Chapter 16

Ac·quiÏes¶cenÏcy (#), n. The quality of being acquiescent; acquiescence. Ac· quiÏes¶cent (#), a. [L. acquiescens, Ï?entis; p. pr.] Resting satisfied or submissive; disposed tacitly to submit; assentive; as, an acquiescent policy. Ac·quiÏes¶centÏly, adv. In an acquiescent manner. AcÏqui¶et (#), v. t. [LL. acquietare; L. ad + quies rest. See Quiet and cf. Acquit.] To quiet. [Obs.] Acquiet his mind from stirring you against your own peace. Sir A. Sherley. AcÏquir¶aÏbil¶iÏty (#), n. The quality of being acquirable; attainableness. [R.] Paley. AcÏquir¶aÏble (#), a. Capable of being acquired. AcÏquire¶ (#), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acquired (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Acquiring (#).] [L. acquirere, acquisitum; ad + quarere to seek for. In OE. was a verb aqueren, fr. the same, through OF. aquerre. See Quest..] To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own; as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits. No virtue is acquired in an instant, but step by step. Barrow. Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law. Blackstone. Syn. Ð To obtain; gain; attain; procure; win; earn; secure. See Obtain. AcÏquire¶ment (#), n. The act of acquiring, or that which is acquired; attainment. ½Rules for the acquirement of a taste.¸ Addison. His acquirements by industry were... enriched and enlarged by many excellent endowments of nature. Hayward. Syn. Ð Acquisition, Acquirement. Acquirement is used in opposition to a natural gift or talent; as, eloquence, and skill in music and painting, are acquirements; genius is the gift or endowment of nature. It denotes especially personal attainments, in opposition to material or external things gained, which are more usually called acquisitions; but this distinction is not always observed. AcÏquir¶er (#), n. A person who acquires. AcÏquir¶y (#), n. Acquirement. [Obs.] Barrow. Ac¶quiÏsite (#), a. [L. acquisitus, p. p. of acquirere. See Acquire.] Acquired. [Obs.] Burton. Ac·quiÏsi¶tion (#), n. [L. acquisitio, fr. acquirere: cf. F. acquisition. See Acquire.] 1. The act or process of acquiring. The acquisition or loss of a province. Macaulay. 2. The thing acquired or gained; an acquirement; a gain; as, learning is an acquisition. Syn. Ð See Acquirement. AcÏquis¶iÏtive (#), a. 1. Acquired. [Obs.] He died not in his acquisitive, but in his native soil. Wotton. 2. Able or disposed to make acquisitions; acquiring; as, an acquisitive person or disposition. AcÏquis¶iÏtiveÏly, adv. In the way of acquisition. AcÏquis¶iÏtiveÏness, n. 1. The quality of being acquisitive; propensity to acquire property; desire of possession. 2. (Phren.) The faculty to which the phrenologists attribute the desire of acquiring and possessing. Combe. AcÏquis¶iÏtor (#), n. One who acquires. AcÏquist¶ (#), n. [Cf. Acquest.] Acquisition; gain. Milton. AcÏquit¶ (#), p. p. Acquitted; set free; rid of. [Archaic] Shak. AcÏquit¶, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acquitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquitting.] [OE. aquiten, OF. aquiter, F. acquitter; ? (L. ad) + OF. quiter, F. quitter, to quit. See Quit, and cf. Acquiet.] 1. To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite. A responsibility that can never be absolutely acquitted. I. Taylor. 2. To pay for; to atone for. [Obs.] Shak. 3. To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, duty, liability, burden, or from an accusation or charge; Ð now followed by of before the charge, formerly by from; as, the jury acquitted the prisoner; we acquit a man of evil intentions. 4. Reflexively: (a) To clear one's self.k. (b) To bear or conduct one's self; to perform one's part; as, the soldier acquitted himself well in battle; the orator acquitted himself very poorly. Syn. Ð To absolve; clear; exonerate; exonerate; exculpate; release; discharge. See Absolve. AcÏquit¶ment (#), n. [Cf. OF. aquitement.] Acquittal. [Obs.] Milton. AcÏquit¶tal (#), n. 1. The act of acquitting; discharge from debt or obligation; acquittance. 