Myr"i*ad, a. Consisting of a very great, but indefinite, number; as,
myriad stars.
{ Myr"i*a*gram, Myr"i*a*gramme } (?), n. [F. myriagramme. See Myria-,
and 3d Gram.] A metric weight, consisting of ten thousand grams or ten
kilograms. It is equal to 22.046 lbs. avoirdupois.
{ Myr"i*a*li`ter, Myr"i*a*li`tre } (?), n. [F. myrialitre. See Myria-,
and Liter.] A metric measure of capacity, containing ten thousand
liters. It is equal to 2641.7 wine gallons.
{ Myr"i*a*me`ter, Myr"i*a*me`tre } (?), n. [F. myriamètre. See Myria-,
and Meter.] A metric measure of length, containing ten thousand meters.
It is equal to 6.2137 miles.
Myr"i*a*pod (?), n. [Cf. F. myriapode.] (Zoöl.) One of the Myriapoda.
||Myr`i*ap"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; numberless + -poda.]
||(Zoöl.) A class, or subclass, of arthropods, related to the hexapod
||insects, from which they differ in having the body made up of
||numerous similar segments, nearly all of which bear true jointed
||legs. They have one pair of antennæ, three pairs of mouth organs, and
||numerous tracheæ, similar to those of true insects. The larvæ, when
||first hatched, often have but three pairs of legs. See Centiped,
||Galleyworm, Milliped.
The existing Myriapoda are divided into three orders: Chilopoda,
Chilognatha or Diplopoda, and Pauropoda (see these words in the
Vocabulary). Large fossil species (very different from any living
forms) are found in the Carboniferous formation.
Myr"i*arch (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;; &?; ten thousand + &?; chief.] A
captain or commander of ten thousand men.
Myr"i*are (?), n. [F. See Myria- , and 2d Are.] A measure of surface in
the metric system containing ten thousand ares, or one million square
meters. It is equal to about 247.1 acres.
||My*ri"ca (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?; tamarisk.] (Bot.) A widely
||dispersed genus of shrubs and trees, usually with aromatic foliage.
||It includes the bayberry or wax myrtle, the sweet gale, and the North
||American sweet fern, so called.
Myr"i*cin (?), n. [Cf. F. myricine. Prob. so called from a fancied
resemblance to the wax of the bayberry (Myrica).] (Chem.) A silky,
crystalline, waxy substance, forming the less soluble part of beeswax,
and regarded as a palmitate of a higher alcohol of the paraffin series;
-- called also myricyl alcohol.
Myr"i*cyl (?), n. [Myricin + -yl.] (Chem.) A hypothetical radical
regarded as the essential residue of myricin; -- called also melissyl.
Myr`i*o*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or relating to a myriologue.
Myr`i*ol"o*gist (?), n. One who composes or sings a myriologue.
Myr"i*o*logue (?), n. [F. myriologue, myriologie, NGr. &?;, &?;, fr.
Gr. Moi^ra the goddess of fate or death + lo`gos speech, discourse.] An
extemporaneous funeral song, composed and sung by a woman on the death
of a friend. [Modern Greece]
Myr`i*oph"yl*lous (?), a. [Gr. &?; numberless + fy`llon leaf.] (Bot.)
Having an indefinitely great or countless number of leaves.
||Myr`i*op"o*da (?), n. pl. See Myriapoda.
Myr`i*o*ra"ma (?), n. [Gr. &?; numberless + &?; a sight, fr. &?; to
see.] A picture made up of several smaller pictures, drawn upon
separate pieces in such a manner as to admit of combination in many
different ways, thus producing a great variety of scenes or landscapes.
Myr"i*o*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?; numberless + -scope.] A form of
kaleidoscope.
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My*ris"tate (m*rs"tt), n. (Chem.) A salt of myristic acid.
My*ris"tic (m*rs"tk), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, the
nutmeg (Myristica). Specifically, designating an acid found in nutmeg
oil and otoba fat, and extracted as a white crystalline waxy substance.
My*ris"tin (?), n. (Chem.) The myristate of glycerin, -- found as a
vegetable fat in nutmeg butter, etc.
My*ris"tone (?), n. [Myristic + -one.] (Chem.) The ketone of myristic
acid, obtained as a white crystalline substance.
Myr"mi*cine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to Myrmica, a genus of
ants including the small house ant (M. molesta), and many others.
Myr"mi*don (?), n. [L. Myrmidones, Gr. &?;, pl.] 1. One of a fierce
tribe or troop who accompanied Achilles, their king, to the Trojan war.
