moirologist 
I hi- tttOtroioffilU " ill *ini,' > 'I UK- l<m< lhi'-,-..i of (hi- living, 
of tll<- linn. U -I 'I' 'Hi cil 1 Hi'- Iclac-k c-artli, ami Hi.- i-.il<l 
dreary frozrn llu.l.-s. 1,111, trl.;/'i HOT., r\|. 111. iif,. 
niOlSe (nioix), . [<'f. OF. llliti.il', m r 1. 1.1: , mum . 
a barrel: see //. -.] 1. A kind of paneiike. 
Iliil/iinl/. li. I 'idcr. ll,iliiir,-ll. [Prov. Eng. 
in Ixitli senses.] 
moisont, " [MIO.. nisei ///</I/MI,< OF. //>-./. 
F. niiii.i.iiiii, harvest, reaping-time, < L. /<>- 
v/(/i-i, a reaping. < ///<;,-, pp. HII.IMH. reap (> 
inr.ini.i, harvest i. | Harvest; growth. 
SOIIH- iln-i hc-ii .if othc-r inoygoun, 
That ili-nwu nygh to her sesoun. 
/(ciin. c^ (At flu, 1. 1077. 
moist (moist), it. and . [< ME. moist, mnyst, 
< OF. moiste, F. invite, damp, moist, < L. *- 
ten*, new, fresh, < minium, new wine, mustus, 
new, fresh: see iiui.it-.] I. . 1. New; fresh. 
[Obsolete or prov. Eng.] 
Hire hcmon weren of fyn scarlet reed, 
Ful streyte y-teyd, and shoos ful waynte and newe. 
Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., 1. 457. 
2. Damp; slightly wet; suffused with wetness in 
a moderate degree: as, moist air; a moist hand. 
In places drie and hoote we must assigne 
Hem mooMpH nmi*t, and ther as it IB colde. 
I'nli.iiliia, llusuondrle (E. E. T. $.), p. 81. 
The hills to their ilu- clouds'l supply 
Vapour, and r\]i;il:iti->ii. chnsk iiinl moist, 
Sent up amain. Milton, P. L., xl. 741. 
Moist chamber, a charaher which enables object* un- 
der microscopic examination to remain moist, and be 
studied without intervention of thin glass. Micmyraiihic 
Dirt. Moist color. See co(or. - Moist gangrene. See 
ganyrene, 1. Moist gum. Same as dextrine. = Syn. 2. 
Damp, l>ank, Moist, Humid. Damp is generally applied 
where thu slight wetness has come from without, and 
also where It is undesirable or unpleasant : as, a damp 
cellar, damp sheets, a damp evening. Dank strongly sug- 
gests a disagreeable, chilling, or unwholesome moist- 
ness. Moist may be a general word, but It is rarely used 
where the wetness is merely external or where it is un- 
pleasant : as, a moist sponge, a moist hand, moist leather. 
"If we said the ground was moist, we should probably 
mean in a favorable condition for vegetation ; if we said it 
was damp, we should probably mean that we ought to be 
carelul about walking upon it." (C. /. Smith, Synonyms 
Discriminated, p. -293.) Uumid is a literary or scientific 
term for ../"/.'. but would be applicable only to that which 
is so penetrated with moisture that the moisture seems a 
part of it : as, humid ground, but not a humid sponge or 
hand. 
Combing out her long black hair 
Damp from the river. Tennyson, Princess, iv. 
My lips were wet, my throat was cold, 
My garments all were dank. 
Coleridge, Ancient Mariner. 
Give me your hand ; this hand is moist, my lady. 
Shale., Othello, ill. 4. 36. 
Qrowths of Jasmine tnrn'd 
Their humid arms festooning tree to tree. 
Tennyson, Fair Women. 
II. . Wetness; wet; moisture. 
So, too much Moist, which (vnconcoct within) 
The Liuer spreads betwixt the flesh and skin, 
Puffs vp the Patient, stops the pipes and pores 
Of Excrements. 
Sylretter, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, i. 2. 
moist (moist), r. *. [< ME. moisten, moysteii ; < 
moist, a.] To make moist; moisten. [Obso- 
lete or archaic.] 
