merling 
inerling (mer'ling), . f< MM. //////(</, mer- 
IIIIHJI, vrith iicciun. term, -iiifi (as in irliituii/) 
(ML. inrr/iiii/nx), < OF. niirlii a, mi I'luin-. mi r- 
Inii/.-i, V.niiiliui (> S,p. inti>'lit>n.ii whiting, < I,. 
nii'i'iilii, !i tisli, the sea-carp, a transferred use of 
HI- r it/a, blackbird: see merlei.] A small gadoid 
fiah, Mi-rliimiiifi rult/tirix, lhi> European whiting. 
Merlin's-irrass(iner'liii/.-grits). . A species of 
({iiillwurt, Iiiii : tfx Itifitstri.t. growing in lake.-. 
According to a local Welsh tradition, it is mar- 
vclously nourishing to eattle and fishe-. 
merlon (mer'lon), ii. [< F. Hirrlnii = Sp. /- 
Ion = Pg. in* linn. a merlon, < It. merlo, a mer- 
lon, perhaps < LL. *>it<frttli<s, dim. of moerus, 
iiiiii'Hx, wall : see wre.] In fort., the plain 
member of masonry or other material which 
separates two crenelles or embrasures: a cop. 
See battlentfiil. 
The battery was soon erected, the nifjimut being framed 
of logs and tilled with earth. Franklin, Autobiog., p. 17."i. 
The merlin** of the Guelf battlements were square, those 
of the Ohlbclllnu were "a coda dl rondine" that Is, In 
shape like tilt! letter M. 
C. /.'. Norton, Church-building In Middle Ages, p. 20U. 
Merluciidfflfmer-lu-si'i-de), n.pl. [NL., <Mer- 
Im-ii/x + -itln:~\ In Gill's system of classifica- 
tion, a family of Gadoidea or gadoid fishes, 
represented by the genus Mrrlm-his. The caudal 
region is moderate and coniform behind; the caudal rays 
are procurreut forward : the anus is submedian ; the sub- 
orbital bones are moderate ; the mouth is terminal ; the 
ventral fins aresuhjugular : the dorsal tin is double, a short 
anterior and a long posterior one ; there i- a long anal flu 
corresponding to the second dorsal , the ril>s are wide, ap- 
proximated and channeled below, or with inflected sides ; 
and there are paired excavated frontal bones with diver- 
gent crests continuous from the forked occipital crest. 
The family includes the English hake and related fishes. 
merluciine (mer-lu'si-in), a. and n. I. a. Per- 
taining to the Merlttciidce, or having their char- 
acters. 
H. . A gadoid fish of the family Merluciida: 
merlucioid (mer-lu'si-oid), a. Like a hake; of 
or pertaining to the Merluciida'. 
Merlucius (mer-lu'si-us), n. [NL., < F. mer- 
luclie, merlus, OF. merltts, merlu: ( = Sp. merlusa 
= It. >nrrlit::o, the hake), dried haddock. < mcr- 
lus, haddook, according to Manage, < L. mam 
hieius, ocean pike : marls, gen. of mare, the sea ; 
lucius, a fish, perhaps the pike: see /nee 1 .] A 
genus of fishes represented by the common hake 
of Europe, M: smiridus or vutyaris, and type of 
the family Merluciida;. Also spelled Merlucciiis. 
mermaid (mer'mad), . [< ME. mermayde, 
mi i-i/i/ni/ilc; (.mere 1 + maid. Cf. mermaide>i.~\ 
A fabled marine or amphibian creature having 
the form of a woman above the waist and that 
of a fish below, endowed 'vith human attri- 
butes, and usually working harm, with or with- 
out malignant intent, to mortals with whom 
she might be thrown into relation. 
Chauntccleer so free 
Sang merier than the mermayde in the see. 
Chaucer, Nun's Priest's Tale, I. 450. 
And as for the meremaidef called Nereides, it is no fab- 
ulous tale thatgoeth of them ; for looke, howpai liters draw 
them, 90 they are indeed. Holland, tr. of Pliny, ix. 5. 
