*lem*

‖n. [ Turk. 'alem, fr. Ar. 'alam. ] (Mil.) The imperial standard of the Turkish Empire. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Belonging to the Alemanni, a confederacy of warlike German tribes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The language of the Alemanni. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Swabian dialect . . . is known as the Alemannic. Amer. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. alambic (cf. Sp. alambique), Ar. al-anbīq, fr. Gr. 'a`mbix cup, cap of a still. The cap or head was the alembic proper. Cf. Limbec. ] An apparatus formerly used in distillation, usually made of glass or metal. It has mostly given place to the retort and worm still.
Used also metaphorically.

The alembic of a great poet's imagination. Brimley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Origin uncertain. ] The salt of wisdom of the alchemists, a double salt composed of the chlorides of ammonium and mercury. It was formerly used as a stimulant. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. allemand German. ] 1. (Mus.) A dance in moderate twofold time, invented by the French in the reign of Louis XIV.; -- now mostly found in suites of pieces, like those of Bach and Handel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A figure in dancing. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Alemannic. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L. analemma a sun dial on a pedestal, showing the latitude and meridian of a place, Gr. 'ana`lhmma a support, or thing supported, a sun dial, fr. 'analamba`nein to take up; 'ana` + lamba`nein to take. ] 1. (Chem.) An orthographic projection of the sphere on the plane of the meridian, the eye being supposed at an infinite distance, and in the east or west point of the horizon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An instrument of wood or brass, on which this projection of the sphere is made, having a movable horizon or cursor; -- formerly much used in solving some common astronomical problems. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A scale of the sun's declination for each day of the year, drawn across the torrid zone on an artificial terrestrial globe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Angle + -meter. ] An instrument to measure angles, esp. one used by geologists to measure the dip of strata. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a mint (Mentha rotundifolia or Mentha suaveolens) with apple-scented stems of South and West Europe; naturalized in U.S.
Syn. -- apple mint. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Babble. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The process or act of baffling, or of being baffled; frustration; check.

n. [ OE. batelment; cf. OF. bataillement combat, fr. batailler, also OF. bastillier, bateillier, to fortify. Cf. Battle, n., Bastile, Bastion. ] (Arch.) (a) One of the solid upright parts of a parapet in ancient fortifications. (b) pl. The whole parapet, consisting of alternate solids and open spaces. At first purely a military feature, afterwards copied on a smaller scale with decorative features, as for churches. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having battlements. [ 1913 Webster ]

A battlemented portal. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of beguiling, or the state of being beguiled. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; dart, fr. &unr_; dart, fr. &unr_; to throw: cf. F. bélemnite. ] (Paleon.) A conical calcareous fossil, tapering to a point at the lower extremity, with a conical cavity at the other end, where it is ordinarily broken; but when perfect it contains a small chambered cone, called the phragmocone, prolonged, on one side, into a delicate concave blade; the thunderstone. It is the internal shell of a cephalopod related to the sepia, and belonging to an extinct family. The belemnites are found in rocks of the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages. -- Bel*em*nit"ic, a. [1913 Webster]

n. an order of extinct dibranchiate cephalopods related to the surviving spirulas.
Syn. -- order Belemnoidea. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. 1. An inhabitant of Bethlehem in Judea. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An insane person; a madman; a bedlamite. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One of an extinct English order of monks. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Blemished p. pr. & vb. n. Blemishing. ] [ OE. blemissen, blemishen, OF. blemir, blesmir, to strike, injure, soil, F. blêmir to grow pale, fr. OF. bleme, blesme, pale, wan, F. blême, prob. fr. Icel blāman the livid color of a wound, fr. blār blue; akin to E. blue. OF. blemir properly signifies to beat one (black and) blue, and to render blue or dirty. See Blue. ] 1. To mark with deformity; to injure or impair, as anything which is well formed, or excellent; to mar, or make defective, either the body or mind. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sin is a soil which blemisheth the beauty of thy soul. Brathwait. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To tarnish, as reputation or character; to defame. [ 1913 Webster ]

There had nothing passed between us that might blemish reputation. Oldys. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Blemishes Any mark of deformity or injury, whether physical or moral; anything that diminishes beauty, or renders imperfect that which is otherwise well formed; that which impairs reputation. [ 1913 Webster ]

He shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish. Lev. xiv. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

The reliefs of an envious man are those little blemishes and imperfections that discover themselves in an illustrious character. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Spot; speck; flaw; deformity; stain; defect; fault; taint; reproach; dishonor; imputation; disgrace. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without blemish; spotless. [ 1913 Webster ]

