Chapter 964

Mel`i*lot"ic (?) , a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or obtained from, sweet clover or meliot; specifically, designating an acid of the aromatic series, obtained from melilot as a white crystalline substance.

Meliorate <Xpage=910>

Mel"io*rate (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Meliorated (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Meliorating .] [L. melioratus , p. p. of meliorare to meliorate, fr. melior better; akin to Gr. <?/ rather, <?/ very. Cf. Ameliorate .] To make better; to improve; to ameliorate; to soften; to make more tolerable.

Nature by art we nobly meliorate . Denham.

The pure and bening light of revelation has had a meliorating influence on mankind. Washington.

Meliorate <Xpage=910>

Mel"io*rate , v. i. To grow better.

Meliorater <Xpage=910>

Mel"io*ra`ter (?) , n. Same as Meliorator .

Melioration <Xpage=910>

Mel`io*ra"tion (?) , n. [L. melioratio .] The act or operation of meliorating, or the state of being meliorated; improvement.

Bacon.

Meliorator <Xpage=910>

Mel"io*ra`tor (?) , n. One who meliorates.

Meliorism <Xpage=910>

Mel"io*rism (?) , n. [From L. melior better.] The doctrine that there is a tendency throughout nature toward improvement.

J. Sully.

Meliority <Xpage=910>

Mel*ior"i*ty (?) , n. [LL. melioritas , fr. L. melior . See Meliorate .] The state or quality of being better; melioration. [Obs.]

Bacon.

Meliphagan <Xpage=910>

Me*liph"a*gan (?) , a. [Gr. me`li honey + <?/ to eat.] (Zo\'94l.) Belonging to the genus Meliphaga .

Meliphagan <Xpage=910>

Me*liph"a*gan , n. (Zo\'94l.) Any bird of the genus Meliphaga and allied genera; a honey eater; -- called also meliphagidan .

Meliphagous <Xpage=910>

Me*liph"a*gous (?) , a. [See Meliphagan .] (Zool.) Eating, or feeding upon, honey.

Melisma <Xpage=910>

Me*lis"ma (?) , n. ; pl. Melismata (#) . [NL., fr. Gr. <?/ a song.] (Mus.) (a) A piece of melody; a song or tune, -- as opposed to recitative or musical declamation. (b) A grace or embellishment.

Melissa <Xpage=910>

Me*lis"sa (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. me`lissa a bee, honey.] (Bot.) A genus of labiate herbs, including the balm, or bee balm ( Melissa officinalis ).

Melissic <Xpage=910>

Me*lis"sic (?) , a. [Gr. me`lissa a bee, honey.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, beeswax; specif., denoting an acid obtained by oxidation of myricin.

Melissyl <Xpage=910>

Me*lis"syl (?) , n. [ Meliss ic + yl .] (Chem.) See Myricyl .

Melissylene <Xpage=910>

Me*lis"sy*lene (?) , n. [ Meliss ic + -yl + -ene .] (Chem.) See Melene .

Melitose <Xpage=910>

Mel"i*tose` (?) , n. [Gr. me`li honey.] (Chem.) A variety of sugar isomeric with sucrose, extracted from cotton seeds and from the so-called Australian manna (a secretion of certain species of Eucalyptus).

Mell <Xpage=910>

Mell (?) , v. i. & t. [F. m\'88ler , OF. meller , mester . See Meddle .] To mix; to meddle. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Mell <Xpage=910>

Mell , n. [See Mellifluous .] Honey. [Obs.]

Warner.

Mell <Xpage=910>

Mell , n. A mill. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Mellate <Xpage=910>

Mel"late (?) , n. [L. mel , mellis , honey. Cf. Mellitate .] (Chem.) A mellitate. [R.]

Mellay <Xpage=910>

Mel"lay (?) , n. A m\'88l\'82e; a conflict.

Tennyson.

Mellic <Xpage=910>

Mel"lic (?) , a. (Chem.) See Mellitic . [R.]

Melliferous <Xpage=910>

Mel*lif"er*ous (?) , a. [L. mellifer ; mel , mellis , honey + ferre to bear.] Producing honey.

Mellific <Xpage=910>

Mel*lif"ic (?) , a. [L. mel , mellis , honey + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See -fy .] Producing honey.

Mellification <Xpage=910>

Mel`li*fi*ca"tion (?) , n. [L. mellificare to make honey: cf. F. mellification . See Mellific .] The making or production of honey.

Mellifluence <Xpage=910>

Mel*lif"lu*ence (?) , n. A flow of sweetness, or a sweet, smooth flow.

