Chapter 962

3. (Bot.) A soft tissue, occupying the center of the stem or branch of a plant; pith.

Medulla oblongata . [L., oblong medulla] (Anat.) , the posterior part of the brain connected with the spinal cord. It includes all the hindbrain except the cerebellum and pons, and from it a large part of the cranial nerves arise. It controls very largely respiration, circulation, swallowing, and other functions, and is the most vital part of the brain; -- called also bulb of the spinal cord . See Brain .

Medullar <Xpage=908>

Me*dul"lar (?) , a. See Medullary .

Medullary <Xpage=908>

Med"ul*la*ry (?) , a. [L. medullaris , fr. medulla marrow: cf. F. m\'82dullaire .] 1. (Anat.) (a) Pertaining to, consisting of, or resembling, marrow or medulla. (b) Pertaining to the medula oblongata.

2. (Bot.) Filled with spongy pith; pithy.

Medullary groove (Anat.) , a groove, in the epiblast of the vertebrate blastoderm, the edges of which unite, making a tube (the medullary canal) from which the brain and spinal cord are developed. -- Medullary rays (Bot.) , the rays of cellular tissue seen in a transverse section of exogenous wood, which pass from the pith to the bark. -- Medullary sheath (Anat.) , the layer of white semifluid substance (myelin), between the primitive sheath and axis cylinder of a medullated nerve fiber.

Medullated <Xpage=908>

Me*dul"la*ted (?) , a. (Anat.) Furnished with a medulla or marrow, or with a medullary sheath; as, a medullated nerve fiber .

Medullin <Xpage=908>

Me*dul"lin (?) , n. [Cf. F. m\'82dulline .] (Bot. Chem.) A variety of lignin or cellulose found in the medulla, or pith, of certain plants. Cf. Lignin , and Cellulose .

Medusa <Xpage=908>

Me*du"sa (?) , n. [L., fr. Gr. <?/.] 1. (Class. Myth.) The Gorgon; or one of the Gorgons whose hair was changed into serpents, after which all who looked upon her were turned into stone.

2. [ pl. Medusae (<?/) .] (Zo\'94l.) Any free swimming acaleph; a jellyfish.

&hand; The larger medus\'91 belong to the Discophora, and are sometimes called covered-eyed medus\'91 ; others, known as naked-eyed medus\'91 , belong to the Hydroidea, and are usually developed by budding from hidroids. See Discophora , Hydroidea , and Hydromedusa .

Medusa bud (Zo\'94l.) , one of the buds of a hydroid, destined to develop into a gonophore or medusa. See Athecata , and Gonotheca . -- Medusa's head . (a) (Zo\'94l.) An astrophyton . (b) (Astron.) A cluster of stars in the constellation Perseus. It contains the bright star Algol.

Medusian <Xpage=908>

Me*du"si*an (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A medusa.

Medusiform <Xpage=908>

Me*du"si*form (?) , a. [ Medusa + -form .] (Zo\'94l.) Resembling a medusa in shape or structure.

Medusoid <Xpage=908>

Me*du"soid (?) , a. [ Medusa + -oid .] (Zo\'94l.) Like a medusa; having the fundamental structure of a medusa, but without a locomotive disk; -- said of the sessile gonophores of hydroids. -- n. A sessile gonophore. See Illust . under Gonosome .

Meech <Xpage=908>

Meech (?) , v. i. See Mich . [Obs. or Colloq.]

Meed <Xpage=908>

Meed (?) , n. [OE. mede , AS. m&emac;d , meord ; akin to OS. m<?/da , OHG. miata , mieta , G. miethe hire, Goth. mizd&omac; reward, Bohem. & Russ. mzda , Gr. mistho`s , Skr. m&imac;dha . &root;276.] 1. That which is bestowed or rendered in consideration of merit; reward; recompense.

A rosy garland was the victor's meed . Spenser.

2. Merit or desert; worth.

My meed hath got me fame. Shak.

3. A gift; also, a bride. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Meed <Xpage=908>

Meed , v. t. 1. To reward; to repay. [Obs.]

Waytt.

2. To deserve; to merit. [Obs.]

Heywood.

Meedful <Xpage=908>

Meed"ful (?) , a. Worthy of meed, reward, or recompense; meritorious. " Meedful works."

Wiclif.

Meedfully <Xpage=908>

Meed"ful*ly , adv. According to merit; suitably.

