Chapter 93

E*quiv"o*cal (?), a. [L. aequivocus: aequus equal + vox, vocis, word. See Equal, and Voice, and cf. Equivoque.] 1. (Literally, called equally one thing or the other; hence:) Having two significations equally applicable; capable of double interpretation; of doubtful meaning; ambiguous; uncertain; as, equivocal words; an equivocal sentence.

For the beauties of Shakespeare are not of so dim or equivocal a nature as to be visible only to learned eyes.

Jeffrey.

2. Capable of being ascribed to different motives, or of signifying opposite feelings, purposes, or characters; deserving to be suspected; as, his actions are equivocal. "Equivocal repentances." Milton.

3. Uncertain, as an indication or sign; doubtful. "How equivocal a test." Burke.

Equivocal chord (Mus.), a chord which can be resolved into several distinct keys; one whose intervals, being all minor thirds, do not clearly indicate its fundamental tone or root; the chord of the diminished triad, and the diminished seventh.

Syn. -- Ambiguous; doubtful; uncertain; indeterminate. -- Equivocal, Ambiguous. We call an expression ambiguous when it has one general meaning, and yet contains certain words which may be taken in two different senses; or certain clauses which can be so connected with other clauses as to divide the mind between different views of part of the meaning intended. We call an expression equivocal when, taken as a whole, it conveys a given thought with perfect clearness and propriety, and also another thought with equal propriety and clearness. Such were the responses often given by the Delphic oracle; as that to Cr&?;sus when consulting about a war with Persia: "If you cross the Halys, you will destroy a great empire." This he applied to the Persian empire, which lay beyond that river, and, having crossed, destroyed his own, empire in the conflict. What is ambiguous is a mere blunder of language; what is equivocal is usually intended to deceive, though it may occur at times from mere inadvertence. Equivocation is applied only to cases where there is a design to deceive.

E*quiv"o*cal, n. A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term; an equivoque.

In languages of great ductility, equivocals like that just referred to are rarely found.

Fitzed. Hall.

E*quiv"o*cal*ly, adv. In an equivocal manner.

E*quiv"o*cal*ness, n. The state of being equivocal.

E*quiv"o*cate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Equivocated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Equivocating.] [L. aequivocatus, p. p. of aequivocari to be called by the same name, fr. L. aequivocus: cf. F. équivoquer. See Equivocal, a.] To use words of equivocal or doubtful signification; to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity.

All that Garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate.

Bp. Stillingfleet.

Syn. -- To prevaricate; evade; shuffle; quibble. See Prevaricate.

E*quiv"o*cate (?), v. t. To render equivocal or ambiguous.

He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation.

Sir G. Buck.

E*quiv`o*ca"tion (?), n. The use of expressions susceptible of a double signification, with a purpose to mislead.

There being no room for equivocations, there is no need of distinctions.

Locke.

Syn. -- Prevarication; ambiguity; shuffling; evasion; guibbling. See Equivocal, a., and Prevaricate, v. i.

E*quiv"o*ca`tor (?), n. One who equivocates.

Here's an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale, yet could not equivocate to heaven.

Shak.

E*quiv"o*ca*to*ry (?), a. Indicating, or characterized by, equivocation.

{ Eq"ui*voque, Eq"ui*voke } (?), n. [F. équivoque. See Equivocal.] 1. An ambiguous term; a word susceptible of different significations. Coleridge.

2. An equivocation; a guibble. B. Jonson.

E*quiv"o*rous (?), a. [L. equus horse + vorare to eat greedily.] Feeding on horseflesh; as, equivorous Tartars.

||E"quus (?), n. [L., horse.] (Zoöl.) A genus of mammals, including the horse, ass, etc.

-er (?). 1. [AS. -ere; akin to L. -arius.] The termination of many English words, denoting the agent; -- applied either to men or things; as in hater, farmer, heater, grater. At the end of names of places, -er signifies a man of the place; as, Londoner, i. e., London man.

2. [AS. -ra; akin to G. -er, Icel. -are, -re, Goth. -iza, -&?;za, L. - ior, Gr. &?;, Skr. -yas.] A suffix used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs; as, warmer, sooner, lat(e)er, earl(y)ier.

