n. 1. a neurotransmitter released by the transmitting dendron at autononmous synapses and at neuromuscular junctions. It is a quaternary amine with an obligatory negative counterion. The nominal formula for the hydroxide form is C7H17NO3. Structural formula (CH3)3N(+)CH2CH2.O.CO.CH3.OH(-). Acetylcholine is the first recognized and best-studied of the neurotransmitters. At receptors it is recycled into choline by the action of acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors therefore function as nerve poisons. For biochemical studies it is prepared typically in the chloride or bromide forms. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. an enzyme which exists in nerve cells and hydrolyses acetylcholine into choline and acetic acid. It is essential for neurotransmission at autonomous synapses and neuromuscular junctions, and its inhibition by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can paralyze or kill an animal.
Syn. -- ACE [ PJC ]

‖n. [ NL., from Gr. 'acholi`a; 'a priv. + cholh` bile. ] (Med.) Deficiency or lack of bile. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Lacking bile. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A stony meteor lacking chondrules. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to achondrite. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. chondritic [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Med.) A skeletal disorder beginning before birth; cartilage is converted to bone resulting in dwarfism. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. (Med.) of or pertaining to achondroplasia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. outside regular school hours. a special after-school class [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a. See Anchoret, Anchoretic. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'ana` + chw^ros place. ] An error in regard to the place of an event or a thing; a referring something to a wrong place. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. anker, AS. ancor, oncer, L. ancora, sometimes spelt anchora, fr. Gr. 'a`gkyra, akin to E. angle: cf. F. ancre. See Angle, n. ] 1. A iron instrument which is attached to a ship by a cable (rope or chain), and which, being cast overboard, lays hold of the earth by a fluke or hook and thus retains the ship in a particular station. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The common anchor consists of a straight bar called a shank, having at one end a transverse bar called a stock, above which is a ring for the cable, and at the other end the crown, from which branch out two or more arms with flukes, forming with the shank a suitable angle to enter the ground. [ 1913 Webster ]

Formerly the largest and strongest anchor was the sheet anchor (hence, Fig., best hope or last refuge), called also waist anchor. Now the bower and the sheet anchor are usually alike. Then came the best bower and the small bower (so called from being carried on the bows). The stream anchor is one fourth the weight of the bower anchor. Kedges or kedge anchors are light anchors used in warping. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any instrument or contrivance serving a purpose like that of a ship's anchor, as an arrangement of timber to hold a dam fast; a contrivance to hold the end of a bridge cable, or other similar part; a contrivance used by founders to hold the core of a mold in place. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fig.: That which gives stability or security; that on which we place dependence for safety. [ 1913 Webster ]

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. Heb. vi. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Her.) An emblem of hope. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Arch.) (a) A metal tie holding adjoining parts of a building together. (b) Carved work, somewhat resembling an anchor or arrowhead; -- a part of the ornaments of certain moldings. It is seen in the echinus, or egg-and-anchor (called also egg-and-dart, egg-and-tongue) ornament. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Zool.) One of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain sponges; also, one of the calcareous spinules of certain Holothurians, as in species of Synapta. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Television) an achorman, anchorwoman, or anchorperson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Anchor ice. See under Ice. --
Anchor light See the vocabulary. --
Anchor ring. (Math.) Same as Annulus, 2 (b). --
Anchor shot See the vocabulary. --
Anchor space See the vocabulary. --
Anchor stock (Naut.), the crossbar at the top of the shank at right angles to the arms. --
Anchor watch See the vocabulary. --
The anchor comes home, when it drags over the bottom as the ship drifts. --
Foul anchor, the anchor when it hooks, or is entangled with, another anchor, or with a cable or wreck, or when the slack cable is entangled. --
The anchor is acockbill, when it is suspended perpendicularly from the cathead, ready to be let go. --
The anchor is apeak, when the cable is drawn in so tight as to bring the ship directly over it. --
The anchor is atrip, or
aweigh, when it is lifted out of the ground. --
The anchor is awash, when it is hove up to the surface of the water. --
At anchor, anchored. --
To back an anchor, to increase the holding power by laying down a small anchor ahead of that by which the ship rides, with the cable fastened to the crown of the latter to prevent its coming home. --
To cast anchor, to drop or let go an anchor to keep a ship at rest. --
To cat the anchor, to hoist the anchor to the cathead and pass the ring-stopper. --
To fish the anchor, to hoist the flukes to their resting place (called the bill-boards), and pass the shank painter. --
To weigh anchor, to heave or raise the anchor so as to sail away. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Anchored p. pr. & vb. n. Anchoring. ] [ Cf. F. ancrer. ] 1. To place at anchor; to secure by an anchor; as, to anchor a ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To fix or fasten; to fix in a stable condition; as, to anchor the cables of a suspension bridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Till that my nails were anchored in thine eyes. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To stop; to fix or rest. [ 1913 Webster ]

