Part 272

3. Correspondent; conformable; hence, comparable.

What wit and policy of man is answerable to their discreet and orderly course? Holland.

This revelation . . . was answerable to that of the apostle to the Thessalonians. Milton.

4. Proportionate; commensurate; suitable; as, an achievement answerable to the preparation for it.

5. Equal; equivalent; adequate. [Archaic]

Had the valor of his soldiers been answerable, he had reached that year, as was thought, the utmost bounds of Britain. Milton.

An"swer*a*ble*ness, n. The quality of being answerable, liable, responsible, or correspondent.

An"swer*a*bly (&?;), adv. In an answerable manner; in due proportion or correspondence; suitably.

An"swer*er (&?;), n. One who answers.

An"swer*less (&?;), a. Having no answer, or impossible to be answered. Byron.

An 't (&?;). An it, that is, and it or if it. See An, conj. [Obs.]

An't (&?;). A contraction for are and am not; also used for is not; -- now usually written ain't. [Colloq. & illiterate speech.]

Ant-. See Anti-, prefix.

-ant. [F. -ant, fr. L. -antem or -entem, the pr. p. ending; also sometimes directly from L. -antem.] A suffix sometimes marking the agent for action; as, merchant, covenant, servant, pleasant, etc. Cf. - ent.

Ant (&?;), n. [OE. ante, amete, emete, AS. æmete akin to G. ameise. Cf. Emmet.] (Zoöl.) A hymenopterous insect of the Linnæan genus Formica, which is now made a family of several genera; an emmet; a pismire.

Among ants, as among bees, there are neuter or working ants, besides the males and females; the former are without wings. Ants live together in swarms, usually raising hillocks of earth, variously chambered within, where they maintain a perfect system of order, store their provisions, and nurture their young. There are many species, with diverse habits, as agricultural ants, carpenter ants, honey ants, foraging ants, amazon ants, etc. The white ants or Termites belong to the Neuroptera.

Ant bird (Zoöl.), one of a very extensive group of South American birds (Formicariidæ), which live on ants. The family includes many species, some of which are called ant shrikes, ant thrushes, and ant wrens. -- Ant rice (Bot.), a species of grass (Aristida oligantha) cultivated by the agricultural ants of Texas for the sake of its seed.

||An"ta (&?;), n.; pl. Antæ (&?;). [L.] (Arch.) A species of pier produced by thickening a wall at its termination, treated architecturally as a pilaster, with capital and base.

Porches, when columns stand between two antæ, are called in Latin in antis.

Ant*ac"id (&?;), n. [Pref. anti- + acid.] (Med.) A remedy for acidity of the stomach, as an alkali or absorbent. -- a. Counteractive of acidity.

Ant*ac"rid (&?;), a. [Pref. anti- + acrid.] Corrective of acrimony of the humors.

An*tæ"an (&?;), a. [Gr. &?;.] Pertaining to Antæus, a giant athlete slain by Hercules.

An*tag"o*nism (&?;), n. [Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to struggle against; &?; against + &?; to contend or struggle, &?; contest: cf. F. antagonisme. See Agony.] Opposition of action; counteraction or contrariety of things or principles.

We speak of antagonism between two things, to or against a thing, and sometimes with a thing.

An*tag"o*nist (&?;), n. [L. antagonista, Gr. &?;; &?; against + &?; combatant, champion, fr. &?;: cf. F. antagoniste. See Antagonism.] 1. One who contends with another, especially in combat; an adversary; an opponent.

Antagonist of Heaven's Almigthy King. Milton.

Our antagonists in these controversies. Hooker.

2. (Anat.) A muscle which acts in opposition to another; as a flexor, which bends a part, is the antagonist of an extensor, which extends it.