Amblyopsidse 
fishes in which the margin of the upper jaw is 
entirely formed by the premaxillaries, which 
are scarcely protractile, and in which the anus 
IS jugular. Five species are known, generally arranged 
in three genera, from the fresh waters of the United States, 
the largest and best-known being the blind-fish of the 
Mammoth and other caves. tSee Amblyopsis. Also called 
Amblyopidt*. 
Amblyopsis (am-bli-op'sis), n. [NL. (J. E. 
De Kay, 1842), < Gr. appMf, dull, faint, dim, + 
oV"C> countenance, sight, related to ui)>, eye : see 
optic. Ct.amblyopia.] 1 . A genus of fishes repre- 
170 
amblystomid (am-blis'to-mid), w. An amphi- 
bian of the family Amblystomidce. 
Amblystomidae (am-blis-tom'i-de), n. pi. 
[NL., < Amblystoma + -idee."] A family of am- 
phibians of which Amblystoma is the typical 
genus. They are salamanders with the palatines not 
prolonged overthe parasphenoid and bearing teeth behind, 
parasphenoid toothless, vertebrae opisthocoelian, and a pe- 
culiar arrangement of the hyoid apparatus. Most of the 
species are North American. 
ambo (am'bo), n. ; pi. ambos or ambmics (am'- 
boz, am-bo'nez). [< ML. ambo, < Gr. afiftwv, 
any slight elevation, a boss, stage, pulpit: see 
ambe.] 1. In early Christian churches and 
basilicas, a raised desk or pulpit from which cer- 
tain parts of the service were read or chanted 
Blind-fish (Amblyop. 
sented by the blind-fish (A . snel&us) of the Mam- 
moth Cave of Kentucky, and typical of the fam- 
ily Amblyopsidce. 2. A genus of crustaceans. 
amblyopsoid (am-bli-op'soid), a. and n. [< Am- 
blyopsis + -oid.] I. a. Having the characters 
of the Amblyopsidce. 
II. n. An amblyopsid. 
Amblyopus (am-bli-6'pus), n. [NL. (Valen- 
ciennes, 1837), < Gr. a/i/3Avtnrof, dim-sighted: 
see amblyopia.] 1. A genus of fishes, of the 
. family Gobiidtv, typical of the subfamily Ambly- 
opince. 2. A genus of orthopterous insects. 
Kaussure, 1878. 
amblyopy (am'bli-o-pi), . Same as amblyopia. 
Amblypoda (am-blip'o-da), n. pi. [NL., < Gr. 
anft'M'f, blunt, dull, 4- novf (Trod-) = E. foot.] A 
suborder of Eocene mammals belonging to the 
Subungulata, or many-toed hoofed quadrupeds, 
of elephantine proportions and structure of the 
limbs. The fore feet were 5-toed and the hind feet 4- 
toed. The skull had a remarkably small brain-case, enor- 
mous flaring processes in three pairs, no upper incisors, 
three pairs of lower incisors, and a pair of huge upper 
canines, projecting alongside a flange-like plate of the 
lower jaw. The molars were 6 in number on each side, 
above and below. The genera composing this group are 
Uintatherium, Dinocerax, Tinocerax, Loxolophwlon, etc. 
The term Dinocerata is nearly synonymous. These huge 
mammals were extinct before the Miocene era, and their 
fossil remains have been found mostly in the Eocene beds 
of North America. 
Amblypodia (am-bli-po'di-a), . [NL., < Gr. 
d/i/5/U'f, blunt, dull, + naif '(jroti-) =E. foot, + 
-.] A genus of lycsenid butterflies. 
Amblypterus (am-blip'te-rus), n. [NL., < Gr. 
a/i/i'/.i'f, dull, blunt, + VTep6v, wing (> Trrfyt'f, 
wing, fin), = K. feather.] 1. A genus of ganoid 
fishes with heterocercal tail. The species are 
found only in a fossil state, and are character- 
istic of the coal formation. AgassiZj 1833. 2. 
A genus of birds, founded by Gould in 1837, but 
preoccupied in ichthyology by the preceding 
genus, and therefore not in use. It was based 
upon a remarkable South American goatsucker, of the fam- 
ily Caprimnlffnlif, now known as Elfothreptn* anomalwt. 
Ainblyrhynchus (am-bli-ring'kus), n. [NL., < 
Gr. a/i3).i-(, blunt, + pi'yxSi snout.] 1. A genus 
of iguanid lizards characteristic of the Galapa- 
gos islands : so called from the very blunt snout. 
There are two remarkable species, a marine one, A. cria- 
tattw, with compressed tail and partially webbed toes, and 
A. demarli, a laud-lizard, with cylindric tail and unwebbed 
toes. 
