albumen 
natural form in the white of an egg: in the 
latter sense more correctly called albumin 
(which see). 2. In hot., any form of nutritive 
matter, whatever its chemical constitution, 
Seeds cut vertically, showing their Embryos and Albumen. 
stored within the seed and about the embryo. 
It may be farinaceous, as in the cereals ; oily and fleshy, 
as in many nuts ; horny, as in the coffee-berry ; or bony, 
as in the vegetable ivory. Also called endosperm. Albu- 
men glue. See fflue. 
albumenize (al-bu'men-iz), v. t. See albumin- 
ize. 
albumenoid, a. and n. See albuminoid. 
album grsecum (al'bum gre'kum). [L. ; lit., 
Greek white.] The dung of dogs, etc., which, 
from exposure to the air, has become white like 
chalk. It was formerly used as a medicine, and 
is still used by tanners to soften leather. 
albumin (al-bu'min), n. [< L. album(en) + -i 2 . 
See albumen.'] In cltem., a substance named 
from the Latin for the white of an egg, in which 
it occurs in its purest natural state (see albu- 
men). It is a proximate principle composed of nitrogen, 
carbon, hydrogen, anil oxygen, with a little sulphur, and 
enters generally into the composition of the animal and 
vegetable juices and solids. Animal albumin abounds in 
the serum of the blood, the vitreous and crystalline humors 
of the eye, the so-called coagulable lymph, the juices of 
flesh, etc. Vegetable albumin is found in most vegetable 
juices and in many seeds; in composition and properties 
it does not differ greatly from animal albumin. Albumin 
obtained from eggs or blood-serum is used for giving a 
lustrous coating to photographic paper, and rarely in some 
other photographic processes, for fixing colors in printing, 
and for clarifying syrupy liquids. When heated with such 
liquids it coagulates and sinks to the bottom, or else rises 
as a scum, carrying with it the fine suspended particles 
which had made the liquid turbid. When albumin in solu- 
tion is digested with a weak acid, it passes into a modi- 
fication distinguished by the following properties : it is 
insoluble in water and weak saline solutions, soluble in 
weak acids or alkalis, and not coagulated by neat. This 
modification is called acid albumin. Similar treatment 
with a weak or strong alkali produces a substance having 
nearly the same properties as acid albumin, but called 
alkali albumin. Syntonin is not distinguishable from acid 
albumin. When a solution of either acid or alkali albumin 
is neutralized, a neutralization precipitate is obtained. 
Tliis, dissolved in acid, gives acid albumin ; dissolved in 
alkali, it gives alkali albumin, though there is reason to 
believe that neither the acid nor the alkali combines 
chemically with the albumin. Albumin is found in com- 
merce in a dry state, being prepared both from the white 
of eggs and from the serum of blood ; 84 dozen eggs pro- 
duce about 1.2 gallons of white, which yields 14 per cent, 
of commercial albumin, while the blood of 5 oxen yields 
about 2 Ibs. Pure albumin, entirely free from mineral 
matter, begins to coagulate at about 139, and becomes 
completely solidified at 167. Coagulated albumin is a 
white opaque substance, possessing the property of com- 
bining readily with a great many coloring materials, such 
as fuchsine, aniline violet, purpuramide, etc. It is em- 
ployed extensively in the arta, as in calico-printing, in 
which it is used to fix pigments, especially ultramarine, 
chrome-yellows, etc., upon the fibers of cotton cloth, serv- 
ing both as a vehicle for the color and as a varnish. With 
aniline colors, however, it forms a true mordant. Albu- 
min process, a little-used process of making photo- 
graphic plates, in which albumin is used instead of collo- 
dion or gelatin. 
albuminate (al-bu'mi-nat), n. [(albumen (al- 
bumin-) + -ate 1 .] One of a class of bodies in 
which albumin appears to be in weak combina- 
tion with a base. Alkali albuminate is regarded 
by some as identical with casein. 
albumin-beer (al-bu'min-ber), n. A preserv- 
ing bath which has been used for some early 
photographic emulsions, composed of albumin, 
ammonia, pyrogallic acid, beer, and water. 
albuminiferous (al-bu-mi-nif'e-rus), a. [< L. 
albumen (-min-) + ferrc, bear.] Producing al- 
bumin. W. L. Carpenter. 
albuminiform (al-bu'mi-ni-form), a. (X L. al- 
bumen (-min-) + -formis,<. forma, form.] Formed 
like or resembling albumin. 
albuininimeter (al-bu-mi-nim'e-ter), n. [< L. 
albumen (-niin-) + metrum, < Gr. fitrpov, mea- 
sure.] An instrument for measuring the quan- 
tity of albumin contained in any liquid. 
