ALP, alp, _n._ a high mountain:--_pl._ ALPS, specially applied to the lofty
ranges of Switzerland.--_adjs._ ALP'EN; ALPINE (alp'in, or alp'[=i]n),
pertaining to the Alps, or to any lofty mountains: very high.--_ns._
AL'PINIST, ALPES'TRIAN, one devoted to Alpine climbing. [L.; of Celtic
origin; cf. Gael. _alp_, a mountain; allied to L. _albus_, white (with
snow).]
ALPACA, al-pak'a, _n._ the Peruvian sheep, akin to the llama, having long
silken wool: cloth made of its wool. [Sp. _alpaca_ or _al-paco_, from _al_,
Arab. article, and _paco_, most prob. a Peruvian word.]
ALPENHORN, al'pen-horn, _n._ a long powerful horn, wide and curved at the
mouth, used chiefly by Alpine cowherds.--Also ALP'HORN. [Gr. _Alpen_, of
the Alps, _horn_, horn.]
ALPENSTOCK, alp'n-stok, _n._ a long stick or staff used by travellers in
climbing the Alps. [Ger. _Alpen_, of the Alps; _stock_, stick.]
ALPHA, al'fa, _n._ the first letter of the Greek alphabet: the first or
beginning. [Gr. _alpha_--Heb. _aleph_, an ox, the name of the first letter
of the Phoenician and Hebrew alphabet. See A.]
ALPHABET, al'fa-bet, _n._ the letters of a language arranged in the usual
order.--_n._ ALPHABET[=A]'RIAN, one learning his alphabet, a beginner: a
student of alphabets.--_adjs._ ALPHABET'IC, -AL, relating to or in the
order of an alphabet.--_adv._ ALPHABET'ICALLY.--_v.t._ AL'PHABETISE, to
arrange alphabetically:--_pr.p._ al'phabet[=i]sing; _pa.p._
al'phabet[=i]sed. [Gr. _alpha_, _beta_, the first two Greek letters.]
ALPHONSINE, al'fons-[=i]n, _adj._ of Alphonso (X.) the Wise, king of
Castile, pertaining to his planetary tables, completed in 1252.
ALREADY, awl-red'i, _adv._ previously, or before the time
specified.--Sometimes used adjectively = present. [ALL and READY.]
ALS, an old form of ALSO.
ALSATIAN, al-s[=a]'shi-an, _adj._ of or pertaining to Alsatia (Ger.
_Elsass_), a province between France and Germany.--_n._ a rogue or
debauchee, such as haunted Alsatia--a cant name for Whitefriars, a district
in London between the Thames and Fleet Street, which enjoyed privileges of
sanctuary down to 1697, and was consequently infested with lawless
characters. See Scott's _Fortunes of Nigel_.
ALSO, awl'so, _adv._ in like manner: further. [Compounded of _all_ and
_so_; A.S. _al_ and _swá_.]
ALT, alt, _n._ high tone, in voice or instrument.--IN ALT, in the octave
above the treble stave beginning with G; (_fig._) in an exalted and
high-flown mood.
ALTALTISSIMO, alt-al-tis'si-mo, _n._ the very highest summit. [It.
reduplicated comp. of _alto_, high, and _altissimo_, highest.]
ALTAR, awlt'ar, _n._ an elevated place or structure, block or stone, or the
like, on which sacrifices were anciently offered: in Christian churches,
the table on which the officiating priest consecrates the eucharist: the
communion table: (_fig._) a place of worship.--_ns._ ALT'ARAGE, offerings
made upon the altar during the offertory, provided for the maintenance of
the priest; ALT'AR-CLOTH, the covering of the altar, placed over and around
it, of silk, velvet, satin, or cloth, often used as including the frontal
(_antependium_), and the super-frontal; ALT'ARPIECE, a decorative screen,
retable, or reredos, placed behind an altar--a work of art, whether a
sacred painting or sculpture.--_n.pl._ ALT'AR-RAILS, rails separating the
sacrarium from the rest of the chancel.--_ns._ ALT'AR-STONE, the slab
forming the top or chief part of an altar; ALT'AR-TOMB, a monumental
memorial, in form like an altar, often with a canopy. These were often
placed over the vaults or burying-place, and frequently on the north and
south walls of choirs, aisles, and chantry chapels.--_adj._ ALT'ARWISE,
placed like an altar--north and south, at the upper end of the
chancel.--FAMILY ALTAR, the practice or the place of private devotional
worship in the family; HIGH ALTAR, the principal altar in a cathedral or
other church having more than one altar; PORTABLE ALTAR, a small tablet of
marble, jasper, or precious stone, used by special license for Mass when
said away from the parish altar, in oratories or other similar places. It
was termed _super-altare_, because commonly placed upon some other altar,
or some fitting construction of wood or stone. [L. _alt[=a]re_--_altus_,
high.]
ALTAZIMUTH, alt-az'i-muth, _n._ an instrument devised by Sir G. B. Airy for
determining the apparent places of the heavenly bodies on the celestial
sphere. [A contr. for '_altitude_ and _azimuth_ instrument.']
ALTER, awl't[.e]r, _v.t._ to make different: to change: (_U.S._) to
castrate.--_v.i._ to become different: to vary.--_ns._ ALTERABIL'ITY,
AL'TERABLENESS.--_adj._ AL'TERABLE, that may be altered.--_adv._
AL'TERABLY.--_adj._ AL'TERANT, altering: having the power of producing
changes.--_n._ ALTER[=A]'TION, change.--_adj._ AL'TERATIVE, having power to
alter.--_n._ a medicine that makes a change in the vital functions.--_n._
ALTER'ITY (_Coleridge_), the state of being other or different. [L.