2. In ornith. : (a) A genus of South American 
Icterida;, or blackbirds. [Not in use.] (b) A 
genus of phalaropes. Thomas Nuttall, 1834. 
[Not in use.] 
Amblysomus (am-bli-so'mus), . [NL., < Gr. 
a/i/3At'f, blunt, dull, dim, + aufia, body.] A 
genus of gold-moles or Cape moles of southern 
Africa, of the family Chrysochloridida; distin- 
guished from Clirysochloris by having only 2 
molars in each jaw instead of 3. Chalcochloris 
of Mivart is a synonym more frequently used. 
Amblystoma (am-blis'to-ma), . [NL., < Gr. 
d/i/JW'f, blunt, dull, + oro/m, mouth.] An ex- 
tensive genus of urodele or tailed batrachians, 
notable for the transformations which they un- 
dergo; the type of the family AnMystomidcc. 
In their undeveloped state they represent the formerly 
recognized genus .SVrfrfon, and some species are known as 
axolotls. They belong to the salamandrine series of the 
Urodela, and are related to the newts, efts, salamanders, 
etc. Very often written, by mistake, Ambystmna. See cut 
under axoloti. 
The axoloti is the larval state of Ainblyytowi ; but it 
sometimes remains in that state throughout life, and is 
at the same time most prolific, while those which must be 
supposed to have attained a higher form are utterly ster- 
ile, the sexual organs becoming apparently atrophied. 
Pasme, Zool. Class., p. 193. 
amblystome (am'bli-stom), n. Same as am- 
blystomid. 
Allllxi. 
Northern Tribune of the Church of 5. Maria in Ara Cceli, Rome. 
and sermons were preached, it was often an ob- 
long inclosure with steps at both ends, and was generally 
richly decorated. It was very common to place two ambos 
in a church, from one of which was read the gospel, and 
from the other the epistle. A tall ornamented pillar for 
holding the paschal candle is sometimes associated with 
the ambo. 
From these walls projected ambones, or pulpits with 
desks, also of marble, ascended by steps. 
Encyc. Brit., III. 415. 
2. In anat., a circumferential fibrocartilage ; 
a fibrocartilaginous ring surrounding an articu- 
lar cavity, as the glenoid fossa of the scapula 
and the cotyloid fossa of the innominate bone. 
Also written ambon. 
ambodextert (am-bo-deks'ter), a. and w. Same 
as ambidexter. 
ambolic (am-bol'ik), a. [< Gr. "a/tfiounof, contr. 
from avaf)(AiK6f, taken in lit. sense < avafto'/.i/ 
(poet. afijio'/.ri), that which is thrown up or 
around: see anabole.] Having the power of 
producing abortion ; abortifacient. 
ambon (am'bon), n. See ambo. 
ambosexous (am-bo-sek'sus), a. [< L. ambo, 
both, + sexus, sex.] Having both sexes; bi- 
sexual; hermaphrodite. [Bare or obsolete.] 
Amboyna wood. See wood. 
Amboynese (am-boi-neV or -nez'), n. sing, and 
pi. [< Amboyna + -ese.] A native or the na- 
tives of Amboyna, the most important of the 
Moluccas or Spice Islands. 
ambreada (am-bre-a'da), n. [= F. ambreade, 
< Pg. ambreada, fictitious amber, prop. fern, 
pp. of ambrear, perfume with amber, < ambre, 
usually ambar, amber: see amber 2 ."] A kind 
of artificial amber manufactured for the trade 
with Africa. 
ambreic (am-bre'ik), a. [< ambrein + -ie.] In 
diem., formed by digesting ambrein in nitric 
acid : as, ambreic acid. 
ambrein (am'bre-in), n. [< F. ambreine, < ambre, 
amber : see anther^ and -in 2 . ] A peculiar fatty 
substance obtained from ambergris by digesting 
it in hot alcohol. It is crystalline, is of a bril- 
liant white color, and has an agreeable odor. 
ambrette (am-bref), . [F., dim. of ambre, 
amber.] 1. See amber-seed. 2. Akindof pear 
with an odor of ambergris or musk. _A~. E. I). 
ambrite (am'brit), n. [= G.ambrit; < NL. at- 
bra, E. amber 2 , + -ife 2 .] A fossil resin occur- 
ring in large masses in Auckland, New Zealand, 
and identical with the resin of the Dammara 
australis, a pine now growing abundantly there. 
ambrology (am-brol'6-ji), . [< NL. ambra, 
amber, + Gr. -Aoy/u, < \eyetv, speak: see -ology.] 
The natural history of amber. Syd. Soe. Lex. 
ambrotype 
ambroset (am'broz), . [< ME. ambrose, in def. 
L' (OF. ambroisf, F. ambroisie, sometimes am- 
brosie), < L. ambrosia, ambrosia, also the name 
of several plants : see umhnixiii.] 1. Ambrosia. 
