‖ n. A piece of music in adagio time; a slow movement; as, an adagio of Haydn. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. & adv. [ It. adagio; ad (L. ad) at + agio convenience, leisure, ease. See Agio. ] (Mus.) Slow; slowly, leisurely, and gracefully. When repeated, adagio, adagio, it directs the movement to be very slow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Agios [ It. aggio exchange, discount, premium, the same word as agio ease. See Ease. ] (Com.) The premium or percentage on a better sort of money when it is given in exchange for an inferior sort. The premium or discount on foreign bills of exchange is sometimes called agio. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. agiotage, fr. agioter to practice stockjobbing, fr. agio. ] Exchange business; also, stockjobbing; the maneuvers of speculators to raise or lower the price of stocks or public funds. [ 1913 Webster ]

Vanity and agiotage are to a Parisian the oxygen and hydrogen of life. Landor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ambagiosus. ] Circumlocutory; circuitous. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Opposing or destroying contagion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. contagio: cf. F. contagion. See Contact. ] 1. (Med.) The transmission of a disease from one person to another, by direct or indirect contact. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term has been applied by some to the action of miasmata arising from dead animal or vegetable matter, bogs, fens, etc., but in this sense it is now abandoned. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

And will he steal out of his wholesome bed
To dare the vile contagion of the night? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which serves as a medium or agency to transmit disease; a virus produced by, or exhalation proceeding from, a diseased person, and capable of reproducing the disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The act or means of communicating any influence to the mind or heart; as, the contagion of enthusiasm. “The contagion of example.” Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

When lust . . .
Lets in defilement to the inward parts,
The soul grows clotted by contagion. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Venom; poison. [ Obs. ] “I'll touch my point with this contagion.” Shak.

Syn. -- See Infection. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Affected by contagion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who believes in the contagious character of certain diseases, as of yellow fever. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. contagiosus: cf. F. contagieux. ] 1. (Med.) Communicable by contact, by a virus, or by a bodily exhalation; catching; as, a contagious disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Conveying or generating disease; pestilential; poisonous; as, contagious air. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Spreading or communicable from one to another; exciting similar emotions or conduct in others. [ 1913 Webster ]

His genius rendered his courage more contagious. Wirt. [ 1913 Webster ]

The spirit of imitation is contagious. Ames.

Syn. -- Contagious, Infectious. Although often used as synonyms, originally these words were used in very diverse senses; but, in general, a contagious disease has been considered as one which is caught from another by some near contact, by the breath, by bodily effluvia, etc.; while an infectious disease supposed some entirely different cause acting by a hidden influence, like the miasma of prison ships, of marshes, etc., infecting the system with disease. In either case, a pathogenic microorganism is the direct cause of the disease. This distinction, though not universally admitted by medical men, as to the literal meaning of the words, certainly applies to them in their figurative use. Thus we speak of the contagious influence of evil associates; their contagion of bad example, the contagion of fear, etc., when we refer to transmission by proximity or contact. On the other hand, we speak of infection by bad principles, etc., when we consider anything as diffused by some hidden influence. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

. (Med.) A disease communicable by contact with a patient suffering from it, or with some secretion of, or object touched by, such a patient. Most such diseases have already been proved to be germ diseases, and their communicability depends on the transmission of the living germs. Many germ diseases are not contagious, some special method of transmission or inoculation of the germs being required. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adv. In a contagious manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being contagious. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. "a`gios holy, and kratei^n to govern.] Government by a priesthood; hierarchy. [1913 Webster]

‖n. pl. [ L., fr. Gr. "agio`grafa (sc. bibli`a), fr. "agio`grafos written by inspiration; "a`gios sacred, holy + gra`fein to write.] 1. The last of the three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament, comprising Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles, or that portion of the Old Testament not contained in the Law (Tora) and the Prophets (Nevi'im) -- it is also called in Hebrew the Ketuvim. Together with the Tora and Nevi'im, it comprises the Hebrew Bible, which is called in Hebrew the Tanach, a vocalization of the first letters of its three parts. [1913 Webster + RP]

2. (R. C. Ch.) The lives of the saints. Brande & C. [1913 Webster]

Pertaining to the hagiographa, or to sacred writings. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One of the writers of the hagiographa; a writer of lives of the saints. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. of or pertaining to the Hagiographa, or to sacred writings; -- same as hagiographal. [ PJC ]

2. of or pertaining to hagiography. [ PJC ]

n. Same as Hagiographa. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. "a`gios sacred + &unr_; worship.] The invocation or worship of saints. [1913 Webster]

n. One who treats of the sacred writings; a writer of the lives of the saints; a hagiographer. Tylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hagiologists have related it without scruple. Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. "a`gios sacred + -logy.] The history or description of the sacred writings or of sacred persons; a narrative of the lives of the saints; a catalogue of saints. J. H. Newman. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Gr. "a`gios sacred + -scope.] An opening made in the interior walls of a cruciform church to afford a view of the altar to those in the transepts; -- called, in architecture, a squint. Hook. [1913 Webster]

a. Not contagious; not catching; not communicable by contact. -- Non`con*ta"gious*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

a. [ F. orageux. ] Stormy. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. pla`gios oblique + &unr_; the head. ] (Anat.) Having an oblique lateral deformity of the skull. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Anat.) Oblique lateral deformity of the skull. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. pla`gios oblique + kla^n to break. ] (Min.) A general term used of any triclinic feldspar. See the Note under Feldspar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. pla`gios oblique. So called in allusion to its usually oblique crystallization. ] (Min.) A sulphide of lead and antimony, of a blackish lead-gray color and metallic luster. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Same as Plagiostomous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) One of the Plagiostomi. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. pla`gios slanting + &unr_;, &unr_;, mouth. ] (Zool.) An order of fishes including the sharks and rays; -- called also Plagiostomata. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Plagiostomi. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl.; [ NL., fr. Gr. pla`gios slanting + &unr_;, &unr_;, a hole. ] (Zool.) Same as Lepidosauria. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. pla`gios aslant + &unr_; to turn. ] (Bot.) Having the longer axis inclined away from the vertical line. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Foreboding; ominous. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Raging; furious; rageful. [ Obs. ] -- Ra"gious*ness, n. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

a. Wild; not tame. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Now is he tame that was so ramagious. Remedy of Love. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; thrice holy; &unr_; thrice + &unr_; holy. ] (Eccl.) An ancient anthem, -- usually known by its Latin name tersanctus.See Tersanctus. [ 1913 Webster ]