megasclere 
megasclere (meg'a-skler), [< NL. meyu- 
sclerus, < Gr. /7<zf, great, large, + an/.ripo/;, hard.] 
A supporting spicule of a sponge, forming a part 
of the skeleton. Megascleres are generally of large 
size, as indicated by the name, and usually contribute to 
the formation of a more or less consistent skeleton, while 
the microscleres or flesh-spicules serve only for the sup- 
port of single cells : but the distinction is not possible in 
all cases. 
megasclerous (meg'a-skle-rus), a. [< mega- 
sclere + -ous.] Of or pertaining to a mega- 
sclere; having the character of a megasclere. 
Megascolex (meg-a-sko'leks), n. [NL. (Tem- 
pleton, 1845), < Gr. /ityaf, great, large, + antihiZ, 
a worm.] A genus of oligochsetous annelids 
or worms of large size. The Ceylonese M. 
camdeus is a yard long, and as thick as one's 
finger. 
megascope (meg'a-skop), n. [< Gr. /ityaf, great, 
+ onoKEiv, view.] 1. A modification of the so- 
lar microscope for the examination of bodies 
of considerable dimensions. 2. In photog. , an 
enlarging camera. 
megascopic (meg-a-skop'ik), a. [As megascope 
+ -<c.] Perceptible through unaided vision; 
visible without the use of a powerful magnify- 
ing instrument, or with only the assistance of 
a pocket-lens : used in contrast to microscopic, 
with reference to objects or investigations in 
regard to which the use of a microscope is not 
required: as, the megascopic constituents of 
a rock ; the megascopic structure of the brain ; 
a megascopic examination of an object. Also 
macroscopic, macroscopical. 
megascopical (meg-a-skop'i-kal), a. [< mega- 
scopic + -ul.~] Same as megascopic. 
inegascopically (meg-a-skop'i-kal-i), adv. By 
the naked eye ; by superficial inspection as dis- 
tinguished from minute or microscopic inspec- 
tion ; without the use of magnifiers. Also mac- 
roscopically. 
Megascops (meg'a-skops), n. [NL., < Gr. fd- 
yaf, great, + anuif, a small kind of owl.] A 
genus of horned owls of the family Strigidce, es- 
tablished by J. J. Kaup in 1848. The name is 
now adopted for the group of American species of which 
the common red or mottled owl of Korth America, usu- 
ally called Scops asia, is the type. 
megaseme (tneg'a-sem), a. and n. [< Gr. [teyac, 
great, large, + mj/ui, sign.] I. a. In craniom., 
having a large index; specifically, having an 
orbital index over 89 ; not microseme. 
If above 80, it [the orbital index] is megaseme. 
Quain, Anat, I. 83. 
II. n. A skull having a large index. 
Megasoma (meg-a-so'ma), n. [NL., < Gr. /ufyaf, 
great, large, + aa/ia, body.] 1. A genus of large 
eetonian coleopters, typical of the subfamily 
Megasominat, having the prosternal process 
glabrous; Hercules-beetles or elephant-beetles. 
M. elephas, M. typhon, M. actteon, and M. (Aerates are 
American species of these huge beetles. All these are 
South American except M. thersites, which is California!!. 
They are the largest coleopters known. The genus was 
established by Kirby in 1825. 
2. A genus of lepidopterous insects. Boisdu- 
val, 1836. 
Megasominas (meg"a-so-mi'ne), n. pt. [NL., 
< Megasoma + -in(e.~] Swain son's name of the 
Hercules-beetles as a subfamily of Cetonidte. 
megasporange (meg'a-spo-rauj), . [< Gr. 
peyaz, great, + mropof, a spore or seed, + dyyof, 
a vessel.] Same as macrosporangium. 
megaspore (meg'a-spor), H. [< Gr. fieyaf, great, 
large, + crn-dpof, seed.] Same as macrospore. 
Some of the best seams of coal appear to have been 
chiefly formed by the accumulation of these Megaspores. 