131 
albuminin (al-bu'mi-nin), . [< albumen (-min-) 
+ -i 2 .] The substance of the cells inclosing 
the white of birds' eggs. It contains no nitro- 
gen, and dissolves in caustic potash. Also 
called oiiiiin. 
albuminiparous (al-bu-mi-iiip'a-rus), a. [< L. 
albumen (-min-) + -parus, < parere, produce.] 
Same as albuminiferous. 
At its upper end this latter [duct] has an albuminipa- 
rous gland attached to it. 
Otyenbaur, Comp. Anat. (trans.), p. 383. 
albuminize (al-bu'mi-nlz), t 1 . t. ; pret. and pp. 
albuminized, ppr. albuminizing. [< albumin + 
-ize.] To convert into albumin; cover or im- 
pregnate with albumin, as paper for the silver- 
printing of photographs. Also written albu- 
meni:c. 
albuminoid (al-bu'mi-noid), a. and n. [< L. 
albumen (-min-) + -oid.~\ I. a. Resembling al- 
bumen or albumin. 
During hard work a larger supply than usual of albu- 
minoid food is necessary. 
W. L. Carpenter, Energy in Nature, p. 192. 
Albuminoid disease, lardaceous disease (which see, un- 
der lardaceous). 
II. n. A substance resembling albumin ; pro- 
teid (which see). 
Also written albumenoid. 
albuminoidal (al-bu-mi-noi'dal), a. Relating 
to or of the nature of an albuminoid. 
albuminone (al-bu'mi-non), . Same as pep- 
tone. 
albuminose (al-bu'mi-nos), a. [=F. albumi- 
neux = It. albuminoso, < NL. albuminosus, < L. 
albumen (-min-): see albumen, albumin.'] 1. 
Full of or containing albumen: applied to the 
seeds of certain plants, as grain, palms, etc. 
2. Pertaining to or of the nature of albumin. 
albuminosis (al-bu-mi-no'sis), n. [NL., < L. 
albumen (-min-) + -osis.] A condition of the 
blood characterized by the presence of more 
than the usual amount of albumin. 
albuminous (al-bu'mi-nus), a. Same as albu- 
minose. Albuminous infiltration. See cloudy swell- 
ing, under cloudy. 
albuminousness (al-bu'mi-nus-nes), n. The 
state of being albuminous. 
albumin-paper (al-bu'min-pa/per), n. Paper 
sized or coated with albumin, used for ordi- 
nary photographic printing. 
albuminuria (al-bu-mi-nu'ri-a), n. [NL., < L. 
albumen (-min-) 4- Gr. ovpov, urine: see urine.] 
In pathol., the presence of albumin in the urine, 
indicating changes in the blood or in the kid- 
neys. 
albuminuric (al-bu-mi-nu'rik), a. [< albumi- 
nuria + -ic.] Pertaining to or characterized by 
albuminuria. 
alburn (al'bern), a. and n. [< ML. alburnus, 
whitish (see auburn), first as a noun, LL. al- 
burnus, m., a white fish, prob. the bleak or blay, 
L. alburnum, neut., sap-wood (see alburnum), < 
albus, white.] I.t a. An obsolete form of auburn. 
H. n. 1. Same as alburnum. 2. A name 
sometimes given to the fish commonly called 
the bleak. 
alburnOUS (al-ber'nus), a. [< alburnum, q. v., 
+ -OMS.] Relating to or of the 
nature of alburnum. 
alburnum (al-ber'num), re. [L., 
sap-wood, prop. neut. of albur- 
nus, which appears in ML. in 
the sense of 'whitish': see au- 
burn.] The lighter-colored and 
softer part of the wood of exo- 
genous plants, between the in- 
ner bark and the heart-wood. It 
alcatras 
of these consists of an anacrusis, a trochee, a spondee, and 
two dactyls. A second consists of a catalectic iambic pen- 
tameter, of which the third foot is always a spondee, and 
the first may be. A third consists of two dactyls followed 
Me 
Alburnum. 
aa, alburnum, or 
is frequently called sap-ivood, and is sap-wood; **, heart- 
gradually transformed into heart-wood J?S? ; e < P" h ; * 
or duramen. Another form is alburn. 
Alca (al'ka), n. [ML. and NL., < Icel. alka, 
alka, auk: see awA' 1 .] The leading genus of the 
Alcidat, or auk family of birds. It has been made to 
cover nearly all the species of the family, but is now gener- 
ally restricted to the great auk, Alca impennis, alone or 
with the razor -billed auk, A. torda or Utamania torda. 
See auk. 
alcabala (Sp. pron. al-ka-ba'la), n. Same as 
alcavala. 
