OPPILATIVE 'Thence come crudities, wind, oppilations.' Burton. Oppilative + (op'pil-at-iv), a. [Fr. oppilatif.] Obstructive. Sherwood. Opplete, Oppleted † (op-plet', op-plēt'ed), a. [L. oppletus, pp. of oppleo, to fill up.] Filled; crowded. Oppletion + (op-ple'shon), n. Fulness; act of filling up. Oppone t (op-pōn'), v. t. [L. oppono, to oppose.] To oppose. What can you not do Against Lords spiritual or temporal That shall oppone you? B. Fonson. Opponency (op-po'nen-si), n. [See OPPONENT.] The opening of an academical disputation; the proposition of objections to a tenet, as an exercise for a degree. Todd. Opponent (op-pō'nent), a. [L. opponens, opponentis, ppr. of oppono, to oppose.] 1. Opposing; antagonistic; adverse.-2. Situated in front; opposite; standing in the way. Soon mounts the opponent hill.' Sir W. Scott. Opponent (op-pō'nent), n. 1. One that opposes; an adversary; an antagonist; one that supports the opposite side in controversy, disputation, or argument. That he met with feeble opponents and such as his nimble wit was easily able to overturn.' Bp. Hall. The stranger... rode back again to his own end of the lists, offering his antagonist, by a herald, the chance of a second encounter. This De Grantmesnil declined, avowing himself vanquished as much by the courtesy as by the address of his opponent. Sir W. Scott. 2. One that takes part in an opponency; the person that begins a dispute by raising objections to a tenet or doctrine: correlative to defendant or respondent. Opportune (op-por-tun'), a. [Fr. opportun; opportunus, lit. at or before the portprefix op for ob, and portus, a port, harbour, haven. See PORT.] Seasonable; timely; well timed; convenient. 'An opportune death to withdraw him from any future blow of fortune.' Bacon. He was resolved to chuse a war rather than to have Bretagne carried by France, being situate so oppor tunely to annoy England either for coast or trade. Bacon. The experiment does opportunely supply the deficiency. Boyle. Opportuneness (op-por-tun'nes), n. Quality of being opportune or seasonable. Opportunity (op-por-tūn'i-ti), n. [L. opportunitas.] 1. Fit or convenient time or occasion; a time favourable for the purpose; suitable time, combined with other favourable circumstances. A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Bacon. Neglect no opportunity of doing good. Atterbury. 2.† Convenience; fitness. 'Hull, a town of great strength and opportunity both to sea and land affairs. Milton.-3. Occurrence; occasion. The opportunity of temptations.' Jer. Taylor.-4. + Importunity; earnestness. He that creates us, and daily feeds us, he that entreats us to be happy, with an opportunity so passion. ate,as if not we, but himself, were to receive the favour. Fer. Taylor. 5. Character; habit. Halliwell. Opposable (op-pōz'a-bl), a. 1. Capable of being opposed or resisted.-2. Capable of being opposed to something else. Opposal (op-pōz'al), n. Opposition. The castle gates opened, fearless of any further opposal. Sir T. Herbert. Oppose (op-pōz'), v.t. pret. & pp. opposed; ppr. opposing. [Fr. opposer-prefix op, and poser, to place. See COMPOSE.] 1. To place in front; to set opposite; to offer to full view. 4. To check; to withstand; to resist effectually; as, the army was not able to oppose the enemy's progress. I am too weak to oppose your cunning. Shak. SYN. To combat, withstand, contradict, deny, oppugn, contravene, check, obstruct. Oppose (op-pōz'), v.i. 1. To act adversely: with to or against. A servant, thrill'd with remorse, Opposed against the act, bending his sword To his great master. Shak. 2. To make objections; to act obstructively. Opposed (op-pōzd'), p. and a. 1. Placed over against; opposite. Opposed as darkness to the light of heaven.' R. Pollok.2. Antagonistic; hostile; being against; adverse; as, I am more opposed than ever to the proposal. Opposeless (op-pōz'les), a. Not to be opposed; irresistible. 'Your great opposeless wills.' Shak. Opposer (op-pōz'èr), n. 1. One that opposes; an opponent in party, in principle, in controversy or argument; an antagonist; an adversary; an enemy; a rival. A bold opposer of divine belief.' Sir R. Blackmore. 2. An officer formerly belonging to the Green Wax in the exchequer. Opposite (op'po-zit), a. [Fr., from L. oppositus.] 1. Standing or situated in front; facing; as, an edifice opposite to the exchange. 2. Adverse; contrasted with; opposed; hostile. 'How opposite I stood to his purpose.' Shak. Novels, by which the reader is misled into another sort of pleasure opposite to that designed in an epic poem. Dryden. 3. Different in nature or quality; mutually antagonistic; contrary; inconsistent; repugnant; as, words of opposite significations; opposite terms. Particles of speech have divers, and sometimes almost opposite significations. Locke. How often opposite and contrary are used as if there was no difference between them, and yet there is a most essential one, one which we may perhaps best express by saying that opposites complete, while contraries exclude one another. . . . Sweet and sour are opposites; sweet and bitter are contraries. Trench. Opposite (op pō-zit), n. Opposite LeavesOne who or that which Veronica Chamædrys. opposes; one who or that which is adverse; an opponent; an adversary; an enemy; an antagonist. "The opposites of this day's strife.' Shak. Just oppoOppositely (op'po-zit-li), adv. In an opposite to what thou justly seem'st.' Shak. site or adverse manner; in front; in a situation to face each other; adversely; against each other. Winds from all quarters oppositely blow. May. -Oppositely pinnate leaf, in bot. a compound leaf of which the leaflets come off, one opposite to the other, in pairs, as in Rosa. Oppositeness (op'po-zit-nes), n. The state of being opposite or adverse. Opposition (op-pō-zi'shon), n. [Partly from oppose, partly directly from L. oppositio, from oppono, to oppose. See OPPONE.] 1. Situation so as to front something else; a standing over against; as, the opposition of two mountains or buildings. 2. The state of being opposed, compared, or contrasted; the state of being adverse; contrariety. Let him produce his vats and tubs in opposition to the heaps of arms and standards which were employed against you. Addison, Exclusive terms are always to be understood in opposition only to what they are opposed to, and not in opposition to what they are not opposed to. Waterland. 3. The act of opposing; attempt to check, restrain, or defeat resistance. Our peevish opposition. Shak. 'Virtue which breaks through all opposition.' Milton. - 4. That OPPRESSOR which opposes; an obstacle; as, the river meets with no opposition in its course to the ocean.-5. The act of setting against, or offering for combat; hence, a combat; an encounter. 