ATWIXT, a-twikst', _adv._ (_Spens._) betwixt, between. [Pfx. _a_-, and
_'twixt_, BETWIXT.]
AUBADE, [=o]-bäd', _n._ a musical announcement of dawn: a sunrise song.
[Fr. _aube_, dawn--L. _alba_, white.]
AUBERGE, [=o]-b[.e]rj', _n._ an inn.--_adj._ AUBERG'ICAL (_H.
Walpole_).--_n._ AUBERGISTE ([=o]-b[.e]rj-[=e]st'). [Fr., of Teut. origin.
See HARBOUR.]
AUBERGINE, [=o]'ber-j[=e]n, _n._ the fruit of the egg-plant, the brinjal.
[Fr. dim. of _auberge_, a kind of peach--Sp. _albérchigo_--Ar. _al_, the,
_pérsigo_--L. _persicum_, a peach.]
AUBURN, aw'burn, _adj._ reddish brown. [The old meaning was a light yellow,
or lightish hue; Low L. _alburnus_, whitish--L. _albus_, white.]
AUCTION, awk'shun, _n._ a public sale in which the bidder offers an
increase on the price offered by another, and the articles go to him who
bids highest.--_v.t._ to sell by auction.--_adj._ AUC'TIONARY.--_n._
AUCTIONEER', one who is licensed to sell by auction.--_v.t._ to sell by
auction.--DUTCH AUCTION, a kind of mock auction at which the salesman
starts at a high price, and comes down till he meets a bidder. [L.
_auction_-_em_, an increasing--_aug[=e]re_, _auctum_, to increase.]
AUCTORIAL, awk't[=o]r-i-al, _adj._ of or pertaining to an author or his
trade. [L. _auctor_.]
AUDACIOUS, aw-d[=a]'shus, _adj._ daring: bold: impudent.--_adv._
AUD[=A]'CIOUSLY.--_ns._ AUD[=A]'CIOUSNESS, AUDACITY (aw-das'i-ti). [Fr.
_audacieux_--L. _audax_--_aud[=e]re_, to dare.]
AUDIBLE, awd'i-bl, _adj._ able to be heard.--_ns._ AUD'IBLENESS,
AUDIBIL'ITY.--_adv._ AUD'IBLY.--_n._ AUD'IENCE, the act of hearing: a
judicial hearing: admittance to a hearing: a ceremonial interview: an
assembly of hearers: a court of government or justice in Spanish America,
also the territory administered by it--Sp. _audiencia_.--_adj._ AUD'IENT,
listening: paying attention.--_n._ a hearer. [L. _audibilis_--_aud[=i]re_,
to hear, conn. with Ger. _ous_, _[=o]tos_, the ear.]
AUDIOMETER, awd-i-om'et-[.e]r, _n._ an instrument for measuring and
recording differences in the power of hearing.
AUDIPHONE, awd'i-f[=o]n, _n._ an instrument which is pressed against the
upper front teeth, the convex side outwards, in order to communicate sounds
to the teeth and bones of the skull, thence to the organs of hearing.
AUDIT, awd'it, _n._ an examination of accounts by one or more duly
authorised persons: a calling to account generally: a statement of account:
(_obs._) a periodical settlement of accounts: (_obs._) audience,
hearing.--_v.t._ to examine and verify by reference to vouchers, &c.--_ns._
AUDI'TION, the sense of hearing: the act of hearing: (_rare_) something
heard; AUD'ITOR, a hearer: one who audits accounts:--_fem._ AUD'ITRESS;
AUDIT[=O]R'IUM, in an opera-house, public hall, or the like, the space
allotted to the hearers: the reception-room of a monastery;
AUD'ITORSHIP.--_adj._ AUD'ITORY, relating to the sense of hearing.--_n._ an
audience: a place where lectures, &c., are heard.--AUDIT ALE, an ale of
special quality brewed for some Oxford and Cambridge colleges; orig. for
use on the day of audit. [L. _auditus_, a hearing--_aud[=i]re_, to hear.
See AUDIBLE.]
AUGEAN, aw-j[=e]'an, _adj._ filthy: difficult. [From _Augeas_, a fabled
king of Elis in Greece, whose stalls, containing 3000 oxen, and uncleaned
for thirty years, were swept out by Hercules in one day by his turning the
river Alpheus through them.]
