ambilogy 
ambilogyt (am-bil'o-ji), n. [< L. ambi-, on 
both sides, + Gr. -AO^KJ, < Uyeiv, speak: gee 
-ology. More correctly amphilogy.] Words or 
speech of doubtful meaning. 
ambiloquoust (am-bil'o-kwus), a. [< ML. am- 
biloquus, < L. ambi-, around, on both sides, + 
loqui, speak.] Using ambiguous expressions. 
ambiloquyt (am-bil'o-kwi), w. [<ML. amlrilo- 
quus : see above. Cf. soliloquy, colloquy, etc.] 
Ambiguous or doubtful language. 
ambiparous (am-bip'a-rus), a. [< NL. ambi- 
parus, < L. ambi-, on both sides, + parere, pro- 
duce.] In bot., producing two kinds, as when 
a bud contains the rudiments of both flowers 
and leaves. 
ambit (am'bit), . [< L. ambitus, circuit, < am- 
bire, pp. ambitus, go about: see ambient.] 1. 
Compass or circuit ; circumference ; boundary : 
as, the ambit of a fortification or of a country. 
Prodigious Hailstones whose ambit reaches five, six, 
seven Inches. Goad, Celestial Bodies, i. 3, 
Within the ambit of the ancient kingdom of Burgundy. 
Sir F. Falgravf, Norm, and Eng., I. 240. 
2. Extent; sphere; scope. 
The ambit of words which a language possesses. 
Saturday Rev., Nov. 19, 1&59. 
[In all senses technical, rare, or obsolete.] 
ambition (am-bish'on), . [< ME. ambition, 
-down, < OP. (and F\) ambition = Sp. ambition 
= Pg. ambigSo = It. ambizione, < L. ambitio(n-), 
ambition, a striving for favor, lit. a going 
about, as of a candidate soliciting votes, < am- 
bire, pp. ambitus, go about, solicit votes: see 
ambient,"] If. The act of going about to soli- 
cit or obtain an office or other object of desire ; 
a canvassing. I on the other side 
Used no ambition to commend my deeds. 
Milton, 8. A., 1. 247. 
2. An eager or inordinate desire for some ob- 
ject that confers distinction, as preferment, 
political power, or literary fame ; desire to dis- 
tinguish one's self from other men : often used 
in a good sense : as, ambition to be good. 
Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition; 
By that sin fell the angels. Shak., Hen. VIII., ill. 2. 
This their inhuman act having successful and unsus- 
pected passage, it emboldeneth Sejanus to further and 
more insolent projects, even the ambition of the empire. 
B. Jonson, Sejanus, Arg. 
I hope America will come to have its pride in being a 
nation of servants, and not of the served. How can men 
have any other ambition where the reason has not suffered 
a disastrous eclipse? Emerson, Misc., p. 422. 
Hence 3. The object of ambitious desire. 
ambition (am-bish'on), v. t. [From the noun.] 
To seek after ambitiously or eagerly ; aspire to ; 
be ambitious of. [Rare or colloq. J 
Every noble youth who sighed for distinction, ainbi- 
tioned the notice of the Lady Arabella. 
/. Disraeli, Curios, of Lit., III. 274. 
This nobleman [Lord Chesterfield], however, failed to 
attain that place among the most eminent statesmen of 
his country, which he ambitioned. 
Winyrove Cooke, Hist, of Party, II. 160. 
ambitionist (am-bish'on-ist), n. [< ambition + 
-ist.~\ An ambitious person; one devoted to 
self-aggrandizement. [Bare.] 
Napoleon . . . became a selfish ambitinniM and quack. 
Carlyle, Misc., IV. 146. 
ambitionless (am-bish'pn-les), a. [< ambition 
+ -less.] Devoid of ambition, 
ambitious (am-bish'us), a. [< ME. ambitious, 
-cious, < OF. "ambitios, later ambitieux = Sp. 
