List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary (part 5)

Brown, brown, adj. of a dark or dusky colour, inclining to red or yellow: dark-complexioned: sunburnt.—n. a dark-reddish colour: (slang) a copper.—v.t. to make brown, or give a brown colour to: to roast brown.—ns. Brown′-bess, the old British flint-lock musket—from the brown walnut stock; Brown′-bill, a foot-soldier's or watchman's halbert, painted brown; Brown′-bread, bread of a brown colour, made of unbolted flour; Brown′-coal, commonly called Lignite, an imperfect kind of coal which exhibits more of its woody structure than ordinary coal; Brown′-George, a hard biscuit: a brown earthen vessel; Brown′ing, the process of imparting a brown colour to iron articles: a preparation for giving a brown colour to gravy, &c., or for dressing brown leather.—adj. Brown′ish.—ns. Brown′ness; Brown′-pā′per, coarse and strong paper used chiefly for wrapping; Brown′-spar, a name given to certain varieties of dolomite or magnesian limestone, distinguished by their brownish colour; Brown′-stout, a kind of porter; Brown′-stud′y, gloomy reverie: absent-mindedness.—adj. Brown′y (Shak.), of a brown colour.—To do brown (slang), to do thoroughly, to deceive or take in completely. [A.S. brún; Dut. bruin, Ger. braun.]

Brownie, brown′i, n. a kind of domestic spirit in the folklore of Scotland, represented as a good-humoured, drudging goblin, who attached himself to farmhouses, and occupied himself overnight in churning, thrashing corn, and the like. [Brown.]

Brownist, brown′ist, n. one holding the Church principles of Robert Browne (1550-1633), which may be said to have given birth to the Independents or Congregationalists of England.

Browse, browz, v.t. and v.i. to feed on the shoots or leaves of plants.—ns. Browse, Brows′ing, the shoots and leaves of plants: fodder: the action of the verb browse. [O. Fr. brouster (Fr. brouter)—broust, a sprout.]

Browst, browst, n. (Scot.) a brewing. [Brew.]

Bruckle, bruk′l, adj. (Scot.) liable to break, brittle. [A.S. brucol—brekan, to Break.]

Bruin, brōō′in, n. a bear, so called from the name of the bear in the famous beast-epic Reynard the Fox, just as reynard and chanticleer have also passed from proper names into common names, often written without capitals. [Bruin = brown.]

Bruise, brōōz, v.t. to crush by beating or pounding: to oppress: to box or fight with the fists: to ride recklessly in hunting, careless alike of horse and crops: to reduce to small fragments.—n. a wound made by anything heavy and blunt.—p.adj. Bruised, hurt by a heavy blow, with skin crushed and discoloured.—n. Bruis′er, one that bruises: a boxer.—p.adj. Bruis′ing, boxing. [A.S. brýsan, to crush, with which, says Dr Murray, afterwards coalesced Fr. brisie-r; bruisier, bruser, to break.]

Bruit, brōōt, n. noise: something noised abroad: a rumour or report.—v.t. to noise abroad: to report: to celebrate. [Fr. bruit—Fr. bruire; cf. Low L. brugītus; prob. imit.]

Brulzie, bruilzie, brül′yi, n. Scotch and northern form of Broil.

Brumaire, brōōmār′, n. the second month in the French revolutionary calendar, extending from Oct. 22 to Nov. 20. [Fr. brume, fog—L. bruma, winter.]

Brume, brōōm, n. fog.—adjs. Brum′al, relating to winter; Brum′ous, foggy, wintry. [L. bruma, winter, contr. from brevima, the shortest day.]

Brummagem, brum′a-jem, adj. showy but worthless, sham, counterfeit. [From a popular pronunciation of Birmingham.]

Brunette, brōōn-et′, n. a girl with a brown or dark complexion. [Fr. dim. of brun, brown.]

Brunonian, brōō-no′ni-an, adj. relating to the system of medicine founded by Dr John Brown of Edinburgh (1736-88)—all diseases sthenic, those depending on an excess of excitement, or asthenic, those resulting from a deficiency of it.

Brunt, brunt, n. the shock of an onset or contest: the force of a blow: the chief stress or crisis of anything.—v.t. to bear the brunt of. [Ice. bruna, to advance like fire, is usually given; Dr Murray suggests that it may be an onomatopœia of Eng. itself (cf. Dunt), or connected with burnt—Scot. brunt.]

Brush, brush, n. an instrument for removing dust, usually made of bristles, twigs, feathers, or stiff grass stems: a kind of hair-pencil used by painters: a painter, one who uses the brush: brushwood: a skirmish or encounter: the tail of a fox: (elect.) a brush-like discharge of sparks: one of the bundles of copper wires or flexible strips in contact with the commutator of the armature on opposite sides, and which carry off the positive and negative currents of electricity generated.—v.t. to remove dust, &c., from by sweeping: to touch lightly in passing: remove (with off): to thrash.—v.i. to move over lightly: to make off with a rush.—n. Brush′ing, the act of rubbing or sweeping.—adj. in a lively manner: brisk.—ns. Brush′-wheel, a wheel used in light machinery to turn another by having the rubbing surface covered with stiff hairs or bristles; Brush′wood, rough close bushes: a thicket.—adj. Brush′y, rough, rugged.—To brush up, to brighten, revive. [O. Fr. brosse, a brush, brushwood—Low L. bruscia; Diez connects the Fr. with Old High Ger. burst, bursta, bristle.]

Brusque, brōōsk, adj. blunt, abrupt in manner, rude.—adv. Brusque′ly.—ns. Brusque′ness; Brusque′rie. [Fr. brusque; rude. See Brisk.]

Brussels, brus′elz, n. contracted from Brussels-carpet, a kind of carpet in which the worsted threads are arranged in the warp, and are interwoven into a network of linen. Still, the bulk of the carpet consists of wool.—n.pl. Bruss′els-sprouts, a variety of the common cabbage with sprouts like miniature cabbages. [Named from Brussels in Belgium.]

Brust, brust, pa.p. (Spens.). Same as Burst.

Brute, brōōt, adj. belonging to the lower animals: irrational: stupid: rude.—n. one of the lower animals.—adj. Brut′al, like a brute: unfeeling: inhuman.—v.t. Brut′alise, to make like a brute, to degrade.—v.i. to live like a brute.—n. Brutal′ity.—adv. Brut′ally.—n. Brute′ness, brute-like state: brutality: (Spens.) stupidity.—v.t. Brut′ify, to make brutal, stupid, or uncivilised:—pr.p. brutify′ing; pa.p. brutifīed′.—adj. Brut′ish, brutal: (B.) unwise.—adv. Brut′ishly.—n. Brut′ishness.—The brute creation, the lower animals. [Fr. brut—L. brutus, dull, irrational.]

Brutus, brōō′tus, n. a kind of wig: a way of wearing the hair brushed back from the forehead, popular at the time of the French Revolution, when it was an affectation to admire the old Romans, as Brutus.

Bryology, brī-ol′o-ji, n. the study of mosses. [Gr. bryon, moss, and logia—legein, to speak.]

Bryony, brī′o-ni, n. a wild climbing plant, common in English hedgerows.—Black bryony, a climbing plant similar to bryony in habit and disposition, but which may be readily distinguished by its simple, entire, heart-shaped leaves, which are smooth and somewhat glossy. [L.—Gr. bryōnia.]

Bryozoa, brī-ō-zō′a, n.pl. an old name for the Polyzoa, from their resemblance to mosses.

Brythonic, brīth-on′ik, adj. a name introduced by Prof. Rhys for the second of the two great divisions of Celtic ethnology. The Goidelic or Gadhelic group embraces Irish, Manx, and Gaelic; the Brythonic group, Welsh, Breton, and Cornish. [Brython, one of the Welsh words for the Welsh and so-called Ancient Britons.]

Bub, bub, n. (slang) strong drink.

Bubalis, bū′bal-is, n. a genus in the Antelope division of hollow-horned, even-toed Ruminants, not to be confused with the genus Bubalus, the Buffalo. [Gr.]

Bubble, bub′l, n. a bladder of water blown out with air: anything empty: a cheating scheme.—adj. unsubstantial, deceptive.—v.i. to rise in bubbles.—v.t. to cheat with bubble schemes:—pr.p. bubb′ling; pa.p. bubb′led.—adj. Bubb′ly.—n. Bubb′ly-jock, a Scotch name for a turkey-cock.—Bubble and squeak, meat and cabbage fried together.—To bubble over, as of a pot boiling, with anger, mirth, &c. [Cf. Sw. bubbla, Dut. bobbel.]

Bubo, bū′bo, n. an inflammatory swelling of the glands in the groin or armpit.—adj. Bubon′ic, accompanied by buboes.—n. Būb′ukle, a ridiculous word of Fluellen's for a red pimple, corrupted from bubo and carbuncle. [L.—Gr. boubōn, the groin.]

Buccal, buk′al, adj. pertaining to the cheek. [L.]

Buccaneer, Buccanier, buk-an-ēr′, n. one of the piratical adventurers in the West Indies during the 17th century, who plundered the Spaniards chiefly.—v.i. to act as a buccaneer.—n. Buccaneer′ing.—adj. Buccaneer′ish. [Fr. boucaner, to smoke meat—Carib. boucan, a wooden gridiron. The French settlers in the W.I. cooked their meat on a boucan in native fashion, and were hence called boucaniers.]

Buccinator, buk-sin-ā′tor, n. the name of a flat muscle forming the wall of the cheek, assisting in mastication and in the blowing of wind-instruments.—adj. Buccinat′ory. [L.;—buccinare.]

Bucentaur, bōō-sen′tawr, n. a mythical monster half man and half bull: the state barge of Venice used annually on Ascension Day in the ancient ceremony of the marriage of the state with the Adriatic. [It. bucentoro, usually explained as from Gr. bous, an ox, kentauros, a centaur.]

Bucephalus, bū-sef′a-lus, n. the famous war-horse of Alexander the Great: a familiar name for a riding-horse. [Gr.; bous, ox, kephalē, head.]

Buck, buk, n. the male of the deer, goat, hare, and rabbit—often used specifically of the male of the fallow-deer: a dashing young fellow.—v.i. (of a horse or mule—a Buck′jumper) to attempt to throw by a series of rapid jumps into the air, coming down with the back arched, the head down, and the forelegs stiff: (U.S.) to make obstinate resistance to any improvements.—ns. Buck′een, a poor Irish gentleman, without means to support his gentility; Buck′-eye, the American horse-chestnut; Buck′horn, the material of a buck's horn; Buck′-hound, a small kind of staghound used for hunting bucks; Buck′-shot, a large kind of shot, used in shooting deer; Buck′skin, a soft leather made of deerskin or sheepskin: a strong twilled woollen cloth, cropped of nap and carefully finished.—adj. made of the skin of a buck.—n.pl. Buck′skins, breeches made usually of the cloth, not of the leather.—ns. Buck′thorn, a genus of shrubs, the berry of which supplies the sap-green used by painters; Buck′-tooth, a projecting tooth. [A.S. buc, bucca; Dut. bok, Ger. bock, a he-goat.]

Buck, buk, v.t. to soak or steep in lye, a process in bleaching.—n. lye in which clothes are bleached.—n. Buck′-bas′ket, a basket in which clothes are carried to be bucked. [Ety. obscure; M. E. bouken; cog. words are Ger. bäuchen, beuchen.]

Buckbean, buk′bēn, n. the marsh-trefoil, a plant common in bogs in Britain. [Corr. of Bogbean.]

Bucket, buk′et, n. a vessel for drawing or holding water, &c.; one of the compartments on the circumference of a water-wheel, or one of the scoops of a dredging-machine: the leather socket for holding the whip in driving, or for the carbine or lance when mounted: a name given to the pitcher in some orchids.—ns. Buck′etful, as much as a bucket will hold; Buck′eting (U.S.), jerky rowing; Buck′et-shop, slang term for the offices of 'outside brokers'—mere agents for bets on the rise or fall of prices of stock, &c.; Buck′et-wheel, a contrivance for raising water by means of buckets attached to the circumference of a wheel.—Give the bucket, to dismiss; Kick the bucket (slang), to die. [Prob. conn. with A.S. búc, a pitcher; or O. Fr. buket, a pail. Not Gael. bucaid, a bucket.]

Buckie, buk′i, n. (Scot.) a shellfish such as the whelk: a refractory person. [Scot., prob. related somehow to L. buccinum, a shellfish.]

Buckle, buk′l, n. a metal instrument consisting of a rim and tongue, used for fastening straps or bands in dress, harness, &c.—v.t. to fasten with a buckle: to prepare for action: to engage in close fight.—v.i. to bend or bulge out: to engage with zeal in a task.—n. Buck′ler, a small shield used for parrying. [Fr. boucle, the boss of a shield, a ring—Low L. buccula, dim. of bucca, a cheek.]

Buckra, buk′ra, n. a word used by West Indian and American negroes for a white man—said in a dialect of the Calabar coast to mean 'demon.'

Buckram, buk′ram, n. a coarse open-woven fabric of cotton or linen made very stiff with size, used for the framework of ladies' bonnets, for the inside of belts and collars of dresses, and for bookbinding: stiffness in manners and appearance.—adj. made of buckram: stiff: precise.—v.t. to give the quality of buckram. [O. Fr. boquerant.]

Buckshish. Same as Backsheesh.

Buckwheat, buk′hwēt, n. a species of Polygonum, grown in Germany, Brittany, &c., for feeding horses, cattle, and poultry—buckwheat cakes are esteemed on American breakfast-tables. [Prob. Dut. boekweit, or Ger. buckweize.]

Bucolic, -al, bū-kol′ik, -al, adj. pertaining to the tending of cattle: pastoral: rustic, countrified.—n. Bucol′ic, a pastoral poem. [L.—Gr. boukolikos—boukolos, a herdsman.]

Bud, bud, n. the first shoot of a tree or plant: used of young people, as a term of endearment.—v.i. to put forth buds: to begin to grow.—v.t. to put forth as buds: to graft, as a plant, by inserting a bud under the bark of another tree:—pr.p. bud′ding; pa.p. bud′ded.—n. Bud′ding, a method of propagation by means of buds.—adjs. Bud′dy; Bud′less.—To nip in the bud, to destroy at its very beginning. [M. E. budde; prob. related to Dut. bot, a bud.]

Buddha, bōōd′da, n. an epithet applied to Sakyamuni or Gautama, the founder of the Buddhist religion.—ns. Bud′dhism, the religion founded by Buddha; Bud′dhist, a believer in Buddhism.—adjs. Buddhist′ic, Bud′dhist, pertaining to Buddhism.—Esoteric Buddhism (see Theosophy). [Sans. buddha, wise, from budh, to know.]

Buddle, bud′l, v.t. to wash ore with a buddle or inclined hutch over which water flows.

Budge, buj, v.i. and v.t. to move or stir.—n. Budg′er, one who stirs. [Fr. bouger—It. bulicare, to boil, to bubble—L. bullire.]

Budge, buj, n. lambskin fur.—adj. pompous: stiff. [Derivation unknown.]

Budget, buj′et, n. a sack with its contents: a compact collection of things: a socket in which the end of a cavalry carbine rests: that miscellaneous collection of matters which aggregate into the annual financial statement made to parliament by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. [Fr. bougette, dim. of bouge, a pouch—L. bulga.]

Buff, buf, n. a pliant and uncracking leather used for soldiers' belts and other military purposes, made out of salted and dried South American light ox and cow hides: a military coat: the colour of buff: a light yellow: the bare skin: (pl.) certain regiments in the British army, so named from their buff-coloured facings—e.g. East Kent Regiment, Ross-shire Buffs.—ns. Buff′-coat, a strong military coat: a soldier; Buff′-wheel, Buff′-stick, a wheel or stick covered with buff-leather or the like, and sprinkled with emery, for polishing.—In buff, naked. [Fr. buffle, a buffalo.]

Buff, buf, n. (obs.) a buffet, blow, or stroke.—v.t. to strike. [O. Fr. buffe, a blow.]

Buffalo, buf′a-lō, n. a genus of the ox kind, the tame, often domesticated Asiatic buffalo, and the entirely wild and fierce Cape buffalo. The so-called American buffalo is really a 'bison.' [It. buffalo, through L. from Gr. boubalos.]

Buffer, buf′ėr, n. a mechanical apparatus for deadening the force of a concussion, as in railway carriages: a fellow, as in 'old buffer.'—n. Buff′er-state, a neutral country lying between two others, whose relations are or may become strained.

Buffet, buf′et, n. a blow with the fist, a slap.—v.t. to strike with the hand or fist: to contend against.—n. Buff′eting, a striking with the hand, boxing: contention. [O. Fr. bufet—bufe, a blow, esp. on the cheek.]

Buffet, buf′et, n. a kind of sideboard: a low stool: a refreshment-bar (in this sense often pronounced buf'ā). [Fr. buffet; origin unknown.]

Buffoon, buf-ōōn′, n. one who amuses by jests, grimaces, &c.: a clown: a fool.—ns. Buff′o, the comic actor in an opera; Buffoon′ery, the practices of a buffoon; ludicrous or vulgar jesting. [Fr. bouffon—It. buffone, buffare, to jest.]

Bug, bug, n. an object of terror.—ns. Big-bug (slang), an aristocrat; Bug′aboo, a bogy, or object of terror; Bug′bear, an object of terror, generally imaginary.—adj. causing fright. [M. E. bugge, prob. W. bwg, a hobgoblin.]

Bug, bug, n. a name applied loosely to certain insects, esp. to one (Cimex lectularius) that infests houses and beds: in America applied to any insect.

Buggery, bug′gėr-i, n. the crime of bestiality, unnatural vice. [Fr. bougre—L. Bulgarus, a Bulgarian, a heretic.]

Buggy, bug′i, n. a name given to several kinds of light carriages or gigs—in America, a light one-horse, four-wheeled vehicle with one seat; in England, two-wheeled; in India, provided with a hood to ward off the sun. [By some conn. with Bogie; ety. really quite unknown.]

Bugle, bū′gl, Bugle-horn, bū′gl-horn, n. a hunting-horn, originally a buffalo-horn: a treble musical instrument, usually made of copper, like the trumpet, but having the bell less expanded and the tube shorter and more conical: (Spens.) a buffalo or wild ox—dim. Bū′glet.—v.i. Bū′gle, to sound a bugle.—n. Bū′gler, one who plays upon the bugle. [O. Fr. bugle;—L. buculus, dim. of bos, an ox.]

Bugle, bū′gl, n. a slender elongated kind of bead, usually black.—adj. (Shak.) like bugles. [Prob. conn. with Low L. bugulus; prob. obscurely conn. with Dut. beugel, a ring.]

Bugle, bū′gl, n. a palæarctic genus of plants of the natural order Labiatæ, with blue or sometimes white or purple flowers. [Fr., It. bugola—Low L. bugula, bugillo.]

Bugloss, bū′glos, n. a name popularly applied to many plants of the natural order Boragineæ, more strictly to Anchusa arvensis, a common weed in corn-fields in Britain. [Fr. buglosse—L. buglossa—Gr. bouglōssos—bous, ox, glōssa, tongue.]

Bugong, bū′gong, n. a noctuoid moth.

Buhl, būl, n. unburnished gold, brass, or mother-of-pearl worked in patterns for inlaying: furniture ornamented with such. [From André Charles Boule (1642-1732), a cabinet-maker in the service of Louis XIV.]

Buhrstone, bur′stōn, n. a variety of quartz, containing many small empty cells, which give it a peculiar roughness of surface, particularly adapting it for millstones.—Often Burr′-stone. [Perh. conn. with Burr, from its roughness.]

Build, bild, v.t. to erect, as a house or bridge: to form or construct, as a railway, &c.—v.i. to depend (with on, upon):—pa.p. built or build′ed.—n. construction: make.—ns. Build′er, one who builds, or who controls the actual work of building; Build′ing, the art of erecting houses, &c.: anything built: a house.—p.adj. Built, formed or shaped.—Build in, to enclose by building; Build up, to close up by building, as a door: to erect any edifice, as a reputation: to edify spiritually, as the church. [A.S. gebyld, bold, a dwelling, from an assumed byldan, to build.]

Buirdly, bürd′li, adj. stalwart, large and well made. [Scot., a variant of Burly.]

Buisson, bwē-song, n. a fruit-tree trained on a low stem, the branches closely pruned. [Fr.]

Buist, büst, n. (Scot.) a mark put on sheep or cattle to indicate ownership: a box.—v.t. to mark with such. [Ety. dub.]

Bukshi, Bukshee, buk′shē, n. the paymaster in native Indian states. [Hind. bakshi—baksh, pay.]

Bulb, bulb, n. an onion-like root: any protuberance or enlargement resembling such.—v.i. to form bulbs: to bulge out or swell.—adjs. Bul′bar, Bulbed, Bul′bous, Bulbā′ceous, Bulb′iform, Bulbif′erous, Bul′bose, Bul′by.—ns. Bul′bule, a little bulb: a young bulb which grows from an old one; Bul′bus, a bulb. [L. bulbus—Gr. bolbos, an onion.]

Bulbul, bool′bool, n. the Persian nightingale. [Arab.]

Buldering, bul′der-ing, adj. (prov.) hot, sultry.

Bulgarian, bul-gā′ri-an, adj. pertaining to Bulgaria or its language.—n. a native of Bulgaria: the Bulgarian language (Slavonic).—n. Bul′gar, a member of an ancient Finnic or Ugrian tribe which moved from the Volga towards Bulgaria.—adj. Bulgar′ic.—n. the ancient language of the foregoing.

Bulge, bulj, n. the widest part of a cask, a round protuberance, swelling.—v.i. to swell out.—ns. Bul′ger, a wooden golf-club with a convex face; Bul′giness.—adj. Bul′gy—To get the bulge on one (slang), to get a decided advantage over a person. [O. Fr. boulge, prob. L. bulga, a leather knapsack; a Gallic word.]

Bulimy, būl′i-mi, n. an unnatural hunger. [Gr.; bous, ox, limos, hunger.]

Bulk, bulk, n. a stall or framework built in front of a shop.—n. Bulk′er, a street thief or strumpet. [Ety. dub.; Prof. Skeat suggests Scand. bálk-r, beam, and Dr Murray quotes also an A.S. bolca, gangway of a ship.]

Bulk, bulk, n. magnitude or size: the greater part: any huge body or structure: the whole cargo in the hold of a ship.—v.i. to be in bulk: to be of weight or importance.—v.t. to put or hold in bulk.—ns. Bulk′head, a partition separating one part of the interior of a ship from another, either transverse or longitudinal, and usually made watertight; Bulk′iness.—adj. Bulk′y, having bulk: of great size, unwieldy.—Collision bulkhead, that nearest the bow—usually the only one in sailing-ships.—To load in bulk, to put the cargo in loose; To sell in bulk, to sell the cargo as it is in the hold: to sell in large quantities. [Prob. Scand.; Ice. bulki, a heap.]

Bull, bool, n. the male of the ox kind: an old male whale, fur-seal, &c.: a sign of the zodiac: one who tries artificially and unduly to raise the price of stocks, and speculates on a rise.—adj. denoting largeness of size—used in composition, as bull-trout: favourable to the bulls, rising.—v.t. to try to raise, as the price of shares, artificially: to copulate with a cow, of a bull.—v.i. to be in heat, of a cow.—ns. Bull′-baiting, the sport of baiting or exciting bulls with dogs; Bull′-bat (U.S.), the night-hawk or goat-sucker; Bull′-beef, the beef or flesh of bulls, coarse beef: (Shak., in pl.) Bull′-beeves; Bull′-begg′ar, a hobgoblin, &c.; Bull′-calf, a male calf: a stupid fellow, a lout; Bull′-dance, a dance of men only; Bull′dog, a breed of dogs of great courage, formerly used for baiting bulls, its general appearance that of a smooth-coated, compact dog, low in stature, but broad and powerful, with a massive head, large in proportion to its body: a person of obstinate courage: a short-barrelled revolver of large calibre: a proctor's attendant at Oxford and Cambridge.—v.t. Bull′-dose (U.S.) to intimidate, bully: flog.—n. Bull′-dōs′er.—adj. Bull′-faced, having a large face.—ns. Bull′-fight, a popular spectacle in Spain, in which a bull is goaded to fury in a kind of circus by mounted picadores armed with lances, and finally despatched by a specially skilful espada or swordsman; Bull′-fight′er; Bull′-finch, a species of red-breasted finch a little larger than the common linnet, closely allied to the grossbeaks and crossbills: a kind of hedge hard to jump; Bull′-frog, a large North American frog.—adj. Bull′-front′ed, having a front or forehead like a bull.—n. Bull′-head, or Miller's Thumb, a small river fish remarkable for its large, flat head.—adj. Bull′-head′ed, impetuous and obstinate.—n. Bull′-head′edness.—adj. Bull′ish.—ns. Bull′ock, an ox or castrated bull; Bull′-roar′er, a provincial English name for a boy's plaything, made of an oblong piece of wood, to one end of which a string is tied, then twisted tightly round the finger, when the whole is whirled rapidly round and round until a loud and peculiar whirring noise is produced—the native Australian turndun, the rhombos of the Greek mysteries; Bull's′-eye, the central boss formed in making a sheet of blown glass (hence adj. Bull's′-eyed), a round piece of glass in a lantern, a policeman's lantern, a round opening or window: the centre of a target, of a different colour from the rest, and usually round: a thick lump of coloured or striped candy; Bull′-terr′ier, a species of dog, a cross-breed between the bulldog and the terrier; Bull′-trout, a large trout of the salmon genus, also migratory in its habits, often called the Gray Trout; Bull′-whack, a heavy whip.—v.t. to lash with such.—n. Bull′wort, the bishop's weed.—Bull into, to plunge hastily into.—A bull in a china-shop, a synonym for a man who does harm through ignorance or fury, a man completely out of place.—Take the bull by the horns, to face a danger or difficulty with courage, to take the initiative boldly in a struggle. [M.E. bole, prob. Scand. bole, boli; most prob. cog. with Bellow.]

Bull, bool, n. an edict of the pope which has his seal affixed.—adj. Bullan′tic—n. Bull′ary, a collection of papal bulls. [L. bulla, a knob, a leaden seal.]

Bull, bool, n. a ludicrous blunder in speech implying some obvious absurdity or contradiction, often said to be an especial prerogative of Irishmen—'I was a fine child, but they changed me.' [Prob. O. Fr. boul, cheat.]

Bull, bool, n. drink made by pouring water into a cask that had held liquor.

Bulla, bool′a, n. a round metal ornament worn by ancient Roman children: a seal attached to a document: anything rounded or globular. [L.]

Bullace, bool′lās, n. a shrub closely allied to the sloe and the plum, its fruit making excellent pies or tarts. [O. Fr. beloce, of uncertain origin; prob. Celt.]

Bullate, bul′āt, adj. blistered, inflated—ns. Bullā′tion; Bulles′cence.

Bullary, bul′a-ri, n. a house in which salt is prepared by boiling.

Buller, bool′er, n. the boiling of a torrent. [Dan. bulder.]

Bullet, bool′et, n. the projectile of lead or other metal discharged from any kind of small-arm: a plumb or sinker in fishing.—n. Bull′et-head, a head round like a bullet: (U.S.) an obstinate fellow.—adjs. Bull′et-head′ed; Bull′et-proof, proof against bullets. [Fr. boulet, dim. of boule, a ball—L. bulla. See Bull, an edict.]

Bulletin, bool′e-tin, n. an official report of public news. [Fr.,—It. bullettino.]

Bullion, bool′yun, n. gold and silver in the mass and uncoined, though occasionally used as practically synonymous with the precious metals, coined and uncoined: a heavy twisted cord fringe, often covered with gold or silver wire.—n. Bull′ionist, one in favour of an exclusive metallic currency. [Ety. dub.; but apparently related to Low L. bullio, a boiling, melting.]

Bully, bool′i, n. a blustering, noisy, overbearing fellow: a ruffian hired to beat or intimidate any one: a fellow who lives upon the gains of a prostitute: (obs.) a term of familiarity to either man or woman.—adj. blustering: brisk: (U.S.) first-rate.—v.i. to bluster.—v.t. to threaten in a noisy way:—pr.p. bull′ying; pa.p. bull′ied.—n. Bull′yism.—v.t. Bull′yrag (coll.), to assail with abusive language, to overawe.—ns. Bull′yragging; Bull′y-rook, a bully.—Bully for you, bravo! [Perh. Dut. boel, a lover; cf. Ger. buhle.]