W. B. Carpenter, Micros., 347. 
megass, megasse (me-gas' ), n. Same as bagasse. 
Megasthena (me-gas'the-na), n.pl. [NL., < Gr. 
fieyaf, great, large, + aBcvof, strength.] In Dana's 
classification of mammals, the second order of 
Mammalia. Dana divided this class into four orders : 
Archnntia, man alone; Megasthena, the quadruroanpus, 
carnivorous, herbivorous, and cetacean mammals ; Micro- 
fithena, the chiropters, insectivores, rodents, and edentates ; 
Ooticoidea. the marsupials and monotremes. The arrange- 
ment is the same as Owen's Archencephala, Gyrencephala, 
Liseencephala, and Lyencephala. Megasthena corresponds 
to Qyrencephdla ; also to Educabilia, exclusive of man. 
Also Megastheneg. 
megasthene (meg'a-sthen), n. One of the 
Meyastliena ; any quadrumanous, carnivorous, 
herbivorous, or cetacean mammal. 
There is a close parallelism with the Mutilates, the 
lowest of the Meyasthenen. 
Atner. Jour. Sci., Jan., 1863, p. 71. 
megasthenic (meg-a-sthen'ik), a. [< mcga- 
sthcne + -ic.] Having great strength of struc- 
tural character; strongly organized; specifi- 
cally, having the nature of or pertaining to the 
Megasthena. 
3692 
meistersanger 
megasynthetic (meg^a-sin-thefik), a. _ 
jutj-of, great, + awOeriKb;, putting together: see 
synthetic.] Same as polysynthetic. [Rare.] 
megathere (meg'a-ther), n. [< NL. megatheri- 
um.] A mammal' of the family Megatheriida;. 
megatherian (meg-a-the'ri-an), a. and n. [< 
NL. Megatherium +"-an.] 1. a. Of or pertain- 
ing to the genus Megatherium. 
II. n. A megathere. 
Megatheridae (ineg-a-ther'i-de), n. pi. Same 
as Mei/athcriida;. 
Megatheriidae (meg ; 'a-the-ri'i-de), n.pl. [NL., 
< Megatherium + -id<e.] ' A family of extinct 
gigantic edentate animals of the order Bruta, 
related to the sloths and ant-eaters, the re- 
mains of which occur abundantly in Pleisto- 
cene deposits of North and South America ; the 
".-sloths. The teeth are usually 10 in the upper 
ache, and sick-headache. 
A fervent myyreyn was in the rygt syde of hurr hedde. 
Chron. Vilodun., p. 12. (Hattiwett.) 
This is in contrast with the fact among Crustaceans, megohm (meg'om), . [< Gr. /)?, great (see 
the megasthenic and microsthenic divisions lot which . . . met i.) + ohm.] A unit equal to one million 
stand widely apart. J. D. Dana, On Cephahzation, p. 8. JJjJJja! 
Ltl ' megrim (me'grim), . [Early mod. E. also mea- 
grim, meagrom ; < ME. migrim, miyreyme, mi- 
grene, mygreyn, a corruption of migraine, my- 
graine, < OF. migraine, F. migraine (> G. Dan. 
migrdne = Sw. migriin) = Sp. miyratla = It. nta- 
grana, emigrania, < L. hemicranium, < Gr. >i/ui- 
upavia, a pain in one side of the head, < i/fii-, half, 
T Kpaviov, head, cranium: see hemicrauia.] 1. 
