Webster's Dictionary 1913

2485

Merlin

Mer″lin (?), n. [OE. merlion, F. émerillon; cf. OHG. smirl, G. schmerl; prob. fr. L. merula blackbird. Cf. Merle.] (Zoöl.) A small European falcon (Falco lithofalco, or F. æsalon).

2486

Merling

Mer″ling (?), n.(Zoöl.) The European whiting.

2487

Merlon

Mer″lon (?), n. [F., perh. fr. L. moerus, for murus a wall, through (assumed) dim. moerulus.] (Fort.) One of the solid parts of a battlemented parapet; a battlement. See Illust....

2488

Merluce

Mer″luce (?), n. [F. merluche, merlus.] (Zoöl.) The European hake; — called also herring hake and sea pike.

2489

Mermaid

Mer″maid (?), n. [AS. mere lake, sea. See Mere lake, and maid.] A fabled marine creature, typically represented as having the upper part like that of a woman, and the lower like...

2490

Merman

Mer″man (?), n.; pl.Mermen (�). The male corresponding to mermaid; a sea man, or man fish.

2491

Mero

‖Me″ro (?), n. [Sp.; cf. Pg. mero.] Any of several large groupers of warm seas, esp. the guasa (Epinephelus guaza), the red grouper (E. morio), the black grouper (E. nigritas), ...

2492

Meroblast

Mer″o‐blast (?), n. [Gr. � part + -blast.] (Biol.) An ovum, as that of a mammal, only partially composed of germinal matter, that is, consisting of both a germinal portion and a...

2493

Meroblastic

Mer′o‐blas″tic (?), a.(Biol.) Consisting only in part of germinal matter; characterized by partial segmentation only; as, meroblastic ova, in which a portion of the yolk only un...

2494

Merocele

Me″ro‐cele (?), n.(Med.) Hernia in the thigh; femoral hernia.

2495

Meroistic

Mer′o‐is″tic (?), a.(Zoöl.) Applied to the ovaries of insects when they secrete vitelligenous cells, as well as ova.

2496

Meropidan

Me‐rop″i‐dan (?), n. [L. merops a bee-eating bird, Gr. μέροψ.] (Zoöl.) One of a family of birds (Meropidæ), including the bee-eaters.

2497

Meropodite

Me‐rop″o‐dite (?), n. [Gr. � thigh + πούσ, ποδόσ, foot.] (Zoöl.) The fourth joint of a typical appendage of Crustacea.

2498

Merorganization

Mer‐or′gan‐i‐za″tion (?), n. [Gr. � part + E. organization.] Organization in part.

2499

Meros

‖Me″ros (?), n.(Arch.) The plain surface between the channels of a triglyph. [Written also merus.] Weale.

2500

Meros (2)

‖Me″ros, n.(Anat.) The proximal segment of the hind limb; the thigh.

2501

Merosome

Mer″o‐some (?), n. [Gr. � part + -some body.] (Zoöl.) One of the serial segments, or metameres, of which the bodies of vertebrate and articulate animals are composed.

2502

Merostomata

‖Mer′o‐stom″a‐ta (?), n. pl.(Zoöl.) A class of Arthropoda, allied to the Crustacea. It includes the trilobites, Eurypteroidea, and Limuloidea. All are extinct except the horsesh...

2503

Mérou

‖Mé′rou″ (?), n.(Zoöl.) See Jack, 8 (c).

2504

Merovingian

Mer′o‐vin″gi‐an (?), a. [From Merovaeus, the Latin name of a king of the Franks.] Of or pertaining to the first Frankish dynasty in Gaul or France. — n. One of the kings of this...

2505

Merozoite

Mer′o‐zo″ite (?), n. [Gr. � part + Sporozoa.] (Zoöl.) A form of spore, usually elongate or falciform, and somewhat amœboid, produced by segmentation of the schizonts of certain ...

2506

Merrily

Mer″ri‐ly (?), adv. [From Merry.] In a merry manner; with mirth; with gayety and laughter; jovially. See Mirth, and Merry.Merrily sing, and sport, and play. Granville.

2507

Merrimake

Mer″ri‐make′ (?), n. See Merrymake, n.

2508

Merrimake (2)

Mer″ri‐make′, v. i. See Merrymake, v.Gay.

2509

Merriment

Mer″ri‐ment (?), n. Gayety, with laughter; mirth; frolic. “Follies and light merriment.” Spenser.Methought it was the soundOf riot and ill-managed merriment. Milton.

2510

Merriness

Mer″ri‐ness, n. The quality or state of being merry; merriment; mirth; gayety, with laughter.

2511

Merry

Mer″ry (?), a. [Compar.Merrier (?); superl.Merriest.] [OE. merie, mirie, murie, merry, pleasant, AS. merge, myrige, pleasant; cf. murge, adv.; prob. akin to OHG. murg, short, Go...