(biology) Loss during evolution of the final stages of the ancestral ontogenetic pattern.
(linguistics) A shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole, utilizing omission of letters, and sometimes substitution of letters, or duplication of initial letters to signify plurality, including signs such as +, =, @.
(mathematics) Reduction to lower terms, as a fraction.
(music) A notation used in music score to denote a direction, as pp or mf.
(music) One or more dashes through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, demisemiquavers, or hemidemisemiquavers.
Any convenient short form used as a substitution for an understood or inferred whole.
The process of abbreviating.
The result of shortening or reducing; abridgment.
abbreviators
abbreviators
noun
plural of abbreviator
abbreviatory
abbreviatory
adj
Serving or tending to abbreviate; shortening; abridging.
abbroachment
aberrational
aberrational
adj
Characterized by aberration.
abirritation
abirritation
noun
(medicine) A pathological condition opposite to that of irritation; debility; asthenia; atony.
(medicine) Decreased response to stimuli.
abolitionary
abolitionary
adj
Relating to or favoring abolition.
abortionists
abortionists
noun
plural of abortionist
abortiveness
abortiveness
noun
(countable) The result or product of being abortive.
(uncountable) The quality of being abortive.
abrasiometer
abrasiometer
noun
A device which measures the resistance of surfaces to abrasion.
absorptances
absorptances
noun
plural of absorptance
absorptional
absorptional
adj
Relating to absorption.
absorptively
absorptively
adv
In an absorptive way.
absorptivity
absorptivity
noun
(analytical chemistry) The constant a in the Beer's law relation A = abc, where A is the absorbance, b the path length, and c the concentration of solution. Also known as absorptive power. Formerly known as absorbency index; absorption constant; extinction coefficient.
(thermodynamics) The fraction of radiation absorbed by a surface to the total radiation incident on the surface.
The quality of being absorptive; absorptiveness.
abstractions
abstractions
noun
plural of abstraction
acinotubular
acinotubular
adj
(anatomy) Having both acini and tubules
acrobystitis
actinobranch
actinobranch
noun
(biology) An organ, in some anthozoans, that functions as a gill
adumbrations
adumbrations
noun
plural of adumbration
adverbiation
afforestable
afforestable
adj
Suitable for being afforested.
ambicolorate
ambidextrous
ambidextrous
adj
(archaic) Practising or siding with both parties.
(humorous) Of a person, bisexual.
Equally usable by left-handed and right-handed people (as a tool or instrument).
Exceptionally skillful; adept in more than one medium, genre, style, etc.
Having equal ability in both hands; in particular, able to write equally well with both hands.
ambisextrous
ambisextrous
adj
(humorous, sometimes offensive, of a person) Bisexual.
Epicene, androgynous.
Having both male and female, or masculine and feminine elements.
ambrettolide
ambrettolide
noun
(organic compond) The macrolide lactone 1-oxacycloheptadec-8-en-2-one
ambulatorial
ambulatorial
adj
(zoology) ambulatory; adapted for walking; gressorial
ambulatories
ambulatories
noun
plural of ambulatory
ambulatorily
ambulatorily
adv
By or in terms of walking.
ambulatorium
amobarbitals
amobarbitals
noun
plural of amobarbital
amoebobacter
anaerobation
anaerobiotic
anaerobiotic
adj
(anatomy) Resembling or relating to anaerobes.
antiabortion
antiabortion
adj
Opposed to the practice or legalization of abortion.
antiabrasion
antiabrasion
adj
Preventing abrasion.
antilaborist
antimicrobic
antimicrobic
adj
antimicrobial
noun
Any antimicrobial agent
antiportable
antithrombic
antithrombic
adj
(biochemistry) Of, pertaining to, or resembling the action of antithrombin
antithrombin
antithrombin
noun
A small molecule that inactivates several enzymes of the coagulation system.
antivibrator
antivibrator
noun
A device attached to a vehicle or machine, etc. to reduce vibrations.
aplanobacter
approbations
approbations
noun
plural of approbation
arbitrations
arbitrations
noun
plural of arbitration
arborization
arborization
noun
Any branching, treelike shape or formation.
