ELGIN MARBLES. See MARBLE.
ELICIT, e-lis'it, _v.t._ to entice: to bring to light: to deduce.--_n._ ELICIT[=A]'TION. [L. _elic[)e]re_, _elicitum_.]
ELIDE, e-l[=i]d', _v.t._ to rebut: to cut off, as a syllable.--_n._ ELI'SION, the suppression of a vowel or syllable. [L. _elid[)e]re_, _elisum_--_e_, out, _laed[)e]re_, to strike.]
ELIGIBLE, el'i-ji-bl, _adj._ fit or worthy to be chosen: legally qualified: desirable.--_n._ (_coll._) a person or thing eligible.--_ns._ EL'IGIBLENESS, ELIGIBIL'ITY, fitness to be elected or chosen: the state of being preferable to something else: desirableness.--_adv._ EL'IGIBLY.
[Fr.,--L. _elig[)e]re_. See ELECT, _v.t._]
ELIMINATE, [=e]-lim'in-[=a]t, _v.t._ to thrust out: to remove, cancel: to leave out of consideration.--_adj._ ELIM'INABLE.--_n._ ELIMIN[=A]'TION. [L.
_elimin[)a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_e_, out, _limen_, _liminis_, a threshold.]
ELIQUATION, same as LIQUATION. See LIQUATE.
ELISION. See ELIDE.
ELITE, [=a]-l[=e]t, _n._ a chosen or select part: the best of anything.
[Fr. _elite_--L. _electa_ (_pars_, a part, understood). See ELECT, _v.t._]
ELIXIR, e-liks'[.e]r, _n._ more fully, ELIXIR VITae, or ELIXIR OF LIFE, a liquor once supposed to have the power of indefinitely prolonging life or of transmuting metals: the quintessence of anything: a substance which invigorates: (_med._) a compound tincture. [Low L.,--Ar. _al-iks[=i]r_, the philosopher's stone, from _al-_, the, _iks[=i]r_, prob. from Late Gr.
_x[=e]rion_, a desiccative powder for wounds--Gr. _x[=e]ros_, dry.]
ELIZABETHAN, e-liz-a-beth'an, _adj._ pertaining to Queen _Elizabeth_ (1533-1603) or her time--of dress, manners, literature, &c.--_n._ a poet or dramatist of that age.--ELIZABETHAN ARCHITECTURE, a name applied to the mixed style which sprang up on the decline of Gothic, marked by Tudor bow-windows and turrets decorated with classic cornices and pilasters, long galleries, enormous square windows, large apartments, plaster ceilings wrought into compartments, &c.
ELK, elk, _n._ the largest species of deer, found in the north of Europe and in North America.--IRISH ELK, a giant deer now extinct, known from the remains found in the Pleistocene diluvium, esp. of Ireland. [Perh. from the Scand., Ice. _elgr_, Sw. _elg_.]
ELL, el, _n._ a measure of length originally taken from the arm: a cloth measure equal to 1 yd.--_n._ ELL'WAND, a measuring rod.--GIVE HIM AN INCH AND HE'LL TAKE AN ELL, a proverb, signifying that to yield one point entails the yielding of all. [A.S. _eln_; Dut. _el_, Ger. _elle_, L.
_ulna_, Gr. _[=o]len[=e]_.]
ELLAGIC, e-laj'ik, _adj._ pertaining to gall-nuts.
ELLEBORIN, el'[=e]-b[=o]-rin, _n._ a very acrid resin found in winter hellebore.
ELLIPSE, el-lips', _n._ an oval: (_geom._) a figure produced by the section of a cone by a plane passing obliquely through the opposite sides.--_ns._ ELLIP'SIS (_gram._), a figure of syntax by which a word or words are left out and implied:--_pl._ ELLIP'S[=E]S; ELLIP'SOGRAPH, an instrument for describing ellipses; ELLIP'SOID (_math._), a surface every plane section of which is an ellipse.--_adjs._ ELLIPSOI'DAL; ELLIP'TIC, -AL, pertaining to an ellipse: oval: pertaining to ellipsis: having a part understood.--_adv._ ELLIP'TICALLY.--_n._ ELLIPTIC'ITY, deviation from the form of a circle or sphere: of the earth, the difference between the equatorial and polar diameters. [L.,--Gr. _elleipsis_--_elleipein_, to fall short--_en_, in, _leipein_, to leave.]
ELLOPS, el'ops, _n._ a kind of serpent or fish. [Gr.]
ELM, elm, _n._ a genus of trees of the natural order _Ulmaceae_, with serrated leaves unequal at the base, and small flowers growing in clusters appearing before the leaves.--_adjs._ ELM'EN, made of elm; ELM'Y, abounding with elms. [A.S. _elm_; Ger. _ulme_, L. _ulmus_.]
