<B>acrodynia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a disease, especially of very young children, characterized by abnormal redness of the skin and lesions on the handsand feet. <BR> <I>Ex. Too much mercury, for example, results in a condition called acrodynia, which killed many babies before its secret was discovered (New Scientist).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acrogen">
<B>acrogen, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a plant growing only at the apex, such as the ferns and mosses. </DL>
<B>acrogenous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>growing from the top or by terminal buds only, as the ferns and mosses do. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with the acrogens. adv. <B>acrogenously.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acrolein">
<B>acrolein, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless liquid with an irritating odor, used in chemical warfare as a tear gas; acraldehyde. <BR> <I>Ex. Research programs have been undertaken to try to find the substance in smog that causes eye irritation. Such suspects as acrolein, hydrogen persulfide, elemental sulfur, and mineral oil droplets have been squirted at volunteer martyrs to science (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acrolith">
<B>acrolith, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an ancient Greek statue with a stone or marble head, legs, and arms, but a wooden body. </DL>
<A NAME="acrolithic">
<B>acrolithic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of the nature of an acrolith; formed like an acrolith. </DL>
<A NAME="acromegalic">
<B>acromegalic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>having to do with acromegaly. <DD><B> 2. </B>affected with acromegaly. <DD><I>noun </I> a person affected with acromegaly. </DL>
<A NAME="acromegaly">
<B>acromegaly, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a chronic condition in which the bones of the face, hands, and feet become progressively and permanently enlarged, caused by abnormal activity of the pituitary gland. </DL>
<A NAME="acromial">
<B>acromial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the acromion. </DL>
<A NAME="acromion">
<B>acromion, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the outer, triangular end of the scapula, to which the collarbone is connected and which forms the point of the shoulder. </DL>
<A NAME="acronym">
<B>acronym, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a word formed from the first letters or syllables of other words, such as UNESCO (from <I>U</I>nited <I>N</I>ations <I>E</I>ducational, <I>S</I>cientific, and <I>C</I>ultural <I>O</I>rganization). <DD><I>v.t. </I> to make an acronym of; designate by an acronym. <BR> <I>Ex. Missiles are frequently acronymed; the TOW stands for "tube-launched, optically traced, wire-guided" (New York Times Magazine).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acronymic">
<B>acronymic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of an acronym or acronyms. <DD><B> 2. </B>formed as an acronym. adv. <B>acronymically.</B> </DL>
<B>acropetal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> developing from below toward the top or apex (used of the order in which the parts of a plant develop). adv. <B>acropetally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acrophobe">
<B>acrophobe, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person affected with acrophobia. </DL>
<A NAME="acrophobia">
<B>acrophobia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an abnormal fear of being in high places. </DL>
<A NAME="acrophony">
<B>acrophony, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the use of a picture of some object to represent the initial sound, letter, or syllable in the name of that object. Using the picture of an ox, called <I>aleph</I> in Phoenician, to represent the sound <I>a,</I> is an example of acrophony. </DL>
<A NAME="acropolis">
<B>acropolis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the high, fortified part or citadel of an ancient Greek city. <BR><I>expr. <B>the Acropolis,</B> </I>the citadel of Athens on which the Parthenon was built. </DL>
<A NAME="acropolitan">
<B>acropolitan, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with an acropolis. </DL>
<A NAME="acrosin">
<B>acrosin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a spermatic enzyme that digests the protein protective layer around the ovum. </DL>
<A NAME="acrosomal">
<B>acrosomal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of an acrosome. </DL>
<A NAME="acrosome">
<B>acrosome, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a minute organ or structure at the front end of a sperm cell. </DL>
<A NAME="acrospire">
<B>acrospire, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Botany.) the first sprout appearing in the germination of grain. </DL>
<A NAME="acrospore">
<B>acrospore, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Botany.) a spore at the end of a sporophore, as in fungi. </DL>
