<B>autolysin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a substance, such as an enzyme, capable of breaking down the cells or tissues of an organism within which it is produced, especially after death or in some diseased conditions. </DL>
<A NAME="autolysis">
<B>autolysis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the disintegration of tissue, especially of plant or animal tissue separated from the plant or animal, by the action of enzymes present within its own cells. </DL>
<A NAME="autolytic">
<B>autolytic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with autolysis. </DL>
<A NAME="autolyze">
<B>autolyze, </B>verb, <B>-lyzed,</B> <B>-lyzing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> to undergo autolysis. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to cause autolysis. </DL>
<A NAME="automaker">
<B>automaker, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an automobile manufacturer. </DL>
<B>automat, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a cafeteria in which food is obtained from compartments that can be opened after coins are inserted in slots. </DL>
<A NAME="automata">
<B>automata, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> automatons; a plural of <B>automaton.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="automate">
<B>automate, </B>verb, <B>-mated,</B> <B>-mating.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to convert to automation; operate by automation. <BR> <I>Ex. As steel plants have become more automated, maintenance and adjustments of equipment have become a larger share of the cost of running the mills (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to make use of automation. </DL>
<A NAME="automatic">
<B>automatic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>moving or acting by itself; regulating itself. <BR> <I>Ex. an automatic lock, an automatic pump. When you press a button the automatic elevator takes you to the floor you want.</I> (SYN) self-regulating. <DD><B> 2. </B>done without thought or attention; not voluntary. <BR> <I>Ex. Breathing and swallowing are usually automatic. His anger was an automatic response to her insult.</I> <DD><B> 3a. </B>reloading by itself. <BR> <I>Ex. an automatic pistol.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>of an automatic firearm. <BR> <I>Ex. under heavy automatic fire from a rebel ambush (London Times).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a pistol or other gun that throws out the empty shell and loads a new cartridge by itself. An automatic that is fully self-acting continues to fire until the pressure on the trigger is released. The semiautomatic fires a single shot each time the trigger is pulled. <DD><B> 2. </B>a self-acting machine. <BR> <I>Ex. This dishwasher is an automatic.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the position or condition necessary for automatic action. <BR> <I>Ex. The record player is on automatic and will shut itself off.</I> adv. <B>automatically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="automaticdirectionfinder">
<B>automatic direction finder,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a radio receiving set that automatically indicates the direction of the station or stations to which it is tuned, used especially on aircraft. </DL>
<B>automaticity, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the degree of a machine's ability to function automatically. The order of a machine's automaticity is raised each time it is designed to duplicate an additional faculty of man. </DL>
<A NAME="automaticpilot">
<B>automatic pilot,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a gyroscopic mechanism designed to keep an aircraft, missile, and the like on a given course and at a given altitude without human assistance; autopilot. In an automatic pilot, gyroscopes, servomechanisms, and other devices make automatic adjustments of the control surfaces to maintain the desired course and attitude, now usually by fixing on a stellar object in combination with radio signals. </DL>
<A NAME="automaticpistol">
<B>automatic pistol,</B> <B>=automatic.</B></DL>
<A NAME="automaticteller">
<B>automatic teller,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an electronic machine that releases cash, records, deposits, makes change, etc., upon insertion of an identification card and the pressing of appropriate buttons. <BR> <I>Ex. Bankers big and small are rushing to install automatic tellers in their branches (Time).</I> </DL>
<B>automatic transmission</B> or <B>shift,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any automotive transmission that shifts gears automatically and does not require a clutch. Most types of automatic transmission transmit driving power to the wheels by means of a set of turbine blades which forces oil or other fluid against another set of turbine blades or through a torque converter transmitting power in turn to sets of gears operated by liquid. The flow of liquid is controlled by combinations of valves; automatic drive. </DL>
<A NAME="automation">
<B>automation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the use of automatic controls in the operation of machinery. In automation, electronic or mechanical devices do many of the tasks formerly done by people. <BR> <I>Ex. Actually automation is based upon the concept of "feedback" or self-regulation of a machine or process. In automation feedback is of paramount concern. The operation is designed in such a manner that information concerning its status at any given point is signaled to a preceding point where corrective action can be taken if necessary (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the method of making something, such as a manufacturing process or a production line, operate automatically by the use of built-in or supplementary controls in machinery. </DL>
