aleuronic 
aleuronic (al-u-ron'ik), a. [< (ilein-one + -ic.] 
Pertaining to or of the nature of aleurone. 
Aleutian, Aleutic (al-e-6'shi-an, -tik), a. 
[Named from the inhabitants, the Aleuts, Kuss. 
.lli'iitui.] Appellative of or pertaining to a group 
of islands (the Aleutian islands) separating 
Bering sea from the northern Pacific, nearly or 
quite coextensive with the Catherine archi- 
pelago, extending from near the southern point 
of Kamtchatka to the peninsula of Alaska. 
ale-vat (al'vat), n. [< AS. ealo-fait = OS. alo- 
fat: see ale and vat.] A vat in which ale is 
fermented. 
aleyin (al'e-vin), re. [< F. aleviti, prob. for *ale- 
r/iiu, < OF. alever, rear, < L. atllevare, raise, 
< ad, to, + levare, raise. Cf. alleve, alleviate.] 
The young of any fish; especially, a young 
salmonid or clupeid. 
alewt (a-lu'), w. [Var. of halloo.] Outcry; 
howling; lamentation. 
Yet did she not lament with loude alew, 
As women wont. Spenser, F. Q., V. vi. 13. 
ale-washed (al'wosht), a. Steeped or soaked 
in ale. 
And what a beard of the general's cut . . . will do 
among foaming bottles and ale-washed wits, is wonder- 
ful to be thought on. Sliak., Hen. V., iii. ti. 
alewife 1 (al'wif), re.; pi. alewives (-wivz). A 
woman who keeps an ale-house. 
Perhaps he will swagger and hector, and threaten to 
beat and butcher an ale-wife. Swift, Drapier's Letters. 
alewife 2 (al'wif), n. ; pi. alewives (-wivz). [A 
particular use of alewife 1 , prob. in allusion to 
their corpulent appearance (see quot.). The 
form aloofe, recorded in 1678, is said to be the 
Indian name of the fish ; but it is prob. an error 
for alewife.] 1. A North American fish, Clupea 
Alewife f Clupea vernalise. 
(From Report of U. S. Fish Commission, 1884.) 
vernalis, from 8 to 10 inches long, resembling 
a small shad, but much inferior to it as food. 
It is taken in large numbers with that fish. 
Consorting Herrings and the bony Shad, 
Big-bellied Alewiaeg, Macrils richly clad 
With Rain-bow colours, the Frost-fish and the Smelt, 
As good as ever Lady Gustus felt. 
S. Clarke, Four Chief Plantations in America (1670). 
2. A name given at Bermuda to the round 
pompano, Trachynotus ovattis. Seepompano. 
3. A local English name of the alhce-shad. 
alexanders (al-eg-zan'derz), n. [Also written 
alisander, allisander, alisaunder, < ME. alisaun- 
dre, < OF. alisaundre, alisandre ; but in AS. 
alexandrie, alexandre, from the ML. name Petro- 
selinum Alexandrinum, i. e., Alexandrine pars- 
ley, equiv. to P. Macedonicum, i. e., Macedonian 
parsley.] 1. The English nameof an umbellif- 
erous plant, Smyrnium Olusatrum. Of all the um- 
bellifers used as vegetables, this was one of the commonest 
in gardens for nearly fifteen centuries, but it is now aban- 
doned. The history of its use can be traced from begin- 
ning to end. Theophrastus mentions it as a medicinal 
plant, under the name hippoftelinon (horse-parsley), but 
three centuries later Dioscorides says that either the root 
or the leaves might be eaten, which implies cultivation. 
In Latin (Pliny, Columella, etc.) it was called holutt atruin, 
later oluttatrum, and corruptly oluatrum. Charlemagne 
commanded it to be sown in his farms. The Italians made 
great use of it, under the name maeerone. At the end of 
the eighteenth century the tradition existed in England 
that it had been formerly cultivated ; later English and 
French horticulturists do not mention it. De Candolle. 
2. In North America, a name sometimes given 
to the plant Tluvtpiuut aureum. 
