acrimony (akrimoni)

Sp. Pg. It. a crim on i a, Those milks [in certain plants) have all an acrimony , though one would think they should be lenitive. Bacon , Nat. Hist., §639. 2. Figuratively, sharpne or severity of temper; bitterne of expre ion proceeding from anger, ill nature, or petulance; virulence. Acrimony of voice and gesture. Bp . Hacket , Life of Abp. Williams. In his official letters he expre ed with great acrimony his contempt for the king's character and understanding. Macaulay , Hist. Eng., xii. Acrimony of the humors, an imaginary acrid change of the blood, lymph, etc., which by the humorists was conceived to cause many diseases. Dunglison. = Syn. 2. Acrimony, Asperity, Harshne , Severity, Tartne , Sour ne , Bitterne , Virulence, Rancor, acerbity, crabbedne , irascibility. (See harshne .) These words expre differ. ent degrees of severe feeling, language, or conduct, their signification being determined largely by their derivation and primary use. generally to language; it implies some wit or quickne of mind, and perhaps a willingne to display it. As tartne is the subacid quality of mind, so acrimony is its acidity; it is a biting sharpne ; it may or may not proceed from a nature permanently soured. Sourne is the Anglo-Saxon Tartne is the mildest term, applying for acrimony, with more suggestion of permanent quality sourne of look or language proceeding from a sour nature. Bitterne , which is founded upon a kindred figure, is sour ne with a touch of rancor; it is more positive and aggre ive. Sourne and bitterne contain le malignity than acrimony. Virulence rises to a high degree of malignity, and rancor to such a height as almost to break down self control; the whole nature is envenomed, rancid. These words are almost never applied to conduct; asperity and harshne , being founded upon a different figure, are naturally and often so applied; they convey the idea of rough ne to the touch. Asperity is the lighter of the two; it is often a roughne of manner, and may be the result of anger; most applicable to conduct, demands, etc., of all the list; it has sharper edge than harshne . Harshne is the it may proceed from insensibility to others' feelings or acrite (ak'rit), a. Same as acritan. acritical (a-krit'i-kal), a. [ From imperfect observation and the difficulty experienced in communicating intelligently with the Eskimo, I was unable to determine whether acritochromacy existed among them to any great extent. Arc. Cruise of the Corwin , 1881, p. 24. a. acritochromatic (akri-to-krō-mat'ik), [ [After F. acreté, ta (t-) s, ( acris, sharp: see acrid.] Sharpne ; keen severity; strictne . The acrity of prudence, and severity of judgment. A. Gorges , tr. of Bacon, De Sap. Vet., xviii. acro-. [L., etc., IMG:content-0200.png:[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small] a, case, containing caterpillar; b, cases in winter; c, head and thoracic joints of larva, enlarged; d , moth (the cro shows natural size). IMG:content-0201.png:[blocks in formation] walnut case-bearer, feeds upon walnut and hickory, fastenacrocephaly (ak-rō-sef'a-li), n. ing the leaves together and skeletonizing them from base tip. A. in dig in ell a (Zeller) is a common pest on apple- trees, and is known as the apple-leaf crumpler. acrobat (ak'rō-bat), n. [ acrobate = Sp. acróbato Pg. It. acrobat a (cf. NL. Acrobates ), ἀκρόβατος , walking on tiptoe, also going to the top, άκρον , the highest point, top, summit, neut. of ἄκρος , highest, topmost, + βατός , verbal adj. from βαίνειν , go, E. come, q. v.] 1. A rope- dancer; also, one who practises high vaulting, tumbling, or oth- erfeats of person- al agility.