The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section S (part 3 of 7)

The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section S (part 3 of 7)

Sheat"fish` (?), n. [Cf. dial. G. scheid, schaid, schaiden.] (Zoöl.) A European siluroid fish (Silurus glanis) allied to the cat-fishes. It is the largest fresh-water fish of Europe, sometimes becoming six feet or more in length. See Siluroid.

Sheath (?), n. [OE. schethe, AS. scð, sceáð, scð; akin to OS. skðia, D. scheede, G. scheide, OHG. sceida, Sw. skida, Dan. skede, Icel. skeiðir, pl., and to E. shed, v.t., originally meaning, to separate, to part. See Shed.] 1. A case for the reception of a sword, hunting knife, or other long and slender instrument; a scabbard.

The dead knight's sword out of his sheath he drew.

Spenser.

2. Any sheathlike covering, organ, or part. Specifically: (a) (Bot.) The base of a leaf when sheathing or investing a stem or branch, as in grasses. (b) (Zoöl.) One of the elytra of an insect.

Medullary sheath. (Anat.) See under Medullary. -- Primitive sheath. (Anat.) See Neurilemma. -- Sheath knife, a knife with a fixed blade, carried in a sheath. -- Sheath of Schwann. (Anat.) See Schwann's sheath.

Sheath"bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Either one of two species of birds composing the genus Chionis, and family Chionidæ, native of the islands of the Antarctic seas.

They are related to the gulls and the plovers, but more nearly to the latter. The base of the bill is covered with a saddle- shaped horny sheath, and the toes are only slightly webbed. The plumage of both species is white.

Sheathe (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sheathed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sheating.] [Written also sheath.] 1. To put into a sheath, case, or scabbard; to inclose or cover with, or as with, a sheath or case.

The leopard . . . keeps the claws of his fore feet turned up from the ground, and sheathed in the skin of his toes.

Grew.

'T is in my breast she sheathes her dagger now.

Dryden.

2. To fit or furnish, as with a sheath. Shak.

3. To case or cover with something which protects, as thin boards, sheets of metal, and the like; as, to sheathe a ship with copper.

4. To obtund or blunt, as acrimonious substances, or sharp particles. [R.] Arbuthnot.

To sheathe the sword, to make peace.

Sheathed (?), a. 1. Povided with, or inclosed in, sheath.

2. (Bot.) Invested by a sheath, or cylindrical membranaceous tube, which is the base of the leaf, as the stalk or culm in grasses; vaginate.

Sheath"er (?), n. One who sheathes.

Sheath"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Sheatfish.

Sheath"ing (?), p. pr. & a. from Sheathe. Inclosing with a sheath; as, the sheathing leaves of grasses; the sheathing stipules of many polygonaceous plants.

Sheath"ing, n. That which sheathes. Specifically: (a) The casing or covering of a ship's bottom and sides; the materials for such covering; as, copper sheathing. (b) (Arch.) The first covering of boards on the outside wall of a frame house or on a timber roof; also, the material used for covering; ceiling boards in general.

Sheath"less (?), a. Without a sheath or case for covering; unsheathed.

Sheath"-winged` (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having elytra, or wing cases, as a beetle.

Sheath"y (?), a. Forming or resembling a sheath or case. Sir T. Browne.

She"a tree` (?). (Bot.) An African sapotaceous tree (Bassia, or Butyrospermum, Parkii), from the seeds of which a substance resembling butter is obtained; the African butter tree.

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Sheave (?), n. [Akin to OD. schijve orb, disk, wheel, D. schiff, G. scheibe, Icel. skfa a shaving, slice; cf. Gr. &?;&?;&?; a staff. Cf. Shift, v., Shive.] A wheel having a groove in the rim for a rope to work in, and set in a block, mast, or the like; the wheel of a pulley.

Sheave hole, a channel cut in a mast, yard, rail, or other timber, in which to fix a sheave.

Sheave, v. t. [See Sheaf of straw.] To gather and bind into a sheaf or sheaves; hence, to collect. Ashmole.

Sheaved (?), a. Made of straw. [Obs.] Shak.

Sheb"an*der (?), n. [Per. shhbandar.] A harbor master, or ruler of a port, in the East Indies. [Written also shebunder.]

She*bang" (?), n. [Cf. Shebeen.] A jocosely depreciative name for a dwelling or shop. [Slang,U.S.]

She*been" (?), n. [Of Irish origin; cf. Ir. seapa a shop.] A low public house; especially, a place where spirits and other excisable liquors are illegally and privately sold. [Ireland]

She*chi"nah (?), n. See Shekinah.

Sheck"la*ton (?), n. [Cf. Ciclatoun.] A kind of gilt leather. See Checklaton. [Obs.] Spenser.

Shed (?), n. [The same word as shade. See Shade.] A slight or temporary structure built to shade or shelter something; a structure usually open in front; an outbuilding; a hut; as, a wagon shed; a wood shed.

The first Aletes born in lowly shed.

Fairfax.

Sheds of reeds which summer's heat repel.

Sandys.

Shed, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shed; p. pr. & vb. n. Shedding.] [OE. scheden, sch&?;den, to pour, to part, AS. scdan, sceádan, to pert, to separate; akin to OS. sk&?;&?;an, OFries. sk&?;tha, G. scheiden, OHG. sceidan, Goth. skaidan, and probably to Lith. skëdu I part, separate, L. scindere to cleave, to split, Gr. &?;&?;&?;, Skr. chid, and perch. also to L. caedere to cut. &radic;159. Cf. Chisel, Concise, Schism, Sheading, Sheath, Shide.] 1. To separate; to divide. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Robert of Brunne.

2. To part with; to throw off or give forth from one's self; to emit; to diffuse; to cause to emanate or flow; to pour forth or out; to spill; as, the sun sheds light; she shed tears; the clouds shed rain.

Did Romeo's hand shed Tybalt's blood?

Shak.

Twice seven consenting years have shed Their utmost bounty on thy head.

Wordsworth.

3. To let fall; to throw off, as a natural covering of hair, feathers, shell; to cast; as, fowls shed their feathers; serpents shed their skins; trees shed leaves.

4. To cause to flow off without penetrating; as, a tight roof, or covering of oiled cloth, sheeds water.

5. To sprinkle; to intersperse; to cover. [R.] "Her hair . . . is shed with gray." B. Jonson.

6. (Weaving) To divide, as the warp threads, so as to form a shed, or passageway, for the shuttle.

Shed, v. i. 1. To fall in drops; to pour. [Obs.]

Such a rain down from the welkin shadde.

Chaucer.

2. To let fall the parts, as seeds or fruit; to throw off a covering or envelope.

White oats are apt to shed most as they lie, and black as they stand.

Mortimer.

Shed, n. 1. A parting; a separation; a division. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

They say also that the manner of making the shed of newwedded wives' hair with the iron head of a javelin came up then likewise.

Sir T. North.

2. The act of shedding or spilling; -- used only in composition, as in bloodshed.

3. That which parts, divides, or sheds; -- used in composition, as in watershed.

4. (Weaving) The passageway between the threads of the warp through which the shuttle is thrown, having a sloping top and bottom made by raising and lowering the alternate threads.

Shed"der (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, sheds; as, a shedder of blood; a shedder of tears.

2. (Zoöl.) A crab in the act of casting its shell, or immediately afterwards while still soft; -- applied especially to the edible crabs, which are most prized while in this state.

Shed"ding (?), n. 1. The act of shedding, separating, or casting off or out; as, the shedding of blood.

2. That which is shed, or cast off. [R.] Wordsworth.

{ Sheel"fa (?), Shil"fa (?) }, n. (Zoöl.) The chaffinch; -- so named from its call note. [Prov. Eng.]

Sheel"ing (?), n. [Icel. skjl a shelter, a cover; akin to Dan. & Sw. skjul.] A hut or small cottage in an exposed or a retired place (as on a mountain or at the seaside) such as is used by shepherds, fishermen, sportsmen, etc.; a summer cottage; also, a shed. [Written also sheel, shealing, sheiling, etc.] [Scot.]

Sheel"y (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Sheelfa.

Sheen (?), a. [OE. sehene, AS. sciéne, sc&?;ne, sc&?;ne, splendid, beautiful; akin to OFries. sk&?;ne, sk&?;ne, OS. sc&?;ni, D. schoon, G. schön, OHG. sc&?;ni, Goth, skanus, and E. shew; the original meaning being probably, visible, worth seeing. It is not akin to E. shine. See Shew, v. t.] Bright; glittering; radiant; fair; showy; sheeny. [R., except in poetry.]

This holy maiden, that is so bright and sheen.

Chaucer.

Up rose each warrier bold and brave, Glistening in filed steel and armor sheen.

Fairfax.

Sheen, v. i. To shine; to glisten. [Poetic]

This town, That, sheening far, celestial seems to be.

Byron.

Sheen, n. Brightness; splendor; glitter. "Throned in celestial sheen." Milton.

Sheen""ly, adv. Brightly. [R.] Mrs. Browning.

Sheen"y (?), a. Bright; shining; radiant; sheen. "A sheeny summer morn." Tennyson.

Sheep (?), n. sing. & pl. [OE. shep, scheep, AS. sc&?;p, sceáp; akin to OFries. sk&?;p, LG. & D. schaap, G. schaf, OHG. scf, Skr. chga. &radic;295. Cf. Sheepherd.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of ruminants of the genus Ovis, native of the higher mountains of both hemispheres, but most numerous in Asia.

The domestic sheep (Ovis aries) varies much in size, in the length and texture of its wool, the form and size of its horns, the length of its tail, etc. It was domesticated in prehistoric ages, and many distinct breeds have been produced; as the merinos, celebrated for their fine wool; the Cretan sheep, noted for their long horns; the fat-tailed, or Turkish, sheep, remarkable for the size and fatness of the tail, which often has to be supported on trucks; the Southdowns, in which the horns are lacking; and an Asiatic breed which always has four horns.

2. A weak, bashful, silly fellow. Ainsworth.

3. pl. Fig.: The people of God, as being under the government and protection of Christ, the great Shepherd.

Rocky mountain sheep.(Zoöl.) See Bighorn. -- Maned sheep. (Zoöl.) See Aoudad. -- Sheep bot (Zoöl.), the larva of the sheep botfly. See Estrus. -- Sheep dog (Zoöl.), a shepherd dog, or collie. -- Sheep laurel (Bot.), a small North American shrub (Kalmia angustifolia) with deep rose-colored flowers in corymbs. -- Sheep pest (Bot.), an Australian plant (Acæna ovina) related to the burnet. The fruit is covered with barbed spines, by which it adheres to the wool of sheep. -- Sheep run, an extensive tract of country where sheep range and graze. -- Sheep's beard (Bot.), a cichoraceous herb (Urospermum Dalechampii) of Southern Europe; -- so called from the conspicuous pappus of the achenes. -- Sheep's bit (Bot.), a European herb (Jasione montana) having much the appearance of scabious. -- Sheep pox (Med.), a contagious disease of sheep, characterixed by the development of vesicles or pocks upon the skin. -- Sheep scabious. (Bot.) Same as Sheep's bit. -- Sheep shears, shears in which the blades form the two ends of a steel bow, by the elasticity of which they open as often as pressed together by the hand in cutting; -- so called because used to cut off the wool of sheep. -- Sheep sorrel. (Bot.), a prerennial herb (Rumex Acetosella) growing naturally on poor, dry, gravelly soil. Its leaves have a pleasant acid taste like sorrel. -- Sheep's-wool (Zoöl.), the highest grade of Florida commercial sponges (Spongia equina, variety gossypina). -- Sheep tick (Zoöl.), a wingless parasitic insect (Melophagus ovinus) belonging to the Diptera. It fixes its proboscis in the skin of the sheep and sucks the blood, leaving a swelling. Called also sheep pest, and sheep louse. -- Sheep walk, a pasture for sheep; a sheep run. -- Wild sheep. (Zoöl.) See Argali, Mouflon, and Oörial.

Sheep"back` (?), n. (Geol.) A rounded knoll of rock resembling the back of a sheep. -- produced by glacial action. Called also roche moutonnée; -- usually in the plural.

Sheep"ber`ry (?), n. (Bot.) The edible fruit of a small North American tree of the genus Viburnum (V. Lentago), having white flowers in flat cymes; also, the tree itself. Called also nannyberry.

Sheep"bite` (?), v. i. To bite or nibble like a sheep; hence, to practice petty thefts. [Obs.] Shak.

Sheep"bit`er (?), n. One who practices petty thefts. [Obs.] Shak.

There are political sheepbiters as well as pastoral; betrayers of public trusts as well as of private.

L'Estrange.

{ Sheep"cot` (?), Sheep"cote` (?), } n. A small inclosure for sheep; a pen; a fold.

Sheep"-faced` (?), a. Over-bashful; sheepish.

Sheep"fold` (?), n. A fold or pen for sheep; a place where sheep are collected or confined.

Sheep"-head`ed (?), a. Silly; simple-minded; stupid. Taylor (1630)

Sheep"hook` (?), n. A hook fastened to pole, by which shepherds lay hold on the legs or necks of their sheep; a shepherd's crook. Dryden.

Sheep"ish, a. 1. Of or pertaining to sheep. [Obs.]

2. Like a sheep; bashful; over-modest; meanly or foolishly diffident; timorous to excess.

Wanting change of company, he will, when he comes abroad, be a sheepish or conceited creature.

Locke.

-- Sheep"ish*ly, adv. -- Sheep"ish*ness, n.

Sheep"mas`ter (?), n. A keeper or feeder of sheep; also, an owner of sheep. 2 Kings iii. 4.

Sheep"rack` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The starling.

Sheep's"-eye` (?), n. A modest, diffident look; a loving glance; -- commonly in the plural.

I saw her just now give him the languishing eye, as they call it; . . . of old called the sheep's-eye.

Wycherley.

Sheep's-foot` (?), n. A printer's tool consisting of a metal bar formed into a hammer head at one end and a claw at the other, -- used as a lever and hammer.

Sheep"shank` (?), n. (Naut.) A hitch by which a rope may be temporarily shortened.

Sheeps"head` (&?;), n. [So called because of the fancied resemblance of its head and front teeth to those of a sheep.] (Zoöl.) A large and valuable sparoid food fish (Archosargus, or Diplodus, probatocephalus) found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It often weighs from ten to twelve pounds.

The name is also locally, in a loose way, applied to various other fishes, as the butterfish, the fresh-water drumfish, the parrot fish, the porgy, and the moonfish.

Sheep"-shear`er (?), n. One who shears, or cuts off the wool from, sheep.

Sheep"-shear`ing (?), n. 1. Act of shearing sheep.

2. A feast at the time of sheep- shearing. Shak.

Sheep"skin` (?), n. 1. The skin of a sheep; or, leather prepared from it.

2. A diploma; -- so called because usually written or printed on parchment prepared from the skin of the sheep. [College Cant]

Sheep"split` (?), n. A split of a sheepskin; one of the thin sections made by splitting a sheepskin with a cutting knife or machine.

Sheep"y (?), a. Resembling sheep; sheepish. Testament of Love.

Sheer (?), a. [OE. shere, skere, pure, bright, Icel. sk&?;rr; akin to skrr, AS. scr, OS. skri, MHG. schr, G. schier, Dan. sk&?;r, Sw. skär, Goth. skeirs clear, and E. shine. &radic;157. See Shine, v. i.] 1. Bright; clear; pure; unmixed. "Sheer ale." Shak.

Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain.

Shak.

2. Very thin or transparent; -- applied to fabrics; as, sheer muslin.

3. Being only what it seems to be; obvious; simple; mere; downright; as, sheer folly; sheer nonsense. "A sheer impossibility." De Quincey.

It is not a sheer advantage to have several strings to one's bow.

M. Arnold.

4. Stright up and down; vertical; prpendicular.

A sheer precipice of a thousand feet.

J. D. Hooker.

It was at least Nine roods of sheer ascent.

Wordsworth.

Sheer, adv. Clean; quite; at once. [Obs.] Milton.

Sheer, v. t. [See Shear.] To shear. [Obs.] Dryden.

Sheer, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sheered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sheering.] [D. sheren to shear, cut, withdraw, warp. See Shear.] To decline or deviate from the line of the proper course; to turn aside; to swerve; as, a ship sheers from her course; a horse sheers at a bicycle.

To sheer off, to turn or move aside to a distance; to move away. -- To sheer up, to approach obliquely.

Sheer, n. 1. (Naut.) (a) The longitudinal upward curvature of the deck, gunwale, and lines of a vessel, as when viewed from the side. (b) The position of a vessel riding at single anchor and swinging clear of it.

2. A turn or change in a course.

Give the canoe a sheer and get nearer to the shore.

Cooper.

3. pl. Shears See Shear.

Sheer batten (Shipbuilding), a long strip of wood to guide the carpenters in following the sheer plan. -- Sheer boom, a boom slanting across a stream to direct floating logs to one side. -- Sheer hulk. See Shear hulk, under Hulk. -- Sheer plan, or Sheer draught (Shipbuilding), a projection of the lines of a vessel on a vertical longitudinal plane passing through the middle line of the vessel. -- Sheer pole (Naut.), an iron rod lashed to the shrouds just above the dead-eyes and parallel to the ratlines. -- Sheer strake (Shipbuilding), the strake under the gunwale on the top side. Totten. -- To break sheer (Naut.), to deviate from sheer, and risk fouling the anchor.

Sheer"ly (?), adv. At once; absolutely. [Obs.]

Sheer"wa`ter (?), n. (Zoöl.) The shearwater.

Sheet (?), n. [OE. shete, schete, AS. scte, scte, fr. sceát a projecting corner, a fold in a garment (akin to D. schoot sheet, bosom, lap, G. schoss bosom, lap, flap of a coat, Icel. skaut, Goth. skauts the hem of a garment); originally, that which shoots out, from the root of AS. sceótan to shoot. &radic;159. See Shoot, v. t.] In general, a large, broad piece of anything thin, as paper, cloth, etc.; a broad, thin portion of any substance; an expanded superficies. Specifically: (a) A broad piece of cloth, usually linen or cotton, used for wrapping the body or for a covering; especially, one used as an article of bedding next to the body.

He fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners.

Acts x. 10, 11.

If I do die before thee, prithee, shroud me In one of those same sheets.

Shak.

(b) A broad piece of paper, whether folded or unfolded, whether blank or written or printed upon; hence, a letter; a newspaper, etc. (c) A single signature of a book or a pamphlet; in pl., the book itself.

To this the following sheets are intended for a full and distinct answer.

Waterland.

(d) A broad, thinly expanded portion of metal or other substance; as, a sheet of copper, of glass, or the like; a plate; a leaf. (e) A broad expanse of water, or the like. "The two beautiful sheets of water." Macaulay. (f) A sail. Dryden. (g) (Geol.) An extensive bed of an eruptive rock intruded between, or overlying, other strata.

2. [AS. sceáta. See the Etymology above.] (Naut.) (a) A rope or chain which regulates the angle of adjustment of a sail in relation in relation to the wind; -- usually attached to the lower corner of a sail, or to a yard or a boom. (b) pl. The space in the forward or the after part of a boat where there are no rowers; as, fore sheets; stern sheets.

Sheet is often used adjectively, or in combination, to denote that the substance to the name of which it is prefixed is in the form of sheets, or thin plates or leaves; as, sheet brass, or sheet-brass; sheet glass, or sheet-glass; sheet gold, or sheet-gold; sheet iron, or sheet- iron, etc.

A sheet in the wind, half drunk. [Sailors' Slang] -- Both sheets in the wind, very drunk. [Sailors' Slang] -- In sheets, lying flat or expanded; not folded, or folded but not bound; -- said especially of printed sheets. -- Sheet bend (Naut.), a bend or hitch used for temporarily fastening a rope to the bight of another rope or to an eye. -- Sheet lightning, Sheet piling, etc. See under Lightning, Piling, etc.

Sheet, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sheeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sheeting.] 1. To furnish with a sheet or sheets; to wrap in, or cover with, a sheet, or as with a sheet. "The sheeted dead." "When snow the pasture sheets." Shak.

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2. To expand, as a sheet.

The star shot flew from the welkin blue, As it fell from the sheeted sky.

J. R. Drake.

To sheet home (Naut.), to haul upon a sheet until the sail is as flat, and the clew as near the wind, as possible.

Sheet" an"chor (?). [OE. scheten to shoot, AS. sceótan; cf. OE. shoot anchor. See Shoot, v. t.] 1. (Naut.) A large anchor stowed on shores outside the waist of a vessel; -- called also waist anchor. See the Note under Anchor.

2. Anything regarded as a sure support or dependence in danger; the best hope or refuge.

Sheet" ca"ble (?). (Naut.) The cable belonging to the sheet anchor.

Sheet" chain" (?). (Naut.) A chain sheet cable.

Sheet"ful (?), n.; pl. Sheetfuls (&?;). Enough to fill a sheet; as much as a sheet can hold.

Sheet"ing, n. 1. Cotton or linen cloth suitable for bed sheets. It is sometimes made of double width.

2. (Hydraul. Engin.) A lining of planks or boards (rarely of metal) for protecting an embankment.

3. The act or process of forming into sheets, or flat pieces; also, material made into sheets.

||Sheik (?), n. [Ar. sheikh, shaykh, a venerable old man, a chief, fr. ||shkha to grow or be old.] The head of an Arab family, or of a clan or ||a tribe; also, the chief magistrate of an Arab village. The name is ||also applied to Mohammedan ecclesiastics of a high grade. [Written ||also scheik, shaik, sheikh.]

{ Sheil (shl), Sheil"ing, } n. See Sheeling.

Shek"el (?), n. [Heb. shegel, fr. shgal to weigh.] 1. An ancient weight and coin used by the Jews and by other nations of the same stock.

A common estimate makes the shekel equal in weight to about 130 grains for gold, 224 grains for silver, and 450 grains for copper, and the approximate values of the coins are (gold) $5.00, (silver) 60 cents, and (copper half shekel), one and one half cents.

2. pl. A jocose term for money.

She*ki"nah (?), n. [Heb Talmud sheknh, fr. shkan to inhabit.] The visible majesty of the Divine Presence, especially when resting or dwelling between the cherubim on the mercy seat, in the Tabernacle, or in the Temple of Solomon; -- a term used in the Targums and by the later Jews, and adopted by Christians. [Written also Shechinah.] Dr. W. Smith (Bib. Dict.)

Sheld (?), a. [OE., fr. sheld a shield, probably in allusion to the ornamentation of shields. See Shield.] Variegated; spotted; speckled; piebald. [Prov. Eng.]

{ Sheld"a*fle (?), Sheld"a*ple (?), } n. [Perhaps for sheld dapple. Cf. Sheldrake.] (Zoöl.) A chaffinch. [Written also sheldapple, and shellapple.]

Sheld"fowl` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The common sheldrake. [Prov. Eng.]

Shel"drake` (?), n. [Sheld + drake.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of large Old World ducks of the genus Tadorna and allied genera, especially the European and Asiatic species. (T. cornuta, or tadorna), which somewhat resembles a goose in form and habit, but breeds in burrows.

It has the head and neck greenish black, the breast, sides, and forward part of the back brown, the shoulders and middle of belly black, the speculum green, and the bill and frontal bright red. Called also shelduck, shellduck, sheldfowl, skeelduck, bergander, burrow duck, and links goose.

The Australian sheldrake (Tadorna radja) has the head, neck, breast, flanks, and wing coverts white, the upper part of the back and a band on the breast deep chestnut, and the back and tail black. The chestnut sheldrake of Australia (Casarca tadornoides) is varied with black and chestnut, and has a dark green head and neck. The ruddy sheldrake, or Braminy duck (C. rutila), and the white-winged sheldrake (C. leucoptera), are related Asiatic species.

2. Any one of the American mergansers.

The name is also loosely applied to other ducks, as the canvasback, and the shoveler.

Shel"duck` (?), n. [Sheld variegated + duck.] (Zoöl.) The sheldrake. [Written also shellduck.]

Shelf (?), n.; pl. Shelves (#). [OE. shelfe, schelfe, AS. scylfe; akin to G. schelfe, Icel. skjlf. In senses 2 & 3, perhaps a different word (cf. Shelve, v. i.).] 1. (Arch.) A flat tablet or ledge of any material set horizontally at a distance from the floor, to hold objects of use or ornament.

2. A sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships.

On the tawny sands and shelves.

Milton.

On the secret shelves with fury cast.

Dryden.

3. (Mining) A stratum lying in a very even manner; a flat, projecting layer of rock.

4. (Naut.) A piece of timber running the whole length of a vessel inside the timberheads. D. Kemp.

To lay on the shelf, to lay aside as unnecessary or useless; to dismiss; to discard.

Shelf"y (?), a. 1. Abounding in shelves; full of dangerous shallows. "A shelfy coast." Dryden.

2. Full of strata of rock. [Obs.]

The tillable fields are in some places . . . so shelfy that the corn hath much ado to fasten its root.

Carew.

Shell (?), n. [OE. shelle, schelle, AS. scell, scyll; akin to D. shel, Icel. skel, Goth. skalja a tile, and E. skill. Cf. Scale of fishes, Shale, Skill.] 1. A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal. Specifically: (a) The covering, or outside part, of a nut; as, a hazelnut shell. (b) A pod. (c) The hard covering of an egg.

Think him as a serpent's egg, . . . And kill him in the shell.

Shak.

(d) (Zoöl.) The hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. In some mollusks, as the cuttlefishes, it is internal, or concealed by the mantle. Also, the hard covering of some vertebrates, as the armadillo, the tortoise, and the like. (e) (Zoöl.) Hence, by extension, any mollusks having such a covering.

2. (Mil.) A hollow projectile, of various shapes, adapted for a mortar or a cannon, and containing an explosive substance, ignited with a fuse or by percussion, by means of which the projectile is burst and its fragments scattered. See Bomb.

3. The case which holds the powder, or charge of powder and shot, used with breechloading small arms.

4. Any slight hollow structure; a framework, or exterior structure, regarded as not complete or filled in; as, the shell of a house.

5. A coarse kind of coffin; also, a thin interior coffin inclosed in a more substantial one. Knight.

6. An instrument of music, as a lyre, -- the first lyre having been made, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

When Jubal struck the chorded shell.

Dryden.

7. An engraved copper roller used in print works.

8. pl. The husks of cacao seeds, a decoction of which is often used as a substitute for chocolate, cocoa, etc.

9. (Naut.) The outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve.

10. A light boat the frame of which is covered with thin wood or with paper; as, a racing shell.

Message shell, a bombshell inside of which papers may be put, in order to convey messages. -- Shell bit, a tool shaped like a gouge, used with a brace in boring wood. See Bit, n., 3. -- Shell button. (a) A button made of shell. (b) A hollow button made of two pieces, as of metal, one for the front and the other for the back, -- often covered with cloth, silk, etc. -- Shell cameo, a cameo cut in shell instead of stone. -- Shell flower. (Bot.) Same as Turtlehead. -- Shell gland. (Zoöl.) (a) A glandular organ in which the rudimentary shell is formed in embryonic mollusks. (b) A glandular organ which secretes the eggshells of various worms, crustacea, mollusks, etc. -- Shell gun, a cannon suitable for throwing shells. -- Shell ibis (Zoöl.), the openbill of India. -- Shell jacket, an undress military jacket. -- Shell lime, lime made by burning the shells of shellfish. -- Shell marl (Min.), a kind of marl characterized by an abundance of shells, or fragments of shells. -- Shell meat, food consisting of shellfish, or testaceous mollusks. Fuller. -- Shell mound. See under Mound. -- Shell of a boiler, the exterior of a steam boiler, forming a case to contain the water and steam, often inclosing also flues and the furnace; the barrel of a cylindrical, or locomotive, boiler. -- Shell road, a road of which the surface or bed is made of shells, as oyster shells. -- Shell sand, minute fragments of shells constituting a considerable part of the seabeach in some places.

Shell, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shelled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shelling.] 1. To strip or break off the shell of; to take out of the shell, pod, etc.; as, to shell nuts or pease; to shell oysters.

2. To separate the kernels of (an ear of Indian corn, wheat, oats, etc.) from the cob, ear, or husk.

3. To throw shells or bombs upon or into; to bombard; as, to shell a town.

To shell out, to distribute freely; to bring out or pay, as money. [Colloq.]

Shell, v. i. 1. To fall off, as a shell, crust, etc.

2. To cast the shell, or exterior covering; to fall out of the pod or husk; as, nuts shell in falling.

3. To be disengaged from the ear or husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.

{ Shell"-lac`, Shel"lac` } (?), n. [Shell + lac a resinous substance; cf. D. shellak, G. schellack.] See the Note under 2d Lac.

Shell"ap`ple, n. (Zoöl.) See Sheldafle.

Shell"bark` (?), n. (Bot.) A species of hickory (Carya alba) whose outer bark is loose and peeling; a shagbark; also, its nut.

Shelled (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having a shell.

Shell"er (?), n. One who, or that which, shells; as, an oyster sheller; a corn sheller.

Shell"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any aquatic animal whose external covering consists of a shell, either testaceous, as in oysters, clams, and other mollusks, or crustaceous, as in lobsters and crabs.

Shell"ing, n. Groats; hulled oats. Simmonds.

Shell"-less, a. Having no shell. J. Burroughs.

Shell"proof` (?), a. Capable of resisting bombs or other shells; bombproof.

Shell"work` (?), n. Work composed of shells, or adorned with them. Cotgrave.

Shell"y (?), a. Abounding with shells; consisting of shells, or of a shell. "The shelly shore." Prior.

Shrinks backward in his shelly cave.

Shak.

Shel"ter (?), n. [Cf. OE. scheltrun, shiltroun, schelltrome, scheldtrome, a guard, squadron, AS. scildtruma a troop of men with shields; scild shield + truma a band of men. See Shield, n.] 1. That which covers or defends from injury or annoyance; a protection; a screen.

The sick and weak the healing plant shall aid, From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade.

Pope.

2. One who protects; a guardian; a defender.

Thou [God] hast been a shelter for me.

Ps. lxi. 3.

3. The state of being covered and protected; protection; security.

Who into shelter takes their tender bloom.

Young.

Shelter tent,a small tent made of pieces of cotton duck arranged to button together. In field service the soldiers carry the pieces.

Syn. -- Asylum; refuge; retreat; covert; sanctuary; protection; defense; security.

Shel"ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sheltered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sheltering.] 1. To be a shelter for; to provide with a shelter; to cover from injury or annoyance; to shield; to protect.

Those ruins sheltered once his sacred head.

Dryden.

You have no convents . . . in which such persons may be received and sheltered.

Southey.

2. To screen or cover from notice; to disguise.

In vain I strove to cheek my growing flame, Or shelter passion under friendship's name.

Prior.

3. To betake to cover, or to a safe place; -- used reflexively.

They sheltered themselves under a rock.

Abp. Abbot.

Shel"ter, v. i. To take shelter.

There oft the Indian herdsman, shunning heat, Shelters in cool.

Milton.

Shel"ter*less, a. Destitute of shelter or protection.

Now sad and shelterless perhaps she lies.

Rowe.

Shel"ter*y (?), a. Affording shelter. [R.]

{ Shel"tie (?), Shel"ty (?) }, n. A Shetland pony.

Shelve (?), v. t. 1. To furnish with shelves; as, to shelve a closet or a library.

2. To place on a shelf. Hence: To lay on the shelf; to put aside; to dismiss from service; to put off indefinitely; as, to shelve an officer; to shelve a claim.

Shelve, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shelved (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shelving.] [Perhapss originally from the same source as shallow, but influenced by shelf a ledge, a platform.] To incline gradually; to be slopping; as, the bottom shelves from the shore.

Shelv"ing, a. Sloping gradually; inclining; as, a shelving shore. Shak. "Shelving arches." Addison.

Shelv"ing, n. 1. The act of fitting up shelves; as, the job of shelving a closet.

2. The act of laying on a shelf, or on the shelf; putting off or aside; as, the shelving of a claim.

3. Material for shelves; shelves, collectively.

Shelv"y (?), a. Sloping gradually; shelving.

The shore was shelving and shallow.

Shak.

Shem"ite (?), n. A descendant of Shem.

{ Shem*it"ic (?), Shem"i*tish (?), } a. Of or pertaining to Shem, the son of Noah, or his descendants. See Semitic.

Shem"i*tism (?), n. See Semitism.

Shend (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shent (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shending.] [AS. scendan to disgrace, bring to shame, from sceand, sceond, disgrace, dishonor, shame; akin to G. schande, Goth. skanda. See Shame, n.] 1. To injure, mar, spoil, or harm. [Obs.] "Loss of time shendeth us." Chaucer.

I fear my body will be shent.

Dryden.

2. To blame, reproach, or revile; to degrade, disgrace, or put to shame. [Archaic] R. Browning.

The famous name of knighthood foully shend.

Spenser.

She passed the rest as Cynthia doth shend The lesser stars.

Spenser.

Shend"ful (?), a. Destructive; ruinous; disgraceful. [Obs.] -- Shend"ful*ly, adv. [Obs.] Fabyan.

Shend"ship, n. Harm; ruin; also, reproach; disgrace. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Shent (?), obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Shend, for shendeth. Chaucer.

Shent, v. t. To shend. [Obs.] Chaucer.

She"ol (sh"l), n. [Heb. shl.] The place of departed spirits; Hades; also, the grave.

For thou wilt not leave my soul to sheol.

Ps. xvi. 10. (Rev. Ver.)

Shep"en (?), n. A stable; a shippen. [Obs.]

The shepne brenning with the blacke smoke.

Chaucer.

Shep"herd (?), n. [OE. schepherde, schephirde, AS. sceáphyrde; sceáp sheep + hyrde, hirde, heorde, a herd, a guardian. See Sheep, and Herd.] 1. A man employed in tending, feeding, and guarding sheep, esp. a flock grazing at large.

2. The pastor of a church; one with the religious guidance of others.

Shepherd bird (Zoöl.), the crested screamer. See Screamer. -- Shepherd dog (Zoöl.), a breed of dogs used largely for the herding and care of sheep. There are several kinds, as the collie, or Scotch shepherd dog, and the English shepherd dog. Called also shepherd's dog. -- Shepherd dog, a name of Pan. Keats. -- Shepherd kings, the chiefs of a nomadic people who invaded Egypt from the East in the traditional period, and conquered it, at least in part. They were expelled after about five hundred years, and attempts have been made to connect their expulsion with narrative in the book of Exodus. -- Shepherd's club (Bot.), the common mullein. See Mullein. -- Shepherd's crook, a long staff having the end curved so as to form a large hook, -- used by shepherds. -- Shepherd's needle (Bot.), the lady's comb. -- Shepherd's plaid, a kind of woolen cloth of a checkered black and white pattern. -- Shephered spider (Zoöl.), a daddy longlegs, or harvestman. -- Shepherd's pouch, or Shepherd's purse (Bot.), an annual cruciferous plant (Capsella Bursapastoris) bearing small white flowers and pouchlike pods. See Illust. of Silicle. -- Shepherd's rod, or Shepherd's staff (Bot.), the small teasel.

Shep"herd, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shepherded; p. pr. & vb. n. Shepherding.] To tend as a shepherd; to guard, herd, lead, or drive, as a shepherd. [Poetic]

White, fleecy clouds . . .

Shepherded by the slow, unwilling wind.

Shelley.

Shep"herd*ess, n. A woman who tends sheep; hence, a rural lass.

She put herself into the garb of a shepherdess.

Sir P. Sidney.

Shep*her"di*a (?), n.; pl. Shepherdias (#). [NL. So called from John Shepherd, an English botanist.] (Bot.) A genus of shrubs having silvery scurfy leaves, and belonging to the same family as Elæagnus; also, any plant of this genus. See Buffalo berry, under Buffalo.

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Shep"herd*ish (?), n. Resembling a shepherd; suiting a shepherd; pastoral. Sir T. Sidney.

Shep"herd*ism (?), n. Pastoral life or occupation.

Shep"herd*ling (?), n. A little shepherd.

Shep"herd*ly (?), a. Resembling, or becoming to, a shepherd; pastoral; rustic. [R.] Jer. Taylor.

Shep"ster (?), n. A seamstress. [Obs.] Caxton.

Sher"bet (?), n. [Ar. sherbet, shorbet, sharbat, properly, one drink or sip, a draught, beverage, from shariba to drink. Cf. Sorbet, Sirup, Shrub a drink.] 1. A refreshing drink, common in the East, made of the juice of some fruit, diluted, sweetened, and flavored in various ways; as, orange sherbet; lemon sherbet; raspberry sherbet, etc.

2. A flavored water ice.

3. A preparation of bicarbonate of soda, tartaric acid, sugar, etc., variously flavored, for making an effervescing drink; -- called also sherbet powder.

Sherd (?), n. A fragment; -- now used only in composition, as in potsherd. See Shard.

The thigh . . . which all in sherds it drove.

Chapman.

{ ||Sher"eef (?), ||Sher"if (?), } n. [Ar. sherf noble, holy, n., a prince.] A member of an Arab princely family descended from Mohammed through his son-in-law Ali and daughter Fatima. The Grand Shereef is the governor of Mecca.

||Sher"i*at (?), n. [Turk. sher 'at] The sacred law of the Turkish ||empire.

Sher"iff, n. [OE. shereve, AS. scr-ger&?;fa; scr a shire + ger&?;fa a reeve. See Shire, and Reeve, and cf. Shrievalty.] The chief officer of a shire or county, to whom is intrusted the execution of the laws, the serving of judicial writs and processes, and the preservation of the peace.

In England, sheriffs are appointed by the king. In the United States, sheriffs are elected by the legislature or by the citizens, or appointed and commissioned by the executive of the State. The office of sheriff in England is judicial and ministerial. In the United States, it is mainly ministerial. The sheriff, by himself or his deputies, executes civil and criminal process throughout the county, has charge of the jail and prisoners, attends courts, and keeps the peace. His judicial authority is generally confined to ascertaining damages on writs of inquiry and the like. Sheriff, in Scotland, called sheriff depute, is properly a judge, having also certain ministerial powers. Sheriff clerk is the clerk of the Sheriff's Court in Scotland. Sheriff's Court in London is a tribunal having cognizance of certain personal actions in that city. Wharton, Tomlins. Erskine.

{ Sher"iff*al*ty (?), Sher"iff*dom (?), Sher"iff*ry (?), Sher"iff*ship (?), Sher"iff*wick (?), n. } The office or jurisdiction of sheriff. See Shrievalty.

Shern (?), n. See Shearn. [Obs.]

Sher"ris (?), n. Sherry. [Obs.] Shak.

Sher"ry (?), n. [So called from Xeres, a Spanish town near Cadiz, x in Spanish having been formerly pronounced like sh in English.] A Spanish light-colored dry wine, made in Andalusia. As prepared for commerce it is colored a straw color or a deep amber by mixing with it cheap wine boiled down.

Sherry cobbler, a beverage prepared with sherry wine, water, lemon or orange, sugar, ice, etc., and usually imbided through a straw or a glass tube.

Sher"ry*val`lies (?), n. pl. [Cf. Sp. zaraquelles wide breeches or overalls.] Trousers or overalls of thick cloth or leather, buttoned on the outside of each leg, and generally worn to protect other trousers when riding on horseback. [Local, U.S.] Bartlett.

Shet (?), v. t. & i. [imp. Shet. (Obs. Shette (&?; or &?;)); p. pr. Shet; p. pr. & vb. n. Shetting.] To shut. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Chaucer.

Shete (?), v. t. & i. To shoot. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sheth (?), n. The part of a plow which projects downward beneath the beam, for holding the share and other working parts; -- also called standard, or post.

Shet"land po"ny (?). One of a small, hardy breed of horses, with long mane and tail, which originated in the Shetland Islands; a sheltie.

Shew (?), v. t. & i. See Show.

Shew, n. Show. [Obs. except in shewbread.]

Shew"bread` (?). See Showbread.

Shew"el (?), n. A scarecrow. [Obs.] Trench.

Shew"er (?), n. One who shews. See Shower.

Shewn (?), p. p. of Shew.

Shi"ah (?), n. Same as Shiite.

Shib"bo*leth (?), n. [Heb. shibbleth an ear of corn, or a stream, a flood.] 1. A word which was made the criterion by which to distinguish the Ephraimites from the Gileadites. The Ephraimites, not being able to pronounce sh, called the word sibboleth. See Judges xii.

Without reprieve, adjudged to death, For want of well pronouncing shibboleth.

Milton.

Also in an extended sense.

The th, with its twofold value, is . . . the shibboleth of foreigners.

Earle.

2. Hence, the criterion, test, or watchword of a party; a party cry or pet phrase.

Shide (?), n. [OE. shide, schide, AS. scde; akin to OHG. sct, G. scheit, Icel. skð, and E. shed, v.t.] A thin board; a billet of wood; a splinter. [Prov. Eng.]

Shie (?), v. t. See Shy, to throw.

Shied (?), imp. & p. p. of Shy.

Shiel, n. A sheeling. [Scot.] Burns.

Shield (?), n. [OE. sheld, scheld, AS. scield, scild, sceld, scyld; akin to OS. scild, OFries. skeld, D. & G. schild, OHG. scilt, Icel. skjöldr, Sw. sköld, Dan. skiold, Goth. skildus; of uncertain origin. Cf. Sheldrake.] 1. A broad piece of defensive armor, carried on the arm, -- formerly in general use in war, for the protection of the body. See Buckler.

Now put your shields before your hearts and fight, With hearts more proof than shields.

Shak.

2. Anything which protects or defends; defense; shelter; protection. "My council is my shield." Shak.

3. Figuratively, one who protects or defends.

Fear not, Abram; I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

Gen. xv. 1.

4. (Bot.) In lichens, a Hardened cup or disk surrounded by a rim and containing the fructification, or asci.

5. (Her.) The escutcheon or field on which are placed the bearings in coats of arms. Cf. Lozenge. See Illust. of Escutcheon.

6. (Mining & Tunneling) A framework used to protect workmen in making an adit under ground, and capable of being pushed along as excavation progresses.

7. A spot resembling, or having the form of, a shield. "Bespotted as with shields of red and black." Spenser.

8. A coin, the old French crown, or écu, having on one side the figure of a shield. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Shield fern (Bot.), any fern of the genus Aspidium, in which the fructifications are covered with shield-shaped indusia; -- called also wood fern. See Illust. of Indusium.

Shield (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shielded; p. pr. & vb. n. Shielding.] [AS. scidan, scyldan. See Shield, n.] 1. To cover with, or as with, a shield; to cover from danger; to defend; to protect from assault or injury.

Shouts of applause ran ringing through the field, To see the son the vanquished father shield.

Dryden.

A woman's shape doth shield thee.

Shak.

2. To ward off; to keep off or out.

They brought with them their usual weeds, fit to shield the cold to which they had been inured.

Spenser.

3. To avert, as a misfortune; hence, as a supplicatory exclamation, forbid! [Obs.]

God shield that it should so befall.

Chaucer.

God shield I should disturb devotion!

Shak.

Shield"-bear`er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, carries a shield.

2. (Zoöl.) Any small moth of the genus Aspidisca, whose larva makes a shieldlike covering for itself out of bits of leaves.

Shield"drake` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A sheldrake.

Shield"less, a. Destitute of a shield, or of protection. -- Shield"less*ly, adv. -- Shield"less*ness, n.

Shield"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any species of small burrowing snakes of the family Uropeltidæ, native of Ceylon and Southern Asia. They have a small mouth which can not be dilated.

Shiel"ing (?), n. A hut or shelter for shepherds of fishers. See Sheeling. [Scot.]

Shift (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shifted; p. pr. & vb. n. Shifting.] [OE. shiften, schiften, to divide, change, remove. AS. sciftan to divide; akin to LG. & D. schiften to divide, distinguish, part Icel. skipta to divide, to part, to shift, to change, Dan skifte, Sw. skifta, and probably to Icel. skfa to cut into slices, as n., a slice, and to E. shive, sheave, n., shiver, n.] 1. To divide; to distribute; to apportion. [Obs.]

To which God of his bounty would shift Crowns two of flowers well smelling.

Chaucer.

2. To change the place of; to move or remove from one place to another; as, to shift a burden from one shoulder to another; to shift the blame.

Hastily he schifte him[self].

Piers Plowman.

Pare saffron between the two St. Mary's days, Or set or go shift it that knowest the ways.

Tusser.

3. To change the position of; to alter the bearings of; to turn; as, to shift the helm or sails.

Carrying the oar loose, [they] shift it hither and thither at pleasure.

Sir W. Raleigh.

4. To exchange for another of the same class; to remove and to put some similar thing in its place; to change; as, to shift the clothes; to shift the scenes.

I would advise you to shift a shirt.

Shak.

5. To change the clothing of; -- used reflexively. [Obs.]

As it were to ride day and night; and . . . not to have patience to shift me.

Shak.

6. To put off or out of the way by some expedient. "I shifted him away." Shak.

To shift off, to delay; to defer; to put off; to lay aside. -- To shift the scene, to change the locality or the surroundings, as in a play or a story.

Shift the scene for half an hour; Time and place are in thy power.

Swift.

Shift, v. i. 1. To divide; to distribute. [Obs.]

Some this, some that, as that him liketh shift.

Chaucer.

2. To make a change or changes; to change position; to move; to veer; to substitute one thing for another; -- used in the various senses of the transitive verb.

The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon.

Shak.

Here the Baillie shifted and fidgeted about in his seat.

Sir W. Scott.

3. To resort to expedients for accomplishing a purpose; to contrive; to manage.

Men in distress will look to themselves, and leave their companions to shift as well as they can.

L'Estrange.

4. To practice indirect or evasive methods.

All those schoolmen, though they were exceeding witty, yet better teach all their followers to shift, than to resolve by their distinctions.

Sir W. Raleigh.

5. (Naut.) To slip to one side of a ship, so as to destroy the equilibrum; -- said of ballast or cargo; as, the cargo shifted.

Shift (?), n. [Cf. Icel skipti. See Shift, v. t.] 1. The act of shifting. Specifically: (a) The act of putting one thing in the place of another, or of changing the place of a thing; change; substitution.

My going to Oxford was not merely for shift of air.

Sir H. Wotton.

(b) A turning from one thing to another; hence, an expedient tried in difficulty; often, an evasion; a trick; a fraud. "Reduced to pitiable shifts." Macaulay.

I 'll find a thousand shifts to get away.

Shak.

Little souls on little shifts rely.

Dryden.

2. Something frequently shifted; especially, a woman's under-garment; a chemise.

3. The change of one set of workmen for another; hence, a spell, or turn, of work; also, a set of workmen who work in turn with other sets; as, a night shift.

4. In building, the extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.

5. (Mining) A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.

6. (Mus.) A change of the position of the hand on the finger board, in playing the violin.

To make shift, to contrive or manage in an exigency. "I shall make shift to go without him." Shak.

[They] made a shift to keep their own in Ireland.

Milton.

Shift"a*ble (?), a. Admitting of being shifted.

Shift"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, shifts; one who plays tricks or practices artifice; a cozener.

'T was such a shifter that, if truth were known, Death was half glad when he had got him down.

Milton.

2. (Naut.) An assistant to the ship's cook in washing, steeping, and shifting the salt provisions.

3. (Mach.) (a) An arrangement for shifting a belt sidewise from one pulley to another. (b) (Knitting Mach.) A wire for changing a loop from one needle to another, as in narrowing, etc.

Shift"i*ness, n. The quality or state of being shifty.

Diplomatic shiftiness and political versatility.

J. A. Syminds.

Shift"ing, a. 1. Changing in place, position, or direction; varying; variable; fickle; as, shifting winds; shifting opinions or principles.

2. Adapted or used for shifting anything.

Shifting backstays (Naut.), temporary stays that have to be let go whenever the vessel tacks or jibes. -- Shifting ballast, ballast which may be moved from one side of a vessel to another as safety requires. -- Shifting center. See Metacenter. -- Shifting locomotive. See Switching engine, under Switch.

Shift"ing*ly, adv. In a shifting manner.

Shift"less, a. Destitute of expedients, or not using successful expedients; characterized by failure, especially by failure to provide for one's own support, through negligence or incapacity; hence, lazy; improvident; thriftless; as, a shiftless fellow; shiftless management. -- Shift"less*ly, adv. -- Shift"less*ness, n.

Shift"y (?), a. Full of, or ready with, shifts; fertile in expedients or contrivance. Wright.

Shifty and thrifty as old Greek or modern Scot, there were few things he could not invent, and perhaps nothing he could not endure.

C. Kingsley.

{ Shi"ite (?), Shi"ah (?) }, n. [Ar. sh'aa follower of the sect of Ali, fr. sh'at, sh'ah, a multitude following one another in pursuit of the same object, the sect of Ali, fr. sh'a to follow.] A member of that branch of the Mohammedans to which the Persians belong. They reject the first three caliphs, and consider Ali as being the first and only rightful successor of Mohammed. They do not acknowledge the Sunna, or body of traditions respecting Mohammed, as any part of the law, and on these accounts are treated as heretics by the Sunnites, or orthodox Mohammedans.

{ Shi*ka"ree, ||Shi*ka"ri } (?) n. [Hind.] A sportsman; esp., a native hunter. [India]

Shilf (?), n. [CF. G. shilf sedge.] Straw. [Obs.]

Shill (?), v. t. To shell. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Shill, v. t. [Cf. Sheal.] To put under cover; to sheal. [Prov.ng.] Brockett.

{ Shil*la"lah, Shil*le"lah } (?), n. An oaken sapling or cudgel; any cudgel; -- so called from Shillelagh, a place in Ireland of that name famous for its oaks. [Irish] [Written also shillaly, and shillely.]

Shil"ling (?), n. [OE. shilling, schilling, AS. scilling; akin to D. schelling, OS. & OHG. scilling, G. schilling, Sw. & Dan. skilling, Icel. skillingr, Goth. skilliggs, and perh. to OHG. scellan to sound, G. schallen.] 1. A silver coin, and money of account, of Great Britain and its dependencies, equal to twelve pence, or the twentieth part of a pound, equivalent to about twenty-four cents of the United States currency.

2. In the United States, a denomination of money, differing in value in different States. It is not now legally recognized.

Many of the States while colonies had issued bills of credit which had depreciated in different degrees in the different colonies. Thus, in New England currency (used also in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida), after the adoption of the decimal system, the pound in paper money was worth only $3.333, and the shilling 16&?; cts., or 6s. to $1; in New York currency (also in North Carolina, Ohio, and Michigan), the pound was worth $2.50, and the shilling 12½ cts., or 8s. to $1; in Pennsylvania currency (also in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland), the pound was worth $2.70, and the shilling 13½ cts., or 7s. 6d. to $1; and in Georgia currency (also in South Carolina), the pound was worth $4.29&?;, and the shilling 21&?; cts., or 4s 8d. to $1. In many parts of the country . . . the reckoning by shillings and pence is not yet entirely abandoned. Am. Cyc.

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3. The Spanish real, of the value of one eight of a dollar, or 12&?; cets; -- formerly so called in New York and some other States. See Note under 2.

York shilling. Same as Shilling, 3.

{ Shill"-I-shall`-I (?), Shil"ly-shal`ly, } adv. [A reduplication of shall I.] In an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner.

I am somewhat dainty in making a resolution, because when I make it, I keep it; I don't stand shill-I-shall-I then; if I say 't, I'll do 't.

Congreve.

Shil"ly-shal`ly, v. i. To hesitate; to act in an irresolute manner; hence, to occupy one's self with trifles.

Shil"ly-shal`ly, n. Irresolution; hesitation; also, occupation with trifles.

She lost not one of her forty-five minutes in picking and choosing, -- no shilly-shally in Kate.

De Quincey.

Shi"loh (sh\'b6l), n. [Heb. shlh, literally, quiet, rest, fr. shlh to rest.] (Script.) A word used by Jacob on his deathbed, and interpreted variously, as "the Messiah," or as the city "Shiloh," or as "Rest."

Shi"ly (?), adv. See Shyly.

Shim (?), n. 1. A kind of shallow plow used in tillage to break the ground, and clear it of weeds.

2. (Mach.) A thin piece of metal placed between two parts to make a fit.

Shim"mer (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shimmered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shimmering.] [OE. schimeren, AS. scimerian; akin to scmian, scman, to glitter, D. schemeren, G. schimmern, Dan. skimre, Sw. skimra, AS. scma a light, brightness, Icel. skma, Goth. skeima a torch, a lantern, and E. shine. &radic;157. See Shine, v. i.] To shine with a tremulous or intermittent light; to shine faintly; to gleam; to glisten; to glimmer.

The shimmering glimpses of a stream.

Tennyson.

Shim"mer, n. A faint, tremulous light; a gleaming; a glimmer.

TWo silver lamps, fed with perfumed oil, diffused . . . a trembling twilight-seeming shimmer through the quiet apartment.

Sir W. Scott.

Shim"mer*ing, n. A gleam or glimmering. "A little shimmering of a light." Chaucer.

Shim"my (?), n. A chemise. [Colloq.]

Shin (?), n. [OE. shine, schine, AS. scina; akin to D. scheen, OHG. scina, G. schiene, schienbein, Dan. skinnebeen, Sw. skenben. Cf. Chine.] 1. The front part of the leg below the knee; the front edge of the shin bone; the lower part of the leg; the shank. "On his shin." Chaucer.

2. (Railbroad) A fish plate for rails. Knight.

Shin bone (Anat.), the tibia. -- Shin leaf (Bot.), a perennial ericaceous herb (Pyrola elliptica) with a cluster of radical leaves and a raceme of greenish white flowers.

Shin, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shinned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shinning.] 1. To climb a mast, tree, rope, or the like, by embracing it alternately with the arms and legs, without help of steps, spurs, or the like; -- used with up; as, to shin up a mast. [Slang]

2. To run about borrowing money hastily and temporarily, as for the payment of one's notes at the bank. [Slang, U.S.] Bartlett.

Shin, v. t. To climb (a pole, etc.) by shinning up. [Slang]

Shin"dle (?), n. [See 2d Shingle.] A shingle; also, a slate for roofing. [Obs.] Holland.

Shin"dle, v. t. To cover or roof with shindles. [Obs.]

Shin"dy (?), n.; pl. Shindies (#). [Etymol. uncertain; cf. Shinney, Shinty.] 1. An uproar or disturbance; a spree; a row; a riot. [Slang] Thackeray.

2. Hockey; shinney. Bartlett.

3. A fancy or liking. [Local, U. S.] Bartlett.

Shine (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shone (&?; or &?;; 277) (archaic Shined (&?;)); p. pr. & vb. n. Shining.] [OE. shinen, schinen, AS. scnan; akin to D. schijnen, OFries. skna, OS. & OHG. scnan, G. scheinen, Icel. skna, Sw. skina, Dan. skinne, Goth. skeinan, and perh. to Gr. &?;&?;&?; shadow. &radic;157. Cf. Sheer pure, and Shimmer.] 1. To emit rays of light; to give light; to beam with steady radiance; to exhibit brightness or splendor; as, the sun shines by day; the moon shines by night.

Hyperion's quickening fire doth shine.

Shak.

God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Cghrist.

2 Cor. iv. 6.

Let thine eyes shine forth in their full luster.

Denham.

2. To be bright by reflection of light; to gleam; to be glossy; as, to shine like polished silver.

3. To be effulgent in splendor or beauty. "So proud she shined in her princely state." Spenser.

Once brightest shined this child of heat and air.

Pope.

4. To be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished; to exhibit brilliant intellectual powers; as, to shine in courts; to shine in conversation.

Few are qualified to shine in company; but it in most men's power to be agreeable.

Swift.

To make, or cause, the face to shine upon, to be propitious to; to be gracious to. Num. vi. 25.

Shine, v. t. 1. To cause to shine, as a light. [Obs.]

He [God] doth not rain wealth, nor shine honor and virtues, upon men equally.

Bacon.

2. To make bright; to cause to shine by reflected light; as, in hunting, to shine the eyes of a deer at night by throwing a light on them. [U. S.] Bartlett.

Shine, n. 1. The quality or state of shining; brightness; luster, gloss; polish; sheen.

Now sits not girt with taper's holy shine.

Milton.

Fair opening to some court's propitious shine.

Pope.

The distant shine of the celestial city.

Hawthorne.

2. Sunshine; fair weather.

Be it fair or foul, or rain or shine.

Dryden.

3. A liking for a person; a fancy. [Slang, U.S.]

4. Caper; antic; row. [Slang]

To cut up shines, to play pranks. [Slang, U.S.]

Shine (?), a. [AS. scn. See Shine, v. i.] Shining; sheen. [Obs.] Spenser.

Shin"er (?), n. That which shines. Specifically: (a) A luminary. (b) A bright piece of money. [Slang]

Has she the shiners, d' ye think?

Foote.

(c) (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small freshwater American cyprinoid fishes, belonging to Notropis, or Minnilus, and allied genera; as the redfin (Notropis megalops), and the golden shiner (Notemigonus chrysoleucus) of the Eastern United States; also loosely applied to various other silvery fishes, as the dollar fish, or horsefish, menhaden, moonfish, sailor's choice, and the sparada. (d) (Zoöl.) The common Lepisma, or furniture bug.

Blunt-nosed shiner (Zoöl.), the silver moonfish.

Shi"ness (?), n. See Shyness.

Shin"gle (?), n. [Prob. from Norw. singl, singling, coarse gravel, small round stones.] (Geol.) Round, water-worn, and loose gravel and pebbles, or a collection of roundish stones, such as are common on the seashore and elsewhere.

Shin"gle, n. [OE. shingle, shindle, fr. L. scindula, scandula; cf. scindere to cleave, to split, E. shed, v.t., Gr. &?;&?;&?;, &?;&?;&?;, shingle, &?;&?;&?; to slit.] 1. A piece of wood sawed or rived thin and small, with one end thinner than the other, -- used in covering buildings, especially roofs, the thick ends of one row overlapping the thin ends of the row below.

I reached St. Asaph, . . . where there is a very poor cathedral church covered with shingles or tiles.

Ray.

2. A sign for an office or a shop; as, to hang out one's shingle. [Jocose, U. S.]

Shingle oak (Bot.), a kind of oak (Quercus imbricaria) used in the Western States for making shingles.

Shin"gle, v. t. [imp. &. p. p. Shingled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shingling (?).] 1. To cover with shingles; as, to shingle a roof.

They shingle their houses with it.

Evelyn.

2. To cut, as hair, so that the ends are evenly exposed all over the head, as shingles on a roof.

Shin"gle, v. t. To subject to the process of shindling, as a mass of iron from the pudding furnace.

Shin"gler (?), n. 1. One who shingles.

2. A machine for shingling puddled iron.

Shin"gles (?), n. [OF. cengle a girth, F. sangle, fr. L. cingulum a girdle, fr. cingere to gird. Cf. Cincture, Cingle, Surcingle.] (Med.) A kind of herpes (Herpes zoster) which spreads half way around the body like a girdle, and is usually attended with violent neuralgic pain.

Shin"gling (?), n. 1. The act of covering with shingles; shingles, collectively; a covering made of shingles.

2. (Metal) The process of expelling scoriæ and other impurities by hammering and squeezing, in the production of wrought iron.

Shingling hammer, a ponderous hammer moved by machinery, used in shingling puddled iron. -- Shingling mill, a mill or forge where puddled iron is shingled.

Shin"gly (?), a. Abounding with shingle, or gravel.

Shin"hop`ple (?), n. The hobblebush.

Shin"ing (?), a. 1. Emitting light, esp. in a continuous manner; radiant; as, shining lamps; also, bright by the reflection of light; as, shining armor. "Fish . . . with their fins and shining scales." Milton.

2. Splendid; illustrious; brilliant; distinguished; conspicious; as, a shining example of charity.

3. Having the surface smooth and polished; -- said of leaves, the surfaces of shells, etc.

Syn. -- Glistening; bright; radiant; resplendent; effulgent; lustrous; brilliant; glittering; splendid; illustrious. -- Shining, Brilliant, Sparking. Shining describes the steady emission of a strong light, or the steady reflection of light from a clear or polished surface. Brilliant denotes a shining of great brightness, but with gleams or flashes. Sparkling implies a fitful, intense shining from radiant points or sparks, by which the eye is dazzled. The same distinctions obtain when these epithets are figuratively applied. A man of shining talents is made conspicious by possessing them; if they flash upon the mind with a peculiarly striking effect, we call them brilliant; if his brilliancy is marked by great vivacity and occasional intensity, he is sparkling.

True paradise . . . inclosed with shining rock.

Milton.

Some in a brilliant buckle bind her waist, Some round her neck a circling light display.

Gay.

His sparkling blade about his head he blest.

Spenser.

Shin"ing, n. Emission or reflection of light.

Shin"ing*ness, n. Brightness. J. Spence.

Shin"ney (?), n. [CF. Shindy.] The game of hockey; -- so called because of the liability of the players to receive blows on the shin. Halliwell.

Shin"plas`ter (?), n. Formerly, a jocose term for a bank note greatly depreciated in value; also, for paper money of a denomination less than a dollar. [U. S.]

{ Shin"to (?), Shin"ti*ism (?), } n. [Chin. shin god + tao way, doctrine.] One of the two great systems of religious belief in Japan. Its essence is ancestor worship, and sacrifice to dead heroes. [Written also Sintu, and Sintuism.]

Shin"to*ist (?), n. An adherent of Shintoism.

Shin"ty (?), n. [Cf. Gael. sinteag a skip, a bound.] A Scotch game resembling hockey; also, the club used in the game. Jamieson.

Shin"y (?), a. [Compar. Shinier (?); superl. Shiniest.] Bright; luminous; clear; unclouded.

Like distant thunder on a shiny day.

Dryden.

-ship (?). [OE. -schipe, AS. -scipe; akin to OFries. -skipe, OLG. -skepi, D. -schap, OHG. - scaf, G. -schaft. Cf. Shape, n., and Landscape.] A suffix denoting state, office, dignity, profession, or art; as in lordship, friendship, chancellorship, stewardship, horsemanship.

Ship (?), n. [AS. scipe.] Pay; reward. [Obs.]

In withholding or abridging of the ship or the hire or the wages of servants.

Chaucer.

Ship, n. [OE. ship, schip, AS. scip; akin to OFries. skip, OS. scip, D. schip, G. schiff, OHG. scif, Dan. skib, Sw. skeep, Icel. & Goth. skip; of unknown origin. Cf. Equip, Skiff, Skipper.] 1. Any large seagoing vessel.

Like a stately ship . . . With all her bravery on, and tackle trim, Sails filled, and streamers waving.

Milton.

Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State!

Longfellow.

2. Specifically, a vessel furnished with a bowsprit and three masts (a mainmast, a foremast, and a mizzenmast), each of which is composed of a lower mast, a topmast, and a topgallant mast, and square-rigged on all masts. See Illustation in Appendix.

l Port or Larboard Side; s Starboard Side; 1 Roundhouse or Deck House; 2 Tiller; 3 Grating; 4 Wheel; 5 Wheel Chains; 6 Binnacle; 7 Mizzenmast; 8 Skylight; 9 Capstan; 10 Mainmast; 11 Pumps; 12 Galley or Caboose; 13 Main Hatchway; 14 Windlass; 15 Foremast; 16 Fore Hatchway; 17 Bitts; 18 Bowsprit; 19 Head Rail; 20 Boomkins; 21 Catheads on Port Bow and Starboard Bow; 22 Fore Chains; 23 Main Chains; 24 Mizzen Chains; 25 Stern.

1 Fore Royal Stay; 2 Flying Jib Stay; 3 Fore Topgallant Stay;4 Jib Stay; 5 Fore Topmast Stays; 6 Fore Tacks; 8 Flying Martingale; 9 Martingale Stay, shackled to Dolphin Striker; 10 Jib Guys; 11 Jumper Guys; 12 Back Ropes; 13 Robstays; 14 Flying Jib Boom; 15 Flying Jib Footropes; 16 Jib Boom; 17 Jib Foottropes; 18 Bowsprit; 19 Fore Truck; 20 Fore Royal Mast; 21 Fore Royal Lift; 22 Fore Royal Yard; 23 Fore Royal Backstays; 24 Fore Royal Braces; 25 Fore Topgallant Mast and Rigging; 26 Fore Topgallant Lift; 27 Fore Topgallant Yard; 28 Fore Topgallant Backstays; 29 Fore Topgallant Braces; 30 Fore Topmast and Rigging; 31 Fore Topsail Lift; 32 Fore Topsail Yard; 33 Fore Topsail Footropes; 34 Fore Topsail Braces; 35 Fore Yard; 36 Fore Brace; 37 Fore Lift; 38 Fore Gaff; 39 Fore Trysail Vangs; 40 Fore Topmast Studding-sail Boom; 41 Foremast and Rigging; 42 Fore Topmast Backstays; 43 Fore Sheets; 44 Main Truck and Pennant; 45 Main Royal Mast and Backstay; 46 Main Royal Stay; 47 Main Royal Lift; 48 Main Royal Yard; 49 Main Royal Braces; 50 Main Topgallant Mast and Rigging; 51 Main Topgallant Lift; 52 Main Topgallant Backstays; 53 Main Topgallant Yard; 54 Main Topgallant Stay; 55 Main Topgallant Braces; 56 Main Topmast and Rigging; 57 Topsail Lift; 58 Topsail Yard; 59 Topsail Footropes; 60 Topsail Braces; 61 Topmast Stays; 62 Main Topgallant Studding-sail Boom; 63 Main Topmast Backstay; 64 Main Yard; 65 Main Footropes; 66 Mainmast and Rigging; 67 Main Lift; 68 Main Braces; 69 Main Tacks; 70 Main Sheets; 71 Main Trysail Gaff; 72 Main Trysail Vangs; 73 Main Stays; 74 Mizzen Truck; 75 Mizzen Royal Mast and Rigging; 76 Mizzen Royal Stay; 77 Mizzen Royal Lift; 78 Mizzen Royal Yard; 79 Mizzen Royal Braces; 80 Mizzen Topgallant Mast and Rigging; 81 Mizzen Topgallant Lift; 82 Mizzen Topgallant Backstays; 83 Mizzen Topgallant Braces; 84 Mizzen Topgallant Yard; 85 Mizzen Topgallant Stay; 86 Mizzen Topmast and Rigging; 87 Mizzen Topmast Stay; 88 Mizzen Topsail Lift; 89 Mizzen Topmast Backstays; 90 Mizzen Topsail Braces; 91 Mizzen Topsail Yard; 92 Mizzen Topsail Footropes; 93 Crossjack Yard; 94 Crossjack Footropes; 95 Crossjack Lift; 96 Crossjack Braces; 97 Mizzenmast and Rigging; 98 Mizzen Stay; 99 Spanker Gaff; 100 Peak Halyards; 101 Spanker Vangs; 102 Spanker Boom; 103 Spanker Boom Topping Lift; 104 Jacob's Ladder, or Stern Ladder; 105 Spanker Sheet; 106 Cutwater; 107 Starboard Bow; 108 Starboard Beam; 109 Water Line; 110 Starboard Quarter; 111 Rudder.

<! p. 1330 !>

3. A dish or utensil (originally fashioned like the hull of a ship) used to hold incense. [Obs.] Tyndale.

Armed ship, a private ship taken into the service of the government in time of war, and armed and equipped like a ship of war. [Eng.] Brande & C. -- General ship. See under General. -- Ship biscuit, hard biscuit prepared for use on shipboard; -- called also ship bread. See Hardtack. -- Ship boy, a boy who serves in a ship. "Seal up the ship boy's eyes." Shak. -- Ship breaker, one who breaks up vessels when unfit for further use. -- Ship broker, a mercantile agent employed in buying and selling ships, procuring cargoes, etc., and generally in transacting the business of a ship or ships when in port. -- Ship canal, a canal suitable for the passage of seagoing vessels. -- Ship carpenter, a carpenter who works at shipbuilding; a shipwright. -- Ship chandler, one who deals in cordage, canvas, and other, furniture of vessels. -- Ship chandlery, the commodities in which a ship chandler deals; also, the business of a ship chandler. -- Ship fever (Med.), a form of typhus fever; -- called also putrid, jail, or hospital fever. -- Ship joiner, a joiner who works upon ships. -- Ship letter, a letter conveyed by a ship not a mail packet. -- Ship money (Eng. Hist.), an imposition formerly charged on the ports, towns, cities, boroughs, and counties, of England, for providing and furnishing certain ships for the king's service. The attempt made by Charles I. to revive and enforce this tax was resisted by John Hampden, and was one of the causes which led to the death of Charles. It was finally abolished. -- Ship of the line. See under Line. -- Ship pendulum, a pendulum hung amidships to show the extent of the rolling and pitching of a vessel. -- Ship railway. (a) An inclined railway with a cradelike car, by means of which a ship may be drawn out of water, as for repairs. (b) A railway arranged for the transportation of vessels overland between two water courses or harbors. -- Ship's company, the crew of a ship or other vessel. -- Ship's days, the days allowed a vessel for loading or unloading. -- Ship's husband. See under Husband. -- Ship's papers (Mar. Law), papers with which a vessel is required by law to be provided, and the production of which may be required on certain occasions. Among these papers are the register, passport or sea letter, charter party, bills of lading, invoice, log book, muster roll, bill of health, etc. Bouvier. Kent. -- To make ship, to embark in a ship or other vessel.

Ship (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shipping.] 1. To put on board of a ship, or vessel of any kind, for transportation; to send by water.

The timber was . . . shipped in the bay of Attalia, from whence it was by sea transported to Pelusium.

Knolles.

2. By extension, in commercial usage, to commit to any conveyance for transportation to a distance; as, to ship freight by railroad.

3. Hence, to send away; to get rid of. [Colloq.]

4. To engage or secure for service on board of a ship; as, to ship seamen.

5. To receive on board ship; as, to ship a sea.

6. To put in its place; as, to ship the tiller or rudder.

Ship, v. i. 1. To engage to serve on board of a vessel; as, to ship on a man-of- war.

2. To embark on a ship. Wyclif (Acts xxviii. 11)

Ship"board` (?), n. [Ship + board. See Board, n., 8] A ship's side; hence, by extension, a ship; -- found chiefly in adverbial phrases; as, on shipboard; a shipboard.

Ship"build`er (?), n. A person whose occupation is to construct ships and other vessels; a naval architect; a shipwright.

Ship"build`ing, n. Naval architecturel the art of constructing ships and other vessels.

Ship"ful (?), n.; pl. Shipfuls (&?;). As much or as many as a ship will hold; enough to fill a ship.

Ship"hold`er (?), n. A shipowner.

Ship"less, a. Destitute of ships. Gray.

Ship"let (?), n. A little ship. [R.] Holinshed.

Ship"load` (?), n. The load, or cargo, of a ship.

Ship"man (?), n.; pl. Shipmen (&?;). A seaman, or sailor. [Obs. or Poetic] Chaucer. R. Browning.

About midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country.

Acts xxvii. 27.

Shipman's card, the mariner's compass. [Obs.] Shak.

Ship"mas`ter (?), n. The captain, master, or commander of a ship. Jonah i. 6.

Ship"mate` (?), n. One who serves on board of the same ship with another; a fellow sailor.

Ship"ment (?), n. 1. The act or process of shipping; as, he was engaged in the shipment of coal for London; an active shipment of wheat from the West.

2. That which is shipped.

The question is, whether the share of M. in the shipment is exempted from condemnation by reason of his neutral domicle.

Story.

Ship"own`er (?), n. Owner of a ship or ships.

Ship"pen (?), n. [AS. scypen. Cf. Shop, Shepen.] A stable; a cowhouse. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Ship"per (?), n. [See Ship, n., and cf. Skipper.] One who sends goods from one place to another not in the same city or town, esp. one who sends goods by water.

Ship"ping (?), a. 1. Relating to ships, their ownership, transfer, or employment; as, shiping concerns.

2. Relating to, or concerned in, the forwarding of goods; as, a shipping clerk.

Ship"ping, n. 1. The act of one who, or of that which, ships; as, the shipping of flour to Liverpool.

2. The collective body of ships in one place, or belonging to one port, country, etc.; vessels, generally; tonnage.

3. Navigation. "God send 'em good shipping." Shak.

Shipping articles, articles of agreement between the captain of a vessel and the seamen on board, in respect to the amount of wages, length of time for which they are shipping, etc. Bouvier. -- To take shipping, to embark; to take ship. [Obs.] John vi. 24. Shak.

Ship"pon (?), n. A cowhouse; a shippen. [Prov. Eng.]

Bessy would either do fieldwork, or attend to the cows, the shippon, or churn, or make cheese.

Dickens.

Ship"-rigged` (?), a. (Naut.) Rigged like a ship, that is, having three masts, each with square sails.

Ship"shape` (?), a. Arranged in a manner befitting a ship; hence, trim; tidy; orderly.

Even then she expressed her scorn for the lubbery executioner's mode of tying a knot, and did it herself in a shipshape orthodox manner.

De Quincey.

Keep everything shipshape, for I must go

Tennyson.

Ship"shape` (?), adv. In a shipshape or seamanlike manner.

Ship"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any long, slender, worm-shaped bivalve mollusk of Teredo and allied genera. The shipworms burrow in wood, and are destructive to wooden ships, piles of wharves, etc. See Teredo.

Ship"wreck` (?), n. 1. The breaking in pieces, or shattering, of a ship or other vessel by being cast ashore or driven against rocks, shoals, etc., by the violence of the winds and waves.

2. A ship wrecked or destroyed upon the water, or the parts of such a ship; wreckage. Dryden.

3. Fig.: Destruction; ruin; irretrievable loss.

Holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.

1 Tim. 1. 19.

It was upon an Indian bill that the late ministry had made shipwreck.

J. Morley.

Ship"wreck`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shipwrecked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shipwrecking.] 1. To destroy, as a ship at sea, by running ashore or on rocks or sandbanks, or by the force of wind and waves in a tempest.

Shipwrecking storms and direful thunders break.

Shak.

2. To cause to experience shipwreck, as sailors or passengers. Hence, to cause to suffer some disaster or loss; to destroy or ruin, as if by shipwreck; to wreck; as, to shipwreck a business. Addison.

Ship"wright` (?), n. One whose occupation is to construct ships; a builder of ships or other vessels.

Ship"yard` (?), n. A yard, place, or inclosure where ships are built or repaired.

Shi*raz" (?), n. A kind of Persian wine; -- so called from the place whence it is brought.

Shire (?), n. [AS. scre, scr, a division, province, county. Cf. Sheriff.] 1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a smaller district; as, Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Richmondshire, Hallamshire.

An indefinite number of these hundreds make up a county or shire.

Blackstone.

2. A division of a State, embracing several contiguous townships; a county. [U. S.]

Shire is commonly added to the specific designation of a county as a part of its name; as, Yorkshire instead of York shire, or the shire of York; Berkshire instead of Berks shire. Such expressions as the county of Yorkshire, which in a strict sense are tautological, are used in England. In the United States the composite word is sometimes the only name of a county; as, Berkshire county, as it is called in Massachusetts, instead of Berks county, as in Pensylvania.

The Tyne, Tees, Humber, Wash, Yare, Stour, and Thames separate the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, etc.

Encyc. Brit.

Knight of the shire. See under Knight. -- Shire clerk, an officer of a county court; also, an under sheriff. [Eng.] -- Shire mote (Old. Eng. Law), the county court; sheriff's turn, or court. [Obs.] Cowell. Blackstone. -- Shire reeve (Old Eng. Law), the reeve, or bailiff, of a shire; a sheriff. Burrill. -- Shire town, the capital town of a county; a county town. -- Shire wick, a county; a shire. [Obs.] Holland.

Shirk (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shirked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shirking.] [Probably the same word as shark. See Shark, v. t.] 1. To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation.

You that never heard the call of any vocation, . . . that shirk living from others, but time from Yourselves.

Bp. Rainbow.

2. To avoid; to escape; to neglect; -- implying unfaithfulness or fraud; as, to shirk duty.

The usual makeshift by which they try to shirk difficulties.

Hare.

Shirk, v. i. 1. To live by shifts and fraud; to shark.

2. To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away.

One of the cities shirked from the league.

Byron.

Shirk, n. One who lives by shifts and tricks; one who avoids the performance of duty or labor.

Shirk"er (?), n. One who shirks. Macaulay.

Shirk"y (?), a. Disposed to shirk. [Colloq.]

Shirl (?), a. Shrill. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Shirl, n. (Min.) See Schorl.

Shir"ley (?), n. (Zoöl.) The bullfinch.

Shirr (?), n. (Sewing) A series of close parallel runnings which are drawn up so as to make the material between them set full by gatherings; -- called also shirring, and gauging.

Shirred (?), a. 1. (Sewing) Made or gathered into a shirr; as, a shirred bonnet.

2. (Cookery) Broken into an earthen dish and baked over the fire; -- said of eggs.

Shirt (?), n. [OE. schirte, sherte, schurte; akin to Icel. skyrta, Dan. skiorte, Sw. skjorta, Dan. skiört a petticoat, D. schort a petticoat, an argon, G. schurz, schürze, an argon; all probably from the root of E. short, as being originally a short garment. See Short, and cf. Skirt.] A loose under-garment for the upper part of the body, made of cotton, linen, or other material; -- formerly used of the under-garment of either sex, now commonly restricted to that worn by men and boys.

Several persons in December had nothing over their shoulders but their shirts.

Addison.

She had her shirts and girdles of hair.

Bp. Fisher.

Shirt, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Shirted; p. pr. & vb. n. Shirting.] To cover or clothe with a shirt, or as with a shirt. Dryden.

Shirt"ing, n. Cloth, specifically cotton cloth, suitable for making shirts.

Shirt"less, a. Not having or wearing a shirt. Pope.

-- Shirt"less*ness, n.

{ Shist (?), Shis*tose" (?) }. See Shist, Schistose.

{ Shit"tah (?), Shit"tah tree` }, n. [Heb. shitth, pl. shittm.] A tree that furnished the precious wood of which the ark, tables, altars, boards, etc., of the Jewish tabernacle were made; -- now believed to have been the wood of the Acacia Seyal, which is hard, fine grained, and yellowish brown in color.

{ Shit"tim (?), Shit"tim wood` }, n. The wood of the shittah tree.

Shit"tle (?), n. [See Shuttle.] A shuttle. [Obs.] Chapman.

Shit"tle, a. Wavering; unsettled; inconstant. [Obs.] Holland.

Shit"tle*cock` (?), n. A shuttlecock. [Obs.]

Shit"tle*ness, n. Instability; inconstancy. [Obs.]

The vain shittlenesse of an unconstant head.

Baret.

Shive (?), n. [See Sheave, n.] 1. A slice; as, a shive of bread. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Shak.

2. A thin piece or fragment; specifically, one of the scales or pieces of the woody part of flax removed by the operation of breaking.

3. A thin, flat cork used for stopping a wide- mouthed bottle; also, a thin wooden bung for casks.

Shiv"er (?), n. [OE. schivere, fr. shive; cf. G. schifer a splinter, slate, OHG. scivere a splinter, Dan. & Sw. skifer a slate. See Shive, and cf. Skever.] 1. One of the small pieces, or splinters, into which a brittle thing is broken by sudden violence; -- generally used in the plural. "All to shivers dashed." Milton.

2. A thin slice; a shive. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] "A shiver of their own loaf." Fuller.

Of your soft bread, not but a shiver.

Chaucer.

3. (Geol.) A variety of blue slate.

4. (Naut.) A sheave or small wheel in a pulley.

5. A small wedge, as for fastening the bolt of a window shutter.

6. A spindle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Shiv"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shivered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shivering.] [OE. schiveren, scheveren; cf. OD. scheveren. See Shiver a fragment.] To break into many small pieces, or splinters; to shatter; to dash to pieces by a blow; as, to shiver a glass goblet.

All the ground With shivered armor strown.

Milton.

Shiv"er, v. i. To separate suddenly into many small pieces or parts; to be shattered.

There shiver shafts upon shields thick.

Chaucer

The natural world, should gravity once cease, . . . would instantly shiver into millions of atoms.

Woodward.

Shiv"er, v. i. [OE. chiveren, cheveren; of uncertain origin. This word seems to have been confused with shiver to shatter.] To tremble; to vibrate; to quiver; to shake, as from cold or fear.

Prometheus is laid On icy Caucasus to shiver.

Swift.

The man that shivered on the brink of sin, Thus steeled and hardened, ventures boldly in.

Creech.

Shiv"er, v. t. (Naut.) To cause to shake or tremble, as a sail, by steering close to the wind.

Shiv"er, n. The act of shivering or trembling.

Shiv"er*ing*ly, adv. In a shivering manner.

