Part 473

Ge*ot"ro*pism (?), n. [Gr. ge`a, gh^, the earth + &?; to turn.] (Biol.) A disposition to turn or incline towards the earth; the influence of gravity in determining the direction of growth of an organ.

In plants, organs which grow towards the center of the earth are said to be positively geotropic, and those growing in the opposite direction negatively geotropic. In animals, geotropism is supposed by some to have an influence either direct or indirect on the plane of division of the ovum.

||Ge*phyr"e*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a dam, a bridge.] (Zoˆl.) ||An order of marine Annelida, in which the body is imperfectly, or not ||at all, annulated externally, and is mostly without setÊ.

Ge*phyr"e*an (?), a. (Zoˆl.) Belonging to the Gephyrea. -- n. One of the Gerphyrea.

Ge*phyr"e*oid (?), a. & n. [Gephyrea + -oid.] Gephyrean.

Ge*pound" (?), n. See Gipoun. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Ge"rah (?), n. [Heb. g&?;rah, lit., a bean.] (Jewish Antiq.) A small ||coin and weight; 1-20th of a shekel.

The silver gerah is supposed to have been worth about three cents; the gold about fifty-four cents; the weight equivalent to about thirteen grains.

Ge*ra`ni*a"ceous (?), a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to a natural order of pants (GeraniaceÊ) which includes the genera Geranium, Pelargonium, and many others.

{ Ge*ra"ni*ine (?), Ger"a*nine (?), } n. [See Geranium.]

1. (Med.) A valuable astringent obtained from the root of the Geranium maculatum or crane's- bill.

2. (Chem.) A liquid terpene, obtained from the crane's-bill (Geranium maculatum), and having a peculiar mulberry odor. [Written also geraniin.]

Ge*ra"ni*um (j*r"n*m), n. [L., fr. Gr. gera`nion, from ge`ranos crane: cf. F. gÈranium. See Crane, n.]

1. (Bot.) A genus of plants having a beaklike torus or receptacle, around which the seed capsules are arranged, and membranous projections, or stipules, at the joints. Most of the species have showy flowers and a pungent odor. Called sometimes crane's-bill.

2. (Floriculture) A cultivated pelargonium.

Many plants referred to the genus Geranium by the earlier botanists are now separated from it under the name of Pelargonium, which includes all the commonly cultivated "geraniums", mostly natives of South Africa.

Ge"rant (?), n. [F. gÈrant.] The manager or acting partner of a company, joint-stock association, etc.

Gerbe (?), n. [F., prop. a sheaf.] (Pyrotechny) A kind of ornamental firework. Farrow.

{ Ger"bil (jr"bl), ||Ger`bille" (zhr`bl"), } n. [F. gerbille. Cf. Jerboa.] (Zoˆl.) One of several species of small, jumping, murine rodents, of the genus Gerbillus. In their leaping powers they resemble the jerboa. They inhabit Africa, India, and Southern Europe.

Ger*bo"a (?), n. (Zoˆl.) The jerboa.

Gere (?), n. Gear. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ge"rent (?), a. [L. gerens, p. pr. of gerere to bear, manage.] Bearing; carrying. [Obs.] Bailey.

Ger"fal`con (?), n. (Zoˆl.) See Gyrfalcon.

Ger"ful (?), a. [Cf. OF. girer to twirl, E. gyrate.] Changeable; capricious. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ger"land (?), Ger"lond, n. A garland. [Obs.]

Ger"lind (?), n. (Zoˆl.) A salmon returning from the sea the second time. [Prov. Eng.]

Germ (?), n. [F. germe, fr. L. germen, germinis, sprout, but, germ. Cf. Germen, Germane.] 1. (Biol.) That which is to develop a new individual; as, the germ of a fetus, of a plant or flower, and the like; the earliest form under which an organism appears.

In the entire process in which a new being originates . . . two distinct classes of action participate; namely, the act of generation by which the germ is produced; and the act of development, by which that germ is evolved into the complete organism.