| mad | 1. A slattern. 2. The name of a female fairy, especially. The queen of the fairies; and hence, sometimes, any fairy. Origin: Cf. W. Mad a male child, a boy. 1. Disordered in intellect; crazy; insane. "I have heard my grandsire say full oft, Extremity of griefs would make men mad." (Shak) 2. Excited beyond self-control or the restraint of reason; inflamed by violent or uncontrollable desire, passion, or appetite; as, to be mad with terror, lust, or hatred; mad against political reform. "It is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols." (Jer. 1. 88) "And being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities." (Acts xxvi. 11) 3. Proceeding from, or indicating, madness; expressing distraction; prompted by infatuation, fury, or extreme rashness. "Mad demeanor." "Mad wars destroy in one year the works of many years of peace." (Franklin) "The mad promise of Cleon was fulfilled." (Jowett (Thucyd)) 4. Extravagant; immoderate. "Be mad and merry." "Fetching mad bounds." . 5. Furious with rage, terror, or disease; said of the lower animals; as, a mad bull; especially, having hydrophobia; rabid; as, a mad dog. 6. Angry; out of patience; vexed; as, to get mad at a person. 7. Having impaired polarity; applied to a compass needle. Like mad, like a mad person; in a furious manner; as, to run like mad. To run mad. To become wild with excitement. To run wildly about under the influence of hydrophobia; to become affected with hydrophobia. To run mad after, to pursue under the influence of infatuation or immoderate desire. "The world is running mad after farce." . Origin: AS. Gemd, gemad, mad; akin to OS. Gemd foolish, OHG. Gameit, Icel. Meia to hurt, Goth. Gamaids weak, broken. <zoology> An earthworm. Alternative forms: made. Origin: AS. Maa; akin to D. & G. Made, Goth. Mapa, and prob. To E. Moth. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| mad cow disease | A new disease of cattle, first reported in 1986 in Great Britain, characterised clinically by apprehensive behaviour, hyperesthesia, and ataxia and histopathologically by spongiform changes in the gray-matter neuropil of the brain stem; it is thought to be caused by an agent, possibly a prion, similar to that observed as the cause of scrapie. Synonym: mad cow disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Mad Hatter syndrome | <syndrome> Gastrointestinal and central nervous system manifestations of chronic mercury poisoning, including stomatitis, diarrhoea, ataxia, tremor, hyperreflexia, sensorineural impairment, and emotional instability; previously seen in workers in lead manufacturing who put mercury-containing materials in their mouths to make them more pliable. Origin: fr. Char. In Alice in Wonderland (05 Mar 2000) |
| mad itch | A highly contagious herpes virus infection affecting the central nervous system of swine, cattle, dogs, cats, rats, and other animals. (12 Dec 1998) |
| mad-apple | <botany> See Eggplant. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| madagascar | One of the indian ocean islands off the southeast coast of africa. Its capital is antananarivo. It was formerly called the malagasy republic. Discovered by the portuguese in 1500, its history has been tied predominantly to the french, becoming a french protectorate in 1882, a french colony in 1896, and a territory within the french union in 1946. The malagasy republic was established in the french community in 1958 but it achieved independence in 1960. Its name was changed to madagascar in 1975. (12 Dec 1998) |
| madam | Origin: See Madame. A gentlewoman; an appellation or courteous form of address given to a lady, especially an elderly or a married lady; much used in the address, at the beginning of a letter, to a woman. The corresponding word in addressing a man is Sir. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| madarosis | Synonym: milphosis, alopecia adnata. Origin: G. A falling off of the eyelashes, fr. Madao, to fall off (of hair) (05 Mar 2000) |
| madder | <botany> A plant of the Rubia (R. Tinctorum). The root is much used in dyeing red, and formerly was used in medicine. It is cultivated in France and Holland. See Rubiaceous. Madder is sometimes used in forming pigments, as lakes, etc, which receive their names from their colours; as. Madder yellow. Field madder, an annual European weed (Sherardia arvensis) resembling madder. Indian madder, the East Indian Rubia cordifolia, used in the East for dyeing; called also munjeet. Wild madder, Rubia peregrina of Europe; also the Galium Mollugo, a kind of bedstraw. Origin: OE. Mader, AS. Maedere; akin to Icel. Mara. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| madderwort | <botany> A name proposed for any plant of the same natural order (Rubiaceae) as the madder. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Maddox's rod | A glass rod, or a series of parallel glass rod's, that converts the image of a light source into a streak of light perpendicular to the axis of the rod. The position of this streak in relation to the image of the light source seen by the fellow eye indicates the presence and amount of heterophoria. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Maddox, Ernest | <person> English ophthalmologist, 1860-1933. See: Maddox's rod. (05 Mar 2000) |
| madeira | 1. A rich wine made on the Island of Madeira. 2. <botany> Madeira nut, the European walnut; the nut of the Juglans regia. Origin: Pg, the Island Madeira, properly, wood, fr. L. Materia stuff, wood. The island was so called because well wooded. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| madelung deformity | <radiology> Chondrodysplasia of distal radial epiphysis, part of dyschondrosteosis (skeletal dysplasia), usually bilateral, first apparent in early adolescence, bayonet-shaped appearance of hand and wrist resembles anterior dislocation (12 Dec 1998) |
| Madelung's deformity | <orthopaedics> A distal radioulnar subluxation due to a relative deficiency of axial growth of the medial side of the distal radius, which, as a consequence, is abnormally inclined proximally and ulnarwards. Synonym: carpus curvus. (05 Mar 2000) |