Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Lȳm or Lȳm'-hound, n. p. 796See LIMEHOUND, LEAMER, LIMMER, LEAM, LYAM, and cf. HYM. A dog held in a leam; a blood-hound. See LIME. “Hound or spaniel, brach or lym.” Shak.Lȳm'i-ter, n. p. 796See LIMITER.Lȳm'nite, n. p. 796(Paleon.) A kind of fresh-water snail found fossil.Lȳmph, n. p. 796a nymph or inferior goddess, a goddess of fertilizing moisture, especially of those springs, the waters of which were impregnated with exciting or entrancing fumes; the Muses, who were originally of…Lȳmph'ate or Lȳmph'ā-ted, a. p. 796Frightened into madness; raving. [Obs.]Lym-phăt'ic, a. p. 796Pertaining to, containing, or conveying lymph. 2. Madly enthusiastic; frantic. Lymphatic gland (Anat.), a reddish-colored gland connected with the lymphatics.Lym-phât'ic, n. p. 796(Physiol.) A vein-like, valved vessel in vertebrate animals, that contains a transparent fluid; an absorbent;—called also lymph-duct. It is usually connected with lymphatic glands. 2. A mad…Lȳmph'-ē-dūct, n. p. 796(Physiol.) An absorbent vessel; a lymphatic. See LYMPHATIC.Lym-phōg'ra-phy, n. p. 796A description of the lymphatic vessels, their origin and uses.Lȳmph'y, a. p. 796Containing, or like, lymph.Lȳn, n. p. 796A waterfall. See LIN. [Scot.]Lȳn'çe-an, a. p. 796Pertaining to the lynx.Lynch, v. t. p. 796To inflict pain, or punishment upon without the forms of law, as by a mob, or by unauthorized persons. [U. S.]Lȳnch'-lȧw, n. p. 796The practice of punishing men for crimes or offenses, by private, unauthorized persons, without a legal trial. The term is said to be derived from a Virginia farmer, named Lynch, who thus took the…Lȳn'den-tree, n. p. 796See LINDEN.Lȳne, n. p. 796Linen. [Obs.] Spenser.Lȳnx, n. p. 796(Zoöl.) An animal of several species of the genus Felis, and much resembling the common cat, but having longer ears and a shorter tail. The common lynx of Europe is the F. Lynx; the Canada lynx is…Lȳnx'-eȳed, a. p. 796Having acute sight.Lȳ'rȧ, n. p. 796(Astron.) A northern constellation, containing a white star of the first magnitude, called Alpha Lyræ, or Vega. 2. (Anat.) A portion of the brain;—so called from the arrangement of the medullary…Lȳ'rate or Lȳ'rā-ted, a. p. 796(Bot.) Lyre-shaped, or spatulate and oblong, with small lobes toward the base; as, a lyrate leaf.Lȳre, n. p. 796(Mus.) A stringed instrument of music; a kind of harp much used by the ancients, as an accompaniment to poetry. ☞ The lyre was the peculiar instrument of Apollo, the tutelary god of music and poetry.…Lȳre'-bîrd, n. p. 796(Ornith.) A bird of the genus Menura (M. superba), remarkable for having the sixteen tail-feathers of the male arranged in the form of a lyre. It is a native of Australia.Ly̆r'ic or Ly̆r'ic-al, a. p. 796Pertaining to a lyre or harp. 2. Fitted to be sung to the lyre; hence, also, appropriate for song;—said especially of poetry which expresses the individual emotions of the poet. “Sweet lyric song.”…Ly̆r'ic, n. p. 796A lyric poem. 2. A composer of lyric poems. [Rare.] Addison. 3. A verse of the kind usually employed in lyric poetry;—used chiefly in the plural.Ly̆r'i-çism, n. p. 796A lyric composition. Gray.Lȳ'rist, n. p. 796A musician who plays on the harp or lyre.Ly̆s'i-mā'chi-ȧ, n. p. 796(Bot.) A genus of low, perennial plants, having yellow flowers; loosestrife.Ly̆s'sȧ, n. p. 796(Med.) Hydrophobia. ☞ The plural has been used to signify the pustules supposed to be developed under the tongue in hydrophobia.Lȳ-tē'ri-an, a. p. 796(Med.) Terminating a disease; indicating the end of a disease. Jones.Lȳthe, n. p. 796(Ichth.) A fish; the whiting of Scotland.Lȳthe, a. p. 796Soft; flexible. [Obs.] Spenser.Ly̆th'on-thrĭp'tic or Ly̆th'on-trĭp'tic, a. p. 