myosin 
inyosin (mi'o-sin), . [< Gr. "", muscle, + 
our + -in-. J A globulin, the chief ingredient 
which separates from muscle-plasma on eoag- 
lllilliiin. It Is a plotciil hotly funning all ula.-tii; :mni]- 
phous non-tlbrons mass. [Dfloloble In pun- \\;ilrr hut M;I<I- 
ily soliiiili- iii ;> I" I" \"'i cent. ?:ilt lolntion. It begins t<> 
XMgOlata at flfi c. It is insoluble In a saturated salt solu- 
li. in. 
An we know that the reagents In question dissolve the 
|)rrllli:ir mnStillK-llI ill IIIHSclr, Ill'loxin, it l to he COII- 
rl in it-it lti:tt tin- intri'M-ptal substance is dik-tly roaijiosril 
of niiiMin. Huxley, Crayfish, p. 186. 
myosis (ml-o'sis), . [NL., < Gr. pveiv, close, 
be shut, as the eye.] Abnormal contraction of 
the pupil of the eye. 
myositlC (mi-o-sit'ik), ti. [< NL. mi/osis (-it-) 
T -ic.] In tiicd., pert >tiniug to myosis; causing 
contraction of the pupil: said of certain medi- 
cines, as opium. 
myositis (mi-o-si'tis), n. [NL., irreg. < (ir. 
/it>f (/mil;), a muscle, + -itis.] In puthol., in- 
flammation of a muscle; niyitis. 
Myosotis(rai-o-s6'ti8),. [NL.(Dillenius, 1719), 
< L. HI i/oxotis, also myiiKotu, < Gr. fivoourif. also 
/IVUOUTOV, also as two words //nof oi<c, [tv6f uric, the 
plant mouse-ear, forget-me-uot, < fi'uf, gen. ^vof, 
mouse, + oif (<""-), ear.] A genus of dicotyle- 
donous gamopotalous plants of the natural or- 
der linrtiiiiiirti" and the tribe Boragets, known 
by the flowers without bracts, their rounded 
lobes convolute in the bud. More than 40 species 
are scattered widely over colder regions. They are small 
plants with alternate leaves, usually weak stems, and ra- 
cemes of blue, pink, or white flowers. M . palustris is the 
true forget-me-not, but the name is extended to the whole 
genus. $eeforget-mc-jiot, 2, mouse-ear, and scorpion-grass. 
See also cut under circinate. 
myospasmus (rai-o-spaz'raus), w. [NL., < Gr. 
fivf, mouse, + avaafiof, spasm.] Spasm or cramp 
of a muscle. 
myotatic (mi-o-tat'ik), a. [< Gr. pvf, muscle, 
+ rdaif (TOT-), tension, < Teivetv (-I/TO), stretch: 
see tend.] Pertaining to the tension of a mus- 
cle. Myotatic contraction, contraction produced by 
suddenly stretching the muscles, as by blows on their ten- 
dons. Also called tendon-reflex, deep-reflex, or tendon-jerk. 
Myotatlc Irritability, the property of responding to 
sudden stretching by a contraction : said of a muscle. 
myotic (mi-ot'ik), a. and . [< myottis (-ot-) + 
-ic'.] I. a. Pertaining to or causing myosis, or 
contraction of the pupil. 
II. . A drug which causes myosis. 
myotility (mi-o-til'i-ti), w. [For 'myomotility, 
< Gr. //tic, muscle, 4- E. motility.] Contractil- 
ity of muscles ; myonicity. 
myotome (mi'o-tdm), . [= F. myotome, < Gr. 
five, muscle, + rtftveiv, rafitlv, cut.] 1. A mus- 
cular segment or metamere; a myocomma. 
See cut under Pharyngobraiichii. 
In the lowest Vertebrata . . . the chief muscular sys- 
tem of the trunk consists of the episkeletal muscles, 
which form thick lateral mosses of longitudinal fibres, 
divided by transverse intermuscular septa into segments 
(or Myotomes) corresponding with the vertebra. 
Huxley, Anat. Vert., p. 45. 