<A NAME="across">
<B>across, </B>preposition, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>prep. </I> <B>1. </B>from one side to the other of; to the other side of; over. <BR> <I>Ex. The cat walked across the street. A bridge was laid across the river.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>on the other side of; beyond. <BR> <I>Ex. lands across the sea. The woods are across the river.</I> <DD><I>adv. </I> <B>1. </B>from one side to the other. <BR> <I>Ex. What is the distance across? The pool is twenty feet across.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to, on, or at the other side. <BR> <I>Ex. At this speed we shall soon be across.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>from side to side; crossed; crosswise. <BR> <I>Ex. with arms across.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>across the country.</B> </I>See under <B>country.</B> <BR><I>expr. <B>come</B> (or <B>run</B>) <B>across,</B> </I>to meet or fall in with; find. <BR> <I>Ex. We come across hard words in some books. I ran across an old friend yesterday.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>get across</B> (<B>to</B>). </I>See under <B>get.</B> <BR><I>expr. <B>get</B> (or <B>put</B>) <B>across.</B> </I>See under <B>get</B> and <B>put.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="acrosstheboard">
<B>across-the-board, </B>adjective, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) applying to all members of an industry, union, or other group; general. <BR> <I>Ex. Look for an across-the-board cut in civilian payrolls (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="acrostic">
<B>acrostic, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a composition in verse or an arrangement of words in which the first, last, or certain other letters in each line, taken in order, spell a word or phrase. <DD><B> 2. </B>an acronym. <DD><B> 3. </B>a puzzle to be solved by discovering acrostics from clues. <DD><I>adj. </I> of or like an acrostic. adv. <B>acrostically.</B> </DL>
<B>acroterion, </B>noun, pl. <B>-teria.</B> <B>=acroterium.</B></DL>
<A NAME="acroterium">
<B>acroterium, </B>noun, pl. <B>-teria.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>one of the angles of a pediment. <DD><B> b. </B>an ornament erected on it. <DD><B> 2. </B>a statue or ornament erected on a gable of a building. <DD><B> 3. </B>the ornamented tip of the prow on a galley. </DL>
<A NAME="acrotism">
<B>acrotism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> absence or weakness of the pulse. </DL>
<A NAME="acrylamide">
<B>acrylamide, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the amide of acrylic acid, a colorless, crystalline substance used in making synthetics, plastics, and adhesives. </DL>
<A NAME="acrylate">
<B>acrylate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a salt or ester of acrylic acid. </DL>
<B>acrylic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>having to do with or containing acrylic acid. <DD><B> 2. </B>derived from acrylonitrile. <DD><B> 3. </B>of or having to do with acrylics. <BR> <I>Ex. acrylic colors, acrylic paintings.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>an acrylic resin. <DD><B> 2a. </B>a paint or varnish using an acrylic resin as the medium. <DD><B> b. </B>a painting done with acrylics. <BR> <I>Ex. ... a $2,500 Gordon Smith acrylic (Maclean's).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>an acrylic fiber. </DL>
<A NAME="acrylicacid">
<B>acrylic acid,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless, pungent liquid, soluble in water and alcohol, used in the manufacture of various plastics. </DL>
<A NAME="acrylicfiber">
<B>acrylic fiber,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any of various synthetic textile fibers produced from acrylonitrile. Acrilan, Dynel, and Orlon are acrylic fibers. </DL>
<A NAME="acrylicresin">
<B>acrylic resin,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a group of tough, crystal-clear plastics, highly resistant to sunlight and weather, now widely used in automobile accessories, instrument panels, dental plates, and, in emulsion form, as a varnish, paint, or adhesive. They are produced synthetically by polymerizing the esters of acrylic acid or one of its derivatives. </DL>
<A NAME="acrylonitrile">
<B>acrylonitrile, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a colorless, inflammable, poisonous liquid used in making Buna N synthetic rubber and plastics, and as the basic ingredient of acrylic fiber. </DL>
<A NAME="acs">
<B>A.C.S.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> antireticular cytotoxic serum, obtained from rabbits' blood injected with spleen and rib marrow of guinea pigs, a substance that may increase the activity and growth of the liver, spleen, and certain other tissues. </DL>
<A NAME="acsr">
<B>A.C.S.R.</B> or <B>ACSR</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> aluminum cable, steel reinforced (used of transmission lines). </DL>
