Glossary

animism (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) 1. The attribution of conscious life to natural objects or to nature itself. 2. The belief in the existence of spiritual beings that are separable or separate from bodies. 3. The hypothesis holding that an immaterial force animates the universe.

anthropomorphism

an·thro·po·mor·phism (nthr-p-môrfzm)
n.

Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.

anthro·po·morphic

anthro·po·morphi·cal·ly adv.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition
Copyright © 1996, 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Apocrypha

A·poc·ry·pha (-pkr-f)
n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)

1. Abbr. Apoc. Bible The 14 books of the Septuagint included in the Vulgate but considered uncanonical by Protestants because they are not part of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Roman Catholic canon accepts 11 of these books and includes them in the Douay Bible. See Table at Bible.
2. Abbr. Apoc. Various early Christian writings proposed as additions to the New Testament but rejected by the major canons.
3. apocrypha. Writings or statements of questionable authorship or authenticity.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

apocrypha hidden, spurious, the name given to certain ancient books which found a place in the LXX. and Latin Vulgate versions of the Old Testament, and were appended to all the great translations made from them in the sixteenth century, but which have no claim to be regarded as in any sense parts of the inspired Word. (1.) They are not once quoted by the New Testament writers, who frequently quote from the LXX. Our Lord and his apostles confirmed by their authority the ordinary Jewish canon, which was the same in all respects as we now have it. (2.) These books were written not in Hebrew but in Greek, and during the "period of silence," from the time of Malachi, after which oracles and direct revelations from God ceased till the Christian era. (3.) The contents of the books themselves show that they were no part of Scripture. The Old Testament Apocrypha consists of fourteen books, the chief of which are the Books of the Maccabees (q.v.), the Books of Esdras, the Book of Wisdom, the Book of Baruch, the Book of Esther, Ecclesiasticus, Tobit, Judith, etc. The New Testament Apocrypha consists of a very extensive literature, which bears distinct evidences of its non-apostolic origin, and is utterly unworthy of regard.

Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

belief (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) 1. The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another. 2. Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something. 3. Something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group.

believe

be·lieve (b-lv)
v. be·lieved, be·liev·ing, be·lieves.
v. tr.

1. To accept as true or real: Do you believe the news stories?
2. To credit with veracity: I believe you.
3. To expect or suppose; think: I believe they will arrive shortly.

1. To have firm faith, especially religious faith.
2. To have faith, confidence, or trust: I believe in your ability to solve the problem.
3. To have confidence in the truth or value of something: We believe in free speech.
4. To have an opinion; think: They have already left, I believe.

belfan, belfan, gelfan

be·liever

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition
Copyright © 1996, 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

comprehend

com·pre·hend (kmpr-hnd)
tr.v. com·pre·hend·ed, com·pre·hend·ing, com·pre·hends

1. To take in the meaning, nature, or importance of; grasp. See Synonyms at apprehend.
2. To take in as a part; include. See Synonyms at include.

compre·hendi·ble

compre·hending·ly

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Comprehend \Com`pre*hend"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Comprehended; p. pr. & vb. n. Comprehending.] [L. comprehendere, comprehensum; com- + prehendere to grasp, seize; prae before + hendere (used only in comp.). See Get, and cf. Comprise.] 1. To contain; to embrace; to include; as, the states comprehended in the Austrian Empire.

Who hath . . . comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure. --Is. xl. 12.

2. To take in or include by construction or implication; to comprise; to imply.

Comprehended all in this one word, Discretion. --Hobbes.

And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying. --Rom. xiii. 9.

3. To take into the mind; to grasp with the understanding; to apprehend the meaning of; to understand.

At a loss to comprehend the question. --W. Irwing.

Great things doeth he, which we can not comprehend. --Job. xxxvii. 5.

Syn: To contain; include; embrace; comprise; inclose; grasp; embody; involve; imply; apprehend; imagine; conceive; understand. See Apprehend.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

Comprehend v 1: get the meaning of something; "Do you comprehend the meaning of this letter?" [syn: get the picture, savvy, dig, grasp, compass, apprehend] 2: to become aware of through the senses; "I could perceive the ship coming over the horizon" [syn: perceive] 3: include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory; "This group encompasses a wide range of people from different backgrounds"; "this should cover everyone in the group" [syn: embrace, encompass, cover]

Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

empathy: (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) 1. Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives. See Synonyms Pity. 2. The attribution of one's own feelings to an object.

en·light·en·ment (n-ltn-mnt) n.

1. a. The act or a means of enlightening.

    b. The state of being enlightened.

