n. [ Gr. 'a`galma, 'a`galmatos, image, statue + -lite: cf. F. agalmatolithe. ] (Min.) A soft, compact stone, of a grayish, greenish, or yellowish color, carved into images by the Chinese, and hence called figure stone, and pagodite. It is probably a variety of pinite. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Heb., perh. borrowed fr. Skr. valguka sandalwood. ] (Script.) A tree or wood of the Bible (2 Chron. ii. 8; 1 K. x. 11). [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Most writers at the present day follow Celsius, who takes it to be the red sandalwood of China and the Indian Archipelago. W. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Astron.) (a) Same as Almucantar. (b) A recently invented instrument for observing the heavenly bodies as they cross a given almacantar circle. See Almucantar. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } n. [ F. almadie (cf. Sp. & Pg. almadia), fr. Ar. alma'dīyah a raft, float. ] (Naut.) (a) A bark canoe used by the Africans. (b) A boat used at Calicut, in India, about eighty feet long, and six or seven broad. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. almageste, LL. almageste, Ar. al-majistī, fr. Gr. &unr_; (sc. &unr_;), the greatest composition. ] The celebrated work of Ptolemy of Alexandria, which contains nearly all that is known of the astronomical observations and theories of the ancients. The name was extended to other similar works. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp. almagra, almagre, fr. Ar. al-maghrah red clay or earth. ] A fine, deep red ocher, somewhat purplish, found in Spain. It is the sil atticum of the ancients. Under the name of Indian red it is used for polishing glass and silver. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Alme. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ L., fostering mother. ] A college or seminary where one is educated. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ OF. Aleman, F. Allemand, fr. L. Alemanni, ancient Ger. tribes. ] [ Obs. ] 1. A German. Also adj., German. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The German language. J. Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A kind of dance. See Allemande. [ 1913 Webster ]

Almain rivets,
Almayne rivets, or
Alman rivets, a sort of light armor from Germany, characterized by overlapping plates, arranged to slide on rivets, and thus afford great flexibility. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. almanac, almanach: cf. F. almanach, Sp. almanaque, It. almanacco, all of uncertain origin. ] A book or table, containing a calendar of days, and months, to which astronomical data and various statistics are often added, such as the times of the rising and setting of the sun and moon, eclipses, hours of full tide, stated festivals of churches, terms of courts, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nautical almanac, an almanac, or year book, containing astronomical calculations (lunar, stellar, etc.), and other information useful to mariners. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. almandina, alamandina, for L. alabandina a precious stone, named after Alabanda, a town in Caria, where it was first and chiefly found: cf. F. almandine. ] (Min.) The common red variety of garnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ ‖ } n. [ Ar. 'almah (fem.) learned, fr. 'alama to know: cf. F. almée. ] An Egyptian dancing girl; an Alma. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Almehs lift their arms in dance. Bayard Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp., fr. almendra almond. ] The lofty Brazil-nut tree. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Ambry. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Alms. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. All-powerful; almighty. [ Obs. ] Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With almighty power. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Omnipotence; infinite or boundless power; unlimited might. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. ealmihtig, ælmihtig; eal (OE. al) all + mihtig mighty. ] 1. Unlimited in might; omnipotent; all-powerful; irresistible. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am the Almighty God. Gen. xvii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Great; extreme; terrible. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Poor Aroar can not live, and can not die, -- so that he is in an almighty fix. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Almighty, the omnipotent God. Rev. i. 8. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An almoner. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. almande, almaunde, alemaunde, F. amande, L. amygdala, fr. Gr. 'amygda`lh: cf. Sp. almendra. Cf. Amygdalate. ] 1. The fruit of the almond tree. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The different kinds, as bitter, sweet, thin-shelled, thick-shelled almonds, and Jordan almonds, are the products of different varieties of the one species, Amygdalus communis, a native of the Mediterranean region and western Asia. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The tree that bears the fruit; almond tree. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Anything shaped like an almond. Specifically: (Anat.) One of the tonsils. [ 1913 Webster ]

Almond oil, fixed oil expressed from sweet or bitter almonds. --
Oil of bitter almonds, a poisonous volatile oil obtained from bitter almonds by maceration and distillation; benzoic aldehyde. --
Imitation oil of bitter almonds, nitrobenzene. --
Almond tree (Bot.), the tree bearing the almond. --
Almond willow (Bot.), a willow which has leaves that are of a light green on both sides; almond-leaved willow (Salix amygdalina). Shenstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Prob. a corruption of Almain furnace, i. e., German furnace. See Almain. ] A kind of furnace used in refining, to separate the metal from cinders and other foreign matter. Chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Almandine [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having the shape of an almond, i.e. ellipsoidal with somewhat pointed ends.
Syn. -- amygdaliform, amygdaloid, amygdaloidal. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. aumener, aulmener, OF. almosnier, aumosnier, F. aumônier, fr. OF. almosne, alms, L. eleemosyna. See Alms. ] 1. One who distributes alms, esp. the doles and alms of religious houses, almshouses, etc.; also, one who dispenses alms for another, as the almoner of a prince, bishop, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A social worker in a hospital. [ Chiefly Brit. ] [ PJC ]

3. An official in a hospital whose job it is to calculate how much a patient must pay for treatment. [ Chiefly Brit. ] [ PJC ]

n. The office of an almoner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Almonries [ OF. aumosnerie, F. aumônerie, fr. OF. aumosnier. See Almoner. ] The place where an almoner resides, or where alms are distributed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Alms. [ Obs. ] Cheke. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ AS. ealmæst, ælmæst, quite the most, almost all; eal (OE. al) all + m&unr_;st most. ] Nearly; well nigh; all but; for the greatest part. [ 1913 Webster ]

Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Acts xxvi. 28. [ 1913 Webster ]

Almost never, hardly ever; scarcely ever. --
Almost nothing, scarcely anything. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Almonry. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. sing. & pl. [ OE. almes, almesse, AS. ælmysse, fr. L. eleemosyna, Gr. 'elehmosy`nh mercy, charity, alms, fr. 'eleei^n to pity. Cf. Almonry, Eleemosynary. ] Anything given gratuitously to relieve the poor, as money, food, or clothing; a gift of charity. [ 1913 Webster ]

A devout man . . . which gave much alms to the people. Acts x. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

Alms are but the vehicles of prayer. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tenure by free alms. See Frankalmoign. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word alms is singular in its form (almesse), and is sometimes so used; as, “asked an alms.” Acts iii. 3. “Received an alms.” Shak. It is now, however, commonly a collective or plural noun. It is much used in composition, as almsgiver, almsgiving, alms bag, alms chest, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An act of charity. Acts ix. 36. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Persons supported by alms; almsmen. [ Archaic ] Holinshed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A giver of alms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The giving of alms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A house appropriated for the use of the poor; a poorhouse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; fem. Almswoman. 1. A recipient of alms. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A giver of alms. [ R. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. almucantarat, almicantarat, ultimately fr. Ar. al-muqantarāt, pl., fr. qantara to bend, arch. ] (Astron.) A small circle of the sphere parallel to the horizon; a circle or parallel of altitude. Two stars which have the same almucantar have the same altitude. See Almacantar. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Almucanter staff, an ancient instrument, having an arc of fifteen degrees, formerly used at sea to take observations of the sun's amplitude at the time of its rising or setting, to find the variation of the compass. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Amice, a hood or cape. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Pg. almude, or Sp. almud, a measure of grain or dry fruit, fr. Ar. al-mudd a dry measure. ] A measure for liquids in several countries. In Portugal the Lisbon almude is about 4.4, and the Oporto almude about 6.6, gallons U. S. measure. In Turkey the “almud” is about 1.4 gallons. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal. Hence: To soothe; to mitigate. [ Archaic ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. baume, OF. bausme, basme, F. baume, L. balsamum balsam, from Gr. ba`lsamon; perhaps of Semitic origin; cf. Heb. bāsām. Cf. Balsam. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus Melissa. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The resinous and aromatic exudation of certain trees or shrubs. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any fragrant ointment. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Anything that heals or that mitigates pain. “Balm for each ill.” Mrs. Hemans. [ 1913 Webster ]

Balm cricket (Zool.), the European cicada. Tennyson. --
Balm of Gilead (Bot.), a small evergreen African and Asiatic tree of the terebinthine family (Balsamodendron Gileadense). Its leaves yield, when bruised, a strong aromatic scent; and from this tree is obtained the balm of Gilead of the shops, or balsam of Mecca. This has a yellowish or greenish color, a warm, bitterish, aromatic taste, and a fragrant smell. It is valued as an unguent and cosmetic by the Turks. The fragrant herb Dracocephalum Canariense is familiarly called balm of Gilead, and so are the American trees, Populus balsamifera, variety candicans (balsam poplar), and Abies balsamea (balsam fir). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Balm + -fy. ] To render balmy. [ Obs. ] Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a balmy manner. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Balmoral Castle, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. ] 1. A long woolen petticoat, worn immediately under the dress. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A kind of stout walking shoe, laced in front. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man who uses his balmorals to tread on your toes. George Eliot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having the qualities of balm; odoriferous; aromatic; assuaging; soothing; refreshing; mild; as, balmy weather. “The balmy breeze.” Tickell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep! Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Producing balm. “The balmy tree.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Highly eccentric or crazy. [ Informal ]
Syn. -- batty. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- Fragrant; sweet-scented; odorous; spicy; refreshing; soothing. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Becalmed (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Becalming. ] 1. To render calm or quiet; to calm; to still; to appease. [ 1913 Webster ]

Soft whispering airs . . . becalm the mind. Philips. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To keep from motion, or stop the progress of, by the stilling of the wind; as, the fleet was becalmed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a perennial herb (Monarda fistulosa) of North America. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a perennial aromatic herb of eastern North America (Monarda didyma) having variously colored tubular flowers in dense showy heads.
Syn. -- bee balm, bergamot mint, oswego tea. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. a bushy perennial Old World mint, Melissa officinalis, having small white or yellowish flowers and fragrant lemon-flavored leaves; a garden escapee in northern Europe and North America.
Syn. -- lemon balm, garden balm, sweet balm, bee balm, Melissa officinalis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + palmate. ] (Bot.) Palmately branched, with the branches again palmated. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. calme, F. calme, fr. It. or Sp. calma (cf. Pg. calma heat), prob. fr. LL. cauma heat, fr. Gr. kay^ma burning heat, fr. kai`ein to burn; either because during a great heat there is generally also a calm, or because the hot time of the day obliges us seek for shade and quiet; cf. Caustic ] Freedom from motion, agitation, or disturbance; a cessation or absence of that which causes motion or disturbance, as of winds or waves; tranquility; stillness; quiet; serenity. [ 1913 Webster ]

The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark. iv. 39. [ 1913 Webster ]

A calm before a storm is commonly a peace of a man's own making. South. [ 1913 Webster ]