THE AMERICAN HERITAGE
`THE AMERICAN HERITAGE
`DICTIONARY
`DICTIONARY *
`OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
`
`OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
`
`

`

`t )
`
`_./Ji
`'··
`
`l
`l
`
`0
`
`'
`
`"f. ... ,
`
`-
`
`/~")
`I r; :.A5-·
`/1---~ 0
`
`( =--... :.)
`
`J
`
`Words that are believed to be registered trademarks have been
`checked with authoritative sources. No investigation has been
`made of common-law trademark rights in any word, because such
`investigation is impracticable. Words that are known to have
`current registrations are shown with an initial capital and are
`also. identified as trademarks. The inclusion of any word in this
`. Dictiortary i's ·not, .:however, an expression of the publishers'
`opinion as to whether or not it is subject to proprietary rights.
`Indeed, no definition in this Dictionary is to be regarded as af(cid:173)
`fecting the validity of any trademark.
`
`© 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1975 by American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc.
`All correspondence and inquiries should be directed to
`Dictionary Division, American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc.,
`1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020.
`
`All rights reserved under Bern and Pan-American Copyright Conventions
`
`Standard Book Numbers: 395-09064-4 (de luxe edition);
`395-09065-2 (plain edges); 395-09066-0 (thumb-indexed);
`395-09070-9 (school edition)
`
`Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 76-86995
`
`Manufactured in the United States of America
`
`Computer-composed by lnforonics, Inc.
`in Maynard, Massachusetts
`
`

`

`automaticity
`
`'" "
`
`avatar
`Vishnu as a boar
`in his third avatar
`
`90
`
`avatar
`ating ln a manner essentially independent of external influence
`ufacturing their own food by synthesis of inorganic materials,
`[AUTO- + TROPHIC.]
`or control; self-moving. b. Self-regulating. 2. Lacking volition,
`as in photosynthesis.
`-au'to•troph'i·
`intention, or conscious planning; involuntary; reflex. 3. Capa(cid:173)
`cal·IY adv. -au·tot'ro·phy (6-tot'ra-fe) n.
`ble of firing continuously until ammunition is exhausted. Said
`au·to·truck (6'to-tn1k') n. A truck operated by a motor.
`au•tumn (6'tom) n. 1. The season of the year between summer
`of firearms. In this sense, also "full-automatic." Compare semi(cid:173)
`automatic. -See Synonyms at spontaneous. -n. 1. An auto(cid:173)
`and winter, lasting from the autumnal equinox to the winter
`matic firearm, especially an automatic pistol. 2. An automatic
`solstice and from September to November in the Northern
`Hemisphere; fall. 2. A time or period of maturity verging on
`machine or device.
`[Greek automatos, acting by itself, sponta(cid:173)
`neous, acting of one's own will : AUTO- + -matos, willing (see
`decline.
`[Middle English autumpne, from Old French au(cid:173)
`tompne, from Latin autumnus, possibly from Etruscan.] -au·
`men-' in Appendix*).] -au'to·mat'i•caMy adv.
`tum'nal (-tum'nol) adj. -au-tum'nal-ly adv.
`au•tom•a•tic·i·ty (6-t6m':>-tls'o-te) n. 1. The state of being
`autumnal equinox. The equinox (see) of September 22 or 23
`automatic. 2. Automatic action.
`when the sun crosses the celestial equator going north to south,
`automatic pilot. An aircraft control mechanism that auto(cid:173)
`marking the start of autumn. Compare vernal equinox.
`matically maintains altitude, preset course, and steadiness. Also
`called "autopilot," "robot pilot."
`autumn crocus. A plant, Colchicum autumnale, native to
`Europe and northern Africa, having pink or purplish flowers
`automatic pistol. A pistol that can be fired automatically or
`that bloom in the fall. Also called "meadow saffron."
`semiautomatically.
`automatic rifle. A light machine gun that can be fired auto(cid:173)
`au·tun•ite (6-tiln'it', &'ton-it') n. A yellowish fluorescent, minor
`matically or semiautomatically, normally the latter.
