"" P:lla "' F "" ence ' 
aiguiere 
celain, glass, or pottery, 
with a foot, a handle, and 
a spout or nozle. In Knglish 
the wonl is generally limited to 
vessels of highly decorative char- 
acter, of rich material, etc. See 
o/tota. 
aiguille (a-gweT), . [P., a 
needle: see at/let."] 1. A 
slender form of drill used for 
boring or drilling a blast- 
hole in rock. 2. A priming- 
wire or blasting-needle. 
3. The name given near 
Mont Blanc to the sharper 
peaks or clusters of needle- 
like rock-masses, ordinarily 
seen wherever the slaty crys- 
talline rocks occur, forming 
a more or less considerable 
part of a mountain range, but most strikingly 
near Chamouix. Hence applied, though rare- 
ly, to similar sharply pointed peaks elsewhere. 
aiguillesque (ii-gwe-lesk'), a. [<F. aiguille, a 
needle, -r -esque.] Shaped like an aiguille; 
resembling an aiguille. Buskin. (Jf. E. D.) 
aiguillette (a-gwe-lef), . [P., dim. of aiguille, a 
needle: see aglet.'] 1. Same as aglet, 1. 2. In 
cookery, a name given to a number of hors cFceu- 
vre, or side-dishes, from their being served on 
small ornamental skewers or needles (aiguilles). 
aiguise (a-gwe-za'), [P., pp. of aiyuiser, 
sharpen, = Pr. agusar = It. agugzare, < ML. 
acutiare, sharpen, <L. acutus, sharp : seeacute.] 
In her., sharpened or pointed: applied to any- 
thing sharpened, but in such manner as to ter- 
minate in an obtuse angle. Synonymous with 
appointee. Also written eguise. 
aigulet (a'gu-let), n. Same as aglet, 1: as, 
"golden aygulets," Spenser, P. Q., II. iii. 26. 
aikinite (a ; kin-5t), n. [Named after Dr. A. 
Aikin.] A native sulphid of bismuth, lead, 
and copper, of a metallic luster and blackish 
lead-gray color. It commonly occurs in embedded 
acicular crystals, and is hence called needle-ore and acic- 
ular bismuth. 
f, a. [< ME. eyle, eil, < AS. egle, painful, 
troublesome, = Goth, aglus, hard. Cf. Goth. 
agio, distress, tribulation, akin to agis, fright, 
= E. awe 1 , q. v.] Painful; troublesome. 
Eyle and hard and muche. 
Cattle of Love, I. 223. 
ail 1 (al), v. [< ME. alien, aylen, earlier eilen, 
eylen, e^len, < AS. eglian, eglan, trouble, pain, = 
Goth. *agljan, only in comp. vsagljan, trouble 
exceedingly, distress; from the adj.: see ail 1 , 
a. and n.] I. trans. To affect with pain or mi- 
easiness, either of body or of mind; trouble: 
used in relation to some uneasiness or affection 
whose cause is unknown : as, what a Us the man f 
What aileth thee, Hagar? Gen. xxi. 17. 
What do you ail, my love? why do you weep? 
Webster, The White Devil, iv. 2. 
Never rave nor rail, 
Nor ask questions what I ad. 
Peele, Edward I. (Dyce ed., 1861), p. 395. 
[Rarely used with a specific disease as subject, unless col- 
loquially in iterative answer to a question: as, "What 
ails you? A pleurisy ails me."] 
II. intrans. To feel pain ; be ill (usually in a 
slight degree); be unwell: now used chiefly in 
the present participle : as, he is ailing to-day. 
And much he ails, and yet he is not sick. 
Daniel, Civil Wars, iii. 
One day the child began to ail. 
R. H. Stoddard, Pearl of the Philippines. 
ailMal),*. [Prom the verb. Cf. early ME. eile, 
eil, harm (very rare) ; from the adj.] Indisposi- 
tion or morbid affection ; ailment. Pope. 
ail 2 (al), n. [E. dial., in pi. ails; variously cor- 
rupted oils, hotts, hauels; < ME. eyle, eile, eigle, 
< AS. egl, the beard of grain, corn, found only 
twice, as tr. of L. festuca, "the mote that is in 
thy brother's eye" (Luke vi. 41, 42), =OHG. ahil, 
G. acliel, beard of grain; from the same root, 
with diff. suffix (-T), as awn 1 and ear 2 , q. v.] 
The beard of wheat, barley, etc., especially of 
barley: chiefly in the plural. Halliwett; Wright. 
[Prov. Eng. (Essex).] 
For to winden [par. windwe, winnow] hweate, and 
scheaden [shed, i. e., separate] the eilen and tet chef 
[the chaff] urom the clene comes. 
Ancreu Riwle, p. 270. (A'. E. D.) 
ailantic, ailanthlc (a-lan'tik, -thik), a. [< Ai- 
lantua, Ailantkus, + -ic.~] Of or pertaining to 
Ailantus AllantlC acid, an acid obtained from the 
bark of Ailanttts excelsa. 
ailantine (a-lan'tin), a. [< ailfintus + -ine 1 .] 
