| apothecary | One who prepares and sells drugs or compounds for medicinal purposes. In England an apothecary is one of a privileged class of practitioners a kind of sub-physician. The surgeon apothecary is the ordinary family medical attendant. One who sells drugs and makes up prescriptions is now commonly called in England a druggist or a pharmaceutical chemist. Apothecaries' weight, the system of weights by which medical prescriptions were formerly compounded. The pound and ounce are the same as in Troy weight; they differ only in the manner of subdivision. The ounce is divided into 8 drams, 24 scruples, 480 grains. See Troy weight. Origin: OE. Apotecarie, fr. LL. Apothecarius, fr. L. Apotheca storehouse, Gr. Apo, fr. To put away; from + to put: cf. F. Apothicaire, OF. Apotecaire. (06 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| apothecium | Origin: NL. <botany> The ascigerous fructification of lichens, forming masses of various shapes. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| apothegm | See Apothegm. A short, pithy, and instructive saying; a terse remark, conveying some important truth; a sententious precept or maxim. Origin: Apothegm is now the prevalent spelling in the United States. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| apothem | 1. <mathematics> The perpendicular from the center to one of the sides of a regular polygon. 2. A deposit formed in a liquid extract of a vegetable substance by exposure to the air. Origin: Gr. + that which is placed, to place. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| apotome | 1. <mathematics> The difference between two quantities commensurable only in power, as between and 1, or between the diagonal and side of a square. 2. The remaining part of a whole tone after a smaller semitone has been deducted from it; a major semitone. Origin: Gr. A cutting off, fr. To cut off; from + to cut. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| apoxesis | Synonym: subgingival curettage. Origin: G. Apo, away, + xeein, to scrape (05 Mar 2000) |
| apozem | <medicine> A decoction or infusion. Origin: L. Apozema, Gr, fr. To extract by boiling; from + boil. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |