ophidia

pl. [ Gr.ophis =a serpent.] 1. Zool .: Snakes; an order of the cla Reptilia, which is placed by Prof. Huxley in his division Sauropsida (q. v.). The body is always cylindrical and vermiform, covered with horny scales, but exo-skeleton. Vertebræ procœlous, with oud i ment ary transverse proce es. They have no sternum, pectoral arch, forelimbs, or sacrum; nor, as a rule, are traces of hinder limbs present, though they occasionally occu e. g., in Python (q. v.). Hooked conical teeth are always present, anchylosed with the jaw. [POISON-FANG.] The diminishing as the distance from the Equator in preeminently tropical, the species rapidly creases, and wholly ceasing before the Arctic or Antarctic Circle is reached. The cla ification is not fixed. According to Wallace, the order contains twenty-five families. There is another and natural division into three sub-orders: (1) Than a top hid i a (Venomous Snakes), with two groups, Proteroglyphia and Sole no glyph i a; (2) Colubriformes (Innocuous Colubriform Snakes); and (3) Typhlopide (Blind Snakes). undetermined. Known genera three or four. Number of species glo a=the tongue, which the frond of these ferns õph-1-0-glos-sum, s . [Pref. ophio- , and Greek resembles in form.] Bot .: The typical genus of the order Ophioglos- capsules spiked. Known species three or four. sacese (q.v.). The frond is ovate and simple, the Ophioglo um vulgatum is the Common Adder's Tongue. It has ovate, linear, or elliptic, oblong fronds, from six to nine inches long. Is found in damp pastures, on banks, in woods, ., and is in fruit from May to July. There are two sub-species, Ophioglo um vulgatum proper, and O. lusitanicum . *oph-1 og-ra-phy, s. [Pref. ophio- , and Greek serpents; ophiology. grapho to write, to describe.] A description of service, worship.] Serpent-worship (q. v.). õph-i-ol-a-try, s . [Pref. ophi- , and Gr. latreia be traced on into cla ic and barbaric Europe."-Tylor: "Thenceforth such direct examples of ophiolatry may Primitive Culture (1871), ii. 117. oph-i-o-lite, s. [Pref. ophio- , and Gr. lithos = stone.] Petrol.: A rock composed of serpentine mixed Hence Hunt divides it into (1) Dolomitic, (2) Mag- with more or le dolomite, magnesite, or calcite. nesitic, and (3) Calcitic Ophiolite, according to the each case. It is clouded green, veined with white particular one of the three minerals present in or pale green. Called also Verd-antique. ( Dana .) oph-1-8-log-ic, oph-1-8-log-Ic-al, adj . [Eng. ology. ophiolog(y); -ic, -ical.] Of or pertaining to ophi One who is versed in ophiology, or the natural his- oph-1-ol-o-gist, s. [English ophiolog ( y ); -ist .] tory of serpents. a discourse.] That branch of zoology which deals oph-1-01-ô-gỹ, s. [Pref. ophio- , and Gr. logos = with the natural history, cla ification, and descrip- tion of serpents. oph-1-ô-măn-çỹ, s. [Pref. ophio- , and Gr. man- teia =prophecy, divination.) A mode of divination as by their manner of eating, or by their coils. by the actions, appearance, or behavior of serpents, oph-1-ô-mor-pha, s . pl . [Pref. ophio- , and Gr. morphe form.] Zool .: The family Ceciliade (q. v.), which was form or vermiform amphibians, without limbs, anus raised to ordinal rank by Owen. They are serpent i terminal, the skin generally with horny scales im- bedded in it. Eyes rudimentary or absent. oph-1-o-morpho us, a . [OPHIOMORPH A.] Hav- ing the form of a serpent. õph-1-op-o-gon, s . [Pref. ophio- , and Gr. põgōn Bot .: The typical genus of the tribe Ophiopogo- nee (q. v.). They are from eastern Asia. oph-i-op-o-gō-ně-æ, s. pl . [Mod. Latin ophio- pogon; Lat. fem. pl. adj. suff. -eœ .] Bot.: A tribe of Liliaceӕ. oph-i-ops, s. [Pref. ophi- , and Gr.ops=the eye.] Zool.: A genus of Lizards, family Lacertidæ. They have no eyelids. Ophiops elegans is found at Smyrna. oph-i-or-rhi-za, s. [Pref. ophio- , and Gr. rhiza =a root.] Bot.: A genus of Hedyotide (q. v.), from India, Burmah, and A am. Ophiorrhiza mungos is so chin, bench; go, gem; thin, this; -tion, -sion = zhun, -tious, -cio us, called because it is said to be one of the plants which the Mungoose eats when bitten by a snake. It is popularly believed in India to be a remedy for ter that the Malays call it earth-gall. bites of snakes, mad dogs, . The plant is so bit- = wood.] õph-i-ox'--lon, s. [Pref. ophio- , and Gr. xylon sicians give the root of Ophioxylon serpentinum as Bot.: A genus of Car is sese. The Telugu phy- wolfia serpent in a . a febrifuge and an alexipharmic. Called also Rau- uride, ranging from Virginia to Florida. There is but one species, Ophisaurus ventral is . It is small, eight to forty inches. breakable, and límble . Length, from twenty- ordinance, the worshipers ki ed the serpent, and then sung a hymn of adoration to the Supreme Being, whom the serpent in Paradise, whom they identified with Christ, had make known to men. Called also Serpentarians. ( Mosheim , Neander . ) *o-phi-tēs, s. (Gr.] [OPHITE (1), B.] ophis =a serpent, and echo =to have.] Õph-i-u-chus, s. [Lat., from Gr. ophiouchos : stell at i on of the northern hemisphere. One of the Astron.: Serpentarius, the Serpent-bearer, a con- ancient asterisms, having Hercules on the north, has about eighty stars visible to the naked eye, the Scorpio on the south, and Serpens on the west. It chief being Ras Alague (q. v.). iferous, or at least from the Lias, till now 2. Palæont .: The genus occurs from the Carbon- oph-i-ür'-id, a . & s . [OPHIURID A.] A. As adj .: Belonging to or characteristic of the Ophiurid a (q. v.). Ophiurid."-Huxley: Anat. Învert. Anim . , p. 566. Latin ophiur (a); Latin fem. pl. adj. suff. -ide , or õph-i-ür-i-dæ, oph-i-ür-i-da, s. pl . [Mod. neut. -ida .] IMG:content-0306.png:[blocks in formation] strumous, or scrofulous, and chronic. The chief symptoms are redne of the eye, chemos is, or swelling, discharge of fluid and pus, intolerance of light, and frequently, in severe cases, spasmodic closure of the eyelids. When the cornea is involved, destruction of the eye and permanent lo of sight-as in diphtheria and small-pox, or from sand, ., as among the troops and natives in Egypt especially-is a common result. Treat- ment of the discharge by caustics and astringents is imperatively called for. oph-thăl-mic, a. [Gr. ophthalmikos , from oph- thalmos =the eye.] Pertaining or relating to the oph-thăl-mi-tis, s . [Gr. ophthalmos =the eye; Pathol.: Ophthalmia. ( Parr , .) oph-thăl-mo-, pref . [Gr. ophthalmos =the eye.] Relating to the eye. oph-thal-mo-dyn-I-a, s. [Pref. ophthalmo- , and Gr.odynē pain.] Pain, especially a rheumatic pain of the eye. of the eye in anatomical experiments. pa es for measuring the capacity of the chambers 2. Optics : An instrument invented by Helmholtz for ascertaining the true distance at which an ob- ject shall be viewed for the accommodation of each eye. It consists of two planes of gla at right angles to each other, and a sight-tube through which they and an object beyond them are viewed. By rotating the gla es on their common axis until the two images formed by reflection from their back surfaces coincide, the proper point of vision is ascer- tained. õph-thăl-mo-plěg-1-ą, s . [Pref. ophthalmo- , and Gr. plēgē =a stroke; plē ō =to strike.] Pathol .: Paralysis of one or more of the muscles of the eye. õph-thăl-mop-to-sis, s . [Pref. ophthalmo- , and Pathol.: Prolapse of the globe of the eye. IMG:content-0307.png:[blocks in formation] the eye, and of judging of it pathologically by means of an ophthalmoscope. 2. A branch of physiognomy which deduces the knowledge of a man's temper and character from the appearance of his eyes. ō'-pi-an-āte, s. [Eng. opian (ic); -ate .] Chem.: A salt of opianic acid. *ō'-pi-āne, s . [Eng., ., opi (um); suff. -ane.] Chem.: The same as NARCOTINE (q. v.). Derived from narcotine. ō-pi-ăn-Ic, adj . [Eng., ., opian ( e ); suff. -ic .) IMG:content-0308.png:[blocks in formation] 2. Fig .: Causing rest or inactivity; soothing. "Hermes, or his opiate rod." - Milton : P. L. , xi. 133. ō'-pi-āte, v . t . [OPIATE, 8.] 