Chapter 23

2. One of the ornamental tags, cords, or loops on some military and naval uniforms.

Ai"gu*let (&?;), n. See Aglet. Spenser.

Ail (l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ailed (ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Ailing.] [OE. eilen, ailen, AS. eglan to trouble, pain; akin to Goth. us-agljan to distress, agls troublesome, irksome, aglo, aglitha, pain, and prob. to E. awe. √3.] To affect with pain or uneasiness, either physical or mental; to trouble; to be the matter with; -- used to express some uneasiness or affection, whose cause is unknown; as, what ails the man? I know not what ails him.

What aileth thee, Hagar? Gen. xxi. 17.

It is never used to express a specific disease. We do not say, a fever ails him; but, something ails him.

Ail, v. i. To be affected with pain or uneasiness of any sort; to be ill or indisposed or in trouble.

When he ails ever so little . . . he is so peevish. Richardson.

Ail, n. Indisposition or morbid affection. Pope.

Ai*lan"thus (&?;), n. Same as Ailantus.

Ai*lan"tus (&?;), n. [From aylanto, i. e., tree of heaven, the name of the tree in the Moluccas.] (Bot.) A genus of beautiful trees, natives of the East Indies. The tree imperfectly diœcious, and the staminate or male plant is very offensive when blossom.

Ai*lette (&?;), n. [F. ailette, dim. of aile wing, L. ala.] A small square shield, formerly worn on the shoulders of knights, -- being the prototype of the modern epaulet. Fairholt.

Ail"ment (&?;), n. Indisposition; morbid affection of the body; -- not applied ordinarily to acute diseases. "Little ailments." Landsdowne.

||Ai`lu*roid"e*a (&?;), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; cat + -oid.] (Zoöl.) A group of the Carnivora, which includes the cats, civets, and hyenas.

Aim (&?;), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Aimed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Aiming.] [OE. amen, aimen, eimen, to guess at, to estimate, to aim, OF. esmer, asmer, fr. L. aestimare to estimate; or perh. fr. OF. aesmer; &?; (L. ad) + esmer. See Estimate.] 1. To point or direct a missile weapon, or a weapon which propels as missile, towards an object or spot with the intent of hitting it; as, to aim at a fox, or at a target.

2. To direct the indention or purpose; to attempt the accomplishment of a purpose; to try to gain; to endeavor; -- followed by at, or by an infinitive; as, to aim at distinction; to aim to do well.

Aim'st thou at princes? Pope.

3. To guess or conjecture. [Obs.] Shak.

Aim, v. t. To direct or point, as a weapon, at a particular object; to direct, as a missile, an act, or a proceeding, at, to, or against an object; as, to aim a musket or an arrow, the fist or a blow (at something); to aim a satire or a reflection (at some person or vice).

Aim, n. [Cf. OF. esme estimation, fr. esmer. See Aim, v. i.] 1. The pointing of a weapon, as a gun, a dart, or an arrow, in the line of direction with the object intended to be struck; the line of fire; the direction of anything, as a spear, a blow, a discourse, a remark, towards a particular point or object, with a view to strike or affect it.

Each at the head leveled his deadly aim. Milton.

2. The point intended to be hit, or object intended to be attained or affected.

To be the aim of every dangerous shot. Shak.

3. Intention; purpose; design; scheme.

How oft ambitious aims are crossed! Pope.

4. Conjecture; guess. [Obs.]

What you would work me to, I have some aim. Shak.

To cry aim (Archery), to encourage. [Obs.] Shak.

Syn. -- End; object; scope; drift; design; purpose; intention; scheme; tendency; aspiration.

Aim"er (&?;), n. One who aims, directs, or points.

Aim"less, a. Without aim or purpose; as, an aimless life. -- Aim"less*ly, adv. -- Aim"less*ness, n.

Ai"no (&?;), n. [Said to be the native name for man.] One of a peculiar race inhabiting Yesso, the Kooril Islands etc., in the northern part of the empire of Japan, by some supposed to have been the progenitors of the Japanese. The Ainos are stout and short, with hairy bodies.