Meek <Xpage=908>

Meek (?) , a. [ Compar. Meeker (?) ; superl. Meekest .] [OE. mek , meoc ; akin to Icel. mj<?/kr mild, soft, Sw. mjuk , Dan. myg , D. muik , Goth. muka m<?/dei gentleness.] 1. Mild of temper; not easily provoked or orritated; patient under injuries; not vain, or haughty, or resentful; forbearing; submissive.

Not the man Moses was very meek . Num. xii. 3.

2. Evincing mildness of temper, or patience; characterized by mildness or patience; as, a meek answer; a meek face. "Her meek prayer."

Chaucer.

Syn. -- Gentle; mild; soft; yielding; pacific; unassuming; humble. See Gentle .

Meek, Meeken <Xpage=908>

Meek , Meek"en (-'n) , v. t. To make meek; to nurture in gentleness and humility. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Meekly <Xpage=908>

Meek"ly , adv. In a meek manner.

Spenser.

Meekness <Xpage=908>

Meek"ness , n. The quality or state of being meek.

Meer <Xpage=908>

Meer (?) , a. Simple; unmixed. See Mere , a. [Obs.]

Meer <Xpage=908>

Meer , n. See Mere , a lake.

Meer <Xpage=908>

Meer , n. A boundary. See Mere .

Meerkat <Xpage=908>

Meer"kat (?) , n. [D.] (Zo\'94l.) A South African carnivore ( Cynictis penicillata ), allied to the ichneumons.

Meerschaum <Xpage=908>

Meer"schaum (?) , n. [G., lit., sea foam; meer sea + schaum foam; but it perh. is a corruption of the Tartaric name myrsen . Cf. Mere a lake, and Scum .] 1. (Min.) A fine white claylike mineral, soft, and light enough when in dry masses to float in water. It is a hydrous silicate of magnesia, and is obtained chiefly in Asia Minor. It is manufacturd into tobacco pipes, cigar holders, etc. Also called sepiolite .

2. A tobacco pipe made of this mineral.

Meet <Xpage=908>

Meet (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Met (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Meeting .] [OE. meten , AS. m<?/tan , fr. m<?/t , gem<?/t , a meeting; akin to OS. m<?/tian to meet, Icel. m\'91ta , Goth. gam<?/tjan . See Moot , v. t. ] 1. To join, or come in contact with; esp., to come in contact with by approach from an opposite direction; to come upon or against, front to front, as distinguished from contact by following and overtaking.

2. To come in collision with; to confront in conflict; to encounter hostilely; as, they met the enemy and defeated them; the ship met opposing winds and currents.

3. To come into the presence of without contact; to come close to; to intercept; to come within the perception, influence, or recognition of; as, to meet a train at a junction; to meet carriages or persons in the street; to meet friends at a party; sweet sounds met the ear.

His daughter came out to meet him. Judg. xi. 34.

4. To perceive; to come to a knowledge of; to have personal acquaintance with; to experience; to suffer; as, the eye met a horrid sight; he met his fate.

Of vice or virtue, whether blest or curst, Which meets contempt, or which compassion first. Pope.

5. To come up to; to be even with; to equal; to match; to satisfy; to ansver; as, to meet one's expectations; the supply meets the demand.

To meet half way , literally, to go half the distance between in order to meet (one); hence, figuratively, to yield or concede half of the difference in order to effect a compromise or reconciliation with.

Meet <Xpage=908>

Meet , v. t. 1. To come together by mutual approach; esp., to come in contact, or into proximity, by approach from opposite directions; to join; to come face to face; to come in close relationship; as, we met in the street; two lines meet so as to form an angle.

O, when meet now Such pairs in love and mutual honor joined ! Milton.

2. To come together with hostile purpose; to have an encounter or conflict.

Weapons more violent, when next we meet , May serve to better us and worse our foes. Milton.

3. To assemble together; to congregate; as, Congress meets on the first Monday of December .

They . . . appointed a day to meet together. 2. Macc. xiv. 21.

4. To come together by mutual concessions; hence, to agree; to harmonize; to unite.

To meet with . (a) To light upon; to find; to come to; -- often with the sense of unexpectedness.

We met with many things worthy of observation. Bacon.

(b) To join; to unite in company. Shak . (c) To suffer unexpectedly; as, to meet with a fall; to meet with a loss . (d) To encounter; to be subjected to.

Prepare to meet with more than brutal fury From the fierce prince. Rowe.

(e) To obviate. [Obs.]

Bacon.