2. (Law) A setting free, or deliverance from the charge of an offense, by verdict of a jury or sentence of a court. Bouvier. AcÏquit¶tance (#), n. [OF. aquitance, fr. aquiter. See Acquit.] 1. The clearing off of debt or obligation; a release or discharge from debt or other liability. 2. A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand. You can produce acquittances For such a sum, from special officers. Shak. AcÏquit¶tance, v. t. To acquit. [Obs.] Shak. AcÏquit¶ter (#), n. One who acquits or releases. Ø AÏcra¶niÏa (#), n. [NL., from Gr. ? priv. + ? skull.] 1. (Physiol.) Partial or total absence of the skull. 2. pl. (Zo”l.) The lowest group of Vertebrata, including the amphioxus, in which no skull exists. AÏcra¶niÏal (#), a. Wanting a skull. AÏcrase¶, AÏcraze¶ } (#), v. t. [Pref. aÏ + crase; or cf. F. ‚craser to crush. See Crase, Craze.] 1. To craze. [Obs.] Grafton. 2. To impair; to destroy. [Obs.] Hacket. Ø AÏcra¶siÏa (#), Ac¶raÏsy (#) } n. [Gr. ?.] Excess; intemperance. [Obs. except in Med.] Farindon. Ø AÏcras¶peÏda (#), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. ? priv. + ? border.] (Zo”l.) A group of acalephs, including most of the larger jellyfishes; the Discophora. A¶cre (#), n. [OE. aker, AS. ‘cer; akin to OS. accar, OHG. achar, Ger. acker, Icel. akr, Sw. †ker, Dan. ager, Goth. akrs, L. ager, Gr. ?, Skr. ajra. ?.] 1. Any field of arable or pasture land. [Obs.] 2. A piece of land, containing 160 square rods, or 4,840 square yards, or 43,560 square feet. This is the English statute acre. That of the United States is the same. The Scotch acre was about 1.26 of the English, and the Irish 1.62 of the English. µ The acre was limited to its present definite quantity by statutes of Edward I., Edward III., and Henry VIII. Broad acres, many acres, much landed estate. [Rhetorical] Ð God's acre, God's field; the churchyard. I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls The burial ground, God's acre. Longfellow. A¶creÏaÏble (#), a. Of an acre; per acre; as, the acreable produce. A¶creÏage (#), n. Acres collectively; as, the acreage of a farm or a country. A¶cred (#), a. Possessing acres or landed property; Ð used in composition; as, largeÐacred men. Ac¶rid (#), a. [L. acer sharp; prob. assimilated in form to acid. See Eager.] 1. Sharp and harsh, or bitter and not, to the taste; pungent; as, acrid salts. 2. Causing heat and irritation; corrosive; as, acrid secretions. 3. Caustic; bitter; bitterly irritating; as, acrid temper, mind, writing. Acrid poison, a poison which irritates, corrodes, or burns the parts to which it is applied. AÏcrid¶iÏty (#), Ac¶ridÏness (#) } n. The quality of being acrid or pungent; irritant bitterness; acrimony; as, the acridity of a plant, of a speech. Ac¶ridÏly (#), adv. In an acid manner. Ac¶riÏmo¶niÏous (#), a. [Cf. LL. acrimonious, F. acrimonieux.] 1. Acrid; corrosive; as, acrimonious gall. [Archaic] Harvey. 2. Caustic; bitterÐtempered' sarcastic; as, acrimonious dispute, language, temper. Ac·riÏmo¶niÏousÏly, adv. In an acrimonious manner. Ac·riÏmo¶niÏousÏness, n. The quality of being acrimonious; asperity; acrimony. Ac¶riÏmoÏny (#), n.; pl. Acrimonies (#). [L. acrimonia, fr. acer, sharp: cf. F. acrimonie.] 1. A quality of bodies which corrodes or destroys others; also, a harsh or biting sharpness; as, the acrimony of the juices of certain plants. [Archaic] Bacon. 