E"ra (?), n.; pl. Eras (#). [LL. aera an era, in earlier usage, the items of an account, counters, pl. of aes, aeris, brass, money. See Ore.] 1. A fixed point of time, usually an epoch, from which a series of years is reckoned.

The foundation of Solomon's temple is conjectured by Ideler to have been an era.

R. S. Poole.

2. A period of time reckoned from some particular date or epoch; a succession of years dating from some important event; as, the era of Alexander; the era of Christ, or the Christian era (see under Christian).

The first century of our era.

M. Arnold.

3. A period of time in which a new order of things prevails; a signal stage of history; an epoch.

Painting may truly be said to have opened the new era of culture.

J. A. Symonds.

Syn. -- Epoch; time; date; period; age; dispensation. See Epoch.

E*ra"di*ate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Eradiated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Eradiating (?).] [Pref. e- + radiate.] To shoot forth, as rays of light; to beam; to radiate. Dr. H. More.

E*ra`di*a"tion (?), n. Emission of radiance.

E*rad"i*ca*ble (?), a. Capable of being eradicated.

E*rad"i*cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Eradicated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Eradicating (?).] [L. eradicatus, p. p. of eradicare to eradicate; e out + radix, radicis, root. See Radical.] 1. To pluck up by the roots; to root up; as, an oak tree eradicated.

2. To root out; to destroy utterly; to extirpate; as, to eradicate diseases, or errors.

This, although now an old an inveterate evil, might be eradicated by vigorous treatment.

Southey.

Syn. -- To extirpate; root out; exterminate; destroy; annihilate.

E*rad`i*ca"tion (?), n. [L. eradicatio: cf. F. éradication.] 1. The act of plucking up by the roots; a rooting out; extirpation; utter destruction.

2. The state of being plucked up by the roots.

E*rad"i*ca*tive (?), a. [Cf. éradicatif.] Tending or serving to eradicate; curing or destroying thoroughly, as a disease or any evil.

E*rad"i*ca*tive, n. (Med.) A medicine that effects a radical cure. Whitlock.

E*ras"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being erased.

E*rase" (*rs"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Erased (-rst"); p. pr. & vb. n.. Erasing.] [L. erasus, p. p. of eradere to erase; e out + radere to scrape, scratch, shave. See Rase.] 1. To rub or scrape out, as letters or characters written, engraved, or painted; to efface; to expunge; to cross out; as, to erase a word or a name.

2. Fig.: To obliterate; to expunge; to blot out; -- used of ideas in the mind or memory. Burke.

E*rased" (*rst"), p. p. & a. 1. Rubbed or scraped out; effaced; obliterated.

2. (Her.) Represented with jagged and uneven edges, as is torn off; -- used esp. of the head or limb of a beast. Cf. Couped.

E*rase"ment (rs"ment), n. The act of erasing; a rubbing out; expunction; obliteration. Johnson.

E*ras"er (?), n. One who, or that which, erases; esp., a sharp instrument or a piece of rubber used to erase writings, drawings, etc.

E*ra"sion (?), n. The act of erasing; a rubbing out; obliteration.

E*ras"tian (?; 106), n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of the followers of Thomas Erastus, a German physician and theologian of the 16th century. He held that the punishment of all offenses should be referred to the civil power, and that holy communion was open to all. In the present day, an Erastian is one who would see the church placed entirely under the control of the State. Shipley.

E*ras"tian*ism (?), n. (Eccl. Hist.) The principles of the Erastains.

E*ra"sure (?; 135), n. [From Erase.] The act of erasing; a scratching out; obliteration.

Er"a*tive (?), a. Pertaining to the Muse Erato who presided over amatory poetry. Stormonth.

Er"a*to (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to love.] (Class. Myth.) The Muse who presided over lyric and amatory poetry.

Er"bi*um (?), n. [NL. from Ytterby, in Sweden, where gadolinite is found. Cf. Terbium, Yttrium, Ytterbium.] (Chem.) A rare metallic element associated with several other rare elements in the mineral gadolinite from Ytterby in Sweden. Symbol Er. Atomic weight 165.9. Its salts are rose-colored and give characteristic spectra. Its sesquioxide is called erbia.

