autobiographic 
autobiographic (a-to-bi-o-graf'ik), a. Of the 
nature of autobiography. 
The writings of Dunte . . . are all . . . autobiographic. 
Lowell, Among my Books, 2d ser., p. 20. 
autobiographical (a-to-bl-o-grafi-kal), a. 1. 
Of or pertaining to autobiography ; character- 
ized by an autobiographic tendency. 
It ever remains doubtful whether he is laughing in his 
sleeve at these Autobiographical times of ours. 
Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, p. 66. 
2. Same as autobiographic. 
autobiographically (a- to - bi - 5 - graf 'i - kal - 1), 
adv. In an autobiographic manner. 
autobiographist (a"to-bi-og'ra-fist), . [< - 
tobiograplnj + -ist] 'Same as antobiograpker. 
[Rare.] 
autobiography (a"to-bi-og'ra-n), n. ; pi. anto- 
biographies (-fiz). [< Gr. aMs, self, + biogra- 
phy.] A biography or memoir of a person writ- 
ten by himself. 
autocarpian, autocarpic (a-to-kar'pi-an, -pik), 
a. Same as Mttooarpotts, 
autocarpOUS (a-to-kitr'pus), a. [< Gr. aiirof, 
self (in comp. sometimes, as here, meaning 'of 
nothing but . . . .' 'of mere . . .'), + naprrfa;, 
fruit. The Gr. avr6napTrog means only 'self- 
fructifying.'] In bot., consisting of pericarp 
alone ; having no adnate parts ((fray) : applied 
to fruits which are free from the perianth. 
Same as superior. 
autocephalic (a"to-se-fal'ik or a-to-sef'a-lik), 
a. [As autocephal-ous + -ic.] Autocephalous; 
autonomous. 
autocephalous (ti-to-sef 'a-lus), a. [< LGr. avn- 
ntycAos, < Gr. avr6f, self,"+ /ce^a^, head.] 1. 
Having a head or chief of its own ; independent 
of jurisdiction ; applied to a church. 
The Russian Church became autocephalous, and its pa- 
triarch had immense power. Encyc. Brit., XI. 157. 
2. Acting as an independent head; having 
primary jurisdiction : as, an autocephalous 
bishop or metropolitan. 
We have seen Greece proclaim its Holy Governing Sy- 
nod autocephalous. J. 31. fieale, Eastern Church, i. 10. 
autochronograph (a-to-kron'o-graf), n. [< Gr. 
airro?, self, + chronograph.'] An instrument 
for instantaneously and automatically record- 
ing time. 
autochthon (a-tok'thon), . ; pi. autoehtltoim, 
autochthones (-thons, -tho-nez). [< L. autoch- 
thones, pi., < Gr. "aMxSuv, pi. aMxBavec, abo- 
rigines, primitive inhabitants, lit. sprung from 
the land itself (it was the belief of the ancient 
Athenians and some other Greeks that they 
sprang originally from the soil on which they 
lived), < amds, self, + x^ v , land, earth.] 1. 
Literally, one sprung from the land he inhabits ; 
hence, one of the primitive inhabitants of a 
country; a member of the race found in a 
country when first known; an aboriginal in- 
habitant. 
Whoever the artist may have been, it [a statue] is un- 
doubtedly a very able conception, the figure seeming to 
rise from the earth just as an autochthon would be thought 
to rise. A. S. Murray, Greek Sculpture, I. 224, note. 
Their own traditions appear to have made them [the 
Phrygians] autochthones, or aboriginals, and it would seem 
that they believed the re-peopling of the earth after the 
flood to have begun in their country. 
G. Rawlinson, Origin of Nations, p. 67. 
2. pi. The primitive animals or plants of a 
country or region, especially in geological time. 
