Asparagus

[Gr. asparagos; Lat. asparagus: Fr. asperge.] (Bot. and Hort.) A genus of plants, tribe As parageæ. The common A., A. officinal is, concentrates in itself the chief interest of the genus. It is one of the most delicate, extensively diffused, and anciently used of culinary vegetables. It is usually boiled and served without admixture, and eaten with butter and salt: or the points of its shoots are cut into small pieces, and served in a manner similar to green peas. It has too delicate a flavor to be a mere ingredient in compound culinary preparations, or to admit, without detriment, of almost any vegetable accompaniment. The plant is thought to be diuretic, and is extensively employed as an alleviative of stone or gravel by the sedentary opегаtive cla es of Paris. It was in high esteem as a delicate esculent among the ancient Greeks and Romans, and it continues to be held in esteem by a large portion of the modern civilized world. It was much praised by Cato and Columella, and is said to have been highly relished by August us Cæsar. The plant usually grows to IMG:content-0366.png:[blocks in formation] Fig . 215. - соMMON ASPARAGUS, ( A. officinal is .) 1. Stem with fruit. 2. Flowers.-3. Young shoot, natural size. the height of about 4 feet, and blooms from June till August. Each flower consists of a calyx of 6 deeply-cut segments, -6 stamens, one very short style, with its stigma cut into 3 divisions, and a germen; and the fruit, which becomes developed from the last of these, is a scarlet globular berry, containing in its 3 cells one or more perfect seeds. The annual shoots for esculent use rise from the roots in the months of April till July, and are often obtained in winter, but usually in an imperfect condition, by various proce es of forcing. Two principal va rieties are in cultivation, - the red-topped, with reddishr green, full, and close heads, and the green-topped, with green heads, not so close and plump as those of the red-topped. The succe ful and highly artistic modes of cultivating A. , with the view to producing it in full perfection, are too numerous and complicated to be even mentioned here. The mode which is now in favor with the best gardeners, is to sow carefully selected seed in spring, once in several years for a single plantation; and when the plants are one year, or at most two years old, to transplant them into permanent beds; and to begin to cut off the annual shoots for esculent use in the 30 year fter transplantation. The seed-beds are usually 4 feet broad; the transplanted plants are generally in rows, at the distance of 9 inches from plant to plant, and of 12 or -a. Pertaining to, or resembling the aspen. "Oh! had the monster seen those lily hands Tremble like aspen leaves upon a lute."-Shaks. piastre; in Morocco and Algiers, 180 belong to a sequin. American value, about 11⁄2 cents. Aspergil'liform, a . ( Bot . ) Shaped as an aspergil- lum , or brush used to sprinkle holy water, as the stigmas of most gra es. Aspergillum, n. [L. Lat., from aspergo , to sprinkle; Fr. aspers our and aspergès . A kind of brush used in the Catholic Church to sprinkle holy water. (Zool.) The watering - pot shell , a genus of conchiferous or bivalve mollusca, fam. Gastrochænid a . The animal lives in a shelly tube, which is round, elongated, open above, where the siphonal end is generally ornamented with a series of ruffles, but closed below with a convex disc, which is perforated with numerous small holes, and having a minute fi ure. cetes. The A. glaucus is well known as producing the blue mould of cheese. It is only common on cheese, lard, bread, .; but what is curious, it is found in the lungs and air cavities of birds. It gives a value to cheese, and its color is often imitated by fraudulent dealers by sticking bra pins into the cheese, the verdigris formed from the pins giving it the color of mould. As per i foliate, Asperifo'lious, a. [Lat. asper, rough, and folium , a leaf.] ( Bot . ) That has rough leaves. Asper'ity, n. [Fr. aspérité ; Lat. as per it as , from asper , rough.] Roughne of surface; ruggedne ; unevenne . -Hence, by analogy, roughne of sound or taste; -and metaphorically, harshne and disagreeablene of feel ing, character, or manner; sharpne ; sourne ; morose- As'pern, a small village of Austria, on the Danube, about 2 m. from Vienna. Here, and in the neighboring village of E lingen, were fought the tremendous battles of the 21st and 22d May, 1809, between the French grand army commanded by Napoleon, and the Austrians under the Archduke Charles. The French, after this continu- ous fighting, with vast lo to both sides, were obliged to retreat, and occupy the island of Lobau. Asperse', v . a . [Lat. aspergo, aspers us, from ad, and spar go , to strew, to scatter; Gr. speiro , to sow.] To be- sprinkle with ill words or bespatter with slander; to calumniate; to befoul; to defy; to defame; to vilify. Aspers'er, n. One who asperses. Asper's ion, n. The act of aspersing; a sprinkling Asper's ory, a . Aspersive. (R.) Aspet'ti, TIZIANO, a sculptor of Padua, B. in 