AMBER, am'b[.e]r, _n._ a yellowish fossil resin, used in making ornaments.--_adjs._ AM'BERED (_obs._), flavoured with amber or ambergris; AMB'ERY. [Fr.--Ar. _'anbar_, ambergris.]
AMBERGRIS, am'b[.e]r-gr[=e]s, _n._ a fragrant substance of an ash-gray colour, found floating on the sea or on the seacoast of warm countries, and in the intestines of the spermaceti whale. [Fr. _ambre gris_, gray amber.]
AMBERITE, am'be-r[=i]t, _n._ a smokeless powder.
AMBIDEXTER, am-bi-deks't[.e]r, _adj._ and _n._ able to use both hands with equal facility: double-dealing, or a double-dealer.--_n._ AMBI'DEXTER'ITY, superior cleverness or adaptability.--_adj._ AMBIDEX'TROUS. [L. _ambo_, both, _dexter_, right hand.]
AMBIENT, am'bi-ent, _adj._ going round: surrounding: investing.--_n._ an encompassing sphere: the air or sky. [L. _ambi_, about, _iens_, _ientis_, pr.p. of _eo_, _[=i]re_, to go.]
AMBIGUOUS, am-big'[=u]-us, _adj._ of doubtful signification: indistinct: wavering or uncertain: equivocal.--_n._ AMBIG[=U]'ITY, uncertainty or dubiousness of meaning--also AMBIG'UOUSNESS.--_adv._ AMBIG'UOUSLY. [L.
_ambiguus_--_ambig[)e]re_, to go about--_ambi_, about, _ag[)e]re_, to drive.]
AMBIT, am'bit, _n._ a circuit: a space surrounding a house or town: extent of meaning of words, &c.
AMBITION, am-bish'un, _n._ the desire of power, honour, fame, excellence.--_n._ AMBI'TIONIST (_Carlyle_), an ambitious man.--_adj._ AMBI'TIOUS, full of ambition (with _of_, formerly _for_): strongly desirous of anything--esp. power: aspiring: indicating ambition: showy or pretentious.--_adv._ AMBI'TIOUSLY.--_n._ AMBI'TIOUSNESS. [Fr.--L.
_ambition_-_em_, the going about--that is, the canvassing for votes practised by candidates for office in Rome--_ambi_, about, and _[=i]re_, _itum_, to go.]
AMBLE, am'bl, _v.i._ to move as a horse by lifting together both legs on one side alternately with those on the other side: to move at an easy pace affectedly.--_n._ a pace of a horse between a trot and a walk.--_n._ AM'BLER, a horse that ambles: one who ambles in walking or dancing.--_n._ and _adj._ AM'BLING. [Fr. _ambler_--L. _ambul[=a]-re_, to walk about.]
AMBLYGON, am'bli-gon, _adj._ obtuse-angled. [Gr. _amblus_, obtuse, _gonia_, angle.]
AMBLYOPIA, am-bli-[=o]'pi-a, _n._ dullness of sight (see AMAUROSIS).--_n._ AMBLYOP'SIS, the bony fish found in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, the rudimentariness of whose eyes is due to darkness and consequent disuse.
[Gr.--_amblys_, dull, _[=o]ps_, eye.]
AMBLYSTOMA, am-blis't[=o]-ma, _n._ a genus of tailed amphibians in the gill-less or salamandroid sub-order--the adult form of axolotl. [Gr.
_amblys_, blunt, _stoma_, mouth.]
AMBO, am'b[=o], _n._ a kind of reading-desk or pulpit, which in early Christian churches was placed in the choir. The ambo had two ascents--one from the east, and the other from the west. [Gr. _amb[=o]n_, a rising.]
AMBROSIA, am-br[=o]'zhi-a, _n._ the fabled food of the gods, which gave immortal youth and beauty to those who ate it: the anointing oil of the gods: any finely-flavoured beverage: something delightfully sweet and pleasing.--_adj._ AMBR[=O]'SIAL, fragrant: delicious: immortal: heavenly.--_adv._ AMBR[=O]'SIALLY.--_adj._ AMBR[=O]'SIAN, relating to ambrosia: relating to St Ambrose, bishop of Milan in the 4th century.
[L.--Gr. _ambrosios_ = _ambrotos_, immortal--_a_, neg., and _brotos_, mortal, for _mrotos_, Sans. _mrita_, dead--_mri_ (L. _mori_), to die.]