AUGER, aw'g[.e]r, _n._ a carpenter's tool used for boring holes in
wood.--_n._ AU'GER-BIT, an auger that fits into a carpenter's brace (see
BRACE). [A corr. of _nauger_, an auger, A.S. _nafugár_--_nafu_, a nave of a
wheel, _gár_, a piercer. See NAVE (of a wheel), GORE, a triangular piece.]
AUGHT, awt, _n._ a whit: ought: anything: a part. [A.S. _á-wiht_, contr. to
_áht_, whence _[=o]ht_, _[=o]ght_, and _ought_. Shakespeare, Milton, and
Pope use _ought_ and _aught_ without distinction. _Awiht_ is from _á_, _ó_,
ever, and _wiht_, creature, a wight, a thing.]
AUGITE, aw'j[=i]t, _n._ one of the Pyroxene group of minerals, closely
allied to hornblende, usually of a greenish colour, occurring crystallised
in prisms, and forming an essential component of many igneous
rocks.--_adj._ AUGIT'IC. [Gr. _aug[=e]_, brightness.]
AUGMENT, awg-ment', _v.t._ to increase: to make larger.--_v.i._ to grow
larger.--_n._ AUG'MENT, increase: (_gram._) the prefixed vowel to the past
tenses of the verb in Sanskrit and Greek. Sometimes applied also to such
inflectional prefixes as the _ge-_ of the German perfect
participle.--_adjs._ AUGMENT'ABLE, AUGMENT'ATIVE, having the quality or
power of augmenting.--_n._ (_gram._) a word formed from another to express
increase of its meaning.--_ns._ AUGMENT[=A]'TION, increase: addition:
(_her._) an additional charge in a coat-of-arms bestowed by the sovereign
as a mark of honour: (_mus._) the repetition of a melody in the course of
the piece in notes of greater length than the original: (_Scots law_) an
increase of stipend obtained by a parish minister by an action raised in
the Court of Teinds against the titular and heritors; AUGMENT'ER. [L.
_augmentum_, increase--_aug[=e]re_, to increase, Gr. _auxan-ein_.]
AUGUR, aw'gur, _n._ among the Romans, one who gained knowledge of secret or
future things by observing the flight and the cries of birds: a diviner; a
soothsayer.--_v.t._ to foretell from signs.--_v.i._ to guess or conjecture:
to forebode.--_adj._ AU'GURAL.--_ns._ AU'GURSHIP; AU'GURY, the art or
practice of auguring: an omen.--The words AU'GURATE and AUGUR[=A]'TION are
obsolete. [L.; prob. from _avis_, bird, and root, _gar_, in L.
_garr[=i]re_, to chatter, Sans. _gir_, speech.]
AUGUST, aw-gust', _adj._ venerable: imposing: sublime: majestic--_adv._
AUGUST'LY.--_n._ AUGUST'NESS. [L. _augustus_--_aug[=e]re_, to increase,
honour.]
AUGUST, aw'gust, _n._ the eighth month of the year, so called after the
Roman emperor _Augustus_ Cæsar.
AUGUSTAN, aw-gust'an, _adj._ pertaining to the Emperor Augustus, or to the
time in which he reigned (31 B.C.-14 A.D.)--the most brilliant age in Roman
literature, hence applied to any similar age, as the reign of Anne in
English, or that of Louis XIV. in French literature: classic: refined.
AUGUSTINE, aw-gust'in, AUGUSTINIAN, aw-gus-tin'i-an, _n._ one of an order
of monks who derive their name and rule from St Augustine: (_theol._) one
who holds the opinions of St Augustine, esp. on predestination and
irresistible grace.--_adj._ AUGUSTIN'IAN, of or relating to St
Augustine.--_n._ AUGUSTIN'IANISM.
AUK, awk, _n._ a genus of web-footed sea-birds, with short wings used only
as paddles, found in the northern seas. The Great Auk is supposed to have
become extinct in 1844. [Ice. _álka_.]
AULA, aw'la, _n._ a hall.--_adj._ AUL[=A]'RIAN, relating to a hall.--_n._
at Oxford, a member of a hall, as distinguished from a collegian.--AULA
REGIS, also called _Curia Regis_, a name used in English history for a
feudal assembly of tenants-in-chief, for the Privy Council, and for the
Court of King's Bench. [L. _aula_, a hall.]
