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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

Animal

Ăn'i-mal, n.

noun

n. [Lat. animal, from anima, breath, soul, akin to animus, soul, mind; Gr. ἄνεμος, wind, Skr. an, to breathe, live, anila, wind.] 1. An organized living being endowed with sensation and the power of voluntary motion; and also characterized by taking its food into an internal cavity or stomach for digestion; by giving carbonic acid to the air and taking oxygen in the process of respiration; by increasing in motive power or active aggressive force with the progress to maturity. ☞ In these points animals differ from plants. Only a very few of the lowest animals fail of a stomach, and only the spores of some sea-weeds and certain infusorial plants (see under ANIMALCULE) have locomotion. Plants use up carbonic acid, and give out oxygen in the process of nutrition, and thus the vegetable and animal kingdoms are counterparts in the great system of nature. Plants have no stomach, but receive nutrition through the external surface; they make no increase in motile force as the embryo develops, but on the contrary, when the spores are motile, they lose the power immediately when development begins. Dana. 2. In a more limited sense, an irrational being as distinguished from man; as, men and animals.

Ăn'i-mal, a.

adjective

a. 1. Belonging, or relating to, animals; as, animal functions.

Sense 2. Pertaining to the merely sentient part of a creature, as distinguished from the intellectual, rational, or spiritual part; as, the animal passions or appetites.

Sense 3. Consisting of the flesh of animals; as, animal food.

Animal magnetism. See MAGNETISM and MESMERISM. — Animal spirits, denotes the nervous fluid, and, in popular language, life, vigor, energy. — Animal kingdom, the whole class of beings endowed with animal life. It embraces five sub-kingdoms, of as many grades of structure, each independent of the others in its type or plan of organization; and under these there are Classes, Orders, Families, Genera, Species, and sometimes intermediate groupings, all in regular subordination. The sub-kingdoms, and the names of the classes they comprise, are as follows:—

Sub-kingdoms. Classes.

I. VERTEBRATES, having an internal jointed bony skeleton, a brain, and a spinal cord along the back.

  1. MAMMALS; as Man, Quadrupeds.
  2. BIRDS.
  3. REPTILES; as Lizards, Turtles, Snakes, Frogs.
  4. FISHES.

II. ARTICULATES, having the body and members articulated, but no internal jointed bony skeleton (hence invertebrates), and the main nervous cord ventral.

  1. INSECTS; as Beetles, Butterflies, &c.
  2. SPIDERS.
  3. MYRIAPODS; as Centipeds.
  4. CRUSTACEANS; as Crabs, Lobsters.
  5. WORMS; as Earth Worm, Leech, Intestinal Worms.

III. MOLLUSKS. Invertebrates, having a soft body without articulations, and having the main nervous cord ventral.

  1. CEPHALOPODS; as the Cuttle-fish or Sepia.
  2. CEPHALATES; as Snails and other Univalves.
  3. ACEPHALS; as Oysters and other Bivalves.
  4. ASCIDIANS; species having often a leathery exterior.
  5. BRACHIOPODS; as Lingulas, Spirifers.
  6. BRYOZOANS; as the Flustra and Retepore.

IV. RADIATES. Invertebrates, having the organs within the animal as well as without radiately arranged, much like the parts of a flower.

  1. ECHINODERMS; as the Echni- ni or Sea-U rchins, Star-Fishes, &c.
  2. MEDUSÆ, or Jelly-Fishes.
  3. POLYPS; as the Coral animals, Actinia, &c.

V. PROTOZOANS. Sponges, Rhizopods, and some Animalcules, are here included. With few exceptions, they have no proper mouth, and no members. Dana.