1565. His mother was the sister of Titian. A. was a pupil of San- sovino, and produced many beautiful works in marble Gr. a, priv., and sphallo , to surpa ; a flower not surpa ed in beauty. ( Bot .) A genus of plants, order Liliacea . They are fine garden-plants, native of S. Europe. The king's spear, A. lute us , is a plant of easy culture and rapid increase. Stem 3 ft. high, thickly invested with 3-cornered, hollow leaves. Flowers yellow, in a long spike, reaching from the top almost to the base of stem; blo oming in June. - The white or blanching asphodel, A. ramosus, is not so tall as the preceding, but has larger, white flowers. - The ancients planted A. near burying-places, in order to supply the manes of the dead with nourishment. "By those happy soule, who dwell In yellow meads of asphodel ." - Pope. phaltos ; probably from a , privative, and sphalo , to slip; from its use as a cement in ancient buildings.] ( Min , and Chem.) The Mineral Pitch , a variety of bitumen arising from the decomposition of vegetable matter. It is found in most parts of the world, and is the principal coloring matter of the dark indurated marl, or shale, found in coal districts. It occurs frequently floating on the sur- face of springs. There is one such in the island of Zante, which was at work in the time of Hero dot us, and continues so at the present time. Great quantities are found on the shores, or floating on the surface, of the Dead sea, whence its name of Asphaltites , or Asphaltic lake. It is also artificially prepared from bitumen, and is largely used in Europe, and more recently in America, as a material for paving. It has the advantage of being very easy to repair. The mineral A. is a mix- ture of different hydrocarbons, part of which are oxy- genated. Ordinarily, its character is thus: Amorphous. Lustre resembling that of black pitch. Color black and brownish-black. Bituminous odor. Melts in ordinary cases at 90° to 100° C., and burns with a bright flame. Mostly or wholly soluble in oil of turpentine, and partly in alcohol. The more solid kinds graduate into the pit- tasphalts, or mineral tar, and have through these a grad a- tion to petroleum. The fluid sorts change into the solid by the lo of a vaporizable portion on exposure, and also by a proce of oxidation, which consists. 1st, in a lo of hydrogen; and, 2dly, in the oxygenation of a portion of the ma . Comp. The A. from different lo- calities is very various in composition. Yet the true composition is not known to any one of them. A. belongs to rocks of no particular age. The most abundant de- posits are superficial. But these are generally, if not always, connected with rock deposits containing some kind of bituminous material, or vegetable remains. (CONTINUED IN SECTION II.) Asphaltic, a . Pertaining to asphalt, or containing it. Asphalt in, n. ( Chem .) A black substance di olved out of asphalt by oil of turpentine, insoluble in alcohol and Asphal'tites, Lake. See DEAD SEA. Asphal'tus, n. See ASPHALT, ASPHALTUM. -( Oil of ), or oil of spike. See LAVANDULA. Aspid'ium, n. [Gr. aspidion , a little buckler.] ( Bot .) A gen. of ferns, tribe Polypodeæ . The fronds of the species A. fragrans po e aromatic and slightly bitter properties, and have been used as a substitute for tea. Aspidu'ra, n . pl . [Gr. aspis , a shield, our a , tail.] ( Pal . ) A gen. of fo il star-fishes, so named from the buckler- like arrangement of the bony plates which protect the arms. They are peculiar to the muschelkalk of Germany, and are closely related to the existing ophiura. As'pinwall, in Nebraska , a post-village of Nemaha co., on the Mi ouri river, 10 m. from Brownville; pop . 835. As'pinwall (generally called COLON), a flourishing seaport of the Republic of Colombia, situate on the small island of Manzanilla, in Navy Bay, Gulf of Mexico. This town was founded in 1852 by the American Com- pany who formed the Isthmus of Panama Railroad, and named A. in honor of Col. Asp in wall, one of the original promotors. It was ceded to the railroad company in per- petuity by the government of New Granada. A. is the terminus, on the Atlantic side, of the above-mentioned line, 48 m. long, which terminates on the S. at Panama, on the Pacific. This route, connecting as it does the two great oceans, has been termed the highway of the world. A. is a handsome, well-built town, and is the terminus of the inter-oceanic ship canal projected by the French engineer, Ferdinand de Le eps, and prose- cuted with vigor for a number of years. The company organized for this purpose in 1880, purchased the Panama railroad in 1881 as an aid in the work, and did a vast amount of excavating, but was finally forced to abandon the enterprise on account of the enormous cost. There is a light-house on its point, but the harbor, though commodious, is quite open to the "norther," that scourge of the Mexican gulf. Steamers touch here from various ports in Europe and America, and from its commanding position as a place of transit, A. benefits by the traffic, in both directions. A. is sit. 8 m. N. E. of the old Spanish fort of Chagres As'pirate, v. a. [Fr. aspirer , from Lat. aspiro, asp i- ratus . See ASPIRE.] To pronounce with a breathing, or full emi ion of breath. -v. n. To be pronounced with full breath. As'pirate, a. Pronounced with a full breath. -n. A letter to whose articulation the force of a rough breathing is given. IMG:content-0367.jpg:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-0368.png:[blocks in formation] "Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell, Aspiring to be angels, men rebel."