'I mean, my lord, the opposition of your person in trial." Shak. Swords out, and tilting one at other's breast, Shak. 6. The collective body of opposers; the party in either house of parliament opposed to the administration for the time being. The term is not, however, generally applied to a party merely because opposed to the existing administration, if there is no likelihood of their succeeding to power on a change of government.-7. In astron, the situation of two heavenly bodies when diametrically opposed to each other, or when their longitudes differ by 180°. Thus there is always an opposition of sun and moon at every full moon; also the moon or a planet is said to be in opposition to the sun when it passes the meridian at midnight. See CONJUNCTION.--8. In the fine arts, contrast (which see). 9. In logic, the disagreement between propositions which have the same subject or the same predicate, but differ in quantity, in quality, or in both.-10. In rhet. a figure whereby two things are joined which seem incompatible.-11. Used adjectively; as, an opposition scheme; the opposition benches in the House of Commons. Oppositionist (op-pō-zi'shon-ist), n. One of the opposition; one that belongs to the party opposing the administration, or party in power. Byron. Oppositive (op-poz'it-iv), a. Capable of being put in opposition. Here not without some oppositive comparison; not Moses, not Elias, but This; Moses and Elias were servants; This, a son. Bp. Hall. Oppress (op-pres'), v.t. [Fr. oppresser; L. oppressus, from opprimo-prefix op for ob, and premo, pressum, to press.] 1. To act upon by pressure; to stamp. The weak oppress'd, the impression of strange kinds Is formed in them by force, by fraud, or skill, Shak. 2. To load or burden with cruel, unjust, or unreasonable impositions; to treat with unjust severity, rigour, or hardship. The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together; and all that took them captives held them fast. Jer. 1. 33. 3. To overpower; to overburden; to overwhelm; to subdue. We're not ourselves, When nature, being oppress'd, commands the mind To suffer with the body. Shak. 4. To sit or lie heavy on; as, excess of food oppresses the stomach.-5. To suppress. The mutiny he there hastes to oppress.' Shak. Oppression (op-pre'shon), n. 1. The act of oppressing; the imposition of unreasonable burdens, either in taxes or services; excessively rigorous government; severity. 2. The state of being oppressed or overburdened; misery. And the Lord hearkened unto him; for he saw the oppression of Israel because the King of Syria oppressed them. 2 Ki. xiii. 4. 3. That which oppresses; hardship; calamity. We are all subject to the same accidents; and when we see any under particular oppression, we should look upon it as a common lot of human nature. Addison. 4. Depression; dulness of spirits; lassitude of body; a sense of heaviness or weight in the mind or body; specifically, in med. that state in which the patient experiences a sensation of weight in the part affected, in which the system is oppressed rather than debilitated. 'Drowsiness, oppression, heaviness, and lassitude, are signs of a too plentiful meal.' Arbuthnot. Oppressive (op-pres'iv), a. 1. Unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe; as, oppressive taxes; oppressive exactions of service. 2. Given or inclined to oppression; tyrannical; as, an oppressive government. 3. Heavy; overpowering; overwhelming; as, oppressive grief or woe. To ease the soul of one oppressive weight, This quits an empire, that embroils a state. Pope. Oppressively (op-pres′iv-li), adv. In an oppressive manner; with unreasonable severity. Oppressiveness (op-pres'iv-nes), n. The quality of being oppressive. 'Her taxes are more injudiciously and more oppressively imposed.' Burke. Oppressor (op-pres'èr), n. One that oppresses; one that imposes unjust burdens OPPRESSURE on others; one that harasses others with unjust laws or unreasonable severity. Power when employed to relieve the oppressed and to punish the oppressor, becomes a great blessing. Swift. Oppressure (op-pres'ür), n. Oppression. B. Jonson. Opprobrious (op-pro'bri-us), a. 1. Containing or expressive of opprobrium; reproachful and contemptuous; scurrilous; abusive. They see themselves unjustly aspersed, and vindicate themselves in terms no less opprobrious than those by which they are attacked. Addison. 2. Blasted with infamy; infamous; rendered hateful. I will not here defile My unstain'd verse with his opprobrious name. Daniel. SYN. Scurrilous, abusive, offensive, insulting. Opprobriously (op-pro'bri-us-li), adv. In an opprobrious manner; with abuse and insult; scurrilously. To taunt and scorn you thus opprobriously.' Shak. Opprobriousness (op-pro'bri-us-nes), n. The quality of being opprobrious; scurrility. Opprobrium (op-pro'bri-um), n. [L., from ob, against, and probrum, a shameful or disgraceful act.] 1. Scurrilous or abusive language; contemptuous reproaches; scurrility. 2. Disgrace; infamy. Being both dramatic author and dramatic performer, he found himself heir to a twofold opprobrium, and at an era of English society when the weight of that opprobrium was heaviest." De Quincey. Opprobry (op-prō'bri), n. Opprobrium. Opprobry more enduring, crimes that called for heavier vengeance.' Southey. Oppugn (op-pun'), v.t. [L. oppugno-ob, against, and pugno, to fight, from pugnus, the fist.] 1. To fight against; to attack; to oppose; to resist. They said the manner of their impeachment they could not but conceive did oppugn the rights of par liament. Clarendon. 2. To exercise hostile reasoning against. For the ecclesiastical laws of this land we are led by a great reason to observe, and ye be by no necessity bound to oppugn them. Hooker. Oppugnancy (op-pug'nan-si), n. Opposition; resistance; contention. Take but degree away, untune that string, Shak. Oppugnant (op-pug'nant), a. Resisting; opposing; repugnant; hostile. 