mitigate 
sible, distressing, harmful, ete. ; iti<nler>ite : al- 
leviate; assuage. 
And dieted with tasting every day, 
The swelling of his wuundes to mitigate. 
Spenter, i 1 . Q.. L x. 28. 
To mitigate the acorn he gives his uncle, 
lie prettily ami aptly taunts himself. 
Shale., Klch. III., 111. 1. 133. 
I esteem It the olhVe of a physician not only to restore 
health, but U> nn'ijni. ] , 1 1 1 1 ana dolours. 
llnoni. Advancement of Learning, 11. 11)6. 
I may mitigate their doom 
On me derived. Milton, P. L, x. 76. 
Her benevolent heart Bought every means to mitigate 
the authorized severities of the law. 
PrencoU, Ferd. and Iia., 11. IB. 
2. To soften; mollify; make mild and acces- 
sible. [Bare.] 
Where the King took displeasure, she would tnitiyate 
and appease his mind. 
Sir T. More, Int to Utopia, p. ljuutv. 
Turning to the master of the Temple, |hc] began with 
gentle wordes tomittigate him. llakluyt't Vayaget, II. 36. 
The severe little man was mitigated. Dr. J. Brown, Rah. 
= Syn. 1. Alternate, Hellene, etc. See alleviate. 
mitigatedly (mit'i-ga-ted-li), atlr. In a miti- 
gated degree. 
This young man. Indeed, was jtiitvjatetlly monastic, lie 
had n hi- brown frock and cowl, but he had also a -liirt 
and a pair of shoes. 11. James, Jr., Little Tour, p. 128. 
mitigation (mit-i-ga'shgu), H. [< ME. mitiga- 
doun, mitigation, < OP. (and F.) mitigation = 
Sp. mitigation = Pg. mitigaiflo = It. mitigazione, 
< L. miti(/atio(n-), soothing, mitigation, < n/iti- 
ijurc, mitigate : see mitigate."} The act of miti- 
gating, or the state of being mitigated; allevi- 
ation; abatement or diminution of anything 
harsh, painful, severe, afflictive, calamitous, or 
the like. 
But for thl mykel mercy mitujaciintn I biseche. 
Piers Pltnrman (B), v. 477. 
What pleasure he (the sinnerl can have In the thoughts 
of his former excesses, when not one drop can be procured 
for the mitigation of his flames. Stillingjteet, Sermons, I. v 
The simple race 
Of mountaineers . . . partake man's general lot 
With little mitigation. Wordsivorth, Excursion, v. 
In mitigation of damages, in Inn; for the purpose of 
showing that the damages were less than Is claimed, 
mitigative (mit'i-ga-tiv), <i. and n. [< F. miti- 
i/ntif = Pr. mi tii/// tin = Sp. Pg. It. mitigatiro, < 
LL. mitigativiM, soothing, < L. mitigare, soothe, 
mitigate: see mitigate.] I. a. Lenitive; tend- 
ingto alleviate. Cotgraye. 
Il.t n. That which mitigates or tends to mod- 
erate or alleviate. 
Which may the feruence of loue aslake 
To the loner, as a initigatiue. 
Remedy of Lave, ITol., 1. 20. 
mitigator (mit'i-ga-tor), H. [= Sp. Pg. mitiga- 
dor = It. mitigatorc; as mitigate + -or.] One 
who or that which mitigates. 
mitigatory (mit'i-ga-to-ri), a. and n. [= Sp. 
Pg. mitigatorio, < IJ. mitigatorius, soothing, < 
mitigarc, soothe, mitigate: see mitigate.] I. 
a. Tending or having power to mitigate ; alle- 
viating; softening. Sir J. Mackintosh. 
Il.t . That which has power to mitigate or 
alleviate. 
He talks of hard usages, and straining points of law in 
cases of life, and such mitiaatorien. 
