a. [ L. acetaria, n. pl., salad, fr. acetum vinegar, fr. acere to be sour. ] Used in salads; as, acetarious plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acetaria salad plants. ] An acid pulp in certain fruits, as the pear. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; topmost + &unr_; tarsus. ] (Zool.) The instep or front of the tarsus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being alimentary; nourishing quality. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. alimentarius, fr. alimentum: cf. F. alimentaire. ] Pertaining to aliment or food, or to the function of nutrition; nutritious; alimental; as, alimentary substances. [ 1913 Webster ]

Alimentary canal, the entire channel, extending from the mouth to the anus, by which aliments are conveyed through the body, and the useless parts ejected. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Astron.) (a) Same as Almucantar. (b) A recently invented instrument for observing the heavenly bodies as they cross a given almacantar circle. See Almucantar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. almucantarat, almicantarat, ultimately fr. Ar. al-muqantarāt, pl., fr. qantara to bend, arch. ] (Astron.) A small circle of the sphere parallel to the horizon; a circle or parallel of altitude. Two stars which have the same almucantar have the same altitude. See Almacantar. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Almucanter staff, an ancient instrument, having an arc of fifteen degrees, formerly used at sea to take observations of the sun's amplitude at the time of its rising or setting, to find the variation of the compass. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A learner of the alphabet; an abecedarian. Abp. Sancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. alter, auter, autier, fr. L. altare, pl. altaria, altar, prob. fr. altus high: cf. OF. alter, autier, F. autel. Cf. Altitude. ] 1. A raised structure (as a square or oblong erection of stone or wood) on which sacrifices are offered or incense burned to a deity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Noah builded an altar unto the Lord. Gen. viii. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In the Christian church, a construction of stone, wood, or other material for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; the communion table. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Altar is much used adjectively, or as the first part of a compound; as, altar bread or altar-bread. [ 1913 Webster ]

Altar cloth or
Altar-cloth, the cover for an altar in a Christian church, usually richly embroidered. --
Altar cushion, a cushion laid upon the altar in a Christian church to support the service book. --
Altar frontal. See Frontal. --
Altar rail, the railing in front of the altar or communion table. --
Altar screen, a wall or partition built behind an altar to protect it from approach in the rear. --
Altar tomb, a tomb resembling an altar in shape, etc. --
Family altar, place of family devotions. --
To lead (as a bride) to the altar, to marry; -- said of a woman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. auterage, autelage. ] 1. The offerings made upon the altar, or to a church. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The profit which accrues to the priest, by reason of the altar, from the small tithes. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a boy who assists a priest at the clebration of the Holy Mass and other forms of public worship; -- also called acolyte. [ PJC ]

n. [ Cf. LL. altarista, F. altariste. ] (Old Law) (a) A chaplain. (b) A vicar of a church. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The painting or piece of sculpture above and behind the altar; reredos. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the proper position of an altar, that is, at the east of a church with its ends towards the north and south. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. anti- + Gr. &unr_; government. ] Opposition to government in general. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who opposes all government. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Opposed to all human government. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. antartik, OF. antartique, F. antarctique, L. antarcticus, fr. Gr. &unr_;; 'anti` + 'a`rktos bear. See Arctic. ] Opposite to the northern or arctic pole; relating to the southern pole or to the region near it, and applied especially to a circle, distant from the pole 23° 28′. Thus we say the antarctic pole, circle, ocean, region, current, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; similar to + &unr_; Mars. It was thought to resemble Mars in color. ] The principal star in Scorpio: -- called also the Scorpion's Heart. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. anti- + arthritic. ] (Med.) Alleviating arthritis. -- n. A remedy for alleviating arthritis. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. opposed to authoritarian government. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. (Med.) Efficacious against catarrh. -- n. An anticatarrhal remedy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the doctrine or political position that opposes the withdrawal of state recognition of an established church; -- used especially concerning the Anglican Church in England. Opposed to disestablishmentarianism. [ PJC ]

a. Antidotal. -- n. An antidote; also, a book of antidotes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An admirer of antiquity. [ Used by Milton in a disparaging sense. ] [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Eccl.) One of a sect which opposes the observance of the Christian Sabbath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Aristarchus, a Greek grammarian and critic, of Alexandria, about 200 b. c. ] A severe critic. Knowles. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Severely critical. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Severely criticism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Severe criticism. [ Obs. ] Sir J. Harrington. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. armamentarium, fr. armamentum: cf. F. armamentaire. ] An armory; a magazine or arsenal. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. arrectarius, fr. arrigere o set up. ] An upright beam. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. (Naut.) Over to the starboard side; -- said of the tiller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. Same as Astert. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. &unr_; a Phœnician goddess. ] (Zool.) A genus of bivalve mollusks, common on the coasts of America and Europe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. essential oil or perfume obtained from flowers.
Syn. -- attar, athar, ottar [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 drug that reduces nervous tension and gives peace of mind.
Syn. -- ataraxic [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. tending to soothe or calm or tranquilize
Syn. -- calming, sedative, soothing, tranquilizing [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. drug that reduces nervous tension and gives peace of mind.
Syn. -- ataractic [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ ‖ } n. [ NL. ataraxia, Gr. 'ataraxi`a; 'a priv. + tarakto`s disturbed, tara`ssein to disturb. ] Perfect peace of mind, or calmness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. atramentaire. See Atramentaceous. ] Like ink; suitable for making ink. Sulphate of iron (copperas, green vitriol) is called atramentarious, as being used in making ink. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Per. 'atar perfume, essence, Ar. 'itr, fr. 'atara to smell sweet. Cf. Otto. ] A fragrant essential oil; esp., a volatile and highly fragrant essential oil obtained from the petals of roses. [ Also written otto and ottar. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. auctarium. ] That which is superadded; augmentation. [ Obs. ] Baxter. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 of or pertaining to autocracy.
Syn. -- autarchical [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; independence; a'yto`s self + 'arkei^n to be sufficient. ] 1. Self-sufficiency, especially economic self-sufficiency as applied to nations. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. same as autarky.
Syn. -- autarky. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. not relying on imports; -- of countries. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. economic independence as a national policy.
Syn. -- autarchy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty; -- of governments or rulers; as, an authoritarian regime
Syn. -- autocratic, dictatorial, despotic, tyrannical [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. 1 expecting unquestioning obedience: "he was imperious and dictatorial"; "the timid child of authoritarian parents"; "insufferably overbearing behavior toward the waiter"
Syn. -- dictatorial, overbearing [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 behaves like a tyrant.
Syn. -- dictator [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Skr. avatâra descent; ava from + root t&rsdot_; to cross, pass over. ] 1. (Hindu Myth.) The descent of a deity to earth, and his incarnation as a man or an animal; -- chiefly associated with the incarnations of Vishnu. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An incarnation, embodiment or personification of a principle, quality, or attitude; -- used of people, mostly in a positive sense as a manifestation of a behavior or character worthy of admiration. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Martha Stewart, the home-and-hearth avatar whose products are now available at Kmart stores, is making upscale design touches like 200-thread-count cotton bed sheets something that most every American can aspire to. Leslie Kaufman (N. Y. Times, May 7, 1999). [ 1913 Webster ]