2. Sharpness or severity, as of language or temper; irritating bitterness of disposition or manners. John the Baptist set himself with much acrimony and indignation to baffle this senseless arrogant conceit of theirs. South. Syn. Ð Acrimony, Asperity, Harshness, Tartness. These words express different degrees of angry feeling or language. Asperity and harshness arise from angry feelings, connected with a disregard for the feelings of others. Harshness usually denotes needless severity or an undue measure of severity. Acrimony is a biting sharpness produced by an imbittered spirit. Tartness denotes slight asperity and implies some degree of intellectual readiness. Tartness of reply; harshness of accusation; acrimony of invective. In his official letters he expressed, with great acrimony, his contempt for the king's character. Macaulay. It is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received. Johnson. A just reverence of mankind prevents the growth of harshness and brutality. Shaftesbury. Ø AÏcris¶iÏa (#), Ac¶riÏsy (#), } n. [LL. acrisia, Gr. ?; ? priv. + ? to separate, to decide.] 1. Inability to judge. 2. (Med.) Undecided character of a disease. [Obs.] Ø Ac¶riÏta (#), n. pl. [NL., from Gr. ? indiscernible; ? priv. + ? to distinguish.] (Zo”l.) The lowest groups of animals, in which no nervous system has been observed. Ac¶riÏtan (#), a. (Zo”l.) Of or pertaining to the Acrita. Ð n. An individual of the Acrita. Ac¶rite (#), a. (Zo”l.) Acritan. Owen. AÏcrit¶icÏal (#), a. [Gr. ? priv. + ? critical.] (Med.) Having no crisis; giving no indications of a crisis; as, acritical symptoms, an acritical abscess. Ac·riÏtoÏchro¶maÏcy (#), n. [Gr. ? undistinguishable; ? priv. + ? to separate, distinguish + ? color.] Color blindness; achromatopsy. Ac¶riÏtude (#), n. [L. acritudo, from acer sharp.] Acridity; pungency joined with heat. [Obs.] Ac¶riÏty (#), n. [L. acritas, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. ƒcret‚.] Sharpness; keenness. [Obs.] Ac·roÏaÏmat¶ic (#), Ac·roÏaÏmat¶icÏal (#), } a. [Gr. ?, fr. ? to hear.] Communicated orally; oral; Ð applied to the esoteric teachings of Aristotle, those intended for his genuine disciples, in distinction from his exoteric doctrines, which were adapted to outsiders or the public generally. Hence: Abstruse; profound. Ac·roÏat¶ic (#), a. [Gr. ?, fr. ? to hear.] Same as Acroamatic. Ac¶roÏbat (#), n. [F. acrobate, fr. Gr. ? walking on tiptoe, climbing aloft; ? high + ? to go.] One who practices rope dancing, high vaulting, or other daring gymnastic feats. Ac·roÏbat¶ic (#), a. [Cf. F. acrobatique.] Pertaining to an acrobat. Ð Ac·roÏbat¶icÏalÏly, adv. Ac¶roÏbatÏism (#), n. Feats of the acrobat; daring gymnastic feats; high vaulting. Ac·roÏcar¶pous (#), a. [Gr. ? extreme, highest + ? fruit.] (Bot.) (a) Having a terminal fructification; having the fruit at the end of the stalk. (b) Having the fruit stalks at the end of a leafy stem, as in certain mosses. Ac·roÏceÏphal¶ic (#), a. [Gr. ? highest + ?. See Cephalic.] Characterized by a high skull. Ac·roÏcerph¶aÏly (#), n. Loftiness of skull. Ac·roÏceÏrau¶niÏan (#), a. [L. acroceraunius, fr. Gr. ? high, n. pl. ? heights + ? thunderbolt.] Of or pertaining to the high mountain range of ½thunderÐsmitten¸ peaks (now Kimara), between Epirus and Macedonia. Shelley. Ø Ac·roÏdac¶tylÏum (#), n. [NL., from Gr. ? topmost + ? finger.] (Zo”l.) The upper surface of the toes, individually. Ac¶roÏdont (#), n. [Gr. ? summit + ?, ?, a tooth.] (Zo”l.) One of a group of lizards having the teeth immovably united to the top of the alveolar ridge. Ð a. Of or pertaining to the acrodonts. Ac¶roÏgen (#), n. [Gr. ? extreme, high + Ïgen.] Ac¶roÏgen (#), n. [Gr. ? extreme, high + Ïgen.] (Bot.) A plant of the highest class of cryptograms, including the ferns, etc. See Cryptogamia. The Age of Acrogens (Geol.), the age of coal plants, or the carboniferous era. AcÏrog¶eÏnous (#), a. (Bot.) Increasing by growth from the extremity; as, an acrogenous plant. AÏcro¶leÏin (#), n. [L. acer sharp + ol?re to smell.] (Chem.) A limpid, colorless, highly volatile liquid, obtained