Er`ce*de"ken (?), n. [OE., fr. pref. erce- = archi- + deken a deacon.] An archdeacon. [Obs.]

Erd (?), n. [OE. erd, eard, earth, land, country, AS. eard; akin to OS. ard dwelling place, OHG. art plowing, tillage, Icel. örð crop, and to L. arare to plow, E. ear to plow.] The earth. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.

Erd shrew (Zoöl.), the common European shrew (Sorex vulgaris); the shrewmouse.

Ere (r or âr; 277), prep. & adv. [AS. r, prep., adv., & conj.; akin to OS., OFries., & OHG. r, G. eher, D. eer, Icel. r, Goth. air. √204. Cf. Early, Erst, Or, adv.] 1. Before; sooner than. [Archaic or Poetic]

Myself was stirring ere the break of day.

Shak.

Ere sails were spread new oceans to explore.

Dryden.

Sir, come down ere my child die.

John iv. 49.

2. Rather than.

I will be thrown into Etna, . . . ere I will leave her.

Shak.

Ere long, before, shortly. Shak. -- Ere now, formerly, heretofore. Shak. -- Ere that, ∧ Or are. Same as Ere. Shak.

Ere (?), v. t. To plow. [Obs.] See Ear, v. t. Chaucer.

Er"e*bus (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.] 1. (Greek Myth.) A place of nether darkness, being the gloomy space through which the souls passed to Hades. See Milton's "Paradise Lost," Book II., line 883.

2. (Greek Myth.) The son of Chaos and brother of Nox, who dwelt in Erebus.

To the infernal deep, with Erebus and tortures vile.

Shak.

E*rect" (?), a. [L. erectus, p. p. of erigere to erect; e out + regere to lead straight. See Right, and cf. Alert.] 1. Upright, or having a vertical position; not inverted; not leaning or bent; not prone; as, to stand erect.

Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall.

Milton.

Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect -- a column of ruins.

Gibbon.

2. Directed upward; raised; uplifted.

His piercing eyes, erect, appear to view Superior worlds, and look all nature through.

Pope.

3. Bold; confident; free from depression; undismayed.

But who is he, by years Bowed, but erect in heart?

Keble.

4. Watchful; alert.

Vigilant and erect attention of mind.

Hooker.

5. (Bot.) Standing upright, with reference to the earth's surface, or to the surface to which it is attached.

6. (Her.) Elevated, as the tips of wings, heads of serpents, etc.

E*rect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Erected; p. pr. & vb. n. Erecting.] 1. To raise and place in an upright or perpendicular position; to set upright; to raise; as, to erect a pole, a flagstaff, a monument, etc.

2. To raise, as a building; to build; to construct; as, to erect a house or a fort; to set up; to put together the component parts of, as of a machine.

3. To lift up; to elevate; to exalt; to magnify.

That didst his state above his hopes erect.

Daniel.

I, who am a party, am not to erect myself into a judge.

Dryden.

4. To animate; to encourage; to cheer.

It raiseth the dropping spirit, erecting it to a loving complaisance.

Barrow.

5. To set up as an assertion or consequence from premises, or the like. "To erect conclusions." Sir T. Browne. "Malebranche erects this proposition." Locke.

6. To set up or establish; to found; to form; to institute. "To erect a new commonwealth." Hooker.

Erecting shop (Mach.), a place where large machines, as engines, are put together and adjusted.

Syn. -- To set up; raise; elevate; construct; build; institute; establish; found.

E*rect", v. i. To rise upright. [Obs.]

By wet, stalks do erect.

Bacon.

E*rect"a*ble (?) a. Capable of being erected; as, an erectable feather. Col. G. Montagu.

E*rect"er (?), n. An erector; one who raises or builds.

E*rect"ile (?), a. [Cf. F. érectile.] Capable of being erected; susceptible of being erected of dilated.

Erectile tissue (Anat.), a tissue which is capable of being greatly dilated and made rigid by the distension of the numerous blood vessels which it contains.

E`rec*til"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being erectile.

