‖n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_;, dim. &unr_; dart. ] (Zool.) Anciently, a snake, called dart snake; now, one of a genus of reptiles closely allied to the lizards. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 luna moths.
Syn. -- genus Actias [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. [ L., fr. alius. See Else. ] (Law) (a) Otherwise; otherwise called; -- a term used in legal proceedings to connect the different names of any one who has gone by two or more, and whose true name is for any cause doubtful; as, Smith, alias Simpson. (b) At another time. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Aliases [ L., otherwise, at another time. ] (Law) (a) A second or further writ which is issued after a first writ has expired without effect. (b) Another name; an assumed name. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'amfi` + 'asth`r a star. ] (Biol.) The achromatic figure, formed in mitotic cell-division, consisting of two asters connected by a spindle-shaped bundle of rodlike fibers diverging from each aster, and called the spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ n. [ NL., fr. Ankylostoma, var. of Agchylostoma, generic name of one genus of the parasitic nematodes. ] (Med.) A disease caused by the hookworm parasites of the genus Ancylostoma (especially Ancylostoma duodenale), and Necator americanus. Typically, infection in humans occurs in the small intestine. In the small intestine they suck the blood from the wall and, when present in large numbers, produce a severe anaemia. Called also miner's anaemia, tunnel disease, brickmaker's anaemia, Egyptian chlorosis. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + AS ]

a. & n. Same as Antasthmatic. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; an intestinal worm. ] (Med.) A disease, usually accompanied by colicky pains and diarrhea, caused by the presence of ascarids in the gastrointestinal canal. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖ n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;, named from Asclepios or Aesculapius. ] (Bot.) A genus of plants including the milkweed, swallowwort, and some other species having medicinal properties. [ 1913 Webster ]

Asclepias butterfly (Zool.), a large, handsome, red and black butterfly (Danais Archippus), found in both hemispheres. It feeds on plants of the genus Asclepias. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; starred, fr. 'asth`r star. ] (Zool.) A genus of echinoderms. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Formerly the group of this name included nearly all starfishes and ophiurans. Now it is restricted to a genus including the commonest shore starfishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Auto- + Gr. schedia`zein to do hastily. See Schediasm. ] Extemporary; offhand. [ R. ] Dean Martin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Biases [ F. biasis, perh. fr. LL. bifax two-faced; L. bis + facies face. See Bi-, and cf. Face. ] 1. A weight on the side of the ball used in the game of bowls, or a tendency imparted to the ball, which turns it from a straight line. [ 1913 Webster ]

Being ignorant that there is a concealed bias within the spheroid, which will . . . swerve away. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A leaning of the mind; propensity or prepossession toward an object or view, not leaving the mind indifferent; bent; inclination. [ 1913 Webster ]

Strong love is a bias upon the thoughts. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Morality influences men's lives, and gives a bias to all their actions. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A wedge-shaped piece of cloth taken out of a garment (as the waist of a dress) to diminish its circumference. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A slant; a diagonal; as, to cut cloth on the bias. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Prepossession; prejudice; partiality; inclination. See Bent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Inclined to one side; swelled on one side. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Cut slanting or diagonally, as cloth. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a slanting manner; crosswise; obliquely; diagonally; as, to cut cloth bias. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Biased p. pr. & vb. n. Biasing. ] To incline to one side; to give a particular direction to; to influence; to prejudice; to prepossess. [ 1913 Webster ]

Me it had not biased in the one direction, nor should it have biased any just critic in the counter direction. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. caecias, Gr. &unr_;. ] A wind from the northeast. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an infection caused by fungi of the genera Monilia or Candida, especially Candida albicans.
Syn. -- moniliasis, monilia disease. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ L. thou mayst take. ] (Low) A writ or process commanding the officer to take the body of the person named in it, that is, to arrest him; -- also called writ of capias. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ One principal kind of capias is a writ by which actions at law are frequently commenced; another is a writ of execution issued after judgment to satisfy damages recovered; a capias in criminal law is the process to take a person charged on an indictment, when he is not in custody. Burrill. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. The type and sole genus of Carchariidae; the sand sharks.
Syn. -- genus Carcharias, Odontaspis, genus Odontaspis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ ‖ } n. [ NL. chiasma, fr. Gr. chi`asma two lines placed crosswise, fr. &unr_; to mark with a χ. ] (Anat.) A commissure; an intersection or crossing of two tracts; especially, the optic commissure, or crucial union of the optic nerves. -- Chi*as"mal a.. [1913 Webster]

adj. of or pertaining to a chiasma. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. chiasmo`s a placing crosswise, fr. chia`zein. See Chiasm. ] (Rhet.) An inversion of the order of words or phrases, when repeated or subsequently referred to in a sentence; thus, [ 1913 Webster ]