A form of headache usually confined to or be- 
ginning or predominating on one side of the 
head. It may be ushered in by malaise, languor, chilli- 
ness, or ocular or other sensory symptoms. The ocular 
symptoms are such as amblyopia, a glimmering appear- 
ance before the eyes, spectra of angular outline (fortifica- 
tion spectra), or nemianopsia. The headache, often be- 
coming overpowering in its character and intensity, lasts 
from several hours to two or three days. At its height it 
is attended often with nausea and vomiting. The attacks 
return with a certain periodicity. Exhausting influences 
are apt to increase their frequency. The liability to me- 
grim lasts for years, and is apt to disappear in middle life 
genera are Megatherium and UaUodon; many others are or later. Also .called ^migraine, hemicrania, nermtu head- 
sometimes referred to this family, sometimes to Mylodon- 
tidce, etc. 
megatherioid (meg-a-the'ri-oid), a. and n. [< 
Megatherium + -oirfj I. a. Resembling or ha v- 2. pi. Lowness of spirits, as from headache or 
ing the characters of a megathere; belonging general physical disturbance; the "blues"; a 
to the Megatheriida;. morbid or whimsical state of feeling. 
II. M . A megathere or some similar mammal. These are his megrims, nrks, and melancholies. Ford. 
Also megatheroid. 3. pi. In farriery, a sudden attack of sickness in 
Megatherium (meg-a-the'ri-um), n. [NL., < a horse at work, when he reels, and either stands 
Gr. pi:} of, great, large, + (h/piov, a wild beast.] still for a minute dull and stupid, or falls to the 
1. The typical genus of the family Megatherii- ground insensible. These attacks are often 
da;, containing huge extinct sloths larger than periodical, but are most frequent in warm wea- 
ther. 
Meibomian (mi -bo 'mi -an), a. [< Meibomius 
(see def . ) + -an.] In anat., pertaining to Meibo- 
mius (Heinrich Meibom, a German physician, 
1638-1700): specifically applied to the seba- 
ceous follicles of the eyelids, known as Meibo- 
mian glands or follicles. They secrete the unc- 
tuous substance which lubricates the eye. See 
gland. 
meidan, n. Same as maidan. 
Meidinger cell (mi'ding-er sel). A voltaic ele- 
ing "surfaces continued to present a pair of transverse ment ill which the plates are zinc and copper 
ridges. One of the best-known species is M. americanum, and the liquids solutions of magnesium sul- 
the skeleton of which measures 18 feet in length, includ- phate and copper sulphate. The copper plate and 
ing the tail, which is 6 feet. solution of copper sulphate are contained in a small jar 
2. [I. c.] An animal of this genus. which stands in the bottom of the cell ; the supply of cop- 
megatherm (meg' a -therm), . [< Gr. /ityof, per sulphate is kept up by means of a funnel or tube con- 
great, + Ocptai, heat.] In bot., a term proposed Billing crystals of .it and extending from the top of the 
by Alphonse de Candolle in 1874 to designate ^^Jr^d .Tgi?', 
a plant of his first "physiological group," re- meinie | '. See'meiny. 
quiring great heat combined with much moist- K ntt T - Pagt particip i e of ming i_ 
ure. The plants of this group (megatherms) occur either ,{-+ fmfi'iiil n TEarlv mod E also mevnev 
within the tropics or not beyond the thirtieth degree of meinyt ( 11J, . L^ariy mou. r,. ai ley, 
latitude, in warm moist valleys where the mean tempera- meany, meny, meme, many, maignte, Sc. menyte, 
ture does not fall below 20 C. See heltitiotherm. menzie, etc. ; < ME. meiny, meine, meyny, mayni/, 
megatype (meg'a-tip), . [< Gr. /ut>af, great, meynee,mayne,meyne,menge,meigne,ete.,yF. 
large, + Ti'*irof . impression.] In pliotog., an en- niesnee, maisnee, mesiiie, maignee, maineda = Pr. 
Sp. Pg. mesrada, manada = It. masnada (ML. 
reflex maisnada, mainada, mesnada, masnada, 
ete.),<*mansionatn, ahousehold,<L.)a?mo(H-), 
a dwelling, mansion: see mansion."] 1. House- 
hold; suite; attendants; retinue; train. 
He wile senden after the 
Frain heuene adun of his meiyne. 
King Horn (E. E. T. S.), p. 47. 
