Chapter 966

Men"di*cant (?) , a. [L. mendicans , -antis , p. pr. of mendicare to beg, fr. mendicus beggar, indigent.] Practicing beggary; begging; living on alms; as, mendicant friars .

Mendicant orders (R. C. Ch.) , certain monastic orders which are forbidden to acquire landed property and are required to be supported by alms, esp. the Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Carmelites, and the Augustinians.

Mendicant <Xpage=912>

Men"di*cant , n. A beggar; esp., one who makes a business of begging; specifically, a begging friar.

Mendicate <Xpage=912>

Men"di*cate (?) , v. t.& i. [L. mendicatus , p. p. of mendicare to beg.] To beg. [R.]

Johnson.

Mendication <Xpage=912>

Men`di*ca"tion (?) , n. The act or practice of begging; beggary; mendicancy.

Sir T. Browne.

Mendicity <Xpage=912>

Men*dic"i*ty (?) , n. [L. mendicitas : cf. F. mendicit\'82 . See Mendicant .] The practice of begging; the life of a beggar; mendicancy.

Rom. of R.

Mendinant <Xpage=912>

Men"di*nant (?) , n. A mendicant or begging friar. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Mendment <Xpage=912>

Mend"ment (?) , n. Amendment. [Obs.]

Mendole <Xpage=912>

Men"dole (?) , n. [Cf. F. mendol , mendole .] (Zo\'94l.) The cackerel.

Mendregal <Xpage=912>

Men"dre*gal (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) Medregal.

Mends <Xpage=912>

Mends (?) , n. See Amends . [Obs.]

Shak.

Menge <Xpage=912>

Menge (?) , v. i. [ imp. Mente , Meinte ; p. p. Ment , Meint .] [See Mingle .] To mix. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Menhaden <Xpage=912>

Men*ha"den (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) An American marine fish of the Herring familt ( Brevoortia tyrannus ), chiefly valuable for its oil and as a component of fertilizers; -- called also mossbunker , bony fish , chebog , pogy , hardhead , whitefish , etc.

Menhir <Xpage=912>

Men"hir (?) , n. [F. Armor. men stone + hir high.] A large stone set upright in olden times as a memorial or monument. Many, of unknown date, are found in Brittany and throughout Northern Europe.

Menial <Xpage=912>

Men"ial (?) , a. [OE. meneal , fr. meine , maine , household, OF. maisni\'82e , maisnie , LL. mansionaticum . See Mansion , and cf. Meine , n. , Meiny .]

1. Belonging to a retinue or train of servants; performing servile office; serving.

Two menial dogs before their master pressed. Dryden.

2. Pertaining to servants, esp. domestic servants; servile; low; mean. " Menial offices."

Swift.

Menial <Xpage=912>

Men"ial , n. 1. A domestic servant or retainer, esp. one of humble rank; one employed in low or servile offices.

2. A person of a servile character or disposition.

M\'82ni\'8are's disease <Xpage=912>

M\'82`ni\'8are's" dis*ease" (?) . (Med.) A disease characterized by deafness and vertigo, resulting in inco\'94rdination of movement. It is supposed to depend upon a morbid condition of the semicircular canals of the internal ear. Named after M\'82ni\'8are , a French physician.

Menilite <Xpage=912>

Men"i*lite (?) , n. [F. m\'82nilite ; -- so called because it is found at M\'82nil montant, near Paris.] (Min.) See Opal .

Meningeal <Xpage=912>

Me*nin"ge*al (?) , a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the meninges.

Meninges <Xpage=912>

Me*nin"ges (?) , n. pl. ; sing. Meninx (<?/) . [NL., fr. Gr. <?/, <?/, a membrane.] (Anat.) The three membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord; the pia mater, dura mater, and arachnoid membrane.

Meningitis <Xpage=912>

Men`in*gi"tis (?) , n. [NL. See Meninges , and -itis .] (Med.) Inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord.

Cerebro-spinal meningitis . See under Cerebro-spinal .

Meniscal <Xpage=912>

Me*nis"cal (?) , a. Pertaining to, or having the form of, a meniscus.

Meniscoid <Xpage=912>

Me*nis"coid (?) , a. [ Meniscus + -oid .] Concavo-convex, like a meniscus.

Meniscus <Xpage=912>

Me*nis"cus (?) , n. ; pl. L. Menisci (-s\'c6) , E. Meniscuses (#) . [NL., from Gr. <?/, dim. of mh`nh the moon.] 1. A crescent.

