*leth*

n. [ Gr. &unr_; true + &unr_; to view. ] An instrument for viewing pictures by means of a lens, so as to present them in their natural proportions and relations. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) A round piece of timber at the bow or stern of a whaleboat, around which the harpoon line is run out when the whale darts off. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a head shaped like a bullet. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. [ PJC ]

a. Of or pertaining to a holethnos or parent race. [ 1913 Webster ]

The holethnic history of the Arians. London Academy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Holo + Gr. &unr_; race. ] A parent stock or race of people, not yet divided into separate branches or tribes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Lauric + ether + alcohol. ] (Chem.) One of the higher alcohols of the paraffine series obtained from spermaceti as a white crystalline solid. It is so called because it occurs in the ethereal salt of lauric acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. lethalis, letalis, fr. lethum, letum, death: cf. F. léthal. ] Deadly; mortal; fatal. “The lethal blow.” W. Richardson. -- Le"thal*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Cf. F. léthalité. ] The quality of being lethal; mortality. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. lethargicus, Gr. lhqargiko`s: cf. F. léthargique. See Lethargy. ] Pertaining to, affected with, or resembling, lethargy; morbidly drowsy; dull; heavy. -- Le*thar"gic*al*ly, adv. -- Le*thar"gic*al*ness, n. -- Le*thar"gic*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Lethargized p. pr. & vb. n. Lethargizing ] To make lethargic. [ 1913 Webster ]

All bitters are poison, and act by stilling, and depressing, and lethargizing the irritability. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. -gies [ F. léthargie, L. lethargia, Gr. lhqargi`a, fr. lh`qargos forgetful, fr. lh`qh forgetfulness. See Lethe. ] 1. Morbid drowsiness; continued or profound sleep, from which a person can scarcely be awaked. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A state of inaction or indifference. [ 1913 Webster ]

Europe lay then under a deep lethargy. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To lethargize. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Lethal. ] Death. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. lh`qh, prop., forgetfulness; akin to lanqa`nesqai to forget, lanqa`nein to escape notice. ] 1. (Class. Myth.) A river of Hades whose waters when drunk caused forgetfulness of the past. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Oblivion; a draught of oblivion; forgetfulness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. Lethaeus, Gr. lh`qaios or lhqai^os. ] Of or pertaining to Lethe; resembling in effect the water of Lethe. Milton. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Caused by Lethe. “ Letheed dullness.” [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. lh`qh. ] (Med.) Sulphuric ether used as an anæsthetic agent. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To subject to the influence of letheon. [ R. or Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. lethifer, letifer, fr. lethum, letum, death + ferre to bear, to bring: cf. F. léthifère. ] Deadly; bringing death or destruction. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Lethean. [ Obs. ] Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Mega- + alethoscope. ] An optical apparatus in which pictures are viewed through a large lens with stereoptical effects. It is often combined with the stereoscope. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. not capable of causing death. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Oxalic + ethyl + -ine. ] A poisonous nitrogenous base (C6H10N2) obtained indirectly from oxamide as a thick transparent oil which has a strong narcotic odor, and a physiological action resembling that of atropine. It is probably related to pyridine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Philo- + Gr. 'alh`qeia truth. ] A lover of the truth. [ Obs. ] Brathwait. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to be or become full. Cf. Pleonasm. ] 1. Overfullness; especially, excessive fullness of the blood vessels; repletion; that state of the blood vessels or of the system when the blood exceeds a healthy standard in quantity; hyperæmia; -- opposed to anæmia. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. State of being overfull; excess; superabundance. [ 1913 Webster ]

He labors under a plethora of wit and imagination. Jeffrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Plethoric. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; cf. F. pléthorique. ] Haeving a full habit of body; characterized by plethora or excess of blood; as, a plethoric constitution; -- used also metaphorically. “Plethoric phrases.” Sydney Smith. “Plethoric fullness of thought.” De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Plethoric. [ R. ] -- Ple*thor"ic*al*ly, adv. Burke. [1913 Webster]

n. Plethora. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } n.; pl. Plethra [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_;. ] (Gr. Antiq.) A long measure of 100 Greek, or 101 English, feet; also, a square measure of 10, 000 Greek feet. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. &unr_; an enlargement + -graph. ] (Physiol.) An instrument for determining and registering the variations in the size or volume of a limb, as the arm or leg, and hence the variations in the amount of blood in the limb. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Pleth`ys*mo*graph"ic a. [1913 Webster]

n. (Physiol.) The study, by means of the plethysmograph, of the variations in size of a limb, and hence of its blood supply. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Shibboleth. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Heb. shibbōleth an ear of corn, or a stream, a flood. ] 1. A word which was made the criterion by which to distinguish the Ephraimites from the Gileadites. The Ephraimites, not being able to pronounce sh, called the word sibboleth. See Judges xii. [ 1913 Webster ]

Without reprieve, adjudged to death,
For want of well pronouncing shibboleth. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Also used in an extended sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

The th, with its twofold value, is . . . the shibboleth of foreigners. Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, the criterion, test, or watchword of a party; a party cry or pet phrase. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. th^le far + thermo- + -graph. ] (Physics) (a) A record of fluctuations of temperature made automatically at a distant station. (b) An instrument, usually electrical, making such records. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]