-2. A species of the ge- nus Acrobates . Acrobates rob a-tēz), [NL., Gr. as if * ἀκροβάτης , equiv. to ἀκρόβατος: see acrobat .] Agenus or subgenus of marsupial quad- rupeds of the fam- ily Phalangistidæ , peculiar to Aus- tralia. It is related to Petaurus , and in- cludes such pygmy petaurists as the opo um-mouse, Acro- bates pygmæus , one of the most diminutive of marsupials, being hardly larger than a mouse. Like various other so- called flying quadrupeds, the opo um-mouse is provided with a parachute. genus was by Desmarest acrobatic (ak-rō-bat'ik), a . [F. acrobat i que , ἀκρόβατος : see acrobat .] Of or pertaining to an acrobat or his performances: as, acrobatic feats; acro- batic entertainments. Made his pupil's brain manipulate the whole ex- traordinary catalogue of an American young lady's school curriculum, with acrobatic skill. acrobat i cal (ak-rō-bat'i-kal), a. Same as ac- robatic . [Rare.] acrobatically (ak-rō-bat'i-kal-i), adv . In the manner of an acrobat; with acrobatic skill or dexterity. acrobatism (ak'rō-bat-izm), n. [ acrobat + -ism.] The performance of acrobatic feats; the profe ion of an acrobat. Acrobrya (ak-rob'ri-ä), n . pl . [NL., neut. pl. of acrobryus : see acrobryous . Cf. Acramphibrya .] A used by as a cla name for plants growing at the apex only; the higher cryptogams: equivalent to acrogens. acrobryous (ak-rob'ri-us), a . [NL. acrobryus , βρύου , a flower.] In bot . , growing at the apex only; of the nature of Acrocarpi (ak-rō-kärpi), n. pl . [NL., pl. acrocarpus: see acrocarpous .] In bot ., a di- vision of the mo es, containing the genera in which the capsule terminates the growth of a primary axis. acrocarpous (ak-rō-kär'pus), a . [ pus , ἀκρόκαρπος , fruiting at the top, ἄκρος , at the end or top, + καρπός , fruit.] In bot . , hav- ing the fruit at the end or top of the primary axis: applied to mo es. IMG:content-0202.png:[blocks in formation] acrocephalic (ak rō-se-fal'ik or ak-rō-sef'a-lik), a. In ethnol ., pertaining to or characterized by acrocephaly; high-skulled: as, acrocephalic men a croc epha line (ak-rō-sef'a-lin), a . [ Acroce- phalus + -ine .] In ornith ., resembling a bird of the genus Acrocephalus in the character of the bill: said of certain warblers. Henry Seebohm. Acrocephalus (ak-rō-sef'a-lus), n. [NL., κεφαλή , head.] In ornith., a genus of birds founded by Nau- mann in 1811 to embrace old-world warblers of the subfamily Sylviinæ ; the reed-warblers. It is a well-marked group of 12 or 15 species, distinguished by a comparatively large bill, depre ed at base and acute at tip, with moderately developed rictal bristles, a very small spurious first primary, a rounded tail, and more or le uniform brownish plumage. It is related to Phyllos cop us , Locus tell a , Hypolais , etc. A typical species is the aquatic reed-warbler, A. aquatic us . Most of the species of this genus are migratory, and their molt is double. See Cala- modyta and reed - warbler . IMG:content-0203.png:[graphic] Acrochordus + idæ .] A family of viviparous ophidian rej reptiles of the aglyphodont or colu- brine division, ord in nocuous serpents. The typical genus is Acrochordus , containing A. javanicus , a large, stout-bodied, and very short-tailed serpent of Java, some 8 feet long, the entire body of which is covered with small granular or tubercular scales, not imbricated, as is usual in the order. With its sullen eyes and swollen jaws, it presents a very savage appearance. The family contains two other genera of wart-snakes, Chersydrus and Xenodermus . acrochordon (ak-rō-kôr'don), n.; pl. acrochor- dones (-dō-nēz). [L., άκροχορδών , a wart with a thin neck, ἄκρον , top, end, + χορδή , α string: see chord .] A small filiform fibroma- to us outgrowth of the skin, often becoming bulbous at the end; a hanging wart. Acrochordus (ak-rō-kôr dus), n. [NL., άκρον , top, end, + χορδή , a string: see acrochor- don.] A genus of wart-snakes typifying the family Acrochordida (which see). Hornstedt . Also written Acrocordus . Shaw. A croc in us (ak-rō-si'nus), n. [NL., ἄκρον , end, extremity, + κινεῖν , move.] A genus of longicorn beetles, of the family Cerambycidæ : so called by Illiger from having a movable spine on each side of the thorax. A. long i man us , the harlequin-beetle of South America, is the type. It is 24 inches long, with antennæ 5 and fore legs alone 4 inches in length. IMG:content-0204.png:[graphic] IMG:content-0205.png:[ocr errors] acrodont