sesquialteral, a.
(sɛskwɪˈæltərəl)
[f. L. sesquialter: see prec.]
= sesquialter 1.
| 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 1358 The proportion..of Diapente, [is] Hemolios or Sesquialterall, that is to say, the whole and halfe as much more. 1692 Bentley Boyle Lect. viii. (1693) 10 As the six Primary Planets revolve about Him, so the Secondary ones are moved about Them..in the same Sesquialteral proportion of their Periodical motions to their Orbs. a 1696 Scarburgh Euclid (1705) 180, 10 to 4 is in Multiple superparticular proportion duple Sesquialteral 22/4, that is 2½. 1729 G. Shelvocke Artillery ii. 148 The proportion of Coal to Sulphur, shall be either Sesquialteral or Double, or Triple, or sometimes Equal. 1817 H. T. Colebrooke Algebra, etc. 287. |
b. Bot. and Ent. (See quots.)
| 1793 Martyn Lang. Bot., Sesquialter flosculus, a Sesquialteral floret. When a large fertile floret is accompanied by a small abortive one. 1806 W. Turton tr. Linn. Syst. Nat. VII. Expl. Terms, Sesquialteral... In entomology it means occupying a third part of the wing, or including a smaller band or spot within a larger one. [1856 Henslow Dict. Bot. Terms, Sesqui-alter... Where the stamens are one half as many as the petals or sepals.] |