LUNAR a.
Influenced by the moon, as in growth, character, or properties; as, lunar herbs. Bacon. Lunar caustic (Med. Chem.), silver nitrate prepared to be used as a cautery; -- so named because silver was called luna by the ancient alchemists. -- Lunar cycle. Same as Metonic cycle. See under Cycle. -- Lunar distance, the angu…
MATURE a.
Brought by natural process to completeness of growth and development; fitted by growth and development for any function, action, or state, appropriate to its kind; full-grown; ripe. Now is love mature in ear. Tennison. How shall I meet, or how accost, the sage, Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age Pope.…
METAMORPHOSIS n.
A change in the form or function of a living organism, by a natural process of growth or development; as, the metamorphosis of the yolk into the embryo, of a tadpole into a frog, or of a bud into a blossom. Especially, that form of sexual reproduction in which an embryo undergoes a series of marked changes of external…
MULTICENTRAL a.
ving many, or several, centers; as, a multicentral cell. Multicental development (Biol.), growth, or development, from several centers. According as the insubordination to a single center is more or less pronounced, the resultant organism will be more or less irregular in form and may even discontinuous.…
NATURAL a.
al; characteristic; not artifical, foreign, assumed, put on, or acquired; as, the natural growth of animals or plants; the natural motion of a gravitating body; natural strength or disposition; the natural heat of the body; natural color. With strong natural sense, and rare force of will. Macaulay.