Part 359

<hw>Am`a*crat"ic</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/ together + <?/ power.]</ety> <fld>(Photog.)</fld> <def>Amasthenic.</def>

<i>Sir J. Herschel.</i>

<h1>Amadavat</h1> <Xpage=45>

<hw>Am`a*da*vat"</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Indian name. From <ets>Ahmedabad</ets>, a city from which it was imported to Europe.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>The strawberry finch, a small Indian song bird <spn>(Estrelda amandava)</spn>, commonly caged and kept for fighting. The female is olive brown; the male, in summer, mostly crimson; -- called also <altname>red waxbill</altname>.</def> <altsp>[Written also <asp>amaduvad</asp> and <asp>avadavat</asp>.]</altsp>

<h1>Amadou</h1> <Xpage=45>

<hw>Am"a*dou</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>amadou</ets> tinder, prop. lure, bait, fr. <ets>amadouer</ets> to allure, caress, perh. fr. Icel. <ets>mata</ets> to feed, which is akin to E. <ets>meat</ets>.]</ety> <def>A spongy, combustible substance, prepared from fungus (<spn>Boletus</spn> and <spn>Polyporus</spn>) which grows on old trees; German tinder; punk. It has been employed as a styptic by surgeons, but its common use is as tinder, for which purpose it is prepared by soaking it in a strong solution of niter.</def>

<i>Ure.</i>

<h1>Amain</h1> <Xpage=45>

<hw>A*main"</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>adv.</tt> <ety>[Pref. <ets>a-</ets> + <ets>main</ets>. See 2d <er>Main</er>, <tt>n.</tt>]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>With might; with full force; vigorously; violently; exceedingly.</def>

<blockquote>They on the hill, which were not yet come to blows, perceiving the fewness of their enemies, came down <b>amain</b>. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>That striping giant, ill-bred and scoffing, shouts <b>amain</b>. <i>T. Parker.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>At full speed; in great haste; also, at once.</def> "They fled <i>amain</i>."

<i>Holinshed.</i>

<h1>Amain</h1> <Xpage=45>

<hw>A*main"</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>amener</ets>. See <er>Amenable</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Naut.)</fld> <def>To lower, as a sail, a yard, etc.</def>

<h1>Amain</h1> <Xpage=45>

<hw>A*main"</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <fld>(Naut.)</fld> <def>To lower the topsail, in token of surrender; to yield.</def>

<h1>Amalgam</h1> <Xpage=45>

<hw>A*mal"gam</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>amalgame</ets>, prob. fr. L. <ets>malagma</ets>, Gr. <?/, emollient, plaster, poultice, fr. <?/ to make soft, fr. <?/ soft.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>An alloy of mercury with another metal or metals; <as>as, an <ex>amalgam</ex> of tin, bismuth, etc.</as></def>

<note>&hand; Medalists apply the term to soft alloys generally.</note>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A mixture or compound of different things.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Min.)</fld> <def>A native compound of mercury and silver.</def>

<h1>Amalgam</h1> <Xpage=45>

<hw>A*mal"gam</hw>, <tt>v. t. <?/ i.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>amalgamer</ets>]</ety> <def>To amalgamate.</def>

<i>Boyle. B. Jonson.</i>

<h1>Amalgama</h1> <Xpage=45>

<hw>A*mal"ga*ma</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Same as <er>Amalgam</er>.</def>

<blockquote>They divided this their <b>amalgama</b> into a number of incoherent republics. <i>Burke.</i></blockquote>