'It is directly oppugnant to the laws established.' Darcie. Oppugnant (op-pug'nant), n. One who oppugns; an opponent. Coleridge. [Rare.] Oppugnation (op-pug-nā'shon), n. Opposition; resistance. There is just cause of thankfulness to God for so meet a provision, none for a just oppugnation. Bp. Hall. Oppugner (op-pun'èr), n. One who oppugns; one who opposes or attacks; that which poses. op He was a strong oppugner of the Pelagian heresy. Selden. Ops (ops), n. In class. myth, the Roman female divinity of plenty and fertility. She was regarded as the wife of Saturnus, and, accordingly, as the protectress of everything connected with agriculture. Opsimathy (op-sim'a-thi), n. [Gr. opsimathia opse, late, and manthano, to learn.] Late education; education late in life. [Rare.] Opsimathie, which is too late beginning to learn, was counted a great vice, and very unseemly amongst moral and natural men. Hales. Opsiometer (op-si-om'et-èr), n. [Gr. opsis, sight, and metron, measure.] An optometer. Opsomania (op-so-ma'ni-a), n. [Gr. opson, a dainty, and mania, madness.] The morbid or diseased love of some particular aliment. Opsomaniac (op-so-ma'ni-ak), n. One afflicted with opsomania. Dunglison. Optablet (op'ta-bl), a. [L. optabilis, from opto, to desire.] Desirable. Cockeram. Optatet (op'tāt), v. t. To wish for; to choose; to desire. Cotgrave. Optationt (op-ta'shon), n. [L. optatio, from opto, to wish.] A desiring; the expression of a wish. To this belong-optation, obtestation, interrogation. Peacham. Optative (op'tă-tiv), a. [L. optativus, from opto, to desire or wish.] Expressing desire or wish. This optative infinity in the soul of man.' W. Mountague. -The optative mood, in gram. that form of the verb in which wish or desire is expressed, existing in the Greek and some other languages, its 316 force being conveyed in English by such circumlocutions as 'may I,' 'would that he,' &c. Optative (op'ta-tiv), n. 1. Something to be desired. Bacon. [Rare.]-2. In gram. the optative mood of a verb. Optatively (op'ta-tiv-li), adv. 1. In an optative manner; by desire. 'And man blesseth God optatively.' Bp. Hall.-2. By means of the optative mood; in the optative mood. Optic (op'tik), a. [Fr. optique, from Gr. optikos, from root op, to see, seen in opsomai, I shall see.] 1. Relating or pertaining to vision or sight; pertaining to the organ of vision; subservient to vision; as, the optic nerves; an optic ganglion.-2. Relating to the science of optics. Sir H. Wotton.Optic angle, (a) the angle included between the two lines drawn from the two extremities of an object to the centre of the pupil of the eye; the visual angle. (b) The angle which the optic axes of the eyes make with one another as they tend to meet at some distance before the eyes.-Optic axis, (a) the axis of the eye, or a line going through the middle of the pupil and the centre of the eye. (b) The line in a double refracting crystal in the direction of which no double refraction occurs.-Optic nerves, the second pair of nerves of the brain, springing from the crura of the medulla oblongata, and passing thence to the eye. Optic (op'tik), n. 1. An organ of sight; an eye. Man made for kings! those optics are but dim That tell you so-say rather they for him. Cowper. 2. An eye-glass; a magnifying glass. 'Not legible but through an optick. Nabbes. Optical (op'tik-al), a. 1. Relating to or connected with the science of optics; based on or constructed in accordance with the laws of optics; as, optical laws; optical instruments. Optical writers.' Boyle.-Optical square, an instrument used in surveying, for laying out lines at right angles to each other. It consists of a circular brass box containing two principal glasses of the sextant, viz. the index and horizon glasses, fixed at an angle of 45°. The method of using this instrument is obvious. If the observer moves forward or backward in the straight line A B, until the object B seen by direct vision coincides with another object c, seen by reflection; then a A straight line drawn to c from the point at which he stands, as D, when the coincidence takes place will be perpendicular to A B.-2. Pertaining to vision; optic. D B Optically (op'tik-al-li), adv. By optics or sight. Optician (op-ti'shan), n. 1. A person skilled in the science of optics.-2. One who makes or sells optic glasses and instruments. Optics (op'tiks), n. The name given to that branch of physical science which treats of the nature and properties of light; of the theory of colours (chromatics); of the changes which light suffers either in its qualities or in its course when refracted or transmitted through bodies (dioptrics); when reflected from their surfaces, or when passing near them (catoptrics); of the structure of the eye and the laws of vision; and of the construction of those instruments in which light is the chief agent, as telescopes, microscopes, &c.-Physical optics, that branch of the general science which treats of the physical properties of light, or such as are exhibited in the decomposition and recomposition of white light; in the inflection or diffraction of light; in the colours of thick and thin plates; and in the double refraction and polarization of light. Optigraph (op'ti-graf), n. [Gr. optomai, to see, and grapho, to write.] A form of telescope constructed for the purpose of copying landscapes, &c. It is suspended vertically in gimbals by the object-end beneath a fixed diagonal plane mirror, which reflects the rays from the object to be drawn through the object-glass of the instrument to a speculum, and thence through the eye-glass to the eye. Between the eye and the speculum is a piece of parallel-faced glass with a small dot on its centre, exactly in the focus of the eye-glass, and this dot is made to pass over the outlines of an object while a pencil at the eye-end leaves the delineation on paper. Optimacy (op'ti-ma-si), n. The body of op OPULENCE timates or aristocrats; the nobility. Howell. [Rare.] Optimate (op'ti-māt), n. One of the optimates; a chief man in a state or community; a nobleman. [Rare.] Optimate (op'ti-māt), a. Of or belonging to the optimates or nobility; noble. Eclec. Rev. [Rare.] Optimates (op-ti-mā'tēz), n. pl. [L. optimas, optimatis, an aristocrat, from optimus, best.] The Roman aristocracy; and hence, an aristocracy or nobility in general. Optime (op'ti-mē), n. In the University of Cambridge, one of those in the second rank of honours, immediately next to the wranglers. They are divided into senior and junior optimes. Optimeter (op-tim'et-ér), n. Same as Optometer. Optimism (op'ti-mizm), n. [L. optimus, best.] 1. The opinion or doctrine that everything in nature is ordered for the best; or the belief that the existing order of things, whatever may be its seeming imperfections of detail, is nevertheless, as a whole, the most perfect or the best which could have been created, or which it is possible to conceive. The true and amiable philosophy of optimism.' Walsh. The optimism of Leibnitz was based on the following trilemma: If this world be not the best possible, God must either (1) not have known how to make a better, (2) not have been able, (3) not have chosen. The first position contradicts His omniscience, the second His omnipotence, the third His benevolence. Brande & Cox. 2. The tendency to always take the most hopeful view of matters social or political; belief in the world's improvement. Optimist (op'ti-mist), n. One who believes in optimism. Optimity (op-tim'i-ti), n. The state of being best. Bailey. Optimize (op'tim-iz), v. i. To hold or express the belief or doctrines of an optimist. Sat. Rev. Option (op'shon), n. [L. optio, option, from opto, to wish or desire.] 1. The power or liberty of choosing; the right or power of choice; the power of deciding on any course of action; as, to leave it in one's option to do something; it is in your own option to take the one or the other.-2. In the Church of England, a choice which an archbishop had of any one ecclesiastical preferment in the gift of any of his suffragan bishops after they had been consecrated by him. The custom is now disused.-3. The exercise of the right of choice, or power of choosing; choice; election; preference. Transplantation must proceed from the option of the people, else it sounds like an exile. Bacon. 4. A wishing; a wish. I shall conclude this epistle with a pathetick option, O that men were wise! Layman's Dej. of Christ (1730). 5. On the stock exchange, a right to effect a certain dealing or not at a certain date, at the option of the person bargaining, who pays a premium for the right.-Local option, the principle by which a certain majority of the inhabitants or ratepayers of a certain locality may decide as to whether any, or how many, shops for the sale of intoxicating liquors shall exist in the locality. 1. Left to one's Optional (op'shon-al), a. option or choice; depending on choice or preference; as, whether I go or not is quite optional. If to the former the movement was not optional, it was the same that the latter chose when it was op tional. Palfrey. 2. Leaving something to choice; involving a power of choice or option.-Optional writ, in law, a writ which commands the defendant to do the thing required, or show the reason why he has not done it, in distinction from a peremptory writ. Original writs are either optional or peremptory.' Blackstone. See under PEREMPTORY. Optionally (op'shon-al-li), adv. In an optional manner; with the privilege of choice. Optometer (op-tom'et-èr), n. [Gr. optomai, to see, and metron, a measure.] An instrument for measuring the extent of the limits of distinct vision in different individuals, and consequently for determining the focal lengths of lenses necessary to correct imperfections of the eye. Opulence (op'u-lens), n. [L. opulentia, from Barbarous opulence jewel-thick OPULENCY Opulency (op'u-len-si), n. Same as Opulence. A person not only of great opulency, but authority. Atterbury. Opulent (op'u-lent), a. [L. opulentus, from opes, wealth.] Wealthy; rich; affluent; having large means. The wealth of the Medici made them masters of Florence, though it is probable that it was not considerable compared to the united property of that opulent republic. Hume. Opulently (op'u-lent-li), adv. In an opulent manner; richly; with abundance or splen dour. Opunctlyt (ō-pungkt'li), adv. Opportunely. Opuntia (o-pun'shi-a), n. [From Opus, a city of Locris, where some of the species are plentiful.] A large genus of plants belonging to the nat, order Cactaceae, the prickly pear or Indian fig tribe. They are remarkable for their stems consisting of flat joints, broader at the upper than at the lower end, but which eventually lose that appearance, becoming both cylindrical and continuous. Their native country is South America. Many have handsome red, yellow, or purple flowers, and others yield a pleasant subacid fruit, which is eaten in hot countries. One of the most important species is 0. Tuna, which is largely cultivated in Mexico for rearing the cochineal insect. The juice is used as a water-colour, and for colouring confectionery; while in Mexico a beverage called colinche is prepared from the fruit. Opuntiaceae (o-pun shi-a'sē-ē), n. pl. A name sometimes given to the nat. order Cactaceae (which see). Opus (ō'pus), n. pl. Opera (op'e-ra). A work; specifically, a musical composition, in which sense often abbreviated to Op. -Opus Alexandrinum, a mosaic pavement consisting of geometric figures, in black and red tessera on a white ground.-Opus incertum, a kind of masonry formed of small stones set in mortar, and occasionally traversed by beds of bricks or tiles. Opus operatum, in theol. an expression applied to the mere outward administration of a sacrament or rite, which is supposed by many to be in all cases attended with a spiritual effect.-Opus reticulatum, in masonry, a net-work arrangement of stones or bricks. Opuscle (ō-pus'sl), n. Same as Opuscule. Opuscule, Opusculum (o-pus'kül, ō-pus'kü-lum), n. [L. opusculum, dim. from opus, work.] A small work. -Or, affix. A termination of Latin nouns denoting an agent, as in actor, creditor: used also in a number of legal designations, as lessor, obligor, &c. It corresponds to the English (Teutonic) -er. See -ER. Or (or), conj. [Contr. from the older other, formerly used both for 'either' and 'or,' and in the former case certainly the same word as either, A. Sax. ather, awther. In the latter case, however, other may rather be from A. Sax. oththe, or, with r added through the influence of ather, hwæther, in the frequent collocations ather-oththe, either-or, hwother-oththe, whether-or. The form oththr =or occurs about the year 1200. Cognate words with oththe are Icel. ethr, etha, Goth. auththa, or.] A connective, or rather disjunctive particle that marks, or seems to mark, an alternative; as, 'If I could write, or Holles could forgive.' Garth. It corresponds to a preceding either; as, At Venice you may go to any house either by land or water.' Addison. Also to whether; as, 'Inquire what the ancients thought concerning this world, whether it was to perish or no.' T. Burnet. It often connects a series of words or propositions, presenting a choice between any two of them; as, he may study law or medicine or divinity, or he may enter into trade. Or sometimes begins a sentence, in this case expressing an alternative with the foregoing sentence, or merely a transition to some fresh argument or illustration. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Mat. vii. 9. In poetry, or is sometimes used for either. For thy vast bounties are so numberless, That them or to conceal or else to tell Is equally impossible. Cowley. 317 Or (or), adv. [A. Sax. ár, ere, another form of cer, ere, whence early.] Ere; sooner than; before. Chaucer.-Or ere, or e'er, or ever, ere ever, before that. In this phrase ere is the proper form, being really a repetition of the or, but it came to be misunderstood. I would Have sunk the sea within the earth, or ere or (or), n. [Fr. or, L. aurum.] In her. gold. It is expressed in engraving by small points or dots spread all over the field or bearing. Ora (o'ra), n. A money of account among the AngloSaxons, valued in Doomsday Book at 20d. Orach, Orache (or'ach), n. [Fr.arroche, corrupted from L. atriplex, the orach.] The popular name of several British plants of the genus Atriplex. See ATRIPLEX and MOUNTAIN-SPINACH. Or. Oracle (or'a-kl), n. [L. oraculum, a divine announcement, an oracle, a prophecy, from oro, to speak, also to pray, beseech, entreat, from os, oris, the mouth. 