<A NAME="automatism">
<B>automatism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>action not controlled by the will; involuntary action; automatic action. <DD><B> 2. </B>the quality or condition of being automatic or of acting mechanically only. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Philosophy.) the doctrine that all living creatures, including human beings, are machines, controlled not by consciousness, which exists only as an adjunct, but by physiological necessity. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Physiology.) the act or fact of functioning without an external stimulus, or as the result of an external stimulus but without conscious thought or attention; automatic or involuntary action. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Psychology.) any reflex or thoroughly habitual act performed by a person without his conscious intent. <DD><B> 6. </B>(in surrealism) a method of releasing subconscious images and feelings for artistic expression, by deliberate suspension of conscious mental controls. </DL>
<A NAME="automatist">
<B>automatist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Philosophy.) a person who holds the doctrine of automatism. </DL>
<A NAME="automatize">
<B>automatize, </B>transitive verb, intransitive verb, <B>-tized,</B> <B>-tizing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to make or become automatic. <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=automate.</B> noun <B>automatization.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="automaton">
<B>automaton, </B>noun, pl. <B>-tons,</B> <B>-ta.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or animal whose actions are entirely mechanical. <DD><B> 2. </B>a machine or toy that has its motive power concealed so that it appears to move spontaneously. <BR> <I>Ex. The man was selling little automatons in the shape of different animals.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>any thing able to move itself. </DL>
<A NAME="automobile">
<B>automobile, </B>noun, adjective, verb, <B>-biled,</B> <B>-biling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> (Especially U.S.) a passenger vehicle on four wheels, run by its own motor especially on streets and roads (in Great Britain, usually called a <I>motorcar</I>). <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or for automobiles. <BR> <I>Ex. an automobile engine, an automobile mechanic.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>self-propelled. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to travel by automobile. </DL>
<A NAME="automobilism">
<B>automobilism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the use of automobiles. </DL>
<A NAME="automobilist">
<B>automobilist, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Especially U.S.) a person who uses an automobile; motorist. </DL>
<A NAME="automobility">
<B>automobility, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the driving or use of automobiles; automobilism. <BR> <I>Ex. "Freedom of Automobility" [is] the slogan of the National Highway Users Conference (Harper's).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="automorphic">
<B>automorphic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> characterized by the ascription of one's own attributes to others. </DL>
<A NAME="automotive">
<B>automotive, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with cars, trucks, and other self-propelled vehicles. Automotive engineering deals with the design and construction of motor vehicles. <DD><B> 2. </B>furnishing its own power; moving by itself; self-propelled. <BR> <I>Ex. A truck is one type of automotive vehicle.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="autonomic">
<B>autonomic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Zoology.) of or having to do with the autonomic nervous system. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Botany.) caused by internal stimuli; spontaneous. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=autonomous </B>(defs. 1, 2). adv. <B>autonomically.</B> </DL>
<B>autonomic nervous system,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> theganglia and nerves of the nervous system of vertebrates that control involuntary reactions, such as digestive and reproductive processes and breathing. </DL>
<A NAME="autonomism">
<B>autonomism, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the principle or policy of autonomy. n., adj. <B>autonomist.</B> </DL>
<B>autonomous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>independent; self-governing. <BR> <I>Ex. Many former African colonies have become autonomous nations. The autonomous individual, striving to realize himself and prove his worth, has created all that is great in literature, art, music, science, and technology (Harper's).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with an autonomy. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Zoology, Botany.) <B>=autonomic </B>(defs. 1, 2). adv. <B>autonomously.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="autonomy">
<B>autonomy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-mies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>independence; self-government (contrasted with <I>heteronomy</I>). <BR> <I>Ex. Algeria achieved autonomy from France in 1962.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a self-governing state or community. </DL>
<A NAME="autonym">
<B>autonym, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a real name or one's own name, especially the real name of an author. <BR> <I>Ex. Samuel Langhorne Clemens was the autonym of Mark Twain.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a book published under the author's real name. </DL>
