minute 
Euery degree of the bordure contleneth 4 minute* that 
Is to Beyn, minute* of an huwru. Chaucer, Astrolabe. 
Knr I In- lachesse 
of liiilfr a minute <>f an lioure, 
Km ttrst In; IM-KJIII lahoure, 
He loate all that he had do. 
(iimrr. Cinif. Aniaiit., iv. 
Nor all the pleasures there 
Her ralnd could ever m<>v nu minute'* tny to make. 
Ititii/tuit I'ulyulhion, vl. S3. 
(6) In geom., the sixtieth part of a degree of a circle, minuteness (mi-nut' lies), w. 
division of units by sixtieths Is the characteristic of the 
Babylonian system. I'tolemy, following the Babylonian 
astronomers, divides the diameter of the eircle into r_'<i 
BTM Mirabilis 
readiness for instant service in arms whenever Mionornis (mi-o-nor' ni-O. n. (NL.. < (ir. 
summoned. //MI.-I . less, -t- fipwc, ;i t'inl.j A tri-ntis of snb- 
An account It come of the Bottonlans having voted an fossil dinornithic birds of New Xeulniid, of the 
army of sixteen thousand men, who are to be called min- family IHnm -iiiHmlu. including t wo species *e|i- 
ute-men, a they are to be ready at a minute's warning. arated from the genus llmm-in.-, liv .liilius llaast 
WalpoU, Letters (177.,), IV. . (Vane,.) ; , H74 A|> ,, , ,,,,,. 
It was the drums of Naseby and Dunbar that gathered m iophylly (ini'o-lil-i), . [< Or. /Jtiut; less, 
" mtnul '- men ju l '^ung n!y n iiooks, 1st ter. p. 238. + tf'w, a leaf! ] Adiiiiiniiticm of the normal 
number of leaves in a whorl, due to actual su\t- 
pression. It differs from abortion In the suppressed 
organs having never started to grow. Mlophylly occurs 
alto In thecalyi, corolla, andraclum, and gymi-clum. Alto 
spelled mriajinylli/ 
th 
1. The state or 
quality of being minute; extreme smallness; 
fineness. 2. Attention to small things; criti- 
cal exactness. 
lated into Latin us parlr* miiiuttr printer and pallet tiu'nu- 
iir MTiinilii; whenee our minutes (primes) and set l. 
In modern astronomical works minutes of time are de 
minuteria, . llt.,< minuto, minute: see i- miosis (mi-6'sis), H. [NL., < Qr.firiuaif, alessen- 
ulfi.] Personal jewelry and metal-work of 
small size and delicate finish, especially of 
noted' b~y~ the initial letter m, and minutes of a degreeor M*M. rmin'ir nchl A wuti-h that 
of angular space by an acute accent ('). See dtgree, 8. minUte-WatCH (mm It-WOCO), n. A w 
. list inguishes minutes of time, or on which min- 
utes are marked. 
Same as dial- 
Aftre goynge be See and be Londe toward this Contree 
of that I nave spoke, and to other Vies and Loudes bezonde 
that Contree, I have founden the sterre Antartyk of as Ue- minute- wheel (mm it-hwel), H. 
grees of heghte, and mo mynutet. irlterl. K. II. h'nu/lil. 
Mandertlle. Travels, p. 181. rflinute-wMlet (min'it-hwil), n. 
(c) In arch., the sixtieth part of the diameter of a column 
at tbe base, being a subdivision used for measuring the 
minuter parts of an order. See module. 
3. A written summary of an agreement or of a 
transaction, interview, or proceedings; a note 
to preserve the memory of anything : usually in 
the plural. Specifically, the minutes are the record of 
the proceedings at a meeting of a corporation, board, socie- 
ty, church court, or other deliberative body, put in writing 
by its secretary or other recording officer. 
When I came to my chambers, I writ down these min- 
utes. Steele, Spectator, No. 454. 
