far more than the reader is likely to meet with in general literature. It will be found especially full in the departments of Zoology, Botany, Geology, Chemistry, Mineralogy, Anatomy, Medicine and Surgery, Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Archæology, Architecture, Engineering, Machinery, Manufactures, Agriculture, and Commerce. To secure accuracy in the definition of scientific terms, and correctness generally in the treatment of scientific subjects, the articles belonging to the various sciences have been examined and where necessary amended by revisers eminent for their scientific attainments. And as no adequate description or definition can be given by mere words of a great number of objects and terms, the pages of THE IMPERIAL DICTIONARY are enriched by upwards of three thousand carefully executed illustrative engravings on wood, which communicate explanation through the eye in a manner as clear and distinct as it is pleasing and attractive. In this feature the Work stands altogether unrivalled. The Etymology in this new edition has been altogether remodelled and brought up to the present state of knowledge on the subject, full use having been made of the labours of both English and Foreign philologists and etymologists. In dealing with this important department of the Dictionary the aim has been to state in a concise form such facts regarding the derivations of the various words as might suffice to meet the wants of inquirers in general, and to avoid such extended treatment as could only be appreciated by persons having some special knowledge of philology. The Pronunciation will be exhibited throughout according to the best usage, the words in all cases being re-spelled according to a simple and easily intelligible system of transliteration. GLASGOW, October, 1881. KEY TO THE PRONUNCIATION AND TO THE ABBREVIATIONS AND SIGNS EMPLOYED. PRONUNCIATION. IN showing the pronunciation the simplest and most easily understood method has been adopted, that of re-writing the word in a different form. In doing so the same letter or combination of letters is made use of for the same sound, no matter by what letter or letters the sound may be expressed in the principal word. The key by this means is greatly simplified, the reader having only to bear in mind one mark for each sound. not. .... move. tube. tub. bull. .... Accent. Words consisting of more than one syllable receive an accent, as the first syllable of the word labour, the second of delay, and the third of comprehension. The accented syllable is the most prominent part of the word, Sc. abune (Fr. u). being made so by means of the accent. In this dictionary it is denoted by the mark'. This mark, called an accent, is placed above and beyond the syllable which receives the accent, as in the words la'bour, delay', and comprehen'sion. oil. pound. as in :::::: then. azure The application of this key to the pronunciation of foreign words can as a rule only represent approximately the true pronunciation of those words. It is applicable, | however, to Latin and Greek words, as those languages are pronounced in England. Many polysyllabic words are pronounced with two accents, the primary and the secondary accent, as the word excommunication, in which the third, as well as the fifth syllable is commonly accented. The accent on the fifth syllable is the primary, true, or tonic accent, while that on the third is a mere euphonic accent, and consists of a slight resting on the syllable to prevent indistinctness in the utterance of so many unaccented syllables. Where both accents are marked in a word, the primary accent is thus marked ", and the secondary, or inferior one, by this mark', as in the word excommu'nica"tion. CHEMICAL ELEMENTS AND SYMBOLS. By means of chemical symbols, or formulas, the composition of the most complicated substances can be very easily expressed, and that, too, in a very small compass. An abbreviated expression of this kind often gives, in a single line, more information as to details than could be given in many lines of letterpress. When a symbol has a small figure or number underwritten, and to the right of it, such figure or number indicates the number of atoms of the element. Thus-O2 signifies two atoms of oxygen, S, five atoms of sulphur, and Co ten atoms of carbon. When two or more elements are united to form a chemical compound, their symbols are written one after the other, to indicate the compound. Thus-H2O means water, a compound of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen; C12H2O indicates cane-sugar, a compound of twelve atoms of carbon, twenty-two of hydrogen, and eleven of oxygen. These two expressions as they stand denote respectively a molecule of the substance they represent, that is, the smallest possible quantity of it capable of existing in the free state. To express several molecules a large figure