Bully, bool′i, n. a miner's hammer.

Bully-tree, bool′i-trē, n. a name given to several West Indian sapotaceous trees yielding good timber.—Also Bull′et-tree, Bull′etrie, Boll′etrie.

Bulrush, bool′rush, n. a large strong rush, which grows on wet land or in water—often applied to the cat's-tail (Typha).—adj. Bul′rushy.

Bulse, buls, n. a bag for diamonds, &c.: a package or certain quantity of such. [Port. bolsa—Low L. bursa, a purse. See Purse.]

Bulwark, bool′wark, n. a fortification or rampart: a breakwater or sea-wall: any means of defence or security.—v.t. to defend. [Cf. Ger. bollwerk.]

Bum, bum, n. (Shak.) the buttocks.—ns. Bum′-bail′iff, an under-bailiff; Bum′-boat, boat for carrying provisions to a ship, originally a Thames scavenger's boat. [Ety. dub., prob. from bump, from sense of 'swelling.']

Bum, bum, v.i. to hum or make a murmuring sound, as a bee: (slang) to live dissolutely.—pr.p. bum′ming; pa.p. bummed.—n. a humming sound: a spree, debauch: a dissipated fellow. [Onomatopœic.]

Bumbaze, bum′bāz, v.t. to confound, bamboozle.

Bumble-bee, bum′bl-bē, n. a large kind of bee that makes a bumming or humming noise: the humble-bee.—n. Bum′-clock (Scot.), a drone-beetle. [M. E. bumble, freq. of Bum, and Bee.]

Bumbledom, bum′bl-dom, n. fussy pomposity. [From Bumble, name of the beadle in Dickens's Oliver Twist.]

Bumble-foot, bum′bl-foot, n. a disease of domestic fowls, marked by inflammation of the ball of the foot: a club-foot.—adj. Bum′ble-foot′ed, club-footed.

Bumble-puppy, bum′bl-pup′i, n. whist played regardless of rules: the game of nine-holes.—n. Bum′ble-pupp′ist, one who plays whist without knowing the game.

Bumbo, bum′bō, n. a punch of rum or gin with sugar, nutmeg, &c.

Bumkin, Bumpkin, bum′kin, n. a short beam of timber projecting from each bow of a ship, for the purpose of extending the lower corner of the foresail to windward: a small outrigger over the stern of a boat, usually serving to extend the mizzen. [From Boom, and dim. termination kin.]

Bummalo, bum′a-lō, n. a small fish dried and salted all round the coast of India—Bombay duck and nehar.—Also Bummalō′ti. [East Ind.]

Bummaree, bum′ar-ē, n. a middleman in the Billingsgate fish-market. [Ety. unknown: hardly the Fr. bonne marée, good fresh sea-fish.]

Bummer, bum′ėr, n. a plundering straggler or camp-follower during the American Civil War: a dissolute fellow, a loafer, a sponge.

Bummle, bum′l, v.i. (prov.) to blunder.—n. an idle fellow.

Bummock, bum′ok, n. (Scot.) a brewing of ale. [Ety. unknown.]

Bump, bump, v.i. to make a heavy or loud noise.—v.t. to strike with a dull sound: to strike against: to overtake and impinge upon the stern or side of a boat by the boat following, the bumper consequently taking the place of the bumped in rank—also 'to make a bump:' to spread out material in printing so as to fill any desired number of pages.—n. a dull heavy blow: a thump: a lump caused by a blow, one of the protuberances on the surface of the skull confidently associated by phrenologists with certain distinct qualities or propensities of the mind, hence colloquially for organ: the noise of the bittern.—n. Bump′er, a cup or glass filled to the brim for drinking a toast: anything large or generous in measure: a crowded house at a theatre or concert.—adj. as in a 'bumper house.'—v.i. to drink bumpers.—n. Bumpol′ogy, phrenology.—adj. Bump′y. [Onomatopœic.]

Bumpkin, bump′kin, n. an awkward, clumsy rustic: a clown.—adj. Bump′kinish. [Prob. Dut. boomken, a log.]

Bumptious, bump′shus, adj. offensively self-assertive.—adv. Bump′tiously.—n. Bump′tiousness. [Prob. formed from Bump.]

Bun, bun, n. a kind of sweet cake. [Prob. from O. Fr. bugne, a swelling.]

Bun, bun, n. a dry stalk: a hare's scut: a rabbit. [Prob. Gael. bun, a root.]

Bunce, buns, n. (slang) extra gain—used as an interjection.

Bunch, bunsh, n. a number of things tied together or growing together: a definite quantity fastened together, as of linen yarn (180,000 yards), &c.: a cluster: something in the form of a tuft or knot.—v.i. to swell out in a bunch.—v.t. to make a bunch of, to concentrate.—adjs. Bunch′-backed (Shak.), having a bunch on the back, crook-backed; Bunched, humped, protuberant.—ns. Bunch′-grass, a name applied to several West American grasses, growing in clumps; Bunch′iness, the quality of being bunchy: state of growing in bunches.—adj. Bunch′y, growing in bunches or like a bunch, bulging.—Bunch of fives, the fist with the five fingers clenched. [Ety. obscure.]

Buncombe. See Bunkum.

Bundesrath, bōōn′des-rät, n. the Federal Council of the German Empire, its members annually appointed by the governments of the various states.

Bundle, bun′dl, n. a number of things loosely bound together: an aggregation of one or more kinds of tissue traversing other tissues: a definite measure or quantity, as two reams of paper, twenty hanks of linen yarn, &c.—v.t. to bind or tie into bundles.—v.i. to pack up one's things for a journey, to go hurriedly or in confusion (with away, off, out).—n. Bun′dling, an old custom in Wales, New England, and elsewhere for sweethearts to sleep on the same bed without undressing.—To bundle off, bundle out, to send away unceremoniously or summarily. [Conn. with Bind and Bond.]

Bung, bung, n. the stopper of the hole in a barrel: a large cork: (Shak.) a sharper.—v.t. to stop up with a bung: to thrash severely.—ns. Bung′-hole, a hole in a cask through which it is filled, closed by a bung; Bung′-vent, a small hole in a bung to let gasses escape, &c.—Bung up, to bruise. [Ety. dub.]

Bungalow, bung′ga-lō, n. the kind of house usually occupied by Europeans in the interior of India, and commonly provided for officers' quarters in cantonments.—Dâk-bungalows are houses for travellers. [Hind. banglā, Bengalese.]

Bungle, bung′l, n. anything clumsily done: a gross blunder.—v.i. to act in a clumsy, awkward manner.—v.t. to make or mend clumsily: to manage awkwardly.—p.adj. Bung′led, done clumsily.—n. Bung′ler.—p.adj. Bung′ling, clumsy, awkward: unskilfully or ill done.—adv. Bung′lingly. [Ety. obscure; prob. onomatopœic; Prof. Skeat quotes a dial. Sw. bangla, to work ineffectually; Mr F. Hindes Groome suggests Gipsy bongo, left, awkward.]

Bunion, bun′yun, n. a lump or inflamed swelling on the ball of the great toe. [Ety. unknown; Prof. Skeat suggests It. bugnone, a botch.]

Bunk, bungk, n. a box or recess in a ship's cabin, a sleeping-berth anywhere.—v.i. to occupy the same bunk, sleep together.—n. Bunk′er, a large bin or chest used for stowing various things, as coals, &c.: a hazard in a golf-links, originally confined to sand-pits, but now often used for hazards generally. [Prob. of Scand. origin; cf. Ice. bunki, Dan. bunke, a heap.]

Bunko, Bunco, bung′kō, n. (U.S.) a form of confidence-trick by which a simple fellow is swindled or taken somewhere and robbed.—v.t. to rob or swindle in such a way.—n. Bunk′o-steer′er, that one of the swindling confederates who allures the victim.

Bunkum, bung′kum, n. empty clap-trap oratory, bombastic speechmaking intended for the newspapers rather than to persuade the audience.—Also Bun′combe. [From Buncombe, the name of a county in North Carolina. Bartlett quotes a story of how its member once went on talking in congress, explaining apologetically to the few hearers that remained that he was 'only talking for Buncombe.']

Bunny, bun′i, n. a pet name for a rabbit. [Ety. unknown; prob. conn. with Gael. bun, a root.]

Bunodont, bū′nō-dont, adj. having tuberculate molars—opp. to Lophodont. [Gr. bounos, a rounded hill, odous, odontos, a tooth.]

Bunsen, bōōn′sen, or bun′sen, adj. applied to some of the inventions of the great chemist, R. W. Bunsen of Heidelberg.—n. Bun′sen-burn′er, a gas-burner in which a plentiful supply of air is caused to mingle with the gas before ignition, so that a smokeless flame of low luminosity but great heating power is the result.

Bunt, bunt, n. a parasitic disease of wheat and other grains.—adjs. Bunt′ed, Bunt′y. [Ety. unknown.]

Bunt, bunt, n. the bagging part of a fishing-net, a sail, &c.—v.i. to belly, as a sail. [Ety. unknown.]

Bunt, bunt, v.i. to push with the horns, butt: to spring, rear.—n. a push.—n. Bunt′ing, pushing: a boys' game, played with sticks and a small piece of wood: a strong timber, a stout prop.

Bunter, bunt′ėr, n. a rag-picker, a low woman.

Bunting, bunt′ing, n. a thin worsted stuff of which ships' colours are made. [Ety. dub.]

Bunting, bunt′ing, n. a genus of birds in the Finch family nearly allied to the crossbills.

Buntline, bunt′līn, n. a rope passing from the foot-rope of a square sail, led up to the masthead and thence on deck, to help in hauling the sail up to the yard.

Buoy, boi, n. a floating cask or light piece of wood fastened by a rope or chain to indicate shoals, the position of a ship's anchor, &c.—v.t. to fix buoys or marks: to keep afloat, bear up, or sustain: to raise the spirits.—ns. Buoy′age, a series of buoys or floating beacons to mark the course for vessels: the providing of buoys; Buoy′ancy, capacity for floating lightly on water or in the air: specific lightness: (fig.) lightness of spirit, cheerfulness.—adj. Buoy′ant, light: cheerful.—n. Buoy′antness. [Dut. boei, buoy, fetter, through Romance forms (Norman boie), from Low L. boia, a collar of leather.]

Buphaga, bū′fā-ga, n. a small genus of African perching birds, nearly related to the starlings, feeding on the larvæ of gadflies and the like, which they find on the backs of cattle, camels, &c.—Also Beef-eater and Ox-pecker. [Gr., bous, an ox, phagein, to eat.]

Buprestis, bū-pres′tis, n. a genus of beetles, typical of a large family, Buprestidæ, those occurring in warmer countries having lively colour and metallic sheen—some known as Golden Beetles. [L.,—Gr. bouprestis, bous, an ox, prēthein, to swell.]

Bur, Burr, bur, the prickly seed-case or head of certain plants, which sticks to clothes: any impediment or inconvenient adherent: any lump, ridge, &c., more or less sharp, a knot on a tree, knot in thread, knob at the base of a deer's horn, &c.: waste raw silk: the sweetbread or pancreas: (Scot.) club-moss: the name for various tools and appliances, as the triangular chisel for clearing the corners of mortises, &c.: the blank driven out of a piece of sheet-metal by a punch: a partly vitrified brick.—ns. Bur′dock, a dock with a bur or prickly head; Bur′-this′tle, the spear-thistle.—Bur in the throat, something seeming to stick in the throat, producing a choking sensation. [Cog. with Dan. borre, a bur.]

Bur, Burr, bur, n. the rough sound of r pronounced in the throat, as in Northumberland—v.i. to whisper hoarsely, to murmur. [Usually associated with preceding, but perh. from the sound.]

Bur, bur, n. in an engraving, a slight ridge of metal raised on the edges of a line by the graver or the dry point, producing an effect like a smear, but dexterously used by some etchers, as Rembrandt, to deepen their shadows.

Burble, burb′l, n. trouble, disorder.—v.t. to trouble, confuse. [Scot.; prob. conn. with O. Fr. barbouiller, to confound.]

Burbot, bur′bot, n. a fresh-water fish, like the eel, having a longish beard on its lower jaw. [Fr. barbote—L. barba, a beard.]

Burd, burd, n. (obs.) for Bird, a poetic name for a girl or lady.—n. Bur′dalane, the last surviving child of a family.

Burdash, burd′ash, n. a fringed sash worn round the waist by fine gentlemen in the time of Anne and George I.

Burden, bur′dn, n. a load: weight: cargo: that which is grievous, oppressive, or difficult to bear, as blame, sin, sorrow, &c.: birth.—v.t. to load: to oppress: to encumber.—adjs. Bur′denous, Bur′densome, heavy: oppressive.—Burden of proof, in legal procedure, signifies the obligation to establish by evidence certain disputed facts. [A.S. byrthen—beran, to bear.]

Burden, bur′dn, n. part of a song repeated at the end of every stanza, refrain: the leading idea of anything: a load of care, sorrow, or responsibility. [Fr. bourdon, a humming tone in music—Low L. burdo, a drone or non-working bee.]

Burden, bur′dn, n. (Spens.) a pilgrim's staff. [See Bourdon.]

Burdock. See Bur (1).

Bureau, būr′ō, n. a writing-table or chest of drawers: a room or office where such a table is used: a department for the transacting of public business:—pl. Bureaux (būr′ō), Bureaus (būr′ōz). [Fr. bureau—O. Fr. burel, russet cloth—L. burrus, red.]

Bureaucracy, būrō′kras-i, n. a system of government centralised in graded series of officials, responsible only to their chiefs, and controlling every detail of public and private life.—ns. Bureau′crat, Bureau′cratist, one who advocates government by bureaucracy.—adj. Bureaucrat′ic, relating to or having the nature of a bureaucracy.—adv. Bureaucrat′ically. [Bureau, and Gr. kratein, to govern.]

Burette, bū-ret′, n. a flask-shaped vessel for holding liquids, an altar-cruet. [Fr.]

Burgage, bur′gāj, n. a tenure in socage for a yearly rent: a tenure in Scotland in royal burghs under nominal service of watching. [O. Fr.]

Burgamot. Same as Bergamot.

Burganet, bur′ga-net, n. a 16th-century helmet.—Also Bur′gonet. [Lit. 'Burgundian.']

Burgee, bur′jē, n. a swallow-tailed flag or pennant: a kind of small coal for furnaces.

Burgeon, bur′jun, n. and v.i. Same as Bourgeon.

Burgh, bur′ō, n. the Scotch word corresponding to the English Borough.—ns. Burg (same as Borough); Burg′age, a system of tenure where the king or other person is lord of an ancient borough, city, or town, by which the citizens hold their lands or tenements, for a certain annual rent; Burgess (bur′jes), Bur′gher, an inhabitant of a borough: a citizen or freeman: a magistrate of certain towns: one able to take the usual burgesses' oath (see Antiburgher).—adj. Bur′ghal, relating to a burgh.—n. Burg′omaster, the chief magistrate of a German or a Dutch borough, answering to the English term mayor.—Burgh of barony, a corporation consisting of the inhabitants of a determinate tract of land within the barony, and municipally governed by magistrates and a council whose election is either vested in the baron superior of the district, or vested in the inhabitants themselves; Burgh of regality, a burgh of barony, spiritual or temporal, enfranchised by crown charter, with regal or exclusive criminal jurisdiction within their own territories.—Parliamentary burgh, one like Paisley, Greenock, Leith, whose boundaries, as first fixed in 1832, were adopted for municipal purposes, with regard to which they stand practically in the same position as royal burghs; Police burgh, a burgh constituted by the sheriff for purposes of improvement and police, the local authority being the police commissioners; Royal burgh, a corporate body deriving its existence, constitution, and rights from a royal charter, such being either actual and express, or presumed to have existed.

Burglar, burg′lar, n. one who breaks into a house by night to steal.—v.t. and v.i. to commit burglary.—adj. Burglār′ious.—adv. Burglār′iously.—v.t. Burg′larise.—n. Burg′lary, breaking into a house by night to steal. [Ety. dub.]

Burgonet. See Burganet.

Burgoo, bur′gōō, n. a dish made of boiled oatmeal seasoned with salt, butter, and sugar, used by seamen. [Derivation unknown.]

Burgrave, bur′grāv, n. the governor of a town or castle. [Ger. burg-graf.]

Burgundy, bur′gun-di, n. a generous French red wine, so called from Burgundy, the district where it is made.

Burial, ber′i-al, n. the act of laying a dead body in the grave: interment.—ns. Bur′ial-aisle, an aisle in a church used for burials; Bur′ial-ground, Bur′ial-place, a piece of ground set apart for burying.—Burial service, a religious service or form of ritual accompanying a burial; Burial society, an insurance society for providing the expenses of burial. [A.S. byrgels, a tomb. See Bury.]

Burin, būr′in, n. a kind of chisel of tempered steel, used in copper engraving—the distinctive style of a master is frequently described by such expressions as a soft, a graphic, or a brilliant burin.—n. Bur′inist, an engraver. [Fr.; from root of Bore.]

Burke, burk, v.t. to murder, esp. by stifling: hence (fig.) to put an end to quietly. [From Burke, an Edinburgh Irishman (hanged 1829), who committed the crime in order to sell the bodies of his victims for dissection.]

Burl, burl, n. a small knot in thread, a knot in wood.—v.t. to pick knots, &c., from, in finishing cloth.—ns. Bur′ling-ī′ron; Bur′ling-machine′.—adj. Bur′ly, knotty.

Burlap, bur′lap, n. a coarse canvas for wrappings, &c.—usually in pl. [Origin unknown.]

Burlesque, bur-lesk′, n. a ludicrous representation—in speaking, acting, writing, drawing—a low and rude grade of the comic, whose legitimate office is to turn to laughter pretension and affectation.—adj. jocular: comical.—v.t. to turn into burlesque: to ridicule.—p.adj. Burlesqued′, caricatured.—adv. Burlesque′ly. [It. burlesco; prob. from Low L. burra, a flock of wool, a trifle.]

Burletta, bur-let′a, n. a musical farce: comic opera. [It.;—dim. of burla, a jest.]

Burly, bur′li, adj. bulky: boisterous, bluff.—n. Bur′liness. [M. E. borlich; prob. Old High Ger. burlīh, high, bōr, a height.]

Burmese, bur′mēz, adj. relating to Burma in Farther India, or its language.—n. a native of Burma, or the language of Burma—also Bur′man.

Burn, burn, n. a small stream or brook: a spring or fountain. [A.S. burna; cog. with Dut. and Ger. born.]

Burn, burn, v.t. to consume or injure by fire.—v.i. to be on fire: to feel excess of heat: to be inflamed with passion:—pa.p. burned or burnt.—n. a hurt or mark caused by fire.—ns. Burn′er, the part of a lamp or gas-jet from which the flame arises; Burn′ing, act of consuming by fire: conflagration: inflammation.—adj. very hot: scorching: ardent: excessive.—ns. Burn′ing-glass, a convex lens concentrating the sun's rays at its focus; Burn′ing-house, a kiln; Burn′ing-mirr′or, a concave mirror for producing heat by concentrating the sun's rays; Burn′ing-point, the temperature at which a volatile oil in an open vessel will take fire from a match held close to its surface; Burnt′-ear, a kind of smut in oats, wheat, &c., caused by a microscopic fungus; Burnt′-off′ering, something offered and burned upon an altar as a sacrifice—amongst the Hebrews, apparently offerings of dedication and to some extent of expiation; Burnt′-sienn′a (see Sienna); Burn′-the-wind (Scot.), a blacksmith.—Burn a hole in one's pocket, said of money, when one is eager to spend it; Burn blue, to burn with a bluish flame like that of brimstone; Burn daylight (Shak.), to waste time in superfluous actions; Burn down, to burn to the ground; Burn in, to eat into, as fire: to fix and render durable, as colours, by means of intense heat, to imprint indelibly on the mind; Burning bush, the emblem of the Presbyterian churches of Scotland, with the motto, 'Nec tamen consumebatur,' adopted from Ex. iii. 2, in memory of the unconquerable courage of the Covenanters under the cruel persecutions of the 17th century; Burning question, one being keenly discussed; Burn one's boats, to cut one's self off, as Cortes did, from all chance of retreat, to stake everything on success; Burn one's fingers, to suffer from interfering in others' affairs, from embarking in speculations, &c.; Burn out, to destroy by means of burning: to burn till the fire dies down from want of fuel; Burn the water, to spear salmon by torchlight; Burn up, to consume completely by fire: to be burned completely. [A.S.; the weak verb bœrnan, bœrnde, bœrned, has been confused with beornan, byrnan, barn, bornen; cf. Ger. brennen, to burn.]

Burnet, bur′net, n. the English name of two closely united genera of Rosaceæ—the Great Burnet common in meadows all over Europe; the Common Burnet growing on chalky soils, its slightly astringent leaves used in salads or soups, also as an ingredient in 'cool tankard.' [From its brown flowers.]

Burnish, burn′ish, v.t. to polish: to make bright by rubbing.—n. polish: lustre.—ns. Burn′isher, an instrument employed in burnishing; Burn′ishing; Burn′ishment.

Burnous, bur-nōōs′, n. a mantle with a hood much worn by the Arabs. [Fr.—Ar. burnus.]

Burnt, pa.p. of Burn (q.v.).

Burr. Same as Bur (q.v.).

Burrel, bur′el, n. a kind of coarse russet cloth in medieval times. [See Bureau.]

Burro, bur′ō, n. a donkey. [Sp.]

Burrock, bur′ok, n. a small weir or dam in a river, to direct the current toward fish-traps.

Burrow, bur′ō, n. a hole in the ground dug by certain animals for shelter or defence.—v.i. to make holes underground as rabbits: to dwell in a concealed place.—ns. Burr′ow-duck, the sheldrake or bergander; Burr′owing-owl, a small long-legged diurnal American owl nesting in burrows; Burr′owstown (Scot.), a town that is a burgh. [Ety. obscure; prob. a variant of Borough—A.S. beorgan, to protect.]

Bursa, bur′sa, n. a pouch or sac, esp. a synovial cavity formed where tendons pass over the harder parts of the body:—pl. Bur′sæ (-sē).—adj. Bur′sal.—ns. Bursā′lis, a muscle moving the nictitating membrane, as in birds; Bursal′ogy, knowledge about the bursæ. [See Bursar.]

Bursar, burs′ar, n. one who keeps the purse, a treasurer: in Scotland, a student maintained at a university by funds derived from endowment.—adj. Bursar′ial.—ns. Burs′arship, the office of a bursar; Burs′ary, in Scotland, the allowance paid to a bursar; Burse, a purse, an obsolete form of Bourse.—adjs. Bursic′ulate, bursiform: resembling a small pouch, or provided with such; Burs′iform, pouch-shaped. [Low L. bursarius—bursa, a purse—Gr. byrsa, skin or leather.]

Bursch, bōōrsh, n. a German student:—pl. Bursch′en.—n. Bursch′enism. [Ger. bursch, a companion, student.]

Burst, burst, v.t. to break into pieces: to break open suddenly or by violence: to disturb, interrupt.—v.i. to fly open or break in pieces: to break forth or away: to break into some sudden expression of feeling—e.g. 'to burst into song:'—pa.t. and pa.p. burst.—n. a sudden outbreak: a hard gallop: a spurt: a drunken bout.—Burst in, to force one's way violently into; Burst into blossom, to begin to blossom; Burst into tears, to fall a-crying; Burst out, to force one's way out violently; Burst up (coll.), to explode: to fail, become bankrupt.—A burst up, a collapse, failure.—On the burst, on the spree. [A.S. berstan; Ger. bersten; Gael. brisd, to break.]

Bursten, bur′stn, obs. pa.p. of Burst.

Burthen, bur′thn, n. and v.t. For Burden.

Burton, bur′ton, n. a tackle variously used.

Bury, ber′i, v.t. to hide in the ground: to cover: to place in the grave, as a dead body: to hide or blot out of remembrance:—pr.p. bur′ying; pa.p. bur′ied.—ns. Bur′ying-ground, Bur′ying-place, ground set apart for burying the dead: a graveyard.—Bury the hatchet, to cease strife. [A.S. byrgan, to bury; Ger. bergen, to hide.]

Bury, ber′i, n. a delicate pear of several varieties.—Also Burr′el, Burr′el-pear. [Cf. the Fr. beurré, as in 'Beurré d'Angoulême.']

Bus, Buss, bus, n. Short for Omnibus.

Busby, bus′bi, n. a fur hat with short bag hanging down from the top on its right side, of the same colour as the facings of the regiment, worn by hussars, and, in the British army, by horse artillerymen also. [Prob. Hung.]

Buscon, bus′kon, n. (U.S.) a miner paid by a percentage of the ore he raises. [Sp.]

Bush, boosh, n. a shrub thick with branches: anything of bushy tuft-like shape: any wild uncultivated country, esp. at the Cape or in Australia: a bunch of ivy hung up as a tavern sign, a tavern itself—'Good wine needs no bush.'—v.i. to grow thick or bushy.—v.t. to set bushes about, support with bushes: to cover seeds by means of the bush-harrow.—n. Bush′-cat, the serval.—adj. Bushed, lost in the bush.—ns. Bush′-harr′ow, a light kind of harrow used for covering grass-seeds, formed of a barred frame interwoven with bushes or branches; Bush′iness; Bush′man, a settler in the uncleared land of America or the Colonies, a woodsman: one of a native race in South Africa (Dut. boschjesman); Bush′-rang′er, in Australia, a lawless fellow, often an escaped criminal, who takes to the bush and lives by robbery; Bush′-shrike, a tropical American ant-thrush; Bush′tit, a small long-tailed titmouse of West America, building a large hanging-nest.—v.i. Bush′-whack, to range through the bush: to fight in guerilla warfare.—ns. Bush′-whack′er, a guerilla fighter: a country lout: a short heavy scythe for cutting bushes; Bush′-whack′ing, the habits or practice of bush-whackers: the process of forcing a way for a boat by pulling at the bushes overhanging a stream.—adj. Bush′y, full of bushes: thick and spreading.—Beat about the bush, to go round about anything, to evade coming to the point. [M. E. busk, busch; from a Teut. root found in Ger. busch, Low L. boscus, Fr. bois.]

Bush, boosh, n. the metal box or lining of any cylinder in which an axle works.—v.t. to furnish with a bush.—n. Bush′-met′al, hard brass, gun-metal, a composition of copper and tin, used for journals, bearings, &c. [Dut. bus—L. buxus, the box-tree.]

Bushel, boosh′el, n. a dry measure of 8 gallons, for measuring grain, fruit, &c. [O. Fr. boissiel, from the root of Box.]

Bushel, boosh′el, v.t. and v.i. (U.S.) to mend or alter, as men's clothes.—ns. Bush′eller; Bush′elling; Bush′el-wom′an.

Business, biz′nes, n. employment: engagment: trade, profession, or occupation: one's concerns or affairs: a matter or affair: (theat.) action as distinguished from dialogue.—adj. Bus′iness-like, methodical, systematic, practical.—Do the business for, to settle, make an end of: to ruin.—Genteel business (theat.), such parts as require good dressing.—Make it one's business, to undertake to accomplish something or see it done; Mean business, to be in earnest; Mind one's own business, to confine one's self to one's own affairs.—Send about one's business, to dismiss promptly.

Busk, busk, v.t. or v.i. to prepare: to dress one's self. [Ice. búa, to prepare, and -sk, contr. of sik, the recip. pron.—self.]

Busk, busk, n. the piece of bone, wood, or steel in the front of a woman's stays: a corset.—adj. Busked. [Fr. busc, which Scheler thinks a doublet of bois; Littré, the same as It. busto, a bust.]

Busk, busk, v.i. (naut.) to cruise along a shore, to beat about: to seek. [Prob. Sp. buscar, to seek.]

Busket, busk′et, n. (Spens.) a little bush.

Buskin, busk′in, n. a kind of half-boot with high heels worn in ancient times by actors of tragedy—hence, the tragic drama as distinguished from comedy: a half-boot.—adj. Busk′ined, dressed in buskins, noting tragedy: tragic: dignified. [Ety. uncertain; cognates may be found in the O. Fr. brousequin; Dut. broos-ken; Sp. borceguí.]

Busky, busk′i, adj. (Shak.). Same as Bosky.

Buss, bus, n. a rude or playful kiss, a smack.—v.t. to kiss, esp. in a rude or playful manner. [M. E. bass, prob. from Old Ger. bussen, to kiss, but modified by Fr. baiser, to kiss, from L. basium, a kiss.]