Who would be 
A mermaid fair, 
Singing alone. 
Combing her hair 
Under the sea? 
7Vnn;/n>, The Mermaid. 
False mermaid, the Floerkea proserpiiiacoides, an incon- 
spicuous annual plant of the northern United States, re- 
sembling the mermaid-wee. 1. Mermaid lace, afiue Ve- 
netian point-lace. -Mermaid's fish-lines, a eoaiinon 
seaweed, Chorda Alum: so called from its cord-like, ap- 
pearance. See Chorda, 2. 
mermaiden (mer'ma'dn), n. [< ME. mernmid- 
iii, Mcrniayden, IIK nmaiden ; < mere 1 + maid- 
in. Cf. uieruuiid.'] A mermaid ; a siren. 
Goth now rather awey, ye mermai/dcneg [L. sirenes). 
whiche that ben awete til it be at the last*. 
Chaucer, Boethlus, I. prose 1. 
Mermen ami nirrnutldeiu. The Century, XXXV. 5S7. 
mermaid-fish (mer'mad-fish), H. An angel-fish, 
HI/HI* ti no iiiiiiflim, unnaturally set up fora mer- 
maid by a taxidermist. 
mermaid's-egg imcr'madz-eg), . Same as 
MttnutidPs-wtnt. 
mermaid's-glove (mcr'madz-gluy), . 1. A 
name given to the largest of British sponges, 
Httliclioiulria ociiltita, from its tendency to 
branch into a form bearing a remote resem- 
blance to a glove with extended fingers. It 
sometimes attains a height of 2 feet. 2. A 
kind of alcyonarian polyp, .lli-i/imiiini iliijitn- 
tiiiit: same as <li nil-tin ii's-tini/i 
mermaid' S-hair (nuVma'd/.-hilr), . A black- 
ish-green tihinientous species of seaweed. 
iiuiJHscula. See 
:mo 
mermaid's-head (mcr'maii/.-heci). . A popu- 
lar British mime of n spatan^oid sea-urchin, as 
the .i/miHHi/it* or .linphitli-tn.t fin-tlatiiM. Also 
called In Hi l-ini-lliil. 
mermaid's-purse (m6r'madz-pers), . An e- 
MenimUTs-purte. Eyx-pune of Nuree-hountl {Sijrllivrkiiiui 
stellaris , about natural size. 
case or ovicapsule of a skate, ray, or shark. 
Also called sea-purse and sea-barrow. 
These cases are frequently found on the sea-shore, and 
are called mennaul'i-punen. Yarrett, British Fishes. 
mermaid-weed (mer'mad-wed), . A plant of 
the genus I'rtiseriiinaca, which consists of two 
marsh-herbs of North America and the West 
Indies, having comb-toothed leaves and incon- 
spicuous flowers. 
mermaladet, . An obsolete form of marma- 
lade. 
merman (mer'man), . ; pi. mermen (-men). 
[Early mod. E. also "nteretnan, meareman; < 
ME. mereman (= D. meerman = G. meermann); 
< weri'l + man. Cf. merniin and mermaid.'] 1. 
A fabulous man of the sea, with the lower part 
of the body that of a fish. 
A thing tunnoyling in the sea we spide, 
Like to a nieareiiinn. 
John Taylor, Works, II. 22. (A'arei.) 
2. In In i'.. same as tritoa. 
mermian(mer'mi-an), ii. f<Mcrm is + -a>i.] A 
land-hairworm of the family Mermiida! or Mer- 
ni i tli i<l ii-. In their early stages these worms are parasitic 
in the visceral cavities of insects, and the young are able 
to move i iv T the ground or even on trees during heavy dews 
or in wet weather. 
mermint, . [ME., also mermi/n, pi. mermin- 
ncn, < mereminnen, < AS. meremennen, meremen- 
en, meremen, t. (= MD. merminne, maerminne, 
f., = MLG. merminne = QHG. meremantie, mere- 
menni, merimeni, merimin, mermin, n., merimin- 
ni, meriminna, f., MHG. mercminne, merminne, 
t., a mermaid, = (with additional suffix) loel. 
marmennill, iitarmendilt (mod. marbendtll), also 
mtirtjmeUi = Norw. marmtrle, a sea-goblin); < 
mere, sea, + meiinen, fern, of man, manii, man: 
see mere 1 and man, and of. merman.'] A mer- 
maid or merman. 