Shiv"er-spar` (?), n. [Cf. G. schiefer-spath.] (Min.) A variety of calcite, so called from its slaty structure; -- called also slate spar.

Shiv"er*y (?), a. 1. Tremulous; shivering. Mallet.

2. Easily broken; brittle; shattery.

Shoad (?), n. [Cf. G. schutt rubbish.] (Mining) A train of vein material mixed with rubbish; fragments of ore which have become separated by the action of water or the weather, and serve to direct in the discovery of mines. [Written also shode.]

Shoad"ing, n. (Mining) The tracing of veins of metal by shoads. [Written also shoding.] Pryce.

Shoal (?), n. [AS. scolu, sceolu, a company, multitude, crowd, akin to OS. skola; probably originally, a division, and akin to Icel. skilja to part, divide. See Skill, and cf. School. of fishes.] A great multitude assembled; a crowd; a throng; -- said especially of fish; as, a shoal of bass. "Great shoals of people." Bacon.

Beneath, a shoal of silver fishes glides.

Waller.

Shoal, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shoaled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shoaling.] To assemble in a multitude; to throng; as, the fishes shoaled about the place. Chapman.

Shoal, a. [Cf. Shallow; or cf. G. scholle a clod, glebe, OHG. scollo, scolla, prob. akin to E. shoal a multitude.] Having little depth; shallow; as, shoal water.

Shoal, n. 1. A place where the water of a sea, lake, river, pond, etc., is shallow; a shallow.

The depth of your pond should be six feet; and on the sides some shoals for the fish to lay their span.

Mortimer.

Wolsey, that once trod the ways of glory, And sounded all the depths and shoals of honor.

Shak.

2. A sandbank or bar which makes the water shoal.

The god himself with ready trident stands, And opes the deep, and spreads the moving sands, Then heaves them off the shoals.

Dryden.

Shoal, v. i. To become shallow; as, the color of the water shows where it shoals.

Shoal, v. t. To cause to become more shallow; to come to a more shallow part of; as, a ship shoals her water by advancing into that which is less deep. Marryat.

Shoal"i*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being shoaly; little depth of water; shallowness.

Shoal"ing, a. Becoming shallow gradually. "A shoaling estuary." Lyell.

Shoal"y (?), a. Full of shoals, or shallow places.

The tossing vessel sailed on shoaly ground.

Dryden.

Shoar (shr), n. A prop. See 3d Shore.

Shoat (sht), n. A young hog. Same as Shote.

<! p. 1331 !>

Shock (?), n. [OE. schokke; cf. OD schocke, G. schock a heap, quantity, threescore, MHG. schoc, Sw. skok, and also G. hocke a heap of hay, Lith. kugis.] 1. A pile or assemblage of sheaves of grain, as wheat, rye, or the like, set up in a field, the sheaves varying in number from twelve to sixteen; a stook.

And cause it on shocks to be by and by set.

Tusser.

Behind the master walks, builds up the shocks.

Thomson.

2. [G. schock.] (Com.) A lot consisting of sixty pieces; -- a term applied in some Baltic ports to loose goods.

Shock, v. t. To collect, or make up, into a shock or shocks; to stook; as, to shock rye.

Shock, v. i. To be occupied with making shocks.

Reap well, scatter not, gather clean that is shorn, Bind fast, shock apace.

Tusser.

Shock, n. [Cf. D. schok a bounce, jolt, or leap, OHG. scoc a swing, MHG. schoc, Icel. skykkjun tremuously, F. choc a shock, collision, a dashing or striking against, Sp. choque, It. ciocco a log. &radic;161. Cf. Shock to shake.] 1. A quivering or shaking which is the effect of a blow, collision, or violent impulse; a blow, impact, or collision; a concussion; a sudden violent impulse or onset.

These strong, unshaken mounds resist the shocks Of tides and seas tempestuous.

Blackmore.

He stood the shock of a whole host of foes.

Addison.

2. A sudden agitation of the mind or feelings; a sensation of pleasure or pain caused by something unexpected or overpowering; also, a sudden agitating or overpowering event. "A shock of pleasure." Talfourd.

3. (Med.) A sudden depression of the vital forces of the entire body, or of a port of it, marking some profound impression produced upon the nervous system, as by severe injury, overpowering emotion, or the like.

4. (Elec.) The sudden convulsion or contraction of the muscles, with the feeling of a concussion, caused by the discharge, through the animal system, of electricity from a charged body.

Syn. -- Concussion, Shock. Both words signify a sudden violent shaking caused by impact or colision; but concussion is restricted in use to matter, while shock is used also of mental states.

Shock, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shocked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shocking.] [OE. schokken; cf. D. schokken, F. choquer, Sp. chocar. &radic;161. Cf. Chuck to strike, Jog, Shake, Shock a striking, Shog, n. & v.] 1. To give a shock to; to cause to shake or waver; hence, to strike against suddenly; to encounter with violence.

Come the three corners of the world in arms, And we shall shock them.

Shak.

I shall never forget the force with which he shocked De Vipont.

Sir W. Scott.

2. To strike with surprise, terror, horror, or disgust; to cause to recoil; as, his violence shocked his associates.

Advise him not to shock a father's will.

Dryden.

Shock, v. i. To meet with a shock; to meet in violent encounter. "They saw the moment approach when the two parties would shock together." De Quincey.

Shock, n. [Cf. Shag.] 1. (Zoöl.) A dog with long hair or shag; -- called also shockdog.

2. A thick mass of bushy hair; as, a head covered with a shock of sandy hair.

Shock, a. Bushy; shaggy; as, a shock hair.

His red shock peruke . . . was laid aside.

Sir W. Scott.

Shock"dog` (?), n. (Zoöl.) See 7th Shock, 1.

Shock"-head` (?), a. Shock- headed. Tennyson.

Shock"-head`ed, a. Having a thick and bushy head of hair.

Shock"ing, a. Causing to shake or tremble, as by a blow; especially, causing to recoil with horror or disgust; extremely offensive or disgusting.

The grossest and most shocking villainies.

Secker.

-- Shock"ing*ly, adv. -- Shock"ing*ness, n.

Shod (?), imp. & p. p. f Shoe.

Shod"dy (?), n. [Perhaps fr. Shed, v. t.; as meaning originally, waste stuff shedor thrown off.] 1. A fibrous material obtained by "deviling," or tearing into fibers, refuse woolen goods, old stockings, rags, druggets, etc. See Mungo.

2. A fabric of inferior quality made of, or containing a large amount of, shoddy.

The great quantity of shoddy goods furnished as army supplies in the late Civil War in the United States gave wide currency to the word, and it came to be applied to persons who pretend to a higher position in society than that to which their breeding or worth entitles them.

Shod"dy, a. Made wholly or in part of shoddy; containing shoddy; as, shoddy cloth; shoddy blankets; hence, colloquially, not genuine; sham; pretentious; as, shoddy aristocracy.

Shoddy inventions designed to bolster up a factitious pride.

Compton Reade.

Shod"dy*ism (?), n. The quality or state of being shoddy. [Colloq.] See the Note under Shoddy, n.

Shode (?), n. [AS. scde, fr. sceádan. See Shed, v. t.] 1. The parting of the hair on the head. [Obs.]

Full straight and even lay his jolly shode.

Chaucer.

2. The top of the head; the head. [Obs.] Chaucer.

{ Shode, Shod"ing }. See Shoad, Shoading.

Sho"der (?), n. A package of gold beater's skins in which gold is subjected to the second process of beating.

Shoe (?), n.; pl. Shoes (#), formerly Shoon (#), now provincial. [OE. sho, scho, AS. sc&?;h, sceóh; akin to OFries. sk&?;, OS. sk&?;h, D. schoe, schoen, G. schuh, OHG. scuoh, Icel. sk&?;r, Dan. & Sw. sko, Goth. sk&?;hs; of unknown origin.] 1. A covering for the human foot, usually made of leather, having a thick and somewhat stiff sole and a lighter top. It differs from a boot on not extending so far up the leg.

Your hose should be ungartered, . . . yourshoe untied.

Shak.

Spare none but such as go in clouted shoon.

Shak.

2. Anything resembling a shoe in form, position, or use. Specifically: (a) A plate or rim of iron nailed to the hoof of an animal to defend it from injury. (b) A band of iron or steel, or a ship of wood, fastened to the bottom of the runner of a sleigh, or any vehicle which slides on the snow. (c) A drag, or sliding piece of wood or iron, placed under the wheel of a loaded vehicle, to retard its motion in going down a hill. (d) The part of a railroad car brake which presses upon the wheel to retard its motion. (e) (Arch.) A trough-shaped or spout-shaped member, put at the bottom of the water leader coming from the eaves gutter, so as to throw the water off from the building. (f) (Milling.) The trough or spout for conveying the grain from the hopper to the eye of the millstone. (g) An inclined trough in an ore-crushing mill. (h) An iron socket or plate to take the thrust of a strut or rafter. (i) An iron socket to protect the point of a wooden pile. (j) (Mach.) A plate, or notched piece, interposed between a moving part and the stationary part on which it bears, to take the wear and afford means of adjustment; -- called also slipper, and gib.

Shoe is often used adjectively, or in composition; as, shoe buckle, or shoe-buckle; shoe latchet, or shoe-latchet; shoe leathet, or shoe-leather; shoe string, shoe-string, or shoestring.

Shoe of an anchor. (Naut.) (a) A small block of wood, convex on the back, with a hole to receive the point of the anchor fluke, -- used to prevent the anchor from tearing the planks of the vessel when raised or lowered. (b) A broad, triangular piece of plank placed upon the fluke to give it a better hold in soft ground. -- Shoe block (Naut.), a block with two sheaves, one above the other, and at right angles to each other. -- Shoe bolt, a bolt with a flaring head, for fastening shoes on sleigh runners. -- Shoe pac, a kind of moccasin. See Pac. -- Shoe stone, a sharpening stone used by shoemakers and other workers in leather.

Shoe (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shod; p. pr. & vb. n. Shoeing.] [AS. sc&?;ian, sce&?;ian. See Shoe, n.] 1. To furnish with a shoe or shoes; to put a shoe or shoes on; as, to shoe a horse, a sled, an anchor.

2. To protect or ornament with something which serves the purpose of a shoe; to tip.

The sharp and small end of the billiard stick, which is shod with brass or silver.

Evelyn.

Shoe"bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A large African wading bird (Balæniceps rex) allied to the storks and herons, and remarkable for its enormous broad swollen bill. It inhabits the valley of the White Nile. See Illust. (l.) of Beak.

Shoe"black` (?), n. One who polishes shoes.

{ Shoe"horn`, Shoe"ing-horn` } (?), n. 1. A curved piece of polished horn, wood, or metal used to facilitate the entrance of the foot into a shoe.

2. Figuratively: (a) Anything by which a transaction is facilitated; a medium; -- by way of contempt. Spectator. (b) Anything which draws on or allures; an inducement. [Low] Beau. & Fl.

Shoe"less, a. Destitute of shoes. Addison.

Shoe"mak`er (?), n. 1. One whose occupation it is to make shoes and boots.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) The threadfish. (b) The runner, 12.

Shoe"mak`ing, n. The business of a shoemaker.

Sho"er (?), n. One who fits shoes to the feet; one who furnishes or puts on shoes; as, a shoer of horses.

Shog (?), n. [See Shock a striking.] A shock; a jog; a violent concussion or impulse. [R. or Scot.]

Shog, v. t. To shake; to shock. [R. or Scot.]

Shog, v. i. [Cf. W. ysgogi to wag, to stir. Cf. Jog.] To jog; to move on. [R. or Scot.] Beau. & Fl.

Shog"gle (?), v. t. [See Shog, Joggle.] To joggle. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Pegge.

Sho"gun (?), n. [Chin. tsiang kiÜn commander in chief.] A title originally conferred by the Mikado on the military governor of the eastern provinces of Japan. By gradual usurpation of power the Shoguns (known to foreigners as Tycoons) became finally the virtual rulers of Japan. The title was abolished in 1867. [Written variously, Shiogun, Shiogoon, etc.]

Sho*gun"ate (?), n. The office or dignity of a Shogun. [Written also Siogoonate.]

Sho"la (?), n. (Bot.) See Sola.

Shole (?), n. A plank fixed beneath an object, as beneath the rudder of a vessel, to protect it from injury; a plank on the ground under the end of a shore or the like.

Shole, n. See Shoal. [Obs.]

Shonde (?), n. [AS. sceond. Cf. Shend.] Harm; disgrace; shame. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Shone (?), imp. & p. p. of Shine.

Shoo (?), interj. [Cf. G. scheuchen to scare, drive away.] Begone; away; -- an expression used in frightening away animals, especially fowls.

Sho"oi, n. (Zoöl.) The Richardson's skua (Stercorarius parasiticus);- so called from its cry. [Prov. Eng.]

Shook (?), imp. & obs. or poet. p. p. of Shake.

Shook, n. [Cf. Shock a bundle of sheaves.] (Com.) (a) A set of staves and headings sufficient in number for one hogshead, cask, barrel, or the like, trimmed, and bound together in compact form. (b) A set of boards for a sugar box. (c) The parts of a piece of house furniture, as a bedstead, packed together.

Shook, v. t. To pack, as staves, in a shook.

Shoon (?), n., pl. of Shoe. [Archaic] Chaucer.

They shook the snow from hats and shoon.

Emerson.

Shoop (?), obs. imp. of Shape. Shaped. Chaucer.

Shoot (?), n. [F. chute. See Chute. Confused with shoot to let fly.] An inclined plane, either artificial or natural, down which timber, coal, etc., are caused to slide; also, a narrow passage, either natural or artificial, in a stream, where the water rushes rapidly; esp., a channel, having a swift current, connecting the ends of a bend in the stream, so as to shorten the course. [Written also chute, and shute.] [U. S.]

To take a shoot, to pass through a shoot instead of the main channel; to take the most direct course. [U.S.]

Shoot (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shot (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shooting. The old participle Shotten is obsolete. See Shotten.] [OE. shotien, schotien, AS. scotian, v. i., sceótan; akin to D. schieten, G. schie&?;en, OHG. sciozan, Icel. skj&?;ta, Sw. skjuta, Dan. skyde; cf. Skr. skund to jump. &radic;159. Cf. Scot a contribution, Scout to reject, Scud, Scuttle, v. i., Shot, Sheet, Shut, Shuttle, Skittish, Skittles.] 1. To let fly, or cause to be driven, with force, as an arrow or a bullet; -- followed by a word denoting the missile, as an object.

If you please To shoot an arrow that self way.

Shak.

2. To discharge, causing a missile to be driven forth; -- followed by a word denoting the weapon or instrument, as an object; -- often with off; as, to shoot a gun.

The two ends od a bow, shot off, fly from one another.

Boyle.

3. To strike with anything shot; to hit with a missile; often, to kill or wound with a firearm; -- followed by a word denoting the person or thing hit, as an object.

When Roger shot the hawk hovering over his master's dove house.

A. Tucker.

4. To send out or forth, especially with a rapid or sudden motion; to cast with the hand; to hurl; to discharge; to emit.

An honest weaver as ever shot shuttle.

Beau. & Fl.

A pit into which the dead carts had nightly shot corpses by scores.

Macaulay.

5. To push or thrust forward; to project; to protrude; -- often with out; as, a plant shoots out a bud.

They shoot out the lip, they shake the head.

Ps. xxii. 7.

Beware the secret snake that shoots a sting.

Dryden.

6. (Carp.) To plane straight; to fit by planing.

Two pieces of wood that are shot, that is, planed or else pared with a paring chisel.

Moxon.

7. To pass rapidly through, over, or under; as, to shoot a rapid or a bridge; to shoot a sand bar.

She . . . shoots the Stygian sound.

Dryden.

8. To variegate as if by sprinkling or intermingling; to color in spots or patches.

The tangled water courses slept, Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow.

Tennyson.

To be shot of, to be discharged, cleared, or rid of. [Colloq.] "Are you not glad to be shot of him?" Sir W. Scott.

Shoot, v. i. 1. To cause an engine or weapon to discharge a missile; -- said of a person or an agent; as, they shot at a target; he shoots better than he rides.

The archers have . . . shot at him.

Gen. xlix. 23.

2. To discharge a missile; -- said of an engine or instrument; as, the gun shoots well.

3. To be shot or propelled forcibly; -- said of a missile; to be emitted or driven; to move or extend swiftly, as if propelled; as, a shooting star.

There shot a streaming lamp along the sky.

Dryden.

4. To penetrate, as a missile; to dart with a piercing sensation; as, shooting pains.

Thy words shoot through my heart.

Addison.

5. To feel a quick, darting pain; to throb in pain.

These preachers make His head to shoot and ache.

Herbert.

6. To germinate; to bud; to sprout.

Onions, as they hang, will shoot forth.

Bacon.

But the wild olive shoots, and shades the ungrateful plain.

Dryden.

7. To grow; to advance; as, to shoot up rapidly.

Well shot in years he seemed.

Spenser.

Delightful task! to rear the tender thought, To teach the young idea how to shoot.

Thomson.

8. To change form suddenly; especially, to solidify.

If the menstruum be overcharged, metals will shoot into crystals.

Bacon.

9. To protrude; to jut; to project; to extend; as, the land shoots into a promontory.

There shot up against the dark sky, tall, gaunt, straggling houses.

Dickens.

10. (Naut.) To move ahead by force of momentum, as a sailing vessel when the helm is put hard alee.

To shoot ahead, to pass or move quickly forward; to outstrip others.

Shoot, n. 1. The act of shooting; the discharge of a missile; a shot; as, the shoot of a shuttle.

The Turkish bow giveth a very forcible shoot.

Bacon.

One underneath his horse to get a shoot doth stalk.

Drayton.

2. A young branch or growth.

Superfluous branches and shoots of this second spring.

Evelyn.

3. A rush of water; a rapid.

4. (Min.) A vein of ore running in the same general direction as the lode. Knight.

5. (Weaving) A weft thread shot through the shed by the shuttle; a pick.

6. [Perh. a different word.] A shoat; a young hog.

Shoot"er (?), n. 1. One who shoots, as an archer or a gunner.

2. That which shoots. Specifically: (a) A firearm; as, a five-shooter. [Colloq. U.S.] (b) A shooting star. [R.]

Shoot"ing, n. 1. The act of one who, or that which, shoots; as, the shooting of an archery club; the shooting of rays of light.

2. A wounding or killing with a firearm; specifically (Sporting), the killing of game; as, a week of shooting.

3. A sensation of darting pain; as, a shooting in one's head.

Shoot"ing, a. Of or pertaining to shooting; for shooting; darting.

Shooting board (Joinery), a fixture used in planing or shooting the edge of a board, by means of which the plane is guided and the board held true. -- Shooting box, a small house in the country for use in the shooting season. Prof. Wilson. -- Shooting gallery, a range, usually covered, with targets for practice with firearms. -- Shooting iron, a firearm. [Slang, U.S.] -- Shooting star. (a) (Astron.) A starlike, luminous meteor, that, appearing suddenly, darts quickly across some portion of the sky, and then as suddenly disappears, leaving sometimes, for a few seconds, a luminous train, -- called also falling star. Shooting stars are small cosmical bodies which encounter the earth in its annual revolution, and which become visible by coming with planetary velocity into the upper regions of the atmosphere. At certain periods, as on the 13th of November and 10th of August, they appear for a few hours in great numbers, apparently diverging from some point in the heavens, such displays being known as meteoric showers, or star showers. These bodies, before encountering the earth, were moving in orbits closely allied to the orbits of comets. See Leonids, Perseids. (b) (Bot.) The American cowslip (Dodecatheon Meadia). See under Cowslip. -- Shooting stick (Print.), a tapering piece of wood or iron, used by printers to drive up the quoins in the chase. Hansard.

<! p. 1332 !>

Shoot"y (?), a. Sprouting or coming up freely and regularly. [Prev. Eng.] Grose.

Shop (?), obs. imp. of Shape. Shaped. Chaucer.

Shop, n. [OE. shoppe, schoppe, AS. sceoppa a treasury, a storehouse, stall, booth; akin to scypen a shed, LG. schup a shed, G. schoppen, schuppen, a shed, a coachhouse, OHG. scopf.] 1. A building or an apartment in which goods, wares, drugs, etc., are sold by retail.

From shop to shop Wandering, and littering with unfolded silks The polished counter.

Cowper.

2. A building in which mechanics or artisans work; as, a shoe shop; a car shop.

A tailor called me in his shop.

Shak.

Shop is often used adjectively or in composition; as, shop rent, or shop-rent; shop thief, or shop-thief; shop window, or shop-window, etc.

To smell of the shop, to indicate too distinctively one's occupation or profession. -- To talk shop, to make one's business the topic of social conversation; also, to use the phrases peculiar to one's employment. [Colloq.]

Syn. -- Store; warehouse. See Store.

Shop, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shopped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shopping.] To visit shops for the purpose of purchasing goods.

He was engaged with his mother and some ladies to go shopping.

Byron.

Shop"board` (?), n. A bench or board on which work is performed; a workbench. South.

Shop"book` (?), n. A book in which a tradesman keeps his accounts. Locke.

Shop"boy` (?), n. A boy employed in a shop.

Sho"pen (?), obs. p. p. of Shape. Chaucer.

Shop"girl` (?), n. A girl employed in a shop.

Shop"keep`er (?), n. A trader who sells goods in a shop, or by retail; -- in distinction from one who sells by wholesale. Addison.

Shop"lift`er (?), n. [Shop + lift. See Lift to steal.] One who steals anything in a shop, or takes goods privately from a shop; one who, under pretense of buying goods, takes occasion to steal.

Shop"lift`ing, n. Larceny committed in a shop; the stealing of anything from a shop.

Shop"like`, a. Suiting a shop; vulgar. B. Jonson.

Shop"maid` (?), n. A shopgirl.

Shop"man (?), n.; pl. Shopmen (&?;). 1. A shopkeeper; a retailer. Dryden.

2. One who serves in a shop; a salesman.

3. One who works in a shop or a factory.

Shop"per (?), n. One who shops.

Shop"pish (?), a. Having the appearance or qualities of a shopkeeper, or shopman.

Shop"py (?), a. 1. Abounding with shops. [Colloq.]

2. Of or pertaining to shops, or one's own shop or business; as, shoppy talk. [Colloq.] Mrs. Gaskell.

Shop"shift` (?), n. The trick of a shopkeeper; deception. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Shop"walk`er (?), n. One who walks about in a shop as an overseer and director. Cf. Floorwalker.

Shop"wom`an (?), n.; pl. Shopwomen (&?;). A woman employed in a shop.

Shop"worn` (?), a. Somewhat worn or damaged by having been kept for a time in a shop.

Shor"age (?), n. Duty paid for goods brought on shore. Grabb.

Shore (?), imp. of Shear. Chaucer.

Shore, n. A sewer. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Shore, n. [OE. schore; akin to LG. schore, D. schoor, OD. schoore, Icel. skor&?;a, and perhaps to E. shear, as being a piece cut off.] A prop, as a timber, placed as a brace or support against the side of a building or other structure; a prop placed beneath anything, as a beam, to prevent it from sinking or sagging. [Written also shoar.]

Shore, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shored (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shoring.] [OE. schoren. See Shore a prop.] To support by a shore or shores; to prop; -- usually with up; as, to shore up a building.

Shore, n. [OE. schore, AS. score, probably fr. scieran, and so meaning properly, that which is shorn off, edge; akin to OD. schoore, schoor. See Shear, v. t.] The coast or land adjacent to a large body of water, as an ocean, lake, or large river.

Michael Cassio, Lieutenant to the warlike Moor Othello, Is come shore.

Shak.

The fruitful shore of muddy Nile.

Spenser.

In shore, near the shore. Marryat. -- On shore. See under On. -- Shore birds (Zoöl.), a collective name for the various limicoline birds found on the seashore. -- Shore crab (Zoöl.), any crab found on the beaches, or between tides, especially any one of various species of grapsoid crabs, as Heterograpsus nudus of California. -- Shore lark (Zoöl.), a small American lark (Otocoris alpestris) found in winter, both on the seacoast and on the Western plains. Its upper parts are varied with dark brown and light brown. It has a yellow throat, yellow local streaks, a black crescent on its breast, a black streak below each eye, and two small black erectile ear tufts. Called also horned lark. -- Shore plover (Zoöl.), a large-billed Australian plover (Esacus magnirostris). It lives on the seashore, and feeds on crustaceans, etc. -- Shore teetan (Zoöl.), the rock pipit (Anthus obscurus). [Prov. Eng.]

Shore (?), v. t. To set on shore. [Obs.] Shak.

Shore"less, a. Having no shore or coast; of indefinite or unlimited extent; as, a shoreless ocean. Young.

Shore"ling (?), n. See Shorling.

Shor"er (?), n. One who, or that which, shores or props; a prop; a shore.

Shore"ward (?), adv. Toward the shore.

Shor"ing, n. 1. The act of supporting or strengthening with a prop or shore.

2. A system of props; props, collectively.

Shorl (?), n., Shor*la"ceous (&?;), a. (Min.) See Schorl, Schorlaceous.

Shor"ling (?), n. 1. The skin of a sheen after the fleece is shorn off, as distinct from the morling, or skin taken from the dead sheep; also, a sheep of the first year's shearing. [Prov. Eng.]

2. A person who is shorn; a shaveling; hence, in contempt, a priest. [Obs.] Halliwell.

Shorn (&?;), p. p. of Shear.

Short (?), a. [Compar. Shorter (?); superl. Shortest.] [OE. short, schort, AS. scort, sceort; akin to OHG. scurz, Icel. skorta to be short of, to lack, and perhaps to E. shear, v. t. Cf. Shirt.] 1. Not long; having brief length or linear extension; as, a short distance; a short piece of timber; a short flight.

The bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it.

Isa. xxviii. 20.

2. Not extended in time; having very limited duration; not protracted; as, short breath.

The life so short, the craft so long to learn.

Chaucer.

To short absense I could yield.

Milton.

3. Limited in quantity; inadequate; insufficient; scanty; as, a short supply of provisions, or of water.

4. Insufficiently provided; inadequately supplied; scantily furnished; lacking; not coming up to a resonable, or the ordinary, standard; -- usually with of; as, to be short of money.

We shall be short in our provision.

Shak.

5. Deficient; defective; imperfect; not coming up, as to a measure or standard; as, an account which is short of the trith.

6. Not distant in time; near at hand.

Marinell was sore offended That his departure thence should be so short.

Spenser.

He commanded those who were appointed to attend him to be ready by a short day.

Clarendon.

7. Limited in intellectual power or grasp; not comprehensive; narrow; not tenacious, as memory.

Their own short understandings reach No farther than the present.

Rowe.

8. Less important, efficaceous, or powerful; not equal or equivalent; less (than); -- with of.

Hardly anything short of an invasion could rouse them again to war.

Landor.

9. Abrupt; brief; pointed; petulant; as, he gave a short answer to the question.

10. (Cookery) Breaking or crumbling readily in the mouth; crisp; as, short pastry.

11. (Metal) Brittle.

Metals that are brittle when hot are called &?;ot- short; as, cast iron may be hot-short, owing to the presence of sulphur. Those that are brittle when cold are called cold-short; as, cast iron may be cold-short, on account of the presence of phosphorus.

12. (Stock Exchange) Engaging or engaged to deliver what is not possessed; as, short contracts; to be short of stock. See The shorts, under Short, n., and To sell short, under Short, adv.

In mercantile transactions, a note or bill is sometimes made payable at short sight, that is, in a little time after being presented to the payer.

13. (Phon.) Not prolonged, or relatively less prolonged, in utterance; -- opposed to long, and applied to vowels or to syllables. In English, the long and short of the same letter are not, in most cases, the long and short of the same sound; thus, the i in ill is the short sound, not of i in isle, but of ee in eel, and the e in pet is the short sound of a in pate, etc. See Quantity, and Guide to Pronunciation, §§22, 30.

Short is much used with participles to form numerous self-explaining compounds; as, short-armed, short- billed, short-fingered, short-haired, short- necked, short-sleeved, short-tailed, short- winged, short-wooled, etc.

At short notice, in a brief time; promptly. -- Short rib (Anat.), one of the false ribs. -- Short suit (Whist), any suit having only three cards, or less than three. R. A. Proctor. -- To come short, To cut short, To fall short, etc. See under Come, Cut, etc.

Short, n. 1. A summary account.

The short and the long is, our play is preferred.

Shak.

2. pl. The part of milled grain sifted out which is next finer than the bran.

The first remove above bran is shorts.

Halliwell.

3. pl. Short, inferior hemp.

4. pl. Breeches; shortclothes. [Slang] Dickens.

5. (Phonetics) A short sound, syllable, or vowel.

If we compare the nearest conventional shorts and longs in English, as in "bit" and "beat," "not" and "naught," we find that the short vowels are generally wide, the long narrow, besides being generally diphthongic as well. Hence, originally short vowels can be lengthened and yet kept quite distinct from the original longs.

H. Sweet.

In short, in few words; in brief; briefly. -- The long and the short, the whole; a brief summing up. -- The shorts (Stock Exchange), those who are unsupplied with stocks which they contracted to deliver.

Short (?), adv. In a short manner; briefly; limitedly; abruptly; quickly; as, to stop short in one's course; to turn short.

He was taken up very short, and adjudged corrigible for such presumptuous language.

Howell.

To sell short (Stock Exchange), to sell, for future delivery, what the party selling does not own, but hopes to buy at a lower rate.

Short, v. t. [AS. sceortian.] To shorten. [Obs.]

Short, v. i. To fail; to decrease. [Obs.]

Short"age (?), n. Amount or extent of deficiency, as determined by some requirement or standard; as, a shortage in money accounts.

Short"-breathed` (?), a. 1. Having short-breath, or quick respiration.

2. Having short life.

Short"cake` (?), n. An unsweetened breakfast cake shortened with butter or lard, rolled thin, and baked.

Short" cir"cuit (?). (Elec.) A circuit formed or closed by a conductor of relatively low resistance because shorter or of relatively great conductivity.

Short"-cir`cuit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Short-circuited; p. pr. & vb. n. Short-circuiting.] (Elec.) To join, as the electrodes of a battery or dynamo or any two points of a circuit, by a conductor of low resistance.

Short"clothes` (?), n. Coverings for the legs of men or boys, consisting of trousers which reach only to the knees, -- worn with long stockings.

Short"com`ing (?), n. The act of falling, or coming short; as: (a) The failure of a crop, or the like. (b) Neglect of, or failure in, performance of duty.

Short"-dat`ed (?), a. Having little time to run from the date. "Thy short-dated life." Sandys.

Short"en (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shortened &?;; p. pr. & vb. n. Shortening.] [See Short, a.] 1. To make short or shorter in measure, extent, or time; as, to shorten distance; to shorten a road; to shorten days of calamity.

2. To reduce or diminish in amount, quantity, or extent; to lessen; to abridge; to curtail; to contract; as, to shorten work, an allowance of food, etc.

Here, where the subject is so fruitful, I am shortened by my chain.

Dryden.

3. To make deficient (as to); to deprive; -- with of.

Spoiled of his nose, and shortened of his ears.

Dryden.

4. To make short or friable, as pastry, with butter, lard, pot liquor, or the like.

To shorten a rope (Naut.), to take in the slack of it. -- To shorten sail (Naut.), to reduce sail by taking it in.

Short"en, v. i. To become short or shorter; as, the day shortens in northern latitudes from June to December; a metallic rod shortens by cold.

Short"en*er (?), n. One who, or that which, shortens.

Short"en*ing, n. 1. The act of making or becoming short or shorter.

2. (Cookery) That which renders pastry short or friable, as butter, lard, etc.

Short"hand` (?), n. A compendious and rapid method or writing by substituting characters, abbreviations, or symbols, for letters, words, etc.; short writing; stenography. See Illust. under Phonography.

Short`-hand"ed, a. Short of, or lacking the regular number of, servants or helpers.

Short"head` (?), n. A sucking whale less than one year old; -- so called by sailors.

Short"horn` (?), a. One of a breed of large, heavy domestic cattle having short horns. The breed was developed in England.

Short"-joint`ed (?), a. Having short intervals between the joints; -- said of a plant or an animal, especially of a horse whose pastern is too short.

Short"-lived` (?), a. Not living or lasting long; being of short continuance; as, a short-lived race of beings; short-lived pleasure; short-lived passion.

Short"ly, adv. [AS. sceortlice.] 1. In a short or brief time or manner; soon; quickly. Chaucer.

I shall grow jealous of you shortly.

Shak.

The armies came shortly in view of each other.

Clarendon.

2. In few words; briefly; abruptly; curtly; as, to express ideas more shortly in verse than in prose.

Short"ness, n. The quality or state of being short; want of reach or extension; brevity; deficiency; as, the shortness of a journey; the shortness of the days in winter; the shortness of an essay; the shortness of the memory; a shortness of provisions; shortness of breath.

Short"sight`ed (?), a. 1. Not able to see far; nearsighted; myopic. See Myopic, and Myopia.

2. Fig.: Not able to look far into futurity; unable to understand things deep; of limited intellect.

3. Having little regard for the future; heedless.

-- Short"sight`ed*ly, adv. -- Short"sight`ed*ness, n.

Cunning is a kind of shortsightedness.

Addison.

Short"-spo`ken (?), a. Speaking in a quick or short manner; hence, gruff; curt. [Colloq.]

Short"stop` (?), n. (Baseball) The player stationed in the field bewtween the second and third bases.

Short"-waist`ed (?), a. Having a short waist.

Short"-wind`ed (?), a. Affected with shortness of breath; having a quick, difficult respiration, as dyspnoic and asthmatic persons. May.

Short"wing` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of small wrenlike Asiatic birds having short wings and a short tail. They belong to Brachypterix, Callene, and allied genera.

<! p. 1333 !>

Short"-wit`ed (?), a. Having little wit; not wise; having scanty intellect or judgment.

Shor"y (?), a. Lying near the shore. [Obs.]

Sho*sho"nes (?), n. pl.; sing. Shoshone (&?;). (Ethnol.) A linguistic family or stock of North American Indians, comprising many tribes, which extends from Montana and Idaho into Mexico. In a restricted sense the name is applied especially to the Snakes, the most northern of the tribes.

Shot (?), imp. & p. p. of Shoot.

Shot, a. Woven in such a way as to produce an effect of variegation, of changeable tints, or of being figured; as, shot silks. See Shoot, v. t., 8.

Shot, n. [AS. scot, sceot, fr. sceótan to shoot; akin to D. sschot, Icel. skot. &radic;159. See Scot a share, Shoot, v. t., and cf. Shot a shooting.] A share or proportion; a reckoning; a scot.

Here no shots are where all shares be.

Chapman.

A man is never . . . welcome to a place till some certain shot be paid and the hostess say "Welcome."

Shak.

Shot, n.; pl. Shotor Shots (#). [OE. shot, schot, AS. gesceot a missile; akin to D. schot a shot, shoot, G. schuss, geschoss a missile, Icel. skot a throwing, a javelin, and E. shoot, v.t. &radic;159. See Shoot, and cf. Shot a share.] 1. The act of shooting; discharge of a firearm or other weapon which throws a missile.

He caused twenty shot of his greatest cannon to be made at the king's army.

Clarendon.

2. A missile weapon, particularly a ball or bullet; specifically, whatever is discharged as a projectile from firearms or cannon by the force of an explosive.

Shot used in war is of various kinds, classified according to the material of which it is composed, into lead, wrought-iron, and cast-iron; according to form, into spherical and oblong; according to structure and modes of operation, into solid, hollow, and case. See Bar shot, Chain shot, etc., under Bar, Chain, etc.

3. Small globular masses of lead, of various sizes, -- used chiefly for killing game; as, bird shot; buckshot.

4. The flight of a missile, or the distance which it is, or can be, thrown; as, the vessel was distant more than a cannon shot.

5. A marksman; one who practices shooting; as, an exellent shot.

Shot belt, a belt having a pouch or compartment for carrying shot. -- Shot cartridge, a cartridge containing powder and small shot, forming a charge for a shotgun. -- Shot garland (Naut.), a wooden frame to contain shot, secured to the coamings and ledges round the hatchways of a ship. -- Shot gauge, an instrument for measuring the diameter of round shot. Totten. -- shot hole, a hole made by a shot or bullet discharged. - - Shot locker (Naut.), a strongly framed compartment in the hold of a vessel, for containing shot. -- Shot of a cable (Naut.), the splicing of two or more cables together, or the whole length of the cables thus united. -- Shot prop (Naut.), a wooden prop covered with tarred hemp, to stop a hole made by the shot of an enemy in a ship's side. -- Shot tower, a lofty tower for making shot, by dropping from its summit melted lead in slender streams. The lead forms spherical drops which cool in the descent, and are received in water or other liquid. -- Shot window, a window projecting from the wall. Ritson, quoted by Halliwell, explains it as a window that opens and shuts; and Wodrow describes it as a window of shutters made of timber and a few inches of glass above them.

Shot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Shotting.] To load with shot, as a gun. Totten.

Shot"-clog` (?), n. A person tolerated only because he pays the shot, or reckoning, for the rest of the company, otherwise a mere clog on them. [Old Slang]

Thou common shot-clog, gull of all companies.

Chapman.

Shote (?), n. [AS. sceóta a darting fish, a trout, fr. sceótan. See Shoot, v. t.] 1. (Zoöl.) A fish resembling the trout. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Garew.

2. [Perh. a different word.] A young hog; a shoat.

Shot"-free` (?), a. Not to be injured by shot; shot-proof. [Obs.] Feltham.

Shot"-free`, a. Free from charge or expense; hence, unpunished; scot-free. [Obs.] Shak.

Shot"gun` (?), n. A light, smooth- bored gun, often double-barreled, especially designed for firing small shot at short range, and killing small game.

Shot"-proof` (?), a. Impenetrable by shot.

Shots (?), n. pl. The refuse of cattle taken from a drove. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Shot"ted (?), a. 1. Loaded with shot.

2. (Med.) Having a shot attached; as, a shotten suture.

Shot"ten (?), n. [Properly p. p. of shoot; AS. scoten, sceoten, p. p. of sceótan.] 1. Having ejected the spawn; as, a shotten herring. Shak.

2. Shot out of its socket; dislocated, as a bone.

Shough (?), n. (Zoöl.) A shockdog.

Shough (?), interj. See Shoo. Beau. & Fl.

Should (?), imp. of Shall. [OE. sholde, shulde, scholde, schulde, AS. scolde, sceolde. See Shall.] Used as an auxiliary verb, to express a conditional or contingent act or state, or as a supposition of an actual fact; also, to express moral obligation (see Shall); e. g.: they should have come last week; if I should go; I should think you could go. "You have done that you should be sorry for." Shak.

Syn. -- See Ought.

Shoul"der (?), n. [OE. shulder, shuldre, schutder, AS. sculdor; akin to D. schoulder, G. schulter, OHG. scultarra, Dan. skulder, Sw. skuldra.] 1. (Anat.) The joint, or the region of the joint, by which the fore limb is connected with the body or with the shoulder girdle; the projection formed by the bones and muscles about that joint.

2. The flesh and muscles connected with the shoulder joint; the upper part of the back; that part of the human frame on which it is most easy to carry a heavy burden; -- often used in the plural.

Then by main force pulled up, and on his shoulders bore The gates of Azza.

Milton.

Adown her shoulders fell her length of hair.

Dryden.

3. Fig.: That which supports or sustains; support.

In thy shoulder do I build my seat.

Shak.

4. That which resembles a human shoulder, as any protuberance or projection from the body of a thing.

The north western shoulder of the mountain.

Sir W. Scott.

5. The upper joint of the fore leg and adjacent parts of an animal, dressed for market; as, a shoulder of mutton.

6. (Fort.) The angle of a bastion included between the face and flank. See Illust. of Bastion.

7. An abrupt projection which forms an abutment on an object, or limits motion, etc., as the projection around a tenon at the end of a piece of timber, the part of the top of a type which projects beyond the base of the raised character, etc.