2. An instrument for dividing a muscle. 
myotomic (mi-o-tom'ik), . [< myotome, or my- 
iiloiii-y, + -ic.] 1. Divided or dividing into 
myotomes ; of or pertaining to a myotome. 
2. Of or pertaining to myotomy. 
myotomy (mi-ot'6-mi), . [= F. myotomie = 
Pg. iiii/nt'iiiiiii = It. miotomia, < Gr. uiif (fiv6(), 
muscle, + Tt/tvttv, ra/idv, cut.] 1. Dissection 
of muscles ; muscular anatomy. 2. A surgical 
operation consisting in the division of muscle. 
myotonic (ml-o-ton'ik), a. [As myotii-y + -/<-.] 
I Vrtaining to muscular tone, or myotony. 
myotony (rai-ot'o-ni), n. [< Gr. //t>o, muscle, 
f rovof, tension : see tone."] Muscular tone. 
Myoxidae (mi-ok'si-de), n.jil. [NL.,< 
-M'.] A family of myomorphic rodents ; the 
dormice. They have no caecum, a long hairy tall, large 
eyes and ears, small fore limbs, and a general resemblance 
to small squirrels, In habits as well as in form. There arc 
4 genera Myoxus, Muscardintis, Bliomy,&rn\ Graphittnus. 
The absence of a i-rocmn is unique among liodentia. 
Myoxinae (mi-ok-si'ne), n. )il. [NL., < Myntiot 
+ -in<f.] The dormice as a subfamily oi' Mn- 
riilii: See Hfyiuritlii: 
myoxine (mi-ok'sin), a. Havingthe characters 
of a dormouse : resembling a dormouse. 
Myoxus (mi-ok'sus), n. [NL., < LGr. /">of <5c, Gr. 
/m.ijor, the dormouse, < fiif, mouse (the second 
element is uncertain).] A genus of dormice 
of the family Mytucida; having a distichous 
bushy tail ami simple stomach. M. tills of Eu- 
rope is the type. See cut under tltiriiiniixr. 
myreM, " A Middle Kn^lish s|ielling of mire 1 . 
myre'-'t, ''. i. A Middle English spellingof /''. 
myriacanthous (niir'i-a-kan'tlms). . [= F. 
nii/i'itifiiiitlic, < Gr. /ivpiof, numberless (see /.'//'- 
tad), + axavOa, thorn, spine.] Having very mi- 
3021 
morons spines: specifically applied to fish of 
the genus Mi/ri<ir<inlliii*. 
Myriacanthus (mir'i-a-kan'thus), . [NL., < 
I ir. Hiyoj-, numberless, + anavtia, thorn, spine.] 
A genus of rays founded by Agassiz in 1837. 
They abounded in the Lias. 
myriad (mir'i-iid), . and a. [= P. myriadr = 
Pg. myriada = It. iniriinlr, < Gr. fivpiat; (ftvpiai-), 
a number of ten thousand, < pvpiof, numberless, 
countless ; as a def. numeral, /ivpioi, pi., ten 
thousand.] I. . 1. The number of ten thou- 
sand. 
Thou sent, brother, how many thousands, or rather 
how many myriads, that is, ten thousands, of the Jews 
there are which believe. Up. Pearson, Expos, of Creed, II. 
2. An indefinitely great number. 
But, 0, bow fallen ! how changed 
From him, who In the happy realms of light, 
Clothed with transcendent brightness, didst outshine 
Myriads, though bright ! Milton, P. U, I. 87. 
Tho' world on world in myriad myriads roll 
Round us, each with different powers. 
Tenaymn, Death of Wellington. Ix. 
H. a. Numberless; innumerable; multitu- 
dinous ; manifold. 
Then of the crowd ye took no more account 
Than of the myriad cricket of the mead, 
When Its own voice clings to each blade of grass, 
And every voice is nothing. 
Tennyson, Lancelot and Elaine. 
myriad-minded (mir'i-ad-min'ded), a. Of vast 
intellect or great versatility of mind. 
Our myriad-minded Shakspere. Coleridge, Biog. Lit., xv. 