Buss, bus, n. a small two-masted Dutch vessel, used in the herring and mackerel fisheries. [O. Fr. busse, Low L. bussa; cf. Ger. büse.]

Bussu-palm, bus′soo-päm, n. a palm growing along the Amazon, with leaves as long as 30 feet and 5 feet broad, forming good thatch.

Bust, bust, n. a sculpture representing the head and breast of a person: the upper part of the human body, a woman's bosom.—adj. Bust′ed, breasted: adorned with busts. [Fr. buste; It. and Sp. busto.]

Bust, bust, n. and v. a vulgar form of Burst.—n. Bust′er, something large: a frolic: (slang) a roisterer.

Bustard, bus′tard, n. a genus of birds, sometimes made the type of a large family, usually ranked in the order of marsh birds like the cranes. [Fr. bistard, corr. from L. avis tarda, slow bird.]

Bustle, bus′l, v.i. to busy one's self noisily: to be active, often with more noise than actual work.—n. hurried activity: stir: tumult.—n. Bust′ler. [There is a M. E. bustelen, of doubtful relations; perh. conn. with bluster, or with Ice. bustl, a splash, or with A.S. bysig, busy.]

Bustle, bus′l, n. a stuffed pad or cushion worn by ladies under the skirt of their dress, the intention to improve the figure.

Busy, biz′i, adj. fully employed: active: diligent: meddling.—v.t. to make busy: to occupy:—pr.p. busying (biz′i-ing); pa.p. busied (biz′id).—adv. Bus′ily.—n. Bus′ybody, one busy about others' affairs, a meddling person.—adj. Bus′yless (Shak.), without business.—n. Bus′yness, state of being busy. [A.S. bysig.]

But, but, prep. or conj. without: except: besides: only: yet: still.—Used as a noun for a verbal objection; also as a verb, as in Scott's 'but me no buts.'—adj. (Scot.) outside, as in 'but end.'—But and ben, a house having an outer and an inner room. [A.S. be-útan, bútan, without—be, by, and útan, out—near and yet outside.]

But, but, n. Same as Butt.

Butcher, booch′ėr, n. one whose business is to slaughter animals for food: one who delights in bloody deeds.—v.t. to slaughter animals for food: to put to a bloody death, to kill cruelly: (fig.) to spoil anything, as a bad actor or the like.—ns. Butch′er-bird, a shrike; Butch′ering, Butch′ing, the act of killing for food, or cruelly.—adv. Butch′erly, butcher-like, cruel, murderous.—ns. Butch′er-meat, Butch′er's-meat, the flesh of animals slaughtered by butchers, as distinguished from fish, fowls, and game; Butch′er's-broom, a genus of plants of the lily order, the common one being an evergreen shrub, a bunch of which is used by butchers for sweeping their blocks; Butch′ery, great or cruel slaughter: a slaughter-house or shambles. [O. Fr. bochier, bouchier, one who kills he-goats—boc, a he-goat; allied to Eng. Buck.]

But-end. Same as Butt-end.

Butler, but′lėr, n. a servant who has charge of the liquors, plate, &c.—v.i. to act as butler.—ns. But′lership, But′lerage; But′lery, the butler's pantry. [Norm. Fr. butuiller—Low L. buticularius. See Bottle.]

Butment. Same as Abutment.

Butt, but, v.i. and v.t. to strike with the head, as a goat, &c.—n. a push with the head of an animal.—n. Butt′er, an animal that butts. [O. Fr. boter, to push, strike.]

Butt, but, n. a large cask: a wine-butt = 126 gallons, a beer and sherry butt = 108 gallons. [Cf. Fr. botte, Sp. bota, Low L. butta.]

Butt, but, n. a mark for archery practice: a mound behind musketry or artillery targets: one who is made the object of ridicule.—n. Butt′-shaft (Shak.), a shaft or arrow for shooting at butts with. [Fr. but, goal.]

Butt, but, or in longer form, Butt′-end, n. the thick and heavy end: the stump. [Ety. dub.]

Butt, but, n. an ox-hide minus the offal or pieces round the margins.

Butte, būt, but, n. any conspicuous and isolated hill or peak, esp. in the Rocky Mountain region. [Fr.]

Butter, but′ėr, n. an oily substance obtained from cream by churning.—v.t. to spread over with butter.—ns. Butt′er-bird, the name in Jamaica for the rice-bunting; Butt′er-boat, a table vessel for holding melted butter; Butt′er-bump, a bittern; Butt′er-bur, -dock, the sweet coltsfoot; Butt′ercup, a plant of the Crowfoot genus, with a cup-like flower of a golden yellow; Butt′er-fing′ers, one who lets a cricket-ball he ought to catch slip through his fingers; Butt′er-fish (see Gunnel); Butt′erfly, the name of an extensive group of beautiful winged insects: (fig.) a light-headed person.—adj. light, flighty, like a butterfly.—ns. Butt′erine, an artificial fatty compound sold as a substitute for butter—since 1887 only allowed to be sold under the names margarine or oleo-margarine; Butt′er-milk, the milk that remains after the butter has been separated from the cream by churning; Butt′er-nut, the oily nut of the North American white walnut, the tree itself or its light-coloured close-grained wood: the nut of a lofty timber-tree of Guiana—the souari-nut; Butt′er-scotch, a kind of toffee containing a large admixture of butter; Butt′er-tree, a genus of plants found in the East Indies and in Africa, remarkable for a sweet buttery substance yielded by their seeds when boiled; Butt′er-wife, Butt′er-wom′an, a woman who makes and sells butter; Butt′er-wort, a genus of small plants found in marshy places, so called either from the power of the leaves to coagulate milk, or from their peculiar sliminess.—adj. Butt′ery, like butter. [A.S. butere; Ger. butter; both from L. butyrum—Gr. boutyron—bous ox, tyros, cheese.]

Buttery, but′ėr-i, n. a storeroom in a house for provisions, esp. liquors.—ns. Butt′ery-bar, the ledge for holding tankards in the buttery; Butt′ery-hatch, a half-door over which provisions are handed from the buttery. [Fr. bouteillerie, lit. 'place for bottles.' See Butler, Bottle.]

Buttock, but′ok, n. the rump or protuberant part of the body behind: a term in wrestling.—ns. Butt′ock-mail (Scot.), the fine formerly exacted by the Church as part of the discipline for the offence of fornication. [Dim. of Butt, end.]

Button, but′n, n. a knob of metal, bone, &c., used to fasten the dress: the knob at the end of a foil: the head of an unexpanded mushroom: the knob of an electric bell, &c.: anything of small value, as in the phrase, 'I don't care a button:' a person who acts as a decoy: (pl.) young mushrooms, sheep's dung.—v.t. to fasten by means of buttons: to close up tightly.—v.i. to be fastened with buttons.—ns. Butt′on-bush, a North American shrub of the madder family, having globular flower-heads; Butt′on-hole, the hole or slit in the dress by which the button is held.—v.t. to detain in talk, as if by taking hold of a man by the button.—ns. Butt′on-hook, a hook for pulling the buttons of gloves and shoes through the button-holes; Butt′on-wood, a small West Indian evergreen tree of the myrobalan family: the plane-tree of the United States—also Butt′on-ball and incorrectly Sycamore.—adj. Butt′ony, decorated with buttons.—Boy in buttons, a boy servant in livery, a page. [Fr. bouton, any small projection, from bouter, to push.]

Buttress, but′res, n. a projecting support built on to the outside of a wall: any support or prop.—v.t. to prop or support, as by a buttress. [Acc. to Dr Murray, perh. from O. Fr. bouterez, apparently from bouter, to push, bear against.]

Butty, but′i, n. (prov.) a chum, comrade, esp. one who takes a contract for working out a certain area of coal, or a partner in such.—ns. Butt′y-coll′ier; Butt′y-gang.

Butyric, bū-tir′ik, adj. pertaining to or derived from butter.—n. Bū′tyl, an alcohol radical.—adj. Butyrā′ceous, buttery, containing butter.—n. Bū′tyrate, a salt of butyric acid.—Butyric acid, a volatile fatty acid possessing the disagreeable odour of rancid butter. [L. butyrum.]

Buxom, buks′um, adj. yielding, elastic: gay, lively, jolly.—n. Bux′omness, the quality of being buxom: liveliness: gaiety. [M. E. buhsum, pliable, obedient—A.S. búgan, to bow, yield, and affix Some.]

Buy, bī, v.t. to purchase for money: to bribe: to obtain in exchange for something:—pr.p. buy′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. bought (bawt).—adj. Buy′able, capable of being bought.—n. Buy′er, one who buys, a purchaser.—Buy and sell (Shak.), to barter; Buy in, to purchase a stock: to buy back for the owner at an auction; Buy off, or out, to gain release from military service by payment of money; Buy over, to gain by bribery; Buy up, to purchase the whole stock. [A.S. bycgan; Goth. bugjan.]

Buzz, buz, v.i. to make a humming noise like bees.—v.t. to whisper or spread secretly.—n. the noise of bees and flies: a humming sound: a whispered report.—n. Buzz′er, one who buzzes: (Shak.) a whisperer or tell-tale.—adv. Buzz′ingly.—adj. Buzz′y. [From the sound.]

Buzz, buz, v.t. to drink to the bottom.

Buzzard, buz′ard, n. a bird of prey of the falcon family: a blockhead: a name for some night moths and cockchafers.—n. Buzz′ard-clock, a cockchafer, the dor. [Fr. busard; prob. from L. buteo, a kind of falcon.]

By, bī, prep. at the side of: near to: through, denoting the agent, cause, means, &c.—adv. near: passing near: in presence of: aside, away.—adv. By′-and-by, soon, presently.—ns. By′-blow, a side blow: an illegitimate child; By′-cor′ner, an out-of-the-way place; By′-drink′ing (Shak.), drinking between meals; By′-elec′tion, a parliamentary election during the sitting of parliament: By′-end, a subsidiary aim; By′-form, a form of a word slightly varying from it; By′-gō′ing, the action of passing by, esp. In the by-going.—adj. By′gone.—ns. By′-lane, a side lane or passage out of the common road; By′-mō′tive, an unavowed motive; By′name, a nickname; By′-pass′age, a side passage.—adj. By′-past (Shak.), past: gone by.—ns. By′path, a side path; By′-place, a retired place; By′play, a scene carried on, subordinate to and apart from the main part of the play; By′-prō′duct, an accessory product resulting from some specific process or manufacture; By′road, a retired side road; By′room (Shak.), a side or private room; By′-speech, a casual speech; By′stander, one who stands by or near one—hence a looker-on; By′-street, an obscure street; By′-thing, a thing of minor importance; By′-time, leisure time; By′way, a private and obscure way; By′word, a common saying: a proverb: an object of common derision; By′work, work for leisure hours.—By-the-by, By the way, in passing.—Let bygones be bygones, let the past alone. [A.S. bi, big; Ger. bei, L. ambi.]

By, Bye, bī, n. anything of minor importance, a side issue, a thing not directly aimed at: the condition of being odd, as opposed to even, the state of being left without a competitor, as in tennis, &c.: in cricket, a run stolen by the batsman on the ball passing the wicket-keeper and long-stop, the batsman not having struck the ball.—By-the-bye, or -by, incidentally, by the way.

Bycocket, bī′kok-et, n. a turned-up peaked cap worn by noble persons in the 15th century—sometimes erroneously abacot. [O. Fr. bicoquet, prob. bi- (L. bis), double, coque, a shell.]

Byde, bīd, v.i. Same as Bide.

Bylander, obsolete form of Bilander.

Bylaw, Bye-law, bī′-law, n. the law of a city, town, or private corporation: a supplementary law or regulation. [The same as Byrlaw, from Ice. byarlög, Dan. by-lov, town-law; Scot. bir-law; from Ice. bua, to dwell. See Bower. By, town, is the suffix in many place-names. The by in bylaw is generally confused with the preposition.]

Bynempt, bī-nempt′, pa.t. of obsolete verb Bename (Spens.), named. [A.S. pfx. by-, be-, and nemnen, to name. See Name.]

Byous, bī′us, adj. (Scot.) extraordinary.—adv. By′ously.

Byre, bīr, n. (Scot.) a cow-house. [A.S. býre pl. dwellings—búr, a bower. See Bower.]

Byrlady, bir-lā′di, contraction for By our Lady.

Byrlaw, bir′law, n. a sort of popular jurisprudence formerly in use in Scotland, in villages and among husbandmen, concerning neighbourhood to be kept among themselves.—n. Byr′law-man, still in parts of Scotland, an arbiter, oddsman, or umpire. [A.S. burh, a borough.]

Byronic, bī-ron′ik, adj. possessing the characteristics of Lord Byron (1788-1824), or of his poetry, overstrained in sentiment or passion, cynical and libertine.—adv. Byron′ically.—n. By′ronism.

Byssolite, bis′o-līt, n. an olive-green variety of actinolite, in long crystals.—Also Amian′tus. [Gr. byssos, byssus, lithos, stone.]

Byssus, bis′us, n. a fine yellowish flax, and the linen made from it: the bundle of fine silky filaments by which many shellfish attach themselves to rocks, &c.: a genus of cryptogamic plants of a silky fibrous texture found on decaying wood, in mines, &c., and other dark places.—adjs. Byssif′erous, bearing or having a byssus; Byss′ine, made of fine linen. [L.—Gr. byssos, a fine flaxen or silky substance.]

Byzant, biz′ant. Same as Bezant.

Byzantine, biz-an′tīn, biz′-, adj. relating to Byzantium or Constantinople.—n. an inhabitant thereof.—n. Byzan′tinism, the manifestation of Byzantine characteristics.—Byzantine architecture, the style prevalent in the Eastern Empire down to 1453, marked by the round arch springing from columns or piers, the dome supported upon pendentives, capitals elaborately sculptured, mosaic or other incrustations, &c.; Byzantine Church, the Eastern or Greek Church; Byzantine Empire, the Eastern or Greek Empire from 395 A.D. to 1453; Byzantine historians, the series of Greek chroniclers of the affairs of the Byzantine Empire down to its fall in 1453.

the third letter of our alphabet, originally having the sound of g, then of k, and finally, in some languages, equivalent to s: (mus.) name of one of the notes of the gamut, also the sound on which the system is founded—the scale C major has neither flats nor sharps, and therefore is called the natural scale.

Caaba, kä′a-ba, n. the Moslem Holy of Holies, a square building at Mecca, containing the famous Black Stone built into the south-east corner at a height convenient for being kissed. [Ar.]

Caaing-whale, kä′ing-hwāl, n. one of the Cetacea, in the dolphin family, very gregarious, and oftener stranded than any other 'whale'—16 to 24 feet long, and 10 feet in girth. Other names are Pilot-whale, Black-fish, Social Whale, Grindhval. [Scot. ca, to drive.]

Cab, kab, n. a public carriage of various sizes and shapes, with two or four wheels, drawn by one horse.—ns. Cab′by, a shortened form of Cab′man, one who drives a cab for hire; Cab′-stand, a place where cabs stand for hire; Cab′-tout, one whose business it is to call cabs.—Cabmen's shelter, a place of shelter for cabmen while waiting for hire. [Shortened from Cabriolet.]

Cab, kab, n. a Hebrew dry measure = nearly three pints. [Heb. kab—kabab, to hollow.]

Cabal, ka-bal′, n. a small party united for some secret design: the plot itself: a name in English history esp. given to five unpopular ministers of Charles II. (1672), whose initials happened to make up the word.—v.i. to form a party for a secret purpose: to plot:—pr.p. cabal′ling.—n. Cabal′ler, a plotter or intriguer. [Fr. cabale; from Cabala.]

Caballero, kä-bä-lyā′rō, n. a Spanish gentleman: a Spanish dance.

Caballine, kab′a-lin, adj. pertaining to, or suited to, a horse. [L. caballinus—caballus, a horse.]

Cabaret, kab′a-ret, n. a small tavern. [Fr., prob. for cabanaret—cabane, a hut.]

Cabas, Caba, kab′a, n. a woman's work-basket or reticule: a rush basket or pannier. [Fr.]

Cabbage, kab′āj, n. a well-known kitchen vegetable.—ns. Cabb′age-butt′erfly, a large butterfly whose larvæ injure the leaves of cabbage and other cruciferous plants; Cabb′age-moth, a moth whose larva feeds on the cabbage; Cabb′age-palm, Cabb′age-tree, a name given in different countries to different species of palm, the great terminal bud of which is eaten cooked like cabbage, or sometimes also raw in salads; Cabb′age-rose, a species of rose which has a thick form like a cabbage-head; Cabb′age-worm, the larva of the cabbage-butterfly or of the cabbage-moth. [Fr. caboche, head (choux cabus, a cabbage); from L. caput, the head.]

Cabbage, kab′āj, v.t. and v.i. to purloin, esp. a tailor of portions of a customer's cloth.—n. cloth so appropriated.

Cabbala, Cabala, kab′a-la, n. a secret science of the Jewish rabbis for the interpretation of the hidden sense of Scripture, claimed to be handed down by oral tradition.—ns. Cabb′alism, the science of the cabbala; Cabb′alist, one versed in the cabbala.—adjs. Cabbalist′ic, -al, relating to the cabbala: having a hidden meaning. [Heb. qabbālāh, tradition, qibbēl, to receive.]

Caber, kāb′ėr, n. a pole, generally the stem of a young tree, which is poised and tossed or hurled by Highland athletes. [Gael.]

Cabin, kab′in, n. a hut or cottage: a small room, esp. in a ship, for officers or passengers—hence Cab′in-pass′enger, one paying for superior accommodation.—v.t. to shut up in a cabin.—v.i. to dwell in a cabin.—n. Cab′in-boy, a boy who waits on the officers or those who live in the cabin of a ship. [Fr. cabane—Low L. capanna.]

Cabinet, kab′in-et, n. (obs.) a little cabin or hut: (Shak.) the bed or nest of a beast or bird: a small room, closet, or private apartment: a case of drawers for articles of value: a private room for consultation, esp. a king's—hence The Cabinet, a limited number of the chief ministers who govern England, being the leaders of the majority in parliament.—ns. Cab′inet-coun′cil, a council or consultation of the members of the Cabinet; Cab′inet-edi′tion (of a book), one less in size and price than a library edition, but still elegant in format; Cab′inet-mak′er, a maker of cabinets and other fine furniture; Cab′inet-phō′tograph, one of the size larger than a carte-de-visite. [Dim. of Cabin; cf. mod. Fr. cabinet.]

Cabiri, ka-bī′rī, n.pl. ancient divinities of Semitic origin, associated with fire and creative energy, worshipped in mysteries in Lemnos, Samothrace, and Indros—also Cabei′ri.—adjs. Cabir′ian, Cabir′ic.

Cable, kā′bl, n. a strong rope or chain which ties anything, esp. a ship to her anchor: a nautical measure of 100 fathoms; a cable for submarine telegraphs composed of wires embedded in gutta-percha and encased in coiled strands of iron wire; a bundle of insulated wires laid underground in a street: a cable-message.—v.t. to provide with a cable, to tie up: to transmit a message, or to communicate with any one by submarine telegram.—ns. Cā′blegram, a message sent by submarine telegraph cable; Cā′ble-mould′ing, a bead or moulding carved in imitation of a thick rope; Cā′bling, a bead or moulding like a thick rope, often worked in flutes: the filling of flutes with a moulding like a cable.—Slip the cable, to let it run out. [Fr.—Low L. caplum, a halter—cap-ĕre, to hold.]

Cabob, ka-bob′, n. an Oriental dish of pieces of meat roasted with herbs: roast meat generally in India. [Ar. kabāb.]

Caboched, Caboshed, ka-bosht′, adj. (her.) bearing the head of an animal, with only the face seen. [Fr. caboché—L. caput, head.]

Cabochon, ka-bō-shong, n. a precious stone polished but uncut.—En cabochon, rounded on top and flat on back, without facets—garnets, moonstone, &c. [Fr.]

Caboodle, ka-bōō′dl, n. (slang) crowd, company.

Caboose, ka-bōōs′, n. the kitchen or cooking-stove of a ship. [Dut. kombuis; cf. Ger. kabuse.]

Cabriole. See Capriole.

Cabriolet, kab-ri-ō-lā′, n. a covered carriage with two or four wheels drawn by one horse. [Fr. See Capriole. By 1830 shortened into Cab.]

Cacao, ka-kā′o, ka-kä′o, n. the chocolate-tree, from the seeds of which chocolate is made. [Mex. cacauatl.]

Cachæmia, Cachemia, ka-kē′mi-a, n. a morbid state of the blood.—adj. Cachē′mic. [Gr. kakos, bad, haima, blood.]

Cachalot, kash′a-lot, n. the sperm-whale. [Fr.]

Cache, kash, n. a hiding-place for treasure, for stores of provisions, ammunition, &c.: the stores themselves so hidden.—v.t. to hide anything.—n. Cache′pot, an ornamental flower-pot enclosing a common one of earthenware. [Fr. cacher, to hide.]

Cachet, kash′ā, n. a seal, any distinctive stamp.—Lettre de cachet, a letter under the private seal of the king of France under the old régime, by which the royal pleasure was made known to individuals, and the administration of justice often interfered with. [Fr.]

Cachexy, ka-kek′si, n. a bad state of body: a depraved habit of mind.—adjs. Cachec′tic, -al. [L.—Gr. kachexia—kakos, bad, hexis, condition.]

Cachinnation, kak-in-ā′shun, n. loud laughter.—adj. Cachin′natory. [L. cachinnation-em, cachinnāre, to laugh loudly—from the sound.]

Cacholong, kash′o-long, n. a variety of quartz or of opal, generally of a milky colour. [Fr.]

Cacholot. Same as Cachalot.

Cachou, kash′ōō, n. a sweetmeat, made in the form of a pill, of extract of liquorice, cashew-nut, or the like, used by some smokers in the hope to sweeten their breath. [Fr.]

Cachucha, kach′ōōch-a, n. a lively Spanish dance. [Sp.]

Cacique, ka-sēk′, n. a native chief among the West Indian aborigines. [Haytian.]

Cackle, kak′l, n. the sound made by a hen or goose.—v.i. to make such a sound.—ns. Cack′ler, a fowl that cackles: a talkative, gossiping person; Cack′ling, noise of a goose or hen. [M. E. cakelen; cog. with Dut. hakelen.]

Cacodemon, kak-o-dē′mon, n. an evil spirit: (Shak.) a nightmare. [Gr. kakos, bad, and Demon.]

Cacodyl, kak′o-dil, n. a colourless stinking liquid, composed of arsenic, carbon, and hydrogen. [Gr. kakōdēs, ill-smelling.]

Cacoethes, kak-o-ē′thēz, n. an obstinate habit or disposition. [Gr. kakos, bad, ēthos, habit.]

Cacogastric, kak-ō-gas′trik, adj. pertaining to a disordered stomach, dyspeptic. [Gr. kakos, bad, gastēr, the stomach.]

Cacography, kak-og′ra-fi, n. bad writing or spelling.—adj. Cacograph′ic [Gr. kakos, bad, and graphia, writing.]

Cacolet, kak′o-lā, n. a military mule-litter for sick and wounded. [Fr.; prob. Basque.]

Cacology, ka-kol′o-ji, n. bad grammar or pronunciation. [Gr. kakos, bad, logos, speech.]

Cacoon, ka-kōōn′, n. a large seed of a tropical climber of the bean family, used for making scent-bottles, snuff boxes, purses, &c.: a purgative and emetic seed of a tropical American climber of the gourd family.

Cacophony, ka-kof′ō-ni, n. a disagreeable sound: discord of sounds.—adjs. Cacoph′onous, Cacophon′ic, -al, Cacophō′nious, harsh-sounding. [Gr. kakos, bad, phōnē, sound.]

Cactus, kak′tus, n. an American plant, generally with prickles instead of leaves.—adj. Cactā′ceous, pertaining to or like the cactus. [Gr., a prickly plant found in Sicily.]

Cad, kad, n. a low, mean, or vulgar fellow: a bus driver or conductor, a tavern-yard loafer.—adj. Cad′dish. [Short for Cadet.]

Cadastral, ka-das′tral, adj. pertaining to a Cadastre or public register of the lands of a country for fiscal purposes: applied also to a survey on a large scale, like our Ordnance Survey on the scale of 25 inches to the mile. [Fr.—Low L. capitastrum, register for a poll-tax—L. caput, the head.]

Cadaverous, ka-dav′ė-rus, adj. looking like a dead body: sickly-looking.—n. Cadāv′er (surg. and anat.), a corpse.—adj. Cadav′eric.—n. Cadav′erousness. [L. cadaver, a dead body—cad-ĕre, to fall dead.]

Caddice, Caddis, kad′dis, n. the larva of the May-fly and other species of Phryganea, which lives in water in a sheath formed of fragments of wood, stone, shell, leaves, &c., open at both ends—caddis-worms form excellent bait for trout.—n. Cad′dis-fly.

Caddie, kad′i, n. a lad who attends a golfer at play, carrying his clubs: in 18th century a messenger or errand porter in Edinburgh. [See Cadet.]

Caddis, kad′dis, n. (Shak.) worsted ribbon. [O. Fr. cadaz, cadas.]

Caddy, kad′i, n. a small box for holding tea. [Malay kati, the weight of the small packets in which tea is made up.]

Cade, kād, n. a barrel or cask. [Fr.—L. cadus, a cask.]

Cade, kād, n. and adj. a lamb or colt brought up by hand, a pet lamb. [Ety. unknown.]

Cadeau, kad′o, n. a present. [Fr.]

Cadenas, kad′e-nas, n. in medieval times, a locked casket containing a great man's table requisites, knife, fork, spoon, &c., often in the form of a ship. [O. Fr.,—L. catena, a chain.]

Cadence, kā′dens, n. the fall of the voice at the end of a sentence: tone, sound, modulation.—adj. Cā′denced, rhythmical.—n. Cā′dency, regularity of movement: (her.) the relative status of younger sons.—adj. Cā′dent (Shak.), falling.—n. Caden′za, a flourish given by a solo voice or instrument at the close of a movement. [Fr.—L. cad-ĕre, to fall.]

Cadet, ka-det′, n. the younger or youngest son: a member of the younger branch of a family: in the army, one who serves as a private to become an officer: a student in a military school.—n. Cadet′ship.—Cadet corps, parties of boys undergoing military training. [Fr. cadet, formerly capdet—Low L. capitettum, dim. of caput, the head.]

Cadge, kaj, v.i. to beg or go about begging.—n. Cadg′er, a carrier who collects country produce, a hawker: a fellow who picks up his living about the streets. [Prob. conn. with Catch.]

Cadgy, kaj′i, adj. (prov.) frolicsome: wanton. [Cf. Dan. kaad, wanton, Ice. kátr, merry.]

Cadi, kā′di, n. a judge in Mohammedan countries. [Ar. qādī, a judge.]

Cadmean, kad-mē′an, adj. relating to Cadmus, who introduced the original Greek alphabet.

Cadmia, kad′mi-a, n. oxide of zinc, containing from 10 to 20 per cent. of cadmium. [Gr. kadmia, kadmeia (ge), Cadmean (earth), calamine.]

Cadmium, kad′mi-um, n. a white metal occurring in zinc ores. [See Cadmia.]

Cadrans, kad′rans, n. a wooden instrument by which a gem is adjusted while being cut. [Fr. cadran, a quadrant.]

Cadre, kad′r, n. a nucleus, framework, esp. the permanent skeleton of a regiment or corps, the commissioned and non-commissioned officers, &c., around whom the rank and file may be quickly grouped. [Fr.]

Caduceus, ka-dū′se-us, n. (myth.) the rod carried by Mercury, the messenger of the gods—a wand surmounted with two wings and entwined by two serpents.—adj. Cadū′cean. [L., akin to Gr. kērukeion, a herald's wand—kērux, a herald.]

Caducibranchiate, ka-dūi-si-brang′ki-āt, adj. losing the gills on attaining maturity, as all the salamanders.—n.pl. Caducibranchiā′ta. [L. caducus, caducous, branchiæ, gills.]

Caducous, ka-dū′kus, adj. falling early, as leaves or flowers.—n. Cadū′city, transitoriness, senility. [L. caducus—cad-ĕre, to fall.]

Cæcum, sē′kum, n. a blind sac: a sac or bag having only one opening, connected with the intestine of an animal.—adj. Cæ′cal. [L.—cæcus, blind.]

Caen-stone, kā′en-stōn, n. a cream-coloured limestone brought from Caen in France.

