Chapter 10

A*cer"ic (&?;), a. [L. acer maple.] Pertaining to, or obtained from, the maple; as, aceric acid. Ure.

Ac"er*ose` (&?;), a. [(a) L. acerosus chaffy, fr. acus, gen. aceris, chaff; (b) as if fr. L. acus needle: cf. F. acéreux.] (Bot.) (a) Having the nature of chaff; chaffy. (b) Needle-shaped, having a sharp, rigid point, as the leaf of the pine.

Ac"er*ous (&?;), a. Same as Acerose.

Ac"er*ous, a. [Gr. α priv. + ke`ras a horn.] (Zoöl.) (a) Destitute of tentacles, as certain mollusks. (b) Without antennæ, as some insects.

A*cer"val (&?;), a. [L. acervalis, fr. acervus heap.] Pertaining to a heap. [Obs.]

A*cer"vate (&?;), v. t. [L. acervatus, p. p. of acervare to heap up, fr. acervus heap.] To heap up. [Obs.]

A*cer"vate (&?;), a. Heaped, or growing in heaps, or closely compacted clusters.

Ac`er*va"tion (&?;), n. [L. acervatio.] A heaping up; accumulation. [R.] Johnson.

A*cer"va*tive (&?;), a. Heaped up; tending to heap up.

A*cer"vose (&?;), a. Full of heaps. [R.] Bailey.

A*cer"vu*line (&?;), a. Resembling little heaps.

{ A*ces"cence (&?;), A*ces"cen*cy (&?;), } n. [Cf. F. acescence. See Acescent.] The quality of being acescent; the process of acetous fermentation; a moderate degree of sourness. Johnson.

A*ces"cent (&?;), a. [L. acescens, -entis, p. pr. of acescere to turn sour; inchoative of acere to be sour: cf. F. acescent. See Acid.] Turning sour; readily becoming tart or acid; slightly sour. Faraday.

A*ces"cent, n. A substance liable to become sour.

Ac"e*ta*ble (&?;), n. An acetabulum; or about one eighth of a pint. [Obs.] Holland.

Ac`e*tab"u*lar (&?;), a. Cup-shaped; saucer-shaped; acetabuliform.

||Ac`e*tab`u*lif"e*ra (&?;), n. pl. [NL. See Acetabuliferous.] (Zoöl.) The division of Cephalopoda in which the arms are furnished with cup-shaped suckers, as the cuttlefishes, squids, and octopus; the Dibranchiata. See Cephalopoda.

Ac`e*tab`u*lif"er*ous (&?;), a. [L. acetablum a little cup + -ferous.] Furnished with fleshy cups for adhering to bodies, as cuttlefish, etc.

Ac`e*tab"u*li*form (&?;), a. [L. acetabulum + -form.] (Bot.) Shaped like a shallow cup; saucer-shaped; as, an acetabuliform calyx. Gray.

||Ac`e*tab"u*lum (&?;), n. [L., a little saucer for vinegar, fr. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A vinegar cup; socket of the hip bone; a measure of about one eighth of a pint, etc.

2. (Anat.) (a) The bony cup which receives the head of the thigh bone. (b) The cavity in which the leg of an insect is inserted at its articulation with the body. (c) A sucker of the sepia or cuttlefish and related animals. (d) The large posterior sucker of the leeches. (e) One of the lobes of the placenta in ruminating animals.

Ac"e*tal (&?;), n. [Acetic + alcohol.] (Chem.) A limpid, colorless, inflammable liquid from the slow oxidation of alcohol under the influence of platinum black.

Ac`et*al"de*hyde (&?;), n. Acetic aldehyde. See Aldehyde.

Ac`et*am"ide (&?;), n. [Acetyl + amide.] (Chem.) A white crystalline solid, from ammonia by replacement of an equivalent of hydrogen by acetyl.

Ac`et*an"i*lide (&?;), n. [Acetyl + anilide.] (Med.) A compound of aniline with acetyl, used to allay fever or pain; -- called also antifebrine.

Ac`e*ta"ri*ous (&?;), a. [L. acetaria, n. pl., salad, fr. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.] Used in salads; as, acetarious plants.

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Ac"e*ta*ry (&?;), n. [L. acetaria salad plants.] An acid pulp in certain fruits, as the pear. Grew.

