ARECA, ar'[=e]-ka, _n._ a genus of palm, one species of which, the
Betel-nut Palm, or Penang Palm (_Areca catechu_), bears nuts with austere
and astringent properties, which are chewed by the Malays with a little
lime in a leaf of the betel-pepper, making the lips and spittle red.
AREFACTION, ar-e-fak'shun, _n._ (_obs._) the action of drying.--_v.t._ and
_v.i._ AR'EFY, to dry up, wither. [L. _arefac[)e]re_, to make
dry--_ar[=e]re_, to be dry, and _fac[)e]re_, to make.]
ARENA, a-r[=e]'na, _n._ part of the ancient amphitheatre strewed with sand
for the combats of gladiators and wild beasts: any place of public contest:
a battlefield: place of action of any kind.--_adj._ AREN[=A]'CEOUS, sandy:
dry: (_geol._) applied to rocks composed entirely or largely of grains of
quartz.--_ns._ AREN[=A]'RIA, the sandwort, a genus of low herbs allied to
the chickweeds; AREN[=A]'TION, the application of hot sand to the body as a
remedy. [L. _ar[=e]na_, sand.]
AREOGRAPHY, [=a]-re-[=o]'gra-fi, _n._ description of the physical features
of the planet Mars. [Gr. _Ar[=e]s_, Mars, and _graphein_, to write.]
AREOLA, a-r[=e]'o-la, _n._ a small area: (_bot._) any slightly sunk spot,
on the surface: (_physiol._) the interstice in the tissue of an organised
substance: any circular spot such as that around the human nipple:--_pl._
AR[=E]'OLÆ.--_adj._ AR[=E]'OLATE, divided into small areas.--_n._
AREOL[=A]'TION, division into areolæ. [L. _areola_, a dim. of AREA.]
AREOMETER, ARÆOMETER, [=a]-re-om'e-t[.e]r, _n._ an instrument for
determining specific gravity, called also _Hydrometer_.--_n._ AREOM'ETRY,
the measuring the specific gravity of bodies. [Gr. _araios_, thin, and
METER.]
AREOPAGUS, ar-e-op'ag-us, _n._ Mars' Hill, on which the supreme court of
ancient Athens was held: the court itself: also used of any important
tribunal.--_n._ AREOP'AGITE, a member of the Areopagus.--_adj._
AREOPAGIT'IC, pertaining to the Areopagus.--_n._ a speech on the model of
Isocrates's oration of that name addressed to the Areopagus. [Gr. _Areios
pagos_, hill of Ares, or Mars.]
ARET, ARETTE, a-ret', _v.t._ (_Spens._) to entrust, commit a charge to. [O.
Fr. _arete-r_, _à_-, to, _reter_--L. _reput[=a]re_, to reckon.]
ARÊTE, ar-[=a]t', _n._ a sharp ridge: esp. in French Switzerland, a rocky
edge on a mountain. [Fr.--L. _arista_, an ear of corn, fish-bone, spine.]
AREW, a-r[=oo]', _adv._ (_Spens._) arow, in a row.
ARGAL, ar'gal, _adv._ (_Shak._) corruption of L. _ergo_, therefore: hence
as a noun = a clumsy piece of reasoning.
ARGALI, är'ga-li, _n._ the great wild sheep of Siberia and Central Asia.
[Mongol.]
ARGAND, ar'gand, _n._ applied to a lamp and gas-burner invented by Aimé
_Argand_ (1755-1803).
ARGENT, ärj'ent, _adj._ and _n._ silver, or like silver, silvery-white:
(_her._) the silver or white colour in armorial bearings: (_poet._) esp. in
compounds like _argent_-clear, _argent_-lidded.--_adjs._ ARGENT'AL;
ARGENTIF'EROUS, bearing or containing silver; AR'GENTINE, relating to or
like silver: sounding like silver.--_n._ (_nat. hist._) white metal coated
with silver: a genus of small bony fishes with silvery sides, fished for
the nacre which they contain. [Fr.--L. _argentum_, silver.]
ARGIL, är'jil, _n._ potter's clay: pure clay or alumina.--_adjs._
ARGILL[=A]'CEOUS, of the nature of clay; ARGILLIF'EROUS, bearing or
abounding in clay. [L. _argilla_, Gr. _argilos_, white clay--_arg[=e]s_,
white.]
