aeroscepsy 
Stinctively. It is considered by some zoologists to be a 
function of the antennjc, these being organs by means of 
which sucll animals may practise acroscopy (which see). 
[Aeroscepsy and arrvHcopif are often used as synonymous by 
zoologists ; but the distinction here indicated is convenient, 
and agreeable to their ditference of formation. | 
aeroscope (a'e-ro-skop), n. [< Gr. *aepoan67roc : 
see aeroscopy.] An apparatus for collecting 
microscopic objects from the air. it consists of 
an inspirator and a glass collecting-vessel smeared with 
glycerin. When air is drawn through it the fine dust sticks 
to the film of glycerin. 
aeroscopic (a"e-ro-skop'ik), a. Pertaining to or 
exercising aeroscopy. 
aeroscopy (a-e-ros'ko-pi), n. [< Gr. depoovco-m, 
divination by'bbserving the heavens, < "depoovcu- 
trof, observing the heavens, < a'/p (aep-), air, + 
aiameiv, observe, look at.] If. Divination by 
means of the air; weather-prophecy. 2. Ex- 
amination or observation of the atmosphere ; 
the practice of meteorology. 3. In zool., per- 
ception or observation of atmospheric condi- 
tions, as by insects and snails ; the instinctive 
exercise of aeroscepsy ; the operation or result 
of the faculty of aeroscepsy. See aeroscepsy. 
aerose (e'ros), a. [< L. cerosus, full of copper, 
< ass (&r-), copper: see e?s.] Having the nature 
of or resembling copper or brass ; coppery. Also 
spelled erase. 
aerosiderite (a/e-ro-sid'e-rit), n. [< Gr. a-iip 
(aep-), air, + aifo/piTj/f, of iron: see siderite.] 
A meteorite consisting essentially of metallic 
iron. See meteorite. 
aerosiclerolite (a/'e-ro-si-de'ro-lit), n. [< Gr. 
afjp (aep-), air, + o-%>oc, iron, + UQof, stone.] 
A meteorite containing both stone and iron. 
See meteorite. 
aerosphere (a'e-ro-sfer), . [< Gr. ai/p (itep-), 
air, 4- atyalpa, sphere.] The body of air sur- 
rounding the earth ; the aerial globe ; the en- 
tire atmosphere. 
aerostat (a'e-ro-stat), n. [< F. aerostat, < Gr. 
afip (aep-), air, + arar6f, placed, standing, verbal 
adj. of i-ara-vai, place,cause to stand : see static.] 
1. A machine or vessel sustaining weights in 
the air ; a balloon ; a flying-machine. 
The aerostat was brought down in the very meadow 
whence it had set off. Science, IV. 330. 
2. An aeronaut ; a balloonist. [Eare and in- 
correct.] 
aerostatic, aerostatical (a/e-ro-stat'ik, -i-kal), 
a. [=F. aerostatique, < Gr. afyp (aep-), air, 4- 
crrariKdf, causing to stand, < orai-or, standing : 
see aerostat and static.] 1. Pertaining to aero- 
statics. 2. Pertaining to aerostation, or the 
art of aerial navigation. 
A memorable event in the history of aerostatic science. 
The American, VIII. 317. 
Aerostatic balance, an instrument, constructed on the 
same principle as the barometer, for ascertaining the 
weight of the air. 
aerostatics (a/e-ro-stat'iks), n. [PI. of aero- 
static : see -ics.] The science which treats of 
the weight, pressure, and equilibrium of air and 
other elastic fluids, and of the equilibrium of 
bodies sustained in them. 
aerostation (a"e-ro-sta'shon), n. [< F. aerosta- 
tion, improp. < aerostat, aerostat, in imitation of 
words in -ation, like station, etc.] 1. The art 
or practice of aerial navigation ; the science of 
raising, suspending, and guiding machines in 
the air, or of ascending in balloons. 2f. The 
science of aerostatics. 
aerotherapeutics (a/'e-ro-ther-a-pu'tiks), n. [< 
Gr. aijp (aep-), air, + therapeutics.] A mode of 
treating disease by varying the pressure or 
modifying the composition of the air surround- 
ing the patient. 
