Menidae 
Menidae (men'i-de), . pi [NL., < Menr* + 
-/(/((.] A family of scombroidean acanthop- 
terygian fishes, typified by the genus Mate. The 
body is much compressed and the abdomen prominent and 
trenchant, the mouth very protractile, the dorsal very long 
and entire, the anal also very long and commencing just be- 
hind the ventrals, and the ventrals elongated and complete. 
Mene maculata is an inhabitant of the Indian Ocean. 
menilite (men'i-lit), n. [< Me'nil(montant) (see 
def.) + -ife 2 .] A variety or subspecies of opa- 
line silica found at Me'nilmontant, a quarter in 
the eastern part of Paris. It is found in kidney- 
shaped masses of the size of the hand or larger, sometimes 
in globules of the size of a nut. It has usually a dull 
grayish or bluish color. 
meningeal (me-nin'je-al), . [< meninx, pi. 
meninges, + -al."] Of' or pertaining to the me- 
ninges Meningeal arteries, the arteries supplying 
the dura mater of the brain, the principal one being the 
middle or great meningeal from the internal maxillary. 
meninges, . Plural of meninx. 
meningitic (meu-in-jit'ik), a. [< meningitis + 
-j'c.] Relating or pertaining to meningitis; af- 
fected with meningitis. 
meningitis (men-in-ji'tis), . [NL., < Gr. pyvtyt 
(firjviyy-), a membrane (see meninx), + -itis.} 
Inflammation of the membranes of the brain 
or spinal cord Epidemic ceretoosplnal menin- 
gitis, an infectious disease which in ordinary cases is 
characterized by an acute invasion with violent headache, 
severe pains and stiffness in the neck, and great malaise, 
more or less fever, sometimes a chill, and sometimes vom- 
iting. The subsequent course varies greatly, but usually 
presents severe headache and backache and retraction of 
the head, tenderness along the spine, often vertigo, stupor, 
frequently delirium, sometimes convulsions, sometimes 
vomiting, with paralysis of the ocular and facial muscles 
or abnormal stimulation of the same. The spinal nerves 
exhibit more or less disturbance ; herpes facialis is fre- 
quent, and other skin affections, such as petechise, roseola, 
and urticaria. The spleen may be slightly but is not great- 
ly enlarged. The disease lasts from two to four weeks in 
many cases, but it may be fatal in a few days, or a severe 
invasion may be followed by equally speedy recovery ; on 
the other hand, it may last for eight weeks or more. It is 
most frequent in children , but adults are not exempt. The 
infection inheres in localities ; proximity to or contact with 
the sick does not seem to increase exposure. Anatomically, 
the disease presents a purulent leptomeningitis of the cere- 
brospinal axis Also called black dsath, black fever, cere- 
brospinal fever, congestive fever, malignant meningitis, 
malignant purpura, malignant purpwric fever, neuropur- 
puric fever, pestilential purpura, petechial fever, phrenitie 
typhodes, purple fever, spotted fever, typhoid meningitis, 
typhus petechialis, typhus syncopalis. Tubercular men- 
ingitis. See tubercular. 
meningocele (mf-ning'go-sel), n. [< Gr. piviy$ 
(firfviyy-), a membrane, + Kiff.ri, a tumor.] In 
pathol., hernia of the meninges or cranial mem- 
branes; cerebral hernia confined to the mem- 
branes. 
meningOCOCCUS (me-ning'go-kok-us), . [NL., 
< Gr. pf/viy!- (/ir/viyy-), a membrane, + KUKKOS, a 
kernel.] A coccus supposed to be the cause 
of cerebrospinal fever. 
meningorachidian, meningorhachidian (me- 
ning"go-ra-kid'i-an), a. [< Gr. ftf/viy^ (fiqviyy-), 
a membrane, + pdxif (pu/f"'-), the spine.] Per- 
taining to the meninges or membranes of the 
spinal cord and to the rachis or spine : as, the 
meningorachidian veins. See spinal. 
meninguria (men-ing-gu'ri-a), n. [NL., < Gr. 
utjviyt; (/a/viyy-), a membrane, + ovpov, urine.] 
Urine containing membranous shreds. 
meninting (me-nin'ting), n. [Javanese.] A 
three-toed kingfisher, Ceyx meninting. 
meninx (me'ningks), n. ; pi. meninges (rae-nin'- 
jez). [NL., < Gr. /ir/viyi; dajviyy-), a membrane, 
esp. of the brain.] In anat. , a membrane ; espe- 
cially, one of the three membranes that invest 
the brain and spinal cord. They are the dura mater, 
the arachnoid, and the pia mater, named in order from 
without inward. See these words. 
meniscal (me-ms'kal), a. [< meniscus + -al."] 
Pertaining to or having the form of a meniscus, 
meniscate (me-nis'kat), a. [< meniscus + -atei.] 