E*rec"tion (?), n. [L. erectio: cf. F. érection.] 1. The act of erecting, or raising upright; the act of constructing, as a building or a wall, or of fitting together the parts of, as a machine; the act of founding or establishing, as a commonwealth or an office; also, the act of rousing to excitement or courage.

2. The state of being erected, lifted up, built, established, or founded; exaltation of feelings or purposes.

Her peerless height my mind to high erection draws up.

Sidney

3. State of being stretched to stiffness; tension.

4. Anything erected; a building of any kind.

5. (Physiol.) The state of a part which, from having been soft, has become hard and swollen by the accumulation of blood in the erectile tissue.

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E*rect"ive (?), a. Making erect or upright; raising; tending to erect.

E*rect"ly, adv. In an erect manner or posture.

E*rect"ness, n. Uprightness of posture or form.

E*rec"to-pat"ent (?), a. 1. (Bot.) Having a position intermediate between erect and patent, or spreading.

2. (Zoöl.) Standing partially spread and erect; -- said of the wings of certain insects.

E*rec"tor (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, erects.

2. (Anat.) A muscle which raises any part.

3. (Physics) An attachment to a microscope, telescope, or other optical instrument, for making the image erect instead of inverted.

Ere`long" (?; 115), adv. Before the &?;apse of a long time; soon; -- usually separated, ere long.

A man, . . . following the stag, erelong slew him.

Spenser.

The world, erelong, a world of tears must weep.

Milton.

||Er`e*ma*cau"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; quietly + &?; burning, fr. &?; to burn.] A gradual oxidation from exposure to air and moisture, as in the decay of old trees or of dead animals.

Er"e*mit*age (?), n. See Hermitage.

Er"e*mite (?), n. [See Hermit.] A hermit.

Thou art my heaven, and I thy eremite.

Keats.

{ Er`e*mit"ic (?), Er`e*mit"ic*al (?), } a. Of or pertaining to an eremite; hermitical; living in solitude. "An eremitical life in the woods." Fuller. "The eremitic instinct." Lowell.

Er"e*mi`tish (?), a. Eremitic. Bp. Hall.

Er"e*mit*ism (?), n. The state of a hermit; a living in seclusion from social life.

E`rep*ta"tion (?), n. [L. erepere to creep out; e out + repere to creep.] A creeping forth. [Obs.]

E*rep"tion (?), n. [L. ereptio, fr. eripere to snatch away; e out + rapere to snatch.] A snatching away. [Obs.] Cockeram.

Er"e*thism (?), n. [Gr. &?; irritation, fr. &?; to stir, rouse, fr. &?; to stir: cf. F. éréthisme.] (Med.) A morbid degree of excitement or irritation in an organ. Hoblyn.

Er`e*this"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?; irritating.] Relating to erethism.

{ Ere`while" (?), Ere`whiles" (?), } adv. Some time ago; a little while before; heretofore. [Archaic]

I am as fair now as I was erewhile.

Shak.

||Erf (?), n.; pl. Erven (#). [D.] A garden plot, usually about half an acre. [Cape Colony]

Erg (?), n. [Gr. &?; work.] (Physics) The unit of work or energy in the C. G. S. system, being the amount of work done by a dyne working through a distance of one centimeter; the amount of energy expended in moving a body one centimeter against a force of one dyne. One foot pound is equal to 13,560,000 ergs.

Er"gat (?), v. t. [L. ergo therefore.] To deduce logically, as conclusions. [Obs.] Hewyt.

||Er"go (?), conj. or adv. [L.] Therefore; consequently; -- often used in a jocular way. Shak.

Er"got (?), n. [F. ergot, argot, lit., a spur.] 1. A diseased condition of rye and other cereals, in which the grains become black, and often spur-shaped. It is caused by a parasitic fungus, Claviceps purpurea.

2. The mycelium or spawn of this fungus infecting grains of rye and wheat. It is a powerful remedial agent, and also a dangerous poison, and is used as a means of hastening childbirth, and to arrest bleeding.

3. (Far.) A stub, like soft horn, about the size of a chestnut, situated behind and below the pastern joint.

4. (Anat.) See 2d Calcar, 3 (b).

