mosaicist 
By far the greater number of these colors are discov- 
eries or improvements of the venerable mftsaicist Lorenzo 
Radi. Hoivells, Venetian Life, xvi. 
Mosaism (mo'za-izm), n. [= F. nnuiiii'xnic ; as 
Mi>x(t(ic)~ + -ism.] The religious laws and 
ceremonies prescribed by Moses; adherence 
to the Mosaic system or doctrines. 
mosalt, " [For *mosul: see muslin.'] Muslin. 
There [in Grand Cairo] there are diverse ranks of Drapers 
shops ; in the first rank they sell excellent fine linnen, fine 
Cloth of Cotton, and cloath called Mosal, of a marvellous 
bredth and flnenesse, whereof the greatest persons make 
shirts, and scarfs to wear upon their Tulipants. 
S. Clarice, Geog. Description (1671X p. 56. 
mosandrite (mo-zan'drit), n. [Named after K. 
G. Mosander, a Swedish chemist, 1797-1858.] 
A rare silicate containing chiefly titanium and 
the metals of the cerium group, occurring in 
reddish-brown prismatic crystals, and also in 
massive and fibrous forms. It is found in the 
elseolite-syenite of southern Norway. 
mosandrium (mo-zan'dri-um), n. [< Mosander: 
see mosandrite.]' A supposed chemical element 
found in samarskite, but now believed to be a 
mixture. 
Mosasauria (mo-sa-sa'ri-ii), n. pi. [NL. : see 
Mosasaurus.] A group of remarkably long- 
bodied marine reptiles, from the Cretaceous 
rocks of Europe and America. It is typified by the 
genus Mosasaurus, which attained a length of over 13 feet 
and possessed some 100 or more vertebrce. The skull re- 
sembles that of the monitors in the large size of the nasal 
apertures and the fusion of the nasals into one narrow 
bone. Now called Pythonomorpha. 
mosasaurian (mo-sa-sa'ri-an), a. and n. [< 
Mosasauria + -an.] I, n. Pertaining to the 
Mosasauria ; pythonomorphic. 
II. n. A member of the Mosasauria. 
Mosasaurus, Mososaurus (mo-sa-sa'rus, rno- 
so-sa'rus), n. [NL., < L. Mosa, the river Meuse 
(F.) or Maas 
(D.), on which 
Maestricht is 
situated, where 
the first was 
found, + Gr. 
aavpof, lizard.] 
The typical ge- 
nus of Mosa- 
3868 
mosquito-canopy 
mere tablet inscribed with verses from the Koran, called 
Skull of Mosasaurus hofmanni. SdUrift. M. cam- 
peri was discov- 
ered in 1780 in the Maestricht, and originally called La- 
certa gigantea. The genus is also called Saurochampsa. 
Also written Mascesaurus. 
moschate (mos'kat), a. [< NL. moschatus (ML. 
muscattis), < LL. muscus, ML. also moscus, mos- 
chus, < LGr. ftoaxof, musk: see muscat."] Ex- 
haling the order of musk. Gray. 
moschatel (rnos'ka-tel), n. See Adoxa. 
raoschatous (mos'ka-tus), a. [< NL. moscha- 
tus : see moschate.'] Same as moschate. 
Moschidse (mos'ki-de), n. pi. [NL., < Moschus 
+ -idee."] The Moschitue, or musk-deer, rated 
as a family apart from Cervidce. 
moschiferous (mos-kif'e-rus), a. [< ML. mos- 
chus, moscus, muscus, Lti. muscus (LGr. poaxof), 
musk, + L. ferre = E. bear^.] In zoiil., bearing 
or producing musk : as, moschiferous organs ; a 
moschiferous animal. 
Moschinae (mos-ki'ue), n.pL [NL., < Moschus 
+ -ince.] A subfamily of Cervidte represented 
by the genus Moschus, containing small Asiatic 
deer both sexes of which are hornless, and the 
male of which has long canine teeth projecting 
like tusks from the upper jaw, and secretes an 
odoriferous substance called musk; the musks 
or musk-deer. The young are spotted as in Cermdae, the 
adults plain-brownish. Both true and false hoofs are long 
and widely separable ; the tail is very short, and the hind 
quarters are high. There are 2 genera, Moschui and Hydro- 
pates. Also Moschina and Moschida. See musk-deer. 
moschine (mos'kiu), a. [< Mosch-us + -inei.] 
Pertaining to the Moschina;, or having their 
characters; musky: as, a moschine deer; a 
moschine odor. 
moschitot, . See mosquito. 
