acroama 
acrpama (ak-ro-a'mtt), . ; pi. aeroamata (-ara'- 
a-tji). _[< (Jr. iiK/ii'niiia, anything heard, recita- 
tion, < oKpoaafai, hear, prob. akin to xAm^hear: 
see client.] 1. Rhetorical declamation, as op- 
posed to argument. 
Facciohiti i-\i>:mded the argument of Pacius . . . into a 
special Acroanui ; but his eloquence was not more riln- 
tive than the reasoning of his predecessors. 
Sir W. Hamilton, Discussions, p. If,:!. (.V. K. 1>.) 
2. Oral instruction designed for initiated dis- 
ciplesonly ; esoteric doctrine. See aeroamii/ir. 
acroamatic (ak"ro-a-mat'ik), ti. [< L. acroiiiiin- 
ticus, < Gr. anpoafiaT/Kof;, designed for hearing 
only, < &fp6afia(r-), anything heard: see acro- 
/inin.] Abstruse; pertaining to deep learning : 
opposed to exoteric. Applied particularly to those 
writings of Aristotle (also termed exoteric) which possessed 
a strictly scientific content and form, as opposed to his 
exoteric writings or dialogues, which were of a more 
popular character. The former were addressed to "hear- 
ers," that is, were intended to he read to his disciples or 
were notes written down after his lectures; hence the 
epithet acroamatic. All the works of Aristotle which we 
possess, except a few fragments of his dialogues, belong to 
this class. See esoteric. Au equivalent form is acroatic. 
We read no acroamatic lectures. 
Haiti, Golden Remains. 
Acroamatic proof or method, a scientific and strictly 
il.'iiMiistrativi' proof or method. 
acroamatical (ak*ro-a-mat'i-kal), a. Of an ac- 
roamatic or abstruse character; acroamatic. 
Aristotle was wont to divide his lectures and readings 
into ncrnniMitinil and exoterical. Hales, Golden Remains. 
acrodactylum 
acroamatics (ak"ro-a-mat'ik8), n. pi. [PI. of 
acroamatic: see -i'cs".] Aristotle's acroamatic 
writings. See acroamatic. Also called acro- 
atics. 
acroasis (ak-ro-a'sis), . [L., < Gr. anpoaatc, a 
hearing or lecture, < anpoaadai, hear : see acro- 
ama.'] An oral discourse. 
acroatic (ak-ro-at'ik), a. [< L. aoroaticus, < Gr. 
OKpoaTinAc., of or for hearing, < aKpoarfa, a hearer, 
(anpoaaOai, hear: see acroama.'] Same as acro- 
amatic. 
acroatics (ak-ro-at'iks), it. pi. Same as acroa- 
matics. 
Acrobasis (ak-rob'a-sis), n. [NL., < Gr. a/cpov, 
the top or end, + fiaoif, a going. Cf. acrobat.] 
Opossum-mouse of Ne 
(Acrobatts 
South Wales 
Exemplifications of Acrobasis. 
a, leaflets attacked by larva of A, jnglandis (walnut case- 
bearer) ; b, case of larva ; c. wings of A. nibulo ; rf. wings of A. 
JHgtandis; e, wings of A. nebula var. 
A genus of moths belonging to the Phycidw, 
a family founded by Zeller in 1839. The larvie 
skeletonize leaves, forming for themselves silken tubes 
either straight or crumpled. A. juglandis (Le Baron), the 
[< Gr. uKpov, 
i, head : see 
acrobat (ak ro- bat), n. [< F. acrobate = Sp. the vault is lofty or pyramidal. 
acrobato = Pg.' It. acrobata (cf. NL. Acrobates), Acrocera (ak-ros'e-ra), H. [NL., < Gr. anpof, at 
<-n,. A^,,x^^ ,,, n ii,: *;-.i 1 -_ A _ (h e t p or en( j ) 4; n|pof ( a horn.] A genus of 
"n, having the antenna? 
--ehead, the type of tho 
family AcroceridiK (which see). 
Acroceraunian (ak"ro-se-ra'ni-an), a. [<L. 
Acrocerannia,< Gr. 'AKpoKcpavvia, 'h. pi., < anpov, 
peak, summit, + nepaiivios, thunder-smitten, < 
Kfpowdc, thunder and lightning.] An epithet 
applied to certain mountains in the north of 
Epirus in Greece, projecting into the strait of 
Otranto. 
The thunder-hills of fear, 
The Acroceraunian mountains of old name. Bijrnn. 