My invention . . . anchors on Isabel. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. anker, ancre, AS. ancra, fr. L. anachoreta. See Anchoret. ] An anchoret. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Fit for anchorage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of anchoring, or the condition of lying at anchor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A place suitable for anchoring or where ships anchor; a hold for an anchor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The set of anchors belonging to a ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Something which holds like an anchor; a hold; as, the anchorages of the Brooklyn Bridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Something on which one may depend for security; ground of trust. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A toll for anchoring; anchorage duties. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Abode of an anchoret. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Anchor-shaped. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Held by an anchor; at anchor; held safely; as, an anchored bark; also, shaped like an anchor; forked; as, an anchored tongue. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Her.) Having the extremities turned back, like the flukes of an anchor; as, an anchored cross. [ Sometimes spelt ancred. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Horol.) (a) The common recoil escapement. (b) A variety of the lever escapement with a wide impulse pin. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A female anchoret. [ 1913 Webster ]

And there, a saintly anchoress, she dwelt. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. Gr. &unr_;. ] Pertaining to an anchoret or hermit; after the manner of an anchoret. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Hermitlike. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The practice or mode of life of an anchoret. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The hold or grip of an anchor, or that to which it holds. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: Firm hold: security. [ 1913 Webster ]

/mhw>, n. [ F. anachorète, L. anachoreta, fr. Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to go back, retire; &unr_; + &unr_; to give place, retire, &unr_; place; perh. akin to Skr. hā to leave. Cf. Anchor a hermit. ] One who renounces the world and secludes himself, usually for religious reasons; a hermit; a recluse. [ Written by some authors anachoret. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Our Savior himself . . . did not choose an anchorite's or a monastic life, but a social and affable way of conversing with mortals. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Anchoret. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An anchoress. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without an anchor or stay. Hence: Drifting; unsettled. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Naut.) The lantern shown at night by a vessel at anchor. International rules of the road require vessels at anchor to carry from sunset to sunrise a single white light forward if under 150 feet in length, and if longer, two such lights, one near the stern and one forward. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a woman television reporter who coordinates a broadcast to which several correspondents contribute. Male correlate of anchorwoman. [ PJC ]

n. 1. an anchorman or anchorwoman.. The anchorperson usually begins the broadcast, discusses certain topics, and introduces new topics, which may be discussed by other reprorters, especially when the report is recorded or broadcast from a location other than the main broadcast studio.
Syn. -- anchor, anchorman, anchorwoman. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

. (Billiards) A shot made with the object balls in an anchor space. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Billiards) In the balk-line game, any of eight spaces, 7 inches by 31/2, lying along a cushion and bisected transversely by a balk line. Object balls in an anchor space are treated as in balk. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Naut.) A detail of one or more men who keep watch on deck at night when a vessel is at anchor. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a woman television reporter who coordinates a broadcast to which several correspondents contribute. Female correlate of anchorman. [ PJC ]

n. [ Sp. anchoa, anchova, or Pg. anchova, prob. of Iberian origin, and lit. a dried or pickled fish, fr. Bisc. antzua dry: cf. D. anchovis, F. anchois. ] (Zool.) A small fish, about three inches in length, of the Herring family (Engraulis encrasicholus), caught in vast numbers in the Mediterranean, and pickled for exportation. The name is also applied to several allied species. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) A West Indian fruit like the mango in taste, sometimes pickled; also, the tree (Grias cauliflora) bearing this fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) (a) A space inclosed or reserved at the entrance to the choir, for the clergy and choristers. (b) Where a choir is divided, as in some Spanish churches, that division of it which is the farther from the sanctuary. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. & n. See Antihypochondriac. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Counteractive of hypochondria. -- n. A remedy for hypochondria. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. archon, Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, ruler, chief magistrate, p. pr. of &unr_; to be first, to rule. ] (Antiq.) One of the chief magistrates in ancient Athens, especially, by preëminence, the first of the nine chief magistrates. -- Ar*chon"tic a. [1913 Webster]

n. The office of an archon. Mitford. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. archontat. ] An archon's term of office. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ Gr. 'a`rchwn, p. pr. See Archon. ] (Zool.) The group including man alone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Archon; Plasma. ] (Biol.) The substance from which attraction spheres develop in mitotic cell division, and of which they consist. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ NL. ] (Med.) Chondritis of a joint. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ It. articiocco, perh. corrupted fr. the same word as carciofo; cf. older spellings archiciocco, archicioffo, carciocco, and Sp. alcachofa, Pg. alcachofra; prob. fr. Ar. al-harshaf, al-kharshūf. ] (Bot.) 1. The Cynara scolymus, a plant somewhat resembling a thistle, with a dilated, imbricated, and prickly involucre. The head (to which the name is also applied) is composed of numerous oval scales, inclosing the florets, sitting on a broad receptacle, which, with the fleshy base of the scales, is much esteemed as an article of food. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. See Jerusalem artichoke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 the type genus of the Atrichornithidae.
Syn. -- genus Atrichornis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]