Part 40

1. (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous prickly plants, found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India; bear's- breech.

2. (Arch.) An ornament resembling the foliage or leaves of the acanthus (Acanthus spinosus); -- used in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders.

||A cap*pel"la (&?;). [It. See Chapel.] (Mus.) (a) In church or chapel style; -- said of compositions sung in the old church style, without instrumental accompaniment; as, a mass a capella, i. e., a mass purely vocal. (b) A time indication, equivalent to alla breve.

A*cap"su*lar (&?;), a. [Pref. a- not + capsular.] (Bot.) Having no capsule.

A*car"di*ac (&?;), a. [Gr. &?;; 'a priv. + &?; heart.] Without a heart; as, an acardiac fetus.

A*car"i*dan (&?;), n. [See Acarus.] (Zoöl.) One of a group of arachnids, including the mites and ticks.

||Ac`a*ri"na (&?;), n. pl. [NL., from Gr. &?; a mite.] (Zoöl.) The group of Arachnida which includes the mites and ticks. Many species are parasitic, and cause diseases like the itch and mange.

Ac"a*rine (&?;), a. (Med.) Of or caused by acari or mites; as, acarine diseases.

Ac"a*roid (&?;), a. [NL., acarus a mite + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Shaped like or resembling a mite.

Ac`ar*pel"lous (&?;), a. [Pref. a- not + carpel.] (Bot.) Having no carpels.

A*car"pous (&?;), a. [Gr. &?;; 'a priv. + &?; fruit.] (Bot.) Not producing fruit; unfruitful.

||Ac"a*rus (&?;), n.; pl. Acari (&?;). [NL., from Gr. &?; the cheese mite, tick.] (Zoöl.) A genus including many species of small mites.

A*cat`a*lec"tic (&?;), a. [L. acatalecticus, Gr. &?;, not defective at the end; 'a priv. + &?; to cease.] (Pros.) Not defective; complete; as, an acatalectic verse. -- n. A verse which has the complete number of feet and syllables.

A*cat"a*lep`sy (&?;), n. [Gr. &?;; 'a priv. + &?; to seize, comprehend.] Incomprehensibility of things; the doctrine held by the ancient Skeptic philosophers, that human knowledge never amounts to certainty, but only to probability.

A*cat`a*lep"tic (&?;), a. [Gr. &?;.] Incapable of being comprehended; incomprehensible.

A*ca"ter (&?;), n. See Caterer. [Obs.]

A*cates" (&?;), n. pl. See Cates. [Obs.]

A*cau"date (&?;), a. [Pref. a- not + caudate.] Tailless.

Ac`au*les"cent (&?;), a. [Pref. a- not + caulescent.] (Bot.) Having no stem or caulis, or only a very short one concealed in the ground. Gray.

A*cau"line (&?;), a. [Pref. a- not + cauline.] (Bot.) Same as Acaulescent.

{ A*cau"lose (&?;), A*cau"lous (&?;), } a. [Gr. &?;; 'a priv. + &?; stalk or L. caulis stalk. See Cole.] (Bot.) Same as Acaulescent.

Ac*ca"di*an (&?;), a. [From the city Accad. See Gen. x. 10.] Pertaining to a race supposed to have lived in Babylonia before the Assyrian conquest.

-- Ac*ca"di*an, n., Ac"cad (&?;), n. Sayce.

Ac*cede" (&?;), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Acceded; p. pr. & vb. n. Acceding.] [L. accedere to approach, accede; ad + cedere to move, yield: cf. F. accédere. See Cede.]

1. To approach; to come forward; -- opposed to recede. [Obs.] T. Gale.

2. To enter upon an office or dignity; to attain.

Edward IV., who had acceded to the throne in the year 1461. T. Warton.

If Frederick had acceded to the supreme power. Morley.