[Bare.] 
At first, ambrose. itself was not sweeter. 
Rurlnn, Anat. of Mel., iii. >. 
2. An early English name of the Jerusalem oak, 
Chenopodium Botrys, and also of the wood-sage, 
Teucrium Seorodoiiiti. 
ambrosia (am-bro'zia), n. [L., < Gr. apppoaia, 
the food of the gods, conferring immortality, 
fern, of adj. aft(ip6mo(, a lengthened form of 
afijiporof, also aftporof, immortal, < a- priv. + 
*/fpor6f, ppordf, older form fioprof, mortal, akin 
to L. mor(t-)s, death (L. im~mort-al-is = Gr. 
a-///}por-of ), and mori, die : see 1 mortal. Cf . Skt. 
amrita, immortal, also the drink of the gods 
(see amrita), = Gr. d^/Jporof.] 1. In Gr. legend, 
a celestial substance, capable of imparting im- 
mortality, commonly represented as the food 
of the gods, but sometimes as their drink, and 
also as a richly perfumed unguent ; hence, in 
literature, anything comparable in character 
to either of these conceptions. 
His dewy locks distill'd ambrosia. Milton, P. L., v. 57. 
2. [cnp.] A genus of widely distributed coarse 
annual weeds, of the natural order Compositai, 
chiefly American, and generally known as ray- 
weed. A. artemisiafolia is also called Roman 
intnii wood or hogweed. 
ambrosiac (am-bro'zi-ak), a. [< L. ambrosia- 
eus, < ambrosia : see ambrosia.] Of , pertaining 
to, or having the qualities of ambrosia; per- 
fumed; sweet-smelling: as, "ambrosiac odours," 
B. Jonson, Poetaster, iv. 3 (song). 
Shrill strain'd arts-men, whose ambrotiac quills, 
Whiles they desert's encomions sweet rehearse, 
The world with wonder and amazement fills. 
Ford, Fame's Memorial. 
ambrosiaceous (am-bro-zi-a'shius), a. [< Am- 
brosia + -aceoim."] In hot., allied to the genus 
Ambrosia. 
ambrosial (am-bro'zial), a. [< ambrosia + -al.] 
Of or pertaining to ambrosia ; partaking of the 
nature or qualities of ambrosia; anointed or 
fragrant with ambrosia ; hence, delighting the 
taste or smell; delicious; fragrant; sweet- 
smelling: as, ambrosial dews. 
As the sunset 
Threw the long shadows of trees o'er the broad ambrosial 
meadows. Lonufellow, Evangeline, L 4. 
Sweet after showers, ambrosial air. 
Tennyson, In Memoriam, Ixxxvi. 
Thou too . . . mayest become a Political Power: and 
with the shakings of thy horse-hair wig, shake principal- 
ities and dynasties, like a very Jove with his ambrosial 
curls. Carlyle, French Rev., I. Hi. 1. 
ambrosially (am-bro'zial-i), adv. In an am- 
brosial manner; with an ambrosial odor. 
A fruit of pure Hesperian gold, 
That smelt ambroirially. Tennyson, (Enone. 
ambrosian 1 1 (am-bro'zian), a. [< ambrosia + 
-an.] Of or pertaining to ambrosia ; fragrant ; 
ambrosial. B. Jonson. 
Most ambronan-lipped creature. 
Middleton, Blurt, Master-Constable, iv. 2. 
Ambrosian 2 (am-bro'zian), a. [<LL. Ambro- 
sianus, < Ambrosius, Ambrose, < Gr. a/t/)p6oto(, 
immortal, divine: see ambrosia.] Of, pertain- 
ing to, or instituted by St. Ambrose, bishop of 
Milan in the fourth century Ambrosian chant, 
a mode of singing or chanting introduced by St. Ambrose 
in the cathedral church at Milan about 384. Little is 
certainly known of its nature. Ambrosian Library, 
a famous library and collection of antiquities at Milan, 
founded by Cardinal Borromeo in 1809. Ambrosian 
office or ritual, a formula of worship named from St. Am- 
brose, and long used in the church of Milan in place of 
the Roman mass. 
ambrosino (am-bro-ze'no), n. [It., from the fig- 
ure of St. Ambrose on the coin : see above.] A 
Obverse. Reverse. 
Silver Ambrosino of Milan, British Museum. ( Size of the original. ) 
silver coin, weighing about 45 grains, issued by 
the republic of Milan A. D. 1250-1310, and bear- 
ing the effigy of Ambrose, the patron saint of 
the city. The name was also applied to a rare 
Milanese gold coin of the same period. 
ambrotype (am'bro-tip), . [< Gr. afi/ipoTOf (see 
ambrosia), immortal, + Tmrof, impression : see 
type.] lupnotog., a picture made by applying 
