← Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, Volume 2
Chapter 9
Chapter Chap"ter, v. t (part 2)
Note: When it is fixed to a wall in an observatory, it is called a mural circle; when mounted with a telescope on an axis and in Y's, in the plane of the meridian, a meridian or transit circle; when involving the principle of reflection, like the sextant, a reflecting circle; and when that of repeating an angle several times continuously along the graduated limb, a repeating circle.
4. A round body; a sphere; an orb. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth. Is. xi. 22.
5. Compass; circuit; inclosure. In the circle of this forest. Shak.
6. A company assembled, or conceived to assemble, about a central point of interest, or bound by a common tie; a class or division of society; a coterie; a set. As his name gradually became known, the circle of his acquaintance widened. Macaulay.
7. A circular group of persons; a ring.
8. A series ending where it begins, and repeating itself. Thus in a circle runs the peasant's pain. Dryden.
9. (Logic)
Defn: A form of argument in which two or more unproved statements are used to prove each other; inconclusive reasoning. That heavy bodies descend by gravity; and, again, that gravity is a quality whereby a heavy body descends, is an impertinent circle and teaches nothing. Glanvill.
10. Indirect form of words; circumlocution. [R.] Has he given the lie, In circle, or oblique, or semicircle. J. Fletcher.
11. A territorial division or district.
Note: The Circles of the Holy Roman Empire, ten in number, were those principalities or provinces which had seats in the German Diet. Azimuth circle. See under Azimuth. — Circle of altitude (Astron.), a circle parallel to the horizon, having its pole in the zenith; an almucantar. — Circle of curvature. See Osculating circle of a curve (Below). — Circle of declination. See under Declination. — Circle of latitude. (a) (Astron.) A great circle perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic, passing through its poles. (b) (Spherical Projection) A small circle of the sphere whose plane is perpendicular to the axis. — Circles of longitude, lesser circles parallel to the ecliptic, diminishing as they recede from it. — Circle of perpetual apparition, at any given place, the boundary of that space around the elevated pole, within which the stars never set. Its distance from the pole is equal to the latitude of the place. — Circle of perpetual occultation, at any given place, the boundary of the space around the depressed pole, within which the stars never rise. — Circle of the sphere, a circle upon the surface of the sphere, called a great circle when its plane passes through the center of the sphere; in all other cases, a small circle. — Diurnal circle. See under Diurnal. — Dress circle, a gallery in a theater, generally the one containing the prominent and more expensive seats. — Druidical circles (Eng. Antiq.), a popular name for certain ancient inclosures formed by rude stones circularly arranged, as at Stonehenge, near Salisbury. — Family circle, a gallery in a theater, usually one containing inexpensive seats. — Horary circles (Dialing), the lines on dials which show the hours. — Osculating circle of a curve (Geom.), the circle which touches the curve at some point in the curve, and close to the point more nearly coincides with the curve than any other circle. This circle is used as a measure of the curvature of the curve at the point, and hence is called circle of curvature. — Pitch circle. See under Pitch. — Vertical circle, an azimuth circle. — Voltaic circle or circuit. See under Circuit. — To square the circle. See under Square.
Syn.
— Ring; circlet; compass; circuit; inclosure.
CIRCLE
Cir"cle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circled; p. pr. & vb. n. Circling.]
Etym: [OE. cerclen, F. cercler, fr. L. circulare to make round. See
Circle, n., and cf. Circulate.]
1. To move around; to revolve around. Other planets circle other suns. Pope.
2. To encompass, as by a circle; to surround; to inclose; to encircle. Prior. Pope. Their heads are circled with a short turban. Dampier. So he lies, circled with evil. Coleridge. To circle in, to confine; to hem in; to keep together; as, to circle bodies in. Sir K. Digby.
CIRCLE
Cir"cle, v. i.
Defn: To move circularly; to form a circle; to circulate.
Thy name shall circle round the gaping through. Byron.
CIRCLED
Cir"cled, a.
Defn: Having the form of a circle; round. "Monthly changes in her circled orb." Shak.
CIRCLER
Cir"cler, n.
Defn: A mean or inferior poet, perhaps from his habit of wandering around as a stroller; an itinerant poet. Also, a name given to the cyclic poets. See under Cyclic, a. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
CIRCLET
Cir"clet, n.
1. A little circle; esp., an ornament for the person, having the form of a circle; that which encircles, as a ring, a bracelet, or a headband. Her fair locks in circlet be enrolled. Spenser.
2. A round body; an orb. Pope. Fairest of stars . . . that crown'st the smiling morn With thy bright circlet. Milton.
3. A circular piece of wood put under a dish at table. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
CIRCOCELE
Cir"co*cele, n.
Defn: See Cirsocele.
CIRCUIT Cir"cuit, n. Etym: [F. circuit, fr. L. circuitus, fr. circuire or circumire to go around; circum around + ire to go.]
1. The act of moving or revolving around, or as in a circle or orbit; a revolution; as, the periodical circuit of the earth round the sun. Watts.
2. The circumference of, or distance round, any space; the measure of a line round an area. The circuit or compass of Ireland is 1,800 miles. J. Stow.
3. That which encircles anything, as a ring or crown. The golden circuit on my head. Shak.
4. The space inclosed within a circle, or within limits. A circuit wide inclosed with goodliest trees. Milton.
5. A regular or appointed journeying from place to place in the exercise of one's calling, as of a judge, or a preacher.
6. (a) (Law) A certain division of a state or country, established by law for a judge or judges to visit, for the administration of justice. Bouvier. (b) (Methodist Church) A district in which an itinerant preacher labors.
7. Circumlocution. [Obs.] "Thou hast used no circuit of words." Huloet. Circuit court (Law), a court which sits successively in different places in its circuit (see Circuit, 6). In the United States, the federal circuit courts are commonly presided over by a judge of the supreme court, or a special circuit judge, together with the judge of the district court. They have jurisdiction within statutory limits, both in law and equity, in matters of federal cognizance. Some of the individual States also have circuit courts, which have general statutory jurisdiction of the same class, in matters of State cognizance. — Circuit or Circuity of action (Law), a longer course of proceedings than is necessary to attain the object in view. — To make a circuit, to go around; to go a roundabout way. — Voltaic or Galvanic circuit or circle, a continous electrical communication between the two poles of a battery; an arrangement of voltaic elements or couples with proper conductors, by which a continuous current of electricity is established.
CIRCUIT
Cir"cuit, v. i.
Defn: To move in a circle; to go round; to circulate. [Obs.] J.
Philips.
CIRCUIT
Cir"cuit, v. t.
Defn: To travel around. [Obs.] "Having circuited the air." T. Warton.
CIRCUITEER
Cir`cuit*eer", n.
Defn: A circuiter. Pope.
CIRCUITER
Cir"cuit*er, n.
Defn: One who travels a circuit, as a circuit judge. [R.] R.
Whitlock.
CIRCUITION
Cir`cu*i"tion, n. Etym: [L. circuitio. See Circuit.]
Defn: The act of going round; circumlocution. [R.]
CIRCUITOUS
Cir*cu"i*tous, a. Etym: [LL. circuitosus.]
Defn: Going round in a circuit; roundabout; indirect; as, a
circuitous road; a circuitous manner of accompalishing an end.
— Cir*cu"i*tous*ly, adv.
— Cir*cu"i*tous*ness, n.
Syn.
— Tortuous; winding; sinuous; serpentine.
CIRCUITY
Cir*cu"i*ty, n.
Defn: A going round in a circle; a course not direct; a roundabout way of proceeding.
CIRCULABLE
Cir"cu*la*ble, a.
Defn: That may be circulated.
CIRCULAR Cir"cu*lar, a. Etym: [L. circularis, fr. circulus circle: cf. F. circulaire. See Circle.]
1. In the form of, or bounded by, a circle; round.
2. repeating itself; ending in itself; reverting to the point of beginning; hence, illogical; inconclusive; as, circular reasoning.
3. Adhering to a fixed circle of legends; cyclic; hence, mean; inferior. See Cyclic poets, under Cyclic. Had Virgil been a circular poet, and closely adhered to history, how could the Romans have had Dido Dennis.
4. Addressed to a circle, or to a number of persons having a common interest; circulated, or intended for circulation; as, a circular letter. A proclamation of Henry III., . . . doubtless circular throughout England. Hallam.
5. Perfect; complete. [Obs.] A man so absolute and circular In all those wished-for rarities that may take A virgin captive. Massinger. Circular are, any portion of the circumference of a circle. — Circular cubics (Math.), curves of the third order which are imagined to pass through the two circular points at infinity. — Circular functions. (Math.) See under Function. — Circular instruments, mathematical instruments employed for measuring angles, in which the graduation extends round the whole circumference of a circle, or 360º. — Circular lines, straight lines pertaining to the circle, as sines, tangents, secants, etc. — Circular note or letter. (a) (Com.) See under Credit. (b) (Diplomacy) A letter addressed in identical terms to a number of persons. — Circular numbers (Arith.), those whose powers terminate in the same digits as the roots themselves; as 5 and 6, whose squares are 25 and 36. Bailey. Barlow. — Circular points at infinity (Geom.), two imaginary points at infinite distance through which every circle in the plane is, in the theory of curves, imagined to pass. — Circular polarization. (Min.) See under Polarization. — Circular or Globular sailing (Naut.), the method of sailing by the arc of a great circle. — Circular saw. See under Saw.
CIRCULAR Cir"cu*lar, n. Etym: [Cf. (for sense 1) F. circulaire, lettre circulaire. See Circular, a.]
1. A circular letter, or paper, usually printed, copies of which are addressed or given to various persons; as, a business circular.
2. A sleeveless cloak, cut in circular form.
CIRCULARISE circularise v.
1. to canvass by distributing letters. Syn. — circularize. [WordNet 1.5]
2. to distribute circulars to. Syn. — circularize. [WordNet 1.5]
3. to to pass around, as information. Syn. — circulate, circularize, distribute, disseminate, propagate, broadcast, spread, diffuse, disperse. [WordNet 1.5]
CIRCULARITY
Cir`cu*lar"i*ty, n. Etym: [LL. circularitas.]
Defn: The quality or state of being circular; a circular form.
CIRCULARLY
Cir"cu*lar*ly, adv.
Defn: In a circular manner.
CIRCULARY
Cir"cu*la*ry, a.
Defn: Circular; illogical. [Obs. & .] "Cross and circulary speeches."
Hooker.
CIRCULATE
Cir"cu*late, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Ciorculated; P. pr. & vb. n.
Circulating.] Etym: [L. circulatus, p. p. of circulare, v. t., to
surround, make round, circulari, v. i., to gather into a circle. See
Circle.]
1. To move in a circle or circuitously; to move round and return to the same point; as, the blood circulates in the body. Boyle.
2. To pass from place to place, from person to person, or from hand to hand; to be diffused; as, money circulates; a story circulates.
Circulating decimal. See Decimal.
— Circulating library, a library whose books are loaned to the
public, usually at certain fixed rates.
— Circulating medium. See Medium.
CIRCULATE
Cir"cu*late, v. t.
Defn: To cause to pass from place to place, or from person to person; to spread; as, to circulate a report; to circulate bills of credit. Circulating pump. See under Pump.
Syn.
— To spread; diffuse; propagate; disseminate.
CIRCULATION
Cir`cu*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. circulatio: cf. F. circulation.]
1. The act of moving in a circle, or in a course which brings the moving body to the place where its motion began. This continual circulation of human things. Swift.
2. The act of passing from place to place or person to person; free diffusion; transmission. The true doctrines of astronomy appear to have had some popular circulation. Whewell.
3. Currency; circulating coin; notes, bills, etc., current for coin.
4. The extent to which anything circulates or is circulated; the measure of diffusion; as, the circulation of a newspaper.
5. (Physiol.)
Defn: The movement of the blood in the blood-vascular system, by which it is brought into close relations with almost every living elementary constituent. Also, the movement of the sap in the vessels and tissues of plants.
CIRCULATIVE
Cir"cu*la*tive, a.
Defn: Promoting circulation; circulating. [R.] Coleridge.
CIRCULATOR
Cir"cu*la`tor, n. Etym: [Cf. L. circulator a peddler.]
Defn: One who, or that which, circulates.
CIRCULATORIOUS
Cir`cu*la*to"ri*ous, a.
Defn: Travelling from house to house or from town to town; itinerant.
[Obs.] "Circulatorious jugglers." Barrow.
CIRCULATORY Cir"cu*la*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. circulatorius pert. to a mountebank: cf. F. circulatoire.]
1. Circular; as, a circulatory letter. Johnson.
2. Circulating, or going round. T. Warton.
3. (Anat.)
Defn: Subserving the purposes of circulation; as, circulatory organs; of or pertaining to the organs of circulation; as, circulatory diseases.
CIRCULATORY
Cir"cu*la*to*ry, n.
Defn: A chemical vessel consisting of two portions unequally exposed to the heat of the fire, and with connecting pipes or passages, through which the fluid rises from the overheated portion, and descends from the relatively colder, maintaining a circulation.
CIRCULET
Cir"cu*let, n.
Defn: A circlet. [Obs.] Spenser.
CIRCULINE
Cir"cu*line, a.
Defn: Proceeding in a circle; circular. [Obs.] "With motion circuline". Dr. H. More.
CIRCUM-
Cir"cum-. Etym: [Akin to circle, circus.]
Defn: A Latin preposition, used as a prefix in many English words, and signifying around or about.
CIRCUMAGITATE
Cir`cum*ag"i*tate, v. t. Etym: [Pref. circum + agitate.]
Defn: To agitate on all sides. Jer. Taylor.
CIRCUMAMBAGE Cir`cum*am"bage, n. Etym: [Pref. circum- + ambage, obs. sing. of ambages.]
Defn: A roundabout or indirect course; indirectness. [Obs.] S.
Richardson.
CIRCUMAMBIENCY
Cir`cum*am"bi*en*cy, n.
Defn: The act of surrounding or encompassing. Sir T. Browne.
CIRCUMAMBIENT
Cir`cum*am"bi*ent, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + ambient.]
Defn: Surrounding; inclosing or being on all sides; encompassing.
"The circumambient heaven." J. Armstrong.
CIRCUMAMBULATE Cir`cum*am"bu*late, v. t. Etym: [L. circumambulatus, p. p. of circumambulare to walk around; circum + ambulare. See Ambulate.]
Defn: To walk round about.
— Cir`cum*am`bu*la"tion, n.
CIRCUMBENDIBUS
Cir`cum*bend"i*bus, n.
Defn: A roundabout or indirect way. [Jocular] Goldsmith.
CIRCUMCENTER
Cir`cum*cen"ter, n. (Geom.)
Defn: The center of a circle that circumscribes a triangle.
CIRCUMCISE Cir"cum*cise, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circumcised; p. pr. & vb. n. Circumcising.] Etym: [L. circumcisus, p. p. of circumcidere to cut around, to circumcise; circum + caedere to cut; akin to E. cæsura, homicide, concise, and prob. to shed, v. t.]
1. To cut off the prepuce of foreskin of, in the case of males, and the internal labia of, in the case of females.
2. (Script.)
Defn: To purify spiritually.
CIRCUMCISER
Cir"cum*ci`ser, n.
Defn: One who performs circumcision. Milton.
CIRCUMCISION
Cir`cum*cision, n. Etym: [L. circumcisio.]
1. The act of cutting off the prepuce or foreskin of males, or the internal labia of females.
Note: The circumcision of males is practiced as a religious rite by the Jews, Mohammedans, etc.
2. (Script.) (a) The Jews, as a circumcised people. (b) Rejection of the sins of the flesh; spiritual purification, and acceptance of the Christian faith.
CIRCUMCLUSION
Cir`cum*clu"sion, n. Etym: [L. circumcludere, -clusum, to inclose.]
Defn: Act of inclosing on all sides. [R.]
CIRCUMCURSATION Cir`cum*cur*sa"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumcursare, -satum, to run round about.]
Defn: The act of running about; also, rambling language. [Obs.]
Barrow.
CIRCUMDENUDATION
Cir`cum*den`u*da"tion, n. Etym: [Pref. circum- + denudation.] (Geol.)
Defn: Denudation around or in the neighborhood of an object. Hills of circumdenudation, hills which have been produced by surface erosion; the elevations which have been left, after denudation of a mass of high ground. Jukes.
CIRCUMDUCE
Cir`cum*duce", v. t. Etym: [See Circumduct.] (Scots Law)
Defn: To declare elapsed, as the time allowed for introducing evidence. Sir W. Scott.
CIRCUMDUCT Cir`cum*duct", v. t. Etym: [L. circumductus, p. p. of circumducere to lead around; circum + ducere to lead.]
1. To lead about; to lead astray. [R.]
2. (Law)
Defn: To contravene; to nullify; as, to circumduct acts of judicature. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
CIRCUMDUCTION
Cir`cum*duc"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumductio.]
1. A leading about; circumlocution. [R.] Hooker.
2. An annulling; cancellation. [R.] Ayliffe.
3. (Phisiol.)
Defn: The rotation of a limb round an imaginary axis, so as to describe a concial surface.
CIRCUMESOPHAGAL
Cir`cum*e*soph"a*gal, a. Etym: [Pref. circum + esophagal.] (Anat.)
Defn: Surrounding the esophagus; — in Zool. said of the nerve commissures and ganglia of arthropods and mollusks.
CIRCUMESOPHAGEAL
Cir`cum*e`so*phag"e*al, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Circumesophagal.
CIRCUMFER Cir"cum*fer, v. t. Etym: [L. circumferre; circum + ferre to bear. See lst Bear.]
Defn: To bear or carry round. [Obs.] Bacon.
CIRCUMFERENCE
Cir*cum"fer*ence, n. Etym: [L. circumferentia.]
1. The line that goes round or encompasses a circular figure; a periphery. Millon.
2. A circle; anything circular. His ponderous shield . . . Behind him cast. The broad circumference Hung on his shoulders like the moon. Milton.
3. The external surface of a sphere, or of any orbicular body.
CIRCUMFERENCE
Cir*cum"fer*ence, v. t.
Defn: To include in a circular space; to bound. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
CIRCUMFERENTIAL
Cir*cum`fer*en"tial, a. Etym: [LL. circumferentialis.]
Defn: Pertaining to the circumference; encompassing; encircling; circuitous. Parkhurst.
CIRCUMFERENTIALLY
Cir*cum`fer*en"tial*ly, adv.
Defn: So as to surround or encircle.
CIRCUMFERENTOR
Cir*cum`fer*en"tor, n. Etym: [See Circumfer.]
1. A surveying instrument, for taking horizontal angles and bearings; a surveyor's compass. It consists of a compass whose needle plays over a circle graduated to 360º, and of a horizontal brass bar at the ends of which are standards with narrow slits for sighting, supported on a tripod by a ball and socket joint.
2. A graduated wheel for measuring tires; a tire circle.
CIRCUMFLANT
Cir"cum*flant, a. Etym: [L. circumflans, p. pr. of circumflare.]
Defn: Blowing around. [Obs.] Evelyn.
CIRCUMFLECT
Cir"cum*flect, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circumflected; p. pr. & vb. n.
Circumflecting.] Etym: [L. circumflectere. See Circumflex.]
1. To bend around.
2. To mark with the circumflex accent, as a vowel. [R.]
CIRCUMFLECTION
Cir`cum*flec"tion, n.
Defn: See Circumflexion.
CIRCUMFLEX Cir"cum*flex, n. Etym: [L. circumflexus a bending round, fr. circumflectere, circumflexum, to bend or turn about; circum + flectere to bend. See Flexible.]
1. A wave of the voice embracing both a rise and fall or a fall and a rise on the same a syllable. Walker.
2. A character, or accent, denoting in Greek a rise and of the voice on the same long syllable, marked thus [~ or Accent, n., 2.
CIRCUMFLEX
Cir"cum*flex, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circumflexed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Circumflexing.]
Defn: To mark or pronounce with a circumflex. Walker.
CIRCUMFLEX
Cir"cum*flex, a. Etym: [Cf. L. circumflexus, p. p.]
1. Moving or turning round; circuitous. [R.] Swift.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: Curved circularly; — applied to several arteries of the hip and thigh, to arteries, veins, and a nerve of the shoulder, and to other parts.
CIRCUMFLEXION
Cir`cum*flex"ion, n.
1. The act of bending, or causing to assume a curved form.
2. A winding about; a turning; a circuity; a fold.
CIRCUMFLUENCE
Cir*cum"flu*ence, n.
Defn: A flowing round on all sides; an inclosing with a fluid.
CIRCUMFLUENT; CIRCUMFLUOUS Cir*cum"flu*ent, Cir*cum"flu*ous, a. Etym: [L. circumfluere, p. pr. of circumfluere; circum + fluere to flow; also L. circumfluus.]
Defn: Flowing round; surrounding in the manner of a fluid. "The deep, circumfluent waves." Pope.
CIRCUMFORANEAN; CIRCUMFORANEOUS Cir`cum*fo*ra"ne*an, Cir`cum*fo*ra"ne*ous, a. Etym: [L. circumforaneus found in markets; circum + forum a market place.]
Defn: Going about or abroad; walking or wandering from house to house. Addison.
CIRCUMFULGENT
Cir`cum*ful"gent, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + fulgent.]
Defn: Shining around or about.
CIRCUMFUSE Cir`cum*fuse", v. t. Etym: [L. circumfusus, p. p. of circumfundere to pour around; circum + fundere to pour.]
Defn: To pour round; to spread round.
His army circumfused on either wing. Milton.
CIRCUMFUSILE
Cir`cum*fu"sile, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + L. fusilis fusil, a.]
Defn: Capable of being poured or spread round. "Circumfusile gold."
Pope.
CIRCUMFUSION
Cir`cum*fu"sion, n. Etym: [L. circumfusio.]
Defn: The act of pouring or spreading round; the state of being spread round. Swift.
CIRCUMGESTATION Cir`cum*ges*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumgestare to carry around; circum + gestare to carry.]
Defn: The act or process of carrying about. [Obs.]
Circumgestation of the eucharist to be adored. Jer. Taylor.
CIRCUMGYRATE
Cir`cum*gy"rate, v. t. & i. Etym: [Pref. circum- + gyrate.]
Defn: To roll or turn round; to cause to perform a rotary or circular motion. Ray.
CIRCUMGYRATION
Cir`cum*gy*ra"tion, n.
Defn: The act of turning, rolling, or whirling round.
A certain turbulent and irregular circumgyration. Holland.
CIRCUMGYRATORY
Cir`cum*gy"ra*to*ry, a.
Defn: Moving in a circle; turning round. Hawthorne.
CIRCUMGYRE
Cir`cum*gyre", v. i.
Defn: To circumgyrate. [Obs.]
CIRCUMINCESSION Cir`cum*in*ces"sion, n. Etym: [Pref. circum- + L. incedere, incessum, to walk.] (Theol.)
Defn: The reciprocal existence in each other of the three persons of the Trinity.
CIRCUMJACENCE
Cir`cum*ja"cence, n.
Defn: Condition of being circumjacent, or of bordering ou every side.
CIRCUMJACENT Cir`cum*ja"cent, a. Etym: [L. circumjacens, p. pr. of circumjacere; circum + jac to lie.]
Defn: Lying round; borderong on every side. T. Fuller.
CIRCUMJOVIAL
Cir`cum*jo"vi*al, n. Etym: [Pref. circum- + L. Jupiter, gen. Jovis,
Jove.]
Defn: One of the moons or satellites of the planet Jupiter. [Obs.]
Derham.
CIRCUMLITTORAL Cir`cum*lit"to*ral, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + littus, littoris, shore; preferable form, litus, litoria.]
Defn: Adjointing the shore.
CIRCUMLOCUTION
Cir`cum*lo*cu"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumlocutio, fr. circumloqui, -
locutus, to make use of circumlocution; circum + loqui to speak. See
Loquacious.]
Defn: The use of many words to express an idea that might be expressed by few; indirect or roundabout language; a periphrese. the plain Billingagate way of calling names . . . would save abundance of time lost by circumlocution. Swift. Circumlocution office, a term of riducle for a governmental office where business is delayed by passing through the hands of different officials.
CIRCUMLOCUTIONAL
Cir`cum*lo*cu"tion*al, a.
Defn: Relating to, or consisting of, circumlocutions; periphrastic; circuitous.
CIRCUMLOCUTORY
Cir`cum*loc"u*to*ry, a.
Defn: Characterised by circumlocution; periphrastic. Shenstone.
The officials set to work in regular circumlocutory order. Chambers's
Journal.
CIRCUMMERIDIAN
Cir`cum*me*rid"i*an, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + meridian.]
Defn: About, or near, the meridian.
CIRCUMMURE
Cir`cum*mure", v. t. Etym: [Pref. circum- + mure, v. t.]
Defn: To encompass with a wall. Shak.
CIRCUMNAVIGABLE
Cir`cum*nav"i*ga*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being sailed round. Ray.
CIRCUMNAVIGATE Cir`cum*nav"i*gate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circumnavigated; p. pr. & vb. n. Circumnavigating.] Etym: [L. circumnavigatus, p. p. of circumnavigare to sail round; circum + navigare to navigate.]
Defn: To sail completely round.
Having circumnavigated the whole earth. T. Fuller.
CIRCUMNAVIGATION
Cir`cum*nav`i*ga"tion, n.
Defn: The act of circumnavigating, or sailing round. Arbuthnot.
CIRCUMNAVIGATOR
Cir`cum*nav"iga`tor, n.
Defn: One who sails round. W. Guthrie.
CIRCUMNUTATE
Cir`cum*nu"tate, v. i. Etym: [Pref. circum- + nutate.]
Defn: To pass through the stages of circumnutation.
CIRCUMNUTATION
Cir`cum*nu*ta"tion, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The successive bowing or bending in different directions of the growing tip of the stems of many plants, especially seen in climbing plants.
CIRCUMPOLAR
Cir`cum*po"lar, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + polar.]
Defn: About the pole; — applied to stars that revolve around the pole without setting; as, circumpolar stars.
CIRCUMPOSITION Cir`cum*po*si"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumpositio, fr. circumponere, - positium, to place around.]
Defn: The act of placing in a circle, or round about, or the state of being so placed. Evelyn.
CIRCUMROTARY; CIRCUMROTATORY Cir`cum*ro"tary, Cir`cum*ro"ta*to*ry, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + rotary, rotatory.]
Defn: turning, rolling, or whirling round.
CIRCUMROTATE Cir`cum*ro"tate, v. t. & i. Etym: [L. circumrotare; circum + rotare to turn round.]
Defn: To rotate about. [R.]
CIRCUMROTATION
Cir`cum*ro*ta"tion, n.
Defn: The act of rolling or revolving round, as a wheel; circumvolution; the state of being whirled round. J. Gregory.
CIRCUMSCISSILE
Cir`cum*scis"sile, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + scissle.] (Bot.)
Defn: Dehiscing or opening by a transverse fissure extending around (a capsule or pod). See Illust. of Pyxidium.
CIRCUMSCRIBABLE
Cir`cum*scrib"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being circumscribed.
CIRCUMSCRIBE
Cir`cum*scribe", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circumscribed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Circumscribing.] Etym: [L. circumscribere, -scriptum; circum +
scribere to write, draw. See Soribe.]
1. to write or engare around. [R.] Thereon is circumscribed this epitaph. Ashmole.
2. To inclose within a certain limit; to hem in; to surround; to bound; to confine; to restrain. To circumscribe royal power. Bancroft.
3. (Geom.)
Defn: To draw a line around si as to touch at certain points without cutting. See Inscribe, 5.
Syn. — To bound; limit; restrict; confine; abridge; restrain; environ; encircle; inclose; encompass.
CIRCUMSCRIBER
Cir`cum*scrib"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, circumscribes.
CIRCUMSCRIPTIBLE
Cir`cum*scrip"ti*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being circumscribed or limited by bounds.
CIRCUMSCRIPTION
Cir`cum*scrip"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumscriptio. See Circumscribe.]
1. An inscription written around anything. [R.] Ashmole.
2. The exterior line which determines the form or magnitude of a body; outline; periphery. Ray.
3. The act of limiting, or the state of being limited, by conditions or restraints; bound; confinement; limit. The circumscriptions of terrestrial nature. Johnson. I would not my unhoused, free condition Put into circumscription and confine. Shak.
CIRCUMSCRIPTIVE
Cir`cum*scrip"tive, a.
Defn: Circumscribing or tending to circumscribe; marcing the limits or form of.
CIRCUMSCRIPTIVELY
Cir`cum*scrip"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a limited manner.
CIRCUMSCRIPTLY
Cir"cum*script`ly, adv.
Defn: In a literal, limited, or narrow manner. [R.] Milton.
CIRCUMSPECT Cir"cum*spect, a. Etym: [L. circumspectus, p. p. of circumspicere to look about one's self, to observe; circum + spicere, specere, to look. See Spy.]
Defn: Attentive to all the circustances of a case or the probable consequences of an action; cautious; prudent; wary.
Syn.
— See Cautious.
CIRCUMSPECTION
Cir`cum*spec"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumspectio.]
Defn: Attention to all the facts and circumstances of a case; caution; watchfulness. With silent circumspection, unespied. Milton.
Syn. — Caution; prudence; watchfulness; deliberation; thoughtfulness; wariness; forecast.
CIRCUMSPECTIVE
Cir`cum*spec"tive, a.
Defn: Looking around everi way; cautious; careful of consequences; watchful of danger. "Circumspective eyes." Pope.
CIRCUMSPECTIVELY
Cir`cum*spec"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: Circumspectly.
CIRCUMSPECTLY
Cir"cum*spect"ly, adv.
Defn: In a circumspect manner; cautiously; warily.
CIRCUMSPECTNESS
Cir"cum*spect"ness, n.
Defn: Vigilance un guarding against evil from every quarter; caution. [Travel] forces circumspectness on those abroad, who at home are nursed in security. Sir H. Wotton.
CIRCUMSTANCE
Cir"cum*stance, n. Etym: [L. circumstantia, fr. circumstans, -antis,
p. pr. of circumstare to stand around; circum + stare to stand. See
Stand.]
1. That which attends, or relates to, or in some way affects, a fact or event; an attendant thing or state of things. The circumstances are well known in the country where they happened. W. Irving.
2. An event; a fact; a particular incident. The sculptor had in his thoughts the conqoeror weeping for new worlds, or the like circumstances in histery. Addison.
3. Circumlocution; detail. [Obs.] So without more circumstance at all I hold it fit that shake hands and part. Shak.
4. pl.
Defn: Condition in regard to worldly estate; state of property; situation; surroundings. When men are easy in their circumstances, they are naturally enemies to innovations. Addison. Not a circumstance, of no account. [Colloq.] — Under the circumstances, taking all things into consideration.
Syn. — Event; occurrence; incident; situation; condition; position; fact; detail; item. See Event.
CIRCUMSTANCE
Cir"cum*stance, v. t.
Defn: To place in a particular situation; to suppy relative
incidents.
The poet took the matters of fact as they came down to him and
circumstanced them, after his own manner. Addison.
CIRCUMSTANCED
Cir"cum*stanced, p. a.
1. Placed in a particular position or condition; situated. The proposition is, that two bodies so circumstanced will balance each other. Whewell.
2. Governed by events or circumstances. [Poetic & R.] "I must be circumstanced." Shak.
CIRCUMSTANT
Cir"cum*stant, a. Etym: [L. circumstans. See Circumstance.]
Defn: Standing or placed around; surrounding. [R.] "Circumstant bodies." Sir K. Digby.
CIRCUMSTANTIABLE
Cir`cum*stan"tia*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being circumstantiated. [Obs.] Jer Taylor.
CIRCUMSTANTIAL
Cir`cum*stan"tial, a. Etym: [Cf. F. circonstanciel.]
1. Consisting in, or pertaining to, circumstances or particular incidents. The usual character of human testimony is substantial truth under circumstantial variety. Paley.
2. Incidental; relating to, but not essential. We must therefore distinguish between the essentials in religious worship . . . and what is merely circumstantial. Sharp.
3. Abounding with circumstances; detailing or exhibiting all the circumstances; minute; particular. Tedious and circumstantial recitals. Prior. Circumstantial evidence (Law), evidence obtained from circumstances, which necessarily or usually attend facts of a particular nature, from which arises presumption. According to some authorities circumstantial is distinguished from positive evidence in that the latter is the testimony of eyewitnesses to a fact or the admission of a party; but the prevalent opinion now is that all such testimony is dependent on circumstances for its support. All testimony is more or less circumstantial. Wharton.
Syn.
— See Minute.
CIRCUMSTANTIAL
Cir`cum*stan"tial, n.
Defn: Something incidental to the main subject, but of less importance; opposed to an essential; — generally in the plural; as, the circumstantials of religion. Addison.
CIRCUMSTANTIALITY
Cir`cum*stan`ti*al"i*ty, n.
Defn: The state, characteristic, or quality of being circumstantial; particularity or minuteness of detail. "I will endeavor to describe with sufficient circumstantiality." De Quincey.
CIRCUMSTANTIALLY
Cir`cum*stan"tial*ly, adv.
1. In respect to circumstances; not essentially; accidentally. Of the fancy and intellect, the powers are only circumstantially different. Glanvill.
2. In every circumstance or particular; minutely. To set down somewhat circumstantially, not only the events, but the manner of my trials. Boyle.
CIRCUMSTANTIATE Cir`cum*stan"ti*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circumstantiated; p. pr. & vb. n. Circumstantiating.] Etym: [See Circumstantiating (
1. To place in particular circumstances; to invest with particular accidents or adjuncts. [R.] If the act were otherwise circumstantiated, it might will that freely which now it wills reluctantly. Bramhall.
2. To prove or confirm by circumstances; to entr into details
concerning.
Neither will time permint to circumstantiate these particulars, which
I have only touched in the general. State Trials (1661).
CIRCUMTERRANEOUS
Cir`cum*ter*ra"ne*ous, a. Etym: [Pref. circum- + L. terra earth.]
Defn: Being or dwelling around the earth. "Circumterraneous demouns."
H. Hallywell.
CIRCUMUNDULATE
Cir`cum*un"du*late, v. t. Etym: [Pref. circum- + undulate.]
Defn: To flow round, as waves. [R.]
CIRCUMVALLATE Cir`cum*val"late, v. t. Etym: [L. circumvallatus, p. p. of circumvallare to surround with a wall; circum + vallare to wall, fr. vallum rampart.]
Defn: To surround with a rampart or wall. Johnson.
CIRCUMVALLATE
Cir`cum*val"late, a.
1. Surrounded with a wall; inclosed with a rampart.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: Surrounded by a ridle or elevation; as, the circumvallate papillæ, near the base of the tongue.
CIRCUMVALLATION Cir`cum*val*la"tion, n. (Mil.) (a) The act of surrounding with a wall or rampart. (b) A line of field works made around a besieged place and the besieging army, to protect the camp of the besiegers against the attack of an enemy from without.
CIRCUMVECTION Cir`cum*vec"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumvectio; circum + vehere to carry.]
Defn: The act of carrying anything around, or the state of being so carried.
CIRCUMVENT Cir`cum*vent", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circumvented; p. pr. vb. n. Circumventing.] Etym: [L. circumventis, p. p. of circumvenire, to come around, encompass, decieve; circum + venire to come, akin to E. come.]
Defn: To gain advantage over by arts, stratagem, or deception; to decieve; to delude; to get around. I circumvented whom I could not gain. Dryden.
CIRCUMVENTION
Cir`cum*ven"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumventio.]
Defn: The act of prevailing over another by arts, address, or fraud; deception; fraud; imposture; delusion. A school in which he learns sly circumvention. Cowper.
CIRCUMVENTIVE
Cir`cum*vent"ive, a.
Defn: Tending to circumvent; deceiving by artifices; deluding.
CIRCUMVENTOR
Cir`cum*vent"or, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who circumvents; one who gains his purpose by cunning.
CIRCUMVEST Cir`cum*vest", v. t. Etym: [L. circumvestire; circum + vestire to clothe.]