ELMO'S FIRE, el'm[=o]z f[=i]r, _n._ the popular name of an electric appearance sometimes seen like a brush or star of light at the tops of masts, spars, &c.--Also known as the Fire of St Elias, of St Clara, of St Nicholas, and of Helena, as well as _composite_ or _composant_ (_corpus sanctum_) on the Suffolk sea-board. [Explained as a corr. of _Helena_, name of the sister of Castor and Pollux, or of St Erasmus, a 3d-cent. bishop, Italianised as _Ermo_, _Elmo_.]
ELOCUTION, el-o-k[=u]'shun, _n._ the art of effective speaking, more esp.
of public speaking, regarding solely the utterance or delivery: eloquence.--_adj._ ELOC[=U]'TIONARY.--_n._ ELOC[=U]'TIONIST, one versed in elocution: a teacher of elocution. [Fr.,--L. _elocution-em_, _eloqui_, _eloc[=u]tus_--_e_, out, _loqui_, to speak.]
eLOGE, [=a]-l[=o]zh', ELOGIUM, [=e]-l[=o]'ji-um, ELOGY, el'o-ji, _n._ a funeral oration: a panegyric.--_n._ EL'OGIST, one who delivers an eloge.
[Fr. _eloge_--L. _elogium_, a short statement, an inscription on a tomb, perh. confused with _eulogy_.]
ELOHIM, e-l[=o]'him, _n._ the Hebrew name for God.--_n._ EL[=O]'HIST, the writer or writers of the Elohistic passages of the Old Testament.--_adj._ ELOHIST'IC, relating to Elohim--said of those passages in the Old Testament in which Elohim is used as the name for the Supreme Being instead of Jehovah. [Heb., pl. of _Eloah_--explained by Delitzsch as a plural of intensity.]
ELOIN, ELOIGN, e-loin', _v.t._ to convey to a distance, to separate and remove.--_ns._ ELOIN'MENT, ELOIGN'MENT. [O. Fr. _esloignier_ (Fr.
_eloigner_)--Low L. _elong[=a]re_. See ELONGATE.]
ELONGATE, e-long'g[=a]t, _v.t._ to make longer: to extend.--_p.adjs._ ELONG'ATE, -D.--_n._ ELONG[=A]'TION, act of lengthening out: distance. [Low L. _elong[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_e_, out, _longus_, long.]
ELOPE, e-l[=o]p, _v.i._ to escape privately, said esp. of a woman, either married or unmarried, who runs away with a lover: to run away, bolt.--_n._ ELOPE'MENT, a secret departure, esp. of a woman with a man. [Cf. Old Dut.
_ontl[=o]pen_, Ger. _entlaufen_, to run away.]
ELOQUENT, el'o-kwent, _adj._ having the power of speaking with fluency, elegance, and force: containing eloquence: persuasive.--_n._ EL'OQUENCE, the utterance of strong emotion in correct, appropriate, expressive, and fluent language: the art which produces fine speaking: persuasive speech.--_adv._ EL'OQUENTLY. [L. _eloquens_, _-entis_, pr.p. of _eloqui_.]
ELSE, els, _pron._ other.--_adv._ otherwise: besides: except that mentioned.--_advs._ ELSE'WHERE, in or to another place; ELSE'WISE, in a different manner: otherwise. [A.S. _elles_, otherwise--orig. gen. of _el_, other; cf. Old High Ger. _alles_ or _elles_.]
ELSIN, el'sin, _n._ (_Scot._) an awl. [From Old Dut. _elssene_ (mod.
_els_), from same root as _awl_.]
ELTCHI. Same as ELCHEE.
ELUCIDATE, e-l[=u]'si-d[=a]t, _v.t._ to make lucid or clear: to throw light upon: to illustrate.--_n._ ELUCID[=A]'TION.--_adjs._ EL[=U]'CIDATIVE, EL[=U]'CIDATORY, making clear: explanatory.--_n._ EL[=U]'CIDATOR. [Low L.
_elucid[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_e_, inten., _lucidus_, clear.]
ELUCUBRATION. Same as LUCUBRATION.
ELUDE, e-l[=u]d', _v.t._ to escape by stratagem: to baffle.--_adj._ EL[=U]'DIBLE.--_n._ EL[=U]'SION, act of eluding: evasion.--_adj._ EL[=U]'SIVE, practising elusion: deceptive.--_adv._ EL[=U]'SIVELY.--_n._ EL[=U]'SORINESS.--_adj._ EL[=U]'SORY, tending to elude or cheat: evasive: deceitful. [L. _elud[)e]re_, _elusum_--_e_, out, _lud[)e]re_, to play.]