1. Lit .: To mix with opium. 2. Fig .: To lull to sleep. IMG:content-0309.png:[graphic] 2. Surg ., .: The extirpation of the eye. ō-pi-ăm-mōne, subst . [Eng. opi ( anic ), and am- cellent. amide of opianic acid, obtained by gently heating opianic acid with ammonia. It forms a pale-yellow crystalline powder, insoluble in cold water, unal- tered by dilute acids, but slowly decomposed by potash into pota ic opianate and ammonia. 2. Open to question or doubt; doubtful. "The manner is doubtful and opinable ." Chaucer: Remedie of Loue. *õ-pin-ant, s. [Eng. opin (e); -ant .] One who forms an opinion. Her.: An imaginary animal borne as a charge, having the head and wings of a griffin or eagle, a short tail like that of a camel, and the body of a lion. It is sometimes represented without wings. oro -pin-ion (1 as y), *o-pyn-y-oun, s. [Fr. opin ion , from Lat. opinionem , acc us. of opinio a suppo- sition, from opinor to suppose, to opine (q. v.); Sp. opinion ; Ital. opinione .] †A. In trans.: To think, to suppose, to imagine, to judge. *B. Trans.: To think of or about; to suppose. "An angry man, ye may opine , Was he. 1. That which is opined; a mental conviction of the truth of something, founded on evidence which is not sufficient to produce absolute knowledge or certainty; belief stronger than impre ion, le strong than positive knowledge. "I cannot put off my opinion so easily."- Shakesp .: Merry Wives of Windsor, ii. 1. "As far, however, as he could be said to have any opin- fons , his opinions were Whiggish." -Macaulay : Hist. Eng . , ch. xxiii. 4. Favorable judgment; estimation, esteem. *5. Credit, reputation. "Thou hast redeemed thy lost opinion ." Shakesp.: Henry IV., F. II., v. 4. "Pride, haughtine , opinion , and disdain." Shakesp.: Henry IV., Pt . I. , iii. 1. *7. Opinionativene , dogmatism; obstinancy in adhering to one's own opinions or notions. "Learned without opinion and strange without heresy." -Shakesp.: Love's Labor's Lost , v. 1. 8. The formal judgment or statement of views of a lawyer upon a case or point submitted to him. IMG:content-0310.png:[blocks in formation] o-pin-ion (i as y), v. t . [OPINION, 8.] To think, to suppose; to hold as an opinion. . "That the soul and the angels are devoid of quantity and dimension, is generally opinioned."- Glanvill : Scep- *o-pin-ion-at-ist (i as y), s. [Eng. opinion- at(e); -ist.] An opinionated person; one who ad- opinionist. heres obstinately to his own opinions or notions; an o-pin-ion-at-ive, a . [Eng. opinion at(e); -ive.] 1. Unduly and obstinately adhering to one's own opinions or notions; opinionated; fond of precon- ceived notions. The American Dictionary and Cyclopedia IMG:content-0312.png:[blocks in formation] Gr.gnathos=ajaw.] Anthrop.: (See extract). "Welcker distinguishes the extremely orthognathous 88 opisthognathous (or with retreating teeth), a distinction which does not seem to me quite justifiable."- Vogt : Lectures on Man (ed. Hunt), p. 53. *o-pis-thog-ra-phy, s. [Pref. opistho- , and Gr. grapho to write.] A writing upon the back of anything; espec., the act of writing upon the back of a leaf or sheet which is already written upon on one side. o-pis-thop-ter-æ, s. pl. [Pref. opistho-, and Gr. pteron a wing.] Ichthy.: A sub-family of Siluride established by Günther. They are small South American Siluroids, the majority of which inhabit water at an elevation of 14,000 feet above the sea-level. In the Andes the members of this sub-family replace the Loaches of the Northern hemisphere. o-pis-thot-Ic, a. [Pref. opistho-, and ous, (gen it. ōtos ) the ear.] Anat . ( Human & Compar .): Of or belonging to the posterior o ification of the auditory capsule, corresponding with the mastoid and part of the petrous bones in man. ( Huxley .) opisthotic-center, s. Anat.: A center of formation in the development of the temporal bone in the cranium. It surrounds the fenestra rotunda and the cochlea.