LYME-GRASS, l[=i]m'-gras, _n._ any one of various coarse grasses of genus _Elymus_.
LYMPH, limf, _n._ water: a colourless or faintly-yellowish fluid in animal bodies, of a rather saltish taste, and with an alkaline reaction.--_n._ LYMPHANG[=I]'TIS (see WEED, 3).--_adj._ LYMPHAT'IC, pertaining to lymph.--_n._ a vessel which conveys the lymph.--_adjs._ LYMPH'Y, LYMPH'OID.
[L. _lympha_.]
LYMPHAD, lim'fad, _n._ (_Scot._) a kind of sailing-vessel.
LYNCH, linsh, _v.t._ to judge and punish without the usual forms of law.--_n._ LYNCH'-LAW (_Amer._), a kind of summary justice exercised by the people. [From Charles _Lynch_ (1736-96) of Virginia.]
LYNX, lingks, _n._ a genus of _Felidae_, with the body elevated at the haunches, long fur, a short tail, the ears tipped with tufts of hair.--_adjs._ LYNC[=E]'AN, LYNX'-EYED, sharp-sighted. [L.,--Gr.]
LYON COURT, l[=i]'un k[=o]rt, _n._ the court in Scotland with jurisdiction in questions of coat-armour and precedency--presided over by the LYON KING-OF-ARMS. [From the heraldic lion of Scotland.]
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LYRE, l[=i]r, _n._ a musical instrument like the harp, anciently used as an accompaniment to poetry.--_n._ LY'RA, one of the northern constellations.--_adjs._ LY'RATE, -D (_bot._), lyre-shaped.--_ns._ LYRE'BIRD, an Australian bird about the size of a pheasant, having the 16 tail-feathers of the male arranged in the form of a lyre; LYRIC (lir'-), a lyric poem: (_obs._) a composer of lyric poetry.--_adjs._ LYRIC, -AL (lir'-), pertaining to the lyre: fitted to be sung to the lyre: written in stanzas: said of poetry which expresses the individual emotions of the poet: that composes lyrics.--_ns._ LYRICISM (lir'-), a lyrical expression or composition; LYR'ISM, the art of playing on the lyre; LYR'IST, a player on the lyre or harp. [Fr.,--L. _lyra_--Gr.]
LYSIMETER, l[=i]-sim'e-t[.e]r, _n._ an instrument for measuring the rate of percolation of rain through a soil.
LYSIS, l[=i]'sis, _n._ the gradual abatement of a disease, as distinguished from crisis: (_archit._) a plinth or step above the cornice of the podium in an ancient temple. [Gr.]
LYSSA, lis'a, _n._ hydrophobia. [Gr.]
LYTERIAN, l[=i]-t[=e]'ri-an, _adj._ terminating a disease. [Gr.]
LYTHE, l[=i]_th_, _adj._ (_Spens._) pliant, flexible. [_Lithe_.]
LYTTA, lit'a, _n._ a longitudinal vermiform cartilaginous or fibrous band on the under surface of the tongue in carnivores--the 'worm' of a dog's tongue. [Gr.]
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M the thirteenth letter of the alphabet, belonging to the labio-nasal class of consonants. M=1000; [=M]=1,000,000.--M-ROOF, a roof formed by the junction of two common roofs, so that its end is like the letter M.
MA, ma, _n._ a childish contraction for _mamma_.
MA'AM, mam, _n._ a colloquial contraction of madam--vulgarly MARM, MUM.
MAB, mab, _n._ the name of a female fairy: the queen of the fairies--hence any fairy. [W. _mab_, child.]
MAB, mab, _v.t._ and _v.i._ (_prov._) to dress untidily.
MABINOGION, mab-i-n[=o]'ji-on, _n._ a collection of four Arthurian romances, embodied in the 12th century, embraced with seven other prose tales in the _Red Book_, or _Hergest_, a Welsh MS. of the 14th century--the whole published and translated by Lady Charlotte Guest in 1838. [W., 'children's tales.']
MAC, mak, a prefix in Scotch names, meaning _son_ (of). [Gael. and Ir.
_mac_, son; W. _map_, _mab_, also _ap_, _ab_.]
MACABERESQUE, ma-k[=a]-b[.e]r-esk', _adj._ pertaining to, or like, the Dance of Death. [Fr. _La Danse Macabre_, Low L. _Machabaeorum chorea_, the dance of the Maccabees, prob. because the seven brothers whose martyrdom is recorded in the 7th chapter of the 2d Book of Maccabees played an important part in the earliest form of the 14th-cent. drama on the subject.]
MACADAMISE, mak-ad'am-[=i]z, _v.t._ to cover, as a road, with small broken stones, so as to form a smooth, hard surface.--_ns._ MACAD'AM, macadamised pavement; MACADAMIS[=A]'TION. [From John Loudon _Macadam_ (1756-1836).]
MACAQUE, ma-kak', _n._ a monkey of genus _Macacus_, between baboons and the African mangabeys.
MACARISE, mak'a-r[=i]z, _v.t._ to bless, pronounce happy.--_adj._ MAC[=A]'RIAN, blessed.--_n._ MAC'ARISM, a beatitude. [Gr. _makar_, happy.]
MACARONI, mak-a-r[=o]'ni, _n._ a kind of paste or dough prepared from the glutinous granular flour of hard varieties of wheat, pressed out through a perforated vessel into long tubes, and then dried: a medley: something fanciful and extravagant: a fool: a fop:--_pl._ MACAR[=O]'NIS, MACAR[=O]'NIES.--_n._ MACARON'IC, a confused heap, a medley: a macaronic poem.--_adjs._ MACARON'IC, MACAR[=O]'NIAN, like a macaroni, trifling, affected: of a kind of burlesque verse, consisting of modern words Latinised, or Latin words modernised, intermixed with genuine Latin words.