Pg. ambicioso = It. ambizioso, < L. ambitiosus, < 
ambitio(n-): seeambition and-otts.] 1. Charac- 
terized by or possessing ambition ; eagerly or 
inordinately desirous of obtaining power, su- 
periority, or distinction. 
No toil, no hardship can restrain 
Ambitious man, inur'd to pain. 
Dryden, tr. of Horace, i. 35. 
2. Strongly desirous ; eager : with of (formerly 
for) or an infinitive. 
Trajan, a prince ambitious of glory. 
Arbuthnot, Anc. Coins. 
I am ambitious for a motley coat. 
Shak., As you Like it, ii. 7. 
Ambitious to win 
From me some plume. Milton, P. L., vi. 160. 
3. Springing from or indicating ambition. 
Should a President consent to be a candidate for a third 
election, I trust he would be rejected, on this demonstra- 
tion of ambitious views. Je/erson, Autobiog., p. 65. 
Hence 4. Showy; pretentious: as, an ambi- 
tious style ; ambitious ornament. 
Hood an ass with reverend purple, 
So you can hide his two ambitious ears, 
And he shall pass for a cathedral doctor. 
B. Jonton, Volpone, 1. 1. 
ambitiously (am-bish'us-li), adv. In an am- 
bitious manner. 
109 
ambitiousness (am-bish'us-nes), n. The qual- 
ity of being ambitious ; ambition. 
ambitudet (am'bi-tud), .. [< L. ambitudo, < 
nmhitus, a going round: see ambit.'] Circuity; 
compass; circumference. [Rare.] 
ambitus (am'bi-tus), n. ; pi. ambitus. [L. : see 
ambit.] 1. A going round; a circuit; the cir- 
cumference, periphery, edge, or border of a 
thing, as of a leaf or the valve of a shell. 2f. 
In arch., an open space surrounding a building 
or a monument. 3. In antiq., an open space 
about a house separating it from adjoining 
dwellings, and representing the ancient sacred 
precinct around a family hearth. In Rome the 
width of the ambitus was fixed by law at 2i feet. 
4. In ancient Rome, the act of canvassing 
for public office or honors. See ambition, 1. 
5. In logic, the extension of a term. 
amble (am'bl), v. i. ', pret. and pp. ambled, ppr. 
ambling. [< ME. amblen, < OF. ambler, go at an 
easy pace, < L. ambulare, walk: see ambulate.] 
1. To move with the peculiar pace of a horse 
when it first lifts the two legs on one side, and 
then the two on the other; hence, to move 
easily and gently, without hard shocks. 
Your wit ambles well ; it goes easily. 
Shale., Much Ado, v. 1. 
An abbot on an ambling pad. 
Tennyson, Lady of Shalott, ii. 
2. To ride an ambling horse; ride at an easy 
pace. JV. E. D. 3. Figuratively, to move af- 
fectedly. 
Frequent in park, with lady at his side, 
Ambling and prattling scandal as he goes. 
Cowper, Task, ii. 
amble (am'bl), . [<ME. amble, < OF. amble; 
from the verb.] A peculiar gait of a horse or 
like animal, in which both legs on one side are 
moved at the same time ; hence, easy motion ; 
gentle pace. Also called pace (which see). 
A mule well broken to a pleasant and accommodating 
amble. Scott. 
ambler (am'bler), n. One who ambles; espe- 
cially, a horse which ambles ; a pacer. 
AmblicephaluS, . See Amblycephalus, 1. 
ambligon, a. See amblygon. 
amblingly (am'bling-li), adv. With an ambling 
gait. 
Ambloctonidae (am-blok-ton'i-de), n. pi. [NL., 
< Ambloctonus + -4da;.] A family of fossil car- 
nivorous mammals, of the Eocene age, belonging 
to the suborder Creodonta, typified by the genus 
Ambloctonus, having the last upper molar longi- 
tudinal, the lower molars with little-developed 
inner tubercle, and the last of these carnassial. 
