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a. [ L. abstergens, p. pr. of abstergere. ] Serving to cleanse, detergent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A substance used in cleansing; a detergent; as, soap is an abstergent. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To absterge; to cleanse; to purge away. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. abstersion. See Absterge. ] Act of wiping clean; a cleansing; a purging. [ 1913 Webster ]

The task of ablution and abstersion being performed. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. abstersif. See Absterge. ] Cleansing; purging. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Something cleansing. [ 1913 Webster ]

The strong abstersive of some heroic magistrate. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being abstersive. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

‖n. [ Gr. &unr_; not manifest + &unr_; a star. ] (Bot.) A provisional name for a plant which has not had its flowers botanically examined, and therefore has not been referred to its proper genus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, adjusts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. an insurance agent who examines claims against personal or property damage insurance policies and makes estimates and recommendations regarding the amount which should be paid to the policyholder. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Administered p. pr. & vb. n. Administering. ] [ OE. aministren, OF. aministrer, F. administer, fr. L. administrare; ad + ministrare to serve. See Minister. ] 1. To manage or conduct, as public affairs; to direct or superintend the execution, application, or conduct of; as, to administer the government or the state. [ 1913 Webster ]

For forms of government let fools contest:
Whate'er is best administered is best. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To dispense; to serve out; to supply; execute; as, to administer relief, to administer the sacrament. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Let zephyrs ] administer their tepid, genial airs. Philips. [ 1913 Webster ]

Justice was administered with an exactness and purity not before known. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To apply, as medicine or a remedy; to give, as a dose or something beneficial or suitable. Extended to a blow, a reproof, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

A noxious drug had been administered to him. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To tender, as an oath. [ 1913 Webster ]

Swear . . . to keep the oath that we administer. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Law) To settle, as the estate of one who dies without a will, or whose will fails of an executor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To manage; conduct; minister; supply; dispense; give out; distribute; furnish. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To contribute; to bring aid or supplies; to conduce; to minister. [ 1913 Webster ]

A fountain . . . administers to the pleasure as well as the plenty of the place. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) To perform the office of administrator; to act officially; as, A administers upon the estate of B. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Administrator. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to administration, or to the executive part of government. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a steroid having androgenic activity; obtained from the cortex of the adrenal gland. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. [ Anglo-Norman agistour. ] (Law) (a) Formerly, an officer of the king's forest, who had the care of cattle agisted, and collected the money for the same; -- hence called gisttaker, which in England is corrupted into guest-taker. (b) Now, one who agists or takes in cattle to pasture at a certain rate; a pasturer. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. alabaster, Gr. 'ala`bastros, said to be derived fr. Alabastron, the name of a town in Egypt, near which it was common: cf. OF. alabastre, F. albâtre. ] 1. (Min.) (a) A compact variety or sulphate of lime, or gypsum, of fine texture, and usually white and translucent, but sometimes yellow, red, or gray. It is carved into vases, mantel ornaments, etc. (b) A hard, compact variety of carbonate of lime, somewhat translucent, or of banded shades of color; stalagmite. The name is used in this sense by Pliny. It is sometimes distinguished as oriental alabaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A box or vessel for holding odoriferous ointments, etc.; -- so called from the stone of which it was originally made. Fosbroke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Aleconner. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'amfi` + 'asth`r a star. ] (Biol.) The achromatic figure, formed in mitotic cell-division, consisting of two asters connected by a spindle-shaped bundle of rodlike fibers diverging from each aster, and called the spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Geography) A large city which is an industrial center and the official capital of The Netherlands. Population (2000) = 724, 096.
Syn. -- Dutch capital, capital of The Netherlands [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Physiol., Chem.) any of a variety of synthetic derivatives or analogs of testosterone, which promote the increase of muscle mass and strength. The anabolic steroids are sometimes used by athletes to increase muscular strength so as to enhance their performance in competition. They have serious side effects, and the use of such compounds has been banned by many athletic regulatory committees. [ PJC ]