Mellifluent <Xpage=910>

Mel*lif"lu*ent (?) , a. [L. mellifluens . See Mellifluous .] Flowing as with honey; smooth; mellifluous.

Mellifluently <Xpage=910>

Mel*lif"lu*ent*ly , adv. In a mellifluent manner.

Mellifluous <Xpage=910>

Mel*lif"lu*ous (?) , a. [L. mellifluus ; mel , mellis , honey (akin to Gr. <?/, Goth. milip ) + fluere to flow. See Mildew , Fluent , and cf. Marmalade .] Flowing as with honey; smooth; flowing sweetly or smoothly; as, a mellifluous voice . -- Mel*lif"lu*ous*ly , adv.

Melligenous <Xpage=910>

Mel*lig"e*nous (?) , a. [L. mel , mellis + -genous .] Having the qualities of honey. [R.]

Melligo <Xpage=910>

Mel*li"go (?) , n. [L.] Honeydew.

Melliloquent <Xpage=910>

Mel*lil"o*quent (?) , a. [L. mel , mellis honey + loquens speaking, p. pr. of loqui to speak.] Speaking sweetly or harmoniously.

Melliphagan <Xpage=910>

Mel*liph"a*gan (?) , n. See Meliphagan .

Melliphagous <Xpage=910>

Mel*liph"a*gous (?) , a. See Meliphagous .

Mellitate <Xpage=910>

Mel"li*tate (?) , n. [Cf. F. mellitate . See Mellitic .] (Chem.) A salt of mellitic acid.

Mellite <Xpage=910>

Mel"lite (?) , n. [L. mel , mellis , honey: cf. F. mellite .] (Min.) A mineral of a honey color, found in brown coal, and partly the result of vegetable decomposition; honeystone. It is a mellitate of alumina.

Mellitic <Xpage=910>

Mel*lit"ic (?) , a. [Cf. F. mellitique . See Mellite .] (Chem.) (a) Containing saccharine matter; marked by saccharine secretions; as, mellitic diabetes . (b) Pertaining to, or derived from, the mineral mellite.

Mellitic acid (Chem.) , a white, crystalline, organic substance, C6(CO2H)6 , occurring naturally in combination with aluminium in the mineral mellite, and produced artificially by the oxidation of coal, graphite, etc., and hence called also graphitic acid .

Mellone <Xpage=910>

Mel"lone (?) , n. (Chem.) A yellow powder, C6H3N9 , obtained from certain sulphocyanates. It has acid properties and forms compounds called mellonides .

Mellonide <Xpage=910>

Mel"lon*ide (?) , n. See Mellone .

Mellow <Xpage=910>

Mel"low (?) , a. [ Compar. Mellower (?) ; superl. Mellowest .] [OE. melwe ; cf. AS. mearu soft, D. murw , Prov. G. mollig soft, D. malsch , and E. meal flour.]

1. Soft or tender by reason of ripeness; having a tender pulp; as, a mellow apple .

2. Hence: (a) Easily worked or penetrated; not hard or rigid; as, a mellow soil . " Mellow glebe." Drayton (b) Not coarse, rough, or harsh; subdued; soft; rich; delicate; -- said of sound, color, flavor, style, etc. "The mellow horn." Wordsworth . "The mellow -tasted Burgundy." Thomson .

The tender flush whose mellow stain imbues Heaven with all freaks of light. Percival.

3. Well matured; softened by years; genial; jovial.

May health return to mellow age. Wordsworth.

As merry and mellow an old bachelor as ever followed a hound. W. Irving.

4. Warmed by liquor; slightly intoxicated.

Addison.

Mellow <Xpage=910>

Mel"low , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mellowed (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Mellowing .] To make mellow.

Shak.

If the Weather prove frosty to mellow it [the ground], they do not plow it again till April. Mortimer.

The fervor of early feeling is tempered and mellowed by the ripeness of age. J. C. Shairp.

Mellow <Xpage=910>

Mel"low , v. i. To become mellow; as, ripe fruit soon mellows . "Prosperity begins to mellow ."

Shak.

Mellowly <Xpage=910>

Mel"low*ly , adv. In a mellow manner.

Mellowness <Xpage=910>

Mel"low*ness , n. Quality or state of being mellow.

Mellowy <Xpage=910>

Mel"low*y (?) , a. Soft; unctuous.

Drayton.

Melluco <Xpage=910>

Mel*lu"co (?) , n. (Bot.) A climbing plant ( Ullucus officinalis ) of the Andes, having tuberous roots which are used as a substitute for potatoes.

