Part 6965

<h1>Mephistophelian</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Meph`is*to*phe"li*an</hw> <tt>(? &or; ?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Pertaining to, or resembling, the devil Mephistopheles, "a crafty, scoffing, relentless fiend;" devilish; crafty.</def>

<h1>Mephitic, Mephitical</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw><hw>Me*phit"ic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Me*phit"ic*al</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>,<hw> <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>mephiticus</ets>, fr. <ets>mephitis</ets> mephitis: cf. F. <ets>m\'82phitique</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Tending to destroy life; poisonous; noxious; <as>as, <ex>mephitic</ex> exhalations; <ex>mephitic</ex> regions.</as></def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Offensive to the smell; <as>as, <ex>mephitic</ex> odors</as>.</def>

<cs><col>Mephitic air</col> <fld>(Chem.)</fld>, <cd>carbon dioxide; -- so called because of its deadly suffocating power. See <cref>Carbonic acid</cref>, under <er>Carbonic</er>.</cd></cs>

<h1>Mephitis</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Me*phi"tis</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>mephitis</ets> : cf. F. <ets>m\'82phitis</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Noxious, pestilential, or foul exhalations from decomposing substances, filth, or other source.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>A genus of mammals, including the skunks.</def>

<h1>Mephitism</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Meph"i*tism</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Same as <er>Mephitis</er>, 1.</def>

<h1>Meracious</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Me*ra"cious</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>meracus</ets>, fr. <ets>merus</ets> pure, inmixed.]</ety> <def>Being without mixture or adulteration; hence, strong; racy.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<h1>Mercable</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Mer"ca*ble</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>mercabilis</ets>, fr. <ets>mercari</ets> to trade, traffic, buy. See <er>Merchant</er>.]</ety> <def>Capable of being bought or sold.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<h1>Mercantile</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Mer"can*tile</hw> <tt>(?; 277)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>mercantile</ets>, It. <ets>mercantile</ets>, fr. L. <ets>mercans</ets>, <ets>-antis</ets>, p. pr. of <ets>mercari</ets> to traffic. See <er>Merchant</er>.]</ety> <def>Of or pertaining to merchants, or the business of merchants; having to do with trade, or the buying and selling of commodities; commercial.</def>

<blockquote>The expedition of the Argonauts was partly <b>mercantile</b>, partly military. <i>Arbuthnot.</i></blockquote>

<cs><col>Mercantile agency</col>, <cd>an agency for procuring information of the standing and credit of merchants in different parts of the country, for the use of dealers who sell to them.</cd> -- <col>Mercantile marine</col>, <cd>the persons and vessels employed in commerce, taken collectively.</cd> -- <col>Mercantile paper</col>, <cd>the notes or acceptances given by merchants for goods bought, or received on consignment; drafts on merchants for goods sold or consigned.</cd></cs>

<i>McElrath.</i>

<syn>Syn. -- <er>Mercantile</er>, <er>Commercial</er>.</syn> <usage> <i>Commercial</i> is the wider term, being sometimes used to embrace <i>mercantile</i>. In their stricter use, <i>commercial</i> relates to the shipping, freighting, forwarding, and other business connected with the <i>commerce</i> of a country (whether external or internal), that is, the exchange of commodities; while <i>mercantile</i> applies to the sale of merchandise and goods when brought to market. As the two employments are to some extent intermingled, the two words are often interchanged.</usage>

<h1>Mercaptal</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Mer*cap"tal</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[<ets>Mercapt</ets>an + <ets>al</ets>dehyde.]</ety> <fld>(Chem.)</fld> <def>Any one of a series of compounds of mercaptans with aldehydes.</def>

<h1>Mercaptan</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Mer*cap"tan</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F., fr. NL. <ets>mercurius</ets> mercury + L. <ets>captans</ets>, p. pr. of <ets>captare</ets> to seize, v. intens. fr. <ets>capere</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Chem.)</fld> <def>Any one of series of compounds, hydrosulphides of alcohol radicals, in composition resembling the alcohols, but containing sulphur in place of oxygen, and hence called also the <altname>sulphur alcohols</altname>. In general, they are colorless liquids having a strong, repulsive, garlic odor. The name is specifically applied to ethyl mercaptan, <chform>C2H5SH</chform>. So called from its avidity for <i>mercury</i>, and other metals.</def>

<h1>Mercaptide</h1> <Xpage=913>

<hw>Mer*cap"tide</hw> <tt>(? &or; ?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Chem.)</fld> <def>A compound of mercaptan formed by replacing its sulphur hydrogen by a metal; <as>as, potassium <ex>mercaptide</ex>, <chform>C2H5SK</chform></as>.</def>

<h1>Mercat</h1> <Xpage=913>