Alexiteric
(A*lex`i*ter"ic), n. [Gr. a remedy, an amulet: cf. F. alexitère, LL. alexiterium.] (Med.) A preservative
against contagious and infectious diseases, and the effects of poison in general. Brande & C.
Alfa
(||Al"fa or Al"fa grass") n. A plant (Macrochloa tenacissima) of North Africa; also, its fiber, used in
paper making.
Alfalfa
(Al*fal"fa) n. [Sp.] (Bot.) The lucern (Medicago sativa); — so called in California, Texas, etc.
Alfenide
(Al"fe*nide) n. (Metal.) An alloy of nickel and silver electroplated with silver.
Alferes
(||Al*fe"res) n. [Sp., fr. Ar. al- fars knight.] An ensign; a standard bearer. [Obs.] J. Fletcher.
Alfet
(Al"fet), n. [LL. alfetum, fr. AS. alfæt a pot to boil in; al burning + fæt vat.] A caldron of boiling
water into which an accused person plunged his forearm as a test of innocence or guilt.
Alfilaria
(||Al*fil`a*ri"a) n. (Bot.) The pin grass a weed in California.
Alfione
(||Al`fi*o"ne) n. (Zoöl.) An edible marine fish of California (Rhacochilus toxotes).
Alfresco
(||Al*fres"co) adv. & a. [It. al fresco in or on the fresh.] In the open-air. Smollett.
Alga
(||Al"ga) n.; pl. Algæ [L., seaweed.] (Bot.) A kind of seaweed; pl. the class of cellular cryptogamic
plants which includes the black, red, and green seaweeds, as kelp, dulse, sea lettuce, also marine and
fresh water confervæ, etc.
Algal
(Al"gal) a., (Bot.) Pertaining to, or like, algæ.
Algaroba
(||Al`ga*ro"ba) n. [Sp. algarroba, fr. Ar. al-kharrbah. Cf. Carob.] (Bot.) (a) The Carob,
a leguminous tree of the Mediterranean region; also, its edible beans or pods, called St. John's bread.
(b) The Honey mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), a small tree found from California to Buenos Ayres; also,
its sweet, pulpy pods. A valuable gum, resembling gum arabic, is collected from the tree in Texas and
Mexico.
Algarot
(Al"ga*rot Al"ga*roth) n. [F. algaroth, fr. the name of the inventor, Algarotti.] (Med.) A term
used for the Powder of Algaroth, a white powder which is a compound of trichloride and trioxide of antimony.
It was formerly used in medicine as an emetic, purgative, and diaphoretic.
Algarovilla
(||Al`ga*ro*vil"la) n. The agglutinated seeds and husks of the legumes of a South American
tree It is valuable for tanning leather, and as a dye.
Algate
(Al"gate Al"gates) adv. [All + gate way. The s is an adverbial ending. See Gate.]
1. Always; wholly; everywhere. [Obs.]
Ulna now he algates must forego.
Spenser.
Still used in the north of England in the sense of "everywhere."
2. By any or means; at all events. [Obs.] Fairfax.
3. Notwithstanding; yet. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Algazel
(Al"ga*zel`) n. [Ar. al the + ghazal.] (Zoöl.) The true gazelle.
Algebra
(Al"ge*bra) n. [LL. algebra, fr. Ar. al-jebr reduction of parts to a whole, or fractions to whole
numbers, fr. jabara to bind together, consolidate; al-jebr w'almuqabalah reduction and comparison (by
equations): cf. F. algèbre, It. & Sp. algebra.]
