Amiadæ (amiade)

pl. Same as Amiida. amiant, amianth (am'i-ant, -anth), n. [Prop. amiant, amiantine, am i an your (am-i-an'tin, -thin), a. [ the nature of amiantus. amiantoid, iantoid, amianthoid (am-i-an'toid, (am-i-a -thoid), a. [ ami ant us in form. am i an to i dal, amianthoidal (am"i-an-toi'-, -thoidal), a. [ amiant amiantoid. amiantus, amianthus (am-i-an'tus, -thus), n. [The form amianthus is recent and erroneous, simulating Gr. άνθος, a flower (cf. amaranth ); L. amiantus, μιαίνειν, stain, defile: see tos, earth-flax, or miasm.] 1. Flexible asbestos, mountain-flax; a mineral somewhat resembling flax, flax, and usually grayish or greenish white in color. It is composed of delicate filaments, very flexible and somewhat elastic, often long and resembling threads of silk. It is incombustible, and has been wrought into cloth and paper with the aid of flax, which is afterward removed by a red heat. It is also employed for lamp-wicks and for filling gas-grates, the fibers remaining red-hot without being consumed. It is a finer form the variety of hornblende called asbestos (which see). The name is also sometimes extended to include the soft, silky, and inelastic form of serpentine called chrysotile. Much amber full of insects, and divers things of woven amianthus. Evelyn, Diary, March 23, 1646. Serpentine.. also delicately fibrous, and then called amianthus or chrysotile. Dana , Manual of Geol. (ed. 1862), p. 61. Hence-2. Thread or fabrics made from the mineral amiantus. Also sometimes called amiant , amianth . Amiatus (am-i-a'tus), n. Same as Amia , 1. amicability (am"i-ka-bil'i-ti), n. [ amicable : see -bility , and cf. amiability .] The quality of being amicable; amicablene . amicable (am'i-ka-bl), a. [ amicabilis , friendly; whence also OF. aimiable , > E. ami able , q. v.] Characterized by or exhibiting friendline , peaceablene , or harmony; friendly; peaceable; harmonious in social or other relations. Plato and Tully, it should seem, thought truth could never be examined with more advantage than amidst the amicable opposition of well-regulated converse. Sir T. Fitz - Osborne , Letters. By amicable collisions they have worn down their asperities and sharp angles. Sterne, Sentimental Journey, p. 54. Amicable action, in law , an action commenced and prosecuted according to a mutual understanding, for the purpose of obtaining a decision of the courts on some matter of law. Amicable compounder. See compounder. Amicable numbers, in arith ., any pair of numbers each of which is equal to the sum of the aliquot parts of the other, that is, is equal to the sum of all the numbers which will divide the other without remainder: as, 284 (1+2+4+5+10+11+20+22+44+55 +110 [the aliquot parts of 220]=284) and 220 (1+2+4+71+142 [the aliquot parts of 284]=220). The next higher pair of amicable numbers is 17,296 and 18,416.=Syn. Amicable , Friendly , kind, neighborly, cordial. Amicable is often so weak as to be almost negative; friendly is positive. Ami cable simply notes freedom from hard feeling, disagree ment, or quarrel; hence we speak of an amicable action at law, amicable relations between families and between states. Friendly implies a degree of active interest. All nations should be on amicable terms; few are enough alike to be really friendly. Amicable also implies close relation or contact; friendly feelings may exist toward those of whom we have only heard. Enter each mild, each amicable guest. Pope , Eloisa to Abelard, 1. 301. It is in the time of trouble that the warmth of the friendly heart and the support of the friendly hand acquire increased value and demand additional gratitude. Bp . Mant.