ARISTOCRACY, ar-is-tok'ras-i, _n._ government by the men of best birth or
condition: political power of a privileged order: the nobility or chief
persons of a state: the upper classes generally, also the persons noted for
superiority in any quality, taken collectively--also ARISTARCH'Y
(_rare_).--_n._ ARISTOCRAT (ar'is-to-krat, or ar-is'-), one who belongs to
or favours an aristocracy: a haughty person.--_adjs._ ARISTOCRAT'IC, -AL,
belonging to aristocracy: gentlemanly, stylish.--_adv._
ARISTOCRAT'ICALLY.--_n._ ARISTOCRAT'ISM. [Gr. _aristos_, best, and
_kratos_, power.]
ARISTOLOCHIA, ar-is-t[=o]-l[=o]'ki-a, _n._ a genus of shrubs, many
climbers, specially abundant in tropical South America. [Gr.; _aristos_,
best, _locheia_, child-birth, the roots of several species being formerly
thought useful in parturition.]
ARISTOTELIAN, ar-is-to-t[=e]'li-an, _adj._ relating to _Aristotle_ or to
his philosophy.
ARITHMANCY, ar'ith-man-si, _n._ divination by numbers.--Also ARITH'MOMANCY.
[Gr. _arithmos_, number, and _manteia_, divination.]
ARITHMETIC, ar-ith'met-ik, _n._ the science of numbers: the art of
reckoning by figures: a treatise on reckoning.--_adj._
ARITHMET'ICAL.--_adv._ ARITHMET'ICALLY.--_n._ ARITHMETIC'IAN, one skilled
in arithmetic--ARITHMETICAL PROGRESSION, a series of numbers that increase
or diminish by a common difference, as 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22; or 12, 10½,
9, 7½, 6. To find the sum of such a series, multiply the sum of the first
and last terms by half the number of terms. [Gr. _arithm[=e]tik[=e]_
(_techn[=e]_, art), relating to numbers--_arithmos_, number.]
ARITHMOCRACY, ar-ith-mok'ras-i, _n._ a democracy of mere numbers.--_adj._
ARITHMOCRAT'IC. [A coinage of Kingsley--Gr. _arithmos_, number, _kratia_,
rule.]
ARITHMOMETER, ar-ith-mom'et-[.e]r, _n._ an instrument for working out
arithmetical calculations. [Gr. _arithmos_, number, _metron_, measure.]
ARK, ärk, _n._ a chest or coffer: in Jewish history, the wooden coffer in
which the Tables of the Law were kept--hence TO TOUCH or LAY HANDS ON THE
ARK, to touch irreverently what is sacred (2 Sam. vi. 6): a large floating
vessel, like that in which Noah escaped the Deluge (Gen.
vi.-viii.).--_adj._ and _n._ ARK'ITE. [A.S. _arc_--L. _arca_, a
chest--_arc[=e]re_, to guard.]
ARLES, ärlz, or [=a]rlz, _n._ earnest money given in confirmation of a
bargain, or of the engagement of a servant.--_ns._ ARLE'-PEN'NY,
ARLES'-PEN'NY. [Scot. and northern Eng.; M. E. _erles_--O. Fr. _erres_
(mod. Fr. _arrhes_)--L. _arrha_.]
ARM, ärm, _n._ the limb extending from the shoulder to the hand: anything
projecting from the main body, as an inlet of the sea, a rail or support
from a chair, sofa, or the like: one of the branches into which a main
trunk divides: (_fig._) power.--_ns._ ARM'-CHAIR, a chair with arms;
ARM'FUL; ARM'-HOLE, the hole in a garment through which the arm is
put.--_adv._ ARM'-IN-ARM, with arms interlinked, in close
communion.--_adj._ ARM'LESS.--_ns._ ARM'LET, a bracelet; ARM'-PIT, the pit
or hollow under the shoulder.--AT ARM'S LENGTH, away from any friendliness
or familiarity.--RIGHT ARM, the main support or assistant; SECULAR ARM, the
secular or temporal authority, as distinguished from the spiritual or
ecclesiastical.--WITH OPEN ARMS, with hearty welcome. [A.S.; cog. with L.
_armus_, the shoulder-joint, Gr. _harmos_, a joint.]