1. In class. antiq. the answer of a god or the inspired priest or priestess of a god, to an inquiry made respecting some affair of importance, usually respecting some future event, as the success of an enterprise or battle. The general characteristics of oracles were ambiguity, obscurity, and convertibility; so that one answer would agree with several various and sometimes directly opposite events.-2. The deity who gave or was supposed to give answers to inquiries; as, to consult the Delphic oracle. The oracles are dumb, Runs thro' the arched roof in words deceiving. 3. The place where the answers were given; the sacred spot whence supernatural responses proceeded. The Greeks surpassed every other nation both in the number and celebrity of their oracles, but those of Jupiter at Dodona, of Apollo at Delphi, and of Trophonius near Lebadeia, enjoyed the highest reputation. Sometimes they (the gods) were believed to impart the prophetical faculty, as a permanent gift, to some favoured person or family, in which it was permitted to descend; sometimes they attached it to a certain place, the seat of their immediate presence, which is then termed an oracle. Thirlwall. 4. The communications, revelations, or messages delivered by God to prophets. In this sense it is rarely used in the singular; as, the oracles of God, divine oracles, that is, the Scriptures.-5. The sanctuary or most holy place in the temple, in which was deposited the ark of the covenant. 1 Kings vi. 19. Sometimes used for the temple itself.-6. One who communicates a divine command; source from whence the decrees of Heaven may be obtained. God hath now sent his living oracle Into the world to teach his final will. Millon. 7. Any person reputed uncommonly wise, whose determinations are not disputed, or whose opinions are of great authority. My father is one of the great oracles in agriculture, one of the great patrons of all its improvements. Lord Lytton. 8. A wise sentence or decision of great authority. Oraclet (or'a-kl), v.i. To utter oracles. Milton. The Oracularness (o-rak'u-lèr-nes), n. state of being oracular. Oraculous+ (o-rak'ü-lus), a. Same as Ora cular. ORANGE-LILY Same Oraculousness (o-rak'ū-lus-nes), n. as Oracularness. Oraisont (or'i-zon), n. [Fr. oraison, from L. oratio, an oration, from oro, to speak, to pray.] Prayer; verbal supplication or oral worship: now written Orison. Oral (o'ral), a. [Fr., from L. os, oris, the mouth.] 1. Uttered by the mouth or in words; spoken, not written; as, oral traditions; oral testimony; oral law.-2. In zool. a term applied to the various parts which form or relate to the mouth of animals.Oral pleading, in law, pleading by word of mouth in presence of the judges. This was superseded by written pleading in the reign of the third Edward. Orally (o'ral-li), adv. 1. In an oral manner; by word of mouth; in words, without writing; vocally; verbally; as, traditions derived orally from ancestors.-2.† By means of the mouth; through, in, or into the mouth. The priest did sacrifice, and orally devour it whole. Bp. Hall. Orang (ō-rang), n. Same as Orang-outang. Orange (or'anj), n. [Fr. orange, It. arancia, Sp. naranja, from Ar. naranj, an orange. The initial n was no doubt lost through a sort of confusion between it and the n of the article une, una; then in French the a became o, under the influence of or, gold, and the golden colour of the fruit.] A tree and its fruit of the genus Citrus, the C. Aurantium. The orange is supposed to be a native of India and China, but is now cultivated abundantly in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and other parts of the south of Europe, as also in the Azores and America. It is a middle-sized evergreen tree, with a greenish-brown bark. The leaves are ovate, acute, pointed, and at the base of the petiole are winged. The fruit is globose, bright yellow, and contains a pulp which consists of a collection of oblong vesicles filled with Orange (Citrus Aurantium).-a, Ovary. b, Style. c, Stamens. d, Petal. e, Section of fruit. a sugary and refreshing juice; it is divided into eight or ten compartments, each containing several seeds. The principal varieties are the common sweet or China, the bitter or Seville, the Maltese or red pulped, the Tangerine, the Mandarin or clove, and the St. Michael's. The leaves, flowers, and rind yield fragrant oils much used in perfumery. The wood is fine-grained, compact, susceptible of a high polish, and is employed in the arts. Orange (or'anj), a. Belonging to an orange; coloured as an orange. Orangeade (or-anj-ad'), n. Drink made from orange juice and the infusion of orangepeel. Orangeat (or'an-zhat), n. [Fr.] 1. Orangepeel covered with candy.-2. Orangeade. Orange-bird (or'anj-berd), n. The Tanagra zena, a Jamaican bird, so called from its yellow breast resembling an orange, when the bird is perched in a dark-leaved tree. Orange-blossom (or'anj-blos-som), n. The blossom of the orange-tree, a wreath of which is generally worn by a bride at her marriage as an emblem of purity. Had orange-blossoms been invented then (those touching emblems of female purity imported by us from France ..) Miss M. would have assumed the spotless wreath. Farrar. Orange-coloured (or'anj-kul-érd), a. Having the colour of an orange. Orange-flower (or'anj-flou-ér), n. Same as Orange-blossom. ORANGE-LIST the leaves, terminating in large orangecoloured flowers. It is commonly cultivated in gardens. Orange-list (or'anj-list), n. A species of wide baize. Orangeman (or'anj-man), n. [In honour of William III. of England, Prince of Orange.] A member of a secret society instituted in Ireland in 1795, to uphold the Protestant religion and ascendency, and to oppose the Catholic religion and influence. It has lodges in many parts of the British Empire and her colonies, but the membership is now pretty much confined to the lower classes of Protestant Irishmen. Orange-musk (or'anj-musk), n. A species of pear. Orange-pea (or'anj-pe), n. A young unripe fruit of the curaçoa orange, used for flavouring wines. Orange-peel (or'anj-pel), n. The rind of an orange separated from the fruit. The peel of the bitter orange when dried and candied is used as a stomachic, and in flavouring puddings and many articles of confectionery. Orange-pekoe (or'anj-pe-kō), n. A black tea from China, of which there is also a scented variety. Orange-pippin (or'anj-pip-in), n. A kind of apple. Orangery (or'anj-ér-i), n. [Fr. orangerie.] A place where oranges are cultivated; particularly, a kind of gallery in a garden or elsewhere, to preserve orange-trees in during the winter season. Orange-skin (or'anj-skin), n. An orange hue of the skin, chiefly observed in newlyborn infants. Orange-tawny (or'anj-ta-ni), n. A colour between yellow and brown. Orange-tawny (or'anj-ta-ni), a. Of the colour of an orange; partaking of yellow and brown in colour. Shak.; Bacon. Orange-tip (or'anj-tip),a. A name applied to certain butterflies of the genus Mancipium. Orange-wife, Orange-woman (or'anj-wif, or'anj-wu-man), n. A woman that sells oranges. 