gramInaceæ, graminea

pl. [Lat. gramen, gen it. gram in ( is ) =gra , and fem. pl. adj. suff. -aceæ, -ea.] Bot.: Gra es. An order of endogens, alliance Glumales. It consists of evergreen herbs, a few of them reaching a great size and living for many years. The rhizoma is fibrous or bulbous; the stem, which is covered with a coat of oil, is cylindrical, generally fistular, closed at the joints but sometimes solid; the leaves are narrow and undivided; they are alternate with a split-sheath and a ligula or membranous expansion at the junction of the stalk and blade. The flowers, which are green, are in little spikes, called locustæ, arranged in racemes or panicles. Flowers formed of imbricated bracts, the outer ones called glumes, those within them palese, and the innermost ones scales. Glumes,two or five; paleæ, two, the outer one simple, the inner composed of two, united by their continuous margins, usually two-keeled; stamens generally three, rarely one; two, four, six, or more anthers, vers a tile; ovary, simple; styles, two or three, distinct, more rarely combined into one; seed, one, anatropal; generally undistinguishable from the membranous pericarp; albumen farinaceous. The order has a remote affinity to the Palms (Palmaceae), and a closer one to the Sedges (Cyperacea). Gra es occur in all countries and in nearly all situations. There are 250 genera, and about 4,500 species. They constitute about one-twentieth, if not even one-sixteenth, of all known plants. In individuals they transcend all other orders, but a genuine greensward pine, pit, sire, sir, marine; gō, pot, IMG:content-0691.png:[graphic] *grăm-mar, *grăm-mēr, v . i . [GRAMMAR. 8.] To discourse according to the rules of grammar. "She is in her Moods and her tenses: I'll grammer with you, And make a trial how I can decline you." *grăm-mateş, s. [ Gr.grammata , pl. of gramma =a letter.] Elements, first principles, or rudiments, as of grammar. "These apish boys, when they but task the grammates , The principles of theory, imagine They can oppose their teachers." grammatic , on analogy with poetaster , criticaster , .] Alow, petty grammarian; a pretender to the "He tells thee true, my noble Neophite; my little grammaticaster."-Ben Jonson: Poetaster , i. 2. *gram-mat-i-ca-tion, s . [Eng. grammatic ; -ation .] A rule or principle of grammar. gram-mat-1-çışm, s. [Eng. grammatic; -ism.] A point or principle in grammar. pa ive."- Leighton : Com . on 1 Peter ii. 25. gram-mat-1-çize, v. t . & i. [Eng. grammatic; "This was the very first attempt to embody, to arrange, or to grammaticize this language [the Celtic]."- Fuller : Worthies; Wales Generall. (Note.) B. In trans.: To display one's knowledge of gram- mar; to act the grammarian. "Grammaticizing pedantically, and criticising spur i- ously." -Bp. Ward. *grăm-ma-tist, s. [Gr. gramma tis tes .] A pre- tender to a knowledge of grammar. grăm-ma-tite, s. [Gr. gramma (gen it. gram- matos ) = a written character, a line.] Min.: The same as TREMOLITE (q. v.). IMG:content-0692.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0693.png:[blocks in formation] grănd, *graund, a . & s . [ Fr.grand =great, from Lat. grand is , from the same root as gravis =heavy; Sp. & Ital. grande .] A. As adjective : 1. Great, principal, chief. "Whom the grand foe with scornful eye askance, Thus answered." IMG:content-0694.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0695.png:[blocks in formation] 6. Worthy of admiration, noble, illustrious, admirable. 7. Noble; sublime; lofty; conceived or expre ed in noble or dignified language; as, a grand conception, a grand idea. 8. It is used principally in composition to denote ascent or descent of consanguinity; as, grandfather and grandson , grandmother and grandchild, ., more remote in descent. "Say first what cause Moved our grand parents in that happy state, Favored of Heaven so highly, to fall off From their Creator." B. As substantive: Milton: P. L. , i. 29. IMG:content-0696.png:[blocks in formation]