Into all the duties he had to perform he brought what 
Is better than "Treasury minute" or rule or precedent 
a warm heart, a careful conscience, and a good head. 
Westminster Rev., CXXV. 92. 
= 8yn. Instant, etc. See mirment. 
II. u. 1. Repeated every minute : as, a min- 
ute gun. 2. Made in a minute or a very short 
[ME. niyimt- 
irhili; Hiyutirliile; < minute* + ichile.] A min- 
ute's time; a moment. 
Ysekelea (Icicles] in eucses, thorw hete of the tonne, 
Melteth in a mynut-tclttie to my tt and to watre. 
Fieri Plowman (I!), xvIL 228. 
A guard of chosen shot I had 
That walked about me every minute while. 
Shale., 1 Hen. VI., I. 4. 54. 
minutia (mi-nu'shi-a), .; pi. minutia; (-e). [= 
K. niiinitie = Sp.Pg. minttcia = It. minuzia, < ii. 
ing, < utuniv, lessen, < firiuv, less, irreg. compar. 
of utKpof, small, or o/fj-of, few.] Diminution. 
Specifically (a) In rhet.: (1) A figure by which a thing is 
represented as less than It really Is, as In belittling an op- 
ponent's statement, affecting to scorn an accusation, etc. 
(2) Understatement to at to Intentlfy ; especially, expres- 
sion by negation of the opposite ; litotes. (6) In pathvl., 
that period of a disease In which the symptoms Ix-gin to 
diminish. Also meiotti. 
miostemonous (mi-o-stem'o-nus), a. [< Gr. 
firiuv, less, + arj/ftuv,' for 'stamen': tiee stamen.] 
Having the stamens less in number than the 
petals: said of plants. Also meioxtemonou*. 
miotaxy (mi'o-tak-si), . [NL., < Or. pciuv, 
less, + rdfo, arrangement.] The suppression 
of an entire whorl of the members of any organ 
in a flower, as the sepals, petals, stamens, or 
styles. The andrcecium and gymrclnm are most fre- 
quently suppressed, producing male or female flowers ex- 
clusively, at the caae may be. Also spelled mrialazy. 
miourt, See mi'erl. 
of fact: generally in the plural. 
I can see the precise and distinguishing marks of na 
tore in these nonsen 
portant matters of state. 
Sterne, .Sentimental Journey, p. 61. 
time: as, a minute pudding; minute beer.-Mln- < , mi n ,v ah : ^ r- F minutieuj- ' 
ute bell, a bell tolled at intervals of a minute as a sign minutiose (mi-nu slii-os), a. [. t. nnnuttei raust algo ^ expre g 8 ed in the blazon. 
divided between them: as, mi-parti hose, of 
which one leg is of a different color from the 
other. 2. In her., divided per pale half-way 
down the escutcheon, the partition-line being 
met at the fesse-point by some other line, which 
UW3 D611 a UlMl UtUlU l HI LCI vnia iri n HUIIUIG aa a .-i_u * T s \i i 
of mourning- -Minute gun, one of a series of discharges = Sp. Pg. mtnucioso = It. iinu:ioso, < ML. as 
. , 
of cannon separated by intervals of a minute, in token of 
or of distress, as 01 
minute 2 (min'it), v. t. ; pret. and pp. minuted, 
ppr. minuting. [< minute?, n.] To set down in a 
short sketch or note ; make a minute or memo- 
randum of; enter in the minutes or record of 
transactions of a corporation, etc. 
I no sooner heard this critick talk of my works but I min- 
uted what he had said, and resolved to enlarge the plan of 
my speculations. Spectator. 
There stands a city ! 
if 'minutioaus, < L. minutia, smallness: see mi- 
nutia.] Giving or dealing with minutia? or mi- 
nute particulars. 
More than once I have ventured, in print, ... an ex- 
pression like "minutiote Investigations," which seems to 
me to be not only unexceptionable, but much needed. 
