n. [ From Autun, France, its locality. ] (Min.) A lemon-yellow phosphate of uranium and calcium occurring in tabular crystals with basal cleavage, and in micalike scales. H., 2-2.5. Sp. gr., 3.05-3.19. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. To regulate the fortune of; to make happy. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Importunities [ L. importunitas unsuitableness, rudeness: cf. F. importunité. ] The quality of being importunate; pressing or pertinacious solicitation; urgent request; incessant or frequent application; troublesome pertinacity. [ 1913 Webster ]

O'ercome with importunity and tears. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Lack of opportunity; unseasonableness; inconvenience. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. a. [ L. Neptunius belonging to Neptune: cf. F. neptunien. ] 1. Of or pertaining to the ocean or sea. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Geol.) Formed by water or aqueous solution; as, Neptunian rocks. [ 1913 Webster ]

Neptunian races (Ethnol.), the Malay and Polynesian races. --
Neptunian theory (Geol.), the theory of Werner, which referred the formation of all rocks and strata to the agency of water; -- opposed to the Plutonic theory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Neptune + centric. ] (Astron.) As seen from Neptune, or having Neptune as a center; as, Neptunicentric longitude or force. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , prop. n. [ Cf. F. neptinien, neptuniste. ] (Geol.) One who adopts the Neptunian theory. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. ] A radioactive metallic element of atomic number 93, produced in nuclear reactors from Plutonium or Uranium. Symbol Np; The atomic weight of the most stable isotope is 237.0482. [ PJC ]

n. [ Cf. F. opportunisme. ] The art or practice of taking advantage of opportunities or circumstances, or of seeking immediate advantage with little regard for ultimate consequences. [ Recent ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. opportuniste. ] One who advocates or practices opportunism. [ Recent ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; practising opportunism. [ wns=1 ]
Syn. -- opportunist, timeserving. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Med.) Causing disease only when the immune system of the host has been weakened, or other damage to the host provides special opportunity for invasion; -- of microorganisms or infectious diseases; as, opportunistic pathogens may infect a burn site; AIDS predisposes a patient to opportunistic infection. [ PJC ]

n.; pl. Opportunities [ F. opportunité, L. opportunitas. See Opportune. ] 1. Fit or convenient time or situation; a time or place permitting or favorable for the execution of a purpose; a suitable combination of conditions; suitable occasion; chance. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Convenience of situation; fitness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Hull, a town of great strength and opportunity, both to sea and land affairs. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Importunity; earnestness. [ Obs. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Occasion; convenience; occurrence. -- Opportunity, Occasion. An occasion is that which falls in our way, or presents itself in the course of events; an opportunity is a convenience or fitness of time, place, etc., for the doing of a thing. Hence, occasions often make opportunities. The occasion of sickness may give opportunity for reflection. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Braz. petun tobacco. ] (Bot.) A genus of solanaceous herbs with funnel-form or salver-shaped corollas. Two species are common in cultivation, Petunia violacea, with reddish purple flowers, and Petunia nyctaginiflora, with white flowers. There are also many hybrid forms with variegated corollas. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. tunica: cf. F. tunique. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Rom. Antiq.) An under-garment worn by the ancient Romans of both sexes. It was made with or without sleeves, reached to or below the knees, and was confined at the waist by a girdle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any similar garment worn by ancient or Oriental peoples; also, a common name for various styles of loose-fitting under-garments and over-garments worn in modern times by Europeans and others. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (R. C. Ch.) Same as Tunicle. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Anat.) A membrane, or layer of tissue, especially when enveloping an organ or part, as the eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Bot.) A natural covering; an integument; as, the tunic of a seed. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Zool.) See Mantle, n., 3 (a). [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Tunicaries [ L. tunica a tunic. ] (Zool.) One of the Tunicata. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖pr. n. pl. [ NL. See Tunicate. ] (Zool.) A grand division of the animal kingdom, intermediate, in some respects, between the invertebrates and vertebrates, and in modern classifications considered a subphylum of the vertebrates; called also urochordata. They were formerly classed with acephalous mollusks. The body is usually covered with a firm external tunic, consisting in part of cellulose, and having two openings, one for the entrance and one for the exit of water. The pharynx is usually dilated in the form of a sac, pierced by several series of ciliated slits, and serves as a gill. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Most of the species when mature are firmly attached to foreign substances, but have free-swimming larvae which are furnished with an elongated tail and somewhat resemble a tadpole. In this state the larva has a urochord and certain other structures resembling some embryonic vertebrates. See Ascidian, Doliolum, Salpa, Urochord, and Illust. of Social ascidian, under Social. [ 1913 Webster ]

pr. n. (Zool.) One of the Tunicata. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. tunicatus, p. p. of tunicare to clothe with a tunic, fr. tunica a tunic. ] 1. (Bot.) Covered with a tunic; covered or coated with layers; as, a tunicated bulb. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) (a) Having a tunic, or mantle; of or pertaining to the Tunicata. (b) Having each joint buried in the preceding funnel-shaped one, as in certain antennae of insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physiol. Chem.) Animal cellulose; a substance present in the mantle, or tunic, of the Tunicates, which resembles, or is identical with, the cellulose of the vegetable kingdom. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. tunicula a little tunic, coat, or membrane, dim. of tunica a tunic: cf. OF. tunicle. ] 1. A slight natural covering; an integument. [ 1913 Webster ]

The tunicles that make the ball or apple of the eye. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (R. C. Ch.) A short, close-fitting vestment worn by bishops under the dalmatic, and by subdeacons. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. from Tune, v. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tuning fork (Mus.), a steel instrument consisting of two prongs and a handle, which, being struck, gives a certain fixed tone. It is used for tuning instruments, or for ascertaining the pitch of tunes. [ 1913 Webster ]