is prefixed, thus: 2 H2O represents two molecules of water, 4(C12H22O11) four molecules of cane-sugar. When a compound is formed of two or more compounds the symbolical expressions for the compound are usually connected together by a comma; thus, the crystallized magnesic sulphate is MgSO4, 7H2O. The symbols may also be used to express the changes which occur during chemical action, and they are then written in the form of an equation, of which one side represents the substances as they exist before the change, the other the result of the reaction. Thus, 2 H2+02=2 H2O expresses the fact that two molecules of hydrogen, each containing two atoms, and one of oxygen, also containing two atoms, combine to give two molecules of water, each of them containing two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen. THE IMPERIAL DICTIONARY: ENGLISH, TECHNOLOGICAL, AND SCIENTIFIC. A A, the first letter in the English alphabet, as well as in the other alphabets derived from the Greek and Latin and ultimately from the Phoenician. As an alphabetical character it represents in English written and printed words a number of different vowel sounds, of which several at least would, in a more perfect alphabet, be represented by separate characters. Its principal sounds are those heard (1) in far, father; (2) man, eat; (3) fall, walk; (4) mate, pare. Of these sounds the first (which we may call the ahsound) is the oldest and the one that may be said to belong most legitimately to the character, being the one also which, approximately at least, attaches to it in most other languages. This is one of those that are considered to be the three primary and original vowel sounds of the Indo-European languages, the others being i and u, pronounced as in chagrin and rule. It is, per haps, the simplest and easiest of all the vowel sounds, being formed by a simple opening of the mouth and utterance of voice, accompanied by a gentle depression of the back part of the tongue. It is more distinctly vocal than either i or u, these latter having a close affinity with and tendency to merge into the consonantal sounds of y and te, while its vocal character is always unmistakable. It is also regarded as a stronger and more primitive sound than sand, which, when we trace the history of words, have in a great many instances been found to arise from a weakening of an original ah-sound, while a change in the opposite direction is very rare. The other two vowels, e and o, it may be remarked are still later in character than i and u: the former comes midway between a and i if we change the position of the vocal organs gradually from that necessary for the ahsound to that necessary for i, and in like manner o comes midway between a and ù. Many English words exemplify the change of an original ah-sound to some other vowel sound, as for instance, is, do, mother, brother, kin, thin, &c., in all which the root-vowel was originally a. The ah-sound (with which may be ranked the slightly different vocal sound in fast, grant, &c.) now occurs in few English words, in far fewer certainly than in Anglo-Saxon and later, though to what extent the sound formerly prevailed is somewhat difficult to decide. In Anglo-Saxon the letter a represented at least two principal sounds, a shorter and a longer (the latter often marked with an accent). The shorter was no doubt similar in quality to the a of father, though shorter. Many words in which this sound occurred might be written indifferently with o; thus monn as well as mann, hond as well as hand, fram or from, &c. The long or accented a (á, á) had no doubt the same sound as a in father, though perhaps it may have also had a sound similar to our a in fall. This á often represents an older diphthongal ai seen in Gothic; thus A. Sax. ham, home = Goth. haim, G. heim; A. Sax. hlaf, a loaf Goth. hlaif. In modern English it has most commonly passed into long o-comp. A. Sax. hâm, E. home; A. Sax. lar, E. lore; A. Sax. rád, E. road, &c. The sound of a in fall is now met with in a large number of English words, especially before ; it forms an intermediate step in pronunciation between the ah-sound in father and the o in home. The same sound is also represented by the combinations au, aw, as in vault, claw, which are only diphthongs in appearance. There is also a short sound corresponding to this, namely, that heard in what, want, quality. Intermediate between the ah-sound and the e-sound comes the sound of a in man, now one of those most commonly represented by this character. It is a comparatively modern and peculiarly English modification of the ah-sound, dithcult for foreigners to acquire. In AngloSaxon this sound, or a sound very similar, was represented by e, as in glæd=E. glad; bæc, E. back. The same character was also frequently used to represent our short e-sound, as in A. Sax. lædde = E. led; A. Sax. lassa E. less. It