Resembling the section of a meniscus : applied 
in botany to a cylindrical body bent into a 
semicircle. 
menlsciform (me-nis'i-form), a. [< Gr. /a/vimac, 
a crescent (see meniscus), + L. forma, form.] 
Of the form of a meniscus or crescent. 
meniscoid (me-nis'koid), o. [< Gr. [tr/viaKOf, a 
crescent, -r drfof, form.] Like a meniscus; 
crescent-shaped ; concavo-convex, 
meniscoidal (men-is-koi'dal), a. [< me- 
niscoid + -al.] Same as meniscoid. 
meniscus (me-nis'kus), n.; pi. menisci 
(-1). [< Nli.' meniscus, < Gr. [iqviaKof, a 
crescent, dim. of nfor/, the moon: see 
moon."] 1. A crescent or crescent- 
shaped body. Specifically 2. A lens, 
convex on one side and concave on the 
other, and thicker in the center, so that its sec- 
tion presents the appearance of the moon in 
3708 
its first quarter. As the convexity exceeds the con- 
cavity, a meniscus may be regarded as a convex lens (also 
called a converging meniscus); the corresponding form in 
which the convexity is less than the concavity is some- 
times but improperly called a diverging meniscus. See cut 
under lens. 
3. The convex or concave surface of a liquid, 
caused by capillarity: thus, the mercury in a 
barometer has a convex 
meniscus, but spirit or 
water a concave meniscus. 
4. In anat., an inter- 
articular fibrocartilage, 
of a rounded, oval, disk- 
like, or falcate shape, sit- 
uated between the ends 
of bones, in the interior 
of joints, attached by the 
margins. Such cartilages 
are found in man in the tern- 
poromaxillary, the sterno- 
clavicular, and sometimes the 
acromioclavicular articula- 
tions, and in the wrist- and 
knee joints. 
5. In zool., a peculiar organ, of doubtful func- 
tion, found in Echinorhyncnus, a genus of acan- 
thocephalous parasitic worms. Huxley. 
meniset, n. [< ME. mernise, < OF. menuise, me- 
niise, menuze, any small object, small fish, small 
fry, < menutser, make small, minish: see min- 
ish.~] 1. Small fish; small fry. 2. A minnow. 
The little roach, the menise biting fast. 
John Dennys (Arber's Eng. Garner, I. 167). 
inenisont, mensont, [< ME. menison, meni- 
soun, menysoun, menesoun, < OF. meneison, me- 
noison, menuison, menison, menisoun, maneson, 
Forms of Meniscus, def. 3. 
i, concave ; z, convex. 
inenologium 
shaped, and by having from twelve to an in- 
definite number of stamens. They are climbing 
plants, with partially peltate, palmately lobed or angled 
leaves, flowers in panicles, and the fruit a compressed 
drupe. There are 2 species M . Canadense, the Canadian 
moonseed, native of North America, and M. Dauricum. in- 
digenous to the temperate parts of eastern Asia. The 
former is a desirable arbor-vine, though its flowers are in- 
conspicuous. Its fruit is black with a bloom, resembling 
small grapes. 
2. [1. c.] The pharmacoposial name of the rhi- 
zome and rootlets of Menispermum Canadensc. 
It is little used in medicine, and seems inert. 
Also called Texas sarsaparilla. 
menivert, n. An obsolete form of miniver. 
mennard(men'ard), n. [See minnow.'] A min- 
now. [Prov. ng.] 
mennawet, n. An obsolete form of minnow. 
Mennonist (men'on-ist), n. [< Mennon-ite + 
-ist."] Same as Mennonite. 
Mennonite (men'qn-it), H. [< Menno (see def.) 
+ -ire 2 .] A member of a Christian denomination 
which originated in Friesland in the early part 
of the sixteenth century, and holds doctrines 
of which Menno Simons (1492-1559) was the 
chief exponent. The leading features of the Men- 
nonite bodies have been baptism on profession of faith, 
refusal of oaths, of civic offices, and of the support of 
the state in war, and a tendency to asceticism. Many of 
these beliefs ana practices have been modified. The sect 
became divided in the seventeenth century into the Vp- 
land ("Obere") Mennonites or Ammanites and the Low- 
land ("Untere") Mennonites, the former being the more 
conservative and rigorous. Members of the sect are found 
in the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, etc., and especially 
in the United States. In the last-named country they are 
divided into "Untere" or OldJMennonites, "Obere"Men- 
nonites or Ammanites, New Mennonites, Evangelical 
Mennonites, and Reformed Mennonites (or Herrians). 
dysentery, diarrhea, < LL'. manatio(n-), a flow- mennowt, n. An obsolete form of minnow. 
ing: see manation."] Diarrhea; dysentery. menobranch (men'o-brangk), n. An animal of 
Bothe meseles & mute, and in the menyson blody. the genus Menobranclms. 
