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.
Ôr'tho-tōne, a. p. 923(Gr. Gram.) Retaining the accent; not enclitic; — said of certain indefinite pronouns and adverbs when used interrogatively, which, when not so used, are ordinarily enclitic.Or-thŏt'ro-pal or Or-thŏt'ro-poŭs, a. p. 923(Bot.) Turned or growing in a straight direction; as, an orthotropous ovule.Or-thŏt'y-poŭs, a. p. 923(Crystallog.) Having a perpendicular cleavage. Shepard.Ôr'tĭve, a. p. 923Of, or relating to, the time or act of rising, as of a star; rising; eastern; as, the ortive amplitude of a planet.Ôr'to-lan, n. p. 923(Ornith.) A singing bird (Emberiza hortulana), about the size of the lark, with black wings. It is found in Europe, and is esteemed delicious food. The American species is the American rail, Rallus…Ôr'tyx, n. p. 923(Ornith.) A genus of North American birds, including the partridge. O. (or Lophortyx) Californicus is the California quail. Baird.Ôr'val, n. p. 923(Bot.) A plant of the genus Lamium.Ôr'vi-ē'tan, n. p. 923An antidote or counter-poison. [Obs.] Brande.Ō'ry-al, n. p. 923See ORIEL.Ŏr'ye-tog-nŏs'tic, a. p. 923Pertaining to oryctognosy.Or'y-e-tog-nōs'tic-al-ly, adv. p. 923According to oryctognosy.Ŏr/y-e-tŏg/no-sy, n. p. 923The science which has for its object the description and classification of minerals, according to well-ascertained characters, and under appropriate denominations; mineralogy. [Obs.]Ŏr'y-e-tŏg'ra-phy, n. p. 923That part of natural history in which minerals or fossils are described; oryctology.Ŏr'y-e-to-lōg'ie-al, a. p. 923Pertaining to oryctology.Ŏr'/yĕ-tŏl'o-gy, n. p. 923That part of natural history which treats of fossils. 2. The science which treats of the arrangement, classification, and description of minerals; oryctognosy.Ō'ryx, n. p. 923(Zoöl.) A variety of South African antelope, called also gems-bok, having the mane and tail of the horse, the head and coloring of the ass, and the legs and feet of the antelope. Its horns are about…O-rī'za, n. p. 923(Bot.) A genus of plants including the rice-plant; rice. Baird.Ōs or Ō'sar, n. p. 923(Geol.) (a.) A low ridge of stone or gravel, supposed to be a moraine formed by glaciers; — so called in Scandinavia. (b.) A similar ridge, supposed to be of moraine origin, in other countries. (c.)…Ōs, n. p. 923A bone. 2. A mouth.Ŏs'che-o-cēle', n. p. 923(Med.) Any tumor of the scrotum; a scrotal hernia.Ōs'çil-lan-cy, n. p. 923The state of oscillating or wavering backward and forward; a see-saw kind of motion.Ōs'cil-lā'ri-ă, n. pl. p. 923See OSCILLATORIA.Ŏs'çil-lāte, v. i. p. 923To move backward and forward; to vibrate; to swing; to sway; hence, to vary or fluctuate between fixed limits. The amount of superior families oscillates rather than changes, that is, it fluctuates…Ŏs'cil-lā'tion, n. p. 923The act of oscillating; a moving backward and forward, or swinging like a pendulum; vibration. His [Mackintosh's] mind oscillated, undoubtedly; but the extreme points of the oscillation were not very…Ŏs'çil-lā'tive, a. p. 923Tending to oscillate; vibratory. “The oscillative antagonism between incompatible paradoxes.” I. Taylor.Ōs'çil-la-tō'ri-ă, n. pl. p. 923(Nat. Hist.) A group of minute confervoid algae, having oscillatory motions. They are usually of a filamentous structure, sometimes branched, spinal, or moniliform. Little is known of their…ŏs'çil-la-to-ry, a. p. 923Moving backward and forward like a pendulum; swinging; as, oscillatory motion.ŏs'çi-tān-cy, n. p. 923The act of gaping or yawning. 2. Unusual sleepiness; drowsiness; dullness. It might proceed from the oscitancy of transcribers. Addison.Ŏs'çi-tant, a. p. 923Yawning; gaping. 2. Sleepy; drowsy; dull; sluggish. He must not be oscitant, but intent on his charge. Barrow.ŏs'çi-tant-ly, adv. p. 923In an oscitant manner; yawningly; carelessly.