AMNESTY, am'nest-i, _n._ a general pardon of political offenders: an act of
oblivion.--_v.t._ to give amnesty to. [Gr. _a-mnestos_, not remembered.]
AMNION, am'ni-on, _n._ the innermost membrane enveloping the embryo of
reptiles, birds, and mammals. [Gr.--_amnos_, a lamb.]
AMOEBA, a-m[=e]b'a, _n._ a name given to a number of the simplest animals
or Protozoa, which consist of unit masses of living matter. They flow out
in all directions in blunt processes (_pseudopodia_, 'false feet'), and
have thus an endlessly varying form, hence the name:--_pl._
AMOEB'Æ.--_adjs._ AMOEB'IFORM, AMOEB'OID. [Gr. _amoib[=e]_, change.]
AMOEBÆAN, am-e-b[=e]'an, _adj._ answering alternately, responsive, as in
some of Virgil's eclogues. [L.--Gr. _amoibaios_, _amoib[=e]_, change,
alternation.]
AMOMUM, a-m[=o]'mum, _n._ a genus of herbaceous tropical plants (nat. ord.
_Scitamineæ_), allied to the ginger-plant, several species yielding the
cardamoms and grains of paradise of commerce. [Gr. _am[=o]mon_.]
AMONG, a-mung', AMONGST, a-mungst', _prep._ of the number of: amidst. [A.S.
_on-gemang_--_mengan_, to mingle.]
AMONTILLADO, a-mon-til-yä'do, _n._ a dry or little sweet kind of sherry of
a light colour and body. [Sp.]
AMORET, am'or-et, _n._ (_obs._) a sweetheart. [O. Fr. _amorette_--L.
_amor-em_.]