The formation of such a shape or formation.
arceuthobium
archboutefeu
archibenthos
arthrobacter
arthrobranch
arthrobranch
noun
A gill, of a crustacean, that is attached to the membrane between the body and the base of the leg
astrobiology
astrobiology
noun
(sciences) The study of life anywhere in the universe, including the Earth.
astrolabical
astrolabical
adj
Archaic form of astrolabic.
attenborough
attenborough
Proper noun
A village in Broxtowe borough, Nottinghamshire, England.
attributions
attributions
noun
plural of attribution
aummbulatory
authorisable
authorisable
adj
Alternative spelling of authorizable
authorizable
authorizable
adj
Capable of being authorized.
autoabstract
autoabstract
noun
(computing) An abstract (abridgement or summary of a publication) generated automatically by a computer.
azotobacters
bachelorette
bachelorette
noun
(Canada) A very small bachelor (single room) apartment.
(Canada, US) An unmarried woman.
backcourtman
backcourtman
noun
(basketball) A backcourt player.
backcourtmen
backcourtmen
noun
plural of backcourtman
backpointers
backstroking
backstroking
verb
present participle of backstroke
backstromite
backstromite
noun
(mineralogy) Synonym of hydrohausmannite
bacteriocins
bacteriocins
noun
plural of bacteriocin
bacteriocyte
bacteriocyte
noun
(biology) A modified adipocyte, in some insects, containing symbiotic bacteria
bacterioidal
bacteriology
bacteriology
noun
(biology, microbiology) The scientific study of bacteria, especially in relation to disease and agriculture.
bacteriolyze
bacteriolyze
verb
Alternative form of bacteriolyse
bacteriostat
bacteriostat
noun
A biological or chemical agent that causes bacteriostasis.
bacteroideae
bactriticone
bactriticone
noun
(malacology) A shell which has a straight cone shape, like certain primitive Ammonoidea.
bagrationite
bagrationite
noun
(mineralogy) A variety of allanite.
balaenoptera
bardolatries
bardolatries
noun
plural of bardolatry
barnstormers
barnstormers
noun
plural of barnstormer
barnstorming
barnstorming
adj
(especially of a performance) Highly theatrical.
noun
The act of one who barnstorms, or travels making political speeches.
verb
present participle of barnstorm
barometrical
barometrical
adj
(archaic) Relating to, or observed with, a barometer, barometric.
baronetising
baronetizing
baroreceptor
baroreceptor
noun
(anatomy) A nerve ending that is sensitive to changes in blood pressure
barotraumata
barquisimeto
barratrously
barratrously
adv
In a barratrous manner.
barringtonia
bartholomean
bartholomeus
bartholomite
bartonsville
basitemporal
basitemporal
adj
(anatomy) Relating to the base of the temporal region
bathmotropic
bathmotropic
adj
(physiology) That influences the response of tissue to stimuli, especially that of cardiac muscle
bathochromic
bathochromic
adj
(physics) Of a change in the position of a spectral band, to a lower frequency
batocrinidae
battledoring
battlefronts
battlefronts
noun
plural of battlefront
battleground
battleground
noun
(US politics) Ellipsis of battleground state.
(figurative) Any place or situation of dispute or contention
(figurative) Any subject of dispute or contention.
