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The middle portion of the foot in the Gastropoda and Pteropoda.

The middle one of the three principal basal cartilages in the fins of fishes. -- Me*sop`ter*yg"i*al, a.

A process from the middle of the scapula in some animals; the spine of the scapula.

The scutum or dorsal plate of the middle thoracic segment of an insect. See Illust. of Butterfly.

The middle portion, or body, of the sternum.

The middle layer of the gonophore in the Hydrozoa.

The middle segment of the thorax in insects. See Illust. of Coleoptera.

Having the middle of the body surrounded by bands of cilia; -- said of the larvæ of certain marine annelids.

Pertaining to, or designating, an acid, CH2O2(CO2H)2, obtained from amido malonic acid.

as an essential residue and component of certain derivatives of methane; as, methylene bromide, CH2Br2; -- formerly called also methene. Methylene blue (Chem.), an artificial dyestuff consisting of a complex sulphur derivative of diphenyl amine; -- called also pure blue.

Timid; fearful. -- Me*tic"u*lous*ly, adv.

A middle degree of relief in figures, between high and low relief.

under a bond of certain peculiar rules; especially, such an association of knights in the Middle Ages, or a body in modern times taking a similar form, membership of which confers some distinction. -- Military tenure, tenure of land, on condition of performing military service.

A small biting fly; a midge. [Local, U. S.]

A fur esteemed in the Middle Ages as a part of costume. It is uncertain whether it was the fur of one animal only or of different animals.

specifically, one of a class of German poets and musicians who flourished from about the middle of the twelfth to the middle of the fourteenth century. They were chiefly of noble birth, and made love and beauty the subjects of their verses.

In the Middle Ages, one of an order of men who subsisted by the arts of poetry and music, and sang verses to the accompaniment of a harp or other instrument; in modern times, a poet; a bard; a singer and harper; a musician. Chaucer.

Of or pertaining to the middle division of the Tertiary. -- n.

A thin-bladed dagger; so called, in the Middle Ages, because used to give the death wound or "mercy" stroke to a fallen adversary.

ar of one inch square, supported flatwise at two points one foot apart, and loaded in the middle between the points of support. Rankine.