Philosophres som tyme wenten upon theise Hllles, and 
helden to here Nose a Spounge moysted with Watre, for 
to have Eyr. Mandeeille, Travels, p. 17. 
Write till your ink be dry, and with your tears 
Moist it again, and frame some feeling line. 
Shak., T. O. of V., In. 2. 76. 
moisten (moi'sn), r. [< moist + -fw 1 .] I. IH- 
trnns. To become moist. 
Nor let her true hand falter, nor blue eye 
Moisten, till she had lighted on his wound. 
Tennyson, Geraint, 
II. trims. 1. To make moist or damp; wet 
superficially or in a moderate degree. 
So that it (the river) as well manures as moutttns with 
the fat and pregnant slime which it leaveth behind it. 
Sandys, Travailes, p. 76. 
The wood Is moistened before it Is placed upon the 
burning coals. /-.'. IT. Lane, Modern Egyptians, I. 258. 
2t. To soften ; make tender. 
It moistened not his executioner's heart with any pity. 
moistener (mois'uer), . One who or that which 
moistens. 
moist-eyed (moist 'id), a. Having the eyed 
watery or wet, especially with tears. 
moistful (moist 'ful), n. [< moist 4- -/'] 
Abounding in moisture ; moist. 
Her moistful temples bound with wreaths of quivering 
reeds. Drayton, Polyolblon, xvili. 28. 
moistify (mois'ti-fi), r. t. ; pret. and pp. )<>i.v- 
litird, ppr. moistifyinii. [< moixt + ->-f>/.] To 
make moist; wet. [Humorous.] 
Scotland, my anld. respected Mlther! 
Tho' wliylc-c > > iiii'itli.fii your leather. 
Burns, Prayer to tli<- s. .<t.-h i;.-pr< sentatives, Postscript. 
- ll 
moistless imoisries;, . [< 11,01*1, .. + 
Wiilioiiluioisture; dry. llVinw, Alliion'- 
land, viii. I'll. 
moistness (moist'ues), n. [< ME. inoystnette ; 
< iiiiti.it + -nfna.'] The state of being moist; 
dampness; a small degree of wetness, 
moistryt, w. [< moigt + -ry.] Moisture. 
Generally fruitful though little iiwutry be used theraon. 
Puller, Worthies, Somerset, 1 1 
moisture (mois'lur), . [< ME. i/.s'w/v, miwt- 
HI'I-, < i >!'. minsii in . iiioiittour, F. iii'nti in , moist- 
ness. < innistr, moist: sec- iimi.it.] 1. Diffused 
and sensible wetness; fluid diffused or exud- 
ing; damp. 
< I, that Infected moisture of hire eye ! 
Shot, Lover's Complaint, 1. 323. 
Lignum Aloes are like Ollue trees, but somewhat greater ; 
the innermost part of the wood Is best, with lilicke and 
browne velnes, and yeeldlng an Oylle moystvre; it ! sold 
In weight against Slluer and Gold. 
Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 507. 
2. Liquid. [Kare.j 
If some penurious source by chance appeared 
Scanty of waters when you scoop'd It dry, 
And offer'd the full helmet up to Cato, 
Did he not dash th' unUsted moisture from him? 
Additon, Cato, iii. 5. 
Atmospheric moisture, the aqueous vapor of the atmo- 
sphere and the aqueous particles suspended in the form 
of fog and cloud, or precipitated as rain, hall, snow, etc. 
The proportion of aqueous vapor in the air is variable ; it 
may amount to one twentieth part or more of the whole 
atmosphere. See hygrometer, hyyrometry. 
moisturet (mois'tur), r. *. [< mouture, w.] To 
moisten ; wet. 
Wnodeuldeth theaboundanceof the waters Into riuers, 
or who maketh a wave for y stormy wether, that It wa- 
tereth and mot/sturetA the drye and baren ground? 
BMe 0/1561, Job xxxvlil. 26. 
moistureless (mois'tur-les), a. [< moisture + 
-les.i.'] Without moisture, 
moistyt (mois'ti), a. [< ME. moisty; < mni.it + 
-i/ 1 .] 1. New; fresh. 
