Chapter Atomic Theory to Augsburg Confession of A by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Atomic Theory to Augsburg Confession

Atomic Theory That all elemental bodies consist of aggregations of atoms, not united fortuitously, but according to fixed proportions. The four laws of Dalton are - constant proportion, reciprocal proportion, multiple proportion, and compound proportion.

This has nothing to do with the atomic theory of Leucippus. It merely means that gases and other elements always combine in certain known ratios or units.

Atomic Volume The space occupied by a quantity, compared with, or in proportion to atomic weight.

Atomic Weight The weight of an atom of an element, compared with an atom of hydrogen, the standard of unity.

Atossa Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, so called by Pope, because she was the friend of Lady Mary Wortley Montague, whom he calls Sappho. Herodotus says that Atossa, the mother of Xerxes, was a follower of Sappho.

Atrip The anchor is atrip when it has just been drawn from the ground in a perpendicular direction. A sail is atrip when it has been hoisted from the cap, and is ready for trimming. The word is from the Norwegian and Danish trip, a short step.

Attaint A term in chivalry, meaning to strike the helmet and shield of an antagonist so firstly with the lance, held in a direct line, as either to break the lance or overthrow the person struck. Hence to "attaint of treason," etc.

"Attaint was a term of tilting, used to express the champion's having attained his mark, or in other words, struck his lance straight and fair against the helmet or breast of his adversary." - Sir Walter Scott: The Monastery (note).

Attercop An ill-tempered. person, who mars all sociability. Strictly speaking, the attercop is the poison- spider. (Anglo-Saxon, atter, poison; cop , spider. Our cob-web should be cop-web, i.e. spider-web.)

Attic Bee (The). Sophocles, the tragic poet, a native of Athens; so called from the great sweetness of his compositions. (B.C. 495--405.)

Attic Bird (The). The nightingale; so called because Philomel was the daughter of the King of Athens.

"Where the Attic bird Trills her thick-warbled notes the summer long." Milton: Paradise Regained , iv. 245--6.

Attic Boy (The). Cephalos, beloved by Aurora or Morn; passionately fond of hunting.

Till civil-suited Morn appear,
Not tricked and frounced, as she was wont
With the Attic boy to hunt,
But kerchiefed in a comely cloud."
Milton: Il Penseroso.

Attic Faith Inviolable faith, the very opposite of "Punic Faith."

Attic Muse (The). Xenophon, the historian, a native of Athens; so called because the style of his composition is a model of elegance. (B.C. 444--359.)

Attic Order in architecture, a square column of any of the five orders. (See Orders.)

Attic Salt Elegant and delicate wit. Salt, both in Latin and Greek, was a common term for wit, or sparkling thought well expressed: thus Cicero says, "Scipio omnes sale superabat " (Scipio surpassed all in wit). The Athenians were noted for their wit and elegant turns of thought, and hence Attic salt means wit as pointed and delicately expressed as by the Athenians. "Attic point," wit.