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El Aaiun

The capital city of Western Sahara. Population (2000) = 20,010.

el cheapo

cheap; inexpensive and of inferior quality; as, an el cheapo cigar.

Elaboration

The act or process of producing or refining with labor; improvement by successive operations; refinement.

Elaborative

Serving or tending to elaborate; constructing with labor and minute attention to details.

Elaeagnus

A genus of shrubs or small trees, having the foliage covered with small silvery scales; oleaster.

Elaeolite

A variety of hephelite, usually massive, of greasy luster, and gray to reddish color.

Elaeoptene

The more liquid or volatile portion of certain oily substance, as distinguished from stearoptene, the more solid parts.

Elaidic

Relating to oleic acid, or elaine.

Elaidin

A solid isomeric modification of olein.

Elaiodic

Derived from castor oil; ricinoleic; as, elaiodic acid.

Elaiometer

An apparatus for determining the amount of oil contained in any substance, or for ascertaining the degree of purity of oil.

Elamite

A dweller in Flam (or Susiana), an ancient kingdom of Southwestern Asia, afterwards a province of Persia.

elan

Ardor inspired by passion or enthusiasm.

Elance

To throw as a lance; to hurl; to dart.

Eland

A species of large South African antelope (Oreas canna). It is valued both for its hide and flesh, and is rapidly disappearing in the settled districts; -- called also Cape elk.

Elanet

A kite of the genus Elanus.

Elaphe

a genus of snakes comprising the Old World and American rat snakes.

Elaphine

Pertaining to, resembling, or characteristic of, the stag, or Cervus elaphus.

Elaphure

A species of deer (Elaphurus Davidianus) found in china. It is about four feet high at the shoulder and has peculiar antlers.

elapid

a venomous snake of the family Elapidae, including the .

Elapidae

a natural family of snakes including the cobras, kraits, mambas, the New World coral snakes, and Australian taipan and tiger snakes.

Elapine

Like or pertaining to the Elapid/, a family of poisonous serpents, including the cobras. See Ophidia.

Elaps

A genus of venomous snakes found both in America and the Old World. Many species are known. See Coral snake, under Coral.

Elapse

To slip or glide away; to pass away silently, as time; -- used chiefly in reference to time.

Elasipoda

An order of holothurians mostly found in the deep sea. They are remarkable for their bilateral symmetry and curious forms.

Elasmobranch

Of or pertaining to the Elasmobranchii. One of the Elasmobranchii.

Elasmobranchii

A subclass of fishes, comprising the sharks, the rays, and the Chim/ra. The skeleton is mainly cartilaginous.

Elasmosaurus

An extinct, long-necked, marine, cretaceous reptile from Kansas, allied to Plesiosaurus.

Elastic

An elastic woven fabric, as a belt, braces or suspenders, etc., made in part of India rubber.

Elastically

In an elastic manner; by an elastic power; with a spring.

Elasticity

The quality of being elastic; the inherent property in bodies by which they recover their former figure or dimensions, after the removal of external pressure or altering force; springiness; resilience; tendency to rebound; as, the elasticity of caoutchouc; the elasticity of the air.

elasticized

made with strands or inserts of elastic, allowing it to stretch; -- of fabrics; as, slacks with an elasticized waistband.

Elastin

A nitrogenous substance, somewhat resembling albumin, which forms the chemical basis of elastic tissue. It is very insoluble in most fluids, but is gradually dissolved when digested with either pepsin or trypsin.

Elater

The active principle of elaterium, being found in the juice of the wild or squirting cucumber (Ecballium agreste, formerly Motordica Elaterium) and other related species. It is extracted as a bitter, white, crystalline substance, which is a violent purgative.

Elaterite

A mineral resin, of a blackish brown color, occurring in soft, flexible masses; -- called also mineral caoutchouc, and elastic bitumen.

Elaterium

A cathartic substance obtained, in the form of yellowish or greenish cakes, as the dried residue of the juice of the wild or squirting cucumber (Ecballium agreste, formerly called Momordica Elaterium).

