*amma*

n. [ Gr. &unr_; illiterate; 'a priv. + &unr_; letters, fr. &unr_; to write. ] A illiterate person. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ LL. amma, prob. of interjectional or imitative origin: cf. Sp. ama, G. amme, nurse, Basque ama mother, Heb. &unr_;m, Ar. immun, ummun. ] An abbes or spiritual mother. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of Jordan. Population (2000) = 963, 490. [ PJC ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. anagrammatique. ] Pertaining to, containing, or making, an anagram. -- An`a*gram*mat"ic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Gr. 'anagrammatismo`s: cf. F. anagrammatisme. ] The act or practice of making anagrams. Camden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. anagrammatiste. ] A maker of anagrams. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Gr. 'anagrammati`zein cf. F. anagrammatiser. ] To transpose, as the letters of a word, so as to form an anagram. Cudworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) See Camass. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. chronogrammatique. ] Belonging to a chronogram, or containing one. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A writer of chronograms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus sometimes placed in the family Polypodiaceae or Cryptogrammataceae.
Syn. -- genus Cryptogramma. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. one of a number of families into which the family Polypodiaceae has been subdivided in some classification systems.
Syn. -- family Cryptogrammataceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. [ Jav. & Malay. damar. ] An oleoresin used in making varnishes; dammar gum; dammara resin. It is obtained from certain resin trees indigenous to the East Indies, esp. Shorea robusta and the dammar pine. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dammar pine, (Bot.), a tree of the Moluccas (Agathis orientalis syn. Dammara orientalis), yielding dammar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A large tree of the order Coniferæ, indigenous to the East Indies and Australasia; -- called also Agathis. There are several species. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or of the nature of, a diagram; showing by diagram. -- Di`a*gram*mat"ic*ly adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; = &unr_; twice + ga`mma the letter Γ. So called because it resembled two gammas placed one above the other. ] (Gr. Gram.) A letter (&unr_;, &unr_;) of the Greek alphabet, which early fell into disuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This form identifies it with the Latin F, though in sound it is said to have been nearer V. It was pronounced, probably, much like the English W.

{ } a. Having the digamma or its representative letter or sound; as, the Latin word vis is a digammated form of the Greek 'i`s. Andrews. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ }[ L. epigrammaticus: cf. F. épigrammatique. ] 1. Writing epigrams; dealing in epigrams; as, an epigrammatical poet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Suitable to epigrams; belonging to epigrams; like an epigram; pointed; piquant; as, epigrammatic style, wit, or sallies of fancy. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the way of epigram; in an epigrammatic style. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. epigrammatista: cf. F. épigrammatiste. ] One who composes epigrams, or makes use of them. [ 1913 Webster ]

The brisk epigrammatist showing off his own cleverness. Holmes. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Epigrammatized p. pr. & vb. n. Epigrammatizing ] To represent by epigrams; to express by epigrams. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who writes in an affectedly pointed style. [ 1913 Webster ]

Epigrammatizers of our English prose style. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being flammable; inflammability. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Inflammable. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of setting in a flame or blaze. [ Obs. ] Sir. T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The third letter (Γ, γ = Eng. G) of the Greek alphabet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cross formed of four capital gammas, formerly used as a mysterious ornament on ecclesiastical vestments, etc. See Fylfot. [ 1913 Webster ]

. n. (Physics) A very penetrating electromagnetic ray not appreciably deflected by a magnetic or electric field, emitted by radioactive substances. Gamma rays are photons of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength shorter than that of X-rays, (i. e. shorter than 0.1 nanometer) and are correspondingly more penetrating than X-rays. In addition to being given off in certain types of radioactive decay, they may be found in cosmic radiation, though they are largely absorbed by the earth's atmosphere. Gamma-ray detectors orbited above the atmosphere have found bursts of gamma radiation, in some cases associated with visually observed supernova explosions, but in most cases from unidentified sources. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

