Acanthine
(A*can"thine) a. [L. acanthinus, Gr. thorny, fr. . See Acanthus.] Of, pertaining to, or resembling,
the plant acanthus.
Acanthocarpous
(A*can`tho*car"pous) a. [Gr. thorn + fruit.] (Bot.) Having the fruit covered with spines.
Acanthocephala
(||A*can`tho*ceph"a*la) n. pl. [NL., from Gr. a spine, thorn + head.] (Zoöl.) A group of
intestinal worms, having the proboscis armed with recurved spines.
Acanthocephalous
(A*can`tho*ceph"a*lous) a. (Zoöl.) Having a spiny head, as one of the Acanthocephala.
Acanthophorous
(Ac`an*thoph"o*rous) a. [Gr. fr. spine + to bear.] Spine-bearing. Gray.
Acanthopodious
(A*can`tho*po"di*ous) a. [Gr. thorn + foot.] (Bot.) Having spinous petioles.
Acanthopteri
(||Ac`an*thop"ter*i) n. pl. [NL., from Gr. thorn + wing, fin.] (Zoöl.) A group of teleostean
fishes having spiny fins. See Acanthopterygii.
Acanthopterous
(Ac`an*thop"ter*ous) a. [Gr. spine + wing.]
1. (Zoöl.) Spiny- winged.
2. (Zoöl.) Acanthopterygious.
Acanthopterygian
(Ac`an*thop`ter*yg"i*an) a. (Zoöl.) Belonging to the order of fishes having spinose
fins, as the perch. — n. A spiny-finned fish.
Acanthopterygii
(||Ac`an*thop`ter*yg"i*i) n. pl. [NL., from Gr. thorn + fin, dim. fr. wing.] (Zoöl.) An
order of fishes having some of the rays of the dorsal, ventral, and anal fins unarticulated and spinelike,
as the perch.
Acanthopterygious
(Ac`an*thop`ter*yg"i*ous) a. (Zoöl.) Having fins in which the rays are hard and spinelike; spiny-
finned.
Acanthus
(A*can"thus) n.; pl. E. Acanthuses L. Acanthi [L., from Gr. . Cf. Acantha.]
1. (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous prickly plants, found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India; bear's-
breech.
2. (Arch.) An ornament resembling the foliage or leaves of the acanthus (Acanthus spinosus); — used
in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders.
A cappella
(||A cap*pel"la) [It. See Chapel.] (Mus.) (a) In church or chapel style; — said of compositions
sung in the old church style, without instrumental accompaniment; as, a mass a capella, i. e., a mass
purely vocal. (b) A time indication, equivalent to alla breve.
Acapsular
(A*cap"su*lar) a. [Pref. a- not + capsular.] (Bot.) Having no capsule.
Acardiac
(A*car"di*ac) a. [Gr. 'a priv. + heart.] Without a heart; as, an acardiac fetus.
Acaridan
(A*car"i*dan) n. [See Acarus.] (Zoöl.) One of a group of arachnids, including the mites and
ticks.
Acarina
(||Ac`a*ri"na) n. pl. [NL., from Gr. a mite.] (Zoöl.) The group of Arachnida which includes the
mites and ticks. Many species are parasitic, and cause diseases like the itch and mange.
Acarine
(Ac"a*rine) a. (Med.) Of or caused by acari or mites; as, acarine diseases.