Elation

A lifting up by success; exaltation; inriation with pride of prosperity.

Elative

Raised; lifted up; -- a term applied to what is also called the absolute superlative, denoting a high or intense degree of a quality, but not excluding the idea that an equal degree may exist in other cases.

Elatrometer

An instrument for measuring the degree of rarefaction of air contained in the receiver of an air pump.

Elayl

Olefiant gas or ethylene; -- so called by Berzelius from its forming an oil combining with chlorine. [Written also elayle.] See Ethylene.

Elbow

To jut into an angle; to project or to bend after the manner of an elbow.

Elbowboard

The base of a window casing, on which the elbows may rest.

Elbowchair

A chair with arms to support the elbows; an armchair.

Elbowroom

Room to extend the elbows on each side; ample room for motion or action; free scope.

Elcaja

An Arabian tree (Trichilia emetica). The fruit, which is emetic, is sometimes employed in the composition of an ointment for the cure of the itch.

Elcesaite

One of a sect of Asiatic Gnostics of the time of the Emperor Trajan.

Eld

To make old or ancient.

Elder

A genus of shrubs (Sambucus) having broad umbels of white flowers, and small black or red berries.

elderberry

The berrylike drupe of the elder. That of the Old World elder (Sambucus nigra) and that of the American sweet elder (S. Canadensis) are sweetish acid, and are eaten as a berry or made into wines or jellies.

Elderly

Somewhat old; advanced beyond middle age; bordering on old age; as, elderly people.

Eldership

The state of being older; seniority.

Eldest

Oldest; longest in duration.

Eldritch

Hideous; ghastly; as, an eldritch shriek or laugh.

Eleatic

Of or pertaining to a certain school of Greek philosophers who taught that the only certain science is that which owes nothing to the senses, and all to the reason. A philosopher of the Eleatic school.

Elecampane

A large, coarse herb (Inula Helenium), with composite yellow flowers. The root, which has a pungent taste, is used as a tonic, and was formerly of much repute as a stomachic.

Elect

To pick out; to select; to choose.

Electant

One who has the power of choosing; an elector.

Election

The act of choosing; choice; selection.

Electioneer

To make interest for a candidate at an election; to use arts for securing the election of a candidate.

Elective

In an American college, an optional study or course of study; a course that is not required.

elective surgery

surgery that is not essential, especially surgery to correct a condition that is not life-threatening; surgery that is not required for survival. See also cosmetic surgery.

Elector

Pertaining to an election or to electors.

Electorality

The territory or dignity of an elector; electorate.

Electorate

The territory, jurisdiction, or dignity of an elector, as in the old German empire.

Electrepeter

An instrument used to change the direction of electric currents; a commutator.

Electress

The wife or widow of an elector in the old German empire.

Electric

A nonconductor of electricity, as amber, glass, resin, etc., employed to excite or accumulate electricity.

electric chair

a device used for execution of criminals, consisting of a specially designed chair in which the victim is killed by passing a large current of electricity through the body. This method of killing is called electrocution.

Electrical Electric

Pertaining to electricity; consisting of, containing, derived from, or produced by, electricity; as, electric power or virtue; an electric jar; electric effects; an electric spark; an electric charge; an electric current; an electrical engineer.

Electrically

In the manner of electricity, or by means of it; thrillingly.

electrician

An investigator of electricity; one versed in the science of electricity.

Electricity

a property of certain of the fundamental particles of which matter is composed, called also electric charge, and being of two types, designated positive and negative; the property of electric charge on a particle or physical body creates a force field which affects other particles or bodies possessing electric charge; positive charges create a repulsive force between them, and negative charges also create a repulsive force. A positively charged body and a negatively charged body will create an attractive force between them. The unit of electrical charge is the coulomb, and the intensity of the force field at any point is measured in volts.

Electrifiable

Capable of receiving electricity, or of being charged with it.

Electrification

The act of electrifying, or the state of being charged with electricity.

Electrition

The recognition by an animal body of the electrical condition of external objects.

Electro-ballistics

The art or science of measuring the force or velocity of projectiles by means of electricity.

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