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One of an ancient and secret association or fraternity, said to have been at first composed of masons or builders in stone, but now consisting of persons who are united for social enjoyment and mutual assistance.

A name given by analogy to the Greek, Roman, and other ancient vessels propelled by oars.

A sauce made of small fish. It was prized by the ancients.

Pertaining to ancient France, or Gaul; Gallic. [R.]

An ancient special kind of cessavit used in Kent and London for the recovery of rent. [Obs.]

The original native name for the ancient Ethiopic language or people. See Ethiopic.

1560; London, 1576). It was the first English Bible printed in Roman type instead of the ancient black letter, the first which recognized the division into verses, and the first which ommited the Apocrypha. In form it was a small quarto, and soon superseded the large folio of Cranmer's translation. Called also Genevan…

A good or evil spirit, or demon, supposed by the ancients to preside over a man's destiny in life; a tutelary deity; a supernatural being; a spirit, good or bad. Cf. Jinnee. The unseen genius of the wood. Milton. We talk of genius still, but with thought how changed! The genius of Augustus was a tutelary demon, to be s…

ield of a knight was slung across the shoulder, or across the neck and shoulder. Meyrick (Ancient Armor).

i. 13. -- Girt up; prepared or equipped, as for a journey or for work, in allusion to the ancient custom of gathering the long flowing garments into the girdle and tightening it before any exertion; hence, adjectively, eagerly or constantly active; strenuous; striving. "A severer, more girt-up way of living." J. C. Sha…

The corn cockle; also anciently applied to the Nigella, or fennel flower.

A name anciently given to an itinerant minstrel or musician.

One of an ancient Teutonic race, who dwelt between the Elbe and the Vistula in the early part of the Christian era, and who overran and took an important part in subverting the Roman empire.

Graceful and beautiful females, sister goddesses, represented by ancient writers as the attendants sometimes of Apollo but oftener of Venus. They were commonly mentioned as three in number; namely, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, and were regarded as the inspirers of the qualities which give attractiveness to wisdom, l…

Inscriptions, figure drawings, etc., found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins, as in the Catacombs, or at Pompeii.

Any of various calendars used by the ancient Greek states. The Attic calendar divided the year into twelve months of 29 and 30 days, as follows:

egorian modes, the musical scales ordained by Pope Gregory the Great, and named after the ancient Greek scales, as Dorian, Lydian, etc. -- Gregorian telescope (Opt.), a form of reflecting telescope, named from Prof. James Gregory, of Edinburgh, who perfected it in 1663. A small concave mirror in the axis of this teles…

s dull green, the lower parts white, the hands, ears, and face black. It was known to the ancient Egyptians. Called also tota.

A plant of the genus Lithospermum (L. arvense), anciently used, because of its stony pericarp, in the cure of gravel. The German gromwell is the Stellera. [Written also gromill.]

Like the figures found in ancient grottoes; grottolike; wildly or strangely formed; whimsical; extravagant; of irregular forms and proportions; fantastic; ludicrous; antic. "Grotesque design." Dryden. "Grotesque incidents." Macaulay.