Cæsar, sē′zar, n. an absolute monarch, an autocrat, from the Roman dictator Caius Julius Cæsar (100-44 B.C.).—adj. Cæsar′ean, relating to Julius Cæsar.—ns. Cæ′sarism; Cæ′sarist; Cæ′sarship.—Cæsarean operation, the popular name for Hysterotomy, the delivery of a child by cutting through the walls of the abdomen, as is said to have been the case with Cæsar.

Cæsium, sēz′i-um, n. a silver-white, soft, and extensile alkaline metal, almost always found along with rubidium, discovered by Bunsen and Kirchhoff in 1860 by spectrum analysis.—adj. Cæs′ious, bluish green. [L. cæsius, bluish gray.]

Cæsura, Cesura, sē-zū′ra, n. a syllable cut off at the end of a word after the completion of a foot: a pause in a verse.—adj. Cæsū′ral. [L.—cædĕre, cæsum, to cut off.]

Café, käf′ā, n. a coffee-house, a restaurant.—Café chantant, a public place of entertainment where the guests hear music while sipping their liquor. [Fr.]

Caffeine, kaf′e-in, or kaf-ē′in, n. the alkaloid or active principle of coffee and tea. [Fr. caféine. See Coffee.]

Caffre, kaf′fėr, n. more correctly Kafir (q.v.).

Caftan, kaf′tan, n. a Persian or Turkish vest. [Turk. qaftán.]

Cage, kāj, n. a place of confinement: a box made of wire and wood for holding birds or small animals: (mining) a frame with one or more platforms for cars, used in hoisting in a vertical shaft: the framework supporting a peal of bells.—v.t. to imprison in a cage—p.adj. Caged, confined.—ns. Cage′ling, a bird kept in a cage; Cage′-work, open work like the bars of a cage. [Fr.—L. cavea, a hollow place.]

Cagot, kag′ō, n. one of an outcast race found scattered in the district of the western Pyrenees, most likely the descendants of lepers. [Fr.; origin unknown.]

Cahier, ka-yā′, n. a writing-book, memorandum or report: a memorial. [Fr.]

Cahoot, ka-hōōt′, n. (U.S.) company or partnership.

Caillach, kīl′yah, n. an old woman. [Gael. cailleach.]

Caimac, Caimacam. See Kaimakam.

Caiman. Same as Cayman.

Cain, kān, n. a murderer, from Cain, who killed his brother Abel (Gen. iv.).—adj. Cain′-col′oured (Shak.), reddish, the traditional colour of the hair of Cain and Judas.—n. Cain′ite, a descendant of Cain: a member of a 2d-century set of Gnostics who revered Cain and Judas.

Cain, Kain, kān, n. in old Scots law, rent paid in kind, esp. in poultry, &c.—To pay the cain, to pay the penalty. [Ir. and Gael, cáin, rent, tax.]

Cainozoic, kā-no-zō′ik, adj. belonging to the third of the great periods of geology, the same as the Tertiary (q.v.). [Gr. kainos, newly made, recent, zōon, animal.]

Caique, kä-ēk′, n. a light skiff used on the Bosporus: the skiff of a galley. [Fr.,—Turk. kaik, a boat.]

Caird, kārd, n. a tramping tinker, a gipsy, a vagrant. [Gael. and Ir. ceard.]

Cairn, kārn, n. a heap of stones, esp. one raised over a grave, or as a landmark on a mountain-top.—n. Cairn′gorm-stone, or simply Cairngorm, a name often given by jewellers to brown or yellow quartz or rock-crystal, because found among the Cairngorm Mountains in Aberdeenshire. [Celt. carn.]

Caisson, kās′on, n. a tumbril or ammunition wagon: a chest filled with explosive materials: a strong case for keeping out the water while the foundations of a bridge are being built: an apparatus for lifting a vessel out of the water for repairs or inspection: the pontoon or floating gate used to close a dry-dock. [Fr., from caisse, a case or chest. See Case.]

Caitiff, kā′tif, n. a mean despicable fellow.—adj. mean, base.—n. Cai′tive (Spens.), captive, subject. [O. Fr. caitif, (Fr. chétif)—L. captivus, a captive—cap-ĕre, to take.]

Cajole, ka-jōl′, v.t. to coax: to cheat by flattery.—ns. Cajole′ment, coaxing for the purpose of deluding: wheedling language: flattery; Cajol′er; Cajol′ery. [Fr. cajoler, to chatter; ety. dub.]

Cajuput, kaj′i-put, n. a pungent, volatile, aromatic oil, distilled from the leaves of two trees native to Australia.—Also Caj′eput. [Malay.]

Cake, kāk, n. a piece of dough that is baked: a small loaf of fine bread: any flattened mass baked, as pan-cake, &c., or as soap, wax, tobacco, &c.: a thin hard-baked kind of oaten-bread—whence Scotland is styled the 'Land of Cakes:' fancy bread, sweetened: a composition of bread with butter, sugar, spices, currants, raisins, &c., baked into any form—plum-cake, tea-cake, wedding-cake.—v.t. to form into a cake or hard mass.—v.i. to become baked or hardened.—adj. Cak′y.—Cakes and ale, a phrase covering vaguely all the good things of life.—To take the cake (slang), to carry off the honours, rank first. [Scand. kaka; cog. with Ger. kuche, Dut. koek.]

Calabar-bean, käl′a-bär-bēn, n. the seed of Physostigma venenosum, the ordeal bean of Old Calabar, used in the form of an emulsion in cases of witchcraft, the accused being plainly innocent if he can throw off the poison by vomiting.

Calabash, kal′a-bash, n. a tree of tropical America, bearing a large melon-like fruit, the shell of which, called a calabash, is used for domestic purposes, as holding liquids, &c. [Fr. calebasse—Sp. calabaza—Pers. kharbuz, melon.]

Calaboose, kal′a-bōōs, n. a prison in New Orleans, esp. a common lock-up. [Sp. calabozo, a dungeon.]

Caladium, kal-ā′di-um, n. a genus of plants of the Arum family, with edible starchy root-stocks. [Latinised from Malay kélādy.]

Calamanco, kal-a-mangk′o, n. a satin-twilled woollen stuff, checkered or brocaded in the warp. [Dut. kalamink, Ger. kalmank, Fr. calmande; origin unknown.]

Calamander, kal′a-man-dėr, n. a hard and valuable cabinet-wood of a brownish colour, with black stripes, brought from India and Ceylon. [Prob. Singh.]

Calamary, kal′a-mar-i, n. a popular name applied to numerous forms of cuttle-fish or Cephalopoda, more esp. to Loligo vulgaris.—Also Squid. [Sp. calamar—Fr. calmar—L. calamarius, calamus, a pen.]

Calamine, kal′a-mīn, n. an ore consisting essentially of carbonate of zinc. [Fr.—Low L. calamina, most prob. from L. cadmia.]

Calamint, kal′a-mint, n. a genus of Labiate plants closely allied to balm and thyme. [Fr.—Low L. calamentum, through L. from Gr. kalaminthē.]

Calamite, kal′a-mīt, n. a fossil plant abundant in the coal-measures, believed to be a kind of gigantic horse-tails (Equisetaceæ). [Formed from L. calamus, a reed.]

Calamity, kal-am′i-ti, n. a great misfortune: affliction.—adj. Calam′itous, making wretched, disastrous.—adv. Calam′itously, in a calamitous manner.—n. Calam′itousness, the quality of producing distress: distress: misery. [Fr. calamité—L. calamitat-em.]

Calamus, kal′a-mus, n. the traditional name of the sweet flag, which is no doubt the Calamus aromaticus of Roman authors, and probably the sweet calamus and sweet cane of Scripture, but not the fragrant lemon-grass of India: a genus of palms whose stems make canes or rattans: the reed pen used by the ancients in writing. [L.—Gr.]

Calash, ka-lash′, n. a light low-wheeled carriage with a folding top: a silk and whalebone hood worn by ladies to shade the face. [Fr. calèche; of Slav. origin, as Bohem. kolésa, Russ. koleso, a wheel.]

Calavance, kal′a-vans, n. a name for certain varieties of pulse.—Also Car′avance. [Sp. garbanzo, chickpea, said to be the Basque garbantzu.]

Calcaneum, kal-kā′nē-um, n. a bone of the tarsus or ankle, forming in man the prominence of the heel, the os calcis: in birds, the hypotarsus.—adjs. Calcā′neal, Calcā′nean. [L., the heel—calx, the heel.]

Calcar, kal′kar, n. (bot.) a spur or spur-like projection, esp. from the base of a petal: (anat.) an eminence in the lateral ventricles of the brain, the hippocampus minor or calcar avis.—adjs. Cal′carate; Calcar′iform; Cal′carine. [L., a spur—calx, calcis, the heel.]

Calcar, kal′kar, n. an oven or furnace for calcining the materials of frit before melting—also Fritting-furnace: an arch or oven for annealing.

Calcareous, kal-kā′re-us, adj. like or containing chalk or lime, whether waters, rocks, or soils.—n. Calcā′reousness.—adj. Calcarif′erous, better Calcif′erous, containing lime. [L. calcarius, from calx, lime.]

Calceamentum, kal-sē-a-men′tum, n. a red silk embroidered sandal forming part of the insignia of the Holy Roman Empire. [L.]

Calced, kalst, adj. shod, wearing shoes—opp. to Discalced—of Carmelites.—v.t. Cal′cēate, to shoe.—adjs. Cal′cēate, -d, shod; Cal′cēiform (bot.), having the form of a slipper; Cal′cēolate, calceiform. [Low L. calceus, a shoe—calx, calcis, the heel.]

Calceolaria, kal-se-o-lā′ri-a, n. a South American genus of Scrophulariaceæ, largely cultivated as half-hardy or greenhouse plants for the beauty and variety in colour of the two-lipped slipper-like flowers. [L. calceolus, dim. of calceus, a shoe.]

Calcium, kal′si-um, n. the metal present in chalk, stucco, and other compounds of lime.—adjs. Cal′cic, containing calcium; Cal′cific, calcifying or calcified.—v.i. Cal′cificā′tion, the process of calcifying, a changing into lime.—adjs. Cal′ciform, like chalk, pebbly; Calcif′ugous, avoiding limestone.—v.t. and v.i. Cal′cify, to make calcic: to turn into bony tissue.—adjs. Calcig′enous, forming lime; Calcig′erous, containing lime.—n. Cal′cimine, a white or tinted wash for ceilings, walls, &c., consisting of whiting, with glue, &c.—v.t. to wash with such.—adj. Cal′cinable, capable of being calcined.—n. Calcinā′tion.—v.t. Cal′cine, or Calcine′, to reduce to a calx or chalky powder by the action of heat, to burn to ashes.—v.i. to become a calx or powder by heat.—ns. Cal′cite, native calcium carbonate, or carbonate of lime—also called Calcā′reous spar and Calc′spar; Calc′-sin′ter, Calc′-tuff, Tra′vertin, a porous deposit from springs or rivers which in flowing through limestone rocks have become charged with calcium carbonate. [Formed from L. calx, chalk.]

Calcography. See Chalcography.

Calculate, kal′kū-lāt, v.t. to count or reckon: to think out: to adapt, fit (only passive, with for): (U.S.) to think, purpose.—v.i. to make a calculation: to estimate.—adjs. Cal′culable; Cal′culating, given to forethought, deliberately selfish and scheming.—n. Calculā′tion, the art or process of calculating: estimate: forecast.—adj. Cal′culātive, relating to calculation.—n. Cal′culātor, one who calculates. [L. calculāre, -ātum, to reckon by help of little stones—calculus, dim. of calx, a little stone.]

Calculus, kal′kū-lus, n. a stone-like concretion which forms in certain parts of the body: one of the higher branches of mathematics:—pl. Calculi (kal′kū-li).—adj. Cal′culose, stony or like stone: gritty: affected with stone or with gravel.—Calculus of finite differences not merely does not consider differentials, but does not assume continuity.—Differential calculus, a method of treating the values of ratios of differentials or the increments of quantities continually varying; Integral calculus, the summation of an infinite series of differentials. [L.—calx.]

Caldron. Same as Cauldron.

Caledonian, kal-e-dō′ni-an, adj. pertaining to Caledonia, or Scotland.—n. a Scotchman.

Calefaction, kal-e-fak′shun, adj. act of heating: state of being heated.—adj. Calefā′cient, warming.—n. anything that warms: a blister or superficial stimulant.—adj. Calefac′tive, communicating heat.—n. Calefac′tor, a small stove.—adj. Calefac′tory, warming.—n. a room in which monks warmed themselves: a warming-pan, a pome.—v.t. and v.i. Cal′efy, to grow warm: to make warm.—n. Cales′cence, increasing warmth. [L.,—calēre, to grow hot, facĕre, to make.]

Calendar, kal′en-dar, n. the mode of adjusting the natural divisions of time with respect to each other for the purposes of civil life: an almanac or table of months, days, and seasons, or of special facts, &c., as in the 'gardener's calendar,' &c.: a list of documents arranged chronologically with summaries of contents, as in 'calendar of state papers:' a list of canonised saints, or of prisoners awaiting trial: any list or record.—v.t. to place in a list: to analyse and index.—ns. Cal′endarer, Cal′endarist. [O. Fr. calendier—L. calendarium, an account-book, kalendæ, calends.]

Calender, kal′en-dėr, n. a press consisting of two rollers for smoothing and dressing cloth, paper, &c.: a person who calenders, properly a calendrer.—v.t. to dress in a calender.—ns. Cal′endering; Cal′endrer, one whose business it is to calender cloth; Cal′endry, a place where calendering is done. [Fr. calandre—L. cylindrus—L. kylindros.]

Calender, kal′en-dėr, n. a word somewhat loosely used for dervish in Persia and Central Asia. [Pers.]

Calends, kal′endz, n. among the Romans, the first day of each month. [L. Kalendæ—calăre, Gr. kalein, to call, because the beginning of the month was proclaimed.]

Calenture, kal′en-tūr, n. a kind of fever or delirium occurring on board ship in hot climates. [Fr. and Sp.—L. calent-em, calēre, to be hot.]

Calescence. See Calefaction.

Calf, käf, n. the young of the cow and of some other animals, as marine mammals: calf-skin leather, bookbinding in such: a stupid or a cowardly person:—pl. Calves (kävz).—ns. Calf′-love, an attachment between a boy and girl; Calf's′-foot, Calves'-foot, the foot of the calf, used in making a palatable jelly; Calf′-skin, the skin of the calf, making a good leather for bookbinding and shoes.—Divinity calf, a dark-brown calf bookbinding, with blind stamping, and without gilding—common in the binding of theological books; Golden calf, the idol set up by Aaron during the absence of Moses on Sinai, or those erected by Jeroboam at Bethel and Dan: worship of Mammon or wealth; Half-calf, a bookbinding in which the back and corners are in calf-skin; Mottled calf, a light coloured bookbinding, decorated by the sprinkling of acid in drops; Smooth calf, a binding in plain or undecorated calf leather.—The calves of our lips (Hosea, xiv. 2), an offering of praise (the Septuagint reads, 'The fruit of our lips').—Tree calf, a bright brown calf bookbinding, stained by acids with a pattern resembling the trunk and branches of a tree. [A.S. cealf; Ger. kalb.]

Calf, käf, n. the thick fleshy part of the leg behind.—adj. Calf′less, with a thin, poor calf. [Ice. kalfi; perh. the same word as the preceding.]

Caliban, kal′i-ban, n. a man of beastly nature, from the monster in Shakespeare's Tempest.

Calibre, Caliber, kal′i-bėr, n. the size of the bore of a gun: diameter: intellectual capacity.—adj. Cal′ibered.—v.t. Cal′ibrāte, to determine the calibre of.—n. Calibrā′tion. [Fr. calibre, the bore of a gun; prob. L. quā librā, with what weight, or from Ar. qālib, a form.]

Calico, kal′i-kō, n. a cotton cloth, first brought from Calicut in India: plain white unprinted cotton cloth, bleached or unbleached: coarse printed cotton cloth.—adj. made of calico: spotted—n. Cal′ico-print′er, one employed in printing calicoes.

Calid, kal′id, adj. warm.—n. Calid′ity. [L. calidus, hot.]

Calif, Caliph, kā′lif, or kal′if, n. the name assumed by the successors of Mohammed.—ns. Cal′ifate, Cal′iphate, the office, rank, or government of a calif. [Fr.—Ar. khalīfah, a successor.]

Caliginous, kal-ij′en-us, adj. dim, obscure, dark.—n. Caliginos′ity. [L. caliginos-us.]

Caligraphy. See under Calligraphy.

Calipash, kal′i-pash, n. the part of a turtle close to the upper shell, consisting of a fatty gelatinous substance of a dull greenish colour.—n. Cal′ipee, the white portion from the belly—a fatty gelatinous substance of a light-yellowish colour. [Prob. corr. of West Ind. words.]

Calipers, kal′i-pėrz, Caliper-compasses, kal′i-pėr-kum′pasez, n.pl. compasses with legs suitable for measuring the inside or outside diameter of bodies. [Corr. of Caliber.]

Caliph, Caliphate. See Calif.

Calippic, kal-ip′ik, adj. four Metonic cycles less one day, or seventy-six years. [From the Greek astronomer Callipus, a contemporary of Aristotle.]

Calisaya, kal-i-sā′ya, n. a variety of Peruvian bark.

Caliver, kal′i-vėr, n. (Shak.) a kind of light musket. [Same as Calibre.]

Calix. See Calyx.

Calixtin, Calixtine, kal-iks′tin, adj. of or belonging to the more moderate party among the Hussites, so called from their demanding the cup (L. calix) as well as the bread for the laity—also called U′traquists (L. uterque, both).—n. a follower of the Syncretist Lutheran divine, George Calixtus (1586-1656).

Calk. See Caulk.

Calk, kawk, n. a pointed piece of iron on a horse-shoe to prevent slipping—also Calk′in and Calk′er.—v.t. to provide a shoe with a calk. [L. calc-em, calx, a heel.]

Calk, Calque, kawk, v.t. to chalk, as the back of a drawing, &c., in order to transfer it, to copy by tracing.—n. Calk′ing, the copying of a picture by means of tracing.

Call, kawl, v.i. to cry aloud (with out; to, after, at, up, down): to make a short visit (with upon, for, at).—v.t. to name: to summon: to appoint or proclaim: to designate or reckon: to select for a special office, as in 'called to be an apostle,' 'to be called to the bar:' (coll.) to call bad names to some one.—n. a summons or invitation: an impulse: a demand: a short visit: a shrill whistle: the cry of a bird: admission to the rank of barrister: an invitation to the pastorate of a congregation, also the written form of such with appended list of names of persons concurring: (coll.) occasion, cause.—ns. Call′-at-large, a form of pastoral call sometimes adopted by a presbytery where a congregation is not unanimous, in which the name of the person to be called is not inscribed beforehand, and names cannot be adhibited by mandate; Call′-bird, a bird trained to allure others into snares; Call′-boy, a boy who waits upon the prompter in a theatre, and calls the actors when wanted on the stage; Call′er, one who pays a short visit; Call′ing, that station to which a person is called by Providence to fill: one's trade, profession, or occupation; Call′ing-crab, a popular name for the fiddler-crab, which waves its larger claw when disturbed; Call′-note, the note by which a bird or beast calls its young.—Call attention to, to point out; Call away, to divert the mind; Call back, to recall; Call for, to ask loudly: claim; Call forth, to bring or summon to action; Call for trumps, to lay down such cards at whist as will induce one's partner to lead a trump; Call in, to bring in from outside, as the notes in circulation, &c.; Call in question, to challenge; Call off, to summon away; Call on, or upon, to invoke, appeal to; Call out, to challenge to fight, esp. a duel: to summon to service, bring into operation; Call over, to read aloud a list; Call to account, to summon to render an account; Call up, to summon from beneath, or to a tribunal. [A.S. ceallian; Ice. kalla, Dut. kallen.]

Call, kawl, n. (Spens.) a caul or cap.

Callant, käl′ant, n. a lad. [A modern Scotch word; Dut. kalant.]

Caller, kal′ėr, adj. fresh: (Scot.) cool. [Prob. the same as Calver.]

Callet, kal′et, n. (Shak.) a scold, a woman of bad character, a trull. [Prob. Fr. caillette, a frivolous gossip; or prob. the Gael. caille, girl, may be related.]

Callid, kal′id, adj. shrewd.—n. Callid′ity, shrewdness. [L. callidus, expert.]

Calligraphy, Caligraphy, kal-lig′ra-fi, n. fine penmanship; characteristic style of writing.—adjs. Calligraph′ic, -al.—ns. Callig′raphist, Callig′rapher. [Gr., kalos, beautiful, graphein, to write.]

Calliope, kal-ī′o-pe, n. the muse of epic poetry: an instrument producing musical notes by means of steam-whistles, played by a keyboard. [Gr.]

Callipers. Same as Calipers.

Callisthenics, kal-is-then′iks, n.pl. exercises for the purpose of promoting gracefulness as well as strength of body.—adj. Callisthen′ic. [Gr. kalos, beautiful, sthenos, strength.]

Callous, kal′us, adj. hardened: unfeeling or insensible.—n. Callos′ity, a hard swelling on the skin.—adv. Call′ously.—n. Call′ousness. [L. callosus—callus, hard skin.]

Callow, kal′ō, adj. not covered with feathers: unfledged, unbearded: inexperienced: low-lying and liable to be submerged.—n. an alluvial flat. [A.S. calu; Ger. kahl, L. calvus, bald.]

Callus, kal′us, n. a thickening of the skin: a term employed in old surgical works for the exuded material by which fractures of bones are consolidated together. [L.]

Calm, käm, adj. still or quiet: serene, tranquil.—n. absence of wind—also in pl.: repose: serenity of feelings or actions.—v.t. to make calm: to quiet.—ns. Calm′ant, Calm′ative—in medical language.—adjs. Calm′ative, Calm′ant, Calmed, Calm′y (Spens.)—adv. Calm′ly.—n. Calm′ness. [Fr. calme (It. calma), from Low L. cauma—Gr. kauma, noonday heat—kai-ein, to burn.]

Calmuck. See Kalmuck.

Calomel, kal′ō-mel, n. the popular name of one of the compounds of mercury and chlorine, much used in medicine. [Fr. calomel, which Littré derives from Gr. kalos, fair, melas, black.]

Caloric, ka-lor′ik, n. heat: the supposed principle or cause of heat.—n. Calores′cence, the transmutation of heat rays into luminous rays.—adj. Calorif′ic, causing heat: heating.—ns. Calorificā′tion; Calorim′eter, an instrument for measuring the specific heat of a body; Calorim′etry, the art or process of measuring heat; Cal′orist, one who held heat to be a subtle fluid called caloric; Cal′ory, the usually accepted thermal unit, being the quantity of heat necessary to raise the temperature of a kilogram of water from 0° to 1° centigrade. [Fr. calorique, formed by Lavoisier from L. calor, heat.]

Calotte, kal-ot′, n. a plain skull-cap or coif worn by R.C. clergy. [Fr.]

Calotype, kal′ō-tīp, n. a kind of photography.—n. Cal′otypist, one who makes calotypes. [Gr. kalos, beautiful, typos, an image. Name given in 1840 by W. H. Fox Talbot (1800-77) to his method of photographing by the action of light on nitrate of silver.]

Caloyer, ka-loi′ėr, n. a Greek monk, esp. of the order of St Basil. [Fr.,—It.—Late Gr. kalogēros, kalos, beautiful, gēros, aged.]

Calp, kalp, n. the name applied in Ireland to beds of shale, sandstone, &c. containing thin seams of coal.

Calpac, Calpack, kal′pak, n. a triangular felt cap, worn by Turks and Tartars. [Turk.]

Calque. See Calk (3).

Caltrop, kal′trop, n. an instrument armed with four spikes, so arranged that one always stands upright, used to obstruct the progress of an enemy's cavalry, or of besiegers of a fortification.—Also Cal′trap. [A.S. coltetræppe, calcatrippe—L. calc-em, heel, trappa, a trap.]

Calumba, ka-lum′ba, n. the root of an East African plant, extensively used in medicine as a stomachic and tonic. [From Colombo in Ceylon.]

Calumet, kal′ū-met, n. the 'peace pipe' of the North American Indians, a tobacco-pipe having a stem of reed or painted wood about 2½ feet long, decorated with feathers, with a large bowl, usually of soap-stone. [Calumet is a Norman name for a shepherd's pipe (Fr. chalumeau—L. calamellus, calamus), given by the early French settlers from its resemblance.]

Calumny, kal′um-ni, n. false accusation: slander.—v.t. Calum′niāte, to accuse falsely: to slander.—v.i. to spread evil reports.—ns. Calum′niātion; Calum′niātor.—adjs. Calum′niātory, Calum′nious, of the nature of calumny: slanderous.—adv. Calum′niously.—Oath of calumny, a method in the law of Scotland for the prevention of calumnious and unnecessary suits, by which both parties at the beginning of a cause swear, either by themselves or their counsel, that the facts set forth by them are true—usual only in actions of divorce, &c. [L. calumnia, prob. for calvomnia, from calvi, calvĕre, to deceive.]

Calvary, kal′va-ri, n. the name of the place where Jesus was crucified: (R.C.) a series of representations of the various scenes of Christ's crucifixion: an eminence crowned with one or three crosses bearing life-size figures of Jesus and the two thieves. [The Anglicised form of the Vulgate calvaria, which was the L. rendering of the Gr. kranion, as that again of the Aramaic gogulthō or gogolthā (Heb. gulgōleth—Græcised form golgotha), all three words meaning skull.]

Calve, käv, v.i. to bring forth a calf. [A.S. cealfian. See Calf.]

Calvered, kal′verd, p.adj. from obsolete verb Cal′ver, to prepare salmon or other fish when freshly caught. [Prob. the same as Scot. Caller.]

Calvinism, kal′vin-izm, n. the doctrines of the great Genevan religious reformer, John Calvin (1509-1564), as these are given in his Institutio, esp. as regards particular election, predestination, the incapacity for true faith and repentance of the natural man, efficacious grace, and final perseverance.—n. Cal′vinist, one who holds the doctrines of Calvin.—adjs. Calvinist′ic, -al, pertaining to Calvin or Calvinism.

Calvities, kal-vish′i-ēz, n. baldness. [L.,—calvus, bald.]

Calx, kalks, n. chalk or lime: the substance of a metal or mineral which remains after being subjected to violent heat:—pl. Calxes (kalk′sēz), or Calces (kal′sēz). [L. calx, lime.]

Calycanthus, kal-i-kan′thus, n. a small order of square-stemmed aromatic shrubs, natives of North America and Japan. [Made up of Calyx and Gr. anthos.]

Calyptra, ka-lip′tra, n. a hood, covering, esp. that of the theca or capsule of mosses.—adjs. Calyp′trate, furnished with such; Calyp′triform, Calyptrimor′phous, having the form of a calyptra.—n. Calyp′trogen, the root-cap. [Gr., a veil.]

Calyx, Calix, kal′iks, or kā′liks, n. the outer covering or cup of a flower, its separate leaves termed sepals:—pl. Calyces, or Calyxes.—adjs. Cal′ycate, having a calyx; Calycīf′erous, bearing the calyx; Calyciflō′ral, Calyciflō′rate, Calyciflō′rous, having the petals and stamens borne upon the calyx; Calyc′iform, having the form of a calyx; Cal′ycine, Calyc′inal, pertaining to a calyx.—n. Cal′ycle, an accessory calyx outside the true one.—adjs. Cal′ycled, having a calycle; Cal′ycoid, Calycoi′deous, like a calyx. [L.,—Gr. kalyx—kalyptein, to cover.]

Cam, kam, n. (mech.) a device for changing a regular rotary motion into a reciprocating motion, various forms of which are the cam-wheel and shaft, the heart-wheel, the wiper-wheel, and the eccentric. [Dut. kam.]

Camaieu, kam′ī-ū, n. a cameo: a painting in monochrome, or in simple colours not imitating nature: a style of printing pictures producing the effect of a pencil-drawing.—Also Cam′ayeu. [Fr. See Cameo.]

Camaraderie, kam-a-rad-rē′, n. good-fellowship: the intimacy of comradeship. [Fr.]

Camarilla, kam-ar-il′a, n. a body of secret intriguers, esp. of a court party against a king's legitimate ministers: a small room. [Sp. dim. of camara, a chamber.]

Camass, ka-mas′, n. a small plant growing in the north-western United States, also its nutritious bulb.—ns. Camass′ia, a genus of liliaceous plants nearly related to the European Scilla; Camass′-rat, a small gopher rodent which devours the bulbs of the camass.

