n.; pl. Altos [ It. alto high, fr. L. altus. Cf. Alt. ] 1. (Mus.) Formerly the part sung by the highest male, or counter-tenor, voices; now the part sung by the lowest female, or contralto, voices, between in tenor and soprano. In instrumental music it now signifies the tenor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An alto singer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Alto clef (Mus.) the counter-tenor clef, or the C clef, placed so that the two strokes include the middle line of the staff. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. altus high + L. & E. cumulus. ] (Meteor.) A fleecy cloud formation consisting of large whitish or grayish globular cloudlets with shaded portions, often grouped in flocks or rows. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adv. [ OE. altogedere; al all + togedere together. See Together. ] 1. All together; conjointly. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Altogether they went at once. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Without exception; wholly; completely. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Ps. xxxix. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. nakedness; -- used mostly in the phrase “in the altogether”. [ informal ]
Syn. -- raw, buff, birthday suit [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. altus high + -meter. ] A theodolite. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Alto-rilievo. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Alto-rilievos [ It. ] (Sculp.) High relief; sculptured work in which the figures project more than half their thickness; as, this figure is an alto-rilievo or in alto-rilievo. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When the figure stands only half out, it is called mezzo-rilievo, demi-rilievo, or medium relief; when its projection is less than one half, basso-rilievo, bas-relief, or low relief. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. altus high + L. & E. stratus. ] (Meteor.) A cloud formation similar to cirro-stratus, but heavier and at a lower level; a stratus cloud at an intermediate altitude of 2 or 3 miles. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Basalt + -oid. ] Formed like basalt; basaltiform. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, cobalt; -- said esp. of cobalt compounds in which the metal has its lower valence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cobaltous chloride, a crystalline compound, CoCl2, of a pale rose color when hydrous, blue when dehydrated. Its solution is used for a sympathetic ink, the writing being nearly colorless when dried in the air, owing to absorbed moisture, and becoming bright blue when warmed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ It., fr. contra + alto. See Alto. ] (Mus.) (a) The part sung by the highest male or lowest female voices; the alto or counter tenor. (b) the voice or singer performing this part; as, her voice is a contralto; she is a contralto. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The usual range of the contralto voice is from G, below middle C, to the C above that; though exceptionally it embraces two octaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Mus.) Of or pertaining to a contralto, or to the part in music called contralto; as, a contralto voice. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. John Dalton, scientist, born 1766, died 1844.
Syn. -- John Dalton. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ from the chemist John Dalton, proponent of the modern atomic theory of matter. ] a unit of mass, approximately 1.66 x 10-24 grams; -- it is approximately equal to the mass of one hydrogen atom, but the exact value differs slightly as used in physics and chemistry. It is used mostly to describe the size of proteins and nucleic acids in biochemistry. Molecular weights are often expressed as dimensionless units, the unit being understood (in chemistry) to be the atomic mass unit with carbon equal to 14. Thus having a “molecular weight of 255” means the same as each molecule having a mass of 255 daltons.
Syn. atomic mass unit. [ PJC ]

n. One afflicted with color blindness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Inability to perceive or distinguish certain colors, esp. red; color blindness. It has various forms and degrees. So called from the chemist Dalton, who had this infirmity. Nichol. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Maltose; malt sugar. [ PJC ]

a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from, maltose; specif., designating an acid called also gluconic or dextronic acid. See Gluconic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Malt. ] (Biochem.) A crystalline disaccharide (C12H22O11) formed from starch by the action of diastase of malt, and the amylolytic ferment of saliva and pancreatic juice; called also maltobiose and malt sugar. Chemically it is 4-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucose. It rotates the plane of polarized light further to the right than does dextrose and possesses a lower cupric oxide reducing power. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

‖n. [ Sp.; cf. Pg. mero. ] Any of several large groupers of warm seas, esp. the guasa (Epinephelus guaza), the red grouper (Epinephelus morio), the black grouper (Epinephelus nigritas), distinguished as and a species called also rock hind, distinguished as [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ See Paletot. ] A kind of doublet; a jacket. [ Obs. ] Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]