Part 652

El"a*phure (?), n. (Zoöl.) A species of deer (Elaphurus Davidianus) found in china. It is about four feet high at the shoulder and has peculiar antlers.

E*lap`i*da"tion (?), n. [L. elapidatus cleared from stones; e out + lapis stone.] A clearing away of stones. [R.]

El"a*pine (?), a. [See Elaps.] (Zoöl.) Like or pertaining to the Elapidæ, a family of poisonous serpents, including the cobras. See Ophidia.

||E"laps (?), n. [NL., of uncertain origin.] (Zoöl.) A genus of venomous snakes found both in America and the Old World. Many species are known. See Coral snake, under Coral.

E*lapse" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Elapsed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Elapsing.] [L. elapsus, p. p. of elabi to glide away; e out + labi to fall, slide. See Lapse.] To slip or glide away; to pass away silently, as time; -- used chiefly in reference to time.

Eight days elapsed; at length a pilgrim came.

Hoole.

E*lap"sion (?), n. The act of elapsing. [R.]

E*la"que*ate (?), v. t. [L. elaqueatus, p. p. of elaqueare to unfetter.] To disentangle. [R.]

||El`a*sip"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; metal beaten out, metal plate + -poda.] (Zoöl.) An order of holothurians mostly found in the deep sea. They are remarkable for their bilateral symmetry and curious forms. [Written also Elasmopoda.]

E*las"mo*branch (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Elasmobranchii. -- n. One of the Elasmobranchii.

E*las`mo*bran"chi*ate (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to Elasmobranchii. -- n. One of the Elasmobranchii.

||E*las`mo*bran"chi*i (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a metal plate + L. branchia a gill.] (Zoöl.) A subclass of fishes, comprising the sharks, the rays, and the Chimæra. The skeleton is mainly cartilaginous.

||E*las`mo*sau"rus (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a metal plate + &?; a lizard.] (Paleon.) An extinct, long-necked, marine, cretaceous reptile from Kansas, allied to Plesiosaurus.

E*las"tic (?), a. [Formed fr. Gr. &?; to drive; prob. akin to L. alacer lively, brisk, and E. alacrity: cf. F. élastique.] 1. Springing back; having a power or inherent property of returning to the form from which a substance is bent, drawn, pressed, or twisted; springy; having the power of rebounding; as, a bow is elastic; the air is elastic; India rubber is elastic.

Capable of being drawn out by force like a piece of elastic gum, and by its own elasticity returning, when the force is removed, to its former position.

Paley.

2. Able to return quickly to a former state or condition, after being depressed or overtaxed; having power to recover easily from shocks and trials; as, elastic spirits; an elastic constitution.

Elastic bitumen. (Min.) See Elaterite. -- Elastic curve. (a) (Geom.) The curve made by a thin elastic rod fixed horizontally at one end and loaded at the other. (b) (Mech.) The figure assumed by the longitudinal axis of an originally straight bar under any system of bending forces. Rankine. -- Elastic fluids, those which have the property of expanding in all directions on the removal of external pressure, as the air, steam, and other gases and vapors. -- Elastic limit (Mech.), the limit of distortion, by bending, stretching, etc., that a body can undergo and yet return to its original form when relieved from stress; also, the unit force or stress required to produce this distortion. Within the elastic limit the distortion is directly proportional to the stress producing it. -- Elastic tissue (Anat.), a variety of connective tissue consisting of a network of slender and very elastic fibers which are but slightly affected by acids or alkalies. -- Gum elastic, caoutchouc.

E*las"tic, n. An elastic woven fabric, as a belt, braces or suspenders, etc., made in part of India rubber. [Colloq.]

E*las"tic*al (?), a. Elastic. [R.] Bentley.

E*las"tic*al*ly, adv. In an elastic manner; by an elastic power; with a spring.

E`las*tic"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. élasticité.] 1. The quality of being elastic; the inherent property in bodies by which they recover their former figure or dimensions, after the removal of external pressure or altering force; springiness; tendency to rebound; as, the elasticity of caoutchouc; the elasticity of the air.

2. Power of resistance to, or recovery from, depression or overwork.

Coefficient of elasticity, the quotient of a stress (of a given kind), by the strain (of a given kind) which it produces; -- called also coefficient of resistance. -- Surface of elasticity (Geom.), the pedal surface of an ellipsoid (see Pedal); a surface used in explaining the phenomena of double refraction and their relation to the elastic force of the luminous ether in crystalline media.

E*las"tic*ness (?), n. The quality of being elastic; elasticity.

E*las"tin (?), n. [Elastic + -in.] (Physiol. Chem.) A nitrogenous substance, somewhat resembling albumin, which forms the chemical basis of elastic tissue. It is very insoluble in most fluids, but is gradually dissolved when digested with either pepsin or trypsin.

E*late" (?), a. [L. elatus elevated, fig., elated, proud (the figure, perh., being borrowed from a prancing horse); e out + latus (used as p. p. of ferre to bear), for tlatus, and akin to E. tolerate. See Tolerate, and cf. Extol.]