Unitary theory (Chem.), the modern theory that the molecules of all
complete compounds are units, whose parts are bound together in
definite structure, with mutual and reciprocal influence on each other,
and are not mere aggregations of more or less complex groups; —
distinguished from the dualistic theory.
U*nite" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. United; p. pr. & vb. n. Uniting.] [L.
unitus, p. p. of unire to unite, from unus one. See One.] 1. To put
together so as to make one; to join, as two or more constituents, to
form a whole; to combine; to connect; to join; to cause to adhere; as,
to unite bricks by mortar; to unite iron bars by welding; to unite two
armies.
2. Hence, to join by a legal or moral bond, as families by marriage,
nations by treaty, men by opinions; to join in interest, affection,
fellowship, or the like; to cause to agree; to harmonize; to associate;
to attach.
Under his great vicegerent reign abide, United as one individual soul.
Milton.
The king proposed nothing more than to unite his kingdom in one form of
worship.
Clarendon.
Syn. — To add; join; annex; attach. See Add.
U*nite", v. i. 1. To become one; to be cemented or consolidated; to
combine, as by adhesion or mixture; to coalesce; to grow together.
2. To join in an act; to concur; to act in concert; as, all parties
united in signing the petition.
U*nite", a. [L. unitus, p. p. See Unite, v. t.] United; joint; as,
unite consent. [Obs.] J. Webster.
U*nit"ed, a. Combined; joined; made one.
United Brethren. (Eccl.) See Moravian, n. — United flowers (Bot.),
flowers which have the stamens and pistils in the same flower. — The
United Kingdom, Great Britain and Ireland; — so named since January 1,
1801, when the Legislative Union went into operation. — United Greeks
(Eccl.), those members of the Greek Church who acknowledge the
supremacy of the pope; — called also uniats.
U*nit"ed*ly, adv. In an united manner. Dryden.
U*nit"er (?), n. One who, or that which, unites.
U*nit"er*a*ble (?), a. Not iterable; incapable of being repeated.
[Obs.] "To play away an uniterable life." Sir T. Browne.
U*ni"tion (?), n. [LL. unitio, from L. unire. See Unite,v. t.] The act
of uniting, or the state of being united; junction. [Obs.] Wiseman.
U"ni*tive (?), a. [LL. unitivus: cf. F. unitif.] Having the power of
uniting; causing, or tending to produce, union. Jer. Taylor.
U"ni*tive*ly, adv. In a unitive manner. Cudworth.
U"nit*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Unitized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Unitizing (?).] To reduce to a unit, or one whole; to form into a unit;
to unify.
U"ni*tude (?), n. Unity. [R.] H. Spenser.
U"ni*ty (?), n.; pl. Unities (#). [OE. unite, F. unité, L. unitas, from
unus one. See One, and cf. Unit.] 1. The state of being one; oneness.
Whatever we can consider as one thing suggests to the understanding the
idea of unity.
Locks.
Unity is affirmed of a simple substance or indivisible monad, or of
several particles or parts so intimately and closely united as to
constitute a separate body or thing. See the Synonyms under Union.
2. Concord; harmony; conjunction; agreement; uniformity; as, a unity of
proofs; unity of doctrine.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity!
Ps. cxxxiii. 1.
3. (Math.) Any definite quantity, or aggregate of quantities or
magnitudes taken as one, or for which 1 is made to stand in
calculation; thus, in a table of natural sines, the radius of the
circle is regarded as unity.
The number 1, when it is not applied to any particular thing, is
generally called unity.
4. (Poetry & Rhet.) In dramatic composition, one of the principles by
which a uniform tenor of story and propriety of representation are
preserved; conformity in a composition to these; in oratory, discourse,
etc., the due subordination and reference of every part to the
development of the leading idea or the eastablishment of the main
proposition.
In the Greek drama, the three unities required were those of action, of
time, and of place; that is, that there should be but one main plot;
that the time supposed should not exceed twenty-four hours; and that
the place of the action before the spectators should be one and the
same throughout the piece.
5. (Fine Arts & Mus.) Such a combination of parts as to constitute a
whole, or a kind of symmetry of style and character.
6. (Law) The peculiar characteristics of an estate held by several in
joint tenancy.
The properties of it are derived from its unity, which is fourfold;
unity of interest, unity of title, unity of time, and unity of
possession; in other words, joint tenants have one and the same
interest, accruing by one and the same conveyance, commencing at the
same time, and held by one and the same undivided possession. Unity of
possession is also a joint possession of two rights in the same thing
by several titles, as when a man, having a lease of land, afterward
buys the fee simple, or, having an easement in the land of another,
buys the servient estate.