Defn: To cover round, as woth a garment; to invest. [Obs.]
Circumvested with much prejudice. Sir H. Wotton.
CIRCUMVOLANT
Cir*cum"vo*lant, a. Etym: [L. circumvolans, p. pr. See
Circumvolation.]
Defn: Flying around.
The circumvolant troubles of humanity. G. Macdonald.
CIRCUMVOLATION Cir`cum*vo*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. circumvolate. -volatum, to fly around; circum + volare to fly.]
Defn: The act of flying round. [R.]
CIRCUMVOLUTION
Cir`cum*vo*lu"tion, n. Etym: [See Circumvolve.]
1. The act of rolling round; the state of being rolled.
2. A thing rolled round another. Arbuthnot.
3. A roundabout procedure; a circumlocution. He had neither time nor temper for sentimental circumvolutions. Beaconsfield.
CIRCUMVOLVE
Cir`cum*volve", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Circumvolved; p. pr. vb. n.
Circumvolving.] Etym: [L. circumvolvere, -volutum; circum + volvere
to roll.]
Defn: To roll round; to cause to revolve; to put into a circular motion. Herrick.
CIRCUMVOLVE
Cir`cum*volve", v. i.
Defn: To roll round; to revolve.
CIRCUS Cir"cus, n.; pl. Circuses. Etym: [L. circus circle, ring, circus (in sense 1). See Circle, and cf. Cirque.]
1. (Roman Antiq.)
Defn: A level oblong space surrounded on three sides by seats of wood, earth, or stone, rising in tiers one above another, and divided lengthwise through the middle by a barrier around which the track or course was laid out. It was used for chariot races, games, and public shows.
Note: The Circus Maximus at Rome could contain more than 100,000 spectators. Harpers' Latin Dict.
2. A circular inclosure for the exhibition of feats of horsemanship, acrobatic displays, etc. Also, the company of performers, with their equipage.
3. Circuit; space; inclosure. [R.] The narrow circus of my dungeon wall. Byron.
CIRL BUNTING
Cirl" bun`ting. Etym: [Cf. It. cirlo.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A European bunting (Emberiza cirlus).
CIRQUE
Cirque, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. circus.]
1. A circle; a circus; a circular erection or arrangement of objects. A dismal cirque Of Druid stones upon a forlorn moor. Keats.
2. A kind of circular valley in the side of a mountain, walled around by precipices of great height.
CIRRATE
Cir"rate, a. Etym: [L. cirratus having ringlets, fr. cirrus a curl.]
(Zoöl.)
Defn: Having cirri along the margin of a part or organ.
CIRRHIFEROUS
Cir*rhif"er*ous, a.
Defn: See Cirriferous.
CIRRHOSE
Cir"rhose, a.
Defn: Same as Cirrose.
CIRRHOSIS Cir*rho"sis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. cirrhose. So called from the yellowish appearance which the diseased liver often presents when cut.] (Med.)
Defn: A disease of the liver in which it usually becomes smaller in size and more dense and fibrous in consistence; hence sometimes applied to similar changes in other organs, caused by increase in the fibrous framework and decrease in the proper substance of the organ.
CIRRHOTIC
Cir*rhot"ic, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, caused by, or affected with, cirrhosis; as, cirrhotic degeneration; a cirrhotic liver.
CIRRHOUS
Cir"rhous, a.
Defn: See Cirrose.
CIRRHUS
Cir"rhus, n.
Defn: Same as Cirrus.
CIRRI
Cir"ri, n. pl.
Defn: See Cirrus.
CIRRIFEROUS
Cir*rif"er*ous, a. Etym: [Cirrus + -ferous.]
Defn: Bearing cirri, as many plants and animals.
CIRRIFORM
Cir"ri*form, a. Etym: [Cirrus + -form.] (Biol.)
Defn: Formed like a cirrus or tendril; — said of appendages of both animals and plants.
CIRRIGEROUS
Cir*rig"er*ous, a. Etym: [Cirrus + -gerous.] (Biol.)
Defn: Having curled locks of hair; supporting cirri, or hairlike appendages.
CIRRIGRADE
Cir"ri*grade, a. Etym: [Cirrus + L. gradi to walk.] (Biol.)
Defn: Moving or moved by cirri, or hairlike appendages.
CIRRIPED
Cir"ri*ped, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Cirripedia.
CIRRIPEDIA Cir`ri*pe"di*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. cirrus curl + pes, pedis, foot.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An order of Crustacea including the barnacles. When adult, they have a calcareous shell composed of several pieces. From the opening of the shell the animal throws out a group of curved legs, looking like a delicate curl, whence the name of the group. See Anatifa.
CIRROBRANCHIATA Cir`ro*bran`chi*a"ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. E. cirrus + L. branchiae gills.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of Mollusca having slender, cirriform appendages near the mouth; the Scaphopoda.
CIRRO-CUMULUS
Cir`ro-cu"mu*lus, n. Etym: [Cirrus + cumulus.] (Meteor.)
Defn: See under Cloud.
CIRROSE Cir"rose, a. Etym: [See Cirrus.] (Bot.) (a) Bearing a tendril or tendrils; as, a cirrose leaf. (b) Resembling a tendril or cirrus. [Spelt also cirrhose.]
CIRROSTOMI
Cir`ros"to*mi, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. E. cirrus + Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lowest group of vertebrates; — so called from the cirri around the mouth; the Leptocardia. See Amphioxus.
CIRRO-STRATUS
Cir`ro-stra"tus, n. Etym: [Cirrus + stratus.] (Meteor.)
Defn: See under Cloud.
CIRROUS
Cir"rous, a.
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Cirrose.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Tufted; — said of certain feathers of birds.
CIRRUS Cir"rus, n.; pl. Cirri. Etym: [L., lock, curl, ringlet.] [Also written cirrhus.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A tendril or clasper.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A soft tactile appendage of the mantle of many Mollusca, and of the parapodia of Annelida. Those near the head of annelids are Tentacular cirri; those of the last segment are caudal cirri. (b) The jointed, leglike organs of Cirripedia. See Annelida, and Polychæta.
Note: In some of the inferior animals the cirri aid in locomotion; in others they are used in feeding; in the Annelida they are mostly organs of touch. Some cirri are branchial in function.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The external male organ of trematodes and some other worms, and of certain Mollusca.
4. (Meteor.)
Defn: See under Cloud.
CIRSOCELE
Cir"so*cele, n. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)
Defn: The varicose dilatation of the spermatic vein.
CIRSOID
Cir"soid, a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.] (Med.)
Defn: Varicose. Cirsoid aneurism, a disease of an artery in which it becomes dilated and elongated, like a varicose vein.
CIRSOTOMY
Cir*sot"o*my, n. Etym: [Gr. (Surg.)
Defn: Any operation for the removal of varices by incision.
Dunglison.
CIS-
Cis-.
Defn: A Latin preposition, sometimes used as a prefix in English words, and signifying on this side.
CISALPINE
Cis*al"pine, a. Etym: [L. Cisalpinus; cis on this side + Alpinus
Alpine.]
Defn: On the hither side of the Alps with reference to Rome, that is, on the south side of the Alps; — opposed to transalpine.
CISATLANTIC
Cis`at*lan"tic, a. Etym: [Pref. cis- + Atlantic.]
Defn: On this side of the Atlantic Ocean; — used of the eastern or the western side, according to the standpoint of the writer. Story.
CISCO
Cis"co, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The Lake herring (Coregonus Artedi), valuable food fish of the Great Lakes of North America. The name is also applied to C. Hoyi, a related species of Lake Michigan.
CISELURE
Ci`se*lure", n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: The process of chasing on metals; also, the work thus chased.
Weale.
CISLEITHAN
Cis*lei"than, a. Etym: [Pref. cis- + Leitha.]
Defn: On the Austrian side of the river Leitha; Austrian.
CISMONTANE
Cis*mon"tane, a. Etym: [Pref. cis- + L. mons mountain.]
Defn: On this side of the mountains. See under Ultramontane.
CISPADANE Cis"pa*dane`, a. Etym: [Pref. cis- + L. Padanus, pert. to the Padus or Po.]
Defn: On the hither side of the river Po with reference to Rome; that is, on the south side.
CISSOID
Cis"soid, n. Etym: [Gr. (Geom.)
Defn: A curve invented by Diocles, for the purpose of solving two celebrated problems of the higher geometry; viz., to trisect a plane angle, and to construct two geometrical means between two given straight lines.
CIST
Cist, n. Etym: [L. cista box, chest, Gr. Chest.]
1. (Antiq.)
Defn: A box or chest. Specifically: (a) A bronze receptacle, round or oval, frequently decorated with engravings on the sides and cover, and with feet, handles, etc., of decorative castings. (b) A cinerary urn. See Illustration in Appendix.
2. See Cyst.
CISTED
Cist"ed, a.
Defn: Inclosed in a cyst. See Cysted.
CISTERCIAN Cis*ter"cian, n. Etym: [LL. Cistercium. F. Cîteaux, a convent not far from Dijon, in France: cf. F. cistercien.] (Eccl.)
Defn: A monk of the prolific branch of the Benedictine Order, established in 1098 at Cîteaux, in France, by Robert, abbot of Molesme. For two hundred years the Cistercians followed the rule of St. Benedict in all its rigor. — a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Cistercians.
CISTERN Cis"tern, n. Etym: [OE. cisterne, OF. cisterne, F. cisterne, fr. L. cisterna, fr. cista box, chest. See Cist, and cf. chest.]
1. An artificial reservoir or tank for holding water, beer, or other liquids.
2. A natural reservoir; a hollow place containing water. "The wide cisterns of the lakes." Blackmore.
CISTIC
Cist"ic, a.
Defn: See Cystic.
CIT
Cit (, n. Etym: [Contr. fr. citizen.]
Defn: A citizen; an inhabitant of a city; a pert townsman; — used contemptuously. "Insulted as a cit". Johnson Which past endurance sting the tender cit. Emerson.
CITABLE
Cit"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being cited.
CITADEL Cit"a*del, n. Etym: [F. citadelle, It. citadella, dicitt city, fr. L. civitas. See City.]
Defn: A fortress in or near a fortified city, commanding the city and fortifications, and intended as a final point of defense. Syn. - Stronghold. See Fortress.
CITAL
Cit"al, n. Etym: [From Cite]
1. Summons to appear, as before a judge. [R.] Johnson
2. Citation; quotation [R.] Johnson.
CITATION
Ci*ta"tion, n. Etym: [F. citation, LL. citatio, fr.L. citare to cite.
See Cite]
1. An official summons or notice given to a person to appear; the paper containing such summons or notice.
2. The act of citing a passage from a book, or from another person, in his own words; also, the passage or words quoted; quotation. This horse load of citations and fathers. Milton.
3. Enumeration; mention; as, a citation of facts.
4. (Law)
Defn: A reference to decided cases, or books of authority, to prove a point in law.
CITATOR
Ci*ta"tor, n.
Defn: One who cites. [R]
CITATORY
Ci"ta*to*ry, a. Etym: [LL. citatirius.]
Defn: Having the power or form of a citation; as, letters citatory.
CITE Cite, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cited; p. pr. & vb. n. Citing] Etym: [F. citer, fr. L. citare, intens. of cire, ciere, to put in motion, to excite; akin to Gr.
1. To call upon officially or authoritatively to appear, as before a
court; to summon.
The cited dead, Of all past ages, to the general doom Shall hasten.
Milton.
Cited by finger of God. De Quincey.
2. To urge; to enjoin. [R.] Shak.
3. To quote; to repeat, as a passage from a book, or the words of another. The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. Shak.
4. To refer to or specify, as for support, proof, illustration, or confirmation. The imperfections which you have cited. Shak.
5. To bespeak; to indicate. [Obs.] Aged honor cites a virtuous youth. Shak.
6. (Law)
Defn: To notify of a proceeding in court. Abbot
Syn.
— To quote; mention, name; refer to; adduce; select; call; summon.
See Quote.
CITER
Cit"er, n.
Defn: One who cites.
CITESS
Cit"ess, n. Etym: [From Cit.]
Defn: A city woman [R.]
CITHARA
Cith"a*ra, n. Etym: [L. Cf. Cittern, Guitar.] (Mus.)
Defn: An ancient instrument resembling the harp.
CITHARISTIC
Cith`a*ris"tic, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Pertaining, or adapted, to the cithara.
CITHERN
Cith"ern, n.
Defn: See Cittern.
CITICISM
Cit"i*cism, n. Etym: [From cit.]
Defn: The manners of a cit or citizen.
CITIED
Cit"ied, a.
1. Belonging to, or resembling, a city. "Smoky, citied towns" [R.] Drayton.
2. Containing, or covered with, cities. [R.] "The citied earth." Keats.
CITIFIED
Cit"i*fied, a. Etym: [City +-fy.]
Defn: Aping, or having, the manners of a city.
CITIGRADAE Cit`i*gra"dæ, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. citus swift (p. p. of cire, ciere, to move) + gradi to walk. See Cite.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A suborder of Arachnoidea, including the European tarantula and the wolf spiders (Lycosidae) and their allies, which capture their prey by rapidly running and jumping. See Wolf spider.
CITIGRADE
Cit"i*grade, a. Etym: [Cf. F. citigrade.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Pertaining to the Citigradæ.
— n.
Defn: One of the Citigradæ.
CITINER
Cit"i*ner, n.
Defn: One who is born or bred in a city; a citizen. [Obs.] Champan.
CITIZEN Cit"i*zen, n. Etym: [OE. citisein, OF. citeain, F. citoyen, fr. cité city. See City, and cf. Cit.]
1. One who enjoys the freedom and privileges of a city; a freeman of a city, as distinguished from a foreigner, or one not entitled to its franchises. That large body of the working men who were not counted as citizens and had not so much as a vote to serve as an anodyne to their stomachs. G. Eliot.
2. An inhabitant of a city; a townsman. Shak.
3. A person, native or naturalized, of either sex, who owes allegiance to a government, and is entitled to reciprocal protection from it.
Note: This protection is . . . national protection, recognition of the individual, in the face of foreign nations, as a member of the state, and assertion of his security and rights abroad as well as at home. Abbot
4. One who is domiciled in a country, and who is a citizen, though neither native nor naturalized, in such a sense that he takes his legal status from such country.
CITIZEN
Cit"i*zen, a.
1. Having the condition or qualities of a citizen, or of citizens; as, a citizen soldiery.
2. Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a city; characteristic of citizens; effeminate; luxurious. [Obs.] I am not well, But not so citizen a wanton as To seem to die ere sick. Shak.
CITIZENESS
Cit"i*zen*ess, n.
Defn: A female citizen. [R.]
CITIZENSHIP
Cit"i*zen*ship, n.
Defn: The state of being a citizen; the status of a citizen.
CITOLE
Cit"ole, n. Etym: [OF. citole, fr. L. cithara. See Cittern.] (Mus.)
Defn: A musical instrument; a kind of dulcimer. [Obs.]
CITRACONIC
Cit`ra*con"ic, a. Etym: [Citric + aconitic.]
Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or having certain characteristics of, citric and aconitic acids. Citraconic acid (Chem.), a white, crystalline, deliquescent substance, C3H4(CO2H)2, obtained by distillation of citric acid. It is a compound of the ethylene series.
CITRANGE
Cit"range, n. [Citrus + orange.]
Defn: A citrous fruit produced by a cross between the sweet orange and the trifoliate orange (Citrus trifoliata). It is more acid and has a more pronounced aroma than the orange; the tree is hardier. There are several varieties.
CITRATE
Cit"rate, n. Etym: [From Citric.] (Chem.)
Defn: A salt of citric acid.
CITRIC
Cit"ric, a. Etym: [Cf. F. citrique. See Citron.] (Chem.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or derived from, the citron or lemon; as, citric acid. Citric acid (Chem.), an organic acid, C3H4OH.(CO2H)3, extracted from lemons, currants, gooseberies, etc., as a white crystalline substance, having a pleasant sour taste.
CITRINATION
Cit`ri*na"tion, n. Etym: [See Citrine.]
Defn: The process by which anything becomes of the color of a lemon; esp., in alchemy, the state of perfection in the philosopher's stone indicated by its assuming a deep yellow color. Thynne.
CITRINE
Cit"rine, a. Etym: [F. citrin. See Citron.]
Defn: Like a citron or lemon; of a lemon color; greenish yellow. Citrine ointment (Med.), a yellowish mercurial ointment, the unquentum hydrargyri nitratis.
CITRINE
Cit"rine, n.
Defn: A yellow, pellucid variety of quartz.
CITRON Cit"ron, n. Etym: [F. citron, LL. citro, fr. L. citrus citron tree (cf. citreum, sc. malum, a citron), from Gr.
1. (Bot)
Defn: A fruit resembling a lemon, but larger, and pleasantly aromatic. The thick rind, when candied, is the citron of commerce.
2. A citron tree.
3. A citron melon. Citron melon. (a) A small variety of muskmelon with sugary greenish flesh. (b) A small variety of watermelon, whose solid white flesh is used in making sweetmeats and preserves. — Citron tree (Bot.), the tree which bears citrons. It was probably a native of northern India, and is now understood to be the typical form of Citrus Medica.
CITRUS
Cit"rus, n. Etym: [L., a citron tree.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of trees including the orange, lemon, citron, etc., originally natives of southern Asia.
CITTERN
Cit"tern, n. Etym: [L.cithara, Gr. Cithara, Gittern.] (Mus.)
Defn: An instrument shaped like a lute, but strung with wire and played with a quill or plectrum. [Written also cithern.] Shak.
Note: Not to be confounded with zither.
CITTERN-HEAD
Cit"tern-head`, n.
Defn: Blockhead; dunce; — so called because the handle of a cittern usually ended with a carved head. Marsion
CITY Cit"y (, n.; pl. Cities. Etym: [OE. cite, F. citcivitas citizenship, state, city, fr. civis citizen; akin to Goth. heiwa (in heiwafrauja man of the house), AS. heirath marriage, prop., providing a house, E. hind a peasant.]
1. A large town.
2. A corporate town; in the United States, a town or collective body of inhabitants, incorporated and governed by a mayor and aldermen or a city council consisting of a board of aldermen and a common council; in Great Britain, a town corporate, which is or has been the seat of a bishop, or the capital of his see. A city is a town incorporated; which is, or has been, the see of a bishop; and though the bishopric has been dissolved, as at Westminster, it yet remaineth a city. Blackstone When Gorges constituted York a city, he of course meant it to be the seat of a bishop, for the word city has no other meaning in English law. Palfrey
3. The collective body of citizens, or inhabitants of a city. "What is the city but the people" Shak.
Syn.
— See Village.
CITY
Cit"y, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a city. Shak. City council. See under
Council.
— City court, The municipal court of a city. [U. S.] — City ward,
a watchman, or the collective watchmen, of a city. [Obs.] Fairfax.
CIVE
Cive, n. (Bot.)
Defn: Same as Chive.
CIVET
Civ"et, n. Etym: [F. civette (cf. It. zibetto) civet, civet cat, fr.
LGr. zub, zab, civet.]
1. A substance, of the consistence of butter or honey, taken from glands in the anal pouch of the civet (Viverra civetta). It is of clear yellowish or brownish color, of a strong, musky odor, offensive when undiluted, but agreeble when a small portion is mixed with another substance. It is used as a perfume.
2. (Zoöl)
Defn: The animal that produces civet (Viverra civetta); — called also civet cat. It is carnivorous, from two to three feet long, and of a brownish gray color, with transverse black bands and spots on the body and tail. It is a native of northern Africa and of Asia. The name is also applied to other species.
CIVET
Civ"et, v. t.
Defn: To scent or perfume with civet. Cowper
CIVIC
Civ"ic, a. Etym: [L.civicus, fr. civis citizen. See City.]
Defn: Relating to, or derived from, a city or citizen; relating to man as a member of society, or to civil affairs. Civic crown (Rom. Antiq.), a crown or garland of oak leaves and acorns, bestowed on a soldier who had saved the life of a citizen in battle.
CIVICISM
Civ"i*cism, n.
Defn: The principle of civil government.
CIVICS
Civ"ics, n.
Defn: The science of civil government.
CIVIL
Civ"il, a. Etym: [L. civilis, fr. civis citizen: cf. F. civil. See
City.]
1. Pertaining to a city or state, or to a citizen in his relations to his fellow citizens or to the state; within the city or state.
2. Subject to government; reduced to order; civilized; not barbarous; — said of the community. England was very rude and barbarous; for it is but even the other day since England grew civil. Spenser.
3. Performing the duties of a citizen; obedient to government; — said of an individual. Civil men come nearer the saints of God than others; they come within a step or two of heaven. Preston
4. Having the manners of one dwelling in a city, as opposed to those of savages or rustics; polite; courteous; complaisant; affable.
Note: "A civil man now is one observant of slight external courtesies in the mutual intercourse between man and man; a civil man once was one who fulfilled all the duties and obligations flowing from his position as a 'civis' and his relations to the other members of that 'civitas.'" Trench
5. Pertaining to civic life and affairs, in distinction from military, ecclesiastical, or official state.
6. Relating to rights and remedies sought by action or suit distinct
from criminal proceedings. Civil action, an action to enforce the
rights or redress the wrongs of an individual, not involving a
criminal proceeding.
— Civil architecture, the architecture which is employed in
constructing buildings for the purposes of civil life, in distinction
from military and naval architecture, as private houses, palaces,
churches, etc.
— Civil death. (Law.) See under Death.
— Civil engineering. See under Engineering.
— Civil law. See under Law.
— Civil list. See under List.
— Civil remedy (Law), that given to a person injured, by action, as
opposed to a criminal prosecution.
— Civil service, all service rendered to and paid for by the state
or nation other than that pertaining to naval or military affairs.
— Civil service reform, the substitution of business principles and
methods for the spoils system in the conduct of the civil service,
esp. in the matter of appointments to office.
— Civil state, the whole body of the laity or citizens not included
under the military, maritime, and ecclesiastical states.
— Civil suit. Same as Civil action.
— CCivil war. See under War.
— Civil year. See under Year.
CIVILIAN
Ci*vil"ian, n. Etym: [From Civil]
1. One skilled in the civil law. Ancient civilians and writers upon government. Swift.
2. A student of the civil law at a university or college. R. Graves.
3. One whose pursuits are those of civil life, not military or clerical.
CIVILIST
Civ"il*ist, n.
Defn: A civilian. [R.] Warbur
CIVILITY Ci*vil"i*ty, n.; pl. Civilities. Etym: [L. civilitas: cf. F. civilité. See Civil.]
1. The state of society in which the relations and duties of a citizen are recognized and obeyed; a state of civilization. [Obs.] Monarchies have risen from barbarrism to civility, and fallen again to ruin. Sir J. Davies. The gradual depature of all deeper signification from the word civility has obliged the creation of another word — civilization. Trench.
2. A civil office, or a civil process [Obs.] To serve in a civility. Latimer.
3. Courtesy; politeness; kind attention; good breeding; a polite act or expression. The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be. Chesterfield. The sweet civilities of life. Dryden.
Syn.
— Urbanity; affability; complaisance.
CIVILIZABLE
Civ"i*li`za*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being civilized.
CIVILIZATION
Civ`i*li*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. civilisation.]
1. The act of civilizing, or the state of being civilized; national culture; refinement. Our manners, our civilization, and all the good things connected with manners, and with civilization, have, in this European world of ours, depended for ages upon two principles — . . . the spirit of a gentleman, and spirit of religion. Burke
2. (Law)
Defn: Rendering a criminal process civil. [Obs.]
CIVILIZE
Civ"i*lize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Civilized; p. pr. & vb. n.
Civilizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. civilizer, fr.L. civilis civil. See
Civil.]
1. To reclaim from a savage state; to instruct in the rules and customs of civilization; to educate; to refine. Yet blest that fate which did his arms dispose Her land to civilize, as to subdue. Dryden
2. To admit as suitable to a civilized state. [Obs. or R.] "Civilizing adultery." Milton.
Syn.
— To polish; refine; humanize.
CIVILIZED
Civ"i*lized, a.
Defn: Reclaimed from savage life and manners; instructed in arts, learning, and civil manners; refined; cultivated. Sale of conscience and duty in open market is not reconcilable with the present state of civilized society. J. Quincy.
CIVILIZER
Civ"i*li*zer, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, civilizes or tends to civilize.
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Civil Service Commission.
Defn: In the United States, a commission appointed by the President, consisting of three members, not more than two of whom may be adherents of the same party, which has the control, through examinations, of appointments and promotions in the classified civil service. It was created by act of Jan, 16, 1883 (22 Stat. 403).
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
Civil Service Reform.
Defn: The substitution of business principles and methods for political methods in the conduct of the civil service. esp. the merit system instead of the spoils system in making appointments to office.
CIVILY
Civ"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a civil manner; as regards civil rights and privileges; politely; courteously; in a well bred manner.
CIVISM
Civ"ism, n. Etym: [Cf.F. civisme, fr.L. civis citizen.]
Defn: State of citizenship. [R.] Dyer.
CIZAR
Ciz"ar, v. i. Etym: [From Cizars.]
Defn: To clip with scissors. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
CIZARS
Ciz"ars, n. pl.
Defn: Scissors. [Obs.] Swift.
CIZE
Cize, n.
Defn: Bulk; largeness. [Obs.] See Size.
CLABBER
Clab"ber, n. Etym: [See Bonnyclabber]
Defn: Milk curdled so as to become thick.
CLABBER
Clab"ber, v. i.
Defn: To become clabber; to lopper.
CLACHAN
Clach"an, n. Etym: [Scot., fr.Gael.]
Defn: A small village containing a church. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott
Sitting at the clachon alehouse. R. L. Stevenson.
CLACK
Clack, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clacked;p. pr. & vb. n. Clacking.] Etym:
[Prob. of imitative origin; cf. F.claquer to clap, crack, D. klakken,
MHG. klac crack, Ir. clagaim I make a noise, ring. Cf. Clack, n.,
Clatter, Click.]
1. To make a sudden, sharp noise, or a succesion of such noises, as by striking an object, or by collision of parts; to rattle; to click. We heard Mr.Hodson's whip clacking on the ahoulders of the poor little wretches. Thackeray.
2. To utter words rapidly and continually, or with abruptness; to let the tongue run.
CLACK
Clack, v. t.
1. To cause to make a sudden, sharp noise, or succession of noises; to click.
2. To utter rapidly and inconsiderately. Feltham. To clack wool, to cut off the sheep's mark, in order to make the wool weigh less and thus yield less duty. [Eng.]
CLACK Clack, n. Etym: [Cf. F. claque a slap or smack, MHG. klac crack, W. clec crack, gossip. See Clack, v. t.]
1. A sharp, abrupt noise, or succession of noises, made by striking an object.
2. Anything that causes a clacking noise, as the clapper of a mill, or a clack valve.
3. Continual or importunate talk; prattle; prating. Whose chief intent is to vaunt his spiritual clack. South. Clack box (Mach.), the box or chamber in which a clack valve works. — Clack dish, a dish with a movable lid, formerly carried by beggars, who clacked the lid to attract notice. Shak. Clack door (Mining), removable cover of the opening through which access is had to a pump valve. — Clack valve (Mach.), a valve; esp. one hinged at one edge, which, when raised from its seat, falls with a clacking sound.
CLACKER
Clack"er, n.
1. One who clacks; that which clacks; especially, the clapper of a mill.
2. A claqueur. See Claqueur.
CLAD
Clad, v.t
Defn: To clothe. [Obs.] Holland.
CLAD
Clad,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Clothe.
CLADOCERA
Cla*doc"e*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An order of the Entomostraca.
Note: They have a bivalve shell, covering the body but not the head, and from four to six pairs of legs and two pairs of antenæ, for use in swimming. They mostly inhabit fresh water.
CLADOPHYLL
Clad"o*phyll, n. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: A special branch, resembling a leaf, as in the apparent foliage of the broom (Ruscus) and of the common cultivated smilax (Myrsiphillum).
CLAGGY
Clag"gy, a. Etym: [Cf. Clog.]
Defn: Adhesive; — said of a roof in a mine to which coal clings.
CLAIK
Claik, n.
Defn: See Clake.
CLAIM Claim (klam), v. [imp. & p. p. Claimed (klamd); p. pr. & vb. n. Claiming.] Etym: [OE. clamen, claimen, OF. clamer, fr. L. clamare to cry out, call; akin to calare to proclaim, Gr. kal to sound, G. holen to fetch, E. hale haul.]
1. To ask for, or seek to obtain, by virtue of authority, right, or supposed right; to challenge as a right; to demand as due.
2. To proclaim. [Obs.] Spenser.
3. To call or name. [Obs.] Spenser.
4. To assert; to maintain. [Colloq.]
CLAIM
Claim, v. i.
Defn: To be entitled to anything; to deduce a right or title; to have
a claim.
We must know how the first ruler, from whom any one claims, came by
his authority. Locke.
CLAIM Claim, n. Etym: [Of. claim cry, complaint, from clamer. See Claim, v.t.]
1. A demand of a right or supposed right; a calling on another for something due or supposed to be due; an assertion of a right or fact.
2. A right to claim or demand something; a title to any debt, privilege, or other thing in possession of another; also, a title to anything which another should give or concede to, or confer on, the claimant. "A bar to all claims upon land." Hallam.
3. The thing claimed or demanded; that (as land) to which any one intends to establish a right; as a settler's claim; a miner's claim. [U.S. & Australia]
4. A laoud call. [Obs.] Spenser To lay claim to, to demand as a right. "Doth he lay claim to thine inheritance" Shak.
CLAIMABLE
Claim"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being claimed.
CLAIMANT
Claim"ant, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. clamant, p. pr. of clamer. Cf.Clamant.]
Defn: One who claims; one who asserts a right or title; a claimer.
CLAIMER
Claim"er, n.
Defn: One who claims; a claimant.
CLAIMLESS
Claim"less, a.
Defn: Having no claim.
CLAIRAUDIENCE
Clair*au"di*ence, n. [F. clair clear + F. & E. audience a hearing.
See Clear.]
Defn: Act of hearing, or the ability to hear, sounds not normally audible; — usually claimed as a special faculty of spiritualistic mediums, or the like.
CLAIRAUDIENT
Clair*au"di*ent, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or characterized by, clairaudience.
CLAIRAUDIENT
Clair*au"di*ent, n.
Defn: One alleged to have the power of clairaudience.
CLAIRE
Claire, n. [F.]
Defn: A small inclosed pond used for gathering and greening oysters.
CLAIR-OBSCUR
Clair"-ob*scur" (, n. Etym: [F. See Clare-obscure.]
Defn: See Chiaroscuro.
CLAIRVOYANCE
Clair*voy"ance, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A power, attributed to some persons while in a mesmeric state, of discering objects not perceptible by the senses in their normal condition.
CLAIRVOYANT Clair*voy"ant, a. Etym: [F., fr. clair clear + voyant, p. pr. of voir to see. See Clear, and Vision.]
Defn: Pertaining to clairvoyance; discerning objects while in a mesmeric state which are not present to the senses.
CLAIRVOYANT
Clair*voy"ant n.
Defn: One who is able, when in a mesmeric state, to discern objects not present to the senses.
CLAKE; CLAIK
Clake, Claik, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The bernicle goose; — called also clack goose.
CLAM
Clam, n. Etym: [Cf. Clamp, Clam, v. t., Clammy.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bivalve mollusk of many kinds, especially those that are edible; as, the long clam (Mya arenaria), the quahog or round clam (Venus mercenaria), the sea clam or hen clam (Spisula solidissima), and other species of the United States. The name is said to have been given originally to the Tridacna gigas, a huge East Indian bivalve. You shall scarce find any bay or shallow shore, or cove of sand, where you may not take many clampes, or lobsters, or both, at your pleasure. Capt. John Smith (1616). Clams, or clamps, is a shellfish not much unlike a coclke; it lieth under the sand. Wood (1634).
2. (Ship Carp.)
Defn: Strong pinchers or forceps.
3. pl. (Mech.)
Defn: A kind of vise, usually of wood. Blood clam. See under Blood.
CLAM
Clam (clam), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clammed; p. pr. & vb. n. Clamming.]
Etym: [Cf. AS. clæman to clam, smear; akin to Icel. kleima to smear,
OHG. kleimjan, chleimen, to defile, or E. clammy.]
Defn: To clog, as with glutinous or viscous matter. A swarm of wasps got into a honey pot, and there they cloyed and clammed Themselves till there was no getting out again. L'Estrange.
CLAM
Clam, v. i.
Defn: To be moist or glutinous; to stick; to adhere. [R.] Dryden
CLAM
Clam, n.
Defn: Claminess; moisture. [R.] "The clam of death." Carlyle.
CLAM
Clam, n. Etym: [Abbrev. fr. clamor.]
Defn: A crash or clangor made by ringing all the bells of a chime at once. Nares.
CLAM
Clam, v. t. & i.
Defn: To produce, in bell ringing, a clam or clangor; to cause to clang. Nares.
CLAMANT
Cla"mant, a. Etym: [L. clamans, p. pr. of clamare to call. Cf.
Claimant.]
Defn: Crying earnestly, beseeching clamorousky. "Clamant children."
Thomson.
CLAMATION
Cla*ma"tion, n. Etym: [LL. clamatio, fr. L. clamare to call.]
Defn: The act of crying out. Sir T. Browne.
CLAMATORES
Clam`a*to"res, n. pl. Etym: [L. clamator, pl. clamatores, a bawler.]
(Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of passerine birds in which the vocal muscles are but little developed, so that they lack the power of singing.
CLAMATORIAL
Clam`a*to"rial, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like or pertaining to the Clamatores.
CLAMBAKE
Clam"bake, n.
Defn: The backing or steaming of clams on heated stones, between layers of seaweed; hence, a picnic party, gathered on such an occasion.
CLAMBER
Clam"ber, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clambered; p. pr. & vb. n. Clambering.]
Etym: [OE clambren, clameren, to heap together, climb; akin to Icel.
klambra to clamp, G. klammern. Cf. Clamp, Climb.]
Defn: To climb with difficulty, or with hands and feet; — also used
figuratively.
The narrow street that clambered toward the mill. Tennyson.
CLAMBER
Clam"ber, n.
Defn: The act of clambering. T. Moore.
CLAMBER
Clam"ber, v. t.
Defn: To ascend by climbing with difficulty.
Clambering the walls to eye him. Shak.
CLAMJAMPHRIE
Clam*jam"phrie, n.
Defn: Low, worthless people; the rabble. [Scot.] Jamieson.
CLAMMILY
Clam"mi*ly, adv.
Defn: In a clammy manner. "Oozing so clammily." Hood.
CLAMMINESS
Clam"mi*ness, n.
Defn: State of being clammy or viscous.
CLAMMY Clam"my, a. [Compar. Clammier; superl. Clammiest.] Etym: [Cf. AS. clam clay. See Clam to clog, and cf. Clay.]
Defn: Having the quality of being viscous or adhesive; soft and sticky; glutinous; damp and adhesive, as if covered with a cold perspiration.
CLAMOR Clam"or, n. Etym: [OF. clamour, clamur, F. clameur, fr. L. clamor, fr. clamare to cry out. See Claim.]
1. A great outcry or vociferation; loud and continued shouting or exclamation. Shak.
2. Any loud and continued noise. Addison.
3. A continued expression of dissatisfaction or discontent; a popular outcry. Macaulay.
Syn.
— Outcry; exclamation; noise; uproar.
CLAMOR
Clam"or, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clamored; p. pr. & vb. n. Clamoring.]
1. To salute loudly. [R.] The people with a shout Rifted the air, clamoring their god with praise. Milton .
2. To stun with noise. [R.] Bacon.
3. To utter loudly or repeatedly; to shout. Clamored their piteous prayer incessantly. Longfellow. To clamor bells, to repeat the strokes quickly so as to produce a loud clang. Bp. Warbur
CLAMOR
Clam"or, v. i.
