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The diagram or scheme of twelve houses or signs of the zodiac, into which the whole circuit of the heavens was divided for the purposes of such prediction of fortune.

anonical hours. See under Canonical. -- Hour angle (Astron.), the angle between the hour circle passing through a given body, and the meridian of a place. -- Hour circle. (Astron.) (a) Any circle of the sphere passing through the two poles of the equator; esp., one of the circles drawn on an artificial globe through…

A twelfth part of the heavens, as divided by six circles intersecting at the north and south points of the horizon, used by astrologers in noting the positions of the heavenly bodies, and casting horoscopes or nativities. The houses were regarded as fixed in respect to the horizon, and numbered from the one at the east…

than is generally supposed, even in gardens where they are so often operated upon, under circumstances most favorable to the production of hybrids. J. D. Hooker.

property possessed by vegetable tissues of absorbing or discharging moisture according to circumstances.

to the hyperbola corresponding to those which sines, cosines, tangents, etc., have to the circle; and hence, called hyperbolic sines, hyperbolic cosines, etc. -- Hyperbolic logarithm. See Logarithm. -- Hyperbolic spiral (Math.), a spiral curve, the law of which is, that the distance from the pole to the generating po…

A curve traced by a point in the circumference of a circle which rolls on the concave side in the fixed circle. Cf. Epicycloid, and Trochoid.

A curve, traced by a point in the radius, or radius produced, of a circle which rolls upon the concave side of a fixed circle. See Hypocycloid, Epicycloid, and Trochoid.

; to surround. Impale him with your weapons round about. Shak. Impenetrable, impaled with circling fire. Milton.

The apparent resistance in an electric circuit to the flow of an alternating current, analogous to the actual electrical resistance to a direct current, being the ratio of electromotive force to the current. It is equal to R2 + X2, where R = ohmic resistance, X = reactance. For an inductive circuit, X = 2pfL, where f =…

ay rather, man's as perfect as he ought. Pope. Imperfect arch, an arch of less than a semicircle; a skew arch. -- Imperfect cadence (Mus.), one not ending with the tonic, but with the dominant or some other chord; one not giving complete rest; a half close. -- Imperfect consonances (Mus.), chords like the third and s…

Conduct or language unbecoming the person, the society, or the circumstances; rudeness; incivility. We should avoid the vexation and impertinence of pedants who affect to talk in a language not to be understood. Swift.

tainable in the nature of things, or by means at command; insuperably difficult under the circumstances; absurd or impracticable; not feasible. With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matt. xix. 26. Without faith it is impossible to please him. Heb. xi. 6. Impossible quantity (Math.), an imag…

Not probable; unlikely to be true; not to be expected under the circumstances or in the usual course of events; as, an improbable story or event. He . . . sent to Elutherius, then bishop of Rome, an improbable letter, as some of the contents discover. Milton. -- Im*prob"a*ble*ness, n. -- Im*prob"a*bly, adv.…

Not proper; not suitable; not fitted to the circumstances, design, or end; unfit; not becoming; incongruous; inappropriate; indecent; as, an improper medicine; improper thought, behavior, language, dress. Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service, Improper for a slave. Shak. And to their proper operation still, Ascr…

The quality of being improper; unfitness or unsuitableness to character, time place, or circumstances; as, improperiety of behavior or manners.

The quality or state of being imprudent; want to caution, circumspection, or a due regard to consequences; indiscretion; inconsideration; reshness; also, an imprudent act; as, he was guilty of an imprudence. His serenity was interrupted, perhaps, by his own imprudence. Mickle.

etc. It is used with verbs signifying being, resting, or moving within limits, or within circumstances or conditions of any kind conceived of as limiting, confining, or investing, either wholly or in part. In its different applications, it approaches some of the meanings of, and sometimes is interchangeable with, with…

Not cautious; not circumspect; not attending to the circumstances on which safety and interest depend; heedless; careless; as, an incautious step; an incautious remark.

The center of the circle inscribed in a triangle.