"ALKAHEST" (a pseudo-Arabic word believed to have beeninvented by Paracelsus), a liquid, much sought after by thealchemists, having the power of dissolving gold and everyother substance, More…
"ALL SAINTS, FESTIVAL OF" ('Festum omnium sanctorum'),also formerly known as , or , a feastof the Catholic Church celebrated on the 1st of November inhonour of all the saints, known or More…
"ALL SOULS' DAY" ('Commemoratio omnium fidelium defunctorum'),the day set apart in the Roman Catholic Church for thecommemoration of the faithful departed. The celebration isbased on the More…
"ALL-ROUND ATHLETICS". Specialization in athletic sports,although always existent, is to a great extent a modern product.In ancient times athletes were encouraged to excel in More…
"ALLAMANDA", named after J. N. S. Allamand (1713-1787), ofLeiden, a genus of shrubby, evergreen climbers, belonging to thenatural order Apocynaceae, and a native of tropical More…
"ALLAN, DAVID" (1744-1796), Scottish historical painter, wasborn at Alloa. On leaving Foulis's academy of painting atGlasgow (1762), after seven years' successful study, he obtainedthe More…
"ALLAN, SIR HUGH" (1810-1882), Canadian financier, wasborn on the 29th of September 1810 at Saltcoats, Ayrshire,Scotland, the son of Captain Alexander Allan, a shipmaster.He emigrated to More…
"ALLEGRO" (an Italian word, meaning "cheerful," as inMilton's poem), a term in music to indicate quick or livelytime, coming between 'andante' and 'presto'; it is More…
"ALLEMANDE" (Fr. for 'danse allemande', or German dance), aname for two kinds of dance, one a German national dance, in 2-4time, the other somewhat resembling a waltz. The movement ina More…
"ALLEN, ETHAN" (1730-1789), American soldier, was born atLitchfield, Connecticut, on the 10th of January 1739. Heremoved, probably in 1769, to the “New Hampshire More…
"ALLEN, WILLIAM FRANCIS" (1830-1889), American classicalscholar, was born at Northborough, Massachusestts, on the 5th ofSeptember 1830. He graduated at Harvard College in 1851 More…
"ALLENSTEIN", a garrison town of Germany, in the province ofEast Prussia, on the river Alle, 100 m. by rail N.E. from Thorn,and 30 m. from the Russian frontier. Pop. (1900) 24,295. Ithas a More…
"ALLEPPI", or AULAPALAY, a seaport of southern India, in thestate of Travancore, 33 m. south of Cochin, situated on a stripof coast between the sea and one of those backwaters that hereform More…
"ALLEY" (from the Fr. 'allée', a walk), a narrow passagewaybetween two buildings available only for foot passengersor hand-carts, sometimes entered only at one end and knownas a More…
"ALLIFAE" (mod. 'Alife'), a town of the Samnites, 15 m. N.W.of Telesia, and 17 m. E.N.E. of Teanum. The site of the Samnitecity, which in the 4th century B.C. had a coinage of its own, More…
"ALLIUM" (Lat. for "garlic"), a genus of plants, natural orderLiliaceae, with about 250 species (seven of which occur inBritain), found in Central and South Europe, North Africa, More…
"ALLMAN, GEORGE JAMES" (1812-1898), British biologist,was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1812, and received his early educationat the Royal Academical Institution, Belfast. For sometime he More…
"ALLOCATUR" (from med. Lat. 'allocatur'. it is allowed}, inlaw, a certificate given by a taxing master, at the terminationof an action, for the allowance of costs. Category:
"ALLOCUTION" (Lat. 'allocutio', an address), a name given tothe formal addresses made by the pope to the College ofCardinals and through them to the church generally. They areusually More…
"ALLODIUM", or ALODIUM, a legal term for lands which are theabsolute property of their owner, and not subject to any serviceor acknowledgement to a superior. It is thus the opposite More…
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