- Pope . "To aspire after immortality."-Atterbury. Aspir'er, n. One who aspires. Aspiring, a. Ambitious; having an ardent desire to rise to eminence. Aspir'ingly, adv . In an aspiring manner. Aspir'ingne , n. State of being ambitious; eager desire to rise to eminence. As'plenites, n . pl . [See ASPLENIUM.] ( Pal .) A genus of fo il ferns, containing a number of species, bearing a general resemblance to the recent genus Asplenium . Most of them are found in the mines of Silesia. A , n. [A.S. a a; Lat. asinus; Gr. onos; Heb. athon , from the last syllable of which the Greek appears to have been formed; Fr. ane .] Figuratively, a dull, heavy, stupid fellow; a dolt. (Zool.) The common name of the Equus asinus , a well- known and the humblest species of the Horse family. The common a is a most useful domestic quadruped, whose good qualities are too generally undervalued by us in consequence of our po e ing a more noble and powerful animal in the horse; but, as Buffon remarks, if the horse were unknown, and the care and attention which we lavish upon him were transferred to his hum- ble and despised rival, both his physical and moral qual- ities would be developed to an extent, which those per- sons alone can fully estimate who have travelled through Eastern countries, where both animals are equally valued. In his domesticated state, we observe no superior marks of sagacity; but he has the merit of being patient, en- during, and inoffensive; temperate in his food, and by no means delicate in the choice of it; eating thistles and a variety of coarse herbage which the horse refuses. In his choice of water, however, he is remarkably nice, and will drink only of that which is clear. His general ap- pearance, certainly, is very uncouth; and his well-known voice, it must be confe ed, is a most discordant succes- sion of flats and sharps - a bray so hideous as to offend even the most unmusical ear. The a is believed to be a descendant of the wild a inhabiting the mountain- ous deserts of Tartary, ., (by some naturalists called the onager, and supposed to be identical with the Per- sian koulan ,) and celebrated in sacred and profane his- tory for the fiery activity of its disposition, and the fleetne of its course. But, in the state of degradation to which for so many ages succe ive generations have been doomed, the a has long since become proverbial for stolid indifference to suffering, and for unconquerable obstinacy and stupidity. From the general resemblance between the a and the horse, it might naturally enough be supposed that they were very closely allied, and that one had degenerated; they are, however, perfectly dis- tinct; there is that inseparable line drawn, that barrier between them, which Nature provides for the perfection and preservation of her productions, their mutual off- spring, the mule, being incapable of reproducing its kind. The best breed of a es is that originally derived from the hot and dry regions of Asia; at present, perhaps, the best breed in Europe is the Spanish; and very valuable a es are still to be had in the southern portion of the American continent, where, during the existence of the Spanish dominion, the breed was very carefully attended to. In truth, wherever proper attention has been paid to improve the breed by cro ing the finest specimens, he is rendered nearly if not quite equal to the horse for most purposes of labor; while on hilly and precipitous roads he is decidedly better adapted from his general habits and formation. The most common color of the a is a mouse-colored gray, with a black or blackish stripe, extending along the spine to the tail, and cro ed by a similar stripe over the shoulders. The female goes with young eleven months, and seldom produces more than one foal at a time; the teeth follow the same order of appearance and renewal as those of the horse. A es' milk has been long celebrated for its sanative properties; invalids suffering from debility of the digestive and a imilative functions make use of it with great advan- tage; and to those also who are consumptive it is very generally recommended. The wild a ( Equus hemionus ), called koulan or ghor - khur by the Persians, stands much higher on its limbs than the common a ; its legs are Come sit thee down upon this flowery bed, While I thy amiable cheeks do coy, And stick musk-roses in thy fair, large head, And ki thy fair, large ears, my gentle joy." The sting of pa ion's recoil he makes the consciousne of being made 'egregiously an a ;' and 'write me down an a ' is the adjuration