Ac"e*tate (&?;), n. [L. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.] (Chem.) A salt formed by the union of acetic acid with a base or positive radical; as, acetate of lead, acetate of potash.

Ac"e*ta`ted (&?;), a. Combined with acetic acid.

A*ce"tic (#; 277), a. [L. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.] (Chem.) (a) Of a pertaining to vinegar; producing vinegar; producing vinegar; as, acetic fermentation. (b) Pertaining to, containing, or derived from, acetyl, as acetic ether, acetic acid. The latter is the acid to which the sour taste of vinegar is due.

A*cet`i*fi*ca"tion (&?;), n. The act of making acetous or sour; the process of converting, or of becoming converted, into vinegar.

A*cet"i*fi`er (&?;), n. An apparatus for hastening acetification. Knight.

A*cet"i*fy (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acetified (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Acetifying (&?;).] [L. acetum vinegar + -fly.] To convert into acid or vinegar.

A*cet"i*fy, v. i. To turn acid. Encyc. Dom. Econ.

Ac`e*tim"e*ter (&?;), n. [L. acetum vinegar + -meter: cf. F. acétimètre.] An instrument for estimating the amount of acetic acid in vinegar or in any liquid containing acetic acid.

Ac`e*tim"e*try (&?;), n. The act or method of ascertaining the strength of vinegar, or the proportion of acetic acid contained in it. Ure.

Ac"e*tin (&?;), n. (Chem.) A combination of acetic acid with glycerin. Brande & C.

Ac"e*tize (&?;), v. i. To acetify. [R.]

Ac`e*tom"e*ter (&?;), n. Same as Acetimeter. Brande & C.

Ac"e*tone (&?;), n. [See Acetic.] (Chem.) A volatile liquid consisting of three parts of carbon, six of hydrogen, and one of oxygen; pyroacetic spirit, -- obtained by the distillation of certain acetates, or by the destructive distillation of citric acid, starch, sugar, or gum, with quicklime.

The term in also applied to a number of bodies of similar constitution, more frequently called ketones. See Ketone.

Ac`e*ton"ic (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to acetone; as, acetonic bodies.

Ac"e*tose (&?;), a. Sour like vinegar; acetous.

Ac`e*tos"i*ty (&?;), n. [LL. acetositas. See Acetous.] The quality of being acetous; sourness.

A*ce"tous (#; 277), a. [L. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour.] 1. Having a sour taste; sour; acid. "An acetous spirit." Boyle. "A liquid of an acetous kind." Bp. Lowth.

2. Causing, or connected with, acetification; as, acetous fermentation.

Acetous acid, a name formerly given to vinegar.

Ac"e*tyl (&?;), n. [L. acetum vinegar + Gr. &?; substance. See -yl.] (Chem.) A complex, hypothetical radical, composed of two parts of carbon to three of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Its hydroxide is acetic acid.

A*cet"y*lene (&?;), n. (Chem.) A gaseous compound of carbon and hydrogen, in the proportion of two atoms of the former to two of the latter. It is a colorless gas, with a peculiar, unpleasant odor, and is produced for use as an illuminating gas in a number of ways, but chiefly by the action of water on calcium carbide. Its light is very brilliant. Watts.

{ Ach, Ache } (&?;), n. [F. ache, L. apium parsley.] A name given to several species of plants; as, smallage, wild celery, parsley. [Obs.] Holland.

{ A*chæ"an (&?;), A*cha"ian (&?;) } a. [L. Achaeus, Achaius; Gr. &?;.] Of or pertaining to Achaia in Greece; also, Grecian. -- n. A native of Achaia; a Greek.

||A*char"ne*ment (&?;), n. [F.] Savage fierceness; ferocity.

Ach"ate (&?;), n. An agate. [Obs.] Evelyn.

A*chate" (&?;), n. [F. achat purchase. See Cates.] 1. Purchase; bargaining. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. pl. Provisions. Same as Cates. [Obs.] Spenser.

||Ach`a*ti"na (&?;), n. [NL., from Gr. &?; agate.] (Zoöl.) A genus of land snails, often large, common in the warm parts of America and Africa.