Ain't (&?;). A contraction for are not and am not; also used for is not. [Colloq. or illiterate speech]. See An't.

Air (âr), n. [OE. air, eir, F. air, L. aër, fr. Gr. 'ah`r, air, mist, for 'ahr, fr. root 'a to blow, breathe, probably akin to E. wind. In sense 10 the French has taking a meaning fr. It. aria atmosphere, air, fr. the same Latin word; and in senses 11, 12, 13 the French meaning is either fr. L. aria, or due to confusion with F. aire, in an older sense of origin, descent. Cf. Aëry, Debonair, Malaria, Wind.] 1. The fluid which we breathe, and which surrounds the earth; the atmosphere. It is invisible, inodorous, insipid, transparent, compressible, elastic, and ponderable.

By the ancient philosophers, air was regarded as an element; but modern science has shown that it is essentially a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, with a small amount of carbon dioxide, the average proportions being, by volume: oxygen, 20.96 per cent.; nitrogen, 79.00 per cent.; carbon dioxide, 0.04 per cent. These proportions are subject to a very slight variability. Air also always contains some vapor of water.

2. Symbolically: Something unsubstantial, light, or volatile. "Charm ache with air." Shak.

He was still all air and fire.

[Air and fire being the finer and quicker elements as opposed to earth and water.] Macaulay.

3. A particular state of the atmosphere, as respects heat, cold, moisture, etc., or as affecting the sensations; as, a smoky air, a damp air, the morning air, etc.

4. Any aëriform body; a gas; as, oxygen was formerly called vital air. [Obs.]

5. Air in motion; a light breeze; a gentle wind.

Let vernal airs through trembling osiers play. Pope.

6. Odoriferous or contaminated air.

7. That which surrounds and influences.

The keen, the wholesome air of poverty. Wordsworth.

8. Utterance abroad; publicity; vent.

You gave it air before me. Dryden.

9. Intelligence; information. [Obs.] Bacon.

10. (Mus.) (a) A musical idea, or motive, rhythmically developed in consecutive single tones, so as to form a symmetrical and balanced whole, which may be sung by a single voice to the stanzas of a hymn or song, or even to plain prose, or played upon an instrument; a melody; a tune; an aria. (b) In harmonized chorals, psalmody, part songs, etc., the part which bears the tune or melody -- in modern harmony usually the upper part -- is sometimes called the air.

11. The peculiar look, appearance, and bearing of a person; mien; demeanor; as, the air of a youth; a heavy air; a lofty air. "His very air." Shak.

12. Peculiar appearance; apparent character; semblance; manner; style.

It was communicated with the air of a secret. Pope.

12. pl. An artificial or affected manner; show of pride or vanity; haughtiness; as, it is said of a person, he puts on airs. Thackeray.

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14. (Paint.) (a) The representation or reproduction of the effect of the atmospheric medium through which every object in nature is viewed. New Am. Cyc. (b) Carriage; attitude; action; movement; as, the head of that portrait has a good air. Fairholt.

15. (Man.) The artificial motion or carriage of a horse.

Air is much used adjectively or as the first part of a compound term. In most cases it might be written indifferently, as a separate limiting word, or as the first element of the compound term, with or without the hyphen; as, air bladder, air-bladder, or airbladder; air cell, air-cell, or aircell; air-pump, or airpump.

