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

adv. [ Pref. a- + straddle. ] In a straddling position; astride; bestriding; as, to sit astraddle a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; starry. ] (Zool.) Pertaining to the genus Astræa or the family Astræidæ. -- n. A coral of the family Astræidæ; a star coral. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. astragalus, Gr. &unr_; the ankle bone, a molding in the capital of the Ionic column. ] 1. (Arch.) A convex molding of rounded surface, generally from half to three quarters of a circle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gun.) A round molding encircling a cannon near the mouth. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the astragalus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Astragalus + -oid. ] (Anat.) Resembling the astragalus in form. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; ankle bone, die + -mancy. ] Divination by means of small bones or dice. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. See Astragal. ] 1. (Anat.) The ankle bone, or hock bone; the bone of the tarsus which articulates with the tibia at the ankle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) A genus of papilionaceous plants, of the tribe Galegeæ, containing numerous species, two of which are called, in English, milk vetch and licorice vetch. Gum tragacanth is obtained from different oriental species, particularly the Astragalus gummifer and Astragalus verus. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Arch.) See Astragal, 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to Astrakhan in Russia or its products; made of an Astrakhan skin. -- n. The skin of stillborn or young lambs of that region, the curled wool of which resembles fur. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. astralis, fr. astrum star, Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. astral. See Star. ] 1. Pertaining to, coming from, or resembling, the stars; starry; starlike. [ 1913 Webster ]

Shines only with an astral luster. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some astral forms I must invoke by prayer. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to an aster; as, astral rays; astral sphere. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. (Theosophy) Consisting of, belonging to, or designating, a kind of supersensible substance alleged to be next above the tangible world in refinement; as, astral spirits; astral bodies of persons; astral current; the astral plane. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

Astral lamp, an Argand lamp so constructed that no shadow is cast upon the table by the flattened ring-shaped reservoir in which the oil is contained. --
Astral spirits, spirits formerly supposed to live in the heavenly bodies or the aërial regions, and represented in the Middle Ages as fallen angels, spirits of the dead, or spirits originating in fire. [ 1913 Webster ]