| whip-poor-will | <zoology> An American bird (Antrostomus vociferus) allied to the nighthawk and goatsucker; so called in imitation of the peculiar notes which it utters in the evening. Alternative forms: whippowil. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| poor | 1. Destitute of property; wanting in material riches or goods; needy; indigent. It is often synonymous with indigent and with necessitous denoting extreme want. It is also applied to persons who are not entirely destitute of property, but who are not rich; as, a poor man or woman; poor people. 2. So completely destitute of property as to be entitled to maintenance from the public. 3. Hence, in very various applications: Destitute of such qualities as are desirable, or might naturally be expected; as: Wanting in fat, plumpness, or fleshiness; lean; emaciated; meager; as, a poor horse, ox, dog, etc. "Seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed." . Wanting in strength or vigor; feeble; dejected; as, poor health; poor spirits. "His genius . . . Poor and cowardly." . Of little value or worth; not good; inferior; shabby; mean; as, poor clothes; poor lodgings. "A poor vessel." . Destitute of fertility; exhausted; barren; sterile; said of land; as, poor soil. Destitute of beauty, fitness, or merit; as, a poor discourse; a poor picture. Without prosperous conditions or good results; unfavorable; unfortunate; unconformable; as, a poor business; the sick man had a poor night. Inadequate; insufficient; insignificant; as, a poor excuse. "That I have wronged no man will be a poor plea or apology at the last day." (Calamy) 4. Worthy of pity or sympathy; used also sometimes as a term of endearment, or as an expression of modesty, and sometimes as a word of contempt. "And for mine own poor part, Look you, I'll go pray." (Shak) "Poor, little, pretty, fluttering thing." (Prior) 5. Free from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Poor law, a law providing for, or regulating, the relief or support of the poor. <botany> Poor man's treacle, the friar bird. The poor, those who are destitute of property; the indigent; the needy. In a legal sense, those who depend on charity or maintenance by the public. "I have observed the more public provisions are made for the poor, the less they provide for themselves." . Origin: OE. Poure or povre, OF. Povre, F. Pauvre, L. Pauper; the first syllable of which is probably akin to paucus few (see Paucity, Few), and the second to parare to prepare, procure. See Few, and cf. Parade, Pauper, Poverty. <zoology> A small European codfish (Gadus minutus). Synonym: power cod. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| poor-john | <zoology> A small European fish, similar to the cod, but of inferior quality. "Poor-john and apple pies are all our fare." (Sir J. Harrington) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| poor-will | <zoology> A bird of the Western United States (Phalaenoptilus Nutalli) allied to the whip-poor-will. Origin: So called in imitation of its note. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| poor-willie | <zoology> The bar-tailed godwit. Origin: So called in imitation of its note. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| abstracting and indexing | Shortening or summarizing of documents; assigning of descriptors for referencing documents. (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) |
| accounts payable and receivable | Short-term debt obligations and assets occurring in the regular course of operational transactions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| aged, 80 and over | A person 80 years of age and older. (12 Dec 1998) |
| algae and fungi | Algae represent a group of spore-propagating plants, unicellular or undifferentiated into root, stem, and leaf. They include seaweed and many unicellular fresh water plants, most of which contain chlorophyll. They account for about 90% of the earth's photosynthetic activity. Fungi are eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that live as saprobes or parasites and include mushrooms, yeasts, smuts, molds, etc. They lack chlorophyll. (12 Dec 1998) |
| alkyl and aryl transferases | <enzyme> A somewhat heterogeneous class of enzymes that catalyze the transfer of alkyl or related groups (excluding methyl groups). Registry number: EC 2.5 (12 Dec 1998) |
| allergy and immunology | A medical specialty concerned with the hypersensitivity of the individual to foreign substances and protection from the resultant infection or disorder. (12 Dec 1998) |
| alligators and crocodiles | Large, long-tailed reptiles, including caimans, of the order loricata. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Amine Precursor Uptake and Decarboxylation | <pharmacology, physiology> Paracrine cells of which argentaffin cells are an example. Usage of the term APUD is neither helpful nor memorable. Acronym: APUD (11 Nov 1997) |
| amino acids, peptides, and proteins | Amino acids and chains of amino acids connected by peptide linkages. (12 Dec 1998) |