AULD, awld, _adj._ (_Scot._) old.--_adjs._ AULD'-FAR'RANT (lit.
'_favouring_ the old'), old-fashioned, wise beyond their years, as of
children; AULD'-WARLD, old-world, ancient.--AULD LANGSYNE, old long since,
long ago.
AULIC, awl'ik, _adj._ pertaining to a royal court.--AULIC COUNCIL (Ger.
_Reichshofrath_), a court or personal council of the Holy Roman Empire,
established in 1501 by Maximilian I., and co-ordinate with the Imperial
Chamber (_Reichskammergericht_). [L. _aulicus_--_aula_, Gr. _aul[=e]_, a
royal court.]
AUMAIL, aw-m[=a]l', _v.t._ to enamel: (_Spens._) to figure or variegate.
[See ENAMEL.]
AUMBRY, awm'bri, _n._ Same as AMBRY.
AUMIL, o'mil, _n._ Same as AMILDAR.
AUMUCE, aw'm[=u]s, _n._ Same as AMICE.
AUNT, änt, _n._ a father's or a mother's sister--also the wife of one's
uncle: (_obs._) an old woman, a gossip, a procuress or bawd.--AUNT SALLY, a
pastime at English fairs, in which a wooden head is set on a pole, and in
the mouth a pipe, which has to be smashed by throwing sticks or the like at
it. [O. Fr. _ante_ (Fr. _tante_)--L. _amita_, a father's sister.]
AURA, awr'a, _n._ a supposed subtle emanation proceeding from anything,
esp. that essence which is claimed to emanate from all living things and to
afford an atmosphere for the operations of animal magnetism and such-like
occult phenomena: (_fig._) air, distinctive character: (_path._) a
sensation as of a current of cold air--a premonitory symptom of epilepsy
and hysteria.--_adj._ AUR'AL, pertaining to the air, or to a subtle vapour
or exhalation arising from a body. [L. _aura_.]
AURAL, awr'al, _adj._ pertaining to the ear.--_adv._ AUR'ALLY. [L. _auris_,
ear.]
AURATE, awr'[=a]t, _n._ a compound of auric oxide with a base.--_adjs._
AUR'ATED, gold-coloured: compounded with auric acid; AUR'EATE, gilded:
golden.--_n._ AUR[=E]'ITY, the peculiar properties of gold. [L. _aurum_,
gold.]
AURELIA, awr-[=e]l'ya, _n._ the chrysalis of an insect, from its golden
colour.--_adj._ AUREL'IAN--formerly also a name for an entomologist devoted
esp. to butterflies and moths. [L. _aurum_, gold.]
[Illustration]
AUREOLA, awr-[=e]'o-la, _n._ in Christian art, the gold colour surrounding
the whole figure in sacred pictures, distinct from the _nimbus_, which only
covers the head, usually reserved for representations of the three Divine
Persons, of Christ, and the Virgin and Child: (_theol._) an increment to
the ordinary blessedness of heaven gained by virgins, martyrs, and doctors
for their triumph respectively over the flesh, the world, and the
devil.--_n._ AUR'EOLE, the aureola: the gold disc round the head in early
pictures symbolising glory: (_fig._) a glorifying halo: a halo of radiating
light, as in eclipses.--_p.adj._ AUR'EOLED, encircled with an aureole. [L.
_aureolus_, dim. of _aureus_, golden.]
AURIC, awr'ik, _adj._ pertaining to gold: (_chem._) applied to compounds in
which gold combines as a triad. [L. _aurum_, gold.]
AURICLE, awr'i-kl, _n._ the external ear: (_pl._) the two upper cavities of
the heart into which the blood comes from the veins.--_adj._ AUR'ICLED,
having appendages like ears.--_n._ AURIC'ULA, a species of primrose, also
called bear's ear, from the shape of its leaf.--_adj._ AURIC'ULAR,
pertaining to the ear: known by hearing, or by report.--_adv._
AURIC'ULARLY.--_adjs._ AURIC'ULATE, AURIC'ULATED, ear-shaped.--AURICULAR
CONFESSION, secret, told in the ear. [L. _auricula_, dim. of _auris_, the
ear.]
AURIFEROUS, awr-if'[.e]r-us, _adj._ bearing or yielding gold.--_v.t._ and
_v.i._ AUR'IFY, to turn into gold. [L. _aurifer_--_aurum_, gold, _ferre_,
to bear.]