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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.

Alveoliform

Having the form of alveoli, or little sockets, cells, or cavities.

Alvine

Of, from, in, or pertaining to, the belly or the intestines; as, alvine discharges; alvine concretions.

Always

At all times; ever; perpetually; throughout all time; continually; as, God is always the same.

Alyssum

A genus of cruciferous plants; madwort. The sweet alyssum (Alyssum maritimum), cultivated for bouquets, bears small, white, sweet-scented flowers.

Alytes

a genus of amphibians comprising the midwife toads.

Amadavat

The strawberry finch, a small Indian song bird (Estrelda amandava), commonly caged and kept for fighting. The female is olive brown; the male, in summer, mostly crimson; -- called also red waxbill.

Amadou

A spongy, combustible substance, prepared from fungus (Boletus and Polyporus) which grows on old trees; German tinder; punk. It has been employed as a styptic by surgeons, but its common use is as tinder, for which purpose it is prepared by soaking it in a strong solution of niter.

amah

a woman hired to suckle a child of someone else.

Amain

To lower, as a sail, a yard, etc.

amain

To lower the topsail, in token of surrender; to yield.

Amalgamate

To unite in an amalgam; to blend with another metal, as quicksilver.

Amalgamation

The act or operation of compounding mercury with another metal; -- applied particularly to the process of separating gold and silver from their ores by mixing them with mercury.

Amalgamator

One who, or that which, amalgamates. Specifically: A machine for separating precious metals from earthy particles by bringing them in contact with a body of mercury with which they form an amalgam.

Amandine

The vegetable casein of almonds.

Amanita

A genus of poisonous fungi of the family Agaricace/, characterized by having a volva, an annulus, and white spores. The species resemble edible mushrooms, and are frequently mistaken for them. Amanita muscaria, syn. Agaricus muscarius, is the fly amanita, or fly agaric; and Agaricus phalloides is the death cup (or death cap).

Amanitine

The poisonous principle of some fungi.

Amanuensis

A person whose employment is to write what another dictates, or to copy what another has written.

Amarantaceous

Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the family of plants of which the amaranth is the type.

Amaranth

An imaginary flower supposed never to fade.

amarelle

any of several varieties of cultivated sour cherry trees of the species Prunus cerasus bearing fruit with colorless juice, e.g. Prunus cerasus caproniana.

Amarine

A characteristic crystalline substance, obtained from oil of bitter almonds.

Amaryllidaceae

a family of flowering plants including the snowdrop, narcissus, and daffodil; in some classification systems considered a subfamily of the Liliaceae.

Amaryllideous Amaryllidaceous

Of, pertaining to, or resembling, an order of plants differing from the lily family chiefly in having the ovary below the petals. The narcissus and daffodil are members of this family.

Amassette

An instrument of horn used for collecting painters' colors on the stone in the process of grinding.

Amassment

An amassing; a heap collected; a large quantity or number brought together; an accumulation.

Amasthenic

Uniting the chemical rays of light into one focus, as a certain kind of lens; amacratic.

Amate

To be a mate to; to match.

Amateur

A person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science as to music or painting; esp. one who cultivates any study or art, from taste or attachment, without pursuing it professionally.

Amateurish

In the style of an amateur; superficial or defective like the work of an amateur.

amateurishness

Behavior that demonstrates a lack of professional competency.

Amateurism

The practice, habit, or work of an amateur.

Amativeness

The faculty supposed to influence sexual desire; propensity to love.

Amatorial

Of or pertaining to a lover or to love making; amatory; as, amatorial verses.

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