<B>ecraseur, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) <DD><B> 1. </B>a surgical instrument for removing tumors or other tissue by the gradual tightening of a chain or wire loop. <DD><B> 2. </B>(literally) crusher. </DL>
<B>ecrustaceous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Botany.) (of lichens) having no thallus. </DL>
<A NAME="ecs">
<B>ECS</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> electroconvulsive shock. </DL>
<A NAME="ecsc">
<B>ECSC</B> (no periods),<DL COMPACT><DD> European Coal and Steel Community. </DL>
<A NAME="ecstasize">
<B>ecstasize, </B>verb, <B>-sized,</B> <B>-sizing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to throw into an ecstasy or transport of rapturous feeling; give pleasurable excitement to. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to go into ecstasies. </DL>
<A NAME="ecstasy">
<B>ecstasy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-sies,</B> verb, <B>-sied,</B> <B>-sying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a condition of very great joy; strong feeling that delights or thrills the heart; rapture. <BR> <I>Ex. The little girl was in ecstasy over her new puppy. Crescendos of exalted ecstasy (William Ellery Leonard).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>any strong feeling that completely absorbs the mind; uncontrollable emotion. <BR> <I>Ex. A growing ecstasy of ordered, formal, passionate, increasing disregard for death (Ernest Hemingway).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a trance. <BR> <I>Ex. Mystics, religious prophets, and poets have been known to go into ecstasy when meditating or seeking inspiration.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>Usually, <B>Ecstasy.</B> (U.S. Slang.) <B>=MDMA.</B> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to fill with great joy, delight, rapture, etc.. <BR> <I>Ex. The crowd was again ecstasied (Thomas Hardy).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ecstatic">
<B>ecstatic, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>very joyful and thrilled; full of ecstasy; showing ecstasy. <BR> <I>Ex. The young bride had an ecstatic look on her wedding day. For each ecstatic instant we must an anguish pay in keen and quivering ratio to the ecstasy (Emily Dickinson).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>caused by ecstasy. <BR> <I>Ex. He was in an ecstatic mood over the prize he had won.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>likely to show ecstasy. <DD><I>noun </I> a person subject to fits of ecstasy. <BR><I>expr. <B>ecstatics,</B> </I>fits of ecstasy; raptures. <BR> <I>Ex. She is in ecstatics over the newborn baby.</I> </DL>
<B>Ecthesis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an edict of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, promulgated in A.D. 638, maintaining that Christ has only one will. </DL>
<A NAME="ecto">
<B>ecto-,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) to or on the outside. <BR> <I>Ex. Ectoderm = the outer cellular layer of an embryo.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ectoblast">
<B>ectoblast, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Biology.) the outermost membrane of a cell. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Embryology.) the ectoderm. </DL>
<A NAME="ectoblastic">
<B>ectoblastic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the ectoblast. </DL>
<A NAME="ectocranial">
<B>ectocranial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the outer surface of the skull. </DL>
<A NAME="ectoderm">
<B>ectoderm, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Embryology.) the outer layer of cells formed during the development of the embryos of animals. Skin, hair, nails, the enamel of teeth, and the essential parts of the nervous system grow from the ectoderm. </DL>
<A NAME="ectodermal">
<B>ectodermal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the ectoderm. </DL>
<B>ectoenzyme, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an enzyme that acts or exists outside the cell. </DL>
<A NAME="ectogenesis">
<B>ectogenesis, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Biology.) the production of structures or bodies outside the organism. </DL>
<A NAME="ectogenic">
<B>ectogenic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Bacteriology.) originating or developed outside of the host, as certain disease-producing bacteria. </DL>
<B>ectomere, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Embryology.) any of the blastomeres from which the ectoderm develops. </DL>
<A NAME="ectomeric">
<B>ectomeric, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with an ectomere. </DL>
<A NAME="ectomorph">
<B>ectomorph, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> one of three hypothetical body types used to explain certain aspects of personality, the other two being called <I>endomorph</I> and <I>mesomorph.</I> The ectomorph is characterized by a predominance of structures developed from the ectodermal layer (skin, nervous system) of the embryo, and is relatively thin and nervous. </DL>
<A NAME="ectomorphic">
