Azalea
A•za´le•a ( 97), n. ; pl. Azaleas . [NL., fr. Gr. dry, — so called because supposed to grow best in dry ground.] (Bot.) A genus of showy flowering shrubs, mostly natives of China or of North America; false honeysuckle. The genus is scarcely distinct from Rhododendron.

Azarole
Az´a•role, n. [F. azerole, the name of the fruit, fr. Ar. az-zo’rr: cf. It. azzeruolo, Sp. acerolo.] (Bot.) The Neapolitan medlar ( Crataegus azarolus), a shrub of southern Europe; also its fruit.

Azedarach
A•zed´a•rach, n. [F. azedarac, Sp. acederaque, Pers. azaddirakht noble tree.]
1. (Bot.) A handsome Asiatic tree ( Melia azedarach), common in the southern United States; — called also Pride of India, Pride of China, and Bead tree.
2. (Med.) The bark of the roots of the azedarach, used as a cathartic and emetic.

Azimuth
Az´i•muth, n. [OE. azimut, F. azimut, fr. Ar. as-sumt, pl. of as-samt a way, or perh., a point of the horizon and a circle extending to it from the zenith, a. being the Arabic article: cf. It. azzimutto, Pg. azimuth, and Ar. samt-al-ra’s the vertex of the heaven. Cf. Zenith.] (Astron. & Geodesy) (a) The quadrant of an azimuth circle. (b) An arc of the horizon intercepted between the meridian of the place and a vertical circle passing through the center of any object; as the azimuth of a star; the azimuth or bearing of a line surveying. In trigonometrical surveying, it is customary to reckon the azimuth of a line from the south point of the horizon around by the west from 0° to 360°. Azimuth circle, or Vertical circle, one of the great circles of the sphere intersecting each other in the zenith and nadir, and cutting the horizon at right angles. Hutton. — Azimuth compass, a compass resembling the mariner’s compass, but having the card divided into degrees instead of rhumbs, and having vertical sights; used for taking the magnetic azimuth of a heavenly body, in order to find, by comparison with the true azimuth, the variation of the needle. — Azimuth dial, a dial whose stile or gnomon is at right angles to the plane of the horizon. Hutton. — Magnetic azimuth, an arc of the horizon, intercepted between the vertical circle passing through any object and the magnetic meridian. This is found by observing the object with an azimuth compass.

Azimuthal
Az´i•muth•al, a. Of or pertaining to the azimuth; in a horizontal circle. Azimuthal error of a transit instrument, its deviation in azimuth from the plane of the meridian.

Azo-
Az´o- . [See Azote.] (Chem.) A combining form of azote; (a) Applied loosely to compounds having nitrogen variously combined, as in cyanides, nitrates, etc. (b) Now especially applied to compounds containing a two atom nitrogen group uniting two hydrocarbon radicals, as in azobenzene, azobenzoic, etc. These compounds furnish many artificial dyes. See Diazo-.

Azobenzene
Az•o•ben´zene, n. [ Azo- + benzene.] (Chem.) A substance (C6H5.N2.C6H5) derived from nitrobenzene, forming orange red crystals which are easily fusible.

Azogue
A•zo´gue, n. [Sp. See Azoth.] Lit.: Quicksilver; hence: pl. (Mining) Silver ores suitable for treatment by amalgamation with mercury. [Sp. Amer.]

Azoic
A•zo´ic, a. [Gr. ’a priv. + life, from to live.] Destitute of any vestige of organic life, or at least of animal life; anterior to the existence of animal life; formed when there was no animal life on the globe; as the azoic. rocks. Azoic age (Geol.), the age preceding the existence of animal life, or anterior to the paleozoic tome. Azoic is also used as a noun, age being understood. See Archaean, and Eozoic.

Azole
Az´ole, n. [From Azote.] (Org. Chem.) Any of a large class of compounds characterized by a five-membered ring which contains an atom of nitrogen and at least one other noncarbon atom (nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur). The prefixes furo-, thio, and pyrro- are used to distinguish three subclasses of azoles, which may be regarded as derived respectively from furfuran, thiophene, and pyrrol by replacement of the CH group by nitrogen; as furo-monazole. Names exactly analogous to those for the azines are also used; as oxazole, diazole, etc.

Azoleic
Az•o•le´ic, a. [ Azo- + oleic.] (Chem.) Pertaining to an acid produced by treating oleic with nitric acid. [R.]

Azonic
A•zon´ic, a. [Gr. ; ’a priv. + zone, region.] Confined to no zone or region; not local.