seems often to have represented a local and especially a southern modification of the fuller ah-sound, thus father, one of the few words in which the old ah-sound is still pronounced, was in the Anglo-Saxon of the south written fæder, in the north fadur, fader. This character was hardly used after the beginning of the thirteenth century, being replaced as a rule either by a with the ah-sound or by e. The @e-sound (a in man) thus to some extent gave place to the ah-sound, though in modern times it has more than regained its footing. There was also a long or accented ce; it has now commonly become ee, or the same sound. Another very common sound of a is what is often called the long or name sound of the letter, that which it has namely when before a final consonant with e mute, as in mare, bare, mate, pale. Here the final e serves merely to mark the modification of the sound of the a, which thus resembles in character as in sound the German a modified (å or a). Strictly speaking the a of mare, bare, differs from that of mate, pale, the former being a pure vowel, while the latter, according to what is considered the correct pronunciation, is not a true vowel, but diphthongal in character, a slight i being heard after the a or rathere sound. These are the chief varieties of sound which this letter has to represent. Less important are the sounds heard in any, many, and the obscure sound heard in riband, and in the final a of America. Though a very common letter, a occurs as a final only in the words flea, lea, pea, plea, sea, tea, yea. Formerly (in AngloSaxon) it was common enough in this position. Nor is it ever doubled, in which respect it resembles i and u. This letter often stands in abbreviations, as in A.D., for anno domini (in the year of our Lord), A. B., A. M., artium baccalaureus, and artium magister, bachelor and master of aits. A, indefinite art, the form of an used before consonants and words beginning with a consonant sound; as, a man, a woman, a year, a union, a eulogy, a oneness. This form first appears about the beginning of the thirteenth century. It is placed before A nouns of the singular number, and also before plural nouns when few or great many is interposed. In such phrases as a hundred a year, a pound a head, it more clearly retains its power as a numeral, and is practically equal to the distributive pronoun each. See further under AN. It A, as a prefix, or initial and generally inseparable particle, is a relic of both Teutonic and Classical particles. 1. As a Teutonic prefix it is of very heterogeneous origin, and in particular cases there is often difficulty in determining with certainty to what older particle or particles it must be referred. often represents prepositions, especially on, A. Sax. on, an, as in aback (A. Sax. onbợc, and also gebac), amidst (A. Sax. on middan). asleep (fell on sleep,' Acts xiii. 36), afoot (also on foot), aboard (also on board), aloft (on loft in Chaucer), alive (on live in Chaucer), asunder (A. Sax. onsundran), &c. This is also the separable prefix a- that is prefixed to verbal nouns, as in a-hunting, a-fishing. It is doubtful, however, whether the a- in all these words directly represents the A. Sax. on; it seems rather to represent the Icel. á, on, upon, which is of course etymologically the same word (comp. Icel. á baki, aback, á lopti, aloft, á lífi, alive, &c.). Another preposition represented by it is of (A. Sax. of, af), as in adown (A. Sax. of dune), off the down or height, downwards. In a-days (in now-a-days) and in a-nights it represents an of with a somewhat different meaning. In afore it represents at (A. Sax. ætfore). Prefixed to verbs it represents the A. Sax. particle a, which was often prefixed with an intensive force, as in arise, awake, arouse, but in many cases it is difficult to discern any distinction in meaning between the compound and the simple word. The particle ge was similarly used, and in abide, abear, the a may represent either. The initial syllable in aright, aware, &c., appears to be of the same doubtful origin. In ago, aby, the a represents the old A. Sax. particle a in another sense, namely, that of away, back. In ashamed, afeared, it represents an old intensive of. Eng. among represents the A. Sax. amang, onmang, ongemang, gemang; along represents andlang, endlong, gelang; and-here-Goth, anda, back, an- in answer. 2. As a classical or Romance prefix it represents: (a) L. ad, to; as, ascend, from ad, and scando, to climb. (b) L. a or ab, from; as, avert, from a, and verto, to turn. (c) L. e or ex, out of; as, amend (Fr. amender, from L. emendare, compounded of e or ex, and menda, a fault). (d) Gr. a, neg. or priv.; as, amorphous, from a, not, and morphë, shape; anonymous, from a, not, and onoma, A1 modern vulgar) corruption for he, have, I, &c.; as, A babbled of green fields. Shak. 2. (With long sound.) Scotch or Northern English for all. A1. 