2. A soldier or a subordinate civil officer who executes cruel orders
of a superior without protest or pity; -- sometimes applied to
bailiffs, constables, etc. Thackeray.
With unabated ardor the vindictive man of law and his myrmidons
pressed forward.
W. H. Ainsworth.
Myr`mi*do"ni*an (?), a. Consisting of, or like, myrmidons. Pope.
Myr`mo*the"rine (?), a. [Gr. &?; an ant + &?; to hunt.] (Zoöl.) Feeding
upon ants; -- said of certain birds.
{ My*rob"a*lan (?), My*rob"o*lan (?), } n. [L. myrobalanum the fruit of
a palm tree from which a balsam was made, Gr. &?;; &?; any sweet juice
distilling from plants, any prepared unguent or sweet oil + &?; an
acorn or any similar fruit: cf. F. myrobolan.] A dried astringent fruit
much resembling a prune. It contains tannin, and was formerly used in
medicine, but is now chiefly used in tanning and dyeing. Myrobolans are
produced by various species of Terminalia of the East Indies, and of
Spondias of South America.
My*ron"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?; a sweet- smelling unguent.] (Chem.)
Pertaining to, or obtained from, mustard; -- used specifically to
designate a glucoside called myronic acid, found in mustard seed.
My*rop"o*list (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; unguent + &?; to sell.] One who
sells unguents or perfumery. [Obs.] Jonhson.
Myr"o*sin (?), n. (Chem.) A ferment, resembling diastase, found in
mustard seeds.
||My*rox"y*lon (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a sweet juice distilling from
||a plant + &?; wood.] (Bot.) A genus of leguminous trees of tropical
||America, the different species of which yield balsamic products,
||among which are balsam of Peru, and balsam of Tolu. The species were
||formerly referred to Myrospermum.
Myrrh (?), n. [OE. mirre, OF. mirre, F. myrrhe, L. myrrha, murra, Gr.
&?;; cf. Ar. murr bitter, also myrrh, Heb. mar bitter.] A gum resin,
usually of a yellowish brown or amber color, of an aromatic odor, and a
bitter, slightly pungent taste. It is valued for its odor and for its
medicinal properties. It exudes from the bark of a shrub of Abyssinia
and Arabia, the Balsamodendron Myrrha. The myrrh of the Bible is
supposed to have been partly the gum above named, and partly the
exudation of species of Cistus, or rockrose.
False myrrh. See the Note under Bdellium.
Myr"rhic (?), a. Of, pertaining to, or obtained from, myrrh.
Myr"rhine (?), a. Murrhine.
Myr*ta"ceous (?), a. [L. myrtaceus.] (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or
resembling, a large and important natural order of trees and shrubs
(Myrtaceæ), of which the myrtle is the type. It includes the genera
Eucalyptus, Pimenta, Lechythis, and about seventy more.
Myr"ti*form (?), a. [L. myrtus myrtle + -form: cf. F. myrtiforme.]
Resembling myrtle or myrtle berries; having the form of a myrtle leaf.
Myr"tle (mr"t'l), n. [F. myrtil bilberry, prop., a little myrtle, from
myrte myrtle, L. myrtus, murtus, Gr. my`rtos; cf. Per. mrd.] (Bot.) A
species of the genus Myrtus, especially Myrtus communis. The common
myrtle has a shrubby, upright stem, eight or ten feet high. Its
branches form a close, full head, thickly covered with ovate or
lanceolate evergreen leaves. It has solitary axillary white or rosy
flowers, followed by black several-seeded berries. The ancients
considered it sacred to Venus. The flowers, leaves, and berries are
used variously in perfumery and as a condiment, and the beautifully
mottled wood is used in turning.
The name is also popularly but wrongly applied in America to two
creeping plants, the blue-flowered periwinkle and the yellow- flowered
moneywort. In the West Indies several myrtaceous shrubs are called
myrtle.
Bog myrtle, the sweet gale. -- Crape myrtle. See under Crape. -- Myrtle
warbler (Zoöl.), a North American wood warbler (Dendroica coronata); --
called also myrtle bird, yellow-rumped warbler, and yellow- crowned
warbler. -- Myrtle wax. (Bot.) See Bayberry tallow, under Bayberry. --
Sand myrtle, a low, branching evergreen shrub (Leiophyllum buxifolium),
growing in New Jersey and southward. -- Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera).
See Bayberry.
My*self" (?), pron.; pl. Ourselves (&?;). I or me in person; -- used
for emphasis, my own self or person; as I myself will do it; I have
done it myself; -- used also instead of me, as the object of the first
person of a reflexive verb, without emphasis; as, I will defend myself.