A location where a battle may be fought, or has been fought.
beardtongues
beardtongues
noun
plural of beardtongue
behaviorists
behaviorists
noun
plural of behaviorist
behaviourist
behaviourist
noun
Britain standard spelling of behaviorist.
bemirrorment
benzanthrone
benzanthrone
noun
(organic chemistry) A polycyclic aromatic ketone, 7-oxobenz(de)anthracene, that is used in the manufacture of anthraquinone dyes
benzonitrile
benzonitrile
noun
(organic chemistry) The aromatic nitrile C₆H₅-CN; it is used as a solvent and has many industrial applications
bertholletia
bertillonage
bertillonage
noun
Originally, a system for the identification of criminals making use of anthropometric measurements — including head size, arm span, scars, distinguishing features and the like. The usage has been extended to encompass a means of identification of racing greyhounds.
besiclometer
bibliolaters
bibliolaters
noun
plural of bibliolater
bicarbonates
bicarbonates
noun
plural of bicarbonate
bichromatize
bichromatize
verb
(transitive) To combine or treat with a bichromate, especially with bichromate of potassium.
bicollateral
bicollateral
adj
(biology, of a vascular bundle) Having phloem on each side of the xylem
bifurcations
bifurcations
noun
plural of bifurcation
binocularity
binocularity
noun
Binocular vision.
biochemistry
biochemistry
noun
(countable) The biochemical activity associated with a particular chemical or condition
(countable) The chemical characteristics of a particular living organism
(uncountable) The chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
biodiversity
biodiversity
noun
(ecology) The diversity (number and variety of species) of plant and animal life within a region.
bioenergetic
bioenergetic
adj
Of or pertaining to bioenergetics
biomaterials
biomaterials
noun
plural of biomaterial
biometrician
biometrician
noun
One who practices biometrics.
biometricist
biometricist
noun
One who studies biometry.
biotelemetry
biotelemetry
noun
(biology, electronics) The use of telemetry to monitor, measure and record physiological data of an organism
bipartitions
bipartitions
noun
plural of bipartition
bipolarities
bipolarities
noun
plural of bipolarity
bipropellant
bipropellant
noun
A propellant composed of two components (typically a fuel and an oxidizer) that react together in the combustion chamber
birefraction
bistetrazole
bistetrazole
noun
(organic chemistry) Any of many compounds containing two linked tetrazole rings.
blabbermouth
blabbermouth
noun
(aviation) A kind of foam-dispensing nozzle used in firefighting at airports.
(informal) A gossip.
(informal) A person who talks excessively.
bladderworts
bladderworts
noun
plural of bladderwort
blastodermic
blastodermic
adj
Of or pertaining to the blastoderm.
blastophoral
blastophoric
blastophoric
adj
Relating to the blastophore.
blastosphere
blastosphere
noun
A blastula
blastospores
blastospores
noun
plural of blastospore
blastostylar
blastostylar
adj
Of or relating to a blastostyle.
blennothorax
blepharostat
blepharostat
noun
(surgery) An instrument used to keep the eyelids apart during an operation
blepharotomy
blepharotomy
noun
(surgery) The removal of a slice of eyelid tissue for examination
bletheration
blindstories
blindstories
noun
plural of blindstory
blockbusters
blockbusters
noun
plural of blockbuster
bloodstreams
bloodstreams
noun
plural of bloodstream
bloodthirsty
bloodthirsty
adj
(humorous) Of a mosquito, tenaciously seeking to draw blood.
Of a book, film, etc.: depicting much violence; gory, violent.
Thirsty for blood: inexorably violent or eager for bloodshed; murderous.
blowtorching
blowtorching
verb
present participle of blowtorch
blusteration
blusteration
noun
blustering
blusterously
blusterously
adv
In a blusterous manner.
boatbuilders
boatbuilders
noun
plural of boatbuilder
boilerplates
boilerplates
noun
plural of boilerplate
boisterously
boisterously
adv
In a boisterous manner.
bombardments
bombardments
noun
plural of bombardment
bondelswarts
bootstrapped
bootstrapped
verb
simple past tense and past participle of bootstrap
borosilicate
borosilicate
noun
(inorganic chemistry) Any of various minerals whose structure is formally that of a dual salt of boric and silicic acids.
borotungstic
bostrychidae
botherations
botherations
noun
plural of botheration
botherheaded
bothersomely
bothersomely
adv
In a bothersome way.
bothrenchyma
bothrenchyma
noun
(botany, obsolete) Dotted or pitted ducts or vessels forming the pores seen in many kinds of wood.