Air balloon. See Balloon. -- Air bath. (a) An apparatus for the application of air to the body. (b) An arrangement for drying substances in air of any desired temperature. -- Air castle. See Castle in the air, under Castle. -- Air compressor, a machine for compressing air to be used as a motive power. -- Air crossing, a passage for air in a mine. -- Air cushion, an air-tight cushion which can be inflated; also, a device for arresting motion without shock by confined air. -- Air fountain, a contrivance for producing a jet of water by the force of compressed air. -- Air furnace, a furnace which depends on a natural draft and not on blast. -- Air line, a straight line; a bee line. Hence Air-line, adj.; as, air-line road. -- Air lock (Hydr. Engin.), an intermediate chamber between the outer air and the compressed-air chamber of a pneumatic caisson. Knight. -- Air port (Nav.), a scuttle or porthole in a ship to admit air. -- Air spring, a spring in which the elasticity of air is utilized. -- Air thermometer, a form of thermometer in which the contraction and expansion of air is made to measure changes of temperature. -- Air threads, gossamer. -- Air trap, a contrivance for shutting off foul air or gas from drains, sewers, etc.; a stench trap. -- Air trunk, a pipe or shaft for conducting foul or heated air from a room. -- Air valve, a valve to regulate the admission or egress of air; esp. a valve which opens inwardly in a steam boiler and allows air to enter. -- Air way, a passage for a current of air; as the air way of an air pump; an air way in a mine. -- In the air. (a) Prevalent without traceable origin or authority, as rumors. (b) Not in a fixed or stable position; unsettled. (c) (Mil.) Unsupported and liable to be turned or taken in flank; as, the army had its wing in the air. -- To take air, to be divulged; to be made public. -- To take the air, to go abroad; to walk or ride out.

Air (âr), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Aired (ârd); p. pr. & vb. n. Airing.] [See Air, n., and cf. Aërate.] 1. To expose to the air for the purpose of cooling, refreshing, or purifying; to ventilate; as, to air a room.

It were good wisdom . . . that the jail were aired. Bacon.

Were you but riding forth to air yourself. Shak.

2. To expose for the sake of public notice; to display ostentatiously; as, to air one's opinion.

Airing a snowy hand and signet gem. Tennyson.

3. To expose to heat, for the purpose of expelling dampness, or of warming; as, to air linen; to air liquors.

Air" bed` (&?;). A sack or matters inflated with air, and used as a bed.

Air" blad`der (&?;). 1. (Anat.) An air sac, sometimes double or variously lobed, in the visceral cavity of many fishes. It originates in the same way as the lungs of air-breathing vertebrates, and in the adult may retain a tubular connection with the pharynx or esophagus.

2. A sac or bladder full of air in an animal or plant; also an air hole in a casting.

Air" brake` (&?;). (Mach.) A railway brake operated by condensed air. Knight.

Air"-built` (&?;), a. Erected in the air; having no solid foundation; chimerical; as, an air-built castle.

Air" cell` (&?;). 1. (Bot.) A cavity in the cellular tissue of plants, containing air only.

2. (Anat.) A receptacle of air in various parts of the system; as, a cell or minute cavity in the walls of the air tubes of the lungs; the air sac of birds; a dilatation of the air vessels in insects.

Air" cham`ber (&?;). 1. A chamber or cavity filled with air, in an animal or plant.

2. A cavity containing air to act as a spring for equalizing the flow of a liquid in a pump or other hydraulic machine.

Air" cock` (&?;). A faucet to allow escape of air.

Air"-drawn" (&?;), a. Drawn in air; imaginary.

This is the air-drawn dagger. Shak.

Air" drill` (&?;). A drill driven by the elastic pressure of condensed air; a pneumatic drill. Knight.

Air" engine` (&?;). An engine driven by heated or by compressed air. Knight.

Air"er (&?;), n. 1. One who exposes to the air.

2. A frame on which clothes are aired or dried.

Air" gas` (&?;). See under Gas.

Air" gun` (gn`). A kind of gun in which the elastic force of condensed air is used to discharge the ball. The air is powerfully compressed into a reservoir attached to the gun, by a condensing pump, and is controlled by a valve actuated by the trigger.

Air" hole` (hl`). 1. A hole to admit or discharge air; specifically, a spot in the ice not frozen over.

2. (Founding) A fault in a casting, produced by a bubble of air; a blowhole.

Air"i*ly (âr"*l), adv. In an airy manner; lightly; gaily; jauntily; flippantly.

Air"i*ness, n. 1. The state or quality of being airy; openness or exposure to the air; as, the airiness of a country seat.

2. Lightness of spirits; gayety; levity; as, the airiness of young persons.

Air"ing (âr"ng), n. 1. A walk or a ride in the open air; a short excursion for health's sake.

