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n. 1. a neurotransmitter released by the transmitting dendron at autononmous synapses and at neuromuscular junctions. It is a quaternary amine with an obligatory negative counterion. The nominal formula for the hydroxide form is C7H17NO3. Structural formula (CH3)3N(+)CH2CH2.O.CO.CH3.OH(-). Acetylcholine is the first recognized and best-studied of the neurotransmitters. At receptors it is recycled into choline by the action of acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors therefore function as nerve poisons. For biochemical studies it is prepared typically in the chloride or bromide forms. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. an enzyme which exists in nerve cells and hydrolyses acetylcholine into choline and acetic acid. It is essential for neurotransmission at autonomous synapses and neuromuscular junctions, and its inhibition by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors can paralyze or kill an animal.
Syn. -- ACE [ PJC ]

v. t. [ Like F. adoucir; fr. L. ad. + dulcis sweet. ] To sweeten; to soothe. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ So named after Aden, a seaport in Southern Arabia, where it occurs. ] (Med.) One of the numerous names of the lesion of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis. Called also Aleppo boil, Aleppo button, Aleppo evil, Bagdad boil, Biskra boil, Cochin China ulcer, Delhi boil, Jerico boil, Oriental boil, Oriental sore, Persian ulcer, tropical ulcer, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + AS ]

n. Same as Alcaid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Alkahest. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. Alcaïcus, Gr. &unr_;. ] Pertaining to Alcæus, a lyric poet of Mitylene, about 6000 b. c. -- n. A kind of verse, so called from Alcæus. One variety consists of five feet, a spondee or iambic, an iambic, a long syllable, and two dactyls. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp. alcalde, fr. Ar. al-qādī judge, fr. qada to decide, judge. Hence, the cadi of the Turks. Cf. Cadi. ] A magistrate or judge in Spain and in Spanish America, etc. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Sometimes confounded with Alcaid. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp. Alcaldía. ] The jurisdiction or office of an alcalde; also, the building or chamber in which he conducts the business of his office. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. See Alkalimeter. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp. alcana, alhe&unr_;a, fr. Ar. al-hinnā. See Henna, and cf. Alkanet. ] (Bot.) An oriental shrub (Lawsonia inermis) from which henna is obtained. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Alcarrazas. /plu> [ Sp., from Ar. al-kurrāz earthen vessel. ] A vessel of porous earthenware, used for cooling liquids by evaporation from the exterior surface. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ /mhw>, n. [ Sp. alcaide, fr. Ar. al-qāīd governor, fr. qāda to lead, govern. ] 1. A commander of a castle or fortress among the Spaniards, Portuguese, and Moors. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The warden, or keeper of a jail. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. Same as Alcaid. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ fr. Ar. al the + qacr (in pl.) a castle. ] A fortress; also, a royal palace. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., equiv. to Gr. &unr_;. See Halcyon. ] (Zool.) A genus of perching birds, including the European kingfisher (Alcedo ispida). See Halcyon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a genus of elk or moose.
Syn. -- genus Alces. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. alchimique. ] Of or relating to alchemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of alchemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. alquemiste, F. alchimiste. ] One who practices alchemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

You are alchemist; make gold. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Relating to or practicing alchemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

Metaphysical and alchemistical legislators. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Alchemy. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To change by alchemy; to transmute. Lovelace. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. alkemie, arquemie, F. alchimie, Ar. al-kīmīa, fr. late Gr. &unr_;, for &unr_;, a mingling, infusion, &unr_; juice, liquid, especially as extracted from plants, fr. &unr_; to pour; for chemistry was originally the art of extracting the juices from plants for medicinal purposes. Cf. Sp. alquimia, It. alchimia. Gr. &unr_; is prob. akin to L. fundere to pour, Goth. guitan, AS. geótan, to pour, and so to E. fuse. See Fuse, and cf. Chemistry. ] 1. An imaginary art which aimed to transmute the baser metals into gold, to find the panacea, or universal remedy for diseases, etc. It led the way to modern chemistry. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A mixed metal composed mainly of brass, formerly used for various utensils; hence, a trumpet. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Miraculous power of transmuting something common into something precious. [ 1913 Webster ]

Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a., n., a., n. See Alchemic, Alchemist, Alchemistic, Alchemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. A small South American dog, domesticated by the aborigines. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. Shortened forms of Alcoholate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. alcool, formerly written alcohol, Sp. alcohol alcohol, antimony, galena, OSp. alcofol; all fr. Ar. al-kohl a powder of antimony or galena, to paint the eyebrows with. The name was afterwards applied, on account of the fineness of this powder, to highly rectified spirits, a signification unknown in Arabia. The Sp. word has both meanings. Cf. Alquifou. ] 1. An impalpable powder. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The fluid essence or pure spirit obtained by distillation. [ Obs. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Pure spirit of wine; pure or highly rectified spirit (called also ethyl alcohol or ethanol, CH3.CH2.OH); the spirituous or intoxicating element of fermented or distilled liquors, or more loosely a liquid containing it in considerable quantity. It is extracted by simple distillation from various vegetable juices and infusions of a saccharine nature, which have undergone vinous fermentation. [ The ferementation is usually carried out by addition of brewer's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae to an aqueous solution containing carbohydrates. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

☞ As used in the U. S. “Pharmacopœia, ” alcohol contains 91 per cent by weight of ethyl alcohol and 9 per cent of water; and diluted alcohol (proof spirit) contains 45.5 per cent by weight of ethyl alcohol and 54.5 per cent of water. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Organic Chem.) A class of compounds analogous to vinic alcohol in constitution. Chemically speaking, they are hydroxides of certain organic radicals; as, the radical ethyl forms common or ethyl alcohol (C2H5.OH); methyl forms methyl alcohol (CH3.OH) or wood alcohol; amyl forms amyl alcohol (C5H11.OH) or fusel oil, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. alcolaie. ] (Chem.) A crystallizable compound of a salt with alcohol, in which the latter plays a part analogous to that of water of crystallization. Graham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. alcoolature. ] (Med.) An alcoholic tincture prepared with fresh plants. New Eng. Dict. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. alcolique. ] Of or pertaining to alcohol, or partaking of its qualities; derived from, or caused by, alcohol; containing alcohol; as, alcoholic mixtures; alcoholic gastritis; alcoholic odor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A person given to the use of alcoholic liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. Alcoholic liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. alcoolisme. ] 1. (Med.) Chronic excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages that leads to social, occupational, psychological and physiological problems. [ AS ]

2. (Med.) Psychological and physiological dependence on alcohol; sudden cessation of drinking may lead to withdrawal symptoms. [ AS + PJC ]

n. [ Cf. F. alcoolisation. ] 1. The act of reducing a substance to a fine or impalpable powder. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act rectifying spirit. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Saturation with alcohol; putting the animal system under the influence of alcoholic liquor. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Alcoholized p. pr. & vb. n. Alcoholizing. ] [ Cf. F. alcooliser. ] 1. To reduce to a fine powder. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To convert into alcohol; to rectify; also, to saturate with alcohol. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Alcohol + -meter. ] (Chem.) An instrument for determining the strength of spirits, with a scale graduated so as to indicate the percentage of pure alcohol, either by weight or volume. It is usually a form of hydrometer with a special scale. [ 1913 Webster ]

/mhw>, a. Relating to the alcoholometer or alcoholometry. [ 1913 Webster ]

The alcoholometrical strength of spirituous liquors. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The process or method of ascertaining the proportion of pure alcohol which spirituous liquors contain. [ 1913 Webster ]

n., , a. Same as Alcoholometer, Alcoholometric. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Alcoholometry. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The chemists say alcomètre, alcoomètrie, doubtless by the suppression of a syllable in order to avoid a disagreeable sequence of sounds. (Cf. Idolatry.) Littré. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ alcoran, fr. Ar. al-qorān, orig. the reading, the book, fr. qaraa to read. Cf. Koran. ] The Muslim Scriptures; the Koran (now the usual form). [ Spelt also Alkoran. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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

n. One who adheres to the letter of the Koran, rejecting all traditions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. alcôve, Sp. or Pg. alcoba, from Ar. al-quobbah arch, vault, tent. ] 1. (Arch.) A recessed portion of a room, or a small room opening into a larger one; especially, a recess to contain a bed; a lateral recess in a library. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A small ornamental building with seats, or an arched seat, in a pleasure ground; a garden bower. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any natural recess analogous to an alcove or recess in an apartment. [ 1913 Webster ]

The youthful wanderers found a wild alcove. Falconer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Halcyon. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. ] (Zool.) A group of soft-bodied Alcyonaria, of which Alcyonium is the type. See Illust. under Alcyonaria. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. pl. [ NL. ] (Zool.) One of the orders of Anthozoa. It includes the Alcyonacea, Pennatulacea, and Gorgonacea. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ L., pl. of Alcyon. ] (Zool.) The kingfishers. [ 1913 Webster ]