For were it win, or old or moisty ale 
That he hath dranke, he speketh in his nose. 
Chaucer, Prol. to Manciple's Tale, 1. 60. 
2. Wet; moist. 
The miste which the moystie hllles did cast forth took 
not away clerely the vse of the prospect. 
J. Brende, tr. of Qulntus Curtius, foL 87. 
moither, r. See moMer. 
moiarra, . See moharra. 
mokadort, n. See moccador, muckender. 
moke't, r. An obsolete form of muck^. 
moke 2 (mok), . [Possibly connected with 
mesh 1 , in one of its variant forms mask'*, AS. 
max ("masc): see me*/|i.J The mesh of a net : 
hence applied to any wickerwork. Halliicell. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
moke 3 (mok), n. [Cf. Icel. mok, dozing, moka, 
doze.] 1. A donkey. 
A girl in our society accepts the best parti which offers 
Itself, Just as Miss Chummey, when entreated by two 
young gentlemen of the order of costermongers, inclines 
to the one who rides from market on a mote, rather than 
to the gentleman who sells his greens from a hand-bas- 
ket. Thackeray, N'ewcomes, xxx. 
Hence 2. A stupid fellow; a dolt. 3. Theat., 
a variety performer who plays on several instru- 
ments. 4. A negro, plang in all senses.] 
moke*t, (i. A Middle English form of much. 
Bailey, 1731. 
mokelt, a. and n. A Middle English form of 
mickle. 
mokerert, Same as muckerer. 
mokihana (mo-ki-han'a), . [Hawaiian.] A 
tree of the Sandwich Islands, Melieope (Pelea) 
anisata, all parts of which, especially the cap- 
sules, emit when bruised a strong^ spicy, anisate 
odor. The wood is used in making ornaments. 
mokret, r. An obsolete form of icAvr-. 
mokyt, a. An obsolete variant of mucky, muggy. 
molt, A Middle English form of mull 1 . 
mola (mo'la), .; pi. mote (-le). [NL., < L. 
inola, a millstone : see molar '.] 1. In entom., 
the grinding surface of a molar or broad basal 
tooth of the mandible. 
2. [rn/>.] In iehth., the 
typical genus of plectog- 
nath fishes of the fam- 
ily called either Uoliiln- 
or Orthagoriscidtr, having 
as type the sunfish or 
head-fish, Tiamed Orthago- 
riscus mola by Bloch and 
Schneider, or J/. rotunttii 
of Cuvier and recent au- 
thors. It is a large clumsy 
Ash of extraordinary shape, 
which varies much with age. 
inhabiting most tropical and smi> 
mold 
t<-in|>cratesiu, and sit t.i mint- :i wi-ivhi -mids: 
the skin U Tin. k an. I LV.HI..I.H, n.-l tl 
c-oliTlll'-nt I't-Iiimt Vlft.. . :i|], .1 f '. 
molant, molaynet, |.MK.,l>' /n, 
mull I/HI-; iijipar. c,f OF. origin.] A hit fora 
he .!-.-. 
Hi* RMioyno & alle the metail anamayled was tbcnne. 
Sir Uairayur and Uu Onen Kniyht (E. E. T. H.X L Ida. 
molar 1 (mo'liir), . and . [= F. nmlaire = 
Sp. IV. Hi'iliif = It. mitltin, < 1,. niitliiritt, lie- 
to u mill ; as a noun (sr. /<I/,IA) u mill- 
stone, also (sc. dent, tooth) a grinder-tooth; < 
nnilii, a millstone, in pi. mola', a mill, < m/< . . 
grind: see n'//l. Cf. untie 3 , mole*.'] I. n. 1. 
Grinding, triturating, or ernshinn. HS distin- 
giiishc'cl from cuttiii);, piercing, or tearing, as a 
tooth. 2. Of or pertaining to a molar or mo- 
lars: _'landH. 3. In en torn., of or per- 
taining to a mola: as. a molar space or area. 
Molar glands. 8ee0hma. 
II. . 1. In mint.. H grinding tooth or grind- 
er; abacktooth; especially, amolartoothuhieh 
is not preeeded by a milk-molar or milk-tool li: 
distinguished from premolar, ntninr, and in- 
ri.mr. In nun there ire three true molars on each side 
of each jaw. The two next to these are called pmnolon 
or false molars. The posterior molar Is the trMntn-fnoM. 
