Ger"man*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. germanisme.] 1. An idiom of the German
language.
2. A characteristic of the Germans; a characteristic German mode,
doctrine, etc.; rationalism. J. W. Alexander.
Ger*ma"ni*um (?), n. [NL., fr. L. Germania Germany.] (Chem.) A rare
element, recently discovered (1885), in a silver ore (argyrodite) at
Freiberg. It is a brittle, silver-white metal, chemically intermediate
between the metals and nonmetals, resembles tin, and is in general
identical with the predicted ekasilicon. Symbol Ge. Atomic weight 72.3.
Ger`man*i*za"tion (?), n. The act of Germanizing. M. Arnold.
Ger"man*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Germanized (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Germanizing (?).] To make German, or like what is distinctively German;
as, to Germanize a province, a language, a society.
Ger"man*ize, v. i. To reason or write after the manner of the Germans.
||Ger*ma"ri*um (?), n. [NL. See Germ.] (Zoˆl.) An organ in which the
||ova are developed in certain Turbellaria.
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Ger"men (jr"mn), n.; pl. E. Germens (#), L. Germina (#). [L.] See Germ.
Ger"mi*ci`dal (jr"m*s`dal), a. Germicide.
Ger"mi*cide (jr"m*sd), a. [Germ + L. caedere to kill.] (Biol.)
Destructive to germs; -- applied to any agent which has a destructive
action upon living germs, particularly bacteria, or bacterial germs,
which are considered the cause of many infectious diseases. -- n. A
germicide agent.
Ger"mi*nal (?), a. [See Germ.] Pertaining or belonging to a germ; as,
the germinal vesicle.
Germinal layers (Biol.), the two layers of cells, the ectoblast and
entoblast, which form respectively the outer covering and inner wall of
the gastrula. A third layer of cells, the mesoblast, which is formed
later and lies between these two, is sometimes included. -- Germinal
membrane. (Biol.) Same as Blastoderm. -- Germinal spot (Biol.), the
nucleolus of the ovum. -- Germinal vesicle, (Biol.) , the nucleus of
the ovum of animals.
||Ger`mi*nal" (?), n. [F. See Germ .] The seventh month of the French
||republican calendar [1792 -- 1806]. It began March 21 and ended April
||19. See Vend…miaire.
Ger"mi*nant (?), a. [L. germinans, p. pr.] Sprouting; sending forth
germs or buds.
Ger"mi*nate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Germinated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Germinating.] [L. germinatus, p. p. of germinare to sprout, fr. germen.
See Germ.] To sprout; to bud; to shoot; to begin to vegetate, as a
plant or its seed; to begin to develop, as a germ. Bacon.
Ger"mi*nate, v. t. To cause to sprout. Price (1610).
Ger`mi*na"tion (?), n. [L. germinatio: cf. F. germination.] The process
of germinating; the beginning of vegetation or growth in a seed or
plant; the first development of germs, either animal or vegetable.
Germination apparatus, an apparatus for malting grain.
Ger"mi*na*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. germinatif.] Pertaining to germination;
having power to bud or develop.
Germinative spot, Germinative vesicle. (Biol.) Same as Germinal spot,
Germinal vesicle, under Germinal.
Ger`mi*par"i*ty (?), n. [Germ + L. parere to produce.] (Biol.)
Reproduction by means of germs.
Germ"less, a. Without germs.
Ger"mo*gen (?), n. [Germ + - gen.] (Biol.) (a) A polynuclear mass of
protoplasm, not divided into separate cells, from which certain ova are
developed. Balfour. (b) The primitive cell in certain embryonic forms.
Balfour.
Germ" plasm` (?), (Biol.) See Plasmogen, and Idioplasm.
Germ"ule (?), n. [Dim. fr. germ.] (Biol.) A small germ.
Gern (?), v. t. [See Grin.] To grin or yawn. [Obs.] "[/He] gaped like a
gulf when he did gern." Spenser.
Ger"ner (?), n. A garner. [Obs.] Chaucer.
||Ger`o*co"mi*a (?), n. [NL.] See Gerocomy.
Ger`o*com"ic*al (?), a. Pertaining to gerocomy. Dr. John Smith.
Ge*roc"o*my (?), n. [F. gÈrocomie, fr. Gr. &?; an old man + &?; to take
care of.] That part of medicine which treats of regimen for old people.
||Ge*ron"tes (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, &?;.] (Gr. Antiq.)
||Magistrates in Sparta, who with the ephori and kings, constituted the
||supreme civil authority.
Ger`on*toc"ra*cy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, an old man + &?; to rule.]
Government by old men. [R.] Gladstone.
||Ger`o*pig"i*a (?), n. [Pg. geropiga.] A mixture composed of
||unfermented grape juice, brandy, sugar, etc., for adulteration of
||wines. [Written also jerupigia.]
-ger*ous (?). [L. -ger, fr. gerere to bear, carry. See Jest.] A suffix
signifying bearing, producing; as, calcigerous; dentigerous.
Ger`ry*man"der (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gerrymandered (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Gerrymandering.] To divide (a State) into districts for the choice
of representatives, in an unnatural and unfair way, with a view to give
a political party an advantage over its opponent. [Political Cant, U.
S.]
This was done in Massachusetts at a time when Elbridge Gerry was
governor, and was attributed to his influence, hence the name; though
it is now known that he was opposed to the measure. Bartlett.
Ger"und (?), n. [L. gerundium, fr. gerere to bear, carry, perform. See
Gest a deed, Jest.] (Lat. Gram.)
1. A kind of verbal noun, having only the four oblique cases of the
singular number, and governing cases like a participle.
2. (AS. Gram.) A verbal noun ending in -e, preceded by to and usually
denoting purpose or end; -- called also the dative infinitive; as, "Ic
hÊbbe mete tÙ etanne" (I have meat to eat.) In Modern English the name
has been applied to verbal or participal nouns in -ing denoting a
transitive action; e. g., by throwing a stone.
Ge*run"di*al (?), a. Pertaining to, or resembling, a gerund; as, a
gerundial use.
Ge*run"dive (?), a. [L. gerundivus.] Pertaining to, or partaking of,
the nature of the gerund; gerundial. -- n. (Lat. Gram.) The future
passive participle; as, amandus, i. e., to be loved.
Ge*run"dive*ly, adv. In the manner of a gerund; as, or in place of, a
gerund.
Ger"y (?), a. [See Gerful.] Changeable; fickle. [Obs.] Chaucer.