Camber, kam′bėr, n. a convexity upon an upper surface, as of a deck amidships, a bridge, or lintel: the curve of a ship's plank: a small dock in the royal yards where timber is loaded and discharged.—v.t. to curve ship-planks, to arch slightly. [Fr.—L. camerāre, to vault.]

Cambist, kam′bist, n. one skilled in the science of exchange.—ns. Cam′bism, Cam′bistry. [It—L. cambīre, to exchange.]

Camberwell beauty, kam′ber-wel bū′ti, n. (Vanessa antiopa) a fancy name for one of the largest and most beautiful of British butterflies.

Cambium, kam′bi-um, n. a layer of vascular tissue formed between the wood and the bark of exogens, in which the annual growth is formed. [Low L.—cambium—L. cambīre, to change.]

Camboge, obsolete form of Gamboge.

Cambrel, kam′brel, n. a bent piece of wood or iron on which butchers hang the carcasses of animals: the hock of a horse. [Prob. conn. with Camber.]

Cambrian, kam′bri-an, adj. pertaining to Cambria or Wales: Welsh: the name given by Sedgwick in 1836 to a group or series of sedimentary deposits which come next in order to the Archæan System.—n. an inhabitant of Cambria, or Wales. [Formed from Cymry, Welshmen, or Cymru, Wales.]

Cambric, kām′brik, n. a kind of fine white linen, originally manufactured at Cambrai in the French department of Nord.

Cambuca, kam-bū′ka, n. a pastoral staff: a curved stick used in the game of pall-mall.—Also Cambut′ta. [Low L., of Celt. origin.]

Came, kām, did come pa.t. of Come.

Camel, kam′el, n. an animal of Asia and Africa with one or two humps on its back, used as a beast of burden and for riding.—adj. Cam′el-backed, hump-backed.—ns. Cam′eleer, one who drives or rides a camel; Cam′eline, camlet.—adj. Cam′elish, like a camel, obstinate.—n. Cam′elry, troops mounted on camels.—Camel's hair, the hair of the camel: the hair of the squirrel's tail used for paint-brushes; Camel's thorn, a shrub of the bean family which camels eat greedily. [L. camelus—Gr. kamēlos—Heb. gāmāl.]

Cameleon. See Chameleon.

Camellia, ka-mel′ya, n. a species of evergreen shrubs, natives of China and Japan, noted for the singular beauty of their flowers. [Named from Kamel, Latinised Camellus, a Moravian Jesuit, who collected plants in the Philippine Islands in 1639.]

Camelopard, kam′el-ō-pärd, or kam-el′ō-pärd, n. the giraffe. [L.,—Gr. camēlopardalis; from Gr. kamēlos, the camel, and pardalis, the panther.]

Camelot, kam′lot, n. Same as Camlet.

Cameo, kam′ē-ō, n. an engraved gem in which the figure or subject is carved in relief. [It. camméo (Fr. camée)—Low L. cammæus traced by Littré to Gr. kamnein, to work; by the late Mr C. W. King through an Ar. form, 'an amulet,' from Pers. camahen, loadstone, the usual material for Babylonian cylinders.]

Camera, kam′ėr-a, n. the variety of camera-obscura used by photographers.—ns. Cam′era-lū′cida, an instrument by which the rays of light from an object are reflected by a specially shaped prism, forming an image on the paper underneath; Cam′era-obscū′ra, an instrument for throwing the images of external objects on a white surface placed within a dark chamber or box. [L.]

Camera, kam′ėr-a, n. a vaulted room: the judge's private chamber (In camera, of a case heard there rather than in public court).—adj. Cam′erāted, divided into chambers: arched or vaulted.

Cameronian, kam-er-ōn′i-an, n. a follower of the Covenanter Richard Cameron, killed at Airds Moss in 1680, a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.—adj. pertaining to this party, or to the famous Cameronian regiment (26th Foot, now the First Battalion of Scottish Rifles) in the British army, which had its origin in a body of Cameronians (1689).

Camis, kam′is, n. (Spens.) a loose robe made of some light material, as silk, &c.: a chemise. [See Chemise.]

Camisade, kam-i-sād′, n. a night attack, probably because shirts were often put on over the armour.—Also Camisad′o. [Sp., from camisa, a shirt.]

Camisards, kam′is-ar, n.pl. the insurgent Huguenots of the Cevennes, so called from the camise or blouse worn by the peasants.

Camise, kam′ēs, n. the usual Arab shirt.—Also Cam′iso, Cam′ese.

Camisole, kam′is-ōl, n. a sleeved jacket, a woman's loose morning gown or jacket.

Camlet, kam′let, n. a cloth originally made of camel's hair, but now chiefly of wool and goat's hair. [Fr.—Low L. camelotum—L. camelus.]

Camomile, Chamomile, kam′o-mīl, n. a plant, or its dried flowers, used in medicine, affording a bitter stomachic and tonic. [Fr.—L.—Gr. chamaimēlon, the earth-apple, from the apple-like smell of its blossoms—chamai, on the ground, mēlon, an apple.]

Camorra, kam-or′a, n. the name of a secret society in the former kingdom of Naples, whose members, the Camorristi, for many years terrorised the country.—ns. Camorr′ism; Camorr′ist. [It.]

Camp, kamp, n. the ground on which an army pitch their tents: the tents of an army, quarters generally, a permanent military station, as at Aldershot: any fortified site in which a force once defended itself, as a Roman or British camp: any temporary quarters for travellers, &c.—v.i. to encamp or pitch tents.—ns. Camp′-foll′ower, any one who follows in the train of an army, but takes no part in battle; Camp′meet′ing, a religious gathering held in the open air or in a temporary encampment in the fields; Camp′-shed′ding, -sheet′ing, -shot, an erection of piles, &c., along the bank of a river or an embankment, for strengthening; Camp′-stool, or -bed′stead, a portable folding-stool, a trestle-bed. [Fr. camp, a camp—L. campus, a plain.]

Camp, kamp, n. (obs.) conflict: an old form of the game of football.—v.i. to fight, struggle.—v.i. Cam′ple, to wrangle. [A.S. camp, battle; cf. Ger. kampf.]

Campagnol, kam-pa-nyol′, n. a French name for several species of field-mice or voles.

Campaign, kam-pān′, n. a large open field or plain: the time during which an army keeps the field: an excursion into the country: an organised series of operations in the advocacy of a political or social cause.—v.i. to serve in a campaign.—ns. Campagn′a, once equivalent to champaign, now used only of the Campagna, an undulating, mostly uncultivated and unhealthy plain around Rome; Campaign′er, one who has served in several campaigns. [Fr. campagne—L. campania—campus, a field.]

Campanero, kam-pa-nē′ro, n. one of the South American bell-birds, the arapunga, &c. [Sp., a bellman.]

Campanile, kam-pan-ē′lā (sometimes also kam-pan-ēl′, and even kam′pan-il and kam′pan-īl), n. a name adopted from the Italian to signify a bell-tower of the larger kind, and usually applied only to such as are detached from the church: (pl. usually Campaniles, but sometimes the It. Campanili). [It., from campana, a bell.]

Campanology, kam-pan-ol′o-ji, n. the subject or science of bells or bell-ringing.—ns. Cam′panist, Campanol′ogist, one skilled in the same.—adj. Campanolog′ical. [It. campana, a bell, and Gr. logos, a discourse.]

Campanula, kam-pan′ū-la, n. a genus of flowers, commonly known as bell-flowers or bells, usually blue or white, the best-known species the harebell and Scotch bluebell.—The Canterbury Bells is a biennial species—seen in many florists' varieties.—adjs. Campan′iform, Campan′ulate, Campan′ular.—n. Campanulā′ria, a common genus of Hydroids, with stems simple or branched, the nutritive polyps surrounded by transparent bell-shaped sheaths. [It. campana, a bell.]

Campbellite, kam′bel-īt, n. a follower of Alexander Campbell (1788-1866), founder of the sect known as the 'Disciples of Christ.'

Campeachy, kam′pēch-i, adj. pertaining to the red dye-wood better known as Logwood, first exported from Campeachy in Yucatan.

Campeador, kam-pe-a-dōr′, n. a warrior. [Sp.]

Campestral, kam-pes′tral, adj. growing in or pertaining to fields.—Also Campes′trian. [L. campestris, from campus.]

Camphine, kam′fīn, n. rectified oil of turpentine.—Also Cam′phene.

Camphor, kam′for, n. a solid essential oil, mostly obtained from the camphor laurel of India, China, and Japan, having a peculiar hot aromatic taste and a pleasant smell.—adj. Camphorā′ceous, like camphor.—v.t. Cam′phorate, to impregnate with camphor.—adjs. Cam′phorate, Camphor′ic, pertaining to camphor. [Fr. camphre—Low L. camphora—Malay kapur, chalk.]

Campion, kam′pi-un, n. the common name of plants belonging to the genera Lychnis and Silene. [Perh. from L. campus, a field.]

Campo santo, kam′po sant′o, n. the Italian name for a cemetery or burying-ground, esp. for one enclosed by an arcade. [Lit. 'holy ground,' the earth of that at Pisa having been brought from Palestine.]

Campylospermous, kam-pi-lō-sper′mus, adj. (bot.) having the albumen of the seed curved at the margin so as to form a longitudinal furrow on the ventral face. [Gr. kampylos, curved, sperma, a seed.]

Campylotropal, kam-pi-lot′rō-pal, adj. (bot.) curved so as to bring the true apex close to the base—of an ovule or seed.—Also Campylot′ropous. [Gr. kampylos, curved, trepein, to turn.]

Camstairy, kam-stār′i, adj. perverse, unruly. [Ety. dub.; first part at any rate cam, crooked.]

Camstone, kam′stōn, n. a kind of clay used to whiten doorsteps, &c.

Cam-wood, kam′-wood, n. a dye-wood obtained from Baphia nitida, a leguminous tree, a native of Angola. It is at first white, but turns red on exposure to air. [Perh. from African name kambi.]

Can, kan, v.i. to be able: to have sufficient power:—pa.t. Could.—Can is used for gan in M. E. and even in Spenser. [A.S. cunnan, to know (how to do a thing), to be able, pres. indic. can; Goth. kunnan, Ger. können, to be able. See Know.]

Can, kan, n. a vessel for holding or carrying liquids, generally of tinned iron, with a handle over the top: a chimney-pot: a vessel of tin-plate in which meat, fruit, &c. are hermetically sealed for exporting—in England usually called a tin: a drinking-mug.—v.t. to put up for preservation in cans.—n.pl. Canned′-goods, meat, fruit, &c. so prepared for preservation.—n. Can′nery, a place where meat, fish, fruit, &c. are canned. [A.S. canne; cf. L. canna, a reed, Gr. kannē, a reed.]

Canaanite, kā′nan-īt, n. a descendant of Canaan, the son of Ham: a native of the land of Canaan.—adj. Cā′naanitish.

Cañada, kan′ya-da, n. a narrow cañon. [Sp.]

Canadian, ka-nā′di-an, adj. and n. pertaining to Canada: a native of Canada.—Canada balsam (see Balsam).

Canaigre, ka-nā′ger, n. a Texan dock whose root is used in tanning,

Canaille, ka-nāl′, n. the mob, the vulgar rabble. [Fr., a dog—L. canis.]

Canakin. See Cannikin.

Canal, kan-al′, n. an artificial watercourse for navigation: a duct in the body for any of its fluids.—n. Canal′-boat, a boat for canal traffic.—adjs. Canalic′ular, canal-shaped; Canalic′ulate, -d, channelled, grooved.—ns. Canalic′ulus (anat.), a small furrow or channel; Canalisā′tion, the construction of canals.—v.t. Canal′ise, to make a canal through: to convert into a canal. [L. canalis, a water-pipe.]

Canard, ka-när′, or ka-närd′, n. an extravagant or lying story. [Fr., lit. 'duck.']

Canary, ka-nā′ri, n. a light sweet wine from the Canary Islands: a bird originally from the Canary Islands: a lively dance.—adj. canary-coloured, bright yellow.—ns. Canā′ry-bird, a canary: (slang) a jail-bird: a mistress; Canā′ry-grass, a grass of which the seed is much used as food for canary-birds; Canā′ry-wood, the dark-coloured timber of two lauraceous trees of the Azores and Madeira.

Canarese, kan-a-rēz′, adj. pertaining to Canara in western India.—n. a native thereof: the language of the Dravidian group, allied to Telegu.—Also Kanarese′.

Canaster, ka-nas′tėr, n. a kind of tobacco, so called from the rush basket in which it was originally brought from Spanish America. [Sp. canastra—L.—Gr. kanastron.]

Can-can, kan-kan, n. a dance in some public balls at Paris and elsewhere, characterised by immodest gestures and postures. [Usually referred to L. quamquam, the pronunciation of which was long hotly disputed in the French schools; Littré quotes an O. Fr. caquehan, a noisy assembly.]

Cancel, kan′sel, v.t. to erase or blot out by crossing with lines: to annul or suppress, as a printed page, &c.: to obliterate: to frustrate: to counterbalance or compensate for: to remove equivalent quantities on opposite sides of an equation:—pr.p. can′celling; pa.p. can′celled.—n. the suppression of a printed page or sheet, the page so cancelled, or the new one substituted. [Fr. canceller—L. cancell-āre, from cancelli, railings, lattice-work, dim. of cancer.]

Cancelli, kan-sel′ī, n.pl. cross-pieces forming a lattice-work or grating, as in the division between the choir and the body of a church: (anat.) reticulations.—adjs. Can′cellate, -d, marked latticewise, reticulated.—n. Cancellā′tion.—adj. Can′cellous. [L., a lattice.]

Cancer, kan′sėr, n. the name for an important group of malignant tumours, divided into two groups, Carcinomata and Sarcomata, the name being now strictly used only of the former: a constellation between Gemini and Leo, and a sign of the zodiac showing the limits of the sun's course northward in summer: the typical genus of the family Cancridæ—v.i. Cancer′ate, to become cancerous.—ns. Cancerā′tion; Can′cerite, a petrified crab.—adj. Can′cerous, of or like a cancer.—adv. Can′cerously.—n. Can′cerousness.—adjs. Can′criform, Can′croid, crab-like. [L. cancer; cog. with Gr. karkinos, a crab.]

Cancionero, kan-thē-on-ē′ro, n. a collection of songs. [Sp.]

Candelabrum, kan-de-lā′brum, n. a branched and ornamented candlestick:—pl. Candelā′bra. [L.]

Candent, kan′dent, adj. making white: glowing with heat.

Candescence, kan-des′ens, n. a white heat.—adj. Candes′cent. [L. candesc-ĕre, inceptive of cand-ēre, to glow.]

Candid, kan′did, adj. frank, ingenuous: free from prejudice: fair, impartial.—adv. Can′didly.—n. Can′didness. [Fr. candide—L. candidus, white—cand-ēre, to shine.]

Candidate, kan′di-dāt, n. one who offers himself for any office or honour, so called because, at Rome, the applicant used to dress in white.—ns. Can′didature, Can′didateship, Can′didacy. [L. candidatus, from candidus.]

Candied. See Candy.

Candle, kan′dl, n. wax, tallow, or other like substance surrounding a wick: a light.—ns. Can′dle-berr′y, the wax-myrtle, also its fruit: the fruit of Aleurites triloba, the candle-berry tree; Can′dle-bomb, a small glass bomb filled with water, exploding on being held in a candle-flame; Can′dle-coal (same as Cannel-coal); Can′dle-dip′ping, the method of making candles by dipping instead of moulding; Can′dle-end, the end-piece of a burnt-out candle; Can′dle-fish, the eulachon, a deep-sea fish of the smelt family found along the north-west coast of America, producing eulachon oil: another West American fish, resembling a pollock—the black candle-fish or horse-mackerel; Can′dle-hold′er, one who holds a candle to another while working—hence one who renders another slight assistance, or humours him; Can′dle-light, the light of a candle, illumination by means of candles: the time when candles are lighted; Can′dle-light′er, one whose business is to light the candles: a spill; Can′dle-pow′er, the illuminating power of a standard sperm candle—a unit of luminosity; Can′dlestick, an instrument for holding a candle, originally a stick or piece of wood; Can′dle-wast′er, one who studies late; Can′dle-wood, the wood of various West Indian and Mexican resinous trees.—Burn the candle at both ends, to waste in two directions at once.—Not fit to hold a candle to, not fit even to be some one's inferior, not to be compared with.—Sell by the candle, to offer for sale as long as a small piece of candle burns, the bid made just before it goes out being successful.—The game is not worth the candle, the thing is not worth the labour or expense of it. [A.S. candel—L. candela, from cand-ēre, to glow.]

Candlemas, kan′dl-mas, n. a festival of the R.C. Church in honour of the purification of the Virgin Mary, on 2d February, and so called from the number of candles used. [Candle and Mass.]

Candock, kan′dok, n. the yellow water-lily. [Can (n.) and Dock.]

Candour, kan′dur, n. freedom from prejudice or disguise: sincerity: justice: openness. [L. candor, whiteness, from candēre, to be shining.]

Candy, kan′di, Sugar-candy, shoog′ar-kan′di, n. a sweetmeat made of sugar: anything preserved in sugar.—v.t. to preserve or dress with sugar: to congeal or crystallise as sugar.—v.i. to become congealed.—p.adj. Can′died, encrusted with candy or sugar: (fig.) sugared, flattering. [Fr. candi, from Ar. qandah, candy.]

Candy, kan′di, n. a South Indian weight, generally containing 20 maunds, about 500 pounds English.—Also Can′die and Kan′dy. [Tamil.]

Cane, kān, n. the stem of one of the smaller palms—the calamus or rattan, or the larger grasses—bamboo and sugar-cane: a walking-stick.—v.t. to beat with a cane.—ns. Cane′-brake, a brake or thicket of canes; Cane′-chair, a chair made of rattan; Cane′-mill, a mill for bruising sugar-canes for the manufacture of sugar; Cane′-sū′gar, sugar obtained from the sugar-cane; Cane′-trash, refuse of sugar-cane used for fuel in boiling the juice; Cān′ing, a thrashing with a cane.—adj. Cān′y, made of cane.—Malacca cane, a walking-cane made without removing the bark from the brown-mottled or clouded stem of the palm, Calamus Scipionum, brought from Singapore or Sumatra. [Fr. canne—L. canna—Gr. kannē, a reed.]

Canella, kan-el′a, n. a genus of low aromatic trees, one species the whitewood of wild cinnamon of the West Indies, yielding canella or white cinnamon bark.

Canephor, kan′e-fōr, n. (archit.) a female figure bearing a basket on her head. [Gr. kanēphoros, one of the bearers upon their heads at the Panathenaic festival of the baskets containing the sacrificial implements.]

Canescent, ka-nes′ent, adj. tending to white: hoary. [L. canescens—canēre—canus, hoary.]

Cangue, Cang, kang, n. a Chinese portable pillory borne on the shoulders by petty offenders. [Fr. cangue—Port. cango, a yoke.]

Canicular, ka-nik′ū-lar, adj. pertaining to the Dog-star (Canic′ula) or to the Dog-days: (coll. and hum.) pertaining to a dog. [L. canicularis, canicula, dim. of canis, a dog.]

Canine, ka-nīn′, adj. like or pertaining to the dog.—Canine appetite, an inordinate appetite; Canine letter = R; Canine teeth, the four sharp-pointed tearing teeth in most mammals, one on each side of the upper and lower jaw, between the incisors or cutting teeth and the molars or grinders. [L. caninus, canis, a dog.]

Canister, kan′is-tėr, n. a box or case, usually of tin, for holding tea, shot, &c.: short for canister-shot, or case-shot.—n. Can′ister-shot (same as Case-Shot, q.v.). [L. canistrum, a wicker-basket; Gr. kanastron—kannē, a reed.]

Canities, ka-nish′i-ēz, n. whiteness of the hair.

Canker, kang′kėr, n. an eating sore: a gangrene: a disease in trees, or in horses' feet: anything that corrupts, consumes, irritates, or decays.—v.t. to eat into, corrupt, or destroy: to infect or pollute: to make sour and ill-conditioned.—v.i. to grow corrupt: to decay.—adj. Cank′ered, corroded: venomous, malignant: soured: crabbed.—adv. Cank′eredly.—n. Cank′eredness.—adj. Cank′erous, corroding like a canker.—n. Cank′er-worm, a worm that cankers or eats into plants.—adj. Cank′ery, affected with canker: (Scot.) crabbed. [L. cancer, a crab, gangrene.]

Canna, kan′na, n. a genus of reed-like plants—Indian shot: the upright stem of a candlestick, &c.: the tube by which the wine was taken from the chalice. [L., a reed.]

Canna, kan′na, n. cotton-grass. [Gael. cánach.]

Cannabic, kan′a-bik, adj. pertaining to hemp.—ns. Cann′abin, a resin obtained from the plant Cannabis Indica; Cann′abis, a genus of urticaceous plants, yielding bhang.

Cannel, kan′el, n. a bituminous coal that burns with a bright flame, and is much used for making coal oils and gas.—Also Cann′el-coal, Can′dle-coal. [Prob. conn. with Candle, because of the similarity in burning.]

Cannelure, kan′e-lūr, n. a groove or a fluting: a groove round the cylindrical part of a bullet. [Fr.]

Cannibal, kan′i-bal, n. one who eats human flesh.—adj. relating to cannibalism.—n. Cann′ibalism, the practice of eating human flesh.—adj. Cannibalist′ic—adv. Cann′ibally (Shak.). [Sp., a corr. of Caribals (Eng. Caribs), the native name of the West India Islanders, who ate human flesh.]

Cannikin, kan′i-kin, n. a small can. [Dim. of Can.]

Cannon, kan′un, n. a great gun used in war: a stroke in billiards in which the player hits both the red and his opponent's ball.—v.i. to cannonade: to make a cannon at billiards: to collide.—n. Cannonade′, an attack with cannon.—v.t. to attack or batter with cannon.—ns. Cannonad′ing; Cann′on-ball, a ball usually made of cast-iron, to be shot from a cannon; Cann′on-bit, or Cann′on, a smooth round bit; Cann′on-bone, the long bone between the knee and the foot of a horse; Cannoneer′, Cannonier′, one who manages cannon; Cann′on-game, a form of billiards in which, the table having no pockets, the game consists in making a series of cannons; Cann′on-met′al, an alloy of about 90 parts of copper and 10 of tin, from which cannon are manufactured.—adj. Cann′on-proof, proof against cannon-shot.—ns. Cann′onry, cannonading: artillery; Cann′on-shot, a cannon-ball: the distance to which a cannon will throw a ball. [Fr. canon, from L. canna, a reed.]

Cannot, kan′ot, v.i. to be unable. [Can and Not.]

Cannula, kan′ū-la, n. a surgical tube, esp. that enclosing a trocar or perforator, and the breathing-tube inserted in the windpipe after tracheotomy.—adj. Cann′ulate. [Dim. of canna, a reed.]

Canny, kan′i, adj. (Scot.) knowing: shrewd: having supernatural power (see Uncanny): comfortable: careful in money matters: gentle: sly or pawky.—adv. Cann′ily.—n. Cann′iness.—To ca' canny, to go or act cautiously. [From Can, to be able.]

Canoe, ka-nōō′, n. a boat made of the hollowed trunk of a tree, or of bark or skins: a skiff driven by paddling.—v.t. to paddle a canoe.—n. Canoe′ist. [Sp. canoa—Haytian canoa.]

Cañon, kan-yon′, n. a deep gorge or ravine between high and steep banks, worn by watercourses. [Sp. cañon, a hollow, from root of Cannon.]

Canon, kan′un, n. a law or rule, esp. in ecclesiastical matters: a general rule: standard: the books of Scripture accepted as the standard or rule of faith by the Christian Church: a species of musical composition: one bound by certain vows over and above those binding upon regular members of his community—a canon regular: a clerical dignitary belonging to a cathedral, enjoying special emoluments, and obliged to reside there part of the year: a list of saints canonised: (print.) a large kind of type.—n. Can′oness, a female beneficiary of a regular religious college.—adjs. Canon′ic, -al, according to or included in the canon: regular: ecclesiastical.—adv. Canon′ically.—n.pl. Canon′icals, the official dress of the clergy, regulated by the church canons.—ns. Canonic′ity, the state of belonging to the canon of Scripture; Canonisā′tion.—v.t. Can′onise, to enrol in the canon or list of saints.—n. Can′onist, one versed in the canon law.—adj. Canonist′ic.—ns. Can′on-law, a digest of the formal decrees of councils, œcumenical, general, and local, of diocesan and national synods, and of patriarchal decisions as to doctrine and discipline; Can′onry, the benefice of a canon.—Canon of the mass, that part of the mass which begins after the 'Sanctus' with the prayer 'Te igitur,' and ends just before the 'Paternoster;' Canon residentiary, a canon obliged to reside at a cathedral and take a share in the duty; Honorary canon, one having the titular rank of canon in a cathedral, but without duties or emoluments; Minor canon, a cleric in orders, attached to a cathedral, his duty being to assist the canons in singing divine service. [A.S., Fr., from L. canon—Gr. kanōn, a straight rod—kannē, a reed.]

Canophilist, ka-nof′i-list, n. a lover of dogs. [L. canis, a dog, Gr. philein, to love.]

Canopus, ka-nō′pus, n. a bright star in the southern constellation Argo navis: an Egyptian vase for holding the entrails of the body embalmed.—adj. Canop′ic. [L.,—Gr.]

Canopy, kan′o-pi, n. a covering over a throne or bed: a covering of state stretched over the head: any covering, as the sky: a roof-like projection over a niche, tomb, statue, &c.: the wooden covering over prebends' stalls in cathedrals, pulpits, altars, &c.—v.t. to cover with a canopy:—pr.p. can′opying; pa.p. can′opied. [Fr. canapé—Low L. canopeum—Gr. kōnōpeion, a mosquito curtain—kōnōps, a mosquito.]

Canorous, kan-ō′rus, adj. musical: melodious.—adv. Canō′rously.—n. Canō′rousness. [L. canorus, from canor, melody—canĕre, to sing.]

Canstick, kan′stik, n. (Shak.) a candlestick.

Cant, kant, v.i. to speak in a conventional manner: to use the language of thieves, &c.: to talk in an affectedly solemn or hypocritical way.—n. a hypocritical or affected style of speech: the language peculiar to a sect: odd or peculiar talk of any kind: slang: a common saying: affected use of religious phrases or sentiments.—n. Cant′er, one who cants, a beggar: one who makes hypocritical professions.—adj. Cant′ing, whining, pretending to piety: (her.) allusive (see Allusive). [L. cantāre, freq. of canĕre, to sing.]

Cant, kant, n. an inclination from the level: a toss or jerk: a sloping or tilted position: one of the segments forming a side-piece in the head of a cask: a ship's timber lying obliquely to the line of the keel.—v.t. to turn on the edge or corner: to tilt or toss suddenly.—ns. Cant′ing, tilting; Cant′ing-coin; Cant′ing-wheel; Cant′-rail, a timber running along the tops of the upright pieces in the sides of the body of a railway-carriage and supporting the roof and roof-sticks. [Prob. conn. with Dut. kant; Ger. kante, corner.]

Cant, kant, n. sale by auction.—v.t. to sell by auction. [O. Fr. encant, auction; der. uncertain, cf. Low L. incantāre, to put up to auction.]

Cant, kant, adj. brisk: lively. [Scot.; der. unknown. See Canty.]

Can't, känt, a colloquial contraction for Cannot.

Cantab, kan′tab, for Cantabrigian, adj. of or pertaining to Cambridge—Latinised Cantabrigia.

Cantabank, kan′ta-bangk, n. a strolling singer. [It. cantambanco.]

Cantaloup, kan′ta-loop, n. a small, ribbed variety of musk-melon. [Fr.,—It. Cantalupo, a town near Rome, where it was first grown in Europe.]

Cantankerous, kan-tang′kėr-us, adj. cross-grained: perverse in temper.—adv. Cantan′kerously.—n. Cantan′kerousness. [M. E. contak, quarrelling.]

Cantar, kan′tär, n. a Turkish weight of 100 rotls or pounds.

Cantata, kan-tä′ta, n. originally the name applied to a sort of musical narrative by one person, accompanied by a single instrument; subsequently an air was introduced—the modern concert-aria: now also a choral work, either sacred, and similar to, but shorter than the oratorio, or secular, either lyric or dramatic, but not intended for the stage.—ns. Canta′te, the 98th Psalm, from its opening words in Latin, 'Cantate Domino;' Can′tatrice, a female singer. [It.,—L. cantāre, freq. of canĕre, to sing.]