See dental .formula (under dental) and tooth, and cut under 
ruminant. 
2. Iii ichtli., a tooth which has a rounded or 
convex surface, as in sparoid lisln-s. or a flat 
surface, as in the Mylioltatidtr. 3. In entnm., 
one of the thick internal processes with a grind- 
ing surface found on the mandibles of many in- 
sects, near the base.- False molar, a molar which 
has been preceded by a milk-molar : a pmnolar. 
molar 2 (mo'lar), a. [< L. moles, a great mass 
(see mole 3 ), -f- -r 3 .] Pertaining to a mass or 
to a body as a whole; acting on or by means 
of large masses of matter; acting in the aggre- 
gate and not in detail; massive: ordinarily 
used in contrast to molecular __ Molar force, see 
forced. 
molar 3 (mo'lSr), a. [< mole* + -ac 3 . Cf. mo- 
tarl, of same ult. formation.] Relating to or 
having the characters of a uterine mole: as, 
molar pregnancy. See mole*. 
molariform (mo-lar'i-f6rm), . [< L. molaris, 
a molar, + forma, form.] Having the shape 
of a molar tooth ; resembling a molar tooth. 
Molariform teeth in a continuous series. 
Encuf. Brit., XV. 430. 
molarimeter (mo-la-rim'e-ter), n. [< L. molarif, 
a millstone, T Qr."ftirpov, a measure.] A ther- 
mometer for determining the temperature of 
meal as it issues from the mill-spout. Its pecu- 
liarity is a sort of jacket or chute which conducts 
the outflowing meal to and around the bulb. 
molary (mo'la-ri), a. (X L. molaris: see mo- 
farl.J Fitted for grinding or bruising food: 
specifically applied to projections on the inner 
side of the mandibles of certain insects. 
Molasse (mo-las'), n. [F., < mollaxse, flabby, < 
mol, soft, < L. nto/li.i, soft.] In grol., a name 
given in Switzerland to an important geologi- 
cal formation belonging in part to the Mio- 
cene and in part to a position intermediate be- 
tween the Eocene and the Miocene. The formation 
Is In places over 6.000 feet thick, and chiefly of lacustrine 
origin. The fossil vegetation of the Molasse is of great 
Interest, being subtropical in character, containing palmtt 
of an American type, and also the coniferous genus Se- 
quoia, now limited to California. It is the upper inc-m 
MT of the Molasse which contains these plant-remains, 
and this part of the series Is made up of ird sandstones, 
marls, and conglomerate (nagelHuhX The lower division 
of the Molasse Is a sandstone containing marine and 
brackish-water shells. 
molasses (mo-las'ez), H. [Formerly also, and 
prop., mtlasxen; = F. melagse= It. mrla::n (also, 
after F., mtlassa), < Sp. mcln:a = Pg. mtlum. 
molasses, <L. nu-llnccus. honey-like, < nicl(mclf-), 
honey: see me// 2 .] The uncrystallized syrup 
produced in the manufacture of sugar. It prop- 
erly differs from treacle in that It comes from sugar In toe 
process of making, while treacle is obtained in the process 
of refining : but the two words are often used synonymous- 
ly Maple molasses. see maplr. 
molaynet, See mulnn. 
mold*, mould 1 (mold), . [< ME. mold, moldf, 
moolae, < AS. molde, dust, soil, ground, earth, 
the earth, = OFries. io/rf< = OHG. molta, molt, 
MHG. molte, multe, G. dial, molt, dust, earth, = 
Icel. mold = Sw. mall = Dan. muld, mold. = 
i ioth. miililii. dust ; with format! ve-?(orig. 
from the verb represented by Goth, malan = 
AS. "intilaii. etc., grind: see tnrun. Cf. mull*. 
dust, malm, soft stone, sand, etc., from the 
same source. The proper spelling is muld, like 
(/()/(/ (whic-h is exactly parallel phonetically): 
but mould has long been in use. and is still com- 
monly preferred in Great Britain.] 1. Fine 
