n. [ OE. amell, OF. esmail, F. émail, of German origin; cf. OHG. smelzi, G. schmelz. See Smelt, v. t. ] Enamel. [ Obs. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ OE. amellen, OF. esmailler, F. émailler, OF. esmail, F. émail. ] To enamel. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Enlightened all with stars,
And richly ameled. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a genus of North American deciduous trees or shrubs.
Syn. -- genus Amelanchier. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Ger. amelkorn: cf. MHG. amel, amer, spelt, and L. amylum starch, Gr. &unr_;. ] A variety of wheat from which starch is produced; -- called also French rice. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being ameliorated. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Ameliorated p. pr. & vb. n. Ameliorating. ] [ L. ad + meliorare to make better: cf. F. améliorer. See Meliorate. ] To make better; to improve; to meliorate. [ 1913 Webster ]

In every human being there is a wish to ameliorate his own condition. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To grow better; to meliorate; as, wine ameliorates by age. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. prenom. [ p. pr. of ameliorate. ] causing improvement in or reducing the bad effects of an unfavorable condition.
Syn. -- ameliorative, amelioratory, meliorative [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. amélioration. ] The act of ameliorating, or the state of being ameliorated; making or becoming better; improvement; melioration. “Amelioration of human affairs.” J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to ameliorate; producing amelioration or improvement; as, ameliorative remedies, efforts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who ameliorates. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. béchamel, named from its inventor, Louis de Béchamel. ] (Cookery) A rich, white sauce, prepared with butter and cream. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bepommeled p. pr. & vb. n. Bepommeling. ] To pommel; to beat, as with a stick; figuratively, to assail or criticise in conversation, or in writing. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Pref. bi- + lamellate. ] (Bot.) Formed of two plates, as the stigma of the Mimulus; also, having two elevated ridges, as in the lip of certain flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Free from blame; without fault; innocent; guiltless; -- sometimes followed by of. [ 1913 Webster ]

A bishop then must be blameless. 1 Tim. iii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blameless still of arts that polish to deprave. Mallet. [ 1913 Webster ]

We will be blameless of this thine oath. Josh. ii. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Irreproachable; sinless; unblemished; inculpable. -- Blameless, Spotless, Faultless, Stainless. We speak of a thing as blameless when it is free from blame, or the just imputation of fault; as, a blameless life or character. The others are stronger. We speak of a thing as faultless, stainless, or spotless, only when we mean that it is absolutely without fault or blemish; as, a spotless or stainless reputation; a faultless course of conduct. The last three words apply only to the general character, while blameless may be used in reverence to particular points; as, in this transaction he was wholly blameless. We also apply faultless to personal appearance; as, a faultless figure; which can not be done in respect to any of the other words. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a blameless manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being blameless; innocence. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Named after Olaf Bromel, a Swedish botanist. ] (Bot.) Pertaining to, or resembling, a family of endogenous and mostly epiphytic or saxicolous plants of which the genera Tillandsia and Billbergia are examples. The pineapple, though terrestrial, is also of this family. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. kalo`s beautiful + me`las black. So called from its being white, though made from a black mixture of mercury and corrosive sublimate. Cf. F. calomélas. ] (Chem.) Mild chloride of mercury, Hg2Cl2, a heavy, white or yellowish white substance, insoluble and tasteless, much used in medicine as a mercurial and purgative; mercurous chloride. It occurs native as the mineral horn quicksilver. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. camel, chamel, OF. camel, chamel, F. chameau L. camelus, fr. Gr. ka`mhlos; of Semitic origin; cf. Heb. gāmāl, Ar. jamal. Cf. As. camel, fr. L. camelus. ] 1. (Zool.) A large ruminant used in Asia and Africa for carrying burdens and for riding. The camel is remarkable for its ability to go a long time without drinking. Its hoofs are small, and situated at the extremities of the toes, and the weight of the animal rests on the callous. The dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) has one hump on the back, while the Bactrian camel (Camelus Bactrianus) has two. The llama, alpaca, and vicuña, of South America, belong to a related genus (Auchenia). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) A water-tight structure (as a large box or boxes) used to assist a vessel in passing over a shoal or bar or in navigating shallow water. By admitting water, the camel or camels may be sunk and attached beneath or at the sides of a vessel, and when the water is pumped out the vessel is lifted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Camel bird (Zool.), the ostrich. --
Camel locust (Zool.), the mantis. --
Camel's thorn (Bot.), a low, leguminous shrub (Alhagi maurorum) of the Arabian desert, from which exudes a sweetish gum, which is one of the substances called manna. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a back like a camel; humpbacked. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Chaceleon. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a soft tan cloth made with the hair of a camel.
Syn. -- camel's hair. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. any of several shrubs or small evergreen trees having solitary white or pink or reddish flowers; the camellia.
Syn. -- camellia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a natural family comprising the camels and llamas and vicunas.
Syn. -- family Camelidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a genus of annual and biennial herbs of Mediterranean to Central Asia.
Syn. -- genus Camelina. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ NL., after Georg Josef Kamel, or Camelli, a Jesuit who is said to have brought it from the East. ] 1. (Bot.) An Asiatic genus of small shrubs, often with shining leaves and showy flowers. Camellia Japonica is much cultivated for ornament, and Camellia Sassanqua and Camellia oleifera are grown in China for the oil which is pressed from their seeds. The tea plant is now referred to this genus under the name of Camellia Thea. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Hort.) An ornamental greenhouse shrub (Thea japonica) with glossy evergreen leaves and roselike red or white double flowers. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ LL. camelopardus, L. camelopardalus, camelopardalis, fr. Gr. kamhlopa`rdalis; ka`mhlos a camel + pa`rdalis pard, leopard: cf. F. camélopard. The camelopard has a neck and head like a camel, and is spotted like a pard. See Camel, and Pard. ] (Zool.) An African ruminant; the giraffe. See Giraffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Camelet. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. 1. The legendary site of King Arthur's court and castle. [ PJC ]