A*cha*tour" (&?;), n. [See Cater.] Purveyor; acater. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ache (&?;), n. [OE. ache, AS. æce, ece, fr. acan to ache. See Ache, v. i.] Continued pain, as distinguished from sudden twinges, or spasmodic pain. "Such an ache in my bones." Shak.

Often used in composition, as, a headache, an earache, a toothache.

Ache (&?;), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ached (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Aching (&?;).] [OE. aken, AS. acan, both strong verbs, AS. acan, imp. c, p. p. acen, to ache; perh. orig. to drive, and akin to agent.] To suffer pain; to have, or be in, pain, or in continued pain; to be distressed. "My old bones ache." Shak.

The sins that in your conscience ache. Keble.

A*che"an (&?;), a. & n. See Achæan, Achaian.

{ A*chene" (&?;), A*che"ni*um (&?;) } n. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?; to gape.] (Bot.) A small, dry, indehiscent fruit, containing a single seed, as in the buttercup; -- called a naked seed by the earlier botanists. [Written also akene and achænium.]

A*che"ni*al (&?;), a. Pertaining to an achene.

Ach"e*ron (&?;), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.] (Myth.) A river in the Nether World or infernal regions; also, the infernal regions themselves. By some of the English poets it was supposed to be a flaming lake or gulf. Shak.

Ach`e*ron"tic (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to Acheron; infernal; hence, dismal, gloomy; moribund.

A*chiev"a*ble (&?;), a. Capable of being achieved. Barrow.

A*chiev"ance (&?;), n. [Cf. OF. achevance.] Achievement. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.

A*chieve" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Achieved (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Achieving (&?;).] [OE. acheven, OF. achever, achiever, F. achever, to finish; à (L. ad) + OF. chief, F. chef, end, head, fr. L. caput head. See Chief.] 1. To carry on to a final close; to bring out into a perfected state; to accomplish; to perform; -- as, to achieve a feat, an exploit, an enterprise.

Supposing faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it. I. Taylor.

2. To obtain, or gain, as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness. Shak.

Thou hast achieved our liberty. Milton.

[[Obs]., with a material thing as the aim.]

Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved. Prior.

He hath achieved a maid That paragons description. Shak.

3. To finish; to kill. [Obs.] Shak.

Syn. -- To accomplish; effect; fulfill; complete; execute; perform; realize; obtain. See Accomplish.

A*chieve"ment (-ment), n. [Cf. F. achèvement, E. Hatchment.] 1. The act of achieving or performing; an obtaining by exertion; successful performance; accomplishment; as, the achievement of his object.

2. A great or heroic deed; something accomplished by valor, boldness, or praiseworthy exertion; a feat.

[The exploits] of the ancient saints . . . do far surpass the most famous achievements of pagan heroes. Barrow.

The highest achievements of the human intellect. Macaulay.

3. (Her.) An escutcheon or ensign armorial; now generally applied to the funeral shield commonly called hatchment. Cussans.

A*chiev"er (&?;), n. One who achieves; a winner.

Ach`il*le"an (&?;), a. Resembling Achilles, the hero of the Iliad; invincible.

A*chil"les' ten"don (&?;), n. [L. Achillis tendo.] (Anat.) The strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, an inserted into the bone of the heel; -- so called from the mythological account of Achilles being held by the heel when dipped in the River Styx.

A*chi"lous (&?;), a. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?; lip.] (Bot.) Without a lip.

Ach"ing (&?;), a. That aches; continuously painful. See Ache. -- Ach"ing*ly, adv.

The aching heart, the aching head. Longfellow.

||A`chi*o"te (&?;), n. [Sp. achiote, fr. Indian achiotl.] Seeds of the annotto tree; also, the coloring matter, annotto.

A*chlam"y*date (&?;), a. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?;. &?;. a short cloak.] (Zoöl.) Not possessing a mantle; -- said of certain gastropods.

Ach`la*myd"e*ous (&?;), a. (Bot.) Naked; having no floral envelope, neither calyx nor corolla.

||A*cho"li*a (&?;), n. [NL., from Gr. &?;; 'a priv. + &?; bile.] (Med.) Deficiency or want of bile.

Ach"o*lous (&?;), a. (Med.) Lacking bile.

Ach`ro*mat"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; colorless; 'a priv. + &?;, &?;, color: cf. F. achromatique.] 1. (Opt.) Free from color; transmitting light without decomposing it into its primary colors.

2. (Biol.) Uncolored; not absorbing color from a fluid; -- said of tissue.

Achromatic lens (Opt.), a lens composed usually of two separate lenses, a convex and concave, of substances having different refractive and dispersive powers, as crown and flint glass, with the curvatures so adjusted that the chromatic aberration produced by the one is corrected by other, and light emerges from the compound lens undecomposed. -- Achromatic prism. See Prism. -- Achromatic telescope, or microscope, one in which the chromatic aberration is corrected, usually by means of a compound or achromatic object glass, and which gives images free from extraneous color.

Ach`ro*mat"ic*al*ly (&?;), adv. In an achromatic manner.

Ach`ro*ma*tic"i*ty (&?;), n. Achromatism.

A*chro"ma*tin (&?;), n. (Biol.) Tissue which is not stained by fluid dyes. W. Flemming.

A*chro"ma*tism (&?;), n. [Cf. F. achromatisme.] The state or quality of being achromatic; as, the achromatism of a lens; achromaticity. Nichol.

A*chro`ma*ti*za"tion (&?;), n. [Cf. F. achromatisation.] The act or process of achromatizing.

A*chro"ma*tize (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Achromatized (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Achromatizing (&?;).] [Gr. 'a priv. + &?; color.] To deprive of color; to make achromatic.

A*chro"ma*top"sy (&?;), n. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?; color + &?; sight.] Color blindness; inability to distinguish colors; Daltonism.

A*chron"ic (&?;), a. See Acronyc.

Ach`ro*ö*dex"trin (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; colorless + E. dextrin.] (Physiol. Chem.) Dextrin not colorable by iodine. See Dextrin.

Ach"ro*ous (&?;), a. [Gr. &?;; 'a priv. + &?; color.] Colorless; achromatic.

A*chy"lous (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; without juice.] (Physiol.) Without chyle.

A*chy"mous (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; without juice.] (Physiol.) Without chyme.

||A*cic"u*la (&?;), n.; pl. Aciculæ (&?;). [L., a small needle, dimin. of acus needle.] (Nat. Hist.) One of the needlelike or bristlelike spines or prickles of some animals and plants; also, a needlelike crystal.

A*cic"u*lar (&?;), a. Needle-shaped; slender like a needle or bristle, as some leaves or crystals; also, having sharp points like needles.

A*cic"u*lar*ly, adv..

{ A*cic"u*late (&?;), A*cic"u*la"ted (&?;) } a. (Nat. Hist.) (a) Furnished with aciculæ. (b) Acicular. (c) Marked with fine irregular streaks as if scratched by a needle. Lindley.

A*cic"u*li*form (&?;), a. [L. acicula needle + -form.] Needle-shaped; acicular.

A*cic"u*lite (&?;), n. (Min.) Needle ore. Brande & C.

Ac"id (&?;), a. [L. acidus sour, fr. the root ak to be sharp: cf. F. acide. Cf. Acute.] 1. Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as, acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour- tempered.

He was stern and his face as acid as ever. A. Trollope.

2. Of or pertaining to an acid; as, acid reaction.

Ac"id, n. 1. A sour substance.

2. (Chem.) One of a class of compounds, generally but not always distinguished by their sour taste, solubility in water, and reddening of vegetable blue or violet colors. They are also characterized by the power of destroying the distinctive properties of alkalies or bases, combining with them to form salts, at the same time losing their own peculiar properties. They all contain hydrogen, united with a more negative element or radical, either alone, or more generally with oxygen, and take their names from this negative element or radical. Those which contain no oxygen are sometimes called hydracids in distinction from the others which are called oxygen acids or oxacids.

In certain cases, sulphur, selenium, or tellurium may take the place of oxygen, and the corresponding compounds are called respectively sulphur acids or sulphacids, selenium acids, or tellurium acids. When the hydrogen of an acid is replaced by a positive element or radical, a salt is formed, and hence acids are sometimes named as salts of hydrogen; as hydrogen nitrate for nitric acid, hydrogen sulphate for sulphuric acid, etc. In the old chemistry the name acid was applied to the oxides of the negative or nonmetallic elements, now sometimes called anhydrides.

A*cid"ic (&?;), a. (Min.) Containing a high percentage of silica; -- opposed to basic.