'A cause between an orange-wife and a fosset seller.' Shak. Orang-outang, Orang-utan (o-rang'ötang, o-rang'ö-tan), n. [Malay orang-útanorang, man, and útan, a forest, lit. man of the woods.] A quadrumanous mammal, the Pithecus satyrus or Simia satyrus. This animal seems to be confined to Borneo, Sumatra, and Malacca. It is one of those animals which approach most nearly to man, being in this respect only inferior to the chimpanzee and gorilla. It is utterly incapable Orang-outang (Pithecus satyrus). of walking in a perfectly erect posture. Its body is covered with coarse hair of a brownish red colour; in some places on its back it is 6 inches long, and on its arms 5 inches. It attains the height of from 4 to 5 feet, measured in a straight line from the vertex to the heel. The arms reach to the anklejoint. These animals swing along on their hind-legs, using the arms as crutches, feed on fruits, sleep on trees, and make a shelter against the inclemencies of the weather. They are remarkable for their strength as well as their ability to use weapons with the hand. Often shortened to Orang. Orarium (o-ra'ri-um), n. [L.] A scarf affixed to the crosier, in use as early as the thirteenth century. The word was also used for the priestly scarf or stole, and for the border or hemming of a robe. Orary (ora-ri), n. Same as Orarium. Alb, cope, and orary.' Southey. 318 Orate (or'at), v.i. To make an oration; to talk loftily; to harangue. [Recent, and used humorously or contemptuously.] Oration (o-ra'shon), n. [L. oratio, from orō, to pray, to utter.] A speech or discourse composed according to the rules of oratory, and spoken in public; a speech composed in dignified or elevated language, and treating usually of some important matter; an eloquent or laboured and weighty address. The word is now applied chiefly to discourses pronounced on special occasions, as a funeral oration, an oration on some anniversary, &c., and to academic declamations.- -Speech, Harangue, Oration. See SPEECH. Orator (or'a-tér), n. [L.] 1. A public speaker; one who delivers an oration; a person who pronounces a discourse publicly on some special occasion. The ancient orators, such as Demosthenes and Cicero, frequently performed the functions of advocates or pleaders, supporting or defending clients before the courts.-2. An eloquent public speaker; one who is skilled as a speaker; an eloquent man; as, he writes and reasons well, but is no orator; Lord Chatham was an orator. 'I am no orator as Brutus is.' Shak.-3. In law, the plaintiff or petitioner in a bill or information in chancery.-4. An officer of English universities who acts as the voice of the university. He introduces distinguished individuals on whom honorary degrees are about to be conferred, reciting their claims, reads, writes, and records all letters of a public character, &c. Oratorial (or-a-to'ri-al), a. Same as Oratorical. Swift. Oratorially (or-a-to'ri-al-li), adv. Same as Oratorically. Oratorian (or-a-to'ri-an), n. Eccles. a priest of the oratory. See under ORATORY. Oratorical (or-a-tor'ik-al), a. Pertaining to an orator or to oratory; rhetorical; becoming, befitting, or necessary to an orator; as, oratorical flourishes; to speak in an oratorical way. Each man has a faculty, a poetical faculty, or an oratorical faculty, which special education improves to a certain extent. H. Spencer. Oratorically (or-a-tor'ik-al-li), adv. In an oratorical manner. Oratorio (or-a-to'ri-o), n. [It., a small chapel, the place in which these musical compositions are said to have been at first performed.] 1. A sacred musical composition, consisting of airs, recitatives, duets, trios, choruses, &c., the subject of which is generally taken from Scripture. The text is generally a dramatic poem; as, Handel's Samson, and Cimarosa's Sacrifizio d'Abra mo. Sometimes it takes the form of a narrative, as Israel in Egypt, and occasionally it is of a mixed kind, as Haydn's Creation. The Messiah is a collection of passages from our received translation of the Scriptures. The accompaniments are usually written for a full orchestra, which may or may not be strengthened by the organ.-2. A place of worship; a chapel. Oratorious † (or-a-to'ri-us), a. Oratorical; rhetorical. What errour is so rotten and putrid, which some oratorious varnish hath not sought to colour over with shews of truth and piety? Fer. Taylor. Oratoriously (or-a-to'ri-us-li), adv. In an oratorical or rhetorical manner. Nor do they oppose things of this nature argumentatively, so much as oratoriously. Fer. Taylor. Oratorize, Oratorise (or'a-tér-iz), v.i. To act the orator; to harangue like an orator. [Rare.] In this order they reached the magistrate's house; the chairmen trotting, the prisoners following, Mr. Pickwick oratorizing, and the crowd shouting. Dickens. Oratory (or'a-to-ri), n. [L.L. oratoria, from orator, an orator.] 1. The art of speaking well, or of speaking according to the rules of rhetoric in order to persuade; the art of public speaking; the art of an orator. If we were perfectly logical human beings, affected equally by the same argument, whatever its origin, the case would be different. But the very theory of oratory is founded on the fact that we are not logical. Oratory is the art of enforcing argument by persohal sympathy, and anything which breaks the rule is fatal to its success. Saturday Rev. 2. Exercise of eloquence; eloquent language; eloquence; as, all his oratory was spent in vain.-3. A place for prayer or worship; in modern usage more especially a small apartment for private devotions. Do not omit thy prayers for want of a good oratory or place to pray in. Fer. Taylor. ORBICULA Seek in domestic oratory small For prayer in stillness. Wordsworth. -Priests of the Oratory, a religious order, founded by St. Filippo de' Neri and sanctioned by the pope in 1575, for the study of theology and for superintending the religious exercises of the devout. The members of this order are not bound by any special vow. In Italy the order still exists; but the more important congregation of the Fathers of the Oratory of Jesus, founded at Paris in 1611, no longer exists.