Alexandrian (al-eg-zan'dri-an), a. [< L. Alex- 
andria, classical form Alexandria, < Gr. k/Ufdv- 
dpeia, name of the Egyptian city founded by 
Alexander the Great, < 'AAtt-avdpos, L. Alexander, 
a man's name, prop, adj., 'defending men,' < 
aM^tiv, ward off, defend, 4- avf/p (avSp-), man.] 
1. Pertaining to Alexandria, an important city 
of Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great in 
332 B. C. 2. Pertaining to Alexander the Great. 
Alexandrian Codex (Codex Alexandrinm), an impor- 
tant manuscript of the Scriptures, sent to Charles I. of Eng- 
land by the Patriarch of Constantinople, now in the Brit- 
ish Museum. It is written in Greek uncials on p;uvli- 
ment, and contains the Septuagint version of the Old Testa- 
ment complete, except parts of the Psalms, and almost all 
the New Testament. It is assigned to the fifth century. 
- Alexandrian library, the largest collection of books 
made in antiquity, founded by Ptolemy Soter and Ptolemy 
Philadelphus (323-247 B. C.), at Alexandria in Egypt, and 
137 
said to have contained 700,000 volumes of the literature 
of Rome, Greece, and Egypt. The library was sacked by a 
mob of fanatics under the Patrhuvh Thi-ophilus, A. D. 391, 
and what remained was destroyed by the Arabs in 641. 
Alexandrian school, (a) A school of literature, science, 
and philosophy flourishing at Alexandria under the I'tole- 
mies during the three centuries preceding the Christian 
era, and continuing under the Roman empire, especially 
as a philosophical school in which Neoplatonism was 
the most important element, down to the final extinction 
of paganism in the fifth century after Christ. (&) A 
school of Christian philosophy and theology at Alex- 
andria during the first five centuries ; especially, the cate- 
chetical school of Alexandria, existing in that city from 
the earliest times of Christianity down to about A. i>. 400, 
for the purpose of instruction in the Christian faith, 
and distinguished for the high attainments of its instruc- 
tors in pagan as well as in Christian philosophy and liter- 
ature. Among its most famous directors were St. Clement 
and Origen. This school was remarkable for its attempt 
to accommodate Greek philosophy to Christianity and to 
make use of it in Christian teaching, thus antagonizing 
Judaizing views, according to which there was and could 
be nothing in common between the two. In some of its 
forms it tended on the one extreme to a philosophic ration- 
alism, on the other to an idealizing mysticism. Alexandria 
continued to be the most important center of Christian 
theology down to the time of the Council of Chalcedon, 
A. D. 451. 
Alexandrianism (al-eg-zan'dri-an-izm), n. 
The teachings of the Alexandrian school of 
theology, especially in its distinctive character- 
istics. See Alexandrian. Also written Alexan- 
drinism. 
Alexandrine (al-eg-zau'drin), . and . [< L. 
Alexandrinus, < Alexandria: see Alexandrian.] 
I. a. Same as Alexandrian, 1. 
For some time a steady advance of science appeared to 
be insured by the labors of the Alexantlrine school. 
Pop. Sri. Mo., XIII. 263. 
Alexandrine liturgy, the liturgy of St. Mark. See 
liturgy. Alexandrine mpsalc, or opus Alexandri- 
num, a kind of rich mosaic in which are used red and 
green porphyries, precious marbles, enamels, and other 
costly and brilliant materials. It has its name from the 
Emperor Alexander Severus (A. D. 222-235), and was used 
for friezes, panels, etc. , under the later Roman empire. 
II. n. [< F. alexandrin : so called, it is said, 
from Alexandre Paris, an old French poet, or 
from poems written by him and others in this 
meter on the life of Alexander the Great.] In 
pros., an iambic hexapody, or series of six iam- 
bic feet. French Alexandrines are written in couplets, 
alternately acatalectic with masculine rimes and hyper- 
catalectic with feminine rimes. French tragedies are gen- 
erally composed in Alexandrines. The cesura occurs at 
the end of the third foot. The second line of the follow- 
ing extract is an example : 
A needless Alexandrine ends the song, 
That, like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along. 