Ac`id*if"er*ous (&?;), a. [L. acidus sour + -ferous.] Containing or yielding an acid.

A*cid"i*fi`a*ble (&?;), a. Capable of being acidified, or converted into an acid.

Ac`id*if"ic (&?;), a. Producing acidity; converting into an acid. Dana.

A*cid`i*fi*ca"tion (&?;), n. [Cf. F. acidification.] The act or process of acidifying, or changing into an acid.

A*cid"i*fi`er (&?;), n. (Chem.) A simple or compound principle, whose presence is necessary to produce acidity, as oxygen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, etc.

A*cid"i*fy (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acidified (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Acidifying (&?;).] [L. acidus sour, acid + -fy: cf. F. acidifier.] 1. To make acid; to convert into an acid; as, to acidify sugar.

2. To sour; to imbitter.

His thin existence all acidified into rage. Carlyle.

Ac`id*im"e*ter (&?;), n. [L. acidus acid + -meter.] (Chem.) An instrument for ascertaining the strength of acids. Ure.

Ac`id*im"e*try (&?;), n. [L. acidus acid + -metry.] (Chem.) The measurement of the strength of acids, especially by a chemical process based on the law of chemical combinations, or the fact that, to produce a complete reaction, a certain definite weight of reagent is required. -- Ac`id*i*met"ric*al (&?;), a.

A*cid"i*ty (&?;), n. [L. acidites, fr. acidus: cf. F. acidité. See Acid.] The quality of being sour; sourness; tartness; sharpness to the taste; as, the acidity of lemon juice.

Ac"id*ly (&?;), adv. Sourly; tartly.

Ac"id*ness (&?;), n. Acidity; sourness.

A*cid"u*late (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acidulated (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Acidulating (&?;).] [Cf. F. aciduler. See Acidulous.] To make sour or acid in a moderate degree; to sour somewhat. Arbuthnot.

A*cid"u*lent (&?;), a. Having an acid quality; sour; acidulous. "With anxious, acidulent face." Carlyle.

A*cid"u*lous (&?;), a. [L. acidulus, dim. of acidus. See Acid.] Slightly sour; sub-acid; sourish; as, an acidulous tincture. E. Burke.

Acidulous mineral waters, such as contain carbonic anhydride.

Ac`i*er*age (&?;), n. [F. aciérage, fr. acier steel.] The process of coating the surface of a metal plate (as a stereotype plate) with steellike iron by means of voltaic electricity; steeling.

Ac"i*form (&?;), a. [L. acus needle + -form.] Shaped like a needle.

Ac"i*na"ceous (&?;), a. [L. acinus a grape, grapestone.] (Bot.) Containing seeds or stones of grapes, or grains like them.

||A*cin"a*ces (&?;), n. [L., from Gr. &?;.] (Anc. Hist.) A short sword or saber.

Ac`i*nac"i*form (s`*ns"*fôrm), a. [L. acinaces a short sword + -form: cf. F. acinaciforme.] (Bot.) Scimeter-shaped; as, an acinaciform leaf.

||Ac`i*ne"si*a (s`*n"s*), n. (Med.) Same as Akinesia.

||Ac`i*ne"tæ (s`*n"t), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. 'akinhtos immovable.] (Zoöl.) A group of suctorial Infusoria, which in the adult stage are stationary. See Suctoria.

Ac`i*net"i*form (&?;), a. [Acinetæ + -form.] (Zoöl.) Resembling the Acinetæ.

A*cin"i*form (&?;), a. [L. acinus a grape, grapestone + -form: cf. F. acinoforme.] 1. Having the form of a cluster of grapes; clustered like grapes.

2. Full of small kernels like a grape.

{ Ac"i*nose` (&?;), Ac"i*nous (&?;) } a. [L. acinosus, fr. acinus grapestone.] Consisting of acini, or minute granular concretions; as, acinose or acinous glands. Kirwan.

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||Ac"i*nus (&?;), n.; pl. Acini (&?;). [L., grape, grapestone.] 1. (Bot.) (a) One of the small grains or drupelets which make up some kinds of fruit, as the blackberry, raspberry, etc. (b) A grapestone.

