<B>apomorphine, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an artificial alkaloid prepared from morphine, used as an emetic. </DL>
<A NAME="aponeurosis">
<B>aponeurosis, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ses.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a whitish, shining, fibrous membrane, an expanded tendon, serving as a fascia for sheathing, or as the end or attachment of, certain muscles. </DL>
<A NAME="aponeurotic">
<B>aponeurotic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with aponeuroses. </DL>
<A NAME="apopemptic">
<B>apopemptic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Rare.) <DD><I>adj. </I> having to do with farewell; valedictory. <DD><I>noun </I> a farewell hymn. </DL>
<B>apophasis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a statement that one will not speak of something which one really mentions or hints at. (Example:) "I will not mention his kindness, his charities." </DL>
<A NAME="apophony">
<B>apophony, </B>noun, pl. <B>-nies.</B> =ablaut.</DL>
<B>apophyge, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Rare.) <DD><B> 1. </B>the slight concave spread at the bottom of the shaft of a column, forming a transition to the horizontal lines of the base. <DD><B> 2. </B>a similar but less perceptible spread at the top of the shaft. </DL>
<A NAME="apophyllite">
<B>apophyllite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a mineral consisting of a hydrous silicate of potassium and calcium, sometimes with a trace of fluorine, occurring in crystals or in laminated masses, with a pearly luster. </DL>
<A NAME="apophyseal">
<B>apophyseal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with an apophysis. </DL>
<A NAME="apophysial">
<B>apophysial, </B>adjective. =apophyseal.</DL>
<A NAME="apophysis">
<B>apophysis, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ses.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a natural outgrowth or a projection or swelling, especially any process of a vertebra. <DD><B> 2. </B>a swelling at the base of the capsule in certain mosses. </DL>
<A NAME="apoplectic">
<B>apoplectic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or causing apoplexy. <DD><B> 2. </B>suffering from apoplexy. <DD><B> 3. </B>showing symptoms of a tendency to apoplexy. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) An apoplectic rage turned his speech into jibberish.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a person who has apoplexy; person likely to have apoplexy. adv. <B>apoplectically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="apoplectical">
<B>apoplectical, </B>adjective. =apoplectic.</DL>
<A NAME="apoplectiform">
<B>apoplectiform, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> that resembles apoplexy. </DL>
<A NAME="apoplectiformsepticemia">
<B>apoplectiform septicemia,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a fatal disease of poultry, with symptoms like those in apoplexy. It is caused by streptococci that invade the bloodstream. </DL>
<A NAME="apoplexy">
<B>apoplexy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a sudden loss or lessening of the power to feel or think or move; stroke. Apoplexy is caused by injury to the brain when a blood vessel breaks or the blood supply becomes obstructed. </DL>
<A NAME="apopyle">
<B>apopyle, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an opening in the radial canal of a sponge for water to pass through. </DL>
<A NAME="aporia">
<B>aporia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a paradox or enigma that is used symbolically; a metaphor. <BR> <I>Ex. The dead body ... is just a trope, a figure ... And this "aporia" is intensified ... when the corpse is that of a woman (Ruth Bernard Yeazell).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="aport">
<B>aport, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to or toward the port side; to the left of a ship. </DL>
<A NAME="aposelenium">
<B>aposelenium, </B>noun. =apolune.</DL>
<A NAME="aposematic">
<B>aposematic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Biology.) that serves to warn or alarm enemies. <BR> <I>Ex. the aposematic markings of the skunk.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="aposeme">
<B>aposeme, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an aposematic coloring or marking. </DL>
<B>aposiopesis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a sudden halt in the midst of a sentence, as if the speaker were unable or unwilling to proceed. (Example:) "His courage--but surely that speaks for itself." </DL>
<A NAME="aposiopetic">
<B>aposiopetic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Rare.) of or like aposiopesis. </DL>
<B>apostasy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-sies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a complete forsaking of one's religion, faith, political party, or principles. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) In 1910 began a series of famed apostasies of disciples who refused to accept Freud's theories unconditionally (Time).</I> (SYN) desertion, defection, lapse. </DL>
<A NAME="apostate">
<B>apostate, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> a person who completely forsakes his religion, faith, political party, or principles. (SYN) renegade, traitor. <DD><I>adj. </I> unfaithful to religion, faith, political party, or principles. </DL>
<A NAME="apostatic">
<B>apostatic, </B>adjective. =apostate.</DL>
<A NAME="apostatical">
<B>apostatical, </B>adjective. =apostate.</DL>
