Apex of the earth's motion (Astron.), that point of the heavens toward which the earth is moving in its orbit.
||A*phær"e*sis (?; 277), n. [L.] Same as Apheresis.
||A*pha"ki*a (&?;), n. [NL.; Gr. 'a priv. + &?; seed of a lentil.] (Med.) An anomalous state of refraction caused by the absence of the crystalline lens, as after operations for cataract. The remedy is the use of powerful convex lenses. Dunglison.
A*pha"ki*al (&?;), a. (Med.) Pertaining to aphakia; as, aphakial eyes.
||Aph`a*nip"te*ra (&?;), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; invisible ('a priv. + &?; to appear) + &?; a wing.] (Zoöl.) A group of wingless insects, of which the flea in the type. See Flea.
Aph`a*nip"ter*ous (&?;), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Aphaniptera.
Aph"a*nite (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; invisible; 'a priv. + &?; to appear.] (Min.) A very compact, dark-colored &?;ock, consisting of hornblende, or pyroxene, and feldspar, but neither of them in perceptible grains.
Aph`a*nit"ic (&?;), a. (Min.) Resembling aphanite; having a very fine-grained structure.
{ ||A*pha"si*a (&?;), Aph"a*sy (&?;), } n. [NL. aphasia, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; not spoken; 'a priv. + &?; to speak: cf. F. aphasie.] (Med.) Loss of the power of speech, or of the appropriate use of words, the vocal organs remaining intact, and the intelligence being preserved. It is dependent on injury or disease of the brain.
A*pha"sic (&?;), a. Pertaining to, or affected by, aphasia; speechless.
A*phel"ion (?; 277), n.; pl. Aphelia (&?;). [Gr. &?; + &?; sun.] (Astron.) That point of a planet's or comet's orbit which is most distant from the sun, the opposite point being the perihelion.
A*phe`li*o*trop"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; + &?; sun + &?; belonging to a turning.] Turning away from the sun; -- said of leaves, etc. Darwin.
A*phe`li*ot"ro*pism (&?;), n. The habit of bending from the sunlight; -- said of certain plants.
||A*phe"mi*a (&?;), n. [NL., fr. Gr. 'a priv. + &?; voice.] (Med.) Loss of the power of speaking, while retaining the power of writing; -- a disorder of cerebral origin.
A*pher"e*sis (?; 277), n. [L. aphaeresis, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to take away; &?; + &?; to take.] 1. (Gram.) The dropping of a letter or syllable from the beginning of a word; e. g., cute for acute.
2. (Surg.) An operation by which any part is separated from the rest. [Obs.] Dunglison.
||Aph"e*sis (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; a letting go; &?; + &?; to let go.] The loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word; -- the result of a phonetic process; as, squire for esquire. New Eng. Dict.
A*phet"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; letting go, fr. &?; to let go.] Shortened by dropping a letter or a syllable from the beginning of a word; as, an aphetic word or form. -- A*phet"ic*al*ly, adv. New Eng. Dict.
Aph"e*tism (&?;), n. An aphetized form of a word. New Eng. Dict.
Aph"e*tize (&?;), v. t. To shorten by aphesis.
These words . . . have been aphetized.
New Eng. Dict.
A"phid (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) One of the genus Aphis; an aphidian.
Aph"i*des (&?;), n. pl. (Zoöl.) See Aphis.
A*phid"i*an (&?;), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the family Aphidæ. -- n. One of the aphides; an aphid.
Aph`i*div"o*rous (&?;). [Aphis + L. vorare to devour.] (Zoöl.) Devouring aphides; aphidophagous.
Aph`i*doph"a*gous (&?;), a. [Aphis + Gr. &?; to eat.] (Zoöl.) Feeding upon aphides, or plant lice, as do beetles of the family Coccinellidæ.
Aph`i*lan"thro*py (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; not loving man; 'a priv. + &?; to love + &?; man.] Want of love to mankind; -- the opposite of philanthropy. Coxe.
||A"phis (&?;), n.; pl. Aphides (&?;). [NL.] (Zoöl.) A genus of insects belonging to the order Hemiptera and family Aphidæ, including numerous species known as plant lice and green flies.
Besides the true males and females, there is a race of wingless asexual individuals which have the power of producing living young in rapid succession, and these in turn may produce others of the same kind for several generations, before sexual individuals appear. They suck the sap of plants by means of a tubular proboscis, and owing to the wonderful rapidity of their reproduction become very destructive to vegetation. Many of the Aphidæ excrete honeydew from two tubes near the end of the body.
A"phis li"on (&?;). (Zoöl.) The larva of the lacewinged flies (Chrysopa), which feeds voraciously upon aphids. The name is also applied to the larvæ of the ladybugs (Coccinella).
Aph`lo*gis"tic (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; not inflammable; 'a priv. + &?; set on fire. See Phlogiston.] Flameless; as, an aphlogistic lamp, in which a coil of wire is kept in a state of continued ignition by alcohol, without flame.
{ ||A*pho"ni*a (&?;), Aph"o*ny (&?;), } n. [NL. aphonia, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; voiceless; 'a priv. + &?; voice: cf. F. aphonie.] (Med.) Loss of voice or vocal utterance.
{ A*phon"ic (&?;), Aph"o*nous (&?;), } a. Without voice; voiceless; nonvocal.
Aph"o*rism (&?;), n. [F. aphorisme, fr. Gr. &?; definition, a short, pithy sentence, fr. &?; to mark off by boundaries, to define; &?; from + &?; to separate, part. See Horizon.] A comprehensive maxim or principle expressed in a few words; a sharply defined sentence relating to abstract truth rather than to practical matters.
The first aphorism of Hippocrates is, "Life is short, and the art is long."
Fleming.
Syn. -- Axiom; maxim; adage; proverb; apothegm; saying; saw; truism; dictum. See Axiom.
{ Aph`o*ris*mat"ic (&?;), Aph`o*ris"mic (&?;), } a. Pertaining to aphorisms, or having the form of an aphorism.
Aph`o*ris"mer (&?;) n. A dealer in aphorisms. [Used in derogation or contempt.] Milton.
Aph"o*rist, n. A writer or utterer of aphorisms.
{ Aph`o*ris"tic (&?;), Aph`o*ris"tic*al (&?;), } a. [Gr. &?;.] In the form of, or of the nature of, an aphorism; in the form of short, unconnected sentences; as, an aphoristic style.
The method of the book is aphoristic.
De Quincey.
Aph`o*ris"tic*al*ly, adv. In the form or manner of aphorisms; pithily.
Aph"o*rize (&?;), v. i. To make aphorisms.
Aph"rite (&?;), n. (Min.) See under Calcite.
{ Aph`ro*dis"i*ac (&?;), Aph`ro*di*si"a*cal (&?;), } a. [Gr. &?; pertaining to sensual love, fr. &?;. See Aphrodite.] Exciting venereal desire; provocative to venery.
Aph`ro*dis"i*ac, n. That which (as a drug, or some kinds of food) excites to venery.
Aph`ro*dis"i*an (&?;), a. [Gr. &?;.] Pertaining to Aphrodite or Venus. "Aphrodisian dames" [that is, courtesans]. C. Reade.
||Aph`ro*di"te (&?;), n. [Gr. &?;.] 1. (Classic Myth.) The Greek goddess of love, corresponding to the Venus of the Romans.
2. (Zoöl.) A large marine annelid, covered with long, lustrous, golden, hairlike setæ; the sea mouse.