DiotimosReading Desk

Plants animals and natural materials

Macha

A creature defined by flight and the broad name worm.

From the book

A Chymical Dictionary

Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Browse this book’s lexicon →

Orientation

At a Glance

  • The wordA creature defined by flight and the broad name worm.
  • In the bookMelaones supplies a much fuller account of a flying creature, including colour, smell, place and season.
  • A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 31; facsimile PDF page 359.

Historical definition

Macha is a flying worm.

Meaning

The old category worm is wider than a modern reader may initially expect, and the added capacity to fly is essential to this definition. The entry gives no further features from which to determine a species.

Use in the book

Melaones supplies a much fuller account of a flying creature, including colour, smell, place and season. That contrast shows what information this shorter entry leaves unresolved.

Places to read

  1. MachaRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
  2. MelaonesFlying beetles described through colour, smell, habitat and season.

Source note

Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 31; facsimile PDF page 359 — Facsimile

Sources. A Chymical Dictionary 1650, 1650 dictionary, facsimile PDF page 359, Macha