Roger Sorth, Examen, p. 316. (Dane*.) 
mitingt (mi'ting), n. [ME. mytyng, myi/htyng; 
< mite 2 + -w<73.] A little one : used in endear- 
ment or in contempt. 
No more of this matere thou move the, 
Thou mornel and mytyng urn 11- 
Yorkflayt, p. 314. 
mitis (mi'tis), n. [NL. use of L. mitig, mild, 
gentle.] A South American cat : sameascAofi. 
mitis-casting (mi'tis-kas'ting), n. The name 
given by PTOstberg, the inventor of the process, 
to a method of increasing the fluidity and low- 
ering the f using-poiut of iron and steel, by add- 
ing a small quantity of aluminium (about half 
of one per cent.) to the charge in the cruci- 
ble the moment it has been melted. This is said 
greatly to facilitate the casting process, and to add to the 
strength of the metal. The aluminium is added In the fonn 
of an alloy of n to 10 per cent, of that metal with Iron. This 
alloy is made by a patented process consisting, as is stated, 
in adding clay to tile Iron in the process of smelting. The 
mitis-castings are said to be rapidly taking the place of 
malleable-iron costings. 
mitis-green (mi'tis-gren), n. Same as Parts 
iirren or Schei'lr 1 * green. See greenl. 
Mitosata (mi-to-sii'tip, n. M [NL., irreg. < 
Gr. uirof, a thread, + -ata?.~\ In Fabricius's 
system of classification, the centipeds and mil- 
s: equivalent to Afyriapoda. [Not used.] 
3805 
mitOSicfmi-lo'sik), </. [< inittut(it) + -1C.] Per- 
taining to, characterized by, or exhibiting ini- 
to-i^.. Also initotic. 
mitosis (mi-to'sis), .; pi. mitosc* (-sez). [NL., 
< Or. pirof, a thread, + -owix.] 1. Splitting of 
the chromatin of a nucleus, or subdivision of 
any minute granular bodies embedded in living 
protoplasm. The mitosis occurring in nuclear 
kinetics is commonly qualified as karyomitotrin. 
2. A figure occurring during mitosis as a re- 
sult of that process. 
mitotic (mi-tot'ik), . [< mitosis (-ot-) + -ie.] 
Same as mitosic. 
This scheme of Remak's ... is now contrasted with 
another mode of division, the mitotie division (" karyoml- 
tosls," . . . " mitosis," or "Indirect division "of Fleming; 
" karyoklnenin " or " koryokinetlc " division of Schleicher). 
. Hei.. *** h. lag. 
mitotically (mi-tot'i-kal-i), adc. By mitosis. 
It may be doubted 
toticaUy. 
'hether these cells divide only mi- 
JTicn* Set, XXX. li. Ida. 
Mitra (tni'tra), H. [NL., so called from the 
shape of the shell, <T L. mitra, 
< Gr. pirpa, a miter, turban : see 
miter] 1. The typical genus 
of Mitrida;, having a heavy long 
fusiform shell with well-devel- 
oped spire and 
Elicate columel- 
t, likened to a 
bishop's miter. 
There are over 200 
species, mostly from 
the Philippine and 
related waters, bat 
also from other warm 
seas, as the West In- 
dian. The best. known 
Is M. epucopalig, orna- 
mented with square 
spots of red, orange, 
or salmon color. Ail 
arctic species Is H. 
(Volutimitra) gnxn- 
landica. 
2. Agenusofaca- 
lephs. 
Mitracea(mi-tra'- 
se-a), n.pl. [NL., 
(. Mitra + -aeea.] 
Mitcr-shellt. 
:, Mitra v*lftc*la. t, Mitra tfii 
falii. 
mitten 
mitrate (mi'trat), . [< mitir (milr-) + -<!.] 
In l>nt.. bonnet-shaped, or rounded and folded: 
said of t In' pilcuH of i-i-rinin fungi. 
mitre, aini c. s< < ////. 
