*than*

n. 1. an eel-shaped vertebrate without jaws or paired appendages; a member of the Agnatha. The group includes the cyclostomes and some extinct forms.
Syn. -- jawless vertebrate, jawless fish [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. a methyl with the hydrogen atom replaced by an amino radical. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Of or pertaining to Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria in the 4th century. [ 1913 Webster ]

Athanasian creed, a formulary, confession, or exposition of faith, formerly supposed to have been drawn up by Athanasius; but this opinion is now rejected, and the composition is ascribed by some to Hilary, bishop of Arles (5th century). It is a summary of what was called the orthodox faith. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖, n. [ NL. athanasia, fr. Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; priv. + &unr_; death. ] The quality of being deathless; immortality. [ 1913 Webster ]

Is not a scholiastic athanasy better than none? Lowell. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ F., fr. Ar. at-tannūr, fr. Heb. tannūr an oven or furnace. ] A digesting furnace, formerly used by alchemists. It was so constructed as to maintain uniform and durable heat. Chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. of or pertaining to the Chaetognatha. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Chem.) A colorless gas, CH3Cl, of a sweet odor, easily condensed to a liquid; -- called also methyl chloride. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. cis- + Leitha. ] On the Austrian side of the river Leitha; Austrian. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. a. Pertaining to Queen Elizabeth I. or her times, esp. to the architecture or literature of her reign; as, the Elizabethan writers, drama, literature. -- n. One who lived in England in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Ether. ] (Chem.) A gaseous hydrocarbon, C2H6, forming a constituent of ordinary illuminating gas. It is the second member of the paraffin series, and its most important derivatives are common alcohol (ethyl alcohol), acetaldehyde, ether, and acetic acid. Called also dimethyl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) The organic compound C2H5.OH, the common alcohol which is the intoxicating agent in beer, wine, and other fermented and distilled liquors; called also ethyl alcohol. It is used pure or denatured as a solvent or in medicines and colognes and cleaning solutions, or mixed in gasoline as a fuel for automobiles, and as a rocket fuel (as in the V-2 rocket).
Syn. -- ethyl alcohol, fermentation alcohol, grain alcohol. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

pos>n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_;; e'y^ well + &unr_; death, &unr_;, &unr_;, to die: cf. F. euthanasie. ] 1. An easy death; a mode of dying to be desired. “An euthanasia of all thought.” Hazlitt. [ 1913 Webster ]

The kindest wish of my friends is euthanasia. Arbuthnot.

2. the act or process of putting to death for humane purposes; -- used to refer to the killing of animals in order to relieve or avoid pain. [ PJC ]

n. Same as Euthanasia. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A mountain in Tibet, 26, 287 feet high. [ proper name ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. being excessively or hypocritically pious while condemning others as being less virtuous than oneself.
Syn. -- pietistic, pietistical, pharisaic, pharisaical, sanctimonious, self-righteous. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

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

n. Any rare earth element of the lanthanide series (atomic numbers 57 through 71).
Syn. -- rare earth, rare-earth element, lanthanon. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Min.) Hydrous carbonate of lanthanum, found in tabular white crystals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as lanthanide.
Syn. -- rare earth, rare-earth element, lanthanide. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A natural family of stout-bodied lizards.
Syn. -- family Lanthanotidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A genus withonly one species.
Syn. -- genus Lanthanotus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. lanqa`nein to lie hid, to be concealed. ] (Chem.) A rare element of the rare earth group of the metals, of atomic number 57, allied to aluminum. It occurs in certain rare minerals, as cerite, gadolinite, orthite, etc., and was so named from the difficulty of separating it from cerium, didymium, and other rare earth elements with which it is usually associated. Atomic weight 138.9. Symbol La. [ Formerly written also lanthanium. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right; a left-handed{ 1 } person.
Syn. -- lefty, southpaw. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Heb. livyāthān. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. An aquatic animal, described in the book of Job, ch. xli., and mentioned in other passages of Scripture. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It is not certainly known what animal is intended, whether the crocodile, the whale, or some sort of serpent. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The whale, or a great whale. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Malamic + ethane. ] (Chem.) A white crystalline substance forming the ethyl salt of malamic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A thermosetting plastic formed by the reaction of melamine and formaldehyde. It is used for molding and for preparing laminated sheets used to surface counter tops, walls, and furniture. The commercially marketed Formica (TM) is one type of melamine resin. [ PJC ]