Myriaglossa (mir'i-a-glos'S), n. pi. [NL., 
prop. * Myrwglossa, < LGr. fivpioyfaiGoof , of num- 
berless tongues, < //vjMof.numberless, T ylMoaa, 
tongue : see gloss%.] Those mollusks whose 
admedian (lateral) teeth are indefinite in num- 
ber (forty to fifty), and which have a median 
tooth. Encyc. Brit., XVI. 641. 
myriagram, myriagramme (mir'i-a-gram), M. 
[< F. myriagramme, prop, 'myriogramme, < Gr. 
[ti'pioi, ten thousand, + LGr. ypa/i/ja, a small 
weight: see gram 2 .] In the metric system, a 
weight of 10,000 grams, or 22.0485 pounds 
avoirdupois. 
myrialiter, myrialitre (mir'i-a-le'ter), . [= 
Pg. myriolitm = It. mirialitro, < F. myrialitre, 
prop, "myriolitre, < Gr. /ikpiot, ten thousand, + 
F. litre, liter : see liter?.] A measure of capa- 
city, containing 10,000 liters, or one decastere, 
equal to 2,642 United States gallons. 
myriameter, myriametre (mir'i-a-me'ter), w. 
[= Pg. myriametro = It. miriametro, < P. my- 
riametre, prop. * myriometre, < Gr. /il'piot, ten 
thousand, + P. metre, meter: see meter 3 .] In 
the metric system, a measure of length, equal 
to 10 kilometers, or 6.2138 English miles, or 6 
miles 376 yards. 
myrianide (mir'i-a-nid), w. [< NL. Myrianida 
(see def.), < Gr. ftvpios, numberless.] A marine 
worm of the family Syllida;, Myrianida pinni- 
gera, with the head rounded in front, three 
clavate antennas, and the segments white trans- 
versely marked with yellow. It is a littoral 
European species, about 1| inches long, re- 
markable for its reproduction. 
The Myrianide discloses a ... wonderful history, for 
of this beautiful worm the posterior half becomes self-di- 
vided into as many as six parts, each of them acquiring 
the cephalic appendages of the original before they take 
leave and separate themselves. In this condition the 
worm wanders about with a concatenated train behind of 
six big-bellied mothers. 
Johnston, British Non-parasitical Worms, p. 193. 
myriapod (mir'i-a-pod), a. and . [Prop, myri- 
opoil, < F. myriapode, myriopode, 
\ NL. "myriopus (-pod-), < MGr. 
nvpi6ir<nf, having ten thousand 
feet, < Gr. nvptot, ten thousand, 
+ Trof'c (TO<!-) = E. foot.] I. a. 
Having very numerous legs; 
specifically, pertaining to the 
Myriapoda, or having their 
characters. 
II. w. A member of the Myri- 
11 1 '"<l<i ; a ceutiped or milleped. 
Also in i/riti iiodan. ie?JC!i *it 
Myriapoda (mir-i-ap'o-dft), n. >). a chiiog- 
pl. of *myriopus : see myriapod.] A class of ar- 
ticulate animals of the isubkingdom Arthro/mtlii : 
the centipeds and millepeds. They have a long 
worm-like body of cylindrlc or flattened form, composed 
of from 10 to more than 2tX> rings or segments, scarcely or 
not at all differentiated into thorax and abdomen ; a dis- 
tinct head ; and one or two pairs of legs to each somite 
of the body. There is a pair of aiitt-nint-. and the jaws are 
mandiblllate. Respiration S tracheal. through small 
pores or spiracles along the sides of the body. Reproduc- 
tion is oviparous or ovoviviparous, and the sexes are 
myringitis 
ilistinct. There is no proper in<-t:n ]>liosls, but the 
young have fewer segments and legs than the adulta, the 
normal number being acquired by successive molts. Ex- 
cluding the pauropods and malncopods, the Myriapoda 
occur under two well defined types, forming two orders 
the Hhiliiyiuttha or Diptopoda, mlllepedn or gally-worm>. 
and the Ckilopada or Synynatha, centlpeda. See cuts un- 
der crntiped, milleped, cephalic, batilar, and myriapod. 
myriapodan (mir-i-ap'o-dan), a. and . [< /;/- 
rin/Hnl + -mi.} Same as myriapod. 
myriapodous (mir-i-ap'o-dus), a. [< ///;-/<i/i</ 
+ -.<.v.] Same as miii-inpntl. 
myriarcll (mir'i-ark), . [< Gr. /ivpiapxw, !"'!"- 
apx<K, commander of ten thousand men,< /// /", 
ten thousand, + apxtf, ruler, < &px f t v , rule.] A 
commander of ten thousand men. 
myriare (mir'i-ar), . [= Pg. myriare, < F. 
myriare, < Gr. firpioi, ten thousand. + F. tin; 
are: see arc 2 .] A land-measure of 10,000 ares, 
or 1,000,000 square meters, equal to 247.105 
acres. 
Myrica (mi-ri'ka), n. [NL. (Linneeus, 17117), 
< Gr. pvplitn the tamarisk.] A strongly marked 
genus of shrubs constituting the order Myri- 
cacca;, and characterized by staminate catkins, 
an ovary with one cell and one ovule, and the 
seed not lobed. About 35 species are known, found In 
temperate or warm climates, nearly throughout theworld. 
The waxy-crusted berries of M, cer\fera, which abounds 
In the coast-sands of the Atlantic United States, yield bay- 
b 
Bayberry. or Wax-myrtle (Myrica ctri/tra). 
i, branch with male catkins ; 3. branch with female catkins ; a, a 
male catkin on a larger scale ; f>, a male flower ; f, a female flower ; it. 
fruit with the incrustation ot wax : e, the nut with incrustation removed. 
berry-tallow, formerly in considerable use for candles, and 
employed as a domestic remedy for dysentery. Various 
other species, as M. cord\folia of South Africa, afford a 
useful wax. Some yield edible fruits, as .W. Nagi, the 
yangmei of China, the sophee of East Indian mountain 
regions, and M. t'aya of Madeira. The genus Myrica, 
readily recognized by the peculiar nervation of its leaves, 
is very abundant In the fossil state, and more than 150 
fossil species have been described, found in the Cretaceous 
and Tertiary formations of nearly all parts of the world 
in which these formations are found to contain vegetable 
remains. 
Myricaceae (mir-i-ka'se-), n.pl. [NL. (Lind- 
ley, 1836), < Myrica + -acece?] An order of 
dicotyledonous apetalous plants of the series 
Unisexualex, consisting of the genus Myrica. 
myrica-tallow (mi-ri'ka-tal'6), n. Same as 
nuirtlt'-tcai. 
myricin, myricine (mi-ri'sin), n. [< Myrica + 
-in-, -iiM'2.] One of the substances of which wax 
is composed. Myricin Is the matter left nndissolved 
when wax Is boiled with alcohol. It constitutes from SO 
to 30 per cent, of the weight of beeswax, and is a grayish- 
white solid, a palmitate of mellssyL 
myricyl (mi-ri'sil), n. [< Myrica + -yl.] Same 
as inilissyl. 
",et, a. A Middle English form of merry 1 . 
_,.ina (mi-ri'nH). n.pl. [NL., < Gr. ut',wof 
(var. ftapivof, as il < L. marinus). a sea-fish. Cf. 
Mttrama.~\ In Gtinthers system, a group of 
31ra-nid(l' platy.trliisttr. They have gill-openings 
separated by an interspace, nostrils labial, tongue not free, 
and end of tall surrounded by the tin. The genus contains 
about 14 tropical or subtropical eels. 
Myrinae(mi-ri'ue), n.pl. [NL..< Mynis + -itm:] 
A subfamily of Opliirlitliyiiln: having the tail 
surrounded by a tin as is usual in eels: con- 
11 -a -.ted with 
myringitis (mir-iu-ji'tis), . [NL., < myringa, 
the membrana tympani, + -itis.] In patliol., 
inflammation of the membrana tympani. 
