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Myopathia

Any affection of the muscles or muscular system.

Myope

A person having myopia; a myops.

Myophan

A contractile striated layer found in the bodies and stems of certain Infusoria.

Myopia

Nearsightedness; shortsightedness; a condition of the eye in which the rays from distant object are brought to a focus before they reach the retina, and hence form an indistinct image; while the rays from very near objects are normally converged so as to produce a distinct image. It is corrected by the use of a concave lens.

Myopic

Pertaining to, or affected with, or characterized by, myopia; nearsighted.

Myopsis

The appearance of muscae volitantes. See Muscae volitantes, under Musca.

Myosin

A protein present in muscle, serving as the principle contractile protein in muscle contraction.

Myosis

Long-continued contraction of the pupil of the eye.

Myosotis

A genus of plants. See Mouse-ear.

Myotic

Producing myosis, or contraction of the pupil of the eye, as opium, calabar bean, etc. A myotic agent.

Myotome

A muscular segment; one of the zones into which the muscles of the trunk, especially in fishes, are divided; a myocomma. One of the embryonic muscular segments arising from the protovertebrae; also, one of the protovertebrae themselves. The muscular system of one metamere of an articulate.

Myotomic

Of or pertaining to a myotome or myotomes.

Myotomy

The dissection, or that part of anatomy which treats of the dissection, of muscles.

Myrcia

A large genus of tropical American trees and shrubs, nearly related to the true myrtles (Myrtus), from which they differ in having very few seeds in each berry.

Myriad

Consisting of a very great, but indefinite, number; as, myriad stars.

Myriagramme Myriagram

A metric weight, consisting of ten thousand grams or ten kilograms. It is equal to 22.046 lbs. avoirdupois.

Myrialitre Myrialiter

A metric measure of capacity, containing ten thousand liters. It is equal to 2641.7 wine gallons.

Myriametre Myriameter

A metric measure of length, containing ten thousand meters. It is equal to 6.2137 miles.

Myriapoda

A class, or subclass, of arthropods, related to the hexapod insects, from which they differ in having the body made up of numerous similar segments, nearly all of which bear true jointed legs. They have one pair of antennae, three pairs of mouth organs, and numerous tracheae, similar to those of true insects. The larvae, when first hatched, often have but three pairs of legs. See Centiped, Galleyworm, Milliped.

Myriarch

A captain or commander of ten thousand men.

Myriare

A measure of surface in the metric system containing ten thousand ares, or one million square meters. It is equal to about 247.1 acres.

Myrica

A widely dispersed genus of shrubs and trees, usually with aromatic foliage. It includes the bayberry or wax myrtle, the sweet gale, and the North American sweet fern, so called.

Myricin

A silky, crystalline, waxy substance, forming the less soluble part of beeswax, and regarded as a palmitate of a higher alcohol of the paraffin series; -- called also myricyl alcohol.

Myricyl

A hypothetical radical regarded as the essential residue of myricin; -- called also melissyl.

Myriologue

An extemporaneous funeral song, composed and sung by a woman on the death of a friend.

Myriophyllous

Having an indefinitely great or countless number of leaves.

Myriorama

A picture made up of several smaller pictures, drawn upon separate pieces in such a manner as to admit of combination in many different ways, thus producing a great variety of scenes or landscapes.

Myristic

Pertaining to, or derived from, the nutmeg (Myristica). Specifically, designating an acid (C14H28O2) found in nutmeg oil and otoba fat, and extracted as a white crystalline waxy substance.

Myristin

The myristate of glycerin, -- found as a vegetable fat in nutmeg butter, etc.

Myristone

The ketone of myristic acid, obtained as a white crystalline substance.

Myrmecophaga

The type genus of the Myrmecophagidae; the South American ant bear.

myrmecophile

An organism such as an insect that habitually shares the nest of a species of ant.

myrmecophilous

Associated with, or benefitted by ants through sharing their nest.

Myrmecophyte

A plant that affords shelter and food to certain species of ants which live in symbiotic relations with it. Special adaptations for this purpose exist; thus, Acacia spadicigera has large hollows thorns, and species of Cecropia have stem cavities.

Myrmeleon

The type genus of the Myrmeleontidae, including the antlions.

Myrmeleontidae

A natural family of the order Neuroptera, including the antlions.

Myrmicine

Of or pertaining to Myrmica, a genus of ants including the small house ant (Myrmica molesta), and many others.

Myrmidon

One of a fierce tribe or troop who accompanied Achilles, their king, to the Trojan war.

Myrobolan Myrobalan

A dried astringent fruit much resembling a prune. It contains tannin, and was formerly used in medicine, but is now chiefly used in tanning and dyeing. Myrobolans are produced by various species of Terminalia of the East Indies, and of Spondias of South America.

Myronic

Pertaining to, or obtained from, mustard; -- used specifically to designate a glucoside called myronic acid, found in mustard seed.

Myrosin

An enzyme, resembling diastase, found in mustard seeds.

Myroxylon

A genus of leguminous trees of tropical America, the different species of which yield balsamic products, among which are balsam of Peru, and balsam of Tolu. The species were formerly referred to Myrospermum.