Canteen, kan-tēn′, n. a tin vessel used by soldiers for holding liquors: a barrack-tavern, or refreshment-house for the use of the soldiers. [Fr. cantine—It. cantina, a cellar; further der. uncertain.]

Canter, kan′tėr, n. an easy gallop.—v.i. to move at an easy gallop.—v.t. to make to canter. [Orig. Canterbury-gallop, from the easy pace at which the pilgrims rode to the shrine at Canterbury.]

Canterbury, kan′tėr-ber-ri, n. a stand with divisions in it for holding books, music, &c.—Canterbury Bells (see Campanula).

Cantharides, kan-thar′i-dēz, n.pl. Spanish flies, used for blistering.—adjs. Canthar′idal, Cantharid′ian, Cantharid′ic, composed of cantharides.—n. Canthar′idine, the active principle of blistering-flies. [L. cantharis, beetle, pl. cantharides.]

Cantharus, kan′tha-rus, n. a large two-handled drinking-cup: a laver in the atrium before ancient churches;—pl. Can′tharī, [L.]

Canthus, kan′thus, n. the angle formed by the junction of the eyelids: one of the upper and lower or anterior and posterior extremities of the compound eyes of insects:—pl. Can′thi (-thī). [Gr. kanthos, corner of the eye.]

Canticle, kan′ti-kl, n. a song: a non-metrical hymn, esp. one of those used in the public services of the church, as the Benedicite: (pl.) the Song of Solomon.—n. Can′ticum, a canticle: a part-song in an ancient play. [L. canticulum, dim of canticum.]

Cantilena, kan-ti-lē′na, n. a ballad or light song: a cantus firmus or melody for church use: a singing exercise or solfeggio. [L.]

Cantilever, kan′ti-lēv-ėr, n. a large bracket used in architecture for supporting cornices, balconies, and even stairs—the principle has been applied in the construction of bridges to support enormous weights.—Also Can′taliver. [Prob. made up of Cant, angle, and Fr. lever, to raise.]

Cantillate, kan′ti-lāt, v.t. and v.i. to chant, intone.—n. Cantillā′tion.—adj. Can′tillatory.

Cantion, kan′shun, n. (Spens.) a song.

Cantle, kan′tl, n. a fragment or edge of anything: the protuberant part of the back of a saddle: (Scot.) the top of the head.—v.t. to cut a piece from: to divide.—ns. Cant′let, a fragment, cantle; Cant′ling, the lower course of bricks enclosing a brick-clamp. [Cant, edge.]

Canto, kan′tō, n. division of a song or poem: the treble or leading melody.—n. Can′tor, the leader of the singing in a church, a precentor.—adjs. Cantō′rial; Cantō′ris (gen. of L. cantor), of or belonging to the cantor or precentor.—n. Can′tus, a melody, esp. an ecclesiastical style of music.—Canto fermo, the simple melody of the hymns and chants used in the Christian Church of the West from the earliest times. [It.,—L. cantus—canĕre, to sing.]

Canton, kan′tun, n. a division of territory, constituting in Switzerland a separate government, in France a subdivision of an arrondissement: (her.) an ordinary of a shield, being a square occupying generally the dexter, sometimes the sinister, chief of the field.—v.t. to divide into cantons: to allot quarters to troops.—adjs. Can′tonal, pertaining to or divided into cantons; Can′toned (archit.), ornamented at the corners with projecting pilasters: (her.) placed in the midst of charges occupying the corners.—n. Can′tonment (also pronounced can-tōōn′ment), the temporary quarters of troops when taking part in manœuvres or active operations: in India, permanent military towns, distinct and at some little distance from the principal cities. [O. Fr. canton; It. cantone, corner, district—canto, a corner: cf. Cant (2).]

Cantor. See under Canto.

Cantred, kan′tred, n. a division of the country: a hundred. [W. cantref—cant, hundred, and tref, town.]

Cantrip, kan′trip, n. a freak or wilful piece of trickery: a witch's spell. [Scot.; ety. unknown; Jamieson suggested cant, to turn over, raip, a roap.]

Cantuarian, kan-tū-ā′ri-an, adj. pertaining to Canterbury as the archiepiscopal see of the primate of the Church of England. [Low L. Cantuarius, Cantuarensis—A.S. Cantware (pl.), the people of Kent.]

Canty, kan′ti, adj. cheerful, lively.—n. Can′tiness. [Scot.; cf. Low Ger. kantig.]

Canvas, kan′vas, n. a coarse cloth made of hemp, used for sails, tents, &c., and for painting on: the sails of a ship.—v.t. to cover with canvas.—ns. Can′vas-back, a North American duck, very good eating, its back ashy white, crossed by broken, zigzag, dark lines; Can′vas-climb′er (Shak.), a sailor; Can′vas-stretch′er, a wooden frame on which canvas is stretched for oil-painting; Can′vas-work, embroidery upon cloth over which canvas has been laid to guide the stitches: an embroidery in Berlin wool on silk canvas with plush-stitch.—Under canvas, having the sails unfurled, under sail: living in tents. [O. Fr. canevas—L. and Gr. cannabis, hemp.]

Canvass, kan′vas, v.t. to sift, examine: to discuss: to solicit votes, contributions, &c.—v.i. to solicit votes, &c. (with for).—n. close examination: a seeking or solicitation.—n. Can′vasser. [From Canvas.]

Cany, kān′i, adj. (Milton) made of canes.

Canyon. Same as Cañon.

Canzone, kan-zō′nā, n. a song or air in two or more parts, with passages of fugue and imitation: a series of stanzas in Italian poetry, of various metrical arrangements, and restricted to no set themes—(dim.) Canzonet′, Canzonette′. [It., a song (Fr. chanson), L. cantion-em, canĕre, to sing.]

Caoutchouc, kow′chuk, n. the highly elastic juice or gum of a plant which grows in South America and Asia: india-rubber. [Fr.—Carib. cahuchu.]

Cap, kap, n. a woman's head-dress of muslin, or the like: a boy's head-dress, any kind of unbrimmed covering for the head: a cap-like covering of any kind: a cover: the top.—v.t. to put on a cap, as the official cap of a degree in some colleges: to outdo or surpass: to cover the end or top: to raise the cap in token of respect:—pr.p. cap′ping; pa.p. capped.—n. Cap′-case, a small travelling-case, a chest.—Cap and bells, the characteristic marks of a professional jester; Cap a story, quotation, verse, &c., to follow one up with another, or with its proper continuation or conclusion; Cap in hand, symbolic of reverence or submission; Cap of liberty, or Phrygian bonnet, the conical cap given to a Roman slave on enfranchisement, now the symbol of republicanism; Cap of maintenance (see Maintenance).—A feather in one's cap, something giving distinction: something to be proud of.—Black cap, that put on by the judge before pronouncing sentence of death; College cap, the so-called square mortarboard, or trencher-cap, worn at English colleges.—Percussion cap, a small copper cylinder, closed at one end, for conveniently holding the detonating powder which is exploded by the act of percussion in percussion-arms.—Set one's cap at, of a woman, to set herself to captivate a man's fancy.—The cap fits, the allusion hits or suits; Throw up one's cap, in token of immoderate joy. [A.S. cæppe—Low L. cappa, a cape or cope.]

Cap, kap, n. a wooden drinking-bowl, with two handles. [Scot., prob. from A.S. copp, a cup; prob. Scand. koppr.]

Capa, kä′pa, n. a Spanish cloak: fine Cuban tobacco for the outsides of cigars. [Sp.]

Capable, kāp′a-bl, adj. having ability, power, or skill to do: qualified, competent.—ns. Capabil′ity, Cap′ableness. [Fr.,—Low L. capabilis—L. capĕre, to hold, take.]

Capacity, kap-as′i-ti, n. power of holding or grasping a thing: room: volume: power of mind: character: position enabling one to do something.—adj. Capā′cious, including much: roomy: wide: extensive.—adv. Capā′ciously.—n. Capā′ciousness.—v.t. Capac′itate, to make capable: to qualify; Capacity for heat, power of absorbing heat.—Legal capacity, the power to alter one's rights or duties by the exercise of free-will, or responsibility to punishment for one's acts. [Fr.,—L. capacitas,—capĕre, to take, hold.]

Cap-à-pie, kap-a-pē′, adv. from head to foot, referring to arming, as a knight. [O. Fr. cap a pie (mod. de pied en cap)—L. caput, head, and pes, foot.]

Caparison, ka-par′is-un, n. the covering of a horse: a rich cloth laid over a war-horse: dress and ornaments generally.—v.t. to cover with a cloth, as a horse: to dress very richly.—adj. Capar′isoned. [Fr. caparaçon—Sp. caparazon, augmentative of capa, a cape, cover—Low L. cappa.]

Cape, kāp, n. a covering for the shoulders attached as a tippet to a coat or cloak: a sleeveless cloak. [O. Fr. cape—Low L. cappa.]

Cape, kāp, n. a head or point of land running into the sea: a headland: a wine produced in Cape Colony.—v.i. (naut.) to keep a course.—The Cape, for the Cape Colony. [Fr. cap—L. caput, the head.]

Capelin, kap′e-lin, n. a small fish of the smelt family, extremely abundant on the coasts of Newfoundland, and much used as bait in the cod-fishery.—Also Cap′lin. [Fr. and Sp. capelan.]

Capeline, kap′e-lin, n. a small iron skull-cap worn by archers in the middle ages: a light woollen hood worn by ladies going out to an evening party: a surgical bandage for the head.—Also Cap′elline. [Fr.,—Low L. capella—capa, a cap.]

Capellet, kap′e-let, n. a wen-like swelling on a horse's elbow, or on the back part of his hock. [Fr.,—Low L. capella—capa, a cap.]

Capell-meister. Same as Kapellmeister (q.v.).

Caper, kā′pėr, n. the pickled flower-bud of the caper-shrub, much grown in Sicily. It has an agreeable pungency of taste, with a slight bitterness, and is much used in sauces, along with boiled mutton, &c.—n. Cā′per-tea, a black tea with a knotty curled leaf. [L. and Gr. capparis.]

Caper, kā′pėr, v.i. to leap or skip like a goat: to dance in a frolicsome manner.—n. a leap: a prank.—n. Cā′perer, a dancer.—To cut a caper, to dance or act fantastically. [See Capriole.]

Capercailzie, kā-per-kāl′yi, n. a species of grouse, almost equal in size to a turkey, and the largest of the gallinaceous birds of Europe.—Also Capercail′lie. [Gael. capull coilie, large woodcock.]

Capernaite, kap-er′na-īt, n. a polemical term applied to a believer in transubstantiation—from John, vi. 52.—adj. Capernait′ic.—adv. Capernait′ically. [Capernaum, a town in Galilee.]

Capernoitie, kap-er-noi′ti, n. (Scot.) head, noddle.—n. Capernoi′tedness.—adjs. Capernoi′ty, Capernoi′ted, peevish: crabbed.

Capias, kā′pi-as, n. a judicial writ, commanding the sheriff to arrest the person named in it. [L. capias, thou mayst take—L. capĕre, to take.]

Capibara. Same as Capybara.

Capillaire, kap-il-lār′, n. (orig.) a syrup extracted from the maiden-hair fern: a simple syrup flavoured with orange-flower water. [Fr., 'maiden-hair'—L. capillaris. See Capillary.]

Capillament, ka-pil′a-ment, n. a filament or fine fibre. [L. capillamentum—capillus, hair.]

Capillary, kap′il-a-ri, or ka-pil′a-ri, adj. as fine or minute as a hair: having a very small bore, as a tube.—n. a tube with a bore as fine as a hair: (pl.) the minute vessels that unite the veins and arteries in animals.—adj. Capillaceous (kap-i-lā′shi-us), hair-like, capillary.—n. Capillar′ity, a name given to certain phenomena which appear when open tubes, having a very small bore, are placed in vessels containing liquids—e.g., if placed in water, the level of the water in the tube will be above that of the general surface.—adj. Cap′illose, hairy. [L. capillaris—capillus, hair, akin to caput, the head, akin to Eng. Head.]

Capital, kap′it-al, adj. relating to the head: involving the loss of the head; chief: principal: excellent.—n. the head or top part of a column or pillar: the chief or most important thing: the chief city of a country: a large letter, such as used on title-pages, &c.: the stock or money for carrying on any business.—n. Capitalisā′tion, the act of converting into capital: printing with capital letters.—v.t. Cap′italīse, to convert into capital or money.—ns. Cap′italism, condition of possessing capital: the economic system which generates capitalists; Cap′italist, one who has capital or money.—adv. Cap′itally, chiefly: principally: excellently: by capital punishment.—adj. Cap′itate (bot.), growing in or shaped like a head.—ns. Capitā′tion, a numbering of every head or individual: a tax on every head; Capite (kap′it-i), an ancient English tenure (Shak.).—Circulating or Floating capital consists of the wages paid to the workmen, and of the raw material used up in the processes of industry, &c.; Fixed capital consists of buildings, machines, tools, &c.—Hold lands in capite, to hold them directly from the sovereign.—Make capital out of, to turn to advantage. [O. Fr. capitel—L. capitalis—caput, the head.]

Capitan, kap-i-tan′, or kap′i-tan, n. the chief admiral of the Turkish fleet.—n. Capitan′o, a head-man. [See Captain.]

Capitol, kap′it-ol, n. the temple of Jupiter at Rome, built on the Capitoline hill: (U.S.) the house where Congress meets.—adjs. Capitō′lian, Capit′oline. [L. Capitolium—caput, the head.]

Capitular, kap-it′ūl-ar, n. a statute passed in a chapter or ecclesiastical court: a member of a chapter—also Capit′ulary.—adj. relating or belonging to a chapter in a cathedral.—adv. Capit′ularly. [See Chapter.]

Capitulate, kap-it′ūl-āt, v.i. to treat: to draw up terms of agreement: to yield or surrender on certain conditions or heads.—ns. Capit′ulant; Capitulā′tion.—adj. Capit′ulatory, recapitulatory. [Low L. capitulatus, pa.p. of capitulāre, to arrange under heads—capitulum, a chapter.]

Capitulum, ka-pit′ū-lum, n. (bot.) a close head of sessile flowers, as in Compositæ: (anat.) the head of a bone, esp. of a rib—also Capitel′lum.—adj. Capit′ular. [L., dim. of caput, head.]

Caple, Capul, kā′pl, n. a horse. [M. E. capel; cf. Ice. kapall; Ir. capall; prob. from Low L. caballus, a horse.]

Capnomancy, kap′no-man-si, n. divination by means of smoke. [Gr. kapnos, smoke, manteia, divination.]

Capocchia, ka-pok′ia, n. (Shak.) a fool. [It.]

Capon, kā′pn, n. a castrated cock: a fish: a letter.—v.t. Cā′ponise. [A.S. capun; L. capon-em, Gr. kapōn—koptein, to cut. See Chop.]

Caponiere, kap-ō-nēr′, n. a covered passage across the ditch of a fortified place.—Also Caponier′. [Fr.]

Caporal, kap-or-al′, n. a kind of shag tobacco. [Fr.]

Capot, ka-pot′, n. the winning of all the tricks at the game of piquet, and scoring forty.—v.i. to win all the tricks in piquet. [Fr.]

Capote, ka-pōt′, n. a long kind of cloak or mantle. [Fr., dim. of cape, a cloak.]

Cappagh-brown, kap′a-brown, n. a brown pigment yielded by a bituminous earth from Cappagh near Cork.—Also Capp′ah-brown.

Capric, kap′rik, adj. in Capric acid, a fatty acid obtained from butter, &c., having a slightly goat-like smell.—ns. Cap′rin, Cap′rine, a compound of capric acid and glycerine found in butter. [L. caper, a goat.]

Caprice, ka-prēs′, n. a change of humour or opinion without reason: a freak: changeableness.—ns. Capriccio (ka-prēt′cho), a sportive motion: (mus.) a species of free composition, not subject to rule as to form or figure; Capriccio′so, a direction in music for a free style.—adj. Capri′cious (Shak.), humorous: full of caprice: changeable.—adv. Capri′ciously.—n. Capri′ciousness. [Fr. caprice—It. capriccio; perh. from L. capra, a she-goat.]

Capricorn, kap′ri-korn, n. one of the twelve signs of the zodiac, like a horned goat. [L. capricornus—caper, a goat, cornu, a horn.]

Caprification, kap-ri-fi-kā′shun, n. a method supposed to hasten the ripening of figs, by puncturing.—adj. Cap′riform, goat-shaped. [L. caprificus, the wild fig—caper, a goat, and ficus, a fig.]

Caprin, Caprine. See Capric.

Caprine, kap′rin, adj. like a goat.

Capriole, kap′ri-ōl, n. a caper: a leap without advancing.—v.i. to leap: to caper. [O. Fr. capriole—It. capriola—L. caper, capra, a goat.]

Capsicum, kap′si-kum, n. a tropical plant or shrub, from which cayenne pepper is made.—n. Cap′sicine, the active principle of capsicum. [From L. capsa, a case, its berries being contained in pods or capsules—capĕre, to take, hold.]

Capsize, kap-sīz′, v.t. to upset.—v.i. to be upset. [Ety. dub.; Prof. Skeat suggests Sp. cabezar, to nod, pitch.]

Capstan, kap′stan, n. an upright machine turned by spokes so as to wind upon it a cable which draws something, generally the anchor, on board ship. [Fr. cabestan, capestan, through Low L. forms from L. capĕre, to take, hold.]

Capsule, kap′sūl, n. the seed-vessel of a plant: a small dish.—adjs. Cap′sular, Cap′sulary, hollow like a capsule: pertaining to a capsule; Cap′sulate, -d, enclosed in a capsule. [Fr.,—L. capsula, dim. of capsa, a case—capĕre, to hold.]

Captain, kap′tān, or kap′tin, n. a head or chief officer: the commander of a troop of horse, a company of infantry, or a ship: the overseer of a mine: the leader of a team or club: the head-boy of a school.—v.t. to lead.—ns. Cap′taincy, the rank or commission of a captain; Cap′tain-gen′eral, chief commander of an army; Cap′tainship, Cap′tainry (obs.), rank or condition of a captain: skill in commanding. [O. Fr. capitaine—Low L. capitaneus, chief—L. caput, head.]

Caption, kap′shun, n. the act of taking: an arrest: (Eng. law) the formal title of indictments and depositions which shows the authority under which it is executed or taken: in Scotland, prior to 1837, the name given to the formal warrant to apprehend a debtor or other defaulting obligant, which was given in the Bill Chamber after letters of horning had been executed.—adj. Cap′tious, ready to catch at faults or take offence: critical: peevish.—adv. Cap′tiously.—n. Cap′tiousness. [L. captionem—capĕre, to take.]

Captivate, kap′tiv-āt, v.t. to charm: to engage the affections.—adj. Cap′tivāting, having power to engage the affections. [See Captive.]

Captive, kap′tiv, n. one taken: a prisoner of war: one kept in bondage.—adj. taken, or kept prisoner in war; charmed or subdued by anything.—ns. Cap′tivaunce (Spens.), captivity; Captiv′ity; Cap′tor, one who takes a prisoner or a prize; Cap′ture, the act of taking: the thing taken: an arrest.—v.t. to take as a prize: to take by force. [L. captivus—capĕre, captum.]

Capuccio, ka-pōōch′i-o, n. (Spens.) a hood. [It.]

Capuche, ka-pūsh′, n. a hood, esp. that worn by the Capuchins.—n. Capuchin, (kap′ū-chin or kap-ōō-shēn′), a Franciscan monk, so called from the hood he wears: a hooded pigeon. [Fr. capucin, It. cappucino, a small cowl—Low L. cappa. See Cap, Cape.]

Capul. See Caple.

Caput, käp′ut, n. a head.—Caput mortuum, the residuum after distillation: worthless residue.

Capybara, kap-i-bär′a, n. the largest of rodent quadrupeds, native to South America, allied to the guinea-pig. [Brazilian.]

Car (old form Carr), kär, n. a vehicle moved on wheels, applied to very various forms—a large and splendid vehicle, as a triumphal car, a funeral car, the two-wheeled Irish jaunting-car; in Birmingham, a four-wheeled cab, as opposed to a hansom (cab); in America, applied to all vehicles for railway travelling, as passenger-car, palace-car, freight-car, &c.; in England, applied only to the carriages of street tramways: a railway carriage: (poet.) a chariot: the part of a balloon in which the aeronauts sit.—n. Car′man, a man who drives a car or cart: a carter. [O. Fr. car—Low L. carra, carrus, itself a Celt. word, seen in Ir. carr, Bret. karr.]

Carabine. Sec Carbine.

Caracal, kar′a-kal, n. the Persian lynx. [Fr., prob. Turk. qara, qulaq, black ear.]

Caracara, kar-a-kar′a, n. a popular name for the South American Polyborinæ, a sub-family of Falconidæ, resembling the vultures. [Imit.]

Carack. See Carrack.

Caracole, kar′a-kōl, n. the half-turn or wheel made by a horseman: a winding stair.—v.i. to turn half-round, as cavalry in wheeling: to prance about.—p.adj. Car′acoling. [Fr. caracole—It. caracollo—Sp. caracol, the spiral shell of a snail.]

Caract, kar′akt, n. mark: sign: character (q.v.).

Carafe, ka-raf′, n. a water-bottle for the table, [Fr. carafe, prob. from Ar. gharafa, to draw water.]

Carambola, ka-ram′bō-la, n. the acrid pulpy fruit of a small East Indian tree, used for tarts, &c.: the tree itself.

Carambole. See Carom.

Caramel, kar′a-mel, n. a dark-brown substance produced by the action of heat on sugar, used in colouring whisky, wines, &c.: a kind of confection, usually of chocolate, sugar, and butter.—Also Car′omel. [Fr.—Sp. caramelo; further origin dubious.]

Carapa, kar′a-pa, n. a genus of tropical trees of natural order Meliaceæ, a South American species yielding the useful carap-oil or crab-oil. [Caraipi, the native Guiana name.]

Carapace, kar′a-pās, n. the shell of the crab, tortoise, &c.—adj. Carapā′cial. [Fr.—Sp. carapacho.]

Carat, kar′at, n. a weight of 4 grains: a proportional measure of 1⁄24 in stating the fineness of gold. [Fr.,—Ar. qīrāt, perh. from Gr. keration, a seed or bean used as a weight.]

Carauna, ka-raw′na, n. an aromatic resinous substance yielded by a tree on the Amazon, formerly used in plasters.—Also Caran′na.

Caravan, kar′a-van, n. a company of travellers associated together for security in crossing the deserts in the East: a company of people: a large close carriage, or any kind of house on wheels.—ns. Caravaneer′, the leader of a caravan; Caravan′sary, Caravan′sera, a kind of unfurnished inn where caravans stop. [Pers. kārwānsarāī—kārwān, caravan, sarāi, inn.]

Caravel, kar′av-el, n. a kind of light sailing-vessel. [Fr.,—It. caravelia; cf. Low L. carabus, Gr. karabos, a bark.]

Caraway, kar′a-wā, n. a plant with aromatic seeds, used as a tonic and condiment.—n. Car′away-seed. [Prob. through Sp. from Ar. karwiyā; cf. Gr. karon.]

Carbazotic, kar-bā-zot′ik, adj. consisting of carbon and azote.

Carbide. See Carbon.

Carbine, kär′bīn, n. a short light musket—also Car′abine.—ns. Carbineer′, Carabineer′, a soldier armed with a carbine. [Fr. carabine, O. Fr. calabrin, a carbineer—calabre, a machine for casting stones—Low L. chadabula, Gr. katabolē, overthrow. Thus Diez; Littré thinks calabrin from Calabrian.]

Carbolic acid, kar-bol′ik as′id, n. an acid produced from coal-tar, used as a disinfectant. [L. carbo, coal.]

Carbon, kär′bon, n. an elementary substance, widely diffused, of which pure charcoal is an example.—n. Car′bide, a compound of carbon with a metal, formerly called Car′buret.—adjs. Carbonā′ceous, Carbon′ic, pertaining to or composed of carbon.—n. Car′bonate, a salt formed by the union of carbonic acid with a base.—adjs. Car′bonated, combined or impregnated with carbonic acid; Carbonif′erous, producing carbon or coal.—n. Carbonisā′tion—v.t. Car′bonise, to make into carbon.—Carbonic acid, an acid formed of carbon and oxygen, generally gaseous, and evolved by respiration and combustion. [Fr. carbone—L. carbon-em, coal.]

Carbonado, kär-bon-ā′do, n. (obs.) a piece of meat cut crossways for broiling on coals.—v.t. to cut crossways for broiling: to slash. [Sp. carbonada.]

Carbonari, kär-bon-är′i, n.pl. members of a secret society in Italy at the beginning of this century, founded to help forward a republican government.—n. Carbonar′ism. [It., lit. 'charcoal burners.']

Carboy, kar′boi, n. a large bottle of green or blue glass, protected with a frame of basket-work or wood, used for holding sulphuric acid or the like. [Pers. qarābah.]

Carbuncle, kär′bung-kl, n. a fiery-red precious stone: an inflamed ulcer: a pimple on the nose.—adjs. Car′buncled, set with the gem carbuncle; afflicted with carbuncles: having red inflamed spots; Carbun′cular, belonging to or like a carbuncle: red: inflamed. [L. carbunculus, dim. of carbo, a coal.]

Carburet, same as Carbide (q.v. under Carbon).—adj. Car′buretted.—n. Carburet′ter, or Carburet′tor, an apparatus for charging gases with carbon.

Carcajou, kär′ka-jōō, n. the American wolverine.

Carcake, kar′kāk, n. a kind of cake for Shrove Tuesday. [Scot.—A.S. caru, grief, and Cake.]

Carcanet, kär′ka-net, n. a collar of jewels. [Carcan, an obsolete word for an iron collar used for punishment—Low L. carcannum, from Teut.]

Carcass, Carcase, kär′kas, n. a dead body or corpse, no longer used of the human body: the framework of anything: a ruin: a kind of bombshell. [Fr. carcasse, a skeleton (It. carcasso, a quiver), prob. from Late Gr. tarkasion, which is perh. the Pers. tarkash, a quiver.]

Carcinology, kär-si-nol′ō-ji, n. that department of zoology which treats of crabs and other crustaceans.—adj. Carcinolog′ical.—n. Carcinol′ogist. [Gr. karkinos, a crab, logia-legein, to speak.]

Carcinoma, kar-si-nōma, n. a cancer (see Cancer).—adj. Carcinō′matous.—n. Carcinō′sis, the growth and development of cancer. [Gr.]

Card, kärd, n. a piece of pasteboard marked with figures for playing a game, or with a person's address upon it: a note.—ns. Card′-board, a stiff, finely finished pasteboard; Card′-case, a case for carrying visiting-cards; Card′-sharp′er, one who cheats at cards; Card′-tā′ble, a table for playing cards on.—A knowing card (slang), one who is wide awake; A sure card, an undertaking which will be sure to succeed.—Have the cards in one's hands, to have everything under one's control; House of cards, something flimsy or unsubstantial; On the cards, likely to turn up; Play one's cards well, or badly, to make, or not to make, the best of one's chances; Show one's cards, to expose one's secrets or designs; Speak by the card, to speak with elegance and to the point; Throw up the cards, to give in: to confess defeat. [Fr. carte—L. charta, Gr. chartēs, paper. Carte is a doublet.]

Card, kärd, n. an instrument for combing wool or flax.—v.t. to comb wool, &c.—n. Card′er, one who has to do with carding wool. [Fr. carde—L. carduus, a thistle.]

Cardamine, kär′da-mīn, n. a genus of cress, including the cuckoo-flower or lady's smock, &c. [Gr. kardaminē—kardamon, cress.]

Cardamom, kär′da-mom, n. the capsules of certain tropical plants, which form an aromatic, pungent spice. [L. cardamomum—Gr. kardamōmon.]

Cardecu, kar′de-kū, n. (obs.) an old French silver coin. [Fr. quart d'écu, quarter of a crown.]

Cardiac, kär′di-ak, adj. belonging to the heart: cordial, reviving—also Cardiac′al.—ns. Car′diac, a disease of the heart: a cordial; Car′dialgy, Cardial′gia, an uneasy sensation or burning pain at the upper orifice of the stomach, apparently at the heart—hence called heartburn; Car′diograph, an apparatus for recording by a tracing—Car′diogram—the movements of the heart; Car′dioid, a geometrical curve, so called from its heart-like form; Cardīt′is, inflammation of the heart. [L.—Gr. kardiakos—kardia, the heart.]

