AMOROSO, am-or-ro'so, _adj._ (_mus._) tender: descriptive of love.--_n._
one in love, a gallant:--_pl._ AMOR[=O]'SI.--_n._ AMOR[=O]'SITY (_rare_),
fondness.
AMOROUS, am'or-us, _adj._ easily inspired with love: fondly in love (with
_of_): relating to love.--_n._ AM'ORIST, a lover: a gallant.--_adv._
AM'OROUSLY.--_n._ AM'OROUSNESS. [O. Fr. _amorous_ (Fr. _amoureux_)--L.
_amoros-um_, _amor_, love.]
AMORPHA, a-mor'fa, _n._ a genus of North American shrubs of the bean
family, the false indigoes or lead-plants--also _bastard_ or _wild indigo_.
AMORPHISM, a-mor'fizm, _n._ a state of being amorphous or without
crystallisation even in the minutest particles.--_adj._ AMOR'PHOUS, without
regular shape, shapeless, uncrystallised. [Gr. _a_, neg., _morph[=e]_,
form.]
AMORT, a-mort', _adj._ (_obs._ or _arch._ merely) spiritless,
dejected.--_n._ AMORTIS[=A]'TION.--_v.t._ AMORT'[=I]SE, to alienate in
mortmain: to convey to a corporation:--_pr.p._ amort'[=i]sing; _pa.p._
amort'[=i]sed. [Fr. _à_, to, _mort_, death. See MORTAL.]
AMOUNT, a-mownt', _v.i._ to mount or rise to: to result in: to come in
meaning or substance to (with _to_).--_n._ the whole sum: the effect or
result. [O. Fr. _amonter_, to ascend--L. _ad_, to, _mont_, _mons_, a
mountain.]
AMOUR, am-[=oo]r', _n._ a love intrigue, or illicit affection: a love
affair (humorously only, for the old innocent sense is now obsolete).--_n._
AMOURETTE', a petty love affair: the love-grass, or quaking-grass: a
cupid.--AMOUR PROPRE, self-esteem ready to take offence at slights.
[Fr.--L. _amor_, love.]
AMOVE, a-m[=oo]v', _v.t._ (_Spens._) to stir up: to affect:--_pr.p._
amov'ing; _pa.p._ amoved'. [L. _admov[=e]re_--_ad_, to, and _mov-[=e]re_,
to move.]
AMOVE, a-m[=oo]v', _v.t._ to remove, esp. from a place (obsolete except in
law). [O. Fr. _amover_--L. _amov[=e]re_, _ab_, from, _mov-[=e]re_, to
move.]
AMPÈRE, am-pehr', _n._ in electricity, unit of current. [From _Ampère_, a
French electrician who died in 1836.]
AMPERSAND, am'p[.e]rs-and, _n._ a name formerly in use for the character
_&_ (also called _short and_), commonly placed at the end of the alphabet
in primers.--Also AM'PERZAND, AM'PUSSY-AND, and simply AM'PASSY. [A corr.
of _and per se and_--that is, _&_ standing by itself means _and_.]
AMPHIBALUS, am-fib'a-lus, _n._ an ecclesiastical vestment like the
chasuble. [L.--Gr., from _amphi_, around, _ball-ein_, to cast.]
AMPHIBIA, am-fib'i-a, AMPHIBIALS, AMPHIBIANS, _n.pl._ animals capable of
living both under water and on land.--_n._ AMPHIB'IAN.--_adj._ AMPHIB'IOUS.
[L.--Gr., from _amphi_, both, _bios_, life.]
AMPHIBOLE, am-fib'ol-[=e], _n._ the name of a group of minerals which are
essentially silicates of lime and magnesia, but these bases are often
partly replaced by alumina, and oxides of iron and manganese--tremolite,
nephrite (jade), and hornblende. [Gr.]
AMPHIBOLOGY, am-fib-ol'o-ji, _n._ the use of ambiguous phrases or such as
can be construed in two senses. A good example is Shakespeare's 'The duke
yet lives that Henry shall depose' (2 _Henry VI._, I. iv. 33)--also
AMPHIB'OLY.--_adjs._ AMPHIB'OLOUS, AMPHIBOL'IC. [Gr., from _amphi_, on both
sides, _ball-ein_, to throw.]
AMPHIBRACH, am'fi-brak, _n._ in prosody, a foot of three syllables--a
short, a long, and a short, as _[)a]m[=a]r[)e]_. The name is sometimes
applied in English to such a word as _amusement_, where an accented
syllable falls between two unaccented. [L.--Gr., made up of Gr. _amphi_, on
each side, _brachys_, short.]
AMPHICTYONIC, am-fik-ti-on'ik, _adj._ The Amphictyonic Council was an old
Greek assembly composed of deputies (Amphictyons) from twelve of the
leading states.--_n._ AMPHIC'TYONY, an association of such states. [Gr.
_amphiktyones_, 'those dwelling around.']
AMPHIMACER, am-fim'a-s[.e]r, _n._ in prosody, a foot of three syllables,
the middle one short, and the first and last long, as _c[=a]r[)i]t[=a]s_.