1. A combination of characters applied to a vessel of the highest class in Lloyd's register of shipping. Iron vessels are classed Al with a numeral prefixed, as 100 A1, 90 A1 (the numeral denoting that they are built respectively according to certain specifications), and they retain their character so long as on careful survey they are found in a fit and efficient condition to carry dry and perishable cargoes to and from all parts of the world. Wood and composite vessels are classed A1 for a term of years (hence such expressions as 12 A1, &c.), subject to survey. Al in red denotes vessels that have already been classed A1 in black, but are now reduced to the second class. The letter A denotes the first-class character of the hull for build and seaworthiness; the figure 1 that the vessel is well found in rigging, gear, &c. When fittings and equipment are insufficient the 1 is omitted. There is now no A 2 class.--E in black marks the third class.-2. Used figuratively as an adjective, to denote excellence generally; first-class; as, an 41 speaker. [Colloq. or vulgar.] Aam (am), n. [Written also Aum, Awm, the same word as D. aam, a liquid measure; G. ahm and ohm, Icel. ama, all from L.L. ama, a tub, a tierce, from L. hama, Gr. ame and hame, a water-bucket, a pail.] A measure of liquids formerly or still to some extent in use in Holland and various countries of northern Europe, usually containing about 30 gals. more or less. Aardvark (ärd'värk), n. [D. aarde, earth, and varken, a pig.] The ground-hog or earth-pig of South Africa. See ORYCTEROPUS. Aardwolf (ärd'wulf), n. [D. aarde, earth, and wolf, a wolf.] The earth-wolf of South Africa. See PROTELES. Aaron (a'ron), n. A corruption of Arum, sometimes used as the name of a British plant, Arum maculatum. See ARUM. Aaronic, Aaronical (a-ron'ik, a-ron'ik-al), a. [Heb. aaron, perhaps, says Gesenius, the same with haron, a mountaineer, from haram, to be high.] Pertaining to Aaron, the Jewish high-priest, or to the priesthood of which he was the head. Aaronite (a'ron-it), n. A descendant of Aaron, who served as a priest in the sanctuary or in the temple. Aaron's-beard (a'ronz-berd), n. A popular name for Hypericum calycinum, a dwarf evergreen shrub with trailing underground stems, commonly planted on banks and rockeries. Aaron's-rod (a'ronz-rod), n. In arch. a rod with one serpent twined round it: sometimes confounded with caduceus, the rod of Mercury, which has two serpents. Ab. A prefix in words of Latin origin, denoting disjunction, separation, or departure, as abduct, abjure. Before e and t it generally becomes abs, as abscond, abstain, before v and m, a, as avert, amentia. It is a Latin preposition, and etymologically the same as the Skr. apa, Gr. apo, G. ab, Goth. Sw. and Dan. af, E. of, off. Ab (ab), n. [Of Syriac origin.] The eleventh month of the Jewish civil year, and the fifth of the ecclesiastical year, answering to a part of July and a part of August. In the Syriac calendar Ab is the last summer month. Abaca (ab'a-ka), n. The Philippine name of the plant Musa textilis, which yields the Manilla-hemp from which ropes, mats, and fine fabrics are prepared. Abaciscus (ab-a-sis'kus), n. [Dim. of abacus.] In arch. (a) the square compartment of a mosaic pavement or one of the tesseræ used in making such pavements. (b) A small square tablet or bracket used for supporting a vase or other ornamental object. (c) An abacus. [Rare.] Abacist (ab'a-sist), n. One who uses an abacus in casting accounts; a calculator. Aback (a-bak'), adv. [Prefix a, and back; A. Sax. onbæc, also gebæc, at, on, or towards the back. See BACK.] 1. Towards the back or rear; backward. They drew abacke, as halt with shame confound. 2. On or at the back; behind; from behind. His gallie... being set upon both before and abacke. Knolles. the mast. Brig laid aback. such a way that it presses them aft against Hence, (b) Fig. suddenly or unexpectedly checked, confounded, or disappointed: said of a person; as, he was quite taken aback when I told him his plot was found out.-Laid aback (naut.), said of sails (or a vessel) when they are placed in the same position as when they are taken aback, in order to effect an immediate retreat, or to give the ship sternway, so as to avoid some danger discovered before her. [See ABACUS.] An Aback (ab'ak), n. abacus or something resembling one, as a flat, square stone, or a square compartment. Abacot, Abocock (ab'a-kot, ab'o-kok), n. [This word is also written Abococked, Abococket, and is probably derived from L. abacus (which see) in the architectural sense, from a fancied resemblance of shape. Comp. mitre for a similar combination of meanings. The form Bycocket, which also occurs with the same meaning, may either be a corruption or more probably has a different origin, viz. bi (L. bis), double, and Fr. coque, a shell, formerly perhaps a cap, a hood, from