[Illustration]
AMBRY, am'bri, _n._ a niche in churches in which the sacred utensils were kept: a cupboard for victuals. [O. Fr. _armarie_, a repository for arms (Fr. _armoire_, a cupboard)--L. _armarium_, a chest for arms--_arma_, arms.]
AMBS-ACE, [=a]mz'-[=a]s, _n._ double ace: the lowest possible throw at dice: ill-luck: worthlessness. [O. Fr. _ambes as_--L. _ambas as_. See ACE.]
AMBULACRUM, am-b[=u]-l[=a]'krum, _n._ a row of pores in the shell of an echinoderm, as a sea-urchin, through which the tube-feet protrude.--_adj._ AMBUL[=A]'CRAL. [L., a walk--_ambul[=a]re_, to walk.]
AMBULANCE, am'b[=u]l-ans, _n._ a carriage which follows an army and serves as a movable hospital for the wounded--also used as an _adj._, as in ambulance wagon.--_n._ AMBULAN'CIER, a man attached to an ambulance.--_adj._ AM'BULANT, walking: moving from place to place: (_rare_) unfixed.--_v.t._ and _v.i._ AM'BULATE (_rare_), to walk.--_p.adj._ AM'BULATING.--_n._ AMBUL[=A]'TION.--_adj._ AM'BULATORY, having the power or faculty of walking: moving from place to place, not stationary: mutable.--_n._ any part of a building intended for walking in, as the aisles of a church, or the cloisters of a monastery: any kind of corridor.
[Fr.--L. _ambulans_, _-antis_, pr.p. of _ambul[=a]re_, to walk about.]
AMBUSCADE, am'busk-[=a]d, _n._ a hiding to attack by surprise: a body of troops in concealment: the hidden place of ambush--used also as a _verb_.--_n._ AMBUSC[=A]'DO, a now archaic form of AMBUSCADE (common in 17th century):--_pl._ AMBUSC[=A]'DOES. [Fr. _embuscade_. See AMBUSH.]
AMBUSH, am'boosh, _n._ and _v._ same meanings as AMBUSCADE.--_n._ AM'BUSHMENT (_B._), ambush. [O. Fr. _embusche_ (mod. _embuche_), _embuscher_, Low L. _embosc[=a]re_--_in_-, in, and _boscus_, a bush.]
AMEER, or AMERE, a-m[=e]r', _n._ a title of honour, also of an independent ruler in Mohammedan countries. [Ar. _am[=i]r_. See ADMIRAL.]
AMELIORATE, a-m[=e]l'yor-[=a]t, _v.t._ to make better: to improve.--_v.i._ to grow better.--_n._ AMELIOR[=A]'TION, the condition of being made better: improvement or the means of such.--_adj._ AMEL'IORATIVE. [L. _ad_, to, and _melior_, better.]
AMEN, [=a]'men', or a'men', _interj._ so let it be!--_v.t._ to say amen to anything, to ratify solemnly. [Gr.--Heb. _[=a]m[=e]n_, firm, true.]
AMENABLE, a-m[=e]n'a-bl, _adj._ easy to be led or governed: liable or subject to.--_ns._ AMENABIL'ITY, AMEN'ABLENESS.--_adv._ AMEN'ABLY. [Fr.
_amener_, to lead--_a_ = L. _ad_, and _mener_, to lead--Low L. _min[=a]re_, to lead, to drive (as cattle)--L. _min[=a]ri_, to threaten.]
AMENAGE, am'e-n[=a]j, _v.t._ (_Spens._) to manage. [O. Fr. _amenager_. See MANAGE.]
AMENANCE, am'e-nans, _n._ (_Spens._) conduct, behaviour. [O. Fr.
_amenance_, from root of AMENABLE.]
AMEND, a-mend', _v.t._ to correct: to improve: to alter in detail, as a bill before parliament, often so fundamentally as to overthrow entirely the thing originally proposed.--_v.i._ to grow or become better.--_adjs._ AMEND'ABLE, AMEND'ATORY, corrective.--_n._ AMEND'MENT, correction: improvement: an alteration proposed on a bill under consideration: a counter-proposal put before a public meeting: a counter-motion.--_n.pl._ AMENDS', supply of a loss: compensation: reparation. [Fr. _amender_ for _emender_--L. _emend[=a]re_, to remove a fault--_e_, _ex_, out of, and _menda_, a fault.]
AMENDE, a-mend', _n._ a fine, penalty.--AMENDE HONORABLE, a public confession and apology made for any offence. [Fr. See AMEND.]