[Rare.] 
autochthonal (a-tok'tho-nal), a. [< autochthon 
+ -al.~] Autochthonic; aboriginal: as, autoch- 
thonal peoples. 
autochthones, . Plural of autochthon. 
autochthpnic (a-tok-thon'ik), a. [< autoch- 
thon + -ic.] Of or pertaining to an autoch- 
thon ; native to or sprung from the soil ; abo- 
riginal; indigenous. 
The aborigines of the country (were] driven, like the 
Bheels and other autochthonic Indians, into the eastern 
and southeastern wilds bordering upon the ocean. 
R. F. Burton, El-Medinah, p. 20. 
We may, however, venture the assertion that the Eskimo 
is of autochthonic origin in Asia. 
Arc. Cruise of the. Corwin, 1881, p. 30. 
autochthonism (a-tok'tho-nizm), n. [< autoch- 
thon + -ism.] Birth from the soil. 
According to the Scythians, Targitaus lived just a thou- 
sand years before the year 513 B. c. a legend which, taken 
with the tradition of autochthonism, indicates a much 
earlier date for the immigration of the Scythians than we 
should deduce from other narratives. 
Encyc. Brit., XXI. 576. 
autochthonous (a-tok'tho-nus), a. [< autoch- 
thon + -ous.] 1. Pertaining to autochthons; 
indigenous; sprung from the soil ; aboriginal. 
I speak here ... of ancient religions only, of what are 
sometimes called national or autochthonous religions 
388 
not of those founded in later times by individual pro- 
phets or reformers. Max Muller, India, p. 116. 
One would almost be inclined to think from Herr Stahr's 
account of the matter, that Leasing had been an autoch- 
thonous birth of the German soil, without intellectual an- 
cestry or helpful kindred. 
Lowell, Among my Books, 1st ser., p. 301. 
2. In pathol., not extraneous; originating at 
the place where found. 
autochthonously (a-tok'tho-nus-li), adv. In an 
autochthonous manner. 
The larger number of maladies do not arise autochtho- 
nously or "under a whole skin." Encyc. Brit., XVIII. 361. 
autochthony (a-tok'tho-ni), n. [< autochthon 
+ -y.] The condition of being autochthonous. 
The practice of describing legendary heroes and men of 
ancient lineage as earth-born, yriyevtis, strengthened great- 
ly the doctrine of autochthony, and nowhere so much as 
in Attica. Encyc. Brit., III. 141. 
autoclave (a'to-klav), n. [F., self-regulating, 
a digester, < dr. airof, self, + L. clavis, a key 
(or davits, a iiail ?).] A kind of stewpan, the lid 
of which is kept close and steam-tight by the 
steam proceeding from the contents of the pan. 
It is an application to culinary purposes of Pa- 
pin's digester. See digester. 
autocracy (a-tok'ra-si), . ; pi. autocracies (-siz). 
[< F. autocratic, "< Gr. amonptnua, absolute 
power, (. avroKparfff, absolute, ruling by one's 
self: see autocrat.] If. The power of deter- 
mining one's own actions ; independent or self- 
derived power ; self-government ; self-rule. 
Man's will, that great seat of freedom, that, with a kind 
of autocracy and supremacy within itself, commands its 
own actions. South, Sermons, VII. i. 
It [the divine will] moves, not by the external impulse 
or inclination of objects, but determines itself by an ab- 
solute autocracy. South, Sermons, VIII. x. 
2. Uncontrolled or unlimited authority over 
others, invested in a single person ; the govern- 
ment or power of an absolute monarch. 
At least from the days of Hildebrand the mind of Eu- 
rope had become familiarized with the assertion of those 
claims which in their latent significance amounted to an 
absolute irresponsible autocracy. 
Milman, Latin Christianity, ix. 1. 