of official obtusene . The adjectives he applies to modify the term are sign if i cant; thus we have a secure, a mad, a virtuous, a tender, a Trojan, a valiant, an affectionate, and a preposterous a . In Parini's Animal i Parlanti he is an important personage; and how the vivacious reiteration in the Bar- ber of Seville haunts the memory 'and a jacka was your father!' Titania was enamored of one, and Cra us is said to have laughed only once in his life, and that was at an a eating thistles; while in our day he is the central figure of Guerrazzi's elaborate political allegory. When the rhetorical gave place to the natural school of poetry, in Britain, and bards went back to the simple in expre ion and the elemental in life, seeking to reveal the charms of familiar things and to show that the hum- blest objects, regarded with sympathy and reverence, had in them some benign attraction; while Words worth took a pedlar or an idiot-boy for his hero, and sang of childhood and the meanest thing that lives,' - Cole ridge thus apostrophized a young a : The starving meal, and all the you sand aches, Which patient merit of the unworthy takes?' Whereupon Byron. in his fierce attack on the minstrels and critics of the day, declares, as the consummation of his satire, that none IMG:content-0369.png:[graphic] trast to that described in Sterne's chapter, in the ' Sen- timental Journey' of the 'Dead A ,' so unwarrantably satirized by Thackeray. - Nor has he (the a ) lacked eulogists among human observers. 'L'âne,' says George Sand, 'est sage et plein de raisonnements. No animal enjoys such constant health. He never blushes for his race, but is proud thereof. He has not only to bear the physical burdens imposed by man, but the moral weight of his follies, of which fable makes him the invariable victim. His two most ridiculed defects-long ears and a di onant bray - are the provisions of Nature, whereby, in his native wilderne , he heard his enemies afar off, and gave shrill notice thereof to his distant comrades. 'How trusty, when you come to a steep, rocky place,' says a grateful traveller, they put their steady little feet exactly in the right spot, and carry you safe; but on free roads nibble at gra , and amuse themselves, care- le of their riders, -a philosophic proceeding that shows donkey discrimination between busine and plea- sure, and the time and place for each. L'âne,' says A aʼmoosick, in Virginia , a P.O. of Southampton co. As-Sa'maani, ABU-S-AD-ABDUL-KERIM-IBN-ABI-BEKR MOHAMMED AT-TEMIMI-AL-MERWAZI, surnamed KAWWA- MUDDIN ("the pillar of the faith"), a celebrated Moslem writer, author of a history of Bagdad, a history of Meru, and a work on Genealogy; B. at Meru, 1113; D. 1166. A amar', n . [Lat. a ure , to roast, and amarus , bitter.] (Chem.) This name was given by Reichenbach to the peculiar bitter substance produced when gum, sugar, starch, gluten, meat, bread, ., are roasted in the air till they turn brown. According to Reichenbach, A. is a yellow transparent solid; but according to Völcker, it is a reddish-yellow syrupy liquid, which does not solidify till it begins to decompose. It is extremely hygroscopic, and di olves in water in all proportions. The aqueous solution is neutral. Völcker a igns to A. the formula C24H13013; but it is doubtful whether the substance so called is a definite compound, or has ever been obtained A ault'able, a . That may be a aulted. in the pure state. -A river of Worcester county, joining the Sudbury at Concord. As's acon, or U acu, n. ( Chem .) The Brazilian name for the Hura bras i liens is Martius , a euphorbiaceous tree, the bark and sap of which contain an acrid and very poisonous principle. The thickened sap and the decoc- tion of the bark exert an emetic action, produce ulcer at- ing pustules on the skin, and are used as a remedy for elephantiasis. The natives also use them to prepare poisonous drinks, against which no antidote is known. - See HURA. A afa'di, an Arabian biographer, and commentator on the Koran; so named from his place of birth, Safadah, in Syria; B. 1296; D. 1362. His name in full was KHALI- A afœt'ida, n. See ASAFET'IDA. As's agui, or AS'SEGAI, n. [Sp. azagaya ; Port. zagaya ; It. zageia ; Ar. al - khazegah .] A weapon or instrument of a ault, in the form of a dart or javelin, used among the Kaffirs of S. Africa, and other semi-barbarous nations. A a'i, (as-sd'-e.) [It., enough, much, very.] ( Mus .) A term denoting increase; as, adagio , slow; adagio - a ai , very slow. "My gracious lord, here in the parliament Let us a ail the family of York."-Shaks. A ailable, a. That may be a ailed. A ailant, n. One who a ails, attacks, or a aults. -a. Attacking; a aulting or invading. A ailer, n. An a ailant. A ail'ment, n. Attack; a ault. (R.) A ai ni e ment, n . [A French word, from Lat. ad, and sanare, to make healthy. The act of rendering healthy, as by the draining of marshes, the disinfection of the air, . A ai sonne ment, n. A French word answering to condiment. By no a ay of reason. 'Tis a pageant, To keep us in false gaze."