Piers Plowman (B), xvi. 111. Menobranchldse (men-9-brang'ki-de), n. pi. 
Menispermaceffl (men"i-sper-ma'se-e), n. pi. [NL., < Menobranchus + -idee."] A family of 
[NL. (A. P. de Candolle, 1824), < Menispermum amphibians named from the genus Henobran- 
+ -acece.'] A natural order of dicotyledonous chus: same as Proteidce. 
polypetalous plants, of which the genus Meni- Menobranchus (men-o-brang kus), n. [NL., < 
spermum is the type, belonging to the cohort Gi./tiveiv, remain (see remain), + (Spayxia, gills.] 
Banales. It is characterized by small, usually three- 1. A genus of tailed amphibians of the family 
parted, dioecious flowers, with the petals shorter than the Proteidcc, characterized by the persistence of 
sepals, and solitary seeds, which are attached by the ven- 
tral face, and have the micropyle above. The order em- 
braces about 57 genera and 350 species, the number of 
which may, however, be greatly reduced ; they are found 
principally within the tropics, although a few occur in 
North America, western Asia, and Australia. They are 
principally woody climbers, with alternate leaves and 
clusters of small flowers. The plants possess active nar- 
cotic and bitter properties, some being very poisonous, 
while others are used as tonics. It includes I tribes, the 
Tinosporece, Cocculece, Cissampelidece, and Pachygonece. 
menispermaceous (men"i-sper-ma'shius), a. 
Of, pertaining to, or having the characters of 
the Menispermacece. 
menispermal (men-i-sper'mal), a. [< Meni- 
spermmn + -a/.] Relating to the Menisperma- 
cece, or to the larger group to which that order 
belongs. 
menispermate (men-i-sper'mat), H. [< meni- 
sperm-ic + -aie 2 .] A compound of menisper- 
mic acid and a base. 
menispermic (men-i-sper'mik), a. [< menisper- 
mum + -ic."] Obtained from the seeds of 
the menisperma- 
ceous plant Ana- 
mirta Cocculus : 
applied to an 
acid. 
menispermine 
(men - i - sper '- 
min), n. [< 
menittpermum + 
-ie 2 .] An al- 
kaloid extracted 
from the shells of 
the fruit of Ana- 
mirta Cocculus. 
It is tasteless 
and medicinally 
inert. See Coccu- 
lus. 
Menispermum 
(men -i- sper '- 
mum), . [NL. 
(Tournef ort, 
1705), so called 
from the half- 
moon shape of 
Menobranchus or Nccturus macttlatus. 
the gills and the possession of four limbs with 
four well-developed digits. It is the American rep- 
resentative of the Old World genus Proteus. M. mam- 
latus inhabits the waters of the Mississippi basin and of 
the Great Lakes, while M. punctatm is found in those of 
the south Atlantic watershed. The genus is also called 
Kecturus. 
2. [I. c.] An animal of this genus. 
Menocerca (men-o-ser'ka), n. pi. [NL., < Gr. 
fieveiv, remain, + xtpraf, a tail.] A series of Old 
World catarrhine simians, from which the tail- 
less apes (Anthropoidea) and man are by some 
supposed to be derived, as well as the existing 
tailed monkeys and baboons. Haeckel. 
rnenocercal (men-o-ser'kal), a. [< Menocerca + 
-al.] Of or pertaining to' the Menocerca. 
Menodontidae (men-o-don'ti-de), n. pi. [NL., 
< Menodus (-odont-) -f- -idee."] A family of fossil 
perissodactyls, typified by the genus Menodus, 
to which are probably also referable such forms 
as Titanotherium of Leidy. Brontotherium of 
Marsh, and Symborodon of Cope. 
Menodus (men'o-dus), . [NL. (Pomel, 1849), 
< Gr. |U#w/, a crescent, + bSoi'f (oduvr-) = E. 
tooth.] A genus of fossil perissodactyls, typi- 
cal of the family Me.nodontidce. 
i, flowering branch of Menispermum 
Canadfnse ; a, a deeply lobed leaf; a, 
the male flower ; *, the female flower ; 
f, the pistils and a stamen ; d, vertical sec- ^ 
the seeds f< Gr. tion thr " Bh tuit - menolipsis (men-o-lip'sis), n. [NL., < Gr. tfv, 
fir/vri, the moon, + airep/ia, a seed.] A genus month (> fitfviaia, the menses), + Ari^tf, a fail- 
of dicotyledonous polypetalous plants, type of ing.] In pathol., the failure or retention of the 
the natural order Menispermacece, the moonseed catamenia. 
family, and belonging to the tribe Cocculece, menologium (men-o-16'ji-um), n. Same as me- 
characterized by having the embryo horseshoe- nology. 