3f. In med., action of the vital powers toward 
the preservation of the individual. =8yn. 2. Tyr- 
anny, Absolutism, etc. See despotism. 
autocrat (a'to-krat), n. [< F. autocrate, < Gr. 
avTOKparfif, ruling by one's self (cf. avTOK/iarup, 
an autocrat: see autocrator), < aitrof, self, + 
Kpdros, power, < Kpari'f, strong, = Goth, hardus 
= E.hard: see hard.'] 1. An absolute prince 
or sovereign ; a ruler or monarch who holds and 
exercises the powers of government as by inher- 
ent right, not subject to restrictions: as, "the 
autocrat of all the Kussias," a title assumed 
by the emperor of Russia. 2. One who is in- 
vested with or assumes unlimited authority in 
any relation: as, " The Autocrat of the Break- 
fast-Table" (title of a book), 0. W. Holmes. 
autocratic (a-to-krat'ik), a. [< autocrat + -t'c.] 
Pertaining to or of the nature of autocracy; 
absolute; holding independent and unlimited 
powers of government. 
The Russian government is autocratic, inasmuch as over 
the larger part of the country it has simply succeeded to 
the position of the Mongolian khans, 'who from the thir- 
teenth to the fifteenth century held the Russian people in 
subjection. J. Fiske, Amer. Pol. Ideas, p. 43. 
autocratical (a-to-krat'i-kal), n. Same as au- 
tocratic. 
autocratically (a-to-krat'i-kal-i), adv. In an 
autocratic manner. 
autocrator (a-tok'ra-tor), n. [< Gr. avToupdrup, 
one's own master, an absolute ruler: see au- 
tocrat.'] An autocrat; a dictator. [Rare.] 
The picturesque spiked Macedonian helmet with a 
goat's horn and cheek-piece which occupies the reverse 
[of a coin], on which is written after "King Tryphon " the 
strange title autocrator. Encyc. Brit., XVII. 649. 
autocratorical (a"to-kra-tor'i-kal), a. [< Gr. 
avToKparopiK6f, < avronparup: see autoerator.] 
Pertaining to an autocrat or autocrator; su- 
preme ; absolute : as, autocratorical power. 
[Rare.] 
autocratrice (a-tok'ra-tris), . [F.] Same as 
autocratrix. 
autocratrix(a-tok'ra-triks), .; pi. autocratrices 
(a-tok-ra-tri'sez). [NL. (cf. MGr. avronpaTo- 
piaaa), fern, of autocrator."] A female sovereign 
who is independent and absolute : a title some- 
times given to a reigning empress of Russia. 
[Rare.] 
autocratship (a'to-krat-ship), n. [< autocrat 
+ -skip.] The office of autocrat. 
auto da fe (ou'to da fa) ; pi. autos da fe (ou'tos). 
[Pg. auto dafe = Sp. auto defe (Pg. da, < de a, 
where a is the fern, art., < L. ilia).] Same as 
autogenic 
auto defc. [This Portuguese form, commonly written 
auto daje or auto-da-fe, was the first introduced, and has 
been most used in English literature.] 
auto de fe (ou'to da fa) ; pi. autos defc (ou'tos). 
[Sp., lit. act (judicial process, judgment) of 
faith : auto, < L. action, an act ; de, < L. dc, 
from, of ; fe = Pg. fe, < L. fidem, ace. of fides, 
faith: see act, n., de 2 , fay**, and faith. Cf. auto 
da fe.] The public declaration of the judg- 
ment passed on accused persons who had been 
tried before the courts of the Spanish Inquisi- 
tion, and by extension the infliction of such 
penalties as had been prescribed in the sen- 
tence. The declaration of judgment was usually made 
with much solemnity, in an open place, and included the 
acquittals, reception to retraction, official admonition, and 
sentence of punishment for the crimes within the com- 
petency of tlie court. These crimes were public profes- 
sion of heresy, apostasy, witchcraft, seduction by ecclesi- 
astics, bigamy, unnatural crimes, church-robbery, blas- 
phemy, usury, and, in general, crimes of or against the 
officers of the Inquisition itself. Those convicted were 
brought from prison, dressed in the sanbenito, or robe of 
defamed criminals, which was worked with a cross and 
other designs, sometimes with grotesque scenes of infernal 
characters or torments, imil varied in its color and pattern 
in accordance with the severity of the sentence to be 
passed. Each offender was called by name, his crime spe- 
cified, and its punishment declared, after which all were 
delivered up to the civil officials. Here the auto proper 
finished ; but as the execution of those penalties that were 
of capital or corporal nature immediately followed, the 
name was extended to this part, as applied to which it has 
become popularly accepted. Such punishments were flog- 
ging, the pillory, branding or maiming, and death by hang- 
ing or burning, according to the prescriptions of the im- 
perial or Caroline code. 