aerothermal (a/e-ro-ther'mal), a. Pertaining 
to or using hot air: as, Mouchot's aerother- 
mal bakery, that is, a bakery in which the 
baking is effected by heated air. Vre, Diet., 
1.487. 
aerotonometer (a/e-ro-to-nom'e-ter). n. [< Gr. 
aepfrravof, stretched'br driven by air (< ar/p (aep-), 
air, + reiveiv. stretch), + fifrpov, measure.] An 
instrument for determining the tension of gases 
in the blood. 
aerotropism (a-e-rot'ro-pizm), n. [< NL. aero- 
tropismus,<.Gr. aqp (aep-), air, + -TpoTrof,<TpeTreiv, 
turn, -I- -ism.] In hot., deviation of roots from 
their normal direction by the action of gases. 
Molisch. 
aerugineoust (e-ro-jin'e-us), a. Same as <eru- 
ginoiis. Bailey. 
aeruginous (e-ro'ji-nus), a. [< L. aruginosue, 
< ofrutjo (arugin-), rust of copper : see cerugo.] 
I. Pertaining to or of the nature of verdigris 
or the rust of copper. 
95 
A . . . kind of salt drawn out of ferreous and 
earths, partaking chiefly of iron and copper. 
Sir T. Broume. 
2. Of the color of verdigris. 
Also spelled erugiuous. 
aerugo (e-ro'go), . [L., rust of copper, verdi- 
gris prepared from it, < a l s (cer-), copper, bronze : 
see a's.] Verdigris (which see). JErugo nobilis 
(noble verdigris), or simply (vmyo, a greenish crust found 
on antique bronzes; the patina. See /<'///". 
aery 1 (a'ri, a'er-i), a. [Early mod. E. aerie; 
for airy, with forced spelling, in imitation of L. 
aereus, aerius, airy, aerial: see airyl, aerial.] 
Airy; breezy; exposed to the air; elevated; 
lofty ; ethereal ; visionary. [Rare and poeti- 
cal.] 
The shepherd's pipe came clear from aery steep. Keats. 
Whence that aery bloom of thine, 
Like a lily which the sun 
Looks thro* in his sad decline ? 
Tennyson, Adeline. 
aery 2 , aerie 2 (a'ri, a'ri, a'e-ri, or e'ri: see 
etym.,atend),w.; pi. aeries (-riz). [Alsowritten 
airy, eyry, eyrie, and in early mod. E. airie, aiery, 
ayry, aycry, cyery, eyerie, etc., a lengthened form 
(with added syllable -y or -ie after E. airy 1 , a., 
or the ML. form aerea) of early mod. E. aire, 
ayre, < ME. "aire, eyre, oldest form air, an 
aery (rare, and found only in the phrase hauke 
of noble air (var. nobulle eyre), after OF.faucon 
de gentil or ban aire, i. e., a hawk of noble or 
good stock: see under debonair), < OF. "aire, 
m., an airie or nest of hawkes" (Cotgrave), 
OF. also f., mod. F. aire, f., = Pr. aire, < ML. 
area, aria, aerea, aeria, the nest of a bird of 
prey ; of uncertain origin, but prob. only a 
special use o the common L. area, also writ- 
ten aria, an open space, floor, area, the spell- 
ings aerea, aeria, being due to a supposed con- 
nection with L. aereus, aerius, aerial, airy, 
such nests being built in lofty places. Owing 
to its poetical associations, and to confused 
notions as to its origin, this word has suffered 
unusual changes of spelling and pronunciation. 
The reg. mod. form, rej>r. ME. 'aire, air, eyre, 
would be "air (pron. ar), or, with the added 
syllable, airy (pron. a'ri). The mod. spelling 
aery or aerie is in imitation of the ML. aerea, 
aeria; cf. aery 1 , a., tor airy 1 , a., after L. aereus, 
aerins. The spelling eyry, eyrie does not follow 
from the ME. form eyre (which would give "air, 
as said above), but is a 17th century archaistic 
simulation of ME. ey, egg. The word not being 
in current popular use, the pronunciation, prop, 
a'ri in all spellings, has varied with the spell- 
ing ; the form aery or aerie is also pron. a'ri 
or a'e-ri, while many dictionaries, following 
Walker, give as the exclusive or as an alterna- 
tive pronunciation e'ri, a purely pedantic pro- 
nunciation, due to mistaking the ae- for the 
diphthong ae or ff. Similarly, the form eyry or 
eyrie, pron. usually like aery or aerie, is in pres- 
ent usage sometimes pron. i'ri.] 1. The nest 
of a bird of prey, as an eagle or a hawk ; hence, 
a lofty nest of any large bird. 
