*elen*

a. (Zool.) Belonging to the Cœlentera. -- n. One of the Cœlentera. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ L., fr. delere to destroy. ] Things to be erased or blotted out. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. delenificus; delenire to soothe + facere to make. See Lenient. ] Assuaging pain. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. di- + selenide. ] (Chem.) A selenide containing two atoms of selenium in each molecule. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Elenchs [ L. elenchus, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to convict, confute, prove: cf. OF. elenche. ] (Logic) (a) That part of an argument on which its conclusiveness depends; that which convinces of refutes an antagonist; a refutation. (b) A specious but fallacious argument; a sophism. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to an elench. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By means of an elench. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To dispute. [ R. ] B. Jonson.

{ , a. Same as Elenctic. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. ] Same as Elench.

{ } a. [ Gr.&unr_;. ] (Logic) Serving to refute; refutative; -- applied to indirect modes of proof, and opposed to deictic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. AS. ellende foreign, strange, G. elend miserable. ] Sorrowful; wretched; full of trouble. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Loneliness; misery. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. See Forlend. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

As if that life to losse they had forelent. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. ge`a, gh^, the earth + &unr_; moon. ] Pertaining to the earth and moon; belonging to the joint action or mutual relations of the earth and moon; as, geoselenic phenomena. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. Sp. helena. ] See St. Elmo's fire, under Saint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A neutral organic substance found in the root of the elecampane (Inula helenium), and extracted as a white crystalline or oily material, with a slightly bitter taste. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. (Med.) See Melaena. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Melissic + ethylene. ] (Chem.) An unsaturated hydrocarbon, C30H60, of the ethylene series, obtained from beeswax as a white, scaly, crystalline wax; -- called also melissene, and melissylene. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. me`li honey. ] An explosive of great destructive power; -- so called from its color, which resembles honey. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Myelencephalon. ] (Zool.) Same as Vertebrata. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the myelencephalon; cerebro-spinal. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., from Gr. myelo`s marrow + E. encephalon. ] (Anat.) (a) The brain and spinal cord; the cerebro-spinal axis. Sometimes abbreviated to myelencephal. (b) The metencephalon. Huxley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Myelencephala. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Paraselenæ [ NL., from Gr. para` beside + selh`nh the moon: cf. F. parasélène. ] (Meteor.) A mock moon; an image of the moon which sometimes appears at the point of intersection of two lunar halos. Cf. Parhelion. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To slacken; to abate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And oftentimes he would relent his pace. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To soften; to dissolve. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To mollify ; to cause to be less harsh or severe. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Relented; p. pr. & vb. n. Relenting. ] [ F. ralentir, fr. L. pref. re- re- + ad to + lentus pliant, flexible, slow. See Lithe. ] 1. To become less rigid or hard; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He stirred the coals till relente gan
The wax again the fire. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Salt of tartar ] placed in a cellar will . . . begin to relent. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

When opening buds salute the welcome day,
And earth, relenting, feels the genial ray. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, cruel, or the like; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Can you . . . behold
My sighs and tears, and will not once relent? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Stay; stop; delay. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor rested till she came without relent
Unto the land of Amazons. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Unmoved by appeals for sympathy or forgiveness; insensible to the distresses of others; destitute of tenderness; unrelenting; unyielding; unpitying; as, a prey to relentless despotism. [ 1913 Webster ]

For this the avenging power employs his darts, . . .
Thus will persist, relentless in his ire. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Re*lent"less*ly, adv. -- Re*lent"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or process of relenting; the state of having relented. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A salt of selenic acid; -- formerly called also seleniate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, hydrogen selenide, H2Se, regarded as an acid analogous to sulphydric acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. sélénique. ] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to selenium; derived from, or containing, selenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which the element has a higher valence as contrasted with selenious compounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A binary compound of selenium, or a compound regarded as binary; as, ethyl selenide. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Selenium + -ferous. ] Containing, or impregnated with, selenium; as, seleniferous pyrites. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Chem.) A combining form (also used adjectively) denoting the presence of selenium or its compounds; as, selenio-phosphate, a phosphate having selenium in place of all, or a part, of the oxygen. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. sélénieux. ] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, selenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which the element has a lower valence as contrasted with selenic compounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A salt of selenious acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. selenites, Gr. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_; (sc. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;), from selh`nh the moon. So called from a fancied resemblance in luster or appearance to the moon. ] (Min.) A variety of gypsum, occuring in transparent crystals or crystalline masses. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. (Min.) Of or pertaining to selenite; resembling or containing selenite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., from Gr. selh`nh the moon. So called because of its chemical analogy to tellurium (from L. tellus the earth), being, as it were, a companion to it. ] (Chem.) A nonmetallic element of the sulphur group of atomic number 34, analogous to sulphur in its compounds. It is found in small quantities with sulphur and some sulphur ores, and obtained in the free state as a dark reddish powder or crystalline mass, or as a dark metallic-looking substance. It exhibits under the action of light a remarkable variation in electric conductivity, and is used in certain electric apparatus. Symbol Se. Atomic weight 78.96. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A selenide. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Combined with selenium as in a selenide; as, seleniureted hydrogen. [ Written also seleniuretted. ] [ Obsoles. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. selh`nh the moon + E. centric. ] (Astron.) As seen or estimated from the center of the moon; with the moon central. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A picture or delineation of the moon's surface, or of any part of it. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One skilled in selenography. Wright. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. sélénographique. ] Of or pertaining to selenography. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A selenographer. [ 1913 Webster ]