Er*got"ic (?), a. Pertaining to, or derived from, ergot; as, ergotic acid.

Er"go*tin (?), n. (Med.) An extract made from ergot.

Er"go*tine (?). (Chem.) A powerful astringent alkaloid extracted from ergot as a brown, amorphous, bitter substance. It is used to produce contraction of the uterus.

Er"go*tism (?), n. [F. ergotisme, fr. L. ergo.] A logical deduction. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Er"got*ism (?), n. [From Ergot, n.; cf. F. ergotisme.] (Med.) A diseased condition produced by eating rye affected with the ergot fungus.

Er"got*ized (?), a. Affected with the ergot fungus; as, ergotized rye.

{ Er"i*ach (?), Er"ic (?), } n. [Ir. eiric.] (Old Irish Law) A recompense formerly given by a murderer to the relatives of the murdered person.

E*ri"ca (?), n. [NL., fr. L. erice heath, Gr. &?;.] (Bot.) A genus of shrubby plants, including the heaths, many of them producing beautiful flowers.

Er`i*ca"ceous (?), a. (Bot.) Belonging to the Heath family, or resembling plants of that family; consisting of heats.

E*ric"i*nol (*rs"*nl), n. [NL. ericaceae the Heath family + L. oleum oil.] (Chem.) A colorless oil (quickly becoming brown), with a pleasant odor, obtained by the decomposition of ericolin.

E*ri"ci*us (?), n. [L., a hedgehog.] The Vulgate rendering of the Hebrew word qipd, which in the "Authorized Version" is translated bittern, and in the Revised Version, porcupine.

I will make it [Babylon] a possession for the ericius and pools of waters.

Is. xiv. 23 (Douay version).

E*ric"o*lin (?), n. (Chem.) A glucoside found in the bearberry (and others of the Ericaceæ), and extracted as a bitter, yellow, amorphous mass.

E*rid"a*nus (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, the Greek name of the River Po.] (Anat.) A long, winding constellation extending southward from Taurus and containing the bright star Achernar.

Er"i*gi*ble (r"*j*b'l), a. [See Erect.] Capable of being erected. [Obs.]

E"rin ("rn), n. [Ir. Cf. Aryan.] An early, and now a poetic, name of Ireland.

Er`i*na"ceous (?), a. [L. erinaceus hedgehog.] (Zoöl.) Of the Hedgehog family; like, or characteristic of, a hedgehog.

E*rin"go (?), n. The sea holly. See Eryngo.

Er"i*nite (?), n. (Min.) A hydrous arseniate of copper, of an emerald-green color; -- so called from Erin, or Ireland, where it occurs.

E*rin"ys (?), n.; pl. Erinyes (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;.] (Class. Myth.) An avenging deity; one of the Furies; sometimes, conscience personified. [Written also Erinnys.]

E`ri*om"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; wool + -meter.] (Opt.) An instrument for measuring the diameters of minute particles or fibers, from the size of the colored rings produced by the diffraction of the light in which the objects are viewed.

||E*ris"ta*lis (?), n. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A genus of dipterous insects whose young (called rat-tailed larvæ) are remarkable for their long tapering tail, which spiracles at the tip, and for their ability to live in very impure and salt waters; -- also called drone fly.

{ E*ris"tic (?), E*ris"tic*al (?), } a. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to strive, wrangle, &?; strife.] Controversial. [Archaic]

A specimen of admirable special pleading in the court of eristic logic.

Coleridge.

Erke (?), a. [Cf. Irk.] Slothful. [Obs.] Rom. of R.

Erl"king` (?), n. [G. erlkönig, fr. Dan. ellekonge elfking.] A personification, in German and Scandinavian mythology, of a spirit or natural power supposed to work mischief and ruin, esp. to children.

Erme (?), v. i. [OE. ermen, AS. yrman. Cf. Yearn.] To grieve; to feel sad. [Obs.] Chaucer.

{ Er"me*lin (?), Er"mi*lin (?) }, n. (Zoöl.) See Ermine. Shenstone.

