adj. 1. of or pertaining to or characteristic of Americans of African ancestry or their history or culture
Syn. -- Afro-American [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 an American whose ancestors were born in Africa, especially a United States citizen of African descent.
Syn. -- Afro-American, African, black, negro [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. an American whose ancestors were born in Africa.
Syn. -- African-American, African. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. 1 of or pertaining to or characteristic of Americans of African ancestry or their history or culture.
Syn. -- African-American. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Amerced p. pr. & vb. n. Amercing. ] [ OF. amercier, fr. a merci at the mercy of, liable to a punishment. See Mercy. ] 1. To punish by a pecuniary penalty, the amount of which is not fixed by law, but left to the discretion of the court; as, the court amerced the criminal in the sum of one hundred dollars. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The penalty or fine may be expressed without a preposition, or it may be introduced by in, with, or of. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To punish, in general; to mulct. [ 1913 Webster ]

Millions of spirits for his fault amerced
Of Heaven. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Shall by him be amerced with penance due. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Liable to be amerced. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. amerciment. ] The infliction of a penalty at the discretion of the court; also, a mulct or penalty thus imposed. It differs from a fine, in that the latter is, or was originally, a fixed and certain sum prescribed by statute for an offense; but an amercement is arbitrary. Hence, the act or practice of affeering. [ See Affeer. ] Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word, in old books, is written amerciament. [ 1913 Webster ]

Amercement royal, a penalty imposed on an officer for a misdemeanor in his office. Jacobs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who amerces. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. amerciamentum. ] Same as Amercement. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Named from Americus Vespucius. ] 1. Of or pertaining to America; as, the American continent: American Indians. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to the United States. “A young officer of the American navy.” Lyell. [ 1913 Webster ]

American ivy. See Virginia creeper. --
American Party (U. S. Politics), a party, about 1854, which opposed the influence of foreign-born citizens, and those supposed to owe allegiance to a foreign power. --
Native american Party (U. S. Politics), a party of principles similar to those of the American party. It arose about 1843, but soon died out. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A native of America; -- originally applied to the aboriginal inhabitants, but now applied to the descendants of Europeans born in America, and especially to the citizens of the United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

The name American must always exalt the pride of patriotism. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. any artifact (such a books or furniture or art) that is distinctive to America. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. a red-skinned member of a race of people living in North America when Europeans arrived.
Syn. -- Indian, native American, Amerindian, Red Indian [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to American Indians
Syn. -- Amerindian, Amerind, Amerindic, Indian, native American [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Attachment to the United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A custom peculiar to the United States or to America; an American characteristic or idea. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A word or phrase peculiar to the United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The process of Americanizing. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Americanizer p. pr. & vb. n. Americanizing. ] To render American; to assimilate to the Americans in customs, ideas, etc.; to stamp with American characteristics. [ 1913 Webster ]

. In hotels, aplan upon which guests pay for both room and board by the day, week, or other convenient period; -- contrasted with European plan. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. A secret organization in the United States, formed in Iowa in 1887, ostensibly for the protection of American institutions by keeping Roman Catholics out of public office. Abbrev. commonly to A. P .A. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a sign language, used in the United States mostly by the deaf or for communication with the deaf, in which gestures made with the hands symbolize words, alphabetical letters, or ideas, permitting rapid communication in the absence of speech.
Syn. -- Ameslan. [ PJC ]

a. Of or pertaining to the English and Americans, or to the descendants of Englishmen in America. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an American who was born in England or whose ancestors were English. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Opposed to the Americans, their aims, or interests, or to the genius of American institutions. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + camera. ] Consisting of, or including, two chambers, or legislative branches. Bentham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who blames. Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. E. Cameras L. Camerae [ L. vault, arch, LL., chamber. See Chamber. ] A chamber, or instrument having a chamber. Specifically: The camera obscura when used in photography. See Camera, and Camera obscura. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bellows camera. See under Bellows. --
In camera (Law), in a judge's chamber, that is, privately; as, a judge hears testimony which is not fit for the open court in camera. --
Panoramic camera, or
Pantascopic camera, a photographic camera in which the lens and sensitized plate revolve so as to expose adjacent parts of the plate successively to the light, which reaches it through a narrow vertical slit; -- used in photographing broad landscapes. Abney. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

a. Of or pertaining to finance and public revenue. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. caméralistique, G. kameralistik, fr. L. camera vault, LL., chamber, treasury. ] The science of finance or public revenue. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ L. camera chamber + L. lucidus, lucida, lucid, light. ] (Opt.) An instrument which by means of a prism of a peculiar form, or an arrangement of mirrors, causes an apparent image of an external object or objects to appear as if projected upon a plane surface, as of paper or canvas, so that the outlines may conveniently traced. It is generally used with the microscope. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ LL. camera chamber + L. obscurus, obscura, dark. ] (Opt.) 1. An apparatus in which the images of external objects, formed by a convex lens or a concave mirror, are thrown on a paper or other white surface placed in the focus of the lens or mirror within a darkened chamber, or box, so that the outlines may be traced. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Photog.) An apparatus in which the image of an external object or objects is, by means of lenses, thrown upon a sensitized plate or surface placed at the back of an extensible darkened box or chamber variously modified; -- commonly called simply the camera. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Camerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Camerzting. ] [ L. cameratus, p. p. of camerare. See Camber. ] 1. To build in the form of a vault; to arch over. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To divide into chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. cameratio. ] A vaulting or arching over. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ It. ] The papal chamberlain; the cardinal who presides over the pope's household. He has at times possessed great power. [ Written also camerlengo and camarlengo. ]

n. A follower of the Rev. Richard Cameron, a Scotch Covenanter of the time of Charles II. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cameron and others refused to accept the “indulgence” offered the Presbyterian clergy, insisted on the Solemn league and Covenant, and in 1680 declared Charles II. deposed for tyranny, breach of faith, etc. Cameron was killed at the battle of Airdmoss, but his followers became a denomination (afterwards called Reformed Presbyterians) who refused to recognize laws or institutions which they believed contrary to the kingdom of Christ, but who now avail themselves of political rights. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. concameratus, p. p. of concamerare to arch over. See Camber. ] 1. To arch over; to vault. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of the upper beak an inch and a half consisteth of one concamerated bone. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To divide into chambers or cells. Woodward. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. concameratio. ] 1. An arch or vault. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A chamber of a multilocular shell. Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a small pitcher for serving cream; as, the coffee set included a sugar bowl and creamer.
Syn. -- cream pitcher. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n.; pl. Creameries [ CF. F. cr&unr_;meric. ] 1. A place where butter and cheese are made, or where milk and cream are put up in cans for market. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A place or apparatus in which milk is set for raising cream. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An establishment where cream is sold. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One given to daydreams. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ It. decamerone, fr. Gr. de`ka ten + &unr_; part; though quite generally supposed to be derived from "hme`ra day: cf. F. décaméron.] A celebrated collection of tales, supposed to be related in ten days; -- written in the 14th century, by Boccaccio, an Italian.

n. One who defames; a slanderer; a detractor; a calumniator. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who dreams. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A visionary; one lost in wild imaginations or vain schemes of some anticipated good; as, a political dreamer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who frames; as, the framer of a building; the framers of the Constitution. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. gossomer, gossummer, gosesomer, perh. for goose summer, from its downy appearance, or perh. for God's summer, cf. G. mariengarr gossamer, properly Mary's yarn, in allusion to the Virgin Mary. Perhaps the E. word alluded to a legend that the gossamer was the remnant of the Virgin Mary's winding sheet, which dropped from her when she was taken up to heaven. For the use of summer in the sense of film or threads, cf. G. Mädchensommer, Altweibersommer, fliegender Sommer, all meaning, gossamer. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A fine, filmy substance, like cobwebs, floating in the air, in calm, clear weather, especially in autumn. It is seen in stubble fields and on furze or low bushes, and is formed by small spiders. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any very thin gauzelike fabric; also, a thin waterproof stuff. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An outer garment, made of waterproof gossamer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gossamer spider (Zool.), any small or young spider which spins webs by which to sail in the air. See Ballooning spider. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like gossamer; flimsy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The greatest master of gossamery affectation. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

interj. [ F. grand-merci. See Grand, and Mercy. ] A word formerly used to express thankfulness, with surprise; many thanks. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gramercy, Mammon, said the gentle knight. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Hepta- + Gr. &unr_; part. ] (Bot.) Consisting of seven parts, or having the parts in sets of sevens. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Hexa- + Gr.&unr_; part. ] (Bot.) In six parts; in sixes. [ 1913 Webster ]

. An American who is referred to by a hyphenated term with the first word indicating an origin in a foreign country, and the second term being “American”, as Irish-American, Italian-American, African-American, Asian-American. Used in reference to Americans of foreign birth or ancestry. When used of Americans of European ancestry, it is often used to refer to those who have a strong attachment to the ancestral country or its culture. It implies that the individual is imperfectly assimilated into American culture, and is sometimes used derogatively. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]