%lepi%

n. (Gr. & L. Pros.) A choriambic verse, first used by the Greek poet Asclepias, consisting of four feet, viz., a spondee, two choriambi, and an iambus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a widely distributed family of herbs and shrubs most with milky juice; examples are the milkweeds (genus Asclepias). [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. [ See Asclepias. ] (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, plants of the Milkweed family. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;, named from Asclepios or Aesculapius. ] (Bot.) A genus of plants including the milkweed, swallowwort, and some other species having medicinal properties. [ 1913 Webster ]

Asclepias butterfly (Zool.), a large, handsome, red and black butterfly (Danais Archippus), found in both hemispheres. It feeds on plants of the genus Asclepias. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'asth`r star + &unr_; scale. ] (Paleon.) A genus of fishes, some of which were eighteen or twenty feet long, found in a fossil state in the Old Red Sandstone. Hugh Miller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Tenpins) (a) A form of bowling pin slender and nearly straight like a candle. (b) The game played with such pins; -- in form candlepins, used as a singular. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. gyro`s round + lepi`s scale. ] (Paleon.) A genus of ganoid fishes, found in strata of the new red sandstone, and the lias bone beds. Agassiz. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. lepidus. ] Pleasant; jocose. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The joyous and lepid consul. Sydney Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) An organic base, C9H6.N.CH3, metameric with quinaldine, and obtained by the distillation of cinchonine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An order of fossil arborescent plants arising during the Lower Devonian and conspicuous throughout the Carboniferous.
Syn. -- order Lepidodendrales. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Paleon.) One of an extinct family of trees allied to the modern club mosses, and including Lepidodendron and its allies. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Paleon.) Allied to, or resembling, Lepidodendron. -- n. A lepidodendrid. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale + de`ndron tree. ] (Paleon.) A genus of fossil trees of the Devonian and Carboniferous ages, having the exterior marked with scars, mostly in quincunx order, produced by the separation of the leafstalks. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale + E. ganoid. ] (Zool.) Any one of a division (Lepidoganoidei) of ganoid fishes, including those that have scales forming a coat of mail. Also used adjectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale + -lite: cf. F. lépidolithe. ] (Min.) A species of mica, of a lilac or rose-violet color, containing lithia. It usually occurs in masses consisting of small scales. See Mica. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale + me`las, me`laina, black. ] (Min.) An iron-potash mica, of a raven-black color, usually found in granitic rocks in small six-sided tables, or as an aggregation of minute opaque scales. See Mica. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. lépidoptère. ] (Zool.) One of the Lepidoptera. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale + ptero`n a feather, wing. ] (Zool.) An order of insects, which includes the butterflies and moths. They have broad wings, covered with minute overlapping scales, usually brightly colored. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ They have a tubular proboscis, or haustellum, formed by the two slender maxillæ. The labial palpi are usually large, and the proboscis, when not in use, can be coiled up spirally between them. The mandibles are rudimentary. The larvæ, called caterpillars, are often brightly colored, and they commonly feed on leaves. The adults feed chiefly on the honey of flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Same as lepidopterous. [ PJC ]

n. An insect that in the adult state has four wings more or less covered with tiny scales; a lepidopterous insect.
Syn. -- lepidopterous insect, lepidopteron. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Zool.) One who studies the Lepidoptera. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An insect that in the adult state has four wings more or less covered with tiny scales.
Syn. -- lepidopterous insect, lepidopteran. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Lepidoptera. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See lepidopteral. [ PJC ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale + say^ros a lizard. ] (Zool.) A division of reptiles, including the serpents and lizards; the Plagiotremata. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale + seirh`n a siren. ] (Zool.) An eel-shaped ganoid fish of the order Dipnoi, having both gills and lungs. It inhabits the rivers of South America. The name is also applied to a related African species (Protopterus annectens). The lepidosirens grow to a length of from four to six feet. Called also doko. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Gr. lepidwto`s covered with scales, fr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale. ] (Bot.) Having a coat of scurfy scales, as the leaves of the oleaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. any fungus of the genus Lepiota. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. le`pisma peel, fr. lepi`s -i`dos, a scale. ] (Zool.) A genus of wingless thysanurous insects having an elongated flattened body, covered with shining scales and terminated by seven unequal bristles. A common species (Lepisma saccharina) is found in houses, and often injures books and furniture; it feeds on starch and eats sized paper and starched clothes. Called also shiner, silverfish, silver witch, silver moth, and furniture bug. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. [ Lepisma + -oid. ] (Zool.) Like or pertaining to the Lepisma. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A shelf that projects from the wall above a fireplace; a mantel; as, in England they call a mantelpiece a chimneypiece.
Syn. -- mantel, mantelpiece, mantle, chimneypiece. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Micro-, and Lepidoptera. ] (Zool.) A tribe of Lepidoptera, including a vast number of minute species, as the plume moth, clothes moth, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Geometry) A prism whose bases are parallelograms.
Syn. -- parallelopiped, parallelepipedon, parallelopipedon. [ WordNet 1.5 ]