ELUL, [=e]'lul, _n._ the 12th month of the Jewish civil year, and 6th of the ecclesiastical. [Heb.,--_alal_, to reap.]
ELUTRIATE, e-l[=u]'tri-[=a]t, _v.t._ to separate by means of water the finer particles of earth and pigments from the heavier portions.--_ns._ EL[=U]'TION, washing from impurity; ELUTRI[=A]'TION. [L. _elutri[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_, to wash out, _elu[)e]re_--_e_, out, _lu[)e]re_, to wash.]
ELVAN, elv'an, _n._ the miner's name in the south-west of England for a granular crystalline rock, composed of quartz and orthoclase, which forms veins associated with granite.--Also ELV'ANITE. [Prob. Corn. _elven_, spark.]
ELVAN, ELVES, ELVISH. See under ELF.
ELYSIUM, e-lizh'i-um, _n._ (_myth._) among the Greeks, the abode of the blessed after death: any delightful place.--_adj._ ELYS'IAN, pertaining to Elysium: delightful: glorious. [L.,--Gr. _[=e]lysion_ (_pedion_), the Elysian (plain).]
ELYTRUM, el'it-rum, _n._ the fore-wing of beetles, modified to form more or less hard coverings for the hind pair--also EL'YTRON:--_pl._ EL'YTRA.--_adjs._ EL'YTRAL; ELYT'RIFORM; ELYTRIG'EROUS. [Gr. _elytron_, a sheath.]
ELZEVIR, el'ze-vir, _adj._ published by the _Elzevirs_, a celebrated family of printers at Amsterdam, Leyden, and other places in Holland, whose small neat editions were chiefly published between 1592 and 1681: pertaining to the type used in their 12mo and 16mo editions of the Latin classics.--_n._ a special form of printing types.
EM, em, _n._ the name of the letter M: (_print._) the unit of measurement in estimating how much is printed on a page.
'EM, [.e]m, _pron._ him: (_coll._) them. [Orig. the unstressed form of _hem_, dat. and accus. pl. of _he_; but now used coll. as an abbreviation of _them_.]
EMACIATE, e-m[=a]'shi-[=a]t, _v.t._ to make meagre or lean: to deprive of flesh: to waste.--_v.i._ to become lean: to waste away.--_p.adjs._ EM[=A]'CIATE, -D.--_n._ EMACI[=A]'TION, the condition of becoming emaciated or lean: leanness. [L. _emaci[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_e_, inten., _maci[=a]re_, to make lean--_macies_, leanness.]
EMANATE, em'a-n[=a]t, _v.i._ to flow out or from: to proceed from some source: to arise.--_adj._ EM'ANANT, flowing from.--_ns._ EMAN[=A]'TION, a flowing out from a source, as the universe considered as issuing from the essence of God: the _generation_ of the Son and the _procession_ of the Spirit, as distinct from the origination of created beings: that which issues or proceeds from some source; EM'ANATIST.--_adjs._ EM'ANATIVE, EM'ANATORY, EMAN[=A]'TIONAL. [L. _eman[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_e_, out from, _man[=a]re_, to flow.]
EMANCIPATE, e-man'si-p[=a]t, _v.t._ to set free from servitude: to free from restraint or bondage of any kind.--_ns._ EMANCIP[=A]'TION, the act of setting free from bondage or disability of any kind: the state of being set free; EMANCIP[=A]'TIONIST, an advocate of the emancipation of slaves; EMAN'CIPATOR; EMAN'CIPIST, a convict who has served his time of punishment in a penal colony. [L. _emancip[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_e_, away from, _mancip[=a]re_, to transfer property--_manceps_, _-cipis_, one who gets property, from _manus_, the hand, _cap[)e]re_, to take.]
EMARGINATE, e-mar'jin-[=a]t, _v.t._ to take away the margin of.--_p.adj._ (_bot._) depressed and notched instead of pointed at the summit, as a leaf: (_min._) having all the edges of the primitive form crossed by a face: (_zool._) having the margin broken by a notch or segment of a circle.--_n._ EMARGIN[=A]'TION. [L. _emargin[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_e_, out, _margin[=a]re_, to provide with a margin--_margo_, a margin.]
EMASCULATE, e-mas'k[=u]-l[=a]t, _v.t._ to deprive of the properties of a male: to castrate: to deprive of masculine vigour: to render effeminate.--_ns._ EMASCUL[=A]'TION; EMAS'CUL[=A]TOR.--_adj._ EMAS'CUL[=A]TORY. [Low L. _emascul[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_e_, neg., _masculus_, dim. of _mas_, a male.]