Meet <Xpage=908>

Meet , n. An assembling together; esp., the assembling of huntsmen for the hunt; also, the persons who so assemble, and the place of meeting.

Meet <Xpage=908>

Meet , a. [OE. mete fitting, moderate, scanty, AS. m<?/te moderate; akin to gemet fit, meet, metan to mete, and G. m\'84ssig moderate, gem\'84ss fitting. See Mete .] Suitable; fit; proper; appropriate; qualified; convenient.

It was meet that we should make merry. Luke xv. 32.

To be meet with , to be even with; to be equal to. [Obs.]

<page="909"> Page 909

Meet <Xpage=909>

Meet (?) , adv. Meetly. [Obs.]

Shak.

Meeten <Xpage=909>

Meet"en (?) , v. t. To render fit. [R.]

Meeter <Xpage=909>

Meet"er (?) , n. One who meets.

Meeth <Xpage=909>

Meeth (?) , Mead. See Meathe . [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Meeting <Xpage=909>

Meet"ing , n. 1. A coming together; an assembling; as, the meeting of Congress .

2. A junction, crossing, or union; as, the meeting of the roads or of two rivers .

3. A congregation; a collection of people; a convention; as, a large meeting ; an harmonius meeting .

4. An assembly for worship; as, to attend meeting on Sunday ; -- in England, applied distinctively and disparagingly to the worshiping assemblies of Dissenters.

Syn. -- Conference; assembly; company; convention; congregation; junction; confluence; union.

Meetinghouse <Xpage=909>

Meet"ing*house` (?) , n. A house used as a place of worship; a church; -- in England, applied only to a house so used by Dissenters.

Meetly <Xpage=909>

Meet"ly , adv. Fitly; suitably; properly.

Meetness <Xpage=909>

Meet"ness , n. Fitness; suitableness; propriety.

Meg-, Mega, Megalo- <Xpage=909>

Meg- (?) , Meg"a (?) , Meg"a*lo- (?) . [Gr. me`gas , gen. mega`loy , great.] Combining forms signifying: (a) Great , extended , powerful ; as, mega scope, mega cosm . (b) (Metric System, Elec., Mech., etc.) A million times , a million of ; as, mega meter, a million meters; mega farad, a million farads; meg ohm, a million ohms .

Megacephalic, Megacephalous <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*ce*phal"ic (?) , Meg`a*ceph"a*lous (?) , a. [ Mega- Gr. <?/ head.] (Biol.) Large headed; -- applied to animals, and to plants when they have large flower heads.

Megaceros <Xpage=909>

Me*gac"e*ros (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. me`gas great + horn.] (Paleon.) The Irish elk.

Megachile <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*chile (?) , n. [ Mega- + Gr. <?/ lip.] (Zo\'94l.) A leaf-cutting bee of the genus Megachilus . See Leaf cutter , under Leaf .

Megacosm <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*cosm (?) , n. [ Mega- + Gr. <?/ world.] See Macrocosm .

Croft.

Megacoulomb <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*cou`lomb" (?) , n. [ Mega- + coulomb .] (Elec.) A million coulombs.

Megaderm <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*derm (?) , n. [ Mega- + Gr. <?/ skin.] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of several species of Old World blood-sucking bats of the genus Megaderma .

Megadyne <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*dyne (?) , n. [ Mega- + dyne .] (Physics) One of the larger measures of force, amounting to one million dynes.

Megafarad <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*far`ad (?) , n. [ Mega- + farad .] (Elec.) One of the larger measures of electrical capacity, amounting to one million farads; a macrofarad.

Megalerg <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*lerg (?) , n. [ Megalo- + erg .] (Physics) A million ergs; a megerg.

Megalesian <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*le"sian (?) , a. [L. Megalesius , fr. Gr. Mega`lh the Great, a surname of Cybele, the Magna Mater.] Pertaining to, or in honor of, Cybele; as, the Megalesian games at Rome .

Megalethoscope <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*leth"o*scope (?) , n. [ Mega- + alethoscope .] An optical apparatus in which pictures are viewed through a large lens with stereoptical effects. It is often combined with the stereoscope.

Megalith <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*lith (?) , n. [ Mega- + -lith ; cf. F. m\'82galithe .] A large stone; especially, a large stone used in ancient building. -- Meg`a*lith"ic (#) , a.

Megalo- <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*lo- (?) . See Meg- .