ARGIVE, ar'j[=i]v, _adj._ belonging to _Argos_: Greek.
ARGOL, är'gol, _n._ a hard crust formed on the sides of wine-vessels, from
which cream of tartar and tartaric acid are obtained--generally of a
reddish tinge. [Prob. conn. with Gr. _argos_, white.]
ARGON, ar'gon, _n._ a constituent element of our atmosphere, discovered in
1894 by Rayleigh and Ramsay.
ARGONAUT, är'go-nawt, _n._ one of those who sailed in the ship _Argo_ in
search of the golden fleece: also (_nat. hist._) a name of the nautilus, a
mollusc of the octopod type.--_adj._ ARGONAUT'IC. [Gr. _Arg[=o]_, and
_naut[=e]s_, a sailor.]
ARGOSY, är'go-si, _n._ a large merchant-vessel richly laden, esp. those of
Ragusa and Venice: also figuratively. [The forms _ragosie_, _rhaguse_, used
equally with _argosie_, _argosey_, &c., point to the derivation from It.
_Ragusea_, a ship belonging to Ragusa, a great medieval port on the
Adriatic, spelt in 16th-cent. English as _Aragouse_, _Arragosa_.]
ARGOT, är'go, or är'got, _n._ slang, originally that of thieves and
vagabonds: cant. [Fr.; of unknown origin.]
ARGUE, ärg'[=u], _v.t._ prove or evince: to prove by argument: to discuss:
(_obs._) to accuse.--_v.i._ to offer reasons: to dispute (with _against_,
_for_, _with_, _about_):--_pr.p._ arg'[=u]ing; _pa.p._ arg'[=u]ed.--_adj._
ARG'[=U]ABLE, capable of being argued.--_n._ ARG'[=U]ER, one who argues: a
reasoner.--TO ARGUE (a person) INTO, or OUT OF, to persuade him into, or
out of, a certain course of action. [O. Fr. _arguer_--L. _argut[=a]re_,
freq. of _argu[)e]re_, to prove.]
ARGUFY, ärg'[=u]-f[=i], _v.i._ to be evidence of something: to be of
importance: to argue, wrangle.--_v.t._ to weary with wrangling. [Illiterate
corr. of ARGUE.]
ARGUMENT, ärg'[=u]-ment, _n._ a statement, or reason based on such, offered
as proof: a series of reasons or a step in such: discussion: subject of a
discourse: summary of the subject-matter of a book: (_obs._) matter of
controversy.--_adjs._ ARGUMENT'ABLE, ARGUMENT'AL.--_n._ ARGUMENT[=A]'TION,
an arguing or reasoning.--_adj._ ARGUMENT'ATIVE.--_adv._
ARGUMENT'ATIVELY.--_n._ ARGUMENT'ATIVENESS. [L. _argumentum_. See ARGUE.]
ARGUMENTUM, ärg-[=u]-ment'um, _n._ an argument.--The following are forms of
_indirect_ argument:--ARGUMENTUM AD HOMINEM, an appeal to the known
prepossessions or previous admissions of an opponent; ARGUMENTUM AD
IGNORANTIAM, an argument founded on the ignorance of an opponent;
ARGUMENTUM AD INVIDIAM, an argument appealing to the prejudices of the
person addressed; ARGUMENTUM AD JUDICIUM, an appeal to the common-sense of
mankind; ARGUMENTUM AD VERECUNDIAM, an appeal to our reverence for some
respected authority; ARGUMENTUM BACULINUM, the argument of the cudgel--most
concise of arguments, an appeal to force; ARGUMENTUM PER IMPOSSIBILE, or
_Reductio ad absurdum_, the proof of a conclusion derived from the
absurdity of a contradictory supposition.--For the _Ontological_,
_Cosmological_, _Teleological_, and _Moral_ arguments in Theism, see under
these adjectives.
ARGUS, ärg'us, _n._ any very quick-eyed or watchful person, from _Argus_,
described in Greek mythology as having had a hundred eyes, some of which
were always awake: a genus of gallinaceous birds, remarkable for
magnificence of plumage--the only known species, the ARGUS PHEASANT, native
to Sumatra, &c. [Gr.--_argos_, bright.]
ARGUTE, är-g[=u]t', _adj._ shrill in sound: keen: shrewd.--_adv._
ARGUTE'LY.--_n._ ARGUTE'NESS. [L. _argutus_.]