Acroceridae (ak-ro-ser'i-de), n. pi. [NL.,< Acro- 
cera + -idee.] A' family of dipterous insects, 
belonging to the section or suborder Brachycera, 
having antennse with few joints, and to the 
Tetracha-ta;, the division of the Brachycera in 
which the number of pieces composing the 
haustellum is four. It was established by Leach in 
1819, and is typified by the genus Acrocera (which see). 
acrochirismus (ak-ro-ki-ris'mus), n. [Gr. 
aKpoxeipia/ju;, wrestling with the hands, < axpo- 
Xetpi&tv, wrestle with the hands, seize with 
the hands, < anpoxeip, later form for d/t/ra x ei -l>, 
the (terminal) hand: aKpa, fern, of a/<pof, at the 
end, terminal, extreme ; x e 'P, hand.] In Gr. 
antiq., a kind of wrestling in which the an- 
tagonists held each other by the wrists. Also 
spelled acrocheirismus. 
acrochord (ak'ro-kord), n. [< Acrochordus, q. 
v.] A snake of the genus Aa-ochordm. 
. v ^,, . [=F. acrobatique, acrochordid (ak-ro-k6r'did), n. A snake of the 
<Gr. aicpo(laTiK6f, fit for climbing, < aKpAparof. family Acrochordidfe ; a wart-snake, 
see acrobat.] Of or pertaining to an acrobat Acrochordidae _ (ak-ro-kor'di-de), n. pi. [NL., 
or his performances : as, acrobatic feats ; acro- 
batic entertainments. 
Made his pupil's brain manipulate . . . the whole ex- 
traordinary catalogue of an American young lady's school 
curriculum, with acrobatic skill. 
E. H. Clarke, Sex in Education, p. 71. 
acrobatical (ak-ro-bat'i-kal), a. Same as ac- 
robatic. [Rare.] 
acrobatically (ak-ro-bat'i-kal-i), adv. In the 
manner of an acrobat ; with' acrobatic skill or 
dexterity. 
acrobatism (ak'ro-bat-izm), n. [< acrobat + 
-ism.] The performance of acrobatic feats; 
the profession of an acrobat. 
Acrobrya (ak-rob'ri-a), n. pi. [NL., neut. pi. of . , - o 
aerobryus : see acrobryous. Cf. Acramphibrya.] " ul ous at the end ; a hanging wart. 
A term used by Endhcher as a class name for Acrochordus (ak-ro-kor'dus), n. [NL., < Gr. 
plants growing at the apex only ; the higher - K P v , top, end, + x n P^'l, a string : see aerochor- 
cryptogams : equivalent to acrogens. don.] A genus of wart-snakes typifying the 
acrobryous (ak-rob'ri-us), a. [< NL. aerobryus, f amily Acrochordidce (which see). Hornstedt. 
< Gr. aKpo;, at the end, + fjpvov, a flower.] In ^' so written Acrocordus. Shaw, 
bot., growing at the apex only; of the nature of Acrocinus (ak-ro-si'nus), n. [NL., < Gr. anpov, 
Acrobrya. end, extremity, + mveiv, move.] A genus of 
\ _,. .- ^.L _= i.u_/_r^ , r ^ TT , . lougicorn beetles, of the family Cerambycida; : 
so called by Illiger from having a movable 
acrobato = Pg. It. aerooata (cf. NL. Acrobates), Acrocera (ak-ros'e-ra), n. 
< Gr. aKp6,iarof, walking on tiptoe, also going to the top or end, -f- Ktpaf, a 
the top, < anpov, the highest point, top, summit, flies, founded by Meigen, i 
neut. of d/coof, highest, topmost, + (Sardc, verbal on the summit of the f orehi 
adj. from flaivetv, familv Atvftppridn* ("whiAli c, 
go, = E. come, q. 
v.] 1. A rope- 
dancer ; also, one 
who practises 
high vaulting, 
tumbling, or oth- 
er feats of person- 
al agility. 2. A 
species of the ge- 
nus Acrobates. 
Acrobates (ak- 
rob'a-tez), . 