<B>ectomorphic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or like an ectomorph; having to do with an ectomorph; designating the slender type of body build. <BR> <I>Ex. Ectomorphic persons are the linear, or beanpole type (Science News).</I> adv. <B>ectomorphically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="ectomorphy">
<B>ectomorphy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> ectomorphic quality, character, or condition. </DL>
<A NAME="ectomy">
<B>-ectomy,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) a surgical operation for removing a designated part of the body, as in <I>tonsillectomy.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ectoparasite">
<B>ectoparasite, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a parasite living on the outside parts of the host. Lice and fleas are ectoparasites. </DL>
<A NAME="ectoparasitic">
<B>ectoparasitic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with, or of the nature of, external parasites. </DL>
<A NAME="ectophyte">
<B>ectophyte, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a vegetable parasite living on the outside parts of the host. </DL>
<A NAME="ectopia">
<B>ectopia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a displacement of a part or parts of the body, usually congenital. <BR> <I>Ex. ectopia of the heart.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ectopic">
<B>ectopic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> away from its normal position. <BR> <I>Ex. Ectopic pregnancy is development of an embryo outside of the uterus.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ectoplasm">
<B>ectoplasm, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Biology.) the semiclear, somewhat rigid outer portion of the cytoplasm of a cell. <DD><B> 2. </B>a supposed emanation from the body of a medium in a trance. </DL>
<A NAME="ectoplasmic">
<B>ectoplasmic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with ectoplasm. adv. <B>ectoplasmically.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="ectorhinal">
<B>ectorhinal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> situated on the outer side of the nose. </DL>
<A NAME="ectosarc">
<B>ectosarc, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the ectoplasm of a protozoan. </DL>
<B>ectothermy, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the condition of being ectothermic; cold-bloodedness. </DL>
<A NAME="ectotrophic">
<B>ectotrophic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> deriving nourishment from the outside. <BR> <I>Ex. ectotrophic fungi.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="ectozoic">
<B>ectozoic, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having to do with ectozoons; being a parasite. </DL>
<A NAME="ectozoon">
<B>ectozoon, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an animal parasite that lives on an outside part of the host. </DL>
<A NAME="ectrodactyly">
<B>ectrodactyly, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Anatomy.) congenital absence of fingers or toes. </DL>
<A NAME="ectromelia">
<B>ectromelia, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the congenital absence of the whole or part of one or more limbs. <DD><B> 2. </B>a virus disease of mice marked by the loss of feet and often other parts of the body; mouse pox. </DL>
<A NAME="ectropion">
<B>ectropion, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an abnormal turning outward of the eyelid. </DL>
<A NAME="ectropium">
<B>ectropium, </B>noun. <B>=ectropion.</B></DL>
<A NAME="ectypal">
<B>ectypal, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with an ectype; like an ectype. </DL>
<A NAME="ectype">
<B>ectype, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a copy; reproduction. </DL>
<A NAME="ecu">
<B>ecu</B> or <B>ECU, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a money of account in the European Common Market, that is a standard in floating currencies within a narrow range. </DL>
<A NAME="ecu">
<B>ecu, </B>noun, pl. <B>ecus.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) <DD><B> 1. </B>the short, triangular shield carried by a mounted soldier in the Middle Ages. <DD><B> 2. </B>any of several French gold or silver coins issued from the 1200's on, especially the silver five-franc piece. </DL>
<A NAME="ecu">
<B>E.C.U.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> English Church Union. </DL>
<A NAME="ecua">
<B>Ecua.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> Ecuador. </DL>
<A NAME="ecuadorean">
<B>Ecuadorean</B> or <B>Ecuadorian, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> of Ecuador or its people. <DD><I>noun </I> a native or inhabitant of Ecuador. </DL>
<A NAME="ecuelle">
<B>ecuelle, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a low, two-handled bowl of wood, pewter, or silver, used for soup. </DL>
<A NAME="ecumaniac">
<B>ecumaniac, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an extremely enthusiastic promoter of ecumenism. </DL>
<A NAME="ecumene">
<B>ecumene, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the habitable part of the world; the part of the world inhabited by man. </DL>