2. (Opt.) A lens convex on one side and concave on the other.

3. (Anat.) An interarticular synovial cartilage or membrane; esp., one of the intervertebral synovial disks in some parts of the vertebral column of birds.

Converging meniscus , Diverging meniscus . See Lens .

Menispermaceous <Xpage=912>

Men`i*sper*ma"ceous (?) , a. [Gr. mh`nh the moon + spe`rma seed.] (Bot.) Pertaining to a natural order ( Menispermace&ae; ) of climbing plants of which moonseed ( Menispermum ) is the type.

Menispermic <Xpage=912>

Men`i*sper"mic (<?/) , a. Pertaining to, or obtained from, moonseed ( Menispermum ), or other plants of the same family, as the Anamirta Cocculus .

Menispermine <Xpage=912>

Men`i*sper"mine (?) , n. [Cf. F. m\'82nispermine .] (Chem.) An alkaloid distinct from picrotoxin and obtained from the cocculus indicus (the fruit of Anamirta Cocculus , formerly Menispermum Cocculus ) as a white, crystalline, tasteless powder; -- called also menispermina .

Meniver <Xpage=912>

Men"i*ver (?) , n. [OF. menuver , menuveir , menuvair , a grayish fur; menu small + vair a kind of fur. See Minute , a. , and Vair .] Same as Miniver .

Mennonist, Mennonite <Xpage=912>

Men"non*ist (?) , Men"non*ite (?) , n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of a small denomination of Christians, so called from Menno Simons of Friesland, their founder. They believe that the New Testament is the only rule of faith, that there is no original sin, that infants should not be baptized, and that Christians ought not to take oath, hold office, or render military service.

Menobranch, Menobranchus <Xpage=912>

Men"o*branch (?) , Men`o*bran"chus (?) , n. [NL. menobranchus , fr. Gr. <?/ to remain + <?/ a gill.] (Zo\'94l.) A large aquatic American salamander of the genus Necturus , having permanent external gills.

Menologium, Menology <Xpage=912>

Men`o*lo"gi*um (?) , Me*nol"o*gy (?) , n. ; pl. L. Menologia (#) , E. Menologies (#) . [NL. menologium , fr. Gr. <?/ month + <?/ discourse : cf. F. m\'82nologe .] 1. A register of months.

Bp. Stillingfleet.

2. (Gr. Church) A brief calendar of the lives of the saints for each day in the year, or a simple remembrance of those whose lives are not written.

Menopause <Xpage=912>

Men"o*pause (?) , n. [Gr. <?/ month + <?/ to cause to cease. See Menses .] (Med.) The period of natural cessation of menstruation. See Change of life , under Change .

Menopoma, Menopome <Xpage=912>

Men`o*po"ma (?) , Men"o*pome (?) , n. [NL. menopoma , fr. Gr. <?/ to remain + <?/ lid.] (Zo\'94l.) The hellbender.

Menorrhagia <Xpage=912>

Men`or*rha"gi*a (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. <?/ month + <?/ to break.] (Med.) (a) Profuse menstruation. (b) Any profuse bleeding from the uterus; Metrorrhagia.

Menostasis <Xpage=912>

Me*nos"ta*sis (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. mh`n month + 'istan`nai to stop.] (Med.) Stoppage of the mences.

Menostation <Xpage=912>

Men`os*ta"tion (?) , n. (Med.) Same as Menostasis .

Menow <Xpage=912>

Men"ow (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A minnow.

Men-pleaser <Xpage=912>

Men"-pleas`er (?) , n. One whose motive is to please men or the world, rather than God.

Eph. vi. 6.

Mensal <Xpage=912>

Men"sal (?) , a. [L. mensalis , fr. mensa table.] Belonging to the table; transacted at table; as, mensa conversation .

Mensal <Xpage=912>

Men"sal (?) , a. [L. mensis month.] Occurring once in a month; monthly.

Mense <Xpage=912>

Mense (?) , n. [OE. menske , AS. mennisc human, man. See Man .] Manliness; dignity; comeliness; civility. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] -- Mense"ful (#) , a. -- Mense"less , a.

Mense <Xpage=912>

Mense , v. t. To grace. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Menses <Xpage=912>

Men"ses (?) , n. pl. [L. mensis month, pl. menses months, and the monthly courses of women. Cf. Month .] (Med.) The catamenial or menstrual discharge, a periodic flow of blood or bloody fluid from the uterus or female generative organs.