2. An exposure to air, or to a fire, for warming, drying, etc.; as, the airing of linen, or of a room.

Air" jack`et (&?;). A jacket having air-tight cells, or cavities which can be filled with air, to render persons buoyant in swimming.

Air"less (&?;), a. Not open to a free current of air; wanting fresh air, or communication with the open air.

Air" lev`el (&?;). Spirit level. See Level.

Air"like` (&?;), a. Resembling air.

Air"ling (&?;), n. A thoughtless, gay person. [Obs.] "Slight airlings." B. Jonson.

Air*om"e*ter (&?;), n. [Air + - meter.] A hollow cylinder to contain air. It is closed above and open below, and has its open end plunged into water.

Air" pipe` (&?;). A pipe for the passage of air; esp. a ventilating pipe.

Air" plant` (&?;). (Bot.) A plant deriving its sustenance from the air alone; an aërophyte.

The "Florida moss" (Tillandsia), many tropical orchids, and most mosses and lichens are air plants. Those which are lodged upon trees, but not parasitic on them, are epiphytes.

Air" poise` (&?;). [See Poise.] An instrument to measure the weight of air.

Air" pump` (&?;). 1. (Physics) A kind of pump for exhausting air from a vessel or closed space; also, a pump to condense air or force it into a closed space.

2. (Steam Engines) A pump used to exhaust from a condenser the condensed steam, the water used for condensing, and any commingled air.

Air" sac` (&?;). (Anat.) One of the spaces in different parts of the bodies of birds, which are filled with air and connected with the air passages of the lungs; an air cell.

Air" shaft` (&?;). A passage, usually vertical, for admitting fresh air into a mine or a tunnel.

Air"-slacked` (&?;), a. Slacked, or pulverized, by exposure to the air; as, air-slacked lime.

Air" stove` (&?;). A stove for heating a current of air which is directed against its surface by means of pipes, and then distributed through a building.

Air"-tight` (&?;), a. So tight as to be impermeable to air; as, an air-tight cylinder.

Air"-tight`, n. A stove the draft of which can be almost entirely shut off. [Colloq. U. S.]

Air" ves`sel (&?;). A vessel, cell, duct, or tube containing or conducting air; as the air vessels of insects, birds, plants, etc.; the air vessel of a pump, engine, etc. For the latter, see Air chamber. The air vessels of insects are called tracheæ, of plants spiral vessels.

{ Air"ward (&?;), Air"wards (&?;), } adv. Toward the air; upward. [R.] Keats.

Air"y (&?;), a. 1. Consisting of air; as, an airy substance; the airy parts of bodies.

2. Relating or belonging to air; high in air; aërial; as, an airy flight. "The airy region." Milton.

3. Open to a free current of air; exposed to the air; breezy; as, an airy situation.

4. Resembling air; thin; unsubstantial; not material; airlike. "An airy spirit." Shak.

5. Relating to the spirit or soul; delicate; graceful; as, airy music.

6. Without reality; having no solid foundation; empty; trifling; visionary. "Airy fame." Shak.

Empty sound, and airy notions. Roscommon.

7. Light of heart; vivacious; sprightly; flippant; superficial. "Merry and airy." Jer. Taylor.

8. Having an affected manner; being in the habit of putting on airs; affectedly grand. [Colloq.]

9. (Paint.) Having the light and aërial tints true to nature. Elmes.

Aisle (&?;), n. [OF. ele, F. aile, wing, wing of a building, L. ala, contr. fr. axilla.] (Arch.) (a) A lateral division of a building, separated from the middle part, called the nave, by a row of columns or piers, which support the roof or an upper wall containing windows, called the clearstory wall. (b) Improperly used also for the have; -- as in the phrases, a church with three aisles, the middle aisle. (c) Also (perhaps from confusion with alley), a passage into which the pews of a church open.

Aisled (&?;), a. Furnished with an aisle or aisles.

Ais"less (&?;), a. Without an aisle.

Ait (&?;), n. [AS. &?;, &?;, perh. dim. of eg, g, island. See Eyot.] An islet, or little isle, in a river or lake; an eyot.

