*mei*

n. 1. 1 the type genus of the Ameiuridae: bullhead catfishes.
Syn. -- genus Ameiurus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ G., fr. capelle chapel, private band of a prince + meister a master. ] The musical director in a royal or ducal chapel; a choir-master. [ Written also kapellmeister. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ G. ] (Mus.) The head violinist or leader of the strings in an orchestra; the sub-leader of the orchestra; concert master. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. en- + vermeil: cf. OF. envermeiller. See Vermil. ] To color with, or as with, vermilion; to dye red. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ G. ] (Mus.) See Capellmeister. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Anat.) Of, pertaining to, or discovered by, Meibomius. [ 1913 Webster ]

Meibomian glands, the slender sebaceous glands of the eyelids, which discharge, through minute orifices in the edges of the lids, a fatty secretion serving to lubricate the adjacent parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. See Menge. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ OF. maisniée, maisnie. See Menial. ] 1. A family, including servants, etc.; household; retinue; train. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Company; band; army. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Geol.) See Miocene. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. mei`wn smaller. So called in a allusion to the low pyramids of the crystals. ] (Min.) A member of the scapolite group, occuring in glassy crystals on Monte Somma, near Naples. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. mei`wsis, fr. meioy^n to make smaller, from mei`wn. See Meionite. ] 1. (Rhet.) Diminution; a species of hyperbole, representing a thing as being less than it really is; understatement; see also litotes. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. (Cell Biology) The cellular process by which a diploid progenitor cell forms haploid gametes, including a division of one diploid cell into two cells, each with one of the homologous sets of chromosomes. [ PJC ]

a. [ Gr. mei`wn smaller + &unr_; warp, thread. ] (Bot.) Having fever stamens than the parts of the corolla. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See meiosis. ] (Cell Biology) Of or pertaining to meiosis; as, meiotic division. [ PJC ]

suff. [ G., master ] A suffix denoting master or professional practitioner, as in spinmeister or hypemeister. [ PJC ]

‖n. [ G. ] See Mastersinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F. roméine. So calledafter the French mineralogist Romé L'Isle. ] (Min.) A mineral of a hyacinth or honey-yellow color, occuring in square octahedrons. It is an antimonate of calcium. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or } n. [ Gr. shmei^on sign + -graphy. ] (Med.) A description of the signs of disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or }, a. Of or pertaining to the science of signs, or the systematic use of signs; as, a semeiological classification of the signs or symptoms of disease; a semeiological arrangement of signs used as signals. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or , n. [ Gr. shmei^on a mark, a sign + -logy. ] The study of signs as an element of communication; the analysis of systems of communication; -- also called semiotics. Specifically: (a) (Med.) The science of the signs or symptoms of disease; symptomatology. (b) The art of using signs in signaling. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or }, a. [ Gr. shmeiwtiko`s, fr. shmei^on a mark, a sign. ] 1. Relating to signs or indications; pertaining to the language of signs, or to language generally as indicating thought. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) Of or pertaining to the signs or symptoms of diseases. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or }, n. 1. The study of signs as an element of communication; the analysis of systems of communication; -- also called semiology. [ PJC ]

2. a theory of signs and symbols, including as branches semantics, pragmatics and syntactics. [ RHUD ] [ PJC ]

n. A salt glaze on pottery, made by adding common salt to an earthenware glaze. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] Slumber; sleep. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., vermilion, fr. LL. vermiculus, fr. L. vermiculus a little worm, the coccus Indicus, from vermis a worm. See Worm, and cf. Vermicule. ] 1. Vermilion; also, the color of vermilion, a bright, beautiful red. [ Poetic & R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

In her cheeks the vermeill red did show
Like roses in a bed of lilies shed. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Silver gilt or gilt bronze. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A liquid composition applied to a gilded surface to give luster to the gold. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]