Menstrual <Xpage=912>

Men"stru*al (?) , a. [L. menstrualis : cf. F. menstruel . See Menstruous .] 1. Recurring once a month; monthly; gone through in a month; as, the menstrual revolution of the moon ; pertaining to monthly changes; as, the menstrual equation of the sun's place .

2. Of or pertaining to the menses; as, menstrual discharges; the menstrual period.

3. Of or pertaining to a menstruum.

Bacon.

Menstruant <Xpage=912>

Men"stru*ant (?) , a. [L. menstruans , p. pr. of menstruare to have a monthly term, fr. menstruus . See Menstruous .] Subject to monthly flowing or menses.

Menstruate <Xpage=912>

Men"stru*ate (?) , a. Menstruous. [Obs.]

Menstruate <Xpage=912>

Men"stru*ate (?) , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Menstruated (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Menstruating (?) .] To discharge the menses; to have the catamenial flow.

Menstruation <Xpage=912>

Men`stru*a"tion (?) , n. The discharge of the menses; also, the state or the period of menstruating.

Menstrue <Xpage=912>

Men"strue (?) , n. [Cf. F. menstrues . See Menstruous .] The menstrual flux; menses. [Obs.]

Menstruous <Xpage=912>

Men"stru*ous (?) , a. [L. menstruus , fr. mensis month. Cf. Menstruum .] 1. Having the monthly flow or discharge; menstruating.

2. Of or pertaining tj the monthly flow; catamenial.

Menstruum <Xpage=912>

Men"stru*um (?) , n. ; pl. E. Menstruums (#) , L. Menstrua (#) . [L. menstruus . See Menstruous .] Any substance which dissolves a solid body; a solvent.

The proper menstruum to dissolve metal. Bacon.

All liquors are called menstruums which are used as dissolvents, or to extract the virtues of ingredients by infusion or decoction. Quincy.

&hand; The use is supposed to have originated in some notion of the old chemists about the influence of the moon in the preparation of dissolvents.

Johnson.

Mensurability <Xpage=912>

Men`su*ra*bil"i*ty (?) , n. [Cf. F. mensurabilit\'82 .] The quality of being mensurable.

Mensurable <Xpage=912>

Men"su*ra*ble (?) , a. [L. mensurabilis , fr. mensurare to measure, fr. mensura measure: cf. F. mensurable . See Measurable , Measure .] Capable of being measured; measurable.

Mensurableness <Xpage=912>

Men"su*ra*ble*ness , n. The quality or state of being mensurable; measurableness.

Mensural <Xpage=912>

Men"su*ral (?) , a. [L. mensuralis .] Of or pertaining to measure.

Mensurate <Xpage=912>

Men"su*rate (?) , v. t. [L. mensuratus , p. p. of mensurare . See Measure , v. ] To measure. [Obs.]

Mensuration <Xpage=912>

Men`su*ra"tion (?) , n. [L. mensuratio : cf. F. mensuration .] 1. The act, process, or art, of measuring.

2. That branch of applied geometry which gives rules for finding the length of lines, the areas of surfaces, or the volumes of solids, from certain simple data of lines and angles.

-ment <Xpage=912>

-ment (?) , [F. -ment , L. -mentum .] A suffix denoting that which does a thing; an act or process ; the result of an act or process ; state or condition ; as, ali ment , that which nourishes, orna ment , incre ment ; frag ment , piece broken, seg ment ; abridg ment , act of abridging, imprison ment , move ment , adjourn ment ; amaze ment , state of being amazed, astonish ment .

Ment <Xpage=912>

Ment (?) , p. p. of Menge .

Mentagra <Xpage=912>

Men"ta*gra (?) , n. [NL., fr. L. mentum chin + Gr. <?/ a catching.] (Med.) Sycosis.

Mental <Xpage=912>

Men"tal (?) , a. [L. mentum the chin.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the chin; genian; as, the mental nerve; the mental region.

Mental <Xpage=912>

Men"tal , n. (Zo\'94l.) A plate or scale covering the mentum or chin of a fish or reptile.

Mental <Xpage=912>

Men"tal , a. [F., fr. L. mentalis , fr. mens , mentis , the mind; akin to E. mind . See Mind .] Of or pertaining to the mind; intellectual; as, mental faculties; mental operations, conditions, or exercise.

What a mental power This eye shoots forth! Shak.

Mental alienation , insanity. -- Mental arithmetic , the art or practice of solving arithmetical problems by mental processes, unassisted by written figures.

