Search the Dictionary

The mother and ruler of a family or of her descendants; a ruler by maternal right.

al persons. Matrimony vine (Bot.), a climbing thorny vine (Lycium barbarum) of the Potato family. Gray.

Of or relating to the Medici, a noted Italian family; as, the Medicean Venus. Medicean planets (Astron.), a name given by Galileo to the satellites of Jupiter.

One of a family of extinct edentates found in America. The family includes the megatherium, the megalonyx, etc.

A family, including servants, etc.; household; retinue; train. [Obs.] Chaucer. Shak.

A family of fungi constituting the order Melanconiales. -- Mel`an*co`ni*a"ceous (#), a.

One of a family of fresh-water pectinibranchiate mollusks, having a turret-shaped shell.

Pertaining to, or obtained from, moonseed (Menispermum), or other plants of the same family, as the Anamirta Cocculus.

A plant (Mercurialis annua), of the Spurge family, the leaves of which are sometimes used for spinach, in Europe.

One of a family of birds (Meropidæ), including the bee-eaters.

A bird of the Thrush family.

An extinct mammal of the Horse family, but not larger than a sheep, and having three toes on each foot.

tive or inhabitant of Mexico. Mexican poppy (Bot.), a tropical American herb of the Poppy family (Argemone Mexicana) with much the look of a thistle, but having large yellow or white blossoms. -- Mexican tea (Bot.), an aromatic kind of pigweed from tropical America (Chenopodium ambrosioides).

A singing bird of India of the family Campephagidæ.

An extinct Miocene mammal of the Horse family, closely related to the genus Anhithecrium, and having three usable hoofs on each foot.

rity, or ownership; a woman who exercises authority, is chief, etc.; the female head of a family, a school, etc. The late queen's gentlewoman! a knight's daughter! To be her mistress' mistress! Shak.

ing a deep, compressed body, protracile mouth, and large silvery scales) constituting the family Gerridæ, as Gerres plumieri, found from Florida to Brazil and used as food. Also, any of numerous other fishes of similar appearance but belonging to other families.

Any insectivore of the family Talpidæ. They have minute eyes and ears, soft fur, and very large and strong fore feet.

plants having the stamens united into a tube, or ring, by the filaments, as in the Mallow family.

Of or pertaining to a single family or stock, or to development from a single common parent form; -- opposed to polyphyletic; as, monophyletic origin.