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Symbolically: Something unsubstantial, light, or volatile. "Charm ache with air." Shak. He was still all air and fire. Macaulay . [Air and fire being the finer and quicker elements as opposed to earth and water.]

A hole to admit or discharge air; specifically, a spot in the ice not frozen over.

A passage, usually vertical, for admitting fresh air into a mine or a tunnel.

A compact variety or sulphate of lime, or gypsum, of fine texture, and usually white and translucent, but sometimes yellow, red, or gray. It is carved into vases, mantel ornaments, etc.

To the death; mortally.

One prone to sound or excite alarms, especially, needless alarms. Macaulay.

Whiteness. Specifically: (Astron.) The ratio which the light reflected from an unpolished surface bears to the total light falling upon that surface.

A class of compounds analogous to vinic alcohol in constitution. Chemically speaking, they are hydroxides of certain organic radicals; as, the radical ethyl forms common or ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH); methyl forms methyl alcohol (CH3.OH) or wood spirit; amyl forms amyl alcohol (C5H11.OH) or fusel oil, etc.…

ed so as to indicate the percentage of pure alcohol, either by weight or volume. It is usually a form of hydrometer with a special scale.

nsumption; of Byrsonima crassifolia, used in tanning; of Alchornea latifolia, used medicinally; or of Quercus ilex, the cork tree.

A recessed portion of a room, or a small room opening into a larger one; especially, a recess to contain a bed; a lateral recess in a library.

Continually. [Obs.] Chaucer.

A tree, usually growing in moist land, and belonging to the genus Alnus. The wood is used by turners, etc.; the bark by dyers and tanners. In the U. S. the species of alder are usually shrubs or small trees. Black alder. (a) A European shrub (Rhamnus frangula); Alder buckthorn. (b) An American species of holly (Ilex ve…

in order to the mayor and having a legislative function. They may, in some cases, individually exercise some magisterial and administrative functions.

ing liquor made from an infusion of malt by fermentation and the addition of a bitter, usually hops.

An apparatus formerly used in distillation, usually made of glass or metal. It has mostly given place to the retort and worm still. Used also metaphorically. The alembic of a great poet's imagination. Brimley.

of the Herring family. It is called also ellwife, ellwhop, branch herring. The name is locally applied to other related species.

Chilliness; coldness; especially (Med.),

e other authorities, between the Archæan and the Paleozoic, from both of which it is generally separated in the record by unconformities. Algonkian rocks are both sedimentary and igneous. Although fossils are rare, life certainly existed in this period. -- n.

linguistic families of North American Indians, their territory formerly including practically all of Canada east of the 115th meridian and south of Hudson's Bay and the part of the United States east of the Mississippi and north of Tennessee and Virginia, with the exception of the territory occupied by the northern Ir…