Azorian
A•zo´ri•an, a. Of or pertaining to the Azores. — n. A native of the Azores.

Azote
Az´ote ( 277), n. [F. azote, fr. Gr. ’a priv. + life; — so named by Lavoisier because it is incapable of supporting life.] Same as Nitrogen. [R.]

Azote
A•zo´te, n. [Sp.] A switch or whip. [Sp. Amer.]

Azoted
Az´ot•ed, a. Nitrogenized; nitrogenous. { Az´o•tine, n. Also- tin }. [ Azote + -ine.]
1. An explosive consisting of sodium nitrate, charcoal, sulphur, and petroleum.
2. = 1st Ammonite, 2.

Azoth
Az´oth, n. [LL. azoch, azoth, fr. Ar. az-zauq mercury.] (Alchemy) (a) The first principle of metals, i. e., mercury, which was formerly supposed to exist in all metals, and to be extractable from them. (b) The universal remedy of Paracelsus.

Azotic
A•zot´ic, a. (Chem.) Pertaining to azote, or nitrogen; formed or consisting of azote; nitric; as azotic gas; azotic acid. [R.] Carpenter.

Azotite
Az´o•tite, n. (Chem.) A salt formed by the combination of azotous, or nitrous, acid with a base; a nitrite. [R.]

Azotize
Az´o•tize, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Azotized ; p. pr. & vb. n. Azotizing .] To impregnate with azote, or nitrogen; to nitrogenize.

Azotometer
Az•o•tom´e•ter, n. [ Azote + - meter.] (Chem.) An apparatus for measuring or determining the proportion of nitrogen; a nitrometer.

Azotous
A•zo´tous, a. Nitrous; as azotous acid. [R.]

Azoturia
Az•o•tu´ri•a, n. [NL.; azote + Gr. urine.] (Med.) Excess of urea or other nitrogenous substances in the urine. B.

Aztec
Az´tec, a. Of or relating to one of the early races in Mexico that inhabited the great plateau of that country at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1519. — n. One of the Aztec race or people.

Azure
Az´ure ( 277), a. [F. & OSp. azur, Sp. azul, through Ar. from Per. lajaward, or lajuward, lapis lazuli, a blue color, lajawardi, lajuwardi, azure, cerulean, the initial l having been dropped, perhaps by the influence of the Ar. azr-aq azure, blue. Cf. G. lasur, lasurstein, azure color, azure stone, and NL. lapis lazuli.] Sky-blue; resembling the clear blue color of the unclouded sky; cerulean; also cloudless. Azure stone (Min.), the lapis lazuli; also the lazulite.

Azure
Az´ure, n.
1. The lapis lazuli. [Obs.]
2. The clear blue color of the sky; also a pigment or dye of this color. "In robes of azure." Wordsworth.
3. The blue vault above; the unclouded sky.
"Not like those steps On heaven’s azure." - Milton.
4. (Her.) A blue color, represented in engraving by horizontal parallel lines.

Azure
Az´ure, v. t. To color blue.

Azured
Az´ured, a. Of an azure color; sky-blue. "The azured harebell." Shak.

Azureous
A•zu´re•ous, a. (Zoöl.) Of a fine blue color; azure.

Azurine
Az´u•rine, a. [Cf. Azurn.] Azure.

Azurine
Az´u•rine, n. (Zoöl.) The blue roach of Europe ( Leuciscus caeruleus); — so called from its color.

Azurite
Az´u•rite, n. (Min.) Blue carbonate of copper; blue malachite.

Azurn
Az´urn, a. [Cf. OF. azurin, asurin, LL. azurinus. See Azure, a. ] Azure. [Obs.]
"Thick set with agate, and the azurn sheen Of turkis blue, and emerald green." - Milton.

Azygous
Az´y•gous, a. [Gr. ; ’a priv. + yoke.] Odd; having no fellow; not one of a pair; single; as the azygous muscle of the uvula. { Az´ym, Az´yme }, n. [F. azyme unleavened, L. azymus, fr. Gr. ; ’a priv. + leaven.] Unleavened bread.

Azymic
A•zym´ic, a. Azymous.

Azymite
Az´y•mite, n. [Cf. F. azymite.] (Eccl. Hist.) One who administered the Eucharist with unleavened bread; — a name of reproach given by those of the Greek church to the Latins.

Azymous
Az´y•mous, a. [See Azym.] Unleavened; unfermented. "Azymous bread." Dunglison. B.