| austral | Southern; lying or being in the south; as, austral land; austral ocean. <astronomy> Austral signs, the last six signs of the zodiac, or those south of the equator. Origin: L. Australis, fr. Auster: cf. F. Austral. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| Australia | The smallest continent and the only one existing as an independent country, comprising six states and one territory. Its capital is canberra. It was first sighted by the spanish in the early 17th century and at that time explored by the dutch who named it new holland. Stories dating from the 2d century a.d. Tell of a "terra australis incognita", unknown southern land. In the 19th century, the continent was circumnavigated by the english explorer matthew finders, who gave it its original name modified as terra australis (no longer "incognita"), shortened later to Australia. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Australia antigen | <virology> An envelope antigen now known as HBsAg of Hepatitis B virus. Appearance of the antigen in serum is associated with a phase of high infectivity. (18 Nov 1997) |
| Australian Q fever | A variety of Q fever occurring in Australia; an acute infectious rickettsial infection caused by Coxiella burnetii and transmitted by ticks, enzootic in animals in Australia, especially bandicoots. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Australian X disease | A severe encephalitis with a high mortality rate occurring in the Murray Valley of Australia; the disease is most severe in children and is characterised by headache, fever, malaise, drowsiness or convulsions, and rigidity of the neck; extensive brain damage may result; it is caused by the Murray Valley encephalitis virus (genus Flavivirus). Synonym: Australian X disease, Australian X encephalitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Australian X disease virus | A group B arbovirus of the genus Flavivirus that causes Murray Valley encephalitis; it is transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, and also infects birds and horses. Synonym: Australian X disease virus, MVE virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Australian X encephalitis | A severe encephalitis with a high mortality rate occurring in the Murray Valley of Australia; the disease is most severe in children and is characterised by headache, fever, malaise, drowsiness or convulsions, and rigidity of the neck; extensive brain damage may result; it is caused by the Murray Valley encephalitis virus (genus Flavivirus). Synonym: Australian X disease, Australian X encephalitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| australize | To tend toward the south pole, as a magnet. "They [magnets] do septentrionate at one extreme, and australize at another." (Sir T. Browne) See: Austral. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| australoid race | A racial group that includes the Australian aborigines, the veddahs of ceylon, the pre-dravidian people of india, and possibly some other remnant populations of malaysia. (12 Dec 1998) |