| 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) |
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| 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) |
| austromancy | Soothsaying, or prediction of events, from observation of the winds. Origin: L. Auster south wind + -mancy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| aut- | See: auto-. (05 Mar 2000) |
| autacoid | A substance, formed metabolically by one set of cells, which alters the function of other cells. (This term is sometimes used in place of the term hormone.) [aut-+ G. Akos, relief, resource (05 Mar 2000) |
| autacoid substance | A substance formed metabolically by one set of cells, which alters the function of other cells. (This term is sometimes used in place of the term hormone.) (05 Mar 2000) |
| autacoids | <endocrinology> Local hormones such as histamine, serotonin, angiotensin, eicosanoids. (18 Nov 1997) |
| autecic | Autecious Denoting a parasite that infects, throughout its entire existence, the same host. Origin: G. Autos, same, + oikion, house (05 Mar 2000) |
| autecology | <study> Ecological study of a single organism or a single species. (09 Oct 1997) |
| autemesia | Rarely used term for:1. Idiopathic or functional vomiting. 2. Vomiting induced by provoking the gag reflex. Origin: G. Autos, self, + emesis, vomiting (05 Mar 2000) |
| authenticity | 1. The quality of being authentic, genuine, and valid. 2. In psychological functioning and personality, applied to the conscious feelings, perceptions, and thoughts that one expresses and communicates honestly and genuinely. Origin: G. Authentikos, original, primary (05 Mar 2000) |
| authoress | A female author. The word is not very much used, author being commonly applied to a female writer as well as to a male. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| authorise | 1. To clothe with authority, warrant, or legal power; to give a right to act; to empower; as, to authorise commissioners to settle a boundary. 2. To make legal; to give legal sanction to; to legalize; as, to authorise a marriage. 3. To establish by authority, as by usage or public opinion; to sanction; as, idioms authorised by usage. 4. To sanction or confirm by the authority of some one; to warrant; as, to authorise a report. "A woman's story at a winter's fire, Authorised by her grandam." (Shak) 5. To justify; to furnish a ground for. Origin: OE. Autorize, F. Autoriser, fr. LL. Auctorizare, authorisare. See Author. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| authoritarian personality | A cluster of personality traits reflecting a desire for security and order, e.g., rigidity, highly conventional outlook, unquestioning obedience, scapegoating, desire for structured lines of authority. (05 Mar 2000) |