The oost of Rome sij I saw] inrrtnutu jn Ilknes of men and 
of womraen. Trtrisa, tr. of Higden's Polychronlcon. 
Ther heo funden the merminnen 
That beoth deor of machele ginnen. 
Llliffllitiin. L ."ifl. 
Mermis (m^r'mis), ii. [NL., < Or. ftcpfuf, a cord, 
string.] The typical genus of Alermithida;. JT. 
a ii/i-i. teens and M. albrxn-im are examples. 
Mermithidse (mAr-mith'irdfi), n.pl. [NL., < 
Meriiii* ( Mi 1'niiili-) + -i(to.] A family of ueina- 
toid worms, typified by the genus Mermis. be- 
longing to the order Gordiacea; ; the land-hair- 
worms. They are aproctous Nematoidea. with a very long 
Aliform body and six oral papilla;, the male having two spic- 
ules and three rows of papillie on the broadened caudal re- 
gion. The worms in their larval state are parasitic, like the 
true gordians, being found In the bodies of various In- 
sects. When mature they live in the ground, and some- 
times swarm to the surface in snch numbers as to give rise 
to the vulgar belief that It has rained worms. Also Mtr- 
inididce. Mermiidts. 
meroblast (mer'o-blast), . [< Qr.uipof, a part 
(see merit), + /J/norof, a germ.] In embryol., 
a meroblastic ovum : an egg or ovum contain- 
ing food-yolk or nutritive protoplasm besides 
the formative or germinal protoplasm: distin- 
guished from Imliihlast. 
meroblastic (mer-o-blas'tik). a. [< meroblast 
+ -ic.] In rmbryol., partially germinal: applied 
by Kcinak to those eggs in which there is much 
1'ood-yolk \\hich does not undergo segmentation 
or take part in germination: opposed to holo- 
litiixtir. Birds, reptiles, most fishes, and most 
invertebrates have meroblastie eggs. 
Merops 
merocele (me'ro-ei i. . \ < i ; r . .,,,.*, thigh. + 
ki,'/'i, tumor.] Femoral hemia. See heriuu 
merocerite (me-ros'e-rit t, . [< c.r. 
thigh, + kii>af, horn. + -iVc-.] In Crustacea, one 
of the joints of an antenna, borne upon the i- 
chioceritc. See null nun. 
meroceritic 'tne-ros-e-rit'ik), n. [</<. 
+ -ic. 1 Of the nature of a merocerite. 
merogastrula (mer-o-pis'tni-lai, n.; pi. oov 
i/nxli'iilii- (-le). [NL., < Gr. ftfiof, a part. + 
NL. gastrula, q. v.] The gsstrula, of what- 
ever form, of a meroblastic egg. it Is a dluogaa- 
trula U the partial segmentation Is dlscoidal. a perlgastrula 
if the segmentation Is superficial as well as partial. 
inerogenesis (mer-^-jen'e-sis), n. [NL., < Or. 
ufpof, a part, -r yiveatf, generation: see genesis.'] 
In liiol.. segmentation ; origination of the seg- 
ments of which an organized bodr may consist. 
/:<//<. Brit., XXIV. 183. 
merogenetic (mer 6-je-net'ik), . [< merogene- 
iix. al't ei-(/< in Hi-. \ I'ertiiining to, i-liai-:ic|i-ri/i.d 
by, or exhibiting merogenesis. 
merohedral (mer-o-he'dral), a. [< Gr. uipos, 
a part, + if pa, seat, base, + -/.] In crystal., 
same as liemilit-ilrttl. 
merohedrism (mer-o-he'drizm), . [As mero- 
lifdr-al + -<*m.] Same as hemiliedrism. 
meroistic (mer-6-is'tik), a. [< Gr. pipof, a part, 
+ (,>ui>, egg (ovum), -f -istie.'] Secreting not 
only ova, but also vitelligenous cells: applied 
to the ovaries of insects. See paiwistie. 
Dr. A. Brandt has proposed the term panofstic for ova- 
ries of the first mode, and meroistic for those of the second 
and third modes of development. 
Itn-iii >i. Anat. Invert., p. 381. 
meromorph (mer'o-mdrf), a. Same as niern- 
morphic. 
meromorphic (mer-o-m6r'flk), a. [< Gr. utpos, 
part, fraction, + popQif, form.] Similar in na- 
ture to a rational fraction MeromorpMc func- 
tion, In the theory of functions, a function which, so long 
as the variable remains within a certain part of the plane 
of imaginary quantity within which the function Is said to 
lie meromorphic. varies continuously, has a derivative, and 
is monotropic except in going round certain points or Iso- 
lated values of the variable called pair*, at which the func- 
tion becomes Infinite. The function is. therefore, of the 
nature of a fraction whose numerator and denominator 
may be infinite series. An older name is fractionary func- 
tion. 
Meromyaria (mer''6-mi-a'ri-8), n. pi. [NL., < 
Gr. ufpof, a part, + irtf. a muscle, + -aria.] One 
of the three principal divisions of the jVcfina- 
toidea, containing those threadworms which 
have only eight longitudinal series of muscle- 
cells, two between each dorsal and ventral line 
and lateral area respectively. See Polymyaria, 
Uohtmi/aria. 
meromyarian (mer'o-mi-a'ri-an), a. [< Mero- 
myaria, + -.] Of or pertaining to the Mero- 
myaria. 
meroparonymy (mer'o-pa-ron'i-mi), ii. [< Gr. 
ptpot;, a part, + irapumfiia, paronymv: see pa- 
ronymy.] Partial paronymy; adoption or nat- 
uralization of a Latin or Greek word in only 
one or two modern languages. Hui-k'.* Sana- 
lionk of Med. Scienees, VIII. 519. [Bare.] 
Meropidse (me-rop'i-de). n. pi. [NL., < Oferops 
+ -i(to.] An'Old World family of tenuirostral 
picarian birds, typified by the genus Merops; the 
bee-eaters or apiasters. They have the feet not zygo- 
dactyl, the bill long, slender, and acute, the sternum four- 
notched behind, the carotid single, the elaxMiochon nude, 
and a spinal apterlum. The range of the family is exten- 
sive, including the Palearctic, Ethiopian, Oriental, and Au- 
tralaslan regions. The family contains upward of SO spe- 
c-it-.-, divided Into several genera, and by Gray Into 2 sub- 
families. Xyctiornilhititf and ilerufriiur. See cut under lite- 
eater. 
meropidan (me-rop'i-dan), a. and M. I. </. Per- 
taining to the Meropidtr, or having their char- 
acters. 
H. M. A bird of the family Mi ri>idtr. 
Meropinse (mer-o-pi'ne), n.pl. [NL., < Merops 
+ -''] The leading subfamily of Meropida, 
containing nearly all the species. 
meropodite (mf-rop'o-dit), n. [< Gr. ^pAf, 
thigh, + jrofcc (forf.) = E. foot, + -ie2.] The 
fourth joint of a developed endopodite, between 
the ischiopodite and the carpopodite. See cut 
under endnpoditt -. 
meropoditic (me-rop-o-dit'ik), . [< nifrupo- 
ilite + -ic.~\ Of the nature of a meropodite: as, 
the iiiiro/iiiilitii- segment of the leg. 
Merops (me'rops), n. [NL., < L. merops, < Gr. 
ptpcnl>, a bird, the bee-eater, appar. the same as 
/w'poVs speaking, endued with speech, < pipof, a 
part, fieipeaOat, divide, + 6^, voice.] The typi- 
cal irenus of 3/i ni/iii/ii. Birds of this genus are of 
lithe and slender form, somewhat like-that of the swallow, 
which they also resemble In their mode of flight. The 
bill is long and slender, the wings are long and pouted. 