Cardigan, kar′de-gan, n. a knitted woollen jacket, named from the Crimean hero, the Earl of Cardigan (1797-1868).

Cardinal, kär′din-al, adj. denoting that on which a thing hinges or depends: principal; of a deep scarlet colour, like a cardinal's cassock.—n. one of the seventy princes of the church constituting the sacred college at Rome, to whom pertains the right of electing a new pope: a short cloak, formerly worn by ladies.—ns. Car′dinalate, Car′dinalship, the office or dignity of a cardinal; Car′dinal-bird, a species of grosbeak, one of the finest song-birds of America, probably so called from its red plumage.—adv. Car′dinally, fundamentally: (Shak., Measure for Measure, II. i. 81) carnally.—Cardinal flower (see Lobelia); Cardinal numbers, numbers expressing how many; Cardinal points, the four chief points of the compass—north, south, east, and west; Cardinal virtues, justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude, so called because the whole of human nature was supposed to hinge or turn upon them—the natural as distinguished from the theological virtues. [Fr.—L. cardinalis—cardo, cardinis, a hinge.]

Cardoon, kar-dōōn′, n. a perennial plant, the prickly artichoke of the Mediterranean region.—Also Chardoon′. [O. Fr.,—L. carduus, a thistle.]

Carduus, kar′dū-us, n. (Shak.) a thistle.—n. Cardō′phagus, a thistle-eater, a donkey. [L.,—Gr. kardos, thistle; phagos, eater.]

Care, kār, n. anxiety, heedfulness: charge, oversight: the object of anxiety.—v.i. to be anxious: to be inclined: to have regard.—adjs. Care′-crazed (Shak.), crazed or broken with care and solicitude; Care′ful, full of care: heedful: (B.) anxious: (Spens.) dreadful.—adv. Care′fully.—n. Care′fulness.—adj. Care′less, without care: heedless, unconcerned.—ns. Care′lessness; Care′-tak′er, one put in charge of anything, esp. of an Irish farm from which a tenant has been evicted.—adj. Care′worn, worn or vexed with care.—Take care, to be careful or cautious; Take care of, to look after with care. [A.S. caru; Goth. kara, sorrow; Ice. kæra, to lament; Celt. car, care; allied to L. carus, dear.]

Careen, ka-rēn′, v.t. to lay a ship on her side to repair her bottom and keel.—v.i. of a ship, to move with an inclination to one side.—n. the position of a ship laid on one side.—n. Careen′age, a place where ships are careened: the cost of careening. [Fr. carène—L. carina, the bottom of a ship, the keel.]

Career, ka-rēr′, n. a racecourse: a race: course of action: manner of life; v.i. to gallop: to move or run rapidly. [Fr. carrière, a racecourse. See Car.]

Carême, kar-ām′, n. Lent. [Fr.]

Caress, ka-res′, v.t. to treat with affection: to fondle: to embrace.—n. any act or expression of affection. [Fr. caresser—It. carezza, an endearment; Low L. caritia—L. carus, dear.]

Caret, kā′ret, n. a mark, ^, used in writing when a word is left out. [L. caret, there is wanting.]

Carex, kā′reks, n. a genus of plants including the sedges. [L. carex, reed-grass, sedge.]

Carfax, -fox, kär′faks, -foks, n. a place where four roads meet—now used only of particular examples, as at Oxford. [Fr.—L. quadrifurc-us, four-forked.]

Cargo, kär′go, n. what a ship carries: its load. [Sp., from root of Car.]

Cargoose, kar′gōōs, n. the crested grebe. [Scand.; Ice. kjarr, copse wood, and Goose.]

Cariacou, kar′i-a-kōō, n. the Virginian deer of North America.—Also Car′jacou.

Cariama, kär-i-ä′ma, n. a South American bird of prey of large size. [Braz. cariama.]

Carib, kar′ib, n. one of a native race inhabiting parts of Central America and the north of South America—also Car′ibbee.—adj. Caribbē′an.

Caribou, kar-i-bōō′, n. the American reindeer. [Can.Fr.]

Caricature, kar′i-ka-tūr, n. a likeness of anything so exaggerated or distorted as to appear ridiculous.—v.t. to turn into ridicule by overdoing a likeness: to burlesque. Formerly spelt Caricatū′ra.—n. Caricatur′ist, one who caricatures. [It. caricatura—carricare, to load, from root of Car.]

Caries, kā′ri-ēz, n. rottenness or decay of a bone.—adj. Cā′rious, decayed. [L.]

Carillon, kar′il-yong, n. a suite of musical bells for playing tunes: the melody played on these. [Fr.,—Low L. quadrilion-em, a quaternary, because carillons were formerly rung on four bells.]

Carinate, kar′i-nāt, p.adj. keel-shaped: having a prominence on the outer surface. [L. carinatus—carina, a keel.]

Cariole, Carriole, kar′i-ōl, n. a small open carriage: a light cart. [Fr. carriole—root of Car.]

Cark, kärk, n. (arch.) care, anxiety, or solicitude.—v.t. to burden, harass.—v.i. to be anxious.—adj. Cark′ing, distressing, causing anxiety. [A.S. cearig, careful, anxious—caru, cearu, care. See Care.]

Carl, kärl, n. a husbandman, a clown: a churl: (Scot.) a niggard.—ns. Car′line, an old woman: a witch; Car′lot (Shak.), a churl, peasant. [Scand., Ice. karl, a man, a male. See Churl.]

Carline, kar′lin, n. a genus of plants closely allied to the true thistles. [From a legend that an angel showed the root of one to Charlemagne as a remedy for a plague.]

Carlist, kar′list, n. a supporter of the claims of the Spanish pretender Don Carlos de Bourbon (1788-1855), second son of Charles IV., and his representatives, as against Queen Isabella, daughter of Ferdinand VII., and her descendants.—n. Car′lism, devotion to the Carlist cause.

Carlock, kar′lok, n. a Russian isinglass obtained from the bladder of the sturgeon. [Russ.]

Carlovingian, kär-lo-vin′ji-an, adj. relating to a dynasty of Frankish kings, so called from Carl the Great or Charlemagne (742-814).

Carlylese, kar-līl′ēz, n. the vigorous, irregular, hypermetaphorical literary style and phraseology peculiar to Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881).—adjs. Carlyl′esque, Carlyl′ēan.—n. Carlyl′ism.

Carmagnole, kar′man-yōl, n. a. popular song and dance of the French Revolution: a kind of jacket worn by revolutionists at that time, with short skirts, a broad collar and lapels, and several rows of buttons. [Prob. from Carmagnola in Piedmont.]

Carmelite, kär′mel-īt, n. a monk of the order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in Syria, founded there about 1156, made a mendicant order in 1247—the habit brown, with white cloak and scapular, hence the Carmelites were popularly known as the White Friars: a monk or nun of discalced or reformed branch established by St Teresa—the barefooted Carmelites: a variety of pear; a fine woollen stuff like beige.

Carminative, kar-min′a-tiv, adj. a medicine to relieve flatulence and pain in the bowels, such as cardamoms, peppermint, ginger, and other stimulating aromatics. [L. carmināre, to card—carmen, a card for wool.]

Carmine, kär′mīn, n. the red colouring principle obtained from the cochineal insect. [Fr. or Sp. carmin—Sp. carmesí, crimson—Ar. qirmazi, crimson. Same root as Crimson.]

Carnage, kär′nāj, n. (obs.) a heap of slain: slaughter. [Fr.,—It. carnaggio, carnage—L. caro, carnis, flesh.]

Carnal, kär′nal, adj. fleshly: sensual: unspiritual: (Shak.) murderous, flesh-eating.—v.t. and v.i. to convert into flesh, to become fleshy.—v.t. Car′nalise, to make carnal: to debase carnally:—pr.p. cär′nalīsing; pa.p. cär′nalīsed.—ns. Car′nalist, a sensualist: a worldling; Carnal′ity state of being carnal.—adv. Car′nally,—adjs. Car′nal-mind′ed, worldly-minded; Car′neous, Carnose′, fleshy: of or like flesh.—n. Car′nifex, executioner.—adj. Carnific′ial.—n. Carnos′ity, a fleshy excrescence growing in and obstructing any part of the body. [L. carnalis—caro, carnis, flesh.]

Carnallite, kär′nal-īt, n. a milk-white or pinkish hydrous chloride of potassium and magnesium found in the salt-mines of Stassfurt in Prussia. [Named from the mineralogist Von Carnall (1804-74).]

Carnation, kar-nā′shun, n. flesh-colour: one of the finest of florists' flowers, a double-flowering variety of the clove pink, and existing only in a state of cultivation.—adj. Carnā′tioned, having a flesh-like colour. [L. carnatio, fleshiness.]

Carnauba, kär-nä-ōō′ba, n. a Brazilian palm yielding a yellowish wax: the wax—also Brazilian wax. [Braz.]

Carnelian, kar-nē′li-an, n. the name given to the finer varieties of chalcedony, blood-red or flesh-colour, reddish-brown, reddish-white, or yellow, more rarely milk-white.—Also Cornē′lian.

Carnival, kär′ni-val, n. a feast observed by Roman Catholics just before the fast of Lent: any season of revelry or indulgence: riotous feasting, merriment, or amusement. [It. carnevale—Low L. carnelevarium, apparently from L. carnem levare, to put away flesh.]

Carnivora, kar-niv′ō-ra, n.pl. order of flesh-eating animals.—n. Car′nivore, a carnivorous animal.—adj. Carniv′orous, flesh-eating.—adv. Carniv′orously.—n. Carniv′orousness. [L. caro, carnis, flesh, vorus, devouring.]

Carny, Carney, kär′ni, v.t. (prov.) to coax, wheedle.—v.i. to act in such a way.—n. flattery.

Carob, kar′ob, n. the algaroba or locust-tree, a tree of the order Leguminosæ, native to the Mediterranean countries. [Through Fr. from Ar. kharrūbah.]

Caroche, ka-rōsh′, n. a coach or carriage. [Fr.,—It. caraccio, carro—L. carrus, car.]

Carol, kar′ol, n. a song of joy or praise.—v.i. to sing a carol: to sing or warble.—v.t. to praise or celebrate in song:—pr.p. car′olling; pa.p. car′olled.—n. Car′olling, the act of the verb to carol. [O. Fr. carole; It. carola, orig. a ring-dance; acc. to Diez, a dim. of L. chorus.]

Carolingian, kar-ō-lin′ji-an, adj. Same as Carlovingian (q.v.).

Carolus, kar′ol-us, n. a gold coin of the time of Charles I.—adj. Car′oline, belonging to the time of Charles. [L. Carolus, Charles.]

Carom, kar′om, n. an abbreviation for Carambole, the same as Cannon in billiards.

Carotid, ka-rot′id, adj. relating to the two great arteries of the neck. [Gr. karōtides—karos, sleep, the ancients supposing that deep sleep was caused by compression of them.]

Carouse, kar-owz′, n. a drinking-bout: a noisy revel.—v.i. to hold a drinking-bout: to drink freely and noisily.—ns. Carous′al, a carouse: a feast; Carous′er, one who carouses.—adv. Carous′ingly. [O. Fr. carous, Fr. carrousse—Ger. gar aus, quite out!—that is, empty the glass.]

Carousel, kar-ōō′zel, n. a tilting match or tournament, to which were added games, shows, and allegorical representations. [Fr.]

Carp, kärp, v.i. to catch at small faults or errors (with at).—ns. Carp′er, one who carps or cavils; Carp′ing, cavilling: fault-finding.—adv. Carp′ingly. [Most prob. Scand., Ice. karpa, to boast, modified in meaning through likeness to L. carpĕre, to pluck, deride.]

Carp, kärp, n. a fresh-water fish common in ponds. [O. Fr. carpe—Low L. carpa, prob. Teut.]

Carpal, kär′pal, adj. pertaining to the wrist. [Gr. karpos, the wrist.]

Carpel, kär′pel, n. a modified leaf forming the whole or part of the pistil of a flower.—adj. Car′pellary. [Gr. karpos, fruit.]

Carpenter, kär′pent-ėr, n. a worker in timber as used in building houses, ships, &c.—v.i. to do the work of a carpenter.—ns. Car′penter-bee, a bee that excavates its nest in wood; Car′pentry, the trade or work of a carpenter, [O. Fr. carpentier—Low L. carpentarius—carpentum, a car, from root of Car.]

Carpet, kär′pet, n. the woven or felted covering of floors, stairs, &c.—v.t. to cover with a carpet:—pr.p. car′peting; pa.p. car′peted.—ns. Car′pet-bag, a travelling-bag, so called because usually made of carpeting; Car′pet-bag′ger, one who comes to a place for political or other ends, carrying his whole property qualification for citizenship with him in his carpet-bag; Car′pet-beat′ing, the removing of dust from carpets by beating; Car′pet-bed′ding, a system of horticulture in which plants are arranged in mosaic or geometrical designs; Car′peting, material of which carpets are made: carpets in general; Car′pet-knight, one dubbed a knight by mere court favour, not on account of his military exploits—hence an effeminate person; Car′pet-mong′er (Shak.), an effeminate person; Car′pet-rod, one of the narrow rods used to keep a stair carpet in its place.—On the carpet, under discussion. [O. Fr. carpite (Fr. carpette)—Low L. carpeta, a coarse fabric made from rags pulled to pieces—L. carpĕre, to pluck.]

Carpolite, kär′po-līt, n. fruit petrified or converted into stone.—n. Carpol′ogy, the part of botany which treats of the structure of fruits and seeds. [Gr. karpos, fruit, lithos, a stone, logos, a discourse.]

Carrack, kar′rak, n. a large ship of burden, which is also fitted for fighting.—Also Car′ack. [O. Fr. carraque—Low L. carraca. Ety. dub.]

Carrageen, kar-ra-gēn′, n. Carrageen moss, or Irish moss—marine alga, common on the British coasts, used for making a highly digestible soup and a kind of blanc-mange, as well as size. [From Carragheen, near Waterford in Ireland, where it is found abundantly.]

Carrat. Same as Carat.

Carraway. Same as Caraway.

Carriage, kar′ij, n. act or cost of carrying: a vehicle for carrying: behaviour: bearing: (Shak.) burden: (B.) baggage.—adj. Carr′iageable, that may be conveyed in carriages.—ns. Carr′iage-com′pany, or -peo′ple, people who keep their carriages; Carr′iage-drive, a road for carriages through parks, &c.; Carr′iage-horse, a horse that draws a carriage.—Carriage and pair, a turn-out of a carriage and two horses; Carriage free, tree of charge for carrying. [See Carry.]

Carrick-bend, kar′ik-bend, n. (naut.), a kind of knot, formed on a bight by putting the end of a rope over its standing part, and then passing it. [Perh. conn. with Carrack, and the root of Bind.]

Carriole. See Cariole.

Carrion, kar′i-un, n. the dead and putrid body or flesh of any animal: anything vile.—adj. relating to, or feeding on, putrid flesh.—n. Carr′ion-crow, a species of crow which feeds on carrion, small animals, &c. [Fr. carogne—Low L. caronia—L. caro, carnis, flesh.]

Carritch, kar′itch, n. (Scot.) a corrupted form of the word catechism.—n. Carr′iwitchet, a quibble.

Carronade, kar-un-ād′, n. a short cannon of large bore, first made at Carron in Scotland.

Carron-oil, kar′on-oil, n. a liniment composed of linseed-oil and lime-water. [From its use for burns at Carron Ironworks in Stirlingshire.]

Carrot, kar′ut, n. a genus of Umbelliferæ, having a tapering root of a reddish or yellowish colour: the root itself, which is edible and sweet.—adj. Carr′oty, carrot-coloured, applied to the hair. [Fr. carotte—L. carota.]

Carry, kar′i, v.t. to convey or bear: to lead or transport: to take by force: to effect: to behave or demean: (of money) to be sufficient for a certain purpose: to gain the election of a candidate: to get a bill passed by a majority.—v.i. (of a gun, &c.) to reach, indicating the range of its shot:—pr.p. carr′ying; pa.p. carr′ied.—n. the distance a golf-ball goes when struck till it touches the ground: range: the portage of a boat: land across which a boat has to be carried between one navigable stream and another: the position of 'carry arms,' &c.: (prov.) the sky, cloud-drift.—ns. Carr′ier, one who carries, esp. for hire; Carr′y-all, a light, four-wheeled, one-horsed carriage; Carr′ying, the act of one who carries; Carr′y-tale (Shak.), a tale-bearer.—Carry all before one, to bear down all obstacles; Carry away, to carry off: to excite the feelings: to transport; Carry off, to cause the death of: to gain, to win, as a prize: to cause to pass muster, to make to pass by assurance or dissimulation; Carry on, to promote: to continue: to behave in a certain fashion (a term of mild reprobation); Carry one's point, to overrule objections in favour of one's plan; Carry out, to accomplish fully: to carry out for burial; Carry out one's bat (cricket), to leave the wickets without having been put out; Carry over, to induce to join the other party; Carry the day, or Carry it, to be successful: to win the day; Carry through, to succeed in accomplishing; Carry too far, to exceed reasonable limits; Carry up, to continue a building to a certain height: to trace back; Carry weight, to possess authority: to have force.—Be carried, to be highly excited: to have the head turned. [O. Fr. carier,—Low L. carricāre, to cart—L. carrus, a car.]

Carse, kärs, n. in Scotland, a stretch of alluvial land along the banks of some rivers. [Scot.; perh. from an obsolete word car, a fen; cf. Dan. kjær.]

Cart, kärt, n. a two-wheeled vehicle without springs, used for farm purposes, and for conveying heavy loads.—v.t. to convey in a cart: to carry publicly in a cart as a punishment—formerly done to bawds.—ns. Cart′age, the act or cost of carting; Cart′er, one who drives a cart; Cart′-horse, a horse used for drawing a cart; Cart′-house, a shed for keeping carts; Cart′-load, as much as a cart can carry; Cart's-tail, the hind part of a cart; Cart′way, a road or way by which carts may pass; Cart′wright, a carpenter who makes carts; T′-cart, a four-wheeled open phaeton, seated for four, its ground-plan resembling a T—see also Dog-cart, Mail-cart, Tax-cart, &c.—Put the cart before the horse, to reverse the natural order of things.—Village Cart, an uncovered two-wheeled carriage for one horse, with a low body and one seat; Whitechapel cart, or Chapel cart, a light two-wheeled spring-cart much used by butchers in delivering goods to their customers. [Ety. uncertain; from A.S. cræt, or Ice. kartr.]

Carte, kärt, n. the fourth position of the wrist in fencing. [Fr. quart—L. quartus, fourth.]

Carte, kärt, n. a bill of fare: (Scot.), a playing-card: short for carte-de-visite.—ns. Carte-blanche′, a blank paper, duly signed, and given to a person, to be filled up at his pleasure; Carte-de-visite′, a small photographic portrait pasted on a card; Cart′el, a challenge: an agreement for exchange of prisoners; a card with writing on it.—Have carte-blanche, to have a commission to act with full discretionary powers. [Fr.,—L. charta. See Card.]

Cartesian, kar-tē′zhi-an, adj. relating to the French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650), or his philosophy.—Cartesian devil, diver, or bottle-imp, a scientific toy named after Descartes, illustrating the principle of specific gravity.

Carthamine, kär′tha-min, n. a dye obtained in crystals by a chemical process from safflower. [Low L. carthamus—Ar. qartum, saffron.]

Carthusian, kar-thū′zi-an, n. one of an order of monks founded by St Bruno in 1086, noted for their strictness: a scholar of the Charterhouse School.—adj. of or pertaining to the order. [L. Cartusianus—Catorissium, Chatrousse, a village in Dauphiné, near which their first monastery was founded.]

Cartilage, kär′ti-lāj, n. in vertebrate animals, a firm elastic substance, of a pearly whiteness, presenting to the unaided eye a uniform and homogeneous appearance: gristle.—adj. Cartilagi′nous, pertaining to or consisting of cartilage, gristly. [Fr.,—L. cartilago; cog. with crates, Gr. kartalos.]

Cartography, kar-tog′ra-fi, n. the art of preparing charts or maps. [L. charta, chart, map, and Gr. graphia, graph-ein, to write.]

Cartomancy, kär′tō-man-si, n. a divination by playing-cards. [Low L. carta, a card, Gr. manteia, divination.]

Carton, kär′ton, n. a thin pasteboard, a box made from such: a small disc within the bull's-eye of the target, a shot that strikes this.—ns. Car′tonnage, pasteboard: the outer covering of a mummy; Car′ton-pierre′, statuary pasteboard, a kind of papier-maché. [Fr. See Cartoon.]

Cartoon, kär-tōōn′, n. a preparatory drawing on strong paper to be transferred to frescoes, tapestry, &c.: any large sketch or design on paper, esp. a representation of current events in a comic paper.—v.t. to make a cartoon or working design: to caricature by a cartoon.—n. Cartoon′ist, one who makes cartoons. [Fr. carton (It. cartone), augmentative of Carte.]

Cartouche, kär-tōōsh′, n. a case for holding cartridges: formerly a case containing bullets to be discharged from a mortar, but now merely a waterproof canvas case for holding the cartridges of a field battery, one to each ammunition-box: (archit.) an ornament resembling a scroll of paper with the ends rolled up: an oval figure on ancient Egyptian monuments or papyri enclosing characters expressing royal or divine names.—Also Cartouch′. [Fr.,—It. cartoccio—L. charta, paper.]

Cartridge, kär′trij, n. a case made of paper, pasteboard, metal, &c., containing the charge for a gun—Blank′-car′tridges contain powder only; Ball′-cartridges contain a bullet as well.—ns. Car′tridge-bag, a bag of flannel, merino, &c., for holding a charge for a cannon; Car′tridge-belt, a belt having pockets for cartridges; Car′tridge-box, a small box for holding cartridges, carried by soldiers; Car′tridge-pā′per, a light-coloured, strong paper, originally manufactured for making cartridges. [A corr. of Cartouche.]

Cartulary, kär′tū-lar-i, n. a register-book of a monastery, &c.: one who kept the records: the place where the register is kept. [Low L. chartularium—L. chartula, a document—charta, paper.]

Carucate, kar′u-kāt, n. originally an amount of land such as one team of oxen could plough in a season.—n. Car′ucage, a tax on the carucate, first imposed by Richard I. in 1198. [Low L. carrucāta, ploughland—carruca, plough, from root of Car.]

Caruncle, kar-unk′l, n. a small fleshy excrescence, as the wattles of the turkey-cock.—adjs. Carun′cular, Carun′culate, Carun′culous. [Fr.—L. caruncula.]

Carus, kä′rus, n. complete insensibility. [Gr. karos, stupor.]

Carve, kärv, v.t. to cut into forms, devices, &c.: to make or shape by cutting: to cut up (meat) into slices or pieces: to apportion or distribute: (Shak.) to speak with suavity.—v.i. to exercise the trade of a sculptor.—p.adj. Carv′en, carved.—ns. Carv′er, one who carves: a sculptor: a carving-knife; Carv′ing, the act or art of carving, a branch of sculpture usually performed on wood or ivory: the device or figure carved: the act or art of cutting up meat at table.—Carve out, to hew out: to gain by one's exertions.—Cut and carve, to refine. [A. S. ceorfan, to cut; Dut. kerven; Ger. kerben, to notch.]

Carvel, kär′vel, n. older form of Caravel.—adj. Car′vel-built, as distinguished from clinker-built (q.v. under Clink).

Carvy, kär′vi′, n. Scotch form of Caraway.

Caryatid, kar-i-at′id, n. a female figure used instead of a column to support an entablature:—pl. Caryat′ides.—adjs. Caryat′ic, Caryat′idal, Caryatidē′an, Caryatid′ic. [Gr. Karyatides.]

Caryophyllaceous, kar-i-ō-fi-lā′shi-us, adj. belonging to the natural order Caryophyllaceæ;, applied esp. to flowers having five petals with long claws, as in the clove-pink. [Gr. karyophyllon, the clove-pink.]

Cascabel, kas′ka-bel, n. the whole rear part behind the base-ring of a cannon. [Sp.]

Cascade, kas-kād′, n. a waterfall: a trimming of lace or other material in a loose wavy fall.—v.i. to fall in cascades. [Fr.,—It.—L. cadĕre, to fall.]

Cascara, kas′ka-ra, n. the Cascara sagrada, a Californian bark used as a tonic aperient: the Cascara amarga, a bitter Honduras bark.—n. Cascarill′a, the aromatic bitter bark of the West Indian Croton Eleuteria. [Sp.]

Casco, kas′kō, n. a form of boat used at Manila for lading and unlading ships.

Case, kās, n. a covering, box, or sheath: a set: an outer coating for walls: in bookbinding, the boards and back, separate from the book: the frame in which a compositor has his types before him while at work.—v.t. to supply with a case.—n. Case′-bott′le, a bottle made to fit into a case with others.—v.t. Case′-hard′en, to convert the surface of certain kinds of malleable iron goods into steel, thereby making them harder, less liable to rust, and capable of taking on a better polish.—ns. Case′-hard′ening; Case′-knife, a large knife kept in a case; Case′maker, one who makes cases or covers for books; Case′ment, the case or frame of a window: a window that opens on hinges: a hollow moulding.—adj. Case′mented, having casements.—ns. Case′-shot, canister-shot, an artillery projectile for use at close quarters; Case′-worm, the caddice; Cas′ing, the act of the verb Case: an outside covering of any kind, as of boards, plaster, &c. [O. Fr. casse—L. capsa—capĕre, to take.]

Case, kās, n. that which falls or happens, event: particular state or condition—'in good case' = well off: subject of question or inquiry: an instance of disease: a person under medical treatment: a legal statement of facts: (gram.) the inflection of nouns, &c.—Case of conscience (see Conscience).—In any case, at all events: at any rate; In case, in the event that; In case to, in fit condition for; Make out one's case, to give good reasons for one's statements or position; Put the case, to suppose an instance: to take for example; The case, the fact, the reality. [O. Fr. cas—L. casus, from cadĕre, to fall.]

Casein, Caseine, kā′sē-in, n. an organic substance, contained in milk and cheese.—adjs. Cā′sēic; Cā′sēous, pertaining to cheese. [Fr.,—L. caseus, cheese.]

Casemate, kās′māt, n. any bomb-proof vaulted chamber, even when merely used as quarters for the garrison: (orig.) a loopholed gallery, from which the garrison of a fort could fire upon an enemy who had obtained possession of the ditch.—adj. Case′mated. [Fr.; der. uncertain.]

Caseous. See Casein.

Casern, ka-sėrn′, n. a lodging for troops in a town: a barrack. [Fr.,—Sp. caserna—casa, a house.]

Cash, kash, n. coin or money: ready money.—v.t. to turn into or exchange for money: to pay money for.—ns. Cash′-account′, an account to which nothing is carried but cash: a form of account with a bank, by which a person is entitled to draw out sums as required by way of loan to a stipulated amount—also called Cash′-cred′it; Cash′-book, a book in which an account is kept of the receipts and disbursements of money; Cashier′, a cash-keeper: one who has charge of the receiving and paying of money; Cash′-pay′ment, payment in ready money; Cash′-rail′way, a mechanical device adopted in large shops and warehouses for the interchange of cash between the counters and the cash-desk.—Hard cash, ready money; Out of cash, or In cash, without or with money: out of, or in, pocket. [A doublet of Case, a box—O. Fr. casse, a box.]

Cashew, ka-shōō′, n. a spreading tree of no great height, in both the East and West Indies, the fruit of which is a kidney-shaped nut at the end of a pear-shaped fleshy stalk, the kernel of this nut and the fleshy stalk (called the Cashew′-app′le) being both used as food. [Fr. acajou—Brazilian acajoba.]

Cashier, kash-ēr′, v.t. to dismiss from a post in disgrace: to discard or put away: to annul.—ns. Cashier′er, one who cashiers; Cashier′ing, a punishment for officers in the army and navy, severer than dismissal, inasmuch as it disqualifies from entering the public service in any capacity; Cashier′ment, dismissal. [Dut. casseren, to cashier—L. cassāre, cassus, void, empty.]

Cashmere, kash′mēr, n. a rich kind of shawl made from the Cashmere goat: any similar shawl.

Casino, kas-ē′nō, n. a room for public dancing: a card-game. [It.; from L. casa, a cottage.]