Shoulder belt, a belt that passes across the shoulder. -- Shoulder blade (Anat.), the flat bone of the shoulder, to which the humerus is articulated; the scapula. -- Shoulder block (Naut.), a block with a projection, or shoulder, near the upper end, so that it can rest against a spar without jamming the rope. -- Shoulder clapper, one who claps another on the shoulder, or who uses great familiarity. [Obs.] Shak. -- Shoulder girdle. (Anat.) See Pectoral girdle, under Pectoral. -- Shoulder knot, an ornamental knot of ribbon or lace worn on the shoulder; a kind of epaulet or braided ornament worn as part of a military uniform. -- Shoulder-of-mutton sail (Naut.), a triangular sail carried on a boat's mast; -- so called from its shape. -- Shoulder slip, dislocation of the shoulder, or of the humerous. Swift. -- Shoulder strap, a strap worn on or over the shoulder. Specifically (Mil. & Naval), a narrow strap worn on the shoulder of a commissioned officer, indicating, by a suitable device, the rank he holds in the service. See Illust. in App.

Shoul"der (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shouldered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shouldering.] 1. To push or thrust with the shoulder; to push with violence; to jostle.

As they the earth would shoulder from her seat.

Spenser.

Around her numberless the rabble flowed, Shouldering each other, crowding for a view.

Rowe.

2. To take upon the shoulder or shoulders; as, to shoulder a basket; hence, to assume the burden or responsibility of; as, to shoulder blame; to shoulder a debt.

As if Hercules Or burly Atlas shouldered up their state.

Marston.

Right shoulder arms (Mil.), a position in the Manual of Arms which the piece is placed on the right shoulder, with the lock plate up, and the muzzle elevated and inclined to the left, and held as in the illustration.

Shoul"dered (?), a. Having shoulders; -- used in composition; as, a broad-shouldered man. "He was short-shouldered." Chaucer.

Shoul"der-shot`ten (?), a. Sprained in the shoulder, as a horse. Shak.

Shout (shout), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shouted; p. pr. & vb. n. Shouting.] [OE. shouten, of unknown origin; perhaps akin to shoot; cf. Icel. skta, skti, a taunt.] To utter a sudden and loud outcry, as in joy, triumph, or exultation, or to attract attention, to animate soldiers, etc.

Shouting of the men and women eke.

Chaucer.

They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for?

Shak.

To shout at, to utter shouts at; to deride or revile with shouts.

Shout, v. t. 1. To utter with a shout; to cry; -- sometimes with out; as, to shout, or to shout out, a man's name.

2. To treat with shouts or clamor. Bp. Hall.

Shout, n. A loud burst of voice or voices; a vehement and sudden outcry, especially of a multitudes expressing joy, triumph, exultation, or animated courage.

The Rhodians, seeing the enemy turn their backs, gave a great shout in derision.

Knolles.

Shout"er (?), n. One who shouts.

Shove (shv), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shoved (shvd); p. pr. & vb. n. Shoving.] [OE. shoven, AS. scofian, fr. scfan; akin to OFries. skva, D. schuiven, G. schieben, OHG. scioban, Icel. skfa, skfa, Sw. skuffa, Dan. skuffe, Goth. afskiuban to put away, cast away; cf. Skr. kshubh to become agitated, to quake, Lith. skubrus quick, skubinti to hasten. &radic;160. Cf. Sheaf a bundle of stalks, Scoop, Scuffle.] 1. To drive along by the direct and continuous application of strength; to push; especially, to push (a body) so as to make it move along the surface of another body; as, to shove a boat on the water; to shove a table across the floor.

2. To push along, aside, or away, in a careless or rude manner; to jostle.

And shove away the worthy bidden guest.

Milton.

He used to shove and elbow his fellow servants.

Arbuthnot.

Shove, v. i. 1. To push or drive forward; to move onward by pushing or jostling.

2. To move off or along by an act pushing, as with an oar a pole used by one in a boat; sometimes with off.

He grasped the oar, eceived his guests on board, and shoved from shore.

Garth.

Shove (?), n. The act of shoving; a forcible push.

I rested . . . and then gave the boat another shove.

Swift.

Syn. -- See Thrust.

Shove, obs. p. p. of Shove. Chaucer.

{ Shove"board` (?), Shove"groat` (?) }, n. The same as Shovelboard.

Shov"el (?), n. [OE. shovele, schovele, AS. scoft, sceoft; akin to D. schoffel, G. schaufel, OHG. sc&?;vala, Dan. skovl, Sw. skofvel, skyffel, and to E. shove. &radic;160. See Shove, v. t.] An implement consisting of a broad scoop, or more or less hollow blade, with a handle, used for lifting and throwing earth, coal, grain, or other loose substances.

Shovel hat, a broad-brimmed hat, turned up at the sides, and projecting in front like a shovel, -- worn by some clergy of the English Church. [Colloq.] -- Shovelspur (Zoöl.), a flat, horny process on the tarsus of some toads, -- used in burrowing. -- Steam shovel, a machine with a scoop or scoops, operated by a steam engine, for excavating earth, as in making railway cuttings.

Shov"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shoveled (?) or Shovelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Shoveling or Shovelling.] 1. To take up and throw with a shovel; as, to shovel earth into a heap, or into a cart, or out of a pit.

2. To gather up as with a shovel.

Shov"el*ard (?), n. (Zoöl.) Shoveler. [Prov. Eng.]

Shov"el*bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The shoveler.

Shov"el*board` (?), n. 1. A board on which a game is played, by pushing or driving pieces of metal or money to reach certain marks; also, the game itself. Called also shuffleboard, shoveboard, shovegroat, shovelpenny.

2. A game played on board ship in which the aim is to shove or drive with a cue wooden disks into divisions chalked on the deck; -- called also shuffleboard.

Shov"el*er (?), n. [Also shoveller.] 1. One who, or that which, shovels.

2. (Zoöl.) A river duck (Spatula clypeata), native of Europe and America. It has a large bill, broadest towards the tip. The male is handsomely variegated with green, blue, brown, black, and white on the body; the head and neck are dark green. Called also broadbill, spoonbill, shovelbill, and maiden duck. The Australian shoveler, or shovel-nosed duck (S. rhynchotis), is a similar species.

Shov"el*ful (?), n.; pl. Shovelfuls (&?;). As much as a shovel will hold; enough to fill a shovel.

Shov"el*head` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A shark (Sphryna tiburio) allied to the hammerhead, and native of the warmer parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; -- called also bonnet shark.

Shov"el*nose` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The common sand shark. See under Snad. (b) A small California shark (Heptranchias maculatus), which is taken for its oil. (c) A Pacific Ocean shark (Hexanchus corinus). (d) A ganoid fish of the Sturgeon family (Scaphirhynchus platyrhynchus) of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers; -- called also white sturgeon.

Shov"el-nosed` (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having a broad, flat nose; as, the shovel- nosed duck, or shoveler.

Shov"en (?), obs. p. p. of Shove. Chaucer.

Show (?), v. t. [imp. Showed (?); p. p. Shown (?) or Showed; p. pr. & vb. n. Showing. It is sometimes written shew, shewed, shewn, shewing.] [OE. schowen, shewen, schewen, shawen, AS. sceáwian, to look, see, view; akin to OS. scaw&?;n, OFries. skawia, D. schouwen, OHG. scouw&?;n, G. schauen, Dan. skue, Sw. sk&?;da, Icel. sko&?;a, Goth. usskawjan to waken, skuggwa a mirror, Icel. skuggy shade, shadow, L. cavere to be on one's guard, Gr. &?;&?;&?; to mark, perceive, hear, Skr. kavi wise. Cf. Caution, Scavenger, Sheen.] 1. To exhibit or present to view; to place in sight; to display; -- the thing exhibited being the object, and often with an indirect object denoting the person or thing seeing or beholding; as, to show a house; show your colors; shopkeepers show customers goods (show goods to customers).

Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest.

Matt. viii. 4.

Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise Magnificence; and what can heaven show more?

Milton.

2. To exhibit to the mental view; to tell; to disclose; to reveal; to make known; as, to show one's designs.

Shew them the way wherein they must walk.

Ex. xviii. 20.

If it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away.

1 Sam. xx. 13.

3. Specifically, to make known the way to (a person); hence, to direct; to guide; to asher; to conduct; as, to show a person into a parlor; to show one to the door.

4. To make apparent or clear, as by evidence, testimony, or reasoning; to prove; to explain; also, to manifest; to evince; as, to show the truth of a statement; to show the causes of an event.

I 'll show my duty by my timely care.

Dryden.

5. To bestow; to confer; to afford; as, to show favor.

Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me.

Ex. xx. 6.

To show forth, to manifest; to publish; to proclaim. -- To show his paces, to exhibit the gait, speed, or the like; -- said especially of a horse. -- To show off, to exhibit ostentatiously. -- To show up, to expose. [Colloq.]

Show, v. i. [Written also shew.] 1. To exhibit or manifest one's self or itself; to appear; to look; to be in appearance; to seem.

Just such she shows before a rising storm.

Dryden.

All round a hedge upshoots, and shows At distance like a little wood.

Tennyson.

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2. To have a certain appearance, as well or ill, fit or unfit; to become or suit; to appear.

My lord of York, it better showed with you.

Shak.

To show off, to make a show; to display one's self.

Show (?), n. [Formerly written also shew.] 1. The act of showing, or bringing to view; exposure to sight; exhibition.

2. That which os shown, or brought to view; that which is arranged to be seen; a spectacle; an exhibition; as, a traveling show; a cattle show.

As for triumphs, masks, feasts, and such shows.

Bacon.

3. Proud or ostentatious display; parade; pomp.

I envy none their pageantry and show.

Young.

4. Semblance; likeness; appearance.

He through the midst unmarked, In show plebeian angel militant Of lowest order, passed.

Milton.

5. False semblance; deceitful appearance; pretense.

Beware of the scribes, . . . which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers.

Luke xx. 46. 47.

6. (Med.) A discharge, from the vagina, of mucus streaked with blood, occuring a short time before labor.

7. (Mining) A pale blue flame, at the top of a candle flame, indicating the presence of fire damp. Raymond.

Show bill, a broad sheet containing an advertisement in large letters. -- Show box, a box xontaining some object of curiosity carried round as a show. -- Show card, an advertising placard; also, a card for displaying samples. -- Show case, a gla&?;ed case, box, or cabinet for displaying and protecting shopkeepers' wares, articles on exhibition in museums, etc. -- Show glass, a glass which displays objects; a mirror. -- Show of hands, a raising of hands to indicate judgment; as, the vote was taken by a show of hands. -- Show stone, a piece of glass or crystal supposed to have the property of exhibiting images of persons or things not present, indicating in that way future events.

Show"bread` (?), n. (Jewish Antiq.) Bread of exhibition; loaves to set before God; -- the term used in translating the various phrases used in the Hebrew and Greek to designate the loaves of bread which the priest of the week placed before the Lord on the golden table in the sanctuary. They were made of fine flour unleavened, and were changed every Sabbath. The loaves, twelve in number, represented the twelve tribes of Israel. They were to be eaten by the priests only, and in the Holy Place. [Written also shewbread.] Mark ii. 26.

Show"er (?), n. 1. One who shows or exhibits.

2. That which shows; a mirror. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Show"er (?), n. [OE. shour, schour, AS. se&?;r; akin to D. schoer, G. schauer, OHG. sc&?;r, Icel. sk&?;r, Sw. skur, Goth. sk&?;ra windis a storm of wind; of uncertain origin.] 1. A fall or rain or hail of short duration; sometimes, but rarely, a like fall of snow.

In drought or else showers.

Chaucer.

Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers.

Milton.

2. That which resembles a shower in falling or passing through the air copiously and rapidly.

With showers of stones he drives them far away.

Pope.

3. A copious supply bestowed. [R.]

He and myself Have travail'd in the great shower of your gifts.

Shak.

Shower bath, a bath in which water is showered from above, and sometimes from the sides also.

Show"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Showered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Showering.] 1. To water with a shower; to &?;&?;t copiously with rain.

Lest it again dissolve and shower the earth.

Milton.

2. To bestow liberally; to destribute or scatter in &?;undance; to rain. Shak.

C&?;sar's favor, That showers down greatness on his friends.

Addison.

Show"er, v. i. To rain in showers; to fall, as in a hower or showers. Shak.

Show"er*ful (?), a. Full of showers. Tennyson.

Show"er*i*ness (?), n. Quality of being showery.

Show"er*less, a. Rainless; freo from showers.

Show"er*y (?), a. 1. Raining in showers; abounding with frequent showers of rain.

2. Of or pertaining to a shower or showers. "Colors of the showery arch." Milton.

Show"i*ly (?), adv. In a showy manner; pompously; with parade.

Show"i*ness, n. The quality or state of being showy; pompousness; great parade; ostentation.

Show"ing, n. 1. Appearance; display; exhibition.

2. Presentation of facts; statement. J. S. Mill.

Show"ish, a. Showy; ostentatious. Swift.

Show"man (?), n.; pl. Showmen (#). One who exhibits a show; a proprietor of a show.

Shown (?), p. p. of Show.

Show"room` (?), n. A room or apartment where a show is exhibited.

2. A room where merchandise is exposed for sale, or where samples are displayed.

Show"y (?), a. [Compar. Showier (&?;); superl. Showiest.] Making a show; attracting attention; presenting a marked appearance; ostentatious; gay; gaudy.

A present of everything that was rich and showy.

Addison.

Syn. -- Splendid; gay; gaudy; gorgeous; fine; magnificent; grand; stately; sumptuous; pompous.

Shrag (?), n. [CF. Scrag.] A twig of a tree cut off. [Obs.]

Shrag, v. t. To trim, as trees; to lop. [Obs.]

Shrag"ger (?), n. One who lops; one who trims trees. [Obs.] Huloet.

Shram (?), v. t. [Cf. Shrink.] To cause to shrink or shrivel with cold; to benumb. [Prov. Eng.]

Shrank (?), imp. of Shrink.

{ Shrap (?), Shrape (?), } n. [Cf. Scrap, and Scrape.] A place baited with chaff to entice birds. [Written also scrap.] [Obs.] Bp. Bedell.

Shrap"nel (?), a. Applied as an appellation to a kind of shell invented by Gen. H. Shrapnel of the British army. -- n. A shrapnel shell; shrapnel shells, collectively.

Shrapnel shell (Gunnery), a projectile for a cannon, consisting of a shell filled with bullets and a small bursting charge to scatter them at any given point while in flight. See the Note under Case shot.

Shred (?), n. [OE. shrede, schrede, AS. screáde; akin to OD. schroode, G. schrot a piece cut off, Icel. skrjoðr a shred, and to E. shroud. Cf. Screed, Scroll, Scrutiny.] 1. A long, narrow piece cut or torn off; a strip. "Shreds of tanned leather." Bacon.

2. In general, a fragment; a piece; a particle. Shak.

Shred, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shred or Shredded (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Shredding.] [OE. shreden, schreden, AS. screádian; akin to OD. schrooden, OHG. scr&?;tan, G. schroten. See Shred, n.] 1. To cut or tear into small pieces, particularly narrow and long pieces, as of cloth or leather. Chaucer.

2. To lop; to prune; to trim. [Obs.]

Shred"cook` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The fieldfare; -- so called from its harsh cry before rain. [Prov. Eng.]

Shred"ding (?), n. 1. The act of cutting or tearing into shreds.

2. That which is cut or torn off; a piece. Hooker.

Shred"dy (?), a. Consisting of shreds.

Shred"less, a. Having no shreds; without a shred.

And those which waved are shredless dust ere now.

Byron.

Shrew (?), a. [OE. shrewe, schrewe. Cf. Shrewd.] Wicked; malicious. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Shrew, n. [See Shrew, a.] 1. Originally, a brawling, turbulent, vexatious person of either sex, but now restricted in use to females; a brawler; a scold.

A man . . . grudgeth that shrews [i. e., bad men] have prosperity, or else that good men have adversity.

Chaucer.

A man had got a shrew to his wife, and there could be no quiet in the house for her.

L'Estrange.

2. [AS. screáwa; -- so called because supposed to be venomous. ] (Zoöl.) Any small insectivore of the genus Sorex and several allied genera of the family Sorecidæ. In form and color they resemble mice, but they have a longer and more pointed nose. Some of them are the smallest of all mammals.

The common European species are the house shrew (Crocidura araneus), and the erd shrew (Sorex vulgaris) (see under Erd.). In the United States several species of Sorex and Blarina are common, as the broadnosed shrew (S. platyrhinus), Cooper's shrew (S. Cooperi), and the short-tailed, or mole, shrew (Blarina brevicauda). Th American water, or marsh, shrew (Neosorex palustris), with fringed feet, is less common. The common European water shrews are Crossopus fodiens, and the oared shrew (see under Oared).

Earth shrew, any shrewlike burrowing animal of the family Centetidæ, as the tendrac. -- Elephant shrew, Jumping shrew, Mole shrew. See under Elephant, Jumping, etc. -- Musk shrew. See Desman. -- River shrew, an aquatic West African insectivore (Potamogale velox) resembling a weasel in form and size, but having a large flattened and crested tail adapted for rapid swimming. It feeds on fishes. -- Shrew mole, a common large North American mole (Scalops aquaticus). Its fine, soft fur is gray with iridescent purple tints.

Shrew, v. t. [See Shrew, a., and cf. Beshrew.] To beshrew; to curse. [Obs.] "I shrew myself." Chaucer.

Shrewd (?), a. [Compar. Shrewder (?); superl. Shrewdest.] [Originally the p. p. of shrew, v.t.] 1. Inclining to shrew; disposing to curse or scold; hence, vicious; malicious; evil; wicked; mischievous; vexatious; rough; unfair; shrewish. [Obs.] Chaucer.

[Egypt] hath many shrewd havens, because of the great rocks that ben strong and dangerous to pass by.

Sir J. Mandeville.

Every of this happy number That have endured shrewd days and nights with us.

Shak.

2. Artful; wily; cunning; arch.

These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues.

Shak.

3. Able or clever in practical affairs; sharp in business; astute; sharp-witted; sagacious; keen; as, a shrewd observer; a shrewd design; a shrewd reply.

Professing to despise the ill opinion of mankind creates a shrewd suspicion that we have deserved it.

Secker.

Syn. -- Keen; critical; subtle; artful; astute; sagacious; discerning; acute; penetrating. -- Shrewd, Sagacious. One who is shrewd is keen to detect errors, to penetrate disguises, to foresee and guard against the selfishness of others. Shrewd is a word of less dignity than sagacious, which implies a comprehensive as well as penetrating mind, whereas shrewd does not.

-- Shrewd"ly, adv. -- Shrewd"ness, n.

Shrew"ish (?), a. having the qualities of a shrew; having a scolding disposition; froward; peevish.

My wife is shrewish when I keep not hours.

Shak.

-- Shrew"ish*ly, adv. -- Shrew"ish*ness, n.

Shrew"mouse` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A shrew; especially, the erd shrew.

Shriek (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shrieked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shrieking.] [OE. shriken, originallythe same word as E. screech. See Screech, and cf. Screak.] To utter a loud, sharp, shrill sound or cry, as do some birds and beasts; to scream, as in a sudden fright, in horror or anguish.

It was the owl that shrieked.

Shak.

At this she shrieked aloud; the mournful train Echoed her grief.

Dryden.

Shriek (?), v. t. To utter sharply and shrilly; to utter in or with a shriek or shrieks.

On top whereof aye dwelt the ghostly owl, Shrieking his baleful note.

Spenser.

She shrieked his name To the dark woods.

Moore.

Shriek, n. A sharp, shrill outcry or scream; a shrill wild cry such as is caused by sudden or extreme terror, pain, or the like.

Shrieks, clamors, murmurs, fill the frighted town.

Dryden.

Shriek owl. (Zoöl.) (a) The screech owl. (b) The swift; -- so called from its cry.

Shriek"er (?), n. One who utters a shriek.

Shriev"al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a sheriff.

Shriev"al*ty (?), n. [Contr. from sheriffalty. See Shrieve, n. Sheriff.] The office, or sphere of jurisdiction, of a sheriff; sheriffalty.

It was ordained by 28 Edward I that the people shall have election of sheriff in every shire where the shrievalty is not of inheritance.

Blackstone.

Shrieve (?), n. [Contr. from OE. shereve. See Sheriff.] A sheriff. [Obs.] Shak.

Shrieve, v. t. To shrive; to question. [Obs.] "She gan him soft to shrieve." Spenser.

Shrift (?), n. [OE. shrift, schrift, AS. scrift, fr. scrfan to shrive. See Shrive.] 1. The act of shriving.

In shrift and preaching is my diligence.

Chaucer.

2. Confession made to a priest, and the absolution consequent upon it. Chaucer.

Have you got leave to go to shrift to- day?

Shak.

Therefore, my lord, address you to your shrift, And be yourself; for you must die this instant.

Rowe.

Shrift father, a priest to whom confession is made.

Shright (?), obs. imp. & p. p. of Shriek.

She cried alway and shright.

Chaucer.

Shright, n. [See Shriek.] A shriek; shrieking. [Obs] Spenser. "All hoarse for shright." Chaucer.

Shrike (?), n. [Akin to Icel. skrkja a shrieker, the shrike, and E. shriek; cf. AS. scrc a thrush. See Shriek, v. i.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of oscinine birds of the family Laniidæ, having a strong hooked bill, toothed at the tip. Most shrikes are insectivorous, but the common European gray shrike (Lanius excubitor), the great northern shrike (L. borealis), and several others, kill mice, small birds, etc., and often impale them on thorns, and are, on that account called also butcher birds. See under Butcher.

The ant shrikes, or bush shrikes, are clamatorial birds of the family Formicaridæ. The cuckoo shrikes of the East Indies and Australia are Oscines of the family Campephagidæ. The drongo shrikes of the same regions belong to the related family Dicruridæ. See Drongo.

Crow shrike. See under Crow. -- Shrike thrush. (a) Any one of several species of Asiatic timaline birds of the genera Thamnocataphus, Gampsorhynchus, and allies. (b) Any one of several species of shrikelike Australian singing birds of the genus Colluricincla. -- Shrike tit. (a) Any one of several Australian birds of the genus Falcunculus, having a strong toothed bill and sharp claws. They creep over the bark of trees, like titmice, in search of insects. (b) Any one of several species of small Asiatic birds belonging to Allotrius, Pteruthius, Cutia, Leioptila, and allied genera, related to the true tits. Called also hill tit. -- Swallow shrike. See under Swallow.

Shrill (?), a. [Compar. Shriller (?); superl. Shrillest.] [OE. shril, schril; akin to LG. schrell, G. schrill. See Shrill,v. i.] Acute; sharp; piercing; having or emitting a sharp, piercing tone or sound; -- said of a sound, or of that which produces a sound.

Hear the shrill whistle which doth order give To sounds confused.

Shak.

Let winds be shrill, let waves roll high.

Byron.

Shrill, n. A shrill sound. [Obs.] Spenser.

Shrill, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shrilled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shrilling.] [OE. schrillen, akin to G. schrillen; cf. AS. scralletan to resound loudly, Icel. skrölta to jolt, Sw. skrälla to shrill, Norw. skryla, skr&?;la. Cf. Skirl.] To utter an acute, piercing sound; to sound with a sharp, shrill tone; to become shrill.

Break we our pipes, that shrilledloud as lark.

Spenser.

No sounds were heard but of the shrilling cock.

Goldsmith.

His voice shrilled with passion.

L. Wallace.

Shrill, v. t. To utter or express in a shrill tone; to cause to make a shrill sound.

How poor Andromache shrills her dolors forth.

Shak.

Shrill"-gorged` (?), a. Having a throat which produces a shrill note. [R.] Shak.

Shrill"ness, n. The quality or state of being shrill.

Shrill"-tongued` (?), a. Having a shrill voice. "When shrill-tongued Fulvia scolds." Shak.

Shril"ly, adv. In a shrill manner; acutely; with a sharp sound or voice.

Shril"ly, a. Somewhat shrill. [Poetic] Sir W. Scott.

Some kept up a shrilly mellow sound.

Keats.

Shrimp (?), v. t. [Cf. AS. scrimman to dry up, wither, MHG. schrimpfen to shrink, G. schrumpfen, Dan. skrumpe, skrumpes, Da. & Sw. skrumpen shriveled. Cf. Scrimp, Shrink, Shrivel.] To contract; to shrink. [Obs.]

Shrimp, n. [OE. shrimp; -- probably so named from its shriveled appearance. See Shrimp, v.] 1. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of numerous species of macruran Crustacea belonging to Crangon and various allied genera, having a slender body and long legs. Many of them are used as food. The larger kinds are called also prawns. See Illust. of Decapoda. (b) In a more general sense, any species of the macruran tribe Caridea, or any species of the order Schizopoda, having a similar form. (c) In a loose sense, any small crustacean, including some amphipods and even certain entomostracans; as, the fairy shrimp, and brine shrimp. See under Fairy, and Brine.

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2. Figuratively, a little wrinkled man; a dwarf; -- in contempt.

This weak and writhled shrimp.

Shak.

Opossum shrimp. (Zoöl.) See under Opossum. -- Spector shrimp, or Skeleton shrimp (Zoöl.), any slender amphipod crustacean of the genus Caprella and allied genera. See Illust. under Læmodopoda. -- Shrimp catcher (Zoöl.), the little tern (Sterna minuta). -- Shrimp net, a dredge net fixed upon a pole, or a sweep net dragged over the fishing ground.

Shrimp"er (?), n. One who fishes for shrimps.

Shrine (shrn), n. [OE. schrin, AS. scrn, from L. scrinium a case, chest, box.] 1. A case, box, or receptacle, especially one in which are deposited sacred relics, as the bones of a saint.

2. Any sacred place, as an altar, tromb, or the like.

Too weak the sacred shrine guard.

Byron.

3. A place or object hallowed from its history or associations; as, a shrine of art.

Shrine, v. t. To enshrine; to place reverently, as in a shrine. "Shrined in his sanctuary." Milton.

Shrink (?), v. i. [imp. Shrank (?) or Shrunk (?) p. p. Shrunk or Shrunken (&?;), but the latter is now seldom used except as a participial adjective; p. pr. & vb. n. Shrinking.] [OE. shrinken, schrinken, AS. scrincan; akin to OD. schrincken, and probably to Sw. skrynka a wrinkle, skrynkla to wrinkle, to rumple, and E. shrimp, n. & v., scrimp. CF. Shrimp.] 1. To wrinkle, bend, or curl; to shrivel; hence, to contract into a less extent or compass; to gather together; to become compacted.

And on a broken reed he still did stay His feeble steps, which shrunk when hard thereon he lay.

Spenser.

I have not found that water, by mixture of ashes, will shrink or draw into less room.

Bacon.

Against this fire do I shrink up.

Shak.

And shrink like parchment in consuming fire.

Dryden.

All the boards did shrink.

Coleridge.

2. To withdraw or retire, as from danger; to decline action from fear; to recoil, as in fear, horror, or distress.

What happier natures shrink at with affright, The hard inhabitant contends is right.

Pope.

They assisted us against the Thebans when you shrank from the task.

Jowett (Thucyd.)

3. To express fear, horror, or pain by contracting the body, or part of it; to shudder; to quake. [R.] Shak.

Shrink, v. t. 1. To cause to contract or shrink; as, to shrink finnel by imersing it in boiling water.

2. To draw back; to withdraw. [Obs.]

The Libyc Hammon shrinks his horn.

Milton.

To shrink on (Mach.), to fix (one piece or part) firmly around (another) by natural contraction in cooling, as a tire on a wheel, or a hoop upon a cannon, which is made slightly smaller than the part it is to fit, and expanded by heat till it can be slipped into place.

Shrink, n. The act shrinking; shrinkage; contraction; also, recoil; withdrawal.

Yet almost wish, with sudden shrink, That I had less to praise.

Leigh Hunt.

Shrink"age (?), n. 1. The act of shrinking; a contraction into less bulk or measurement.

2. The amount of such contraction; the bulk or dimension lost by shrinking, as of grain, castings, etc.

3. Decrease in value; depreciation. [Colloq.]

Shrink"er (?), n. One who shrinks; one who withdraws from danger.

Shrink"ing, a. & n. from Shrink.

Shrinking head (Founding), a body of molten metal connected with a mold for the purpose of supplying metal to compensate for the shrinkage of the casting; -- called also sinking head, and riser.

Shrink"ing*ly, adv. In a shrinking manner.

Shriv"al*ty (?), n. Shrievalty. Johnson.

Shrive (?), v. t. [imp. Shrived (?) or Shrove (&?;); p. p. Shriven (?) or Shrived; p. pr. & vb. n. Shriving.] [OE. shriven, schriven, AS. scrvan to shrive, to impose penance or punishment; akin to OFries. skrva to impose punishment; cf. OS. biskrban to be troubled. Cf. Shrift, Shrovetide.] 1. To hear or receive the confession of; to administer confession and absolution to; -- said of a priest as the agent.

That they should shrive their parishioners.

Piers Plowman.

Doubtless he shrives this woman, . . . Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech.

Shak.

Till my guilty soul be shriven.

Longfellow.

2. To confess, and receive absolution; -- used reflexively.

Get you to the church and shrive yourself.

Beau. & Fl.

Shrive, v. i. To receive confessions, as a priest; to administer confession and absolution. Spenser.

Shriv"el (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shriveled (?) or Shrivelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Shriveling or Shrivelling.] [Probably akin to shrimp, shrink; cf. dial. AS. screpa to pine away, Norw. skrypa to waste, skryp, skryv, transitory, frail, Sw. skröpling feeble, Dan. skröbelig, Icel. skrj&?;pr brittle, frail.] To draw, or be drawn, into wrinkles; to shrink, and form corrugations; as, a leaf shriveles in the hot sun; the skin shrivels with age; -- often with up.

Shriv"el (?), v. t. To cause to shrivel or contract; to cause to shrink onto corruptions.

Shriv"en (?), p. p. of Shrive.

Shriv"er (?), n. One who shrives; a confessor.

Shriv"ing, n. Shrift; confession. Spenser.

Shroff (?), n. [Ar. sarrf.] A banker, or changer of money. [East Indies]

Shroff"age (?), n. The examination of coins, and the separation of the good from the debased. [East Indies]

Shrood (?), v. t. [Cf. Shroud.] [Written also shroud, and shrowd.] To trim; to lop. [Prov. Eng.]

Shroud (shroud), n. [OE. shroud, shrud, schrud, AS. scrd a garment, clothing; akin to Icel. skruð the shrouds of a ship, furniture of a church, a kind of stuff, Sw. skrud dress, attire, and E. shred. See Shred, and cf. Shrood.] 1. That which clothes, covers, conceals, or protects; a garment. Piers Plowman.

Swaddled, as new born, in sable shrouds.

Sandys.

2. Especially, the dress for the dead; a winding sheet. "A dead man in his shroud." Shak.

3. That which covers or shelters like a shroud.

Jura answers through her misty shroud.

Byron.

4. A covered place used as a retreat or shelter, as a cave or den; also, a vault or crypt. [Obs.]

The shroud to which he won His fair-eyed oxen.

Chapman.

A vault, or shroud, as under a church.

Withals.

5. The branching top of a tree; foliage. [R.]

The Assyrian wad a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and with a shadowing shroad.

Ezek. xxxi. 3.

6. pl. (Naut.) A set of ropes serving as stays to support the masts. The lower shrouds are secured to the sides of vessels by heavy iron bolts and are passed around the head of the lower masts.

7. (Mach.) One of the two annular plates at the periphery of a water wheel, which form the sides of the buckets; a shroud plate.

Bowsprit shrouds (Naut.), ropes extending from the head of the bowsprit to the sides of the vessel. -- Futtock shrouds (Naut.), iron rods connecting the topmast rigging with the lower rigging, passing over the edge of the top. -- Shroud plate. (a) (Naut.) An iron plate extending from the dead-eyes to the ship's side. Ham. Nav. Encyc. (b) (Mach.) A shroud. See def. 7, above.

Shroud, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shrouded; p. pr. & vb. n. Shrouding.] [Cf. AS. scr&?;dan. See Shroud, n.] 1. To cover with a shroud; especially, to inclose in a winding sheet; to dress for the grave.

The ancient Egyptian mummies were shrouded in a number of folds of linen besmeared with gums.

Bacon.

2. To cover, as with a shroud; to protect completely; to cover so as to conceal; to hide; to veil.

One of these trees, with all his young ones, may shroud four hundred horsemen.

Sir W. Raleigh.

Some tempest rise, And blow out all the stars that light the skies, To shroud my shame.

Dryden.

Shroud, v. i. To take shelter or harbor. [Obs.]

If your stray attendance be yet lodged, Or shroud within these limits.

Milton.

Shroud, v. t. To lop. See Shrood. [Prov. Eng.]

Shroud"ed, a. Provided with a shroud or shrouds.

Shrouded gear (Mach.), a cogwheel or pinion having flanges which form closed ends to the spaces between the teeth and thus strengthen the teeth by tying them together.

Shroud"ing, n. The shrouds. See Shroud, n., 7.

Shroud"-laid` (?), a. Composed of four strands, and laid right-handed with a heart, or center; -- said of rope. See Illust. under Cordage.

Shroud"less, a. Without a shroud.

Shroud"y (?), a. Affording shelter. [R.] Milton.

Shrove (?), imp. of Shrive.

Shrove Sunday, Quinguagesima Sunday. -- Shrove Tuesday, the Tuesday following Quinguagesima Sunday, and preceding the first day of Lent, or Ash Wednesday. It was formerly customary in England, on this day, for the people to confess their sins to their parish priests, after which they dined on pancakes, or fritters, and the occasion became one of merriment. The bell rung on this day is popularly called Pancake Bell, and the day itself Pancake Tuesday. P. Cyc.

Shrove, v. i. To join in the festivities of Shrovetide; hence, to make merry. [Obs.] J. Fletcher.

Shrove"tide` (?), n. [From shrive to take a confession (OE. imp. shrof, AS. scrf) + tide.] The days immediately preceding Ash Widnesday, especially the period between the evening before Quinguagesima Sunday and the morning of Ash Wednesday.

Shrov"ing, n. The festivity of Shrovetide. [Obs.]

Shrow (?), n. A shrew. [Obs.] Shak.

Shrowd (?), v. t. See Shrood. [Prov. Eng.]

Shrub (?), n. [Ar. shirb, shurb, a drink, beverage, fr. shariba to drink. Cf. Sirup, Sherbet.] A liquor composed of vegetable acid, especially lemon juice, and sugar, with spirit to preserve it.

Shrub, n. [OE. schrob, AS. scrob, scrobb; akin to Norw. skrubba the dwarf cornel tree.] (Bot.) A woody plant of less size than a tree, and usually with several stems from the same root.

Shrub, v. t. To lop; to prune. [Obs.] Anderson (1573).

Shrub"ber*y (?), n.; pl. Shrubberies (&?;). 1. A collection of shrubs.

2. A place where shrubs are planted. Macaulay.

Shrub"bi*ness (?), n. Quality of being shrubby.

Shrub"by (?), a. [Compar. Shrubbier (?); superl. Shrubbiest.] 1. Full of shrubs.

2. Of the nature of a shrub; resembling a shrub. "Shrubby browse." J. Philips.

Shrub"less, a. having no shrubs. Byron.

Shruff (?), n. [Cf. Scruff, Scurf.] Rubbish. Specifically: (a) Dross or refuse of metals. [Obs.] (b) Light, dry wood, or stuff used for fuel. [Prov. Eng.]

Shrug (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shrugged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shrugging (?).] [Probably akin to shrink, p. p. shrunk; cf. Dan. skrugge, skrukke, to stoop, dial. Sw. skrukka, skruga, to crouch.] To draw up or contract (the shoulders), especially by way of expressing dislike, dread, doubt, or the like.

He shrugs his shoulders when you talk of securities.

Addison.

Shrug, v. i. To raise or draw up the shoulders, as in expressing dislike, dread, doubt, or the like.

They grin, they shrug. They bow, they snarl, they snatch, they hug.

Swift.

Shrug, n. A drawing up of the shoulders, -- a motion usually expressing dislike, dread, or doubt.

The Spaniards talk in dialogues Of heads and shoulders, nods and shrugs.

Hudibras.

Shrunk"en (?), p. p. & a. from Shrink.

Shuck (?), n. A shock of grain. [Prev.Eng.]

Shuck, n. [Perhaps akin to G. shote a husk, pod, shell.] 1. A shell, husk, or pod; especially, the outer covering of such nuts as the hickory nut, butternut, peanut, and chestnut.

2. The shell of an oyster or clam. [U. S.]

Shuck, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shucked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shucking.] To deprive of the shucks or husks; as, to shuck walnuts, Indian corn, oysters, etc.

Shuck"er (?), n. One who shucks oysters or clams

Shud"der (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shuddered (?);p. pr. & vb. n. Shuddering.] [OE. shoderen, schuderen; akin to LG. schuddern, D. schudden to shake, OS. skuddian, G. schaudern to shudder, schütteln to shake, schütten to pour, to shed, OHG. scutten, scuten, to shake.] To tremble or shake with fear, horrer, or aversion; to shiver with cold; to quake. "With shuddering horror pale." Milton.

The shuddering tennant of the frigid zone.

Goldsmith.

Shud"der, n. The act of shuddering, as with fear. Shak.

Shud"der*ing*ly, adv. In a shuddering manner.

Shude (?), n. The husks and other refuse of rice mills, used to adulterate oil cake, or linseed cake.

Shuf"fle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shuffled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shuffling (?).] [Originally the same word as scuffle, and properly a freq. of shove. See Shove, and Scuffle.] 1. To shove one way and the other; to push from one to another; as, to shuffle money from hand to hand.

2. To mix by pushing or shoving; to confuse; to throw into disorder; especially, to change the relative positions of, as of the cards in a pack.

A man may shuffle cards or rattle dice from noon to midnight without tracing a new idea in his mind.

Rombler.

3. To remove or introduce by artificial confusion.

It was contrived by your enemies, and shuffled into the papers that were seizen.

Dryden.

To shuffe off, to push off; to rid one's self of. -- To shuffe up, to throw together in hastel to make up or form in confusion or with fraudulent disorder; as, he shuffled up a peace.

Shuf"fle, v. i. 1. To change the relative position of cards in a pack; as, to shuffle and cut.

2. To change one's position; to shift ground; to evade questions; to resort to equivocation; to prevaricate.

I myself, . . . hiding mine honor in my necessity, am fain to shuffle.

Shak.

3. To use arts or expedients; to make shift.

Your life, good master, Must shuffle for itself.

Shak.

4. To move in a slovenly, dragging manner; to drag or scrape the feet in walking or dancing.

The aged creature came Shuffling along with ivory-headed wand.

Keats.

Syn. -- To equivicate; prevaricate; quibble; cavil; shift; sophisticate; juggle.

Shuf"fle, n. 1. The act of shuffling; a mixing confusedly; a slovenly, dragging motion.

The unguided agitation and rude shuffles of matter.

Bentley.

2. A trick; an artifice; an evasion.

The gifts of nature are beyond all shame and shuffles.

L'Estrange.

Shuf"fle*board` (?), n. See Shovelboard.

Shuf"fle*cap` (?), n. A play performed by shaking money in a hat or cap. [R.] Arbuthnot.

Shuf"fler (?), n. 1. One who shuffles.

2. (Zoöl.) Either one of the three common American scaup ducks. See Scaup duck, under Scaup.

Shuf"fle*wing` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The hedg sparrow. [Prov. Eng.]

Shuf"fling (?), a. 1. Moving with a dragging, scraping step. "A shuffling nag." Shak.

2. Evasive; as, a shuffling excuse. T. Burnet.

Shuf"fling, v. In a shuffling manner.

Shug (?), v. i. [Cf. Shrug.] 1. To writhe the body so as to produce friction against one's clothes, as do those who have the itch. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

2. Hence, to crawl; to sneak. [Obs.]

There I 'll shug in and get a noble countenance.

Ford.

Shu"mac (?), n. (Bot.) Sumac.

Shun (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shunned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shunning.] [OE. shunien, schunien, schonien, AS. scunian, sceonian; cf. D. schuinen to slepe, schuin oblique, sloping, Icel. skunda, skynda, to hasten. Cf. Schooner, Scoundrel, Shunt.] To avoid; to keep clear of; to get out of the way of; to escape from; to eschew; as, to shun rocks, shoals, vice.

I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Acts xx. 26,27.

Scarcity and want shall shun you.

Shak.

Syn. -- See Avoid.

Shun"less, a. Not to be shunned; inevitable; unavoidable. [R.] "Shunless destiny." Shak.

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Shunt (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shunted; p. pr. & vb. n. Shunting.] [Prov. E., to move from, to put off, fr. OE. shunten, schunten, schounten; cf. D. schuinte a slant, slope, Icel. skunda to hasten. Cf. Shun.] 1. To shun; to move from. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

2. To cause to move suddenly; to give a sudden start to; to shove. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Ash.