AMENITY, am-en'i-ti, _n._ pleasantness, as regards situation, climate, manners, or disposition. [Fr. _amenite_--L. _amoenitas_--_amoenus_, pleasant, from root of _am_-_[=a]re_, to love.]
AMENORRHOEA, AMENORRHEA, a-men-[=o]-r[=e]'a, _n._ absence of menstruation.
[From Gr. _a_, priv., _m[=e]n_, month, _roia_, a flowing.]
AMENTUM, a-men'tum, AMENT, am'ent, _n._ a scaly sort of spike, as of the willow: a catkin:--_pl._ AMEN'TA.--_adjs._ AMENT[=A]'CEOUS, AMEN'TAL. [L.
_amentum_, thong.]
AMERCE, a-m[.e]rs', _v.t._ to punish by a fine: to deprive of anything, or inflict loss upon.--_n._ AMERCE'MENT, a penalty inflicted--also AMERC'IAMENT. [O. Fr. _amercier_, to impose a fine--L. _merces_, wages, fine.]
AMERICAN, a-mer'ik-an, _adj._ pertaining to America, esp. to the United States.--_n._ a native of America.--_v.t._ AMER'ICANISE, to render American.--_n._ AMER'ICANISM, a custom, characteristic, word, phrase, or idiom peculiar to Americans: condition of being an American citizen: devotion to American institutions. [From _America_, so called unfairly from _Amerigo_ Vespucci, a navigator who explored a small part of South America seven years after the first voyage of Columbus.]
AMETHYST, a'meth-ist, _n._ a bluish-violet variety of quartz of which drinking cups used to be made, which the ancients supposed prevented drunkenness.--_adj._ AMETHYST'INE, [Gr. _amethystos_--_a_, neg., _methy-ein_, to be drunken--_meth[=u]_, wine, cog. with Eng. _mead_, Sans.
_madhu_, sweet.]
AMIABLE, [=a]m'i-a-bl, _adj._ lovable: worthy of love: of sweet disposition.--_ns._ AMIABIL'ITY, AM'IABLENESS, quality of being amiable, or of exciting love.--_adv._ AM'IABLY. [O. Fr. _amiable_, friendly--L.
_amicabilis_, from _amicus_, a friend; there is a confusion in meaning with O. Fr. _amable_ (mod. Fr. _aimable_), lovable--L. _amabilis_--_am-[=a]re_, to love.]
AMIANTUS, a-mi-ant'us, _n._ the finest fibrous variety of asbestos--it can be made into cloth which when stained is readily cleansed by fire.--Also AMIANTH'US. [Gr. _amiantos_, unpollutable--_a_, neg.,and _miain-ein_, to soil.]
AMICABLE, am'ik-a-bl, _adj._ friendly.--_ns._ AMICABIL'ITY, AM'ICABLENESS.--_adv._ AM'ICABLY. [L. _amicabilis_--_amicus_, a friend, _am-[=a]re_, to love.]
AMICE, am'is, _n._ a flowing cloak formerly worn by priests and pilgrims: a strip of fine linen, with a piece of embroidered cloth sewn upon it, worn formerly on the head, now upon the shoulders, by Roman Catholic priests in the service of the Mass. [O. Fr. _amit_--L. _amictus_, _amic-[)e]re_, to wrap about--_amb_, about, and _jac-[)e]re_, to throw.]
AMICE, am'is, _n._ a furred hood with long ends hanging down in front, originally a cap or covering for the head, afterwards a hood, or cape with a hood, later a mere college hood. [O. Fr. _aumuce_, of doubtful origin; but at any rate cog. with Ger. _mutse_, _mutze_, Scot. _mutch_.]
AMID, a-mid', AMIDST, a-midst', _prep._ in the middle or midst: among.--_adv._ AMID'MOST (_W. Morris_), in the very middle of.--_adv._ and _n._ AMID'SHIPS, half-way between the stem and stern of a ship, [_a_, on, and MID.]
AMIDE, am'[=i]d, _n._ one of the compound ammonias derived from one or more molecules of common ammonia, by exchanging one or more of the three hydrogen atoms for acid radicals of equivalent acidity.
AMINE, am'[=i]n, _n._ one of the compound ammonias, in which one or more of the three hydrogen atoms in ammonia are exchanged for alcohol or other positive radicals, or for a metal.
AMILDAR, am'il-dar, _n._ a factor or manager in India: a collector of revenue amongst the Mahrattas. [Hind. _'amald[=a]r_--Ar. _'amal_, work.]