MEPHISTOPHELES, mef-is-tof'e-l[=e]z, _n._ the name of the devil in
Marlowe's _Doctor Faustus_ and Goethe's _Faust_.--_adj._
MEPHISTOPH[=E]'LEAN, cynical, scoffing, malicious. [Ety. unknown; prob.
formed from Gr. _m[=e]_, not, _ph[=o]s_ (_phot-_), light, _philos_,
loving.]
MEPHITIS, me-f[=i]'tis, _n._ a poisonous exhalation from the ground or from
decaying substances--also MEPH[=I]'TISM.--_adjs._ MEPHIT'IC, -AL. [L.
_mephitis_.]
MERCANTILE, m[.e]r'kan-t[=i]l, _adj._ pertaining to merchants: having to do
with trade: commercial.--_ns._ MER'CANTILISM; MER'CANTILIST.--MERCANTILE
AGENCY, a means of getting information about the circumstances of merchants
all over the country, for the use of those who sell to them; MERCANTILE
LAW, the points of law referring to the dealings of merchants with each
other; MERCANTILE MARINE, the ships and their crews which in any country
are employed in commerce; MERCANTILE SYSTEM (_polit. econ._), the system of
encouraging exportation and restricting importation, so that more may be
received than is paid away. [Fr.,--Low L.--L. _mercans_, _-antis_, pr.p. of
_merc[=a]ri_, to trade--_merx_, _mercis_, merchandise--_mer[=e]re_, to
gain.]
MERCATOR'S PROJECTION. See under PROJECT.
MERCENARY, m[.e]r'se-nar-i, _adj._ hired for money: actuated by the hope of
reward: greedy of gain: sold or done for money.--_n._ one who is hired: a
soldier hired into foreign service.--_adv._ MER'CENARILY. [Fr.,--L.,
_mercenarius_--_merces_, hire.]
MERCER, m[.e]r's[.e]r, _n._ a merchant in silks and woollen cloths, or in
small wares.--_n._ MER'CERY, the trade of a mercer: the goods of a mercer.
[Fr. _mercier_.]
MERCHANT, m[.e]r'chant, _n._ one who carries on trade, esp. on a large
scale: one who buys and sells goods: a trader: (_obs._) a supercargo: a
merchant-vessel.--_adj._ pertaining to trade or merchandise.--_v.i._
MERCH'AND (_Bacon_), to trade or traffic.--_n._ MER'CHAND[=I]SE, goods
bought and sold for gain: (_B._ and _Shak._) trade: dealing.--_adjs._
MER'CHANTABLE, suitable for sale: inferior to the very best, but suitable
for ordinary purposes; MER'CHANT-LIKE (_Shak._), like a merchant.--_ns._
MER'CHANTMAN, a trading-ship: (_B._) a merchant:--_pl._ MER'CHANTMEN;
MER'CHANTRY, the business of a merchant; merchants collectively.--MERCHANT
PRINCE, one who has made a great fortune as a merchant; MERCHANT SERVICE,
the ships, &c., engaged in commerce: the commerce which is carried on by
sea; MERCHANT SHIP or VESSEL, a ship used for carrying goods; MERCHANT
TAILOR, a tailor who supplies the cloth for the clothes which he makes.
[Fr. _marchand_.]
MERCURY, m[.e]r'k[=u]-ri, _n._ the god of merchandise and eloquence, and
the messenger of the gods: the planet nearest the sun: a white, liquid
metal, also called _quicksilver_: the column of mercury in a thermometer or
barometer: a messenger: a newspaper.--_adj._ MERC[=U]'RIAL, having the
qualities said to belong to the god Mercury: active: sprightly: often
changing: of or pertaining to trade: containing, or consisting of,
mercury--also MERC[=U]'RIC.--_v.t._ MERC[=U]'RIALISE (_med._), to affect
with mercury: to expose to the vapour of mercury.--_n._
MERC[=U]'RIALIST.--_adv._ MERC[=U]'RIALLY.--_n._
MERCURIFIC[=A]'TION.--_v.t._ MERC[=U]'RIFY.--_adj._ MER'C[=U]ROUS.
[Fr.,--L. _Mercurius_--_merx_, _mercis_, merchandise.]
MERCY, m[.e]r'si, _n._ tenderness and forbearance shown in sparing an
offender in one's power: a forgiving disposition: clemency: an act of
mercy: an undeserved blessing: compassion or benevolence.--_adjs._
MER'CIABLE (_Spens._), merciful; MER'CIFUL, full of, or exercising,
mercy.--_adv._ MER'CIFULLY.--_n._ MER'CIFULNESS.--_v.t._ MER'CIFY
(_Spens._), to deal mercifully with, to pity.--_adj._ MER'CILESS, without
mercy: unfeeling: cruel.--_adv._ MER'CILESSLY.--_ns._ MER'CILESSNESS, want
of mercy; MER'CY-SEAT, the seat or place of mercy; the covering of the
Jewish Ark of the Covenant: the throne of God.--AT THE MERCY OF (another),
wholly in the power of; FOR MERCY! or FOR MERCY'S SAKE! an exclamatory
appeal to pity; GREAT MERCY=_Gramercy_; SISTERS OF MERCY, members of female
religious communities who tend the sick, &c. [Fr. _merci_, grace--L.
