n. [ Cf. F. margarate. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A compound of the so-called margaric acid with a base. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. margarique. See Margarite. ] Pertaining to, or resembling, pearl; pearly. [ 1913 Webster ]

Margaric acid. (a) (Physiol. Chem.) A fatty body, crystallizing in pearly scales, and obtained by digesting saponified fats (soaps) with an acid. It was formerly supposed to be an individual fatty acid, but is now known to be simply an intimate mixture of stearic and palmitic acids. (b) (Chem.) A white, crystalline substance, C17H34O2 of the fatty acid series, intermediate between palmitic and stearic acids, and obtained from the wax of certain lichens, from cetyl cyanide, and other sources. Called also heptadecanoic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. margarine. See Margarite. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A fatty substance, extracted from animal fats and certain vegetable oils, formerly supposed to be a definite compound of glycerin and margaric acid, but now known to be simply a mixture or combination of tristearin and tripalmitin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F.; see margarin. ] 1. A processed food product used as an inexpensive substitute for butter, made primarily from refined vegetable oils, sometimes including animal fats, and churned with skim milk to form a semisolid emulsion; also called oleomargarine; artificial butter. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

The word margarine shall mean all substances, whether compounds or otherwise, prepared in imitation of butter, and whether mixed with butter or not. Margarine Act, 1887 (50 & 51 Vict. c. 29). [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. Margarin. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Pertaining to, or resembling, pearl; pearly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. margarita, Gr. &unr_; a pearl; cf. F. marguerite. ] 1. A pearl. [ Obs. ] Peacham. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Min.) A mineral related to the micas, but low in silica and yielding brittle folia with pearly luster. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. margaritique. ] (Physiol. Chem.) Margaric. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. margaritifer; margarita pearl + ferre to bear: cf. F. margaritifère. ] Producing pearls. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; pearl-like. ] (Min.) A hidrous potash mica related to muscovite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Margaric + -one. ] (Chem.) The ketone of margaric acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Margaric; -- formerly designating a supposed acid. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. -ized p. pr. & vb. n. -izing ] [ (J. J. Lloyd) Margary, inventor of the process + -ize. ] To impregnate (wood) with a preservative solution of copper sulphate (often called . [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

(Zool.) A sparoid fish (Diabasis aurolineatus) of the Gulf of Mexico, esteemed as a food fish; -- called also red-mouth grunt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A small American wild cat (Felis wiedi syn. Felis tigrina), ranging from Mexico to Brazil. It is spotted with black. Called also long-tailed cat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. oleum oil + E. margarine, margarin. ] [ Written also oleomargarin. ] 1. A liquid oil made from animal fats (esp. beef fat) by separating the greater portion of the solid fat or stearin, by crystallization. It is mainly a mixture of olein and palmitin with some little stearin. [ archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An artificial butter made by emulsifying a fatty oil with more or less milk and water; it was formerly made predominantly from animal fats, but now is made predominantly or exclusively from vegetable oils, sometimes mixed with animal fats. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

☞ Oleomargarine was wrongly so named, as it contains no margarin proper, but olein, palmitin, and stearin, a mixture of palmitin and stearin having formerly been called margarin by mistake. [ 1913 Webster ]