[NL.;'< Gr. as if 
*aKpOt3aTt/c, equiv. 
to aKpofiaToc ; gee 
acrobat.] A genus 
or subgenus of 
marsupial quad- 
rupeds of the fam- 
ily Phalangistida;, 
peculiar to Aus- 
tralia. It is related 
to Petaurus, and in- 
cludes such pygmy petaurists as the opossum-mouse, Aero- 
bates pygmceus, one of the most diminutive of marsupials 
being hardly larger than a mouse. Like various other so- 
called flying quadrupeds, the opossum-mouse is provided 
with a parachute. The genus was founded by Desmarest 
in 1820. Also written Acrobata. 
acrobatic (ak-ro-bat'ik), a. L _^ . i*^, t,i/m,ucc, -- v 
<Gr. aicpo(laTiK6f, fit for climbing, < aKpAparoc,: family Acrochordidte ; a wart-snake. 
see i acrobat.] Of or pertaining to an acrobat Acrochordidae (ak-ro-kor'di-de), n. f .. L J 
-" < Acrochordus + -Ate.] A family of viviparous 
ophidian reptiles of the aglyphodont or colu- 
brine division, which contains ordinary in- 
nocuous serpents. The typical genus is Acrochordux 
containing A. jacanicm, a large, stout-bodied, and very 
short-tailed serpent of Java, some 8 feet long, the entire 
body of which is covered with small granular or tubercular 
scales, not imbricated, as is usual in the order. With its 
sullen eyes and swollen jaws, it presents a very savage 
appearance. The family contains two other genera of 
wart-snakes, C/ierxydrns and Xenodermus. 
acrochordon (ak-ro-k6r'don), .; pi. acrochor- 
dones (-do-nez). [L., < Gr. fotpompd6v, a wart 
with a thin neck, < anpav, top, end, + X"P^, a 
string: see chord.] A small filiform fibroma- 
tous outgrowth of the skin, often becoming 
bulbous at the end ; a hanging wart. 
Acrobrya. 
Acrocarpi (ak-ro-kar'pl), n. pi. [NL., pi. of 
acrocarpus: see acrocarpous.] In bot., a di- 
vision of the mosses, containing the genera in 
which the capsule terminates the growth of a 
primary axis 
\ 
ich ; 
spine on each side of the thorax. A. lomjimanu*, 
the harlequin-beetle of South America, is the type. It is 
2J inches long, with antenna) 6 and fore legs alone 4 
inches in length. 
ing the fruit at the end or top of the primary 
axis : applied to mosses. 
name retained by florists for a composite plant 
from the Cape of Good Hope, more properly 
irom me <^ape or woou Mope, more properly 
The flower of Mosses either terminates the growth of a classed as Helipterum roseum. It has immor- 
primary axis (Acrocarpous Mosses), or the . " 
acrocephaly; high-skulled: as, acrocephalicmen 
or tribes. 
acrocephaline (ak-ro-sef'a-lin), a. [< Acroce- 
phalus + -inc.] In ornith", resembling a bird of 
the genus Acroccphalus in the character of the 
bill : said of certain warblers. Henry Seebohm. 
Acrocephalus (ak-ro-sef 'a-lus), n. [ NL., < Gr. 
&Kpov, here used in the mere sense of point, in 
In ornith., a genus of birds founded by Nau- 
mann in 1811 to embrace old-world warblers of 
Apple-leaf Grumpier (Acrobasis indiginella). 
a. case, containing caterpillar: b, cases in winter; c, head and 
thoracic joints of larva, enlarged ; rf, moth (the cross shows natural 
size). 
a comparatively large bill, depressed at base and acute at 
tip, with moderately developed rictal bristles, a very small 
spurious first primary, a rounded tail, and more or less 
uniform brownish plumage. It is related to Ptnil[<>*<-<,i><i-< 
Locustella, Ilypolain, etc. A typical species is the aquatic 
rc.'d-warbler, A. aquaticus. Most of the species of this 
genus are migratory, and their molt is double. See Cala- 
moayta and retd-varblfr. 
fe^ iiu " ** vi\ji\*n\ ..IT-, n-.i^.i j uaimH, tlllldl LO 
the cocoa-palm, with a tall prickly trunk, some- 
times swollen in the middle, bearing a tuft of 
very large pinnate leaves. A. sderocarpa is widely 
distributed through South America, and yields a small 
round fruit with thin, sweetish pulp and an edible kernel. 
The young leaves are eaten as a vegetable, and a sweet, 
fragrant oil is extracted from the nuts, which is used as 
an emollient and in the manufacture of toilet-soaps See 
macaw-tree. 
acrocyst (ak'ro-sist), n. [< Gr. aicpof, at the 
top, -f Kiarif, bladder, bag, pouch : see cyst.] In 
zool., an external sac which in some hydroids 
is formed upon the summit of the gonangium, 
where it constitutes a receptacle in which the 
ova pass through some of the earlier stages of 
their development. Allman. 
,, a" digit: see dactyl.] In ornith., the 
upper surface of a bird's toe. [Little used.] 