There the eagle and the stork 
On cliffs and cedar-tops their eyries build. 
Milton, P. L., vii. 424. 
2. The brood in the nest ; the young of a bird 
of prey ; figuratively, children. 
Glo. Our aiery buildeth in the cedar's top. . . . 
Q. Mar. Your aiery buildeth in our aiery's nest. 
Sliak., Rich. HI., i. 3. 
3. An elevated habitation or situation. 
Wherever beauty dwell, 
In gulf or aerie, mountain or deep dell. 
Keats, Endymion, ii. 94. 
These men had from their eyrie seen us go up the glacier. 
F. Jacomb, in P. P. and Gl., 2d ser., 1. 328. (X. E. D.) 
aery 2 , aerie 2 (a'ri : see etym. of aery 2 , n., at end), 
v. i. [< aery 2 , n.] To build or have an aery. 
She (Pilhannaw, a monstrous great birdj aeria in the 
woods upon the high hills of Ossapy. 
Josseliin, New England's Rarities (1672), p. 41. 
aery-light (a'ri-llt), a. [< aery 1 + light 2 .] Light 
as air. Milton. 
338 (ez), . [L. ess (<er-), prop, ore, but applied 
chiefly to copper, or the alloy of copper and tin 
(and sometimes lead), bronze ; hence, anything 
made of copper or bronze ; in particular, coins, 
money; =Goth. ais = AS. ur, E. ore : see ore 1 .] In 
Rom.antiq., copper or bronze; money or coins of 
copper or bronze ; money in general ; works of art 
or other objects made of bronze. See copper and 
bronze &s Corlnthium, Corinthian bronze : the vari- 
ous alloys and art-works in bronze produced at Corinth 
had a very high reputation in the ancient world, par- 
ticularly among the Romans. JEa Cyprium (literally, 
Cyprian ore or metal: see copper), copper. JEs grave 
(see grave'*), a general term applied to the large, heavy 
bronze coins of the libral system, flrst issued in Italy by 
.Ssculapian 
the Romans and other communities toward the end of the 
fifth century n. <. The Konian an is the most familiar 
example.- KB rude (see rwlf), the flrst Roman money, 
consisting of rude masses of copper, uncoined, of regular 
weights varying from two pounds to two ounces. JE& 
signatum (stumped bronze), the flrst Roman expedient 
toward securing a regular coinage, legally sanctioned as 
early as 454 B. c. The pieces are approximately rectangular 
in shape, bearing on each side, in relief a rude flgnre, as of 
a bull, a boar, or an elephant, and weigh about five pounds 
each. For smaller values the pieces were cut Into frag- 
ments, and the <KS rude, also remained in use. The aes sig- 
nal it m continued to be employed for some time after a more 
advanced system of coinage had been adopted. 
.Slsalidae (e-sal'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < JEsalus + 
-ida;.] A family of lamellicorn coleopterous 
insects, based by Macleay (1819) upon the ge- 
nus JEsalus. See Lucanidce. 
aesalon (e'sa-lon), n. [NL., < Gr. cio-d/wv, a small 
kind of hawk, prob. the merlin.] 1. An old 
name of the merlin, Falco atsalon or JEsalon 
regulus. See merlin. 2. [cop.] A genus of 
falcons (Brisson, 1760): formerly used in a 
broad sense, later restricted to the small species 
related to the merlin. JE. columbarius is the 
common pigeon-hawk of North America. See 
pigeon-hawk. 
jJIsalus (e'sa-lus), n. [NL. Cf. aisalon.] The 
typical genus of jEsalidce, based by Fabricius 
(1801) upon jE. scarabaoides, a European lamel- 
licorn beetle with subquadrate body, unarmed 
head, 3-jointed antennse, and short tarsi, now 
referred to Lucanidce. 
jEschna (esk'na), . [NL. (first Mslma, Fabri- 
cius, 1776), prob. an error for "aischra (fern.; cf. 