Er"min (?), n. [OF. Ermin, L. Armenius.] An Armenian. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Er"mine (?), n. [OF. ermine, F. hermine, prob. of German origin; cf. OHG. harmo, G. hermelin, akin to Lith. szarm&?;, szarmonys, weasel, cf. AS. hearma; but cf. also LL. armelinus, armellina, hermellina, and pellis Armenia, the fur of the Armenian rat, mus Armenius, the animal being found also in Armenia.] 1. (Zoöl.) A valuable fur-bearing animal of the genus Mustela (M. erminea), allied to the weasel; the stoat. It is found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and America. In summer it is brown, but in winter it becomes white, except the tip of the tail, which is always black.

2. The fur of the ermine, as prepared for ornamenting garments of royalty, etc., by having the tips of the tails, which are black, arranged at regular intervals throughout the white.

3. By metonymy, the office or functions of a judge, whose state robe, lined with ermine, is emblematical of purity and honor without stain. Chatham.

4. (Her.) One of the furs. See Fur (Her.)

Ermine is represented by an argent field, tufted with black. Ermines is the reverse of ermine, being black, spotted or timbered with argent. Erminois is the same as ermine, except that or is substituted for argent.

Ermine moth (Zoöl.), a white moth with black spots (esp. Yponomeuta padella of Europe); -- so called on account of the resemblance of its covering to the fur of the ermine; also applied to certain white bombycid moths of America.

Er"mine, v. t. To clothe with, or as with, ermine.

The snows that have ermined it in the winter.

Lowell.

Er"mined (?), a. Clothed or adorned with the fur of the ermine. Pope.

Er"mines (?), n., Er"min*ois (&?;), n. (Her.) See Note under Ermine, n., 4.

Er"mit (?), n. [See Hermit.] A hermit. [Obs.]

{ Ern, Erne } (?), n. [AS. earn eagle; akin to D. arend, OHG. aro, G. aar, Icel., Sw., & Dan. örn, Goth. ara, and to Gr. &?; bird. &radic;11. Cf. Ornithology.] (Zoöl.) A sea eagle, esp. the European white-tailed sea eagle (Haliæetus albicilla).

Ern (?), v. i. [Cf. Erme.] To stir with strong emotion; to grieve; to mourn. [Corrupted into yearn in modern editions of Shakespeare.] [Obs.]

Er"nest (?), n. See Earnest. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Er"nest*ful (?), a. [See Earnest, a.] Serious. [Obs.] Chaucer.

E*rode" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Eroded; p. pr. & vb. n. Eroding.] [L. erodere, erosum; e out + rodere to gnaw. See Rodent.] To eat into or away; to corrode; as, canker erodes the flesh. "The blood . . . erodes the vessels." Wiseman.

The smaller charge is more apt to . . . erode the gun.

Am. Cyc.

E*rod"ed, p. p. & a. 1. Eaten away; gnawed; irregular, as if eaten or worn away.

2. (Bot.) Having the edge worn away so as to be jagged or irregularly toothed.

E*rod"ent (?), n. [L. erodens, -entis, p. pr. of erodere. See Erode.] (Med.) A medicine which eats away extraneous growths; a caustic.

Er"o*gate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Erogated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Erogating (?).] [L. erogatus, p. p. of erogare; e out + rogare to ask.] To lay out, as money; to deal out; to expend. [Obs.]

Er`o*ga"tion (?), n. [L. erogatio.] The act of giving out or bestowing. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.

||E"ros (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?; love, &?; (personified) Eros, fr. &?; to love.] (Greek Myth.) Love; the god of love; -- by earlier writers represented as one of the first and creative gods, by later writers as the son of Aphrodite, equivalent to the Latin god Cupid.

E*rose" (?), a. [L. erosus, p. p. See Erode.] 1. Irregular or uneven as if eaten or worn away.

2. (Bot.) Jagged or irregularly toothed, as if nibbled out or gnawed. -- E*rose"ly, adv.

E*ro"sion (?), n. [L. erosio. See Erode.] 1. The act or operation of eroding or eating away.

2. The state of being eaten away; corrosion; canker.

E*ro"sive (?), a. That erodes or gradually eats away; tending to erode; corrosive. Humble.

E*ros"trate (?), a. [Pref. e- out + rostrate.] (Bot.) Without a beak.