He sawe the deuill syttyng and all his meyny aboute 
hym. Holy Rood (E. E. T. S.), p. 168. 
Som man wolde out of his prisoun fayn. 
a rhinoceros. 
They had 10 teeth 
in the upper jaw, 
and 8 in the 
lower, deeply im- 
planted, persist- 
ently growing, 
prismatic, and 
with such an ar- 
rangement of the 
vaBodeutine, den- 
tine, and cement 
that as they wore 
away the triturat- 
Skeleton of Mcgatheriun 
larged positive. 
megaulic (me-ga'lik), a. [< NL. megaulicus, < 
Gr. //f jaf, great, + NL. aula, aula : see aula, 2.] 
Having the aula large ; specifically, of or per- 
taining to the Megaulica. 
Megaulica (me-ga'li-ka), n. pi. [NL., neut. pi. 
of megaulicus: see megaulic.] Animals whose 
aula is large and whose cerebral hemispheres 
are extended horizontally or undifferentiated. 
They are the Ichthyopsida exclusive of amphibians, dip- 
noans, and Branchiostoina. Wilder, Amer. Nat, Oct., 1887, 
p. 914. 
megavolt (meg'a-volt), n. [< Gr. /ieyas, great 
(see meg-), + E. volt.] A unit equal to one 
million volts. 
megaweber (meg'a-va-ber), n. [< Gr. />af, 
great (see meg-), + E. weber."] A unit equal to 
a million webers. 
megazodspore (meg-a-zo'o-spor), . [< Gr. 
fttyaif, great, + fjpov, animal, + cm6pos, seed.] 
Same as macrozodspore. 
megerg (meg'erg), . Same as megaerg. 
That in his nous is of his meynee slayn. 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 400. 
2. Company; army. 
Lest that she wolde hem with her hondes slen, 
Or with her meynee putten hem to ilyghte. 
Chaucer, Monk's Tale, 1. 852. 
But the kynge Brandon and the kynge Pyncenars dide 
grete merveiles bothe with theire bodyes and theire tneyne 
that were full bolde and hardy. Jfertin(E. E. T. S.). iii. 588. 
They summon'd up their meiny ; straight took horse, 
Commanded me to follow and attend. 
Shak., Lear, ii. 4. 35. 
---- (me-jil'a),w. [NL.] 1 . A gemis"of lady- me io-. For words beginning thus, see mio-. 
birds, of the family Coccinellidai, founded by meipsead (mo-ip'se-ad), n. [< L. me (= E. me \ 
Mulsant in 1851. The larva of M. maculata, the spot- ace. of ego, I, + ipse, self, + -arfl.] An ego- 
,'vi-itiiM,- r"R-iro T 
ted ladybird, is useful in devouring plant-lice, chinch- 
bugs, and eggs of the Colorado potato-beetle ; the adult 
beetle feeds upon pollen. See cut under ladybird. 
2. A genus of hymenopterous insects. Fubri- 
ciuK. 1804. 
My letters to you are such pure meipseads. 
Smthey, Letters, ill. 57. 
meire, n. In her., a fur: same &s potent conn /rr- 
megilp (me-gilp'), n. and r. See mai/ilp. potent. 
Megistanes (mej-is-ta'nez), n.pl. [NL., < Gr. meirre', a. In /ice., divided like the fur potent 
/teytaTavec, great men, grandees, < fteyiarof, su- counter-potent. 
perl, of //fjnf, great, large.] A superfamily Meissner's corpuscles, plexus. See corpuscle, 
group, by Newton made an order, of extant plexus. 
ratite birds^containing the two families C'asn- meistersanger, meistersinger (mis'ter-seng*- 
the cassowaries and er, -sing'er), n. [G., < meister, master, + utingi-r 
ariitlu 1 and l)roma:idce, or 
emus. Called Cawarii by some authors. 
(= AS. sunyere), singer (< sang, song), or stayer 
