Part 479

Ayr"shire (&?;), n. (Agric.) One of a superior breed of cattle from Ayrshire, Scotland. Ayrshires are notable for the quantity and quality of their milk.

||A*yun`ta*mi*en"to (&?;), n. [Sp., fr. OSp. ayuntar to join.] In Spain and Spanish America, a corporation or body of magistrates in cities and towns, corresponding to mayor and aldermen.

A*za"le*a (?; 97), n.; pl. Azaleas (&?;). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; dry, -- so called because supposed to grow best in dry ground.] (Bot.) A genus of showy flowering shrubs, mostly natives of China or of North America; false honeysuckle. The genus is scarcely distinct from Rhododendron.

Az"a*role (&?;), n. [F. azerole, the name of the fruit, fr. Ar. az-zo'r&?;r: cf. It. azzeruolo, Sp. acerolo.] (Bot.) The Neapolitan medlar (Cratægus azarolus), a shrub of southern Europe; also, its fruit.

A*zed"a*rach (&?;), n. [F. azédarac, Sp. acederaque, Pers. zddirakht noble tree.] 1. (Bot.) A handsome Asiatic tree (Melia azedarach), common in the southern United States; -- called also, Pride of India, Pride of China, and Bead tree.

2. (Med.) The bark of the roots of the azedarach, used as a cathartic and emetic.

Az"i*muth (&?;), n. [OE. azimut, F. azimut, fr. Ar. as-sum&?;t, pl. of as-samt a way, or perh., a point of the horizon and a circle extending to it from the zenith, as being the Arabic article: cf. It. azzimutto, Pg. azimuth, and Ar. samt-al-r's the vertex of the heaven. Cf. Zenith.] (Astron. & Geodesy) (a) The quadrant of an azimuth circle. (b) An arc of the horizon intercepted between the meridian of the place and a vertical circle passing through the center of any object; as, the azimuth of a star; the azimuth or bearing of a line surveying.

In trigonometrical surveying, it is customary to reckon the azimuth of a line from the south point of the horizon around by the west from 0° to 360°.

Azimuth circle, or Vertical circle, one of the great circles of the sphere intersecting each other in the zenith and nadir, and cutting the horizon at right angles. Hutton. -- Azimuth compass, a compass resembling the mariner's compass, but having the card divided into degrees instead of rhumbs, and having vertical sights; used for taking the magnetic azimuth of a heavenly body, in order to find, by comparison with the true azimuth, the variation of the needle. -- Azimuth dial, a dial whose stile or gnomon is at right angles to the plane of the horizon. Hutton. -- Magnetic azimuth, an arc of the horizon, intercepted between the vertical circle passing through any object and the magnetic meridian. This is found by observing the object with an azimuth compass.

Az"i*muth`al (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to the azimuth; in a horizontal circle.

Azimuthal error of a transit instrument, its deviation in azimuth from the plane of the meridian.

Az"o- (&?;). [See Azote.] (Chem.) A combining form of azote; (a) Applied loosely to compounds having nitrogen variously combined, as in cyanides, nitrates, etc. (b) Now especially applied to compounds containing a two atom nitrogen group uniting two hydrocarbon radicals, as in azobenzene, azobenzoic, etc. These compounds furnish many artificial dyes. See Diazo-.

Az`o*ben"zene (&?;), n. [Azo- + benzene.] (Chem.) A substance (C6H5.N2.C6H5) derived from nitrobenzene, forming orange red crystals which are easily fusible.

A*zo"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. 'a priv. + &?; life, from &?; to live.] Destitute of any vestige of organic life, or at least of animal life; anterior to the existence of animal life; formed when there was no animal life on the globe; as, the azoic. rocks.

Azoic age (Geol.), the age preceding the existence of animal life, or anterior to the paleozoic tome. Azoic is also used as a noun, age being understood. See Archæan, and Eozoic.

Az`o*le"ic (&?;), a. [Azo- + oleic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to an acid produced by treating oleic with nitric acid. [R.]

A*zon"ic (&?;), a. [Gr. &?;; 'a priv. + &?; zone, region.] Confined to no zone or region; not local.

A*zo"ri*an (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to the Azores. -- n. A native of the Azores.

Az"ote (?; 277), n. [F. azote, fr. Gr. 'a priv. + &?; life; -- so named by Lavoisier because it is incapable of supporting life.] Same as Nitrogen. [R.]

Az"oth (&?;), n. [LL. azoch, azoth, fr. Ar. az-zauq mercury.] (Alchemy) (a) The first principle of metals, i. e., mercury, which was formerly supposed to exist in all metals, and to be extractable from them. (b) The universal remedy of Paracelsus.

A*zot"ic (&?;), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to azote, or nitrogen; formed or consisting of azote; nitric; as, azotic gas; azotic acid. [R.] Carpenter.

Az"o*tite (&?;), n. (Chem.) A salt formed by the combination of azotous, or nitrous, acid with a base; a nitrite. [R.]

Az"o*tize (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Azotized (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Azotizing (&?;).] To impregnate with azote, or nitrogen; to nitrogenize.

Az`o*tom"e*ter (&?;), n. [Azote + - meter.] (Chem.) An apparatus for measuring or determining the proportion of nitrogen; a nitrometer.

A*zo"tous (&?;), a. Nitrous; as, azotous acid. [R.]

Az"tec (&?;), a. Of or relating to one of the early races in Mexico that inhabited the great plateau of that country at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1519. -- n. One of the Aztec race or people.

Az"ure (?; 277), a. [F. & OSp. azur, Sp. azul, through Ar. from Per. ljaward, or ljuward, lapis lazuli, a blue color, ljaward, ljuward, azure, cerulean, the initial l having been dropped, perhaps by the influence of the Ar. azr-aq azure, blue. Cf. G. lasur, lasurstein, azure color, azure stone, and NL. lapis lazuli.] Sky-blue; resembling the clear blue color of the unclouded sky; cerulean; also, cloudless.

Azure stone (Min.), the lapis lazuli; also, the lazulite.