Alcadae (al'ka-de), n.pl. Same as Alcidw. 
alcahest, alcahestic, etc. See alkaJtest, etc. 
Alcaic (al-ka'ik), a. and n. [< L. Alcaicus, < 
Gr. A/jcaiiKof, < 'AI.KCUOC,, Alcseus.] I. a. 1. Per- 
taining to Alcaaus, a lyric poet of Mytilene, in 
Lesbos, who flourished about 600 B. c. 2. 
[1. c.] Pertaining to, of the nature of, or con- 
sisting of alcaics : as, an alcaic strophe. See II. 
Alcaic verse, .seen. 
II. n. [I. c.] A line written in one of the mea- 
sures invented by Alcieus. The most important one 
Great Auk (Alca impennis}. 
(From a drawing by R. W. Shufeldt after Audubon. ) 
by two trochees. Two lines of the first, followed by one 
of the second and one of the third, constitute the alcaic 
strophe, the commonest arrangement of alcaics. The fol- 
lowing is an example of au alcaic strophe : 
O mighty-mouth'd inventor of harmonies, 
skill'd to sing of lime or Eternity, 
God-gifted organ-voice of England, 
Milton, a name to resound for ages. 
Tennyson, Exper. in Quantity, Alcaics. 
alcaid. alcayde (al-kad' ; Sp. pron. al-ka'e-da), 
n. [< Sp. Pg. alcaide, formerly alcayde, a gov- 
ernor, jailer, warden, < Ar. al-qaid, < al, the (see 
al-%), + quid, leader, governor, prefect, < qdda, 
lead, govern.] In Spain, Portugal, etc., a com- 
mander of a fortress; a military officer; also 
a jailer. 
alcalde (al-kal'de ; Sp. pron. al-kal'da), n. [Sp. 
alcalde (in Pg. alcaide by confusion with alcaide, 
alcaid), < Ar. al-qddi, < al, the, + qddi, judge (> 
Turk, kadi, > E. cadi, q. v.), < qadaij, judge, de- 
cide.] In Spain and Portugal, and in countries 
settled by Spaniards or governed by Spanish 
law, the mayor of a pueblo or town, who is the 
head of the municipal council, and is vested with 
judicial powers similar to those of a justice of 
the peace. 
alcaldeship (al-kal'de-ship), . The office of 
alcalde. 
The heart of the Spanish local system is the Alcaldeship. 
C. II. Shinn, Mining Camps, p. 83. 
alcali, alcalimeter, alcalizable, etc. See al- 
kali, etc. 
alcamistret, alcamyt, etc. See alchemist, al- 
chemy, etc. 
Alcanas (al-ka'ne), n. pi. Same as Alcince. 
alcanna (al-kan'a), n. [Also written alcana, < 
Sp. alcana, alcana (= Pg. alcanna), < Ar. al- 
hennd, < al, the, + henna, henna.] Same as henna. 
Alcantarine (al-kan'ta-rin), n. K Sp. Alcan- 
tara, a city on the Tagus, lit. the Bridge, < Ar. 
al, the, + qantarah, a bridge. Cf. almucantar.] 
A member of a branch of the Franciscans 
founded in 1555 by St. Peter of Alcantara 
(whence the name). See Franciscan. 
alcarraza (al-ka-ra'za ; Sp. pron. al-kar-ra'tha), 
n. [Sp., < Ar. al-kurrdz, < al, the (see al-%), + 
kurrds, an earthen vessel, pitcher.] A vessel 
made of porous unglazed pottery, used in hot 
climates for cooling water by the evaporation 
of the moisture oozing through the substance 
of the vessel. The effectiveness of the process is 
greatly increased by exposure to a current of air. In the 
southwestern United States commonly called olla. 
alcarsin, . See alkarsin. 
alcatotet, n. [E. dial., also alkitotle (Exmoor 
Courtship) ; origin obscure.] A silly elf or fool- 
ish oaf. Gloss. Exmoor Scolding. 
Why, you know I [am] an ignorant, unable trifle in such 
business, an oaf, a simple alcatote, an innocent. 
Ford, Fancies, iv. 1. 
alcatras (al'ka-tras), w. [< Sp. Pg. alcatraz, a 
pelican, etc., prob. a modification of Pg. alca- 
truz = Sp. arcadux, alcaduz, the bucket of a 
noria or water-raising wheel, < Ar. al, the, + 
qddus, bucket, < Gr. /cadof, a water-vessel ; the 
term "bucket" being applied to the pelican for 
the same reason that the Arabs call it sagga, 
water-carrier, because it carries water in its 
pouch (Devic).] A Spanish and Portuguese 
name loosely applied to sundry large sea-birds, 
