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minium

A heavy, brilliant red pigment, consisting of an oxide of lead, Pb3O4, obtained by exposing lead or massicot to a gentle and continued heat in the air. It is used as a cement, as a paint, and in the manufacture of flint glass. Called also red lead, lead tetroxide, lead orthoplumbate, mineral orange, mineral red, Paris red, Saturn red, and less definitively, lead oxide.

Miniver

A fur esteemed in the Middle Ages as a part of costume. It is uncertain whether it was the fur of one animal only or of different animals.

Minivet

A singing bird of India of the family Campephagidae.

Mink

A carnivorous mammal of the genus Mustela (foremrly Putorius), allied to the weasel. The European mink is Mustela lutreola. The common American mink (Mustela vison) varies from yellowish brown to black. Its fur is highly valued. Called also minx, nurik, and vison.

Minnesinger

A love-singer; specifically, one of a class of German poets and musicians who flourished from about the middle of the twelfth to the middle of the fourteenth century. They were chiefly of noble birth, and made love and beauty the subjects of their verses.

minniebush

A low shrub (Menziesia pilosa) of the eastern U. S. with downy twigs.

Minor

A person of either sex who has not attained the age at which full civil rights are accorded; an infant; in England and the United States, one under twenty-one years of age.

minor league

A league of professional sports teams less proficient than a major leagues. Players in the minor leagues generally are paid less than those in the major leagues, and their games attract less atention.

Minorat

A custom or right, analogous to borough-English in England, formerly existing in various parts of Europe, and surviving in parts of Germany and Austria, by which certain entailed estates, as a homestead and adjacent land, descend to the youngest male heir.

Minoress

See Franciscan Nuns, under Franciscan, a.

minors

The minor leagues, those leagues of professional sports teams less proficient than the majors, or major leagues.

Minos

A king and lawgiver of Crete, fabled to be the son of Jupiter and Europa. After death he was made a judge in the Lower Regions.

Minotaur

A fabled monster, half man and half bull, confined in the labyrinth constructed by Daedalus in Crete.

Minster

A church of a monastery. The name is often retained and applied to the church after the monastery has ceased to exist (as Beverly Minster, Southwell Minster, etc.), and is also improperly used for any large church.

Minstrel

In the Middle Ages, one of an order of men who subsisted by the arts of poetry and music, and sang verses to the accompaniment of a harp or other instrument; in modern times, a poet; a bard; a singer and harper; a musician.

Minstrelsy

The arts and occupation of minstrels; the singing and playing of a minstrel.

Mint

A place where money is coined by public authority.

mint

Like new; in brand-new condition; unworn, as a coin recently made at a mint{1}; as, he had a '53 Cadillac in mint condition.

mint state

A numerical grade indicating the degree of perfection of the condition of a coin which is classified as uncirculated, ranging from 70 for a coin in perfect condition to 60 for a coin which is uncirculated but may have a weak strike, or numerous small scratches from being handled in mint bags; usually used as the abbreviation MS; as, an MS-67 Morgan Dollar.

Mint-master

The master or superintendent of a mint. Also used figuratively.

Mintage

The coin, or other production, made in a mint.

Mintman

One skilled in coining, or in coins; a coiner.

minuend

In the process of subtraction{2}, the number from which another number (the subtrahend) is to be subtracted, to find the difference.

Minus

Less; requiring to be subtracted; negative; as, a minus quantity.

minus

A factor counted as a disadvantage; a loss or potential loss in a situation or plan; as, he added up all the pluses and minuses and decided not to do it; as, the lack of money is a big minus in an election campaign.

minuscular

of or relating to minuscule script, a small cursive script developed from uncial, and used in the 7th to 9th centuries.

minuscule

Of or relating to a minuscule{2} or of a script written in minuscules{2}; of the size and style of minuscules{2}; written in minuscules{2}; minuscular.

Minutary

Pertaining to, or consisting of, minutes.

Minute

To set down a short sketch or note of; to jot down; to make a minute or a brief summary of.

Minute-jack

A figure which strikes the hour on the bell of some fanciful clocks; -- called also jack of the clock house.

Minutely

At intervals of a minute; very often and regularly.

Minuteman

A militiaman who was to be ready to march at a moment's notice; -- a term used in the American Revolution.

Minutia

A minute particular; a small or minor detail; -- used chiefly in the plural.

Minx

The mink; -- called also minx otter.

Miny

Abounding with mines; like a mine.

Minyan

A quorum, or number necessary, for conducting public worship.

Miocene

Of or pertaining to the middle division of the Tertiary. The Miocene period. See Chart of Geology.

Miohippus

An extinct Miocene mammal of the Horse family, closely related to the genus Anhithecrium, and having three usable hoofs on each foot.

Miquelet

An irregular or partisan soldier; a bandit.

Mir

Same as Emir.

Mira

A remarkable variable star in the constellation Cetus (/ Ceti).

Mirabilary

One who, or a work which, narrates wonderful things; one who writes of wonders.

Mirabilis

A genus of plants. See Four-o'clock.

Mirage

An optical effect, sometimes seen on the ocean, but more frequently in deserts, due to total reflection of light at the surface common to two strata of air differently heated. The reflected image is seen, commonly in an inverted position, while the real object may or may not be in sight. When the surface is horizontal, and below the eye, the appearance is that of a sheet of water in which the object is seen reflected; when the reflecting surface is above the eye, the image is seen projected against the sky. The fata Morgana and looming are species of mirage.

Mire

To stick in mire.

Mirk

Darkness; gloom; murk.

Mirky

Dark; gloomy. See Murky.

Mirliton

A kind of musical toy into which one sings, hums, or speaks, producing a coarse, reedy sound. It is also called a kazoo.

Mirounga

A genus comprising the elephant seals.

Mirror

To reflect, as in a mirror.

mirrored

Reflected in or as if in a mirror.

mirrorlike

capable of reflecting light like a mirror; flat and reflective; as, the mirrorlike surface of the lake.

Mirthful

Full of mirth or merriment; merry; as, mirthful children.

Miry

Abounding with deep mud; full of mire; muddy; as, a miry road.

Miryachit

A nervous disease in which the patient involuntarily imitates the words or action of another.

Mirza

The common title of honor in Persia, prefixed to the surname of an individual. When appended to the surname, it signifies Prince.

Mis

Wrong; amiss.

Misadjust

To adjust wrongly of unsuitably; to throw out of adjustment.

Misadventure

Mischance; misfortune; ill luck; unlucky accident; ill adventure.

misaffection

An evil or wrong affection; the state of being ill affected.

misaligned

Aligned improperly; not correctly aligned.

misalignment

The act of aligning improperly or state of being improperly aligned.

Misalliance

A marriage with a person of inferior rank or social station; an improper alliance; a mesalliance.

Misalter

To alter wrongly; esp., to alter for the worse.

misandrist

one who hates men. Contrast misogynist and cf. misandry.

misandry

Hatred of men. Contrast misogyny and cf. misandrist.

Misanthropy

Hatred of, or dislike to, mankind; -- opposed to philanthropy.

Misapply

To apply wrongly; to use for a wrong purpose; as, to misapply a name or title; to misapply public money.

Misapprehension

A mistaking or mistake; wrong apprehension of one's meaning of a fact; misconception; misunderstanding.

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