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ular state of the atmosphere, as respects heat, cold, moisture, etc., or as affecting the sensations; as, a smoky air, a damp air, the morning air, etc.

somewhat translucent, or of banded shades of color; stalagmite. The name is used in this sense by Pliny. It is sometimes distinguished as oriental alabaster.

he military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise. Alarm and resentment spread throughout the camp. Macaulay.

animals, as white mice, elephants, etc.; and of plants in a whitish condition from the absence of chlorophyll. Amer. Cyc.

A morbid condition in which albumin is present in the urine.

The fluid essence or pure spirit obtained by distillation. [Obs.] Boyle.

A senior or superior; a person of rank or dignity. [Obs.]

n officer appointed to look to the goodness of ale and beer; also, one of the officers chosen by the liverymen of London to inspect the measures used in public houses. But the office is a sinecure. [Also called aletaster.] [Eng.]

An instrument for viewing pictures by means of a lens, so as to present them in their natural proportions and relations.

An instrument for measuring sensations of pain due to pressure. It has a piston rod with a blunted tip which is pressed against the skin. -- Al*gom"e*try (#), n. -- Al`go*met"ric (#), *met"ric*al (#), a. --Al`go*met"ric*al*ly, adv.

his former life is a dream that only the more alienates him from the realities of the present. I. Taylor.

Having susceptibility; easily impressed; having lively feelings, as opposed to apathy; sensitive. Tremblingly alive to nature's laws. Falconer.

highly corrosive and destructive to vegetation; and white alkali, characterized by the presence of sodium sulphate (Glauber's salt), which is less injurious to vegetation. Black alkali is so called because water containing it dissolves humus, forming a dark-colored solution which, when it collects in puddles and evapor…

The art or process of ascertaining the strength of alkalies, or the quantity present in alkaline mixtures.

ing a compound adverb, equivalent in meaning to entirely, completely, altogether. But the sense of entireness lies wholly in the word all (as it does in "all forlorn," and similar expressions), and the to properly belongs to the following word, being a kind of intensive prefix (orig. meaning asunder and answering to th…

The act of turning into allegory, or of understanding in an allegorical sense.

To treat as allegorical; to understand in an allegorical sense; as, when a passage in a writer may understood literally or figuratively, he who gives it a figurative sense is said to allegorize it.

A figurative sentence or discourse, in which the principal subject is described by another subject resembling it in its properties and circumstances. The real subject is thus kept out of view, and we are left to collect the intentions of the writer or speaker by the resemblance of the secondary to the primary subject.…

To lighten or lessen the force or weight of. [Obs.] Should no others join capable to alleviate the expense. Evelyn. Those large bladders . . . conduce much to the alleviating of the body [of flying birds]. Ray.

Any passage having the entrance represented as wider than the exit, so as to give the appearance of length.