Melne <Xpage=910>

Mel"ne (?) , n. A mill. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Melocoton, Melocotoon <Xpage=910>

Mel`o*co*ton" , Mel`o*co*toon" (?) , n. [Sp. melocoton a kind of peach tree and its fruit, L. malum cotonium , or cotonea , or Cydonia , a quince, or quince tree, lit., apple of Cydonia , Gr. <?/ <?/. See Quince .] (Bot.) (a) A quince. (b) A kind of peach having one side deep red, and the flesh yellow. [Written also malacatoon , malacotune .]

Melodeon <Xpage=910>

Me*lo"de*on (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. <?/ musical. See Melody , and cf. Odeon .]

1. (Mus.) A kind of small reed organ; -- a portable form of the seraphine.

2. A music hall.

Melodic <Xpage=910>

Me*lod"ic (?) , a. [L. melodicus , Gr. <?/: cf. F. m\'82lodique .] Of the nature of melody; relating to, containing, or made up of, melody; melodious.

Melodics <Xpage=910>

Me*lod"ics (?) , n. The department of musical science which treats of the pitch of tones, and of the laws of melody.

Melodiograph <Xpage=910>

Me*lo"di*o*graph (?) , n. [ Melody + -graph .] A contrivance for preserving a record of music, by recording the action of the keys of a musical instrument when played upon.

Melodious <Xpage=910>

Me*lo"di*ous (?) , a. [Cf. F. m\'82lodieux . See Melody .] Containing, or producing, melody; musical; agreeable to the ear by a sweet succession of sounds; as, a melodious voice . "A melodious voice." "A melodious undertone." Longfellow . -- Me*lo"di*ous*ly , adv. -- Me*lo"di*ous*ness , n.

Melodist <Xpage=910>

Mel"o*dist (?) , n. [Cf. F. m\'82lodiste .] A composer or singer of melodies.

Melodize <Xpage=910>

Mel"o*dize (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Melodized (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Melodizing (?) .] To make melodious; to form into, or set to, melody.

Melodize <Xpage=910>

Mel"o*dize , v. i. To make melody; to compose melodies; to harmonize.

Melodrama <Xpage=910>

Mel`o*dra"ma (?) , n. [F. m\'82lodrame , fr. Gr. <?/ song + <?/ drama.] Formerly, a kind of drama having a musical accompaniment to intensify the effect of certain scenes. Now, a drama abounding in romantic sentiment and agonizing situations, with a musical accompaniment only in parts which are especially thrilling or pathetic. In opera, a passage in which the orchestra plays a somewhat descriptive accompaniment, while the actor speaks; as, the melodrama in the gravedigging scene of Beethoven's "Fidelio" .

Melodramatic <Xpage=910>

Mel`o*dra*mat"ic (?) , a. [Cf. F. m\'82lodramatique .] Of or pertaining to melodrama; like or suitable to a melodrama; unnatural in situation or action. -- Mel`o*dra*mat"ic*al*ly (#) , adv.

Melodramatist <Xpage=910>

Mel`o*dram"a*tist (?) , n. One who acts in, or writes, melodramas.

Melodrame <Xpage=910>

Mel"o*drame (?) , n. [F.] Melodrama.

Melody <Xpage=910>

Mel"o*dy (?) , n. ; pl. Melodies (#) . [OE. melodie , F. m\'82lodie , L. melodia , fr. Gr. <?/ a singing, choral song, fr. <?/ musical, melodious; <?/ song, tune + <?/ song. See Ode .]

1. A sweet or agreeable succession of sounds.

Lulled with sound of sweetest melody . Shak.

2. (Mus.) A rhythmical succession of single tones, ranging for the most part within a given key, and so related together as to form a musical whole, having the unity of what is technically called a musical thought, at once pleasing to the ear and characteristic in expression.

&hand; Melody consists in a succession of single tones; harmony is a consonance or agreement of tones, also a succession of consonant musical combinations or chords.

3. The air or tune of a musical piece.

Syn. -- See Harmony .

Meloe <Xpage=910>

Mel"o*e (?) , [ NL., fr. Gr. <?/ to probe a wound.] (Zo\'94l.) A genus of beetles without wings, but having short oval elytra; the oil beetles. These beetles are sometimes used instead of cantharides for raising blisters. See Oil beetle , under Oil .

<page="911"> Page 911

Melograph <Xpage=911>

Mel"o*graph (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ a song + -graph : cf. F. m\'82lographe .] Same as Melodiograph .

Melolonthidian <Xpage=911>

Mel`o*lon*thid"i*an (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ the cockchafer.] (Zo\'94l.) A beetle of the genus Melolontha , and allied genera. See May beetle , under May .