The ait where the osiers grew. R. Hodges (1649).

Among green aits and meadows. Dickens.

Ait (&?;), n. Oat. [Scot.] Burns.

Aitch (&?;), n. The letter h or H.

Aitch"bone` (&?;), n. [For nachebone. For loss of n, cf. Adder. See Natch.] The bone of the rump; also, the cut of beef surrounding this bone. [Spelt also edgebone.]

Ai`ti*ol"o*gy (&?;), n. See Ætiology.

A*jar" (&?;), adv. [OE. on char ajar, on the turn; AS. cerr, cyrr, turn, akin to G. kehren to turn, and to D. akerre. See Char.] Slightly turned or opened; as, the door was standing ajar.

A*jar" (&?;), adv. [Pref. a- + jar.] In a state of discord; out of harmony; as, he is ajar with the world.

A*jog" (&?;), adv. [Pref. a- + jog.] On the jog.

Aj"u*tage (&?;), n. [F. ajutage, for ajoutage, fr. ajouter to add, LL. adjuxtare, fr. L. ad + juxta near to, nigh. Cf. Adjutage, Adjustage, Adjust.] A tube through which water is discharged; an efflux tube; as, the ajutage of a fountain.

Ake (&?;), n. & v. See Ache.

A*kene" (&?;), n. (Bot.) Same as Achene.

Ak"e*ton (&?;), n. [Obs.] See Acton.

A*kim"bo (&?;), a. [Etymology unknown. Cf. Kimbo.] With a crook or bend; with the hand on the hip and elbow turned outward. "With one arm akimbo." Irving.

A*kin" (&?;), a. [Pref. a- (for of) + kin.] 1. Of the same kin; related by blood; -- used of persons; as, the two families are near akin.

2. Allied by nature; partaking of the same properties; of the same kind. "A joy akin to rapture." Cowper.

The literary character of the work is akin to its moral character. Jeffrey.

This adjective is used only after the noun.

||Ak`i*ne"si*a (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; quiescence; 'a priv. + &?; motion.] (Med.) Paralysis of the motor nerves; loss of movement. Foster.

Ak`i*ne"sic (&?;), a. (Med.) Pertaining to akinesia.

A*knee" (&?;), adv. On the knee. [R.] Southey.

Ak*now" (&?;). Earlier form of Acknow. [Obs.]

To be aknow, to acknowledge; to confess. [Obs.]

Al (&?;), a. All. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Al-. A prefix. (a) [AS. eal.] All; wholly; completely; as, almighty, almost. (b) [L. ad.] To; at; on; -- in OF. shortened to a-. See Ad-. (c) The Arabic definite article answering to the English the; as, Alkoran, the Koran or the Book; alchemy, the chemistry.

Al. conj. Although; if. [Obs.] See All, conj.

||A"la (&?;), n.; pl. Alæ (&?;). [L., a wing.] (Biol.) A winglike organ, or part.

Al`a*ba"ma pe"ri*od (&?;). (Geol.) A period in the American eocene, the lowest in the tertiary age except the lignitic.

Al"a*bas"ter (&?;), n. [L. alabaster, Gr. &?;, said to be derived fr. Alabastron, the name of a town in Egypt, near which it was common: cf. OF. alabastre, F. albâtre.] 1. (Min.) (a) A compact variety or sulphate of lime, or gypsum, of fine texture, and usually white and translucent, but sometimes yellow, red, or gray. It is carved into vases, mantel ornaments, etc. (b) A hard, compact variety of carbonate of lime, somewhat translucent, or of banded shades of color; stalagmite. The name is used in this sense by Pliny. It is sometimes distinguished as oriental alabaster.

2. A box or vessel for holding odoriferous ointments, etc.; -- so called from the stone of which it was originally made. Fosbroke.

Al`a*bas"tri*an (&?;), a. Alabastrine.

Al`a*bas"trine (&?;), a. Of, pertaining to, or like, alabaster; as alabastrine limbs.

||Al`a*bas"trum (&?;), n.; pl. Alabastra (&?;). [NL.] (Bot.) A flower bud. Gray.