Defn: To utter loud sounds or outcries; to vociferate; to complain; to make importunate demands. The obscure bird Clamored the livelong night. Shak.
CLAMORER
Clam"or*er, n.
Defn: One who clamors.
CLAMOROUS Clam"or*ous, a. Etym: [LL. clamorosus, for L. Clamosus: cf. OF. clamoreux.]
Defn: Speaking and repeating loud words; full of clamor; calling or demanding loudly or urgently; vociferous; noisy; bawling; loud; turbulent. "My young ones were clamorous for a morning's excursion." Southey. — Clam"or*ous*ly, adv. — Clam"or*ous*ness, n.
CLAMP Clamp, n. Etym: [Cf. LG. & D. klamp, Dan. klampe, also D. klampen to fasten, clasp. Cf. Clam, Cramp.]
1. Something rigid that holds fast or binds things together; a piece of wood or metal, used to hold two or more pieces together.
2. (a) An instrument with a screw or screws by which work is held in its place or two parts are temporarily held together. (b) (Joinery) A piece of wood placed across another, or inserted into another, to bind or strengthen.
3. One of a pair of movable pieces of lead, or other soft material, to cover the jaws of a vise and enable it to grasp without bruising.
4. (Shipbuilding)
Defn: A thick plank on the inner part of a ship's side, used to sustuan the ends of beams.
5. A mass of bricks heaped up to be burned; or of ore for roasting, or of coal coking.
6. A mollusk. See Clam. [Obs.] Clamp nails, nails used to fasten on clamps in ships.
CLAMP
Clamp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clamped p. pr. & vb. n. Clamping.]
1. To fasten with a clamp or clamps; to apply a clamp to; to place in a clamp.
2. To cover, as vegetables, with earth. [Eng.]
CLAMP
Clamp, n. Etym: [Prob. an imitative word. Cf.Clank.]
Defn: A heavy footstep; a tramp.
CLAMP
Clamp, v. i.
Defn: To tread heavily or clumsily; to clump.
The policeman with clamping feet. Thackeray.
CLAMPER
Clamp"er, n.
Defn: An instrument of iron, with sharp prongs, attached to a boot or shoe to enable the wearer to walk securely upon ice; a creeper. Kane.
CLAN Clan, n. Etym: [Gael. clann offspring, descendants; akin to Ir. clann, cland, offspring, tribe, family; perh. from L. plania scion, slip, cutting. Cf. Plant, n.]
1. A tribe or collection of families, united under a chieftain, regarded as having the same common ancestor, and bearing the same surname; as, the clan of Macdonald. "I have marshaled my clan." Campbell.
2. A clique; a sect, society, or body of persons; esp., a body of persons united by some common interest or pursuit; — sometimes used contemptuously. Partidge and the rest of his clan may hoot me. Smolett. The whole clan of the enlightened among us. Burke.
CLANCULAR Clan"cu*lar, a. Etym: [L. clancularius , from clanculum secretly, adv. dim. of clam secretly.]
Defn: Conducted with secrecy; clandestine; concealed. [Obs.]
Not close and clancular, but frank and open. Barrow.
CLANCULARLY
Clan"cu*lar*ly, adv.
Defn: privately; secretly. [Obs.]
CLANDESTINE Clan*des"tine, a. Etym: [L. clandestinus, fr. clam secretly; akin to celare, E. conceal: cf. F. clandestin.]
Defn: Conducted with secrecy; withdrawn from public notice, usually for an evil purpose; kept secret; hidden; private; underhand; as, a clandestine marriage. Locke.
Syn.
— Hidden; secret; private; concealed; underhand; sly; stealthy;
surreptitious; furtive; fraudulent.
— Clan*des"tine*ly, adv.
— Clan*des"tine*ness, n.
CLANDESTINITY
Clan`des*tin"i*ty, n.
Defn: Privacy or secrecy. [R.]
CLANG
Clang, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clanged; p. pr. & vb. n. Clanging.] Etym:
[L. clangere; akin to Gr. clank.]
Defn: To strike together so as to produce a ringing metallic sound.
The fierce Caretes . . . clanged their sounding arms. Prior.
CLANG
Clang, v. i.
Defn: To give out a clang; to resound. "Clanging hoofs." Tennyson.
CLANG
Clang, n.
1. A loud, ringing sound, like that made by metallic substances when clanged or struck together. The broadsword's deadly clang, As if a thousand anvils rang. Sir W. Scott.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: Qualyty of tone.
CLANGOR
Clan"gor, n. Etym: [L., fr. clangere. See Clang, v. t.]
Defn: A sharp, harsh, ringing sound. Dryden.
CLANGOROUS
Clan"gor*ous, a. Etym: [LL. clangorosus.]
Defn: Making a clangor; having a ringing, metallic sound.
CLANGOUS
Clan"gous, a.
Defn: Making a clang, or a ringing metallic sound. [Obs.]
CLANJAMFRIE
Clan*jam"frie, n.
Defn: Same as Clamjamphrie. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
CLANK Clank, n. Etym: [Akin to clink, and of imitative origin; cf. G. klang sound, D. klank. Cf. Clang.]
Defn: A sharp, brief, ringing sound, made by a collision of metallic or other sonorous bodies; — usually expressing a duller or less resounding sound than clang, and a deeper and stronger sound than clink. But not in chains to pine, His spirit withered with tyeur clank. Byron.
CLANK
Clank, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clanked; p. pr. & vb. n. Clanking.]
Defn: To cause to sound with a clank; as, the prisoners clank their chains.
CLANK
Clank, v. i.
Defn: To sound with a clank.
CLANKLESS
Clank"less, a.
Defn: Without a clank. Byreon.
CLAN-NA-GAEL
Clan"-na-Gael", n. [Ir., clan of the Gaels.]
Defn: A secret society of Irish Fenians founded in Philadelphia in 1881.
CLANNISH
Clan"nish, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a clan; closely united, like a clan; disposed to associate only with one's clan or clique; actuated by the traditions, prejudices, habits, etc., of a clan. — Clan"nish*ly, adv. — Clan"nish*ness, n.
CLANSHIP
Clan"ship, n.
Defn: A state of being united togheter as in a clan; an association under a chieftain.
CLANSMAN
Clans"man, n.; pl. Clansmen.
Defn: One belonging to the same clan with another.
CLAP
Clap, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clapped; p. pr. & vb. n. Clapping.] Etym:
[AS. clappan; akin to Icel. & Sw. klappa, D, klappen, to clap, prate,
G. klaffen, v.i., to split open, yelp, klopfen, v.t. & i., to knock.]
1. To strike; to slap; to strike, or strike together, with a quick motion, so, as to make a sharp noise; as, to clap one's hands; a clapping of wings. Then like a bird it sits and sings, And whets and claps its silver wings. Marvell.
2. To thrust, drive, put, or close, in a hasty or abrupt manner; — often followed by to, into, on, or upon. He had just time to get in and clap to the door. Locke Clap an extinguaisher upon your irony. Lamb.
3. To manifest approbation of, by striking the hands together; to applaud; as, to clap a performance. To clap hands. (a) To pledge faith by joining hands. [Obs.] Shak. (b) To express contempt or derision. [Obs.] Lam. ii. 15. To clap hold of, to seize roughly or quickly. — To clap up. (a) To imprison hastily or without due formality. (b) To make or contrive hastily. [Obs.] "Was ever match clapped up so suddenly" Shak.
CLAP
Clap, v. i.
1. To knock, as at a door. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To strike the hands together in applause. Their ladies bid them clap. Shak.
3. To come together suddenly with noise. The doors around me clapped. Dryden.
4. To enter with alacrity and briskness; — with to or into. [Obs.] "Shall we clap into it roundly, without . . . saying we are hoarse" Shak.
5. To talk noisily; to chatter loudly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLAP
Clap, n.
1. A loud noise made by sudden collision; a bang. "Give the door such a clap, as you go out, as will shake the whole room." Swift.
2. A burst of sound; a sudden explosion. Horrible claps of thunder. Hakewill.
3. A single, sudden act or motion; a stroke; a blow. What, fifty of my followers at a clap! Shak.
4. A striking of hands to express approbation. Unextrected claps or hisses. Addison.
5. Noisy talk; chatter. [Obs.] Chaucer.
6. (Falconry)
Defn: The nether part of the beak of a hawk. Clap dish. See Clack
dish, under Clack, n.
— Clap net, a net for taking birds, made to close or clap together.
CLAP
Clap, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. clapoir.]
Defn: Gonorrhea.
CLAPBOARD
Clap"board, n.
1. A narrow board, thicker at one edge than at the other; — used for weatherboarding the outside of houses. [U. S.]
2. A stave for a cask. [Eng.] Halliwell.
CLAPBOARD
Clap"board, v. t.
Defn: To cover with clapboards; as, to clapboard the sides of a house. [U. S.] Bartlett.
CLAPBREAD; CLAPCAKE
Clap"bread`, Clap"cake`, n.
Defn: Oatmeal cake or bread clapped or beaten till it is thin. [Obs.]
Halliwell.
CLAPE
Clape, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bird; the flicker.
CLAPPER
Clap"per, n.
1. A person who claps.
2. That which strikes or claps, as the tongue of a bell, or the piece of wood that strikes a mill hopper, etc. See Illust. of Bell. Clapper rail (Zoöl.), an Americam species of rail (Rallus scepitans).
CLAPPER
Clap"per, n. Etym: [F. clapier.]
Defn: A rabbit burrow. [Obs.]
CLAPPERCLAW
Clap"per*claw, v. t. Etym: [Clap + claw.]
1. To fight and scratch. C. Smart.
2. To abuse with the tongue; to revile; to scold.
CLAPS
Claps, v. t.
Defn: Variant of Clasp [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLAPTRAP
Clap"trap`, n.
1. A contrivance for clapping in theaters. [Obs.]
2. A trick or device to gain applause; humbug.
CLAPTRAP
Clap"trap`, a.
Defn: Contrived for the purpose of making a show, or gaining applause; deceptive; unreal.
CLAQUE
Claque, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A collection of persons employed to applaud at a theatrical exhibition.
CLAQUEUR
Cla`queur", n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: One of the claque employed to applaud at a theater.
CLARE
Clare, n.
Defn: A nun of the order of St.Clare.
CLARENCE
Clar"ence, n.
Defn: A close four-wheeled carriage, with one seat inside, and a seat for the driver.
CLARENCEUX; CLARENCIEUX
Clar"en*ceux, Clar"en*cieux, n. (Her.)
Defn: See King-at-arms.
CLARENDON
Clar"en*don, n.
Defn: A style of type having a narrow and heave face. It is made in all sizes.
Note: This line is in nonpareil Clarendon.
CLARE-OBSCURE
Clare"-ob*scure", n. Etym: [L. clarus clear + obscurus obscure; cf.
F. clair-obscur. Cf. Chiaroscuro.] (Painting)
Defn: See Chiaroscuro.
CLARET Clar"et, n. Etym: [OE. claret, clare, clarry, OF. claret, clar, fr. cler, F. clair, clear, fr. L. clarus clear. See Clear.]
Defn: The name firat given in England to the red wines of M
CLARIBELLA
Clar`i*bel"la, n. Etym: [NL., from L. clarus clear + bellus fine.]
(Mus.)
Defn: A soft, sweet stop, or set of open wood pipes in an organ.
CLARICHORD Clar"i*chord, n. Etym: [F. clatocorde, fr.L. clarus clear + chorda string. See Chord.]
Defn: A musical instrument, formerly in use, in form of a spinet; — called also manichord and clavichord.
CLARIFICATION Clar`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. clarification, L. clarificatio glorification.]
1. The act or process of making clear or transparent, by freeing visible impurities; as, the clarification of wine.
2. The act of freeing from obscurities. The clarification of men's ideas. Whewell.
CLARIFIER
Clar"i*fi`er, n.
1. That which clarifies.
2. A vessel in which the process of clarification is conducted; as, the clarifier in sugar works. Ure.
CLARIFY
Clar"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clarified; p. pr. & vb. n.
Clarifying.] Etym: [F. clarifier, from L. clarificare; clarus clear +
facere to make. See Clear, and Fact.]
1. To make clear or bright by freeing from feculent matter; to defecate; to fine; — said of liquids, as wine or sirup. "Boiled and clarified." Ure.
2. To make clear; to free from obscurities; to brighten or illuminate. To clarify his reason, and to rectify his will. South.
3. To glorify. [Obs.] Fadir, clarifie thi name. Wyclif (John ii. 28).
CLARIFY
Clar"i*fy, v. i.
1. To grow or become clear or transparent; to become free from feculent impurities, as wine or other liquid under clarification.
2. To grow clear or bright; to clear up. Whosoever hath his mind fraught with many thoughts, his wits and understanding do clarify and break up in the discoursing with another. Bacon.
CLARIGATE
Clar"i*gate, v. i. Etym: [L. clarigare]
Defn: To declare war with certain ceremonies. [Obs.] Holland.
CLARINET Clar"i*net`, n. Etym: [F. clarinette, dim. of clarine, from L. clarus. See Clear, and cf. Clarion.] (Mus.)
Defn: A wind instrument, blown by a single reed, of richer and fuller tone than the oboe, which has a double reed. It is the leading instrument in a military band.
Note: [Often improperly called clarionet.]
CLARINO
Cla*ri"no, n. Etym: [It. a trumpet.] (Mus.)
Defn: A reed stop in an organ.
CLARION
Clar"i*on, n. Etym: [OE. clarioun, OF. clarion, F. clairon, LL.
clario, claro; so called from its clear tone, fr. L. clarus clear.
See Clear.]
Defn: A kind of trumpet, whose note is clear and shrill.
He sounds his imperial clarion along the whole line of battle. E.
Everett.
CLARIONET
Clar`i*o*net", n. Etym: [See Clarion, Clarinet.] (Mus.)
Defn: See Clarinet.
CLARISONUS
Cla*ris"o*nus, a. Etym: [L. clarisonus; clarus + sonus.]
Defn: Having a clear sound. [Obs.] Ash.
CLARITUDE
Clar"i*tude, n. Etym: [L. claritudo, fr. clarus clear.]
Defn: Clearness; splendor. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
CLARITY
Clar"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. claritas, fr. clarus clear: cf. F. clarté.]
Defn: Clearness; brightness; splendor. Floods, in whose more than crystal clarity, Innumerable virgin graces row. Beaumont.
CLARO-OBSCURO
Cla"ro-ob*scu"ro, n.
Defn: See Chiaroscuro.
CLARRE
Clar`ré", n. Etym: [See Claret.]
Defn: Wine with a mixture of honey and species. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLART Clart, v. t. Etym: [Cf. Armor. kalar mud, mire, kalara to dirt, Sw. lort mud.]
Defn: To daub, smear, or spread, as with mud, etc. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
CLARTY
Clart"y, a.
Defn: Sticky and foul; muddy; filthy; dirty. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
CLARY
Clar"y, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Clarion.]
Defn: To make a loud or shrill noise. [Obs.] Golding.
CLARY Cla"ry, n. Etym: [Cf. LL. sclarea, scarlea, D. & G. scharlei, F. sclarée.] (Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Salvia sclarea) of the Sage family, used in flavoring soups. Clary water, a composition of clary flowers with brandy, etc., formerly used as a cardiac.
CLASH
Clash, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clashed; p. pr. & vb. n. Clashing.] Etym:
[Of imitative origin; cf. G. klatschen, Prov. G. kleschen, D.
kletsen, Dan. klaske, E. clack.]
1. To make a noise by striking against something; to dash noisily together.
2. To meet in opposition; to act in a contrary direction; to come onto collision; to interfere. However some of his interests might clash with those of the chief adjacent colony. Palfrey.
CLASH
Clash, v. t.
Defn: To strike noisily against or together.
CLASH
Clash n.
1. A loud noise resulting from collision; a noisy collision of bodies; a collision. The roll of cannon and clash of arms. Tennyson.
2. Opposition; contradiction; as between differing or contending interests, views, purposes, etc. Clashes between popes and kings. Denham.
CLASH GEAR
Clash gear. (Mach.)
Defn: A change-speed gear in which the gears are changed by sliding endwise.
CLASHINGLY
Clash"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: With clashing.
CLASP
Clasp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clasped; p. pr. & vb. n. Clasping] Etym:
[OE. claspen, clapsen, prob. akin to E. clap.]
1. To shut or fasten together with, or as with, a clasp; to shut or fasten (a clasp, or that which fastens with a clasp).
2. To inclose and hold in the hand or with the arms; to grasp; to embrace.
3. To surround and cling to; to entwine about. "Clasping ivy." Milton.
CLASP
Clasp, n.
1. An adjustable catch, bent plate, or hook, for holding together two objects or the parts of anything, as the ends of a belt, the covers of a book, etc.
2. A close embrace; a throwing of the arms around; a grasping, as with the hand. Clasp knife, a large knife, the blade of which folds or shuts into the handle. — Clasp lock, a lock which closes or secures itself by means of a spring.
CLASPER
Clasp"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, clasps, as a tendril. "The claspers of vines." Derham.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) One of a pair of organs used by the male for grasping the female among many of the Crustacea. (b) One of a pair of male copulatory organs, developed on the anterior side of the ventral fins of sharks and other elasmobranchs. See Illust. of Chimæra.
CLASPERED
Clasp"ered, a.
Defn: Furnished with tendrils.
CLASS Class, n. Etym: [F. classe, fr. L. classis class, collection, fleet; akin to Gr. claim, haul.]
1. A group of individuals ranked together as possessing common characteristics; as, the different classes of society; the educated class; the lower classes.
2. A number of students in a school or college, of the same standing, or pursuing the same studies.
3. A comprehensive division of animate or inanimate objects, grouped together on account of their common characteristics, in any classification in natural science, and subdivided into orders, families, tribes, gemera, etc.
4. A set; a kind or description, species or variety. She had lost one class energies. Macaulay.
5. (Methodist Church)
Defn: One of the sections into which a church or congregation is divided, and which is under the supervision of a class leader. Class of a curve (Math.), the kind of a curve as expressed by the number of tangents that can be drawn from any point to the curve. A circle is of the second class. — Class meeting (Methodist Church), a meeting of a class under the charge of a class leader, for counsel and relegious instruction.
CLASS
Class, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Classed; p. pr. & vb. n. Classing.] Etym:
[Cf. F. classer. See Class, n.]
1. To arrange in classes; to classify or refer to some class; as, to class words or passages.
Note: In scientific arrangement, to classify is used instead of to class. Dana.
2. To divide into classes, as students; to form into, or place in, a class or classes.
CLASS
Class, v. i.
Defn: To grouped or classed.
The genus or famiky under which it classes. Tatham.
CLASS DAY
Class day.
Defn: In American colleges and universities, a day of the commencement season on which the senior class celebrates the completion of its course by exercises conducted by the members, such as the reading of the class histories and poem, the delivery of the class oration, the planting of the class ivy, etc.
CLASSIBLE
Class"i*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being classed.
CLASSIC; CLASSICAL Clas"sic, Clas"sic*al, a. Etym: [L. classicus relating to the classes of the Roman people, and especially to the frist class; hence, of the first rank, superior, from classis class: cf. F. classique. See Class, n.]
1. Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in
literature or art.
Give, as thy last memorial to the age, One classic drama, and reform
the stage. Byron.
Mr. Greaves may justly be reckoned a classical author on this subject
[Roman weights and coins]. Arbuthnot.
2. Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, esp. to Greek or Roman authors of the highest rank, or of the period when their best literature was produced; of or pertaining to places inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, or rendered famous by their deeds. Though throned midst Latium's classic plains. Mrs. Hemans. The epithet classical, as applied to ancient authors, is determined less by the purity of their style than by the period at which they wrote. Brande & C. He [Atterbury] directed the classical studies of the undergraduates of his college. Macaulay.
3. Conforming to the best authority in literature and art; chaste; pure; refined; as, a classical style. Classical, provincial, and national synods. Macaulay. Classicals orders. (Arch.) See under Order.
CLASSIC
Clas"sic, n.
1. A work of acknowledged excellence and authrity, or its author; — originally used of Greek and Latin works or authors, but now applied to authors and works of a like character in any language. In is once raised him to the rank of a legitimate English classic. Macaulay.
2. One learned in the literature of Greece and Rome, or a student of classical literature.
CLASSICALISM
Clas"sic*al*ism, n.
1. A classical idiom, style, or expression; a classicism.
2. Adherence to what are supposed or assumed to be the classical canons of art.
CLASSICALIST
Clas"sic*al*ist, n.
Defn: One who adheres to what he thinks the classical canons of art.
Ruskin.
CLASSICALITY; CLASSICALNESS
Clas`si*cal"i*ty, Clas"sic*al*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being classical.
CLASSICALLY
Clas"sic*al*ly, adv.
1. In a classical manner; according to the manner of classical authors.
2. In the manner of classes; according to a regular order of classes or sets.
CLASSICISM
Clas"si*cism, n.
Defn: A classic idiom or expression; a classicalism. C. Kingsley.
CLASSICIST
Clas"si*cist, n.
Defn: One learned in the classics; an advocate for the classics.
CLASSIFIABLE
Clas"si*fi`a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being classified.
CLASSIFIC
Clas*sif"ic, a.
Defn: Characterizing a class or classes; relating to classification.
CLASSIFICATION
Clas`si*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. classification.]
Defn: The act of forming into a class or classes; a distibution into groups, as classes, orders, families, etc., according to some common relations or affinities. Artificial classification. (Science) See under Artifitial.
CLASSIFICATORY
Clas"si*fi*ca`to*ry, a.
Defn: Pertaining to classification; admitting of classification. "A classificatory system." Earle.
CLASSIFIER
Clas"si*fi`er, n.
Defn: One who classifies.
CLASSIFY
Clas"si*fy, v. t. [imp. & pp. Classified; p. pr. & vb. n.
Classifying.] Etym: [L. classis class +
Defn: To distribute into classes; to arrange according to a system; to arrnge in sets according to some method founded on common properties or characters.
Syn.
— To arrange; distibute; rank.
CLASSIS
Clas"sis, n.; pl. Classes. Etym: [L. See Class, n.]
1. A class or order; sort; kind. [Obs.] His opinion of that classis of men. Clarendon.
2. (Eccl.)
Defn: An ecclesiastical body or judicat
CLASSMAN
Class"man, n.; pl. Classmen(#).
1. A member of a class; a classmate.
2. A candidate for graduation in arts who is placed in an honor class, as opposed to a passman, who is not classified. [Oxford, Eng.]
CLASSMATE
Class"mate`, n.
Defn: One who is in the same class with another, as at school or college.
CLASTIC
Clas"tic, a. Etym: [Gr.
1. Pertaining to what may be taken apart; as, clastic anatomy (of models).
2. (Min.)
Defn: Fragmental; made up of brokas, sandstone is a clastic rock.
CLATCH
Clatch, n. [Cf. Scot. clatch a slap, the noise caused by the
collision of soft bodies; prob. of imitative origin.] (Scot. & Dial.
Eng.)
1. A soft or sloppy lump or mass; as, to throw a clatch of mud.
2. Anything put together or made in a careless or slipshod way; hence, a sluttish or slipshod woman.
CLATCH
Clatch, v. t. & i.
Defn: To daub or smear, as with lime; to make or finish in a slipshod way. [Scot.]
CLATHRATE
Clath"rate, a. Etym: [L. clathri latti
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Shaped like a lattice; cancellate. Gray.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having the surface marked with raised lines resembling a lattice, as many shells.
CLATTER
Clat"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Clattering.]
Etym: [AS. cla a rattle, akin to D. klateren to rattle. Cf. Clack.]
1. To make a rattling sound by striking hard bodies together; to make a succession of abrupt, rattling sounds. Clattering loud with clamk. Longfellow.
2. To talk fast and noisily; to rattle with the tongue. I see thou dost but clatter. Spenser.
CLATTER
Clat"ter, v. t.
Defn: To make a rattling noise with.
You clatter still your brazen kettle. Swift.
CLATTER
Clat"ter, n.
1. A rattling noise, esp. that made by the collision of hard bodies; also, any loud, abrupt sound; a repetition of abrupt sounds. The goose let fall a golden egg With cackle and with clatter. Tennyson.
2. Commotion; disturbance. "Those mighty feats which made such a clatter in story." Barrow.
3. Rapid, noisy talk; babble; chatter. "Hold still thy clatter." Towneley Myst. (15 th Cent. ). Throw by your clatter And handle the matter. B. Jonson
CLATTERER
Clat"ter*er, n.
Defn: One who clatters.
CLATTERINGLY
Clat"ter*ing*ly, adv.
Defn: With clattering.
CLAUDE LORRAINE GLASS
Claude" Lor*raine" glass`. Etym: [Its name is supposed to be derived
from the similarity of the effects it gives to those of a picture by
Claude Lorrain (often written Lorraine).]
Defn: A slightly convex mirror, commonly of black glass, used as a toy for viewing the reflected landscape.
CLAUDENT
Clau"dent, a. Etym: [L. claudens, p. pr. of claudere to shut.]
Defn: Shutting; confining; drawing together; as, a claudent muscle.
[R.] Jonson
CLAUDICANT Clau"di*cant, a. Etym: [L. claudicans, p. pr. of claudicare to limp, fr. claudus lame.]
Defn: Limping. [R.]
CLAUDICATION
Clau`di*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. claudicatio.]
Defn: A halting or limping. [R.] Tatler.
CLAUSE Clause, n. Etym: [F. clause, LL. clausa, equiv. to L. clausula clause, prop., close of claudere to shut, to end. See Close.]
1. A separate portion of a written paper, paragraph, or sentence; an article, stipulation, or proviso, in a legal document. The usual attestation clause to a will. Bouvier.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: A subordinate portion or a subdivision of a sentence containing a subject and its predicate.
CLAUSE
Clause, n. [Obs.]
Defn: See Letters clause or close, under Letter.
CLAUSTRAL
Claus"tral, a. Etym: [F., fr. LL. claustralis, fr. L. claustrum. See
Cloister.]
Defn: Cloistral. Ayliffe
CLAUSTRUM
Claus"trum, n.; pl. Claustra. Etym: [L., a bolt or bar.] (Anat.)
Defn: A thin lamina of gray matter in each cerebral hemiphere of the
brain of man.
— Claus"tral, a.
CLAUSULAR
Clau"su*lar, a. Etym: [From L. clausula. See Clause, n.]
Defn: Consisting of, or having, clauses. Smart.
CLAUSURE
Clau"sure, n. Etym: [L. clausura. See Closure.]
Defn: The act of shutting up or confining; confinement. [R.] Geddes.
CLAVATE; CLAVATED
Cla"vate, Cla"va*ted, a. Etym: [L. clava club.] (Bot. & Zoöl.)
Defn: Club-shaped; having the form of a club; growing gradually thicker toward the top.
Note: [See Illust. of Antennae.]
CLAVE
Clave,
Defn: imp. of Cleave. [Obs.]
CLAVECIN
Clav"e*cin, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: The harpsichord.
CLAVEL
Cla"vel, n.
Defn: See Clevis.
CLAVELLATE
Clav"el*late, a.
Defn: See Clavate.
CLAVELLATED Clav"el*la`ted, a. Etym: [Cf. LL. cineres clavelatti ashes of burnt lees or dregs of wine, F. clavel an inferior sort of soda, E. clavate.] (Old Chem.)
Defn: Said of potash, probably in reference to its having been obtained from billets of wood by burning. [Obs.]
CLAVER
Clav"er, n. [Obs.]
Defn: See Clover. Holland.
CLAVER
Clav"er, n.
Defn: Frivolous or nonsensical talk; prattle; chattering. [Scot. &
North of Eng.]
Emmy found herself entirely at a loss in the midst of their clavers.
Thackeray.
CLAVICHORD Clav"i*chord, n. Etym: [F. clavicorde, fr. L. clavis key + chorda string.] (Mus.)
Defn: A keyed stringed instrument, now superseded by the pianoforte.
See Clarichord.
CLAVICLE Clav"i*cle, n. Etym: [F. clavicule, fr. L. clavicula a little key, tendril, dim. of clavis key, akin to claudere to shut. See Close, and cf. Clef.] (Anat.)
Defn: The collar bone, which is joined at one end to the scapula, or shoulder blade, and at the other to the sternum, or breastbone. In man each clavicle is shaped like the letter
CLAVICORN
Clav"i*corn, a. Etym: [Cf. F. clavicorne.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having club-shaped antennæ. See Antennæ — n.
Defn: One of the Clavicornes.
CLAVICORNES
Clav`i*cor"nes, n. pl. Etym: [NL.; Fr. L. clava club + cornu horn.]
(Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of beetles having club-shaped antennæ.
CLAVICULAR
Cla*vic"u*lar, a. Etym: [Cf. F. claviculaire. See Clavicle.] (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the clavicle.
CLAVIER
Cla"vi*er ( F. ), n. Etym: [F., fr. L. clavis key.] (Mus.)
Defn: The keyboard of an organ, pianoforte, or harmonium.
Note: Clavier (
CLAVIFORM
Clav"i*form, a. Etym: [L. clava club + -form.] (Bot.)
Defn: Club-shaped; clavate. Craig.
CLAVIGER
Clav"i*ger, n. Etym: [L., fr. clavis key + gerere to carry.]
Defn: One who carries the keys of any place.
CLAVIGER
Clav"i*ger, n. Etym: [L., fr. clava club + gerere to carry.]
Defn: One who carries a club; a club bearer.
CLAVIGEROUS
Cla*vig"er*ous, a.
Defn: Bearing a club or a key.
CLAVIS
Cla"vis, n.; pl. L. Claves, E. Clavises. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A key; a glossary.
CLAVUS
Cla"vus, n. Etym: [L., a nail.]
Defn: A callous growth, esp. one the foot; a corn.
CLAVY Cla"vy, n.; pl. Clavies. Etym: [Cf. F. claveau centerpiece of an arch.] (Arch.)
Defn: A mantelpiece.
CLAW
Claw, n. Etym: [AS. clawu, cla, cleó; akin to D. klaauw, G. Klaue,
Icel. klo, SW. & Dan. klo, and perh. to E. clew.]
1. A sharp, hooked nail, as of a beast or bird.
2. The whole foot of an animal armed with hooked nails; the pinchers of a lobster, crab, etc.
3. Anything resembling the claw of an animal, as the curved and forked end of a hammer for drawing nails.
4. (Bot.)
Defn: A slender appendage or process, formed like a claw, as the base of petals of the pink. Gray. Claw hammer, a hammer with one end of the metallic head cleft for use in extracting nails, etc. — Claw hammer coat, a dress coat of the swallowtail pattern. [Slang] — Claw sickness, foot rot, a disease affecting sheep.
CLAW
Claw, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clawed; p. pr. & vb. n. Clawing.] Etym:
[AS. clawan. See Claw, n.]
1. To pull, tear, or scratch with, or as with, claws or nails.
2. To relieve from some uneasy sensation, as by scratching; to tickle; hence, to flatter; to court. [Obs.] Rich men they claw, soothe up, and flatter; the poor they contemn and despise. Holland.
3. To rail at; to scold. [Obs.] In the aforesaid preamble, the king fairly claweth the great monasteries, wherein, saith he, religion, thanks be to God, is right well kept and observed; though he claweth them soon after in another acceptation. T. Fuller Claw me, claw thee, stand by me and I will stand by you; — an old proverb. Tyndale. To claw away, to scold or revile. "The jade Fortune is to be clawed away for it, if you should lose it." L'Estrange. To claw (one) on the back, to tickle; to express approbation. (Obs.) Chaucer. — To claw (one) on the gall, to find falt with; to vex. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLAW
Claw, v. i.
Defn: To scrape, scratch, or dig with a claw, or with the hand as a claw. "Clawing [in ash barrels] for bits of coal." W. D. Howells. To claw off (Naut.), to turn to windward and beat, to prevent falling on a lee shore.
CLAWBACK
Claw"back`, n.
Defn: A flatterer or sycophant. [Obs.] "Take heed of these clawbacks." Latimer.
CLAWBACK
Claw"back`, a.
Defn: Flattering; sycophantic. [Obs.]
Like a clawback parasite. Bp. Hall.
CLAWBACK
Claw"back`, v. t.
Defn: To flatter. [Obs.] Warner.
CLAWED
Clawed, a.
Defn: Furnished with claws. N. Grew.
CLAWLESS
Claw"less, a.
Defn: Destitute of claws.
CLAY Clay, n. Etym: [AS. clæg; akin to LG. klei, D. klei, and perh. to AS. clam clay, L. glus, gluten glue, Gr. glue. Cf. Clog.]
1. A soft earth, which is plastuc, or may be molded with the hands, consisting of hydrous silicate of alumunium. It is the result of the wearing down and decomposition, in part, of rocks containing aluminous minerals, as granite. Lime, magnesia, oxide of iron, and other ingredients, are often present as impurities.
2. (Poetry & Script.)
Defn: Earth in general, as representing the elementary particles of
the human body; hence, the human body as formed from such particles.
I also am formed out of the clay. Job xxxiii. 6.
The earth is covered thick with other clay, Which her own clay shall
cover. Byron.
Bowlder clay. See under Bowlder.
— Brick clay, the common clay, containing some iron, and therefore
turning red when burned.
— Clay cold, cold as clay or earth; lifeless; inanimate.
— Clay ironstone, an ore of iron consisting of the oxide or
carbonate of iron mixed with clay or sand.
— Clay marl, a whitish, smooth, chalky clay.
— Clay mill, a mill for mixing and tempering clay; a pug mill.
— Clay pit, a pit where clay is dug.
— Clay slate (Min.), argillaceous schist; argillite.
— Fatty clays, clays having a greasy feel; they are chemical
compounds of water, silica, and aluminia, as halloysite, bole, etc.
— Fire clay , a variety of clay, entirely free from lime, iron, or
an alkali, and therefore infusible, and used for fire brick.
— Porcelain clay, a very pure variety, formed directly from the
decomposition of feldspar, and often called kaolin.
— Potter's clay, a tolerably pure kind, free from iron.
CLAY
Clay, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Claying.]
1. To cover or manure with clay.
2. To clarify by filtering through clay, as sugar.
CLAY-BRAINED
Clay"-brained`, a.
Defn: Stupid. [Obs.] Shak.
CLAYES
Clayes, n. pl. Etym: [F. claie hurdle.] (Fort.)
Defn: Wattles, or hurdles, made with stakes interwoven with osiers, to cover lodgments. [Obs.]
CLAYEY
Clay"ey, a.
Defn: Consisting of clay; abounding with clay; partaking of clay; like clay.
CLAYISH
Clay"ish, a.
Defn: Partaking of the nature of clay, or containing particles of it.
CLAYMORE Clay"more`, n. Etym: [Gael. claidheamhmor a broadsword; Gael. claidheamh sword + mor great, large. Cf. Claymore.]
Defn: A large two-handed sword used formerly by the Scottish
Highlanders.
CLAYTONIA Clay*to"ni*a, n. Etym: [Named after Dr.John Clayton, an American botanist.] (Bot.)
Defn: An American genus of perennial herbs with delicate blossoms; — sometimes called spring beauty.
CLEADING
Clead"ing, n. Etym: [Scot., clothing. See Cloth.]
1. A jacket or outer covering of wood, etc., to prevent radiation of heat, as from the boiler, cylinder. etc., of a steam engine.
2. The planking or boarding of a shaft, cofferdam, etc.
CLEAN Clean, a. [Compar. Cleaner (; superl. Cleanest.] Etym: [OE. clene, AS. cl; akin to OHG. chleini pure, neat, graceful, small, G. klein small, and perh. to W. glan clean, pure, bright; all perh. from a primitive, meaning bright, shining. Cf. Glair.]
1. Free from dirt or filth; as, clean clothes.
2. Free from that which is useless or injurious; without defects; as, clean land; clean timber.
3. Free from awkwardness; not bungling; adroit; dexterous; as, aclean trick; a clean leap over a fence.
4. Free from errors and vulgarisms; as, a clean style.
5. Free from restraint or neglect; complete; entire. When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of corners of thy field. Le
6. Free from moral defilement; sinless; pure. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Ps. li. 10 That I am whole, and clean, and meet for Heaven Tennyson.