_alter_, another--_al_ (root of _alius_, other), and the old comp. suffix
_-ter_ = Eng. _-ther_.]
ALTERCATE, al't[.e]r-k[=a]t, _v.i._ to dispute or wrangle.--_n._
ALTERC[=A]'TION, contention: controversy.--_adj._ ALTERC[=A]'TIVE. [L.
_alterc[=a]ri_, _-catus_, to bandy words from one to the other (_alter_).]
ALTER EGO, al't[.e]r [=e]'go, _n._ second self, counterpart, double. [L.
_alter_, other; _ego_, I.]
ALTERNATE, al't[.e]r-n[=a]t, or al-t[.e]r'n[=a]t, _v.t._ to cause to follow
by turns or one after the other.--_v.i._ to happen by turns: to follow
every other or second time--also AL'TERNISE.--_adjs._ AL'TERN (_Milton_),
alternate, acting by turns; ALTER'NANT (_geol._), in alternate layers;
ALTER'NATE, one after the other: by turns.--_adv._ ALTER'NATELY.--_ns._
ALTER'NATENESS, ALTER'NACY (_rare_); ALTERN[=A]'TION, the act of
alternating: interchange: reading or singing antiphonally.--_adj._
ALTER'NATIVE, offering a choice of two things.--_n._ a choice between two
things.--_adv._ ALTER'NATIVELY. [L. _alter_, other.]
ALTHÆA, al-th[=e]'a, _n._ a genus of plants including the marsh mallow and
the hollyhock. [Gr.]
ALTHOUGH, awl-_th_[=o]', _conj._ admitting all that: notwithstanding that.
[See THOUGH.]
ALTIMETER, al-tim'e-t[.e]r, _n._ an instrument for measuring
heights.--_adj._ ALTIMET'RICAL.--_n._ ALTIM'ETRY. [L. _altus_, high, and
METER.]
ALTISSIMO, al-tis'si-mo, _adj._ (_mus._) in phrase 'in altissimo,' in the
second octave above the treble stave beginning with G. [It. _altissimo_,
superl. of _alto_, high.]
ALTITUDE, alt'i-tude, _n._ height: a point or position at a height above
the sea: high rank or eminence.--_n.pl._ ALT'ITUDES, passion,
excitement.--_adj._ ALTIT[=U]'DINAL.--_n._ ALTITUDIN[=A]'RIAN, one given to
flightiness in doctrine or belief. [L. _altitudo_--_altus_, high.]
ALTO, alt'o, _n._ (_mus._) properly the same as counter-tenor, the male
voice of the highest pitch (now principally _falsetto_), and not the lowest
female voice, which is properly _contralto_, though in printed music the
second part in a quartet is always called _alto_. [It.--L. _altus_, high.]
ALTOGETHER, awl-too-ge_th_'[.e]r, _adv._ all together: wholly: completely:
without exception.
ALTO-RELIEVO, ALTO-RILIEVO, alt'o-re-l[=e]'vo, _n._ high relief: figures
projected by at least half their thickness from the background on which
they are sculptured. [It. _alto_, high. See RELIEF.]
ALTRUISM, al'tr[=oo]-ism, _n._ the principle of living and acting for the
interest of others.--_adj._ ALTRUIST'IC.--_adv._ ALTRUIST'ICALLY. [Fr.
_altruisme_, formed by Comte from It. _altrui_--L. _alter_, another.]
ALUM, al'um, _n._ a mineral salt, the double sulphate of alumina and
potash, used as a mordant in dyeing and for many purposes.--_adj._
AL'UMISH, having the character or taste of alum.--_ns._ AL'UM-SHALE, or
-SLATE, a slate consisting mainly of clay, iron pyrites, and coaly matter,
from which alum is obtained. [L. _alumen_.]
ALUMINA, al-[=u]'min-a, ALUMINE, al'[=u]-min, _n._ one of the earths, the
characteristic ingredient of common clay--the oxide of aluminium.--_adj._
AL[=U]'MINOUS, containing alum or alumina. [L. _alumen_, alum.]
ALUMINIUM, al-[=u]-min'i-um, _n._ the metallic base of alumina; a metal
somewhat resembling silver, and remarkable for its lightness, now made from
Bauxite.--ALUMINIUM BRONZE, an alloy lighter than gold, but like it in
colour. [First called _Aluminum_ by the discoverer, Sir H. Davy
(1778-1829).]
ALUMNUS, al-um'nus, _n._ one educated at a college is called an _alumnus_
of it:--_pl._ ALUM'NI.--_n._ ALUM'NIATE, the period of pupilage.
[L.,--_al[)e]re_, to nourish.]
ALUNITE, al'un-[=i]t, _n._ a mineral consisting of common alum together
with normal hydrate of aluminium.--Also ALUM-STONE, ALUMIN'ILITE.
ALURE, al-l[=u]r', _n._ (_obs._) a place to walk in, a gallery, a covered
passage. [O. Fr. _aleure_, _aller_, to go.]
ALVEARY, al've-ar-i, _n._ a beehive: (_anat._) the hollow of the external
ear.--_adj._ AL'VEOLATE, pitted like a honeycomb. [L. _alvearium_,
beehive--_alveus_, a hollow vessel.]
ALVEOLAR, al've-o-lar, _adj._ (_anat._) of or belonging to the sockets of
the teeth, as the alveolar arch, the part of the upper jaw in which the
teeth are placed--also AL'VEOLARY.--_n._ AL'VEOLE, the hollow or socket of
a tooth--more common ALV[=E]'OLUS.