Am`i*an"thi*form (&?;), a. [Amianthus + -form.] Resembling amianthus in form.
Am`i*an"thoid (&?;), a. [Amianthus + -oid: cf. F. amiantoïde.] Resembling amianthus.
Am`i*an"thus (&?;), n. [L. amiantus, Gr. &?; &?; (lit., unsoiled stone) a greenish stone, like asbestus; 'a priv. + &?; to stain, to defile; so called from its incombustibility.] (Min.) Earth flax, or mountain flax; a soft silky variety of asbestus.
Am"ic (&?;), a. [L. ammonia + - ic.] (Chem.) Related to, or derived, ammonia; -- used chiefly as a suffix; as, amic acid; phosphamic acid.
Amic acid (Chem.), one of a class of nitrogenized acids somewhat resembling amides.
Am`i*ca*bil"i*ty (&?;), n. The quality of being amicable; friendliness; amicableness. Ash.
Am"i*ca*ble (&?;), a. [L. amicabilis, fr. amicus friend, fr. amare to love. See Amiable.] Friendly; proceeding from, or exhibiting, friendliness; after the manner of friends; peaceable; as, an amicable disposition, or arrangement.
That which was most remarkable in this contest was . . . the amicable manner in which it was managed.
Prideoux.
Amicable action (Law.), an action commenced and prosecuted by amicable consent of the parties, for the purpose of obtaining a decision of the court on some matter of law involved in it. Bouvier. Burrill. -- Amicable numbers (Math.), two numbers, each of which is equal to the sum of all the aliquot parts of the other.
Syn. -- Friendly; peaceable; kind; harmonious. -- Amicable, Friendly. Neither of these words denotes any great warmth of affection, since friendly has by no means the same strength as its noun friendship. It does, however, imply something of real cordiality; while amicable supposes very little more than that the parties referred to are not disposed to quarrel. Hence, we speak of amicable relations between two countries, an amicable adjustment of difficulties. "Those who entertain friendly feelings toward each other can live amicably together."
Am"i*ca*ble*ness (&?;), n. The quality of being amicable; amicability.
Am"i*ca*bly, adv. In an amicable manner.
Am"ice (&?;), n. [OE. amyse, prob. for amyt, OF. amit, ameit, fr. L. amictus cloak, the word being confused with amice, almuce, a hood or cape. See next word.] A square of white linen worn at first on the head, but now about the neck and shoulders, by priests of the Roman Catholic Church while saying Mass.
Am"ice, n. [OE. amuce, amisse, OF. almuce, aumuce, F. aumusse, LL. almucium, almucia, aumucia: of unknown origin; cf. G. mütze cap, prob. of the same origin. Cf. Mozetta.] (Eccl.) A hood, or cape with a hood, made of lined with gray fur, formerly worn by the clergy; -- written also amess, amyss, and almuce.
A*mid" (&?;), prep. See Amidst.
Am"ide (?; 277), n. [Ammonia + - ide.] (Chem.) A compound formed by the union of amidogen with an acid element or radical. It may also be regarded as ammonia in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by an acid atom or radical.
Acid amide, a neutral compound formed by the substitution of the amido group for hydroxyl in an acid.
Am"i*din (&?;), n. [Cf. F. amidine, fr. amido&?; starch, fr. L. amylum, Gr. &?; fine meal, neut. of &?; not ground at the mill, -- hence, of the finest meal; 'a priv. + &?;, &?;, mill. See Meal.] (Chem.) Start modified by heat so as to become a transparent mass, like horn. It is soluble in cold water.
A*mi"do (&?;), a. [From Amide.] (Chem.) Containing, or derived from, amidogen.
Amido acid, an acid in which a portion of the nonacid hydrogen has been replaced by the amido group. The amido acids are both basic and acid. -- Amido group, amidogen, NH2.
A*mid"o*gen (&?;), n. [Amide + - gen.] (Chem.) A compound radical, NH2, not yet obtained in a separate state, which may be regarded as ammonia from the molecule of which one of its hydrogen atoms has been removed; -- called also the amido group, and in composition represented by the form amido.
A*mid"ships (&?;), adv. (Naut.) In the middle of a ship, with regard to her length, and sometimes also her breadth. Totten.
{ A*midst" (&?;), A*mid" (&?;), } prep. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a later addition, as in whilst, amongst, alongst. See Mid.] In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. "This fair tree amidst the garden." "Unseen amid the throng." "Amidst thick clouds." Milton. "Amidst acclamations." "Amidst the splendor and festivity of a court." Macaulay.
But rather famish them amid their plenty.
Shak.
Syn. -- Amidst, Among. These words differ to some extent from each other, as will be seen from their etymology. Amidst denotes in the midst or middle of, and hence surrounded by; as, this work was written amidst many interruptions. Among denotes a mingling or intermixing with distinct or separable objects; as, "He fell among thieves." "Blessed art thou among women." Hence, we say, among the moderns, among the ancients, among the thickest of trees, among these considerations, among the reasons I have to offer. Amid and amidst are commonly used when the idea of separate or distinguishable objects is not prominent. Hence, we say, they kept on amidst the storm, amidst the gloom, he was sinking amidst the waves, he persevered amidst many difficulties; in none of which cases could among be used. In like manner, Milton speaks of Abdiel, --
The seraph Abdiel, faithful found;
Among the faithless faithful only he,
because he was then considered as one of the angels. But when the poet adds, --
From amidst them forth he passed,
we have rather the idea of the angels as a collective body.
Those squalid cabins and uncleared woods amidst which he was born.
Macaulay.
Am"ine (?; 277), n. [Ammonia + - ine.] (Chem.) One of a class of strongly basic substances derived from ammonia by replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms by a basic atom or radical.
Am"i*oid (&?;), a. (Zoöl.) Like or pertaining to the Amioidei. -- n. One of the Amioidei.
||Am`i*oi"de*i (&?;), n. pl. [NL., fr. Amia + -oid.] (Zoöl.) An order of ganoid fishes of which Amia is the type. See Bowfin and Ganoidei.
||A*mir" (&?;), n. Same as Ameer.
A*miss" (&?;), adv. [Pref. a- + miss.] Astray; faultily; improperly; wrongly; ill.
What error drives our eyes and ears amiss?
Shak.
Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss.
James iv. 3.
To take (an act, thing) amiss, to impute a wrong motive to (an act or thing); to take offense at; to take unkindly; as, you must not take these questions amiss.
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A*miss" (*ms"), a. Wrong; faulty; out of order; improper; as, it may not be amiss to ask advice. [Used only in the predicate.] Dryden.
His wisdom and virtue can not always rectify that which is amiss in himself or his circumstances.
Wollaston.