Myrrh

A gum resin, usually of a yellowish brown or amber color, of an aromatic odor, and a bitter, slightly pungent taste. It is valued for its odor and for its medicinal properties. It exudes from the bark of a shrub of Abyssinia and Arabia, the Commiphora Myrrha (syn. Balsamodendron Myrrha) of the family Burseraceae, or from the Commiphora abyssinica. The myrrh of the Bible is supposed to have been partly the gum above named, and partly the exudation of species of Cistus, or rockrose.

Myrrhic

Of, pertaining to, or obtained from, myrrh.

Myrtaceae

A natural family of trees and shrubs yielding fragrant oils, including the myrtles, eucalyptus, clove, allspice, and guava; the myrtle family.

Myrtaceous

Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a large and important natural family of trees and shrubs (Myrtaceae of the order Myrtales), of which the myrtle (Myrtus) is the type. It includes the genera Eucalyptus, Pimenta, Lechythis, and about seventy more.

Myrtales

A natural order of trees and shrubs including the myrtle family, Myrtaceae; Combretaceae; Elaeagnaceae; Haloragidaceae; Melastomaceae; Lecythidaceae; Lythraceae; Rhizophoraceae; Onagraceae; Lecythidaceae; and Punicaceae.

Myrtiform

Resembling myrtle or myrtle berries; having the form of a myrtle leaf.

Myrtillocactus

A small genus of arborescent cacti of Mexico and Central America.

Myrtle

A species of the genus Myrtus, especially Myrtus communis. The common myrtle has a shrubby, upright stem, eight or ten feet high. Its branches form a close, full head, thickly covered with ovate or lanceolate evergreen leaves. It has solitary axillary white or rosy flowers, followed by black several-seeded berries. The ancients considered it sacred to Venus. The flowers, leaves, and berries are used variously in perfumery and as a condiment, and the beautifully mottled wood is used in turning.

Myrtus

The type genus of the Myrtaceae.

Myself

I or me in person; -- used for emphasis, my own self or person; as I myself will do it; I have done it myself; -- used also instead of me, as the object of the first person of a reflexive verb, without emphasis; as, I will defend myself.

Mysidacea

An order of crustaceans including the opossum shrimp.

Mysidae

A natural family of small shrimplike crustaceans.

Mysis

A genus of small schizopod shrimps found both in fresh and salt water; the opossum shrimps. One species inhabits the Great Lakes of North America, and is largely eaten by the whitefish. The marine species form part of the food of right whales.

Mystacal

Of or pertaining to the upper lip, or mustache.

Mystagogical Mystagogic

Of or pertaining to interpretation of mysteries or to mystagogue; of the nature of mystagogy.

Mystagogue

One who interprets mysteries, especially of a religious kind.

Mystagogy

The doctrines, principles, or practice of a mystagogue; interpretation of mysteries.

Mysterious

Of or pertaining to mystery; containing a mystery; difficult or impossible to understand; inexplicable; obscure; not revealed or explained; enigmatical; incomprehensible.

Mysterize

To make mysterious; to make a mystery of.

Mystery

A trade; a handicraft; hence, any business with which one is usually occupied.

Mystic

One given to mysticism; one who holds mystical views, interpretations, etc.; especially, in ecclesiastical history, one who professed mysticism. See Mysticism.

Mystical Mystic

Remote from or beyond human comprehension; baffling human understanding; unknowable; obscure; mysterious.

Mysticete

Any right whale, or whalebone whale. See Cetacea.

Mysticeti

A suborder including baleen whales: right whales; rorquals; blue whales; and humpbacks.

Mystification

The act of mystifying, or the state of being mystied; also, something designed to, or that does, mystify.

Mystify

To involve in mystery; to make obscure or difficult to understand; as, to mystify a passage of Scripture.

mystique

An aura of reverence or mystery stemming from feelings of high value or interest or meaning surrounding a person or thing; as, the Kennedy mystique.

Mytacism

Too frequent use of the letter m, or of the sound represented by it.

Myth

A story of great but unknown age which originally embodied a belief regarding some fact or phenomenon of experience, and in which often the forces of nature and of the soul are personified; an ancient legend of a god, a hero, the origin of a race, etc.; a wonder story of prehistoric origin; a popular fable which is, or has been, received as historical.

Mythical Mythic

Of or relating to myths; described in a myth; of the nature of a myth; fabulous; imaginary; fanciful; mythological.

Mythologist

One versed in, or who writes on, mythology or myths.

mythologization

The construction of a myth; the restatement of a message as a myth.

Mythologize

To relate, classify, and explain, or attempt to explain, myths; to write upon myths.

Mythology

The science which treats of myths; a treatise on myths.

Mythopoeic

Making or producing myths; giving rise to mythical narratives.

Mythopoetic

Making or producing myths or mythical tales.

Mytiloid

Like, or pertaining to, the genus Mytilus, or family Mytilidae.

Mytilotoxine

A poisonous base (leucomaine) found in the common mussel. It either causes paralysis of the muscles, or gives rise to convulsions, including death by an accumulation of carbonic acid in the blood.

Mytilus

A genus of marine bivalve shells, including the common mussel. See Illust. under Byssus.

Myxa

The distal end of the mandibles of a bird.

myxedema

A pathological condition due to severe hyperthyroidism, marked by dry skin and swellings around lips and nose as well as mental and physical deterioration.

Myxine

A genus of marsipobranchs, including the hagfish. See Hag, 4.

Myxinoid

Like, or pertaining to, the genus Myxine. A hagfish.

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