n. (Chem.) Same as formaldehyde. [ PJC ]

n. [ See Methal. ] (Chem.) A light, colorless, gaseous, inflammable hydrocarbon, CH4; marsh gas. It is the simplest of the aliphatic hydrocarbons. See Marsh gas, under Gas. [ 1913 Webster ]

Methane series (Chem.), a series of saturated hydrocarbons, of which methane is the first member and type, and (because of their general chemical inertness and indifference) called also the paraffin (little affinity) series. The lightest members are gases, as methane, ethane; intermediate members are liquids, as hexane, heptane, etc. (found in benzine, kerosene, etc.); while the highest members are white, waxy, or fatty solids, as paraffin proper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A type of archaebacteria found in anaerobic environments such as animal intestinal tracts or sediments or sewage, and capable of producing methane; a source of natural gas. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Chem.) The simplest alcohol of the paraffin series, CH3.OH; methyl alcohol. Called also wood alcohol. It is used as an antifreeze solvent, as a fuel, and as a denaturant for ethyl alcohol.
Syn. -- methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood spirit. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ Methane + -meter. ] An instrument, resembling a eudiometer, to detect the presence and amount of methane, as in coal mines. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Nitro- + methane. ] (Chem.) A nitro derivative of methane (CH3.NO2), obtained as a mobile liquid; -- called also nitrocarbol. It has been used as a rocket fuel and as a gasoline additive to add power to the fuel, especially in racing cars. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a progestin compound used in oral contraceptives and to treat endometriosis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Oxamic + ethyl. ] (Chem.) Ethyl oxamate, obtained as a white scaly crystalline powder. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A native or inhabitant of Afghanistan, especially of the Pashtun tribes of southern Afghanistan.
Syn. -- Afghan, Afghanistani, Pashto, pashtun. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who strives to put another under obligation; an officious person; hence, a flatterer. Used also adjectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

Smiling pickthanks, and base newsmongers. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) any polymer containing [ -NH.CO.O- ] linkages; such polymers are much used as the basis of light but rigid foams for packaging (
polyurethane foam) and for hard coatings, as on floors. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. Satanas. See Satan ] Satan. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A compendious and rapid method or writing by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols, for letters, words, etc.; short writing; stenography. See Illust. under Phonography. [ 1913 Webster ]

conj. [ OE. than, thon, then, thanne, thonne, thenne, than, then, AS. ðanne, ðonne, ðaenne; akin to D. dan, OHG. danne, G. dann then, denn than, for, Goth. þan then, and to E. the, there, that. See That, and cf. Then. ] A particle expressing comparison, used after certain adjectives and adverbs which express comparison or diversity, as more, better, other, otherwise, and the like. It is usually followed by the object compared in the nominative case. Sometimes, however, the object compared is placed in the objective case, and than is then considered by some grammarians as a preposition. Sometimes the object is expressed in a sentence, usually introduced by that; as, I would rather suffer than that you should want. [ 1913 Webster ]

Behold, a greater than Solomon is here. Matt. xii. 42. [ 1913 Webster ]

Which when Beelzebub perceived, than whom,
Satan except, none higher sat. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