Cask, kask, n. a hollow round vessel for holding liquor, made of staves bound with hoops: a measure of capacity: (obs.) a casque,—v.t. to put in a cask. [Fr. casque—Sp. casco, skull, helmet, cask.]

Casket, kask′et, n. a little cask or case: a small case for holding jewels, &c.: (U.S.) a coffin. [Ety. uncertain; hardly a dim. of Cask.]

Casque, Cask, kask, n. a cover for the head: a helmet. [A doublet of Cask.]

Cassandra, kas-an′dra, n. a daughter of Priam, king of Troy, beloved by Apollo, who gave her the gift of prophecy, but not of being believed—hence any one who takes gloomy views of the political or social future.

Cassareep, kas′a-rēp, n. a sauce or condiment made from the juice of the cassava, the chief ingredient in the West Indian pepper-pot.

Cassation, kas-sā′shun, n. the act of making null or void: (French law) the act of annulling the decision of a court or judicial tribunal—hence Court of Cassation, the supreme tribunal. [Low L. cassation-em—cassāre, to bring to nought.]

Cassava, kas-sä′va, n. the West Indian name of the manioc, and the starch produced from it, called Brazilian Arrowroot, or Tapioca.

Casserole, kas′e-rōl, n. a stew-pan: the outer part of several dressed dishes. [Fr.]

Cassia, kash′ya, n. a coarser kind of cinnamon—also Cass′ia-bark: the tree which yields the foregoing: a fragrant plant mentioned in Ps. xlv. 8 (Heb. qeçî'ôth, prob. the Ind. orris or costus): a genus of shrubs of the bean family (Leguminosæ), the leaves of several species yielding senna, while the drug known as cassia fistula or purging cassia is derived from the pod of Cassia fistula, the bark of which is used in tanning. [L. casia—Gr. kasia—Heb.]

Cassimere, kas-i-mēr′, n. a twilled cloth of the finest wools.—Also Kerseymere′. [Corr. of Cashmere.]

Cassino, kas-sē′no, n. a game at cards. [See Casino.]

Cassiopeia, kas-i-ō-pē′ya, n. a constellation in the northern hemisphere, near the North Pole, named after the mother of Andromeda in Greek mythology.

Cassiterite, ka-sit′e-rīt, n. a brown native tin dioxide. [L. cassiterum—Gr. kassiteros, tin.]

Cassock, kas′ok, n. a long loose black robe or outer coat, formerly in common wear, but now worn only by clergy and choristers: a shorter garment, usually of black silk, worn under the Geneva gown by Scotch ministers.—adj. Cass′ocked. [Fr. casaque—It. casacca, prob. from L. casa, a cottage, a covering. Some explain Fr. casaque, casaquin, It. casacchino, as from Ar. kazāyand, a padded jerkin.]

Cassolette, kas′ō-let, n. a censer: a perfume-box with perforated lid. [Fr.,—Sp. cazoleta—cazo, a saucepan.]

Cassonade, kas-o-nād′, n. raw or unrefined sugar. [Fr.]

Cassowary, kas′ō-war-i, n. a genus of running birds, nearly related to the true ostrich, and nearer to the American rhea. [Malay kasuārī or kasavārī.]

Cast, kast, v.t. to throw or fling: to throw off, shed, drop: to throw down: to throw together or reckon: to mould or shape: (B.) to consider, to cast or throw up.—v.i. to warp:—pa.t. and pa.p. cast.—n. act of casting: a throw of anything, as the sounding-lead, a fishing-line: the thing thrown, esp. in angling: the distance thrown: a motion, turn, or squint, as of the eye: a chance: a mould: the form received from a mould: manner, stamp, or quality: a shade of colour, a degree of guilt, &c.: the assignment of the various parts of a play to the several actors: the company of actors to whom such have been assigned.—n. Cast′away, one cast away, an outcast.—adj. worthless, rejected.—adjs. Cast (B.), Cast′ed (Shak.), cast off.—ns. Cast′ing, act of casting or moulding: that which is cast: a mould; Cast′ing-net, a species of net for fishing; Cast′ing-vote, the voice or vote of the president of a meeting, by which he is enabled, when the other votes are equally divided, to cast the balance on the one side or the other; Cast′ing-weight, the weight which makes the balance cast or turn when exactly poised.—adj. Cast′-off, laid aside or rejected.—n. anything thrown aside.—n. Cast′-steel, steel that has been melted, cast into ingots, and rolled out into bars.—Cast about, to contrive, to look about, to search for, as game: (B.) to turn, to go round; Cast a nativity, to make an astrological calculation; Cast anchor, to moor a ship; Cast an eye, a glance, to look at; Cast a thing in one's teeth, to bring a reproach against some one; Cast away, to wreck, to waste; Cast down, to deject or depress in mind: to turn the eyes downward; Cast loose, to set loose or adrift; Cast up, to throw up, to bring up anything as a reproach.—Be cast (law), to be defeated.—The last cast, the last venture. [Scand.; as Ice. kasta, to throw.]

Castalian, kas-tā′li-an, adj. pertaining to Castalia, a fountain in Parnassus, sacred to Apollo and the Muses.

Castanet, kas′ta-net, n. a musical instrument of percussion in the form of two hollow shells of ivory or hard wood, which are bound together by a band fastening on the thumb, and struck by the fingers to produce a trilling sound in keeping with the rhythm of the music—much used in Spain as an accompaniment to dances and guitars. [Sp. castañeta—L. castanea, a chestnut.]

Caste, käst, n. a term applied chiefly to distinct classes or sections of society in India, and, in a modified sense, to social distinctions of an exclusive nature among other nations.—Lose caste, to descend in social rank. [A name given by the Portuguese to the classes of people in India; Port. casta, breed, race.—L. castus, pure, unmixed.]

Castellan, Castellated. See Castle.

Castigate, kas′tig-āt, v.t. to chastise: to correct: to punish with stripes.—ns. Castigā′tion, act of castigating: chastisement: severe punishment; Cas′tigātor, one who castigates.—adj. Cas′tigātory. [L. castigāre, -ātum, from castus, pure.]

Castilian, kas-til′yan, adj. and n. of or belonging to Castile, a native of Castile, or the language thereof, standard Spanish.—Castile soap, a hard soap made with olive-oil and soda.

Cast-iron. See Iron.

Castle, kas′l, n. a fortified house or fortress: the residence of a prince or nobleman, or a large country mansion generally: anything built in the likeness of such: a defensive tower borne on an elephant's back: a large ship, esp. of war.—v.t. to enclose or fortify with a castle.—v.i. (chess) to bring the castle or rook up to the square next the king, and move the king to the other side of the castle.—n. Cas′tellan, governor or captain of a castle.—adj. Cas′tellated, having turrets and battlements like a castle.—n. Cas′tle-build′ing, the act of building castles in the air or forming visionary projects.—adj. Cas′tled, furnished with castles.—n. Cas′tle-guard, the guard for the defence of a castle.—Castles in the air, or in Spain, groundless or visionary projects.—The Castle, Dublin Castle, the seat of the viceroy and the executive—Castle influence, &c. [A.S. castel—L. castellum, dim. of castrum, a fortified place.]

Castor, kas′tor, n. the beaver: a hat made of its fur. [L.,—Gr. kastōr; cf. Sans. kasturi, musk.]

Castor, kast′or, n. a small wheel on the legs of furniture: a small vessel with perforated top for pepper, &c.—also Cast′er. [From Cast.]

Castor-oil, kas′tor-oil, n. a medicinal oil obtained from a tropical plant, the Ricinus communis. [Ety. dub.; prob. from castor or castoreum, the unctuous substance obtained from two pear-shaped glands in the beaver, formerly much used in midwifery.]

Castral, kas′tral, adj. belonging to the camp. [L. castra.]

Castrametation, kas-tra-me-tā′shun, n. the act or art of encamping. [L. castra, a camp, metāri, -atus, to measure off—meta, a boundary.]

Castrate, kas′trāt, v.t. to deprive of the power of generation, to remove the testicles, geld, emasculate: to take from or render imperfect.—adj. Cas′trated, expurgated.—ns. Castrā′tion, gelding, expurgation; Castrato (kas-trä′tō), a male singer castrated in boyhood so as to preserve a soprano or alto voice:—pl. Castra′ti. [L. castrāre, -ātum.]

Casual, kash′ū-al, adj. accidental: unforeseen: occasional.—n. a chance or occasional visitor, labourer, pauper, &c.—n. Cas′ualism, the belief that chance governs all things.—adv. Cas′ually, in a casual manner.—n. Cas′ualty, that which falls out: an accident: a misfortune: (pl.) losses of a military force by death, desertion, &c.: an incidental charge or payment.—Casualties of superiority, in the feudal law of Scotland, such emoluments arising to the superior as depend on uncertain events—those of non-entry, relief or composition, and escheat alone remaining, but considerably modified by the Conveyancing Act of 1874.—Casualty ward, the ward in a hospital in which accidents are treated; Casual ward, a ward set apart for the use of those who are only occasionally in destitution. [L. casualis—casus. See Case.]

Casuarina, kas-ū-ar-ēn′a, n. a genus of Australian trees having thread-like, jointed, pendent branches, with small toothed sheaths at the joints, like the horse-tails—the Swamp-oak and She-oak belong to it, and its wood is the well-known Beef-wood.

Casuist, kaz′ū-ist, n. one who studies and resolves cases of conscience.—adjs. Casuist′ic, -al, relating to cases of conscience.—n. Cas′uistry, the science or doctrine of cases of conscience, or the reasoning which enables a man to decide in a particular case between apparently conflicting duties. [Fr. casuiste—L. casus. See Case.]

Casula, kas′ū-la, n. a chasuble.

Cat, kat, n. a common domestic animal kept to devour mice: a spiteful woman: a movable pent-house used for their protection by besiegers: a double tripod with six legs: a piece of wood tapering at each end, struck with the Cat-stick in the game of tip-cat, this game itself: short for the Cat-o'-nine′-tails, an instrument of punishment consisting of a whip with nine tails or lashes, with three or four knots on each, once used in the army and navy.—v.t. to raise the anchor to the cathead.—ns. Cat′amount, a common name in the United States for the cougar or puma—also called Panther, Painter, and American lion; Catamoun′tain, or Cat o' mountain, a leopard, panther, or ocelot: a wild mountaineer.—adj. ferocious, savage.—adj. Cat-and-dog, used attributively for quarrelsome.—ns. Cat′-bird, an American bird of the thrush family, so called on account of the resemblance of its note to the mewing of a cat; Cat′-call, a squeaking instrument used in theatres to express dislike of a play: a shrill whistle or cry.—v.i. to sound a cat-call.—v.t. to assail with such.—adj. Cat′-eyed, having eyes like a cat: able to see in the dark.—n. Cat′gut, a kind of cord made from the intestines of animals, and used as strings for violins, harps, guitars, &c., the cords of clock-makers, &c.: the violin or other stringed instrument: a coarse corded cloth.—adj. Cat′-hammed, with thin hams like a cat's.—ns. Cat′head, one of two strong beams of timber projecting from the bow of a ship, on each side of the bowsprit, through which the ropes pass by which the anchor is raised; Cat′-hole, one of two holes in the after part of a ship, through which hawsers may pass for steadying the ship or for heaving astern; Cat′hood, state of being a cat or having the nature of a cat; Cat′kin, a crowded spike or tuft of small unisexual flowers with reduced scale-like bracts, as in the willow, hazel, &c.; Cat′-lap, any thin or poor drink.—adj. Cat′-like, noiseless, stealthy.—ns. Cat′ling, a little cat, a kitten: the downy moss on some trees, like the fur of a cat: (Shak.) a lute-string; Cat′mint, a perennial plant resembling mint, said to be so called from the fondness cats have for it; Cat's′-crā′dle, a game played by children, two alternately taking from each other's fingers an intertwined cord, so as always to maintain a symmetrical figure; Cat's′-eye, a beautiful variety of quartz, so called from the resemblance which the reflection of light from it bears to the light that seems to emanate from the eye of a cat; Cat's-foot, a plant, called also Ground-ivy; Cat′-sil′ver, a variety of silvery mica; Cat's′-meat, horses' flesh, or the like, sold for cats by street dealers; Cat's′-paw (naut.), a light breeze: the dupe or tool of another—from the fable of the monkey who used the paws of the cat to draw the roasting chestnuts out of the fire; Cat's′-tail, a catkin: a genus of aquatic plants of the reed kind, the leaves of which are sometimes used for making mats, seating chairs, &c.: a kind of grass.—adj. Cat′-wit′ted, small-minded, conceited, and spiteful.—Catted and fished, said of an anchor raised to the cathead and secured to the ship's side.—Bell the cat (see Bell).—Care killed the cat, even with his proverbial nine lives.—Cheshire cats are proverbially notable for grinning, and Kilkenny cats proverbially fight till each destroys the other.—Rain cats and dogs, to pour down heavily.—See which way the cat jumps, to watch how things are going to turn before committing one's self.—Turn the cat in the pan, to change sides with dexterity.—For Gib-cat, Tabby-cat, Tom-cat, see under Gib, Tabby, &c. [A.S. cat; found also in Celt., Slav., Ar., Finn, &c.]

Cat, kat, n. an old name for a coal and timber vessel on the north-east coast of England.—adj. Cat′-rigged, having one great fore-and-aft mainsail spread by a gaff at the head and a boom at the foot, for smooth water only.

Catabolism. See Katabolism.

Catacaustic, kat-a-kaws′tik, adj. (geom.) belonging to caustic curves formed by reflection (see Caustic). [Gr. kata, against, and Caustic.]

Catachresis, kat-a-krē′sis, n. (rhet.) a figure by which a word is used in a sense different from, yet analogous to, its own: a harsh or far-fetched metaphor.—adjs. Catachres′tic, -al.—adv. Catachres′tically. [L.,—Gr. katachrēsis, misuse.]

Cataclysm, kat′a-klizm, n. a flood of water: a deluge: great revolution.—adj. Cataclys′mic. [Gr. kataklysmos—kata, downward, klyzein, to wash.]

Catacomb, kat′a-kōm, n. a subterranean excavation used as a burial-place, esp. the famous Catacombs near Rome, where many of the early Christian victims of persecution were buried: any place built with crypt-like recesses for storing books, wine, &c.—adj. Cat′acumbal. [It. catacomba—Late L. catacumbas (prob. from ad catacumbas), prob. from Gr. kata, downward, and kymbē, a hollow.]

Catacoustics, kat-a-kows′tiks, n. the part of acoustics which treats of echoes or sounds reflected. [Gr. kata, against, and Acoustics.]

Catadioptric, -al, kat-a-di-op′trik, -al, adj. pertaining to instruments by which rays of light are both reflected and refracted. [See Catoptric.]

Catadromous, kat-ad′rom-us, adj. of fishes, descending periodically for spawning to the lower parts of a river or to the sea. [Gr. kata, down, dromos, running.]

Catafalque, kat-a-falk′, n. a temporary structure of carpentry representing a tomb or cenotaph placed over the coffin during a lying-in-state: a tomb of state, a funeral car.—Also Catafal′co. [Fr.,—It. catafalco. See Balcony and Scaffold.]

Catalan, kat′al-an, adj. of or belonging to Catalonia or its language, a dialect of Provençal.—n. a native of Catalonia, or the language thereof.

Catalectic, kat-a-lek′tik, adj. incomplete: applied to a verse wanting one syllable at the end, or terminating in an imperfect foot. [Gr. katalēktikos, incomplete—katalēgein, to stop.]

Catalepsy, kat′a-lep-si, n. a state of more or less complete insensibility, with absence of the power of voluntary motion, and statue-like fixedness of the body and limbs.—adj. Catalep′tic. [Gr., from kata, down, lambanō, lēpsomai, I seize.]

Catallactic, kat-al-ak′tik, adj. pertaining to exchange.—adv. Catallac′tically.—n. Catallac′tics, political economy as the science of exchanges. [Made up from Gr. katalassein, to exchange.]

Catalogue, kat′a-log, n. a list of names, books, &c.—v.t. to put in a catalogue:—pr.p. cat′aloguing; pa.p. cat′alogued.—v.t. Cat′aloguise. [Fr.—Late L.—Gr. katalogos, from kata, down, legein, to choose.]

Catalpa, kat-al′pa, n. a genus of hardy trees native to the United States and Japan, marked by a low habit, profuse blossoms, and long cigar-like pendent pods.—The common Catalpa, known also as the Bean-tree, Catawba, Indian bean, and Cigar-tree, yields a durable wood; as also the western Catalpa or Shawnee wood. [From the native Ind. name.]

Catalysis, ka-tal′i-sis, n. (chem.) the decomposition of a compound and the recomposition of its elements, by the presence of a substance which does not itself suffer change, as in fermentation.—adj. Catalyt′ic. [Gr. katalysis—kata, down, lyein, to loosen.]

Catamaran, kat′a-mar-an′, or kat-am′ar-an, n. a raft of three pieces of wood lashed together, the middle piece being longer than the others, and serving as a keel—on this the rower squats, and works a paddle—much used in the Madras surf: an old kind of fire-ship, long superseded; an ill-natured woman. [Tamil, 'tied wood.']

Catamenia, kat-a-mē′ni-a, n. the menstrual discharge.—adj. Catamē′nial. [Gr. katamēnios—kata, again, mēn, mēnos, a month.]

Catamite, kat′a-mīt, n. a boy kept for unnatural purposes—a corruption of Ganymede (q.v.).

Catamount. See Cat.

Catapan, kat′a-pan, n. the governor of Calabria and Apulia for the Byzantine emperor. [Acc. to Littré, from Gr. katepanō tōn axiōmatōn, 'he who is placed over the dignities.']

Cataphonics, kat-a-fon′iks, n. the science of reflected sounds.—adj. Cataphon′ic. [Gr. kata, against, phonē, sound.]

Cataphract, kat′a-frakt, n. (Milton) a soldier in full armour. [Gr. kataphraktēs, a coat-of-mail—kata, inten., and phrass-ein, to enclose, protect.]

Cataphyllary, kat-a-fil′ar-i, adj. pertaining to such rudimentary scale-leaves as are found on various parts of plants, esp. underground.—n. Cataphyll′um. [Gr. kata, down, phyllon, leaf.]

Cataphysical, kat-a-fis′i-kal, adj. (rare) unnatural. [Gr. kata, down, against, physis, nature.]

Cataplasm, kat′a-plazm, n. a plaster or poultice. [Gr. kataplasma, a plaster—kata-plassein, to plaster over.]

Cataplexy, kat′a-plex-i, n. the kind of mesmeric sleep of animals under a sudden shock of terror—the state of 'shamming death.'—adj. Cataplec′tic. [Gr. kataplēssein, to strike down.]

Catapult, kat′a-pult, n. anciently an engine of war, resembling the ballista, for throwing stones, arrows, &c.: a small forked stick having an elastic string fixed to the two prongs, used by boys for throwing small stones.—adj. Catapul′tic.—n. Catapultier′. [L. catapulta—Gr. katapeltēs—kata, down, pallein, to throw.]

Cataract, kat′a-rakt, n. a great fall of water, water-spout, &c.: a waterfall or cascade: an opaque condition of the lens of the eye, painless, unaccompanied by inflammation, occasioning blindness, simply by obstructing the passage of the light. [L. cataracta—Gr. kata, down, arass-ein, to dash, to rush.]

Catarrh, kat-är′, n. a discharge of fluid from the inflammation of a mucous membrane, esp. of the nose, caused by cold in the head: the cold itself.—adjs. Catarrh′al, Catarrh′ous. [L. catarrhus—Gr. katarrhous—kata, down, rheēin, to flow.]

Catarrhine, Catarhine, kat′ar-īn, adj. pertaining to that one of the two divisions of Quadrumana, including all the Old-World monkeys, having a narrow partition between the nostrils. [Gr. kata, down, hris, hrinos, nose.]

Catasta, kat-äs′ta, n. a block on which slaves were exposed for sale: a stage or place for torture. [L.]

Catastasis, kat-as′tas-is, n. the part of the Greek drama in which the development of the action has reached its height: (rhet.) that part of a speech which states the subject to be discussed. [Gr.]

Catastrophe, kat-as′trō-fē, n. an overturning: a final event: an unfortunate conclusion: a calamity.—adj. Catastroph′ic—ns. Catas′trophism, the theory in geology that accounts for 'breaks in the succession' by the hypothesis of vast catastrophes—world-wide destruction of floras and faunas, and the sudden introduction or creation of new forms of life, after the forces of nature had sunk into repose; Catas′trophist, a holder of the foregoing, as opposed to the uniformitarian theory. [Gr., kata, down, strephein, to turn.]

Catawba, ka-taw′ba, n. a light sparkling wine, produced from a grape of the same name, first found on the banks of the Catawba River in Carolina.

Cat-bird. See Cat.

Cat-call. See Cat.

Catch, kach, v.t. to take hold of: to apprehend or understand: to seize after pursuit: to trap or ensnare: to take a disease by infection: to take up anything by sympathy or imitation.—v.i. to be contagious: to be entangled or fastened in anything;—pa.t. and pa.p. caught (kawt).—n. seizure: anything that seizes or holds: that which is caught: anything worth catching: a sudden advantage taken: a specially English form of musical composition, written generally in three or four parts, and in the canon form—originally synonymous with the round.—adj. Catch′able, that may be caught.—ns. Catch′er, one who catches; Catch′fly, a popular name of several plants belonging to the genus Silene, and of Lychnis Viscaria, whose glutinous stems often retain insects settling on them; Catch′ing, the action of the verb 'to catch:' a nervous or spasmodic twitching.—adj. infectious: captivating, attractive.—ns. Catch′ment-bās′in, a term applied to all that part of a river-basin from which rain is collected, and from which, therefore, the river is fed; Catch′penny, any worthless thing, esp. a publication, intended merely to gain money—also adj.; Catch′word, among actors, the last word of the preceding speaker—the cue: the word at the head of the page in a dictionary or encyclopædia: the first word of a page given at the bottom of the preceding page: any word or phrase taken up and repeated as the watchword or symbol of a party.—adj. Catch′y, attractive, deceptive, readily caught up, as an air, &c., fitful.—Catch at, to snatch at; Catch fire, to become ignited, to be inspired by passion or zeal; Catch hold of, to seize; Catch it, to get a scolding or the like; Catch me! an emphatic colloquial phrase implying that there is not the remotest possibility of my doing something suggested; Catch on, to comprehend: to catch the popular fancy; Catch out, to put a batsman out at cricket by catching the ball he has batted; Catch sight of, suddenly to get a glimpse of; Catch up, to overtake; Catch up, or away, to lay hold of forcibly. [From O. Fr. cachier—Late L. captiāre for captāre, inten. of capĕre, to take. See Chase.]

Catchpole, -poll, kach′pōl, n. a constable, petty officer of justice. [Through O. Fr. from Low L. cachepolus, chassipullus, one who chases fowls. See Chase and Pullet.]

Catchup, Catsup. See Ketchup.

Cate. See Cates.

Catechise, kat′e-kīz, v.t. to instruct by question and answer: to question as to belief: to examine systematically, to take to task.—adjs. Catechet′ic, -al, relating to a catechism or oral instruction in the first principles, esp. of Christianity.—adv. Catechet′ically.—ns. Catechet′ics, the art or practice of teaching by question and answer: that part of theology which treats of Catechē′sis, or primary oral instruction, as that given to catechumens; Cat′echiser; Cat′echising, an examination by questioning; Cat′echism, any compendious system of teaching drawn up in the form of question and answer; Cat′echist, one who catechises, a teacher of catechumens, a native teacher in a mission church.—adjs. Catechist′ic, -al, Catechis′mal, pertaining to a catechist or catechism. [L. catechismus, formed from Gr. katēchiz-ein, katēche-ein, to din into the ears—kata, down, ēchē, a sound.]

Catechu, kat′e-shoo, n. a substance used in tanning and dyeing, and medicinally as an astringent, obtained from the heart-wood of several East Indian trees, as the betel-nut, &c. [Tamil.]

Catechumen, kat-e-kū′men, n. one who is being taught the rudiments of Christianity: the appellation given in the early Christian Church to those converted Jews and heathens who had not yet received baptism, but were undergoing a course of training and instruction preparatory to it.—adj. Catechumen′ical.—adv. Catechumen′ically.—ns. Catechū′menship, Catechū′menism, Catechū′menate. [Gr. katēchoumenos, being taught, pr.p. pass. of katēche-ein, to teach.]

Category, kat′e-gor-i, n. what may be affirmed of a class: a class or order.—adjs. Categoremat′ic, capable of being used by itself as a term; Categor′ical, positive: absolute: without exception.—adv. Categor′ically, absolutely: without qualification: expressly.—n. Categor′icalness, the quality of being absolute and unqualified.—n.pl. Cat′egories (phil.), the highest classes under which objects of philosophy can be systematically arranged, understood as an attempt at a comprehensive classification of all that exists: in Kant's system, the root-notions of the understanding, the specific forms of the a priori or formal element in rational cognition (quantity, quality, relation, modality, &c.).—v.t. Cat′egorise, to place in a category or list: to class.—n. Categor′ist, one who categorises.—Categorical imperative, in the ethics of Kant, the absolute unconditional command of the moral law, irrespective of every ulterior end or aim—universally authoritative, belonging to the fixed law of nature—'Act from a maxim at all times fit for law universal.' [Gr. katēgoria, katēgoros, an accuser, kata, down, against, agora, assembly.]

Catelectrode, kat-ē-lek′trōd, n. a negative electrode or cathode. [Gr. kata, down, and Electrode.]

Catenary, kat-ē′nar-i, n. the curve formed by a flexible homogeneous cord (such as a chain), hanging freely between two points of support, and acted on by no other force than gravity.—adj. relating to a chain, like a chain—also Catenā′rian.—n. Catē′na, a chain or connected series, as in Catena Patrum, a chronological series of extracts from the Fathers on any doctrine of theology.—v.t. Cat′enāte to connect as in a chain.—n. Catenā′tion. [L. catenarius, pertaining to a chain—catēna, chain.]

Cater, kā′tėr, v.i. to provide food, entertainment, &c. (with for).—ns. Cā′terer; Cā′teress; Cā′tering. [Lit. to act as a cater, the word being orig. a substantive, and spelled catour, an aphetised form of acater, acatour. See Acater.]

Cateran, kat′er-an, n. a Highland reiver or freebooter, a robber or brigand generally. [Gael. ceathairne, peasantry, Ir. ceithern, a band of soldiers.]

Cater-cousin, kā′tėr-kuz′n, n. a term implying familiarity, affection, sympathy, rather than kindred. [More prob. conn. with Cater than quatre or quarter.]

Caterpillar, kat′ėr-pil-ar, n. a grub that lives upon the leaves of plants. [Prob. O. Fr. chatepeleuse, 'hairy cat;' chate, a she-cat—L. catus, peleuse, hairy—L. pilosus, pilum.]

Caterwaul, kat′ėr-wawl, n. the shriek or cry emitted by the cat when in heat.—v.i. to make such a noise, to make any discordant sound: to behave lasciviously: to quarrel like cats.—n. Cat′erwauling. [The second part is prob. imit.]

Cates, kātz, n.pl. dainty food.

Catgut. See Cat.

Catharist, kath′ar-ist, n. one professing a higher standard of purity in life and doctrine, a puritan: esp. a member of a Manichean heretical sect of the Middle Ages, which spread over the whole of southern and western Europe—confounded with the kindred sect of Paulicians, reaching the greatest numbers in southern France, where, as the Albigenses, they were ruthlessly stamped out by the Inquisition.—n. Cath′arism. [Gr. katharistai, katharizein, to purify.]

Cathartic, -al, kath-ärt′ik, -al, adj. having the power of cleansing the stomach and bowels: purgative.—v.t. Cath′arise, to render absolutely clean.—ns. Cathar′sis, evacuation of the bowels; Cathart′ic, a purgative medicine; Cathar′tin, the purgative principle of senna. [Gr. kathartikos, fit for cleansing, katharos, clean.]

Cathead. See Cat.

Cathedral, kath-ēd′ral, n. the principal church of a diocese, in which is the seat or throne of a bishop.—adj. belonging to a cathedral.—n. Cathed′ra, a bishop's seat, the episcopal dignity—ex cathedra, from the chair, officially given forth.—adjs. Cathedral′ic, Cathedralesque′, Cathed′raled, vaulted like a cathedral.—n. Cathed′ralism, the cathedral system.—adj. Cathedrat′ic, promulgated ex cathedra, authoritative. [L. cathedra—Gr. kathedra, a seat.]