Moschus (mos'kus), n. [NL., < ML. moschus, 
< LGr. pfaxof, musk: see musk.] The leading 
genus of Moschina;. The common musk-deer 
is M. moschiferus. 
Moscovitet, n. and a. An obsolete variant of 
Muscovite. 
moseH, n. [Prob. < ME. mose, mase (used to 
gloss the corrupt ML. words adtrica and me- 
phas), appar. the name of a disease; prob. = 
MD. *mase, masche = MLG. mase = OHG. 
masa. MHG. mase, a spot: see measles. Cf. 
wosei, v.] A disease of horses. Halliwell. 
moseM, r. i. [< mose 1 , H.~] To have the disease 
called the mose: in the phrase to mose in the 
i-lihir (also to mourn of the chine, where mourn tion is found in numerous hanging lamps. The direction 
is a different word from mose: see mmmft). of Mecc a. Is indicated by a niche or recess, sometimes a 
His horse hipped, with an old mothy saddle, and stir- 
rups of no kindred ; besides, possessed with the glanders, 
and like to mase in the chine. Shalt., 1. of the S., iii. 2. 51. 
mose 2 (moz), n. [Cf. moss 2 ."] A smolder of 
wood. HalHwell. [Prov. Eng.] 
moselt, n. and v. A Middle English form of 
HI n?:le. 
Moselle (mo-zel'), " [< F. Moselle, G. Mosel, 
< L. Mosella, the river Moselle: see def.] One 
of the wines produced along the river Moselle. 
The most esteemed brands are those known as sparkling 
Moselle, which are considered lighter than champagne 
and almost as good as the sweeter champagnes. 
moses (mo'zes), n. [From thename Moses (?).] 
Naut., a flat-bottomed boat used in the West 
Indies for carrying hogsheads of sugar to ships, 
moses-boat (mo'zes-bot), n. [Cf. moses.] An 
old style of skiff or small boat with a keel. 
[Provincetown, Massachusetts.] 
mosey 1 (mo'si), a. A dialectal variant of mossy. 
mosey 2 (mo'zi), e. '. [Origin obscure ; thought 
by some to be abbr. from vamose.] 1. To move 
off or away quickly; get out; "light out." 
[Slang, U. S.] 
And seeing, and why, and wherefore, 
The times being out o 1 j'int, 
The nigger has got to mosey 
From the limits o' Spunky P'int 
Bret Harte, Speech of Sergeant Joy. 
2. To be lively; be quick; "hustle." [Slang, 
U. S.] 
Hurry 'long, D'rindy, you-uns ain't goiu' ter reel a hank 
ef ye don't mosey. 
M. N. Murfree, Prophet of Great Smoky Mountains, xiii. 
mosk, n. See mosque, 
moskered (mos'kerd), a. [Also maskered; ori- 
gin obscure.] Decayed; rotten; brittle. 
The teeth stand thin, or loose, or moskered at the root. 
Granger, Com. on Ecclesiastes, p. 320 (1621). (Latham.) 
Some moskered shining stones and spangles which the 
waters brought downe. Capt. John Smith, Works, 1. 12ft. 
mosklet, Same as mussel. 
Moslem (raos'lem), n. and a. [Also Moslim, 
Muslim, Mooslim; < Turk, muslim, pi. muslimin 
(< Ar.), musliman (< Pers.), also used as sing.; 
< Ar. muslim, also transliterated moslem, pi. 
muslimin, a believer in the Mohammedan faith, 
lit. one who professes submission (islam) to the 
faith, < sellim, consign in safety, resign, submit, 
< salama, be safe and sound. Cf. Islam, Mus- 
sulman, and salaam, from the same source.] I. 
n. A follower of Mohammed; an orthodox Mo- 
hammedan. 
II. a. Of or pertaining to the Mohammedans ; 
Mohammedan. 
They piled the ground with Moslem slain. 
Hatleck, Marco Bozzaris. 
Moslemism. (mos'lem-izm), (. [< Moslem + 
-ism.] The Mohammedan religion. 
Moslim (mos'lim), n. and a. Same as Moslem. 
moslings (moz'lingz), M. pi. [Perhaps for 
*mosselings, < mossel, dial, form of morsel, a 
bit, a piece: see morsel."] The thin shreds of 
leather shaved off by the currier in dressing 
skins. They are used to rub oil from metals 
in polishing them. 
It is necessary, between the application of each powder, 
to wipe the work entirely clean, with rags, cotton-waste, 
sawdust, mailings (or the curriers' shavings of leather). 
0. Byrne, Artisan's Handbook, p. 374. 
mosolin (mos'6-lin), n. [OF.: see muslin."] 