A*lack" (&?;), interj. [Prob. from ah! lack! OE. lak loss, failure, misfortune. See Lack.] An exclamation expressive of sorrow. [Archaic. or Poet.] Shak.

A*lack"a*day` (&?;), interj. [For alack the day. Cf. Lackaday.] An exclamation expressing sorrow.

Shakespeare has "alack the day" and "alack the heavy day." Compare "woe worth the day."

A*lac"ri*fy (&?;), v. t. [L. alacer, alacris, lively + -fly.] To rouse to action; to inspirit.

A*lac"ri*ous (&?;), a. [L. alacer, alacris.] Brisk; joyously active; lively.

'T were well if we were a little more alacrious. Hammond.

A*lac"ri*ous*ly, adv. With alacrity; briskly.

A*lac"ri*ous*ness, n. Alacrity. [Obs.] Hammond.

A*lac"ri*ty (&?;), n. [L. alacritas, fr. alacer lively, eager, prob. akin to Gr. &?; to drive, Goth. aljan zeal.] A cheerful readiness, willingness, or promptitude; joyous activity; briskness; sprightliness; as, the soldiers advanced with alacrity to meet the enemy.

I have not that alacrity of spirit, Nor cheer of mind that I was wont to have. Shak.

A*lad"in*ist (&?;), n. [From Aladin, for Ala Eddin, i. e., height of religion, a learned divine under Mohammed II. and Bajazet II.] One of a sect of freethinkers among the Mohammedans.

Al`a*lon"ga (&?;), or Al`i*lon"ghi (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) The tunny. See Albicore.

||A`la*mi"re (&?;), n. [Compounded of a la mi re, names of notes in the musical scale.] The lowest note but one in Guido Aretino's scale of music.

Al`a*mo*dal"i*ty (&?;), n. The quality of being à la mode; conformity to the mode or fashion; fashionableness. [R.] Southey.

Al"a*mode` (&?;), adv. & a. [F. à la mode after the fashion.] According to the fashion or prevailing mode. "Alamode beef shops." Macaulay.

Al"a*mode`, n. A thin, black silk for hoods, scarfs, etc.; -- often called simply mode. Buchanan.

Al`a*mort" (&?;), a. [F. à la mort to the death. Cf. Amort.] To the death; mortally.

A*lan" (*ln"), n. [OF. alan, alant; cf. Sp. alano.] A wolfhound. [Obs.] Chaucer.

A*land" (&?;), adv. [Pref. a- + land.] On land; to the land; ashore. "Cast aland." Sir P. Sidney.

Al"a*nine (&?;), n. [Aldehyde + the ending -ine. The -n- is a euphonic insertion.] (Chem.) A white crystalline base, C3H7NO2, derived from aldehyde ammonia.

A*lan"tin (&?;), n. [G. alant elecampane, the Inula helenium of Linnæus.] (Chem.) See Inulin.

A"lar (&?;), a. [L. alarius, fr. ala wing: cf. F. alaire.] 1. Pertaining to, or having, wings.

2. (Bot.) Axillary; in the fork or axil. Gray.

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A*larm" (*lärm"), n. [F. alarme, It. all' arme to arms ! fr. L. arma, pl., arms. See Arms, and cf. Alarum.] 1. A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.

Arming to answer in a night alarm. Shak.

2. Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger.

Sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Joel ii. 1.

3. A sudden attack; disturbance; broil. [R.] "These home alarms." Shak.

Thy palace fill with insults and alarms. Pope.

4. Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.

Alarm and resentment spread throughout the camp. Macaulay.

5. A mechanical contrivance for awaking persons from sleep, or rousing their attention; an alarum.

Alarm bell, a bell that gives notice on danger. -- Alarm clock or watch, a clock or watch which can be so set as to ring or strike loudly at a prearranged hour, to wake from sleep, or excite attention. -- Alarm gauge, a contrivance attached to a steam boiler for showing when the pressure of steam is too high, or the water in the boiler too low. -- Alarm post, a place to which troops are to repair in case of an alarm.