n. [ Gr. 'a priv. + bi`os life + ge`nesis, origin, birth. ] (Biol.) The supposed origination of living organisms from lifeless matter; such genesis as does not involve the action of living parents; spontaneous generation; -- called also abiogeny, and opposed to biogenesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall call the . . . doctrine that living matter may be produced by not living matter, the hypothesis of abiogenesis. Huxley, 1870. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to abiogenesis. Ab`i*o*ge*net"ic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. (Biol.) One who believes that life can be produced independently of antecedent. Huxley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Produced by spontaneous generation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) Same as Abiogenesis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abstergens, p. pr. of abstergere. ] Serving to cleanse, detergent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A substance used in cleansing; a detergent; as, soap is an abstergent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'a`kros extreme, high + -gen. ] (Bot.) A plant of the highest class of cryptogams, including the ferns, etc. See Cryptogamia. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Age of Acrogens (Geol.), the age of coal plants, or the carboniferous era. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 pertaining to acrogens, flowerless plants (ferns or mosses) in which growth occurs only at the tip of the main stem.
Syn. -- acrogenous [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. (Bot.) Increasing by growth from the extremity; as, an acrogenous plant. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Adipose; -genous. ] (Med.) Producing fat. AS [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. See Astringent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; fire, light + -gen. ] (Chem.) A compound of nitrogen and boro&unr_;, which, when heated before the blowpipe, gives a brilliant phosphorescent; boric nitride. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. &unr_; unmarried ('a priv. + &unr_; marriage) + &unr_; reproduction. ] (Biol.) Reproduction without the union of parents of distinct sexes: asexual reproduction. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) Reproducing or produced without sexual union. -- Ag`a*mo*ge*net"ic*al*ly adv. [1913 Webster]

All known agamogenetic processes end in a complete return to the primitive stock. Huxley. [1913 Webster]

adv. & prep. See Again. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Agencies [ agentia, fr. L. agens, agentis: cf. F. agence. See Agent. ] 1. The faculty of acting or of exerting power; the state of being in action; action; instrumentality. [ 1913 Webster ]

The superintendence and agency of Providence in the natural world. Woodward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The office of an agent, or factor; the relation between a principal and his agent; business of one intrusted with the concerns of another. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The place of business of an agent. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An organization or business that provides some service, primarily for other organizations; as, an advertising agency. [ PJC ]

5. An administrative division of a government; as, a state welfare agency; a motor vehicle agency; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). [ PJC ]

Syn. -- Action; operation; efficiency; management. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Agendum. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a temporally organized plan for matters to be attended to.
Syn. -- docket, schedule [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

2. A list of matters to be discussed (as at a meeting).
Syn. -- agendum, docket, order of business [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. A motive or set of goals; as, to have one's own agenda; especially, a secret motive; also called hidden agenda; as, some of the news commentators themselves have an agenda.
Syn. -- goal, hidden motive, secret motive, hidden agenda. [ PJC ]

‖n.; pl. Agenda [ L., neut. of the gerundive of agere to act. ] 1. Something to be done; in the pl., a memorandum book; also, a list of items to be considered. See agenda. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A church service; a ritual or liturgy. [ In this sense, usually Agenda. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Agensis. ] (Physiol.) Characterized by sterility; infecund. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; birth. ] (Physiol.) Any imperfect development of the body, or any anomaly of organization. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; an engendering. ] (Physiol.) Impotence; sterility. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. agens, agentis, p. pr. of agere to act; akin to Gr. &unr_; to lead, Icel. aka to drive, Skr. aj. √2. ] Acting; -- opposed to patient, or sustaining, action. [ Archaic ] “The body agent.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who exerts power, or has the power to act; an actor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heaven made us agents, free to good or ill. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who acts for, or in the place of, another, by authority from him; one intrusted with the business of another; a substitute; a deputy; a factor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An active power or cause; that which has the power to produce an effect, such as a physical, chemical, or medicinal agent; as, heat is a powerful agent. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Biochem., Med.) a chemical substance having biological effects; a drug. [ PJC ]

a. Of or pertaining to an agent or an agency. Fitzed. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Agency. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aggenerare to beget in addition. See Generate. ] The act of producing in addition. [ Obs. ] T. Stanley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to the Albigenses. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. pl. [ From Albi and Albigeois, a town and its district in the south of France, in which the sect abounded. ] (Eccl. Hist.) A sect of reformers opposed to the church of Rome in the 12th centuries. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Albigenses were a branch of the Catharists (the pure). They were exterminated by crusades and the Inquisition. They were distinct from the Waldenses. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Alkarsin + oxygen. ] (Chem.) Same as Cacodylic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to allergens or allergenicity. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. causing an allergy or an allergic reaction. [ PJC ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;. ] Different in nature or kind. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. Alpes Alps + -gen. ] Growing in Alpine regions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. alun alum + -gen. ] (Min.) A white fibrous mineral frequently found on the walls of mines and quarries, chiefly hydrous sulphate of alumina; -- also called feather alum, and hair salt. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. ambo both + genus kind. ] Of two kinds. (Bot.) Partaking of two natures, as the perianth of some endogenous plants, where the outer surface is calycine, and the inner petaloid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Amide + -gen. ] (Chem.) A compound radical, NH2, not yet obtained in a separate state, which may be regarded as ammonia from the molecule of which one of its hydrogen atoms has been removed; -- called also the amido group, and in composition represented by the form amido. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. amnigena; amnis a river + root gen of gignere to beget. ] Born or bred in, of, or near a river. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'amfi` + -gen: cf. F. amphigène. ] (Chem.) An element that in combination produces amphid salt; -- applied by Berzelius to oxygen, sulphur, selenium, and tellurium. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Min.) Leucite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'amfi` + &unr_; generation. ] (Biol.) Sexual generation; amphigony. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Increasing in size by growth on all sides, as the lichens. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Amylum + -gen. ] (Chem.) That part of the starch granule or granulose which is soluble in water. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Amylum + genesis. ] The formation of starch. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to amylogen. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. Forming starch; -- applied specif. to leucoplasts. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ , n. } [ Gr. 'analgh`s painless. ] A crystalline compound used as an antipyretic and analgesic, employed chiefly in rheumatism and neuralgia. It is a complex derivative of quinoline. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. a hormone, such as testosterone or androsterone, that promotes development and maintenance of typical male sexual characteristics. They are mostly produced in the testes. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to androgens; having physiological effects like that of an androgen. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adj. 1. causing loss of appetite; as, an anorectic (or anorexigenic) drug.
Syn. -- anorectic [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. [ Anther + -genous. ] (Bot.) Transformed from anthers, as the petals of a double flower. [ 1913 Webster ]