<A NAME="apostatize">
<B>apostatize, </B>intransitive verb, <B>-tized,</B> <B>-tizing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> to forsake completely one's religion, faith, political party, or principles. </DL>
<A NAME="aposteriori">
<B>a posteriori,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. </B>from effect to cause; from particular cases to a general rule. <DD><B> 2. </B>based on actual observation or experience. </DL>
<A NAME="apostil">
<B>apostil</B> or <B>apostille, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a marginal note, comment, or annotation. </DL>
<A NAME="apostle">
<B>apostle</B> or <B>Apostle, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>one of the twelve disciples chosen by Christ to go forth and preach the gospel to all the world. <DD><B> 2. </B>any early Christian leader or missionary. <BR> <I>Ex. Saint Paul was frequently called the "Apostle to the Gentiles."</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the first Christian missionary to any country or region. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) the leader of any reform movement or new belief who shows great vigor in seeking to make it popular or to win converts. <BR> <I>Ex. Jean Monnet, ... the principal apostle of a federal Europe, refused to concede defeat (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>one of the council of twelve officials of the Mormon Church who help administer the affairs of the church. <BR><I>expr. <B>the Apostles,</B> </I>Peter (Simon Peter), Andrew, James the Greater (or the Elder), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas (Didymus), Matthew (or Levi), James the Less (or the Younger), Jude (or Judas or Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus), Simon, and Judas Iscariot (later replaced by Matthias). <BR> <I>Ex. The glorious company of the Apostles praises Thee (John Cleveland).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="apostlebird">
<B>apostle bird,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a short-winged and short-tailed bird, especially numerous in Australia, noted for its chattering noises. </DL>
<A NAME="apostleplant">
<B>apostle plant,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a South American plant of the iris family with showy white and blue flowers. </DL>
<A NAME="apostlescreed">
<B>Apostles' Creed,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a statement of belief that contains the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, beginning "I believe in God, the Father Almighty. ..." In its present form (with some variations between the texts of the Roman Catholic and certain Protestant churches) it dates back to the 700's A.D., and is supposed to have been composed by the Apostles. </DL>
<A NAME="apostleship">
<B>apostleship, </B>noun. =apostolate.</DL>
<A NAME="apostlespoon">
<B>apostle spoon,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a silver spoon on the handle of which is the figure of an Apostle, formerly one of a set given to an infant at baptism. </DL>
<A NAME="apostolate">
<B>apostolate, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the rank or office of an apostle. </DL>
<A NAME="apostolic">
<B>apostolic</B> or <B>Apostolic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of the Apostles; having to do with an apostle or the Apostles. <DD><B> 2. </B>coming from or originating with the Apostles. <DD><B> 3. </B>of or having to do with the Pope; papal. adv. <B>apostolically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="apostolical">
<B>apostolical, </B>adjective. =apostolic.</DL>
<A NAME="apostolicfathers">
<B>Apostolic Fathers,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a group of early Christian writers who lived almost immediately after the Apostles. <DD><B> 2. </B>the works attributed to them, probably written between 95 and 150 A.D. </DL>
<A NAME="apostolicity">
<B>apostolicity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality of being apostolic. </DL>
<B>Apostolic See,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the bishopric of the Pope at Rome, said to have been established by Peter; the Holy See. </DL>
<A NAME="apostolicsuccession">
<B>apostolic succession,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the unbroken sequence through which religious authority has been handed down from the Apostles to their present-day successors, the regularly ordained bishops and priests. Certain churches (such as the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some churches of the Anglican Communion) maintain that the succession is historical fact and, since it preserves the transmission of divine authority, is the necessary basis for valid performance of certain rites. </DL>
<A NAME="apostrophe">
<B>apostrophe</B> (1), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a sign of punctuation used: <DD><B> a. </B>to show the omission of one or more letters in the spelling of contractions, as in <I>can't</I> for <I>cannot</I> and <I>o'er</I> for <I>over.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to show the possessive forms of nouns or indefinite pronouns, as in <I>John's book,</I> <I>the lions' den,</I> and <I>everybody's business.</I> <DD><B> c. </B>to write the plurals of figures, letters of the alphabet, and words discussed as words. <BR> <I>Ex. There are two o's in apology and four 9's in 959,990.</I> <DD><B> d. </B>to show that certain sounds represented in the usual spelling have not been spoken, as in <I>'lectric</I> for <I>electric.</I> </DL>