Ambloctonus (am-blok'to-nus), n. [NL., ir- 
reg. < Gr. auflhvf, blunt (toothed), + KTeiveiv, 
kill, slay.] The typical genus of Ambloctoni- 
dce, established by Cope in 1875 upon remains 
from the New Mexican Eocene (Wahsateh beds). 
A. sinosus was a large stout carnivore, of about 
the size of a jaguar. 
Amblodon (am'blo-don), . [NL. (Rafinesque. 
1820), < Gr. o^ttif, blunt, + 6*nif = E. tooth.] 
A genus of scirenpid fishes : synonymous with 
Haplodinotus (which see). 
Amblonyx (am-blon'iks), M. [NL. ; more cor- 
rectly "amblyonyx; < Gr. aufDiiic, blunt, + omt;, 
a nail: see onyx.] A genus of gigantic ani- 
mals, named by Hitchcock in 1858, formerly 
supposed to be birds, now believed to be dino- 
saurian reptiles, known by their footprints in 
the Triassic formation of the Connecticut val- 
ley. 
Ambloplites (am-blop-11'tez), n. [NL. (Rafi- 
nesque, 1820), < Gr. <i///5/W>f , dull, blunt, + OTT AITTK , 
heavy-armed: see hoplite.] A genus of fishes, 
of the family Centrarchidce, having villiform 
pterygoid teeth and numerous anal spines. A. 
rupestris is a species called rock-bass, resembling the 
black-bass, but having the dorsal and anal fins more de- 
veloped and the body shorter and deeper. Also written 
Amblyoplites. See cnt under rock-bass. 
anabiosis (am-blo'sis), n. [NL., < Gr. d/j/3/Uxnf, 
abortion, < afifiUeiv (in comp. ), aufiUcsKEiv, cause 
abortion, < a/j/lMif, dull, blunt, weak.] Miscar- 
riage; abortion. 
amblotic (am-blot'ik), a. and n. [< Gr. auft/M- 
Tui6;, fit to produce abortion, < d/^/jAumf, abor- 
tion: see amblosis.] I. a. Having the power 
to cause abortion. 
II. n. In med., anything causing or designed 
to cause abortion; an abortifacient. 
amblyaphia (am-bli-a'fi-6), . [NL., < Gr. afi- 
/3/ifcf, dull, + afyii, touching, touch, < airTetv, 
fasten, mid. axTcaBai, touch.] In pathol., dull- 
ness of the sense of touch ; insensibility of the 
skin; physical apathy. 
Aniblyopsidae 
Amblycephalus (am-bli-sef'a-lus), n. [NL., < 
Gr. aftfiU'f, blunt, + xc^aA//, head.] 1. Inherpet., 
the bluntheads, a genus of colubriform serpents 
founded by Kuhl in 
1827, considered by 
some an aberrant 
form of Dipsadi- 
do3. A. boa inhabits 
Java, Borneo, and 
neighboring islands. 
Also written Amblice- 
phalus. 
2. In entom., a ge- 
nus of homopter- 
pus hemipterous 
insects, family Cer- 
copida! : a name 
preoccupied inher- 
petology. A. inter- 
rupts, a kind of 
hop-frog or froth- 
fly, injures hops. 
Amblychila (am- 
bli-ki'la),i. [NL., 
< Gr. a/lfi'M,s, blunt, 
obtuse, + %eitoe, 
lip.] A genus of 
sf H , 7 . , 6 
Ctcindehda;, or ti- 
ger-beetles, peculiar to North America. Its dis- 
tinguishing characters are its small eyes, separate posterior 
coxae, and the widely indexed margin of the wing-covers. 
