a. and sb. Also 5–6 vitellyn(e, 6 vytellyn, 7 vitellin. [ad. med.L. vitellīn-us, f. L. vitell-us VITELLUS. Cf. OF. vitellin (in sense 1).]

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  A.  adj. 1. Colored like the yolk of an egg; deep-yellow with a tinge of red. In early use spec. of bile.

2

a. 1412[?].  Lydg., Two Merchants, 307. Yif of colre he take his groundement Pure or vnpure, citryn or vitellyne.

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c. 1530.  Judic. Urines, II. viii. 33. Color Prassyn is gendred of a color vitellyn. Ibid., ix. 36 b. Coler citrin & Coler vytellyn be all one.

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1596.  Barrough, Meth. Physick (ed. 3), 393. Matter cholericke and filthie (as one would say) vitelline, the which causeth feuers.

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1666.  G. Harvey, Morbus Angl., xxv. (1672), 56. If we should commit the first of these, namely yellow, or vitellin choler to the test.

6

1684.  trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., VI. 244. A yellow colour arises, which indicates vitelline Bile.

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1887.  W. Phillips, Brit. Discomycetes, 144. Hymenium vitelline; stem rather long.

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  2.  Biol. Of or belonging to the vitellus or yolk of an egg.

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1835–6.  Todd’s Cycl. Anat., I. 545/1. Only the … oily particles of the vitelline nidus could be expected to be seen.

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1849.  Owen, Parthenogenesis, 73. An ovum … may contain a supplementary nutrient vitelline mass, properly called yelk.

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1883.  Science, I. 451/2. This sac … was connected with the foetal vascular system by a vitelline artery and two veins.

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  b.  Vitelline membrane, sac, the transparent membrane that surrounds the yolk of an egg; the yolk-sac; the investing membrane of the embryo.

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1845.  Todd & Bowman, Phys. Anat., I. 48. The first, or the vitelline membrane of the ovum, is the wall of a cell.

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1861.  J. R. Greene, Man. Anim. Kingd., Cœlent., 15. In addition to these parts, many ova are provided with an outer envelope, known as the yolk-sac or ‘vitelline membrane.’

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1880.  Günther, Fishes, 166. Generally the vitelline sac of the embryoes is free.

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  B.  sb. The yolk, the vitellary substance.

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1891.  Cent. Dict.

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  Hence † Vitellinous a. (See quot.) Obs.

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1786.  Abercrombie, Arrangem., 35, in Gard. Assist. Vitellinous, or yellow barked [willow-tree].

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