ramous, a. Now rare.
(ˈreɪməs)
[ad. L. rāmōs-us: see ramose and cf. F. rameux (16th c.).]
1. Branching, ramose: a. of plants, or plant-like forms. Also fig. of a pedigree.
| 1562 Leigh Armorie (1597) 120 b, Genealogies discending, and Ramous. 1668 Wilkins Real Char. ii. iv. 84 Marigold..having a ramous leavy stalk. 1676 J. Beaumont in Phil. Trans. XI. 732 A Mine, where well near all the Entrochi..grew tapering and ramous. 1793 Sir J. E. Smith in Mem. (1832) I. 409 A very beautiful, large, ramous shrub. |
b. Applied (after ancient physics) to the particles of viscous or rigid bodies.
| 1674 Phil. Trans. IX. 105 The Rigidity of the Ramous parts of the Air proceeds from the Nitro-aerial corpuscles therein infixed. 1742 London & Country Brewer i. (ed. 4) 38 Hops..whose Particles are active and rigid, by which the viscid ramous Parts of the Malt are much divided. 1813 T. Busby Lucretius I. ii. Comm. p. xx, The ramous and incurvated seeds..must inlock each other universally. |
2. Belonging to, characteristic of, branches.
| 1813 T. Busby Lucretius II. v. Comm. p. xxxii, They arose from the ramous friction of groves and woods. a 1845 Hood Elm Tree ii. xiv, In ramous wrestlings interlaced—A Forest Läocoon. |