A single species represents this genus, A. cylindriformis 
(Say), which, from its large size, nearly cylindrical form, 
and somber dark-brown color, is the most striking mem- 
ber of its family. It occurs in Kansas, Colorado, New 
Mexico, and Arizona. It is nocturnal, hiding during the 
day in deep holes, generally on sloping ground, and is 
known to feed on locusts. Also spelled AmblycheUa. 
Say 1834. 
Amblycprypha (am-bli-kor'i-fa), . [NL., < 
Gr. afi/3'Mif, blunt, + nopvtfrf, head, top : see 
corypheus.] A genus of katydids, of the family 
Locustida;, having oblong elytra and a curved 
ovipositor. There are several United States 
species, as A. rotundifolia, A. oblongifolia, A. 
caudata, etc. 
amblygon (am'bli-gon), a. andi. [< Gr. a/ijtf.v- 
y&vios, obtuse-angled, < a/iflMt;, dull, obtuse, + 
forrms), slightly magnified. 
, , , 
-yuvia, angle.] L a. Obtuse-angled; amblyg- 
onal. Also spelled ambligon. 
The Buildings Ambligon 
May more receive than Mansions Oxygon, 
(Because th' acute and the rect-Angles too 
Stride not so wide as obtuse Angles doe). 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas (1621), p. 290. 
II. n. In geom., an obtuse-angled triangle; a 
triangle having one angle greater than ninety 
degrees. 
amblygonal (am-blig'o-nal), a. [< amblygon + 
-al.] Obtuse-angled; having the form of an 
amblygon. 
amblygonite (am-blig'o-n!t), . [< Gr. afifikv- 
}'<iv(0f, obtuse-angled (see amblygon), + -ite'2.] A 
mineral, generally massive, rarely in triclinic 
crystals. It is a phosphate of aluminium and lithium 
containing fluorin, and in color is greenish-white, yellow- 
ish-white, or of other light shade. It is found in Europe 
at Chursdorf, near Penig, Saxony, in the United States at 
Hebron, Maine, and elsewhere. 
amblyocarpous (am' i 'bli-6-kar'pus), a. [< NL. 
amblyocarpus, < Gr. auftt.i>f, blunt, dulled, faint, 
weak, + KopTrof, fruit: see carpel.] In bot., hav- 
ing the seeds entirely or mostly abortive : ap- 
plied to fruit. 
amblyopia (am-bli-6'pi-a), . [NL.,< Gr. uufttv- 
uma, dim-sightedness, < a/ij)Avu7r6<;, dim-sighted, 
< aufihvf, dull, dim, + uifi (UTT-), eye, sight. Cf. 
Amblyopsis.] In pafliol., dullness or obscurity 
of vision, without any apparent defect of the 
organs of sight : the first stage of amaurosis. 
Also amblyopy Amblyopia ex anopsia, amblyopia 
arising from not using the eyes. 
amblyopic (am-bli-op'ik), a. [< amblyopia + 
-ic.~] Relating or pertaining to amblyopia ; af- 
flicted with amblyopia. 
Amblyopidae (am-bli-op'i-de),.pZ. [NL.,irreg. 
< Amblyopsis + -ida:.] Same as Amblyopsida:. 
Amblybpina (am"bli-6-pi'na), n. pi. [NL., < 
Amblyopus + -ina.] The second group of Gobi- 
idai in Giinther's system of classification : equiv- 
alent to the subfamily Amblyopina;. 
Amblyopinae (am"bli-6-pi'ne), n. pi. [NL., < 
Amblyopus + -ina;.] A subfamily of fishes, 
typified by the genus Amblyopus. 'They have the 
two dorsal fins united in one, and 11 abdominal and 17 
caudal vertebra. 
Amblyoplites (am-bli-op-li'tez), n. The more 
correct form of Ambloplites (which see). 
amblyopsid (am-bli-op'sid), n. A fish of the 
family Amblyopsida. 
Amblyopsidae (am-bli-op'si-de), n. pi. [NL., < 
Amblyopsis + -ida;.] A family of haplomous 
