%cata%

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'a priv. + &unr_; to seize, comprehend. ] Incomprehensibility of things; the doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;. ] Incapable of being comprehended; incomprehensible. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. capable of being allocated.
Syn. -- allocable, apportionable. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. (Med.) Efficacious against catarrh. -- n. An anticatarrhal remedy. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; chest, box. ] (Zool.) A division of Hydroidea in which the zooids are naked, or not inclosed in a capsule. See Tubularian. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Auto- + catalysis. ] (Chem.) Self-catalysis; catalysis of a substance by one of its own products, as of silver oxide by the silver formed by reduction of a small portion of it. -- Au`to*cat`a*lyt"ic a. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

n. a biochemical catalyst such as an enzyme. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. of or pertaining to a biocatalyst. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. caused by a biocatalyst. [ PJC ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; brachy`s short + &unr_; to leave off; cf. &unr_; incomplete. ] (Gr. & Last. Pros.) A verse wanting two syllables at its termination. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Gr. kata`. ] The Latin and English form of a Greek preposition, used as a prefix to signify down, downward, under, against, contrary or opposed to, wholly, completely; as in cataclysm, catarrh. It sometimes drops the final vowel, as in catoptric; and is sometimes changed to cath, as in cathartic, catholic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. cata + aptist. See Baptist. ] (Eccl.) One who opposes baptism, especially of infants. [ Obs. ] Featley. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. kataba`sion. ] A vault under altar of a Greek church. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See under Force. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. [ Formerly spelled katabolic. ] 1. Of or pertaining to catabolism; as, catabolic processes, which give rise to substances (katastates) of decreasing complexity and increasing stability. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

2. characterized by destructive metabolism; contrasted with anabolic. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the breakdown of more complex substances into simpler ones with release of energy, in living organisms; destructive or downward metabolism; -- a form of metabolism, opposed to anabolism. See also Disassimilation. [ Formerly spelled katabolism. ]
Syn. -- katabolism, dissimilation, destructive metabolism. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a genus of moths whose larvae are cutworms: underwings.
Syn. -- genus Catacala. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Pref. cata + caustic. ] (Physics) Relating to, or having the properties of, a caustic curve formed by reflection. See Caustic, a. Nichol. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physics) A caustic curve formed by reflection of light. Nichol. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. fr. Gr. &unr_; misuse, fr. &unr_; to misuse; kata` against + &unr_; to use. ] (Rhet.) A figure by which one word is wrongly put for another, or by which a word is wrested from its true signification; as, “To take arms against a sea of troubles”. Shak. “Her voice was but the shadow of a sound.” Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Belonging to, or in the manner of, a catachresis; constituting, characterized by or given to catachresis; wrested from its natural sense or form; forced; far-fetched. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Cat`a*chres"tic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

[A] catachrestical and improper way of speaking. Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; down + &unr_; to break. ] A breaking asunder; disruption. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adj. (Geol) running in the direction of the dip in surrounding rock strata; -- of valleys and rivers. Opposite of anaclinal. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. cataclysmos, Gr. kataklysmo`s, from &unr_; to dash over, inundate; kata` downward, against + &unr_; to wash or dash over: cf. F. cataclysme. ] 1. An extensive overflow or sweeping flood of water; a deluge. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Geol.) Any violent catastrophe, involving sudden and extensive changes of the earth's surface. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Of or pertaining to a cataclysm. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who believes that the most important geological phenomena have been produced by cataclysms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ It. catacomba, fr. L. catacumba perh. from Gr. kata` downward, down + ky`mbh cavity. ] A cave, grotto, or subterraneous place of large extent used for the burial of the dead; -- commonly in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The terms is supposed to have been applied originally to the tombs under the church of St. Sebastian in Rome. The most celebrated catacombs are those near Rome, on the Appian Way, supposed to have been the place or refuge and interment of the early Christians; those of Egypt, extending for a wide distance in the vicinity of Cairo; and those of Paris, in abandoned stone quarries, excavated under a large portion of the city. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having a slanted or oblique direction.
Syn. -- bias, catacorner, catercorner, cater-cornered, catty-corner, catty-cornered, diagonal, kitty-corner, kitty-cornered, oblique, skew, skewed, slanted. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Pref. cata + acoustics: cf. F. caraconstique. ] (Physics) That part of acoustics which treats of reflected sounds or echoes See Acoustics. Hutton.