It's wiser being good than bad;
It's safer being meek than fierce;
It's fitter being sane than mad. R. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Then. See Then. [ Obs. ] Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thanne longen folk to gon on pilgrimages. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Written also tana, tanna. ] [ Hind. thānā. ] A police station. [ India ] Kipling. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The district in which a thane anciently had jurisdiction; thanedom. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. qa`natos death + -oid. ] Deathlike; resembling death. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. qa`natos + -logy. ] A description, or the doctrine, of death. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. [ NL., fr. Gr. qa`natos death + 'o`psis view. ] The title of a poem by William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), meditating on the subject of death. One of Bryant's best-remembered poems, it was written in 1811 and was discovered and rushed to publication in 1817 (in the North American Review) by Bryant's father, originally without the poet's knowledge. A revised version was published in 1821. In this elegy Bryant reflects that death comes to all men, common and great, and that all eventually shall rest together in the "mighty sepulchre" of the earth. [ PJC ]

The text of the poem is as follows:

To him who in the love of nature holds
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks
A various language; for his gayer hours
She has a voice of gladness, and a smile
And eloquence of beauty; and she glides
Into his darker musings, with a mild
And healing sympathy that steals away
Their sharpness ere he is aware. When thoughts
Of the last bitter hour come like a blight
Over thy spirit, and sad images
Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,
And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,
Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart; --
Go forth, under the open sky, and list
To Nature's teachings, while from all around --
Earth and her waters, and the depths of air --
Comes a still voice. Yet a few days, and thee
The all-beholding sun shall see no more
In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground,
Where thy pale form was laid, with many tears,
Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist
Thy image. Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim
Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again,
And, lost each human trace, surrendering up
Thine individual being, shalt thou go
To mix forever with the elements,
To be a brother to the insensible rock
And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain
Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak
Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mold.
Yet not to thine eternal resting-place
Shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish
Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down
With patriarchs of the infant world -- with kings,
The powerful of the earth -- the wise, the good,
Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,
All in one mighty sepulchre. -- The hills
Rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun, -- the vales
Stretching in pensive quietness between;
The venerable woods -- rivers that move
In majesty, and the complaining brooks
That make the meadows green; and, poured round all,
Old Ocean's gray and melancholy waste, --
Are but the solemn decorations all
Of the great tomb of man. The golden sun,
The planets, all the infinite host of heaven,
Are shining on the sad abodes of death
Through the still lapse of ages. All that tread
The globe are but a handful to the tribes
That slumber in its bosom. -- Take the wings
Of morning, pierce the Barcan wilderness,
Or lose thyself in the continuous woods
Where rolls the Oregon, and hears no sound,
Save his own dashings -- yet the dead are there:
And millions in those solitudes, since first
The flight of years began, have laid them down
In their last sleep -- the dead reign there alone.
So shalt thou rest -- and what if thou withdraw
In silence from the living, and no friend
Take note of thy departure? All that breathe
Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh
When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care
Plod on, and each one as before will chase
His favorite phantom; yet all these shall leave
Their mirth and their employments, and shall come
And make their bed with thee. As the long train
Of ages glides away, the sons of men--
The youth in life's fresh spring, and he who goes
In the full strength of years, matron and maid,
The speechless babe, and the gray-headed man--
Shall one by one be gathered to thy side,
By those, who in their turn, shall follow them.
So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan, which moves
To that mysterious realm, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.
[ PJC ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. qa`natos death + 'o`psis view. ] A view of death; a meditation on the subject of death. Bryant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. thein, þein, AS. þegen, þegn; akin to OHG. degan a follower, warrior, boy, MHG. degen a hero, G. degen hero, soldier, Icel. þegn a thane, a freeman; probably akin to Gr. te`knon a child, ti`ktein to bear, beget, or perhaps to Goth. þius servant, AS. þeów, G. dienen to serve. ] A dignitary under the Anglo-Saxons and Danes in England. Of these there were two orders, the king's thanes, who attended the kings in their courts and held lands immediately of them, and the ordinary thanes, who were lords of manors and who had particular jurisdiction within their limits. After the Conquest, this title was disused, and baron took its place. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Among the ancient Scots, thane was a title of honor, which seems gradually to have declined in its significance. Jamieson. [ 1913 Webster ]