Ayuntamiento
(||A*yun`ta*mi*en"to) n. [Sp., fr. OSp. ayuntar to join.] In Spain and Spanish America,
a corporation or body of magistrates in cities and towns, corresponding to mayor and aldermen.
Azalea
(A*za"le*a) 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 a shrub of southern Europe; also, its fruit.
Azedarach
(A*zed"a*rach) n. [F. azédarac, Sp. acederaque, Pers. azaddirakht noble tree.]
1. (Bot.) A handsome Asiatic tree 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, as 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.
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 Archæan, and Eozoic.