a. [ Cata- + Gr. &unr_; a beating. ] (Physiol.) Designating, pertaining to, or characterized by, that form of pulse tracing, or sphygmogram, in which the descending portion of the curve is marked by secondary elevations due to two or more expansions of the artery in the same beat. -- Ca*tac"rotism n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

n. [ Cata- + dicrotism. ] (Physiol.) Quality or state of being catacrotic. -- Cat`a*di*crot"ic a. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

{ } a. [ Pref. cata + dioptric: cf. F. catadioptrique. ] (Physics) Pertaining to, produced by, or involving, both the reflection and refraction of light; as, a catadioptric light. Hutton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The science which treats of catadioptric phenomena, or of the used of catadioptric instruments. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. kata`dromos race course; kata` down + dro`mos course. ] 1. A race course. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mach.) A machine for raising or lowering heavy weights. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. kata` down + dro`mos a running. ] 1. (Bot.) Having the lowest inferior segment of a pinna nearer the rachis than the lowest superior one; -- said of a mode of branching in ferns, and opposed to anadromous. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Living in fresh water, and going to the sea to spawn; -- opposed to anadromous, and said of the eel. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ It. ] See Catafalque. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. It. catafalco, scaffold, funeral canopy; of uncertain origin; cf. Sp. catafalso, cadahalso, cadalso, Pr. casafalc, OF. chafaut. Cf. Scaffold. ] A temporary structure sometimes used in the funeral solemnities of eminent persons, for the public exhibition of the remains, or their conveyance to the place of burial. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_; fracture, fr. &unr_; to break in places; kata` down + 'agny`nai to break: cf. F. catagmatique. ] (Med.) Having the quality of consolidating broken bones. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A native of Cathay or China; a foreigner; -- formerly a term of reproach. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to Catalonia. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Catalonia; also, the language of Catalonia. [ 1913 Webster ]

Catalan furnace,
Catalan forge (Metal.), a kind of furnace for producing wrought iron directly from the ore. It was formerly much used, esp. in Catalonia, and is still used in some parts of the United States and elsewhere. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an enzyme found in most plant and animal cells that functions as an oxidative catalyst; it decomposes hydrogen peroxide into hydrogen and water. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of catalases. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. catalecticus, Gr. &unr_; incomplete, fr. &unr_; to leave off; kata` down, wholly + lh`gein to stop. ] 1. (Pros.) Wanting a syllable at the end, or terminating in an imperfect foot; as, a catalectic verse. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Photog. & Chem.) Incomplete; partial; not affecting the whole of a substance. Abney. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. [ NL. catalepsis, fr. Gr. &unr_; a seizure, fr. &unr_; to seize upon; kata` down + &unr_; to take, seize. ] (Med.) A sudden suspension of sensation and volition, the body and limbs preserving the position that may be given them, while the action of the heart and lungs continues. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. katalhptiko`s. ] Pertaining to, or resembling, catalepsy; affected with catalepsy; as, a cataleptic fit. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_;. See Catallactics. ] (Zool.) A division of Protozoa, of which Magosphæra is the type. They exist both in a myxopod state, with branched pseudopodia, and in the form of ciliated bodies united in free, spherical colonies. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. [ Gr. &unr_; to exchange; kata` wholly + &unr_; to change. ] The science of exchanges, a branch of political economy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. & v. Catalogue. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To insert in a catalogue; to register; to catalogue. [ R. ] Coles. [ 1913 Webster ]