<B>aleatoric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Music.) consisting of random or chance elements. <BR> <I>Ex. Aleatoric music is that in which the instrumentalists have complete leeway ... to finish the thoughts of the composer (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="aleatory">
<B>aleatory, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>dependent on an uncertain event; contingent. <DD><B> 2. </B>having to do with good or bad luck. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=aleatoric.</B> <DD><I>noun </I> aleatoric music. <BR> <I>Ex. Improvisation is one form of aleatory (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="alecithal">
<B>alecithal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having little or no yolk. <BR> <I>Ex. alecithal eggs.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="aleconner">
<B>aleconner, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an inspector of measures in English public houses (pubs). <DD><B> 2. </B>(Historical.) an official who tasted ale and beer to determine their quality or purity. </DL>
<A NAME="alecto">
<B>Alecto, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Greek and Roman Mythology.) one of the three Furies. (Megaera and Tisiphone were the other two.) </DL>
<A NAME="alectryomancy">
<B>alectryomancy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> divination by means of a rooster picking up grains of corn. </DL>
<A NAME="alee">
<B>alee, </B>adverb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> on or toward the side of a ship that is away from the wind. (SYN) leeward, lee. </DL>
<A NAME="alef">
<B>alef, </B>noun. <B>=aleph.</B></DL>
<A NAME="alehouse">
<B>alehouse, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a place where ale or beer is sold to be drunk on the premises; bar; public house; pub. </DL>
<A NAME="alemanni">
<B>Alemanni, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a group of Germanic tribes that occupied the region from the Main to the Danube in the first part of the 200's A.D. Also, <B>Alamanni.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="alemannic">
<B>Alemannic, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a High German dialect spoken in southwestern Germany, Alsace, and Switzerland. </DL>
<A NAME="alembic">
<B>alembic, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a glass or metal container, formerly used in chemistry for distilling. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) something that transforms or refines. <BR> <I>Ex. Imagination is the alembic of the mind.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="alembicate">
<B>alembicate, </B>transitive verb, <B>-cated,</B> <B>-cating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to distill in an alembic. </DL>
<A NAME="alencon">
<B>Alencon, </B>noun, or <B>Alencon lace,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a fine needle-point lace made by hand in France. <DD><B> 2. </B>a reproduction of it made by machine. </DL>
<A NAME="aleph">
<B>aleph, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, representing a glottal stop. Also, <B>alef.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="alephnull">
<B>aleph-null, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the cardinal number of an infinite set of whole numbers. </DL>
<A NAME="aleppoboil">
<B>Aleppo boil, =Oriental sore.</B></DL>
<A NAME="aleppopine">
<B>Aleppo pine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a pine native to southern Europe and the Near East, whose wood has been used for shipbuilding since very ancient times. </DL>
<A NAME="alerce">
<B>alerce, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a large pine that resembles the California redwood. <DD><B> 2. </B>the wood used by the Moors in their buildings, obtained from the sandarac tree of Morocco. </DL>
<A NAME="alert">
<B>alert, </B>adjective, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>watchful and keen; wide-awake. <BR> <I>Ex. A good hunting dog is alert to every sound and movement in the field.</I> (SYN) attentive, vigilant. <DD><B> 2. </B>quick in action; lively; nimble. <BR> <I>Ex. A sparrow is very alert in its movements.</I> (SYN) brisk, active. <DD><B> 3. </B>ready to speak, think, or act. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a signal warning of approaching enemy aircraft, a hurricane, or other threatening danger. <DD><B> 2. </B>the period of time after this warning until the danger has passed. <BR> <I>Ex. The hurricane alert is over.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a signal, especially to troops, to be ready for action. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to warn against and prepare for an air attack, a hurricane, or other threatening danger. <DD><B> 2. </B>to call to arms; notify (troops, police, or other forces) to get ready for action. <DD><B> 3. </B>to make alert; warn. <BR> <I>Ex. Despite alerted antiaircraft and fighter defenses, the Liberators pressed home low-level attack through oil fires and intense smoke, wrecking the refineries (Time).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>on the alert,</B> </I>ready at any instant for what is coming; on the lookout; wide-awake; watchful. <BR> <I>Ex. A sentry must be on the alert. The Government is on the alert and will take the necessary steps to maintain security and stability (London Times).</I> adv. <B>alertly.</B> noun <B>alertness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="alespagnole">
<B>a l'espagnole,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) in the Spanish style. </DL>
<A NAME="aleukia">
<B>aleukia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> diminution or absence of leucocytes from the blood. </DL>
<A NAME="aleuromancy">
<B>aleuromancy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> divination by meal or flour, practiced by the ancients. </DL>
<A NAME="aleuronat">
<B>aleuronat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> flour made of aleurone, used especially in making bread for diabetic persons. </DL>
<A NAME="aleurone">
<B>aleurone, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a mixture of minute protein granules found in seeds and grains. </DL>
<A NAME="aleuronegrains">
<B>aleurone grains,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> granules of protein that form a single layer of cells comprising the outer cellular layer of the endosperm. </DL>
<A NAME="aleuronic">
<B>aleuronic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with aleurone. </DL>
<A NAME="aleut">
<B>Aleut, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>one of an Eskimo people living on the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula. <DD><B> 2. </B>the language of this people, distantly related to Eskimo. </DL>
<A NAME="aleutian">
<B>Aleutian, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of the Aleuts or the Aleutian Islands. <DD><I>noun </I> an Aleut. </DL>
<A NAME="alevel">
<B>A level,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) the advanced level; highest level of examination given to secondary school students who wish to obtain a General Certificate of Education. </DL>
<A NAME="alevin">
<B>alevin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a very young fish, especially a very young salmon. </DL>
<A NAME="alewife">
<B>alewife</B> (1), noun, pl. <B>-wives.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a woman who keeps an alehouse or pub. </DL>
<A NAME="alewife">
<B>alewife</B> (2), noun, pl. <B>-wives.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a sea fish found in great numbers along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, related to the herring and the shad, but inferior as food. It swims up rivers to spawn in spring and is also common in the Mississippi Valley and landlocked in some of the Great Lakes region. </DL>
<A NAME="alexander">
<B>alexander</B> or <B>Alexander, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a cocktail made with gin or brandy, mixed with creme de cacao and cream. </DL>
<A NAME="alexandrian">
<B>Alexandrian, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of Alexandria (city in Egypt). <DD><B> 2. </B>of Alexander the Great. <DD><B> 3. </B>of alexandrine verse. <DD><B> 4a. </B>of or belonging to the school of Greek literature which flourished in Alexandria under the Ptolemies (323 B.C. to 30 B.C.). <DD><B> b. </B>of or belonging to the schools of philosophy in Alexandria in the 100's and 200's A.D. that gave rise to Neoplatonism. <DD><I>noun </I> a member or follower of any of the Alexandrian schools of literature and philosophy. </DL>
<A NAME="alexandrianism">
<B>Alexandrianism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the style and characteristics of the Alexandrian literary school. <DD><B> 2. </B>the methods and doctrines of the Alexandrian philosophical schools. </DL>
<A NAME="alexandrine">
<B>alexandrine</B> or <B>Alexandrine, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a line of verse having six iambic feet, with a caesura (pause) after the third foot. (Example:) <DL COMPACT><DD> "He seeks/out might/y charms,/ <DL COMPACT><DD> to trou/ble sleep/y minds."/ <DD><I>adj. </I> of such a line or such poetry. </DL>
</DL>
<A NAME="alexandrite">
<B>alexandrite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a dark-green variety of chrysoberyl which looks red under artificial light, used as a gem. </DL>
<A NAME="alexia">
<B>alexia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a cerebral disorder characterized by loss of the ability to read, or to read aloud; word blindness (contrasted with <I>agraphia</I>). </DL>
<A NAME="alexin">
<B>alexin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a substance present in normal blood serum which is capable of destroying bacteria or other foreign substances; complement. </DL>
<A NAME="alexinic">
<B>alexinic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or like the alexins. </DL>
<A NAME="alexipharmic">
<B>alexipharmic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> warding off or counteracting the effects of poison; antidotal. <DD><I>noun </I> an antidote. </DL>
<A NAME="alfa">
<B>alfa, </B>noun, or <B>alfa grass,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (in North Africa) esparto. </DL>
<A NAME="alfa">
<B>Alfa, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a code name for the letter <I>a,</I> used in transmitting radio messages. </DL>
<A NAME="alfalfa">
<B>alfalfa, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Especially U.S.) a plant with leaves like clover, deep roots, and bluish-purple flowers; lucerne. Alfalfa is grown as food for horses and cattle and can be cut several times a season and dried as hay. It belongs to the pea family. </DL>
<A NAME="alfalfaweevil">
<B>alfalfa weevil,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a tawny red insect native to Europe and Asia that has spread widely in the alfalfa-growing regions of the United States. </DL>
<A NAME="alfaqui">
<B>alfaqui, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an Islamic theologian. </DL>
<A NAME="alfilaria">
<B>alfilaria</B> or <B>alfileria, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a European plant of the geranium family, now widely naturalized as a forage plant in dry areas of the western and southwestern United States; red-stem filaree. </DL>
<A NAME="alfilerilla">
<B>alfilerilla, </B>noun. <B>=alfilaria.</B></DL>
<A NAME="alfine">
<B>alfine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Music.) to the end. Used as a direction, with <I>da capo</I> (from the beginning) or <I>dal segno</I> (from the sign), to indicate the repetition of a passage. </DL>
<A NAME="alforja">
<B>alforja, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Southwestern U.S.) a saddlebag. <DD><B> 2. </B>a cheek pouch, especially of a baboon. </DL>
