n. [ L. Alpes the Alps, said to be of Celtic origin; cf. Gael. alp a high mountain, Ir. ailp any huge mass or lump: cf. F. Alpes. ]
Nor breath of vernal air from snowy alp. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
Hills peep o'er hills, and alps on alps arise. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ The plural form Alps is sometimes used as a singular. “The Alps doth spit.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A bullfinch. Rom. of R. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Sp. alpaca, fr. the original Peruvian name of the animal. Cf. Paco. ]
a. Of or pertaining to the Alps. [ R. ] “The Alpen snow.” J. Fletcher. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains; specif., a reillumination sometimes observed after the summits have passed into shadow, supposed to be due to a curving downward (refraction) of the light rays from the west resulting from the cooling of the air. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
‖n. [ G.; Alp, gen. pl. Alpen + stock stick. ] A long staff, pointed with iron, used in climbing the Alps. Cheever. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ L. Alpestris. ]
n. [ L. alpha, Gr.
In am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Rev. xxii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]
Formerly used also denote the
☞ In cataloguing stars, the brightest star of a constellation in designated by Alpha (α); as, α Lyræ. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. alphabetum, fr. Gr. &unr_; + &unr_;, the first two Greek letters; Heb. āleph and beth: cf. F. alphabet. ]
The very alphabet of our law. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]
Deaf and dumb alphabet.
v. t. To designate by the letters of the alphabet; to arrange alphabetically. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A learner of the alphabet; an abecedarian. Abp. Sancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]
adv. In an alphabetic manner; in the customary order of the letters. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. The science of representing spoken sounds by letters. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. The expression of spoken sounds by an alphabet. Encyc. Brit. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
adj.
n.
. (Photog.) A sensitized paper for obtaining positives by artificial light. It is coated with gelatin containing silver bromide and chloride. [ Eng. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
. (Physics & Chem.) a particle emitted at high velocity from certain radioactive substances. It is identical to the helium nucleus, consisting of two protons and two neutrons. Rays of such particles are called alpha rays. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]
. (Physics & Chem.) Rays of relatively low penetrating power emitted by radium and other radioactive substances, and shown to consist of positively charged alpha particles (helium nuclei) having enormous velocities but small masses. They are slightly deflected by a strong magnetic or electric field. Compare
n. [ Gr. &unr_; barley meal + -mancy: cf. F. alphitomancie. ] Divination by means of barley meal. Knowles. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Alpha- + -ol as in alcohol. ] (Pharm.) A crystalline derivative of salicylic acid, used as an antiseptic and antirheumatic. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
a. Of or relating to Alphonso X., the Wise, King of Castile (1252-1284). [ 1913 Webster ]
Alphonsine tables,
a. [ L. Alpes Alps + -gen. ] Growing in Alpine regions. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ L. Alpinus, fr. Alpes the Alps: cf. F. Alpin. ]
n.
n. A climber of the Alps. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. auris ear + scalpere to scrape. ] An earpick. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. the Rock of Gibraltar, a limestone promontory at the southern tip of Spain; associated with Britain.
n. [ From the language of the Indians of Carolina, where Catesby discovered this tree in the year 1726. ] (Bot.) A genus of American and East Indian trees, of which the best known species are the Catalpa bignonioides, a large, ornamental North American tree, with spotted white flowers and long cylindrical pods, and the Catalpa speciosa, of the Mississipi valley; -- called also
a. [ L. Cisalpinus; cis on this side + Alpinus Alpine. ] On the hither side of the Alps with reference to Rome, that is, on the south side of the Alps; -- opposed to transalpine. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.
n. [ L. dens tooth + scalpere to scrape. ] An instrument for scraping the teeth. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Thermodynamics)A thermodynamic quantity equal to the internal energy of a system plus the product of its volume and pressure; “enthalpy is the amount of energy in a system capable of doing mechanical work”). [ WordNet 2.1 ]
v. i. To gape, ; to yawn. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
imp.
n. (Arch.) See Haut pas. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Cf. F. impalpabilité. ] The quality of being impalpable. Jortin. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ Pref. im- not + palpable: cf. F. impalpable. ]
adv. In an impalpable manner. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖n. [ Skr. ] (Hind. Myth.) One of the Brahmanic eons, a period of 4, 320, 000, 000 years. At the end of each Kalpa the world is annihilated. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Zool.) A labial palp. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
‖n.;
n. [ F. longipalpe, fr. L. longus long + F. palpe a feeler, a palp. ] (Zool.) One of a tribe of beetles, having long maxillary palpi. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Cf. Sp. mal, malo, bad, and país country. ] (Geol.) The rough surface of a congealed lava stream. [ Southwestern U. S. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]
‖n. [ NL. See Malpighian. ] (Bot.) A genus of tropical American shrubs with opposite leaves and small white or reddish flowers. The drupes of Malpighia glabra (formerly Malpighia urens) are eaten under the name of