ammonite

4 definitions found

ammonite - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Ammonite \Am"mon*ite\, n. [L. cornu Ammonis born of Ammon; L.
     Ammon, Gr. ? an appellation of Jupiter, as represented with
     the horns of a ram. It was originally the name of an.
     Egyptian god, Amun.] (Paleon.)
     A fossil cephalopod shell related to the nautilus. There are
     many genera and species, and all are extinct, the typical
     forms having existed only in the Mesozoic age, when they were
     exceedingly numerous. They differ from the nautili in having
     the margins of the septa very much lobed or plaited, and the
     siphuncle dorsal. Also called serpent stone, snake stone,
     and cornu Ammonis.
     [1913 Webster]

  ammonoid \ammonoid\ n.
     1. one of the coiled chambered fossil shells of extinct
        mollusks; same as ammonite.
  
     Syn: ammonite
          [WordNet 1.5]

ammonite - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  ammonite
      n 1: one of the coiled chambered fossil shells of extinct
           mollusks [syn: ammonite, ammonoid]

ammonite - Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary :

  Ammonite
  the usual name of the descendants of Ammon, the son of Lot (Gen.
  19:38). From the very beginning (Deut. 2:16-20) of their history
  till they are lost sight of (Judg. 5:2), this tribe is closely
  associated with the Moabites (Judg. 10:11; 2 Chr. 20:1; Zeph.
  2:8). Both of these tribes hired Balaam to curse Israel (Deut.
  23:4). The Ammonites were probably more of a predatory tribe,
  moving from place to place, while the Moabites were more
  settled. They inhabited the country east of the Jordan and north
  of Moab and the Dead Sea, from which they had expelled the
  Zamzummims or Zuzims (Deut. 2:20; Gen. 14:5). They are known as
  the Beni-ammi (Gen. 19:38), Ammi or Ammon being worshipped as
  their chief god. They were of Semitic origin, and closely
  related to the Hebrews in blood and language. They showed no
  kindness to the Israelites when passing through their territory,
  and therefore they were prohibited from "entering the
  congregation of the Lord to the tenth generation" (Deut. 23:3).
  They afterwards became hostile to Israel (Judg. 3:13). Jephthah
  waged war against them, and "took twenty cities with a very
  great slaughter" (Judg. 11:33). They were again signally
  defeated by Saul (1 Sam. 11:11). David also defeated them and
  their allies the Syrians (2 Sam. 10:6-14), and took their chief
  city, Rabbah, with much spoil (2 Sam. 10:14; 12:26-31). The
  subsequent events of their history are noted in 2 Chr. 20:25;
  26:8; Jer. 49:1; Ezek. 25:3, 6. One of Solomon's wives was
  Naamah, an Ammonite. She was the mother of Rehoboam (1 Kings
  14:31; 2 Chr. 12:13).
  
    The prophets predicted fearful judgments against the Ammonites
  because of their hostility to Israel (Zeph. 2:8; Jer. 49:1-6;
  Ezek. 25:1-5, 10; Amos 1:13-15).
  
    The national idol worshipped by this people was Molech or
  Milcom, at whose altar they offered human sacrifices (1 Kings
  11:5, 7). The high places built for this idol by Solomon, at the
  instigation of his Ammonitish wives, were not destroyed till the
  time of Josiah (2 Kings 23:13).