_merces_, _mercedis_, pay, in later L. also 'favour.']
MERE, m[=e]r, _n._ a pool or lake.--Also MEER. [A.S. _mere_; Ger. and Dut.
_meer_, L. _mare_, the sea.]
MERE, m[=e]r, _adj._ unmixed: pure: only this and nothing else: alone:
absolute.--_adj._ MERED (_Shak._), only, entire.--_adv._ MERE'LY, purely,
simply: only: thus and no other way: solely. [L. _merus_, unmixed (of
wine).]
MERE, m[=e]r, _n._ a boundary.--_v.t._ to limit or bound.--_ns._
MERE'STEAD, the land within the boundaries of a farm: MERE'STONE, a stone
which marks a boundary. [A.S. _ge-m['æ]re_.]
MERETRICIOUS, mer-e-trish'us, _adj._ of or pertaining to harlots: alluring
by false show: gaudy and deceitful: false.--_adv._ MERETRIC'IOUSLY.--_ns._
MERETRIC'IOUSNESS; MER'ETRIX, a harlot. [L. _meretricius_--_meretrix_, a
harlot, _mer[=e]re_, to earn.]
MERGANSER, m[.e]r-gan's[.e]r, _n._ a diving bird, sea-duck. [L. _mergus_, a
diving bird, _anser_, a goose.]
MERGE, m[.e]rj, _v.t._ to dip or plunge in: to sink: to cause to be
swallowed up.--_v.i._ to be swallowed up, or lost.--_n._ MER'GER (_law_), a
sinking of an estate or a security in one of larger extent or of higher
value. [L. _merg[)e]re_, _mersum_.]
MERICARP, mer'i-karp, _n._ one carpel or part of the fruit of an
umbelliferous plant. [Gr. _meros_, a part, _karpos_, fruit.]
MERIDIAN, me-rid'i-an, _adj._ pertaining to midday: being on the meridian
or at midday: raised to the highest point.--_n._ midday: a midday dram: the
highest point, as of success: an imaginary circle on the earth's surface
passing through the poles and any given place: (_astron._) an imaginary
circle, passing through the poles of the heavens, and the zenith of the
spectator, which the sun crosses at midday.--_adj._ MERID'IONAL, pertaining
to the meridian: southern: having a southern aspect.--_n._
MERIDIONAL'ITY.--_adv._ MERID'IONALLY.--MERIDIAN SPLENDOUR, fullest point
of brightness; MERIDIAN SUN, the sun at its full height, as at
midday.--FIRST MERIDIAN, the meridian passing through Greenwich, from which
longitudes are measured east or west; MAGNETIC MERIDIAN (see MAGNETIC).
[Fr.,--L. _meridianus_, from _meridies_ (orig. _medidies_),
midday--_medius_, middle, _dies_, day.]
MERINGUE, me-rang', _n._ a mixture of sugar and white of eggs slightly
browned for garnishing other confections: a pudding or tart covered with
this.--MERINGUE GLACÉ, ice-cream with a casing of meringue. [Fr., prob.
from _Mehringen_.]
MERINO, me-r[=e]'_no_, _n._ a variety of sheep having very fine wool,
originally from Spain: a fine French all-wool dress fabric for women,
originally of merino wool.--_adj._ belonging to the merino sheep or their
wool. [Sp.,--_merino_, inspector of sheep-walks--Low L. _majorinus_, a
head-man--L. _major_, greater.]
MERISTEM, mer'is-tem, _n._ the formative tissue of plants, distinguished
from the permanent tissues by the power its cells have of dividing and
forming new cells.--_adj._ MERISTEMAT'IC. [Gr. _meristos_, verbal adj. of
_merizein_, to divide--_meros_, a part.]
MERIT, mer'it, _n._ excellence that deserves honour or reward: worth:
value: that which one has earned.--_v.t._ to earn: to have a right to claim
as a reward: to deserve: (_pl._, _in law_) the right or wrong of a case,
apart from questions of procedure.--_adj._ MERIT[=O]'RIOUS, possessing
merit or desert: deserving of reward, honour, or praise.--_adv._
MERIT[=O]'RIOUSLY.--_n._ MERIT[=O]'RIOUSNESS.--ORDER FOR MERIT, a Prussian
order, the military class founded by Frederick the Great in 1740--the civil
class, by Frederick William IV. in 1842 for eminence in science and art;
ORDER OF MERIT, place in a class or list in which the best is placed first,
the next best second, and so on. [Fr.,--L. _meritum_--_mer[=e]re_,
_-[)i]tum_, to obtain as a lot, to deserve.]
MERK, m[.e]rk, _n._ an old Scotch silver coin, worth 13s. 4d. Scots, or
13-1/3d. sterling. [_Mark_.]