Mentality <Xpage=912>

Men*tal"i*ty (?) , n. Quality or state of mind. "The same hard mentality ."

Emerson.

Mentally <Xpage=912>

Men"tal*ly (?) , adv. In the mind; in thought or meditation; intellectually; in idea.

Mentha <Xpage=912>

Men"tha (?) , n. [L. See Mint the plant.] (Bot.) A widely distributed genus of fragrant herbs, including the peppermint, spearmint, etc. The plants have small flowers, usually arranged in dense axillary clusters.

Menthene <Xpage=912>

Men"thene (?) , n. [ Menth ol + terp ene .] (Chem.) A colorless liquid hydrocarbon resembling oil of turpentine, obtained by dehydrating menthol. It has an agreeable odor and a cooling taste.

Menthol <Xpage=912>

Men"thol (?) , n. [ Mentha + -ol .] (Chem.) A white, crystalline, aromatic substance resembling camphor, extracted from oil of peppermint ( Mentha ); -- called also mint camphor or peppermint camphor .

Menthyl <Xpage=912>

Men"thyl (?) , n. [ Mentha + -yl .] (Chem.) A compound radical forming the base of menthol.

Menticultural <Xpage=912>

Men`ti*cul"tur*al (?) , a. Of or pertaining to mental culture; serving to improve or strengthen the mind. [R.]

Mention <Xpage=912>

Men"tion (?) , n. [OE. mencioun , F. mention , L. mentio , from the root of meminisse to remember. See Mind .] A speaking or notice of anything, -- usually in a brief or cursory manner. Used especially in the phrase to make mention of .

I will make mention of thy righteousness. Ps. lxxi. 16.

And sleep in dull, cold marble, where no mention Of me more must be heard of. Shak.

<page="913"> Page 913

Mention <Xpage=913>

Men"tion (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mentioned (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Mentioning .] [Cf. F. mentionner .] To make mention of; to speak briefly of; to name.

I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord. Is. lxiii. 7.

Mentionable <Xpage=913>

Men"tion*a*ble (?) , a. Fit to be mentioned.

Mentomeckelian <Xpage=913>

Men`to*meck*e"li*an (?) , a. [1st ment al + Meckelian .] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the chin and lower jaw. -- n. The bone or cartilage forming the anterior extremity of the lower jaw in some adult animals and the young of others.

Mentor <Xpage=913>

Men"tor (?) , n. [From Mentor , the counselor of Telemachus, Gr. <?/, prop., counselor. Cf. Monitor .] A wise and faithful counselor or monitor.

Mentorial <Xpage=913>

Men*to"ri*al (?) , a. [From Mentor .] Containing advice or admonition.

Mentum <Xpage=913>

Men"tum (?) , n. [L., chin.] (Zo\'94l.) The front median plate of the labium in insects. See Labium .

Menu <Xpage=913>

Me*nu" (?) , n. [F., slender, thin, minute. See 4th Minute .] The details of a banquet; a bill of fare.

Menuse <Xpage=913>

Me"nuse (?) , v. i. See Amenuse . [Obs.]

Meow <Xpage=913>

Me*ow" (?) , v. i. & n. See 6th and 7th Mew .

Mephistophelian <Xpage=913>

Meph`is*to*phe"li*an (? &or; ?) , a. Pertaining to, or resembling, the devil Mephistopheles, "a crafty, scoffing, relentless fiend;" devilish; crafty.

Mephitic, Mephitical <Xpage=913>

Me*phit"ic (?) , Me*phit"ic*al (?) , a. [L. mephiticus , fr. mephitis mephitis: cf. F. m\'82phitique .] 1. Tending to destroy life; poisonous; noxious; as, mephitic exhalations; mephitic regions.

2. Offensive to the smell; as, mephitic odors .

Mephitic air (Chem.) , carbon dioxide; -- so called because of its deadly suffocating power. See Carbonic acid , under Carbonic .

Mephitis <Xpage=913>

Me*phi"tis (?) , n. [L. mephitis : cf. F. m\'82phitis .] 1. Noxious, pestilential, or foul exhalations from decomposing substances, filth, or other source.

2. (Zo\'94l.) A genus of mammals, including the skunks.

Mephitism <Xpage=913>

Meph"i*tism (?) , n. Same as Mephitis , 1.

Meracious <Xpage=913>

Me*ra"cious (?) , a. [L. meracus , fr. merus pure, inmixed.] Being without mixture or adulteration; hence, strong; racy. [Obs.]

Mercable <Xpage=913>