3. To turn off to one side; especially, to turn off, as a grain or a car upon a side track; to switch off; to shift.

For shunting your late partner on to me.

T. Hughes.

4. (Elec.) To provide with a shunt; as, to shunt a galvanometer.

Shunt (?), v. i. To go aside; to turn off.

Shunt, n. [Cf. D. schuinte slant, slope, declivity. See Shunt, v. t.] 1. (Railroad) A turning off to a side or short track, that the principal track may be left free.

2. (Elec.) A conducting circuit joining two points in a conductor, or the terminals of a galvanometer or dynamo, so as to form a parallel or derived circuit through which a portion of the current may pass, for the purpose of regulating the amount passing in the main circuit.

3. (Gunnery) The shifting of the studs on a projectile from the deep to the shallow sides of the grooves in its discharge from a shunt gun.

Shunt dynamo (Elec.), a dynamo in which the field circuit is connected with the main circuit so as to form a shunt to the letter, thus employing a portion of the current from the armature to maintain the field. -- Shunt gun, a firearm having shunt rifling. See under Rifling.

Shunt"er (?), n. (Railroad) A person employed to shunt cars from one track to another.

Shut (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shut; p. pr. & vb. n. Shutting.] [OE. shutten, schutten, shetten, schitten, AS. scyttan to shut or lock up (akin to D. schutten, G. schützen to protect), properly, to fasten with a bolt or bar shot across, fr. AS. sceótan to shoot. &radic;159. See Shoot.] 1. To close so as to hinder ingress or egress; as, to shut a door or a gate; to shut one's eyes or mouth.

2. To forbid entrance into; to prohibit; to bar; as, to shut the ports of a country by a blockade.

Shall that be shut to man which to the beast Is open?

Milton.

3. To preclude; to exclude; to bar out. "Shut from every shore." Dryden.

4. To fold together; to close over, as the fingers; to close by bringing the parts together; as, to shut the hand; to shut a book.

To shut in. (a) To inclose; to confine. "The Lord shut him in." Cen. vii. 16. (b) To cover or intercept the view of; as, one point shuts in another. -- To shut off. (a) To exclude. (b) To prevent the passage of, as steam through a pipe, or water through a flume, by closing a cock, valve, or gate. -- To shut out, to preclude from entering; to deny admission to; to exclude; as, to shut out rain by a tight roof. -- To shut together, to unite; to close, especially to close by welding. -- To shut up. (a) To close; to make fast the entrances into; as, to shut up a house. (b) To obstruct. "Dangerous rocks shut up the passage." Sir W. Raleigh. (c) To inclose; to confine; to imprison; to fasten in; as, to shut up a prisoner.

Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Gal. iii. 23.

(d) To end; to terminate; to conclude.

When the scene of life is shut up, the slave will be above his master if he has acted better.

Collier.

(e) To unite, as two pieces of metal by welding. (f) To cause to become silent by authority, argument, or force.

Shut, v. i. To close itself; to become closed; as, the door shuts; it shuts hard.

To shut up, to cease speaking. [Colloq.] T. Hughes.

Shut, a. 1. Closed or fastened; as, a shut door.

2. Rid; clear; free; as, to get shut of a person. [Now dialectical or local, Eng. & U.S.] L'Estrange.

3. (Phon.) (a) Formed by complete closure of the mouth passage, and with the nose passage remaining closed; stopped, as are the mute consonants, p, t, k, b, d, and hard g. H. Sweet. (b) Cut off sharply and abruptly by a following consonant in the same syllable, as the English short vowels, , , , , , always are.

Shut, n. The act or time of shutting; close; as, the shut of a door.

Just then returned at shut of evening flowers.

Milton.

2. A door or cover; a shutter. [Obs.] Sir I. Newton.

3. The line or place where two pieces of metal are united by welding.

Cold shut, the imperfection in a casting caused by the flowing of liquid metal upon partially chilled metal; also, the imperfect weld in a forging caused by the inadequate heat of one surface under working.

Shute (?), n. Same as Chute, or Shoot.

Shut"ter (?), n. 1. One who shuts or closes.

2. A movable cover or screen for a window, designed to shut out the light, to obstruct the view, or to be of some strength as a defense; a blind.

3. A removable cover, or a gate, for closing an aperture of any kind, as for closing the passageway for molten iron from a ladle.

Shut"tered (?), a. Furnished with shutters.

Shut"tle (?), n. [Also shittle, OE. schitel, scytyl, schetyl; cf. OE. schitel a bolt of a door, AS. scyttes; all from AS. sceótan to shoot; akin to Dan. skyttel, skytte, shuttle, dial. Sw. skyttel, sköttel. &radic;159. See Shoot, and cf. Shittle, Skittles.] 1. An instrument used in weaving for passing or shooting the thread of the woof from one side of the cloth to the other between the threads of the warp.

Like shuttles through the loom, so swiftly glide My feathered hours.

Sandys.

2. The sliding thread holder in a sewing machine, which carries the lower thread through a loop of the upper thread, to make a lock stitch.

3. A shutter, as for a channel for molten metal. [R.]

Shuttle box (Weaving), a case at the end of a shuttle race, to receive the shuttle after it has passed the thread of the warp; also, one of a set of compartments containing shuttles with different colored threads, which are passed back and forth in a certain order, according to the pattern of the cloth woven. -- Shutten race, a sort of shelf in a loom, beneath the warp, along which the shuttle passes; a channel or guide along which the shuttle passes in a sewing machine. -- Shuttle shell (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of marine gastropods of the genus Volva, or Radius, having a smooth, spindle-shaped shell prolonged into a channel at each end.

Shut"tle (?), v. i. To move backwards and forwards, like a shuttle.

I had to fly far and wide, shutting athwart the big Babel, wherever his calls and pauses had to be.

Carlyle.

Shut"tle*cock` (?), n. A cork stuck with feathers, which is to be struck by a battledoor in play; also, the play itself.

Shut"tle*cock, v. t. To send or toss to and fro; to bandy; as, to shuttlecock words. Thackeray.

Shut"tle*cork` (?), n. See Shuttlecock.

Shut"tle*wise` (?), adv. Back and forth, like the movement of a shuttle.

Shwan"-pan (?), n. See Schwan- pan.

Shy (sh), a. [Compar. Shier (-r) or Shyer; superl. Shiest or Shyest.] [OE. schey, skey, sceouh, AS. sceóh; akin to Dan. sky, Sw. skygg, D. schuw, MHG. schiech, G. scheu, OHG. sciuhen to be or make timid. Cf. Eschew.] 1. Easily frightened; timid; as, a shy bird.

The horses of the army . . . were no longer shy, but would come up to my very feet without starting.

Swift.

2. Reserved; coy; disinclined to familiar approach.

What makes you so shy, my good friend? There's nobody loves you better than I.

Arbuthnot.

The embarrassed look of shy distress And maidenly shamefacedness.

Wordsworth.

3. Cautious; wary; suspicious.

I am very shy of using corrosive liquors in the preparation of medicines.

Boyle.

Princes are, by wisdom of state, somewhat shy of thier successors.

Sir H. Wotton.

To fight shy. See under Fight, v. i.

Shy, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shied (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Shying.] [From Shy, a.] To start suddenly aside through fright or suspicion; -- said especially of horses.

Shy, v. t. To throw sidewise with a jerk; to fling; as, to shy a stone; to shy a slipper. T. Hughes.

Shy, n. 1. A sudden start aside, as by a horse.

2. A side throw; a throw; a fling. Thackeray.

If Lord Brougham gets a stone in his hand, he must, it seems, have a shy at somebody.

Punch.

Shy"ly, adv. In a shy or timid manner; not familiarly; with reserve. [Written also shily.]

Shy"ness, n. The quality or state of being shy. [Written also shiness.]

Frequency in heavenly contemplation is particularly important to prevent a shyness bewtween God and thy soul.

Baxter.

Syn. -- Bashfulness; reserve; coyness; timidity; diffidence. See Bashfulness.

Shy"ster (?), n. [Perh. from G. scheisse excrement.] A trickish knave; one who carries on any business, especially legal business, in a mean and dishonest way. [Slang, U.S.]

Si (?). [It.] (Mus.) A syllable applied, in solmization, to the note B; more recently, to the seventh tone of any major diatonic scale. It was added to Guido's scale by Le Maire about the end of the 17th century.

||Si*a"ga (?), n. (Zoöl.) The ahu, or jairou.

Si*al"o*gogue (?), n. [Gr. si`alon saliva + &?;&?;&?;&?; leading, from &?;&?;&?; to lead: cf. F. sialagogue.] (Med.) An agent which promotes the flow of saliva.

||Si"a*mang` (?), n. [Malay simang.] (Zool.) A gibbon (Hylobates ||syndactylus), native of Sumatra. It has the second and third toes ||partially united by a web.

Si`a*mese" (?), a. Of or pertaining to Siam, its native people, or their language.

Si`a*mese`, n. sing. & pl. 1. A native or inhabitant of Siam; pl., the people of Siam.

2. sing. The language of the Siamese.

Sib (?), n. [AS. sibb alliance, gesib a relative. &radic;289. See Gossip.] A blood relation. [Obs.] Nash.

Sib, a. Related by blood; akin. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Your kindred is but . . . little sib to you.

Chaucer.

[He] is no fairy birn, ne sib at all To elfs, but sprung of seed terrestrial.

Spenser.

Sib"bens (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Med.) A contagious disease, endemic in Scotland, resembling the yaws. It is marked by ulceration of the throat and nose and by pustules and soft fungous excrescences upon the surface of the body. In the Orkneys the name is applied to the itch. [Written also sivvens.]

Si*be"ri*an (?), a. [From Siberia, Russ. Sibire.] Of or pertaining to Siberia, a region comprising all northern Asia and belonging to Russia; as, a Siberian winter. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Siberia.

Siberian crab (Bot.), the Siberian crab apple. See Crab apple, under Crab. -- Siberian dog (Zoöl.), one of a large breed of dogs having erect ears and the hair of the body and tail very long. It is distinguished for endurance of fatigue when used for the purpose of draught. -- Siberian pea tree (Bot.), a small leguminous tree (Cragana arborescens) with yellow flowers. It is a native of Siberia.

{ Sib"i*lance (?), Sib"i*lan*cy (?), } n. The quality or state of being sibilant; sibilation.

Milton would not have avoided them for their sibilancy, he who wrote . . . verses that hiss like Medusa's head in wrath.

Lowell.

Sib"i*lant (?), a. [L. sibilans, -antis, p. pr. of sibilare to hiss: cf. F. sibilant.] Making a hissing sound; uttered with a hissing sound; hissing; as, s, z, sh, and zh, are sibilant elementary sounds. -- n. A sibiliant letter.

Sib"i*late (?), v. t. & i. To pronounce with a hissing sound, like that of the letter s; to mark with a character indicating such pronunciation.

Sib`i*la"tion (?), n. [L. sibilatio.] Utterance with a hissing sound; also, the sound itself; a hiss.

He, with a long, low sibilation, stared.

Tennyson.

Sib"i*la*to*ry (?), a. Hissing; sibilant.

Sib"i*lous (?), a. [L. sibilus.] Having a hissing sound; hissing; sibilant. [R.] Pennant.

Sib"yl (?), n. [L. sibylla, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;.] 1. (Class. Antiq.) A woman supposed to be endowed with a spirit of prophecy.

The number of the sibyls is variously stated by different authors; but the opinion of Varro, that there were ten, is generally adopted. They dwelt in various parts of Persia, Greece, and Italy.

2. A female fortune teller; a pythoness; a prophetess. "An old highland sibyl." Sir W. Scott.

Sib"yl*ist, n. One who believes in a sibyl or the sibylline prophecies. Cudworth.

Sib"yl*line (?), a. [L. sibyllinus.] Pertaining to the sibyls; uttered, written, or composed by sibyls; like the productions of sibyls.

Sibylline books. (a) (Rom. Antiq.) Books or documents of prophecies in verse concerning the fate of the Roman empire, said to have been purchased by Tarquin the Proud from a sibyl. (b) Certain Jewish and early Christian writings purporting to have been prophetic and of sibylline origin. They date from 100 b. c. to a. d. 500.

Sic (?), a. Such. [Scot.]

||Sic (?), adv. [L.] Thus.

This word is sometimes inserted in a quotation [sic], to call attention to the fact that some remarkable or inaccurate expression, misspelling, or the like, is literally reproduced.

Sic"a*more (?), n. (Bot.) See Sycamore.

||Sic"ca (?), n. [Ar. sikka.] A seal; a coining die; -- used ||adjectively to designate the silver currency of the Mogul emperors, ||or the Indian rupee of 192 grains.

Sicca rupee, an East Indian coin, valued nominally at about two shillings sterling, or fifty cents.

Sic"cate (?), v. t. [L. siccatus, p. p. of siccare to dry, fr. siecus dry.] To dry. [R.]

Sic*ca"tion (?), n. [L. siccatio.] The act or process of drying. [R.] Bailey.

Sic"ca*tive (?), a. [L. siccativus.] Drying; causing to dry. -- n. That which promotes drying.

Sic*cif"ic (?), a.[L. siccificus; siccus dry + facere to make. See -fy.] Causing dryness.

Sic"ci*ty (?), n. [L. siccitas, fr. siccus dry.] Dryness; aridity; destitution of moisture. [Obs.]

The siccity and dryness of its flesh.

Sir T. Browne.

Sice (?), n. [F. six, fr. L. sex six. See Six.] The number six at dice.

Si"cer (?), n. [L. sicera. See Cider.] A strong drink; cider. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sich (?), a. Such. [Obs. or Colloq.] Spenser.

Si*cil"i*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Sicily or its inhabitants.

Sicilian vespers, the great massacre of the French in Sicily, in the year 1282, on the evening of Easter Monday, at the hour of vespers.

Si*cil"i*an, n. A native or inhabitant of Sicily.

||Si*ci`li*a"no (?), n. [It., Sicilian.] A Sicilian dance, resembling ||the pastorale, set to a rather slow and graceful melody in 12-8 or ||6-8 measure; also, the music to the dance.

||Si`ci`lienne" (?), n. [F., fem. of sicilien Sicilian.] A kind of rich ||poplin.

Sick (?), a. [Compar. Sicker (?); superl. Sickest.] [OE. sek, sik, ill, AS. seóc; akin to OS. siok, seoc, OFries. siak, D. ziek, G. siech, OHG. sioh, Icel. sj&?;kr, Sw. sjuk, Dan. syg, Goth. siuks ill, siukan to be ill.] 1. Affected with disease of any kind; ill; indisposed; not in health. See the Synonym under Illness.

Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever.

Mark i. 30.

Behold them that are sick with famine.

Jer. xiv. 18.

2. Affected with, or attended by, nausea; inclined to vomit; as, sick at the stomach; a sick headache.

3. Having a strong dislike; disgusted; surfeited; -- with of; as, to be sick of flattery.

He was not so sick of his master as of his work.

L'Estrange.

4. Corrupted; imperfect; impaired; weakned.

So great is his antipathy against episcopacy, that, if a seraphim himself should be a bishop, he would either find or make some sick feathers in his wings.

Fuller.

Sick bay (Naut.), an apartment in a vessel, used as the ship's hospital. -- Sick bed, the bed upon which a person lies sick. -- Sick berth, an apartment for the sick in a ship of war. -- Sick headache (Med.), a variety of headache attended with disorder of the stomach and nausea. -- Sick list, a list containing the names of the sick. -- Sick room, a room in which a person lies sick, or to which he is confined by sickness. [These terms, sick bed, sick berth, etc., are also written both hyphened and solid.]

Syn. -- Diseased; ill; disordered; distempered; indisposed; weak; ailing; feeble; morbid.

Sick, n. Sickness. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sick, v. i. To fall sick; to sicken. [Obs.] Shak.

Sick"-brained` (?), a. Disordered in the brain.

Sick"en (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sickened (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sickening.] 1. To make sick; to disease.

Raise this strength, and sicken that to death.

Prior.

2. To make qualmish; to nauseate; to disgust; as, to sicken the stomach.

3. To impair; to weaken. [Obs.] Shak.

Sick"en, v. i. 1. To become sick; to fall into disease.

The judges that sat upon the jail, and those that attended, sickened upon it and died.

Bacon.

2. To be filled to disgust; to be disgusted or nauseated; to be filled with abhorrence or aversion; to be surfeited or satiated.

Mine eyes did sicken at the sight.

Shak.

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3. To become disgusting or tedious.

The toiling pleasure sickens into pain.

Goldsmith.

4. To become weak; to decay; to languish.

All pleasures sicken, and all glories sink.

Pope.

Sick"en*ing (?), a. Causing sickness; specif., causing surfeit or disgust; nauseating. -- Sick"en*ing*ly, adv.

Sick"er (?), v. i. [AS. sicerian.] (Mining) To percolate, trickle, or ooze, as water through a crack. [Also written sigger, zigger, and zifhyr.] [Prov. Eng.]

{ Sick"er, Sik"er }, a. [OE. siker; cf. OS. sikur, LG. seker, D. zeker, Dan. sikker, OHG. sihhur, G. sicher; all fr. L. securus. See Secure, Sure.] Sure; certain; trusty. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Burns.

When he is siker of his good name.

Chaucer.

{ Sick"er, Sik"er }, adv. Surely; certainly. [Obs.]

Believe this as siker as your creed.

Chaucer.

Sicker, Willye, thou warnest well.

Spenser.

{ Sick"er*ly, Sik"er*ly }, adv. Surely; securely. [Obs.]

But sikerly, withouten any fable.

Chaucer.

{ Sick"er*ness, Sik"er*ness }, n. The quality or state of being sicker, or certain. [Obs.] Chaucer. Spenser.

Sick"ish, a. 1. Somewhat sick or diseased.

2. Somewhat sickening; as, a sickish taste.

-- Sick"ish*ly, adv. -- Sick"ish*ness, n.

Sic"kle (?), n. [OE. sikel, AS. sicol; akin to D. sikkel, G. sichel, OHG. sihhila, Dan. segel, segl, L. secula, fr. secare to cut; or perhaps from L. secula. See Saw a cutting instrument.] 1. A reaping instrument consisting of a steel blade curved into the form of a hook, and having a handle fitted on a tang. The sickle has one side of the blade notched, so as always to sharpen with a serrated edge. Cf. Reaping hook, under Reap.

When corn has once felt the sickle, it has no more benefit from the sunshine.

Shak.

2. (Astron.) A group of stars in the constellation Leo. See Illust. of Leo.

Sickle pod (Bot.), a kind of rock cress (Arabis Canadensis) having very long curved pods.

Sic"kle*bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of three species of humming birds of the genus Eutoxeres, native of Central and South America. They have a long and strongly curved bill. Called also the sickle-billed hummer. (b) A curlew. (c) A bird of the genus Epimachus and allied genera.

Sic"kled (?), a. Furnished with a sickle.

Sic"kle*man (?), n.; pl. Sicklemen (&?;). One who uses a sickle; a reaper.

You sunburned sicklemen, of August weary.

Shak.

Sic"kler (?), n. One who uses a sickle; a sickleman; a reaper.

Sick"less (?), a. Free from sickness. [R.]

Give me long breath, young beds, and sickless ease.

Marston.

Sic"kle*wort` (?), n. [AS. sicolwyrt.] (Bot.) (a) A plant of the genus Coronilla (C. scorpioides); -- so named from its curved pods. (b) The healall (Brunella vulgaris).

Sick"lied (?), a. Made sickly. See Sickly, v.

Sick"li*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being sickly.

Sick"ly (?), a. [Compar. Sicklier (?); superl. Sickliest.] 1. Somewhat sick; disposed to illness; attended with disease; as, a sickly body.

This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

Shak.

2. Producing, or tending to, disease; as, a sickly autumn; a sickly climate. Cowper.

3. Appearing as if sick; weak; languid; pale.

The moon grows sickly at the sight of day.

Dryden.

Nor torrid summer's sickly smile.

Keble.

4. Tending to produce nausea; sickening; as, a sickly smell; sickly sentimentality.

Syn. -- Diseased; ailing; infirm; weakly; unhealthy; healthless; weak; feeble; languid; faint.

Sick"ly, adv. In a sick manner or condition; ill.

My people sickly [with ill will] beareth our marriage.

Chaucer.

Sick"ly, v. t. To make sick or sickly; -- with over, and probably only in the past participle. [R.]

Sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought.

Shak.

Sentiments sicklied over . . . with that cloying heaviness into which unvaried sweetness is too apt to subside.

Jeffrey.

Sick"ness, n. [AS. seócness.] 1. The quality or state of being sick or diseased; illness; sisease or malady.

I do lament the sickness of the king.

Shak.

Trust not too much your now resistless charms; Those, age or sickness soon or late disarms.

Pope.

2. Nausea; qualmishness; as, sickness of stomach.

Syn. -- Illness; disease; malady. See Illness.

Si"cle (?), n. [F., fr. L. silcus, Heb. shegel. See Shekel.] A shekel. [Obs.]

The holy mother brought five sicles and a pair of turtledoves to redeem the Lamb of God.

Jer. Taylor.

||Si"da (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; a kind of plant.] (Bot.) A ||genus of malvaceous plants common in the tropics. All the species are ||mucilaginous, and some have tough ligneous fibers which are used as a ||substitute for hemp and flax. Balfour (Cyc. of India).

Sid"dow (?), a. Soft; pulpy. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Side (?), n. [AS. sde; akin to D. zijde, G. seite, OHG. sta, Icel. s&?;a, Dan. side, Sw. sida; cf. AS. sd large, spacious, Icel. s&?;r long, hanging.] 1. The margin, edge, verge, or border of a surface; especially (when the thing spoken of is somewhat oblong in shape), one of the longer edges as distinguished from the shorter edges, called ends; a bounding line of a geometrical figure; as, the side of a field, of a square or triangle, of a river, of a road, etc.

3. Any outer portion of a thing considered apart from, and yet in relation to, the rest; as, the upper side of a sphere; also, any part or position viewed as opposite to or contrasted with another; as, this or that side.

Looking round on every side beheld A pathless desert.

Milton.

4. (a) One of the halves of the body, of an animals or man, on either side of the mesial plane; or that which pertains to such a half; as, a side of beef; a side of sole leather. (b) The right or left part of the wall or trunk of the body; as, a pain in the side.

One of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side.

John xix. 34.

5. A slope or declivity, as of a hill, considered as opposed to another slope over the ridge.

Along the side of yon small hill.

Milton.

6. The position of a person or party regarded as opposed to another person or party, whether as a rival or a foe; a body of advocates or partisans; a party; hence, the interest or cause which one maintains against another; a doctrine or view opposed to another.

God on our side, doubt not of victory.

Shak.

We have not always been of the . . . same side in politics.

Landor.

Sets the passions on the side of truth.

Pope.

7. A line of descent traced through one parent as distinguished from that traced through another.

To sit upon thy father David's throne, By mother's side thy father.

Milton.

8. Fig.: Aspect or part regarded as contrasted with some other; as, the bright side of poverty.

By the side of, close at hand; near to. -- Exterior side. (Fort.) See Exterior, and Illust. of Ravelin. -- Interior side (Fort.), the line drawn from the center of one bastion to that of the next, or the line curtain produced to the two oblique radii in front. H. L. Scott. -- Side by side, close together and abreast; in company or along with. -- To choose sides, to select those who shall compete, as in a game, on either side. -- To take sides, to attach one's self to, or give assistance to, one of two opposing sides or parties.

Side (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to a side, or the sides; being on the side, or toward the side; lateral.

One mighty squadron with a side wind sped.

Dryden.

2. Hence, indirect; oblique; collateral; incidental; as, a side issue; a side view or remark.

The law hath no side respect to their persons.

Hooker.

3. [AS. sd. Cf Side, n.] Long; large; extensive. [Obs. or Scot.] Shak.

His gown had side sleeves down to mid leg.

Laneham.

Side action, in breech-loading firearms, a mechanism for operating the breech block, which is moved by a lever that turns sidewise. -- Side arms, weapons worn at the side, as sword, bayonet, pistols, etc. -- Side ax, an ax of which the handle is bent to one side. -- Side-bar rule (Eng. Law.), a rule authorized by the courts to be granted by their officers as a matter of course, without formal application being made to them in open court; -- so called because anciently moved for by the attorneys at side bar, that is, informally. Burril. -- Side box, a box or inclosed seat on the side of a theater.

To insure a side-box station at half price.

Cowper.

-- Side chain, one of two safety chains connecting a tender with a locomotive, at the sides. -- Side cut, a canal or road branching out from the main one. [U.S.] -- Side dish, one of the dishes subordinate to the main course. -- Side glance, a glance or brief look to one side. -- Side hook (Carp.), a notched piece of wood for clamping a board to something, as a bench. -- Side lever, a working beam of a side-lever engine. -- Side-lever engine, a marine steam engine having a working beam of each side of the cylinder, near the bottom of the engine, communicating motion to a crank that is above them. -- Side pipe (Steam Engine), a steam or exhaust pipe connecting the upper and lower steam chests of the cylinder of a beam engine. -- Side plane, a plane in which the cutting edge of the iron is at the side of the stock. -- Side posts (Carp.), posts in a truss, usually placed in pairs, each post set at the same distance from the middle of the truss, for supporting the principal rafters, hanging the tiebeam, etc. -- Side rod. (a) One of the rods which connect the piston-rod crosshead with the side levers, in a side-lever engine. (b) See Parallel rod, under Parallel. -- Side screw (Firearms), one of the screws by which the lock is secured to the side of a firearm stock. -- Side table, a table placed either against the wall or aside from the principal table. -- Side tool (Mach.), a cutting tool, used in a lathe or planer, having the cutting edge at the side instead of at the point. -- Side wind, a wind from one side; hence, an indirect attack, or indirect means. Wright.

Side, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sided; p. pr.& vb. n. Siding.] 1. To lean on one side. [Obs.] Bacon.

2. To embrace the opinions of one party, or engage in its interest, in opposition to another party; to take sides; as, to side with the ministerial party.

All side in parties, and begin the attack.

Pope.

Side, v. t. 1. To be or stand at the side of; to be on the side toward. [Obs.]

His blind eye that sided Paridell.

Spenser.

2. To suit; to pair; to match. [Obs.] Clarendon.

3. (Shipbuilding) To work (a timber or rib) to a certain thickness by trimming the sides.

4. To furnish with a siding; as, to side a house.

Side"board` (?), n. A piece of dining-room furniture having compartments and shelves for keeping or displaying articles of table service.

At a stately sideboard, by the wine, That fragrant smell diffused.

Milton.

Side"bone` (?), n. (Far.) A morbid growth or deposit of bony matter and at the sides of the coronet and coffin bone of a horse. J. H. Walsh.

Sid"ed (?), a. Having (such or so many) sides; -- used in composition; as, one-sided; many- sided.

Side"hill` (?), n. The side or slope of a hill; sloping ground; a descent. [U. S.]

Side"ling (?), adv. [OE. sideling, fr. side side. See Side, and cf. Sidelong, Headlong.] Sidelong; on the side; laterally; also, obliquely; askew.

A fellow nailed up maps . . . some sideling, and others upside down.

Swift.

Side"ling, a. Inclining to one side; directed toward one side; sloping; inclined; as, sideling ground.

Side"long` (?), adv. [See Sideling, adv.] 1. Laterally; obliquely; in the direction of the side.

2. On the side; as, to lay a thing sidelong. [See Sideling, adv. ] Evelyn.

Side"long`, a. Lateral; oblique; not being directly in front; as, a sidelong glance.

The bashful virgin's sidelong looks of love.

Goldsmith.

Side"piece` (?), n. (Joinery) The jamb, or cheek, of an opening in a wall, as of door or window.

Sid"er (?), n. One who takes a side.

Si"der (?), n. Cider. [Obs.]

Sid"er*al (?), a. [L. sideralis. See Sidereal.] 1. Relating to the stars.

2. (Astrol.) Affecting unfavorably by the supposed influence of the stars; baleful. "Sideral blast." Milton.

Sid"er*a`ted (?), a. [L. sideratus, p. p. of siderari to be blasted by a constellation, fr. sidus, sideris, a constellation.] Planet-struck; blasted. [Obs.]

Sid`er*a"tion, n. [L. sideratio.] The state of being siderated, or planet-struck; esp., blast in plants; also, a sudden and apparently causeless stroke of disease, as in apoplexy or paralysis. [Obs.] Ray.

Si*de"re*al (?), a. [L. sidereus, from sidus, sideris, a constellation, a star. Cf. Sideral, Consider, Desire.] 1. Relating to the stars; starry; astral; as, sidereal astronomy.

2. (Astron.) Measuring by the apparent motion of the stars; designated, marked out, or accompanied, by a return to the same position in respect to the stars; as, the sidereal revolution of a planet; a sidereal day.

Sidereal clock, day, month, year. See under Clock, Day, etc. -- Sideral time, time as reckoned by sideral days, or, taking the sidereal day as the unit, the time elapsed since a transit of the vernal equinox, reckoned in parts of a sidereal day. This is, strictly, apparent sidereal time, mean sidereal time being reckoned from the transit, not of the true, but of the mean, equinoctial point.

Si*de"re*al*ize (?), v. t. To elevate to the stars, or to the region of the stars; to etherealize.

German literature transformed, siderealized, as we see it in Goethe, reckons Winckelmann among its initiators.

W. Pater.

Si*de"re*ous (?), a. [L. sidereus.] Sidereal. [Obs.]

Sid"er*ite, n. [L. sideritis loadstone, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;, &?;&?;&?;&?;, of iron, from &?;&?;&?;&?; iron.] 1. (Min.) (a) Carbonate of iron, an important ore of iron occuring generally in cleavable masses, but also in rhombohedral crystals. It is of a light yellowish brown color. Called also sparry iron, spathic iron. (b) A meteorite consisting solely of metallic iron. (c) An indigo-blue variety of quartz. (d) Formerly, magnetic iron ore, or loadstone.

2. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Sideritis; ironwort.

{ Sid`er*o*graph"ic (?), Sid`er*o*graph"ic*al (?), } a. Of or pertaining to siderography; executed by engraved plates of steel; as, siderographic art; siderographic impressions.

Sid`er*og"ra*phist (?), n. One skilled in siderography.

Sid`er*og"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; iron + -graphy.] The art or practice of steel engraving; especially, the process, invented by Perkins, of multiplying facsimiles of an engraved steel plate by first rolling over it, when hardened, a soft steel cylinder, and then rolling the cylinder, when hardened, over a soft steel plate, which thus becomes a facsimile of the original. The process has been superseded by electrotypy.

Sid"er*o*lite (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; iron + -lite.] A kind of meteorite. See under Meteorite.

Sid"er*o*man`cy (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; iron + -mancy.] Divination by burning straws on red-hot iron, and noting the manner of their burning. Craig.

Sid"er*o*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; iron + -scope.] An instrument for detecting small quantities of iron in any substance by means of a very delicate combination of magnetic needles.

||Sid`e*ro"sis (?), n.[NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; iron.] (Med.) A sort of ||pneumonia occuring in iron workers, produced by the inhalation of ||particles of iron.

Sid"er*o*stat (?), n. [L. sidus, sideris, a star + Gr. &?;&?;&?; standing, fixed, fr. &?;&?;&?;&?; to place.] (Astron.) An apparatus consisting essentially of a mirror moved by clockwork so as to throw the rays of the sun or a star in a fixed direction; -- a more general term for heliostat.

||Sid`e*rox"y*lon (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; iron + &?;&?;&?; ||wood.] (Bot.) A genus of tropical sapotaceous trees noted for their ||very hard wood; ironwood.

Side"sad`dle (?), n. A saddle for women, in which the rider sits with both feet on one side of the animal mounted.

Sidesaddle flower (Bot.), a plant with hollow leaves and curiously shaped flowers; -- called also huntsman's cup. See Sarracenia.

<! p. 1338 !>

Sides"man (?), n.; pl. Sidesmen (&?;). 1. A party man; a partisan. Milton.

2. An assistant to the churchwarden; a questman.

Side"-tak`ing (?), n. A taking sides, as with a party, sect, or faction. Bp. Hall.

Side"walk` (?), n. A walk for foot passengers at the side of a street or road; a foot pavement. [U.S.]

Side"ways` (?), adv. Toward the side; sidewise.

A second refraction made sideways.

Sir I. Newton.

His beard, a good palm's length, at least, . . . Shot sideways, like a swallow's wings.

Longfellow.

Side"-wheel`, a. Having a paddle wheel on each side; -- said of steam vessels; as, a side-wheel steamer.

Side"wind`er (?), n. 1. (Zoöl.) See Horned rattler, under Horned.

2. A heavy swinging blow from the side, which disables an adversary. [Slang.] Side"wise` (?), adv. On or toward one side; laterally; sideways.

I saw them mask their awful glance Sidewise meek in gossamer lids.

Emerson.

Sid"ing (?), n. 1. Attaching one's self to a party.

2. A side track, as a railroad; a turnout.

3. (Carp.) The covering of the outside wall of a frame house, whether made of weatherboards, vertical boarding with cleats, shingles, or the like.

4. (Shipbuilding) The thickness of a rib or timber, measured, at right angles with its side, across the curved edge; as, a timber having a siding of ten inches.

Si"dle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sidled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sidling (?).] [From Side.] To go or move with one side foremost; to move sidewise; as, to sidle through a crowd or narrow opening. Swift.

He . . . then sidled close to the astonished girl.

Sir W. Scott.

Siege (?), n. [OE. sege, OF. siege, F. siège a seat, a siege; cf. It. seggia, seggio, zedio, a seat, asseggio, assedio, a siege, F. assiéger to besiege, It. & LL. assediare, L. obsidium a siege, besieging; all ultimately fr. L. sedere to sit. See Sit, and cf. See, n.] 1. A seat; especially, a royal seat; a throne. [Obs.] "Upon the very siege of justice." Shak.

A stately siege of sovereign majesty, And thereon sat a woman gorgeous gay.

Spenser.

In our great hall there stood a vacant chair . . . And Merlin called it "The siege perilous."

Tennyson.

2. Hence, place or situation; seat. [Obs.]

Ah! traitorous eyes, come out of your shameless siege forever.

Painter (Palace of Pleasure).

3. Rank; grade; station; estimation. [Obs.]

I fetch my life and being From men of royal siege.

Shak.

4. Passage of excrements; stool; fecal matter. [Obs.]

The siege of this mooncalf.

Shak.

5. The sitting of an army around or before a fortified place for the purpose of compelling the garrison to surrender; the surrounding or investing of a place by an army, and approaching it by passages and advanced works, which cover the besiegers from the enemy's fire. See the Note under Blockade.

6. Hence, a continued attempt to gain possession.

Love stood the siege, and would not yield his breast.

Dryden.

7. The floor of a glass-furnace.

8. A workman's bench. Knught.

Siege gun, a heavy gun for siege operations. -- Siege train, artillery adapted for attacking fortified places.

Siege, v. t. To besiege; to beset. [R.]

Through all the dangers that can siege The life of man.

Buron.

Siege"work` (?), n. A temporary fort or parallel where siege guns are mounted.

Sie"mens-Mar`tin proc"ess (?). See Open-hearth process, etc., under Open.

Si"e*nite (?), n. (Min.) See Syenite.

Si`e*nit"ic (?), a. See Syenitic.

Si*en"na (?), n. [It. terra di Siena, fr. Siena in Italy.] (Chem.) Clay that is colored red or brown by the oxides of iron or manganese, and used as a pigment. It is used either in the raw state or burnt.

Burnt sienna, sienna made of a much redder color by the action of fire. -- Raw sienna, sienna in its natural state, of a transparent yellowish brown color.

Si`en*nese" (?), a. Of or pertaining to Sienna, a city of Italy.

||Si*er"ra (?), n. [Sp., properly, a saw, fr. L. serra a saw. See ||Serrate.] A ridge of mountain and craggy rocks, with a serrated or ||irregular outline; as, the Sierra Nevada.

The wild sierra overhead.

Whitter.

||Si*es"ta (?), n. [Sp., probably fr. L. sessitare to sit much or long, ||v. freq. of sedere, sessum, to sit. See Sit.] A short sleep taken ||about the middle of the day, or after dinner; a midday nap.

||Sieur (?), n. [F., abbrev. from seigneur. Cf. Monsieur, Seignior.] ||Sir; -- a title of respect used by the French.

Sie"va (?), n. (Bot.) A small variety of the Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus).

Sieve (?), n. [OE. sive, AS. sife; akin to D. zeef, zift, OHG. sib, G. sieb. &radic;151a. Cf. Sift.] 1. A utensil for separating the finer and coarser parts of a pulverized or granulated substance from each other. It consist of a vessel, usually shallow, with the bottom perforated, or made of hair, wire, or the like, woven in meshes. "In a sieve thrown and sifted." Chaucer.

2. A kind of coarse basket. Simmonds.

Sieve cells (Bot.), cribriform cells. See under Cribriform.

Si"fac (?), n. (Zoöl.) The white indris of Madagascar. It is regarded by the natives as sacred.

Sif"fle*ment (?), n. [F., a whistling or hissing.] The act of whistling or hissing; a whistling sound; sibilation. [Obs.] A. Brewer.

Sif"i*let (?), n. [Cf. F. siflet.] (Zoöl.) The six-shafted bird of paradise. See Paradise bird, under Paradise.

Sift (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sifted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sifting.] [AS. siftan, from sife sieve. &radic;151a. See Sieve.] 1. To separate with a sieve, as the fine part of a substance from the coarse; as, to sift meal or flour; to sift powder; to sift sand or lime.

2. To separate or part as if with a sieve.

When yellow sands are sifted from below, The glittering billows give a golden show.

Dryden.

3. To examine critically or minutely; to scrutinize.

Sifting the very utmost sentence and syllable.

Hooker.

Opportunity I here have had To try thee, sift thee.

Milton.

Let him but narrowly sift his ideas.

I. Taylor.

To sift out, to search out with care, as if by sifting.

Sift"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, sifts.

2. (Zoöl.) Any lamellirostral bird, as a duck or goose; -- so called because it sifts or strains its food from the water and mud by means of the lamell&?; of the beak.

Sig (?), n. [Akin to AS. sgan to fall. &radic;151a. See Sink, v. t.] Urine. [Prov. Eng.]

Si*gaul"ti*an (?), a. (Surg.) Pertaining to Sigault, a French physician. See Symphyseotomy.

Sig"ger, v. i. Same as Sicker. [Prov. Eng.]

Sigh (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sighed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sighing.] [OE. sighen, si&?;en; cf. also OE. siken, AS. scan, and OE. sighten, si&?;ten, sichten, AS. siccettan; all, perhaps, of imitative origin.] 1. To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, or the like.

2. Hence, to lament; to grieve.

He sighed deeply in his spirit.

Mark viii. 12.

3. To make a sound like sighing.

And the coming wind did roar more loud, And the sails did sigh like sedge.

Coleridge.

The winter winds are wearily sighing.

Tennyson.

An extraordinary pronunciation of this word as sth is still heard in England and among the illiterate in the United States.

Sigh, v. t. 1. To exhale (the breath) in sighs.

Never man sighed truer breath.

Shak.

2. To utter sighs over; to lament or mourn over.

Ages to come, and men unborn, Shall bless her name, and sigh her fate.

Pior.

3. To express by sighs; to utter in or with sighs.

They . . . sighed forth proverbs.

Shak.

The gentle swain . . . sighs back her grief.

Hoole.

Sigh, n. [OE. sigh; cf. OE. sik. See Sigh, v. i.] 1. A deep and prolonged audible inspiration or respiration of air, as when fatigued or grieved; the act of sighing.

I could drive the boat with my sighs.

Shak.

2. Figuratively, a manifestation of grief; a lan&?;ent.

With their sighs the air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite.

Milton.

Sigh"-born` (?), a. Sorrowful; mournful. [R.] "Sigh-born thoughts." De Quincey.

Sigh"er (?), n. One who sighs.

Sigh"ing, a. Uttering sighs; grieving; lamenting. "Sighing millions." Cowper. - - Sigh"ing*ly, adv.

Sight (?), n. [OE. sight, si&?;t, siht, AS. siht, gesiht, gesih&?;, gesieh&?;, gesyh&?;; akin to D. gezicht, G. sicht, gesicht, Dan. sigte, Sw. sigt, from the root of E. see. See See, v. t.] 1. The act of seeing; perception of objects by the eye; view; as, to gain sight of land.

