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alphanumerics

a character set that includes letters and digits and punctuation marks.

Alphol

A crystalline derivative of salicylic acid, used as an antiseptic and antirheumatic.

Alphonsine

Of or relating to Alphonso X., the Wise, King of Castile (1252-1284).

Alphorn Alpenhorn

A curved wooden horn about three feet long, with a cupped mouthpiece and a bell, used by the Swiss to sound the ranz des vaches and other melodies. Its notes are open harmonics of the tube.

Alpia Alpist

The seed of canary grass (Phalaris Canariensis), used for feeding cage birds.

Alpine

Of or pertaining to the Alps, or to any lofty mountain; as, Alpine snows; Alpine plants.

Alpinia

a genus of perennial rhizomatous herbs of Asia and Australia and Polynesia having ginger-scented rhizomes.

Alquifou

A lead ore found in Cornwall, England, and used by potters to give a green glaze to their wares; potter's ore.

Already

Prior to some specified time, either past, present, or future; by this time; previously.

Alsace

a region of northeastern France famous for its wines.

Alsatia

a region of northeastern France famous for its wines.

Alsatian

An inhabitant of Alsatia or Alsace in Germany, or of Alsatia or White Friars (a resort of debtors and criminals) in London.

Alsike

A species of clover with pinkish or white flowers; Trifolium hybridum.

Also

In like manner; likewise.

Alsobia

a genus of tropical American herbs sometimes included in genus Episcia.

Alsophila

a genus comprising the geometrid moths.

Alstonia

genus of evergreen trees or shrubs with white funnel-shaped flowers and milky sap; tropical Africa to southeast Asia and Polynesia.

alstroemeria

any of various South American plants of the genus Alstroemeria valued for their handsome umbels of beautiful flowers.

Alstroemeriaceae

one of many families or subfamilies into which some classification systems subdivide the Liliaceae but not widely accepted; sometimes included in subfamily Amaryllidaceae.

Alt

The higher part of the scale. See Alto.

Altaic

of or pertaining to the Altaic languages.

Altaic Altaian

Of or pertaining to the Altai, a mountain chain in Central Asia.

Altar

A raised structure (as a square or oblong erection of stone or wood) on which sacrifices are offered or incense burned to a deity.

altar boy

a boy who assists a priest at the clebration of the Holy Mass and other forms of public worship; -- also called acolyte.

Altarage

The offerings made upon the altar, or to a church.

Altarist

A chaplain. A vicar of a church.

Altarpiece

The painting or piece of sculpture above and behind the altar; reredos.

Altarwise

In the proper position of an altar, that is, at the east of a church with its ends towards the north and south.

Altazimuth

An instrument for taking azimuths and altitudes simultaneously.

Alter

To become, in some respects, different; to vary; to change; as, the weather alters almost daily; rocks or minerals alter by exposure.

Alterableness

The quality of being alterable; variableness; alterability.

Alteration

The act of altering or making different.

Alterative

A medicine or treatment which gradually induces a change, and restores healthy functions without sensible evacuations.

Altercate

To contend in words; to dispute with zeal, heat, or anger; to wrangle.

Altercation

Warm contention in words; dispute carried on with heat or anger; controversy; wrangle; wordy contest.

Alterity

The state or quality of being other; a being otherwise.

Altern

Acting by turns; alternate.

Alternant

Composed of alternate layers, as some rocks.

Alternat

A usage, among diplomats, of rotation in precedence among representatives of equal rank, sometimes determined by lot and at other times in regular order. The practice obtains in the signing of treaties and conventions between nations.

Alternate

To happen, succeed, or act by turns; to follow reciprocally in place or time; -- followed by with; as, the flood and ebb tides alternate with each other.

Alternately

In reciprocal succession; succeeding by turns; in alternate order.

Alternateness

The quality of being alternate, or of following by turns.

Alternation

The reciprocal succession of things in time or place; the act of following and being followed by turns; alternate succession, performance, or occurrence; as, the alternation of day and night, cold and heat, summer and winter, hope and fear.

Alternative

An offer of two things, one of which may be chosen, but not both; a choice between two things, so that if one is taken, the other must be left.

Alternatively

In the manner of alternatives, or that admits the choice of one out of two things.

Alternativeness

The quality of being alternative, or of offering a choice between two.

Alternator

An electric generator or dynamo for producing alternating currents.

Althea Althaea

A genus of plants of the Mallow family. It includes the officinal marsh mallow, and the garden hollyhocks. An ornamental shrub (Hibiscus Syriacus) of the Mallow family.

Althing

The national assembly or parliament of Iceland. See Thing, n., 8.

Althorn

An instrument of the saxhorn family, used exclusively in military music, often replacing the French horn.

Although

Grant all this; be it that; supposing that; notwithstanding; though.

Altimeter

An instrument for taking altitudes, as a quadrant, sextant, etc.

Altimetry

The art of measuring altitudes, or heights.

Altiscope

An arrangement of lenses and mirrors which enables a person to see an object in spite of intervening objects. Since the early 1900's, most commonly called periscope.

Altissimo

The part or notes situated above F in alt.

Altitude

Space extended upward; height; the perpendicular elevation of an object above its foundation, above the ground, or above a given level, or of one object above another; as, the altitude of a mountain, or of a bird above the top of a tree.

Altitudinal

Of or pertaining to height; as, altitudinal measurements.

Alto

Formerly the part sung by the highest male, or counter-tenor, voices; now the part sung by the lowest female, or contralto, voices, between in tenor and soprano. In instrumental music it now signifies the tenor.

Alto-cumulus

A fleecy cloud formation consisting of large whitish or grayish globular cloudlets with shaded portions, often grouped in flocks or rows.

Alto-rilievo

High relief; sculptured work in which the figures project more than half their thickness; as, this figure is an alto-rilievo or in alto-rilievo.

Alto-stratus altostratus

A cloud formation similar to cirro-stratus, but heavier and at a lower level; a stratus cloud at an intermediate altitude of 2 or 3 miles.

altogether

nakedness; -- used mostly in the phrase /in the altogether/.

Altrices

Nursers, -- a term applied to those birds whose young are hatched in a very immature and helpless condition, so as to require the care of their parents for some time; -- opposed to pr/coces.

altricial

born naked and blind and dependent on parents for food; -- of hatchlings. Opposite of precocial.

Altruism

Regard for others, both natural and moral; devotion to the interests of others; brotherly kindness; -- opposed to egoism or selfishness.

Altruist

One imbued with altruism; -- opposed to egoist.

Altruistic

Regardful of others; beneficent; unselfish; -- opposed to egoistic or selfish.

Aludel

One of the pear-shaped pots open at both ends, and so formed as to be fitted together, the neck of one into the bottom of another in succession; -- used in the process of sublimation.

Alula

A false or bastard wing. See under Bastard.

Alular

Pertaining to the alula.

Alum

To steep in, or otherwise impregnate with, a solution of alum; to treat with alum.

Alumina

One of the earths, consisting of two parts of aluminium and three of oxygen, Al2O3.

Aluminate

A compound formed from the hydrate of aluminium by the substitution of a metal for the hydrogen.

Aluminic

Of or containing aluminium; as, aluminic phosphate.

Aluminium

same as aluminum, chiefly British in usage.

Aluminize

To treat or impregnate with alum; to alum.

Aluminography

Art or process of producing, and printing from, aluminium plates, after the manner of ordinary lithography.

Aluminous

Pertaining to or containing alum, or alumina; as, aluminous minerals, aluminous solution.

Aluminum

The metallic element forming the base of alumina. This metal is white, but with a bluish tinge, and is remarkable for its resistance to oxidation, and for its lightness, having a specific gravity of about 2.6. Atomic weight 27.08. Symbol Al. Also called aluminium.

Alumna

A female pupil; especially, a graduate of a school or college.

Alumnus

A pupil; especially, a graduate of a college or other seminary of learning.

Alunogen

A white fibrous mineral frequently found on the walls of mines and quarries, chiefly hydrous sulphate of alumina; -- also called feather alum, and hair salt.

Alure

A walk or passage; -- applied to passages of various kinds.

Alveary

A beehive, or something resembling a beehive.

Alveated

Formed or vaulted like a beehive.

Alveolar

Of, pertaining to, or resembling, alveoli or little cells, sacs, or sockets.

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