Melon <Xpage=911>

Mel"on (?) , n. [F., fr. L. melo , for melopepo an apple-shaped melon, Gr. <?/ ; <?/ apple + <?/ a species of large melon; cf. L. malum apple. Cf. Marmalade .]

1. (Bot.) The juicy fruit of certain cucurbitaceous plants, as the muskmelon, watermelon, and citron melon; also, the plant that produces the fruit.

2. (Zo\'94l.) A large, ornamental, marine, univalve shell of the genus Melo .

Melon beetle (Zo\'94l.) , a small leaf beetle ( Diabrotiea vittata ), which damages the leaves of melon vines. -- Melon cactus , Melon thistle . (a) (Bot.) A genus of cactaceous plants ( Melocactus ) having a fleshy and usually globose stem with the surface divided into spiny longitudinal ridges, and bearing at the top a prickly and woolly crown in which the small pink flowers are half concealed . M. communis , from the West Indies, is often cultivated, and sometimes called Turk's cap . (b) The related genus Mamillaria , in which the stem is tubercled rather than ribbed, and the flowers sometimes large. See Illust . under Cactus .

Melopiano <Xpage=911>

Mel`o*pi*a"no (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ song + E. piano .] A piano having a mechanical attachment which enables the player to prolong the notes at will.

Meloplastic <Xpage=911>

Mel`o*plas"tic (?) , a. Of or pertaining to meloplasty, or the artificial formation of a new cheek.

Meloplasty <Xpage=911>

Mel"o*plas`ty (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ an apple, a cheek + -plasty : cf. F. m\'82loplastie .] (Surg.) The process of restoring a cheek which has been destroyed wholly or in part.

Melop</ia <Xpage=911>

Mel`o*p<?/"ia (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. <?/; <?/; song + <?/ to make.] (Mus.) The art of forming melody; melody; -- now often used for a melodic passage, rather than a complete melody.

Melotype <Xpage=911>

Mel"o*type (?) , n. (Photog.) A picture produced by a process in which development after exposure may be deferred indefinitely, so as to permit transportation of exposed plates; also, the process itself.

Melpomene <Xpage=911>

Mel*pom"e*ne (?) , n. [L., fr. Gr. <?/, lit., the songstress, fr. <?/, <?/, to sing.]

1. (Class. Myth.) The Muse of tragedy.

2. (Astron.) The eighteenth asteroid.

Melrose <Xpage=911>

Mel"rose (?) , n. Honey of roses.

Melt <Xpage=911>

Melt (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) See 2d Milt .

Melt <Xpage=911>

Melt , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Melted (obs.) p. p. Molten (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Melting .] [AS. meltan ; akin to Gr. <?/, E. malt , and prob. to E. smelt , v. <?/. Cf. Smelt , v. , Malt , Milt the spleen.] 1. To reduce from a solid to a liquid state, as by heat; to liquefy; as, to mell wax, tallow, or lead; to melt ice or snow.

2. Hence: To soften, as by a warming or kindly influence; to relax; to render gentle or susceptible to mild influences; sometimes, in a bad sense, to take away the firmness of; to weaken.

Thou would'st have . . . melted down thy youth. Shak.

For pity melts the mind to love. Dryden.

Syn. -- To liquefy; fuse; thaw; mollify; soften.

Melt <Xpage=911>

Melt , v. i. 1. To be changed from a solid to a liquid state under the influence of heat; as, butter and wax melt at moderate temperatures .

2. To dissolve; as, sugar melts in the mouth .

3. Hence: To be softened; to become tender, mild, or gentle; also, to be weakened or subdued, as by fear.

My soul melteth for heaviness. Ps. cxix. 28.

Melting with tenderness and kind compassion. Shak.

4. To lose distinct form or outline; to blend.

The soft, green, rounded hills, with their flowing outlines, overlapping and melting into each other. J. C. Shairp.

5. To disappear by being dispersed or dissipated; as, the fog melts away .

Shak.

Meltable <Xpage=911>

Melt"a*ble (?) , a. Capable of being melted.

Melter <Xpage=911>

Melt"er (?) , One who, or that which, melts.

Melting <Xpage=911>

Melt"ing , n. Liquefaction; the act of causing (something) to melt, or the process of becoming melted.

Melting point (Chem.) , the degree of temperature at which a solid substance melts or fuses; as, the melting point of ice is 0&deg; Centigrade or 32&deg; Fahr., that of urea is 132&deg; Centigrade . -- Melting pot , a vessel in which anything is melted; a crucible.

Melting <Xpage=911>

Melt"ing a. Causing to melt; becoming melted; -- used literally or figuratively; as, a melting heat; a melting appeal; a melting mood . -- Melt"ing*ly , adv .