A cloud received him out of their sight.

Acts. i. 9.

2. The power of seeing; the faculty of vision, or of perceiving objects by the instrumentality of the eyes.

Thy sight is young, And thou shalt read when mine begin to dazzle.

Shak.

O loss of sight, of thee I most complain!

Milton.

3. The state of admitting unobstructed vision; visibility; open view; region which the eye at one time surveys; space through which the power of vision extends; as, an object within sight.

4. A spectacle; a view; a show; something worth seeing.

Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

Ex. iii. 3.

They never saw a sight so fair.

Spenser.

5. The instrument of seeing; the eye.

Why cloud they not their sights?

Shak.

6. Inspection; examination; as, a letter intended for the sight of only one person.

7. Mental view; opinion; judgment; as, in their sight it was harmless. Wake.

That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Luke xvi. 15.

8. A small aperture through which objects are to be seen, and by which their direction is settled or ascertained; as, the sight of a quadrant.

Thier eyes of fire sparking through sights of steel.

Shak.

9. A small piece of metal, fixed or movable, on the breech, muzzle, center, or trunnion of a gun, or on the breech and the muzzle of a rifle, pistol, etc., by means of which the eye is guided in aiming. Farrow.

10. In a drawing, picture, etc., that part of the surface, as of paper or canvas, which is within the frame or the border or margin. In a frame or the like, the open space, the opening.

11. A great number, quantity, or sum; as, a sight of money. [Now colloquial]

Sight in this last sense was formerly employed in the best usage. "A sight of lawyers." Latimer.

A wonder sight of flowers.

Gower.

At sight, as soon as seen, or presented to sight; as, a draft payable at sight: to read Greek at sight; to shoot a person at sight. -- Front sight (Firearms), the sioht nearost the ouzzle. -- Open sight. (Firearms) (a) A front sight through which the objects aimed at may be seen, in distinction from one that hides the object. (b) A rear sight having an open notch instead of an aperture. -- Peep sight, Rear sight. See under Peep, and Rear. -- Sight draft, an order, or bill of exchange, directing the payment of money at sight. -- To take sight, to take aim; to look for the purpose of directing a piece of artillery, or the like.

Syn. -- Vision; view; show; spectacle; representation; exhibition.

Sight (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sighting.] 1. To get sight of; to see; as, to sight land; to sight a wreck. Kane.

2. To look at through a sight; to see accurately; as, to sight an object, as a star.

3. To apply sights to; to adjust the sights of; also, to give the proper elevation and direction to by means of a sight; as, to sight a rifle or a cannon.

Sight, v. i. (Mil.) To take aim by a sight.

Sight"ed, a. Having sight, or seeing, in a particular manner; -- used in composition; as, long- sighted, short-sighted, quick-sighted, sharp- sighted, and the like.

Sight"ful (?), a. Easily or clearly seen; distinctly visible; perspicuous. [Obs.] Testament of Love.

Sight"ful*ness, n. The state of being sightful; perspicuity. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.

Sight"-hole` (?), n. A hole for looking through; a peephole. "Stop all sight-holes." Shak.

Sight"ing, a. & n. from Sight, v. t.

Sighting shot, a shot made to ascertain whether the sights of a firearm are properly adjusted; a trial shot.

Sight"less, a. 1. Wanting sight; without sight; blind.

Of all who blindly creep or sightless soar.

Pope.

2. That can not be seen; invisible. [Obs.]

The sightless couriers of the air.

Shak.

3. Offensive or unpleasing to the eye; unsightly; as, sightless stains. [R.] Shak.

-- Sight"less*ly, adv.- Sight"less*ness, n.

Sight"li*ness (?), n. The state of being sightly; comeliness; conspicuousness.

Sight"ly (?), a. 1. Pleasing to the sight; comely. "Many brave, sightly horses." L'Estrange.

2. Open to sight; conspicuous; as, a house stands in a sightly place.

Sight"proof` (?), a. Undiscoverable to sight.

Hidden in their own sightproof bush.

Lowell.

Sight"-see`ing (?), a. Engaged in, or given to, seeing sights; eager for novelties or curiosities.

Sight"-see`ing, n. The act of seeing sights; eagerness for novelties or curiosities.

Sight"-se`er (?), n. One given to seeing sights or noted things, or eager for novelties or curiosities.

Sight"-shot` (?), n. Distance to which the sight can reach or be thrown. [R.] Cowley.

Sights"man (?), n.; pl. Sightsmen (&?;). (Mus.) One who reads or performs music readily at first sight. [R.] Busby.

Sig"il (?), n. [L. sigillum. See Seal a stamp.] A seal; a signature. Dryden.

Of talismans and sigils knew the power.

Pope.

||Sig`il*la"ri*a (?), n. pl. [L., from sigillum a seal. See Sigil.] ||(Rom. Antic.) Little images or figures of earthenware exposed for ||sale, or given as presents, on the last two days of the Saturnalia; ||hence, the last two, or the sixth and seventh, days of the ||Saturnalia.

||Sig`il*la"ri*a, n. [NL., fem sing. fr. L. sigillum a seal.] (Paleon.) ||A genus of fossil trees principally found in the coal formation; -- ||so named from the seallike leaf scars in vertical rows on the ||surface.

Sig`il*la"rid (?), n. (Paleon.) One of an extinct family of cryptagamous trees, including the genus Sigillaria and its allies.

Sig"il*la`ted (?), a. [L. sigillatus adorned with little images.] Decorated by means of stamps; -- said of pottery.

Sig"il*la*tive (?), a. [L. sigillum a seal: cf. OF. sigillatif.] Fit to seal; belonging to a seal; composed of wax. [R.]

||Si*gil"lum (?), n.; pl. Sigilla (#). [L.] (Rom. & Old Eng. Law) A ||seal.

||Sig"la (?), n. pl. [L.] The signs, abbreviations, letters, or ||characters standing for words, shorthand, etc., in ancient ||manuscripts, or on coins, medals, etc. W. Savage.

||Sig"ma (?), n.; pl. Sigmas (#). [L., from Gr. &?;&?;&?;, &?;&?;&?;.] ||The Greek letter , &sigma;, or (English S, or s). It originally had ||the form of the English C.

Sig"mo*dont (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; sigma (&?;) + &?;&?;&?;, &?;&?;&?;, a tooth.] (Zoöl.) Any one of a tribe (Sigmodontes) of rodents which includes all the indigenous rats and mice of America. So called from the form of the ridges of enamel on the crowns of the worn molars. Also used adjectively.

{ Sig"moid (?), Sig*moid"al (?), } a. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;; &?;&?;&?; sigma + &?;&?;&?; form, likeness: cf. F. sigmoïde.] Curved in two directions, like the letter S, or the Greek .

Sigmoid flexure (Anat.), the last curve of the colon before it terminates in the rectum. See Illust. under Digestive. -- Sigmoid valves. (Anat.) See Semilunar valves, under Semilunar.

Sig*moid"al*ly, adv. In a sigmoidal manner.

<! p. 1339 !>

Sign (?), n. [F. signe, L. signum; cf. AS. segen, segn, a sign, standard, banner, also fr. L. signum. Cf. Ensign, Resign, Seal a stamp, Signal, Signet.] That by which anything is made known or represented; that which furnishes evidence; a mark; a token; an indication; a proof. Specifically: (a) A remarkable event, considered by the ancients as indicating the will of some deity; a prodigy; an omen. (b) An event considered by the Jews as indicating the divine will, or as manifesting an interposition of the divine power for some special end; a miracle; a wonder.

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.

Rom. xv. 19.

It shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

Ex. iv. 8.

(c) Something serving to indicate the existence, or preserve the memory, of a thing; a token; a memorial; a monument.

What time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men, and they became a sign.

Num. xxvi. 10.

(d) Any symbol or emblem which prefigures, typifles, or represents, an idea; a type; hence, sometimes, a picture.

The holy symbols, or signs, are not barely significative; but what they represent is as certainly delivered to us as the symbols themselves.

Brerewood.

Saint George of Merry England, the sign of victory.

Spenser.

(e) A word or a character regarded as the outward manifestation of thought; as, words are the sign of ideas. (f) A motion, an action, or a gesture by which a thought is expressed, or a command or a wish made known.

They made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

Luke i. 62.

(g) Hence, one of the gestures of pantomime, or of a language of a signs such as those used by the North American Indians, or those used by the deaf and dumb.

Educaters of the deaf distinguish between natural signs, which serve for communicating ideas, and methodical, or systematic, signs, adapted for the dictation, or the rendering, of written language, word by word; and thus the signs are to be distinguished from the manual alphabet, by which words are spelled on the fingers.

(h) A military emblem carried on a banner or a standard. Milton. (i) A lettered board, or other conspicuous notice, placed upon or before a building, room, shop, or office to advertise the business there transacted, or the name of the person or firm carrying it on; a publicly displayed token or notice.

The shops were, therefore, distinguished by painted signs, which gave a gay and grotesque aspect to the streets.

Macaulay.

(j) (Astron.) The twelfth part of the ecliptic or zodiac.

The signs are reckoned from the point of intersection of the ecliptic and equator at the vernal equinox, and are named, respectively, Aries (), Taurus (), Gemini (II), Cancer (), Leo (), Virgo (), Libra (), Scorpio (), Sagittarius (), Capricornus (), Aquarius (), Pisces (). These names were originally the names of the constellations occupying severally the divisions of the zodiac, by which they are still retained; but, in consequence of the procession of the equinoxes, the signs have, in process of time, become separated about 30 degrees from these constellations, and each of the latter now lies in the sign next in advance, or to the east of the one which bears its name, as the constellation Aries in the sign Taurus, etc.

(k) (Alg.) A character indicating the relation of quantities, or an operation performed upon them; as, the sign + (plus); the sign -- (minus); the sign of division ÷, and the like. (l) (Med.) An objective evidence of disease; that is, one appreciable by some one other than the patient.

The terms symptom and and sign are often used synonymously; but they may be discriminated. A sign differs from a symptom in that the latter is perceived only by the patient himself. The term sign is often further restricted to the purely local evidences of disease afforded by direct examination of the organs involved, as distinguished from those evidence of general disturbance afforded by observation of the temperature, pulse, etc. In this sense it is often called physical sign.

(m) (Mus.) Any character, as a flat, sharp, dot, etc. (n) (Theol.) That which, being external, stands for, or signifies, something internal or spiritual; -- a term used in the Church of England in speaking of an ordinance considered with reference to that which it represents.

An outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.

Bk. of Common Prayer.

See the Table of Arbitrary Signs, p. 1924.

Sign manual. (a) (Eng. Law) The royal signature superscribed at the top of bills of grants and letter patent, which are then sealed with the privy signet or great seal, as the case may be, to complete their validity. (b) The signature of one's name in one's own handwriting. Craig. Tomlins. Wharton.

Syn. -- Token; mark; note; symptom; indication; signal; symbol; type; omen; prognostic; presage; manifestation. See Emblem.

Sign (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Signed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Signing.] [OE. seinen to bless, originally, to make the sign of the cross over; in this sense fr. ASS. segnian (from segn, n.), or OF. seignier, F. signer, to mark, to sign (in sense 3), fr. L. signare to mark, set a mark upon, from signum. See Sign, n.] 1. To represent by a sign; to make known in a typical or emblematic manner, in distinction from speech; to signify.

I signed to Browne to make his retreat.

Sir W. Scott.

2. To make a sign upon; to mark with a sign.

We receive this child into the congregation of Christ's flock, and do sign him with the sign of the cross.

Bk. of Com Prayer.

3. To affix a signature to; to ratify by hand or seal; to subscribe in one's own handwriting.

Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed, And let him sign it.

Shak.

4. To assign or convey formally; -- used with away.

5. To mark; to make distinguishable. Shak.

Sign (?), v. i. 1. To be a sign or omen. [Obs.] Shak.

2. To make a sign or signal; to communicate directions or intelligence by signs.

3. To write one's name, esp. as a token of assent, responsibility, or obligation.

Sign"a*ble (?), a. Suitable to be signed; requiring signature; as, a legal document signable by a particular person.

Sig"nal (?), n. [F., fr. LL. signale, fr. L. signum. See Sign, n.] 1. A sign made for the purpose of giving notice to a person of some occurence, command, or danger; also, a sign, event, or watchword, which has been agreed upon as the occasion of concerted action.

All obeyed The wonted signal and superior voice Of this great potentate.

Milton.

2. A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign.

The weary sun . . . Gives signal of a goodly day to-morrow.

Shak.

There was not the least signal of the calamity to be seen.

De Foc.

Sig"nal, a. [From signal, n.: cf. F. signalé.] 1. Noticeable; distinguished from what is ordinary; eminent; remarkable; memorable; as, a signal exploit; a signal service; a signal act of benevolence.

As signal now in low, dejected state As erst in highest, behold him where he lies.

Milton.

2. Of or pertaining to signals, or the use of signals in conveying information; as, a signal flag or officer.

The signal service, a bureau of the government (in the United States connected with the War Department) organized to collect from the whole country simultaneous raports of local meteorological conditions, upon comparison of which at the central office, predictions concerning the weather are telegraphed to various sections, where they are made known by signals publicly displayed. -- Signal station, the place where a signal is displayed; specifically, an observation office of the signal service.

Syn. -- Eminent; remarkable; memorable; extraordinary; notable; conspicuous.

Sig"nal, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Signaled (&?;) or Signalled; p. pr. & vb. n. Signaling or Signalling.] 1. To communicate by signals; as, to signal orders.

2. To notify by a signals; to make a signal or signals to; as, to signal a fleet to anchor. M. Arnold.

Sig"nal*ist, n. One who makes signals; one who communicates intelligence by means of signals.

Sig*nal"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being signal or remarkable. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Sig"nal*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Signalized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Signalizing (?).] [From Signal, a.] 1. To make signal or eminent; to render distinguished from what is common; to distinguish.

It is this passion which drives men to all the ways we see in use of signalizing themselves.

Burke.

2. To communicate with by means of a signal; as, a ship signalizes its consort.

3. To indicate the existence, presence, or fact of, by a signal; as, to signalize the arrival of a steamer.

Sig"nal*ly, adv. In a signal manner; eminently.

Sig"nal*man (?), n.; pl. -men (&?;). A man whose business is to manage or display signals; especially, one employed in setting the signals by which railroad trains are run or warned.

Sig"nal*ment (?), n. The act of signaling, or of signalizing; hence, description by peculiar, appropriate, or characteristic marks. Mrs. Browning.

Sig"nate (?), a. [L. signatus, p. p. See Sign, v. t.] (Zoöl.) Having definite color markings.

Sig*na"tion (?), n. [L. signatio. See Sign, v. t.] Sign given; marking. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Sig"na*to*ry (?), a. [L. signatorius.] 1. Relating to a seal; used in sealing. [Obs.] Bailey.

2. Signing; joining or sharing in a signature; as, signatory powers.

Sig"na*to*ry, n.; pl. - ries (&?;). A signer; one who signs or subscribes; as, a conference of signatories.

Sig"na*ture (?), n. [F. (cf. It. signatura, segnatura, Sp. & LL. signatura), from L. signare, signatum. See Sign, v. t.] 1. A sign, stamp, or mark impressed, as by a seal.

The brain, being well furnished with various traces, signatures, and images.

I. Watts.

The natural and indelible signature of God, which human souls . . . are supposed to be stamped with.

Bentley.

2. Especially, the name of any person, written with his own hand, employed to signify that the writing which precedes accords with his wishes or intentions; a sign manual; an autograph.

3. (Physiol.) An outward mark by which internal characteristics were supposed to be indicated.

Some plants bear a very evident signature of their nature and use.

Dr. H. More.

4. (Old Med.) A resemblance between the external characters of a disease and those of some physical agent, for instance, that existing between the red skin of scarlet fever and a red cloth; -- supposed to indicate this agent in the treatment of the disease.

5. (Mus.) The designation of the key (when not C major, or its relative, A minor) by means of one or more sharps or flats at the beginning of the staff, immediately after the clef, affecting all notes of the same letter throughout the piece or movement. Each minor key has the same signature as its relative major.

6. (Print.) (a) A letter or figure placed at the bottom of the first page of each sheet of a book or pamphlet, as a direction to the binder in arranging and folding the sheets. (b) The printed sheet so marked, or the form from which it is printed; as, to reprint one or more signatures.

Star signatures (as A*, 1*) are the same characters, with the addition of asterisks, used on the first pages of offcuts, as in 12mo sheets.

7. (Pharm.) That part of a prescription which contains the directions to the patient. It is usually prefaced by S or Sig. (an abbreviation for the Latin signa, imperative of signare to sign or mark).

Sig"na*ture (?), v. t. To mark with, or as with, a signature or signatures.

Sig"na*tur`ist (?), n. One who holds to the doctrine of signatures impressed upon objects, indicative of character or qualities. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Sign"board` (?), n. A board, placed on or before a shop, office, etc., on which ssome notice is given, as the name of a firm, of a business, or the like.

Sign"er (?), n. One who signs or subscribes his name; as, a memorial with a hundred signers.

Sig"net (?), n. [OF. signet a signet, F., a bookmark, dim. of signe. See Sign, n., and cf. Sennet.] A seal; especially, in England, the seal used by the sovereign in sealing private letters and grants that pass by bill under the sign manual; -- called also privy signet.

I had my father's signet in my purse.

Shak.

Signet ring, a ring containing a signet or private seal. -- Writer to the signet (Scots Law), a judicial officer who prepares warrants, writs, etc.; originally, a clerk in the office of the secretary of state.

Sig"net*ed, a. Stamped or marked with a signet.

Sig"ni*fer (?), a. [L., from signum sign + ferre to bear.] Bearing signs. [Obs.] "The signifer sphere, or zodiac." Holland.

{ Sig*nif"i*cance (?), Sig*nif"i*can*cy (?) }, n. [L. significantia.] 1. The quality or state of being significant.

2. That which is signified; meaning; import; as, the significance of a nod, of a motion of the hand, or of a word or expression.

3. Importance; moment; weight; consequence.

With this brain I must work, in order to give significancy and value to the few facts which I possess.

De Quincey.

Sig*nif"i*cant (?), a. [L. significans, -antis, p. pr. of significare. See Signify.] 1. Fitted or designed to signify or make known somethingl having a meaning; standing as a sign or token; expressive or suggestive; as, a significant word or sound; a significant look.

It was well said of Plotinus, that the stars were significant, but not efficient.

Sir W. Raleigh.

2. Deserving to be considered; important; momentous; as, a significant event.

Significant figures (Arith.), the figures which remain to any number, or decimal fraction, after the ciphers at the right or left are canceled. Thus, the significant figures of 25,000, or of .0025, are 25.

Sig*nif"i*cant, n. That which has significance; a sign; a token; a symbol. Wordsworth.

In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts.

Shak.

Sig*nif"i*cant*ly, adv. In a significant manner.

Sig*nif"i*cate (?), n. [L. significatus, p. p. of significare. See Signify.] (Logic) One of several things signified by a common term. Whately.

Sig`ni*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [F. signification, L. significatio.] 1. The act of signifying; a making known by signs or other means.

A signification of being pleased.

Landor.

All speaking or signification of one's mind implies an act or addres of one man to another.

South.

2. That which is signified or made known; that meaning which a sign, character, or token is intended to convey; as, the signification of words.

Sig*nif"i*ca*tive (?), a. [L. significativus: cf. F. significatif.] 1. Betokening or representing by an external sign.

The holy symbols or signs are not barely significative.

Brerewood.

2. Having signification or meaning; expressive of a meaning or purpose; significant.

Neither in the degrees of kindred they were destitute of significative words.

Camden.

-- Sig*nif"i*ca*tive*ly, adv. -- Sig*nif"i*ca*tive*ness, n.

Sig"ni*fi*ca`tor (?), n. [Cf. F. significateur.] One who, or that which, signifies.

In this diagram there was one significator which pressed remarkably upon our astrologer's attention.

Sir W. Scott.

Sig*nif"i*ca*to*ry (?), a. [L. significatorius.] Significant. -- n. That which is significatory.

||Sig`ni*fi*ca"vit (?), n. [L., (he) has signified, perf. ind. of ||significare to signify.] (Eng. Eccl. Law) Formerly, a writ issuing ||out of chancery, upon certificate given by the ordinary, of a man's ||standing excommunicate by the space of forty days, for the laying him ||up in prison till he submit himself to the authority of the church. ||Crabb.

Sig"ni*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Signified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Signifying (?).] [F. signifier, L. significare; signum a sign + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Sign, n., and -fy.] 1. To show by a sign; to communicate by any conventional token, as words, gestures, signals, or the like; to announce; to make known; to declare; to express; as, a signified his desire to be present.

I 'll to the king; and signify to him That thus I have resign'd my charge to you.

Shak.

The government should signify to the Protestants of Ireland that want of silver is not to be remedied.

Swift.

2. To mean; to import; to denote; to betoken.

He bade her tell him what it signified.

Chaucer.

A tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

Shak.

Signify is often used impersonally; as, it signifies nothing, it does not signify, that is, it is of no importance.

Syn. -- To express; manifest; declare; utter; intimate; betoken; denote; imply; mean.

Sign"ior (?), n. Sir; Mr. The English form and pronunciation for the Italian Signor and the Spanish Señor.

Sign"ior*ize (?), v. t. [See Seigniorize.] To exercise dominion over; to lord it over. [Obs.] Shelton.

<! p. 1340 !>

Sign"ior*ize (sn"yr*z), v. i. To exercise dominion; to seigniorize. [Obs.] Hewyt.

Sign"ior*ship, n. State or position of a signior.

Sign"ior*y (-), n. Same as Seigniory.

{ ||Si*gnor" (?), ||Si*gno"re (?) }, n. [It. See Seignior.] Sir; Mr.; -- a title of address or respect among the Italians. Before a noun the form is Signor.

||Si*gno"ra (?), n. [It.] Madam; Mrs; -- a title of address or respect ||among the Italians.

||Si`gno*ri"na (?), n. [It.] Miss; -- a title of address among the ||Italians.

Sign"post` (?), n. A post on which a sign hangs, or on which papers are placed to give public notice of anything.

{ Sik (?), Sike (?), } a. Such. See Such. [Obs.] "Sike fancies weren foolerie." Spenser.

Sike (?), n. [AS. sc. Cf. Sig.] A gutter; a stream, such as is usually dry in summer. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Sike, n. [See Sick.] A sick person. [Prov. Eng.]

Sike, v. i. To sigh. [Obs.]

That for his wife weepeth and siketh sore.

Chaucer.

Sike, n. A sigh. [Obs.] Chaucer.

{ Sik"er (?), a. & adv., Sik"er*ly, adv., Sik"er*ness, n., etc.} See 2d Sicker, Sickerly, etc. [Obs.]

Sikhs (?), n. pl.; sing. Sikh (&?;). [Hind. Sikh, properly, a disciple.] A religious sect noted for warlike traits, founded in the Punjab at the end of the 15th century.

Si"lage (?), n. & v. Short for Ensilage.

Sile (?), v. t. [Akin to Sw. sila to strain, sil sieve, G. sielen to draw away or lead off water. &radic;151a. See Silt.] To strain, as fresh milk. [Prov. Eng.]

Sile, v. i. To drop; to flow; to fall. [Prov. Eng.]

Sile, n. 1. A sieve with fine meshes. [Prov. Eng.]

2. Filth; sediment. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Sile, n. [Icel. sld herring; akin to Sw. sill, Dan. sild. Cf. Sill the young of a herring.] (Zoöl.) A young or small herring. [Eng.] Pennant.

Si"lence (?), n. [F., fr. L. silentium. See Silent.]

1. The state of being silent; entire absence of sound or noise; absolute stillness.

I saw and heared; for such a numerous host Fled not in silence through the frighted deep.

Milton.

2. Forbearance from, or absence of, speech; taciturnity; muteness.

3. Secrecy; as, these things were transacted in silence.

The administration itself keeps a profound silence.

D. Webster.

4. The cessation of rage, agitation, or tumilt; calmness; quiest; as, the elements were reduced to silence.

5. Absence of mention; oblivion.

And what most merits fame, in silence hid.

Milton.

Si"lence, interj. Be silent; -- used elliptically for let there be silence, or keep silence. Shak.

Si"lence, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silenced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Silencing (?).] 1. To compel to silence; to cause to be still; to still; to hush.

Silence that dreadful bell; it frights the isle.

Shak.

2. To put to rest; to quiet.

This would silence all further opposition.

Clarendon.

These would have silenced their scruples.

Rogers.

3. To restrain from the exercise of any function, privilege of instruction, or the like, especially from the act of preaching; as, to silence a minister of the gospel.

The Rev. Thomas Hooker of Chelmsford, in Essex, was silenced for nonconformity.

B. Trumbull.

4. To cause to cease firing, as by a vigorous cannonade; as, to silence the batteries of an enemy.

Si*le"ne (?), n. [NL., fr. L. Silenus, the attendant of Bacchus.] (Bot.) A genus of caryophyllaceous plants, usually covered with a viscid secretion by which insects are caught; catchfly.

Bon Silène. See Silène, in the Vocabulary.

Si"lent (?), a. [L. silens, - entis, p. pr. of silere to be silent; akin to Goth. ana- silan.] 1. Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.

How silent is this town!

Shak.

2. Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.

Ulysses, adds he, was the most eloquent and most silent of men.

Broome.

This new-created world, whereof in hell Fame is not silent.

Milton.

3. Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed; as, the wind is silent. Parnell. Sir W. Raleigh.

4. (Pron.) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent; as, e is silent in "fable."

5. Having no effect; not operating; inefficient. [R.]

Cause . . . silent, virtueless, and dead.

Sir W. Raleigh.

Silent partner. See Dormant partner, under Dormant.

Syn. -- Mute; taciturn; dumb; speechless; quiet; still. See Mute, and Taciturn.

Si"lent, n. That which is silent; a time of silence. [R.] "The silent of the night." Shak.

Si*len"ti*a*ry (s*ln"sh**r), n. [L. silentiarius: cf. F. silenciaire. See Silence.] One appointed to keep silence and order in court; also, one sworn not to divulge secrets of state.

Si*len"tious (?), a. [L. silentiosus: cf. F. silencieux.] Habitually silent; taciturn; reticent. [R.]

Si"lent*ly (?), adv. In a silent manner.

Si"lent*ness, n. State of being silent; silence.

Si*le"nus (?), n. [L. Silenus the tutor and attendant of Bacchus.] (Zoöl.) See Wanderoo.

Si*le"si*a (?), n. 1. A kind of linen cloth, originally made in Silesia, a province of Prussia.

2. A twilled cotton fabric, used for dress linings.

Si*le"si*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Silesia. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Silesia.

Si"lex (?), n. [L., a finit, a pebblestone.] (Min.) Silica, SiO2 as found in nature, constituting quarz, and most sands and sandstones. See Silica, and Silicic.

Sil`hou*ette" (?), n. [F.; -- so called from Etienne de Silhoutte, a French minister of finance in 1759, whise diversion it was to make such portraits on the walls of his apartments.] A representation of the outlines of an object filled in with a black color; a profile portrait in black, such as a shadow appears to be.

Sil`hou*ette", v. t. To represent by a silhouette; to project upon a background, so as to be like a silhouette. [Recent]

A flock of roasting vultures silhouetted on the sky.

The Century.

Sil"i*ca (?), n. [NL., from L. silex, silics, a flint.] (Chem.) Silicon dioxide, SiO&?;. It constitutes ordinary quartz (also opal and tridymite), and is artifically prepared as a very fine, white, tasteless, inodorous powder.

Sil"i*cate (?), n.[Cf. F. silicate.] (Chem.) A salt of silicic acid.

In mineralogical chemistry the silicates include; the unisilicates or orthosilicates, salts of orthosilicic acid; the bisilicates or metasilicates, salts of metasilicic acid; the polysilicates or acid silicates, salts of the polysilicic acids; the basic silicates or subsilicates, in which the equivalent of base is greater than would be required to neutralize the acid; and the hydrous silicates, including the zeolites and many hydrated decomposition products.

Sil"i*ca`ted (?), a. (Chem.) Combined or impregnated with silicon or silica; as, silicated hydrogen; silicated rocks.

Silicated soap, a hard soap containing silicate of soda.

Sil`i*ca*ti*za"tion (?), n. Silicification.

||Si*lic"e*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same as Silicoidea.

Si*li"ceous (?), a. [L. siliceus, fr. silex, silicis, a flint.] Of or pertaining to silica; containing silica, or partaking of its nature. [Written also silisious.]

Si*lic"ic (?), a. [L. silex, silicis, a flint: cf. F. silicique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or resembling, silica; specifically, designating compounds of silicon; as, silicic acid.

Silicic acid (Chem.), an amorphous gelatinous substance, Si(HO)4, very unstable and easily dried to silica, but forming many stable salts; -- called also orthosilicic, or normal silicic, acid.

Si*lic`i*cal*ca"re*ous (?), a. Consisting of silica and calcareous matter.

Sil"i*cide (?), n. (Chem.) A binary compound of silicon, or one regarded as binary. [R.]

Hydrogen silicide (Chem.), a colorless, spontaneously inflammable gas, SiH4, produced artifically from silicon, and analogous to methane; -- called also silico-methane, silicon hydride, and formerly siliciureted hydrogen.

Sil`i*cif"er*ous (?), a. [L. silex, silicis, a flint + -ferous.] Producing silica; united with silica.

Si*lic`i*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [See Silicify.] (Chem.) Thae act or process of combining or impregnating with silicon or silica; the state of being so combined or impregnated; as, the silicification of wood.

Si*lic"i*fied (?), a. (Chem.) Combined or impregnated with silicon or silica, especially the latter; as, silicified wood.

Si*lic"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silicified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Silicifying (?).] [L. silex, silicis, a flint + -fy: cf. F. silicifier.] (Chem.) To convert into, or to impregnate with, silica, or with the compounds of silicon.

The specimens found . . . are completely silicified.

Say.

The silica may take the form of agate, chalcedony, flint, hornstone, or crystalline quartz.

Si*lic"i*fy, v. i. To become converted into silica, or to be impregnated with silica.

||Sil`i*ci*oi"de*a (?), n. pl. (Zoöl.) Same as Silicoidea.

Si*li"cious (?), a. See Siliceous.

||Sil`i*ci*spon"gi*æ (?), n. pl. [NL. See Silex, and Sponge.] (Zoöl.) ||Same as Silicoidea.

Si*lic"it*ed (?), a. Silicified. [Obs.]

Si*lic"i*um (?), n. See Silicon.

Si*lic"i*u*ret`ed (?), a. [Written also siliciuretted.] (Old. Chem.) Combined or impregnated with silicon. [Obsoles.]

Siliciureted hydrogen. (Chem.) Hydrogen silicide. [Obs.]

Sil"i*cle (?), n. [L. silicula, dim. of siliqua a pod or husk: cf. F. silicule.] (Bot.) A seed vessel resembling a silique, but about as broad as it is long. See Silique.

Sil"i*co- (?). (Chem.) A combining form (also used adjectively) denoting the presence of silicon or its compounds; as, silicobenzoic, silicofluoride, etc.

Sil`i*co*flu*or"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Containing, or composed of, silicon and fluorine; especially, denoting the compounds called silicofluorides.

Silicofluoric acid (Chem.), a compound of hydrofluoric acid and silicon fluoride, known only in watery solution. It is produced by the action of silicon fluoride on water, and is regarded as an acid, H2SiF6, and the type and origin of the silicofluorides.

Sil`i*co*flu"or*ide (?), n. (Chem.) A fluosilicate; a salt of silicofluoric acid.

||Sil`i*coi"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See Silex, and -oid.] (Zoöl.) An ||extensive order of Porifera, which includes those that have the ||skeleton composed mainly of siliceous fibers or spicules.

Sil"i*con (?), n. [See Silica.] (Chem.) A nonmetalic element analogous to carbon. It always occurs combined in nature, and is artificially obtained in the free state, usually as a dark brown amorphous powder, or as a dark crystalline substance with a meetallic luster. Its oxide is silica, or common quartz, and in this form, or as silicates, it is, next to oxygen, the most abundant element of the earth's crust. Silicon is characteristically the element of the mineral kingdom, as carbon is of the organic world. Symbol Si. Atomic weight 28. Called also silicium.

Sil`i*co*tung"stic (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, any one of a series of double acids of silicon and tungsten, known in the free state, and also in their salts (called silicotungstates).

||Si*lic"u*la (?), n. [L.] (Bot.) A silicle.

Sil"i*cule (?), n. (Bot.) A silicle.

Si*lic"u*lose` (?), a. [NL. siliculosus, fr. L. silicula: cf. F. siliculeux. See Silicle.] 1. (Bot.) Bearing silicles; pertaining to, or resembling, silicles.

2. Full of, or consisting of, husks; husky. [Obs.]

Si*lig"i*nose` (?), a.[L. siligineus, fr. siligo, -inis, fine and very white wheat.] Made of fine wheat. [Obs.] Bailey.

Sil"ing (?), a. & n. from Sile to strain. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Siling dish, a colander. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Sil"i*qua (?), n.; pl. Siliquæ (#). [L. See Silique.] 1. (Bot.) Same as Silique.

2. A weight of four grains; a carat; -- a term used by jewelers, and refiners of gold.

Sil"ique (?), n. [L. siliqua a pod or husk, a very small weight or measure: cf. F. silique.] (Bot.) An oblong or elongated seed vessel, consisting of two valves with a dissepiment between, and opening by sutures at either margin. The seeds are attached to both edges of the dissepiment, alternately upon each side of it.

Sil"i*qui*form (?), a. [Silique + -form: cf. F. siliquiforme.] (Bot.) Having the form of a silique.

||Sil`i*quo"sa (?), n. pl. [NL. See Siliquose.] (Bot.) A Linnæan order ||of plants including those which bear siliques.

{ Sil"i*quose` (?), Sil"i*quous (?), } a. [NL. siliquosus: cf. F. siliqueux.] (Bot.) Bearing siliques; as, siliquose plants; pertaining to, or resembling, siliques; as, siliquose capsules.

Silk (?), n. [OE. silk, selk, AS. seolc, seoloc; akin to Icel. silki, SW. & Dan. silke; prob. through Slavic from an Oriental source; cf. Lith. szilkai, Russ. shelk', and also L. sericum Seric stuff, silk. Cf. Sericeous. Serge a woolen stuff.] 1. The fine, soft thread produced by various species of caterpillars in forming the cocoons within which the worm is inclosed during the pupa state, especially that produced by the larvæ of Bombyx mori.

2. Hence, thread spun, or cloth woven, from the above-named material.

3. That which resembles silk, as the filiform styles of the female flower of maize.

Raw silk, silk as it is wound off from the cocoons, and before it is manufactured. -- Silk cotton, a cottony substance enveloping the seeds of the silk-cotton tree. -- Silk-cotton tree (Bot.), a name for several tropical trees of the genera Bombax and Eriodendron, and belonging to the order Bombaceæ. The trees grow to an immense size, and have their seeds enveloped in a cottony substance, which is used for stuffing cushions, but can not be spun. -- Silk flower. (Bot.) (a) The silk tree. (b) A similar tree (Calliandra trinervia) of Peru. -- Silk fowl (Zoöl.), a breed of domestic fowls having silky plumage. -- Silk gland (Zoöl.), a gland which secretes the material of silk, as in spider or a silkworm; a sericterium. -- Silk gown, the distinctive robe of a barrister who has been appointed king's or queen's counsel; hence, the counsel himself. Such a one has precedence over mere barristers, who wear stuff gowns. [Eng.] -- Silk grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Stipa comata) of the Western United States, which has very long silky awns. The name is also sometimes given to various species of the genera Aqave and Yucca. -- Silk moth (Zoöl.), the adult moth of any silkworm. See Silkworm. -- Silk shag, a coarse, rough-woven silk, like plush, but with a stiffer nap. -- Silk spider (Zoöl.), a large spider (Nephila plumipes), native of the Southern United States, remarkable for the large quantity of strong silk it produces and for the great disparity in the sizes of the sexes. -- Silk thrower, Silk throwster, one who twists or spins silk, and prepares it for weaving. Brande & C. -- Silk tree (Bot.), an Asiatic leguminous tree (Albizzia Julibrissin) with finely bipinnate leaves, and large flat pods; -- so called because of the abundant long silky stamens of its blossoms. Also called silk flower. -- Silk vessel. (Zoöl.) Same as Silk gland, above. -- Virginia silk (Bot.), a climbing plant (Periploca Græca) of the Milkweed family, having a silky tuft on the seeds. It is native in Southern Europe.

Silk"en (?), a. [AS. seolcen, seolocen.] 1. Of or pertaining to silk; made of, or resembling, silk; as, silken cloth; a silken veil.

2. Fig.: Soft; delicate; tender; smooth; as, silken language. "Silken terms precise." Shak.

3. Dressed in silk. "A . . . silken wanton." Shak.

Silk"en, v. t. To render silken or silklike. Dyer.

Silk"i*ness (?), n. 1. The quality or state of being silky or silken; softness and smoothness.

2. Fig.: Effeminacy; weakness. [R.] B. Jonson.

Silk"man (?), n.; pl. Silkmen (&?;). A dealer in silks; a silk mercer. Shak.

<! p. 1341 !>

Silk"ness (?), n. Silkiness. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Silk"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genera Asclepias and Acerates whose seed vessels contain a long, silky down; milkweed.

Silk"worm` (?), n. [AS. seolcwyrm.] (Zoöl.) The larva of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths, which spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon before changing to a pupa.

The common species (Bombyx mori) feeds on the leaves of the white mulberry tree. It is native of China, but has long been introduced into other countries of Asia and Europe, and is reared on a large scale. In America it is reared only to small extent. The Ailanthus silkworm (Philosamia cynthia) is a much larger species, of considerable importance, which has been introduced into Europe and America from China. The most useful American species is the Polyphemus. See Polyphemus.

Pernyi silkworm, the larva of the Pernyi moth. See Pernyi moth. -- Silkworm gut, a substance prepared from the contents of the silk glands of silkworms and used in making lines for angling. See Gut. - - Silkworm rot, a disease of silkworms; muscardine.

Silk"y (?), a. [Compar. Silkier (?); superl. Silkiest.] 1. Of or pertaining to silk; made of, or resembling, silk; silken; silklike; as, a silky luster.

2. Hence, soft and smooth; as, silky wine.

3. Covered with soft hairs pressed close to the surface, as a leaf; sericeous.

Silky oak (Bot.), a lofty Australian tree (Grevillea robusta) with silky tomentose lobed or incised leaves. It furnishes a valuable timber.

Sill (?), n. [OE. sille, sylle, AS. syl, syll; akin to G. schwelle, OHG. swelli, Icel. syll, svill, Sw. syll, Dan. syld, Goth. gasuljan to lay a foundation, to found.] The basis or foundation of a thing; especially, a horizontal piece, as a timber, which forms the lower member of a frame, or supports a structure; as, the sills of a house, of a bridge, of a loom, and the like. Hence: (a) The timber or stone at the foot of a door; the threshold. (b) The timber or stone on which a window frame stands; or, the lowest piece in a window frame. (c) The floor of a gallery or passage in a mine. (d) A piece of timber across the bottom of a canal lock for the gates to shut against.

Sill course (Arch.), a horizontal course of stone, terra cotta, or the like, built into a wall at the level of one or more window sills, these sills often forming part of it.

Sill, n. [Cf. Thill.] The shaft or thill of a carriage. [Prov. Eng.]

Sill, n. [Cf. 4th Sile.] A young herring. [Eng.]

Sil"la*bub (?), n. [Cf. sile to strain, and bub liquor, also Prov. E. sillibauk.] A dish made by mixing wine or cider with milk, and thus forming a soft curd; also, sweetened cream, flavored with wine and beaten to a stiff froth. [Written also syllabub.]

Sil"ler (?), n. Silver. [Scot.]

Sil"li*ly (?), adv. [From Silly.] In a silly manner; foolishly. Dryden.

Sil"li*man*ite (?), n. [After Benjamin Siliman, an American meneralogist.] (Min.) Same as Fibrolite.

Sil"li*ness, n. The quality or state of being silly.

Sil"lock (?), n. (Zoöl.) The pollock, or coalfish.

Sil"lon (?), n. [F., a furrow.] (Fort.) A work raised in the middle of a wide ditch, to defend it. Crabb.

