Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/Addenda

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ADDENDA.


Acetone, a′sē-tōn, n. one of a class of carbon compounds in many respects similar to the aldehydes; also called Ketone. [From Acetic.]

Acierate, as′i-ėr-āt, v.t. to turn into steel.—n. Ac′ierage, the process of electroplating a metal with iron or steel. [Fr. acier, steel, L. acies, edge.]

Adiabatic, ad-i-a-bat′ik, adj. (physics) neither losing nor gaining heat: impassable to heat. [Gr. a, not, dia, through, batos, passable.]

Aëroplane, ā′e-rō-plān, n. a form of flying-machine: a small plane for aerostatic experiments. [Gr. aēr, air, L. planus, plain.]

Agar-agar, äg′ar-äg′ar, n. a nutrient jelly prepared from certain seaweeds, and used in the artificial cultivation of bacteria.

Albuminuria, al-bū-min-ū′ri-a, n. the presence of albumin in the urine: the disease producing this.

Altiscope, al′ti-skōp, n. an instrument containing several lenses and mirrors, so arranged that an observer can see beyond intervening objects.

Barranca, bar-ran′ka, n. a deep gorge, with steep sides.—Also Barran′co. [Sp. Am.]

Carbohydrate, kär′bō-hī-drāt, n. a compound of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, the last two being in the proportion to form water. [Carbon and Hydrate.]

Cirrhosis, si-rō′sis, n. a wasting of the proper tissue of an organ, accompanied by abnormal growth of connective tissue. [Gr. kirrhos, tawny.]

Electron, ē-lek′tron, n. a particle or corpuscle vastly more minute than anything heretofore contemplated by science—in mass about a thousandth part of that of a hydrogen atom; and identified with the charge of negative electricity with which it is indissolubly associated. [From the root of Electric (q.v.).]

Formalin, form′al-in, n. a powerful antiseptic and germicide.—Also Formal′dehyde (see Aldehyde).

Limerick, lim′ėr-ik, n. 'nonsense verse' in five-lined stanzas.

Litchi, lē′chē, n. a Chinese fruit: the tree on which it grows.

Mafficking, maf′fik-ing, n. noisy rejoicings of the mob. [From the scene in the streets of London when the news of the relief of Mafeking was received (1900).]

Malnutrition, mal′nū-trish′un, n. imperfect nutrition.

Marconigram, mar-cō′ni-gram, n. a message transmitted by 'wireless' telegraphy. [From Marconi, the inventor of the system, and Gr. gramma, that which is written.]

Mercerise, mėr′cėr-īz, v.t. to treat cotton so as to make it appear like silk. [From Mercer (1791-1866), the inventor of the process.]

Motor-garage, mō′tor-gär-äzh′, n. a depot where motor-cars are stored or repaired and provided with accessories. [Motor and Fr. garagegare, dock, railway station; from the High German root found in Aware (q.v.).]

Paraldehyde, pär-al′de-hīd, n. a colourless liquid, of disagreeable taste and smell, used to produce sleep (see Aldehyde).

Pogrom, pog-rom′, n. destruction: devastation: a lawless outburst involving injury to persons and property. [Russian.]

Producer-gas, pro-dū′sėr-gas, n. a mixture of hydrogen and carbon-monoxide diluted with nitrogen.

Radio-activity, rā′di-o-ak-tiv′i-ti, n. the power of producing photographic or electrical effects by a process identical with or analogous to radiation.

Radioscope, rā′di-o-skōp, n. an instrument for detecting radiation (see Radiant).

Röntgenise, runt′gen-īz (g hard), v.t. to treat by the Röntgen rays (see at X-rays under X).—ns. Röntgenog′raphy, photography by these rays; Röntgenol′ogy, the study of the rays; Röntgenos′copy, observation by means of them; Röntgenother′apy, healing by means of them.

Serendipity, sėr-en-dip′i-ti, n. a love for rare old books and other articles of virtu.—adj. appertaining to this. [Coined from Serendib, a character in the Arabian Nights who went about picking up odds and ends and piecing them together.]

Spinthariscope, spin-thär′i-skōp, n. an instrument devised by Sir W. Crookes for observing the scintillations produced in zinc sulphide by a small fragment of a radium compound placed near it. [Gr. spintharis, a spark, and skopein, to see.]

Sulphonal, sul′fō-nal, n. a chemical compound used as a hypnotic and anæsthetic, and derived in part from potassium sulpho-hydrate.

Taximeter, tak-sim′e-tėr, n. an instrument attached to cabs for indicating the fare due for the distance travelled. Sometimes (but wrongly) called Taxameter. [Fr. taxe, price, and Gr. metron, measure.]

Telegony, tel-eg′on-i, n. the transmitted influence of a male by whom a female has previously conceived upon her subsequent offspring by another male. [Gr. tēlē, at a distance, gonia, a begetting.]

Telescriptor, tel′e-skrip-tor, n. a machine for the purpose of sending messages over telegraph wires so that they appear in the handwriting of the sender when received. [Gr. tēlē, at a distance, L. scriptum, scribere, to write.]

Trional, trī′ō-nal, n. a drug used as a hypnotic, akin to sulphonal, but safer.

Veronal, ver′ō-nal, n. a drug used as a hypnotic, akin to trional.