If e'er to bless thy sons
My voice or hands deny,
These hands let useful skill forsake,
This voice in silence die. Dwight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. chiasto`s marked with a χ + -lite. See Chiasm. So called from the resemblance of the cross cuts of its crystals to the Greek letter χ. ] (Min.) A variety of andalusite; -- called also macle. The tessellated appearance of a cross section is due to the symmetrical arrangement of impurities in the crystal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_;. See Chiliad. ] 1. The millennium. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The doctrine of the personal reign of Christ on earth during the millennium. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;. See Chiliasm. ] One who believes in the second coming of Christ to reign on earth a thousand years; a millenarian. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Millenarian. “The obstruction offered by the chiliastic errors.” J. A. Alexander. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the type genus of the Coraciidae.
Syn. -- genus Coracias. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. Korybantiasmo`s a corybantic frenzy. ] (Med.) A kind of frenzy in which the patient is tormented by fantastic visions and want of sleep. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Demonianism. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. &unr_;. See Diaspore. ] Lit., “Dispersion.” -- applied collectively: (a) To those Jews who, after the Exile, were scattered through the Old World, and afterwards to Jewish Christians living among heathen. Cf. James i. 1. (b) By extension, to Christians isolated from their own communion, as among the Moravians to those living, usually as missionaries, outside of the parent congregation. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ From Gr. &unr_; a scattering; dia` through, asunder + &unr_; to sow, scatter like seed: cf. F. diaspore. ] (Min.) A hydrate of alumina, often occurring in white lamellar masses with brilliant pearly luster; -- so named on account of its decrepitating when heated before the blowpipe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; separation, fr. &unr_;, &unr_; to stand apart; dia` through + &unr_;, &unr_;, to stand, set: cf. F. diastase. Cf. Diastasis. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A soluble enzyme, capable of converting starch and dextrin into sugar. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The name is more particularly applied to that enzyme formed during the germination of grain, as in the malting of barley; but it is also occasionally used to designate the amylolytic enzyme contained in animal fluids, as in the saliva. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or consisting of, diastase; as, diastasic ferment. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. See Diastase. ] (Surg.) A forcible separation of bones without fracture. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; separative. See Diastase. ] (Physiol. Chem.) Relating to diastase; having the properties of diastase; effecting the conversion of starch into sugar. [ 1913 Webster ]

The influence of acids and alkalies on the diastatic action of saliva. Lauder Brunton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. diastema, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_;: cf. F. diastème. ] (a) Intervening space; interval. (b) (Anc. Mus.) An interval. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. See Diastem. ] (Anat.) A vacant space, or gap, esp. between teeth in a jaw. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. di- = di`s- twice + &unr_; star. ] (Biol.) A double star; -- applied to the nucleus of a cell, when, during cell division, the loops of the nuclear network separate into two groups, preparatory to the formation of two daughter nuclei. See Karyokinesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to put asunder, to separate; dia` through + &unr_; to set, to place. ] 1. (Physiol.) The rhythmical expansion or dilatation of the heart and arteries; -- correlative to systole, or contraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) A figure by which a syllable naturally short is made long. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol.) Of or pertaining to diastole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. diastylus, Gr. &unr_;; dia` through, asunder + &unr_; pillar, column: cf. F. diastyle. ] (Arch.) See under Intercolumniation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An ecclesiastic. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The Apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_; a preacher. See Ecclesiastic, a. ] One of the canonical books of the Old Testament. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ecclesiasticus, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; an assembly of citizens called out by the crier; also, the church, fr. &unr_; called out, fr. &unr_; to call out; 'ek out + &unr_; to call. See Ex-, and Hale, v. t., Haul. ] Of or pertaining to the church. See Ecclesiastical. “Ecclesiastic government.” Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person in holy orders, or consecrated to the service of the church and the ministry of religion; a clergyman; a priest. [ 1913 Webster ]

From a humble ecclesiastic, he was subsequently preferred to the highest dignities of the church. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Ecclesiastical, a. ] Of or pertaining to the church; relating to the organization or government of the church; not secular; as, ecclesiastical affairs or history; ecclesiastical courts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every circumstance of ecclesiastical order and discipline was an abomination. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ecclesiastical commissioners for England, a permanent commission established by Parliament in 1836, to consider and report upon the affairs of the Established Church. --
Ecclesiastical courts, courts for maintaining the discipline of the Established Church; -- called also Christian courts. [ Eng. ] --
Ecclesiastical law, a combination of civil and canon law as administered in ecclesiastical courts. [ Eng. ] --
Ecclesiastical modes (Mus.), the church modes, or the scales anciently used. --
Ecclesiastical States, the territory formerly subject to the Pope of Rome as its temporal ruler; -- called also States of the Church. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an ecclesiastical manner; according ecclesiastical rules. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Strong attachment to ecclesiastical usages, forms, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] A book of the Apocrypha. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who composes elegies. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]