F. Ball, Mod. Eng., p. 168. 
minutissimic (min-u-tis'i-mik), a. [< L. mitiH- 
tixximiiH, superl. of minuttu, small (see minutfl), 
+ -ic.] Extremely small. [Rare.] 
Of these minutusimic yet adult forms, more than fif- 
teen are Gastropoda. Amer. Nat., XXII. 1014. 
Perhaps 'tis also requisite to minute 
That there's a Castle and a Cobbler in it. 
Barham, ingoldsby Legends, I. . minx 1 (rnmgks), n. [Formerly minks, mynie; a 
minute-book (min'it-buk), . A book in which 
minutes are recorded. 
minute-clock (min'it-klok), n. A stop-clock 
used in making tests of gas. E. H. Knight. 
minute-glass (min'it-glas,), n. A sand-glass 
measuring a minute. 
minute-hand (min'it-hand), n. The hand that 
(mer), n. [Buss, miru, union, concord, 
peace, also world, = OBulg. miru, peace, world, 
= Serv. Boheni. Pol. mir = Albanian mir = 
Lett, mers, peace. ] A Russian commune; a 
community of Russian peasants. The rural popu- 
lation of Kussla has been from ancient times organized Into 
mlrs or local communities, in which the land is held in com- 
mon, the parts of it devoted to cultivation being allotted by 
general vote to the several families for varying terms. Re- 
distributions and equalization of lots take place from time 
to time. Houses and orchards are theoretically the prop- 
erty of the mir, but usually remain for a long time under 
the same ownership. Meadows and forests are frequently 
apportioned, and there is generally a common for grazing. 
Every mir In matters of local concern governs ittelf 
through its own assemblies and elected officers. 
reduced form of miniken, with added - (as also mirabilaryt (mi-rab'i-la-ri), . [Prop, mira- 
maicks,foTmaickin,malkin).'] 1. A pert girl; a biliary, q. v.: see mirable.] A relater of won- 
liussy: a jade; a baggage. 
Mar. Get him to say his prayers, good Sir Toby, get him 
Mai. My prayers, minx! 
Shot., T. N., 111. 4. 133. 
indicates the minutes on a clock or watch. 
ders. 
The use of this work ... Is nothing lets than to give 
contentment to the appetite of curious and vain wits, at 
the manner of the mirabilarie* is to do. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, II. 
Why, you little provoking minx! 
Sheridan, St. Patrick's Day, I. 2. mirabile dictn (mi-rab'i-le dik'tu). [L.: mt- 
2. A female puppy. rabile, wonderful ; dirtu, abl. supine of dicere, 
minute-jack (mln'lt-Jak), n. A jack of the mlni 2 t (mingks), . [ Also minks; an erroneous sa y: see mirable and diction.] Wonderful to 
clock-house, or a figure which strikes the bell form of mink; due to the pi., or perhaps (as NL. relate. 
in a clock: used in the following passage, prob- m i nx ) to conformation with lynx: see mink.] mirabile visu (mi-rab'i-le vi'su). [L.: mirabile, 
ably, in the sense of 'time-server,' 'a person Same as mink. wonderful ; visu, abl. supine of videre, see: see 
whose friendship changes with changes of the minx-otter (mingks'ot'er), . The mink, 
times or of fortune.' 
You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time's flies, 
Cap and knee slaves, vapours, and minute .jacks! 
Shak., T. of A., Hi. 6. 107. 
minute-jumper (min'it-jura'per), . See junii>- 
rision.] Wonderful to see. 
. 
miny (mi'ni), a. [< mine' 2 , n., + -y 1 .] 1. mlrabiliaryt (mir-a-bil'i-a-ri), a. and n. [<LL. 
' 
Abounding with mines. 2. Of the nature of a 
mine or excavation in the earth. 
The miny caverns, blazing on the day, 
Of Abyssinia's cloud-compelling cliffs. 
Thornton, Autumn, 1. 799. 
