[< atypic + -al.'} Same 
as atypic. 
atypically (a-tip'i-kal-i), 
adv. In an atypic 
atypic man- 
ner. 
Atypinae (at-i-pi'ne), n. 
pi. [NL., < Atypus, 1, + 
-ince.} A subfamily of 
Theraphosida; or Myga- 
lidte distinguished by the 
development of six spin- 
ners, typified by the ge- 
nus Atypus. 
Atypus (at'i-pus), . 
[NL., < Gr. arwrof, con- 
forming tO nO distinct ^'^'JhoBs^turaTSe.')"'"" 
type, < a- priv. + rwrof, 
type: see type.'} 1. A genus of spiders, of the 
family Theraphosidce or Mygalidce, having six 
arachnidial mammillae or spinnerets. A. piceu* 
is a European species which digs a hole in the ground and 
lines it with silk. The genus with some authors gives 
name to a subfamily Atypince. 
2. A genus of fishes, now called Ati/piehthyx. 
(iiinfher, 1860. 
au 1 . [< ME. au, aw, or a before a guttural, nasal, 
or I (as, all, al (aul), etc.), of AS. or OF. or L. 
origin.] A common English digraph repre- 
senting generally the sound of "broad a" (a), 
but often also a. It occurs only exceptionally, and by 
conformation with Romanic analogies, in words of Anglo- 
Saxon origin, as in aught, taught, daughter, haulmhalm, 
baulk = balk (and formerly as a variant, medially, with aw, 
as in baul, hauk, etc., for bawl, hawk, etc.). In words of 
Old French (and ultimately Latin) origin it represents an 
original al, now sometimes aul as in fault, assault, etc., 
or a before a nasal, as in aunt, haunch, launch, etc. (but 
in most such words now usually simplified to a, as in 
i/rand, grant, lance, etc.). It is frequently of Latin origin, 
as in audit, cause, laud, etc., or of Greek origin, as in caut- 
tic. In words from recent French it may have the present 
F. sound (6) as in hauteur, aufait, etc. In words of Ger- 
man and usually of other foreign origin, it has its analyti- 
cal value (a + u), corresponding to English ou in sour, as 
in sauerkraut, ablaut, umlaut. Formerly au and aw were 
used almost indifferently ; but now au is never final in 
English words, while aw is rarely medial, except in a few 
familiar words, as in hawk, bawl, but regularly final, as in 
law, saw, claw, etc. See aw. 
au 2 (6). [F., < OF. au, o, ou, earlier al, contr. 
of a le = Sp. Pg. al = It. all, olio, < L. ad ilium 
(m.) or ad Mud (neut.): ad, to, with ace. of 
ille, that, in Rom. the def. art. 'the.' The cpr- 
resp. fern, is a la, q. v.] To the ; at the ; with 
the: the dative of the French definite article, 
occurring in some phrases frequently used in 
English, as an fait, aufond, au revoir, etc. 
Au. The chemical symbol of gold (L., aurum). 
aubade (6-bad'), . [F., < aube, dawn (< L. alba, 
fern, of albuf, white ; cf. aube = alb 1 ), after Sp. 
albada, aubade, < alba, dawn : see alb 1 .'} 1. In 
troubadour and similar music, a song or piece 
to be performed in the open air in the early 
morning, usually addressed to some special 
person; a musical announcement of dawn. 
See serenade. 
There he lingered till the crowing cock, 
The Alectryon of the farmyard and the flock, 
Sang his aubade with lusty voice and clear. 
Longfellow, Wayside Inn, Emma and Eginhard. 
2. In modern music, a rarely used title for a 
short instrumental composition in lyric style. 
aubain (6-ban'; F. pron. 6-ban'), n. [F., < ML. 
albanus, an alien, < L. alibi, elsewhere, + -anus : 
see alibi.} A non-naturalized foreigner, subject 
to the right of aubaine. N. E. D. 
aubaine (6-ban'), n. [F., < aubain : see aubain.'] 
Succession to the goods of a stranger not nat- 
uralized. The droit d'aubaine in France was a right of 
the king to the goods of an alien dying within his realm, 
auction 
the king standing in the place of the heirs. This right 
was abolished in 1819. 
aubet, . [F., < L. /6a, alb: see aiftl.] Obso- 
lete form of alb 1 . Fuller. 
auberge (a'berj; F. pron. 6-barzh'), n. [F., < 
OF. alberge (= Pr. alberc = Sp. albergue = It. 
albergo, an inn), earlier helberge, orig. herberge, 
a military station, < MHG. herberge, OHG. heri- 
berga, a camp, lodging, G. herberge, an inn: see 
harbinger and harbor^.} An inn. Beau, and Fl. 
