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a. [ L. adeps, adipis, fat, grease. ] Of or pertaining to animal fat; fatty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Adipose fin (Zool.), a soft boneless fin. --
Adipose tissue (Anat.), that form of animal tissue which forms or contains fat. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The state of being fat; fatness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Controlled by an evil spirit or by evil passions; wild. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. not limited in use or function.
Syn. -- general-purpose. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. LL. antepositio. See Position. ] (Gram.) The placing of a before another, which, by ordinary rules, ought to follow it. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'a`nqrwpos man + -scopy. ] The art of discovering or judging of a man's character, passions. and inclinations from a study of his visible features. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'a`nqrwpos man + sofi`a wisdom, knowledge. ] Knowledge of the nature of man; hence, human wisdom. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. apo- + sematic. ] (Zool.) Having or designating conspicuous or warning colors or structures indicative of special means of defense against enemies, as in the skunk. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;, from &unr_; to be quite silent. ] (Rhet.) A figure of speech in which the speaker breaks off suddenly, as if unwilling or unable to state what was in his mind; as, “I declare to you that his conduct -- but I can not speak of that, here.” [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; from + &unr_; food. ] (Med.) Destroying the appetite, or suspending hunger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Apostasies [ OE. apostasie, F. apostasie, L. apostasia, fr. Gr. &unr_; a standing off from, a defection, fr. &unr_; to stand off, revolt; &unr_; from + &unr_; to stand. See Off and Stand. ] An abandonment of what one has voluntarily professed; a total desertion of departure from one's faith, principles, or party; esp., the renunciation of a religious faith; as, Julian's apostasy from Christianity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. apostata, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_;. See Apostasy. ] 1. One who has forsaken the faith, principles, or party, to which he before adhered; esp., one who has forsaken his religion for another; a pervert; a renegade. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (R. C. Ch.) One who, after having received sacred orders, renounces his clerical profession. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or characterized by, apostasy; faithless to moral allegiance; renegade. [ 1913 Webster ]

So spake the apostate angel. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

A wretched and apostate state. Steele. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. apostatare. ] To apostatize. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

We are not of them which apostate from Christ. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. apostaticus, Gr. &unr_;. ] Apostatical. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Apostate. [ 1913 Webster ]

An heretical and apostatical church. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Apostatized p. pr. & vb. n. Apostatizing. ] [ LL. apostatizare. ] To renounce totally a religious belief once professed; to forsake one's church, the faith or principles once held, or the party to which one has previously adhered. [ 1913 Webster ]

He apostatized from his old faith in facts, took to believing in &unr_;emblances. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ See Aposteme. ] To form an abscess; to swell and fill with pus. Wiseman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. apostematio: cf. F. apostémation. ] (Med.) The formation of an aposteme; the process of suppuration. [ Written corruptly imposthumation. ] Wiseman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or partaking of the nature of, an aposteme. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. apostema, Gr. &unr_; the separation of corrupt matter into an ulcer, fr. &unr_; to stand off: cf. F. apostème. See Apostasy. ] (Med.) An abscess; a swelling filled with purulent matter. [ Written corruptly imposthume. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ L. a (ab) + posterior latter. ] 1. (Logic) Characterizing that kind of reasoning which derives propositions from the observation of facts, or by generalizations from facts arrives at principles and definitions, or infers causes from effects. This is the reverse of a priori reasoning. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Philos.) Applied to knowledge which is based upon or derived from facts through induction or experiment; inductive or empirical. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F. apostille. See Postil. ] A marginal note on a letter or other paper; an annotation. Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. apostle, apostel, postle, AS. apostol, L. apostolus, fr. Gr. &unr_; messenger, one sent forth or away, fr. &unr_; to send off or away; &unr_; from + &unr_; to send; akin to G. stellen to set, E. stall: cf. F. apôtre, Of. apostre, apostle, apostele, apostole. ] 1. Literally: One sent forth; a messenger. Specifically: One of the twelve disciples of Christ, specially chosen as his companions and witnesses, and sent forth to preach the gospel. [ 1913 Webster ]

He called unto him his disciples, and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles. Luke vi. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The title of apostle is also applied to others, who, though not of the number of the Twelve, yet were equal with them in office and dignity; as, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. i. 1. In Heb. iii. 1, the name is given to Christ himself, as having been sent from heaven to publish the gospel. In the primitive church, other ministers were called apostles (Rom. xvi. 7). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The missionary who first plants the Christian faith in any part of the world; also, one who initiates any great moral reform, or first advocates any important belief; one who has extraordinary success as a missionary or reformer; as, Dionysius of Corinth is called the apostle of France, John Eliot the apostle to the Indians, Theobald Mathew the apostle of temperance. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Civ. & Admiralty Law) A brief letter dimissory sent by a court appealed from to the superior court, stating the case, etc.; a paper sent up on appeals in the admiralty courts. Wharton. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

Apostles' creed, a creed of unknown origin, which was formerly ascribed to the apostles. It certainly dates back to the beginning of the sixth century, and some assert that it can be found in the writings of Ambrose in the fourth century. --
Apostle spoon (Antiq.), a spoon of silver, with the handle terminating in the figure of an apostle. One or more were offered by sponsors at baptism as a present to the godchild. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office or dignity of an apostle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. apostolatus, fr. apostolus. See Apostle. ] 1. The dignity, office, or mission, of an apostle; apostleship. [ 1913 Webster ]

Judas had miscarried and lost his apostolate. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The dignity or office of the pope, as the holder of the apostolic see. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. apostolicus. ] (Eccl. Hist.) A member of one of certain ascetic sects which at various times professed to imitate the practice of the apostles. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. apostolicus, Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. apostolique. ] 1. Pertaining to an apostle, or to the apostles, their times, or their peculiar spirit; as, an apostolical mission; the apostolic age. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. According to the doctrines of the apostles; delivered or taught by the apostles; as, apostolic faith or practice. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of or pertaining to the pope or the papacy; papal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Apostolical brief. See under Brief. --
Apostolic canons, a collection of rules and precepts relating to the duty of Christians, and particularly to the ceremonies and discipline of the church in the second and third centuries. --
Apostolic church, the Christian church; -- so called on account of its apostolic foundation, doctrine, and order. The churches of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem were called apostolic churches. --
Apostolic constitutions, directions of a nature similar to the apostolic canons, and perhaps compiled by the same authors or author. --
Apostolic fathers, early Christian writers, who were born in the first century, and thus touched on the age of the apostles. They were Polycarp, Clement, Ignatius, and Hermas; to these Barnabas has sometimes been added. --
Apostolic king (or
majesty), a title granted by the pope to the kings of Hungary on account of the extensive propagation of Christianity by St. Stephen, the founder of the royal line. It is now a title of the emperor of Austria in right of the throne of Hungary. --
Apostolic see, a see founded and governed by an apostle; specifically, the Church of Rome; -- so called because, in the Roman Catholic belief, the pope is the successor of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles, and the only apostle who has successors in the apostolic office. --
Apostolical succession, the regular and uninterrupted transmission of ministerial authority by a succession of bishops from the apostles to any subsequent period. Hook. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an apostolic manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Apostolicity. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (R. C. Ch.) The diplomatic agent of the pope highest in grade, superior to a nuncio. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ } n. The state or quality of being apostolical. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ (1) L., fr. Gr. &unr_; a turning away, fr. &unr_; to turn away; &unr_; from + &unr_; to turn. (2) F., fr. L. apostrophus apostrophe, the turning away or omitting of a letter, Gr. &unr_;. ] 1. (Rhet.) A figure of speech by which the orator or writer suddenly breaks off from the previous method of his discourse, and addresses, in the second person, some person or thing, absent or present; as, Milton's apostrophe to Light at the beginning of the third book of “Paradise Lost.” [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) The contraction of a word by the omission of a letter or letters, which omission is marked by the character [ ' ] placed where the letter or letters would have been; as, call'd for called. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The mark [ ' ] used to denote that a word is contracted (as in ne'er for never, can't for can not), and as a sign of the possessive, singular and plural; as, a boy's hat, boys' hats. In the latter use it originally marked the omission of the letter e. [ 1913 Webster ]

The apostrophe is used to mark the plural of figures and letters; as, two 10's and three a's. It is also employed to mark the close of a quotation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to an apostrophe, grammatical or rhetorical. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t., [ imp. & p. p. Apostrophized p. pr. & vb. n. Apostrophizing. ] 1. To address by apostrophe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To contract by omitting a letter or letters; also, to mark with an apostrophe (') or apostrophes. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To use the rhetorical figure called apostrophe. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

a. (Anat.) Capable of being apposed, or applied one to another, as the thumb to the fingers of the hand; able to be brought into direct spatial opposition.
Syn. -- opposable [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ F. apposer to set to; &unr_; (L. ad) + poser to put, place. See Pose. ] 1. To place opposite or before; to put or apply (one thing to another). [ 1913 Webster ]

The nymph herself did then appose,
For food and beverage, to him all best meat. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To place in juxtaposition or proximity. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ For oppose. See Oppose. ] To put questions to; to examine; to try. [ Obs. ] See Pose. [ 1913 Webster ]

To appose him without any accuser, and that secretly. Tyndale. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Placed in apposition; mutually fitting, as the mandibles of a bird's beak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An examiner; one whose business is to put questions. Formerly, in the English Court of Exchequer, an officer who audited the sheriffs' accounts. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. appositus, p. p. of apponere to set or put to; ad + ponere to put, place. ] Very applicable; well adapted; suitable or fit; relevant; pat; -- followed by to; as, this argument is very apposite to the case. -- Ap"po*site*ly, adv. -- Ap"po*site*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. appositio, fr. apponere: cf. F. apposition. See Apposite. ] 1. The act of adding; application; accretion. [ 1913 Webster ]

It grows . . . by the apposition of new matter. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The putting of things in juxtaposition, or side by side; also, the condition of being so placed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Gram.) The state of two nouns or pronouns, put in the same case, without a connecting word between them; as, I admire Cicero, the orator. Here, the second noun explains or characterizes the first. [ 1913 Webster ]

Growth by apposition (Physiol.), a mode of growth characteristic of non vascular tissues, in which nutritive matter from the blood is transformed on the surface of an organ into solid unorganized substance. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to apposition; put in apposition syntactically. Ellicott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or relating to apposition; in apposition. -- n. A noun in apposition. -- Ap*pos"i*tive*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

Appositive to the words going immediately before. Knatchbull. [1913 Webster]

a. & adv. [ F. à propos; à (L. ad) + propos purpose, L. proposium plan, purpose, fr. proponere to propose. See Propound. ] 1. Opportunely or opportune; seasonably or seasonable. [ 1913 Webster ]

A tale extremely apropos. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. By the way; to the purpose; suitably to the place or subject; -- a word used to introduce an incidental observation, suited to the occasion, though not strictly belonging to the narration. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A post sunk in the ground to receive the bars closing a passage into a field. [ 1913 Webster ]