<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>
<A NAME="acronymous">
<B>acronymous, </B>adjective. =acronymic.</DL>
<A NAME="acropetal">
<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>
<A NAME="acrostical">
<B>acrostical, </B>adjective. =acrostic.</DL>
<A NAME="acroterion">
<B>acroterion, </B>noun, pl. <B>-teria.</B> =acroterium.</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>
<A NAME="acrylateresin">
<B>acrylate resin,</B> =acrylic resin.</DL>
<A NAME="acrylic">
<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>
