*ila*

n. 1. a strong soft crease-resistant fabric. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. adnubilatus, p. p. of adnubilare. ] Clouded; obscured. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Ailantus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From aylanto, i. e., tree of heaven, the name of the tree in the Moluccas. ] (Bot.) A genus of beautiful trees, natives of the East Indies. The tree imperfectly diœcious, and the staminate or male plant is very offensive when blossom. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. (Bot.) The pin grass (Erodium cicutarium), a weed in California. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a genus comprising the geometrid moths.
Syn. -- genus Alsophila. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Capable of being annihilated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Annihilated. [ Archaic ] Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Annihilated; p. pr. & vb. n. Annihilating. ] [ L. annihilare; ad + nihilum, nihil, nothing, ne hilum (filum) not a thread, nothing at all. Cf. File, a row. ] 1. To reduce to nothing or nonexistence; to destroy the existence of; to cause to cease to be. [ 1913 Webster ]

It impossible for any body to be utterly annihilated. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To destroy the form or peculiar distinctive properties of, so that the specific thing no longer exists; as, to annihilate a forest by cutting down the trees. “To annihilate the army.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To destroy or eradicate, as a property or attribute of a thing; to make of no effect; to destroy the force, etc., of; as, to annihilate an argument, law, rights, goodness. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 destroyed completely.
Syn. -- exterminated, wiped out(predicate). [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. criticising vehemently and effectively; making light of; as, afire with annihilating invective.
Syn. -- devastating, withering. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. annihilation. ] 1. The act of reducing to nothing, or nonexistence; or the act of destroying the form or combination of parts under which a thing exists, so that the name can no longer be applied to it; as, the annihilation of a corporation. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being annihilated. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Theol.) One who believes that eternal punishment consists in annihilation or extinction of being; a destructionist. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Serving to annihilate; destructive. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, annihilates; as, a fire annihilator. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Annihilative. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; not loving man; 'a priv. + &unr_; to love + &unr_; man. ] Want of love to mankind; -- the opposite of philanthropy. Coxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Aquilæ [ L., an eagle. ] 1. (Zool.) A genus of eagles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) A northern constellation southerly from Lyra and Cygnus and preceding the Dolphin; the Eagle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aquila alba [ L., white eagle ], an alchemical name of calomel. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Her.) Adorned with eagles' heads. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being assailed. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. assaillant, p. pr. of assaillir. ] Assailing; attacking. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. assaillant. ] One who, or that which, assails, attacks, or assaults; an assailer. [ 1913 Webster ]

An assailant of the church. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. assibilatus, p. p. of assibilare to hiss out; ad + sibilare to hiss. ] To make sibilant; to change to a sibilant. J. Peile. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Change of a non-sibilant letter to a sibilant, as of -tion to -shun, duke to ditch. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being assimilable. [ R. ] Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be assimilated; that may be likened, or appropriated and incorporated. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Assimilated p. pr. & vb. n. Assimilating ] [ L. assimilatus, p. p. of assimilare; ad + similare to make like, similis like. See Similar, Assemble, Assimilate. ] 1. To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

To assimilate our law to the law of Scotland. John Bright. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fast falls a fleecy; the downy flakes
Assimilate all objects. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To liken; to compa&unr_;e. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To appropriate and transform or incorporate into the substance of the assimilating body; to absorb or appropriate, as nourishment; as, food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hence also animals and vegetables may assimilate their nourishment. Sir I. Newton. [ 1913 Webster ]

His mind had no power to assimilate the lessons. Merivale. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To become similar or like something else. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To change and appropriate nourishment so as to make it a part of the substance of the assimilating body. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aliment easily assimilated or turned into blood. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To be converted into the substance of the assimilating body; to become incorporated; as, some kinds of food assimilate more readily than others. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am a foreign material, and cannot assimilate with the church of England. J. H. Newman. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. tending to or characterized by or causing assimilation (being absorbed into or incorporated).
Syn. -- assimilative, assimilatory. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. assimilatio: cf. F. assimilation. ] 1. The act or process of assimilating or bringing to a resemblance, likeness, or identity; also, the state of being so assimilated; as, the assimilation of one sound to another. [ 1913 Webster ]

To aspire to an assimilation with God. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

The assimilation of gases and vapors. Sir J. Herschel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Physiol.) The conversion of nutriment into the fluid or solid substance of the body, by the processes of digestion and absorption, whether in plants or animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not conversing the body, not repairing it by assimilation, but preserving it by ventilation. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term assimilation has been limited by some to the final process by which the nutritive matter of the blood is converted into the substance of the tissues and organs. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. LL. assimilativus, F. assimilatif. ] Tending to, or characterized by, assimilation; that assimilates or causes assimilation; as, an assimilative process or substance. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to assimilate, or produce assimilation; as, assimilatory organs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person much given to melancholy; a hypochondriac. I. Disraeli. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ LL. atrabilarius, fr. L. atra bilis black bile: cf. F. atrabilaire, fr. atrabile. ] Affected with melancholy; atrabilious. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. auris ear + lavare to wash. ] An instrument for cleansing the ear, consisting of a small piece of sponge on an ivory or bone handle. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n.; pl. Availabilities 1. The quality of being available; availableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The word is sometimes used derogatively in the sense of “mere availableness, ” or capability of success without regard to worthiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was . . . nominated for his availability. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is available. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having sufficient power, force, or efficacy, for the object; effectual; valid; as, an available plea. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Laws human are available by consent. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Such as one may avail one's self of; capable of being used for the accomplishment of a purpose; usable; profitable; advantageous; convertible into a resource; as, an available measure; an available candidate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Struggling to redeem, as he did, the available months and days out of so many that were unavailable. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Having no available funds with which to pay the calls on new shares. H. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Competent power; validity; efficacy; as, the availableness of a title. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Quality of being available; capability of being used for the purpose intended. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having the right or privilege of being admitted to bail, upon bond with sureties; -- used of persons. “He's bailable, I'm sure.” Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Admitting of bail; as, a bailable offense. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That can be delivered in trust; as, bailable goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ F. basilaire, fr. L. basis. See Base, n. ] 1. Relating to, or situated at, the base. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Lower; inferior; applied to impulses or springs of action. [ R. ] “Basilar instincts.” H. W. Beecher. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. bataillant, p. pr. See Battle, v. i. ] [ Obs. ] Prepared for battle; combatant; warlike. Spenser. -- n. A combatant. Shelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Such as may, or ought to, be bewailed; lamentable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + filar. ] Two-threaded; involving the use of two threads; as, bifilar suspension; a bifilar balance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bifilar micrometer (often called
a bifilar), an instrument form measuring minute distances or angles by means of two very minute threads (usually spider lines), one of which, at least, is movable; -- more commonly called a filar micrometer. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. (Linguistics) produced using both lips; -- said of a consonant. As, bilabial fricatives. See labial, adj. and bilabial, n. [ PJC ]

n. (Linguistics) a consonant that is articulated using both lips, as p or b or w. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + labiate. ] (Bot.) Having two lips, as the corols of certain flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + laciniate. ] Doubly fringed. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. A two-masted passenger boat or small vessel, used in the bay of Manila. [ 1913 Webster ]