‖n. pl. [ NL., masc. pl. ] (Zool.) A group including the greater part of fresh-water fishes, and many marine ones, having the ventral fins under the abdomen behind the pectorals. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_;, a nettle. ] A group of Cœlenterata, including the Medusæ or jellyfishes, and hydroids; -- so called from the stinging power they possess. Sometimes called sea nettles. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ n.; pl. Acalephs Acalephans [ See Acalephæ. ] (Zool.) One of the Acalephæ. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Acaleph + -oid. ] (Zool.) Belonging to or resembling the Acalephæ or jellyfishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. acatalecticus, Gr. &unr_;, not defective at the end; 'a priv. + &unr_; to cease. ] (Pros.) Not defective; complete; as, an acatalectic verse. -- n. A verse which has the complete number of feet and syllables. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'a priv. + &unr_; to seize, comprehend. ] Incomprehensibility of things; the doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;. ] Incapable of being comprehended; incomprehensible. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 filamentous or rod-shaped bacteria.
Syn. -- order Actinomycetales [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 a breed of large wiry-coated terriers, bred in Yorkshire.
Syn. -- Airedale terrier [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ AS. ealu, akin to Icel., Sw., and Dan. öl, Lith. alus a kind of beer, OSlav. olŭ beer. Cf. Ir. ol drink, drinking. ] 1. An intoxicating liquor made from an infusion of malt by fermentation and the addition of a bitter, usually hops. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The word ale, in England and the United States, usually designates a heavier kind of fermented liquor, and the word beer a lighter kind. The word beer is also in common use as the generic name for all malt liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A festival in English country places, so called from the liquor drunk. “At wakes and ales.” B. Jonson.“On ember eves and holy ales.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ Pref. a- + leak. ] In a leaking condition. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. aleatorius, fr. alea chance, die. ] (Law) Depending on some uncertain contingency; as, an aleatory contract. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A bench in or before an alehouse. Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. alebery, alebrey; ale + bre broth, fr. AS. brīw pottage. ] A beverage, formerly made by boiling ale with spice, sugar, and sops of bread. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their aleberries, caudles, possets. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; yelk. ] (Biol.) Applied to those ova which segment uniformly, and which have little or no food yelk embedded in their protoplasm. Balfour. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ /Ale + con, OE. cunnen to test, AS. cunnian to test. See Con. ] Orig., an officer appointed to look to the goodness of ale and beer; also, one of the officers chosen by the liverymen of London to inspect the measures used in public houses. But the office is a sinecure. [ Also called aletaster. ] [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Ale + L. costus an aromatic plant: cf. Costmary. ] (Bot.) The plant costmary, which was formerly much used for flavoring ale. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; a cock. ] (Zool.) A group of birds including the common fowl and the pheasants. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; cock + &unr_; fight. ] Cockfighting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Alectryomancy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; cock + &unr_; fight. ] Cockfighting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; cock + -mancy. ] Divination by means of a cock and grains of corn placed on the letters of the alphabet, the letters being put together in the order in which the grains were eaten. Amer. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a genus of brush turkeys.
Syn. -- genus Alectura. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + lee. ] (Naut.) On or toward the lee, or the side away from the wind; the opposite of aweather. The helm of a ship is alee when pressed close to the lee side. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hard alee, or
Luff alee, an order to put the helm to the lee side. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Ale + eager sour, F. aigre. Cf. Vinegar. ] Sour ale; vinegar made of ale. Cecil. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. allègre, earlier alègre, fr. L. alacer. ] Gay; cheerful; sprightly. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ OE. aleggen, alegen, OF. alegier, F. alléger, fr. LL. alleviare, for L. allevare to lighten; ad + levis light. Cf. Alleviate, Allay, Allege. ] To allay or alleviate; to lighten. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That shall alegge this bitter blast. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. hōfe ground ivy; the first part is perh. a corruption: cf. OE. heyhowe hedgehove, ground ivy, “in old MSS. heyhowe, heyoue, haihoue, halehoue.” Prior. ] Ground ivy (Nepeta Glechoma). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A house where ale is retailed; hence, a tippling house. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A pot companion. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Turk. 'alem, fr. Ar. 'alam. ] (Mil.) The imperial standard of the Turkish Empire. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Belonging to the Alemanni, a confederacy of warlike German tribes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The language of the Alemanni. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Swabian dialect . . . is known as the Alemannic. Amer. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. alambic (cf. Sp. alambique), Ar. al-anbīq, fr. Gr. 'a`mbix cup, cap of a still. The cap or head was the alembic proper. Cf. Limbec. ] An apparatus formerly used in distillation, usually made of glass or metal. It has mostly given place to the retort and worm still.
Used also metaphorically.

The alembic of a great poet's imagination. Brimley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Origin uncertain. ] The salt of wisdom of the alchemists, a double salt composed of the chlorides of ammonium and mercury. It was formerly used as a stimulant. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

See under Lace. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + length. ] At full length; lengthwise. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_;, &unr_;, a scale. ] (Zool.) Not having scales. -- n. A fish without scales. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A pole set up as the sign of an alehouse. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A city in Syria. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ or }. (Med.) Same as Aden ulcer. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + AS ]

. (Bot.) One of the cultivated forms of Andropogon Halepensis (syn. Sorghum Halepense). See Andropogon, below. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ F. alerte, earlier à l'erte on the watch, fr. It. all' erta on the watch, prop. (standing) on a height, where one can look around; erta a declivity, steep, erto steep, p. p. of ergere, erigere, to erect, raise, L. erigere. See Erect. ] 1. Watchful; vigilant; active in vigilance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Brisk; nimble; moving with celerity. [ 1913 Webster ]

An alert young fellow. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Active; agile; lively; quick; prompt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mil.) An alarm from a real or threatened attack; a sudden attack; also, a bugle sound to give warning. “We have had an alert.” Farrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

On the alert, on the lookout or watch against attack or danger; ready to act. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physiol.) a state of readiness to respond. alerting was indicated by the desynchronization of the EEG
Syn. -- alertness [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a warning serves to make you more alert to danger.
Syn. -- alert [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. In an alert manner; nimbly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being alert or on the alert; briskness; nimbleness; activity. [ 1913 Webster ]

A duty payable to the lord mayor of London by the sellers of ale within the city. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A stake or pole projecting from, or set up before, an alehouse, as a sign; an alepole. At the end was commonly suspended a garland, a bunch of leaves, or a “bush.” [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Aleconner. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]