by the dehydration of glycerin, or the destructive distillation of neutral fats containing glycerin. Its vapors are intensely irritating. Watts. Ac¶roÏlith (#), n. [L. acrolthus, Gr. ? with the ends made of stone; ? extreme + ? stone.] (Arch. & Sculp.) A statue whose extremities are of stone, the trunk being generally of wood. Elmes. AÏcrol¶iÏthan (#), Ac·roÏlith¶ic (#), } a. Pertaining to, or like, an acrolith. Ac·roÏmeg¶aÏly (#), n. [NL. acromegalia, fr. Gr. ? point, peak + ?, ?, big.] (Med.) Chronic enlargement of the extreinities and face. AÏcro¶miÏal (#), a. [Cf. F. acromial.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the acromion. Dunglison. Ø AÏcro¶miÏon (#), n. [Gr. ?; ? extreme + ? shoulder: cf. F. acromion.] (Anat.) The outer extremity of the shoulder blade. Ac·roÏmon·oÏgramÏmat¶ic (#), a. [Gr. ? extreme + ? alone + ? a letter.] Having each verse begin with the same letter as that with which the preceding verse ends. AÏcron¶yc (#), AÏcron¶ychÏal (#), } a. [Gr. ? at nightfall; ? + ? night.] (Astron.) Rising at sunset and setting at sunrise, as a star; Ð opposed to cosmical. µ The word is sometimes incorrectly written acronical, achronychal, acronichal, and acronical. AÏcron¶ycÏalÏly, adv. In an acronycal manner as rising at the setting of the sun, and vise versƒ. Ac¶roÏnyc¶tous (#), a. [Gr. ?; ? + ?, ?, night.] (Astron.) Acronycal. AÏcrook¶ (#), adv. Crookedly. [R.] Udall. AÏcrope¶eÏtal (#), a. [Gr. ? summit + L. petere to seek.] (Bot.) Developing from below towards the apex, or from the circumference towards the center; centripetal; Ð said of certain inflorescence. AÏchroph¶oÏny (#), n. [Gr. ? extreme + ? sound.] The use of a picture symbol of an object to represent phonetically the initial sound of the name of the object. Ø Ac·roÏpo¶diÏum (#), n. [Gr. ? topmost + ?, ?, foot.] (Zo”l.) The entire upper surface of the foot. AÏcrop¶oÏlis (#), n. [Gr. ?; ? extreme + ? city.] The upper part, or the citadel, of a Grecian city; especially, the citadel of Athens. Ac¶roÏpol¶iÏtan (#), a. Pertaining to an acropolis. Ac¶roÏspire (#), n. [Gr. ? + ? anything twisted.] (Bot.) The sprout at the end of a seed when it begins to germinate; the plumule in germination; Ð so called from its spiral form. Ac¶roÏspire, v. i. To put forth the first sprout. Ac¶roÏspore (#), n. [Gr. ? + ? fruit.] (Bot.) A spore borne at the extremity of the cells of fructification in fungi. Ac¶roÏspor¶ous (#), a. Having acrospores. AÏcross¶ (#; 115), prep. [Pref. aÏ + cross: cf. F. en croix. See Cross, n.] From side to side; athwart; crosswise, or in a direction opposed to the length; quite over; as, a bridge laid across a river. Dryden. To come across, to come upon or meet incidentally. Freeman. Ð To go across the country, to go by a direct course across a region without following the roads. AÏcross¶, adv. 1. From side to side; crosswise; as, with arms folded across. Shak. 2. Obliquely; athwart; amiss; awry. [Obs.] The squintÐeyed Pharisees look across at all the actions of Christ. Bp. Hall. AÏcros¶tic (#)(#), n. [Gr. ?; ? extreme + ? order, line, verse.] 1. A composition, usually in verse, in which the first or the last letters of the lines, or certain other letters, taken in order, form a name, word, phrase, or motto. 2. A Hebrew poem in which the lines or stanzas begin with the letters of the alphabet in regular order (as Psalm cxix.). See Abecedarian. Double acrostic, a species of enigma<-- crossword puzzle -->, in which words are to be guessed whose initial and final letters form other words. AÏcros¶tic (#), AÏcros¶tiÏal (#), } n. Pertaining to, or characterized by, acrostics. AÏcros¶ticÏalÏly, adv. After the manner of an acrostic. Ø Ac·roÏtar¶siÏum (#), n. [NL., from Gr. ? topmost + ? tarsus.] (Zo”l.) The instep or front of the tarsus.

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