autodidact(a'to-di-dakt'), n. [< Gr. avToSifmn- 
rof, self-taught,' < avr6f, self, + cMaKTOf, verbal 
adj. of SiAaanfiv, teach: see didactic.] A self- 
taught person. [Rare.] 
autodidactic (a"to-di-dak'tik), a. [< autodi- 
dact + -ic.] Self-taught. [Rare.] 
He [Menzel] was from the beginning an auto-didactic 
realist; he drew and painted as he saw not as others 
taught him how they had seen. 
Contemporary Rev., XLIX. 293. 
autodynamic (a"to-di-nam'ik), a. [<Gr. amo- 
diivauos, powerful of itself, < atirof, self, + Siva- 
ui$, power: see dynamic.] Having power or 
force in itself Autodynamic elevator, a hydraulic 
machine in which the weight of a falling column of water 
is made to raise a smaller column to a height exceeding 
that of the first. 
autoecious (a-te'shus), a. [< Gr. airrtc, self, + 
oUof, dwelling.] In bryology, having both male 
and female inflorescence on the same plant; 
monoecious. Three modifications are cladau- 
toacious, goniautoacious, and rhizautoecious. 
Also written autoicous. 
autogamous (a-tog'a-mus), a. [< Gr. avr6f, 
self, + yauof, marriage ; cf. aMya/toc, willingly 
married.] Self-fertilized : applied to flowers 
which are fertilized by their own pollen, in 
distinction from anemophilous and entomophilous 
flowers, in which one flower is fertilized by 
pollen from another through the intervention 
of the wind or of insects. 
autogamy (a-tog'a-mi), n. [< Gr. airof, self, 
+ -yafiia, < ydfto^, marriage. Cf. autogamous.] 
In bot., close fertilization, or self-fertilization ; 
the fertilization of a flower by its own pollen. 
See allogamy. 
autogenealt (a-to-je'ne-al), a. [< Gr. atrroyewfr : 
see autogenous.] Self -'begotten ; autogenous. 
Waterhouse. 
autogeneous (a-to-je'ne-us), a. Same as auto- 
genous. 
autogenesis (a-to-jen'e-sis), . [< Gr. airof, 
self, -I- yheaif, production.] Self -production ; 
production independent, (a) in organisms, of 
parent organisms; (6) in tissues, of parent 
tissues; and (c) in disease, of previous cases of 
zymotic disease. 
autogenetic (a*to-je-net'ik), a. [< autogenesis: 
see genetic.] Self -producing; pertaining to au- 
togenesis. 
There was no doubt ... of the existence of autogenetic 
puerperal fever. Brit. Med. Jour., No. 1319. 
autogenetically (a"to-je-net'i-kal-i), adv. By 
autogenesis, or autogenetic processes. 
Some septic poison, either from without or autogeneti- 
cally, might cause the same. Brit. Med. Jour., No. 1319. 
autogenic (a-to-jen'ik), a. [As autogen-ous 
+ -ic.] Self -produced ; independent of a me- 
dium: specifically applied to a process of sol- 
dering in which pieces of metal are united 
by fusing the parts to be joined. See autoge- 
nous. 
Platinum workers . . . have long learned to unite two 
platinum seams by the autogenic process the local 
fusing of the two contiguous parts in the oxyhydrogen 
flame. Encyc. Brit., XIX. 190. 
