a. [ From Abdera, a town in Thrace, of which place Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher, was a native. ] Given to laughter; inclined to foolish or incessant merriment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. Abderita, Abderites, fr. Gr. 'Abdhri`ths. ] An inhabitant of Abdera, in Thrace. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Abderite, Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; thorn + &unr_; wing, fin. ] (Zool.) A group of teleostean fishes having spiny fins. See Acanthopterygii. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. acer maple. ] Pertaining to, or obtained from, the maple; as, aceric acid. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. The natural family of fish including the sturgeons.
Syn. -- family Acipenseridae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Pertaining to an acroterium; as, acroterial ornaments. P. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Acroteria [ L., fr. Gr. 'akrwth`rion summit, fr. 'a`kros topmost. ] (Arch.) (a) One of the small pedestals, for statues or other ornaments, placed on the apex and at the basal angles of a pediment. Acroteria are also sometimes placed upon the gables in Gothic architecture. J. H. Parker. (b) One of the pedestals, for vases or statues, forming a part roof balustrade. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a genus of terrestrial ferns of tropical Asia and Africa.
Syn. -- genus Actiniopteris. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖ety>[ L. ] Meanwhile; temporary. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Adipocere + -form. ] Having the form or appearance of adipocere; as, an adipoceriform tumor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to administration, or to the executive part of government. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. adulterinus, fr. adulter. ] Proceeding from adulterous intercourse. Hence: Spurious; without the support of law; illegal. [ 1913 Webster ]

When any particular class of artificers or traders thought proper to act as a corporation without a charter, such were called adulterine guilds. Adam Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An illegitimate child. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To commit adultery. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. aërius. See Air. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the air, or atmosphere; inhabiting or frequenting the air; produced by or found in the air; performed in the air; as, aërial regions or currents; the aërial maneuvers of a fighter plane. “Aërial spirits.” Milton. “Aërial voyages.” Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Consisting of air; resembling, or partaking of the nature of air. Hence: Unsubstantial; unreal. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Rising aloft in air; high; lofty; as, aërial spires. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Growing, forming, living, or existing in the air, as opposed to growing or existing in earth or water, or underground; as, aërial rootlets, aërial plants; the aerial roots of a philodendron. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Light as air; ethereal. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. operating or operated overhead especially on elevated cables. aerial conveyers for transporting raw materials [ WordNet 1.5 ]

7. operating or moving in the air. an aerial cable car; aerial combat [ WordNet 1.5 ]

Aerial acid, carbonic acid. [ Obs. ] Ure. --
Aerial perspective. See Perspective. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Football) a pass to a receiver downfield from the passer.
Syn. -- forward pass [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a metallic wire, rod, or combination of rods connected to an electronic device, designed to send or receive radio or television signals.
Syn. -- antenna [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. an athlete who performs acts high above the ground on a trapeze or high wire, requiring skill and agility and coordination.
Syn. -- trapeze artist [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

2. a burglar who gains entrance to buildings from the rooftop, sometimes leaping from building to building in the process. A type of second-story man. [ Slang ] [ PJC ]

. (a) A stretched wire or rope elevated above the ground and forming a way along which a trolley may travel, for conveying a load suspended from the trolley. (b) An elevated cableway. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. A sickness felt by aëronauts due to high speed of flights and rapidity in changing altitudes, combining some symptoms of mountain sickness and some of seasickness. The nauseous symptoms similar to seasickness experienced by passengers in pressurized aircraft is called air sickness. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

n. 1. any orchid of the genus Aerides. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. aire, eire, air, nest, also origin, descent, OF. aire, LL. area, aera, nest of a bird of prey, perh. fr. L. area an open space (for birds of prey like to build their nests on flat and open spaces on the top of high rocks). Cf. Area. ] The nest of a bird of prey, as of an eagle or hawk; also a brood of such birds; eyrie. Shak. Also fig.: A human residence or resting place perched like an eagle's nest. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Aëro- + siderite. ] (Meteor.) A mass of meteoric iron. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

n. pl. The last milk drawn in milking; strokings. [ Obs. ] Grose. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a family comprising the bubble shells.
Syn. -- family Akeridae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Geol.) A period in the American eocene, the lowest in the tertiary age except the lignitic. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Gr. 'alexhth`rios fit to keep off or help, fr. 'alexhth`r one who keeps off, helper; 'ale`xein to keep off: cf. F. alexitère. ] (Med.) Resisting poison; obviating the effects of venom; alexipharmic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'alexhth`rion a remedy, an amulet: cf. F. alexitère, LL. alexiterium. ] (Med.) A preservative against contagious and infectious diseases, and the effects of poison in general. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ ‖ } n. [ Mex. Sp., fr. Sp. alfiler pin. ] Same as Alfilaria. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Of or pertaining to Algeria. -- n. A native of Algeria. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to Algiers or Algeria. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A native or one of the people of Algiers or Algeria. Also, a pirate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) a series of acyclic non-aromatic saturated hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH(2n+2). They include methane, ethane, propane, butane, and the paraffins.
Syn. -- methane series, alkane series, paraffin [ WordNet 1.5 PC ]

‖n. [ F. alérion, LL. alario a sort of eagle; of uncertain origin. ] (Her.) Am eagle without beak or feet, with expanded wings. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; other + &unr_; part. ] (Chem.) Variability in chemical constitution without variation in crystalline form. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to alphanumerics.
Syn. -- alphanumeric, alphameric, alphamerical [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Computers) using or consisting of only alphabetical and numerical characters; -- contrasting with binary or control. alphanumeric characters
Syn. -- alphanumeric, alphanumerical, alphameric, alphamerical [ PJC ]

n. 1. a character set that includes letters and digits and punctuation marks. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. any of various South American plants of the genus Alstroemeria valued for their handsome umbels of beautiful flowers. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 one of many families or subfamilies into which some classification systems subdivide the Liliaceae but not widely accepted; sometimes included in subfamily Amaryllidaceae.
Syn. -- family Alstroemeriaceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. altérité. ] The state or quality of being other; a being otherwise. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

For outness is but the feeling of otherness (alterity) rendered intuitive, or alterity visually represented. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The quality of being ambidextrous; the faculty of using both hands with equal facility. Hence: Versatility; general readiness; as, ambidexterity of argumentation. Sterne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ignorant I was of the human frame, and of its latent powers, as regarded speed, force, and ambidexterity. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Double-dealing. (Law) A juror's taking of money from the both parties for a verdict. [ 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 ]