Averment

[0. Fr. averement; L. Lat. ave ramentum.] That which is averred; affirmation; positive a ertion. -Verification; substantiation by evidence. "For averment of the continuance of some estate."- Bacon . (Law.) In pleading, a positive statement of facts, as opposed to an argumentative or inferential one. There must be an A. of every substantive material fact on which the party relies, so that it may be replied to by an opposite party. Aver'nian, a . Pertaining to Averno or Avernus. Averno, ( a - vair'no .) [Lat. avernus , without a bird.] A lake in the neighborhood of Naples, about 24 m. N.W. of Puzzuoli, and near the coast of Baiæ, the waters of which were so unwholesome and putrid, that no birds ever visited its banks. The ancients made it the entrance of hell, by which Uly es and Æneas descended into the lower regions. In the time of Virgil, a communication between it and the neighboring Lucrine lake was made by Agrippa; but, in 1538, the latter was filled by a volcanic eruption, when Monte Nuovo rose in its place, rendering the Averno again a separate lake. On its banks, instead of pestilential marshes, are now beautiful gardens and vineyards. The grotto of the Cumæan sibyl is still to be seen here. It may be observed, that all lakes whose stagnated waters were putrid and offensive to the smell, were indiscriminately called Averna . Averrhoa, n. [From averrhoes.] ( Bot .) A gen. of plants, order Oxalidacea . It consists of two species, both of which form small trees in the East Indies. They are remarkable for their leaves, which are pinnated, po e ing, in a slight degree, the kind of irritability found in the sensitive plant; and for their fleshy oval fruits with five thick longitudinal wings. - In the Carambola ( A. aciambola ), the leaves are smooth, the flowers of a violet purple, and the fruit about the size of a goose's egg; it is of a pale yellow color, and is said to be agreeably acid in the East Indies. The other species, called the Blimbing ( A. bilimbi ) , has downy leaves, and fruit resembling a small cucumber. The latter is intensely acid, and cannot be eaten raw. It is pickled or candied, or a syrup is obtained from it by boiling with sugar, and its juice is found an excellent agent for removing iron-moulds or other spots from linen. To the Malays it answers the same purposes as the citron, the gooseberry, the caper, and the cucumber of Europe. Averroes, or AVERRHO'ES. [Corrupted from EBN or IBV ROSHD OF RUSHD. A famous Arabian philosopher and physician, в. 1120. He succeeded his father in the chief magistracy of Cordova, capital of the Moorish dominions in Spain, was afterwards nominated chief judge in Morocco, and having there appointed deputies to his office, he returned to Spain. The liberality of his opinions, however, caused him to be persecuted by the more orthodox Moslems, and he was imprisoned; but after doing penance and making recantation, he was liberated. A. greatly admired Aristotle, and his commentaries on the writings of that philosopher procured for him the title IMG:content-0432.png:[graphic] Averrun'cate, AVERUN'CATE, v. a. [O. Fr. averron- quer; Lat. ab , and eruncare, to weed out.] To root up; to tear up by the roots. (R.) "Unle by providential wit, Or force, we averruncate it."-Butler. Averrunca'tor, n. See AVE RUN CAT OR. Aversa, ( a - vair'sa ,) a town of Italy, in the Terra di Lavoro, 10 m. S. of Capua. It is situate in a very fine plain. covered with vineyards and orange-trees, and is a sort of nursery for the artists and artisans of the king- dom. Its sweetmeats are in great repute in Naples. This place had formerly a castle, which served for an occasional palatial residence of the kings of Naples; it was replaced by a convent, in which Andreas of Hun- gary, the husband of Queen Joanna I., was strangled, in September, 1345. Pop . (1895) 21,173. Averse', a . [Lat. a versus , from aver to -ab, and ver to, to turn. Having a repugnance of mind to; having a feeling of disinclination, dislike, ill-will, hatred, or loath- ing towards; unfavorably inclined to. Aver's ion, n. [Fr. aversion ; Lat. aversio .] A turning away from; repugnance of mind; dislike; ill-will; hatred; antipathy; disinclination; reluctance; disgust. "He died of the slow fever call'd the tertian, And left his widow to her own aversion."