Sil"ly, a. [Compar. Sillier (?); superl. Silliest.] [OE. seely, sely, AS. s&?;lig, ges&?;lig, happy, good, fr. s&?;l, s&?;l, good, happy, s&?;l good fortune, happines; akin to OS. slig, a, good, happy, D. zalig blessed, G. selig, OHG. slg, Icel. s&?;l, Sw. säll, Dan. salig, Goth. s&?;ls good, kind, and perh. also to L. sollus whole, entire, Gr. &?;&?;&?;, Skr. sarva. Cf. Seel, n.] 1. Happy; fortunate; blessed. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. Harmless; innocent; inoffensive. [Obs.] "This silly, innocent Custance." Chaucer.

The silly virgin strove him to withstand.

Spenser.

A silly, innocent hare murdered of a dog.

Robynson (More's Utopia).

3. Weak; helpless; frail. [Obs.]

After long storms . . . With which my silly bark was tossed sore.

Spenser.

The silly buckets on the deck.

Coleridge.

4. Rustic; plain; simple; humble. [Obs.]

A fourth man, in a sillyhabit.

Shak.

All that did their silly thoughts so busy keep.

Milton.

5. Weak in intellect; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; foolish; witless; simple; as, a silly woman.

6. Proceeding from want of understanding or common judgment; characterized by weakness or folly; unwise; absurd; stupid; as, silly conduct; a silly question.

Syn. -- Simple; brainless; witless; shallow; foolish; unwise; indiscreet. See Simple.

Sil"ly*how (?), n. [Prov. E. silly- hew; cf. AS. slig happy, good, and hfe a cap, hood. See Silly, a.] A caul. See Caul, n., 3. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Si"lo (?), n. [F.] A pit or vat for packing away green fodder for winter use so as to exclude air and outside moisture. See Ensilage.

Silt (?), n. [OE. silte gravel, fr. silen to drain, E. sile; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. sila, prob. akin to AS. seón to filter, sgan to fall, sink, cause to sink, G. seihen to strain, to filter, OHG. sihan, Icel. s>a, Skr. sic to pour; cf. Gr. &?;&?;&?; moisture. Cf. Sig, Sile.] Mud or fine earth deposited from running or standing water.

Silt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silted; p. pr. & vb. n. Silting.] To choke, fill, or obstruct with silt or mud.

Silt, v. i. To flow through crevices; to percolate.

Silt"y (?), a. Full of silt; resembling silt.

Si*lure" (?), n. [L. silurus a sort of river fish, Gr. &?;&?;&?;: cf. F. silure.] (Zoöl.) A fish of the genus Silurus, as the sheatfish; a siluroid.

Si*lu"ri*an (?), a. [From L. Silures, a people who anciently inhabited a part of England and Wales.] (Geol.) Of or pertaining to the country of the ancient Silures; -- a term applied to the earliest of the Paleozoic eras, and also to the strata of the era, because most plainly developed in that country.

The Silurian formation, so named by Murchison, is divided into the Upper Silurian and Lower Silurian. The lower part of the Lower Silurian, with some underlying beds, is now separated under the name Cambrian, first given by Sedwick. Recently the term Ordovician has been proposed for the Lower Silurian, leawing the original word to apply only to the Upper Silurian.

Si*lu"ri*an, n. The Silurian age.

Si*lu"ri*dan (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any fish of the family Siluridæ or of the order Siluroidei.

Si*lu"roid (?), n. [Silurus + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Belonging to the Siluroidei, or Nematognathi, an order of fishes including numerous species, among which are the American catfishes and numerous allied fresh-water species of the Old World, as the sheatfish (Silurus glanis) of Europe. -- n. A siluroid fish.

||Sil`u*roi"de*i (?), n. pl. [NL.] (zoöl.) An order of fishes, the ||Nematognathi.

||Si*lu"rus (?), n. [L. See Silure.] (Zoöl.) A genus of large ||malacopterygious fishes of the order Siluroidei. They inhabit the ||inland waters of Europe and Asia.

Sil"va (?), n.; pl. E. Silvas (#), L. Silvae (&?;). [L., properly, a wood, forest.] [Written also sylva.] (Bot.) (a) The forest trees of a region or country, considered collectively. (b) A description or history of the forest trees of a country.

Sil"van (?), a. [L. silva, less correctly sylva, a wood or grove, perh. akin to Gr. "y`lh; cf. L. Silvanus Silvanus the god of woods: cf. F. sylvain silvan. Cf. Savage.] Of or pertaining to woods; composed of woods or groves; woody. [Written also sylvan.]

Betwixt two rows of rocks, a silvan scene Appears above, and groves forever green.

Dryden.

Sil"van, n. (Old Chem.) See Sylvanium. [Obs.]

Sil"van*ite (?), n. (Min.) See Sylvanite.

{ Sil"vas (?) or Sel"vas (?) }, n. pl. [L. silva a forest, Sp. selva.] Vast woodland plains of South America.

Sil"vate (?), n. (Chem.) Same as Sylvate.

Sil"ver (?), n. [OE. silver, selver, seolver, AS. seolfor, siolfur, siolufr, silofr, sylofr; akin to OS. silubar, OFries. selover, D. zilver, LG. sulver, OHG. silabar, silbar, G. silber, Icel. silfr, Sw. silfver, Dan. sölv, Goth. silubr, Russ. serebro, Lith. sidabras; of unknown origin.] 1. (Chem.) A soft white metallic element, sonorous, ductile, very malleable, and capable of a high degree of polish. It is found native, and also combined with sulphur, arsenic, antimony, chlorine, etc., in the minerals argentite, proustite, pyrargyrite, ceragyrite, etc. Silver is one of the "noble" metals, so-called, not being easily oxidized, and is used for coin, jewelry, plate, and a great variety of articles. Symbol Ag (Argentum). Atomic weight 107.7. Specific gravity 10.5.

Silver was known under the name of luna to the ancients and also to the alchemists. Some of its compounds, as the halogen salts, are remarkable for the effect of light upon them, and are used in photography.

2. Coin made of silver; silver money.

3. Anything having the luster or appearance of silver.

4. The color of silver.

Silver is used in the formation of many compounds of obvious meaning; as, silver-armed, silver-bright, silver-buskined, silver-coated, silver-footed, silver-haired, silver-headed, silver-mantled, silver-plated, silver-slippered, silver-sounding, silver-studded, silver-tongued, silver-white. See Silver, a.

Black silver (Min.), stephanite; -- called also brittle silver ore, or brittle silver glance. -- Fulminating silver. (Chem.) (a) A black crystalline substance, Ag2O.(NH3)2, obtained by dissolving silver oxide in aqua ammonia. When dry it explodes violently on the slightest percussion. (b) Silver fulminate, a white crystalline substance, Ag2C2N2O2, obtained by adding alcohol to a solution of silver nitrate. When dry it is violently explosive. -- German silver. (Chem.) See under German. -- Gray silver. (Min.) See Freieslebenite. -- Horn silver. (Min.) See Cerargyrite. -- King's silver. (O. Eng. Law) See Postfine. -- Red silver, or Ruby silver. (Min.) See Proustite, and Pyrargyrite. -- Silver beater, one who beats silver into silver leaf or silver foil. -- Silver glance, or Vitreous silver. (Min.) See Argentine.

Sil"ver, a. 1. Of or pertaining to silver; made of silver; as, silver leaf; a silver cup.

2. Resembling silver. Specifically: (a) Bright; resplendent; white. "Silver hair." Shak.

Others, on silver lakes and rivers, bathed Their downy breast.

Milton.

(b) Precious; costly. (c) Giving a clear, ringing sound soft and clear. "Silver voices." Spenser. (d) Sweet; gentle; peaceful. "Silver slumber." Spenser.

American silver fir (Bot.), the balsam fir. See under Balsam. -- Silver age (Roman Lit.), the latter part (a. d. 14-180) of the classical period of Latinity, -- the time of writers of inferior purity of language, as compared with those of the previous golden age, so-called. -- Silver-bell tree (Bot.), an American shrub or small tree (Halesia tetraptera) with white bell-shaped flowers in clusters or racemes; the snowdrop tree. -- Silver bush (Bot.), a shrubby leguminous plant (Anthyllis Barba- Jovis) of Southern Europe, having silvery foliage. -- Silver chub (Zoöl.), the fallfish. -- Silver eel. (Zoöl.) (a) The cutlass fish. (b) A pale variety of the common eel. -- Silver fir (Bot.), a coniferous tree (Abies pectinata) found in mountainous districts in the middle and south of Europe, where it often grows to the height of 100 or 150 feet. It yields Burgundy pitch and Strasburg turpentine. -- Silver foil, foil made of silver. -- Silver fox (Zoöl.), a variety of the common fox (Vulpes vulpes, variety argenteus) found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and America. Its fur is nearly black, with silvery tips, and is highly valued. Called also black fox, and silver-gray fox. -- Silver gar. (Zoöl.) See Billfish (a). -- Silver grain (Bot.), the lines or narrow plates of cellular tissue which pass from the pith to the bark of an exogenous stem; the medullary rays. In the wood of the oak they are much larger than in that of the beech, maple, pine, cherry, etc. -- Silver grebe (Zoöl.), the red-throated diver. See Illust. under Diver. -- Silver hake (Zoöl.), the American whiting. -- Silver leaf, leaves or sheets made of silver beaten very thin. -- Silver lunge (Zoöl.), the namaycush. -- Silver moonfish.(Zoöl.) See Moonfish (b). -- Silver moth (Zoöl.), a lepisma. -- Silver owl (Zoöl.), the barn owl. -- Silver perch (Zoöl.), the mademoiselle, 2. -- Silver pheasant (Zoöl.), any one of several species of beautiful crested and long-tailed Asiatic pheasants, of the genus Euplocamus. They have the tail and more or less of the upper parts silvery white. The most common species (E. nychtemerus) is native of China. -- Silver plate, domestic utensils made of silver. -- Silver plover (Zoöl.), the knot. -- Silver salmon (Zoöl.), a salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) native of both coasts of the North Pacific. It ascends all the American rivers as far south as the Sacramento. Called also kisutch, whitefish, and white salmon. -- Silver shell (Zoöl.), a marine bivalve of the genus Anomia. See Anomia. -- Silver steel, an alloy of steel with a very small proportion of silver. -- Silver stick, a title given to the title field officer of the Life Guards when on duty at the palace. [Eng.] Thackeray. -- Silver tree (Bot.), a South African tree (Leucadendron argenteum) with long, silvery, silky leaves. -- Silver trout, (Zoöl.) See Trout. -- Silver wedding. See under Wedding. -- Silver whiting (Zoöl.), a marine sciænoid food fish (Menticirrus littoralis) native of the Southern United States; -- called also surf whiting. -- Silver witch (Zoöl.), A lepisma.

Sil"ver (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silvered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Silvering.] 1. To cover with silver; to give a silvery appearance to by applying a metal of a silvery color; as, to silver a pin; to silver a glass mirror plate with an amalgam of tin and mercury.

2. To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.

And smiling calmness silvered o'er the deep.

Pope.

3. To make hoary, or white, like silver.

His head was silvered o'er with age.

Gay.

Sil"ver, v. i. To acquire a silvery color. [R.]

The eastern sky began to silver and shine.

L. Wallace.

Sil"ver*back` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The knot.

Sil"ver*ber`ry (?), n. (Bot.) A tree or shrub (Elæagnus argentea) with silvery foliage and fruit. Gray.

Sil"ver*bill` (?), n. (Zoöl.) An Old World finch of the genus Minia, as the M. Malabarica of India, and M. cantans of Africa.

Sil"ver*boom` (?), n. [D. zilver silver + boom tree.] (Bot.) See Leucadendron.

Sil"ver*fin` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small North American fresh-water cyprinoid fish (Notropis Whipplei).

Sil"ver*fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The tarpum. (b) A white variety of the goldfish.

Sil"ver-gray` (?), a. Having a gray color with a silvery luster; as, silver-gray hair.

Sil"ver*i*ness (?), n. The state of being silvery.

Sil"ver*ing, n. (Metal.) The art or process of covering metals, wood, paper, glass, etc., with a thin film of metallic silver, or a substance resembling silver; also, the firm do laid on; as, the silvering of a glass speculum.

Sil"ver*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silverized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Silverizing.] To cover with silver.

Sil"ver*less, a. Having no silcver; hence, without money; impecunious. Piers Plowman.

Sil"ver*ling, n. A small silver coin. [Obs.]

A thousand vines at a thousand silverings.

Isa. vii. 23.

Sil"ver*ly, adv. Like silver in appearance or in sound.

Let me wipe off this honorable dew, That silverly doth progress on thy cheeks.

Shak.

Sil"vern (?), a. [AS. seolfern, sylfren.] Made of silver. [Archaic.] Wyclif (Acts xix. 24).

Speech is silvern; silence is golden.

Old Proverb.

Sil"ver*sides` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of small fishes of the family Atherinidæ, having a silvery stripe along each side of the body. The common species of the American coast (Menidia notata) is very abundant. Called also silverside, sand smelt, friar, tailor, and tinker.

Brook silversides (Zoöl.), a small fresh-water North American fish (Labadesthes sicculus) related to the marine silversides.

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Sil"ver*smith` (?), n. One whose occupation is to manufacture utensils, ornaments, etc., of silver; a worker in silver.

Sil"ver*spot` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of butterflies of the genus Argynnis and allied genera, having silvery spots on the under side of the wings. See Illust. under Aphrodite.

Sil"ver*ware` (?), n. Dishes, vases, ornaments, and utensils of various sorts, made of silver.

Sil"ver*weed` (?), n. (Bot.) A perennial rosaceous herb (Potentilla Anserina) having the leaves silvery white beneath.

Sil"ver*y (?), a. 1. Resembling, or having the luster of, silver; grayish white and lustrous; of a mild luster; bright.

All the enameled race, whose silvery wing Waves to the tepid zephyrs of the spring.

Pope.

2. Besprinkled or covered with silver.

3. Having the clear, musical tone of silver; soft and clear in sound; as, silvery voices; a silvery laugh.

Silvery iron (Metal.), a peculiar light-gray fine-grained cast iron, usually obtained from clay iron ore.

Sil"vi*cul`ture (?), n. [Cf. F. silviculture.] See Sylviculture.

Si"ma (?), n. (Arch.) A cyma.

Sim"a*gre (?), n. [F. simagrée.] A grimace. [Obs.] Dryden.

Si*mar" (?), n. [F. simarre. See Chimere.] A woman's long dress or robe; also light covering; a scarf. [Written also cimar, cymar, samare, simare.]

||Si`marre" (?). [F.] See Simar. Sir W. Scott.

Sim"blot (?), n. [F. simbleau.] The harness of a drawloom.

||Sim"i*a (?), n. [L., an ape; cf. simus flatnosed, snub-nosed, Gr. ||&?;&?;&?;.] (Zoöl.) A Linnæan genus of Quadrumana which included the ||types of numerous modern genera. By modern writers it is usually ||restricted to the genus which includes the orang- outang.

Sim"i*al (?), a. (Zoöl.) Simian; apelike.

Sim"i*an (?), a. [L. simia an ape.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the family Simiadæ, which, in its widest sense, includes all the Old World apes and monkeys; also, apelike. -- n. Any Old World monkey or ape.

Sim"i*lar (?), a. [F. similaire, fr. L. similis like, similar. See Same, a., and cf. Simulate.] 1. Exactly corresponding; resembling in all respects; precisely like.

2. Nearly corresponding; resembling in many respects; somewhat like; having a general likeness.

3. Homogenous; uniform. [R.] Boyle.

Similar figures (Geom.), figures which differ from each other only in magnitude, being made up of the same number of like parts similarly situated. -- Similar rectilineal figures, such as have their several angles respectively equal, each to each, and their sides about the equal angles proportional. -- Similar solids, such as are contained by the same number of similar planes, similarly situated, and having like inclination to one another.

Sim"i*lar, n. That which is similar to, or resembles, something else, as in quality, form, etc.

Sim`i*lar"i*ty (?), n.; pl. -ties (#). [Cf. F. similarité.] The quality or state of being similar; likeness; resemblance; as, a similarity of features.

Hardly is there a similarity detected between two or three facts, than men hasten to extend it to all.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Sim"i*lar*ly (?), adv. In a similar manner.

Sim"i*lar*y (?), a. Similar. [Obs.]

Rhyming cadences of similarly words.

South.

Sim"i*la*tive (?), a. Implying or indicating likeness or resemblance. [R.]

In similative or instrumental relation to a pa. pple. [past participle], as almond-leaved, -scented, etc.

New English Dict.

Sim"i*le (?), n.; pl. Similes (#). [L., from similis. See Similar.] (Rhet.) A word or phrase by which anything is likened, in one or more of its aspects, to something else; a similitude; a poetical or imaginative comparison.

A good swift simile, but something currish.

Shak.

||Si*mil"i*ter (?), n. [L., in like manner.] (Law) The technical name ||of the form by which either party, in pleading, accepts the issue ||tendered by his opponent; -- called sometimes a joinder in issue.

Si*mil"i*tude (?), n. [F. similitude, L. similitudo, from similis similar. See Similar.] 1. The quality or state of being similar or like; resemblance; likeness; similarity; as, similitude of substance. Chaucer.

Let us make now man in our image, man In our similitude.

Milton.

If fate some future bard shall join In sad similitude of griefs to mine.

Pope.

2. The act of likening, or that which likens, one thing to another; fanciful or imaginative comparison; a simile.

Tasso, in his similitudes, never departed from the woods; that is, all his comparisons were taken from the country.

Dryden.

3. That which is like or similar; a representation, semblance, or copy; a facsimile.

Man should wed his similitude.

Chaucer.

Si*mil`i*tu"di*na*ry (?), a. Involving or expressing similitude. [Obs.] Coke.

Sim"i*lize (?), v. t. To liken; to compare; as, to similize a person, thing, or act. Lowell.

Sim"i*lor (?), n. [F., fr. L. similus similar + F. or gold, L. aurum. Cf. Semilor.] An alloy of copper and zinc, resembling brass, but of a golden color. Ure.

Sim"i*ous (?), a.[L. simia an ape.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Simiæ; monkeylike.

That strange simious, schoolboy passion of giving pain to others.

Sydney Smith.

Sim"i*tar (?), n. See Scimiter.

Sim"mer (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Simmered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Simmering.] [Prov. E. also simper; -- an onomatopoetic word.] To boil gently, or with a gentle hissing; to begin to boil.

I simmer as liquor doth on the fire before it beginneth to boil.

Palsgrave.

Sim"mer, v. t. To cause to boil gently; to cook in liquid heated almost or just to the boiling point.

Sim"nel (?), n. [OF. simenel cake or bread of wheat flour, LL. simenellus wheat bread, fr. L. simila the finest wheat flour. Cf. Semolina.] 1. A kind of cake made of fine flour; a cracknel. [Obs.]

Not common bread, but vastel bread, or simnels.

Fuller.

2. A kind of rich plum cake, eaten especially on Mid-Lent Sunday. [Eng.] Herrick.

Si*mo"ni*ac (?), n. [LL. simoniacus. See Simony.] One who practices simony, or who buys or sells preferment in the church. Ayliffe.

Sim`o*ni"a*cal (?), a. Of or pertaining to simony; guilty of simony; consisting of simony. -- Sim"o*ni`a*cal*ly, adv.

The flagitious profligacy of their lives, and the simoniacal arts by which they grasped at the popedom.

J. S. Harford.

Si*mo"ni*al (?), a. Simoniacal. [Obs.]

Si*mo"ni*an (?), n.[See Simony.] One of the followers of Simon Magus; also, an adherent of certain heretical sects in the early Christian church.

Si*mo"ni*ous (?), a. Simoniacal. [Obs.] Milton.

Sim"o*nist (?), n. One who practices simony.

Sim"o*ny (?), n. [F. simonie, LL. simonia, fr. Simon Magus, who wished to purchase the power of conferring the Holy Spirit. Acts viii.] The crime of buying or selling ecclesiastical preferment; the corrupt presentation of any one to an ecclesiastical benefice for money or reward. Piers Plowman.

{ Si*moom" (?), Si*moon" (?), } n. [Ar. sam&?;m, fr. samma to poison. Cf. Samiel.] A hot, dry, suffocating, dust-laden wind, that blows occasionally in Arabia, Syria, and neighboring countries, generated by the extreme heat of the parched deserts or sandy plains.

Si"mous (?), a.[L. simus, Gr. &?;&?;&?;.] Having a very flat or snub nose, with the end turned up.

Sim"pai (?), n.[Malay simpei.] (Zoöl.) A long-tailed monkey (Semnopitchecus melalophus) native of Sumatra. It has a crest of black hair. The forehead and cheeks are fawn color, the upper parts tawny and red, the under parts white. Called also black-crested monkey, and sinpæ.

Sim"per (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Simpered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Simpering.] [Cf. Norw. semper fine, smart, dial. Dan. semper, simper, affected, coy, prudish, OSw. semper one who affectedly refrains from eating, Sw. sipp finical, prim, LG. sipp.] 1. To smile in a silly, affected, or conceited manner.

Behold yond simpering dame.

Shak.

With a made countenance about her mouth, between simpering and smiling.

ir. P. Sidney.

2. To glimmer; to twinkle. [Obs.]

Yet can I mark how stars above Simper and shine.

Herbert.

Sim"per, n. A constrained, self- conscious smile; an affected, silly smile; a smirk.

The conscious simper, and the jealous leer.

Pope.

Sim"per*er (?), n. One who simpers. Sir W. Scott.

A simperer that a court affords.

T. Nevile.

Sim"per*ing, a. &. n. from Simper, v.

Sim"per*ing*ly, adv. In a simpering manner.

Sim"ple (?), a. [Compar. Simpler (?); superl. Simplest.] [F., fr. L. simplus, or simplex, gen. simplicis. The first part of the Latin words is probably akin to E. same, and the sense, one, one and the same; cf. L. semel once, singuli one to each, single. Cg. Single, a., Same, a., and for the last part of the word cf. Double, Complex.] 1. Single; not complex; not infolded or entangled; uncombined; not compounded; not blended with something else; not complicated; as, a simple substance; a simple idea; a simple sound; a simple machine; a simple problem; simple tasks.

2. Plain; unadorned; as, simple dress. "Simple truth." Spenser. "His simple story." Burns.

3. Mere; not other than; being only.

A medicine . . . whose simple touch Is powerful to araise King Pepin.

Shak.

4. Not given to artifice, stratagem, or duplicity; undesigning; sincere; true.

Full many fine men go upon my score, as simple as I stand here, and I trust them.

Marston.

Must thou trust Tradition's simple tongue?

Byron.

To be simple is to be great.

Emerson.

5. Artless in manner; unaffected; unconstrained; natural; inartificial;; straightforward.

In simple manners all the secret lies.

Young.

6. Direct; clear; intelligible; not abstruse or enigmatical; as, a simple statement; simple language.

7. Weak in intellect; not wise or sagacious; of but moderate understanding or attainments; hence, foolish; silly. "You have simple wits." Shak.

The simple believeth every word; but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

Prov. xiv. 15.

8. Not luxurious; without much variety; plain; as, a simple diet; a simple way of living.

Thy simple fare and all thy plain delights.

Cowper.

9. Humble; lowly; undistinguished.

A simple husbandman in garments gray.

Spenser.

Clergy and laity, male and female, gentle and simple made the fuel of the same fire.

Fuller.

10. (BOt.) Without subdivisions; entire; as, a simple stem; a simple leaf.

11. (Chem.) Not capable of being decomposed into anything more simple or ultimate by any means at present known; elementary; thus, atoms are regarded as simple bodies. Cf. Ultimate, a.

A simple body is one that has not as yet been decomposed. There are indications that many of our simple elements are still compound bodies, though their actual decomposition into anything simpler may never be accomplished.

12. (Min.) Homogenous.

13. (Zoöl.) Consisting of a single individual or zooid; as, a simple ascidian; -- opposed to compound.

Simple contract (Law), any contract, whether verbal or written, which is not of record or under seal. J. W. Smith. Chitty. -- Simple equation (Alg.), an equation containing but one unknown quantity, and that quantity only in the first degree. -- Simple eye (Zoöl.), an eye having a single lens; -- opposed to compound eye. -- Simple interest. See under Interest. -- Simple larceny. (Law) See under Larceny. -- Simple obligation (Rom. Law), an obligation which does not depend for its execution upon any event provided for by the parties, or is not to become void on the happening of any such event. Burrill.

Syn. -- Single; uncompounded; unmingled; unmixed; mere; uncombined; elementary; plain; artless; sincere; harmless; undesigning; frank; open; unaffected; inartificial; unadorned; credulous; silly; foolish; shallow; unwise. -- Simple, Silly. One who is simple is sincere, unaffected, and inexperienced in duplicity, -- hence liable to be duped. A silly person is one who is ignorant or weak and also self- confident; hence, one who shows in speech and act a lack of good sense. Simplicity is incompatible with duplicity, artfulness, or vanity, while silliness is consistent with all three. Simplicity denotes lack of knowledge or of guile; silliness denotes want of judgment or right purpose, a defect of character as well as of education.

I am a simple woman, much too weak To oppose your cunning.

Shak.

He is the companion of the silliest people in their most silly pleasure; he is ready for every impertinent entertainment and diversion.

Law.

Sim"ple (?), n. [F. See Simple, a.] 1. Something not mixed or compounded. "Compounded of many simples." Shak.

2. (Med.) A medicinal plant; -- so called because each vegetable was supposed to possess its particular virtue, and therefore to constitute a simple remedy.

What virtue is in this remedy lies in the naked simple itself as it comes over from the Indies.

Sir W. Temple.

3. (Weaving) (a) A drawloom. (b) A part of the apparatus for raising the heddles of a drawloom.

4. (R. C. Ch.) A feast which is not a double or a semidouble.

Sim"ple, v. i. To gather simples, or medicinal plants.

As simpling on the flowery hills she [Circe] strayed.

Garth.

Sim"ple-heart`ed (?), a. Sincere; inguenuous; guileless. Sir W. Scott.

Sim"ple-mind`ed (?), a. Artless; guileless; simple-hearted; undesigning; unsuspecting; devoid of duplicity. Blackstone. -- Sim"ple-mind`ed*ness, n.

Sim"ple*ness, n. The quality or state of being simple; simplicity. Shak.

Sim"pler (?), n. One who collects simples, or medicinal plants; a herbalist; a simplist.

Simpler's joy. (Bot.) Vervain.

Sim"pless (?), n. [F. simplesse.] Simplicity; silliness. [Obs.] Spenser.

Sim"ple*ton (?), n. [Cf. F. simplet, It. semplicione.] A person of weak intellect; a silly person.

Sim*pli"cian (?), n. [Cf. OF. simplicien.] One who is simple. [Obs.] Arnway.

Sim*plic"i*ty (?), n. [F. simplicité, L. simplicitas. See Simple.] 1. The quality or state of being simple, unmixed, or uncompounded; as, the simplicity of metals or of earths.

2. The quality or state of being not complex, or of consisting of few parts; as, the simplicity of a machine.

3. Artlessness of mind; freedom from cunning or duplicity; lack of acuteness and sagacity.

Marquis Dorset, a man, for his harmless simplicity neither misliked nor much regarded.

Hayward.

In wit a man; simplicity a child.

Pope.

4. Freedom from artificial ornament, pretentious style, or luxury; plainness; as, simplicity of dress, of style, or of language; simplicity of diet; simplicity of life.

5. Freedom from subtlety or abstruseness; clearness; as, the simplicity of a doctrine; the simplicity of an explanation or a demonstration.

6. Weakness of intellect; silliness; folly.

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning?

Prov. i. 22.

Sim`pli*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. simplification.] The act of simplifying. A. Smith.

Sim"pli*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Simplified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Simplifying (?).] [Cf. F. simplifier, LL. simplificare. See Simple, and -fy.] To make simple; to make less complex; to make clear by giving the explanation for; to show an easier or shorter process for doing or making.

The collection of duties is drawn to a point, and so far simplified.

A. Hamilton.

It is important, in scientific pursuits, to be caitious in simplifying our deductions.

W. Nicholson.

Sim"plist (?), n. One skilled in simples, or medicinal plants; a simpler. Sir T. Browne.

Sim*plis"tic (?), a. Of or pertaining to simples, or a simplist. [R.] Wilkinson.

Sim"pli*ty (?), n. Simplicity. [Obs.]

Sim"plo*ce (?), n. (Gram.) See Symploce.

Sim"ply (?), adv. 1. In a simple manner or state; considered in or by itself; without addition; along; merely; solely; barely.

[They] make that now good or evil, . . . which otherwise of itself were not simply the one or the other.

Hooker.

Simply the thing I am Shall make me live.

Shak.

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2. Plainly; without art or subtlety.

Subverting worldly strong and worldly wise By simply meek.

Milton.

3. Weakly; foolishly. Johnson.

{ Sim"u*la`cher, Sim"u*la`chre } (?), n. [Cf. F. simulacre.] See Simulacrum. [Obs.]

||Sim`u*la"crum (?), n.; pl. Simulacra (#). [L. See Simulate.] A ||likeness; a semblance; a mock appearance; a sham; -- now usually in a ||derogatory sense.

Beneath it nothing but a great simulacrum.

Thackeray.

Sim"u*lar (?), n. [Cf. L. simulator, F. simulateur. See Simulate.] One who pretends to be what he is not; one who, or that which, simulates or counterfeits something; a pretender. [Obs.] Shak.

Christ calleth the Pharisees hypocrites, that is to say, simulars, and painted sepulchers.

Tyndale.

Sim"u*lar, a. False; specious; counterfeit. [R. & Obs.] "Thou simular man of virtue." Shak.

Sim"u*late (?), a. [L. simulatus, p. p. of simulare to simulate; akin to simul at the same time, together, similis like. See Similar, and cf. Dissemble, Semblance.] Feigned; pretended. Bale.

Sim"u*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Simulated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Simulating.] To assume the mere appearance of, without the reality; to assume the signs or indications of, falsely; to counterfeit; to feign.

The Puritans, even in the depths of the dungeons to which she had sent them, prayed, and with no simulated fervor, that she might be kept from the dagger of the assassin.

Macaulay.

Sim`u*la"tion (?), n. [F. simulation, L. simulatio.] The act of simulating, or assuming an appearance which is feigned, or not true; -- distinguished from dissimulation, which disguises or conceals what is true.

Syn. -- Counterfeiting; feint; pretense.

Sim"u*la`tor (?), n. [L.] One who simulates, or feigns. De Quincey.

Sim"u*la*to*ry (?), a. Simulated, or capable of being simulated. Bp. Hall.

Si`mul*ta*ne"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being simultaneous; simultaneousness.

Si`mul*ta"ne*ous (?), a. [LL. simultim at the same time, fr. L. simul. See Simulate.] Existing, happening, or done, at the same time; as, simultaneous events. -- Si`mul*ta"ne*ous*ly, adv. -- Si`mul*ta"ne*ous*ness, n.

Simultaneous equations (Alg.), two or more equations in which the values of the unknown quantities entering them are the same at the same time in both or in all.

Sim"ul*ty (?), n. [L. simultas a hostile encounter, drudge, originally, a (hostile) coming together, fr. simul together: cf. OF. simulté.] Private grudge or quarrel; as, domestic simulties. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Sin (?), adv., prep., & conj. Old form of Since. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Sin that his lord was twenty year of age.

Chaucer.

Sin, n. [OE. sinne, AS. synn, syn; akin to D. zonde, OS. sundia, OHG. sunta, G. sünde, Icel., Dan. & Sw. synd, L. sons, sontis, guilty, perhaps originally from the p. pr. of the verb signifying, to be, and meaning, the one who it is. Cf. Authentic, Sooth.] 1. Transgression of the law of God; disobedience of the divine command; any violation of God's will, either in purpose or conduct; moral deficiency in the character; iniquity; as, sins of omission and sins of commission.

Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

John viii. 34.

Sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John iii. 4.

I think 't no sin. To cozen him that would unjustly win.

Shak.

Enthralled By sin to foul, exorbitant desires.

Milton.

2. An offense, in general; a violation of propriety; a misdemeanor; as, a sin against good manners.

I grant that poetry's a crying sin.

Pope.

3. A sin offering; a sacrifice for sin.

He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin.

2 Cor. v. 21.

4. An embodiment of sin; a very wicked person. [R.]

Thy ambition, Thou scarlet sin, robbed this bewailing land Of noble Buckingham.

Shak.

Sin is used in the formation of some compound words of obvious signification; as, sin-born; sin-bred, sin-oppressed, sin-polluted, and the like.

Actual sin, Canonical sins, Original sin, Venial sin. See under Actual, Canonical, etc. -- Deadly, or Mortal, sins (R. C. Ch.), willful and deliberate transgressions, which take away divine grace; -- in distinction from vental sins. The seven deadly sins are pride, covetousness, lust, wrath, gluttony, envy, and sloth. -- Sin eater, a man who (according to a former practice in England) for a small gratuity ate a piece of bread laid on the chest of a dead person, whereby he was supposed to have taken the sins of the dead person upon himself. -- Sin offering, a sacrifice for sin; something offered as an expiation for sin.

Syn. -- Iniquity; wickedness; wrong. See Crime.

Sin, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sinned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sinning.] [OE. sinnen, singen, sinegen, AS. syngian. See Sin, n.] 1. To depart voluntarily from the path of duty prescribed by God to man; to violate the divine law in any particular, by actual transgression or by the neglect or nonobservance of its injunctions; to violate any known rule of duty; -- often followed by against.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.

Ps. li. 4.

All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Rom. iii. 23.

2. To violate human rights, law, or propriety; to commit an offense; to trespass; to transgress.

I am a man More sinned against than sinning.

Shak.

Who but wishes to invert the laws Of order, sins against the eternal cause.

Pope.

{ Si*na"ic (?), Si`na*it"ic (?), } a. [From Mount Sinai.] Of or pertaining to Mount Sinai; given or made at Mount Sinai; as, the Sinaitic law.

Sinaitic manuscript, a fourth century Greek manuscript of the part Bible, discovered at Mount Sinai (the greater part of it in 1859) by Tisschendorf, a German Biblical critic; -- called also Codex Sinaiticus.

Sin*al"bin (?), n. [From L. Sinapis + alba.] (Chem.) A glucoside found in the seeds of white mustard (Brassica alba, formerly Sinapis alba), and extracted as a white crystalline substance.

Sin*am"ine (?), n. [Sinapis + melamine.] (Chem.) A bitter white crystalline nitrogenous substance, obtained indirectly from oil of mustard and ammonia; -- called also allyl melamine.

Sin"a*pate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of sinapic acid.

Sin"a*pic (?), a. (Chem.) Of or pertaining to sinapine; specifically, designating an acid (C11H12O5) related to gallic acid, and obtained by the decomposition of sinapine, as a white crystalline substance.

Sin"a*pine (?), n. [L. sinapi, sinapis, mustard, Gr. &?;&?;&?;: cf. F. sinapine.] (Chem.) An alkaloid occuring in the seeds of mustard. It is extracted, in combination with sulphocyanic acid, as a white crystalline substance, having a hot, bitter taste. When sinapine is isolated it is unstable and undergoes decomposition.

||Si*na"pis (?), n. [L.] (Bot.) A disused generic name for mustard; -- ||now called Brassica.

Sin"a*pis`in (?), n. (Chem.) A substance extracted from mustard seed and probably identical with sinalbin. [Obs.]

Sin"a*pism (?), n. [L. sinapismus, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;, the use of a mustard blister, fr. &?;&?;&?; to apply a mustard blister, fr. &?;&?;&?;&?; mustard.] (Med.) A plaster or poultice composed principally of powdered mustard seed, or containing the volatile oil of mustard seed. It is a powerful irritant.

Sin`a*po*le"ic (?), a. [Sinapis + oleic.] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to mustard oil; specifically, designating an acid of the oleic acid series said to occur in mistard oil.

Si*nap"o*line (?), n. [Sinapis + L. oleum oil.] (Chem.) A nitrogenous base, CO.(NH.C3H5)2, related to urea, extracted from mustard oil, and also produced artifically, as a white crystalline substance; -- called also diallyl urea.

Sin"ca*line (?), n. [So called because obtained by the action of alkalies on sinapine.] (Chem.) Choline. [Written also sinkaline.]

Since (sns), adv. [For sins, contr. fr. OE. sithens, sithenes, formed by an adverbial ending (cf. Besides) from OE. sithen, also shortened into sithe, sin, AS. siððan, syððan, seoððan, afterward, then, since, after; properly, after that; fr. sð after, later, adv. and prep. (originally a comparative adv., akin to OS. sð afterward, since, OHG. sd, G. seit since, Goth. seiþus late, ni þanaseiþs no longer) + ðon instrumental of the demonstrative and article. See That.] 1. From a definite past time until now; as, he went a month ago, and I have not seen him since. [1913 Webster]

We since become the slaves to one man's lust.

B. Jonson.

2. In the time past, counting backward from the present; before this or now; ago.

How many ages since has Virgil writ?

Roscommon.

About two years since, it so fell out, that he was brought to a great lady's house.

Sir P. Sidney.

3. When or that. [Obs.]

Do you remember since we lay all night in the windmill in St. George's field?

Shak.

Since, prep. From the time of; in or during the time subsequent to; subsequently to; after; -- usually with a past event or time for the object.

The Lord hath blessed thee, since my coming.

Gen. xxx. 30.

I have a model by which he build a nobler poem than any extant since the ancients.

Dryden.

Since, conj. Seeing that; because; considering; -- formerly followed by that.

Since that my penitence comes after all, Imploring pardon.

Shak.

Since truth and constancy are vain, Since neither love, nor sense of pain, Nor force of reason, can persuade, Then let example be obeyed.

Granville.

Syn. -- Because; for; as; inasmuch as; considering. See Because.

Sin*cere" (?), a. [Compar. Sincerer (?); superl. Sincerest.] [L. sincerus, of uncertain origin; the first part perhaps akin to sin- in singuli (see Single), and the second to cernere to separate (cf. Discern): cf. F. sincère.] 1. Pure; unmixed; unadulterated.

There is no sincere acid in any animal juice.

Arbuthnot.

A joy which never was sincere till now.

Dryden.

2. Whole; perfect; unhurt; uninjured. [Obs.]

The inviolable body stood sincere.

Dryden.

3. Being in reality what it appears to be; having a character which corresponds with the appearance; not falsely assumed; genuine; true; real; as, a sincere desire for knowledge; a sincere contempt for meanness.

A sincere intention of pleasing God in all our actions.

Law.

4. Honest; free from hypocrisy or dissimulation; as, a sincere friend; a sincere person.

The more sincere you are, the better it will fare with you at the great day of account.

Waterland.

Syn. -- Honest; unfeigned; unvarnished; real; true; unaffected; inartificial; frank; upright. See Hearty.

Sin*cere"ly, adv. In a sincere manner. Specifically: (a) Purely; without alloy. Milton. (b) Honestly; unfeignedly; without dissimulation; as, to speak one's mind sincerely; to love virtue sincerely.

Sin*cere"ness, n. Same as Sincerity. Beau. & Fl.

Sin*cer"i*ty (?), n. [L. sinceritas: cf. F. sincérité.] The quality or state of being sincere; honesty of mind or intention; freedom from simulation, hypocrisy, disguise, or false pretense; sincereness.

I protest, in the sincerity of love.

Shak.

Sincerity is a duty no less plain than important.

Knox.

Sinch (?), n. [See Cinch.] A saddle girth made of leather, canvas, woven horsehair, or woven grass. [Western U.S.]

Sinch, v. t. To gird with a sinch; to tighten the sinch or girth of (a saddle); as, to sinch up a sadle. [Western U.S.]

Sin*cip"i*tal (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the sinciput; being in the region of the sinciput.

Sin"ci*put (?), n. [L., half a head; semihalf + caput the head.] 1. (Anat.) The fore part of the head.

2. (Zoöl.) The part of the head of a bird between the base of the bill and the vertex.

Sin"don (?), n. [L., a kind of fine Indian cotton stuff, Gr. &?;&?;&?;.] 1. A wrapper. [Obs.] "Wrapped in sindons of linen." Bacon.

2. (Surg.) A small rag or pledget introduced into the hole in the cranium made by a trephine. Dunglison.