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At unity, at one. — Unity of type. (Biol.) See under Type.
Syn. — Union; oneness; junction; concord; harmony. See Union.
U*niv"a*lence (?), n. (Chem.) The quality or state of being univalent.
U*niv"a*lent (?), a. [Uni- + L. valens, -entis, p. pr. See Valence.]
(Chem.) Having a valence of one; capable of combining with, or of being
substituted for, one atom of hydrogen; monovalent; — said of certain
atoms and radicals.
U"ni*valve (?), n. [Uni- + valve: cf. F. univalve.] (Zoöl.) A shell
consisting of one valve only; a mollusk whose shell is composed of a
single piece, as the snails and conchs.
Most univalves are spiral and are the shells of gastropods, but many
belong to cephalopods and pteropods. A large number of univalves
belonging to the gastropods are conical, cup-shaped, or shieldlike, as
the limpets.
{ U"ni*valve (?), U"ni*valved (?), } a. [Cf. F. univalve.] (Bot. &
Zoöl.) Having one valve; as, a univalve shell or pericarp.
||U`ni*val"vi*a (&?;), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same as Gastropoda.
||
U`ni*val"vu*lar (?), a. (Bot. & Zoöl.) Same as Univalve, a.
U`ni*ver"sal (?), a. [L. universalis: cf. F. universel, OF. also
universal. See Universe.] 1. Of or pertaining to the universe;
extending to, including, or affecting, the whole number, quantity, or
space; unlimited; general; all-reaching; all-pervading; as, universal
ruin; universal good; universal benevolence or benefice. "Anointed
universal King." Milton.
The universal cause Acts not by partial, but by general laws.
Pope.
This universal frame began.
Dryden.
Universal and its derivatives are used in common discourse for general
and its derivatives. See General.
2. Constituting or considered as a whole; total; entire; whole; as, the
universal world. Shak.
At which the universal host up dent A shout that tore Hell's concave.
Milton.
3. (Mech.) Adapted or adaptable to all or to various uses, shapes,
sizes, etc.; as, a universal milling machine.
4. (Logic) Forming the whole of a genus; relatively unlimited in
extension; affirmed or denied of the whole of a subject; as, a
universal proposition; — opposed to particular; e. g. (universal
affirmative) All men are animals; (universal negative) No men are
omniscient.
Universal chuck (Mach.), a chuck, as for a lathe, having jaws which can
be moved simultaneously so as to grasp objects of various sizes. —
Universal church, the whole church of God in the world; the catholic
church. See the Note under Catholic, a., 1. — Universal coupling.
(Mach.) Same as Universal joint, below. — Universal dial, a dial by
which the hour may be found in any part of the world, or under any
elevation of the pole. — Universal instrument (Astron.), a species of
altitude and azimuth instrument, the peculiarity of which is, that the
object end of the telescope is placed at right angles to the eye end,
with a prism of total reflection at the angle, and the eye end
constitutes a portion of the horizontal axis of the instrument, having
the eyepiece at the pivot and in the center of the altitude circle, so
that the eye has convenient access to both at the same time. —
Universal joint (Mach.), a contrivance used for joining two shafts or
parts of a machine endwise, so that the one may give rotary motion to
the other when forming an angle with it, or may move freely in all
directions with respect to the other, as by means of a cross connecting
the forked ends of the two shafts (Fig. 1). Since this joint can not
act when the angle of the shafts is less than 140°, a double joint of
the same kind is sometimes used for giving rotary motion at angles less
than 140° (Fig. 2). — Universal umbel (Bot.), a primary or general
umbel; the first or largest set of rays in a compound umbel; — opposed
to partial umbel. A universal involucre is not unfrequently placed at
the foot of a universal umbel.
Syn. — General; all; whole; total. See General.
U`ni*ver"sal, n. 1. The whole; the general system of the universe; the
universe. [Obs.]
Plato calleth God the cause and original, the nature and reason, of the
universal.
Sir W. Raleigh.
2. (Logic) (a) A general abstract conception, so called from being
universally applicable to, or predicable of, each individual or species
contained under it. (b) A universal proposition. See Universal, a., 4.
U`ni*ver*sa"li*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Universalism;
Universalist. [R.]
U`ni*ver"sal*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. universalisme.] (Theol.) The doctrine
or belief that all men will be saved, or made happy, in the future
state.