‖n.; pl. Abaculi [ L., dim. of abacus. ] (Arch.) A small tile of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colors, used in making ornamental patterns in mosaic pavements. Fairholt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ab + E. articulation : cf. F. abarticulation. See Article. ] (Anat.) Articulation, usually that kind of articulation which admits of free motion in the joint; diarthrosis. Coxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to acculturation (definition 3).
Syn. -- acculturational [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n.; pl. Aciculæ [ L., a small needle, dimin. of acus needle. ] (Nat. Hist.) One of the needlelike or bristlelike spines or prickles of some animals and plants; also, a needlelike crystal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Needle-shaped; slender like a needle or bristle, as some leaves or crystals; also, having sharp points like needles. [ 1913 Webster ]

A*cic"u*lar*ly, adv.. [1913 Webster]

{ a. (Nat. Hist.) (a) Furnished with aciculæ. (b) Acicular. (c) Marked with fine irregular streaks as if scratched by a needle. Lindley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. acicula needle + -form. ] Needle-shaped; acicular. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Min.) Needle ore. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aculeus, dim. of acus needle. ] A small spiny outgrowth on the wings of certain insects. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. aculeatus, fr. aculeus, dim. of acus needle. ] 1. (Zool.) Having a sting; covered with prickles; sharp like a prickle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Having prickles, or sharp points; beset with prickles. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Severe or stinging; incisive. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a sharp point; armed with prickles; prickly; aculeate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a prickle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. aculeolus little needle. ] (Bot.) Having small prickles or sharp points. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Aculeate. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Aculei [ L., dim. of acus needle. ] 1. (Bot.) A prickle growing on the bark, as in some brambles and roses. Lindley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A sting. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Supplying help; auxiliary; corroborative; explanatory; as, adminicular evidence. H. Spencer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Adminicular. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. adosculari, adosculatum, to kiss. See Osculate. ] (Biol.) Impregnation by external contact, without intromission. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to Æsculapius or to the healing art; medical; medicinal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. Aesculapius, Gr. &unr_;. ] (Myth.) The god of medicine. Hence, a physician. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Esculin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. ager field + cultor cultivator. ] An agriculturist; a farmer. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to agriculture; connected with, or engaged in, tillage; as, the agricultural class; agricultural implements, wages, etc. -- Ag`ri*cul"tur*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

Agricultural ant (Zool.), a species of ant which gathers and stores seeds of grasses, for food. The remarkable species (Myrmica barbata) found in Texas clears circular areas and carefully cultivates its favorite grain, known as ant rice. [1913 Webster]

n. An agriculturist (which is the preferred form.) [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. agricultura; ager field + cultura cultivation: cf. F. agriculture. See Acre and Culture. ] The art or science of cultivating the ground, including the harvesting of crops, and the rearing and management of live stock; tillage; husbandry; farming. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Agriculture. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One engaged or skilled in agriculture; a husbandman. [ 1913 Webster ]

The farmer is always a practitioner, the agriculturist may be a mere theorist. Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ As if fr. a L. animalculum, dim. of animal. ] 1. A small animal, as a fly, spider, etc. [ Obs. ] Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) An animal, invisible, or nearly so, to the naked eye. See Infusoria. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Many of the so-called animalcules have been shown to be plants, having locomotive powers something like those of animals. Among these are Volvox, the Desmidiacæ, and the siliceous Diatomaceæ. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spermatic animalcules. See Spermatozoa. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, animalcules. “Animalcular life.” Tyndall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. animalculisme. ] 1. (Biol.) The theory which seeks to explain certain physiological and pathological phenomena by means of animalcules. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) The theory that the spermatozoön and not the ovum contains the whole of the embryo; spermatism; -- opposed to ovism. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Cf. F. animalculiste. ] 1. One versed in the knowledge of animalcules. Keith. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A believer in the theory of animalculism. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Animalcula [ NL. See Animalcule. ] An animalcule. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Animalculæ, as if from a Latin singular animalcula, is a barbarism. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ NL. apiculus, dim. of L. apex, apicis. ] Situated at, or near, the apex; apical. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ See Apicular. ] (Bot.) Terminated abruptly by a small, distinct point, as a leaf. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. apis bee + E. culture. ] Rearing of bees for their honey and wax. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a farmer who keeps bees for their honey.
Syn. -- beekeeper, apiarist. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Relating to an appendicle; appendiculate. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. ] (Zool.) A genus of small free-swimming Tunicata, shaped somewhat like a tadpole, and remarkable for resemblances to the larvæ of other Tunicata. It is the type of the order Copelata or Larvalia. See Illustration in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. ] (Zool.) An order of annelids; the Polychæta. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Appendicle. ] Having small appendages; forming an appendage. [ 1913 Webster ]

Appendiculate leaf, a small appended leaf. Withering. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to aquiculture. aquacultural methods
Syn. -- aquicultural, hydroponic [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. the cultivation of aquatic animals, such as fish or shellfish, or of plants, such as seaweed, in a controlled and sometimes enclosed body of water. The term includes use of either salt or fresh water. It is a form of agriculture, but under water. [ PJC ]

a. Pertaining to arboriculture. Loudon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. arbor tree + cultura. See Culture. ] The cultivation of trees and shrubs, chiefly for timber or for ornamental purposes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who cultivates trees. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a dwarf tree; shrublike. Da Costa. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. articularis: cf. F. articulaire. See Article, n. ] Of or pertaining to the joints; as, an articular disease; an articular process. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an articular or an articulate manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. (Anat.) A bone in the base of the lower jaw of many birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ Neut. pl. from L. articulatus furnished with joints, distinct, p. p. of articulare. See Article, v. ] (Zool.) 1. One of the four subkingdoms in the classification of Cuvier. It has been much modified by later writers. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It includes those Invertebrata having the body composed of a series of ringlike segments (arthromeres). By some writers, the unsegmented worms (helminths) have also been included; by others it is restricted to the Arthropoda. It corresponds nearly with the Annulosa of some authors. The chief subdivisions are Arthropoda (Insects, Myriapoda, Malacopoda, Arachnida, Pycnogonida, Crustacea); and Anarthropoda, including the Annelida and allied forms. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of the subdivisions of the Brachiopoda, including those that have the shells united by a hinge. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A subdivision of the Crinoidea. [ 1913 Webster ]