aubergine (a'b6r-jin; F. pron. 6-bar-zhen'), H. 
gF., dim. of auberge, alberge, a kind of peach, < 
p. alberchigo, alberchiga (= Pg. alperche), a 
peach, < Ar. al, the, + Sp. persigo,prisco = Pg. 
pecego = F. pjche (> E. peach*), < L. persicum : 
see peach 1 . The Sp. forms touch those of apri- 
cot: see apricot.} The fruit of the egg-plant, 
Solanum Melongena; the brinjal. 
aubergist, aubergiste (a'ber-jist; F. pron. 6- 
bar-zhest'), n. [< F. aubergiste, inn-keeper, < 
auberge: see auberge.} The keeper of an au- 
berge; an inn-keeper; a tavern-keeper ; a land- 
lord or landlady: as, "the aubergiste at Terni," 
Smollett. 
aubin (6-ban'), n. [F., < OF. liaubin, hobin, an 
ambling nag: see hobby.'} In the manege, a 
kind of broken gait, between an amble and a 
gallop, commonly called a "Canterbury gal- 
lop," and accounted a defect. 
auburn (a'bern), a. and n. [Early mod. E. au- 
born, abourne (also abrown, abroun, abrune, 
simulating brown), < ME. auburne, awburne (de- 
nned "citrinus," i. e., citron-colored, in Prompt. 
Parv.), < OF. auborne, alborne = It. alburno, 
auburn, < ML. alburnus, whitish, < L. albus, 
white. Cf. alburn, alburnum.'] I. a. Original- 
ly, whitish or flaxen-colored; now, reddish- 
brown : generally applied to hair. 
That whitish colour of a woman's hair called an ahum 
colour. Florin. 
II. ii. An auburn color. 
He's white-haired, 
Not wanton white, but such a manly colour, 
Next to an auburn. 
Fletcher (and another), Two Noble Kinsmen, iv. 2. 
A. U. C. Abbreviation of Latin ab urbe condita 
or anno urbis condita; (which see). 
Auchenia (a-ke'ni-a), n. [NL. (Illiger, 1811), 
< Gr. avxfo, neck : in allusion to the long neck 
of the llama.] A genus of ruminants, of the 
family Camelida;, representing in the new world 
the camels of the old, but naving no hump. 
The genus includes four important and well-known quad- 
rupeds indigenous to South America, namely, the llama 
(A. llama), the guanaco (A. huanaco), the alpaca (A. pacos), 
and the vicugna (A. vicugna). The second of these is by 
some supposed to be the wild stock of the llama, which 
is now known only in domestication. See cuts under 
alpaca, ijuanaco, llama, and vicugna. 
auchenium (a-ke'ni-um), . ; pi. auchenia (-a). 
[NL., < Gr. avxyi>, neck.] In ornith., the lower 
back part of the neck ; the scruff of the neck, 
just below the nape. Illiger; Smidevall. [Lit- 
tle used.] 
Auchenorhyncni (a-ke-no-ring'ki), n.pl. [NL., 
< Gr. aiixr/v, neck, + piyxCt snout.] A group of 
hemipterous insects: synonymous with Homop- 
tera. 
auchlet (ach'let), n. [Sc., < aucht, = E. eight, 
+ lot, part. Cf. firlot.~] In Scotland, a mea- 
sure equal to the eighth part of a boll. 
aucht 1 (acht), v. Same as aught?. [Scotch.] 
aucht 2 (acht), a. and n. Same as aughit. 
[Scotch.] 
au courant (6 ko-roii'). [F. : au, with the (see 
a 2 ); courant, current (see courant, current).'} 
Literally, in the current, that is, of events; 
well informed in regard to any event or subject. 
auctificialt, a. Same as auctive. Coles. 
auction (ak'shon), n. [< L. auctio(n-), an in- 
creasing, a sale by auction, < augere, pp. auctus, 
increase, = E. eke, v., q. v.] If. The act of in- 
creasing; increase; growth. Bailey. 2. A 
public sale in which each bidder offers an in- 
crease on the previous bid, the highest bidder 
becoming the purchaser. Called in Scotland a roup. 
Goods may be said to be sold either at or by auction, the 
former use prevailing in the United States and the latter 
in Great Britain. 
The old books would have been worth nothing at an 
auction. Hawthorne, Old Manse, I. 
3t. The property or goods put up for sale at 
auction. 
Ask you why Phryne the whole auction buys? 
Phryne foresees a general excise. 
Pope, Moral Essays, iii. 119. 
Auction by inch of candle, an old method of selling 
by auction, still sometimes practised, in which a small 
piece of candle is lighted at the beginning of a sale, and 
the highest bid made before the wick falls is successful. 
Dutch auction. See Dutch. 
