Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AU-RO'RAL, a.

Belonging to the aurora, or to the northern lights; resembling the twilight. – E. Goodrich.

AU'RUM, n. [L. See Aurate.]

Gold. Aurum fulminans, fulminating gold, is gold dissolved in aqua-regia or nitro-muriatic acid, and precipitated by volatile alkali. This precipitate is of a brown yellow, or orange color, and when exposed to a moderate heat, detonizes with considerable noise. It is a compound of auric acid and ammonia. – Fourcroy. Aurum mosaicum, or musivum, a sparkling gold-colored substance, from an amalgam of quicksilver and tin, mixed with sulphur and sal-ammoniac, set to sublime. The mercury and part of the sulphur unite into a cinnabar, which sublimes with the sal-ammoniac, and leaves the aurum mosaicum at the bottom. It is a sulphuret of tin, and is used as a pigment. – Encyc. Nicholson.

AUS-CUL-TA'TION, n. [L. from antiq. ause, Gr. ους, ουας, the ear, and cultus, from colo, to use or exercise.]

1. The act of listening, or hearkening to.
2. In medicine, a method of distinguishing diseases, particularly in the thorax, by observing the sounds in the part, generally by means of a tube applied to the surface. – Laennec.

AUS-CUL'TA-TO-RY, a.

Pertaining to hearing or listening.

AU'SPI-CATE, v.t. [L. auspicor.]

1. To give a favorable turn to; a sense taken from the Roman practice of taking the auspicium, or inspection of birds, before they undertook any important business. – Burke's Reflections.
2. To foreshow. – B. Jonson.
3. To begin. – Burke.

AU'SPICE, or AU'SPI-CES, n. [L. auspicium, of avis, a bird, and specio, to inspect.]

1. The omens of an undertaking, drawn from birds; the same as augury, which see.
2. Protection; favor shown; patronage; influence. In this sense the word is generally plural, auspices.

AU-SPI'CIOUS, a. [See Auspice.]

1. Having omens of success, or favorable appearances; as, an auspicious beginning.
2. Prosperous; fortunate; applied to persons; as auspicious chief. – Dryden.
3. Favorable; kind; propitious; applied to persons or things; as, an auspicious mistress. – Shak.

AU-SPI'CIOUS-LY, adv.

With favorable omens; happily; prosperously; favorably; propitiously.

AU-SPI'CIOUS-NESS, n.

A state of fair promise; prosperity.

AUS'TER, n. [L.]

The south wind. – Pope.

AU'STERE, a. [L. austerus.]

1. Severe; harsh; rigid; stern, applied to persons; as, an austere master; an austere look.
2. Sour; harsh; rough to the taste; applied to things; as, austere fruit, or wine.

AU-STERE'LY, adv.

Severely; rigidly; harshly.

AU-STERE'NESS, n.

1. Severity in manners; harshness; austerity.
2. Roughness in taste.

AU-STER'I-TY, n. [L. austeritas.]

Severity of manners or life; rigor; strictness harsh discipline. It is particularly applied to the mortification of a monastic life, which are called austerities.

AUS'TRAL, a. [L. australis, from auster, the south wind, or south.]

Southern; lying or being in the south; as, austral land; austral signs.

AUS-TRAL-A'SIA, n. [austral and Asia.]

A name given to the countries situated to the south of Asia, comprehending New Holland, New Guinea, New Zealand, &c. – Pinkerton.

AUS'TRAL-IZE, v.i.

To tend southwardly.

AUS'TRI-AN, a. [from Austria. This word is formed with the Latin termination, ia, country, from Œstreich, the German name, which is eastern rick, eastern kingdom, so called in reference to the western dominions of Charlemagne.]

Pertaining to Austria, a circle or district of Germany, and an empire, lying on the Danube north of the Gulf of Venice.

AUS'TRI-AN, n.

A native of Austria.

AUS'TRINE, a. [L. austrinus, from auster, south.]

South; southerly; southern. – Johnson.

AUS'TRINE, a.

Southern.

AUS'TRO-MAN-CY, n. [from auster, the south wind, and Gr. μαντεια, divination.]

Soothsaying, or prediction of future events, from observations of the winds. – Encyc.

AU'TA, n.

A square column set against a wall.

AUTER-DROIT, n. [Law Fr.]

Another's right.

AUTERFOITS, n.

a word composed of the French autre, another, and foits, fois, time, introduced into law language, under the Norman princes of England. It signifies, at another time, formerly; as, auterfoits acquit, auterfoits attaint, auterfoits convict, formerly acquitted, attainted, or convicted which being specially pleaded, is a bar to a second prosecution for the same offense. – Blackstone.