7. (Script.)
Defn: Free from ceremonial defilement.
8. Free from that which is corrupting to the morals; pure in tone; healthy. "Lothair is clean." F. Harrison.
9. Well-proportioned; shapely; as, clean limbs. A clean bill of health, a certificate from the proper authrity that a ship is free from infection. — Clean breach. See under Breach, n., 4. — To make a clean breast. See under Breast.
CLEAN
Clean, adv.
1. Without limitation or remainder; quite; perfectly; wholly; entirely. "Domestic broils clean overblown." Shak. "Clean contrary." Milton. All the people were passed clean over Jordan. Josh. iii. 17.
2. Without miscarriage; not bunglingly; dexterously. [Obs.] "Pope came off clean with Homer." Henley.
CLEAN
Clean, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cleaned; p. pr. & vb. n. Cleaning.] Etym:
[See Clean, a., and cf. Cleanse.]
Defn: To render clean; to free from whatever is foul, offensive, or extraneous; to purify; to cleanse. To clean out, to exhaust; to empty; to get away from (one) all his money. [Colloq.] De Quincey.
CLEAN-CUT
Clean"-cut`, a.
Defn: See Clear-cut.
CLEANER
Clean"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, cleans.
CLEANING
Clean"ing, n.
1. The act of making clean.
2. The afterbirth of cows, ewes, etc. Gardner.
CLEANLILY
Clean"li*ly, adv.
Defn: In a cleanly manner.
CLEAN-LIMBED
Clean"-limbed`, a.
Defn: With well-proportioned, unblemished limbs; as, a clean-limbed young fellow. Dickens.
CLEANLINESS
Clean"li*ness, n. Etym: [From Cleanly.]
Defn: State of being cleanly; neatness of person or dress.
Cleanliness from head to heel. Swift.
CLEANLY
Clean"ly, a. [Compar. Cleanlier; superl. Cleanliest.] Etym: [From
Clean.]
1. Habitually clean; pure; innocent. "Cleanly joys." Glanvill. Some plain but cleanly country maid. Dryden. Displays her cleanly platter on the board. Goldsmith.
2. Cleansing; fitted to remove moisture; dirt, etc. [Obs.] "With cleanly powder dry their hair." Prior.
3. Adroit; skillful; dexterous; artful. [Obs.] Through his fine handling and his cleanly play. Spenser.
CLEANLY
Clean"ly, adv.
1. In a clean manner; neatly. He was very cleanly dressed. Dickens.
2. Innocently; without stain. Shak.
3. Adroitly; dexterously. Middleton.
CLEANNESS
Clean"ness, n. Etym: [AS. cl. See Clean.]
1. The state or quality of being clean.
2. Purity of life or language; freedom from licentious courses. Chaucer.
CLEANSABLE
Cleans"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being cleansed. Sherwood.
CLEANSE
Cleanse, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cleansed; p. pr. & vb. n. Cleansing.]
Etym: [AS. clænsian, fr. clæne clean. See Clean.]
Defn: To render clean; to free from fith, pollution, infection, guilt, etc.; to clean. If we walk in the light . . . the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John i. 7. Can'st thou not minister to a mind diseased, And with some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the suffed bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart Shak.
CLEANSER
Cleans"er, n. Etym: [AS. cl.]
Defn: One who, or that which, cleanses; a detergent. Arbuthnot.
CLEAN-TIMBERED
Clean"-tim`bered, a.
Defn: Well-propotioned; symmetrical. [Poetic] Shak.
CLEAR Clear, a. [Compar. Clearer; superl. Clearest.] Etym: [OE. cler, cleer, OF. cler, F. clair, fr.L. clarus, clear, broght, loud, distinct, renownwd; perh. akin to L. clamare to call, E. claim. Cf. Chanticleer, Clairvoyant, Claret, Clarufy.]
1. Free from opaqueness; transparent; bright; light; luminous;
unclouded.
The stream is so transparent, pure, and clear. Denham.
Fair as the moon, clear as the sun. Canticles vi. 10.
2. Free from ambiquity or indistinctness; lucid; perspicuous; plain; evident; manifest; indubitable. One truth is clear; whatever is, is right. Pop
3. Able to perceive clearly; keen; acute; penetrating; discriminating; as, a clear intellect; a clear head. Mother of science! now I feel thy power Within me clear, not only to discern Things in their causes, but to trace the ways Of highest agents. Milton.
4. Not clouded with passion; serene; cheerful. With a countenance as clear As friendship wears at feasts. Shak.
5. Easily or distinctly heard; audible; canorous. Hark! the numbers soft and clear Gently steal upon the ear. Pope.
6. Without mixture; entirely pure; as, clear sand.
7. Without defect or blemish, such as freckles or knots; as, a clear complexion; clear lumber.
8. Free from guilt or stain; unblemished. Statesman, yet friend to truth! in soul sincere, In action faithful, and in honor clear. Pope.
9. Without diminution; in full; net; as, clear profit. I often wished that I had clear, For life, six hundred pounds a-year. Swift .
10. Free from impediment or obstruction; unobstructed; as, a clear view; to keep clear of debt. My companion . . . left the way clear for him. Addison.
11. Free from embarrassment; detention, etc. The cruel corporal whispered in my ear, Five pounds, if rightly tipped, would set me clear. Gay. Clear breach. See under Breach, n., 4. — Clear days (Law.), days reckoned from one day to another, excluding both the first and last day; as, from Sunday to Sunday there are six clear days. — Clear stuff, boards, planks, etc., free from knots.
Syn.
— Manifest; pure; unmixed; pellucid; transparent; luminous;
obvious; visible; plain; evident; apparent; distinct; perspicuous.
See Manifest.
CLEAR
Clear, n. (Carp.)
Defn: Full extent; distance between extreme limits; especially; the distance between the nearest surfaces of two bodies, or the space between walls; as, a room ten feet square in the clear.
CLEAR
Clear, adv.
1. In a clear manner; plainly. Now clear I understand What oft . . . thoughts have searched in vain. Milton.
2. Without limitation; wholly; quite; entirely; as, to cut a piece clear off.
CLEAR
Clear, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cleared; p. pr. & vb. n. Clearing.]
1. To render bright, transparent, or undimmed; to free from clouds. He sweeps the skies and clears the cloudy north. Dryden.
2. To free from impurities; to clarify; to cleanse.
3. To free from obscurity or ambiguity; to relive of perplexity; to
make perspicuous.
Many knotty points there are Which all discuss, but few can clear.
Prior.
4. To render more quick or acute, as the understanding; to make perspicacious. Our common prints would clear up their understandings. Addison
5. To free from impediment or incumbrance, from defilement, or from anything injurious, useless, or offensive; as, to clear land of trees or brushwood, or from stones; to clear the sight or the voice; to clear one's self from debt; — often used with of, off, away, or out. Clear your mind of cant. Dr. Johnson. A statue lies hid in a block of marble; and the art of the statuary only clears away the superfluous matter. Addison.
6. To free from the imputation of guilt; to justify, vindicate, or acquit; — often used with from before the thing imputed. I . . . am sure he will clear me from partiality. Dryden. How! wouldst thou clear rebellion Addison.
7. To leap or pass by, or over, without touching or fallure; as, to clear a hedge; to clear a reef.
8. To gain without deduction; to net. The profit which she cleared on the cargo. Macaulay. To clear a ship at the customhouse, to exhibit the documents required by law, give bonds, or perform other acts requisite, and procure a permission to sail, and such papers as the law requires. — To clear a ship for action, or To clear for action (Naut.), to remove incumbrances from the decks, and prepare for an engagement. — To clear the land (Naut.), to gain such a distance from shore as to have sea room, and be out of danger from the land. — To clear hawse (Naut.), to disentangle the cables when twisted. — To clear up, to explain; to dispel, as doubts, cares or fears.
CLEAR
Clear, v. i.
1. To become free from clouds or fog; to become fair; — often fallowed by up, off, or away. So foul a sky clears without a strom. Shak. Advise him to stay till the weather clears up. Swift.
2. To disengage one's self frpm incumbrances, distress, or entanglements; to become free. [He that clears at once will relapse; for finding himself out of straits, he will revert to the customs; but he that cleareth by degrees induceth a habit of frugality. Bacon.
3. (Banking)
Defn: To make exchanges of checks and bills, and settle balances, as is done in a clearing house.
4. To obtain a clearance; as, the steamer cleared for Liverpool to- day. To clear out, to go or run away; to depart. [Colloq.]
CLEARAGE
Clear"age, n.
Defn: The act of reforming anything; clearance. [R.]
CLEARANCE
Clear"ance, n.
1. The act of clearing; as, to make a through clearance.
2. A certificate that a ship or vessel has been cleared at the customhouse; permission to sail. Every ship was subject to seizure for want of stamped clearances. Durke
3. Clear or net profit. Trollope.
4. (Mach.)
Defn: The distance by which one object clears another, as the distance between the piston and cylinder head at the end of a stroke in a steam engine, or the least distance between the point of a cogwell tooth and the bottom of a space between teeth of a wheel with which it engages. Clearance space (Steam engine), the space inclosed in one end of the cylinder, between the valve or valves and the piston, at the beginning of a stroke; waste room. It includes the space caused by the piston's clearance and the space in ports, passageways, etc. Its volume is often expressed as a certain proportion of the volume swept by the piston in a single stroke.
CLEARCOLE Clear"cole`, n. [F. claire colle clear glue; clair clear (f. claire) + colle glue, Gr. ]
Defn: A priming of size mixed with whiting or white lead, used in house painting, etc.; also, a size upon which gold leaf is applied in gilding.
CLEARCOLE
Clear"cole`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clearcoled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Clearcoling.]
Defn: To coat or paint with clearcole.
CLEAR-CUT
Clear"-cut`, a.
1. Having a sharp, distinct outline, like that of a cameo. She has . . . a cold and clear-cut face. Tennyson.
2. Concisely and distinctly expressed.
CLEAREDNESS
Clear"ed*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being cleared. Imputed by his friends to the clearedness, by his foes to the searedness, of his conscience. T. Fuller.
CLEARER
Clear"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, clears. Gold is a wonderful clearer of the understanding. Addison.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: A tool of which the hemp for lines and twines, used by sailmakers, is finished.
CLEAR-HEADED
Clear"-head`ed, a.
Defn: Having a clear understanding; quick of perception; intelligent.
"He was laborious and clear-headed." Macaulay.
— Clear"-head`ed*ness, n.
CLEARING
Clear"ing, n.
1. The act or process of making clear. The better clearing of this point. South.
2. A tract of land cleared of wood for cultivation. A lonely clearing on the shores of Moxie Lake. J. Burroughs.
3. A method adopted by banks and bankers for making an exchange of checks held by each against the others, and settling differences of accounts.
Note: In England, a similar method has been adopted by railroads for adjusting their accounts with each other.
4. The gross amount of the balances adjusted in the clearing house. Clearing house, the establishment where the business of clearing is carried on. See above, 3.
CLEARLY
Clear"ly, adv.
Defn: In a clear manner.
CLEARNESS
Clear"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being clear.
Syn. — Clearness, Perspicuity. Clearness has reference to our ideas, and springs from a distinct conception of the subject under consideration. Perspicuity has reference to the mode of expressing our ideas and belongs essentially to style. Hence we speak of a writer as having clear ideas, a clear arrangement, and perspicuous phraseology. We do at times speak of a person's having great clearness of style; but in such cases we are usually thinking of the clearness of his ideas as manifested in language. "Whenever men think clearly, and are thoroughly interested, they express themselves with perspicuity and force." Robertson.
CLEAR-SEEING
Clear"-see`ing, a.
Defn: Having a clear physical or mental vision; having a clear understanding.
CLEAR-SHINING
Clear"-shin`ing, a.
Defn: Shining brightly. Shak.
CLEAR-SIGHTED
Clear"-sight`ed, a.
Defn: Seeing with clearness; discerning; as, clear-sighted reason
CLEAR-SIGHTEDNESS
Clear"-sight`ed*ness, n.
Defn: Acute discernment.
CLEARSTARCH
Clear"starch`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clearstarched; p. pr. & vb. n.
Clearstraching.]
Defn: To stiffen with starch, and then make clear by clapping with the hands; as, to clearstarch muslin.
CLEARSTARCHER
Clear"starch`er, n.
Defn: One who clearstarches.
CLEARSTORY; CLERESTORY
Clear"sto`ry, Clere"sto`ry, n. (Arch.)
Defn: The upper story of the nave of a church, containing windows, and rising above the aisle roofs.
CLEARWING
Clear"wing`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A lepidop terous insect with partially transparent wings, of the family Ægeriadæ, of which the currant and peach-tree borers are examples.
CLEAT Cleat (klet), n. Etym: [OE. clete wedge; cf.D. kloot ball, Ger. kloss, klotz, lump. clod, MHG. kloz lump, ball, wedge, OHG. chloz ball, round mass.]
1. (Carp.)
Defn: A strip of wood or iron fastened on transversely to something in order to give strength, prevent warping, hold position, etc.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: A device made of wood or metal, having two arms, around which turns may be taken with a line or rope so as to hold securely and yet be readily released. It is bolted by the middle to a deck or mast, etc., or it may be lashed to a rope.
CLEAT
Cleat, v. t.
Defn: To strengthen with a cleat.
CLEAVABLE
Cleav"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of cleaving or being divided.
CLEAVAGE
Cleav"age, n.
1. The act of cleaving or splitting.
2. (Crystallog.)
Defn: The quality possessed by many crystallized substances of splitting readily in one or more definite directions, in which the cohesive attraction is a minimum, affording more or less smooth surfaces; the direction of the dividing plane; a fragment obtained by cleaving, as of a diamond. See Parting.
3. (Geol.)
Defn: Division into laminæ, like slate, with the lamination not necessarily parallel to the plane of deposition; — usually produced by pressure. Basal cleavage, cleavage parallel to the base of a crystal, or to the plane of the lateral axes. — Cell cleavage (Biol.), multiplication of cells by fission. See Segmentation. — Cubuc cleavage, cleavage parallel to the faces of a cube. — Diagonal cleavage, cleavage parallel to ta diagonal plane. — Egg clavage. (Biol.) See Segmentation. — Lateral cleavage, cleavage parallel to the lateral planes. — Octahedral, Dodecahedral, or Rhombohedral, cleavage, cleavage parallel to the faces of an octahedron, dodecahedron, or rhombohedron. — Prismatic cleavage, cleavage parallel to a vertical prism.
CLEAVE Cleave, v. i. [.. Cleaved (, Clave (, (Obs.); p. p. Cleaved; p. pr. & vb. n. Cleaving.] Etym: [OE. cleovien, clivien, cliven, AS. cleofian, clifian; akin to OS. klibon, G. kleben, LG. kliven, D. kleven, Dan. klæbe, Sw. klibba, and also to G. kleiben to cleve, paste, Icel. klifa to climb. Cf. Climb.]
1. To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast; to cling. My bones cleave to my skin. Ps. cii. 5. The diseases of Egypt . . . shall cleave unto thee. Deut. xxviii. 60. Sophistry cleaves close to and protects Sin's rotten trunk, concealing its defects. Cowper.
2. To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. Gen. ii. 24. Cleave unto the Lord your God. Josh. xxiii. 8.
3. To fit; to be adapted; to assimilate. [Poetic.] New honors come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mold But with the aid of use. Shak.
CLEAVE Cleave, v. t. [imp. Cleft, Clave (, Clove (, (Obsolescent); p. p. Cleft, Cleaved ( or Cloven (; p. pr. & vb. n. Cleaving.] Etym: [OE. cleoven, cleven, AS. cleófan; akin to OS. klioban, D. klooven, G. klieben, Icel. kljufa, Sw. klyfva, Dan. klöve and prob. to Gr. glubere to peel. Cf. Cleft.]
1. To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to cut. O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain. Shak.
2. To pert or open naturally; to divide. Every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws. Deut. xiv. 6.
CLEAVE
Cleave, v. i.
Defn: To part; to open; to crack; to separate; as parts of bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost. The Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst. Zech. xiv. 4.
CLEAVELANDITE
Cleave"land*ite, n. Etym: [From Professor Parker Cleaveland.] (Min.)
Defn: A variety of albite, white and lamellar in structure.
CLEAVER
Cleav"er, n.
Defn: One who cleaves, or that which cleaves; especially, a butcher's instrument for cutting animal bodies into joints or pieces.
CLEAVERS
Cleav"ers, n. Etym: [From Cleave to stick.] (Bot.)
Defn: A species of Galium (G. Aparine), having a fruit set with hooked bristles, which adhere to whatever they come in contact with; — called also, goose grass, catchweed, etc.
CLECHE
Clé`ché", a. Etym: [F. cléché.] (Her.)
Defn: Charged with another bearing of the same figure, and of the color of the field, so large that only a narrow border of the first bearing remains visible; — said of any heraldic bearing. Compare Voided.
CLECHY
Cle"chy, a.
Defn: See Cléché.
CLEDGE
Cledge, n. Etym: [Cf. Clay.] (Mining.)
Defn: The upper stratum of fuller's earth.
CLEDGY
Cledg"y, a.
Defn: Stiff, stubborn, clayey, or tenacious; as, a cledgy soil.
Halliwell.
CLEE
Clee, n.
Defn: A claw. [Holland.
CLEE
Clee, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The redshank.
CLEEK
Cleek, n.
1. A large hook or crook, as for a pot over a fire; specif., an iron- headed golf club with a straight, narrow face and a long shaft.
2. Act of cleeking; a clutch. [Scot.]
CLEEK
Cleek, v. t. [pret. Claught; pret. & p. p. Cleeked; p. pr. & vb. n.
Cleeking.] [ME. cleken, clechen, to seize, clutch; perh. akin to E.
clutch.] [Scot & Dial. Eng.]
1.
Defn: To seize; clutch; snatch; catch; pluck.
2. To catch or draw out with a cleek, as a fish; to hook.
3. To hook or link (together); hence, to marry. Scott.
CLEF
Clef, n. Etym: [F. clef key, a key in music, fr. L. clavis key. See
Clavicle.] (Mus.)
Defn: A character used in musical notation to determine the position and pitch of the scale as represented on the staff.
Note: The clefs are three in number, called the C, F, and G clefs, and are probably corruptions or modifications of these letters. They indicate that the letters of absolute pitch belonging to the lines upon which they are placed, are respectively C, F, and G. The F or bass clef, and the G or treble clef, are fixed in their positions upon the staff. The C clef may have three positions. It may be placed upon the first or lower line of the staff, in which case it is called soprano clef, upon the third line, in which case it called alto clef, or upon the fourth line, in which case tenor clef. It rarely or never is placed upon the second line, except in ancient music. See other forms of C clef under C, 2. Alto clef, Bass clef. See under Alto, Bass.
CLEFT
Cleft, imp. & p. p.
Defn: from Cleave.
CLEFT
Cleft, a.
1. Divided; split; partly divided or split.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Incised nearly to the midrob; as, a cleft leaf.
CLEFT Cleft, n. Etym: [OE. clift; cf. Sw. klyft cave, den, Icel. kluft cleft, Dan. klöft, G. kluft. See Cleave to split and cf. 2d Clift, 1st Clough.]
1. A space or opening made by splitting; a crack; a crevice; as, the cleft of a rock. Is. ii. 21.
2. A piece made by splitting; as, a cleft of wood.
3. (Far.)
Defn: A disease in horses; a crack on the band of the pastern.
Branchial clefts. See under Branchial.
Syn.
— Crack; crevice; fissure; chink; cranny.
CLEFT-FOOTED
Cleft"-foot`ed, a.
Defn: Having a cloven foot.
CLEFTGRAFT
Cleft"graft`, v. t.
Defn: To ingraft by cleaving the stock and inserting a scion.
Mortimer.
CLEG
Cleg, n. Etym: [Northern Eng. & Scot. gleg: cf. Gael. crethleag.]
(Zoöl.)
Defn: A small breeze or horsefly. [North of Eng. & Scot.] Jamieson.
CLEISTOGAMIC; CLEISTOGAMOUS
Cleis`to*gam"ic, Cleis*tog"a*mous a. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: Having, beside the usual flowers, other minute, closed flowers, without petals or with minute petals; — said of certain species of plants which possess flowers of two or more kinds, the closed ones being so constituted as to insure self-fertilization. Darwin.
CLEM
Clem, v. t. & i. Etym: [Cf. clam to clog, or G. klemmen to pinch,
Icel. kl, E. clamp.]
Defn: To starve; to famish. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
CLEMATIS
Clem"a*tis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of flowering plants, of many species, mostly climbers, having feathery styles, which greatly enlarge in the fruit; — called also virgin's bower.
CLEMENCE
Clem"ence, n.
Defn: Clemency. [Obs.] Spenser.
CLEMENCY Clem"en*cy, n.; pl. Clemencies. Etym: [L. clementia, fr. clemens mild, calm.]
1. Disposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mildness of temper; gentleness; tenderness; mercy. Great clemency and tender zeal toward their subjects. Stowe. They had applied for the royal clemency. Macaulay.
2. Mildness or softness of the elements; as, the clemency of the season.
Syn. — Mildness; tenderness; indulgence; lenity; mercy; gentleness; compassion; kindness.
CLEMENT
Clem"ent, a. Etym: [L. clemens; -entis; cf. F. cl.]
Defn: Mild in temper and disposition; merciful; compassionate. Shak.
— Clem"ent*ly, adv.
CLEMENTINE
Clem"ent*ine, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Clement, esp. to St.Clement of Rome and the spurious homilies attributed to him, or to Pope Clement V. and his compilations of canon law.
CLENCH
Clench, n. & v. t.
Defn: See Clinch.
CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE
Cle`o*pa"tra's nee"dle. [So named after Cleopatra, queen of Egypt.]
Defn: Either of two obelisks which were moved in ancient times from
Heliopolis to Alexandria, one of which is now on the Thames
Embankment in London, and the other in Central Park, in the City of
New York.
Some writers consider that only the obelisk now in Central Park is
properly called Cleopatra's needle.
CLEPE
Clepe, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cleped or; p. pr. & vb. n. Cleping. Cf.
Ycleped.] Etym: [AS. clepan, cleopian, clipian, clypian, to cry,
call.]
Defn: To call, or name. [Obs.]
That other son was cleped Cambalo. Chaucer.
CLEPE
Clepe, v. i.
Defn: To make appeal; to cry out. [Obs.] Wandering in woe, and to the heavens on high Cleping for vengeance of this treachery. Mir. for Mag.
CLEPSINE
Clep"si*ne, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of freshwater leeches, furnished with a proboscis. They feed upon mollusks and worms.
CLEPSYDRA
Clep"sy*dra, n. Etym: [L. from Gr.
Defn: A water clock; a contrivance for measuring time by the graduated flow of a liquid, as of water, through a small aperture. See Illust. in Appendix.
CLEPTOMANIA
Clep`to*ma"ni*a, n. Etym: [NL.]
Defn: See Kleptomania.
CLERESTORY
Clere"sto`ry, n.
Defn: Same as Clearstory.
CLERGEON
Cler"geon, n. Etym: [F., dim. of clerc. See Clerk.]
Defn: A chorister boy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLERGIAL
Cler"gi*al, a.
Defn: Learned; erudite; clercial. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLERGICAL
Cler"gi*cal, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the clergy; clerical; clerkily; learned.
[Obs.] Milton.
CLERGY Cler"gy, n. Etym: [OE. clergie, clergi, clerge, OF. clergie, F. clergie (fr. clerc clerc, fr. L. clericus priest) confused with OF. clergié, F. clergé, fr. LL. clericatus office of priest, monastic life, fr. L. clericus priest, LL. scholar, clerc. Both the Old French words meant clergy, in sense 1, the former having also sense 2. See Clerk.]
1. The body of men set apart, by due ordination, to the service of
God, in the Christian church, in distinction from the laity; in
England, usually restricted to the ministers of the Established
Church. Hooker.
2. Learning; also, a learned profession. [Obs.] Sophictry . . . rhetoric, and other cleargy. Guy of Warwick. Put their second sons to learn some clergy. State Papers (1515).
3. The privilege or benefit of clergy. If convicted of a clergyable felony, he is entitled equally to his clergy after as before conviction. Blackstone. Benefit of clergy (Eng., Law), the exemption of the persons of clergymen from criminal process before a secular judge — a privilege which was extended to all who could read, such persons being, in the eye of the law, clerici, or clerks. This privilege was abridged and modified by various statutes, and finally abolished in the reign of George IV. (1827). — Regular clergy, Secular clergy See Regular, n., and Secular, a.
CLERGYABLE
Cler"gy*a*ble, a.
Defn: Entitled to, or admitting, the benefit of clergy; as, a clergyable felony. Blackstone.
CLERGYMAN
Cler"gy*man, n.; pl. Clergymen.
Defn: An ordained minister; a man regularly authorized to peach the gospel, and administer its ordinances; in England usually restricted to a minister of the Established Church.
CLERIC
Cler"ic, n. Etym: [AS., fr. L. clericus. See Clerk.]
Defn: A clerk, a clergyman. [R.] Bp. Horsley.
CLERIC
Cler"ic, a.
Defn: Same as Clerical.
CLERICAL
Cler"ic*al, a. Etym: [LL. clericalis. See Clerk.]
1. Of or pertaining to the clergy; suitable for the clergy. "A clerical education." Burke.
2. Of or relating to a clerk or copyist, or to writing. "Clerical work." E. Everett. A clerical error, an error made in copying or writing.
CLERICALISM
Cler"ic*al*ism, n.
Defn: An excessive devotion to the interests of the sacerdotal order; undue influence of the clergy; sacerdotalism.
CLERICITY
Cler*ic"i*ty, n.
Defn: The state of being a clergyman.
CLERISY
Cler"i*sy, n. Etym: [LL. clericia. See Clergy.]
1. The literati, or well educated class.
2. The clergy, or their opinions, as opposed to the laity.
CLERK
Clerk (; in Eng. ; 277), n. Etym: [Either OF. clerc, fr. L. clericus
a priest, or AS. clerc, cleric, clerk, priest, fr. L. clericus, fr.
Gr. Clergy.]
1. A clergyman or ecclesiastic. [Obs.] All persons were styled clerks that served in the church of Christ. Ayliffe.
2. A man who could read; a scholar; a learned person; a man of letters. [Obs.] "Every one that could read . . . being accounted a clerk." Blackstone. He was no great clerk, but he was perfectly well versed in the interests of Europe. Burke.
3. A parish officer, being a layman who leads in reading the responses of the Episcopal church service, and otherwise assists in it. [Eng.] Hook. And like unlettered clerk still cry "Amen". Shak.
4. One employed to keep records or accounts; a scribe; an accountant; as, the clerk of a court; a town clerk. The clerk of the crown . . . withdrew the bill. Strype.
Note: In some cases, clerk is synonymous with secretary. A clerk is always an officer subordinate to a higher officer, board, corporation, or person; whereas a secretary may be either a subordinate or the head of an office or department.
5. An assistant in a shop or store. [U. S.]
CLERK-ALE
Clerk"-ale` ( in Eng. , n.
Defn: A feast for the benefit of the parish clerk. [Eng.] T. Warton.
CLERKLESS
Clerk"less, a.
Defn: Unlearned. [Obs.] E. Waterhouse.
CLERKLIKE
Clerk"like`, a.
Defn: Scholarlike. [Obs.] Shak.
CLERKLINESS
Clerk"li*ness, n.
Defn: Scholarship. [Obs.]
CLERKLY
Clerk"ly, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a clerk. Cranmer.
CLERKLY
Clerk"ly, adv.
Defn: In a scholarly manner. [Obs.] Shak.
CLERKSHIP
Clerk"ship, n.
Defn: State, quality, or business of a clerk.
CLEROMANCY
Cler"o*man`cy, n. Etym: [Gr. -mancy; cf. F. cléromancie.]
Defn: A divination by throwing dice or casting lots.
CLERONOMY
Cle*ron"o*my, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Inheritance; heritage.
CLERSTORY
Cler"sto`ry, n.
Defn: See Clearstory.
CLEVER Clev"er, a. Etym: [Origin uncertain. Cf. OE. cliver eager, AS. clyfer (in comp.) cloven; or clifer a claw, perh. connected with E. cleave to divide, split, the meaning of E. clever perh. coming from the idea of grasping, seizing (with the mind).]
1. Possessing quickness of intellect, skill, dexterity, talent, or adroitness; expert. Though there were many clever men in England during the latter half of the seventeenth century, there were only two great creative minds. Macaulay. Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever. C. Kingsley.
2. Showing skill or adroitness in the doer or former; as, a clever speech; a clever trick. Byron.
3. Having fitness, propriety, or suitableness. "T would sound more clever To me and to my heirs forever. Swift.
4. Well-shaped; handsome. "The girl was a tight, clever wench as any was." Arbuthnot.
5. Good-natured; obliging. [U. S.]
Syn.
— See Smart.
CLEVERISH
Clev"er*ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat clever. [R.]
CLEVERLY
Clev"er*ly, adv.
Defn: In a clever manner.
Never was man so clever absurd. C. Smart.
CLEVERNESS
Clev"er*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being clever; skill; dexterity; adroitness.
Syn.
— See Ingenuity.
CLEVIS
Clev"is, n. Etym: [Cf. Cleave to adhere, Clavel.]
Defn: A piece of metal bent in the form of an oxbow, with the two ends perforated to receive a pin, used on the end of the tongue of a plow, wagen, etc., to attach it to a draft chain, whiffletree, etc.; — called also clavel, clevy.
CLEW; CLUE Clew, Clue, n. Etym: [OE. clewe, clowe, clue, AS. cleowen, cliwen, clywe ball of thread; akin to D. kluwen, OHG. chliwa, chliuwa, G. dim. kleuel, knäuel, and perch. to L. gluma hull, husk, Skr. glaus sort of ball or tumor. Perch. akin to E. claw. *26. Cf. Knawel.]
1. A ball of thread, yarn, or cord; also, The thread itself. Untwisting his deceitful clew. Spenser.
2. That which guides or directs one in anything of a doubtful or intricate nature; that which gives a hint in the solution of a mystery. The clew, without which it was perilous to enter the vast and intricate maze of countinental politics, was in his hands. Macaulay.
3. (Naut.) (a.)
Defn: A lower corner of a square sail, or the after corner of a fore- and-aft sail. (b.)
Defn: A loop and thimbles at the corner of a sail. (c.)
Defn: A combination of lines or nettles by which a hammock is suspended. Clew garnet (Naut.), one of the ropes by which the clews of the courses of square-rigged vessels are drawn up to the lower yards. — Clew line (Naut.), a rope by which a clew of one of the smaller square sails, as topsail, topgallant sail, or royal, is run up to its yard. — Clew-line block (Naut.), The block through which a clew line reeves. See Illust. of Block.
CLEW
Clew, v. t. [imp. & p. p. & vb. n. Clewing.] Etym: [Cf. D. kluwenen.
See Clew, n.]
1. To direct; to guide, as by a thread. [Obs.] Direct and clew me out the way to happiness. Beau. && Fl.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: To move of draw (a sail or yard) by means of the clew garnets, clew lines, etc.; esp. to draw up the clews of a square sail to the yard. To clew down (Naut.), to force (a yard) down by hauling on the clew lines. — To clew up (Naut.), to draw (a sail) up to the yard, as for furling.
CLICHE
Cli`ché", n. Etym: [F. cliché, from clicher to stereotype.]
Defn: A stereotype plate or any similar reproduction of ornament, or lettering, in relief. Cliché casting, a mode of obtaining an impression from a die or woodcut, or the like, by striking it suddenly upon metal which has been fused and is just becoming solid; also, the casting so obtained.
CLICK
Click, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clicked; p. pr. & vb. n. Clicking.] Etym:
[Prob. an onomatopoetic word: cf. OF. cliquier. See Clack, and cf.
Clink, Clique.]
Defn: To make a slight, sharp noise (or a succession of such noises), as by gentle striking; to tick. The varnished clock that clicked behind the door. Goldsmith.
CLICK
Click, v. t.
1. To more with the sound of a click. She clicked back the bolt which held the window sash. Thackeray.
2. To cause to make a clicking noise, as by striking together, or
against something.
[Jove] clicked all his marble thumbs. Ben Jonson.
When merry milkmaids click the latch. Tennyson.
CLICK
Click, n.
1. A slight sharp noise, such as is made by the cocking of a pistol.
2. A kind of articulation used by the natives of Southern Africa, consisting in a sudden withdrawal of the end or some other portion of the tongue from a part of the mouth with which it is in contact, whereby a sharp, clicking sound is produced. The sounds are four in number, and are called cerebral, palatal, dental, and lateral clicks or clucks, the latter being the noise ordinarily used in urging a horse forward.
CLICK
Click, v. t. Etym: [OE. kleken, clichen. Cf. Clutch.]
Defn: To snatch. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
CLICK
Click, n. Etym: [Cf. 4th Click, and OF. clique latch.]
1. A detent, pawl, or ratchet, as that which catches the cogs of a ratchet wheel to prevent backward motion. See Illust. of Ratched wheel.
2. The latch of a door. [Prov. Eng.]
CLICK BEETLE
Click" bee"tle. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Elater.
CLICKER
Click"er, n.
1. One who stands before a shop door to invite people to buy. [Low, Eng.]
2. (Print.)
Defn: One who as has charge of the work of a companionship.
CLICKET
Click"et, n. Etym: [OF. cliquet the latch of a door. See 5th Click.]
1. The knocker of a door. [Prov. Eng.]
2. A latch key. [Eng.] Chaucer.
CLICKY
Click"y, a.
Defn: Resembling a click; abounding in clicks. "Their strange clicky language." The Century.
CLIDASTES
Cli*das"tes, n. Etym: [NL., prob. from Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: A genus of exinct marine reptiles, allied to the Mosasaurus.
See Illust. in Appendix.
CLIENCY
Cli"en*cy, n.
Defn: State of being a client.
CLIENT Cli"ent, n. Etym: [L. cliens, -emtis, for cluens, one who hears (in relation to his protector), a client, fr. L. cluere to be named or called; akin to Gr. çry, and E. loud: cf. F. client. See Loud.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.)
Defn: A citizen who put himself under the protection of a man of distinction and influence, who was called his patron.
2. A dependent; one under the protection of another. I do think they are your friends and clients, And fearful to disturb you. B. Jonson.
3. (Law)
Defn: One who consults a legal adviser, or submits his cause to his management.
CLIENTAGE
Cli"ent*age, n.
1. State of being client.
2. A body of clients. E. Everett.
CLIENTAL
Cli*en"tal, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a client.
A dependent and cliental relation. Burke.
I sat down in the cliental chair. Dickens.
CLIENTED
Cli"ent*ed, a.
Defn: Supplied with clients. [R.]
The least cliented pettifiggers. R. Carew.
CLIENTELAGE
Cli*en"te*lage, n.
Defn: See Clientele, n., 2.
CLIENTELE
Cli`en*tele" ( or ), n. Etym: [L. clientela: cf. F. clientèle.]
1. The condition or position of a client; clientship. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
2. The clients or dependents of a nobleman of patron.
3. The persons who make habitual use of the services of another person; one's clients, collectively; as, the clientele of a lawyer, doctor, notary, etc.
CLIENTSHIP
Cli"ent*ship, n.
Defn: Condition of a client; state of being under the protection of a patron. Dryden.
CLIFF
Cliff, n. Etym: [AS. clif, cloef; akin to OS. klif, D. klif, klip,
Icel. klif, Dan. & G. klippe, Sw. klippa; perh. orig. a climbing
place. See Climb.]
Defn: A high, steep rock; a precipice. Cliff swallow (Zoöl.), a North American swallow (Petrochelidon lunifrons), which builds its nest against cliffs; the eaves swallow.
CLIFF
Cliff, n. (Mus.)