`ore of uranium with composition Ca(U02),(P04), • IOH20.
`au•to•ma·tion (6't:>-ma.'shon) n. 1. The automatic operation or
`[First found at Autun, town in France.]
`control of a process, equipment, or a system. 2. The totality of
`Au·vergne (6-vii.rn'). A region of central France.
`mechanical and electronic techniques and equipment used to
`aux. auxiliary.
`achieve such operation or control. 3. The condition of being
`aux·e·sis (6g-ze'sis, 6k-se'-) n. Biology. An increase in the size
`[From AUTOMATIC.)
`automatically controlled or operated.
`of a cell without cell division.
`[Greek auxisis, growth, from
`-au'to•ma'tive adj.
`auxaneln, to grow, increase. See au9-' in Appendix.*)
`au·tom·a·tism (6-tom':>-tlz'om) n. 1. a. The state or quality of
`aux·il·ia·ry (6g-zil'y<>r-e, -zil'or-e) adj. Abbr. aux. 1. Giving as(cid:173)
`being automatic. b. Automatic mechanical action. 2. Philos(cid:173)
`sistance or support; aiding; helping. 2. Subsidiary; supplemen(cid:173)
`ophy. The theory that all living organisms are automatons.
`tary; additional. 3. Held in or used as a reserve: auxiliary
`3. Physiology. a. The automatic operation of organs and cells.
`troops. 4. Nautical. Equipped with a motor to supplement the
`sails. -n., pl. auxiliaries. 1. One that assists or helps; an assist(cid:173)
`such as the beating of the heart. b. Performance of an act with(cid:173)
`out conscious control, as in the operation of the reflexes.
`ant. 2. A group or organization that assists or is supplementary
`4. The effort at suspension of consciousness made by certain
`to a larger one: a women's auxiliary. 3. Plural. Foreign troops
`surrealist writers and artists in order to express subconscious
`serving a country in war. 4. An auxiliary verb. 5. Nautical. A
`[AUTOMAT(ON) + -ISM.) -au·tom'a·tist n.
`ideas and feelings.
`sailing vessel equipped with a motor. 6. Naval. A vessel de(cid:173)
`au•tom•a•ton (6-t6m'o-!~n. -t6n') n., pl. -tons or -ta (-ta). 1. A
`signed for and used in other than combat services, such as a tug
`robot (see). 2. One that behaves in an automatic or mechanical
`or a supply ship.
`[Latin auxiliarius, from auxi/ium. help. See
`fashion.
`[Latin, self-operating machine, from Greek automa(cid:173)
`aug- 1 in Appendix.*]
`ton, neuter of automatos, AUTOMATIC.] -au·tom'a·tous adj.
`auxiliary verb. Grammar. A verb that accompanies particular
`au·to•mo·bile (6'to-mo-bel', -mo'bel', 6't:.-mo-bel') n. A self-
`forms of the main verb of a clause to form a phrasal unit ex(cid:173)
`propelled land vehicle, as a four-wheeled passenger vehicle
`pressing the tense, mood, voice, or aspect of the main verb.
`propelled by an internal-combustion engine.
`-ad}. Auto(cid:173)
`Have, may, can, must, and will are some auxiliary verbs: He will
`[French : AUTO- + MOBILE.) -au'to•mo·bil'ist n.
`motive.
`come. You must go.
`au•to·mo·tive (6'to-mo'tiv) adj. Abbr. auto. 1. Self-moving;
`aux·in (6k'sin) n. Any of several plant hormones, or similar
`self-propelling. 2. Of or pertaining to self-propelled vehicles.
`substances produced synthetically, that affect growth by caus(cid:173)
`ing larger, elongated cells to develop.
`[Greek auxein, to grow
`au•to•nom•ic (6'ta-n6m'ik) adj. Also au·to·nom·i·cal (-1-kal).
`(see aug-' in Appendix*) + -IN) -aux·in'ic adj.
