Syn. — Wonderful; marvelous; surprising; excellent; delightful; praiseworthy.
Admirableness
(Ad"mi*ra*ble*ness), n. The quality of being admirable; wonderful excellence.
Admirably
(Ad"mi*ra*bly), adv. In an admirable manner.
Admiral
(Ad"mi*ral) n. [OE. amiral, admiral, OF. amiral, ultimately fr. Ar. amir-al- bahr commander of
the sea; Ar. amir is commander, al is the Ar. article, and amir-al, heard in different titles, was taken
as one word. Early forms of the word show confusion with L. admirabilis admirable, fr. admirari to
admire. It is said to have been introduced into Europe by the Genoese or Venetians, in the 12th or 13th
century. Cf. Ameer, Emir.]
1. A naval officer of the highest rank; a naval officer of high rank, of which there are different grades.
The chief gradations in rank are admiral, vice admiral, and rear admiral. The admiral is the commander
in chief of a fleet or of fleets.
2. The ship which carries the admiral; also, the most considerable ship of a fleet.
Like some mighty admiral, dark and terrible, bearing down upon his antagonist with all his canvas straining
to the wind, and all his thunders roaring from his broadsides.
E. Everett.
3. (Zoöl.) A handsome butterfly (Pyrameis Atalanta) of Europe and America. The larva feeds on nettles.
Admiral shell (Zoöl.), the popular name of an ornamental cone shell
Lord High Admiral, a great officer of state, who (when this rare dignity is conferred) is at the head of
the naval administration of Great Britain.
Admiralship
(Ad"mi*ral*ship), n. The office or position oaf an admiral; also, the naval skill of an admiral.
Admiralty
(Ad"mi*ral*ty) n.; pl. Admiralties [F. amirauté, for an older amiralté, office of admiral, fr. LL.
admiralitas. See Admiral.]
1. The office or jurisdiction of an admiral. Prescott.
2. The department or officers having authority over naval affairs generally.
3. The court which has jurisdiction of maritime questions and offenses.
In England, admiralty jurisdiction was formerly vested in the High Court of Admiralty, which was held
before the Lord High Admiral, or his deputy, styled the Judge of the Admiralty; but admiralty jurisdiction
is now vested in the probate, divorce, and admiralty division of the High Justice. In America, there are
no admiralty courts distinct from others, but admiralty jurisdiction is vested in the district courts of the
United States, subject to revision by the circuit courts and the Supreme Court of the United States. Admiralty
jurisprudence has cognizance of maritime contracts and torts, collisions at sea, cases of prize in war,
etc., and in America, admiralty jurisdiction is extended to such matters, arising out of the navigation of
any of the public waters, as the Great Lakes and rivers.
4. The system of jurisprudence of admiralty courts.
5. The building in which the lords of the admiralty, in England, transact business.
Admirance
(Ad*mir"ance) n. [Cf. OF. admirance.] Admiration. [Obs.] Spenser.
Admiration
(Ad`mi*ra"tion) n. [F., fr. L. admiratio. See Admire.]