-Oratory, Rhetoric. See under RHETORIC. Oratress, Oratrix (or'a-tres, or'a-triks), n. 1. A female orator. [Rare.1-2. In law, a female petitioner or female plaintiff in a bill in chancery. Orb (orb), n. [L. orbis, a circle, a ring, a disk.] 1. A spherical body; a globe; a ball; as, the celestial orbs; this terrestrial orb: applied by Milton to the eyeballs-'So thick a drop serene hath quenched their orbs.' 'These fiery orbs above.' Shak.-2. In anc. astron. a hollow globe or sphere forming part of the solar or sidereal system. The ancient astronomers supposed the heavens to consist of such orbs or spheres inclosing one another, being concentric, and carrying with them in their revolutions the planets. That in which the sun was supposed to be placed was called the orbis maximus, or chief orb.-3. A circular body, as a wheel or a disk. The orbs of his fierce chariot rolled, as with the sound 5. Period or revolution of time. Milton. [Rare.-6. In arch. a plain circular boss. See Boss.-7. In her. a globe encircled bearing a cross; a mound (which see). Orb (orb), v.i. To be transformed into an orb; to exhibit or assume the appearance of an orb. [Rare.] Or that the past will always win We saw not when we moved therein. Tennyson. Orb (orb), v. t. 1. To form into a circle.2. To encircle; to surround; to inclose; to shut up. 'Orb'd in your isolation.' Tennyson. The wheels were orbed with gold. Addison. Orbt (orb), n. [O. Fr. orbe, L. orbus, bereaved.] A blank window or panel. Oxford Glossary. Örbatet (or'bat), a. [L. orbatus, pp. of orbo, to bereave.] Bereaved; fatherless; childless. Orbationt (or-ba'shon), n. [L. orbatio, from orbo, to bereave.] Privation of parents or children, or privation in general. Orbed (orbd), a. Having the form of an orb; round; circular; orbicular. ORBICULAR sists of two unequal valves, one of which is round and conical, the other flat, and fixed on a rock. The animal has two short ciliated arms. Orbicular (or-bik'ū-lėr), a. [L. orbicularis, from orbiculus, dim. of orbis, an orb.] In the form of an orb; spherical; circular. 'Orbicular as the disk of a planet.' De Quincey. -Orbicular bone, in anat. the smallest of the four bones of the ear; it is scarcely perceptible, round, convex on two surfaces, and articulates with the head of the stapes.Orbicular leaf, in bot. a circular leaf with the stalk attached to the centre of it.-Orbicular muscles, in anat. muscles with circular fibres surrounding some natural opening of the body, as the constrictor muscles of the mouth, the eyelids, &c. Orbicularly (or-bik'ü-lêr-li), adv. Spherically; circularly. Orbicularness (or-bik'ü-lèr-nes), n. The state of being orbicular; sphericity. Orbiculata (or-bik'ū-lā"ta), n. pl. A tribe of brachyurous crustaceans, including those which have an oblong-ovoid carapace. Orbiculate, Orbiculated (or-bik'ü-lāt, orbik'ü-lat-ed), a. [L. orbiculatus, from orbis, an orb.] Made or being in the form of an orb; orbicular (which see). Orbiculation (or-bik'u-la"shon), n. The state of being orbiculate. Orbiculina (or-bik'ü-li"na), n. pl. [L. orbi culus, a little orb.] A genus of minute foraminifers, found alive in tropical seas, as also fossil in the tertiaries. They have their name from their flattened globular shape. Orbiculus (or-bik'ū-lus), n. [L. dim. of orbis, a ring, an orb.] In bot. the fleshy ring formed by the stamens in the genus Stapelia; also, the circular bodies contained within the cup of some genera of fungi, as Nidularia. Orbis (or'bis), n. A fish of a globular form, the Chaetodon orbis of Gmelin, inhabiting the Indian seas. It is covered with a firm hard skin full of small prickles, but is destitute of scales. It is unfit for food. Called also Orb-fish. Orbit (or bit), n. [L. orbita, a wheel-track, a circuit, from orbis, an orb, a ring.] 1. In astron, the path of a planet or comet; the curve-line which a planet describes in its periodical revolution round its central body; as, the orbit of Jupiter or Mercury. The orbits of the planets are elliptical, having the sun in one of the foci; and they all move in these ellipses by this law, that a straight line drawn from the centre of the sun to the centre of any one of them, termed the radius vector, always describes equal areas in equal times. Also, the squares of the times of the planetary revolutions are as the cubes of their mean distances from the sun. The satellites also move in elliptical orbits, having their respective primaries in one of the foci. The elements of an orbit are those quantities by which its position and magnitude, for the time, are determined; such as the major axis and eccentricity, the longitude of the node, and inclination of the plane to the ecliptic, and the longitude of the perihelion.-2.† A small orb, globe, or ball. Roll the lucid orbit of an eye.' Young. -3. In anat. the bony cavity in which the eye is situated.-4. In ornith. the skin which surrounds the eye of a bird. Orbital (or'bit-al), a. Pertaining to an orbit. The orbital half of the external rectus muscle.' Dr. Carpenter. 'Orbital revolution.' J. D. Forbes. Orbitar (or bi-tér), a. Same as Orbital. [Rare.] Orbitary (or-bit'a-ri), a. Connected with or surrounding the orbit; as, orbitary feathers. Orbitelæ (or-bi-tēlē), n. pl. [L. orbis, an orb, a circle, and tela, a web.] A tribe of sedentary spiders, characterized by a somewhat large, soft, and particoloured abdomen. They make their webs with regular meshes, arranged in concentric circles crossed by straight radii, and they usually remain stationary in the centre, in a reversed position. Many species, however, construct for themselves a cavity or cell, which is sometimes horizontal and sometimes perpendicular, near the edges of the net. Of this group the genus Epeira is the principal, several species of which abound in our gardens, especially during the autumn. Orbitosphenoid (or bi-to-sphe"noid), a. In anat. an epithet applied to the lesser wing of the sphenoid bone. Orbitualt (or-bit'ü-al), a. Same as Orbital. 