Defn: See Clef. [Obs.]
CLIFF LIMESTONE
Cliff" lime"stone`. (Geol.)
Defn: A series of limestone strata found in Ohio and farther west, presenting bluffs along the rivers and valleys, formerly supposed to be of one formation, but now known to be partly Silurian and partly Devonian.
CLIFFY
Cliff"y, a.
Defn: Having cliffs; broken; craggy.
CLIFT
Clift, n. Etym: [See 1st Cliff, n.]
Defn: A cliff. [Obs.]
That gainst the craggy clifts did loudly roar. Spenser.
CLIFT
Clift, n. Etym: [See Cleft, n.]
1. A cleft of crack; a narrow opening. [Obs.]
2. The fork of the legs; the crotch. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLIFTED
Clift"ed, a. Etym: [From Clift a cleft.]
Defn: Broken; fissured.
Climb the Andeclifted side. Grainger.
CLIMACTER
Cli*mac"ter, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. climactère. See Climax.]
Defn: See Climacteric, n.
CLIMACTERIC
Cli*mac"ter*ic ( or ; 277), a. Etym: [L. climactericus, Gr.
Climacter.]
Defn: Relating to a climacteric; critical.
CLIMACTERIC
Cli*mac"ter*ic, n.
1. A period in human life in which some great change is supposed to take place in the constitution. The critical periods are thought by some to be the years produced by multiplying 7 into the odd numbers 3, 5, 7, and 9; to which others add the 81st year.
2. Any critical period. It is your lot, as it was mine, to live during one of the grand climacterics of the world. Southey. Grand or Great climacteric, the sixty-third year of human life. I should hardly yield my rigid fibers to be regenerated by them; nor begin, in my grand climacteric, to squall in their new accents, or to stammer, in my second cradle, the elemental sounds of their barbarous metaphysics. Burke.
CLIMACTERICAL
Clim`ac*ter"ic*al, a. & n.
Defn: See Climacteric. Evelyn.
CLIMACTIC
Cli*mac"tic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a climax; forming, or of the nature of, a climax, or ascending series.
A fourth kind of parallelism . . . is still sufficiently marked to be noticed by the side of those described by Lowth, viz., climactic parallelism (sometimes called "ascending rhythm"). S. R. Driver.
CLIMATAL
Cli"ma*tal, a.
Defn: Climatic. Dunglison.
CLIMATARCHIC
Cli`ma*tar"chic, a. Etym: [Climate + Gr.
Defn: Presiding over, or regulating, climates.
CLIMATE
Cli"mate, n. Etym: [F. climat, L. clima, -atis, fr. Gr. lean, v. i.
See Lean, v. i., and cf. Clime.]
1. (Anc. Geog.)
Defn: One of thirty regions or zones, parallel to the equator, into which the surface of the earth from the equator to the pole was divided, according to the successive increase of the length of the midsummer day.
2. The condition of a place in relation to various phenomena of the atmosphere, as temperature, moisture, etc., especially as they affect animal or vegetable life.
CLIMATE
Cli"mate, v. i.
Defn: To dwell. [Poetic] Shak.
CLIMATIC
Cli*mat"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a climate; depending on, or limited by, a climate.
CLIMATICAL
Cli*mat"ic*al, a.
Defn: Climatic.
CLIMATIZE
Cli"ma*tize, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Climatized; p. pr. & vb. n.
Climatizing.]
Defn: To acclimate or become acclimated.
CLIMATOGRAPHY
Cli`ma*tog"ra*phy, n. Etym: [Climate + -graphy.]
Defn: A description of climates.
CLIMATOLOGICAL
Cli`ma*to*log"ic*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to climatology.
CLIMATOLOGIST
Cli`ma*tol"o*gist, n.
Defn: One versed in, or who studies, climatology.
CLIMATOLOGY
Cli`ma*tol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Climate + -logy: cf. F. climatologie.]
Defn: The science which treats of climates and investigates their phenomena and causes. Brande & C.
CLIMATURE
Cli"ma*ture, n. Etym: [Cf. F. climature.]
Defn: A climate. [Obs.] Shak.
CLIMAX
Cli"max, n. Etym: [L., from Gr. Ladder, Lean, v. i.]
1. Upward movement; steady increase; gradation; ascent. Glanvill.
2. (Rhet.)
Defn: A figure of which the parts of a sentence or paragraph are so arranged that each sicceeding one rise "Tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, and experience hope" — a happy climax. J. D. Forbes.
3. The highest point; the greatest degree. We must look higher for the climax of earthly good. I. Taylor. To cap the climax, to surpass everything, as in excellence or in absurdity. [Colloq.]
CLIMB Climb, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Climbed, Obs. or Vulgar Clomb (; p. pr. & vb. n. Climbing.] Etym: [AS. climban; akin to OHG. chlimban, G. & D. klimmen, Icel. klifa, and E. cleave to adhere.]
1. To ascend or mount laboriously, esp. by use of the hands and feet.
2. To ascend as if with effort; to rise to a higher point. Black vapors climb aloft, and cloud the day. Dryden.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: To ascend or creep upward by twining about a support, or by attaching itself by tendrills, rootlets, etc., to a support or upright surface.
CLIMB
Climb, v. t.
Defn: To ascend, as by means of the hands and feet, or laboriously or slowly; to mount.
CLIMB
Climb, n.
Defn: The act of one who climbs; ascent by climbing. Warburton.
CLIMBABLE
Climb"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being climbed.
CLIMBER
Climb"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, climbs: (a) (Bot.) A plant that climbs. (b) (Zoöl.) A bird that climbs, as a woodpecker or a parrot.
CLIMBER
Climb"er, v. i. Etym: [From Climb; cf. Clamber.]
Defn: To climb; to mount with effort; to clamber. [Obs.] Tusser.
CLIMBING
Climb"ing,
Defn: p. pr. & vb. n. of Climb. Climbing fern. See under Fern.
— Climbing perch. (Zoöl.) See Anabas, and Labyrinthici.
CLIME
Clime, n. Etym: [L. clima. See Climate.]
Defn: A climate; a tract or region of the earth. See Climate.
Turn we to sutvey, Where rougher climes a nobler race display.
Goldsmith.
CLINANTHIUM
Cli*nan"thi*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: The receptacle of the flowers in a composite plant; — also called clinium.
CLINCH
Clinch (; 224), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clinched; p. pr. & vb. n.
Clinching.] Etym: [OE. clenchen, prop. causative of clink to cause to
clink, to strike; cf. D. klinken to tinkle, rivet. See Clink.]
1. To hold firmly; to hold fast by grasping or embracing tightly. "Clinch the pointed spear." Dryden.
2. To set closely together; to close tightly; as, to clinch the teeth or the first. Swift.
3. The bend or turn over the point of (something that has been driven trough an object), so that it will hold fast; as, to clinch a nail.
4. To make conclusive; to confirm; to establish; as, to clinch an argument. South.
CLINCH
Clinch, v. i.
Defn: To hold fast; to grasp something firmly; to seize or grasp one another.
CLINCH
Clinch, n.
1. The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast; a grip; a grasp; a clamp; a holdfast; as, to get a good clinch of an antagonist, or of a weapon; to secure anything by a clinch.
2. A pun. Pope.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: A hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts.
CLINCHER
Clinch"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, clinches; that which holds fast. Pope.
2. That which ends a dispute or controversy; a decisive argument.
CLINCHER-BUILT
Clinch"er-built, a.
Defn: See Clinker-built.
CLING
Cling, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clung, Clong (Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n.
Clinging.] Etym: [AS. clingan to adhere, to wither; akin to Dan.
klynge to cluster, crowd. Cf. Clump.]
Defn: To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast, especially by twining round or embracing; as, the tendril of a vine clings to its support; — usually followed by to or together. And what hath life for thee That thou shouldst cling to it thus Mrs. Hemans.
CLING
Cling, v. t.
1. To cause to adhere to, especially by twining round or embraching. [Obs.] I clung legs as close to his side as I could. Swift.
2. To make to dry up or wither. [Obs.] If thou speak'st false, Upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive, Till famine cling thee. Shak.
CLING
Cling, n.
Defn: Adherence; attachment; devotion. [R.]
A more tenacious cling to worldly respects. Milton.
CLINGSTONE
Cling"stone`, a.
Defn: Having the flesh attached closely to the stone, as in some kinds of peaches. — n.
Defn: A fruit, as a peach, whose flesh adheres to the stone.
CLINGY
Cling"y, a.
Defn: Apt to cling; adhesive. [R.]
CLINIC
Clin"ic, n. Etym: [See Clinical.]
1. One confined to the bed by sickness.
2. (Eccl.)
Defn: One who receives baptism on a sick bed. [Obs.] Hook.
3. (Med.)
Defn: A school, or a session of a school or class, in which medicine or surgery is taught by the examination and treatment of patients in the presence of the pupils.
CLINICAL; CLINIC
Clin"ic*al, Clin"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. clinique. See Lean, v. i.]
1. Of or pertaining to a bed, especially, a sick bed.
2. Of or pertaining to a clinic, or to the study of disease in the living subject. Clinical baptism, baptism administered to a person on a sick bed. — Clinical instruction, instruction by means of clinics. — Clinical lecture (Med.), a discourse upon medical topics illustrared by the exhibition and examination of living patients. — Clinical medicine, Clinical surgery, that part of medicine or surgery which is occupied with the investigation of disease in the living subject.
CLINICALLY
Clin"ic*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In a clinical manner.
CLINIQUE
Cli*nique", n. Etym: [F.] (Med.)
Defn: A clinic.
CLINIUM
Clin"i*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: See Clinanthium.
CLINK
Clink, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clinked; p. pr. & vb. n. Clinking.] Etym:
[OE. clinken; akin to G. klingen, D. klinken, SW. klinga, Dan.
klinge; prob. of imitative origin. Cf. Clank, Clench, Click, v. i.]
Defn: To cause to give out a slight, sharp, tinkling, sound, as by striking metallic or other sonorous bodies together. And let me the canakin clink. Shak.
CLINK
Clink, v. i.
1. To give out a slight, sharp, thinkling sound. "The clinking latch." Tennyson.
2. To rhyme. [Humorous]. Cowper.
CLINK
Clink, n.
Defn: A slight, sharp, tinkling sound, made by the collision of sonorous bodies. "Clink and fall of swords." Shak.
CLINKANT
Clin"kant, a.
Defn: See Clnquant.
CLINKER
Clink"er, n. Etym: [From clink; cf. D. clinker a brick which is so
hard that it makes a sonorous sound, from clinken to clink. Cf.
Clinkstone.]
1. A mass composed of several bricks run together by the action of the fire in the kiln.
2. Scoria or vitrified incombustible matter, formed in a grate or furnace where anthracite coal in used; vitrified or burnt matter ejected from a volcano; slag.
3. A scale of oxide of iron, formed in forging.
4. A kind of brick. See Dutch klinker, under Dutch.
CLINKER-BUILT
Clink"er-built, a. (Naut.)
Defn: Having the side planks (af a boat) so arranged that the lower edge of each overlaps the upper edge of the plank next below it like clapboards on a house. See Lapstreak.
CLINKSTONE Clink"stone` (; 110), n. Etym: [Clink + stone; — from its sonorousness.] (Min.)
Defn: An igneous rock of feldspathic composition, lamellar in structure, and clinking under the hammer. See Phonolite.
CLINODIAGONAL
Cli`no*di*ag"o*nal, n. Etym: [Gr. diagonal.] (Crystallog.)
Defn: That diagonal or lateral axis in a monoclinic crystal which makes an oblique angle witch the vertical axis. See Crystallization. — a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or the direction of, the clinidiagonal.
CLINODOME
Cli"no*dome`, n. Etym: [Gr. dome.] (Crystallog.)
Defn: See under Dome.
CLINOGRAPHIC
Cli"no*graph"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. + -graph.]
Defn: Pertaining to that mode of projection in drawing in which the rays of light are supposed to fall obliquely on the plane of projection.
CLINOID
Cli"noid, a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.] (Anat.)
Defn: Like a bed; — applied to several processes on the inner side of the sphenoid bone.
CLINOMETER
Cli*nom"e*ter, n. Etym: [Gr. -meter.] (Geol.)
Defn: An instrument for determining the dip of beds or strata, pr the slope of an embankment or cutting; a kind of plumb level. Dana.
CLINOMETRIC
Clin`o*met"ric, a.
1. Pertaining to, or ascertained by, the clinometer.
2. Pertaining to the oblique crystalline forms, or to solids which have oblique angles between the axes; as, the clinometric systems.
CLINOMETRY
Cli*nom"e*try, n. (geol.)
Defn: That art or operation of measuring the inclination of strata.
CLINOPINACOID
Cli`no*pin"a*coid, n. Etym: [Gr. pinacoid.] (Crystallog.)
Defn: The plane in crystals of the monoclinic system which is parallel to the vertical and the inclined lateral (clinidiagonal) axes.
CLINORHOMBIC
Cli`no*rhom"bic, a. Etym: [Gr. rhombic: cf. F. clinorhombique.]
(Crystallog.)
Defn: Possessing the qualities of a prism, obliquely inclined to a rhombic base; monoclinic.
CLINOSTAT
Cli"no*stat, n. [Gr. to incline + to make to stand.] (Bot.)
Defn: An apparatus consisting of a slowly revolving disk, usually regulated by clockwork, by means of wich the action of external agents, as light and gravity, on growing plants may be regulated or eliminated.
CLINQUANT
Clin"quant, a. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Glittering; dressed in, or overlaid with, tinsel finery. [Obs.]
Shak.
CLINQUANT
Clin"quant, n.
Defn: Tinse;l; Dutch gold.
CLIO
Cli"o, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Class. Myth.)
Defn: The Muse who presided over history.
CLIONE
Cli*o"ne, n.
Defn: A genus of naked pteropods. One species (Clione papilonacea), abundant in the Arctic Ocean, constitutes a part of the food of the Greenland whale. It is sometimes incorrectly called Clio.
CLIP
Clip, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clipped (; p. pr. & vb. n. Clipping.] Etym:
[OE. cluppen, clippen, to embrace, AS. clyran to embrace, clasp; cf.
OHG. kluft tongs, shears, Icel, klypa to pinch, squeeze, also OE.
clippen to cut, shear, Dan. klippe to clip, cut, SW. & Icel. klippa.]
1. To embrace, hence; to encompass. O . . . that Neptune's arms, who clippeth thee about, Would bear thee from the knowledge of thyself. Shak.
2. To cut off; as with shears or scissors; as, to clip the hair; to clip coin. Sentenced to have his ears clipped. Macaulay.
3. To curtail; to cut short. All my reports go with the modest truth; No more nor clipped, but so. Shak. In London they clip their words after one manner about the court, another in the city, and a third in the suburbs. Swift.
CLIP
Clip, v. i.
Defn: To move swiftly; — usually with indefinite it.
Straight flies as chek, and clips it down the wind. Dryden.
CLIP
Clip, n.
1. An embrace. Sir P. Sidney.
2. A cutting; a shearing.
3. The product of a single shearing of sheep; a season's crop of wool.
4. A clasp or holder for letters, papers, etc.
5. An embracing strap for holding parts together; the iron strap, with loop, at the ends of a whiffletree. Knight.
6. (Far.)
Defn: A projecting flange on the upper edge of a horseshoe, turned up so as to embrace the lower part of the hoof; — called also toe clip and beak. Youatt.
7. A blow or stroke with the hand; as, he hit him a clip. [Colloq. U. S.]
CLIPPER
Clip"per, n.
1. One who clips; specifically, one who clips off the edges of coin. The value is pared off from it into the clipper's pocket. Locke.
2. A machine for clipping hair, esp. the hair of horses.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: A vessel with a sharp bow, built and rigged for fast sailing.
— Clip"per-built` (, a.
Note: The name was first borne by "Baltimore clippers" famous as privateers in the early wars of the United States.
CLIPPING
Clip"ping, n.
1. The act of embracing. [Obs.]
2. The act of cutting off, curtailing, or diminishing; the practice of clipping the edges of coins. clipping by Englishmen is robbing the honest man who receives clipped money. Locke.
3. That which is clipped off or out of something; a piece separated by clipping; as, newspaper clippings.
CLIQUE
Clique, n. Etym: [F., fr. OF. cliquer to click. See Click, v. i.]
Defn: A narrow circle of persons associated by common interests or for the accomplishment of a common purpose; — generally used in a bad sense.
CLIQUE
Clique, v. i.
Defn: To To associate together in a clannish way; to act with others secretly to gain a desired end; to plot; — used with together.
CLIQUISH
Cli"quish, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a clique; disposed to from cliques;
exclusive in spirit.
— Cli"*quish*ness, n.
CLIQUISM
Cli"quism, n.
Defn: The tendency to associate in cliques; the spirit of cliques.
CLITELLUS
Cli*tel"lus, n. Etym: [NL., prob. fr. L. clitellae a packsadle.]
(Zoöl.)
Defn: A thickened glandular portion of the body of the adult earthworm, consisting of several united segments modified for reproductive purposes.
CLITORIS
Cli"to*ris ( or ), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. labia pudendi.] (Anat.)
Defn: A small organ at the upper part of the vulva, homologous to the penis in the male.
CLIVERS
Cliv"ers ( or ), n.
Defn: See Cleavers.
CLIVITY
Cliv"i*ty, n.; pl. Clivities. Etym: [L. clivus hill.]
Defn: Inclination; ascent or descent; a gradient. [R.]
CLOACA
Clo"a"ca, n.; pl. Cloacæ. Etym: [L.]
1. A sewer; as, the Cloaca Maxima of Rome.
2. A privy.
3. (Anat.)
Defn: The common chamber into which the intestinal, urinary, and generative canals discharge in birds, reptiles, amphibians, and many fishes.
CLOACAL
Clo*a"cal, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a cloaca.
CLOAK Cloak (; 110), n. Etym: [Of. cloque cloak (from the bell-like shape), bell, F. cloche bell; perh. of Celtik origin and the same word as E. clock. See 1st Clock.]
1. A loose outer garment, extending from the neck downwards, and commonly without sleeves. It is longer than a cape, and is worn both by men and by women.
2. That which conceals; a disguise or pretext; an excuse; a fair pretense; a mask; a cover. No man is esteemed any ways considerable for policy who wears religion otherwise than as a cloak. South. Cloak bag, a bag in which a cloak or other clothes are carried; a portmanteau. Shak.
CLOAK
Cloak, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cloaked; p. pr. & vb. n. Cloaking.]
Defn: To cover with, or as with, a cloak; hence, to hide or conceal.
Now glooming sadly, so to cloak her matter. Spenser.
Syn.
— See Palliate.
CLOAKEDLY
Cloak"ed*ly, adv.
Defn: In a concealed manner.
CLOAKING
Cloak"ing, n.
1. The act of covering with a cloak; the act of concealing anything. To take heed of their dissembings and cloakings. Strype.
2. The material of which of which cloaks are made.
CLOAKROOM
Cloak"room`, n.
Defn: A room, attached to any place of public resort, where cloaks, overcoats, etc., may be deposited for a time.
CLOCHE
Cloche, n. [F., prop., bell.] (Aëronautics)
Defn: An apparatus used in controlling certain kinds of aëroplanes, and consisting principally of a steering column mounted with a universal joint at the base, which is bellshaped and has attached to it the cables for controlling the wing-warping devices, elevator planes, and the like.
CLOCK Clock, n. Etym: [AS. clucge bell; akin to D. klok clock, bell, G. glocke, Dan. klokke, Sw. klocka, Icel. klukka bell, LL. clocca, cloca (whence F. cloche); al perh. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. & Gael. clog bell, clock, W. cloch bell. Cf. Cloak.]
1. A machine for measuring time, indicating the hour and other divisions by means of hands moving on a dial plate. Its works are moved by a weight or a spring, and it is often so constructed as to tell the hour by the stroke of a hammer on a bell. It is not adapted, like the watch, to be carried on the person.
2. A watcg, esp. one that strikes. [Obs.] Walton.
3. The striking of a clock. [Obs.] Dryden.
4. A figure or figured work on the ankle or side of a stocking. Swift.
Note: The phrases what o'clock it is nine o'clock, etc., are contracted from what of the clock it is nine of the clock, etc. Alarm clock. See under Alarm. — Astronomical clock. (a) A clock of superior construction, with a compensating pendulum, etc., to measure time with great accuracy, for use in astronomical observatories; — called a regulator when used by watchmakers as a standard for regulating timepieces. (b) A clock with mechanism for indicating certain astronomical phenomena, as the phases of the moon, position of the sun in the ecliptic, equation of time, etc. — Electric clock. (a) A clock moved or regulated by electricity or electro-magnetism. (b) A clock connected with an electro-magnetic recording apparatus. — Ship's clock (Naut.), a clock arranged to strike from one to eight strokes, at half hourly intervals, marking the divisions of the ship's watches. — Sidereal clock, an astronomical clock regulated to keep sidereal time.
CLOCK
Clock, v. t.
Defn: To ornament with figured work, as the side of a stocking.
CLOCK
Clock, v. t. & i.
Defn: To call, as a hen. See Cluck. [R.]
CLOCK
Clock, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large beetle, esp. the European dung beetle (Scarabæus stercorarius).
CLOCKLIKE
Clock"like`, a.
Defn: Like a clock or like clockwork; mechanical. Their services are clocklike, to be set Blackward and vorward at their lord's command. B. Jonson.
CLOCKWISE
Clock"wise`, a. & adv.
Defn: Like the motion of the hands of a clock; — said of that direction of a rotation about an axis, or about a point in a plane, which is ordinarily reckoned negative.
CLOCKWORK
Clock"work`, n.
Defn: The machinery of a clock, or machinary resembling that of a clock; machinery which produced regularity of movement.
CLOD
Clod, n. Etym: [OE. clodde, latter form of clot. See Clot.]
1. A lump or mass, especially of earth, turf, or clay. "Clods of a slimy substance." Carew. "Clods of iron and brass." Milton. "Clods of blood." E. Fairfax. The earth that casteth up from the plow a great clod, is not so good as that which casteth up a smaller clod. Bacon.
2. The ground; the earth; a spot of earth or turf. The clod Where once their sultan's horse has trod. Swift.
3. That which is earthy and of little relative value, as the body of man in comparison with the soul. This cold clod of clay which we carry about with us. T. Burnet.
4. A dull, gross, stupid fellow; a dolt Dryden.
5. A pert of the shoulder of a beef creature, or of the neck piece near the shoulder. See Illust. of Beef.
CLOD
Clod, v.i
Defn: To collect into clods, or into a thick mass; to coagulate; to clot; as, clodded gore. See Clot. Clodded in lumps of clay. G. Fletcher.
CLOD
Clod, v. t.
1. To pelt with clods. Jonson.
2. To throw violently; to hurl. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
CLODDISH
Clod"dish, a.
Defn: Resembling clods; gross; low; stupid; boorish. Hawthorne.
— Clod"dish*ness, n.
CLODDY
Clod"dy, a.
Defn: Consisting of clods; full of clods.
CLODHOPPER
Clod"hop`per, n.
Defn: A rude, rustic fellow.
CLODHOPPING
Clod"hop`ping, a.
Defn: Boorish; rude. C. Bronté.
CLODPATE
Clod"pate`, n.
Defn: A blockhead; a dolt.
CLODPATED
Clod"pat`ed, a.
Defn: Stupid; dull; doltish.
CLODPOLL
Clod"poll`, n. Etym: [Clod + poll head.]
Defn: A stupid fellow; a dolt. [Written also clodpole.] Shak.
CLOFF
Cloff, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]
Defn: Formerly an allowance of two pounds in every three hundred weight after the tare and tret are subtracted; now used only in a general sense, of small deductions from the original weight. [Written also clough.] McCulloch.
CLOG Clog, n. Etym: [OE. clogge clog, Scot. clag, n., a clot, v., to to obstruct, cover with mud or anything adhesive; prob. of the same origin as E. clay.]
1. That which hinders or impedes motion; hence, an encumbrance, restraint, or impediment, of any kind. All the ancient, honest, juridical principles and institutions of England are so many clogs to check and retard the headlong course of violence and opression. Burke.
2. A weight, as a log or block of wood, attached to a man or an
animal to hinder motion.
As a dog . . . but chance breaks loose, And quits his clog. Hudibras.
A clog of lead was round my feet. Tennyson.
3. A shoe, or sandal, intended to protect the feet from wet, or to increase the apparent stature, and having, therefore, a very thick sole. Cf. Chopine. In France the peasantry goes barefoot; and the middle sort . . . makes use of wooden clogs. Harvey. Clog almanac, a primitive kind of almanac or calendar, formerly used in England, made by cutting notches and figures on the four edges of a clog, or square piece of wood, brass, or bone; — called also a Runic staff, from the Runic characters used in the numerical notation. — Clog dance, a dance performed by a person wearing clogs, or thick-soled shoes. — Clog dancer.
CLOG
Clog, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clogged; p. pr. & vb. n. Clogging.]
1. To encumber or load, especially with something that impedes motion; to hamper. The winds of birds were clogged with ace and snow. Dryden.
2. To obstruct so as to hinder motion in or through; to choke up; as, to clog a tube or a channel.
3. To burden; to trammel; to embarrass; to perplex. The commodities are clogged with impositions. Addison. You 'll rue the time That clogs me with this answer. Shak.
Syn.
— Impede; hinder; obstruct; embarrass; burden; restrain; restrict.
CLOG
Clog, v. i.
1. To become clogged; to become loaded or encumbered, as with
extraneous matter.
In working through the bone, the teeth of the saw will begin to clog.
S. Sharp.
2. To coalesce or adhere; to unite in a mass. Move it sometimes with a broom, that the seeds clog not together. Evelyn.
CLOGGINESS
Clog"gi*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being clogged.
CLOGGING
Clog"ging, n.
Defn: Anything which clogs. Dr. H. More.
CLOGGY
Clog"gy, a.
Defn: Clogging, or having power to clog.
CLOISONNE
Cloi`son*né, a. Etym: [F., partitioned, fr. cloison a partition.]
Defn: Inlaid between partitions: — said of enamel when the lines which divide the different patches of fields are composed of a kind of metal wire secured to the ground; as distinguished from champlevé enamel, in which the ground is engraved or scooped out to receive the enamel. S. Wells Williams.
CLOISTER
Clois"ter, n. Etym: [OF. cloistre, F. cloître, L. claustrum, pl.
claustra, bar, bolt, bounds, fr. claudere, clausum, to close. See
Close, v. t., and cf. Claustral.]
1. An inclosed place. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. A covered passage or ambulatory on one side of a court; (pl.) the series of such passages on the different sides of any court, esp. that of a monastery or a college. But let my due feet never fail To walk the studious cloister's pale. Milton.
3. A monastic establishment; a place for retirement from the world for religious duties. Fitter for a cloister than a crown. Daniel. Cloister garth (Arch.), the garden or open part of a court inclosed by the cloisters.
Syn. — Cloister, Monastery, Nunnery, Convent, Abbey, Priory. Cloister and convent are generic terms, and denote a place of seclusion from the world for persons who devote their lives to religious purposes. They differ is that the distinctive idea of cloister is that of seclusion from the world, that of convent, community of living. Both terms denote houses for recluses of either sex. A cloister or convent for monks is called a monastery; for nuns, a nunnery. An abbey is a convent or monastic institution governed by an abbot or an abbess; a priory is one governed by a prior or a prioress, and is usually affiliated to an abbey.
CLOISTER
Clois"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cloistered; p. pr. & vb. n.
Cloistering.]
Defn: To confine in, or as in, a cloister; to seclude from the world;
to immure.
None among them are throught worthy to be styled religious persons
but those that cloister themselves up in a monastery. Sharp.
CLOISTERAL
Clois"ter*al, a.
Defn: Cloistral. [Obs.] I. Walton.
CLOISTERED
Clois"tered, a.
1. Dwelling in cloisters; solitary. "Cloistered friars and vestal nuns." Hudibras. In cloistered state let selfish sages dwell, Proud that their heart is narrow as their cell. Shenstone.
2. Furnished with cloisters. Sir H. Wotton.
CLOISTERER
Clois"ter*er, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. cloistier.]
Defn: One belonging to, or living in, a cloister; a recluse.
CLOISTRAL
Clois"tral, a.
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or confined in, a cloister; recluse.
[Written also cloisteral.]
Best become a cloistral exercise. Daniel.
CLOISTRESS
Clois"tress, n.
Defn: A nun. [R.] Shak.
CLOKE
Cloke, n. & v.
Defn: See Cloak. [Obs.]
CLOMB; CLOMBEN
Clomb, Clomb"en,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Climb (for climbed). [Obs.]
The sonne, he sayde, is clomben up on hevene. Chaucer.
CLOMP
Clomp, n.
Defn: See Clamp.
CLONG
Clong,
Defn: imp. of Cling. [Obs.]
CLONIC
Clon"ic, a. Etym: [Gr. clonique.] (Med.)
Defn: Having an irregular, convulsive motion. Dunglison. Clonic spasm. (Med.) See under Spasm.
CLONUS
Clo"nus, n. [NL., fr. Gr. violent, confused motion.] (Med.)
Defn: A series of muscular contractions due to sudden stretching of the muscle, — a sign of certain neuropathies.
CLOOM
Cloom, v. t. Etym: [A variant of clam to clog.]
Defn: To close with glutinous matter. [Obs.] Mortimer.
CLOOP
Cloop, n. Etym: [An onomatopoeia.]
Defn: The sound made when a cork is forcibly drawn from a bottle.
"The cloop of a cork wrenched from a bottle." Thackeray.
CLOOT
Cloot, n. [Cf. G. dial. kleuzen to split.] (Scot. & Dial. Eng.)
1. One of the divisions of a cleft hoof, as in the ox; also, the whole hoof.
2. The Devil; Clootie; — usually in the pl. Burns.
CLOOTIE
Cloot"ie, n. (Scot. & Dial. Eng.)
1.
Defn: A little hoof.
2. The Devil. "Satan, Nick, or Clootie." Burns.
CLOSE Close, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Closed; p. pr. & vb. n. Closing.] Etym: [From OF. & F. clos, p. p. of clore to close, fr. L. claudere; akin to G. schliessen to shut, and to E. clot, cloister, clavicle, conclude, sluice. Cf. Clause, n.]
1. To stop, or fill up, as an opening; to shut; as, to close the eyes; to close a door.
2. To bring together the parts of; to consolidate; as, to close the ranks of an army; — often used with up.
3. To bring to an end or period; to conclude; to complete; to finish; to end; to consummate; as, to close a bargain; to close a course of instruction. One frugal supper did our studies close. Dryden.
4. To come or gather around; to inclose; to encompass; to confine. The depth closed me round about. Jonah ii. 5. But now thou dost thyself immure and close In some one corner of a feeble heart. Herbert. A closed sea, a sea within the jurisdiction of some particular nation, which controls its navigation.
CLOSE
Close, v. i.
1. To come together; to unite or coalesce, as the parts of a wound, or parts separated. What deep wounds ever closed without a scar Byron.
2. To end, terminate, or come to a period; as, the debate closed at six o'clock.
3. To grapple; to engange in hand-to-hand fight. They boldly closed in a hand-to-hand contest. Prescott. To close on or upon, to come to a mutual agreement; to agree on or join in. "Would induce France and Holland to close upon some measures between them to our disadvantage." Sir W. Temple. — To close with. (a) To accede to; to consent or agree to; as, to close with the terms proposed. (b) To make an agreement with. — To close with the land (Naut.), to approach the land.
CLOSE
Close, n.
1. The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction. [Obs.] The doors of plank were; their close exquisite. Chapman.
2. Conclusion; cessation; ending; end. His long and troubled life was drawing to a close. Macaulay.
3. A grapple in wrestling. Bacon.
4. (Mus.) (a) The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence. (b) A double bar marking the end. At every close she made, the attending throng Replied, and bore the burden of the song. Dryden.
Syn. — Conclusion; termination; cessation; end; ending; extremity; extreme.
CLOSE Close ( or ), n. Etym: [OF. & F. clos an inclosure, fr. clos, p. p. of clore. See Close, v. t.]
1. An inclosed place; especially, a small field or piece of land surrounded by a wall, hedge, or fence of any kind; — specifically, the precinct of a cathedral or abbey. Closes surrounded by the venerable abodes of deans and canons. Macaulay.
2. A narrow passage leading from a street to a court, and the houses within. [Eng.] Halliwell
3. (Law)
Defn: The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not inclosed. Bouvier.
CLOSE Close, a. [Compar. Closer; superl. Closest.] Etym: [Of. & F. clos, p. p. of clore. See Close, v. t.]
1. Shut fast; closed; tight; as, a close box. From a close bower this dainty music flowed. Dryden.
2. Narrow; confined; as, a close alley; close quarters. "A close prison." Dickens.
3. Oppressive; without motion or ventilation; causing a feeling of lassitude; — said of the air, weather, etc. If the rooms be low-roofed, or full of windows and doors, the one maketh the air close, . . . and the other maketh it exceeding unequal. Bacon.
4. Strictly confined; carefully quarded; as, a close prisoner.
5. Out of the way observation; secluded; secret; hidden. "He yet kept himself close because of Saul." 1 Chron. xii. 1 "Her close intent." Spenser.
6. Disposed to keep secrets; secretive; reticent. "For servecy, no lady closer." Shak.
7. Having the parts near each other; dense; solid; compact; as applied to bodies; viscous; tenacious; not volatile, as applied to liquids. The golden globe being put into a press, . . . the water made itself way through the pores of that very close metal. Locke.
8. Concise; to the point; as, close reasoning. "Where the original is close no version can reach it in the same compass." Dryden.
9. Adjoining; near; either in space; time, or thought; — often followed by to. Plant the spring crocuses close to a wall. Mortimer. The thought of the Man of sorrows seemed a very close thing — not a faint hearsay. G. Eliot.
10. Short; as, to cut grass or hair close.
11. Intimate; familiar; confidential. League with you I seek And mutual amity, so strait, so close, That I with you must dwell, or you with me. Milton.
12. Nearly equal; almost evenly balanced; as, a close vote. "A close contest." Prescott.
13. Difficult to obtain; as, money is close. Bartlett.
14. Parsimonious; stingy. "A crusty old fellow, as close as a vise." Hawthorne.
15. Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact; strict; as, a close translation. Locke.
16. Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating; strict; not wandering; as, a close observer.
17. (Phon.)
Defn: Uttered with a relatively contracted opening of the mouth, as certain sounds of e and o in French, Italian, and German; — opposed to open. Close borough. See under Borough. — Close breeding. See under Breeding. — Close communion, communion in the Lord's supper, restricted to those who have received baptism by immersion. — Close corporation, a body or corporation which fills its own vacancies. — Close fertilization. (Bot.) See Fertilization. — Close harmony (Mus.), compact harmony, in which the tones composing each chord are not widely distributed over several octaves. — Close time, a fixed period during which killing game or catching certain fish is prohibited by law. — Close vowel (Pron.), a vowel which is pronounced with a diminished aperture of the lips, or with contraction of the cavity of the mouth. — Close to the wind (Naut.), directed as nearly to the point from which the wind blows as it is possible to sail; closehauled; — said of a vessel.
CLOSE
Close, adv.
1. In a close manner.
2. Secretly; darkly. [Obs.] A wondrous vision which did close imply The course of all her fortune and posterity. Spenser.
CLOSE-BANDED
Close"-band`ed, a.
Defn: Closely united.
CLOSE-BARRED
Close"-barred`, a.
Defn: Firmly barred or closed.
CLOSE-BODIED
Close"-bod`ied, a.
Defn: Fitting the body exactly; setting close, as a garment. Ayliffe.
CLOSE-FIGHTS
Close"-fights`, n. pl. (Naut.)
Defn: Barriers with loopholes, formerly erected on the deck of a vessel to shelter the men in a close engagement with an enemy's boarders; — called also close quarters. [Obs.]
CLOSEFISTED
Close"fist`ed, a.
Defn: Covetous; niggardly. Bp. Berkeley. "Closefisted contractors."
Hawthorne.
CLOSEHANDED
Close"hand`ed, a.
Defn: Covetous; penurious; stingy; closefisted.
— Close"hand`ed*ness, n.
CLOSEHAULED
Close"hauled`, a. (Naut.)
Defn: Under way and moving as nearly as possible toward the direction from which the wind blows; — said of a sailing vessel.
CLOSELY
Close"ly, adv.
1. In a close manner.
2. Secretly; privately. [Obs.] That nought she did but wayle, and often steepe Her dainty couch with tears which closely she did weepe. Spenser.
CLOSEMOUTHED
Close"mouthed`, a.
Defn: Cautious in speaking; secret; wary; uncommunicative.
CLOSEN
Clos"en, v. t.
Defn: To make close. [R.]
CLOSENESS
Close"ness, n.
Defn: The state of being close.
Half stifled by the closeness of the room. Swift.
We rise not against the piercing judgment of Augustus, nor the
extreme caution or closeness of Tiberius. Bacon.
An affectation of closeness and covetousness. Addison.
Syn. — Narrowness; oppressiveness; strictness; secrecy; compactness; conciseness; nearness; intimacy; tightness; stinginess; literalness.
CLOSER
Clos"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, closes; specifically, a boot closer. See under Boot.
2. A finisher; that which finishes or terminates.
3. (Masonry)
Defn: The last stone in a horizontal course, if of a less size than the others, or a piece of brick finishing a course. Gwilt.
CLOSEREEFED
Close"reefed`, a. (Naut.)
Defn: Having all the reefs taken in; — said of a sail.
CLOSE-STOOL
Close"-stool`, n.
Defn: A utensil to hold a chamber vessel, for the use of the sick and infirm. It is usually in the form of a box, with a seat and tight cover.
CLOSET
Clos"et, n. Etym: [OF. closet little inclosure, dim. of clos. See
Close an inclosure.]
1. A small room or apartment for retirement; a room for privacy. A chair-lumbered closet, just twelve feet by nine. Goldsmith. When thou prayest, enter into thy closet. Matt. vi. 6.
2. A small apartment, or recess in the side of a room, for household utensils, clothing, etc. Dryden. Closet sin, sin commited in privacy. Bp. Hall.
CLOSET
Clos"et, v. t. [imp. & p. pr. & vb. n. Closeting.]
1. To shut up in, or as in, a closet; to conceal. [R.] Bedlam's closeted and handcuffed charge. Cowper.
2. To make into a closet for a secret interview. He was to call a new legislature, to closet its members. Bancroft. He had been closeted with De Quadra. Froude.
CLOSE-TONGUED
Close"-tongued` (, a.
Defn: Closemouthed; silent. "Close-tongued treason." Shak.
CLOSH
Closh, n. Etym: [CF. F. clocher to limp, halt.]
Defn: A disease in the feet of cattle; laminitis. Crabb.
CLOSH
Closh, n. Etym: [CF. D. klossen to play at bowls.]
Defn: The game of ninepins. [Obs.] Halliwell.
CLOSURE Clo"sure (, 135), n. Etym: [Of. closure, L. clausura, fr. clauedere to shut. See Close, v. t.]
1. The act of shutting; a closing; as, the closure of a chink.
2. That which closes or shuts; that by which separate parts are fastened or closed. Without a seal, wafer, or any closure whatever. Pope.
3. That which incloses or confines; an inclosure. O thou bloody prison . . . Within the guilty closure of thy walls Richard the Second here was hacked to death. Shak.
4. A conclusion; an end. [Obs.] Shak.
5. (Parliamentary Practice)
Defn: A method of putting an end to debate and securing an immediate vote upon a measure before a legislative body. It is similar in effect to the previous question. It was first introduced into the British House of Commons in 1882. The French word clôture was originally applied to this proceeding.
CLOT Clot, n. Etym: [OE. clot, clodde, clod; akin to D. kloot ball, G. kloss clod, dumpling, klotz block, Dan. klods, Sw. klot bowl, globe, klots block; cf. AS. clate bur. Cf. Clod, n., Clutter to clot.]
Defn: A concretion or coagulation; esp. a soft, slimy, coagulated mass, as of blood; a coagulum. "Clots of pory gore." Addison. Doth bake the egg into clots as if it began to poach. Bacon.
Note: Clod and clot appear to be radically the same word, and are so used by early writers; but in present use clod is applied to a mass of earth or the like, and clot to a concretion or coagulation of soft matter.
CLOT
Clot, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Clotting.]
Defn: To concrete, coagulate, or thicken, as soft or fluid matter by evaporation; to become a cot or clod.
CLOT
Clot, v. t.
Defn: To form into a slimy mass.
CLOTBUR
Clot"bur`, n. Etym: [Cf. Clote.]
1. The burdock. [Prov. Engl.] Prior.
2. Same as Cocklebur.
CLOTE
Clote, n. Etym: [AS. cl: cf. G. klette.]
Defn: The common burdock; the clotbur. [Obs.] Wyclif.
CLOTH Cloth, n.; pl. Cloths (#; 115), except in the sense of garments, when it is Clothes (klothz or kloz). Etym: [OE. clath cloth, AS. cla\'ed cloth, garment; akin to D. kleed, Icel. klæ\'ebi, Dan. klæde, cloth, Sw. kläde, G. kleid garment, dress.]
1. A fabric made of fibrous material (or sometimes of wire, as in wire cloth); commonly, a woven fabric of cotton, woolen, or linen, adapted to be made into garments; specifically, woolen fabrics, as distinguished from all others.
2. The dress; raiment. [Obs.] See Clothes. I'll ne'er distust my God for cloth and bread. Quarles.
3. The distinctive dress of any profession, especially of the clergy; hence, the clerical profession. Appeals were made to the priesthood. Would they tamely permit so gross an insult to be offered to their cloth Macaulay. The cloth, the clergy, are constituted for administering and for giving the best possible effect to . . . every axiom. I. Taylor. Body cloth. See under Body. — Cloth of gold, a fabric woven wholly or partially of threads of gold. — Cloth measure, the measure of length and surface by which cloth is measured and sold. For this object the standard yard is usually divided into quarters and nails. — Cloth paper, a coarse kind of paper used in pressing and finishing woolen cloth. — Cloth shearer, one who shears cloth and frees it from superfluous nap.
CLOTHE
Clothe, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clothed ( or Clad; p. pr. & vb. n.
Clothing.] Etym: [OE. clathen, clothen, clethen, AS. cla\'ebian,
clæ\'eban. See Cloth.]
1. To put garments on; to cover with clothing; to dress. Go with me, to clothe you as becomes you. Shak.
2. To provide with clothes; as, to feed and clothe a family; to clothe one's self extravagantly. Drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Prov. xxiii. 21 The naked every day he clad, When he put on his clothes. Goldsmith.
3. Fig.: To cover or invest, as with a garment; as, to clothe one
with authority or power.
Language in which they can clothe their thoughts. Watts.
His sides are clothed with waving wood. J. Dyer.
Thus Belial, with with words clothed in reason's garb. Milton.
CLOTHE
Clothe, v. i.
Defn: To wear clothes. [Poetic]
Care no more to clothe eat. Shak.
CLOTHES
Clothes ( or ; 277), n. pl. Etym: [From Cloth.]
1. Covering for the human body; dress; vestments; vesture; — a general term for whatever covering is worn, or is made to be worn, for decency or comfort. She . . . speaks well, and has excellent good clothes. Shak. If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. Mark. v. 28.
2. The covering of a bed; bedclothes. She turned each way her frighted head, Then sunk it deep beneath the clothes. Prior. Body clothes. See under Body. — Clothes moth (Zoöl.), a small moth of the genus Tinea. The most common species (T. flavifrontella)is yellowish white. The larvæ eat woolen goods, furs, feathers, etc. They live in tubular cases made of the material upon which they feed, fastened together with silk.
Syn. — Garments; dress; clothing; apparel; attire; vesture; raiment; garb; costume; habit; habiliments.
CLOTHESHORSE
Clothes"horse`, n.
Defn: A frame to hang clothes on.
CLOTHESLINE
Clothes"line`, n.
Defn: A rope or wire on which clothes are hung to dry.
CLOTHESPIN
Clothes"pin` ( or ), n.
Defn: A forked piece of wood, or a small spring clamp, used for fastening clothes on a line.
CLOTHESPRESS
Clothes"press`, n.
Defn: A receptacle for clothes.
CLOTHIER
Cloth"ier, n.
1. One who makes cloths; one who dresses or fulls cloth. Hayward.
2. One who sells cloth or clothes, or who makes and sells clothes.
CLOTHING
Cloth"ing, n.
1. Garments in general; clothes; dress; raiment; covering. From others he shall stand in need of nothing, Yet on his brothers shall depend for clothing. Milton. As for me, . . . my clothing was sackloth. Ps. xxxv. 13
2. The art of process of making cloth. [R.] Instructing [refugees] in the art of clothing. Ray.
3. A covering of non-conducting material on the outside of a boiler, or steam chamber, to prevent radiation of heat. Knight.
4. (Mach.)
Defn: See Card clothing, under 3d Card.
CLOTHRED
Clot"hred, p. p.
Defn: Clottered. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLOTPOLL
Clot"poll`, n.
Defn: See Clodpoll. [Obs.] Shak.
CLOTTED
Clot"ted, a.
Defn: Composed of clots or clods; having the quality or form of a clot; sticky; slimy; foul. "The clotted glebe." J. Philips. When lust . . . Lets in defilement to the inward parts, The soul grows clotted by contagion. Milton.
CLOTTER
Clot"ter, v. i. Etym: [From Clot.]
Defn: To concrete into lumps; to clot. [Obs.] "Clottered blood."
Chapman.
CLOTTY
Clot"ty, a. Etym: [From Clot, n.]
Defn: Full of clots, or clods. "Clotty matter." Harvey.
CLOTURE
Clô`ture", n. Etym: [F.] (Parliamentary Practice)
Defn: See Closure, 5.
CLOTWEED
Clot"weed`, n. Etym: [See Clote.]
Defn: Cocklebur.
CLOUD Cloud, n. Etym: [Prob. fr. AS. cld a rock or hillock, the application arising from the frequent resemblance of clouds to rocks or hillocks in the sky or air.]
1. A collection of visible vapor, or watery particles, susponded in the upper atmosphere. I do set my bow in the cloud. Gen. ix. 13.
Note: A classification of clouds according to their chief forms was first proposed by the meteorologist Howard, and this is still substantially employed. The following varieties and subvarieties are recognized: (a) Cirrus. This is the most elevated of all the forms of clouds; is thin, long-drawn, sometimes looking like carded wool or hair, sometimes like a brush or room, sometimes in curl-like or fleecelike patches. It is the cat's-tail of the sailor, and the mare's-tail of the landsman. (b) Cumulus. This form appears in large masses of a hemispherical form, or nearly so, above, but flat below, one often piled above another, forming great clouds, common in the summer, and presenting the appearance of gigantic mountains crowned with snow. It often affords rain and thunder gusts. (c) Stratus. This form appears in layers or bands extending horizontally. (d) Nimbus. This form is characterized by its uniform gray tint and ragged edges; it covers the sky in seasons of continued rain, as in easterly storms, and is the proper rain cloud. The name is sometimes used to denote a raining cumulus, or cumulostratus. (e) Cirro-cumulus. This form consists, like the cirrus, of thin, broken, fleecelice clouds, but the parts are more or less rounded and regulary grouped. It is popularly called mackerel sky. (f) Cirro-stratus. In this form the patches of cirrus coalesce in long strata, between cirrus and stratus. (g) Cumulo-stratus. A form between cumulus and stratus, often assuming at the horizon a black or bluish tint. — Fog, cloud, motionless, or nearly so, lying near or in contact with the earth's surface. — Storm scud, cloud lying quite low, without form, and driven rapidly with the wind.
2. A mass or volume of smoke, or flying dust, resembling vapor. "A thick cloud of incense." Ezek. viii. 11.
3. A dark vein or spot on a lighter material, as in marble; hence, a blemish or defect; as, a cloud upon one's reputation; a cloud on a title.
4. That which has a dark, lowering, or threatening aspect; that which temporarily overshadows, obscures, or depresses; as, a cloud of sorrow; a cloud of war; a cloud upon the intellect.
5. A great crowd or multitude; a vast collection. "So great a cloud of witnesses." Heb. xii. 1.
6. A large, loosely-knitted scarf, worn by women about the head. Cloud on a (or the) title (Law), a defect of title, usually superficial and capable of removal by release, decision in equity, or legislation. — To be under a cloud, to be under suspicion or in disgrace; to be in disfavor. — In the clouds, in the realm of facy and imagination; beyond reason; visionary.
CLOUD
Cloud, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clouded; p. pr. & vb. n. Clouding.]
1. To overspread or hide with a cloud or clouds; as, the sky is clouded.
2. To darken or obscure, as if by hiding or enveloping with a cloud; hence, to render gloomy or sullen. One day too late, I fear me, noble lord, Hath clouded all thy happy days on earth. Shak. Be not disheartened, then, nor cloud those looks. Milton. Nothing clouds men's minds and impairs their honesty like prejudice. M. Arnold.
3. To blacken; to sully; to stain; to tarnish; to damage; — esp. used of reputation or character. I would not be a stander-by to hear My sovereign mistress clouded so, without My present vengeance taken. Shak.
4. To mark with, or darken in, veins or sports; to variegate with colors; as, to cloud yarn. And the nice conduct of a clouded cane. Pope.
CLOUD
Cloud, v. i.
Defn: To grow cloudy; to become obscure with clouds; — often used
with up.
Worthies, away! The scene begins to cloud. Shak.
CLOUDAGE
Cloud"age, n.
Defn: Mass of clouds; cloudiness. [R.]
A scudding cloudage of shapes. Coleridge.
CLOUDBERRY
Cloud"ber`ry, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A species of raspberry (Rubus Chamæmerous) growing in the northern regions, and bearing edible, amber-colored fruit.
CLOUD-BUILT
Cloud"-built, a.
Defn: Built of, or in, the clouds; airy; unsubstantial; imaginary.
Cowper.
So vanished my cloud-built palace. Goldsmith.
CLOUD-BURST
Cloud"-burst`, n.
Defn: A sudden copious rainfall, as the whole cloud had been precipitated at once.
CLOUD-CAPPED
Cloud"-capped`, a.
Defn: Having clouds resting on the top or head; reaching to the clouds; as, cloud-capped mountains.
CLOUD-COMPELLER
Cloud"-com*pel`ler, n.
Defn: Cloud-gatherer; — an epithet applied to Zeus. [Poetic.] Pope.
CLOUDILY
Cloud"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a cloudy manner; darkly; obscurely. Dryden.
CLOUDINESS
Cloud"i*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being cloudy.
CLOUDING
Cloud"ing, n.
1. A mottled appearance given to ribbons and silks in the process of dyeing.
2. A diversity of colors in yarn, recurring at regular intervals. Knight.
CLOUDLAND
Cloud"land`, n.
Defn: Dreamland.
CLOUDLESS
Cloud"less, a.
Defn: Without a cloud; clear; bright.
A cloudless winter sky. Bankroft.
— Cloud"less*ly, adv.
— Cloud"less*ness, n.
CLOUDLET
Cloud"let, n.
Defn: A little cloud. R. Browning.
Eve's first star through fleecy cloudlet peeping. Coleridge.
CLOUDY
Cloud"y (, a. [Compar. Cloudier (; superl. Cloudiest.] Etym: [From
Cloud, n.]
1. Overcast or obscured with clouds; clouded; as, a cloudy sky.
2. Consisting of a cloud or clouds. As Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended. Ex. xxxiii. 9
3. Indicating gloom, anxiety, sullenness, or ill-nature; not open or cheerful. "A cloudy countenance." Shak.
4. Confused; indistinct; obscure; dark. Cloudy and confused notions of things. Watts.
5. Lacking clearness, brightness, or luster. "A cloudy diamond." Boyle.
6. Marked with veins or sports of dark or various hues, as marble.
CLOUGH Clough, n. Etym: [OE. clough, cloghe, clou, clewch, AS. (assumed) cloh, akin to G. klinge ravine.]
1. A cleft in a hill; a ravine; a narrow valley. Nares.
2. A sluice used in returning water to a channel after depositing its sediment on the flooded land. Knight.
CLOUGH
Clough, n. (Com.)
Defn: An allowance in weighing. See Cloff.
CLOUT Clout, n. Etym: [AS. clut a little cloth, piece of metal; cf. Sw. klut, Icel. klutr a kerchief, or W. clwt a clout, Gael. clud.]
1. A cloth; a piece of cloth or leather; a patch; a rag. His garments, nought but many ragged clouts, With thorns together pinned and patched was. Spenser. A clout upon that head where late the diadem stood. Shak.
2. A swadding cloth.
3. A piece; a fragment. [Obs.] Chaucer.
4. The center of the butt at which archers shoot; — probably once a piece of white cloth or a nail head. A'must shoot nearer or he'll ne'er hit the clout. Shak.
5. An iron plate on an axletree or other wood to keep it from wearing; a washer.
6. A blow with the hand. [Low] Clout nail, a kind of wrought-iron nail heaving a large flat head; — used for fastening clouts to axletrees, plowshares, etc., also for studding timber, and for various purposes.
CLOUT
Clout, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clouted; p. pr. & vb. n. Clouting.] Etym:
[OE. clutien. clouten, to patch. See Clout, n.]
1. To cover with cloth, leather, or other material; to bandage; patch, or mend, with a clout. And old shoes and clouted upon their feet. Josh. ix. 5. Paul, yea, and Peter, too, had more skill in . . . clouting an old tent than to teach lawyers. Latimer.
2. To join or patch clumsily. If fond Bavius vent his clouted song. P. Fletcher
3. To quard with an iron plate, as an axletree.
4. To give a blow to; to strike. [Low] The . . . queen of Spain took off one of her chopines and clouted Olivarez about the noddle with it. Howell.
5. To stud with nails, as a timber, or a boot sole. Clouted cream, clotted cream, i. e., cream obtained by warming new milk. A. Philips.
Note: "Clouted brogues" in Shakespeare and "clouted shoon" in Milton have been understood by some to mean shoes armed with nails; by others, patched shoes.
CLOUTERLY
Clout"er*ly, a. Etym: [From Clout, n.]
Defn: Clumsy; awkward. [Obs.]
Rough-hewn, cloutery verses. E. Phillips.
CLOVE
Clove,
Defn: imp. of Cleave. Cleft. Spenser. Clove hitch (Naut.) See under Hitch. — Clove hook (Naut.), an iron two-part hook, with jaws overlapping, used in bending chain sheets to the clews of sails; — called also clip hook. Knight.
CLOVE
Clove, n. Etym: [D. kloof. See Cleave, v. t.]
Defn: A cleft; a gap; a ravine; — rarely used except as part of a proper name; as, Kaaterskill Clove; Stone Clove.
CLOVE Clove, n. Etym: [OE. clow, fr. F. clou nail, clou de girofle a clove, lit. nail of clove, fr. L. clavus nail, perh. akin to clavis key, E. clavicle. The clove was so called from its resemblance to a nail. So in D. kruidnagel clove, lit. herb-nail or spice-nail. Cf. Cloy.]
Defn: A very pungent aromatic spice, the unexpanded flower bud of the clove tree (Eugenia, or Caryophullus, aromatica), a native of the Molucca Isles. Clove camphor. (Chem.) See Eugenin. — Clove gillyflower, Clove pink (Bot.), any fragrant self-colored carnation.
CLOVE Clove, n. Etym: [AS. clufe an ear of corn, a clove of garlic; cf. cleófan to split, E. cleave.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: One of the small bulbs developed in the axils of the scales of a large bulb, as in the case of garlic. Developing, in the axils of its skales, new bulbs, of what gardeners call cloves. Lindley.
2. A weight. A clove of cheese is about eight pounds, of wool, about seven pounds. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
CLOVEN
Clo"ven, p. p. & a.
Defn: from Cleave, v. t. To show the cloven foot or hoof, to reveal a devilish character, or betray an evil purpose, notwithstanding disguises, — Satan being represented dramatically and symbolically as having cloven hoofs.
CLOVEN-FOOTED; CLOVEN-HOOFED
Clo"ven-foot`ed, Clo"ven-hoofed`, a.
Defn: Having the foot or hoof divided into two parts, as the ox.
CLOVER Clo"ver, n. Etym: [OE. claver, clover, AS. cl; akin to LG. & Dan. klever, D. klaver, G. klee, Sw. kl.] (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of differend species of the genus Trifolium; as the common red clover, T. pratense, the white, T. repens, and the hare's foot, T. arvense. Clover weevil (Zoöl.) a small weevil (Apion apricans), that destroys the seeds of clover. — Clover worm (Zoöl.), the larva of a small moth (Asopia costalis), often very destructive to clover hay. — In clover, in very pleasant circumstances; fortunate. [Colloq.] - - Sweet clover. See Meliot.
CLOVERED
Clo"vered, a.
Defn: Covered with growing clover.
Flocks thick nibbling through the clovered vale. Thomson.
CLOWE-GILOFRE
Clowe"-gi*lof`re, n. Etym: [See 3d Clove, and Gilliflower.]
Defn: Spice clove. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLOWN
Clown, n. Etym: [Cf. Icel. klunni a clumsy, boorish fellow, North
Fries. kl clown, dial. Sw. klunn log, Dan. klunt log block, and E.
clump, n.]
1. A man of coarse nature and manners; an awkward fellow; an illbred person; a boor. Sir P. Sidney.
2. One who works upon the soil; a rustic; a churl. The clown, the child of nature, without guile. Cowper.
3. The fool or buffoon in a play, circus, etc. The clown shall make those laugh whose lungs are tickle o'the sere. Shak.
CLOWN
Clown, v. i.
Defn: To act as a clown; — with it [Obs.]
Beclowns it properly indeed. B. Jonson.
CLOWNAGE
Clown"age, n.
Defn: Behavior or manners of a clown; clownery. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
CLOWNERY
Clown"er*y, n.
Defn: Clownishness. L'Estrange.
CLOWNISH
Clown"ish, a.
Defn: Of or resembling a clown, or characteristic of a clown;
ungainly; awkward. "Clownish hands." Spenser. "Clownish mimic."
Prior.
— Clown"ish*ly, adv.
Syn. — Coarse; rough; clumsy; awkward; ungainly; rude; uncivil; ill- bred; boorish; rustic; untutored.
CLOWNISHNESS
Clown"ish*ness, n.
Defn: The manners of a clown; coarseness or rudeness of behavior.
That plainness which the alamode people call clownishness. Locke.
CLOY
Cloy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cloyed (kloid); p. pr. & vb. n. Cloying.]
Etym: [OE. cloer to nail up, F. clouer, fr. OF. clo nail, F. clou,
fr. L. clavus nail. Cf. 3d Clove.]
1. To fill or choke up; to stop up; to clog. [Obs.] The duke's purpose was to have cloyed the harbor by sinking ships, laden with stones. Speed.
2. To glut, or satisfy, as the appetite; to satiate; to fill to loathing; to surfeit. [Who can] cloy the hungry edge of appetite By bare imagination of a feast Shak. He sometimes cloys his readers instead of satisfying. Dryden.
3. To penetrate or pierce; to wound. Which, with his cruel tusk, him deadly cloyed. Spenser. He never shod horse but he cloyed him. Bacon.
4. To spike, as a cannon. [Obs.] Johnson.
5. To stroke with a claw. [Obs.] Shak.
CLOYLESS
Cloy"less, a.
Defn: That does not cloy. Shak.
CLOYMENT
Cloy"ment, n.
Defn: Satiety. [Obs.] Shak.
CLUB
Club, n. Etym: [CF. Icel. klubba, klumba, club, klumbuf a clubfoot,
SW. klubba club, Dan. klump lump, klub a club, G. klumpen clump,
kolben club, and E. clump.]
1. A heavy staff of wood, usually tapering, and wielded the hand; a weapon; a cudgel. But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs; Rome and her rats are at the point of battle. Shak.
2. Etym: [Cf. the Spanish name bastos, and Sp. baston staff, club.]
Defn: Any card of the suit of cards having a figure like the trefoil or clover leaf. (pl.) The suit of cards having such figure.
3. An association of persons for the promotion of some common object, as literature, science, politics, good fellowship, etc.; esp. an association supported by equal assessments or contributions of the members. They talked At wine, in clubs, of art, of politics. Tennyson. He [Goldsmith] was one of the nine original members of that celebrated fraternity which has sometimes been called the Literary Club, but which has always disclaimed that epithet, and still glories in the simple name of the Club. Macaulay.
4. A joint charge of expense, or any person's share of it; a contribution to a common fund. They laid down the club. L'Estrange. We dined at a French house, but paid ten shillings for our part of the club. Pepys. Club law, government by violence; lynch law; anarchy. Addison. -Club moss (Bot.), an evergreen mosslike plant, much used in winter decoration. The best know species is Lycopodium clavatum, but other Lycopodia are often called by this name. The spores form a highly inflammable powder. — Club root (Bot.), a disease of cabbages, by which the roots become distorted and the heads spoiled. — Club topsail (Naut.), a kind of gaff topsail, used mostly by yachts having a fore-and-aft rig. It has a short "club" or "jack yard" to increase its spread.
CLUB
Club, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clubbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Clubbing.]
1. To beat with a club.
2. (Mil.)
Defn: To throw, or allow to fall, into confusion. To club a battalion implies a temporary inability in the commanding officer to restore any given body of men to their natural front in line or column. Farrow.
3. To unite, or contribute, for the accomplishment of a common end; as, to club exertions.
4. To raise, or defray, by a proportional assesment; as, to club the expense. To club a musket (Mil.), to turn the breach uppermost, so as to use it as a club.
CLUB
Club, v. i.
1. To form a club; to combine for the promotion of some common object; to unite. Till grosser atoms, tumbling in the stream Of fancy, madly met, and clubbed into a dream. Dryden.
2. To pay on equal or proportionate share of a common charge or expense; to pay for something by contribution. The owl, the raven, and the bat, Clubbed for a feather to his hat. Swift.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: To drift in a current with an anchor out.
CLUBBABLE
Club"ba*ble, a.
Defn: Suitable for membership in a club; sociable. [Humorous.] G. W.
Curtis.
CLUBBED
Clubbed, a.
Defn: Shaped like a club; grasped like, or used as, a club. Skelton.
CLUBBER
Club"ber, n.
1. One who clubs.
2. A member of a club. [R.] Massinger.
CLUBBISH
Club"bish, a.
1. Rude; clownish. [Obs.]
2. Disposed to club together; as, a clubbish set.
CLUBBIST
Club"bist, n.
Defn: A member of a club; a frequenter of clubs. [R.] Burke.
CLUBFIST
Club"fist`, n.
1. A large, heavy fist.
2. A coarse, brutal fellow. [Obs.] Mir. for Mag.
CLUBFISTED
Club"fist`ed, a.
Defn: Having a large fist. Howell.
CLUBFOOT
Club"foot, n. Etym: [Club + foot.] (Med.)
Defn: A short, variously distorted foot; also, the deformity, usually congenital, which such a foot exhibits; talipes.
CLUBFOOTED
Club"foot`ed, a.
Defn: Having a clubfoot.
CLUBHAND
Club"hand`, n. (Med.)
Defn: A short, distorted hand; also, the deformity of having such a hand.
CLUBHAUL
Club"haul`, v. t. (Naut.)
Defn: To put on the other tack by dropping the lee anchor as soon as the wind is out of the sails (which brings the vessel's head to the wind), and by cutting the cable as soon as she pays off on the other tack. Clubhauling is attempted only in an exigency.
CLUBHOUSE
Club"house`, n.
Defn: A house occupied by a club.
CLUBROOM
Club"room`, n.
Defn: The apartment in which a club meets. Addison.
CLUB-RUSH
Club"-rush`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A rushlike plant, the reed mace or cat-tail, or some species of the genus Scirpus. See Bulrush.
CLUB-SHAPED
Club"-shaped, a.
Defn: Enlarged gradually at the end, as the antennæ of certain insects.
CLUCK
Cluck, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clucked; p pr. & vb. n. Clucking.] Etym:
[AS. cloccian; cf. D. klokken, G. glucken, glucksen, LG. klukken,
Dan. klukke; all prob. of imitative origin.]
Defn: To make the noise, or utter the call, of a brooding hen. Ray.
CLUCK
Cluck, v. t.
Defn: To call together, or call to follow, as a hen does her
chickens.
She, poor hen, fond of no second brood, Has clucked three to the
wars. Shak.
CLUCK
Cluck, n.
1. The call of a hen to her chickens.
2. A click. See 3d Click, 2.
CLUCKING
Cluck"ing, n.
Defn: The noise or call of a brooding hen.
CLUE
Clue, n. Etym: [See Clew, n.]
Defn: A ball of thread; a thread or other means of guidance. Same as
Clew.
You have wound a goodly clue. Shak.
This clue once found unravels all the rest. Pope.
Serve as clues to guide us into further knowledge. Locke.
CLUM
Clum, interj.
Defn: Silence; hush. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CLUMBER
Clum"ber, n. Etym: [Named from the estate of the Duke of Newcastle.]
(Zoöl.)
Defn: A kind of field spaniel, with short legs and stout body, which, unlike other spaniels, hunts silently.
CLUMP
Clump, n. Etym: [Cf. D. klomp lump, G. klump, klumpen, Dan. klump,
Sw. kllimp; perh. akin to L. globus, E. globe. Cf. Club.]
1. An unshaped piece or mass of wood or other substance.
2. A cluster; a group; a thicket. A clump of shrubby trees. Hawthorne.
3. The compressed clay of coal strata. Brande & C.
CLUMP
Clump, v. t.
Defn: To arrange in a clump or clumps; to cluster; to group.
Blackmore.
CLUMP
Clump, v. i.
Defn: To tread clumsily; to clamp. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
CLUMPER
Clump"er, v. t. Etym: [Cf. G. klümpern to clod. See Clump, n.]
Defn: To form into clumps or masses. [Obs.]
Vapors . . . clumpered in balls of clouds. Dr. H. More.
CLUMPS
Clumps, n.
Defn: A game in which questions are asked for the purpose of enabling the questioners to discover a word or thing previously selected by two persons who answer the questions; — so called because the players take sides in two "clumps" or groups, the "clump" which guesses the word winning the game.
CLUMPY
Clump"y, a. Etym: [From Clump, n.]
Defn: Composed of clumps; massive; shapeless. Leigh Hunt.
CLUMSILY
Clum"si*ly, adv.
Defn: In a clumsy manner; awkwardly; as, to walk clumsily.
CLUMSINESS
Clum"si*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being clusy. The drudging part of life is chiefly owing to clumsiness and ignorance. Collier.
CLUMSY
Clum"sy, a. [Compar. Clumsier; superl. Clumsiest.] Etym: [OE. clumsed
benumbed, fr. clumsen to be benumbed; cf. Icel. klumsa lockjaw, dial.
Sw. klummsen benumbed with cold. Cf. 1st Clam, and 1st Clamp.]
1. Stiff or benumbed, as with cold. [Obs.]
2. Without skill or grace; wanting dexterity, nimbleness, or readiness; stiff; awkward, as if benumbed; unwieldy; unhandy; hence; ill-made, misshapen, or inappropriate; as, a clumsy person; a clumsy workman; clumsy fingers; a clumsy gesture; a clumsy excuse. But thou in clumsy verse, unlicked, unpointed, Hast shamefully defied the Lord's anointed. Dryden.
Syn.
— See Awkward.
CLUNCH
Clunch, n. Etym: [Perh. fr. clinch to make fast]
Defn: .
1. (Mining)
Defn: Indurated clay. See Bind, n., 3.
2. One of the hard beds of the lower chalk. Dana.
CLUNG
Clung,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Cling.
CLUNG Clung, a. Etym: [Prop. p. p. fr. OE. clingen to wither. See Cling, v. i.]
Defn: Wasted away; shrunken. [Obs.]
CLUNIAC
Clu"ni*ac, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: A monk of the reformed branch of the Benedictine Order, founded in 912 at Cluny (or Clugny) in France. — Also used as a.
CLUNIACENSIAN
Clu`ni*a*cen"sian, a.
Defn: Cluniac.
CLUPEOID Clu"pe*oid, a. Etym: [L.clupea a kind of fish, NL., generic name of the herring + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Herring family.
CLUSTER
Clus"ter, n. Etym: [AS. cluster, clyster; cf. LG. kluster (also Sw. &
Dan. klase a cluster of grapes, D. klissen to be entangled.)]
1. A number of things of the same kind growing together; a bunch. Her deeds were like great clusters of ripe grapes, Which load the bunches of the fruitful vine. Spenser.
2. A number of similar things collected together or lying contiguous; a group; as, a cluster of islands. "Cluster of provinces." Motley.
3. A number of individuals grouped together or collected in one place; a crowd; a mob. As bees . . . Pour forth their populous youth about the hive In clusters. Milton. We loved him; but, like beasts And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters, Who did hoot him out o' the city. Shak.
CLUSTER
Clus"ter, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Clustered; p. pr. & vb. n. Clustering.]
Defn: To grow in clusters or assemble in groups; to gather or unite
in a cluster or clusters.
His sunny hair Cluster'd about his temples, like a god's. Tennyson.
The princes of the country clustering together. Foxe.
CLUSTER
Clus"ter, v. t.
Defn: To collect into a cluster or clusters; to gather into a bunch
or close body.
Not less the bee would range her cells, . . . The foxglove cluster
dappled bells. Tennyson.
Or from the forest falls the clustered snow. Thomson.
Clustered column (Arch.), a column which is composed, or appears to
be composed, of several columns collected together.
CLUSTERINGLY
Clus"ter*ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In clusters.
CLUSTERY
Clus"ter*y, a. Etym: [From Cluster, n.]
Defn: Growing in, or full of, clusters; like clusters. Johnson.
CLUTCH Clutch (kluch; 224), n. Etym: [OE. cloche, cloke, claw, Scot. clook, cleuck, also OE. cleche claw, clechen, cleken, to seize; cf. AS. gelæccan (where ge- is a prefix) to seize. Cf. Latch a catch.]
1. A gripe or clinching with, or as with, the fingers or claws; seizure; grasp. "The clutch of poverty." Cowper. An expiring clutch at popularity. Carlyle. But Age, with his stealing steps, Hath clawed me in his clutch. Shak.
2. pl.
Defn: The hands, claws, or talons, in the act of grasping firmly; — often figuratively, for power, rapacity, or cruelty; as, to fall into the clutches of an adversary. I must have . . . little care of myself, if I ever more come near the clutches of such a giant. Bp. Stillingfleet.
3. (Mach.)
Defn: A device which is used for coupling shafting, etc., so as to transmit motion, and which may be disengaged at pleasure.
4. Any device for gripping an object, as at the end of a chain or tackle.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The nest complement of eggs of a bird. Bayonet clutch (Mach.), a clutch in which connection is made by means of bayonets attached to arms sliding on a feathered shaft. The bayonets slide through holes in a crosshead fastened on the shaft.
CLUTCH
Clutch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Clutched; p. pr. & vb. n. Clutching.]
Etym: [OE. clucchen. See Clutch, n.]
1. To seize, clasp, or gripe with the hand, hands, or claws; — often figuratively; as, to clutch power. A man may set the poles together in his head, and clutch the whole globe at one intellectual grasp. Collier. Is this a dagger which I see before me . . . Come, let me clutch thee. Shak.
2. To close tightly; to clinch. Not that I have the power to clutch my hand. Shak.
CLUTCH
Clutch, v. i.
Defn: To reach (at something) as if to grasp; to catch or snatch; —
often followed by at.
Clutching at the phantoms of the stock market. Bankroft.
CLUTTER
Clut"ter, n. Etym: [Cf. W. cludair heap, pile, cludeirio to heap.]
