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One who, or that which, allures.

The celebrated work of Ptolemy of Alexandria, which contains nearly all that is known of the astronomical observations and theories of the ancients. The name was extended to other similar works.

A book or table, containing a calendar of days, and months, to which astronomical data and various statistics are often added, such as the times of the rising and setting of the sun and moon, eclipses, hours of full tide, stated festivals of churches, terms of courts, etc. Nautical almanac, an almanac, or year book, co…

. -- Almond tree (Bot.), the tree bearing the almond. -- Almond willow (Bot.), a willow which has leaves that are of a light green on both sides; almond-leaved willow (Salix amygdalina). Shenstone.

y to relieve the poor, as money, food, or clothing; a gift of charity. A devout man . . . which gave much alms to the people. Acts x. 2. Alms are but the vehicles of prayer. Dryden. Tenure by free alms. See Frankalmoign. Blackstone.

circle of the sphere parallel to the horizon; a circle or parallel of altitude. Two stars which have the same almucantar have the same altitude. See Almacantar. [Archaic] Almucanter staff, an ancient instrument, having an arc of fifteen degrees, formerly used at sea to take observations of the sun's amplitude at the ti…

eater number having the habit and appearance of evergreen herbaceous plants; from some of which are prepared articles for medicine and the arts. They are natives of warm countries.

One of an ancient sect who rejected St. John's Gospel and the Apocalypse, which speak of Christ as the Logos. Shipley.

The letters of a language arranged in the customary order; the series of letters or signs which form the elements of written language.

A raised structure (as a square or oblong erection of stone or wood) on which sacrifices are offered or incense burned to a deity. Noah builded an altar unto the Lord. Gen. viii. 20.

The profit which accrues to the priest, by reason of the altar, from the small tithes. Shipley.

rs almost daily; rocks or minerals alter by exposure. "The law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not." Dan. vi. 8.

Milton. Appius Claudius admitted to the senate the sons of those who had been slaves; by which, and succeeding alterations, that council degenerated into a most corrupt. Swift.

A medicine or treatment which gradually induces a change, and restores healthy functions without sensible evacuations.

Designating the members in a series, which regularly intervene between the members of another series, as the odd or even numbers of the numerals; every other; every second; as, the alternate members 1, 3, 5, 7, etc. ; read every alternate line.

A current which periodically changes or reverses its direction of flow.

An offer of two things, one of which may be chosen, but not both; a choice between two things, so that if one is taken, the other must be left. There is something else than the mere alternative of absolute destruction or unreformed existence. Burke.

An arrangement of lenses and mirrors which enables a person to see an object in spite of intervening objects.

High relief; sculptured work in which the figures project more than half their thickness; as, this figure is an alto-rilievo or in alto-rilievo.

A variety of shale or clay slate, containing iron pyrites, the decomposition of which leads to the formation of alum, which often effloresces on the rock.