2. (Anat.) One of the granular masses which constitute a racemose or compound gland, as the pancreas; also, one of the saccular recesses in the lobules of a racemose gland. Quain.

||Ac`i*pen"ser (&?;), n. [L., the name of a fish.] (Zoöl.) A genus of ganoid fishes, including the sturgeons, having the body armed with bony scales, and the mouth on the under side of the head. See Sturgeon.

Ac"i*ur`gy (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; a point + &?; work.] Operative surgery.

Ac*know" (&?;), v. t. [Pref. a- + know; AS. oncnwan.] 1. To recognize. [Obs.] "You will not be acknown, sir." B. Jonson.

2. To acknowledge; to confess. [Obs.] Chaucer.

To be acknown (often with of or on), to acknowledge; to confess. [Obs.]

We say of a stubborn body that standeth still in the denying of his fault, This man will not acknowledge his fault, or, He will not be acknown of his fault. Sir T. More.

Ac*knowl"edge (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acknowledged (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Acknowledging (&?;).] [Prob. fr. pref. a- + the verb knowledge. See Knowledge, and cf. Acknow.] 1. To of or admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in; as, to acknowledge the being of a God.

I acknowledge my transgressions. Ps. li. 3.

For ends generally acknowledged to be good. Macaulay.

2. To own or recognize in a particular character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to.

In all thy ways acknowledge Him. Prov. iii. 6.

By my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee. Shak.

3. To own with gratitude or as a benefit or an obligation; as, to acknowledge a favor, the receipt of a letter.

They his gifts acknowledged none. Milton.

4. To own as genuine; to assent to, as a legal instrument, to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form; as, to acknowledgea deed.

Syn. -- To avow; proclaim; recognize; own; admit; allow; concede; confess. -- Acknowledge, Recognize. Acknowledge is opposed to keep back, or conceal, and supposes that something had been previously known to us (though perhaps not to others) which we now feel bound to lay open or make public. Thus, a man acknowledges a secret marriage; one who has done wrong acknowledges his fault; and author acknowledges his obligation to those who have aided him; we acknowledge our ignorance. Recognize supposes that we have either forgotten or not had the evidence of a thing distinctly before our minds, but that now we know it (as it were) anew, or receive and admit in on the ground of the evidence it brings. Thus, we recognize a friend after a long absence. We recognize facts, principles, truths, etc., when their evidence is brought up fresh to the mind; as, bad men usually recognize the providence of God in seasons of danger. A foreign minister, consul, or agent, of any kind, is recognized on the ground of his producing satisfactory credentials. See also Confess.

Ac*knowl"edged*ly (&?;), adv. Confessedly.

Ac*knowl"edg*er (&?;), n. One who acknowledges.

Ac*knowl"edg*ment (-ment), n. 1. The act of acknowledging; admission; avowal; owning; confession. "An acknowledgment of fault." Froude.

2. The act of owning or recognized in a particular character or relationship; recognition as regards the existence, authority, truth, or genuineness.

Immediately upon the acknowledgment of the Christian faith, the eunuch was baptized by Philip. Hooker.

3. The owning of a benefit received; courteous recognition; expression of thanks. Shak.

4. Something given or done in return for a favor, message, etc. Smollett.

5. A declaration or avowal of one's own act, to give it legal validity; as, the acknowledgment of a deed before a proper officer. Also, the certificate of the officer attesting such declaration.

Acknowledgment money, in some parts of England, a sum paid by copyhold tenants, on the death of their landlords, as an acknowledgment of their new lords. Cowell.

Syn. -- Confession; concession; recognition; admission; avowal; recognizance.

A*clin"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?; to incline.] (Physics.) Without inclination or dipping; - - said the magnetic needle balances itself horizontally, having no dip. The aclinic line is also termed the magnetic equator. Prof. August.

Ac"me (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; point, top.] 1. The top or highest point; the culmination.

The very acme and pitch of life for epic poetry. Pope.

The moment when a certain power reaches the acme of its supremacy. I. Taylor.

2. (Med.) The crisis or height of a disease.

3. Mature age; full bloom of life. B. Jonson.

Ac"ne (&?;), n. [NL., prob. a corruption of Gr. &?;] (Med.) A pustular affection of the skin, due to changes in the sebaceous glands.

Ac*no"dal (&?;), a. Pertaining to acnodes.