1. A confused collection; hence, confusion; disorder; as, the room is in a clutter. He saw what a clutter there was with huge, overgrown pots, pans, and spits. L'Estrange.
2. Clatter; confused noise. Swift.
CLUTTER
Clut"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cluttered; p. pr. & vb. n. Cluttering.]
Defn: To crowd together in disorder; to fill or cover with things in disorder; to throw into disorder; to disarrange; as, to clutter a room.
CLUTTER
Clut"ter, v. i.
Defn: To make a confused noise; to bustle.
It [the goose] cluttered here, it chuckled there. Tennyson.
CLUTTER
Clut"ter, v. t. Etym: [From Clod, n.]
Defn: To clot or coagulate, as blood. [Obs.] Holland.
CLYDESDALE
Clydes"dale, n.
Defn: One of a breed of heavy draft horses originally from Clydesdale, Scotland. They are about sixteen hands high and usually brown or bay.
CLYDESDALE TERRIER
Clydesdale terrier.
Defn: One of a breed of small silky-haired terriers related to, but smaller than, the Skye terrier, having smaller and perfectly erect ears.
CLYPEASTROID Clyp`e*as"troid, a. Etym: [NL. Clypeaster (L. clupeus shield + aster star) + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like or related to the genus Clupeaster; — applied to a group of flattened sea urchins, with a rosette of pores on the upper side.
CLYPEATE Clyp"e*ate, a. Etym: [L. clupeatus, p. p. of clupeare to arm with a shield, fr. clupeus, clipeus shield.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Shaped like a round buckler or shield; scutate.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Furnished with a shield, or a protective plate or shell.
CLYPEIFORM
Clyp"e*i*form`, a. Etym: [L. clupeus shield + -form.]
Defn: Shield-shaped; clypeate.
CLYPEUS
Clyp"e*us, n.; pl. Clypei. Etym: [L., a shield.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The frontal plate of the head of an insect.
CLYSMIAN
Clys"mi*an, a. Etym: [Gr. Clyster.]
Defn: Connected with, or related to, the deluge, or to a cataclysm; as, clysmian changes. Smart.
CLYSMIC
Clys"mic, a.
Defn: Washing; cleansing.
CLYSTER Clys"ter, n. Etym: [L., fr. G. hlutrs pure, G. lauter: cf. F. clystère] (Med.)
Defn: A liquid injected into the lower intestines by means of a syringe; an injection; an enema. Clyster pipe, a tube or pipe used for injections.
CLYTIE KNOT
Cly"tie knot.
Defn: In hair dressing, a loose, low coil at the back of the head, like the knot on the head of the bust of Clytie by G. F. Watts.
CNEMIAL
Cne"mi*al, a. Etym: [Gr. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining to the shin bone. Cnemial crest, a crestlike prominence on the proximal end of the tibia of birds and some reptiles.
CNIDA
Cni"da, n.; pl. Cnidæ. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the peculiar stinging, cells found in Coelenterata; a nematocyst; a lasso cell.
CNIDARIA
Cni*da"ri*a, n., pl. Etym: [NL. See Cnida.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A comprehensive group equivalent to the true Coelenterata, i.e., exclusive of the sponges. They are so named from presence of stinging cells (cnidae) in the tissues. See Coelenterata.
CNIDOBLAST
Cni"do*blast, n. Etym: [Cnida + -blast.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the cells which, in the Coelenterata, develop into cnidæ.
CNIDOCIL
Cni"do*cil, n. Etym: [Cnida + cilium eyelash.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The fine filiform process of a cnidoblast.
CO-
Co- (.
Defn: A form of the prefix com-, signifying with, together, in conjunction, joint. It is used before vowels and some consonants. See Com-.
COACERVATE Co`a*cer"vate, a. Etym: [L. coacervatus, p. p. of coacervare to heap up; co- + acervare. See Acervate.]
Defn: Raised into a pile; collected into a crowd; heaped. [R.] Bacon.
COACERVATE
Co`a*cer"vate, v. t.
Defn: To heap up; to pile. [R.]
COACERVATION
Co*ac`er*va"tion, n. Etym: [L. coacervatio.]
Defn: A heaping together. [R.] Bacon.
COACH
Coach (; 224), n. Etym: [F. coche, fr. It. cocchio, dim. of cocca
little boat, fr. L. concha mussel, mussel shell, Gr. çankha. Cf.
Conch, Cockboat, Cockle.]
1. A large, closed, four-wheeled carriage, having doors in the sides, and generally a front and back seat inside, each for two persons, and an elevated outside seat in front for the driver.
Note: Coaches have a variety of forms, and differ in respect to the number of persons they can carry. Mail coaches and tallyho coaches often have three or more seats inside, each for two or three persons, and seats outside, sometimes for twelve or more.
2. A special tutor who assists in preparing a student for examination; a trainer; esp. one who trains a boat's crew for a race. [Colloq.] Wareham was studying for India with a Wancester coach. G. Eliot.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: A cabin on the after part of the quarterdeck, usually occupied by the captain. [Written also couch.] [Obs.] The commanders came on board and the council sat in the coach. Pepys.
4. (Railroad)
Defn: A first-class passenger car, as distinguished from a drawing- room car, sleeping car, etc. It is sometimes loosely applied to any passenger car.
COACH
Coach, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coached; p. pr. & vb. n. Coaching.]
1. To convey in a coach. Pope.
2. To prepare for public examination by private instruction; to train by special instruction. [Colloq.] I coached him before he got his scholarship. G. Eliot.
COACH
Coach, v. i.
Defn: To drive or to ride in a coach; — sometimes used with it.
[Colloq.] "Coaching it to all quarters." E. Waterhouse.
COACHBOX
Coach"box`.
Defn: The seat of a coachman.
COACHDOG
Coach"dog`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of a breed of dogs trained to accompany carriages; the
Dalmatian dog.
COACHEE
Coach"ee, n.
Defn: A coachman [Slang]
COACHER
Coach"er, n.
1. A coachman. [Obs.]
2. A coach horse.
3. One who coaches; specif. (Baseball),
Defn: one of the side at the bat posted near first or third base to direct a base runner.
COACHFELLOW
Coach"fel`low, n.
Defn: One of a pair of horses employed to draw a coach; hence (Fig.), a comrade. Shak.
COACHMAN
Coach"man, n.; pl. Coachmen.
1. A man whose business is to drive a coach or carriage.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A tropical fish of the Atlantic ocean (Dutes auriga); — called also charioteer. The name refers to a long, lashlike spine of the dorsal fin.
COACHMANSHIP
Coach"man*ship, n.
Defn: Skill in driving a coach.
COACHWHIP SNAKE
Coach"whip` snake". (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large, slender, harmless snake of the southern United States
(Masticophis flagelliformis).
Note: Its long and tapering tail has the scales so arranged and colored as to give it a braided appearance, whence the name.
COACT Co*act", v. t. Etym: [L. coactare, intens. fr. cogere, coactum, to force. See Cogent.]
Defn: To force; to compel; to drive. [Obs.] The faith and service of Christ ought to be voluntary and not coacted. Foxe.
COACT
Co*act", v. i. Etym: [Pref. co- + act, v.i.]
Defn: To act together; to work in concert; to unite. [Obs.]
But if I tell you how these two did coact. Shak.
COACTION
Co*ac"tion, n. Etym: [L. coactio.]
Defn: Force; compulsion, either in restraining or impelling. Sojth.
COACTIVE
Co*ac"tive, a. Etym: [In sense 1, fr. 1st Coact; in sense 2, fr. 2d
Coact.]
1. Serving to compel or constrain; compulsory; restrictive. Any coactive power or the civil kind. Bp. Warburton.
2. Acting in concurrence; united in action. With what's unreal thou coactive art. Shak.
COACTIVELY
Co*ac"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a coactive manner.
COACTIVITY
Co`ac*tiv"i*ty, n.
Defn: Unity of action.
COADAPTATION
Co*ad`ap*ta"tion, n.
Defn: Mutual adaption. R. Owen.
COADAPTED
Co`a*dapt"ed, a.
Defn: Adapted one to another; as, coadapted pulp and tooth. R. Owen.
COADJUMENT
Co*ad"ju*ment, n.
Defn: Mutual help; coöperation. [R.] Johnson.
COADJUST
Co`ad*just", v. t.
Defn: To adjust by mutual adaptations. R. Owen.
COADJUSTMENT
Co`ad*just"ment, n.
Defn: Mutual adjustment.
COADJUTANT
Co*ad"ju*tant, a.
Defn: Mutually assisting or operating; helping. J. Philips.
COADJUTANT
Co*ad"ju*tant, n.
Defn: An assistant. R. North.
COADJUTING
Co*ad"ju*ting, a.
Defn: Mutually assisting. [Obs.] Drayton.
COADJUTIVE
Co*ad"ju*tive, a.
Defn: Rendering mutual aid; coadjutant. Feltham.
COADJUTOR
Co`ad*ju"tor, n. Etym: [L. See Co-, and Aid.]
1. One who aids another; an assistant; a coworker. Craftily outwitting her perjured coadjutor. Sheridan.
2. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: The assistant of a bishop or of a priest holding a benefice.
COADJUTORSHIP
Co`ad*ju"tor*ship, n.
Defn: The state or office of a coadjutor; joint assistance. Pope.
COADJUTRESS; COADJUTRIX
Co`ad*ju"tress, Co`ad*ju"trix, n.
Defn: A female coadjutor or assistant. Holland. Smollett.
COADJUVANCY
Co*ad"ju*van*cy, n.
Defn: Joint help; coöperation. Sir T. Browne.
COADJUVANT
Co*ad"ju*vant, a.
Defn: Coöperating.
COADJUVANT
Co*ad"ju*vant, n. (Med.)
Defn: An adjuvant.
COADUNATE
Co*ad"u*nate, a. Etym: [L. coadunatus, p. p. of coadunare to unite.
See Adunation.] (Bot.)
Defn: United at the base, as contiguous lobes of a leaf.
COADUNATION
Co*ad`u*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. coadunatio.]
Defn: Union, as in one body or mass; unity. Jer. Taylor.
The coadunation of all the civilized provinces. Coleridge.
COADUNITION
Co*ad`u*ni"tion, n. Etym: [Pref. co- + pref. ad- + unition.]
Defn: Coadunation. [R.] Sir M. Hale.
COADVENTURE
Co`ad*ven"ture, n.
Defn: An adventure in which two or more persons are partakers.
COADVENTURE
Co`ad*ven"ture, v. i.
Defn: To share in a venture. Howell.
COADVENTURER
Co`ad*ven"tur*er, n.
Defn: A fellow adventurer.
COAFFOREST
Co`af*for"est, v. t.
Defn: To convert into, or add to, a forest. Howell.
COAG
Coag, n.
Defn: See Coak, a kind of tenon.
COAGENCY
Co*a"gen*cy, n.
Defn: Agency in common; joint agency or agent. Coleridge.
COAGENT
Co*a"gent, n.
Defn: An associate in an act; a coworker. Drayton.
COAGMENT Co`ag*ment", v. t. Etym: [L. coagmentare, fr. coagmentum a joining together, fr. cogere. See Cogent.]
Defn: To join together. [Obs.] Glanvill.
COAGMENTATION
Co*ag`men*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. coagmentatio.]
Defn: The act of joining, or the state of being joined, together; union. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
COAGULABILITY
Co*ag`u*la*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality of being coagulable; capacity of being coagulated.
Ure.
COAGULABLE
Co*ag"u*la*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being coagulated. Boyle.
COAGULANT
Co*ag"u*lant, n. Etym: [L. coagulans, p. pr.]
Defn: That which produces coagulation.
COAGULATE Co*ag"u*late, a. Etym: [L. coagulatus, p. p. of coagulare to coagulate, fr. coagulum means of coagulation, fr. cogere, coactum, to drive together, coagulate. See Cogent.]
Defn: Coagulated. [Obs.] Shak.
COAGULATE
Co*ag"u*late, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coagulated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Coagulating.]
Defn: To cause (a liquid) to change into a curdlike or semisolid state, not by evaporation but by some kind of chemical reaction; to curdle; as, rennet coagulates milk; heat coagulates the white of an egg.
COAGULATE
Co*ag"u*late, v. i.
Defn: To undergo coagulation. Boyle.
Syn.
— To thicken; concrete; curdle; clot; congeal.
COAGULATED
Co*ag"u*la`ted, a.
Defn: Changed into, or contained in, a coagulum or a curdlike mass; curdled. Coagulated proteid (Physiol. Chem.), one of a class of bodies formed in the coagulation of a albuminous substance by heat, acids, or other agents.
COAGULATION
Co*ag`u*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. coagulatio.]
1. The change from a liquid to a thickened, curdlike, insoluble state, not by evaporation, but by some kind of chemical reaction; as, the spontaneous coagulation of freshly drawn blood; the coagulation of milk by rennet, or acid, and the coagulation of egg albumin by heat. Coagulation is generally the change of an albuminous body into an insoluble modification.
2. The substance or body formed by coagulation.
COAGULATIVE
Co*ag"u*la*tive, a.
Defn: Having the power to cause coagulation; as, a coagulative agent.
Boyle.
COAGULATOR
Co*ag"u*la`tor, n.
Defn: That which causes coagulation. Hixley.
COAGULATORY
Co*ag"u*la*to*ry, a.
Defn: Serving to coagulate; produced by coagulation; as, coagulatory effects. Boyle.
COAGULUM
Co*ag"u*lum, n.; pl. Coagula. Etym: [L. See Coagulate, a.]
Defn: The thick, curdy precipitate formed by the coagulation of albuminous matter; any mass of coagulated matter, as a clot of bloot.
COAITA
Co*ai"ta, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The native name of certain South American monkeys of the genus
Ateles, esp. A. paniscus. The black-faced coaita is Ateles ater. See
Illustration in Appendix.
COAK
Coak, n.
Defn: See Coke, n.
COAK
Coak, n.
1. (Carp.)
Defn: A kind of tenon connecting the face of a scarfed timber with the face of another timber, or a dowel or pin of hard wood or iron uniting timbers. [Also spelt coag.]
2. A metallic bushing or strengthening piece in the center of a wooden block sheve.
COAK
Coak, v. t. (Carp.)
Defn: To unite, as timbers, by means of tenons or dowels in the edges or face. Totten.
COAL
Coal, n. Etym: [AS. col; akin to D. kool, OHG. chol, cholo, G. kohle,
Icel. kol, pl., Sw. kol, Dan. kul; cf. Skr. jval to burn. Cf. Kiln,
Collier.]
1. A thoroughly charred, and extinguished or still ignited, fragment from wood or other combustible substance; charcoal.
2. (Min.)
Defn: A black, or brownish black, solid, combustible substance, dug from beds or veins in the earth to be used for fuel, and consisting, like charcoal, mainly of carbon, but more compact, and often affording, when heated, a large amount of volatile matter.
Note: This word is often used adjectively, or as the first part of self-explaining compounds; as, coal-black; coal formation; coal scuttle; coal ship. etc.
Note: In England the plural coals is used, for the broken mineral coal burned in grates, etc.; as, to put coals on the fire. In the United States the singular in a collective sense is the customary usage; as, a hod of coal. Age of coal plants. See Age of Acrogens, under Acrogen. — Anthracite or Glance coal. See Anthracite. — Bituminous coal. See under Bituminous. — Blind coal. See under Blind. — Brown coal, or Lignite. See Lignite. — Caking coal, a bituminous coal, which softens and becomes pasty or semi-viscid when heated. On increasing the heat, the volatile products are driven off, and a coherent, grayish black, cellular mass of coke is left. — Cannel coal, a very compact bituminous coal, of fine texture and dull luster. See Cannel coal. — Coal bed (Geol.), a layer or stratum of mineral coal. — Coal breaker, a structure including machines and machinery adapted for crushing, cleansing, and assorting coal. — Coal field (Geol.), a region in which deposits of coal occur. Such regions have often a basinlike structure, and are hence called coal basins. See Basin. — Coal gas, a variety of carbureted hydrogen, procured from bituminous coal, used in lighting streets, houses, etc., and for cooking and heating. — Coal heaver, a man employed in carrying coal, and esp. in putting it in, and discharging it from, ships. — Coal measures. (Geol.) (a) Strata of coal with the attendant rocks. (b) A subdivision of the carboniferous formation, between the millstone grit below and the Permian formation above, and including nearly all the workable coal beds of the world. — Coal oil, a general name for mineral oils; petroleum. — Coal plant (Geol.), one of the remains or impressions of plants found in the strata of the coal formation. — Coal tar. See in the Vocabulary. — To haul over the coals, to call to account; to scold or censure. [Colloq.] — Wood coal. See Lignite.
COAL
Coal, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coaled; p. pr. & vb. n. Coaling.]
1. To burn to charcoal; to char. [R.] Charcoal of roots, coaled into great pieces. Bacon.
2. To mark or delineate with charcoal. Camden.
3. To supply with coal; as, to coal a steamer.
COAL
Coal, v. i.
Defn: To take in coal; as, the steaer coaled at Southampton.
COAL-BLACK
Coal"-black, a.
Defn: As black as coal; jet black; very black. Dryden.
COALERY
Coal"er*y, n. [Obs.]
Defn: See Colliery.
COALESCE
Co`a*lesce", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Coalesced; p. pr. & vb. n.
Coalescing.] Etym: [L. coalescere, coalitium; co- + alescere to grow
up, incho. fr. alere to nourish. See Aliment, n.]
1. To grow together; to unite by growth into one body; as, the parts separated by a wound coalesce.
2. To unite in one body or product; to combine into one body or community; as, vapors coalesce. The Jews were incapable of coalescing with other nations. Campbell. Certain combinations of ideas that, once coalescing, could not be shaken loose. De Quincey.
Syn.
— See Add.
COALESCENCE
Co`a*les"cence, n.
Defn: The act or state of growing together, as similar parts; the act of uniting by natural affinity or attraction; the state of being united; union; concretion.
COALESCENT
Co`a*les"cent, a. Etym: [L. coalescens, p. pr.]
Defn: Growing together; cohering, as in the organic cohesion of similar parts; uniting.
COALFISH Coal"fish`, n. Etym: [Named from the dark color of the back.] (Zoöl.) (a) The pollock; — called also, coalsey, colemie, colmey, coal whiting, etc. See Pollock. (b) The beshow or candlefish of Alaska. (c) The cobia.
COALGOOSE
Coal"goose`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The cormorant; — so called from its black color.
COALITE
Co"a*lite, v. i. Etym: [L. coalitus, p. p. of coalescere. See
Coalesce.]
Defn: To unite or coalesce. [Obs.]
Let them continue to coalite. Bolingbroke.
COALITE
Co"a*lite, v. t.
Defn: To cause to unite or coalesce. [Obs.] Time has by degrees blended . . . and coalited the conquered with the conquerors. Burke.
COALITION
Co`a*li"tion, n. Etym: [LL. coalitio: cf. F. coalition. See
Coalesce.]
1. The act of coalescing; union into a body or mass, as of separate bodies or parts; as, a coalition of atoms. Bentley.
2. A combination, for temporary purposes, of persons, parties, or states, having different interests. A coalition of the puritan and the blackleg. J. Randolph. The coalition between the religious and worldly enemies of popery. Macaulay.
Syn. — Alliance; confederation; confederacy; league; combination; conjunction; conspiracy; union.
COALITIONER
Co`a*li"tion*er, n.
Defn: A coalitionist.
COALITIONIST
Co`a*li"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who joins or promotes a coalition; one who advocates coalition.
CO-ALLY
Co`-al*ly", n.; pl. Co-allies.
Defn: A joint ally. Kent.
COAL-METER
Coal"-me`ter, n.
Defn: A licensed or official coal measurer in London. See Meter.
Simmonds.
COALMOUSE
Coal"mouse`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small species of titmouse, with a black head; the coletit.
COALPIT
Coal"pit`, n.
1. A pit where coal is dug.
2. A place where charcoal is made. [U. S.]
COALSACK
Coal"sack`, n. [Coal + 2d sack.] (Astron.)
Defn: Any one of the spaces in the Milky Way which are very black, owing to the nearly complete absence of stars; esp., the large space near the Southern Cross sometimes called the Black Magellanic Cloud.
COAL TAR
Coal" tar`.
Defn: A thick, black, tarry liquid, obtained by the distillation of bituminous coal in the manufacture of illuminating gas; used for making printer's ink, black varnish, etc. It is a complex mixture from which many substances have been obtained, especially hydrocarbons of the benzene or aromatic series.
Note: Among its important ingredients are benzene, aniline, phenol, naphtalene, anthracene, etc., which are respectively typical of many dye stuffs, as the aniline dyes, the phthaleïns, indigo, alizarin, and many flavoring extracts whose artificial production is a matter of great commercial importance.
COAL-WHIPPER
Coal"-whip`per, n.
Defn: One who raises coal out of the hold of a ship. [Eng.] Dickens.
COAL WORKS
Coal" works.
Defn: A place where coal is dug, including the machinery for raising the coal.
COALY
Coal"y, a. Etym: [From Coal, n.]
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, coal; containing coal; of the nature of coal.
COAMINGS
Coam"ings, n. pl. Etym: [Cf. Comb a crest.] (Naut.)
Defn: Raised pieces of wood of iron around a hatchway, skylight, or other opening in the deck, to prevent water from running bellow; esp. the fore-and-aft pieces of a hatchway frame as distinguished from the transverse head ledges. [Written also combings.]
COANNEX
Co`an*nex", v. t.
Defn: To annex with something else.
COAPTATION Co`ap*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. coaptatio, fr. coaptare to fit together; co- + aptare. See Aptate.]
Defn: The adaptation or adjustment of parts to each other, as of a broken bone or dislocated joint.
COARCT; COARCTATE
Co*arct", Co*arc"tate, v. t. Etym: [See Coarctate, a.]
1. To press together; to crowd; to straiten; to confine closely. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. To restrain; to confine. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
COARCTATE
Co*arc"tate, a. Etym: [L. coarctatus, p. p. of coarctare to press
together; co- + arctare to press together, from arctus, p. p. See
Arctation.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Pressed together; closely connected; — applied to insects having the abdomen separated from the thorax only by a constriction. Coarctate pupa (Zoöl.), a pupa closely covered by the old larval skin, as in most Diptera.
COARCTATION
Co`arc*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. coarctatio.]
1. Confinement to a narrow space. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. Pressure; that which presses. [Obs.] Ray.
3. (Med.)
Defn: A stricture or narrowing, as of a canal, cavity, or orifice.
COARSE Coarse, a. [Compar. Coarser; superl. Coarsest.] Etym: [As this word was anciently written course, or cours, it may be an abbreviation of of course, in the common manner of proceeding, common, and hence, homely, made for common domestic use, plain, rude, rough, gross, e. g., "Though the threads be course." Gascoigne. See Course.]
1. Large in bulk, or composed of large parts or particles; of inferior quality or appearance; not fine in material or close in texture; gross; thick; rough; — opposed to fine; as, coarse sand; coarse thread; coarse cloth; coarse bread.
2. Not refined; rough; rude; unpolished; gross; indelicate; as, coarse manners; coarse language. I feel Of what coarse metal ye are molded. Shak. To copy, in my coarse English, his beautiful expressions. Dryden.
Syn. — Large; thick; rough; gross; blunt; uncouth; unpolished; inelegant; indelicate; vulgar.
COARSE-GRAINED
Coarse"-grained`, a.
Defn: Having a coarse grain or texture, as wood; hence, wanting in refinement.
COARSELY
Coarse"ly, adv.
Defn: In a coarse manner; roughly; rudely; inelegantly; uncivilly; meanly.
COARSEN
Coars"en, v. t.
Defn: To make coarse or vulgar; as, to coarsen one's character. [R.]
Graham.
COARSENESS
Coarse"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being coarse; roughness; melegance; vulgarity; grossness; as, coarseness of food, texture, manners, or language. "The coarseness of the sackcloth." Dr. H. More. Pardon the coarseness of the illustration. L'Estrange. A coarseness and vulgarity in all the proceedings. Burke.
COARTICULATION
Co`ar*tic`u*la"tion, n. (Anat.)
Defn: The unoin or articulation of bones to form a joint.
CO-ASSESSOR
Co`-as*sess"or, n.
Defn: A joint assessor.
COAST Coast, n. Etym: [OF. coste, F. côte, rib, hill, shore, coast, L. costa rib, side. Cf. Accost, v. t., Cutlet.]
1. The side of a thing. [Obs.] Sir I. Newton.
2. The exterior line, limit, or border of a country; frontier border. [Obs.] From the river, the river Euphrates, even to the uttermost sea, shall your coast be. Deut. xi. 24.
3. The seashore, or land near it. He sees in English ships the Holland coast. Dryden. We the Arabian coast do know At distance, when the species blow. Waller. The coast is clear, the danger is over; no enemy in sight. Dryden. Fig.: There are no obstacles. "Seeing that the coast was clear, Zelmane dismissed Musidorus." Sir P. Sidney. Coast guard. (a) A body of men originally employed along the coast to prevent smuggling; now, under the control of the admiralty, drilled as a naval reserve. [Eng.] (b) The force employed in lifesaving stations along the seacoast. [U. S.] — Coast rat (Zoöl.), a South African mammal (Bathyergus suillus), about the size of a rabbit, remarkable for its extensive burrows; — called also sand mole. — Coast waiter, a customhouse officer who superintends the landing or shipping of goods for the coast trade. [Eng.]
COAST
Coast, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Coasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Coasting.] Etym:
[OE. costien, costeien, costen, OF. costier, costoier, F. côtoyer,
fr. Of. coste coast, F. côte. See Coast, n.]
1. To draw or keep near; to approach. [Obs.] Anon she hears them chant it lustily, And all in haste she coasteth to the cry. Shak.
2. To sail by or near the shore. The ancients coasted only in their navigation. Arbuthnot.
3. To sail from port to port in the same country.
4. Etym: [Cf. OF. coste, F. côte, hill, hillside.]
Defn: To slide down hill; to slide on a sled, upon snow or ice.
[Local, U. S.]
COAST
Coast, v. t.
1. To draw near to; to approach; to keep near, or by the side of. [Obs.] Hakluyt.
2. To sail by or near; to follow the coast line of. Nearchus, . . . not knowing the compass, was fain to coast that shore. Sir T. Browne.
3. To conduct along a coast or river bank. [Obs.] The Indians . . . coasted me along the river. Hakluyt.
COASTAL
Coast"al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a cast.
COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY
Coast and Geodetic Survey.
Defn: A bureau of the United States government charged with the topographic and hydrographic survey of the coast and the execution of belts of primary triangulation and lines of precise leveling in the interior. It now belongs to the Department of Commerce and Labor.
COASTER
Coast"er, n.
1. A vessel employed in sailing along a coast, or engaged in the coasting trade.
2. One who sails near the shore.
COASTING
Coast"ing, a.
Defn: Sailing along or near a coast, or running between ports along a coast. Coasting trade, trade carried on by water between neighboring ports of the same country, as distinguished fron foreign trade or trade involving long voyages. — Coasting vessel, a vessel employed in coasting; a coaster.
COASTING
Coast"ing, n.
1. A sailing along a coast, or from port to port; a carrying on a coasting trade.
2. Sliding down hill; sliding on a sled upon snow or ice. [Local, U. S.]
COASTWISE; COASTWAYS
Coast"wise`, Coast"ways`, adv.
Defn: By way of, or along, the coast.
COAT Coat (; 110), n. Etym: [OF. cote, F. cotte, petticoat, cotte d'armes coat of arms, cotte de mailles coat of mail, LL. cota, cotta, tunic, prob. of German origin; cf. OHG. chozzo coarse mantle, G. klotze, D. kot, hut, E. cot. Cf. Cot a hut.]
1. An outer garment fitting the upper part of the body; especially, such a garment worn by men. Let each His adamantine coat gird well. Milton.
2. A petticoat. [Obs.] "A child in coats." Locke.
3. The habit or vesture of an order of men, indicating the order or
office; cloth.
Men of his coat should be minding their prayers. Swift.
She was sought by spirits of richest coat. Shak.
4. An external covering like a garment, as fur, skin, wool, husk, or bark; as, the horses coats were sleek. Fruit of all kinds, in coat Rough or smooth rined, or bearded husk, or shell. Milton.
5. A layer of any substance covering another; a cover; a tegument; as, the coats of the eye; the coats of an onion; a coat of tar or varnish.
6. Same as Coat of arms. See below. Hark, countrymen! either renew the fight, Or tear the lions out of England's coat. Shak.
7. A coat card. See below. [Obs.] Here's a trick of discarded cards of us! We were ranked with coats as long as old master lived. Massinger. Coat armor. See under Armor. — Coat of arms (Her.), a translation of the French cotte d'armes, a garment of light material worn over the armor in the 15th and 16th centuries. This was often charged with the heraldic bearings of the wearer. Hence, an heraldic achievement; the bearings of any person, taken together. — Coat card, a card bearing a coated figure; the king, queen, or knave of playing cards. "`I am a coat card indeed.' `Then thou must needs be a knave, for thou art neither king nor queen.'" Rowley. — Coat link, a pair of buttons or studs joined by a link, to hold together the lappels of a double-breasted coat; or a button with a loop for a single-breasted coat. — Coat of mail, a defensive garment of chain mail. See Chain mail, under Chain. — Mast coat (Naut.), a piece of canvas nailed around a mast, where it passes through the deck, to prevent water from getting below. — Sail coat (Naut.), a canvas cover laced over furled sails, and the like, to keep them dry and clean.
COAT
Coat, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coated; p. pr. & vb. n. Coating.]
1. To cover with a coat or outer garment.
2. To cover with a layer of any substance; as, to coat a jar with tin foil; to coat a ceiling.
COATEE
Coat*ee", n.
Defn: A coat with short flaps.
COATI
Co*a"ti ( or , n. Etym: [From the native name: cf. F. coati.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A mammal of tropical America of the genus Nasua, allied to the raccoon, but with a longer body, tail, and nose.
Note: The red coati (N. socialis), called also coati mondi, inhabits
Mexico and Central America. The brown coati (N. narica) is found in
Surinam and Brazil.
COATING
Coat"ing, n.
1. A coat or covering; a layer of any substance, as a cover or protection; as, the coating of a retort or vial.
2. Cloth for coats; as, an assortment of coatings.
COATLESS
Coat"less, a.
Defn: Not wearing a coat; also, not possessing a coat.
COAX
Coax (; 110), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coaxed; p. pr. & vb. n. Coaxing.]
Etym: [Cf. OE. cokes fool, a person easily imposed upon, W. coeg
empty, foolish; F. coquin knave, rogue.]
Defn: To persuade by gentle, insinuating courtesy, flattering, or fondling; to wheedle; to soothe.
Syn.
— To wheedle; cajole; flatter; persuade; entice.
COAX
Coax, n.
Defn: A simpleton; a dupe. [Obs.] Beau & Fl.
COAXATION
Co`ax*a"tion, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: The act of croaking. [R] Dr. H. More.
COAXER
Coax"er, n.
Defn: One who coaxes.
COAXINGLY
Coax"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a coaxing manner; by coaxing.
COB
Cob, n. Etym: [Cf. AS. cop, copp, head, top, D. kop, G. kopf, kuppe,
LL. cuppa cup (cf. E. brainpan), and also W. cob tuft, spider, cop,
copa, top, summit, cobio to thump. Cf. Cop top, Cup, n.]
1. The top or head of anything. [Obs.] W. Gifford.
2. A leader or chief; a conspicuous person, esp. a rich covetous person. [Obs.] All cobbing country chuffs, which make their bellies and their bags their god, are called rich cobs. Nash.
3. The axis on which the kernels of maize or indian corn grow. [U. S.]
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A spider; perhaps from its shape; it being round like a head.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A young herring. B. Jonson.
6. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish; — also called miller's thumb.
7. A short-legged and stout horse, esp. one used for the saddle. [Eng.]
8. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A sea mew or gull; esp., the black-backed gull (Larus marinus).
[Written also cobb.]
9. A lump or piece of anything, usually of a somewhat large size, as of coal, or stone.
10. A cobnut; as, Kentish cobs. See Cobnut. [Eng.]
11. Clay mixed with straw. [Prov. Eng.] The poor cottager contenteth himself with cob for his walls, and thatch for his covering. R. Carew.
12. A punishment consisting of blows inflicted on the buttocks with a strap or a flat piece of wood. Wright.
13. A Spanish coin formerly current in Ireland, worth abiut 4s. 6d. [Obs.] Wright. Cob coal, coal in rounded lumps from the size of an egg to that of a football; — called also cobbles. Grose. — Cob loaf, a crusty, uneven loaf, rounded at top. Wright. — Cob money, a kind of rudely coined gold and silver money of Spanish South America in the eighteenth century. The coins were of the weight of the piece of eight, or one of its aliquot parts.
COB
Cob, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cobbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Cobbing.]
1. To strike [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
2. (Mining)
Defn: To break into small pieces, as ore, so as to sort out its better portions. Raymond.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: To punish by striking on the buttocks with a strap, a flat piece of wood, or the like.
COBAEA
Co*bæ"a, n. Etym: [Named after D. Cobo, a Spanish botanist.]
Defn: A genus of climbing plants, native of Mexico and South America.
C. scandens is a consrvatory climber with large bell-shaped flowers.
COBALT Co"balt (; 277, 74), n. Etym: [G. kobalt, prob. fr. kobold, kobel, goblin, MHG. kobolt; perh. akin to G. koben pigsty, hut, AS. cofa room, cofgodas household gods, Icel. kofi hut. If so, the ending -old stands for older -walt, -wald, being the same as -ald in E. herald and the word would mean ruler or governor in a house, house spirit, the metal being so called by miners, because it was poisonous and troublesome. Cf. Kobold, Cove, Goblin.]
1. (Chem.)
Defn: A tough, lustrous, reddish white metal of the iron group, not easily fusible, and somewhat magnetic. Atomic weight 59.1. Symbol Co.
Note: It occurs in nature in combination with arsenic, sulphur, and oxygen, and is obtained from its ores, smaltite, cobaltite, asbolite, etc. Its oxide colors glass or any flux, as borax, a fine blue, and is used in the manufacture of smalt. It is frequently associated with nickel, and both are characteristic ingredients of meteoric iron.
2. A commercial name of a crude arsenic used as fly poison. Cobalt bloom. Same as Erythrite. — Cobalt blue, a dark blue pigment consisting of some salt of cobalt, as the phosphate, ignited with alumina; — called also cobalt ultramarine, and Thenard's blue. — Cobalt crust, earthy arseniate of cobalt. — Cobalt glance. (Min.) See Cobaltite. — Cobalt green, a pigment consisting essentially of the oxides of cobalt and zinc; — called also Rinman's green. — Cobalt yellow (Chem.), a yellow crystalline powder, regarded as a double nitrite of cobalt and potassium.
COBALTIC
Co*balt"ic (; 74), a. Etym: [Cf. F. cobaltique.] (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, cobalt; — said especially of those compounds in which cobalt has higher valence; as, cobaltic oxide. Luteo-cobaltic compounds (Chem.), an extensive series of complex yellow compounds of ammonia and cobaltic salts. — Roseo-cobaltic compounds (Chem.), an extensive series of complex red compounds of cobalt and ammonia. Modifications of these are the purpureo-cobaltic compounds.
COBALTIFEROUS
Co`balt*if"er*ous, a. Etym: [Cobalt + -ferous.] (Min.)
Defn: Containing cobalt.
COBALTINE; COBALTITE
Co"balt*ine, Co"balt*ite n. (Min.)
Defn: A mineral of a nearly silver-white color, composed of arsenic, sulphur, and cobalt.
COBALTOUS
Co*balt"ous, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or containing, cobalt; — said esp. of cobalt compounds in which the metal has its lower valence. Cobaltous chloride, a crystalline compound, CoCl2, of a pale rose color when hydrous, blue when dehydrated. Its solution is used for a sympathetic ink, the writing being nearly colorless when dried in the air, owing to absorbed moisture, and becoming bright blue when warmed.
