and thus plants pure in tallness (TT) and dwarfness (tt), as well as crossbreeds (Tt), are formed by the interbreeding of crossbreeds. Frequently, as in this example, owning to what is called the dominance of a factor, the operation of Mendel's law may be complicated by the fact that when a dominant factor (as T) occurs with its allelomorph (as t), called recessive, in the crossbreed Tt, the individual Tt is itself indistinguishable from the pure form TT. Generation F1, containing only the Tt form, consists entirely of dominants (tall plants) and generation F2 consists of three dominants (2 Tt, 1 TT) to one dwarf (tt), which, displaying the feature suppressed in F1, is called recessive. Such qualitative and numerical regularity has been proved to exist in regard to very diverse qualities or characters which compose living things, both wild and domesticated, such as colors of flowers, of hair or eyes, patterns, structure, chemical composition, and power of resisting certain diseases. The diversity of forms produced in crossbreeding by horticulturists and fanciers generally results from a process of analytical variation or recombination of the factors composing the parental types. Purity of type consequently acquires a specific meaning. An individual is pure in respect of a given character when it results from the union of two sexual cells both bearing that character, or both without it.
Mer"cer*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. -ized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. -izing (?).] [From (John) Mercer (1791-1866), an English calico printer who introduced the process + -ize.] To treat (cotton fiber or fabrics) with a solution of caustic alkali. Such treatment causes the fiber to shrink in length and become stronger and more receptive of dyes. If the yarn or cloth is kept under tension during the process, it assumes a silky luster. -- Mer`cer*i*za"tion (#), n.
Mer*cu"ri*al*ism (?), n. [Mercurial + -ism.] (Med.) The morbid condition produced by the excessive use of mercury, or by exposure to its fumes, as in mining or smelting.
||Me"ro (?), n. [Sp.; cf. Pg. mero.] Any of several large groupers of warm seas, esp. the guasa (Epinephelus guaza), the red grouper (E. morio), the black grouper (E. nigritas), distinguished as Me"ro de lo al"to (&?;), and a species called also rock hind, distinguished as Me"ro ca*brol"la (&?;).
Mer`o*zo"ite (?), n. [Gr. &?; part + Sporozoa.] (Zoöl.) A form of spore, usually elongate or falciform, and somewhat amœboid, produced by segmentation of the schizonts of certain Sporozoa, as the malaria parasite.
||Mes`o*my*ce"tes (?), n. pl. [NL.; meso- + mycetes.] (Bot.) One of the three classes into which the fungi are divided in Brefeld's classification. -- ||Mes`o*my*ce"tous (#), a.
||Mes`o*tho"ri*um (?), n. [NL.; meso- + thorium.] (Chem.) A radioactive product intermediate between thorium and radiothorium, with a period of 5.5 years.
Mes*qui"te bean. The pod or seed of the mesquite.
Mess, v. t. To make a mess of; to disorder or muddle; to muss; to jumble; to disturb.
It was n't right either to be messing another man's sleep.
Scribner's Mag.
Mes"sage stick. A stick, carved with lines and dots, used, esp. by Australian aborigines, to convey information.
Mess beef. Barreled salt beef, packed with about 80 pounds chuck and rump, two flanks, and the rest plates.
Me*tab"o*lism (?), n. (Biol.) The series of chemical changes which take place in an organism, by means of which food is manufactured and utilized and waste materials are eliminated.
Me*tal"lo*phone (?), n. [L. metallum metal + Gr. &?; sound.] (Music) (a) An instrument like a pianoforte, but having metal bars instead of strings. (b) An instrument like the xylophone, but having metallic instead of wooden bars.
||Me*ta"te (?), n. [Sp., fr. Mex. metlatl.] A flat or somewhat hollowed stone upon which grain or other food is ground, by means of a smaller stone or pestle. [Southwestern U. S. & Sp. Amer.]
Meth`a*nom"e*ter (?), n. [Methane + -meter.] An instrument, resembling a eudiometer, to detect the presence and amount of methane, as in coal mines.
||Mé`tier" (?), n. [F.] Calling; vocation; business; trade.
Not only is it the business of no one to preach the truth but it is the métier of many to conceal it.
A. R. Colquhoun.
Me"tol (?), n. [G.; trade name, fr. meta- + kresol cresol.] A whitish soluble powder used as a developer in photography. Chemically, it is the sulphate of methyl-p-amino-m-cresol.