Mitrephorus (tni-tref i>-rus), n. [NL., abo 
Mi/rr/ihoroti, < (ir. /itrpi/tfufjor, /urpo^upof, wearing 
a t urban or miter, < />/, turban, miter (see 
null r\, + -Wof, < $tfHtv = K. fcf-arl.l 1. In i- 
toui., a singular genus of curculios, having the 
prothorax armed with an anterior horn. The 
only species is M. tcalerkvtwei of Brazil. Srhvn- 
li'ir. 1837. 2. In ornith., agcuus of small oli- 
vaceous flycatchers of the family Tyraniiidtf, 
named by 'Helater in 1859. it Includes sorer*] spe- 
cies, as M. Julrijrotui, inhabiting the southwestern I'mtnl 
States, Mexico, and tropical America. The name being 
preoccupied In entomology. It was changed to M itrejjiaaet. 
<,' . 
3. A genus of worms. 
Mitrida (mit'ri-de), n. pi. [NL., < Mitra + 
-idte.] A family of rachiglossate pectinibrau- 
chiate gastropods, typified by the genus Mitra; 
the miter-shells. The family Is related to the relates 
and olive*, and Is often merged In ViAvtUa. The teeth of 
the odontophore are disposed In three longitudinal rows, 
and the long turreted shell has a narrow aperture with the 
columella plaited near the anterior end. At tout 400 species 
have been described, chiefly from tropical seas ; those of 
the Paclttc are of large size and striking colors, though 
the pattern may be concealed in the living state by toe 
homy epidermis. Also called Mitracta. .See cut under 
Mitra. 
mitriform (ml'tri-f&rm), a. [= F. mitriforme, 
< L. mitra, a miter, + forma, form.] 
1. In /"it., resembling a miter; 
conical, hollow, open at the base, 
and either entire there or irregu- 
larly cut: applied to certain fruits 
and to the calyptra of mosses. See 
calyptra. 2. In conch., shaped 
like a miter-shell; resembling the | <i 
Mitrida: 
Mitrinae (mi-tri'ne), . i>l. [NL., 
< Mitra + -ina.] 1. A subfamily Mhrtfom. cp- 
of Mitriila; nearly equivalent to 
the family. 2. The Mitrida; re- r,! 
garded as a subfamily of some other Jji, 
family, as the Voluti'da: or the Muri- i&T<iiypu 
* deuched Ir. in 
Same as Mitrida. 
mitracean (mi-tra'se-an), a. and n. I. a. Of or 
pertaining to the Mitracea or Mitrida;; mitri- 
form. 
II. H. A miter-shell ; any member of the Iti- 
tracea. 
mitraille (F. prou. me-traly'), n. [< F. mi- 
traille, small bits of grape-shot, with unorig. r, 
< OF. mitaijle, fragments, as coarse filings, < 
mite, a small piece of money, a mite: seemite'A] 
Small missiles, especially grape, canister, frag- 
ments of iron, and the like, when fired, as upon 
an enemy at close quarters. 
mitraille (F. pron. me-traly'), r. t. ; pret. and 
pp. mitraitled, ppr. mitrailling. [< F. mitrailler, 
fire mitraille, v mitraille, mitraille: see the 
noun.] To fire mitraille at. [Rare.] 
At the moment when the regiment nearest the enemy 
was beginning a retreating movement, in order to entice 
the Prussians on. the latter emerged from a wood be- 
tween Borney and Colombey, and mitrailled the French. 
Scotsman. 
mitrailleur (F. pron. me-tra-lyer'), . [F., 
111:1 sc. noun of agent, < mitrailler, fire mitraille: 
see mitraille, v.] An artilleryman in charge of 
a mitrailleuse. 
mitrailleuse (F. pron. me-tra-lyez'), H. [F., 
fern, noun of agent, < mitrailler, fire mitraille : 
see mitraille, r.] A machine-gun or combina- 
tion of gun-barrels and mechanism intended to 
discharge small missiles in great quantity and 
with great rapidity; especially, a form of ma- 
chine-gun introduced in the French army about 
1868, and first brought into service 'in the 
Franco-German war of 1870-1. See cuts un- 
der machine-gun. 
The Maxim mitraitleiae or machine gun of rifle caliber. 
Sci. Ainer., N. S., LX. 102. 
mitral (mi'tral), n. [< F. mitral = It. mitrale, < 
ML. 'mitralis (neut. mitrale, a box in which to 
keep a miter), < mitra, a miter: se miter.'] 1. 
Of or pertaining to a miter ; resembling a miter. 
Wholly omitted In the mitrall crown. 
Sir. T. Brmme, Garden of Cyrus, ii. 
2. In nflf.,mitriform; bivalvular: specifically 
applied to that valve in the heart which guards 
the left auriculoventricular orifice. Also called 
bicuMjrid. 3. In //.. pertaining to the mitral 
valvt: as, mitral sounds; mitral insufficiency; 
mitral disease. 
...,/., 
. 
mitry (mi'tri), a. [< OF. mitre, 
the theta. 
nitry (mi'tri), a. [< OF. mitre, pp. 
of mitrer, miter: see miter, r.] In her., charged 
with a number of miters, as a bordure, a fesse, 
or the like. 
mitt (mit), n. [Also mit; abbr. of mitten.'] 1. 
Same as mitten. 2. A sort of glove without fin- 
gers, or with very short fingers. Mitts sometimes 
corer the hand only and sometimes the forearm to the el- 
bow. A common material is black lace ; they are also knit- 
ted of silk of various colors. They were especially worn 
by women early in the nineteenth century ; the fashion 
has recently been revived. 
3. Something resembling a mitt. 
The hands and forearms of the women (of Yap. in the 
Western Carolines) ore tattooed with ixttf*. as in the Mar- 
shall Islands. Pop. Sd. Mo., XXX. 208. 
mitten (mit'n), . [Early mod. E. also mittain; 
< ME. mitaine, mytam; myteine, myten, myteyve, 
< OF. (and F.) mitainr (ML. mitana, miianna), 
also mitan, niiton (= Sp. miton); cf. ML. mita, 
mitten : derived by some, in the supposed orig. 
sense of 'half -glove,' from OHG. miaiwo,MHG. 
niittemo, middle, midmost (superl. of mittc. mid- 
dle: see mid 1 ); by others referred to a Celtic 
source : cf. Gael. Ir. mutan, a thick glove, a muff, 
Gael. miotag, miotog. :i mitten. Ir. FMiifo</,astump, 
a hand or glove without fingers.] If. A glove ; 
a covering for the hand, with or without fingers. 
Take the porter thl statfe to halde, 
And thl inf/tftut also. 
MS. Cantab, ft. v. 48, f. 52. 
Twey iHiftri/ne*, as mete, ntaad all of rlolltes ; 
The fyngers weren for-werd A ful of fen hnnged. 
Pien Plotanani Crede (E. E. T. &), 1. 4. 
2. A covering for the hand, differing from a 
glove in not having a separate cover for each 
finger, the thumb only being separated, made 
of leather, dogskin, sealskin, etc., or knitted 
of thick wool. 
Mitteni of dog-skin, lined with the fur of the Arctic bare. 
B. Taylor, Northern Travel, p. 28. 
3. A mitt. 
My sister Clotilda was . . . studying. . . . I remember 
. . . her clear white apron, her crimson muffetees and 
short close black mitten*. 
B. S. Sheppard, Charles Aocbester, ii. 
To get the mitten, to receive only the mitten. Instead of 
the hand : lie refused as a lover. (Colloq.) To give one 
the mitten, to refuse to marry one. [Colloq. ] To han- 
dle without mittens. Same as to handle trithout giant 
(which see, under trtote). 
mitten (mit'n), r. t. [< mitten, .] 1. To put 
mittens on. 
