Part 456

2. Supreme, uncontrolled, unlimited authority, or right of governing in a single person, as of an autocrat.

3. Political independence or absolute sovereignty (of a state); autonomy. Barlow.

4. (Med.) The action of the vital principle, or of the instinctive powers, toward the preservation of the individual; also, the vital principle. [In this sense, written also autocrasy.] Dunglison.

Au"to*crat (&?;), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; self + &?; strength, &?; strong: cf. F. autocrate. See Hard, a.] 1. An absolute sovereign; a monarch who holds and exercises the powers of government by claim of absolute right, not subject to restriction; as, Autocrat of all the Russias (a title of the Czar).

2. One who rules with undisputed sway in any company or relation; a despot.

The autocrat of the breakfast table. Holmes.

{ Au`to*crat"ic (&?;), Au`to*crat"ic*al (&?;), } a. Of or pertaining to autocracy or to an autocrat; absolute; holding independent and arbitrary powers of government. -- Au`to*crat"ic*al*ly, adv.

Au*toc"ra*tor (&?;), n. [Gr. &?;.] An autocrat. [Archaic]

Au`to*cra*tor"ic*al (&?;), a. Pertaining to an autocrator; absolute. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

||Au*toc"ra*trix (&?;), n. [NL.] A female sovereign who is independent and absolute; -- a title given to the empresses of Russia.

Au"to*crat*ship (&?;), n. The office or dignity of an autocrat.

||Au"to-da-fé" (&?;), n.; pl. Autos-da-fé (&?;). [Pg., act of the faith; auto act, fr. L. actus + da of the + fé faith, fr. L. fides.] 1. A judgment of the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal condemning or acquitting persons accused of religious offenses.

2. An execution of such sentence, by the civil power, esp. the burning of a heretic. It was usually held on Sunday, and was made a great public solemnity by impressive forms and ceremonies.

3. A session of the court of Inquisition.

||Au"to-de-fe" (&?;), n.; pl. Autos-de-fe. [Sp., act of faith.] Same as Auto- da-fé.

Au"to*di*dact` (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; self- taught.] One who is self-taught; an automath.

Au`to*dy*nam"ic (&?;), a. [Auto- + dynamic.] Supplying its own power; -- applied to an instrument of the nature of a water-ram.

Au`to*fec`un*da"tion (&?;), n. [Auto- + fecundation.] (Biol.) Self-impregnation. Darwin.

Au*tog"a*mous (&?;), a. (Bot.) Characterized by autogamy; self-fertilized.

Au*tog"a*my (&?;), n. [Auto- + Gr. &?; marriage.] (Bot.) Self-fertilization, the fertilizing pollen being derived from the same blossom as the pistil acted upon.

Au`to*ge"ne*al (&?;), a. Self-produced; autogenous.

||Au`to*gen"e*sis (&?;), n. [Auto- + genesis.] (Biol.) Spontaneous generation.

Au`to*ge*net"ic (&?;), a. (Biol.) Relating to autogenesis; self-generated.

Au*tog"e*nous (&?;), a. [Gr. &?;; &?; self + root of &?; to be born.] 1. (Biol.) Self- generated; produced independently.

2. (Anat.) Developed from an independent center of ossification. Owen.

Autogenous soldering, the junction by fusion of the joining edges of metals without the intervention of solder.

Au*tog"e*nous*ly (&?;), adv. In an autogenous manner; spontaneously.

Au"to*graph (&?;), n. [F. autographe, fr. Gr. &?; autographic; &?; self + &?; to write.] That which is written with one's own hand; an original manuscript; a person's own signature or handwriting.