Pope, Essay on Criticism, 1. 356. 
Alexandrinism (al-eg-zan'drin-izm), n. Same 
as Alexandrianism. 
alexandrite (al-eg-zan'drit), . [< L. Alexan- 
der (Alexander II., Emperor of Russia) + -ite 2 .] 
A variety of chrysoberyl found in the mica slate 
of the Ural mountains. 
alexia (a-lek'si-a), n. [NL., < Gr. a- priv. + 
/tff<f, a speaking (or reading), < teyetv, speak, 
read.] Inability to read, as the result of a 
morbid or diseased condition of nervous cen- 
ters not involving loss of sight ; word-blindness ; 
text-blindness. 
alexipharmact, alexipharmacalt, a. See alexi- 
pharmic, alexipharmical. 
alexipharmacumt (a-lek-si-far'ma-kum), n. 
[NL., < L. alexipharmacon : see alexipharaiic.] 
See alexipharmic. 
He calls steel the proper alexipharmacum of this mal- 
ady. Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 417. 
alexipharmic (a-lek-si-far'mik), a. and n. [The 
final syllable, prop, -ac, has been conformed to 
the common suffix -ic. NL. alexipharmacum, L. 
alexipharmacon, n. ; < Gr. dAef^ap^a/cof, ward- 
ing off poison, acting as an antidote against it, 
antidotal; neuter as noun, a^ufap/uiKov (L. 
alexipharmacon), an antidote, remedy, < a/ltfcfv, 
ward off, + <fiap/jaKov, a poison, drug, remedy: 
see pharmacon, pharmacy, etc.] I. a. 1. Act- 
ing as a means of warding off disease ; acting 
as a remedy; prophylactic. 2. Having the 
power of warding off the effects of poison taken 
inwardly; antidotal. 
Some antidotal quality it [the unicorn's horn] may have, 
. . . since not only the bone in the hart, but the horn of a 
deer is alexipharmick. Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err. 
II. n. An antidote to poison or infection, 
especially an internal antidote. 
Finding his strength every day less, he was at last ter- 
rified, and called for help upon the sages of physic : they 
filled his apartments witn alexipharmictt, restoratives, and 
essential virtues. Johnson, Rambler, No. 120. 
alexipharmical (a-lek-si-far'mi-kal), a. Same 
as alexipharmic. 
alexipyretic (a-lek^si-pi-ret'ik), a. and . [< 
Gr. aAffeiv, ward off, + wper6f, fever : see 
l>i/rcfic.] In med., same as febrifuge. 
i. Ale-yard. 
3, Tricky Ale-yard. 
alfin 
alexiteric (a-lek-si-ter'ik), a. and re. [< Gr. 
aM^i/Tj/piof, fit or able to keep off or defend; 
neut. afaS-r/Tt/ptov (sc. <j>ap/xaKov, 
drug), a remedy, medicine ; < 
iiri/p, one who keeps off or 
defends, < i&cS-eiv, keep off, de- 
fend. Of. alexipharmic.] I. a. 
Resisting external poison; ob- 
viating the effects of venom. 
II. n. An antidote to poison 
or infection, especially an ex- 
ternal application. 
alexitencal (a-lek-si-ter'i- 
kal), a. Same as alexiteric. 
ale-yard (al'yard), . [< ale 
+ yard 1 .] 1. A glass vessel 
used as a measure of capacity 
as well as a drinking-glass, 
shaped like a much elongated 
wine-glass, formerly in use 
in England. 2. A glass ves- 
sel having the shape of an elongated cone, the 
small end communicating with a hollow ball. 
On drinking from it, as soon as the air reaches the inside 
of the ball all the liquid contained in it spurts out sud- 
denly. Sometimes called tricky ale-yard. 
Aleyrodes, . Same as Aleurodes. 
aleze, alese (a-laz'), . [< F. alezc, formerly 
alese, alaise, appar. < a Faise, at ease : a, < L. ad, 
to, at ; le, the ; aise, > E. ease, q. v. The spell- 
ing aleze may be in simulation of U, breadth, 
as if a 'spread.'] A cloth folded several times 
in order to protect a bed from discharges of 
blood, etc. 
alfa (al'fa), re. A name in northern Africa for 
varieties of esparto-grass, Stipa tenacissima and 
S. arenaria, used in the manufacture of paper. 
Also written half a. 
alfa-grass (al'fa-gras), re. Same as alfa. 
alfalfa (al-fal'f'a), n. [Sp., formerly alfalfez, 
said to be from Ar. al-faffagah, the best sort of 
fodder.] The Spanish name of lucerne, Medi- 
cago saliva, and the common name under which 
the chief varieties of lucerne are known in the 
western United States. 
alfaqui (al-fa-ke'), re. [Sp., < Ar. al-faqih, < al, 
the, 4- faqih, a doctor in theology; cf. ftqh, 
theological learning, < faqiha, be wise.] A doc- 
tor learned in Mussulman law; a Mohammedan 
priest. 
A successful inroad into the country of the unbelievers, 
said he, will make more converts to my cause than a thou- 
sand texts of the Koran, expounded by ten thousand alfa- 
quis. Irving, Granada, p. 154. 
No sooner had the sovereigns left the city, than Ximenes 
invited some of the leading alfaqv.it*, or Mussulman doc- 
tors, to a conference, in which he expounded, with all the 
eloquence at his command, the true foundations of the 
Christian faith, and the errors of their own. 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 6. 
alfenid, alfenide (al'fe-nid, -nid or -nid), n. 
[Perhaps < Sp. alfefi(ique), a sugar-paste (verb 
alfen-icar, ice with sugar), + -id, -ide : see al- 
phenic.] Nickel-silver, thickly electroplated 
with pure silver. 
alferest (al-f er'es), n. [Also written alfeeres.al- 
ferez, alfarez, alfaras, < Sp. alferez, OSp. Pg. 
alferes, ensign, < Ar. al-faris, <. al, the, + faris, 
horseman, knight, (.faras, horse.] A standard- 
bearer ; an ensign ; a cornet. This term was in use 
in England some time before and during the civil wars of 
Charles I. 
Commended to me from some noble friends 
For my alferes. Fletcher, Rule a Wife, i. 1. 
alfet (al'fet), n. [< ML. alfetum (as denned be- 
low), < AS. alfttt, aelfixt, a pot to boil in, < al, 
eel, fire (see anneal 1 ), + fast, a vessel: see vat.'] 
In early Eng. hist., a vessel of boiling water into 
which an accused person plunged his arm as a 
test of his innocence. 
alfileria (al-fi-le'ri-a), n. Same as alfilerilla. 
alfilerilla (al"fi-le-ril'a), n. [Amer. Sp., also 
alfileria, alfilaria : so called from the shape of 
the carpels ; < Sp. alfiler, also alfilel, Pg. alfinete, 
a pin, < Ar. al-khill,a, wooden pin used for fas- 
tening garments (Freytag), a pin.] A name 
in California for a European species of Ero- 
dium, E. cicutarium, which has become very 
widely naturalized. It is a low herb, but a valuable 
forage-plant. Its carpels have a sharp point and a long 
twisted beak, by the action of which, under the influence 
of the moisture of the air, the seed is buried in the soil. 
Other names for it are pin-clover and pin-fjrass. 
alfint (al'fin), re. [< late ME. alfyn, alphyn, 
aufyn, etc., < OF. alfin, like ML. alphinus, It. 
alfino, alfido, alfiere, alfiero, < Sp. alfil, arfil = 
Pg. alfil, alfir, < Ar. al-fil. the elephant, < al, the, 
+ fil, < Pers. Hind. fO, Skt. pilu, elephant, this 
piece having had orig. the form of an elephant.] 
In chess, a name of the bishop. 