Met"ric ton. A weight of 1,000 kilograms, or 2,204.6 pounds avoirdupois.
||Me"um (?), n. [L., neut. of meus mine.] Lit., mine; that which is mine; -- used in the phrase meum et tuum, or meum and tuum; as, to confound meum and tuum, to fail to distinguish one's own property from that of others; to be dishonest.
Ancestors . . . generally esteemed more renowned for ancient family and high courage than for accurately regarding the trifling distinction of meum and tuum.
Sir W. Scott.
||Mez"za ma*jol"i*ca (?). [It. See Mezzo; Majolica.] (Ceramics) Italian pottery of the epoch and general character of majolica, but less brilliantly decorated, esp. such pottery without tin enamel, but painted and glazed.
Mez"za*nine (?), n. 1. A flooring laid over a floor to bring it up to some height or level.
2. Also mezzanine floor. (Theat.) A floor under the stage, from which various contrivances, as traps, are worked.
Mho (?), n. [Anagram of ohm.] (Elec.) A unit of conductivity, being the reciprocal of the ohm.
Mhom"e*ter (?), n. [Mho + - meter.] (Elec.) An instrument for measuring conductivity.
Mi`cro*a*nal"y*sis (?), n. [Micro- + analysis.] Analysis of the structure of materials from careful observation of photomicrographs.
Mi`cro*bar"o*graph (?), n. [Micro- + barograph.] An instrument for recording minor fluctuations of atmospheric pressure, as opposed to general barometric surges.
Mi`cro*bi*ol"o*gy (?), n. [See Microbe; -logy.] The study of minute organisms, or microbes, as the bacteria. -- Mi`cro*bi`o*log"ic*al (#), a. -- Mi`cro*bi*ol"o*gist (#), n.
Mi*crog"ra*phy (?), n. [Micro- + -graphy.] Examination or study by means of the microscope, as of an etched surface of metal to determine its structure.
Mi`cro*par"a*site (?), n. A parasitic microörganism. -- Mi`cro*par`a*sit"ic (#), a.
Mi`cro*phon"ic (?), a. Of or pert. to a microphone; serving to intensify weak sounds.
Mi"cro*seism (?), n. [Micro- + Gr. &?; an earthquake, fr. &?; to shake.] A feeble earth tremor not directly perceptible, but detected only by means of specially constructed apparatus. -- Mi`cro*seis"mic (#), *seis"mic*al (#), a.
Mi`cro*seis"mo*graph (?), n. [Microseiem + -graph.] A microseismometer; specif., a microseismometer producing a graphic record.
Mi`cro*seis*mol"o*gy (?), n. [Microseiem + -logy.] Science or study of microseisms.
Mi`cro*seis*mom"e*ter (?), n. [Microseism + -meter.] A seismometer for measuring amplitudes or periods, or both, of microseisms. -- Mi`cro*seis*mom"e*try (#), n.
{ Mi`cro*tom"ic (?), Mi`cro*tom"ic*al (?) }, a. Of or pert. to the microtome or microtomy; cutting thin slices.
{ Mid"gard (md"gärd), n. Also Mid"garth (-gär), ||Mith"garthr (Icel. m"gärr') }. [Icel. miðgarðr.] (Teut. Myth.) The middle space or region between heaven and hell, the abode of human beings; the earth.
Mid"night` sun. The sun shining at midnight in the arctic or antarctic summer.
Mi*la"dy (?), n. [F., fr. English.] Lit., my lady; hence (as used on the Continent), an English noblewoman or gentlewoman.
||Mi`lieu" (?), n. [F., fr. mi middle (L. medius) + lieu place. See Demi-, Lieu.] Environment.
The intellectual and moral milieu created by multitudes of self-centered, cultivated personalities.
J. A. Symonds.
It is one of the great outstanding facts of his progressive relation to the elements of his social milieu.
J. M. Baldwin.
Milk (?), v. i. 1. To draw or to yield milk.
2. (Elec.) To give off small gas bubbles during the final part of the charging operation; -- said of a storage battery.
Milk sickness. (Veter.) A peculiar malignant disease, occurring in parts of the western United States, and affecting certain kinds of farm stock (esp. cows), and persons using the meat or dairy products of infected cattle. Its chief symptoms in man are uncontrollable vomiting, obstinate constipation, pain, and muscular tremors. Its origin in cattle has been variously ascribed to the presence of certain plants in their food, and to polluted water.
Mill (?), v. i. 1. To undergo hulling, as maize.