-Shaks. A amese', n. sin . and pl . A native, or natives of A am. A 'as, NICOLAS, CHEVALIER D', a French officer, celebrated for an act of patriotism which cost him his life, was cap- tain in the regiment of Auvergne when the French army was stationed near Gueldres, in 1760. On the 15th Oct., while engaged in reconnoitring, he was taken prisoner by a division of the enemy advancing to surprise the French camp, and was threatened with death if a word -The substance to be a ayed. escaped him. He shouted, " A moi, Auvergne , voilà les ennemis!" and was instantly struck down. An annual pension was allowed to his descendants. A a in, n . [Fr.; see ASSASSINS.] One who kills, or attempts to kill, by surprise or secret a ault. A a inate, v . α. To murder by surprise or secret a ault; to waylay. To take by treachery; a meaning peculiar to Milton. "Such usage as your honourable lords Afford me, a a inated and betray'd."- Milton . A a ination, n. Act of murdering by surprise or A a inator, n. One who a a inates; an a a in. A a ins, or IS MAIL I, a sect of religious fanatics who existed in the 11th and 12th centuries. They derived their name of A. originally from their immoderate use of hasheesh, which produces an intense cerebral excite- ment, often amounting to fury. Their founder and law- giver was Ha an-ben-Sabah, to whom the Orientals gave the name of Sheikh-el-Jobelz, but who was better known in Europe as the Old Man of the Mountain : he was a wily impostor, who made fanatical and implicit slaves of his devotees, by imbuing them with a religion com- pounded of that of the Christians, the Jews, the Magi, and the Mohammedans. The principal article of their belief was that the Holy Ghost was embodied in their chief, and that his orders proceeded from the Deity, and were declarations of the Divine will. They believed a a ination to be meritorious when sanctioned by his command, and courted danger and death in the execution of his orders. In the time of the crusades, they mus- tered to the number of 50,000. So great was the power of the Sheikh, that the sovereigns of every quarter of the globe secretly pensioned him; and Philip August us, king of France, hearing that the Sheikh had ordered his a a ination, instituted a new body-guard, distinguished for their courage and activity, called sergens d'armes, who were armed with bows and arrows and bra clubs; and he himself never ventured in public without a club loaded with gold or iron. The Knights Templars alone dared bid defiance to this terrible and subtle foe. Among their victims was Conrad, Marquis of Montferrat, who was murdered in the market-place at Tyre, in 1192, although some historians have attributed the crime to Richard Cœur de Lion. For a long time this fearful sect reigned in Persia, and on Mount Lebanon. Holagoo, or Hulaka, a Mogul Tartar, in 1254, dispo e ed them of several of their strongholds; but it was not till some years after that they were completely extirpated by the Egyptian forces sent against them by the great sultan Bibars. A ault', n. [Fr. a aut , from O. Fr. a ault , from Lat. a ilio, a ultum. See ASSAIL.] An active and violent attack by words or deeds; a recourse to violence. "Her spirit had been invincible against all a aults of affec- tion."-Shaks. -The state of being a embled or brought together; the A e ment, n. The act of determining the value of act of a embling or forming in ma . "With innocence and meditation join'd A embly, n. [Fr. a emblée.) A company of persons gathered together in one place for a common object; as literary, social, political, and religious a emblies ; a con- greg at i on; a meeting; a convocation; a convention. "They had heard, by fame, Of this so noble and so fair a embly, This night to meet here."-Shaks. A ent', n. [O.Fr., from Lat. a ensus , from as sent i or- ad, and sentio , to think.] Act of agreeing to anything. "Without the king's a ent or knowledge, You wrought to be a legate."-Shaks. As sent a'tion, n. Compliance with the opinion of another out of flattery or di imulation. A ent'er, n . One who a ents. A en'tient, a. Yielding a ent. -n. One who a ents; an a enter. A ent'ingly, adv . In an a enting manner. A en'tive, a . Giving a ent. A eo'la, a Seminole Indian chief. See OSCEOLA. A ert', v . a. [Lat. a ero, a ertum , from ad , and sero, to join, to knit.] To reiterate an opinion; to affirm; to maintain; to defend; to vindicate; to declare positively; to bind a statement on to a thing; to declare plainly, as to a ert a right. A ertive, a . Positive; dogmatical; peremptory. A ertively, adv . Affirmatively. A e ed', p. a. Charged with a certain sum; valued; set; fixed; ascertained. A es's ionary, a . Pertaining to a e ors; as, "as- se ion ary court." a man's property or occupation for the purpose of levy- ing a tax. - The act of determining the share of a tax to be paid by each individual. - The sum a e ed or lev- ied; a tax; a rate. - In New York, the act of adjusting the shares of a contribution by several persons towards a common beneficial object according to the benefit re- ceived. (Law.) An A. of damages is the fixing of the amount of damages to which the prevailing party in a suit is en- IMG:content-0370.png:[blocks in formation] As's ets, n. pl. [0. Fr. a etz; Fr. a ez , enough, suffi- cient; signifying originally the property of a deceased person, which is sufficient, in the hands of his executor and heir, for the payment of his debts and legacies.) All the stock in trade, cash, and all available property be- longing to a merchant or company. (Law.) The property of a deceased person, which is charged with, and applicable to, the payment of his debts and legacies. In the U. States, generally, by stat- ute, all the property of the deceased, real and personal, is liable for his debts. The wearing-apparel of widows and minors is retained by them, and is not a ets. A quarantine, i. e., forty days of food and clothing, is also among the things reserved to a widow. A ev'erate, v . a. [0. Fr. asceverer ; from Lat. a evero , a ever at us, to a ert earnestly; from ad , and sever us serious.] To declare, affirm, or a ert with solemnity or seriousne ; to protest; to a ure. A ever a'tion, n. Positive affirmation or a ertion; solenın declaration. A 'head, n . [From a , and head .] One slow of appre- hension; a blockhead; a dolt. "Will you help an a head , and a coxcomb, and a knave, a thin- faced knave, a gull?" Shaks. A hur, the second son of Shem, and the founder of the A yrian empire. A id'eans, n . pl . The name a umed by a section of the orthodox Jews, as distinguished from the Helleniz- ing faction. They appear to have existed as a party be- fore the Maccabean rising, and were probably bound by some particular vow to the external observance of the law. Franckel has shown that both the E enes and the Pharisees are sections of the A .; and that all three or- ders are frequently spoken of under the same name. Wm . Smith . As's ident, a . [From Lat. as , and sedere , to be seated.] (Med.) That which accompanies or is concomitant. - Applied to the acce ory symptoms and general pheno- men a of disease. A idu'ity, n. [Fr. a iduité : Lat. a i duit as , a iduus , from ad , and seden , to sit.] Close or constant application; diligence; attention; perseverance: watchful care. A id'uous, a. [Lat. a iduus .] Constant in applica- tion; unceasingly diligent: unwearied; persevering. A iduously, adv . With a iduity. A iduousne , n . Quality of being a iduous; con- stant or diligent application. A ien'to, n. [Sp. asiento , a treaty.] A term specially applied to a treaty between the Spanish government and some other nation, by which the former, in consideration of certain payments, granted the latter a monopoly of supplying the Spanish colonies in America with slaves from Africa. A ign', v . a. [Fr. a igner; Lat. a igno - ad , and sig- no , from signum , a mark, token, or sign.] To mark out; to allot; to apportion. "The last day will a ign to every one a station suitable to his character." - Add is on. -To fix; to specify; to determine; as, to a ign a day for trial; to a ign a counsel for a prisoner, . A ign', n. ( Law .) An a ignee. Now only used, in deeds, in this phrase; "Heirs, administrators, and as- signs ." A ignable, a. That may be a igned. A ignat, (as'-seen-ya.) n. [Fr., from Lat. a ignat us, a igned.] The name of the paper currency i ued by de- cree of the National A embly of France, with the ap- probation of the king, April 1st, 1790, and so called from the national property being a igned as security. At first 400,000,000 francs were i ued; but, a few months later, 800,000,000 more were i ued, and subsequent is- sues increased the number to about 45,000,000,000 francs. A ignor', n. ( Law .) One who makes an a ignment. A imilability, n. The quality of being a imi- A im'ilable, a . That which may be a imilated. A im'ilate, v . a . [Fr. a i miler ; Lat. a imilo, a imi lat us , from ad , and similis , like or similar.] To make like or similar to; to bring to a likene with; to ca ise to resemble; to turn to its own substance or nature by digestion. The American Dictionary and Cyclopedia lower animals, of restoring parts which have been de--To lend aid; to help; to contribute. stroyed; bones are reunited by bone after being broken, "She agreed to a ist in the murder of her husband." Broome. and even large portions of them which have been lost A istance, n . [Fr.] Help; aid; support; succor. have been restored. The limb of the lizard, when bro- A ist'ant, a . Helping; lending aid or support. ken off, has grown again; & new foot has been repro- -n. One who a ists or aids; a helper; a supporter; an duced in crabs and spiders; in salamanders, a new eye auxiliary. IMG:content-0372.jpg:[blocks in formation] and a isters." - North. A ist'ing, p . a . Helping; aiding; supporting. A ize', n.; pl . ASSIZES. [O. Fr. a ize and a ire ; Fr. as- sises; from Lat. a ideo - ad , and sedeo , to sit.] ( Law .) In the middle ages, this name was given in France and other countries of Europe, to a emblies or courts for the administration of justice to va als and freemen. After Godfrey of Bouillon had taken Jerusalem, in 1099, he adopted for his two courts of justice the ordinances estab- lished in these a emblies; hence this remarkable col- lection was styled A ises of Jerusalem. - After the con- quest of England, the term was introduced from Nor- mandy. It is still used to signify, 1, the se ions or sittings of the judges of the superior law-courts, held periodically in each county, for the purpose of administering civil and criminal justice; 2, a statute for regulating weights, measures, or prices; 3, the weight, measure, or price thus regulated. There are also a ize courts ( cours d'as- sises) in the judicial system of France, but they differ e entially from the English a izes. They are held at least once every three months in the capital of each department. They consist of a judge of the high court ( cour imperiale ), of two judges of the local court ( tribu- nal de prémière instance); and of a jury consisting of twelve jurors chosen by ballot from a list of the citizen- electors in each department. The cours d'a ises try all criminal causes; the jury give their verdict, and the judges pronounce sentence. A ize', v . a . To settle; to establish; to fix the weight, measure, or price of commodities. A iz/er, n. An officer who, in England, has the care or inspection of weights and measures. - In Scotland, a ju- ryman; also spelt a is or or a izor . A '-like, a. Resembling an a . " A - like braying."- Sidney. to a kind of verse common among the Spaniards and Portuguese, where the vowels only are required to rhyme; as, liger a , cubierta , tierra. A ort', v. a. [Fr. a ortir , from Lat. ad , and sors, sort is, a lot.] To separate and distribute into cla es or kinds, as things suited to one another; generally applied to things, but sometimes to persons. To furnish with all sorts; as, a well- a orted store. -v.n. To suit; to agree; to consort; to be in accordance. A ort'ment, n. Act of a orting; a variety; a ma or quantity of things a orted; as, an a ortment of goods. A ouan', ASSUAN, or ASSWAN, (anc. Syene,) a town of Upper Egypt, on the E. bank of the Nile, near the borders of Nubia, 110 m. S. of Thebes, in Lat. 25° 4' 30" N., and Lon. 32° 55′ E. Few remains exist of the ancient city. The modern town is but a poor place, surrounded by sandy plains. Dates form the principal object of traffic. "Shall I, t' a uage Their brutal rage, "But all my days in pining languor spend, Without hope of a uagement or release."-Spenser. A uag'er, n. One who a uages. A uapmou oin', in E. Canada , a lake in Lat. 490 22 N., Lon. 73° 55′ W.; 8 to 10 m. in length, and about 4 in breadth. A ua's ive, a. [From a uage.] Softening; mitigating; tranquillizing. "If in the breast tumultuous joys arise, Music her soft a uasive voice supplies."-Pope. As's uetude, n. [Lat. a uetudo.] Custom; habit; habitual use. (o.) A ume', v. a. [Fr. a umer; Lat. a umo, from ad , and sumo, to take.] To take to or upon one's self. IMG:content-0373.png:[graphic] A ociability, n. The quality of being a ociable; as sociablene . As sociablene , n. Sociablene ; a ociability. A ociate, v . a . [Fr. a ocier; Lat. a ocio - ad , and socio, To arrogate; to claim or seize unjustly; to put on with sociatus , from socius , a companion.] To join in company with, as a friend, companion, partner, or confederate.- To combine; to unite in the same ma . Fig . 218. - DIGESTIVE APPARATUS IN MAN. 8. Large intestine. 9. Cæcum. 10. Appendix of the cæcum. 11. Colon. 12. Small intestine. 13. Rectum. IMG:content-0374.jpg:[blocks in formation] A iniboine, a fort on the Athabaska river, British N. America; Lat. 54° 20′ N.; Lon. 114° 3′ W. A in'iboine Indians, a tribe of the great Sioux or Dakota family, who speak the language of most of the tribes found on the N. of the sources of the Mi i ippi. They live entirely by the chase, and are quite uncivil- ized. They are estimated to number about 4,000. A inie', a country of Africa, at the extremity of the Gold Coast. In 1843, the French took po e ion of the country, and founded a factory on the river A inie or Gaboon. As/sir-Uddin-Akhsikti, a Persian poet of the 12th century, the contemporary of Khakani and Anwari. As's ir-Uddin-Umani, a Persian poet of the 13th A is'cunk Creek, in New Jersey, Burlington co. It falls into Delaware river, above Burlington. IMG:content-0375.jpg:[merged small][ocr errors][subsumed] IMG:content-0376.jpg:[blocks in formation] -n. One joined or united with another; a companion; a friend; a mate; a partner; a coadjutor. "Sole Eve, a ociate sole, to me, beyond Compare, above all living creatures dear."- Milton . A ociated, p . a . United in company or in interest; joined. A ociation, n. [Fr.] The proce , and also the result of bringing together into alliance or companionship. It is used of mental as well as of material things, and of two or more. A society or body of persons joined to- gether for the support or furtherance of some object.