its Abacot, from great seal of Henry VII. being turned or doubled up.] A kind of cap anciently worn by men of rank. See the following extract. It is, I think, evident that the abocock or bycocket was the cap so frequently seen in illuminations of the fifteenth century, turned up behind, coming to a peak in front, varying and gradually decreasing in height, encircled with a crown when worn by regal personages, and similar to if not identical with what is now called the knight's chapeau. Planché. Abactor (ab-ak'ter), n. [L, from abigo, abactum, to drive away-ab, from, away, and ago, actum, to drive.] In law, one that feloniously drives away or steals a herd or numbers of cattle at once, in distinction from one who steals a single beast or two. Abaculus (ab-ak'u-lus), n. [L., dim. of abacus.] A small tile of glass, marble, or other substance, of various colours, used in making patterns in mosaic pavement. Abacus (ab'a-kus), n. [L. abacus, and abax, an abacus, a gaming-board, a sideboard, &c.; Gr. abax, a square tablet, a slab or board for reckoning on. Origin doubtful; derived by some from Phon. abak, sand strewn on a surface for writing, because the ancients used tables covered with sand on which to make figures and diagrams; by others derived from the names of the first letters of the Greek alphabet.] 1. A tray strewn with dust or sand anciently used for calculating. Abacus for Calculations. 2. A contrivance for calculation, used, with some variations of structure, by the Greeks and Romans, at least in later times, and still used by the Chinese, who call it shwanpan, the left end of the engraved abacus represent the number 241,759, end are the spare ones. Ionic Capital. A. The Abacus. those at the right Called also Abacus Pythagoricus. 3. In arch. (a) a table constituting the upper member or crowning of a column and its capital. In the Grecian Doric it has simply the form of a flat square tile without either chamfer or moulding, but generally it has a more ornamental character, and in the richer orders it parts with its original form, the four sides or faces of it being arched or cut inwards, and having at the middle of each a rose or other carved ornament. (b) Any rectangular slab or piece, as a square marble or porcelain tablet fet into a wall, a compartment in a mosaic floor, or the like.-Abacus harmonicus, in anc. music, a diagram of the notes with their names. Abacus Pythagoricus. See this word, 2. Abaddon (ab-ad'dun), n. [Heb. abad, to be lost or destroyed.] 1. The destroyer, or angel of the bottomless pit. Rev. ix. 11.-2. The bottomless pit; the depth of hell. Milton. Abaft (a-bäft), adv. or prep. [Prefix a, on, at, and bæftan, be-aftan, after, behind-prefix be, by, and aftan, æft, E. aft, behind. See AFT, AFTER.] Naut. in or at the back or hinder part of a ship, or the parts which lie towards the stern: opposed to afore; relatively, denoting further aft, or towards the stern; as, abaft the main mast.-Abaft the beam implies that the relative situation of the object spoken of is in some part of the horizon contained between a line drawn at right angles to the keel and the point to which the ship's stern is directed. See AFT. Abaisance (a-ba'sans), n. [An altered form of Obeisance, under the influence of Abase.] Same as Obeisance. Johnson. Abaiser (a-ba'sér), n. A name for ivory black or animal charcoal. Weale; Simmonds. Abaissé (a-bas-sa). [Fr.] In her. a term applied to the fesse or any other bearing when it is depressed, or situated below the centre of the shield. Abaist, pp. [See ABASH.] Abashed; disconcerted; amazed. Chaucer. Abalienate (ab-al'yen-at), v.t. pret. & pp. abalienated; ppr. abalienating. [L. abalieno, abalienatum, prep. ab, and alienus, foreign. See ALIENATE, ALIENE.] 1. To transfer the title of from one to another; to make over to another, as goods; a term of the civil law. -2. To estrange or wholly withdraw. A balienate their minds.' Abp. Sandys. Abalienated (ab-al'yen-at-ed), a. In old med.: (a) decayed or deranged, as the senses. (b) Benumbed or mortified. Abalienation (ab-al'yen-a"shon), n. The act of transferring or making over the title to property to another; transfer; estrangement. A ballata (a bal-lat'ä). [It.] In music, in the manner of a song or ballad. Also, the chorus at the end of a verse. Wilson. Abandt (a-band'), v.t. 1. To abandon (which see). The kingdom to aband.' Spenser.2. To exile; to expel. 'Tis better far the enemies to aband Quite from thy borders. Mir. for Mags. Abandon (a-ban'dun), v. t. [Fr. abandonner, to forsake, to abandon, from prep. à, and O. Fr. bandon, O.E. bandown, bandoune, command, jurisdiction, from L. L. bandum, bannum, edict, proclamation, from the Teut. stem ban, seen in E. ban, banns of marriage. To abandon then is either to put to proclamation, to denounce or proscribe, or to give into the bandon or power of another. See BAN, BANNS, BANNER, BAN |