Stuff made at Mosul, in Asiatic Turkey; ori- 
ginally, costly materials of different kinds for 
which Mosul was famous in the middle ages. 
Compare muslin. 
Mososaurus, n. See Mosasaurus. 
mosque (mosk), n. [Also mosk, and formerly 
mosch, mosche, moschee, muskey (also mesquit, 
meskit, meskito, meschit, mesquita, mosquito,, 
muskethe, etc: see mesquift); < F. mosquee = 
It. moschea (> G. moschee), < Sp. mezquita 
Pg. mesquita, < Ar. masjid, masjad, a temple, < 
sajada, prostrate oneself, pray.] A Moham- 
medan place of worship and the ecclesiasti- 
cal organization with which it is connected; 
a Mohammedan church. The architectural char- 
acter of mosques varies greatly, according as they oc- 
cupy free or cramped sites, and as in construction they 
are original foundations or adaptations of existing build- 
ings. The normal plan of the mosque is rectangular, and 
includes, besides the covered place of worship proper, an 
open cloistered court with a fountain for ablutions, and 
one or more minarets from which the faithful are sum- 
moned to prayer at stated hours. The dome, supported 
on pendentives, and the arch, usually pointed, of the horse- 
8hoe(Saracenic)forni,and springing from slender columns, 
together with elaborate and often splendidly colored sur- 
face-ornament, mainly geometrical, are features of very 
frequent occurrence. In the interior the chief decora- 
Mosque of Mehemet AH in Cairo. 
the mihrat. A class of mosques is set apart for the instruc- 
tion of young men, and with many of the larger there are 
connected hospitals and public kitchens for the benefit of 
the poor. See cuts under Moorish, mimbar, and minaret. 
For the Sarrasyns kepe that place in greate reuerence, 
and worshyp it ryght moche in theyr nianer, and haue 
made thereof theyr Mmkey. 
Sir R. Giiyljorde, Pylgrymage, p. 20. 
The places of most Religion amongst themselues are 
their Matches, or Meschits: that is, their Temples and 
Houses of prayer. Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 297. 
By his [Mahomet II. 's] command the metropolis of the 
Eastern church was transformed into a mosch. 
Gibbon, Decline and Fall, Ixviii. 
mosquital (mus-ke'tal), a. [< mosquito + -al.~] 
Of or pertaining to or produced by a mosquito : 
as, mosquital saliva. 
mosquito, musquito (mus-ke'to), n.; pi. mos- 
quitos, mosquitoes, musquitos, musquitoes (-toz). 
[Formerly also musketo, moschito, muskito ; = F. 
moustique, for *mousquite = G. moskite, < Sp. Pg. 
mosquito, a little gnat, dim. of mosca, a fly,< L. 
musca, a fly : see Musca .] One of many different 
kinds of gnats or midges the female of which 
bites animals and draws blood. They are insects 
of the order Diptera, suborder Nemocera, and chiefly of the 
Mouth-parts of Mosquito (Culex fifietts }, enlarged. 
a, antennae ; /, labrum ; mp, maxillary palpus ; r, manclibular 
setae ; mx, maxillary setae ; lg, ligula ; li, labium. 
family Cidicidte or gnats, though some members of related 
families, as Simuliidce, are called mosquitos, the term be- 
ing applied in most parts of the world to gnats which have 
a piercing and sucking proboscis and annoy man. The 
name is said to have arisen in the West Indies, where it 
specifically designates Oulex mosquito, a gnat streaked 
with silvery white and having a black proboscis. Mosqui- 
tos are commonly supposed to be especially tropical in- 
sects ; but they swarm in summer in almost inconceivable 
numbers in arctic and cold temperate latitudes, as in Lab- 
rador, or in the region of the Red Kivcr of the North, and 
throughout the moist wooded or marshy regions of Brit- 
ish America. They breed in water, and hence are most 
numerous in marshy and swampy places. The life of the 
adult insect is very brief, and its natural food is a drop 
or two of the juice or moisture of plants. See cut under 
. 
In 66. deg. 33. min. they found it very hot, and were much 
troubled with a stinging Me, called Mvukitn. 
Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 741. 
This summer was very wet and cold (except now and 
then a hot day or two), which caused great store of mus- 
ketoes and rattle-snakes, 
WinOernp, Hist. New England, 1. 104. 
Mosquito fleet. Sec /<<-'. 
mosquito-bar (mus-ke'to-biir), n. A mosquito- 
net. It may be a net-covered frame for a window, a net 
window-screen that can be rolled up or let down by means 
of pulleys, or a net canopy for a bed. 
mosquito-canopy (mus-ke't6-kan"o-pi), n. A 
covering of fine netting supported on a frame 
