2. The measurement of the chemical or actinic energy of light. Abney.
Actinophorous
(Ac`ti*noph"o*rous) a. [Gr. ray + to bear.] Having straight projecting spines.
Actinosome
(Ac*tin"o*some) n. [Gr. ray + body.] (Zoöl.) The entire body of a cœlenterate.
Actinost
(Ac"tin*ost) n. [Gr. ray + bone.] (Anat.) One of the bones at the base of a paired fin of a fish.
Actinostome
(Ac*tin"o*stome) n. [Gr. a ray + mouth.] (Zoöl.) The mouth or anterior opening of a cœlenterate
animal.
Actinotrocha
(||Ac`ti*not"ro*cha) n. pl. [NL.; Gr. a ray + a ring.] (Zoöl.) A peculiar larval form of Phoronis,
a genus of marine worms, having a circle of ciliated tentacles.
Actinozoa
(||Ac"ti*no*zo"a) n. pl. [Gr. ray + zw^on animal.] (Zoöl.) A group of Cœlenterata, comprising
the Anthozoa and Ctenophora. The sea anemone, or actinia, is a familiar example.
Actinozoal
(Ac`ti*no*zo"al) a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Actinozoa.
Actinozoön
(||Ac"ti*no*zo"ön) n. (Zoöl.) One of the Actinozoa.
Actinula
(||Ac*tin"u*la) n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. a ray.] (Zoöl.) A kind of embryo of certain hydroids having a
stellate form.
Action
(Ac"tion) n. [OF. action, L. actio, fr. agere to do. See Act.]
1. A process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; the doing of something; exertion of
power or force, as when one body acts on another; the effect of power exerted on one body by another; agency; activity; operation; as,
the action of heat; a man of action.
One wise in council, one in action brave.
Pope.
2. An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor.
The Lord is a Good of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
1 Sam. ii. 3.
3. The event or connected series of events, either real or imaginary, forming the subject of a play, poem,
or other composition; the unfolding of the drama of events.
4. Movement; as, the horse has a spirited action.
5. (Mech.) Effective motion; also, mechanism; as, the breech action of a gun.
6. (Physiol.) Any one of the active processes going on in an organism; the performance of a function; as,
the action of the heart, the muscles, or the gastric juice.
7. (Orat.) Gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the suiting of his attitude, voice,
gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the feelings.
8. (Paint. & Sculp.) The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment
or passion depicted.
9. (Law) (a) A suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice; in a broad
sense, a judicial proceeding for the enforcement or protection of a right, the redress or prevention of a
wrong, or the punishment of a public offense. (b) A right of action; as, the law gives an action for every
claim.