n. A pasture grass of the plains of South America and western North America; same as grama grass, which see.
Syn. -- grama, grama grass, gramma grass. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. gra`mma letter + lo`gos word. Cf. Logogram. ] (Phonography) Literally, a letter word; a word represented by a logogram; as, it, represented by |, that is, t. Pitman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. gramere, OF. gramaire, F. grammaire Prob. fr. L. gramatica Gr &unr_;, fem. of &unr_; skilled in grammar, fr. &unr_; letter. See Gramme, Graphic, and cf. Grammatical, Gramarye. ] 1. The science which treats of the principles of language; the study of forms of speech, and their relations to one another; the art concerned with the right use and application of the rules of a language, in speaking or writing. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The whole fabric of grammar rests upon the classifying of words according to their function in the sentence. Bain. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The art of speaking or writing with correctness or according to established usage; speech considered with regard to the rules of a grammar. [ 1913 Webster ]

The original bad grammar and bad spelling. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A treatise on the principles of language; a book containing the principles and rules for correctness in speaking or writing. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. treatise on the elements or principles of any science; as, a grammar of geography. [ 1913 Webster ]

Comparative grammar, the science which determines the relations of kindred languages by examining and comparing their grammatical forms. --
Grammar school. (a) A school, usually endowed, in which Latin and Greek grammar are taught, as also other studies preparatory to colleges or universities; as, the famous Rugby Grammar School. This use of the word is more common in England than in the United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

When any town shall increase to the number of a hundred
families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the University. Mass. Records (1647).

(b) In the American system of graded common schools, at one time the term referred to an intermediate school between the primary school and the high school, in which the principles of English grammar were taught; now, it is synonymous with primary school or elementary school, being the first school at which children are taught subjects required by the state educational laws. In different communities, the grammar school (primary school) may have grades 1 to 4, 1 to 6, or 1 to 8, usually together with a kindergarten. Schools between the primary school and high school are now commonly termed middle school or intermediate school. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. i. To discourse according to the rules of grammar; to use grammar. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. grammairien. ] 1. One versed in grammar, or the construction of languages; a philologist. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ “The term was used by the classic ancients as a term of honorable distinction for all who were considered learned in any art or faculty whatever.” Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who writes on, or teaches, grammar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The principles, practices, or peculiarities of grammarians. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without grammar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ From Gr. &unr_; letters, written rules. ] Rudiments; first principles, as of grammar. [ Obs. ] Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Grammatical. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. grammaticus, grammaticalis; Gr. &unr_; skilled in grammar, knowing one's letters, from &unr_; a letter: cf. F. grammatical. See Grammar. ] 1. Of or pertaining to grammar; of the nature of grammar; as, a grammatical rule. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. According to the rules of grammar; grammatically correct; as, the sentence is not grammatical; the construction is not grammatical.

--Gram*mat"ic*al*ly, adv. -- Gram*mat"ic*al*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. ] A petty grammarian; a grammatical pedant or pretender. [ 1913 Webster ]

My noble Neophite, my little grammaticaster. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A principle of grammar; a grammatical rule. [ Obs. ] Dalgarno. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A point or principle of grammar. Abp. Leighton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Grammaticized p. pr. & vb. n. Grammaticizing ] To render grammatical. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. grammatista schoolmaster, Gr. &unr_;, from &unr_; to teach the letters, to be a scribe: cf. F. grammatiste. See Grammatical. ] A petty grammarian. [ R. ] Tooke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A small genus of large epiphytic or terrestrial orchids of Southeastern Asia to Polynesia; the giants of the Orchidaceae having long narrow leaves and drooping flower clusters often 6 feet long.
Syn. -- genus Grammatophyllum. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. A grandmother.

[ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. hiérogrammatique. ] Written in, or pertaining to, hierograms; expressive of sacred writing. Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. hiérogrammatiste. ] A writer of hierograms; also, one skilled in hieroglyphics. Greenhill.

n. [ Cf. F. inflammabilite. ] Susceptibility of taking fire readily; the state or quality of being inflammable. [ 1913 Webster ]