Amorphous

The opposite of the crystallized or definite form of a body. Charcoal is the amorphous, and diamond the crystalline state of carbon. This word extensively gains more and more currency in the sense of floating, or not yet compacted into a settled shape; shapele ; unformed; incompact; inchoate; incomplete; unordered; unarranged; floating. Amorphozo'a, n . pl . [Gr. a morphos , shapele .] ( Zool . ) A name given by some authors to living substances that have no regular internal structure, as the sponges. Amort', a . [Pref. a , and Fr. mort , death.] In the state of the dead; dejected; depre ed; spiritle . "How fares my Kate? what, sweeting, all amort ? "-Shaks. Amortization, Amortizement, n. [Fr. am or ti ement.] ( Eng . Law .) An alienation of lands in mortmain to any corporation or fraternity and their succe ors, i. e., to some community that never is to cease. Amor'tize, v . a . [Fr. amortir .] ( Eng . Law .) To alienate IMG:content-0215.jpg:[graphic] lands in mortmain. A'mos. [Heb., a burden.] The fourth of the ancient prophets; was a native of the town of Thekou, near Bethlehem. He was not a prophet's son, but a herdsman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit, and the Lord took him, as he followed the flock, to prophesy unto Israel. His prophecies were probably delivered between the years 798-784 B. c. The canonical authority of A. rests upon the internal character of his work, upon the united testimony of the Jewish and Christian churches and upon the use which the apostles made of him. (V.25, 26, in Acts vii. 42; Amos ix. 11, and in Acts xv. 16.) Amoskeag', in New Hampshire , a post-village of Hills borough co., 17 m. S. by E. of Concord, on the Merrimac river. Amo'tion, n. [From Lat. amovere, to remove.] ( Eng . Law.) A putting away; a removing; deprivation of po e ion. cated to him, where oracles were delivered. His death was revenged by his son, Alemæon. Amphib'ean, and Amphibial, n. One of the Amphibia. Amphibia, n. pl . [Gr. amphi , on both sides, and bios , life.] ( Zool .) Strictly speaking, the term Amphibia will apply only to such animals as have the power of living, indifferently, at the same time, either upon land or in water, yet in common conversation we are acc us- tomed to denominate seals, otters, beavers, ., besides many reptiles, amphibious, because their organization disposes them to resort either to the land or water for procuring food, or whose habits are at once terrestrial and aquatic. But this is by far too comprehensive a sense. Linnæus applied the term generally to the third cla of his system of zoology, which comprised not only all the animals since more properly denominated reptiles, such as the tortoises, lizards, serpents, and frogs, but likewise the cartilaginous fishes. It is now admitted, however, that Linnæus was not correct in this cla ification, and that a truly amphibious animal should po e the extraordinary double apparatus (lungs and gills at one and the same time) for extracting the prin- ciple which supports animal life indifferently from either element. It is only then to the genera Lepidosiren , Proteus, Siren, the Azolotl , and Me no branch us , that the term amphibious really applies, as these animals po e in reality both lungs and gills. Modern zoölogists, how- ever, use the name A. to designate all the animals cla ed by Cuvier, as an order of reptiles, under the name of Batrachians. - See BATRACHIA. A mph i biological, a . Belonging to amphibiol- A mph i biology, n. [Fr. a mph i bio logie , from Gr. amphibios , amphibious, and logos , discourse.] A treatise on amphibious animals. Amphibious, a . That which partakes of two na- tures, so as to live in two elements: as in air and wa- ter, like frogs, . It is often used metaphorically. "The amphibious character of the Greeks was already deter- mined; they were to be lords of land and sea." A'moy, a seaport town of China, prov. of Fo-kien; lat. 84° 10 N.; lon. 118° 10 E. Its port, commodious and secure, is one of the five opened to foreign trade in China. The town is built on an island of the same name, opposite Formosa. It is large; contains many public Amphibiousne , n. The quality of being able to buildings, and carries on a considerable trade. Pop . about 250,000. live in two elements. Amphibium, n. (Zool.) One of the amphibia , q. v. Amphibole, n. [Gr. a mph i bolos , equivocal.] ( Min .) A cla of minerals, consisting of many varieties. White A. is tremolite; compact A., corneine ; black A. is horn- blende; green A. is act i note. Oblique rhombic prisms, spec. grav. 2-92 to 3.48; very frangible, lustre vitreous. This mineral affords an example of isomorphism in a striking degree. Hornblende may be taken as an aver- age of its composition. Form . 