2. Hence, any place or time thought of as having idyllic peace, justice, and happiness. [ PJC ]

n. Troops that are mounted on camels. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Of camel's hair. [ 1913 Webster ]

Camel's-hair pencil, a small brush used by painters in water colors, made of camel's hair or similar materials. --
Camel's-hair shawl. A name often given to a cashmere shawl. See Cashmere shawl under Cashmere. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. caramel (cf. Sp. caramelo), LL. canna mellis, cannamella, canamella, calamellus mellitus, sugar cane, from or confused with L. canna reed + mel, mellis, honey. See Cane. ] 1. (Chem.) Burnt sugar; a brown or black porous substance obtained by heating sugar. It is soluble in water, and is used for coloring spirits, gravies, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A kind of confectionery, usually a small cube or square of tenacious paste, or candy, of varying composition and flavor. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. to to change into caramel, by the action of heat; as, The sugar caramelized quickly.
Syn. -- caramelize. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. to convert to caramel.
Syn. -- caramelize. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. 1 to to convert [ usu. sugar ] into caramel, by the action of heat.
Syn. -- caramelise. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } a. Of or pertaining to the order of Carmelites. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Eccl. Hist.) A friar of a mendicant order (the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) established on Mount Carmel, in Syria, in the twelfth century; a White Friar. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A nun of the Order of Our lady of Mount Carmel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Caramel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a small genus of plants sometimes included in genus Anthemis; chamomile.
Syn. -- genus Chamaemelum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. Chamaeleon, Gr. chamaile`wn, lit., “ground lion;” chamai` on the ground + le`wn lion. See Humble, and Lion. ] (Zool.) 1. A lizardlike reptile of the genus Chamæleo, of several species, found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The skin is covered with fine granulations; it has eyes which can move separately, the tail is prehensile, and the body is much compressed laterally, giving it a high back. It is remarkable for its ability to change the color of its skin to blend with its surroundings. [ Also sometimes spelled chamaeleon. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

☞ Its color changes more or less with the color of the objects about it, or with its temper when disturbed. In a cool, dark place it is nearly white, or grayish; on admitting the light, it changes to brown, bottle-green, or blood red, of various shades, and more or less mottled in arrangment. The American chameleons belong to Anolis and allied genera of the family Iguanidæ. They are more slender in form than the true chameleons, but have the same power of changing their colors. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. a person who changes opinions, ideas, or behavior to suit the prevailing social climate; an opportunist. [ PJC ]

Chameleon mineral (Chem.), the compound called potassium permanganate, a dark violet, crystalline substance, KMnO4, which in formation passes through a peculiar succession of color from green to blue, purple, red, etc. See Potassium permanganate, under Potassium. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To change into various colors. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Heb. ] A fruitful field. [ 1913 Webster ]

Libanus shall be turned into charmel, and charmel shall be esteemed as a forest. Isa. xxix. 17 (Douay version). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. cimeliarcha, Gr. &unr_;, treasurer. ] A superintendent or keeper of a church's valuables; a churchwarden. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., dim. of columen column. See Column. ] 1. (Bot.) (a) An axis to which a carpel of a compound pistil may be attached, as in the case of the geranium; or which is left when a pod opens. (b)A columnlike axis in the capsules of mosses. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Anat.) A term applied to various columnlike parts; as, the columella, or epipterygoid bone, in the skull of many lizards; the columella of the ear, the bony or cartilaginous rod connecting the tympanic membrane with the internal ear. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) (a) The upright pillar in the axis of most univalve shells. (b) The central pillar or axis of the calicles of certain corals. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Columella + -form. ] Shaped like a little column, or columella. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a suitable or becoming manner. [ R. ] Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Comely. ] The quality or state of being comely. [ 1913 Webster ]

Comeliness is a disposing fair
Of things and actions in fit time and place. Sir J. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

Strength, comeliness of shape, or amplest merit. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Comeliness signifies something less forcible than beauty, less elegant than grace, and less light than prettiness. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Comelier superl. Comeliest. ] [ OE. comeliche, AS. cymlīc; cyme suitable (fr. cuman to come, become) + līc like. ] 1. Pleasing or agreeable to the sight; well-proportioned; good-looking; handsome. [ 1913 Webster ]

He that is comely when old and decrepit, surely was very beautiful when he was young. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not once perceive their foul disfigurement
But boast themselves more comely than before. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Suitable or becoming; proper; agreeable. [ 1913 Webster ]

This is a happier and more comely time
Than when these fellows ran about the streets,
Crying confusion. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. Ps. cxlvii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a becoming manner. Ascham. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. contumeliosus. ] 1. Exhibiting contumely; rudely contemptuous; insolent; disdainful. [ 1913 Webster ]

Scoffs, and scorns, and contumelious taunts. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curving a contumelious lip. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Shameful; disgraceful. [ Obs. ] Dr. H. More.

-- Con`tu*me"li*ous*ly, adv. -- Con`tu*me"li*ous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]