1. (Zoöl.) The small white European heron. See Egret.
2. A plume or tuft for the head composed of feathers, or of gems, etc. Prescott.
3. A tuft like that of the egret. (Bot.) A feathery crown of seed; egret; as, the aigrette or down of the
dandelion or the thistle.
Aiguille
(||Ai`guille") n. [F., a needle. See Aglet.]
1. A needle-shaped peak.
2. An instrument for boring holes, used in blasting.
Aiguillette
(Ai`guil*lette") n. [F. See Aglet.]
1. A point or tag at the end of a fringe or lace; an aglet.
2. One of the ornamental tags, cords, or loops on some military and naval uniforms.
Aigulet
(Ai"gu*let) n. See Aglet. Spenser.
Ail
(Ail) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ailed (ald); p. pr. & vb. n. Ailing.] [OE. eilen, ailen, AS. eglan to trouble,
pain; akin to Goth. us-agljan to distress, agls troublesome, irksome, aglo, aglitha, pain, and prob. to E.
awe. &radic3.] To affect with pain or uneasiness, either physical or mental; to trouble; to be the matter
with; — used to express some uneasiness or affection, whose cause is unknown; as, what ails the man?
I know not what ails him.
What aileth thee, Hagar?
Gen. xxi. 17.
It is never used to express a specific disease. We do not say, a fever ails him; but, something ails him.
Ail
(Ail), v. i. To be affected with pain or uneasiness of any sort; to be ill or indisposed or in trouble.
When he ails ever so little . . . he is so peevish.
Richardson.
Ail
(Ail), n. Indisposition or morbid affection. Pope.
Ailanthus
(Ai*lan"thus) n. Same as Ailantus.
Ailantus
(Ai*lan"tus) n. [From aylanto, i. e., tree of heaven, the name of the tree in the Moluccas.]
(Bot.) A genus of beautiful trees, natives of the East Indies. The tree imperfectly diœcious, and the staminate
or male plant is very offensive when blossom.
Ailette
(Ai*lette) n. [F. ailette, dim. of aile wing, L. ala.] A small square shield, formerly worn on the
shoulders of knights, — being the prototype of the modern epaulet. Fairholt.
Ailment
(Ail"ment) n. Indisposition; morbid affection of the body; — not applied ordinarily to acute diseases.
"Little ailments." Landsdowne.
Ailuroidea
(||Ai`lu*roid"e*a) n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. cat + -oid.] (Zoöl.) A group of the Carnivora, which includes
the cats, civets, and hyenas.
Aim
(Aim) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Aimed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Aiming.] [OE. amen, aimen, eimen, to guess
at, to estimate, to aim, OF. esmer, asmer, fr. L. aestimare to estimate; or perh. fr. OF. aesmer; (L. ad)
+ esmer. See Estimate.]