4RO.3SiO3. Found in primary rocks. Amphibol'ic, a. Belonging to, or partaking of the nature of amphibola. Amphibolites, n. pl . ( Min .) Trap-rocks, with a basis of amphibole. bird, Ampelis Carol in ens is, of North America, where in Amphibologʻical, a. Ambiguous; doubtful. the fall, and beginning of summer, it becomes very Amphibologically, adv . Doubtfully; with a fat, and is then very much esteemed for the table. They Amphibology, n. [From Gr. amphi , on both sides, ballo , to throw, and logos , discourse.) ( Gram .) A loose manner of expre ion, whereby the sense may be con- strued into a double meaning. It has a similar applica- tion to phrases or sentences with the word equivocal , in respect to words. Amphibolous, a. To ing from one to another; as, "an amphibolous quarrel." Amphib'oly, n . [Lat. amphibolia .] Ambiguous dis- course; amphibology. (R.) Am'phibrach, and Amphib/rachys, n. [Gr. amphi , on both sides, and brachys , short.] ( Anc . Pros .) A foot of three syllables, the middle one long, the other two short; as, habere . Amphicar pæa, n . ( Bot . ) A gen. of plants, ord. Faba- cesa. The pea-vine, A. monoica , giving in Sept. a pale purple flower, is a very slender vine, found in woods and thickets of Canada and the United States. Amphicar'pic, a . [Gr. amphi , both ways, and kar- pos , fruit.] ( Bot .) Producing fruit of both kinds either as to form or time of ripening. Amphictyon, n. A member of the Amphictyonic council, q. v. Am'père, JEAN JACQUES, son of the above, a dist in- guished French historian and littérateur , was born at Lyons in 1800, and was a pupil of Cousin. In 1833, he became a profe or of the College of France, and was Amphictyon'ic, a. [Gr. amphiktyonikos .] Pertain- ing to the Council of the Amphictyons. Amphictyonic Council, one of the earliest in- stitutions in Greece, so called, it is said, from Amphic- tyon, son of Helenus. Grote says: "The belief of Æschi- nes was that it commenced simultaneously with the first foundation of the Delphic temple, an event of which we have no historical knowledge." Twelve tribes sent sacred deputies called Amphictyons, to this a ociation, which held two meetings every year, one at the temple of Apollo, at Delphi, in the spring, and the other at the temple of Ceres at Thermopylæ, in the autumn. They took into consideration all matters of disagreement which might exist between the different States of Greece. Their decisions were held sacred and inviolable, and even armies were raised to enforce them. The interference of the Amphictyons led to the first sacred war, B. c. 595. This council underwent various changes and vici i- tudes, although it survived the independence of the country; and, so late as the battle of Actium. B. c. 31, it retained enough of its ancient dignity to induce Au- gust us to claim a place in it for his new city of Nicopo- lis. Pausanias states that it existed in the second cen- tury of our æra. Amphictyony, n. [ Gr.amphiktyonia .] An a ocia- tion of several States for the promotion of common inter- ests. See AMPHICTYONIC COUNCIL. Amphig'amous, a. [Gr. amphi , on both sides, and gamos , marriage.] ( Bot . ) A term applied by De Candolle to those plants that have no traces of sexual organs. Amphig'ean, a. ( Geol .) Extending over all the zones, from the tropics to either polar zone. Am'phigene, n. ( Min .) See LEUCITE. Am'phi-hexahedral, a . [Gr. amphi , on both sides, and Eng. hexahedral .] ( Min .) Applied to a crystal, the faces of which, counted in two different directions, give two hexahedral outlines, or are found to be six in num- ber. Amphila, an island in the bay of the same name, in the Red sea. Lat. 14° N.; Lon. 40° 22′ E. Amphil'ogy, n. See AMPHIBOLOGY. Amphim'acer, n. [Lat. amp him a crus , from amphi , on both sides, and macros , long.] ( Anc . Pros.) A foot of three syllables, the middle one short, and the others long, as in Castītās. Fig . 113. THE COLOSSEUM, OR COLISEUM. (Rome.) ancient site of the gardens of Nero. It was commenced by Flavius Vespas i an, A. D. 72, and completed by his son Titus, and was capable of seating 87,000 persons, leaving standing-room for 20,000 more. It is recorded that 30,000 Jews, the victims of war, were employed in its construction. The ruins of several A. are still found in Italy and France, the most remarkable being those of Capua, Verona, Nîmes, Pola, and Pæstum. The principal parts of the A. were the arena , or place where the gladiators fought; cave a , or hollow place where the beasts were kept; podium , or projection at the top of the wall which surrounded the arena, and was a igned to the senators; gradus , or benches, rising all round above the podium; adit us , or entrances; and vomit or iæ , or gates which terminated the adit us.