Relating or pertaining to the ailantus, or to the 
silkworms which feed upon its leaves. 
121 
Ailantus (a-lan'tus), n. [NL. ; also errone- 
ously Allan tli UN (simulating Gr. avtiof, flower); 
< ailanto, the Malacca name of one species, 
said to mean 'tree of heaven.'] 1. A genus of 
trees, natural order Stmarubaeea. The only eum- 
monly known species is the tree of heaven or Chinese 
sumach, A. glandulosa, native of Mongolia and Japan, 
frequently planted as a shade-tree. It is of rapid growth, 
with very long pinnate leaves, and throws up abundant 
root-suckers, by which it is usually propagated. The 
flowers are polygamous or nearly dioecious, and are very 
ill-scented. Bontbyx (I'hilottamia) cynthia, a species of 
silkworm, feeds on its leaves. In Japan the produce of 
silkworms fed on this tree is veiy large, and the material, 
though wanting the fineness and gloss of mulberry silk, 
is produced at far less cost, and is more durable. 
2. [/. c.] A tree of the genus Ailantus, or the 
genus collectively: as, the ailantus, when once 
established, is difficult to eradicate. 
ailet, >' 1. The older and more correct spelling 
of aisle. 2. [F. : see ailette.] Milit., a wing or 
flank of an army or a fortification. 
aileron (a'le-ron), n. [P., dim. of aile, wing: 
see ailette.] Same as ailette. 
ailette (a-lef), m. [P., dim. of aile, a wing, < 
L. ate, wing: see ala and aisle.] A plate of 
iron worn over the mail to pro- 
tect the shoulders of a man- 
at-arms, before the introduc- 
tion of plate-armor for the 
body. Ailettes were some- 
times charged with heraldic 
bearings. Also aislette and 
aileron. 
ailing (a'ling), n. [Verbal n. 
of ail 1 , v.] Sickness; indis- 
position. 
ailing (a'ling), p. a. Not well; 
indisposed. 
But there is a sort of puny sickly 
reputation, that is always ailing, yet 
will outlive the robuster characters 
of a hundred prudes. 
Sheridan, School for Scandal, i. 1. 
Mymotherhadlongbeenaamtf.and 
not able to eat much. century. (FroroViolIet- 
R. D. Blackmore, Lorna Doone, p. 41. le-Duc's " Diet, du Mo- 
bilierfrancais. 11 ) 
= Syn. Unwell, etc. See rick. 
ailment (al'ment), . [<aiP-, v., + -ment.] Dis- 
ease; indisposition; morbid affection of the 
body : not ordinarily applied to acute diseases. 
= Syn. Sickmts, etc. (see illness), indisposition, disorder, 
complaint. 
Ailsa-COCk (al'za-kok), n. A local name for 
the puffin, Ir^ratereula arctica, from its breeding 
about Ailsa Craig, in the Frith of Clyde, Scot- 
land. See cut under puffin. 
Ailuridae (a-lu'ri-de), n. pi. Same as ^lurida. 
Ailuroidea (a-lu-roi'de-a), n. pi. Same as Mlu- 
roitlea. 
Ailuropus (a-lu'ro-pus), n. Same as jEluropus. 
Ailurus (a-lu'rus), n. Same as &lurus. 
' 
ailweed (al'wed), n. [< ail 1 (?) + weed 1 .'} The 
clover-dodder, Cuscuta Trifolii. 
aim (am), v. [< ME. aymen, amen, eyrnen, < OF. 
amer(Picard),esjer(=Pr. esmer, <L. cestimare), 
and with prefix, eesmer, aesmer, aasmer, < ML. 
adcestimare, < L. ad, to, + wstimare, estimate : 
see estimate.'] I. trans. If. To esteem; con- 
sider. 2f. To estimate; guess; conjecture. 
Wyclif. 3f. To calculate; devise; intend. 
My speech should fall into such vile success 
.Which my thoughts aim'd not. Shak., Othello, iii. 3. 
4. To direct or point at something ; level : as, 
to aim the fist or a blow ; to aim a satire or a 
reflection at some person or vice. 
Bulls aim their horns, and asses lift their heads. 
Pope, 1m. of Horace, Sat. i. 85. 
5. To give a certain direction and elevation to 
(a gun, cannon, arrow, etc.), for the purpose 
of causing the projectile, when the weapon is 
discharged, to hit the object intended to be 
struck : as, to aim a gun. 
II. intrans. If. To estimate; guess; conjec- 
ture. 
Rom. In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. 
Ben. I aim'd so near, when I suppos'd you lov'd. 
Shak., R. and J., i. 1. 
2. To direct one's intention, purpose, or ac- 
tion, as to the attainment or accomplishment 
of something; intend; endeavor: as, a man 
aims at distinction ; aim to be just in all you do. 
The short-sighted policy which aimed at making a nation 
of saints has made a nation of scoffers. 
Macaulay, Leigh Hunt. 
3. To direct or point anything, as a weapon or 
missile, toward an object. 
[In all senses aim is used with at or an infinitive before 
tlie object to be reached.] 
