The dictionary of science and technical terms used in philosophy, literature, professions, commerce, arts, and trades / by W.M. Buchanan ; with supplement ; edited by James A. Smith.
- Buchanan, W. M.
- Date:
- 1884
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The dictionary of science and technical terms used in philosophy, literature, professions, commerce, arts, and trades / by W.M. Buchanan ; with supplement ; edited by James A. Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.
63/844 page 55
![different languages; Vue Hebrew con- tains 22 letters; as also the Chaldee, Sa- maritan, Syriac, Persian, and JEtlii- opic. The Irish, which is the same as the Pelasgian or Scythian, has only 17; the Greek alphabet, which was brought by Cadmus into Greece from Phoenicia, and was also Pelasgian in its origin, consisted of 16, to which 8 were afterwards added. The ancient Arabic alphabet consisted of 24 letters, but 4 were added, making 28. The Sanscrit (Devanagaree) alphabet con- tains 100 letters. The Coptic consists of 32, the Turkish of 33, the Georgian of 36, the Russian of 39, the Spanish of 27, the Italian of 20, the Latin of 22, the French of 22 (strictly 28), and the English of 26. The Chinese have no proper alphabet. Alpho'nsin, a surgical instrument for extracting balls from gun-shot wounds ; so called from its inventor, Alphonso Fer- rius, a Neapolitan physician. Alpuo'nsine Tables, the name given to a set of astronomical tables compiled by Older of Alplionsus, king of Arragon, in the first year of his reign (a.d. 1252). Al'phcs, from a.X<po;, white. The spe- cies of leprosy called vitiligo, in which the skin is rough, with white spots. Alpia, Al'pist. The seed of the fox- tail grass; used for feeding birds. Alpin'ia, a genus of exotic perennials, of 15 species, of the class monandria, and order monogynia. Name, from alpinus, elevated, in reference to their favourite situations. Alpine plants are such low plants as grow naturally in mountainous situa- tions, where they are covered with snow during some part of the year. AlpinTace*, one of the names of the natural order of plants called Zingibe- racese. Al'quier, a Portuguese measure of ca- pacity, equal to about two gallons; called also a cantar. It contains half an almude. Alquifoo, 1 names of a lead ore found Aluuifore, ] in Cornwall, and used by potters to give a green varnish to their wares ; hence called potters' ore. At.ru'n-^, small images carved out of the roots of trees, and held in great venera- tion formerly among the northern nations. They had the same rank as the penates of the ancient Italians. Al Segno, a direction in written music to return to a former part, where the cha- racter % appears. Alsinace.e, an order of weedy plants, of which the genus Alsini is the type. Alsini, the generic name of the chick- weed, according to Linnaeus; but the A. media, or common chickweed, is now re- ferred to the genus Stellaria. The name is from «A«»f, a shady place, and qi?.y, to love. Alsto'nia, the generic name of two spe- cies of Indian shrubs, class pentandria, order monogynia; the one resembles the tea-plant, the other is poisonous. Named in honour of Professor Alston, who first established the genus. Alstroeme'ria, a genus of American perennials, of the class hexandria, and order monogynia. There are thirteen species. Alt, ) from Lat. altus, high. A term Alto, ) applied in music to that part of the great scale of sounds which lies be- tween F above the treble cleff and G in altissimo. A'ltar, Lat. alt a, ara. See Ark. l.An elevated place upon which sacrifices were formerly offered to some deity. Altars were originally of turf, latterly of marble, wood, or horn, and those of the Jews of shittim-wood, and covered with gold or brass. Some altars were round, others square, others triangular; but all faced the east, and there is no doubt but that they are as ancient as the practice of sacrificing. 2. In modern churches, the communion-table, or table for the distri- bution of the eucharist, &c. A'ltarage the profits arising to priests on account of the altar; also altars, erected before the reformation, in virtue of dona- tions, within parochial churches, for the purpose of performing mass, &c. for de- ceased friends. A'ltarist, lln old law-books, the A'ltar-thane, (priest or parson to whom the altarage of a church belonged; also a chaplain. Alterative, Lat. altcratus, causing alteration. Substantively, a medicine which establishes the healthy functions of the body, without sensible evacuation by perspiration, purging, or vomiting. Altern, Lat. altcrnus, of alter, other. Alternate : reciprocal. In crystallography, exhibiting on an upper and a lower part faces which alternate among themselves, but which, when the two parts are com- pared, correspond with each other. Altern-base, in trigonometry, is a term used in contradistinction to the true-base; e. g. in oblique triangles, the true-base is either the sum of the sides, and then the difference is the altern-base; or the true- base is the difference of the sides, and then the sum of the sides is the altern-base. Alter'nate, Lat. altematus, being by turns: one following the other in succes- sion of time or place. 1. In botany, ap- plied to branches and leaves, when they stand singly on each side, in such a manner that between every two on any side, there is but one on the opposite side. 2. In heraldry, applied to denote the situation of the quarters. Thus the first and fourth quarters, and the second and third, are usually of the same nature, and](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24875983_0063.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