ARM, ärm, _n._ a weapon: a branch of the military service:--_pl._ ARMS,
weapons of offence and defence: war, hostilities: deeds or exploits of war:
armorial ensigns.--_v.t._ ARM, to furnish with arms or weapons: to
fortify.--_v.i._ to take arms.--_n._ AR'MATURE, armour: any apparatus for
defence: a piece of iron connecting the poles of a bent magnet.--_adj._
ARMED (ärmd, or arm'ed), furnished with arms: provided with means of
defence: (_bot._) having prickles or thorns: (_her._) having part of the
body different in colour from the rest, as a beak, claws, &c. of a
bird.--_n.pl._ FIRE'ARMS, such weapons as employ gunpowder, as guns and
pistols.--_n._ MAN'-AT-ARMS, a fully equipped and practised fighting
man.--_n.pl._ SMALL'-ARMS, such as do not require carriages, as opposed to
artillery.--ARMED TO THE TEETH, completely armed.--COLLEGE OF ARMS, the
Heralds' College, which grants armorial bearings.--IN ARMS WITH, quartered
with; OF ALL ARMS, of every kind of troops; STAND OF ARMS, a complete
equipment of arms for one soldier.--THE ARMED EYE, strengthened with a
magnifying-glass, as opp. to _naked eye_.--TO LAY DOWN ARMS, to surrender
or submit; UP IN ARMS, in readiness to fight. [Through Fr. from L. _arma_;
cog. with ARM.]
ARMADA, ärm-[=a]'da, _n._ a fleet of armed ships, esp. the self-styled
_Invincible_ Armada sent by Philip II. against England in 1588. [Sp.--L.
_armata_, _armare_, to arm.]
ARMADILLO, ärm-a-dil'o, _n._ a small American edentate quadruped, having
its body armed with bands of bony plates:--_pl._ ARMADILL'OS. [Sp., dim. of
_armado_, armed.]
ARMAGEDDON, är-mag-ed'on, _n._ the great symbolical battlefield of the
Apocalypse, in which the final struggle between the powers of good and evil
is to be fought out. [The name was no doubt suggested by the famous
battlefield of _Megiddo_, in the plain of Esdraelon.]
ARMAMENT, ärm'a-ment, _n._ forces armed or equipped for war: munitions of
war, esp. the great guns with which a ship is armed. [L.
_armamenta_--_arma_.]
ARMENIAN, ar-m[=e]'ni-an, _adj._ belonging to _Armenia_, in Western Asia:
belonging to the Armenian branch of the Christian Church.--_n._ a native of
Armenia.
ARMET, är'met, _n._ a helmet introduced about 1450 in place of the basinet,
consisting of an iron cap, spreading over the back of the neck, having in
front the visor, beaver, and gorget. [Fr.]
ARMGAUNT, ärm'gänt, _adj._ (_Shak._ once, _Ant. and Cleop._ I. v. 48), with
gaunt limbs (?). The word has not been satisfactorily explained, and is
most likely an error.
ARMIGER, är'mi-j[.e]r, _n._ an armour-bearer: one entitled to a
coat-of-arms: an esquire--also ARMI'GERO (_Shak._).--_adj._ ARMI'GEROUS.
[L.; _arma_, arms, _ger[)e]re_, to bear.]
ARMILLARY, är'mil-lar-i, or är-mil'lar-i, _adj._ resembling an armlet or
bracelet: consisting of rings or circles.--_n._ ARMIL'LA, in archæology, a
bracelet: one of the coronation ornaments: the regalia.--ARMILLARY SPHERE,
an instrument constructed to show the motions of the heavenly bodies. [L.
_armilla_, an _armlet_. See ARM (1).]
ARMINIAN, ar-min'yan, _n._ a follower of _Arminius_ (1560-1609), a Dutch
divine, who denied the Calvinistic doctrine of absolute predestination, as
well as irresistible grace.--_adj._ holding the doctrines of
Arminius.--_n._ ARMIN'IANISM.
ARMIPOTENT, ärm-ip'[=o]-tent, _adj._ powerful in arms. [L. _arma_, arms,
_potens_, _-entis_, powerful.]
ARMISTICE, ärm'ist-is, _n._ a short suspension of hostilities: a truce.
[Fr.--Low L. _armistitium_, from L. _arma_, arms, _sist[)e]re_--_stitum_,
to stop.]