Anarthrous, an-är′thrus, adj. without the article, of Greek nouns: (entom.) having neither wings nor legs.—adv. Anar′thrously. [Gr. an, neg., arthron, a joint, the article.]
Anastatic, an-a-stat′ik, adj. furnished with characters standing up, or raised in relief—esp. of the anastatic printing process, in which copies of drawings are printed from fac-similes produced in relief on zinc plates. [Gr. anastatikos—ana, up, statikos, causing to stand—histēmi, to make to stand.]
Anastomosis, an-as-to-mō′sis, n. the union or intercommunication of vessels with each other, as seen in the junction of the branches of the arteries.—v.i. Anas′tomose, to communicate in such a way.—adj. Anastomot′ic.
Anastrophe, an-as′tro-fi, n. an inversion of the natural order of words, as 'Loud roared the thunder,' for 'The thunder roared,' &c. [Gr.; ana, back, and streph-ein, to turn.]
Anathema, an-ath′em-a, n. a solemn ecclesiastical curse or denunciation involving excommunication: any person or thing anathematised: generally, any imprecation or expression of execration.—n. Anathematisā′tion—v.t. Anath′ematise, to pronounce accursed.—Anathema maranātha, as in 1 Cor. xvi. 22; maranatha (Syr. māran ethā, 'our Lord hath come') is properly a mere solemn formula of confirmation, like Amen, having no other connection with the antecedent anathema—it is so printed in the Revised Version.—It seems to have been used by the early Christians as a kind of watchword of mutual encouragement and hope. So the words in 1 Cor. xvi. 22 are nearly equivalent to the similar expressions in Phil. iv. 5; Rev. xxii. 20. [The classical Gr. anathēma meant a votive offering set up in a temple, ana, up, tithenai, to place; the anathĕma of the Septuagint and New Testament meant something specially devoted to evil, as in Rom. ix. 3.]
Anatomy, an-a′tom-i, n. the art of dissecting any organised body: science of the structure of the body learned by dissection: a skeleton, a shrivelled and shrunken body, a mummy: (fig.) the lifeless form or shadow of anything: humorously for the body generally: the detailed analysis of anything, as in Burton's famous treatise, The Anatomy of Melancholy.—adjs. Anatom′ic, -al, relating to anatomy.—adv. Anatom′ically.—v.t. Anat′omise, to dissect a body: (fig.) to lay open minutely.—n. Anat′omist, one skilled in anatomy. [Gr. ana, up, asunder, temnein, to cut.]
Anatopism, an-at′op-izm, n. (rare—Coleridge) a faulty arrangement. [Gr. ana, up, topos, a place.]
Anatta, an-at′ta, n. the reddish pulp surrounding the seeds of the Bixa orellana, a medium-sized tree growing in Guiana and elsewhere. It yields a dye which gives a bright orange tint to cloth, and is much used to add colour to butter and cheese.—Also Anat′to, Annat′to, Arnot′to. [Supposed to be a native Amer. word.]
Anbury, an′bėr-i, n. a disease in turnips, produced by one of the slime-fungi, and usually the result of improper cultivation. It is often confounded with Finger-and-toe (dactylorhiza), which is rather a degeneration of the plant than a disease, the bulb branching out into a number of taproots, while the skin remains unbroken. Anbury causes a scabbed and broken skin, and tubercular growths on the roots and at the base of the bulb. [Often explained as a disguised form of A.S. ampre, a crooked swelling vein; more probably, a variant of anbury = angberry, A.S. ang-, pain, as in ang-nail.]
Ancestor, an′ses-tur, n. one from whom a person has descended: a forefather:—fem. An′cestress.—adj. Ances′tral.—ns. An′cestor-wor′ship, the chief element in the religion of China and other countries—erroneously supposed by Herbert Spencer to be the foundation of all religion; An′cestry, a line of ancestors: lineage. [O. Fr. ancestre—L. antecessor—ante, before, cedĕre, cessum, to go.]