Sometimes applied to such Eng. words as _runaway_. [Gr., 'long at both
ends;' _amphi_, on both sides, _makros_, long.]
AMPHIOXUS, am-f[=i]-oks'us, _n._ the lancelet, one of the lowest backboned
animals, found on the sandy coasts of warm and temperate seas. The body is
about two inches long and pointed at both ends. [Gr. _amphi_, on both
sides, and _oxys_, sharp.]
AMPHIPODS, am'fi-pods, _n._ an order of small sessile-eyed crustaceans--a
familiar example is the sand-hopper. [Gr. _amphi_, both ways, _pous_,
_podos_, a foot.]
AMPHISBÆNA, am-fis-b[=e]'na, _n._ a family of lizard-snakes, chiefly found
in tropical America, which have their tails so rounded as to give them the
appearance of having a head at both ends.--_adj._ AMPHISB[=E]'NIC. [Gr.
_amphisbaina_--_amphi_, _amphis_, both ways, and _bain-ein_, to go.]
AMPHISCIANS, am-fish'i-anz, _n.pl._ the inhabitants of the torrid zone,
whose shadows are thrown both ways--that is, to the north one part of the
year, and to the south the other part, according as the sun is north or
south of the equator. [Gr. _amphiskios_--_amphi_, both ways, _skia_, a
shadow.]
AMPHISTOMOUS, am-fis't[=o]-mus, _adj._ having a mouth-like orifice at
either end, as some parasitic worms. [Gr., _amphistomos_, double mouthed.]
AMPHITHEATRE, am-fi-th[=e]'a-t[.e]r, _n._ an oval or circular edifice
having rows of seats one above another, around an open space, called the
arena, in which public spectacles are exhibited: anything like an
amphitheatre in form.--_adjs._ AMPHITHEAT'RICAL, AMPHITHEAT'RAL.--_adv._
AMPHITHEAT'RICALLY. [Gr. _amphi_, round about, _theatron_, a place for
seeing--_theaomai_, to see.]
AMPHITRYON, am-fit'ri-on, _n._ a host or entertainer. [From _Amphitryon_ in
Molière's comedy, who gives a great dinner. Amphitryon in Gr. mythology was
husband of Alcmene, who was deceived by Zeus in her husband's semblance,
and so became the mother of Hercules.]
[Illustration]
AMPHORA, am'f[=o]-ra, _n._ a two-handled vessel or jar used by the Greeks
and Romans for holding liquids.--_adj._ AM'PHORIC (_med._), like the sound
produced by speaking into an amphora or any large vessel with a small
mouth. [Gr. _amphoreus_, _amphiphoreus_--_amphi_, on both sides,
_pher-ein_, to bear.]
AMPLE, am'pl, _adj._ spacious: large enough: abundant: liberal: copious, or
of great length.--_ns._ AM'PLENESS; AMPLI[=A]'TION, enlarging, an
enlargement.--_adj._ AMPLI[=A]'TIVE (_rare_).--_adv._ AM'PLY. [Fr.--L.
_amplus_, large.]
AMPLEXICAUL, am-pleks'i-kawl, _adj._ (_bot._) nearly surrounding the
stem--said of sessile leaves. [Modern L. _amplexicaulis_--L. _amplexus_,
embrace, and _caulis_, stem.]
AMPLIFY, am'pli-f[=i], _v.t._ to make more copious in expression: to add
to.--_n._ AMPLIFIC[=A]'TION, enlargement.--_adj._ AMPLIFIC[=A]'TORY.--_n._
AM'PLIFIER, one who amplifies: a lens which enlarges the field of vision.
[L. _amplus_, large, and _fac-[)e]re_, to make.]
AMPLITUDE, am'pli-t[=u]d, _n._ largeness: abundance: width: splendour: wide
range of mind: the distance from the east point of a horizon at which a
heavenly body rises, or from the west point at which it sets. [Fr.--L.
_amplitudo_.]
AMPUL, am'pul, _n._ a small earthenware or glass vessel of an oblong
globular form, used for containing consecrated oil or wine and water for
the eucharistic service--now more commonly AMPUL'LA. [O. Fr. _ampole_--L.
_ampulla_.]
[Illustration]
AMPULLA, am-pul'la, _n._ a small two-handled flask or bottle for holding
liquids or unguents: a vessel for holding consecrated oil or chrism, esp.
at the coronation of kings: a kind of cruet of transparent glass for
holding the wine and water used at the altar: (_biol._) the dilated end of
any canal or duct in an animal body, also the spongiole of a root in
plants.--_adjs._ AMPULL[=A]'CEOUS, AM'PULLAR, AM'PULLARY, AM'PULLATE.--_n._
AMPULLOS'ITY, turgidity of language, bombast. [L.; made up of _amb_, on
both sides, and _olla_, a jar; or an irregular dim. of _amphora_, a
flagon.]
AMPUTATE, am'p[=u]t-[=a]t, _v.t._ to cut off, as a limb of an animal.--_n._
AMPUT[=A]'TION. [L. _amb_, round about, _put[=a]re_, to cut.]