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thing not proved, but assumed for the purpose of argument, or to account for a fact or an occurrence; as, the hypothesis that head winds detain an overdue steamer. An hypothesis being a mere supposition, there are no other limits to hypotheses than those of the human imagination. J. S. Mill.

A nervous affection, occurring almost exclusively in women, in which the emotional and reflex excitability is exaggerated, and the will power correspondingly diminished, so that the patient loses control over the emotions, becomes the victim of imaginary sensations, and often falls into paroxism or fits.…

A disease resembling hysteria in its nature, and characterized by the occurrence of epileptiform convulsions, which can often be controlled or excited by pressure on the ovaries, and upon other definite points in the body. -- Hys`ter*o*ep`i*lep"tic, a.

A bituminous substance obtained from the mercury mines of Idria, where it occurs mixed with cinnabar.

A silicate of iron and lime occurring in black prismatic crystals and columnar masses.

. A form of the prefix in- not, and in- in. See In-. Im- also occurs in composition with some words not of Latin origin; as, imbank, imbitter.

Threatening to occur immediately; near at hand; impending; -- said especially of misfortune or peril. "In danger imminent." Spenser.

, which keeps fractured parts firmly in place. -- Immovable feasts (Eccl.), feasts which occur on a certain day of the year and do not depend on the date of Easter; as, Christmas, the Epiphany, etc.

Liable to happen; apt to occur; befalling; hence, naturally happening or appertaining. All chances incident to man's frail life. Milton. The studies incident to his profession. Milward.

of prime concern; subordinate; collateral; as, an incidental conversation; an incidental occurrence; incidental expenses. By some, religious duties . . . appear to be regarded . . . as an incidental business. Rogers.

Attack; occurrence. [Obs.] Sins of daily incursion. South.

See Canna. -- Indian summer, in the United States, a period of warm and pleasant weather occurring late in autumn. See under Summer. -- Indian tobacco (Bot.), a species of Lobelia. See Lobelia. -- Indian turnip (Bot.), an American plant of the genus Arisæma. A. triphyllum has a wrinkled farinaceous root resembling a…

Any symptom or occurrence in a disease, which serves to direct to suitable remedies.

ct to what is presented to the mind; unconcernedness; as, entire indifference to all that occurs. Indifference can not but be criminal, when it is conversant about objects which are so far from being of an indifferent nature, that they are highest importance. Addison.

The state of rarely occuring; uncommonness; rareness; as, the infrquence of his visits.

Seldom happening or occurring; rare; uncommon; unusual. The act whereof is at this day infrequent or out of use among all sorts of men. Sir T. Elyot.

Not opportune; inconvenient; unseasonable; as, an inopportune occurrence, remark, etc. No visit could have been more inopportune. T. Hook.

Occasion; order of occurrence. These seem as if, in the time of Edward I., they were drawn up into the form of a law, in the first instance. Sir M. Hale.

Done or occurring in an instant, or without any perceptible duration of time; as, the passage of electricity appears to be instantaneous. His reason saw With instantaneous view, the truth of things. Thomson.

, and Integration. Cf. Fluent. Elliptic integral, one of an important class of integrals, occurring in the higher mathematics; -- so called because one of the integrals expresses the length of an arc of an ellipse.