319 Orbituary (or-bit'ū-a-ri), a. Of or pertaining to an orbit; orbital. [Rare.] Orbitude, Orbity+ (or bi-tud, or bi-ti), n. [L. orbitas, from orbus, bereaved.] Bereavement by loss of parents or children. He... may leave none to mourn for himself; orbity may be his inheritance. Sir T. Browne. Orblike (orb'lik), a. Resembling an orb. Orby (orb'i), a. Resembling an orb; revolving. Orby hours.' Chapman. Orc,t Orkt (ork), n. [L. orca, a sea animal, perhaps the grampus.] A marine animal: a term that does not seem to have had a very precise application. The Delphinus orca of Linnæus is the grampus, but it is by no means certain that this is the orc of our old writers. Nares suggests the narwhal. B. Jonson; Drayton. Orcadian (or-ka'di-an), a. Relating to the Orcades, or Orkney Islands. Orcadian (or-kā'di-an), n. A native or inhabitant of Orkney. Orceine, Orcein (or'sē-in), n. (C, H, NO3.) A nitrogenous compound formed from orcine and ammonia. It is a deep red powder of strong tinctorial power, and when dissolved by potash and ammonia is the basis of the archil of commerce. See ORCINE. Orchal (or kal). See ARCHIL. Orchanet (or'ka-net), n. A plant, Anchusa tinctoria. Orchard (or chèrd), n. [A. Sax. ortgeard, wyrtgeard, a garden, an orchard, lit. a wortyard; so Dan. urtgaard, Goth. aurti-gards, a garden. See WORT, YARD, GARDEN.] 1.†A garden.-2. An inclosure devoted to the culture of fruit-trees, especially the apple, the pear, the plum, and the cherry; a collection of cultivated fruit-trees. Orchard-grass (or'cherd-gras), n. Cock'sfoot grass (Dactylis glomerata). See DAC TYLIS. Orchard-house (or'chèrd-hous), n. A glassroofed shed with the roof sloping towards the sun, for cultivating fruits too delicate to be grown in the open air, or to bring them to greater perfection than when so grown, without the aid of artificial heat. The trees are planted in pots, and never allowed to attain a considerable size, and so pruned as to have the greatest amount of fruitful wood in the least possible compass. Orcharding (or cherd-ing), n. The cultivation of orchards. 'All land is not fit for orcharding. Evelyn. Orchardist (or'chérd-ist), n. One that cultivates orchards; as, however expert the orchardist may be, much will depend on soil. Orchel, Orchella (or'kel, or-kel'la), n. See ARCHIL. Orchella-weed (or-chel'la-wēd), n. The name of several species of Roccella, a genus of lichens celebrated as dye-weeds. They grow on maritime rocks in hot and warm temperate regions. A blue and a red dye, known as orchil or archil, are prepared from them. Orchesography (or-ke-sogʻra-fi), n. [Fr. orchesographie-Gr. orchesis, a dance, and graphō, to write or describe.] A treatise upon dancing. Orchestes (or-kes'tez), n. [Gr. orchestēs, a leaper, a dancer.] A genus of small coleopterous insects, of the family Curculionidae, destructive to plants. They have thickened femora to the hind-legs, and have the power of leaping: hence the name. Orchestra (or'kes-tra), n. [Gr. orchestra, from orcheomai, to dance.] 1. The part of a theatre or other public place appropriated to the musicians. In the Grecian theatres the orchestra was a part of the stage allotted to the chorus for the performance of its evolutions; it was of a semicircular form, and surrounded with seats. In the Roman theatres it was no part of the stage, but answered nearly to the pit in modern playhouses, and was occupied by senators and other persons of distinction.-2. The whole instrumental band performing together in concert-halls, theatres, or other public places of amusement. Orchestral (or-kes'tral), a. Pertaining to an orchestra; suitable for or performed in the orchestra. Orchestration (or-kes-trā'shon), n. The arrangement of music for an orchestra; the orchestral treatment of a composition; instrumentation. Orchestret (or'kes-tér), n. Same as Orchestra. Orchestric (or-kes'trik), a. Relating to an orchestra; orchestral. Orchestrino (or-kes-trē'nō), n. [It. dim. of ORCINE orchestra.] A musical instrument shaped like a pianoforte, with similar key-board, its sounds being produced by the friction of a circular bow upon the strings. It has gone entirely out of use. Orchestrion (or-kes'tri-on), n. A musical instrument resembling a portable organ, about 9 feet in height, breadth, and depth, having a mechanism to swell or to diminish all the sounds within its compass. It was invented by the Abbé Vogler about 1789, but soon fell into disuse. Orchid (or'kid), n. A member of the genus orchis; an orchidaceous plant. Orchidaceae (or-ki-dā'sē-ē), n. pl. [From L. orchis, one of the genera.] One of the most natural and well-defined orders of plants in the vegetable kingdom. It consists of numerous genera and species. The plants of this order are found in almost all parts of the world; they are chiefly perennial and herbaceous. The flowers are very irregular, the perianth being formed of three sepals and three petals, the lowest of the latter being often very different in shape and markings from the rest, and called the labellum or lip: both sepals and petals are often richly and similarly coloured. There is usually only one stamen (sometimes two), usually confluent with the style and stigma. They are more prized for their beauty and the strangeness of their flowers than for any very important dietetic or medicinal properties they possess. Many of them are found on the trunks and branches of trees: they are not parasites, but epiphytes. Orchidaceous (or-ki-da'shus), a. Pertaining to the orchids; belonging to the nat. order Orchidacea. Orchideous (or-kid'ē-us), a. Same as Orchidaceous. Orchidologist (or-ki-dol'o-jist),n. One versed in orchids. Orchidology (or-ki-dol'o-ji), n. The special branch of botany or of horticulture which relates to orchids. Orchil (or'kil), n. See ARCHIL. Orchiocele (or′ki-o-sel), n. [Gr. orchis, orchios, a testicle, and kēlē, a rupture.] In pathol. a name given to several essentially different diseases of the testicle and its envelopes, as scrotal hernia, tumour of the testicle, and hernia humoralis. Dunglison. Orchis (or'kis), n. [Gr. orchis, a testicle, from the shape of the roots.] A genus of hardy perennials, with tuberous fleshy roots, inhabiting various parts of Europe and temperate Asia, with a very few in North Ame Salep (Orchis mascula). rica, nat. order Orchidaceae, of which this genus is the type. There are several British species with showy flowers, or reddish-purple or pale-pink in colour, and of irregular form. The tubercles of O. mascula, or male orchis, yield salep. (See SALEP.) The tubers of the whole genus contain much starch. Orchitis (or-ki'tis), n. [Gr. orchis, a testicle, and term. -itis, signifying inflammation.] Inflammation of the testis. Orchotomy (or-kot'o-mi), n. [Gr. orchis, a testicle, and temno, to cut.] The operation of extracting a testicle; castration. Orcine, Orcin (or'sin), n. [Fr. orcine, from L. orcus, the infernal regions, from its dark colour.] (CHO.) A peculiar colouring matter obtained from orchella-weed. It is crystallized; its taste is sweet and nauseous. When exposed to air charged with vapours of ammonia it assumes by degrees a fine violet colour. Orcine is also a product of the decomposition of lecanorine. When dissolved in ammonia it gradually acquires a deep blood-red colour, and there is formed a compound of ammonia with a new sub |