COBBING
Cob"bing, a.
Defn: Haughty; purse-proud. See Cob, n., 2. [Obs.] Withals (1608).
COBBLE
Cob"ble, n.
Defn: A fishing boat. See Coble.
COBBLE
Cob"ble, n. Etym: [From Cob a lump. See Cob, n., 9, and cf. Copple,
Copplestone.]
1. A cobblestone. "Their slings held cobbles round." Fairfax.
2. pl.
Defn: Cob coal. See under Cob.
COBBLE
Cob"ble, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cobbled; p. pr. & vb. n. Cobbling.]
Etym: [OF. cobler, copler, to join or knit together, couple, F.
coupler, L. copulare to couple, join. Cf. Couple, n. & v. t.]
1. To make or mend coarsely; to patch; to botch; as, to cobble shoes. Shak. "A cobbled saddle." Thackeray.
2. To make clumsily. "Cobbled rhymes." Dryden.
3. To pave with cobblestones.
COBBLER
Cob"bler, n.
1. A mender of shoes. Addison.
2. A clumsy workman. Shak.
3. A beverage. See Sherry cobbler, under Sherry. Cobbler fish (Zoöl.), a marine fish (Blepharis crinitus) of the Atlantic. The name alludes to its threadlike fin rays.
COBBLESTONE
Cob"ble*stone`, n.
Defn: A large pebble; a rounded stone not too large to be handled; a small boulder; — used for paving streets and for other purposes.
COBBY
Cob"by, a. Etym: [From Cob, n.]
1. Headstrong; obstinate. [Obs.] Brockett.
2. Stout; hearty; lively. [Obs.]
COBELLIGERENT
Co`bel*lig"er*ent, a.
Defn: Carryng on war in conjunction with another power.
COBELLIGERENT
Co`bel*lig"er*ent, n.
Defn: A nation or state that carries on war in connection with another.
COBIA
Co"bi*a, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An oceanic fish of large size (Elacate canada); the crabeater; — called also bonito, cubbyyew, coalfish, and sergeant fish.
COBIRON
Cob"i`ron, n. Etym: [From Cob the top.]
Defn: An andiron with a knob at the top. Bacon.
COBISHOP
Co`bish"op, n.
Defn: A joint or coadjutant bishop. Ayliffe.
COBLE
Co"ble, n. Etym: [AS. cuopel; cf. W. ceubal skiff, ferryboat.]
Defn: A flat-floored fishing boat with a lug sail, and a drop rudder extending from two to four feet below the keel. It was originally used on the stormy coast of Yorkshire, England.
COBNUT
Cob"nut`, n.
1. (Com.)
Defn: A large roundish variety of the cultivated hazelnut.
2. A game played by children with nuts.
COBOOSE
Co*boose", n.
Defn: See Caboose.
COBOURG
Co"bourg, n. Etym: [Named from the town of Coburg in Germany.]
Defn: A thin worsted fabric for women's dresses.
COBRA
Co"bra, n.
Defn: See Copra.
COBRA
Co"bra, n.
Defn: The cobra de capello.
COBRA DE CAPELLO
Co"bra de ca*pel"lo. Etym: [Pg., serpent of the hood.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The hooded snake (Naia tripudians), a highly venomous serpent inhabiting India.
COBSTONE
Cob"stone`, n.
Defn: Cobblestone. [Prov. Eng.]
COBSWAN
Cob"swan`, n.
Defn: A large swan. B. Jonson.
COBWALL
Cob"wall`, n. Etym: [Cob clay mixed with straw + wall.]
Defn: A wall made of clay mixed with straw.
COBWEB
Cob"web`, n. Etym: [Cob a spider + web.]
1. The network spread by a spider to catch its prey.
2. A snare of insidious meshes designed to catch the ignorant and unwary. I can not but lament thy splendid wit Entangled in the cobwebs of the schools. Cowper.
3. That which is thin and unsubstantial, or flimsy and worthless; rubbish. The dust and cobwebs of that uncivil age. Sir P. Sidney.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The European spotted flycatcher. Cobweb lawn, a fine linen, mentioned in 1640 as being in pieces of fifteen yards. Beck. Draper's Dict. Such a proud piece of cobweb lawn. Beau. & Fl. Cobweb micrometer, a micrometer in which threads of cobwed are substituted for wires.
COBWEBBED
Cob"webbed`, a.
Defn: Abounding in cobwebs. "The cobwebbed cottage." Young.
COBWEBBY
Cob"web`by, a.
Defn: Abounding in cobwebs, or any fine web; resembling a cobweb.
COBWORK
Cob"work`, a.
Defn: Built of logs, etc., laid horizontally, with the ends dovetailed together at the corners, as in a log house; in marine work, often surrounding a central space filled with stones; as, a cobwork dock or breakwater.
COCA
Co"ca, n. Etym: [Sp., fr. native name.]
Defn: The dried leaf of a South American shrub (Erythroxylon Coca).
In med., called Erythroxylon.
Note: Coca leaves resemble tea leaves in size, shape, and odor, and are chewed (with an alkali) by natives of Peru and Bolivia to impart vigor in prolonged exertion, or to sustain strength in absence of food. Mexican coca, an American herb (Richardsonia scabra), yielding a nutritious fodder. Its roots are used as a substitute for ipecacuanha.
COCAGNE Coc*agne", n. Etym: [F. cocagne, pays de cocagne; of uncertian origin, cf. Prov. F. couque cake, Catal. coca, L. coquere to cook; as if the houses in this country were covered with cakes. Cf. Cook, Cockney.]
1. An imaginary country of idleness and luxury.
2. The land of cockneys; cockneydom; — a term applied to London and its suburbs. Smart.
COCAINE
Co"ca*ine, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A powerful alkaloid, C17H21NO4, obtained from the leaves of coca. It is a bitter, white, crystalline substance, and is remarkable for producing local insensibility to pain.
COCAINISM
Co*ca"in*ism, n. (Med.)
Defn: A morbid condition produced by the habitual and excessive use of cocaine. — Co*ca"in*ist, n.
COCAINIZE
Co*ca"in*ize, v. t.
Defn: To treat or anæsthetize with cocaine. — Co*ca`in*i*za"tion (#), n.
COCCIFEROUS
Coc*cif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. coccum a berry + -ferous. See Coccus.]
Defn: Bearing or producing berries; bacciferous; as, cocciferrous trees or plants.
COCCINELLA
Coc`ci*nel"la, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. coccineus scarlet-colored. See
Cochoneal.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of small beetles of many species. They and their larvæ feed on aphids or plant lice, and hence are of great benefit to man. Also called ladybirds and ladybugs.
COCCOBACTERIUM Coc`co*bac*te"ri*um, n.; pl. Coccobacteria. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. bacterium. So called from its round shape.] (Biol.)
Defn: One of the round variety of bacteria, a vegetable organism, generally less than a thousandth of a millimeter in diameter.
COCCOLITE
Coc"co*lite, n. Etym: [Gr. -lite: cf. F. coccalite.] (Min.)
Defn: A granular variety of pyroxene, green or white in color.
COCCOLITH
Coc"co*lith, n. Etym: [Gr. -lith.] (Biol.)
Defn: One of a kind of minute, calcareous bodies, probably vegetable, often abundant in deep-sea mud.
COCCOSPHERE
Coc"co*sphere, n. Etym: [Gr. sphere.] (Biol.)
Defn: A small, rounded, marine organism, capable of braking up into coccoliths.
COCCOSTEUS
Coc*cos"te*us, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: An extinct genus of Devonian ganoid fishes, having the broad plates about the head studded with berrylike tubercles.
COCCULUS INDICUS Coc"cu*lus In"di*cus, n. Etym: [NL. cocculus (dim. of L. coccum kermes berry) + L. Indicus of India.] (Bot.)
Defn: The fruit or berry of the Anamirta Cocculus, a climbing plant of the East Indies. It is a poisonous narcotic and stimulant.
COCCUS
Coc"cus, n.; pl. Cocci. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Cochineal.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: One of the separable carpels of a dry fruit.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of hemipterous insects, including scale insects, and the cochineal insect (Coccus cacti).
3. (Biol.)
Defn: A form of bacteria, shaped like a globule.
COCCYGEAL
Coc*cyg"e*al, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the coccyx; as, the coccygeal vertebræ. Coccygeal glands (Zoöl.) , glands situated at the base of the tail of birds. They secrete the oil with which the plumage is dressed.
COCCYGEOUS
Coc*cyg"e*ous, a.
Defn: Coccygeal. [R.]
COCCYX
Coc"cyx, n.; pl. L. Coccyges. Etym: [L., cuckoo, Gr. (Anat.)
Defn: The end of the vertebral column beyond the sacrum in man and tailless monkeys. It is composed of several vertebræ more or less consolidated.
COCHINEAL Coch"i*neal, Etym: [Sp. cochinilla, dim. from L. coccineus, coccinus, scarlet, fr. coccum the kermes berry, G. Quercus coccifera; but cf. also Sp. cochinilla wood louse, dim. of cochina sow, akin to F. cochon pig.]
Defn: A dyestuff consisting of the dried bodies of females of the Coccus cacti, an insect native in Mexico, Central America, etc., and found on several species of cactus, esp. Opuntia cochinellifera.
Note: These insects are gathered from the plant, killed by the application of heat, and exposed to the sun to dry. When dried they resemble small, rough berries or seeds, of a brown or purple color, and form the cochineal of the shops, which is used for making carmine, and also as a red dye.
Note: Cochineal contains as its essential coloring matter carminic acid, a purple red amorphous substance which yields carmine red.
COCHINEAL FIG
Coch"i*neal fig, (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of Central and Southern Anerica, of the Cactus familly, extensively cultivated for the sake of the cochineal insect, which lives on it.
COCHIN FOWL
Co"chin fowl`, (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large variety of the domestic fowl, originally from Cochin
China (Anam).
COCHLEA
Coch"le*a, n. Etym: [L., a snail, or snail shell, Gr. (Anat.)
Defn: An appendage of the labyrinth of the internal ear, which is elongated and coiled into a spiral in mammals. See Ear.
COCHLEAR
Coch"le*ar, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the cochlea.
COCHLEARE
Coch`le*a"re, n. Etym: [L.]
1. A spoon. Andrews.
2. (Med)
Defn: A spoonful. Dungleson.
COCHLEARIFORM
Coch`le*ar"i*form, a. Etym: [Cochleare + -form.]
Defn: Spoon-shaped.
COCHLEARY Coch"le*a*ry, a. Etym: [L. cochlearum penfor snails (meaning formerly given, snail shell). See Cjchlea.]
Defn: Same as Cochleate.
COCHLEATE; COCHLEATED Coch"le*ate, Coch"le*a`ted, a. Etym: [L. cochleatus spiral or screw- formed. See Cochlea.]
Defn: Having the form of a snail shell; spiral; turbinated.
COCK Cock, n. Etym: [AS. coc; of unkown origin, perh. in imitation of the cry of the cock. Cf. Chicken.]
1. The male of birds, particulary of gallinaceous or domestic fowls.
2. A vane in the shape of a cock; a weathercock. Drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks! Shak.
3. A chief man; a leader or master. [Humorous] Sir Andrew is the cock of the club, since he left us. Addison.
4. The crow of a cock, esp. the first crow in the morning; cockcrow. [Obs.] He begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock. Shak.
5. A faucet or valve.
Note: Jonsons says, "The handly probably had a cock on the top; things that were contrived to turn seem anciently to have had that form, whatever was the reason." Skinner says, because it used to be constructed in forma critæ galli, i.e., in the form of a cock's comb.
6. The style of gnomon of a dial. Chambers.
7. The indicator of a balance. Johnson.
8. The bridge piece which affords a bearing for the pivot of a
balance in a clock or watch. Knight. Ball cock. See under Ball.
— Chaparral cock. See under Chaparral.
— Cock and bull story, an extravagant, boastful story; a canard.
— Cock of the plains (Zoöl.) See Sage cock.
— Cock of the rock (Zoöl.), a South American bird (Rupicola
aurantia) having a beautiful crest.
— Cock of the walk, a chief or master; the hero of the hour; one
who has overcrowed, or got the better of, rivals or competitors.
— Cock of the woods. See Capercailzie.
COCK
Cock, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cocked; p. pr. & vb. n. Cocking.] Etym:
[Cf. Gael. coc to cock.]
1. To set erect; to turn up. Our Lightfoot barks, and cocks his ears. Gay. Dick would cock his nose in scorn. Swift.
2. To shape, as a hat, by turning up the brim.
3. To set on one side in a pert or jaunty manner. They cocked their hats in each other's faces. Macaulay.
4. To turn (the eye) obliquely and partially close its lid, as an expression of derision or insinuation. Cocked hat. (a) A hat with large, stiff flaps turned up to a peaked crown, thus making its form triangular; — called also three-cornered hat. (b) A game similar to ninepins, except that only three pins are used, which are set up at the angles of a triangle.
COCK
Cock, v. i.
Defn: To strut; to swagger; to look big, pert, or menacing. Addison.
COCK
Cock, n.
Defn: The act of cocking; also, the turn so given; as, a cock of the eyes; to give a hat a saucy cock.
COCK
Cock, n. Etym: [It. cocca notch of an arrow.]
1. The notch of an arrow or crossbow.
2. The hammer in the lock of a firearm. At cock, At full cock, with the hammer raised and ready to fire; — said of firearms, also, jocularly, of one prepared for instant action. — At half cock. See under Half. — Cock feather (Archery), the feather of an arrow at right angles to the direction of the cock or notch. Nares.
COCK
Cock, v. t.
Defn: To draw the hammer of (a firearm) fully back and set it for firing.
COCK
Cock, v. i.
Defn: To draw back the hammer of a firearm, and set it for firing.
Cocked, fired, and missed his man. Byron.
COCK Cock, n. Etym: [Cf. Icel. kökkr lump, Dan. kok heap, or E. cock to set erect.]
Defn: A small concial pile of hay.
COCK
Cock, v. t.
Defn: To put into cocks or heaps, as hay.
Under the cocked hay. Spenser.
COCK Cock, n. Etym: [Of. coque, F. coche, a small vessel, L. concha muscle shell, a vessel. See Coach, and cf.Cog
Defn: A small boat. Yond tall anchoring bark [appears] Diminished to her cock; her cock, a buoy Almost too small for sight. Shak.
COCK
Cock, n.
Defn: A corruption or disguise of the word God, used in oaths. [Obs.]
"By cock and pie." Shak.
COCKADE Cock*ade", n. Etym: [F. cocarble, fr. coquard vain, OF. coquart, fr. coq cock, prob. of imitative origin. The ornament is so named from its resemblance to the crest of a cock. Cf. Coquette.]
Defn: A badge, usually in the form of a rosette, or knot, and generally worn upon the hat; — used as an indication of military or naval service, or party allegiance, and in England as a part of the livery to indicate that the wearer is the servant of a military or naval officer. Seduced by military liveries and cockades. Burke.
COCKADED
Cock*ad"ed, a.
Defn: Wearing a cockade. Young.
COCK-A-HOOP
Cock`-a-hoop", a.
Defn: Boastful; defiant; exulting. Also used adverbially.
COCKAL
Cock"al, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]
1. A game played with sheep's bones instead of dice [Obs.]
2. The bone used in playing the game; — called also huckle bone.
[Obs.] Nares.
A little transverse bone Which boys and bruckeled children call
(Playing for points and pins) cockal. Herrick.
COCKALEEKIE
Cock`a*leek"ie, n. Etym: [From cock + leek.]
Defn: A favorite soup in Scotland, made from a capon highly seasoned, and boiled with leeks and prunes.
COCKAMAROO
Cock`a*ma*roo", n.
Defn: The Russian variety of bagatelle.
COCKATEEL
Cock"a*teel, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An Australian parrot (Calopsitta Novæ-Hollandiæ); — so called from its note.
COCKATOO
Cock`a*too, n. Etym: [Malayan kakatua.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bird of the Parrot family, of the subfamily Cacatuinæ, having a short, strong, and much curved beak, and the head ornamented with a crest, which can be raised or depressed at will. There are several genera and many species; as the broad-crested (Plictolophus, or Cacatua, cristatus), the sulphur-crested (P. galeritus), etc. The palm or great black cockatoo of Australia is Microglossus aterrimus. Cock"a*trice, n. Etym: [OF. cocatrice crocodile, F. cocatrix, cocatrice. The word is a corruption from the same source as E. crocodile, but was confused with cock the bird, F. coq, whence arose the fable that the animal was produced from a cock's egg. See Crocodile.]
1. A fabulous serpent whose breath and look were said to be fatal. See Basilisk. That bare vowel, I, shall poison more Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice. Shak.
2. (Her.)
Defn: A representation of this serpent. It has the head, wings, and legs of a bird, and tail of a serpent.
3. (Script.)
Defn: A venomous serpent which which cannot now be identified.
The weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's
Note: [Rev. Ver. basilisk's] den. Is. xi. 8.
4. Any venomous or deadly thing. This little cockatrice of a king. Bacon.
COCKATRICE Cock"a*trice (-tris; 277), n. [OF. cocatrice crocodile, F. cocatrix, cocatrice. The word is a corruption from the same source as E. crocodile, but was confused with cock the bird, F. coq, whence arose the fable that the animal was produced from a cock's egg. See Crocodile.]
1. A fabulous serpent whose breath and look were said to be fatal. See Basilisk.
That bare vowel, I, shall poison more
Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice.
Shak.
2. (Her.) A representation of this serpent. It has the head, wings, and legs of a bird, and tail of a serpent.
3. (Script.) A venomous serpent which which cannot now be identified.
The weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's [Rev. Ver.
basilisk's] den.
Is. xi. 8.
4. Any venomous or deadly thing.
This little cockatrice of a king.
Bacon.
COCKBILL
Cock"bill, v. t. Etym: [See Cock to set erect.] (Naut.)
Defn: To tilt up one end of so as to make almost vertical; as, to cockbill the yards as a sign of mourning. To cockbill the anchor, to suspend it from the cathead preparatory to letting it go. See Acockbill.
COCKBOAT
Cock"boat`, n. Etym: [See Cock a boat.]
Defn: A small boat, esp. one used on rivers or near the shore.
COCK-BRAINED
Cock"-brained`, a.
Defn: Giddy; rash. Milton.
COCKCHAFER
Cock"chaf`er, n. Etym: [See Chafer the beetle.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A beetle of the genus Melolontha (esp. M. vulgaris) and allied genera; — called also May bug, chafer, or dorbeetle.
COCKCROW; COCKCROWING
Cock"crow, Cock"crow`ing, n.
Defn: The time at which cooks first crow; the early morning.
COCKER Cock"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cockered; p. pr. & vb. n. Cockering.] Etym: [OE. cokeren; cf. W. cocru to indulge, fondle, E. cock the bird, F. coqueliner to dandle (Cotgrave), to imitate the crow of a cock, to run after the girls, and E. cockle, v.]
Defn: Th treat with too great tenderness; to fondle; to indulge; to
pamper.
Cocker thy child and he shall make thee afraid. Ecclesiasticus xxx.
9.
Poor folks cannot afford to cocker themselves up. J. Ingelow.
COCKER
Cock"er, n. Etym: [From Cock the bird.]
1. One given to cockfighting. [Obs.] Steele.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small dog of the spaniel kind, used for starting up woodcocks, etc.
COCKER
Cock"er, n. Etym: [OE. coker qyiver, boot, AS. cocer quiver; akin to
G. köcher quiver, and perh. originally meaning receptacle, holder.
Cf. Quiver (for arrows).]
Defn: A rustic high shoe or half-boots. [Obs.] Drayton.
COCKEREL
Cock"er*el, n. Etym: [Prob. a double dim. of cock.]
Defn: A young cock.
COCKER SPANIEL
Cock"er span"iel.
Defn: One of a breed of small or medium-sized spaniels kept for hunting or retrieving game or for household pets. They usually weigh from eighteen to twenty-eight pounds. They have the head of fair length, with square muzzle, the ears long and set low, the legs short or of medium length, and the coat fine and silky, wavy but not curly. Various colors are bred, as black, liver, red, black and white, black and tan, etc.
COCKET
Cock"et, a. Etym: [F. coquet coquettish. See Coquette, n.]
Defn: Pert; saucy. [Obs.] Halliwell.
COCKET
Cock"et, n.
1. (Eng. Law)
Defn: A customhouse seal; a certified document given to a shopper as a warrant that his goods have been duly enstered and have paid duty.
2. An office in a customhouse where goods intended for export are entered. [Eng.]
3. A measure for bread. [Obs.] Blount.
COCKEYE
Cock"eye`, n. Etym: [From cock to turn up.]
Defn: A squinting eye. Forby.
COCKEYE
Cock"eye`, n. (Mach.)
Defn: The socket in the ball of a millstone, which sits on the cockhead.
COCKFIGHT
Cock"fight`, n.
Defn: A match or contest of gamecocks.
COCKFIGHTING
Cock"fight`ing, n.
Defn: The act or practice of pitting gamecocks to fight.
COCKFIGHTING
Cock"fight`ing, a.
Defn: Addicted to cockfighting.
COCKHEAD
Cock"head`, n. (Mach.)
Defn: The rounded or pointed top of a grinding mill spindle, forming a pivot on which the stone is balanced.
COCKHORSE
Cock"horse`, n.
1. A child's rocking-horse. Ride a cockhorse to Banbury cross. Mother Goose.
2. A high or tall horse. [R.]
COCKHORSE
Cock"horse`, a.
1. Lifted up, as one is on a tall horse.
2. Lofty in feeling; exultant; pround; upstart. Our painted fools and cockhorse peasantry. Marlowe.
COCKIELEEKIE
Cock`ie*leek"ie, n.
Defn: Same as Cockaleekie.
COCKING
Cock"ing, n.
Defn: Cockfighting. Ben Jonson.
COCKLE
Coc"kle, n. Etym: [OE. cockes cockles, AS. s sea cockles, prob, from
Celtic; cf. W. cocs cockles, Gael. cochull husk. Perh. influenced by
EF. coquille shell, a dim. from the root of E. conch. Cf. Coach.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bivalve mollusk, with radiating ribs, of the genus Cardium, especially C. edule, used in Europe for food; — sometimes applied to similar shells of other genera.
2. A cockleshell.
3. The mineral black tourmaline or schorl; — so called by the Cornish miners. Raymond.
4. The fire chamber of a furnace. [Eng.] Knight.
5. A hop-drying kiln; an oast. Knight.
6. The dome of a heating furnace. Knight. Cockle hat, a hat ornamented with a cockleshell, the badge of a pilgrim. Shak. — Cockle stairs, winding or spiral stairs.
COCKLE
Coc"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cockled; p. pr. & vb. n. Cockling.]
Etym: [Of uncertian origin.]
Defn: To cause to contract into wrinkles or ridges, as some kinds of cloth after a wetting. Cockling sea, waves dashing against each other with a short and quick motion. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
COCKLE Coc"kle, n. Etym: [AS. coccel, cocel; cf. Gael. cogall tares, husks, cockle.] (Bot.) (a) A plant or weed that grows among grain; the corn rose (Luchnis Githage). (b) The Lotium, or darnel.
COCKLEBUR
Coc"kle*bur`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A coarse, composite weed, having a rough or prickly fruit; one of several species of the genus Xanthium; — called also clotbur.
COCKLED
Coc"kled, a.
Defn: Inclosed in a shell.
The tender horns of cockled snails. Shak.
COCKLED
Coc"kled, a.
Defn: Wrinkled; puckered.
Showers soon drench the camlet's cockled grain. Gay.
COCKLER
Coc"kler, n.
Defn: One who takes and sells cockles.
COCKLESHELL
Coc"kle*shell`, n.
1. One of the shells or valves of a cockle.
2. A light boat. To board the cockleshell in those plunding waters. W. Black.
COCKLOFT
Cock"loft` n. Etym: [Prop., a loft where cocks roost.]
Defn: An upper loft; a garret; the highest room in a building.
Dryden. Swift.
COCKMASTER
Cock"mas`ter, n.
Defn: One who breeds gamecocks. L'Estrange.
COCKMATCH
Cock"match`, n.
Defn: A cockfight.
COCKNEY Cock"ney, n.; pl. Cockneys. Etym: [OE. cocknay, cokenay, a spoiled child, effeminate person, an egg; prob. orig. a cock's egg, a small imperfect egg; OE. cok cock + nay, neye, for ey egg (cf. Newt), AS. æg. See 1st Cock, Egg, n.]
1. An effeminate person; a spoilt child. "A young heir or cockney, that is his mother's darling." Nash (1592). This great lubber, the world, will prove a cockney. Shak.
2. A native or resident of the city of London; — used contemptuosly. A cockney in a rural village was stared at as much as if he had entered a kraal of Hottentots. Macaulay.
COCKNEY
Cock"ney, a.
Defn: Of or relating to, or like, cockneys.
COCKNEYDOM
Cock"ney*dom, n.
Defn: The region or home of cockneys; cockneys, collectively.
Thackeray.
COCKNEYFY
Cock"ney*fy, v. t. Etym: [Cockney + -fy.]
Defn: To form with the manners or character of a cockney. [Colloq.]
COCKNEYISH
Cock"ney*ish, a.
Defn: Characteristic of, or resembling, cockneys.
COCKNEYISM
Cock"ney*ism, n.
Defn: The charasteristics, manners, or dialect, of a cockney.
COCK-PADDLE
Cock"-pad`dle, n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Lumpfish. [Scot.]
COCK-PADLE
Cock"-pad`le, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Lumpfish. [Scot.]
COCKPIT
Cock"pit`, n.
1. A pit, or inclosed area, for cockfights. Henry the Eight had built . . . a cockpit. Macaulay.
2. The Privy Council room at Westminster; — so called because built on the site of the cockpit of Whitehall palace. Brande & C.
3. (Naut.) (a) That part of a war vessel appropriated to the wounded during an engagement. (b) In yachts and other small vessels, a space lower than the rest of the deck, which affords easy access to the cabin.
COCKROACH
Cock"roach, n. Etym: [Sp. cucaracha.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An orthopterus insect of the genus Blatta, and allied genera.
Note: The species are numerous, especially in hot countries. Those most commonly infesting houses in Europe and North America are Blatta orientalis, a large species often called black beetle, and the Croton bug (Ectobia Germanica).
COCKSCOMB
Cocks"comb, n. Etym: [1st cock, n. + comb crest.]
1. See Coxcomb.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Celosia cristata), of many varieties, cultivated for its broad, fantastic spikes of brilliant flowers; — sometimes called garden cockscomb. Also the Pedicularis, or lousewort, the Rhinanthus Crista-galli, and the Onobrychis Crista-galli.
COCKSHEAD
Cocks"head`, n.
Defn: (Bot.) A leguminous herb (Onobrychis Caput-galli), having small spiny-crested pods.
COCKSHUT
Cock"shut`, n.
Defn: A kind of net to catch woodcock. [Obs.] Nares. Cockshut time or light, evening twilight; nightfall; — so called in allusion to the tome at which the cockshut used to be spread. [Obs.] Shak. B. Jonson.
COCKSHY
Cock"shy`, n.
1. A game in which trinkets are set upon sticks, to be thrown at by the players; — so called from an ancient popular sport which consisted in "shying" or throwing cudgels at live cocks.
2. An object at which stones are flung. "Making a cockshy of him," replied the hideous small boy. Dickens.
COCKSPUR
Cock"spur, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A variety of Cratægus, or hawthorn (C. Crus-galli), having long, straight thorns; — called also Cockspur thorn.
COCKSURE
Cock"sure`, a.
1. Perfectly safe. [Obs.] We steal as in a castle, cocksure: . . . we walk invisible. Shak.
2. Quite certain. [Colloq.] I throught myself cocksure of the horse which he readily promised me. Pope.
COCKSWAIN Cock"swain (, colloq. ), n. Etym: [Cock a boat + swain; hence, the master of a boat.]
Defn: The steersman of a boat; a petty officer who has charge of a boat and its crew.
COCKTAIL
Cock"tail`, n.
1. A beverage made of brandy, whisky, or gin, iced, flavored, and sweetened. [U. S.]
2. (Stock Breeding)
Defn: A horse, not of pure breed, but having only one eighth or one sixteenth impure blood in his veins. Darwin.
3. A mean, half-hearted fellow; a coward. [Slang, Eng.] It was in the second affair that poor little Barney showed he was a cocktail. Thackeray.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of rove beetle; — so called from its habit of elevating the tail.
COCKUP
Cock"up, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large, highly esteemed, edible fish of India (Lates calcarifer); — also called begti.
COCKWEED
Cock"weed, n. (Bot.)
Defn: Peppergrass. Johnson.
COCKY
Cock"y, a. Etym: [See Cocket.]
Defn: Pert. [Slang]
COCKYOLLY BIRD; COCKYOLY BIRD
Cock`y*ol"ly bird or Cock`y*ol"y bird. [Cf. Cock, fowl; Yellow.]
Defn: A pet name for any small bird.
COCO; COCO PALM
Co"co, n. or Co"co palm.
Defn: See Cocoa.
COCOA; COCOA PALM Co"coa, n., Co"coa palm` Etym: [Sp. & Pg. coco cocoanut, in Sp. also, cocoa palm. The Portuguese name is said to have been given from the monkeylike face at the base of the nut, fr. Pg. coco a bugbear, an ugly mask to frighten children. Cf., however, Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: A palm tree producing the cocoanut (Cocos nucifera). It grows in nearly all tropical countries, attaining a height of sixty or eighty feet. The trunk is without branches, and has a tuft of leaves at the top, each being fifteen or twenty feet in length, and at the base of these the nuts hang in clusters; the cocoanut tree.
COCOA
Co"coa, n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. cacao.]
Defn: A preparation made from the seeds of the chocolate tree, and used in making, a beverage; also the beverage made from cocoa or cocoa shells. Cocoa shells, the husks which separate from the cacao seeds in preparing them for use.
COCOANUT
Co"coa*nut`, n.
Defn: The large, hard-shelled nut of the cocoa palm. It yields an agreeable milky liquid and a white meat or albumen much used as food and in making oil.
COCOBOLO; COCOBOLAS
Co`co*bo"lo, Co`co*bo"las, n. Etym: [Sp. cocobolo.] (Bot.)
Defn: A very beautiful and hard wood, obtained in the West India Islands. It is used in cabinetmaking, for the handles of tools, and for various fancy articles.
COCOON Co*coon", n. Etym: [F. cocon, dim. of coque shell of egge and insects, fr. L. concha mussel shell. See Conch.]
1. An oblong case in which the silkworn lies in its chrysalis state. It is formed of threads of silk spun by the worm just before leaving the larval state. From these the silk of commerce is prepared.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) The case constructed by any insect to contain its larva or pupa. (b) The case of silk made by spiders to protect their eggs. (c) The egg cases of mucus, etc., made by leeches and other worms.
COCOONERY
Co*coon"er*y, n.
Defn: A building or apartment for silkworms, when feeding and forming cocoons.
COCTIBLE
Coc"ti*ble, a. Etym: [See Coctile.]
Defn: Capable of being cooked. Blount.
COCTILE
Coc"tile, a. Etym: [L. coctilis, fr. coguere. See Cook.]
Defn: Made by baking, or exposing to heat, as a brick.
COCTION
Coc"tion, n. Etym: [L. coctio.]
1. Act of boiling.
2. (Med.) (a) Digestion. [Obs.] (b) The change which the humorists believed morbific matter undergoes before elimination. [Obs.] Dunglison.
COCUS WOOD
Co"cus wood`.
Defn: A West Indian wood, used for making flutes and other musical instruments.
COD Cod, n. Etym: [AS. codd small bag; akin to Icel. koddi pillow, Sw. kudde cushion; cf. W. cod, ciod, bag, shell.]
1. A husk; a pod; as, a peascod. [Eng.] Mortimer.
2. A small bag or pouch. [Obs.] Halliwell.
3. The scortum. Dunglison.
4. A pillow or cushion. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
COD Cod, n. Etym: [Cf. G. gadde, and (in Heligoland) gadden, L. gadus merlangus.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An important edible fish (Gadus morrhua), Taken in immense numbers on the northern coasts of Europe and America. It is especially abundant and large on the Grand Bank of Newfoundland. It is salted and dried in large quantities.
Note: There are several varieties; as shore cod, from shallow water; bank cod, from the distant banks; and rock cod, which is found among ledges, and is often dark brown or mottled with red. The tomcod is a distinct species of small size. The bastard, blue, buffalo, or cultus cod of the Pacific coast belongs to a distinct family. See Buffalo cod, under Buffalo. Cod fishery, the business of fishing for cod. — Cod line, an eighteen-thread line used in catching codfish. McElrath.
CODA
Co"da, n. Etym: [It., tail, fr. L. cauda.] (Mus.)
Defn: A few measures added beyond the natural termination of a composition.
CODDER
Cod"der, n.
Defn: A gatherer of cods or peas. [Obs. or Prov.] Johnson.
CODDING
Cod"ding, a.
Defn: Lustful. [Obs.] Shak.
CODDLE
Cod"dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coddled; p. pr. & vb. n. Coddling.]
Etym: [Cf. Prov. E. caddle to coax, spoil, fondle, and Cade, a. & v.
t.] [Written also codle.]
1. To parboil, or soften by boiling. It [the guava fruit] may be coddled. Dampier.
2. To treat with excessive tenderness; to pamper. How many of our English princes have been coddled at home by their fond papas and mammas! Thackeray. He [Lord Byron] never coddled his reputation. Southey.
CODDYMODDY
Cod"dy*mod"dy, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A gull in the plumage of its first year.
CODE
Code, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. codex, caudex, the stock or
1. A body of law, sanctioned by legislation, in which the rules of law to be specifically applied by the courts are set forth in systematic form; a compilation of laws by public authority; a digest.
Note: The collection of laws made by the order of Justinian is sometimes called, by way of eminence. "The Code" Wharton.
2. Any system of rules or regulations relating to one subject; as, the medical code, a system of rules for the regulation of the professional conduct of physicians; the naval code, a system of rules for making communications at sea means of signals. Code civil or Code Napoleon, a code enacted in France in 1803 and 1804, embodying the law of rights of persons and of property generally. Abbot.
CODEFENDANT
Co`de*fend"ant, n.
Defn: A joint defendant. Blackstone.
CODEINE
Co*de"ine, n. Etym: [Gr. cod.] (Chem.)
Defn: One of the opium alkaloids; a white crystalline substance, C18H21NO3, similar to and regarded as a derivative of morphine, but much feebler in its action; — called also codeia.
CODETTA
Co*det"ta, n. Etym: [It., dim. of coda tail.] (Mus.)
Defn: A short passage connecting two sections, but not forming part of either; a short coda.
CODEX
Co"dex, n.; pl. Codices. Etym: [L. See Code.]
1. A book; a manuscript.
2. A collection or digest of laws; a code. Burrill.
3. An ancient manuscript of the Sacred Scriptures, or any part of them, particularly the New Testament.
4. A collection of canons. Shipley.
CODFISH
Cod"fish, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A kind of fish. Same as Cod.
CODGER
Codg"er, n. Etym: [Cf. Cadger.]
1. A miser or mean person.
2. A singular or odd person; — a familiar, humorous, or depreciatory appellation. [Colloq.] A few of us old codgers met at the fireside. Emerson.
CODICAL
Cod"i*cal, a.
Defn: Ralating to a codex, or a code.
CODICIL
Cod"i*cil, n. Etym: [L. codicillus, dim. of codex: cf. F. codicille.
See Code.] (Law)
Defn: A clause added to a will.
CODICILLARY
Cod`i*cil"la*ry, a. Etym: [L. codicillaris, codicillarius.]
Defn: Of the nature of a codicil.
CODIFICATION
Co`di*fi*ca"tion ( or ), n. Etym: [Cf. F. codification.]
Defn: The act or process of codifying or reducing laws to a code.
CODIFIER
Co"di*fi`er ( or ), n.