n. a region uniform in its environmental conditions and in the types of plants and animals living in it. [ PJC ]

a. [ Ento- + peripheral. ] (Physiol.) Being, or having its origin, within the external surface of the body; -- especially applied to feelings, such as hunger, produced by internal disturbances. Opposed to epiperipheral. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_;; meta` with, between + &unr_; opening, hole, the hole in the frieze between the beam ends. ] 1. (Arch.) The space between two triglyphs of the Doric frieze, which, among the ancients, was often adorned with carved work. See Illust. of Entablature. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The face of a crab. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the Parthenon, groups of centaurs and heroes in high relief occupy the metopes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Octo- + L. pes, pedis, foot. ] (Zool.) An animal having eight feet, as a spider. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Octo- + petal. ] (Bot.) Having eight petals or flower leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Onomatopoeia. ] An imitative word; an onomatopoetic word. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Step, n. & v. i. ] (Mining) A horizontal working forming one of a series, the working faces of which present the appearance of a flight of steps. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Stoped p. pr. & vb. n. Stoping. ] (Mining) (a) To excavate in the form of stopes. (b) To fill in with rubbish, as a space from which the ore has been worked out. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } p. p. of Step. Stepped; gone; advanced. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A poor widow, somedeal stope in age. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Probably from Skr. stūpa a tope, a stupa, through Prakrit thūpo. ] A moundlike Buddhist sepulcher, or memorial monument, often erected over a Buddhist relic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Tamil tōppu. ] A grove or clump of trees; as, a toddy tope. [ India ] Whitworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Zool.) A small shark or dogfish (Galeorhinus galeus syn. Galeus galeus), native of Europe, but found also on the coasts of California and Tasmania; -- called also toper, oil shark, miller's dog, and penny dog. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The wren. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Toped p. pr. & vb. n. Toping. ] [ F. tôper to cover a stake in playing at dice, to accept an offer, tôpe agreed!; -- perhaps imitative of the sound of striking hands on concluding a bargain. From being used in English as a drinking term, probably at first in accepting a toast. ] To drink hard or frequently; to drink strong or spiritous liquors to excess. [ 1913 Webster ]

If you tope in form, and treat. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Eskimo tupek. ] An Eskimo house made of material other than snow, esp. one having walls of turf, driftwood, rock, or skin, and a roof of skins of the walrus or seal. In Alaska it is often partially underground and covered with timber and turf. Topeks are also used by Indians of the lower Yukon region. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. One who topes, or drinks frequently or to excess; a drunkard; a sot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. toupet tuft. See Touper. ] (Zool.) The European crested titmouse. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]