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and unknowable rational object, or thing in itself, which is distinguished from the Ant: phenomenon through which it is apprehended by the senses, and by which it is interpreted and understood; -- so used in the philosophy of Kant and his followers.

of a natural opening; imperforation. Dunglison. Occlusion of gases (Chem. & Physics), the phenomenon of absorbing gases, as exhibited by platinum, palladium, iron, or charcoal; thus, palladium absorbs, or occludes, nearly a thousand times its own volume of hydrogen, and in this case a chemical compound seems to be form…

A portion of time as limited and determined by some recurring phenomenon, as by the completion of a revolution of one of the heavenly bodies; a division of time, as a series of years, months, or days, in which something is completed, and ready to recommence and go on in the same order; as, the period of the sun, or the…

See Phenomenon.

Relating to, or of the nature of, a phenomenon; hence, extraordinary; wonderful; as, a phenomenal memory. -- Phe*nom"e*nal*ly, adv.

Any starlike meteor or phenomenon. [R.]

An explanation or exposition of the principles of some opinion, action, hypothesis, phenomenon, or like; also, the principles themselves.

which is offered or accepted as an explanation; the efficient cause of an occurrence or a phenomenon; a motive for an action or a determination; proof, more or less decisive, for an opinion or a conclusion; principle; efficient cause; final cause; ground of argument. I'll give him reasons for it. Shak. The reason of th…

ntering the crystal, from which it issues in the form of a hollow cylinder. This singular phenomenon was first discovered by Sir W. R. Hamilton by mathematical reasoning alone, unaided by experiment. -- Differential refraction (Astron.), the change of the apparent place of one object relative to a second object near i…

of food from the stomach after it has been swallowed, -- occasionally oberved as a morbid phenomenon in man.

A morbid phenomenon left as the result of a disease; a disease resulting from another.

tanding by itself; out of the ordinary course; unusual; uncommon; strange; as, a singular phenomenon. So singular a sadness Must have a cause as strange as the effect. Denham.

everal degrees below ebullition, and without actual contact with the heated surface, -- a phenomenon due to the repulsive force of heat, the intervention of a cushion of nonconducting vapor, and the cooling effect of evaporation.

The act or phenomenon of spontaneously dividing transversely, as do certain species of annelids and helminths; transverse fission. See Illust. under Syllidian.

The phenomenon of turning towards a source of warmth, seen in the growing parts of some plants.

The quality, state, or phenomenon of being trichromatic.

A remarkable meteorological phenomenon, of the nature of a tornado or whirlwind, usually observed over the sea, but sometimes over the land.