AVIARY, [=a]'vi-ar-i, _n._ a place for keeping birds.--_n._ A'VIARIST, one
who keeps an aviary. [L. _aviarium_--_avis_, a bird.]
AVICULTURE, [=a]'vi-kul-t[=u]r, _n._ rearing of birds: bird-fancying. [L.
_avis_, bird, and CULTURE.]
AVIDITY, a-vid'i-ti, _n._ eagerness: greediness.--_adj._ AV'ID, greedy:
eager. [L. _aviditas_--_avidus_, greedy--_av[=e]re_, to pant after.]
AVIFAUNA, [=a]'vi-fawn-a, _n._ the whole of the birds found in a region or
country: the fauna as regards birds. [L. _avis_, bird, and FAUNA.]
AVISED. See BLACK-AVISED.
AVISO. See ADVISO (under ADVICE).--AVIS, AVISE, obsolete forms of
ADVISE.--_adj._ AVISE'FUL (_Spens._), watchful, circumspect.
AVITAL, av'i-tal, _adj._ of a grandfather: ancestral. [L. _avitus_,
pertaining to a grandfather (_avus_).]
AVIZANDUM, av-iz-an'dum, _n._ (_Scots law_) private consideration of a case
by a judge before giving judgment.--Also AVISAN'DUM. [Gerund of Low L.
_avisare_, to advise.]
AVOCADO, a-vo-kä'do, _n._ the alligator-pear, a West Indian fruit. [Corr.
from Mexican.]
AVOCATION, a-vo-k[=a]'shun, _n._ formerly and properly, a diversion or
distraction from one's regular employment--now, one's proper business =
VOCATION: business which calls for one's time and attention: (_arch._)
diversion of the thoughts from any employment: the calling of a case from
an inferior to a superior court. [Through Fr. from _avocation-em_, a
calling away--_ab_, from, _voc[=a]re_, to call.]
AVOCET, AVOSET, av'o-set, _n._ a widely spread genus of birds, with webbed
feet, long legs, bare thighs, a long, slender, upward-curved, elastic bill,
and snipe-like habit. [Fr. _avocette_, It. _avosetta_.]
AVOID, a-void', _v.t._ to try to escape from: to shun: (_law_) to
invalidate: (_Shak._) to leave, to quit.--_adj._ AVOID'ABLE.--_n._
AVOID'ANCE, the act of avoiding or shunning: act of annulling. [Pfx. _a-_ =
Fr. _es_ = L. _ex_, out, and VOID.]
AVOIRDUPOIS, av-or-d[=u]-poiz', _adj._ or _n._ a system of weights in which
the lb. equals 16 oz. [O. Fr. _aveir de pes_ (_avoir du pois_), to have
weight--L. _hab-[=e]re_, to have, _pensum_, that which is weighed.]
AVOSET. See AVOCET.
AVOUCH, a-vowch', _v.t._ to avow: to assert or own positively: to maintain:
guarantee; to appeal to. _v.i._ to give assurance of.--_n._ (_Shak._)
evidence.--_adj._ AVOUCH'ABLE.--_n._ AVOUCH'MENT. [O. Fr. _avochier_--L.
_advoc[=a]re_, to call to one's aid. See VOUCH.]
AVOURE, a-vowr', _n._ (_Spens._) confession, acknowledgment, justification.
[See AVOW.]
AVOW, a-vow', _v.t._ to declare openly: to own or confess: to affirm or
maintain: (_law_) to justify an act done.--_n._ a solemn promise: a
vow.--_pa.p._ as _adj._ self-acknowledged.--_adj._ AVOW'ABLE.--_ns._
AVOW'ABLENESS, AVOW'ANCE (_obs._); AVOW'AL, a positive declaration: a frank
confession.--_adv._ AVOW'EDLY.--_n._ AVOW'RY (_law_), the act of avowing
and justifying in one's own right the distraining of goods: (_obs._)
advocacy considered as personified in a patron saint. [O. Fr. _avouer_,
orig. to swear fealty to--L. _ad_, and Low L. _vot[=a]re_--_votum_, a vow.
See VOW.]
AVULSE, a-vuls', _v.t._ to pluck or tear away.--_n._ AVUL'SION, forcible
separation. [L. _avell-[)e]re_, _avulsum_.]
AVUNCULAR, a-vung'k[=u]-lar, _adj._ pertaining to an uncle.--_v.t._ or
_v.i._ AVUNC'ULISE (_Fuller_), to act like an uncle. [L. _avunculus_, an
uncle.]
AWAIT, a-w[=a]t', _v.t._ to wait or look for: to be in store for: to
attend: (_obs._) to lie in wait for, to watch. [Through Fr. from the common
Teutonic root of Ger. _wacht_, _en_, Eng. WAIT.]
AWAKE, a-w[=a]k', _v.t._ to rouse from sleep: to rouse from a state of
inaction.--_v.i._ to cease sleeping: to rouse one's self from sleep or
indifference:--_pa.p._ awaked', or awoke'.--_adj._ not asleep:
vigilant.--_adj._ AWAK'ABLE, capable of being awakened.--_v.t._ and _v.i._
AWAK'EN, to awake: to rouse into interest or attention: (_theol._) to call
to a sense of sin.--_adj._ AWAK'ENABLE.--_ns._ AWAK'ENMENT, AWAK'ING,
AWAK'ENING, the act of awaking or ceasing to sleep: an arousing from
indifference: a revival of religion.--TO BE AWAKE TO, to be fully aware of
anything. [A.S. _awæcnan_. See WAKE, WATCH.]
AWANTING, a-wont'ing, _adj._ wanting: missing. [Framed as if from a verb
_awant_--mostly Scotch.]
AWARD, a-wawrd', _v.t._ to adjudge: to determine.--_n._ judgment: final
decision, esp. of arbitrators.--_adj._ AWARD'ABLE, that may be
awarded.--_n._ AWARD'MENT. [O. Fr. _ewarder_, _eswarder_, from an assumed
Romanic form compounded of _ex_, thoroughly, and _guardare_, watch. See
WARD, GUARD.]
AWARE, a-w[=a]r', _adj._ wary: informed, conscious (with _of_)--_ns._
AWARE'DOM (_H. Walpole_), AWARE'NESS. [A.S. _gewær_, pfx. _ge-_, and _wær_,
cautious. See WARY.]