- Union; connection; conjunction; consort ship; comp an- i on ship; alliance; familiarity; friendship; community; membership; society; company. A ociations are usu- ally divided into two cla es, accordingly as the ind i- viduals who compose them have for their object the at- tainment of a spiritual end, or have in view the further- ance of a mere material interest. These two cla es are again subdivided, as follows: The 1st embraces A. of a purely religious character, as Orders, Congregations , . The 2d comprehends political A. , as the Secret Societies , which have existed at all periods, and in all countries. The 3d, those A. which have for their object the ad- van cement and cultivation of letters, arts, sciences, agri- culture, or other industrial occupations; as, for instance, the "American A ociation for the Advancement of Sci- ence." The 4th consists of those A. which aim at the propagation of morality and humanity; as the various Temperance Societies, and the Magdalen Society , the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , . The 5th includes all the A. which may be termed Benevolent , and which tend to alleviate and succor dis- tre ed humanity. The second cla of A. form two sections: in the first are found those commercial and industrial organizations which have for their object pecuniary gain; in the other, those A. or societies, as Provident and Co-operative Societies, and Insurance Companies of all kinds. The latter cla of A. may be said to include all forms of fellowship and co-operation that tend to establish a certain homogeneousne and solidarity among men. A ociational, a . Belonging to an a ociation.-A word peculiar to America. IMG:content-0377.jpg:[blocks in formation] A um'ing, p . a . Taking or disposed to take upon one's self more than is just; haughty; arrogant; pre- sumptuous. "His haughty looks, and his a uming air. The son of Isis could no longer bear."-Dryden. -n. Presumption: arrogance; as, a vain a uming. A ump's it, n. [Lat. a umpsit , he undertook, from a umo , to take to one's self.] ( Law . ) An undertaking, either expre or implied, to perform a parol agreement. -An action to recover a compensation in damages for the non-performance of a parol promise; that is, a promise, whether verbal or written, not contained in a deed under seal. For breach of a promise of the latter kind, a umpsit will not lie; but the proper remedy is by action of covenant or debt. The common law adopts the maxim, that a mere nude agreement and under tak- ing, without any quid pro quo , will not constitute a binding contract. This maxim is commonly said to have been borrowed from the civil law, where we find it laid down, that eznudo pac to non oritur actio ; but this seems rather to have referred to agreements without certain formalities. What our law requires, in order to sustain a promise, is termed a consideration ; and it must be either a benefit to the party promising, or to some third person, in whom he takes an interest; or detriment sustained by the party to whom the promise is made, at the request of the party making it. The degree of benefit or detriment, or its relative proportion to the thing promised, is immaterial. A promise of remuneration for an act which the party is bound to perform, as a promise to a sailor of extra pay for extraordinary exertion in ex- treme peril of the ship, is void. The law regards such exertion as the sailor's previous duty; the consider a- tion , therefore, for the promise, fails. A. are of two kinds, expre and implied ; the former are where the contracts are actually made, in word or writing; the latter are such as the law implies from the justice of the case; as, for instance, if I employ an artificer to do any work for me, the obvious justice of my paying him a reasonable sum for that work, when done, raises an impli- cation, in the understanding of the law, of a promise on my part to pay him. sequence drawn from the propositions of which an argument is composed. Thus we say, the premises are true, but the A. is captious. (Eccl. Hist .) The name of a festival celebrated by the the residence of Aristotle. Leake says of the ruins here, that "the whole gives, perhaps, a more perfect idea of a Greek city than anywhere else exists." gust, in honor of the miraculous ascent of the Virgin Mary into heaven. A umption, or AS UNCI ON. See PARAGUAY. A umption, a small island of the Pacific ocean, in the Marianne archipelago; Lat. 19° 45′ N.; Lon. 1540 54' E. It is of volcanic formation, and but a poor, desolate place. A umption, a village of Lower Canada, on a river of the same name which joins the St. Lawrence 14 m. N.N.E. of Montreal. A ump'tion, in Illinois, a post-village and township of Christian co. A ump'tion, in Louisiana , a parish in the S.E. of the State. A umption, in Minnesota, a post-office of Carver co. A umptive, a. That is or may be a umed. (Her.) A. arms are those which are borne without a right to them. - The name of a umptive was also given to arms a umed for a particular deed, with the approval of the sovereign and of the heralds. A ump'tively, adv . By way of a umption. As's unpink, or As's anpink, Creek, in New Jersey, rises in Mon mouth co., and runs N.W. and then S.W. till it enters the Delaware at Trenton.