| acacia | Origin: L. From Gr.; orig. The name of a thorny tree found in Egypt; prob. Fr. The root ak to be sharp. See Acute. 1. A genus of leguminous trees and shrubs. Nearly 300 species are Australian or Polynesian, and have terete or vertically compressed leaf stalks, instead of the bipinnate leaves of the much fewer species of America, Africa, etc. Very few are found in temperate climates. 2. <medicine> The inspissated juice of several species of acacia. Synonym: gum acacia, and gum arabic. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| academic dissertations | Formal written discourses presented, usually, to fulfill requirements for an academic degree. (12 Dec 1998) |
| academic medical centres | Medical complexes consisting of medical school, hospitals, clinics, libraries, administrative facilities, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| academies and institutes | Organizations representing specialised fields which are accepted as authoritative; may be non-governmental, university or an independent research organization, e.g., national academy of sciences, brookings institution, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| academy | Origin: F. Academie, L. Academia. Cf. Academe. 1. A garden or grove near Athens (so named from the hero Academus), where Plato and his followers held their philosophical conferences; hence, the school of philosophy of which Plato was head. 2. An institution for the study of higher learning; a college or a university. Popularly, a school, or seminary of learning, holding a rank between a college and a common school. 3. A place of training; a school. "Academies of fanaticism." 4. A society of learned men united for the advancement of the arts and sciences, and literature, or some particular art or science; as, the French Academy; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; academies of literature and philology. 5. A school or place of training in which some special art is taught; as, the military academy at West Point; a riding academy; the Academy of Music. Academy figure, a drawing usually half life-size, in crayon or pencil, after a nude model. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acadian | Of or pertaining to Acadie, or Nova Scotia. "Acadian farmers." . A native of Acadie. <geology> Acadian epoch, an epoch at the beginning of the American paleozoic time, and including the oldest American rocks known to be fossiliferous. See Geology. <ornithology> Acadian owl, a small North American owl (Nyctule Acadica); the saw-whet. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acajou | <botany> The cashew tree; also, its fruit. See Cashew. The mahogany tree; also, its timber. Origin: F. See Cashew. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acalculia | A form of aphasia characterised by the inability to perform simple mathematical problems; found with lesions of various areas of the cerebral hemispheres, and often an early sign of dementia. Origin: G. A-priv. + L. Calculo, to reckon (05 Mar 2000) |
| acalculous cholecystitis | <radiology> 5-10% of acute cholecystitis aetiology: depressed motility and starvation: trauma, burns, surgery, TPN, anaesthesia, narcotics, decreased blood flow through cystic artery: congestive heart failure, arteriosclerosis, polyarteritis nodosa, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes, shock, obstruction of cystic duct by extrinsic inflammation, lymphadenopathy, metastases, infection: Salmonella, cholera, Kawasaki syndrome (12 Dec 1998) |
| acalephae | A group of Coelenterata, including the Medusae or jellyfishes, and hydroids; so called from the stinging power they possess. Sometimes called sea nettles. Origin: NL, from Gr, a nettle. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acalephan | <zoology> One of the Acalephae. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acalephoid | <zoology> Belonging to or resembling the Acalephae or jellyfishes. Origin: Acaleph. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acalysinous | <botany> Without a calyx, or outer floral envelope. Origin: Gr. Priv. + calyx. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| acampsia | <rheumatology> Stiffening or rigidity of a joint for any reason. (06 Oct 1997) |
| acantha | 1. <botany> A prickle. 2. <zoology> A spine or prickly fin. 3. <anatomy> The vertebral column; the spinous process of a vertebra. Origin: Gr. Thorn, fr. Point. See Acute. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |