Merlon
(Mer"lon) n. [F., perh. fr. L. moerus, for murus a wall, through (assumed) dim. moerulus.]
(Fort.) One of the solid parts of a battlemented parapet; a battlement. See Illust. of Battlement.
Merluce
(Mer"luce) n. [F. merluche, merlus.] (Zoöl.) The European hake; — called also herring hake
and sea pike.
Mermaid
(Mer"maid) n. [AS. mere lake, sea. See Mere lake, and maid.] A fabled marine creature,
typically represented as having the upper part like that of a woman, and the lower like a fish; a sea nymph,
sea woman, or woman fish.
Chaucer uses this word as equivalent to the siren of the ancients.
Mermaid fish (Zoöl.) the angel fish — Mermaid's glove (Zoöl.), a British branched sponge somewhat
resembling a glove. — Mermaid's head (Zoöl.), a European spatangoid sea urchin (Echinocardium
cordatum) having some resemblance to a skull. — Mermaid weed (Bot.), an aquatic herb with dentate
or pectinate leaves (Proserpinaca palustris and P. pectinacea).
Merman
(Mer"man) n.; pl. Mermen The male corresponding to mermaid; a sea man, or man fish.
Meroblast
(Mer"o*blast) n. [Gr. part + -blast.] (Biol.) An ovum, as that of a mammal, only partially
composed of germinal matter, that is, consisting of both a germinal portion and an albuminous or nutritive
one; — opposed to holoblast.
Meroblastic
(Mer`o*blas"tic) a. (Biol.) Consisting only in part of germinal matter; characterized by partial
segmentation only; as, meroblastic ova, in which a portion of the yolk only undergoes fission; meroblastic
segmentation; — opposed to holoblastic.
Merocele
(Me"ro*cele) n. [Gr. thigh + tumor.] (Med.) Hernia in the thigh; femoral hernia .
Meroistic
(Mer`o*is"tic) a. [Gr. part + an egg.] (Zoöl.) Applied to the ovaries of insects when they secrete
vitelligenous cells, as well as ova.
Meropidan
(Me*rop"i*dan) n. [L. merops a bee-eating bird, Gr. me`rops.] (Zoöl.) One of a family of
birds including the bee-eaters.
