Part 783

Ep*ax"i*al (?), a. [Pref. ep- + axial.] (Anat.) Above, or on the dorsal side of, the axis of the skeleton; episkeletal.

||E*pei"ra (?), n. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A genus of spiders, including the common garden spider (E. diadema). They spin geometrical webs. See Garden spider.

Ep"en (?), n. (Anat.) See Epencephalon.

Ep`en*ce*phal"ic (?), a. (Anat.) (a) Pertaining to the epencephalon. (b) Situated on or over the brain.

||Ep`en*ceph"a*lon (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. 'epi` upon, near + &?; brain.] (Anat.) The segment of the brain next behind the midbrain, including the cerebellum and pons; the hindbrain. Sometimes abbreviated to epen.

||Ep*en"dy*ma (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; an upper garment; 'epi` upon + &?; a garment; &?; in + &?; to put on.] (Anat.) The epithelial lining of the ventricles of the brain and the canal of the spinal cord; endyma; ependymis.

||Ep*en"dy*mis (?), n. [NL.] See Ependyma.

Ep`e*net"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;, from &?; to praise; 'epi` + &?; to praise.] Bestowing praise; eulogistic; laudatory. [Obs.] E. Phillips.

||E*pen"the*sis (?), n.; pl. Epentheses (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;; 'epi` + &?; to put or set in.] (Gram.) The insertion of a letter or a sound in the body of a word; as, the b in "nimble" from AS. nmol.

Ep`en*thet"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;: cf. F. épenthétique.] (Gram.) Inserted in the body of a word; as, an epenthetic letter or sound.

||É`pergne" (?), n. [F. épargne a sparing or saving; a treasury. "Our épergne is a little treasury of sweetmeats, fruits, and flowers." Brewer.] A centerpiece for table decoration, usually consisting of several dishes or receptacles of different sizes grouped together in an ornamental design.

||É`per`lan" (?), n. [F. éperlan, fr. G. spierling. See Sparling.] (Zoöl.) The European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus).

||Ep*ex`e*ge"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; detailed narrative, fr. &?; to recount in detail; 'epi` + &?; to lead, point out. See Exegesis.] A full or additional explanation; exegesis.

Ep*ex`e*get"ic*al (?), a. Relating to epexegesis; explanatory; exegetical.

{ E"phah (?), or E"pha}, n. [Heb. 'phh.] A Hebrew dry measure, supposed to be equal to two pecks and five quarts. ten ephahs make one homer.

||E*phem"e*ra (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a day fly, fr. &?; daily, lasting but a day; &?; over + &?; day.] 1. (Med.) A fever of one day's continuance only.

2. (Zoöl.) A genus of insects including the day flies, or ephemeral flies. See Ephemeral fly, under Ephemeral.

E*phem"er*al (?), a. 1. Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; diurnal; as, an ephemeral flower.

2. Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only. "Ephemeral popularity." V. Knox.

Sentences not of ephemeral, but of eternal, efficacy.

Sir J. Stephen.

Ephemeral fly (Zoöl.), one of a group of neuropterous insects, belonging to the genus Ephemera and many allied genera, which live in the adult or winged state only for a short time. The larvæ are aquatic; -- called also day fly and May fly.

E*phem"er*al, n. Anything lasting but a day, or a brief time; an ephemeral plant, insect, etc.

E*phem"er*an (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of the ephemeral flies.

E*phem"e*ric (?), a. Ephemeral.

E*phem"e*ris (?), n.; pl. Ephemerides (#). [L., a diary, Gr. &?;, also, a calendar, fr. &?;. See Ephemera.] 1. A diary; a journal. Johnson.

2. (Anat.) (a) A publication giving the computed places of the heavenly bodies for each day of the year, with other numerical data, for the use of the astronomer and navigator; an astronomical almanac; as, the "American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac." (b) Any tabular statement of the assigned places of a heavenly body, as a planet or comet, on several successive days.

3. (Literature) A collective name for reviews, magazines, and all kinds of periodical literature. Brande & C.