Ōs'ci-tāte, v. i. p. 924To gape with sleepiness; to yawn.Ōs'ci-tā'tion, n. p. 924The act of yawning or gaping from sleepiness.Ōs'cu-lant, a. p. 924Adhering closely; embracing;—applied to certain creeping animals, as caterpillars. 2. (Classification.) Intermediate in character, or on the border between two groups; as, the genera by which two…Ŏs'cu-lāte, v. t. p. 924To kiss. 2. (Geom.) To touch, as one curve another, or as two curves when both have a common curvature at the point of contact.ŏs'cu-lāte, v. i. p. 924To kiss one another; to kiss. 2. (Geom.) To touch; as, curves osculate.ŏs'cu-lā'tion, n. p. 924The act of kissing; a kissing. 2. (Geom.) The contact of one curve with another, when at the point of contact they both have the same curvature for the greatest number of consecutive points in common.Ŏs'eu-la-to-ry, a. p. 924Of, or pertaining to, kissing; kissing. The two ladies went through the osculatory ceremony which they were in the habit of performing. Thackeray. 2. (Geom.) Pertaining to, or having the properties…Ŏs'eu-la-to-ry, n. p. 924(Eccl. Hist.) A tablet or board, with a picture of Christ, or the Virgin, &c., which was kissed by the priest, and then by the people. [Obs.]Ōs'eu-lā/trix, n. p. 924(Geom.) A curve whose contact with a given curve, at a given point, is of a higher order (or involves the equality of a greater number of successive differential co-efficients of the ordinates of the…Ŏs'cūle, n. p. 924A small bi-labiate aperture.Ō'-sīde, n. p. 924One side. “Vessels cast away and left lying at o-side amid the sands.” [Obs.] Holland.Ō’sier, n. p. 924A species of willow, or water-willow, or the twig of the willow, used in making baskets.Ō'sier, a. p. 924Made of or like osiers. “This osier cage of ours.” Shak.Ō's'iered, a. p. 924Covered or adorned with osiers.Ō'sier-hōlt, n. p. 924A place where willows for basket-work are cultivated. [Eng.]Ō'sier-y, n. p. 924A place where osiers are grown.Ōs'man-lī, n. p. 924A Turkish official; — so called from Osman, who founded the Ottoman empire in Asia; also, less properly, a native Turk.Ōs'ma-zōme, n. p. 924(Chem.) A substance obtained from muscular fiber, which gives the characteristic odor and taste of soup, and was formerly supposed to be a definite compound. Thenard.Ōs'mel-ite, n. p. 924(Min.) A variety of pectolite;—so called from its having an odor of clay.Ŏs'mi-ate, n. p. 924(Chem.) A salt formed by the combination of osmic acid with a base.Ōs'mic, a. p. 924(Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, the metal osmium; as, osmic acid.Ōs'mi-ōüs, a. p. 924(Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, osmium;—said of a certain acid containing a smaller proportion of oxygen than osmic acid.Ōs'mīte, n. p. 924(Chem.) A compound formed by the union of osmium with some other substance.Ŏs'mi-ūm, n. p. 924(Chem.) A brittle, gray-colored metal, found with platinum. Its oxide forms a volatile acid of an acrid, disagreeable odor, whence the name. Dana.Ōs-mŏm'e-ter, n. p. 924An instrument for measuring the amount of osmotic action.Ŏs'mōse, n. p. 924(Chemical Physics.) (a.) The tendency in fluids to mix, or become equably diffused, when in contact. It was first observed between fluids of differing densities, and as taking place through a…Os-mŏt'ic, a. p. 924Pertaining to, or having the property of, osmose; as, osmotic force.Ŏs'mund, n. p. 924(Bot.) A plant of the genus Osmunda. The most remarkable species is the osmund royal, or flowering fern, growing in shady bogs, the root of which, when boiled, is very slimy, and is used in…Ŏs'na-burg, n. p. 924A species of coarse linen, imported originally from Osnaburg, in Germany,—whence the name.Os-phrē'si-ŏl'o-ġy, n. p. 924(Med.) A treatise on olfaction and odors. Dunglison.