2. Enlightenment A philosophical movement of the 18th century that emphasized the use of reason to scrutinize previously accepted doctrines and traditions and that brought about many humanitarian reforms. Used with the.

3. Buddhism & Hinduism. A blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana.

Entropy -

en·tro·py (ntr-p)
n., pl. en·tro·pies.

1. Symbol S For a closed thermodynamic system, a quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work.
2. A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system.
3. A measure of the number of bits necessary to transmit a message as a function of the probability that the message will consist of a specific set of symbols.
4. A hypothetical tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.
5. Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

[German Entropie: Greek en-, in; see en-2 + Greek trop, transformation; see trep- in Indo-European Roots.]

en·tropic (n-trpk, -trpk) adj.

en·tropi·cal·ly adv.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition
Copyright © 1996, 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

epistemology: (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge, its presuppositions and foundations, and its extent and validity.

epistemology: (Random House Webster's Dictionary) n. A branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge.

epistemological, adj. epistemologically, adv. epistemologist, n.

ethnology: (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)) The science which treats of the division of mankind into races, their origin, distribution, and relations, and the peculiarities which characterize them.

faith: (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) 1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, an idea, or a thing. 2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. 3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters. 4. Theology. The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will. 5. The body of dogma of a religion: the Moslem faith. 6. A set of principles or beliefs.

Hadrons: (SciAm042000pg16) particles made up of confined quarks and antiquarks.

mean  (mn) v. meant, (mnt) mean·ing, means v. tr.  1. a. To be used to convey; denote: “‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things’” (Lewis Carroll).  b. To act as a symbol of; signify or represent: In this poem, the budding flower means youth.  2. To intend to convey or indicate: “No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous” (Henry Adams).  3. To have as a purpose or an intention; intend: I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept.  4. To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end: a building that was meant for storage; a student who was meant to be a scientist.  5. To have as a consequence; bring about: Friction means heat.  6. To have the importance or value of: The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me.  v. intr.  To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed: They mean well but lack tact.

[The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition]

mean·ing   (mnng) n. 1. Something that is conveyed or signified; sense or significance.  2. Something that one wishes to convey, especially by language: The writer's meaning was obscured by his convoluted prose.  3. An interpreted goal, intent, or end: “The central meaning of his pontificate is to restore papal authority” (Conor Cruise O'Brien).  4. Inner significance: “But who can comprehend the meaning of the voice of the city?” (O. Henry). adj.  1. Full of meaning; expressive.  2. Disposed or intended in a specified manner. Often used in combination: a well-meaning fellow; ill-meaning intentions.  

[The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition]

myth: (Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia - 1999) 1. a traditional story of unknown authorship, ostensibly with a historical basis, but serving usually to explain some phenomenon of nature, the origin of man, or the customs, institutions, religious rites, etc. of a people: myths usually involve the exploits of gods and heroes: cf. LEGEND 2. such stories collectively; mythology 3. any fictitious story, or unscientific account, theory, belief, etc. 4. any imaginary person or thing spoken of as though existing myth abbrev. mythology

paranormal: (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) Beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation: such paranormal phenomena as telepathy; a medium's paranormal powers.

physics: (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) 1. The science of matter and energy and of interactions between the two, grouped in traditional fields such as acoustics, optics, mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, as well as in modern extensions including atomic and nuclear physics, cryogenics, solid-state physics, particle physics, and plasma physics. 2. Physical properties, interactions, processes, or laws: the physics of supersonic flight. 3. The study of the natural or material world and phenomena; natural philosophy.

plan·et (plnt)
n.

1. A nonluminous celestial body larger than an asteroid or a comet, illuminated by light from a star, such as the sun, around which it revolves. In the solar system there are nine known planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
2. One of the seven celestial bodies, Mercury, Venus, the moon, the sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, visible to the naked eye and thought by ancient astronomers to revolve in the heavens about a fixed Earth and among fixed stars.
3. One of the seven revolving astrological celestial bodies that in conjunction with the stars are believed to influence human affairs and personalities.

planta,

plants,

plans, plant-

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition
Copyright © 1996, 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

religion: (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) 1. a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b. A personal or in such belief and worship. w. The life or condition of a person in a religious order. 3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader. 4. A cause, a principle, or an activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

science: (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) 1.a. The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. b. Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena. c. Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study. 2. Methodological activity, discipline, or study: I've got packing a suitcase down to a science. 3. An activity that appears to require study and method: the science of purchasing. 4. Knowledge, especially that gained through experience.

serotonin: (Amer. Her. 3rd Ed.) An organic compound, C₁₀H₁₂N₂O, formed from tryptophan and found in animal and human tissue, especially the brain, blood serum, and gastric mucous membranes, and active as a neurotransmitter and in vasoconstriction, stimulation of the smooth muscles, and regulation of cyclic body processes.

spirit

spir·it (sprt)
n.

