Miter box (Carp. & Print.), an apparatus for guiding a handsaw at the
proper angle in making a miter joint; esp., a wooden or metal trough
with vertical kerfs in its upright sides, for guides. -- Miter dovetail
(Carp.), a kind of dovetail for a miter joint in which there is only
one joint line visible, and that at the angle. -- Miter gauge (Carp.),
a gauge for determining the angle of a miter. -- Miter joint, a joint
formed by pieces matched and united upon a line bisecting the angle of
junction, as by the beveled ends of two pieces of molding or brass
rule, etc. The term is used especially when the pieces form a right
angle. See Miter, 2. -- Miter shell (Zoöl.), any one of numerous
species of marine univalve shells of the genus Mitra. -- Miter square
(Carp.), a bevel with an immovable arm at an angle of 45°, for striking
lines on stuff to be mitered; also, a square with an arm adjustable to
any angle. -- Miter wheels, a pair of bevel gears, of equal diameter,
adapted for working together, usually with their axes at right angles.
{ Mi"ter, Mi"tre }, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mitered (?) or Mitred; p. pr. &
vb. n. Mitering (?) or Mitring.] 1. To place a miter upon; to adorn
with a miter. "Mitered locks." Milton.
2. To match together, as two pieces of molding or brass rule on a line
bisecting the angle of junction; to bevel the ends or edges of, for the
purpose of matching together at an angle.
{ Mi"ter, Mi"tre }, v. i. To meet and match together, as two pieces of
molding, on a line bisecting the angle of junction.
Mi"ter*wort` (?), n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Mitella, -- slender,
perennial herbs with a pod slightly resembling a bishop's miter;
bishop's cap.
False miterwort, a white-flowered perennial herb of the United States
(Tiarella cardifolia).
Mith"ic (?), a. See Mythic.
||Mi"thras (?), n. [L., from Gr. &?;.] The sun god of the Persians.
Mith"ri*date (?), n. (Med.) An antidote against poison, or a
composition in form of an electuary, supposed to serve either as a
remedy or a preservative against poison; an alexipharmic; -- so called
from King Mithridates, its reputed inventor.
[Love is] a drop of the true elixir; no mithridate so effectual
against the infection of vice.
Southey.
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Mith`ri*dat"ic (mth`r*dt"k), a. Of or pertaining to King Mithridates,
or to a mithridate.
Mit"i*ga*ble (?), a. Admitting of mitigation; that may be mitigated.
Mit"i*gant (?), a. [L. mitigans, p. pr. of mitigare. See Mitigate.]
Tending to mitigate; mitigating; lenitive. Johnson.
Mit"i*gate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mitigated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Mitigating.] [L. mitigatus, p. p. of mitigare to soften, mitigate;
mitis mild, soft + the root of agere to do, drive.] 1. To make less
severe, intense, harsh, rigorous, painful, etc.; to soften; to
meliorate; to alleviate; to diminish; to lessen; as, to mitigate heat
or cold; to mitigate grief.
2. To make mild and accessible; to mollify; - - applied to persons.
[Obs.]
This opinion . . . mitigated kings into companions.
Burke.
Syn. -- To alleviate; assuage; allay. See Alleviate.
Mit`i*ga"tion (?), n. [OE. mitigacioun, F. mitigation, fr. L.
mitigatio.] The act of mitigating, or the state of being mitigated;
abatement or diminution of anything painful, harsh, severe, afflictive,
or calamitous; as, the mitigation of pain, grief, rigor, severity,
punishment, or penalty.
Syn. -- Alleviation; abatement; relief.
Mit"i*ga*tive (?), a. [L. mitigativus: cf. F. mitigatif.] Tending to
mitigate; alleviating.
Mit"i*ga`tor (?), n. One who, or that which, mitigates.
Mit"i*ga*to*ry (?), a. Tending to mitigate or alleviate; mitigative.
Mit"ing (?), n. [From Mite.] A little one; -- used as a term of
endearment. [Obs.] Skelton.
Mi"tome (?), n. [Gr. &?; a thread.] (Biol.) The denser part of the
protoplasm of a cell.
||Mi*to"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a thread.] (Biol.) See
||Karyokinesis.
||Mi`traille" (?), n. [F. See Mitrailleur.] Shot or bits of iron used
||sometimes in loading cannon.
||Mi`tra`illeur" (?), n. [F.] (Mil.) One who serves a mitrailleuse.
||Mi`tra`illeuse" (?), n. [F., fr. mitrailler to fire grapeshot, fr.
||mitraille old iron, grapeshot, dim. of OF. mite a mite.] (Mil.) A
||breech-loading machine gun consisting of a number of barrels fitted
||together, so arranged that the barrels can be fired simultaneously,
||or successively, and rapidly.
Mi"tral (?), a. [Cf. F. mitral. See Miter.] Pertaining to a miter;
resembling a miter; as, the mitral valve between the left auricle and
left ventricle of the heart.
Mi"tre (?), n. & v. See Miter.
Mit"ri*form (?), a. [Miter + -form: cf. F. mitriforme.] Having the form
of a miter, or a peaked cap; as, a mitriform calyptra. Gray.
Mitt (?), n. [Abbrev. fr. mitten.] A mitten; also, a covering for the
wrist and hand and not for the fingers.
Mit"ten (?), n. [OE. mitaine, meteyn, F. mitaine, perh. of Celtic
origin; cf. Ir. miotog, Gael. miotag, Ir. & Gael. mutan a muff, a thick
glove. Cf. Mitt.] 1. A covering for the hand, worn to defend it from
cold or injury. It differs from a glove in not having a separate sheath
for each finger. Chaucer.