Megalocyte <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*lo*cyte (?) , n. [ Megalo- + Gr. <?/ a hollow vessel.] (Physiol.) A large, flattened corpuscle, twice the diameter of the ordinary red corpuscle, found in considerable numbers in the blood in profound an\'91mia.

Megalomania <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*lo*ma"ni*a (?) , n. [NL., fr. megalo- + mania .] (Pathol.) A form of mental alienation in which the patient has grandiose delusions.

Megalonyx <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*lon"yx (?) , n. [NL., from Gr. me`gas , mega`lh , great + 'o`nyx claw.] (Paleon.) An extinct quaternary mammal, of great size, allied to the sloth.

Megalophonous <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*loph"o*nous (?) , a. [ Megalo- + Gr. fwnh` voice.] Having a loud voice.

Megalopolis <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*lop"o*lis (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. megalo`polis ; me`gas , mega`lh , great + po`lis city.] A chief city; a metropolis. [R.]

Megalops <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*lops (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. me`gas , -a`loy , large + 'w`ps eye.] (Zo\'94l.) 1. A larva, in a stage following the zo\'89a, in the development of most crabs. In this stage the legs and abdominal appendages have appeared, the abdomen is relatively long, and the eyes are large. Also used adjectively.

2. A large fish; the tarpum.

Megalopsychy <Xpage=909>

Meg`a*lop"sy*chy (?) , n. [ Megalo- + Gr. <?/ soul, mind.] Greatness of soul. [Obs. & R.]

Megalosaur, Megalosaurus <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*lo*saur` (?) , Meg`a*lo*sau"rus (?) , n. [NL. megalosaurus , fr. Gr. <?/, <?/, great + <?/ lizard: cf. F. m\'82galosaure .] (Paleon.) A gigantic carnivorous dinosaur, whose fossil remains have been found in England and elsewhere.

Megameter <Xpage=909>

Me*gam"e*ter (?) , n. [ Mega- + -meter : cf. F. m\'82gam\'8atre .] (Physics) 1. An instrument for determining longitude by observation of the stars.

2. A micrometer. [R.]

Knight.

Megameter, Megametre <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*me`ter , Meg"a*me`tre (?) , n. [ Mega- + meter , metre , n., 2.] In the metric system, one million meters, or one thousand kilometers.

Megamp\'8are <Xpage=909>

Meg`am`p\'8are" (?) , n. [ Mega- + amp\'8are .] (Elec.) A million amp\'8ares.

Megaphone <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*phone (?) , n. [ Mega- + Gr. <?/ voice.] A device to magnify sound, or direct it in a given direction in a greater volume, as a very large funnel used as an ear trumpet or as a speaking trumpet.

Megaphyton <Xpage=909>

Me*gaph"y*ton (?) , n. [NL., from Gr. me`gas great + fyto`n plant.] (Paleon.) An extinct genus of tree ferns with large, two-ranked leaves, or fronds.

Megapode <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*pode (?) , n. [ Mega- + Gr. poy`s , podo`s , foot.] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of several species of large-footed, gallinaceous birds of the genera Megapodius and Leipoa , inhabiting Australia and other Pacific islands. See Jungle fowl (b) under Jungle , and Leipoa .

Megapolis <Xpage=909>

Me*gap"o*lis (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. me`gas great + po`lis city.] A metropolis. [Obs.]

Sir T. Herbert.

Megarian, Megaric <Xpage=909>

Me*ga"ri*an (?) , Me*gar"ic (?) , a. Belonging, or pertaining, to Megara, a city of ancient Greece.

Megarian , &or; Megaric , school , a school of philosophy established at Megara, after the death of Socrates, by his disciples, and remarkable for its logical subtlety.

Megascope <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*scope (?) , n. [ Mega- + -scope : cf. F. m\'82gascope .] A modification of the magic lantern, used esp. for throwing a magnified image of an opaque object on a screen, solar or artificial light being used.

Megaseme <Xpage=909>

Meg"a*seme (?) , a. [ Mega- + Gr. <?/ sing, mark: cf. F. m\'82gas\'8ame .] (Anat.) Having the orbital index relatively large; having the orbits narrow transversely; -- opposed to microseme .

Megass, Megasse <Xpage=909>

Me"gass" (?) , Me*gasse" , n. See Bagasse .

Megasthene <Xpage=909>

Meg"as*thene (?) , n. [Gr. me`gas great + sthe`nos strength.] (Zo\'94l.) One of a group which includes the higher orders of mammals, having a large size as a typical characteristic.

Megasthenic <Xpage=909>