To cry aimt, in archery, to encourage the archers by cry- 
ing out "Aim ! " when they were about to shoot. Hence it 
came to mean to applaud or encourage in a general sense. 
Aino 
It ill beseems this presence to cm im 
To these ill-tuned repetitions. Shak., K. John, ii. 1. 
aim (am), n. [< ME. at/me, ame, < OF. estne; 
from the verb.] If. Conjecture; guess. 
He that seeth no mark, must shoot by ititu. 
Bp. Jewell, Reply to Hardinge, p. 31. 
It is impossible by aim ti> tell it. 
^jH'iiwr, State of Ireland. 
What you would work me to, I have some aim. 
Hhnk., J. C., i. 2. 
2. Course; direction: in particular, the direc- 
tion in which a missile is pointed; the line of 
shot. 
And when the cross-blue lightning seem'd to open 
The breast of heaven, I did present myself 
Even in the aim and very flash of it. Hhak., J. C., i. 3. 
3. The act of aiming or directing anything (as 
a weapon, a blow, a discourse, or a remark) at 
or toward a particular point or object with the 
intention of striking or affecting it ; the point- 
ing or directing of a missile. 
Each at the head 
Levell'd his deadly aiin. Milton, P. L., ii. 712. 
4. The point intended to be hit, or object in- 
tended to be affected ; the mark or target. 
To be the aim of every dangerous shot. 
Shak., Rich. III., iv. 4. 
5. A purpose; intention; design; scheme: as, 
men are often disappointed of their aim. 
The oim, if reached or not, makes great the life. 
Try to be Shakspeare, leave the rest to fate. 
Browning, Bishop Blougram's Apology. 
The aim of scientific thought, then, is to apply past ex- 
periences to new circumstances. 
W. K. Clifford, Lectures, I. 131. 
To give aim, in archery, to stand near the butts to tell 
the archers where their arrows alight. The terms are "wide 
on the shaft(right) hand," "wide on the bow (left) hand," 
"short," "gone"; the distances being measured by bow- 
lengths. See bow-hand. = Syn. B. End, scope, drift, goal, 
intent, ambition. 
aim-criert (am ' kri ' er), n. 1. One who en- 
couraged an archer by crying " Aim ! " when he 
was about to shoot. Hence 2. An encourager 
generally; an approving on-looker; an abetter. 
Thou smiling aim-trier at princes' fall. 
G. Markham, Eng. Arcadia. 
aimer (a'mer), n. One who aims. 
aim-frontlet t (am'truuflet), . A piece of 
wood fitted to the muzzle of a cannon so as to 
make it level with the breech, formerly used by 
gunners to facilitate aiming. 
aimful (am'ful), a. [< aim + -ful.] Pull of 
purpose. 
aimfully (am'ful-i), adv. In an aimful manner ; 
with fixed purpose. 
aiming-drill (a'ming-dril), n. A military ex- 
ercise designed to teach men the proper method 
of pointing and aiming firearms ; a training pre- 
liminary to target-practice. 
aiming-stand (a'mmg-stand), n. Milit., a rest 
for a gun, used in teaching the theory of aiming. 
aimless (am'les), a. [< aim + -less.] Without 
aim; purposeless. 
The Turks, half asleep, ran about in aimless confusion. 
Dryden, Don Sebastian. 
aimlessly (am'les-li), adv. Without aim ; pur- 
poselessly. 
aimlessness (am'les-nes), n. The state or qual- 
ity of being without aim or definite purpose. 
[Thoreau's] whole life was a rebuke of the waste and 
aimlessness of our American luxury, which is an abject 
enslavement to tawdry upholstery. 
Lo-uxll, Study Windows, p. 209. 
ain (an), a. [Also spelled ane, = E. own 1 .'] 
Own. [Scotch.] 
-ain. [< ME. -ain, -ein, -ayn, -eyn, < OF. -ain, -ein, 
< L. -anus : see -an. ] A suffix of Latin origin, oc- 
curring unfelt in English nouns, as in chieftain, 
captain, chaplain, curtain, and, as originally, in 
adjectives, as in certain, etc. It is a Middle 
English and Old French form of -an (which see). 
aince, aines (ans), adv. [< ME. anes, north, 
form of ones (pron. 6'nes), now corrupted to 
once (pron. wuns).] Once. [Scotch.] 
ainhum (an'hum), n. [A negro term, said to 
mean orig. 'saw.'] A disease peculiar to the 
negro race, consisting of the sloughing off of 
the little toes, unaccompanied by any other 
disorder of the system. 
Aino (I'no), a. and n. [Etym. doubtful; sup- 
posed to be a corruption of Jap. inu (pron. 
e'no), a dog, applied contemptuously by the 
Japanese.] I. a. Of or pertaining to the 
Ainos, certain aboriginal tribes in Japan now 
forming small tribal communities in the island 
of Yezo, the Kurile islands, and Saghalin or 
Karafuto. They are a hairy people, with Cau- 
casian features and gentle manners, but in a 
low state of civilization. 
II. n. The language of the Ainos. 