-Byron. -Contrariety or antagonism of nature; applied to inani- mate substances. A'very's Gores, in Vermont , the name given to tracts of land granted to Samuel Avery in 1791. One of these forms the township of Avery Gore , in Franklin co., about 45 m. N. by W. of Montpelier. A'ves, plural of AVIS. Aves, ( ai'veer ) or BIRD ISLANDS, a small group of islands of the W. Indies, in the Le er Antilles, belonging to Holland. Lat. 15° 30′ N.; Lon. 63° 15′ W. The islands are named from the vast numbers of birds frequenting them. They are inhabited by a few fishermen only. Avesnes, ( a - vain ' ,) a fortified town of France, dep. of Nord, 50 m. S.E. of Lille. It is ill-built and dull. The cathedral has a spire 300 feet high. Here is made the cheese of Marolles. Pop. about 4,000. A'vestad, a town of Sweden, on the Dal, 35 m. S.E. of Falun. Here are extensive copper-smelting and iron works. Lat. 60° 7' N.; Lon. 16° 9 E. Aveyron, ( a - vai - rong ' ,) a dep. of France, separated from the Mediterranean by the dep. of Herault, between N. Lat. 43° 41′ 30′′, and 44° 55′ 25′′; and E. Lon. 1° 50′ 15′′ and 3° 26′. Area , 3,429 square miles. A. is one of the most mountainous dep. of France, a branch of the Ce- vennes pa ing through it. Soil , fertile in the valleys, but agriculture still in a backward state. Sheep are numer- ous. At Roque fort , the famous cheese known by that name, is made. The coal and iron mines of A. are among the most important in France. Manf. Cotton, hosiery, hats, leather, . - Principal Towns . Rhodez (cap. of the dep.), Milhau, Villefranche, Espalion, and St. Affrique. Pop . 400,070. This dep. takes its name from the river Aveyron, which rises near Severac-le-Château, and after a course of 90 m. falls into the Tarn, below Montauban. Fig . 250.- PALACE OF THE POPES. (Avignon.) from Lake Fucino. There is a castle here belonging to the Colonna family. Pop . 4,927. Avia'no, a town of N. Italy, 30 m. W. of Udine, near Monte Cavallo; pop . about 5,000. A'viary, n. [Lat. aviarium , from avis , a bird.] A build- ing or enclosure for keeping birds. A bird-cage is an A , on a small scale. Avicenna, (corruption of IBN SINA,) the most cele- brated of Arabian physicians, and the greatest Eastern philosopher of that race. B. at Afschena, in Bokhara, 980 A. D. In his 22d year he composed his great work the Canon of Medicine , which carried his name through Europe as well as Asia, and sustained his reputation for several centuries. He settled at Hamadan in Persia, at which court he was made vizier, and there composed his greatest production, the "Al-Schefa." D. 1037. - The philosophy of A. was the Peripatetic, although several elements are found in it which Aristotle would have dis- owned. He certainly inclined towards the Pantheism peculiar to the East. He also held firmly by the person- ality of the human soul, and its indestructibility apart from the body. History must award to A. the merit of having first explained to modern times the nature of the Stagyrite philosophy. Avicula, n. (Zool.) A genus of molluscs, fam. Avicu- lidæ , q. v. Avicular i a, n. ( Bot .) A name of the gen. POLYGO- NUM, q. v. "By averting them from their company."-Government of the Aviculidæ, n . pl . (PEARL-OYSTER FAMILY.) ( Zool .) A Tongue. Avert'er, n. One who, or that which averts. Av'ertin, n. [Fr., from Lat. avertere , to turn away.] ( Med . ) A disease of the mind, which renders the patient obstinate and furious. - Also a disease in sheep, like the vertigo. Averunca'tor, n. [See AVERRUNCATE.] ( Hort .) An in- strument for pruning from the ground, trees, whose branches are beyond reach; it operates by means of a level moved by a cord and pulley. An A. of large size cuts off easily branches of an inch and a half in diameter. The A. is also used for gathering fine fruits which when cut fall into a bas- ket attached to the in- strument when used for this purpose. IMG:content-0433.png:[blocks in formation] A'very's Creek, in North Carolina, a village of Buncombe co. family of the order Lamellibranch i ates , embracing aceph- alous molluscs which have the valves unequal and very oblique. They inhabit tropical and temperate seas, and yield the mother-o'-pearl and the Oriental pearls, so highly prized. There are about 100 living and 600 fo il species. - See PEARL. Av'id, a. [Fr. avide ; Lat. avid us , from avère , to long.] Greedy; eager; appetitive. Avid'uously, adv . Eagerly; greedily; insatiably. Avid'ity, n. [Fr. avid ité ; Lat. avid it as ; from aveo , to desire eagerly, to covet.] An eager desire for something; greedine ; strong appetite; eagerne ; desire; as, to seize with avidity . Aviga'to, n. See ALLIGATOR PEAR. Avigliana, (a- veel'ye -a-na,) a town of N. Italy, prov. of Turin, 14 m. W. of Turin. Manf. Cotton and silk. Pop . about 4.000. Avigliano, a town of S. Italy, prov. Potenza, 11 m. N.N.W. of the latter city. In 1824, a great land-slip de- stroyed much of the town. The surrounding country produces the finest oxen in Italy. Avignon-Berry, n. [From the city Avignon.] (Chem.) The common name of the fruit of the Rhamnus infec- tori