`1. Independent; autonomous. 2. Physiology. Of or pertaining
`Av (6v, iib) n. Also Ab (ab, 6v). The I Ith month of the year on
`to the autonomic nervous system. 3. Resulting from internal
`the Hebrew calendar, usually coinciding with August. See
`causes; self-generated; spontaneous. -au'to·nom'i·caloly adv.
`calendar.
`[Hebrew abh, from Akkadian abu.)
`autonomic nervous system. The division of the vertebrate
`av. 1. avenue. 2. average. 3. avoirdupois.
`nervous system that regulates involuntary action, as of the in-
`Av. avenue.
`testines, heart, and glands, and comprises the sympathetic nerv(cid:173)
`a.v. ad valorem.
`ous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
`A.V. 1. audio-visual. 2. Authorized Version.
`au•ton•o•mous (6-ton'o-mos) adj. 1. a. Independent. b. Self(cid:173)
`a•vail (:>-viii') v. availed, availing, avails. -tr. To be of use or
`contained. 2. a. Independent of the laws of another state or
`advantage to; to assist; to help: Nothing can avail him now.
`government; self-governing. b. Of or pertaining to an auton(cid:173)
`[Greek autonomos, self-ruling : AUTO- +
`-intr. To be of use, value, or advantage; serve. -avail (one(cid:173)
`omy. 3. Autonomic.
`self) of. To make use of. -n. Use, benefit, or advantage. Now
`nomos, law (see nem-2 in Appendix*).) -au·ton'o·mous·ly adv.
`[Middle English
`used chiefly in the phrase to (or of) no avail.
`au•ton•o•my (6-tlln'o-me) n.. pl. -mies. 1. The condition or
`availen : A- (intensive) + vailen, to avail, from Old French valoir
`quality of being self-governing. 2. Self-government or the right
`(stem vail-), to be worth, from Latin valere, to be strong, be
`of self-government; self-determination; independence. 3. A
`[Greek autonomia,
`self-governing state, community, or group.
`worth (see wal- in Appendix*).) -a•vail'ing•ly adv.
`from autonomos, AUTONOMOUS.] -au·ton'o·mist n.
`a•vail•a·ble (:>-vii.'l:>-bal) adj. Accessible for use; at hand; usable.
`-a·veil'a·bil'i·ty, a·vail'a·ble·ness n. -a·vail'a·bly adv.
`au•to·phyte (6't:>-fit') n. Botany. An autotrophic plant.
`+ -PHYTE.] -au'to·phyt'ic (-flt'ik) adj.
`av·a·lanche (iiv':.-lanch', -liinch') n. 1. A fall or slide of a large
`au•to•pi•lot (6't6-pi'lat) n. An automatic pilot (see).
`mass of snow, rock, or other material down a mountainside.
`au•to·plas•ty (6'to-plas'te) n. Surgical repair or replacement
`2. Something resembling such an overwhelming fall or slide.
`with tissue taken from the same body as that on which the
`-v. avalanched. -'8nching, -lanches. -intr. To fall, as an ava·
`[AUTO- + -PLASTY.] -au'to·plas'tic adj.
`surgery is performed.
`[French, from Swiss French
`lanche. -tr. To overwhelm.
`avalantse, from Savoyard lavantse, from Vulgar Latin (unat(cid:173)
`-au'to•plas'ti·cal·ly adv.
`au·top•sy (o'top'se, 6'tap-) n .. pl. -sies. The examination of a
`tested) labancat.1
`dead body to determine the cause of death. Also called "nec(cid:173)
`avalanche lily. A plant, Erythronium montanum, of western
`ropsy," ''post-mortem."
`[New Latin autopsia. from Greek, a
`North America, having nodding white flowers.
`[So called be(cid:173)
`seeing for oneself : Auno)- + Greek apsis, sight (see okw- in
`cause it grows near the snow line and blooms when the snow
`Appendix*).) -au·top'sic. au•top'si·cal adj. -au-top'sist n.
`begins to melt.)
`au•to•some (6'to-som') n. Any chromosome that is not a sex
`Av·a·lon (av'<>-16n'). Also Av·al-lon. Celtic Mythology. An island
`[AUTO- + (CHROMO)SOME.)
