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The agency of a cause; the action or power of a cause, in producing its effect. The causality of the divine mind. Whewell.

That which is the occasion of an action or state; ground; reason; motive; as, cause for rejoicing.

h, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic.

Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance by chemical action; burning; corrosive; searing.

the burning so effected. -- Potential cautery, a substance which cauterizes by chemical action; as, lunar caustic; also, the cauterizing produced by such substance.

A contraction for Violoncello.

ate, (C6H10O5)n, isomeric with starch, and is convertible into starches and sugars by the action of heat and acids. When pure, it is a white amorphous mass. See Starch, Granulose, Lignin. Unsized, well bleached linen paper is merely pure cellulose. Goodale. Starch cellulose, the delicate framework which remains when th…

e nucleus around which things are gathered or to which they tend; an object of attention, action, or force; as, a center of attaction.

orous or foraminous periphery is rapidly rotated so as to drive off liquid by centrifugal action.

ter from which the rays extend and within which the centrosome lies when present; the attraction sphere. The name has been used both as excluding and including the centrosome, and also to designate a modified mass of protoplasm about a centrosome whether aster rays are developed or not.

A term applied to the action of nerve force in the spinal center. Marshall Hall.

brain in front of and above the medulla; the little brain. It controls combined muscular action. See Brain.

To exhibit mental activity; to have the brain in action.

Action of the brain, whether conscious or unconscious.

A nonphosphorized, nitrogenous substance, obtained from brain and nerve tissue by extraction with boiling alcohol. It is uncertain whether it exists as such in nerve tissue, or is a product of the decomposition of some more complex substance.

in the conduct of important matters, as in the performance of religious duties, the transaction of affairs of state, and the celebration of notable events; as, the ceremony of crowning a sovereign; the ceremonies observed in consecrating a church; marriage and baptismal ceremonies. According to all the rites of it, an…

A ceasing of discontinuance, as of action, whether termporary or final; a stop; as, a cessation of the war. The temporary cessation of the papal iniquities. Motley. The day was yearly observed for a festival by cessation from labor. Sir J. Hayward. Cessation of arms (Mil.), an armistice, or truce, agreed to by the comm…

on; mortification. I must own that I felt rather vexation and chagrin than hope and satisfaction. Richard Porson. Hear me, and touch Belinda with chagrin. Pope.

To bite with repeated action of the teeth so as to be heard. Foamed and champed the golden bit. Dryden.

rchants and others meet to transact business; a building appropriated for mercantile transactions. [Colloq. for Exchange.]