us, saxatilis , and amygdalin us . It is a small berry, bitter, astringent, and of a yellowish-green color. It is used by dyers and painters for coloring yellow. Avignon, ( a - veen yong,) (anc. Avenio .) A celebrated city of France, cap. of the dep. of Vaucluse, on the left bank of the Rhone, 76 m. N.N.W. of Marseilles, on the railway to Paris. A. was for a long time the residence of the popes, and accordingly filled with convents, churches, ., many of which are now in decay. It is situated in a fine plain, and is surrounded by high walls, flanked with numerous towers. The promenades along the walls, and the quays along the river, are both very fine. The streets are, in general, narrow and gloomy. The ancient palace of the popes stands on the declivity of a rock. It is a Gothic building of different periods, and of vast extent, and now serves as a prison, military depôt, and barracks. The cathedral church of Notre Dame des Dons is very ancient, as is also the spire of the Church of the Cordeliers. The latter church contained the tomb of "Laura," immortalized by Petrarch. - Manf . Silk stuffs and velvets, woollen and cotton fabrics, . - A. existed before the Roman invasion, and afterward became a Roman colony. In 1309, Clement V. trans- ferred thither the abode of the popes, who continued to reside here till 1377, when they returned to Rome; but two schismatical popes, or popes elected by the French near the of the peninsula. Area , 4,917 sq. m. Desc. Level in the N., and mountainous in the 8.- Rivers. The Alberche, Adaja, and several smaller streams. - Prod . Grapes, mulberries, and other fruits, and the usual cereal i a. A great many sheep, pigs, and horned cattle are reared. - Min . Not plentiful; but sil- ver, copper, lead, iron, and coal are found and partially wrought.- Manf . Linen, silk, cloth, paper, earthen- ware, hardware, and leather. Pop . 133,000. AVIA, cap. of the above province, on the Adaja, 64 m. W.N.W. of Madrid. It was formerly a flourishing place. Рор . 6,970. Avila, JUAN DE, a celebrated Spanish preacher, com- monly called the "Apostle of And alus i a," was B. at Almo- davar del Campo in 1500. His mi ionary labors in An- dalusia were prosecuted with untiring zeal and singular succe , until he arrived at the age of 50, when, with a worn-out constitution, he was obliged to desist. D. 1569. His Cartas Espirituales ("Spiritual Letters") have been translated into most European languages. Avilla, in Indiana , a post-village of Noble co., 24 m. N. by W. of Fort Wayne. Avilla, in Mi ouri , a post-village of Jasper co. A'vim, or A'VITES, ( Scrip . ) were descendants of Canaan, (Gen. x. 17,) who occupied a portion of the coast of Palestine from Gaza towards the river of Egypt, but were expelled and almost destroyed by the invading Philis- tines or Caphtorim, before the time of Moses ( Deut.11.23 ). Some yet remained in the time of Joshua ( Josh . xiii. 3) They were idolaters, worshipping Nibhaz and Tartak, and are probably the same with the Hivites. A vin'culo matrimonii. [Lat., from the bond of matrimony.] A Latin sentence expre ing di olution of the marriage relation, or a total divorce. A'vis, n.; pl . AVES. [Lat., a bird.] ( Zool . ) See BIRD. Av'iston, in Illinois , a post-village of Clinton co., about 80 m. S. of Springfield. Avi'tus, MARCUS MECILIUS, an emperor of the West. He was of a Gaulish family in Auvergne, and gained the favor of Constant i us, the colleague of Honor i us, and of Theodoric, king of the Visigoths. He served with dis- tinct i on under Ætius, became prefect of Gaul, and con- cluded a favorable treaty with the Goths. He after- wards retired into private life until the invasion of Attila, when he induced the Goths to join the Romans against the common enemy. A. was proclaimed emperor in 455, took for his colleague Marc i an us, and D. the year following. Avo'ca, in Alabama , a village of Lawrence co. Avo'ca, in Illinois , a township of Livings ton co., on the S. Fork of Vermilion River, distant N.E. from Spring field 98 miles, and from Pontiac 10 miles south- IMG:content-0434.png:[blocks in formation] ( Law .) To render void. -v. i. ( Law . ) To become vacant, void, or empty. Avoidable, a . That may be avoided; liable to be annulled; susceptible to vacation. "The charters were not avoidable for the king's nonage."-Hale. Avoidance, n. Act of avoiding; shunning of a person or thing. -The state of being vacant; used specifically in an ecclesiastical sense; as, " Avoidance of St. Peter's chair." -The act of annulling; the course whereby anything is drained off. "For avoidances and drain ings of water, where there is too much, we shall speak of." - Bacon. ( Law . ) A making void, usele , or empty.