1.  
   1. The vital principle or animating force within living beings.
   2. Incorporeal consciousness.
2. The soul, considered as departing from the body of a person at death.
3. Spirit. The Holy Spirit.
4. Spirit. Christian Science. God.
5. A supernatural being, as:
   1. An angel or a demon.
   2. A being inhabiting or embodying a particular place, object, or natural phenomenon.
   3. A fairy or sprite.
6.  
   1. The part of a human being associated with the mind, will, and feelings: Though unable to join us today, they are with us in spirit.
   2. The essential nature of a person or group.
7. A person as characterized by a stated quality: He is a proud spirit.
8.  
   1. An inclination or a tendency of a specified kind: Her actions show a generous spirit.
   2. A causative, activating, or essential principle: The couple's engagement was announced in a joyous spirit.
9. spirits. A mood or an emotional state: The guests were in high spirits. His sour spirits put a damper on the gathering.
10. A particular mood or an emotional state characterized by vigor and animation: sang with spirit.
11. Strong loyalty or dedication: team spirit.
12. The predominant mood of an occasion or a period: “The spirit of 1776 is not dead” (Thomas Jefferson).
13. The actual though unstated sense or significance of something: the spirit of the law.
14. Often spirits. (used with a sing. verb)An alcohol solution of an essential or volatile substance.
15. spirits. An alcoholic beverage, especially distilled liquor.

1. To carry off mysteriously or secretly: The documents had been spirited away.
2. To impart courage, animation, or determination to; inspirit.

spritus,

sprre,

theology

the·ol·o·gy (th-l-j)
n., pl. the·ol·o·gies. Abbr. theol.

1. The study of the nature of God and religious truth; rational inquiry into religious questions.
2. A system or school of opinions concerning God and religious questions. Protestant theology; Jewish theology.
3. A course of specialized religious study usually at a college or seminary.

understand

un·der·stand (ndr-stnd) v. un·der·stood, (-std) un·der·stand·ing, un·der·stands v. tr. To perceive and comprehend the nature and significance of; grasp. See Synonyms at apprehend. To know thoroughly by close contact or long experience with: That teacher understands children.   To grasp or comprehend the meaning intended or expressed by (another): They have trouble with English, but I can understand them. To comprehend the language, sounds, form, or symbols of. To know and be tolerant or sympathetic toward: I can understand your point of view even though I disagree with it. To learn indirectly, as by hearsay: I understand his departure was unexpected. To infer: Am I to understand you are staying the night? To accept (something) as an agreed fact: It is understood that the fee will be 50 dollars. To supply or add (words or a meaning, for example) mentally. v. intr.   To have understanding, knowledge, or comprehension. To have sympathy or tolerance. To learn something indirectly or secondhand; gather. [Middle English understanden, from Old English understandan : under-, under- + standan, to stand; see st- in Indo-European Roots.]

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

understand \Un`der*stand"\ ([u^]n`d[~e]r*st[a^]nd"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Understood, and Archaic Understanded; p. pr. & vb. n. Understanding.] [OE. understanden, AS. understandan, literally, to stand under; cf. AS. forstandan to understand, G. verstehen. The development of sense is not clear. See Under, and Stand.] 1. To have just and adequate ideas of; to apprehended the meaning or intention of; to have knowledge of; to comprehend; to know; as, to understand a problem in Euclid; to understand a proposition or a declaration; the court understands the advocate or his argument; to understand the sacred oracles; to understand a nod or a wink.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

understand \Un`der*stand"\, v. i. 1. To have the use of the intellectual faculties; to be an intelligent being.

Imparadised in you, in whom alone I understand, and grow, and see. --Donne.

2. To be informed; to have or receive knowledge.

I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah. --Neh. xiii. 7.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

understand v 1: know and comprehend the nature or meaning of; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means" 2: perceive mentally, as of an idea; "Now I see!"; "I just can't see your point" [syn: realize, see] 3: make sense of a language; "She understands French"; "Can you read Greek?" [syn: read, interpret, translate] 4: believe to be the case; "I understand you have no previous experience?" [syn: gather, infer] 5: be understanding of; "You don't need to explain--I understand!" [syn: sympathize, empathize]

Source: WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University

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