See 
minutely 1 (mi-nut'li), adf. [(minute 1 + -fy 2 .] Miocene (mi'o-sen), a. and n. [= F. miocene, < 
In a minute manner or degree ; with great par- Gr. ptiuv, less, + isatvAf, recent.] _I. a. In geol., 
ticularity, closeness, or exactness; closely; ex- 
actly; very finely: as, a miitnt<h/ divided sub- 
stance ; to observe, describe, or relate anything 
tiiiiiitirlii ; iniiiiiti'li/ punctured. 
minutely 2 ! (min'it-li), a. [< minute?, n,, 
-ly 1 .] Happening every minute. 
Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach. 
Shak., Macbeth, v. 2. 18. 
Throwing themselves absolutely upon God's minutely 
providence for the sustaining of them. 
Hammond, Works, I. 472. 
one of Lyell's subdivisions of the Tertiary. 
Tertiary. 
H. n. In geol., the Miocene strata. 
Also spelled Meiocene. 
+ Miocenic (mi-o-sen'ik), a. [< Miocene + -ic.] 
Miocene. Also spelled Meiocenic. 
M. Oaudry drew attention to a gigantic animal of the 
middle of the miocenic period of the Wyoming. 
Lancet, So. 3436, p. 46. 
Miohippus (mi -6 -hip' us), w. [Also Meiohip- 
i., < E. Mio(cene) + Gr. iirirof, horse.] 
tHirabiliariuii, a worker of wonders or miracles, 
prop. adj.,< L. mirabilis, wonderful: see mira- 
blf.] I. a. Having to do with the working or 
the relation of wonders. 
And wee leane to you the stile of .VinifctVuiry Miracle- 
mongers. Pvrchai, Pilgrimage, p. M. 
H. n. A book in which wonderful things are 
noted ; a treatise on miracles, portent*, prodi- 
gies, omens, and the like. 
MirabilieSB (mi-rab-i-li'e-e), n. pi. [NL. 
(Choisy, 1849), < mirabilis + -.] A tribe of 
dicotyledonous apetalous plants of the natural 
order Xi/etaaincir, the four-o'clock family. The 
frnlt Is a utricle, surrounded by the bate of the perianth, 
which keeps on growing after flowering ; the embryo It 
much curved, with an elongated radicle. The trilw em- 
braces 16 genera, JfiraMIii being the type, and about 112 
species, nearly all of which are confined to tbe western 
hemisphere. 
minutely- (min'it-li), adv. [< iiiiniiti'h/ 2 , n.] A genus of fossil perissodactyl ungulates re- Mirabilis (mi-rab'i-lis), n. [NL. (Linnaeus, 
Every minute; with very little time interven- 
ing. 
As If It were minutely proclaimed In thunder from hea 
ferred to the family Equidee, occurring in the 
Miocene strata of North America. These ani- 
mals were about the size of sheep. 
minute-man (min'it-man), M. A man ready 
at a minute's notice: s)>rcilic:illy. during the 
American revolutionary period, one of a class 
of enrolled militiamen \vho held themselves in 
238 
Hammond, Works, I. 4"i. mionite, meionite (mi'6-nit), n. [So called 
' 
from its low pyramids ; < 6r. fieiuv, less, + -ite 2 .] 
A mineral of the scapolite group, occurring on 
Monte Somina, Vesuvius, in transparent color- 
less tetragonal crystals. 
1737), < L. mirabilis, wonderful: see mirable.] 
A genus of nyctaginaceous plants, type of the 
tribe ifirabiliea". Tbe flowers are surrounded by an 
Involucre of united bracts, which remain unchanged after 
, 
flowering : the elongated perianth is rarely campanulate. 
They are handsome branching herbs with opposite leaves, 
the lower ones petiolate and the upper sessile, and with 
quite large, often fragrant flowers, which are white, scar- 
let, or variegated, and arranged In branching cymes. Then 