a. & n. See Antihysteric. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Counteracting hysteria. -- n. A remedy for hysteria. [ 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. [ OF. arblastere, OF. arbalestier. See Arbalest. ] A crossbowman. [ Obs. ] Speed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. arcuballistarius. Cf. Arbalister. ] A crossbowman; one who used the arcubalist. Camden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who arrests. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Scots Law) The person at whose suit an arrestment is made. [ Also written arrestor. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An assistant; a helper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aster aster, star, Gr. 'asth`r star. See Star. ] 1. (Bot.) A genus of herbs with compound white or bluish flowers; starwort; Michaelmas daisy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Floriculture) A plant of the genus Callistephus. Many varieties (called China asters, German asters, etc.) are cultivated for their handsome compound flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Biol.) A star-shaped figure of achromatic substance found chiefly in cells dividing by mitosis. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. a family of plants with heads composed of many florets, including the aster; daisy; dandelion; goldenrod; marigold; lettuces; ragweed; sunflower; thistle; zinnia.
Syn. -- Compositae, family Compositae, family Asteraceae, aster family [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; starred, fr. 'asth`r star. ] (Zool.) A genus of echinoderms. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Formerly the group of this name included nearly all starfishes and ophiurans. Now it is restricted to a genus including the commonest shore starfishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Asterias. ] Radiated, with diverging rays; as, asteriated sapphire. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'asteri`as + -oid. See Asterias. ] (Zool.) A class of Echinodermata including the true starfishes. The rays vary in number and always have ambulacral grooves below. The body is star-shaped or pentagonal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Asterioidea. -- n. A starfish; one of the Asterioidea. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. 'aste`rion starry. ] (Anat.) The point on the side of the skull where the lambdoid, parieto-mastoid and occipito-mastoid sutures. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., an asterisk. See Asterisk. ] (Anat.) The smaller of the two otoliths found in the inner ear of many fishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. asteriscus, Gr. &unr_;, dim. of 'asth`r star. See Aster. ] The figure of a star, thus, &unr_;, used in printing and writing as a reference to a passage or note in the margin, to supply the omission of letters or words, or to mark a word or phrase as having a special character. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, fr. 'asth`r star; cf. F. astérisme. ] 1. (Astron.) (a) A constellation. [ Obs. ] (b) A small cluster of stars. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Printing) (a) An asterisk, or mark of reference. [ R. ] (b) Three asterisks placed in this manner, &asterism_;, to direct attention to a particular passage. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Crystallog.) An optical property of some crystals which exhibit a star-shaped by reflected light, as star sapphire, or by transmitted light, as some mica. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to asterisms or constellations [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + stern. ] (Naut.) 1. In or at the hinder part of a ship; toward the hinder part, or stern; backward; as, to go astern. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Behind a ship; in the rear. “A gale of wind right astern.” De Foe. “Left this strait astern.” Drake. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bake astern, to go stern foremost. --
To be astern of the reckoning, to be behind the position given by the reckoning. --
To drop astern, to fall or be left behind. --
To go astern, to go backward, as from the action of currents or winds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. a- not + sternal. ] (Anat.) Not sternal; -- said of ribs which do not join the sternum. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; starlike, starry; 'asth`r star + e'i^dos form: cf. F. astéroïde. See Aster. ] A starlike body; esp. one of the numerous small planets whose orbits lie between those of Mars and Jupiter; -- called also planetoids and minor planets. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to an asteroid, or to the asteroids. [ 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. [ Gr. &unr_;, lit., lightning. ] 1. (Myth.) One of the Pleiades; -- called also Sterope. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. (Astron.) A double star in the Pleiades (21 k and 22 l Pleiadum, of the 5.8 and 6.4 magnitude respectively), appearing as a single star of the 5.3 magnitude to the naked eye. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Gr. 'asth`r star + fy`llon leaf. ] (Paleon.) A fossil plant from the coal formations of Europe and America, now regarded as the branchlets and foliage of calamites. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. a- + start; OE. asterten, asturten. ] To start up; to befall; to escape; to shun. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To escape. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]