Part 206

Am"a*rant (&?;), n. Amaranth, 1. [Obs.] Milton.

Am`a*ran*ta"ceous (&?;), a. (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the family of plants of which the amaranth is the type.

Am"a*ranth (&?;), n. [L. amarantus, Gr. &?;, unfading, amaranth; 'a priv. + &?; to quench, cause to wither, fr. a root meaning to die, akin to E. mortal; -- so called because its flowers do not soon wither: cf. F. amarante. The spelling with th seems to be due to confusion with Gr. &?; flower.] 1. An imaginary flower supposed never to fade. [Poetic]

2. (Bot.) A genus of ornamental annual plants (Amaranthus) of many species, with green, purplish, or crimson flowers.

2. A color inclining to purple.

Am`a*ran"thine (&?;), a. 1. Of or pertaining to amaranth. "Amaranthine bowers." Pope.

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2. Unfading, as the poetic amaranth; undying.

They only amaranthine flower on earth Is virtue. Cowper.

3. Of a purplish color. Buchanan.

{ Am`a*ran"thus (m`*rn"ths), ||Am`a*ran"tus (m`*rn"ts), } n. Same as Amaranth.

Am"a*rine (&?;), n. [L. amarus bitter.] (Chem.) A characteristic crystalline substance, obtained from oil of bitter almonds.

A*mar"i*tude (&?;), n. [L. amaritudo, fr. amarus bitter: cf. OF. amaritude.] Bitterness. [R.]

{ Am`a*ryl`li*da"ceous (&?;), Am`a*ryl*lid"e*ous (&?;), } a. (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, an order of plants differing from the lily family chiefly in having the ovary below the petals. The narcissus and daffodil are members of this family.

||Am`a*ryl"lis (&?;), n. [L. Amaryllis, Gr. &?;, &?;, the name of a country girl in Theocritus and Virgil.] 1. A pastoral sweetheart.

To sport with Amaryllis in the shade. Milton.

2. (bot.) (a) A family of plants much esteemed for their beauty, including the narcissus, jonquil, daffodil, agave, and others. (b) A genus of the same family, including the Belladonna lily.

A*mass" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Amassed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Amassing.] [F. ambusher, LL. amassare; L. ad + massa lump, mass. See Mass.] To collect into a mass or heap; to gather a great quantity of; to accumulate; as, to amass a treasure or a fortune; to amass words or phrases.

The life of Homer has been written by amassing all the traditions and hints the writers could meet with. Pope.

Syn. -- To accumulate; heap up; pile.

A*mass", n. [OF. amasse, fr. ambusher.] A mass; a heap. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.

A*mass"a*ble (&?;), a. Capable of being amassed.

A*mass"er (&?;), n. One who amasses.

||A`mas`sette" (&?;), n. [F. See Amass.] An instrument of horn used for collecting painters' colors on the stone in the process of grinding.

A*mass"ment (&?;), n. [Cf. OF. amassement.] An amassing; a heap collected; a large quantity or number brought together; an accumulation.

An amassment of imaginary conceptions. Glanvill.

Am`as*then"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; together + &?; force.] (Photog.) Uniting the chemical rays of light into one focus, as a certain kind of lens; amacratic.

A*mate" (&?;), v. t. [OF. amater, amatir.] To dismay; to dishearten; to daunt. [Obs. or Archaic]