JEschnts, m., a genus of neuropters), < Gr. a'ta- 
Xp&S, ugly, ill-favored.] A genus of neuropte- 
rous insects belonging to the suborder or group 
Odonata, referred to the family Libellulidai or 
made the type of a separate family jEschnidai. 
There are several species, all known as dragon- 
flies. Sometimes wrongly written JEslma. 
.iEschnidae (esk'ni-de), n. pi. [NL., < JEschna 
+ -ida!.] A family of neuropterous insects, 
founded on the genus JEschna, having the wings 
unequal, the triangles of all the wings alike, 
male genitals with connate anterior hamule 
and conjoined penis and vesicle, and female 
genitals exposed. 
jBschylean (es-ki-le'an), a. [< L. ^schulus, < 
Gr. 'Aiaxi'lMf, orig. a nickname, ' Little Ugly,' 
dim. of aioxpfy, ugly, ill-favored ; in a moral 
sense, base, shameful ; < alaxof, ugliness, shame, 
disgrace. ] Written by or pertaining to jEschy- 
lus, an illustrious Athenian poet and dramatist, 
born 525 B. C. ; resembling his writings or char- 
acteristic of them. 
^Ischynanthus (es-ki-nan'thus), . [NL., < Gr. 
alox'vvT/, shame (< a'iaxi'vca8ai, be ashamed), + 
avdoc, a flower. The name has reference to the 
crimson or scarlet ('blushing') flowers. The 
species have been called blttshworts.] A genus 
of beautiful epiphytal plants, natives of tropical 
Asia, natural order Gesneracea;, with pendent 
stems and scarlet or orange flowers. They are 
among the most splendid hothouse flowers. 
aeschynite (es'ki-mt), n. [< Gr. aiaxvvji, shame, 
disgrace, + -ite 2 .] A rare mineral from Miask 
in the Ural mountains, occurring in black pris- 
matic crystals, and containing niobium, titani- 
um, thorium, the cerium metals, and other un- 
common elements. So called by Berzelius as being the 
' ' disgrace " of chemistry, which at the time of its discovery 
was unable to separate two of its constituents, titanic 
acid and zirconia. Also spelled eschynite. 
./Eschynomene (es-ki-nom'e-ne), n. [L. ; a 
sensitive plant, < Gr. aiaxwo/tevq, a sensitive 
plant, prop. fern. ppr. oiaiaxvvtaOai, be ashamed, 
Eass. of alaxvveiv, make ugly, disfigure, dis- 
onor; cf. alaxof, ugliness, shame, dishonor.] 
A genus of leguminous plants, with jointed 
pods, pinnate leaves which are sometimes sen- 
sitive, and usually yellow flowers. There are so 
species, herbaceous or somewhat shrubby, of which 3 or 
4 are widely distributed through the tropics, the rest be- 
ing natives of America, from Patagonia to Virginia. The 
stem of the East Indian jK. aspera, remarkable for its 
lightness, is cut into thin strips for the manufacture of 
hats. It is also made into swimming-jackets, floats for 
nets, etc., and is often worked into models of temples, 
flowers, etc. 
seschynomenoust (es-ki-nom'e-nus), a. [< Gr. 
aiaxwofievof, ppr.of aio-^tTeffSoi, be ashamed : see 
jiEschynomene.] Sensitive : applied to plants. 
.sculapian (es-ku-la'pi-an), a. and. [< L. JEs- 
culapius, accom. of Gr. '\aiAriTri6q, Dor. 'Aai&a- 
m6s, the god of medicine: see Asclepias.] I. 
a. Of or pertaining to ^sculapius, god of medi- 
cine ; medical ; pertaining to the healing art. 
II. n. A medical man; a physician: gen- 
erally in a humorous sense. 
Also spelled Esculapian. 