796See LITHONTRIPTIC.Ly̆'thrum, n. p. 796(Bot.) A genus of plants; loosestrife. Gray.M p. 797is the thirteenth letter of the English alphabet, and represents a labial articulation. As the closure of the lips by which it is formed is accompanied with a humming sound through the nose, it is…Mā, n. p. 797Mother; an abbreviation of mamma, a child's title for mother.Mā, adv. p. 797(Mus.) But;—used in cautionary phrases; as, “Vivace, ma non troppo presto”—Lively, but not too quick. Moore.Mă'am, n. p. 797Madam; my lady;—a colloquial and usual contraction of madam.Ma-āsh'a, n. p. 797An East Indian coin, of about one tenth of the weight of a rupee.Māb, n. p. 797A childish or negligent person; a slattern. [Prov. Eng.] 2. (Northern Myth.) The queen of the imaginary beings called fairies.Măb, v. i. p. 797To dress negligently; to be slovenish. [Prov. Eng.]Māb'ble, v. t. p. 797To wrap up. [Obs.]Māb'by, n. p. 797A spirituous liquor or drink distilled from potatoes, used in the Barbadoes.Māc p. 797A prefix, in names of Scotch origin, signifying son.Ma-cā'cus, n. p. 797(Zoöl.) A genus of apes, found in Asia, characterized by having short tails and very prominent eyebrows. Baird.Mac-ăd'am-i-zā'tion, n. p. 797The process or act of covering roads with broken stone.Mac-ăd'ăm-īze, v. t. p. 797To cover, as a road, way, or path, with small, broken stones, so as to form a smooth, hard surface.Mac-ād'am-rōad, n. p. 797A road or path covered with small, broken stones, so as to form a smooth, hard surface.Ma-cā'o, n. p. 797See MACAW.Măc'a-rīze, v. t. p. 797To bless; to wish joy to, on account of some success or happy event; to congratulate. [Rare.]Māc'a-rō'nī, n. p. 797[Prov. It. macaroni, It. maccheroni, Sp. maccarrones, from Gr. μακαρία, βρῶμα ἐκ ζωμοῦ καὶ ἀλφίτων, Hesych., properly happiness, bliss, i. e., a very dainty food, from μάκαρ, μακάριος, blessed…Măc'a-rō'nĭ-an or Măc'a-rōn'ĭe, a. p. 797Pertaining to, or like, a macaroni; empty; trifling; vain; affected. 2. Consisting in the addition of Latin terminations to the vernacular roots of some one modern language, combined with the…Măc'a-rōn'ie, n. p. 797A heap of things confusedly mixed together; a jumble. 2. A kind of burlesque composition, in which the vernacular words of any one modern language are intermixed with genuine Latin words, and also…Măc'a-rōon', n. p. 797A small cake, composed chiefly of almonds and sugar. 2. A finical fellow, or macaroni.Mā-căs'sar Oil p. 797A kind of oil used in the toilet for the hair;—so called from Macassar, a district of the Island of Celebes, in the Eastern Archipelago, from which it was originally obtained. The name is very…Ma-caw', n. p. 797(Ornith.) A large bird, allied to the parrots, but having a deep lower mandible, a long tail, and the cheeks bare. It is a very showy bird, and is a native of the warmer parts of America. The green…Ma-caw'-tree, n. p. 797(Bot.) A species of thorny palm-tree, of the genus Nerocomia (N. aculeata sclerocarpa). From the fruit a fragrant, golden-yellow butter, of a sweetish taste, is obtained. It is found in the West…Măc'ea-bē'an, a. p. 797Pertaining to the Jewish princes called Maccabees, who rescued Judea from the tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes, and rendered it independent for about a century.Măc'ca-bees, n. pl. p. 797Two apocryphal books of the Old Testament, which give an account of Jewish affairs in the time of the Maccabean princes.Măc'e'a-boy or Măc'e'o-boy, n. p. 797A kind of snuff.Māçe, n. p. 797A heavy staff or club of metal, used as a weapon in the days of chivalry. “A leaden mace.” Shak. “A heavy iron mace.” Knolles. 2. Hence, a staff borne by, or carried before, a magistrate as an ensign…