`-au'to·so'nial
`chromosome.
`paradise in the western seas where King Arthur and other
`(-so'mol) ad}.
`heroes went at death.
`au•to 0 sug·11es 0tion (6't6-sag-j~s'chon) n. Psychology. The proc(cid:173)
`Av·a·lon Peninsula (l!.v':>-16n'). A peninsula, about 4,000
`ess by which a person induces self-acceptance of an opinion,
`square miles in area, of southeastern Newfoundland, Canada;
`belief, or plan of action. -au'to·sug·gest'i·bil1i·ty n. -au'to·
`the site of its capital, St. John's.
`sug·gest'i·ble adj. -au'to•sug·ges'tive adj.
`a·vant-garde (ii'viint-giird'; French a-vaN-gard') n. 1. A group,
`au•tot·o·mize (6-tOt'::rmiz') v. -mized. -mizing, -mizes. -tr. To
`as of writers and artists, regarded as pre-eminent in the inven(cid:173)
`cause the autotomy of (a body part). -intr. To undergo au(cid:173)
`tion and application of new techniques in a given field. 2. The
`totomy.
`admirers of such a group and critics acting as its spokesmen.
`-ad}. 1. Of or belonging to the vanguard, as in the arts.
`au•tot•o•my (6-tot':>-me) n. Zoology. The spontaneous casting
`off of a body part, as the tail of certain lizards, for self-pro(cid:173)
`[French, VANGUARD.)
`2. Ahead of the times.
`[AUTO- + -TOMY.) -au'to•tom'ic (6'to-t6m'ik) adj.
`av·a·rice (li.v':.-rls) n. An extreme desire to amass wealth; cupid(cid:173)
`tection.
`ity.
`[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin aviiritia.
`au·to-tox·e·mi·a (6't6-t6k-se'me-a) n. Also au•to•tox·ae·mi·a,
`au•to•tox·i·co·sis (-t6k'sl-ko'sls). Pathology. Autointoxication
`from avarus. greedy, from aviret, to desire.]
`[AUTO- + TOXEMIA.)
`av·a·ri•cious (llv'o-rlsh'os) adj. Immoderately fond of accumu(cid:173)
`(see).
`lating wealth. -av'a·ri'cious·ly adv. -av'a·ri'cious·ness n.
`au•to•tox·in (6'to-t6k'sin) n. A poison that acts on the organ(cid:173)
`a•vast (:>-vast', :>-vast') interj. A nautical command to desist
`ism in which it is generated. -au'to•tox'ic adj.
`[Shortened from Dutch houtl vast, "hold
`au•to•trans·form·er (6'to-trllns-f6r'mor) n. An electrical trans(cid:173)
`Avast heaving there.
`fast" : houd. imperative of houden, to hold, from Middle Dutch
`former in which the primary and secondary coils have some or
`(see kel-• in Appendix*) + vast, fast, from Milldle Dutch (see
`all windings in common.
`past· in Appendix*).)
`au•to•troph (6'ta-tr0f') n. Biology. An autotrophic organism,
`av·a·tar (3.v'a--tiir') n. 1. a. One regarded as the incarnation or
`[Back-formation from AUTOTROPHIC.)
`such as a green plant.
`embodiment of some known model or category. b. An entity
`au 0 to•troph·ic (6'to-tr6f'lk, -tr6'flk) adj. Biology. Designating
`regarded as an extreme or notably complete manifestation of its
`or characterizing plants or plantlike organisms capable of man-
`a pat/ii pay /ar care/ii father /b bib/ch church/ct deed/e pet/e be/f fife/g gag/h hat/hw which/I pit/i pie/ir pier/j judge/k kick/I lid,
`needle/m mum/n no, sudden/ng thing/ii pot/o toe/6 paw, for/oi noise/ou out/oo took/60 boot/p pop/r roar/s sauce/sh ship, dish/
`
`[AUTO(cid:173)
`
`I !
`
`l
`
`