[Old It. _maccaroni_--_maccare_, to crush.]
MACAROON, mak-a-r[=oo]n', _n._ a sweet biscuit made chiefly of almonds and sugar. [Fr.,--It. _maccaroni_ above.]
MACASSAR-OIL, ma-kas'ar-oil, _n._ an oil much used for the hair, imported from India and other Eastern countries. [From _Macassar_ in Celebes.]
MACAW, ma-kaw', _n._ a genus of large and beautiful birds with a long tail, found in tropical America, closely allied to the parrots. [Brazil.
_macao._]
MACCABEAN, mak-a-b[=e]'an, _adj._ pertaining to Judas _Maccabeus_, or to the _Maccabees_, an ancient Jewish family who rescued Judea from the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, about 166 B.C.--as related in two historical books of the Apocrypha.
MACE, m[=a]s, _n._ a staff used as a mark of authority: a light, flat-headed stick in use at billiards before the introduction of the bridge or cue-rest: formerly, a weapon of war, consisting of a staff headed with a heavy spiked ball of iron: a mallet used by a currier in dressing leather.--_n._ MACE'-BEAR'ER, one who carries the mace in a procession, or before men in authority--also MAC'ER. [O. Fr. _mace_ (Fr. _masse_)--obs. L.
_matea_, whence L. dim. _mateola_, a mallet.]
MACE, m[=a]s, _n._ a kind of spice: the second coat of the nutmeg. [O. Fr.
_macis_--L. _macer_--Gr. _maker_.]
MACERATE, mas'[.e]r-[=a]t, _v.t._ to steep: to soften by steeping: to make lean: to mortify.--_n._ MACER[=A]'TION, act of softening by steeping: mortification of the flesh by fasting and other severe modes of living. [L.
_macer[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_, to steep.]
MACHETE, ma-ch[=a]'t[=a], _n._ a heavy knife or cutlass used by the Cubans, &c. [Sp.]
MACHIAVELLIAN, mak-i-a-v[=e]l'yan, _adj._ destitute of political morality, following expediency rather than right: cunning, crafty, perfidious.--_n._ one who imitates Machiavel--more correctly, Niccolo _Machiavelli_--of Florence (1469-1527): any cunning and unprincipled statesman.--_n._ MACHIAVELL'IANISM, the principles taught by Machiavel, or conduct regulated by them: cunning statesmanship.
MACHICOLATION, mach-i-ko-l[=a]'shun, _n._ (_archit._) a projecting parapet or gallery with openings for pouring molten substances upon an attacking force below: the construction or use of such means of defence.--_adj._ MACHIC'OLATED. [Fr. _machicoulis_, from _mache_, mash, _coulis_, a flowing--L. _col[=a]re_, to filter.]
MACHINATE, mak'i-n[=a]t, _v.t._ to contrive skilfully: to form a plot or scheme, esp. for doing harm.--_ns._ MACHIN[=A]'TION, act of machinating or contriving a scheme for carrying out some purpose, esp. an evil one: an artful design or plot: MACH'INATOR, one who machinates. [L. _machin[=a]ri_, _-[=a]tus_--_mach[)i]na_.]
MACHINE, ma-sh[=e]n', _n._ any artificial means or contrivance: any instrument for the conversion of motion: an engine: a coach or conveyance of any kind: one who can do only what he is told: a contrivance in the ancient Greek theatre for indicating a change of scene, by means of which a god might cross the stage or deliver a divine message--whence the expression _Deus ex mach[)i]na_ for a sudden interposition of Providence: any literary contrivance for the development of a plot: supernatural agency in a poem.--_v.t._ to use machinery for, esp. to print or sew by such: to make by means of machinery.--_ns._ MACHINE'-GUN, a gun firing a great many shots one after the other, sometimes as many as 1000 per minute; MACHINE'-MAN, a man who manages the working of a machine, esp. in a printing-office; MACHIN'ERY, machines in general: the working parts of a machine: combined means for keeping anything in action, or for producing a desired result; MACHINE'-SHOP, a workshop where machines are made; MACHINE'-TOOL, an adjustable machine for doing work with cutting-tools, or one utilising minor tools, as a planing-, drilling-machine, &c.; MACHINE'-WORK, work done by a machine; MACHIN'IST, a constructor of machines: one well versed in machinery: one who works a machine. [Fr.,--L.
_mach[)i]na_--Gr. _m[=e]chan[=e]_, akin to _m[=e]ch-os_, contrivance.]
MACK'EREL, mak'[.e]r-el, _n._ a food fish, dark blue, with wavy cross-streaks above, and silvery below.--_n._ MACK'EREL-SKY, a sky with clouds broken into long, thin, white, parallel masses. [O. Fr. _makerel_ (Fr. _maquereau_), prob. from L. _macula_, a spot.]
MACKINTOSH, mak'in-tosh, _n._ a waterproof overcoat. [From Charles _Mackintosh_ (1766-1843), the inventor.]
MACKLE, mak'l, _n._ a spot or blemish in printing, by a double impression, wrinkling, &c.--_v.t._ to spot, blur.
MACLE, mak'l, _n._ a kind of twin crystal: a kind of _cross-stone_ or _hollow-spar_, called also _Chiastolite_, having the axis and angles of its crystals coloured differently from the rest.--_adj._ MAC'LED, spotted.
[Through Fr., from L. _macula_, spot.]
MACMILLANITE, mak-mil'an-[=i]t, _n._ an old name for a member of the Scottish sect of Cameronians or Reformed Presbyterians. [From John _Macmillan_, (1670-1753), the first ordained minister who associated himself with the 'suffering remnant.']