A life in all so blemishless. Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being blemished; blemish; disgrace; damage; impairment. [ 1913 Webster ]

For dread of blame and honor's blemishment. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A brabble. [ R. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Wrangle; brangle. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of cajoling; the state of being cajoled; cajolery. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] A pun. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a person who makes or sells candles. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ AS. candelmæsse, candel candle + mæsse mass. ] The second day of February, on which is celebrated the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary; -- so called because the candles for the altar or other sacred uses are blessed on that day. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ Cf. clam to clog, or G. klemmen to pinch, Icel. klömbra, E. clamp. ] To starve; to famish. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. klhmati`s brushwood, also (from its long, lithe branches) clematis. fr. klh^ma twig, shoot, fr. kla^n to break off. ] (Bot.) A genus of flowering plants, of many species, mostly climbers, having feathery styles, which greatly enlarge in the fruit; -- called also virgin's bower. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Clemency. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Clemencies [ L. clementia, fr. clemens mild, calm. ] 1. Disposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mildness of temper; gentleness; tenderness; mercy. [ 1913 Webster ]

Great clemency and tender zeal toward their subjects. Stowe. [ 1913 Webster ]

They had applied for the royal clemency. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Mildness or softness of the elements; as, the clemency of the season.

Syn. -- Mildness; tenderness; indulgence; lenity; mercy; gentleness; compassion; kindness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. clemens; -entis; cf. F. cl&unr_;ment. ] Mild in temper and disposition; merciful; compassionate. Shak.

-- Clem"ent*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. Of or pertaining to Clement, esp. to St. Clement of Rome and the spurious homilies attributed to him, or to Pope Clement V. and his compilations of canon law. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From W.T. Coleman of San Francisco. ] (Min.) A hydrous borate of lime occurring in transparent colorless or white crystals, also massive, in Southern California. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Coletit. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. ko`lla glue + 'e`mbolon wedge, peg; -- so called from their having collophores. ] (Zool.) The division of Thysanura which includes Podura, and allied forms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Compilation. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. complementun: cf. F. complément. See Complete, v. t., and cf. Compliment. ] 1. That which fills up or completes; the quantity or number required to fill a thing or make it complete. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is required to supply a deficiency, or to complete a symmetrical whole. [ 1913 Webster ]

History is the complement of poetry. Sir J. Stephen. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Full quantity, number, or amount; a complete set; completeness. [ 1913 Webster ]

To exceed his complement and number appointed him which was one hundred and twenty persons. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Math.) A second quantity added to a given quantity to make it equal to a third given quantity. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Something added for ornamentation; an accessory. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Without vain art or curious complements. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Naut.) The whole working force of a vessel. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Mus.) The interval wanting to complete the octave; -- the fourth is the complement of the fifth, the sixth of the third. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. A compliment. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arithmetical compliment of a logarithm. See under Logarithm. --
Arithmetical complement of a number (Math.), the difference between that number and the next higher power of 10; as, 4 is the complement of 6, and 16 of 84. --
Complement of an arc or
Complement of an angle (Geom.), the difference between that arc or angle and 90°. --
Complement of a parallelogram. (Math.) See Gnomon. --
In her complement (Her.), said of the moon when represented as full. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To supply a lack; to supplement. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To compliment. [ Obs. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Supplying, or tending to supply, a deficiency; fully completing. “Complemental ceremony.” Prynne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Complimentary; courteous. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Complemental air (Physiol.), the air (averaging 100 cubic inches) which can be drawn into the lungs in addition to the tidal air, by the deepest possible inspiration. --
Complemental males (Zool.), peculiar small males living parasitically on the ordinary hermaphrodite individuals of certain barnacles. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Serving to fill out or to complete; as, complementary numbers. [ 1913 Webster ]

Complementary colors. See under Color. --
Complementary angles (Math.), two angles whose sum is 90°. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Complimentary. ] One skilled in compliments. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Linguistics) the grammatical relation of a word or phrase to a predicate. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Condolence. “A pitiful condolement.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Sorrow; mourning; lamentation. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. couplement. ] Union; combination; a coupling; a pair. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And forth together rode, a goodly couplement. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Dazzling flash, glare, or burst of light. Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. défilement. See Defile ] (Mil.) The protection of the interior walls of a fortification from an enfilading fire, as by covering them, or by a high parapet on the exposed side. [ 1913 Webster ]