Part 6977

<i>Piers Plowman.</i>

<h1>Merkin</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer"kin</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Originally, a wig; afterwards, a mop for cleaning cannon.</def>

<h1>Merl, Merle</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw><hw>Merl</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Merle</hw>,<hw> <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>merle</ets>, L. <ets>merula</ets>, <ets>merulus</ets>. Cf. <er>Ousel</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>The European blackbird. See <er>Blackbird</er>.</def>

<i>Drayton.</i>

<h1>Merlin</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer"lin</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>merlion</ets>, F. <ets>\'82merillon</ets> ; cf. OHG. <ets>smirl</ets>, G. <ets>schmerl</ets> ; prob. fr. L. <ets>merula</ets> blackbird. Cf. <er>Merle</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>A small European falcon (<spn>Falco lithofalco</spn>, or <spn>F. \'91salon</spn>).</def>

<h1>Merling</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer"ling</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>The European whiting.</def>

<h1>Merlon</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer"lon</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F., perh. fr. L. <ets>moerus</ets>, for <ets>murus</ets> a wall, through (assumed) dim. <ets>moerulus</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Fort.)</fld> <def>One of the solid parts of a battlemented parapet; a battlement. See <i>Illust</i>. of <er>Battlement</er>.</def>

<h1>Merluce</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer"luce</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[F. <ets>merluche</ets>, <ets>merlus</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>The European hake; -- called also <altname>herring hake</altname> and <altname>sea pike</altname>.</def>

<h1>Mermaid</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer"maid</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>mere</ets> lake, sea. See <er>Mere</er> lake, and <er>maid</er>.]</ety> <def>A fabled marine creature, typically represented as having the upper part like that of a woman, and the lower like a fish; a sea nymph, sea woman, or woman fish.</def>

<note>&hand; Chaucer uses this word as equivalent to the <i>siren</i> of the ancients.</note>

<cs><col>Mermaid fish</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <cd>the angel fish (<spn>Squatina</spn>).</cd> -- <col>Mermaid's glove</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>a British branched sponge somewhat resembling a glove.</cd> -- <col>Mermaid's head</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>a European spatangoid sea urchin (<spn>Echinocardium cordatum</spn>) having some resemblance to a skull.</cd> -- <col>Mermaid weed</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>an aquatic herb with dentate or pectinate leaves (<spn>Proserpinaca palustris</spn> and <spn>P. pectinacea</spn>).</cd></cs>

<h1>Merman</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer"man</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt>; <plu>pl. <plw>Mermen</plw> <tt>(<?/)</tt>.</plu> <def>The male corresponding to <i>mermaid</i>; a sea man, or man fish.</def>

<h1>Meroblast</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer"o*blast</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/ part + <ets>-blast</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Biol.)</fld> <def>An ovum, as that of a mammal, only partially composed of germinal matter, that is, consisting of both a germinal portion and an albuminous or nutritive one; -- opposed to <i>holoblast</i>.</def>

<h1>Meroblastic</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer`o*blas"tic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <fld>(Biol.)</fld> <def>Consisting only in part of germinal matter; characterized by partial segmentation only; <as>as, <ex>meroblastic</ex> ova, in which a portion of the yolk only undergoes fission; <ex>meroblastic</ex> segmentation; -- opposed to <ex>holoblastic</ex>.</as></def>

<h1>Merocele</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Me"ro*cele</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/ thigh + <?/ tumor.]</ety> <fld>(Med.)</fld> <def>Hernia in the thigh; femoral hernia .</def>

<h1>Meroistic</h1> <Xpage=914>

<hw>Mer`o*is"tic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Gr. <?/ part + <?/ an egg.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>Applied to the ovaries of insects when they secrete vitelligenous cells, as well as ova.</def>