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The quality or state of being similar; likeness; resemblance; as, a similarity of features. Hardly is there a similarity detected between two or three facts, than men hasten to extend it to all. Sir W. Hamilton.

Want of resemblance; unlikeness; dissimilitude; variety; as, the dissimilarity of human faces and forms. Sir W. Jones.

Conformity of words to the genius, structure, or general rules of a language; similarity of origin, inflection, or principle of pronunciation, and the like, as opposed to pl. analogies. Johnson.

area or organ, or of a central axis; as, bilateral symmetry in animals, where there is a similarity of parts on the right and left sides of the body.

Similarity of origin; affinity. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Having similarity of sequence; -- said of certain parallel progressions of two parts in a piece of harmony; as, consecutive fifths, or consecutive octaves, which are forbidden. Consecutive chords (Mus.), chords of the same kind suceeding one another without interruption.

Reciprocal relation; corresponding similarity or parallelism of relation or law; capacity of being converted into, or of giving place to, one another, under certain conditions; as, the correlation of forces, or of zymotic diseases. Correlation of energy, the relation to one another of different forms of energy; -- usua…

ating post or base, and the necessary tackle, windlass, etc.; -- so called from a fancied similarity between its arm and the neck of a crane See Illust. Of Derrick.

accented followed by two unaccented; as, L. tëgmînê, E. mer"ciful; -- so called from the similarity of its arrangement to that of the joints of a finger. [Written also dactyle.]

The act of differing; the state or measure of being different or unlike; distinction; dissimilarity; unlikeness; variation; as, a difference of quality in paper; a difference in degrees of heat, or of light; what is the difference between the innocent and the guilty Differencies of administration, but the same Lord. 1…

s, or relationship. Community of embryonic structure reveals community of descent; but dissimilarity of embryonic development does not prove discommunity of descent. Darwin.

The state or quality of being discrepant; disagreement; variance; discordance; dissimilarity; contrariety. There hath been ever a discrepance of vesture of youth and age, men and women. Sir T. Elyot. There is no real discrepancy between these two genealogies. G. S. Faber.

Want of resemblance; unlikeness; dissimilarity. Dissimilitude between the Divinity and images. Stillingfleet.

A near similarity of crystalline forms between unlike chemical compounds. See Isomorphism.

Homogenous; -- applied to that class of homologies which arise from similarity of structure, and which are taken as evidences of common ancestry.

Correspondence or relation in type of structure in contradistinction to similarity of function; as, the relation in structure between the leg and arm of a man; or that between the arm of a man, the fore leg of a horse, the wing of a bird, and the fin of a fish, all these organs being modifications of one type of struct…

Similarity of form; resemblance in external characters, while widely different in fundamental structure; resemblance in geometric ground form. See Homophyly, Promorphology.

used to from adjectives from nouns and from adjectives. It denotes relation, resemblance, similarity, and sometimes has a diminutive force; as, selfish, boyish, brutish; whitish, somewhat white.

A similarity of crystalline form between substances of similar composition, as between the sulphates of barium (BaSO4) and strontium (SrSO4). It is sometimes extended to include similarity of form between substances of unlike composition, which is more properly called homoeomorphism.

Equal law or right; equal distribution of rights and privileges; similarity.