Sine (?), n. [LL. sinus a sine, L. sinus bosom, used in translating the Ar. jaib, properly, bosom, but probably read by mistake (the consonants being the same) for an original jba sine, from Skr. jva bowstring, chord of an arc, sine.] (Trig.) (a) The length of a perpendicular drawn from one extremity of an arc of a circle to the diameter drawn through the other extremity. (b) The perpendicular itself. See Sine of angle, below.

Artificial sines, logarithms of the natural sines, or logarithmic sines. -- Curve of sines. See Sinusoid. -- Natural sines, the decimals expressing the values of the sines, the radius being unity. -- Sine of an angle, in a circle whose radius is unity, the sine of the arc that measures the angle; in a right-angled triangle, the side opposite the given angle divided by the hypotenuse. See Trigonometrical function, under Function. -- Versed sine, that part of the diameter between the sine and the arc.

||Si"ne (?), prep. [L.] Without.

Si"ne*cu`ral (?), a. Of or pertaining to a sinecure; being in the nature of a sinecure.

Si`ne*cure (?), n. [L. sine without + cura care, LL., a cure. See Cure.] 1. An ecclesiastical benefice without the care of souls. Ayliffe.

2. Any office or position which requires or involves little or no responsibility, labor, or active service.

A lucrative sinecure in the Excise.

Macaulay.

Si"ne*cure, v. t. To put or place in a sinecure.

Si"ne*cu*rism (?), n. The state of having a sinecure.

Si"ne*cu*rist (?), n. One who has a sinecure.

Sin"ew (?), n. [OE. sinewe, senewe, AS. sinu, seonu; akin to D. zenuw, OHG. senawa, G. sehne, Icel. sin, Sw. sena, Dan. sene; cf. Skr. snva. &radic;290.]

1. (Anat.) A tendon or tendonous tissue. See Tendon.

2. Muscle; nerve. [R.] Sir J. Davies.

3. Fig.: That which supplies strength or power.

The portion and sinew of her fortune, her marriage dowry.

Shak.

The bodies of men, munition, and money, may justly be called the sinews of war.

Sir W. Raleigh.

Money alone is often called the sinews of war.

Sin"ew, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sinewed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sinewing.] To knit together, or make strong with, or as with, sinews. Shak.

Wretches, now stuck up for long tortures . . . might, if properly treated, serve to sinew the state in time of danger.

Goldsmith.

Sin"ewed (?), a. 1. Furnished with sinews; as, a strong-sinewed youth.

2. Fig.: Equipped; strengthened.

When he sees Ourselves well sinewed to our defense.

Shak.

Sin"ew*i*ness (?), n. Quality of being sinewy.

Sin"ew*ish, a. Sinewy. [Obs.] Holinshed.

Sin"ew*less, a. Having no sinews; hence, having no strength or vigor.

Sin"ew*ous (?), a. Sinewy. [Obs.] Holinshed.

Sin"ew-shrunk` (?), a. (Far.) Having the sinews under the belly shrunk by excessive fatigue.

Sin"ew*y (?), a. 1. Pertaining to, consisting of, or resembling, a sinew or sinews.

The sinewy thread my brain lets fall.

Donne.

2. Well braced with, or as if with, sinews; nervous; vigorous; strong; firm; tough; as, the sinewy Ajax.

A man whose words . . . were so close and sinewy.

Hare.

Sin"ful (?), a. [AAS. synfull.] Tainted with, or full of, sin; wicked; iniquitous; criminal; unholy; as, sinful men; sinful thoughts. Piers Plowman.

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity.

Isa. i. 4.

-- Sin"ful*ly, adv. -- Sin"ful*ness, n.

Sing (?), v. i. [imp. Sung (?) or Sang (&?;); p. p. Sung; p. pr. & vb. n. Singing.] [AS. singan; akin to D. zingen, OS. & OHG. singan, G. singen, Icel. syngja, Sw. sjunga, Dan. synge, Goth. siggwan, and perhaps to E. say, v.t., or cf. Gr. &?;&?;&?; voice. Cf. Singe, Song.] 1. To utter sounds with musical inflections or melodious modulations of voice, as fancy may dictate, or according to the notes of a song or tune, or of a given part (as alto, tenor, etc.) in a chorus or concerted piece.

The noise of them that sing do I hear.

Ex. xxxii. 18.

2. To utter sweet melodious sounds, as birds do.

On every bough the briddes heard I sing.

Chaucer.

Singing birds, in silver cages hung.

Dryden.

3. To make a small, shrill sound; as, the air sings in passing through a crevice.

O'er his head the flying spear Sang innocent, and spent its force in air.

Pope.

4. To tell or relate something in numbers or verse; to celebrate something in poetry. Milton.

Bid her . . . sing Of human hope by cross event destroyed.

Prior.

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5. To cry out; to complain. [Obs.]

They should sing if thet they were bent.

Chaucer.

Sing (?), v. t. 1. To utter with musical inflections or modulations of voice.

And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.

Rev. xv. 3.

And in the darkness sing your carol of high praise.

Keble.

2. To celebrate is song; to give praises to in verse; to relate or rehearse in numbers, verse, or poetry. Milton.

Arms and the man I sing.

Dryden.

The last, the happiest British king, Whom thou shalt paint or I shall sing.

Addison.

3. To influence by singing; to lull by singing; as, to sing a child to sleep.

4. To accompany, or attend on, with singing.

I heard them singing home the bride.

Longfellow.

Singe (snj), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Singed (snjd); p. pr. & vb. n. Singeing (snj"ng).] [OE. sengen, AS. sengan in besengan (akin to D. zengen, G. sengen), originally, to cause to sing, fr. AS. singan to sing, in allusion to the singing or hissing sound often produced when a substance is singed, or slightly burned. See Sing.] 1. To burn slightly or superficially; to burn the surface of; to burn the ends or outside of; as, to singe the hair or the skin.

You sulphurous and thought-executing fires, . . . Singe my white head!

Shak.

I singed the toes of an ape through a burning glass.

L'Estrange.

2. (a) To remove the nap of (cloth), by passing it rapidly over a red-hot bar, or over a flame, preliminary to dyeing it. (b) To remove the hair or down from (a plucked chicken or the like) by passing it over a flame.

Singe, n. A burning of the surface; a slight burn.

Sin"ger (sn"jr), n. [From Singe.] One who, or that which, singes. Specifically: (a) One employed to singe cloth. (b) A machine for singeing cloth.

Sing"er (?), n. [From Sing.] One who sings; especially, one whose profession is to sing.

Sing"er*ess, n. A songstress. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Sin`gha*lese" (?), n. & a. [Skr. Sihala Ceylon.] (Ethnol.) Same as Cingalese.

Sing"ing (?), a. & n. from Sing, v.

Singing bird. (Zoöl.) (a) Popularly, any bird that sings; a song bird. (b) Specifically, any one of the Oscines. -- Singing book, a book containing music for singing; a book of tunes. -- Singing falcon or hawk. (Zoöl.) See Chanting falcon, under Chanting. -- Singing fish (Zoöl.), a California toadfish (Porichthys porosissimus). -- Singing flame (Acoustics), a flame, as of hydrogen or coal gas, burning within a tube and so adjusted as to set the air within the tube in vibration, causing sound. The apparatus is called also chemical harmonicon. -- Singing master, a man who teaches vocal music. -- Singing school, a school in which persons are instructed in singing.

Sing"ing*ly, adv. With sounds like singing; with a kind of tune; in a singing tone. G. North (1575).

Sin"gle (?), a. [L. singulus, a dim. from the root in simplex simple; cf. OE. & OF. sengle, fr. L. singulus. See Simple, and cf. Singular.] 1. One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star.

No single man is born with a right of controlling the opinions of all the rest.

Pope.

2. Alone; having no companion.

Who single hast maintained, Against revolted multitudes, the cause Of truth.

Milton.

3. Hence, unmarried; as, a single man or woman.

Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.

Shak.

Single chose to live, and shunned to wed.

Dryden.

4. Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others; as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope.

5. Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single combat.

These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . . Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight.

Milton.

6. Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.

Simple ideas are opposed to complex, and single to compound.

I. Watts.

7. Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere.

I speak it with a single heart.

Shak.

8. Simple; not wise; weak; silly. [Obs.]

He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice.

Beau. & Fl.

Single ale, beer, or drink, small ale, etc., as contrasted with double ale, etc., which is stronger. [Obs.] Nares. -- Single bill (Law), a written engagement, generally under seal, for the payment of money, without a penalty. Burril. -- Single court (Lawn Tennis), a court laid out for only two players. -- Single-cut file. See the Note under 4th File. -- Single entry. See under Bookkeeping. -- Single file. See under 1st File. -- Single flower (Bot.), a flower with but one set of petals, as a wild rose. -- Single knot. See Illust. under Knot. -- Single whip (Naut.), a single rope running through a fixed block.

Sin"gle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Singled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Singling (?).] 1. To select, as an individual person or thing, from among a number; to choose out from others; to separate.

Dogs who hereby can single out their master in the dark.

Bacon.

His blood! she faintly screamed her mind Still singling one from all mankind.

More.

2. To sequester; to withdraw; to retire. [Obs.]

An agent singling itself from consorts.

Hooker.

3. To take alone, or one by one.

Men . . . commendable when they are singled.

Hooker.

Sin"gle, v. i. To take the irrregular gait called single-foot;- said of a horse. See Single- foot.

Many very fleet horses, when overdriven, adopt a disagreeable gait, which seems to be a cross between a pace and a trot, in which the two legs of one side are raised almost but not quite, simultaneously. Such horses are said to single, or to be single-footed.

W. S. Clark.

Sin"gle, n. 1. A unit; one; as, to score a single.

2. pl. The reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.

3. A handful of gleaned grain. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

4. (Law Tennis) A game with but one player on each side; -- usually in the plural.

5. (Baseball) A hit by a batter which enables him to reach first base only.

Sin"gle-act`ing (?), a. Having simplicity of action; especially (Mach.), acting or exerting force during strokes in one direction only; -- said of a reciprocating engine, pump, etc.

Sin"gle-breast`ed (?), a. Lapping over the breast only far enough to permit of buttoning, and having buttons on one edge only; as, a single-breasted coast.

Sin"gle-foot` (?), n. An irregular gait of a horse; -- called also single-footed pace. See Single, v. i.

Single-foot is an irregular pace, rather rare, distinguished by the posterior extremities moving in the order of a fast walk, and the anterior extremities in that of a slow trot.

Stillman (The Horse in Motion.)

Sin"gle-hand"ed (?), a. Having but one hand, or one workman; also, alone; unassisted.

Sin"gle-heart"ed (?), a. Having an honest heart; free from duplicity. -- Sin"gle- heart"ed*ly, adv.

Sin"gle-mind"ed (?), a. Having a single purpose; hence, artless; guileless; single-hearted.

Sin"gle*ness, n. 1. The quality or state of being single, or separate from all others; the opposite of doubleness, complication, or multiplicity.

2. Freedom from duplicity, or secondary and selfish ends; purity of mind or purpose; simplicity; sincerity; as, singleness of purpose; singleness of heart.

Sin"gles (?), n. pl. See Single, n., 2.

Sin"gle*stick` (?), n. (a) In England and Scotland, a cudgel used in fencing or fighting; a backsword. (b) The game played with singlesticks, in which he who first brings blood from his adversary's head is pronounced victor; backsword; cudgeling.

Sin"glet (?), n. An unlined or undyed waistcoat; a single garment; -- opposed to doublet. [Prov. Eng.]

Sin"gle*ton (?), n. In certain games at cards, as whist, a single card of any suit held at the deal by a player; as, to lead a singleton.

Sin"gle*tree` (?), n. [Cf. Swingletree.] The pivoted or swinging bar to which the traces of a harnessed horse are fixed; a whiffletree.

When two horses draw abreast, a singletree is fixed at each end of another crosspiece, called the doubletree.

Sin"gly (?), adv. 1. Individually; particularly; severally; as, to make men singly and personally good.

2. Only; by one's self; alone.

Look thee, 't is so! Thou singly honest man.

Shak.

3. Without partners, companions, or associates; single-handed; as, to attack another singly.

At omber singly to decide their doom.

Pope.

4. Honestly; sincerely; simply. [R.] Johnson.

5. Singularly; peculiarly. [Obs.] Milton.

Sing"-sing` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The kob.

Sing"song` (?), n. 1. Bad singing or poetry.

2. A drawling or monotonous tone, as of a badly executed song.

Sing"song`, a. Drawling; monotonous.

Sing"song`, v. i. To write poor poetry. [R.] Tennyson.

Sing"ster (?), n. A songstress. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Sin"gu*lar (s"g*lr), a. [OE. singuler, F. singulier, fr. L. singularius, singularis, fr. singulus single. See Single, a.] 1. Separate or apart from others; single; distinct. [Obs.] Bacon.

And God forbid that all a company Should rue a singular man's folly.

Chaucer.

2. Engaged in by only one on a side; single. [Obs.]

To try the matter thus together in a singular combat.

Holinshed.

3. (Logic) Existing by itself; single; individual.

The idea which represents one . . . determinate thing, is called a singular idea, whether simple, complex, or compound.

I. Watts.

4. (Law) Each; individual; as, to convey several parcels of land, all and singular.

5. (Gram.) Denoting one person or thing; as, the singular number; -- opposed to dual and plural.

6. Standing by itself; out of the ordinary course; unusual; uncommon; strange; as, a singular phenomenon.

So singular a sadness Must have a cause as strange as the effect.

Denham.

7. Distinguished as existing in a very high degree; rarely equaled; eminent; extraordinary; exceptional; as, a man of singular gravity or attainments.

8. Departing from general usage or expectations; odd; whimsical; -- often implying disapproval or censure.

His zeal None seconded, as out of season judged, Or singular and rash.

Milton.

To be singular in anything that is wise and worthy, is not a disparagement, but a praise.

Tillotson.

9. Being alone; belonging to, or being, that of which there is but one; unique.

These busts of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind.

Addison.

Singular point in a curve (Math.), a point at which the curve possesses some peculiar properties not possessed by other points of the curve, as a cusp point, or a multiple point. -- Singular proposition (Logic), a proposition having as its subject a singular term, or a common term limited to an individual by means of a singular sign. Whately. -- Singular succession (Civil Law), division among individual successors, as distinguished from universal succession, by which an estate descended in intestacy to the heirs in mass. -- Singular term (Logic), a term which represents or stands for a single individual.

Syn. -- Unexampled; unprecedented; eminent; extraordinary; remarkable; uncommon; rare; unusual; peculiar; strange; odd; eccentric; fantastic.

Sin"gu*lar, n. 1. An individual instance; a particular. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

2. (Gram) The singular number, or the number denoting one person or thing; a word in the singular number.

Sin"gu*lar*ist (s"g*lr*st), n. One who affects singularity. [Obs.]

A clownish singularist, or nonconformist to ordinary usage.

Borrow.

Sin`gu*lar"i*ty (-lr"*t), n.; pl. Singularities (- tz). [L. singularitas: cf. F. singularité.] 1. The quality or state of being singular; some character or quality of a thing by which it is distinguished from all, or from most, others; peculiarity.

Pliny addeth this singularity to that soil, that the second year the very falling down of the seeds yieldeth corn.

Sir. W. Raleigh.

I took notice of this little figure for the singularity of the instrument.

Addison.

2. Anything singular, rare, or curious.

Your gallery Have we passed through, not without much content In many singularities.

Shak.

3. Possession of a particular or exclusive privilege, prerogative, or distinction.

No bishop of Rome ever took upon him this name of singularity [universal bishop].

Hooker.

Catholicism . . . must be understood in opposition to the legal singularity of the Jewish nation.

Bp. Pearson.

4. Celibacy. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.

Sin"gu*lar*ize (s"g*lr*z), v. t. To make singular or single; to distinguish. [R.]

Sin"gu*lar*ly, adv. 1. In a singular manner; in a manner, or to a degree, not common to others; extraordinarily; as, to be singularly exact in one's statements; singularly considerate of others. "Singularly handsome." Milman.

2. Strangely; oddly; as, to behave singularly.

3. So as to express one, or the singular number.

Sin"gult (?), n.[L. singultus.] A sigh or sobbing; also, a hiccough. [Obs.] Spenser. W. Browne.

Sin*gul"tous (?), a. (Med.) Relating to, or affected with, hiccough. Dunglison.

||Sin*gul"tus (?), n. [L.] (Med.) Hiccough.

Sin"i*cal (?), a. [From Sine.] (Trig.) Of or pertaining to a sine; employing, or founded upon, sines; as, a sinical quadrant.

Sin"i*grin (?), n. [From NL. Sinapis nigra.] (Chem.) A glucoside found in the seeds of black mustard (Brassica nigra, formerly Sinapis nigra) It resembles sinalbin, and consists of a potassium salt of myronic acid.

Sin"is*ter (sn"s*tr; 277), a. [Accented on the middle syllable by the older poets, as Shakespeare, Milton, Dryden.] [L. sinister: cf. F. sinistre.] 1. On the left hand, or the side of the left hand; left; -- opposed to dexter, or right. "Here on his sinister cheek." Shak.

My mother's blood Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister Bounds in my father's

Shak.

In heraldy the sinister side of an escutcheon is the side which would be on the left of the bearer of the shield, and opposite the right hand of the beholder.

2. Unlucky; inauspicious; disastrous; injurious; evil; -- the left being usually regarded as the unlucky side; as, sinister influences.

All the several ills that visit earth, Brought forth by night, with a sinister birth.

B. Jonson.

3. Wrong, as springing from indirection or obliquity; perverse; dishonest; corrupt; as, sinister aims.

Nimble and sinister tricks and shifts.

Bacon.

He scorns to undermine another's interest by any sinister or inferior arts.

South.

He read in their looks . . . sinister intentions directed particularly toward himself.

Sir W. Scott.

4. Indicative of lurking evil or harm; boding covert danger; as, a sinister countenance.

Bar sinister. (Her.) See under Bar, n. -- Sinister aspect (Astrol.), an appearance of two planets happening according to the succession of the signs, as Saturn in Aries, and Mars in the same degree of Gemini. -- Sinister base, Sinister chief. See under Escutcheon.

Sin"is*ter-hand"ed (?), a. Left- handed; hence, unlucky. [Obs.] Lovelace.

Sin"is*ter*ly, adv. In a sinister manner. Wood.

Sin"is*trad (?), adv. [L. sinistra the left hand + ad to.] (Anat. & Zoöl.) Toward the left side; sinistrally.

Sin"is*tral (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to the left, inclining to the left; sinistrous; -- opposed to dextral.

2. (Zoöl.) Having the whorls of the spire revolving or rising to the left; reversed; -- said of certain spiral shells.

Sin`is*tral"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being sinistral.

Sin"is*tral*ly (?), adv. Toward the left; in a sinistral manner. J. Le Conte.

Sin"is*trin (sn"s*trn), n. [L. sinister left.] (Chem.) A mucilaginous carbohydrate, resembling achroödextrin, extracted from squill as a colorless amorphous substance; -- so called because it is levorotatory.

Sin`is*tror"sal (?), a. [L. sinistrorsus, sinistroversus, turned toward the left side; sinister left + vertere, vortere, versum, vorsum, to turn.] Rising spirally from right to left (of the spectator); sinistrorse.

Sin"is*trorse` (?), a. [See Sinistrolsal.] Turning to the left (of the spectator) in the ascending line; -- the opposite of dextrorse. See Dextrorse.

Sin"is*trous (?), a. [See Sinister.] 1. Being on the left side; inclined to the left; sinistral. "Sinistrous gravity." Sir T. Browne.

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2. Wrong; absurd; perverse.

A knave or fool can do no harm, even by the most sinistrous and absurd choice.

Bentley.

Sin"is*trous*ly (sn"s*trs*l), adv. 1. In a sinistrous manner; perversely; wrongly; unluckily.

2. With a tendency to use the left hand.

Many, in their infancy, are sinistrously disposed, and divers continue all their life left-handed.

Sir T. Browne.

Sink (sk), v. i. [imp. Sunk (sk), or (Sank (sk)); p. p. Sunk (obs. Sunken, -- now used as adj.); p. pr. & vb. n. Sinking.] [OE. sinken, AS. sincan; akin to D. zinken, OS. sincan, G. sinken, Icel. sökkva, Dan. synke, Sw. sjunka, Goth. siggan, and probably to E. silt. Cf. Silt.] 1. To fall by, or as by, the force of gravity; to descend lower and lower; to decline gradually; to subside; as, a stone sinks in water; waves rise and sink; the sun sinks in the west.

I sink in deep mire.

Ps. lxix. 2.

2. To enter deeply; to fall or retire beneath or below the surface; to penetrate.

The stone sunk into his forehead.

1 San. xvii. 49.

3. Hence, to enter so as to make an abiding impression; to enter completely.

Let these sayings sink down into your ears.

Luke ix. 44.

4. To be overwhelmed or depressed; to fall slowly, as so the ground, from weakness or from an overburden; to fail in strength; to decline; to decay; to decrease.

I think our country sinks beneath the yoke.

Shak.

He sunk down in his chariot.

2 Kings ix. 24.

Let not the fire sink or slacken.

Mortimer.

5. To decrease in volume, as a river; to subside; to become diminished in volume or in apparent height.

The Alps and Pyreneans sink before him.

Addison.

Syn. -- To fall; subside; drop; droop; lower; decline; decay; decrease; lessen.

Sink, v. t. 1. To cause to sink; to put under water; to immerse or submerge in a fluid; as, to sink a ship.

[The Athenians] fell upon the wings and sank a single ship.

Jowett (Thucyd.).

2. Figuratively: To cause to decline; to depress; to degrade; hence, to ruin irretrievably; to destroy, as by drowping; as, to sink one's reputation.

I raise of sink, imprison or set free.

Prior.

If I have a conscience, let it sink me.

Shak.

Thy cruel and unnatural lust of power Has sunk thy father more than all his years.

Rowe.

3. To make (a depression) by digging, delving, or cutting, etc.; as, to sink a pit or a well; to sink a die.

4. To bring low; to reduce in quantity; to waste.

You sunk the river repeated draughts.

Addison.

5. To conseal and appropriate. [Slang]

If sent with ready money to buy anything, and you happen to be out of pocket, sink the money, and take up the goods on account.

Swift.

6. To keep out of sight; to suppress; to ignore.

A courtly willingness to sink obnoxious truths.

Robertson.

7. To reduce or extinguish by payment; as, to sink the national debt.

Sink, n. 1. A drain to carry off filthy water; a jakes.

2. A shallow box or vessel of wood, stone, iron, or other material, connected with a drain, and used for receiving filthy water, etc., as in a kitchen.

3. A hole or low place in land or rock, where waters sink and are lost; -- called also sink hole. [U. S.]

Sink hole. (a) The opening to a sink drain. (b) A cesspool. (c) Same as Sink, n., 3.

Sink"er (?), n. One who, or that which, sinks. Specifically: (a) A weight on something, as on a fish line, to sink it. (b) In knitting machines, one of the thin plates, blades, or other devices, that depress the loops upon or between the needles.

Dividing sinker, in knitting machines, a sinker between two jack sinkers and acting alternately with them. -- Jack sinker. See under Jack, n. -- Sinker bar. (a) In knitting machines, a bar to which one set of the sinkers is attached. (b) In deep well boring, a heavy bar forming a connection between the lifting rope and the boring tools, above the jars.

Sink"ing, a. & n. from Sink.

Sinking fund. See under Fund. -- Sinking head (Founding), a riser from which the mold is fed as the casting shrinks. See Riser, n., 4. -- Sinking pump, a pump which can be lowered in a well or a mine shaft as the level of the water sinks.

Sin"less (?), a. Free from sin. Piers Plowman.

-- Sin"less*ly, adv. -- Sin"less*ness, n.

Sin"ner (?), n. One who has sinned; especially, one who has sinned without repenting; hence, a persistent and incorrigible transgressor; one condemned by the law of God.

Sin"ner, v. i. To act as a sinner. [Humorous]

Whether the charmer sinner it or saint it.

Pope.

Sin"ner*ess, n. A woman who sins. [Obs.]

Sin"net (?), n. See Sennit .

Sin`o*log"ic*al (?), a. [See Sinologue.] Relating to the Chinese language or literature.

Si*nol"o*gist (?), n. A sinologue.

Sin"o*logue (?), n. [From L. Sinae, an Oriental people mentioned by Ptolemy, or Ar. Sin China or the Chinese + Gr. &?;&?;&?; discourse; formed like theologue: cf. F. sinologue.] A student of Chinese; one versed in the Chinese language, literature, and history.

Si*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Cf. F. sinologie.] That branch of systemized knowledge which treats of the Chinese, their language, literature, etc.

Sin"o*per (?), n. (Min.) Sinople.

{ Si*no"pi*a (?), Si*no"pis (?), } n. A red pigment made from sinopite.

Sin"o*pite (?), n. [F., fr. L. sinopis (sc. terra), a red earth or ocher found in Sinope, a town in Paphlagoma, on the Black Sea, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;.] (Min.) A brickred ferruginous clay used by the ancients for red paint.

Sin"o*ple (?), n. (Min.) Ferruginous quartz, of a blood-red or brownish red color, sometimes with a tinge of yellow.

Sin"o*ple, n. [F., fr. LL. sinopis. See Sinople a mineral.] (Her.) The tincture vert; green.

Sinque (?), n. See Cinque. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Sins"ring (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Banxring.

Sin"ter (?), n. [G. Cf. Cinder.] (Min.) Dross, as of iron; the scale which files from iron when hammered; -- applied as a name to various minerals.

Calcareous sinter, a loose banded variety of calcite formed by deposition from lime-bearing waters; calcareous tufa; travertine. -- Ceraunian sinter, fulgurite. -- Siliceous sinter, a light cellular or fibrous opal; especially, geyserite (see Geyserite). It has often a pearly luster, and is then called pearl sinter.

{ Sin"to (?), or Sin"tu (?), Sin"to*ism (?), Sin"to*ist }. See Shinto, etc.

||Sin"toc (?), n. A kind of spice used in the East Indies, consisting ||of the bark of a species of Cinnamomum. [Written also sindoc.]

Sin"u*ate (?), a. [L. sinuatus, p. p. of sinuare to wind, bend, fr. sinus a bend.] Having the margin alternately curved inward and outward; having rounded lobes separated by rounded sinuses; sinuous; wavy.

Sin"u*ate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sinuated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sinuating.] To bend or curve in and out; to wind; to turn; to be sinuous. Woodward.

Sin"u*a`ted (&?;), a. Same as Sinuate.

Sin`u*a"tion (?), n. [L. sinuatio.] A winding or bending in and out.

Sin"u*ose` (?), a. Sinuous. Loudon.

Sin`u*os"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Sinuosities (#). [Cf. F. sinuosité.] 1. Quality or state of being sinuous.

2. A bend, or a series of bends and turns; a winding, or a series of windings; a wave line; a curve.

A line of coast certainly amounting, with its sinuosities, to more than 700 miles.

Sydney Smith.

Sin"u*ous (?), a. [L. sinuosus, fr. sinus a bent surface, a curve: cf. F. sinueux. See Sinus.] Bending in and out; of a serpentine or undulating form; winding; crooked. -- Sin"u*ous*ly, adv.

Streaking the ground with sinuous trace.

Milton.

Gardens bright with sinuous rills.

Coleridge.

Si`nu*pal"li*ate (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having a pallial sinus. See under Sinus.

Si"nus (?), n.; pl. L. Sinus, E. Sinuses (#). [L., a bent surface, a curve, the folds or bosom of a garment, etc., a bay. Cf. Sine, n.] 1. An opening; a hollow; a bending.

2. A bay of the sea; a recess in the shore.

3. (Anat. & Zoöl.) A cavity; a depression. Specifically: (a) A cavity in a bone or other part, either closed or with a narrow opening. (b) A dilated vessel or canal.

4. (Med.) A narrow, elongated cavity, in which pus is collected; an elongated abscess with only a small orifice.

5. (Bot.) A depression between adjoining lobes.

A sinus may be rounded, as in the leaf of the white oak, or acute, as in that of the red maple.

Pallial sinus. (Zoöl.) See under Pallial. -- Sinus venosus (?). [L., venous dilatation.] (Anat.) (a) The main part of the cavity of the right auricle of the heart in the higher vertebrates. (b) In the lower vertebrates, a distinct chamber of the heart formed by the union of the large systematic veins and opening into the auricle.

Si"nus*oid (?), n. [Sinus + - oid.] (Geom.) The curve whose ordinates are proportional to the sines of the abscissas, the equation of the curve being y = a sin x. It is also called the curve of sines.

Si`nus*oid"al (?), a. (Geom.) Of or pertaining to a sinusoid; like a sinusoid.

Sio"goon (?), n. See Shogun.

Sio*goon"ate (?), n. See Shogunate.

Sioux (?), n. sing. & pl. (Ethnol.) See Dakotas.

Sip (sp), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sipped (spt); p. pr. & vb. n. Sipping.] [OE. sippen; akin to OD. sippen, and AS. span to sip, suck up, drink. See Sup, v. t.] 1. To drink or imbibe in small quantities; especially, to take in with the lips in small quantities, as a liquid; as, to sip tea. "Every herb that sips the dew." Milton.

2. To draw into the mouth; to suck up; as, a bee sips nectar from the flowers.

3. To taste the liquor of; to drink out of. [Poetic]

They skim the floods, and sip the purple flowers.

Dryden.

Sip, v. i. To drink a small quantity; to take a fluid with the lips; to take a sip or sips of something.

[She] raised it to her mouth with sober grace; Then, sipping, offered to the next in place.

Dryden.

Sip, n. 1. The act of sipping; the taking of a liquid with the lips.

2. A small draught taken with the lips; a slight taste.

One sip of this Will bathe the drooping spirits in delight Beyond the bliss of dreams.

Milton.

A sip is all that the public ever care to take from reservoirs of abstract philosophy.

De Quincey.

Sip"age (?), n. See Seepage. [Scot. & U.S.]

Sipe (sp), v. i. See Seep. [Scot. & U.S.]

Siph"i*lis (?), n. (Med.) Syphilis.

Si"phoid (?), n. [L. sipho a siphon + -oid: cf. F. vase siphoïde.] A siphon bottle. See under Siphon, n.

Si"phon (?), n. [F. siphon, L. sipho, -onis, fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; a siphon, tube, pipe.] 1. A device, consisting of a pipe or tube bent so as to form two branches or legs of unequal length, by which a liquid can be transferred to a lower level, as from one vessel to another, over an intermediate elevation, by the action of the pressure of the atmosphere in forcing the liquid up the shorter branch of the pipe immersed in it, while the continued excess of weight of the liquid in the longer branch (when once filled) causes a continuous flow. The flow takes place only when the discharging extremity of the pipe ia lower than the higher liquid surface, and when no part of the pipe is higher above the surface than the same liquid will rise by atmospheric pressure; that is, about 33 feet for water, and 30 inches for mercury, near the sea level.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) One of the tubes or folds of the mantle border of a bivalve or gastropod mollusk by which water is conducted into the gill cavity. See Illust. under Mya, and Lamellibranchiata. (b) The anterior prolongation of the margin of any gastropod shell for the protection of the soft siphon. (c) The tubular organ through which water is ejected from the gill cavity of a cephaloid. It serves as a locomotive organ, by guiding and confining the jet of water. Called also siphuncle. See Illust. under Loligo, and Dibranchiata. (d) The siphuncle of a cephalopod shell. (e) The sucking proboscis of certain parasitic insects and crustaceans. (f) A sproutlike prolongation in front of the mouth of many gephyreans. (g) A tubular organ connected both with the esophagus and the intestine of certain sea urchins and annelids.

3. A siphon bottle.

Inverted siphon, a tube bent like a siphon, but having the branches turned upward; specifically (Hydraulic Engineering), a pipe for conducting water beneath a depressed place, as from one hill to another across an intervening valley, following the depression of the ground. -- Siphon barometer. See under Barometer. -- Siphon bottle, a bottle for holding aërated water, which is driven out through a bent tube in the neck by the gas within the bottle when a valve in the tube is opened; -- called also gazogene, and siphoid. -- Siphon condenser, a condenser for a steam engine, in which the vacuum is maintained by the downward flow of water through a vertical pipe of great height. -- Siphon cup, a cup with a siphon attached for carrying off any liquid in it; specifically (Mach.), an oil cup in which oil is carried over the edge of a tube in a cotton wick, and so reaches the surface to be lubricated. -- Siphon gauge. See under Gauge. -- Siphon pump, a jet pump. See under Jet, n.

Si"phon (?), v. t. (Chem.) To convey, or draw off, by means of a siphon, as a liquid from one vessel to another at a lower level.

Si"phon*age (?), n. The action of a siphon.

Si"phon*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a siphon; resembling a siphon.

Siphonal stomach (Zoöl.), a stomach which is tubular and bent back upon itself, like a siphon, as in the salmon.

Si`pho*na"rid (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of limpet-shaped pulmonate gastropods of the genus Siphonaria. They cling to rocks between high and low water marks and have both lunglike organs and gills. -- Si`pho*na"rid, a.

||Si`pho*na"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A tribe of bivalve mollusks in ||which the posterior mantle border is prolonged into two tubes or ||siphons. Called also Siphoniata. See Siphon, 2 (a), and Quahaug.

Si"phon*ate (?), a. 1. Having a siphon or siphons.

2. (Zoöl.) Belonging to the Siphonata.

Si"phon*et (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of the two dorsal tubular organs on the hinder part of the abdomen of aphids. They give exit to the honeydew. See Illust. under Aphis.

||Si*pho"ni*a (?), n. [NL.] (Bot.) A former name for a euphorbiaceous ||genus (Hevea) of South American trees, the principal source of ||caoutchouc.

||Si*pho`ni*a"ta (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) Same as Siphonata.

Si*phon"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to a siphon.

Si*phon"i*fer (?), n. [NL., fr. L. sipho, -onis, siphon + ferre to bear.] (Zoöl.) Any cephalopod having a siphonate shell.

Si"phon*if"er*ous (?), a. [Siphon + -ferous.] (Zoöl.) Siphon-bearing, as the shell of the nautilus and other cephalopods.

||Si*pho"ni*um (?), n.; pl. Siphonia (#). [NL., from Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;, ||dim. of &?;&?;&?;&?;. See Siphon.] (Anat.) A bony tube which, in some ||birds, connects the tympanium with the air chambers of the articular ||piece of the mandible.

||Si`pho*no*bran`chi*a"ta (?), n. pl. [NL. See Siphon, and Branchia.] ||(Zoöl.) A tribe of gastropods having the mantle border, on one or ||both sides, prolonged in the form of a spout through which water ||enters the gill cavity. The shell itself is not always ||siphonostomatous in this group.

<! p. 1346 !>

Si`pho*no*bran"chi*ate (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having a siphon, or siphons, to convey water to the gills; belonging or pertaining to the Siphonobranchiata. -- n. One of the Siphonobranchiata.

Si`pho*nog"ly*phe (?), n. [Siphon + Gr. &?;&?;&?; to engrave.] (Zoöl.) A gonidium.

||Si`pho*noph"o*ra (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; a siphon + ||&?;&?;&?;&?; to bear.] (Zoöl.) An order of pelagic Hydrozoa including ||species which form complex free-swimming communities composed of ||numerous zooids of various kinds, some of which act as floats or as ||swimming organs, others as feeding or nutritive zooids, and others as ||reproductive zooids. See Illust. under Physallia, and Porpita.

Si`pho*noph"o*ran (?), a. (Zoöl.) Belonging to the Siphonophora. -- n. One of the Siphonophora.

Si*phon"o*phore (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of the Siphonophora.

||Si`pho*nop"o*da (?), n. pl. [NL. See Siphon, and -poda.] (Zoöl.) A ||division of Scaphopoda including those in which the foot terminates ||in a circular disk.

||Si`pho*no*stom"a*ta (?), n. pl. [NL. See Siphon, and Stoma.] (Zoöl.) ||(a) A tribe of parasitic copepod Crustacea including a large number ||of species that are parasites of fishes, as the lerneans. They have a ||mouth adapted to suck blood. (b) An artificial division of gastropods ||including those that have siphonostomatous shells.

Si`pho*no*stom"a*tous (?), a. (Zoöl.) (a) Having the front edge of the aperture of the shell prolonged in the shape of a channel for the protection of the siphon; -- said of certain gastropods. (b) Pertaining to the Siphonostomata.

Si`pho*nos"tome (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; a siphon + &?;&?;&?; mouth.] (Zoöl.) (a) Any parasitic entomostracan of the tribe Siphonostomata. (b) A siphonostomatous shell.

Si`pho*rhi"nal (?), a. [Siphon + rhinal.] (Zoöl.) Having tubular nostrils, as the petrels.

Si`pho*rhin"i*an (?), n. (Zoöl.) A siphorhinal bird.

Si"phun`cle (?), n. [L. siphunculus, sipunculus, dim. of sipho. See Siphon.] (Zoöl.) The tube which runs through the partitions of chambered cephalopod shells.

Si"phun`cled (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having a siphuncle; siphunculated.

Si*phun"cu*lar (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the siphuncle.

Si*phun"cu*la`ted (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having a siphuncle. Huxley.

Sip"id (?), a. [See Insipid, Sapid.] Having a taste or flavorl savory; sapid. [Obs.] Cockeram.

Sip"per (?), n. One whi sips.

Sip"pet (?), n. [See Sip, Sop.] A small sop; a small, thin piece of toasted bread soaked in milk, broth, or the like; a small piece of toasted or fried bread cut into some special shape and used for garnishing.

Your sweet sippets in widows' houses.

Milton.

Sip"ple (?), v. i. [Freq. of sip.] To sip often. [Obs. or Scot.]

Sip"pling (?), a. Sipping often. [Obs.] "Taken after a sippling sort." Holland.

||Si*pun`cu*la"ce*a (?), n. pl. [NL., from Sipunculus, the typical ||genus. See Siphuncle.] (Zoöl.) A suborder of Gephyrea, including ||those which have the body unarmed and the intestine opening ||anteriorly.

Si*pun"cu*loid (?), a. [NL. Sipunculus, the typical genus + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Pertaining to the Sipunculoidea. -- n. One of the Sipunculoidea.

||Si*pun`cu*loi"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) (a) Same as Gephyrea. ||(b) In a restricted sense, same as Sipunculacea.

||Si` quis" (?). [L., if any one (the first words of the notice in ||Latin).] (Ch. of Eng.) A notification by a candidate for orders of ||his intention to inquire whether any impediment may be alleged ||against him.

Sir (?), n. [OE. sire, F. sire, contr. from the nominative L. senior an elder, elderly person, compar. of senex,senis, an aged person; akin to Gr. &?;&?;&?; old, Skr. sana, Goth. sineigs old, sinista eldest, Ir. & Gael. sean old, W. hen. Cf. Seignior, Senate, Seneschal, Senior, Senor, Signor, Sire, Sirrah.] 1. A man of social authority and dignity; a lord; a master; a gentleman; -- in this sense usually spelled sire. [Obs.]

He was crowned lord and sire.

Gower.

In the election of a sir so rare.

Shak.

2. A title prefixed to the Christian name of a knight or a baronet.

Sir Horace Vere, his brother, was the principal in the active part.

Bacon.

3. An English rendering of the LAtin Dominus, the academical title of a bachelor of arts; -- formerly colloquially, and sometimes contemptuously, applied to the clergy. Nares.

Instead of a faithful and painful teacher, they hire a Sir John, which hath better skill in playing at tables, or in keeping of a garden, than in God's word.

Latimer.

4. A respectful title, used in addressing a man, without being prefixed to his name; -- used especially in speaking to elders or superiors; sometimes, also, used in the way of emphatic formality. "What's that to you, sir?" Sheridan.

Anciently, this title, was often used when a person was addressed as a man holding a certain office, or following a certain business. "Sir man of law." "Sir parish priest." Chaucer.

Sir reverance. See under Reverence, n.

Si*ras"kier (?), n. See Seraskier.

Si*ras"kier*ate (?), n. See Seraskierate.

Sir*bo"ni*an (?), a. See Serbonian.

Sir*car" (?), n. [Hind. & Per. sarkr a superintendant, overseer, chief; Per. sar the head + kr action, work.] 1. A Hindoo clerk or accountant. [India]

2. A district or province; a circar. [India]

3. The government; the supreme authority of the state. [India]

Sir*dar" (?), n. [Hind. & Per. sardr a chief, general; sar the head, top + dr holding, possessing.] A native chief in Hindostan; a headman. Malcom.

Sire (?), n. [F. sire, originally, an older person. See Sir.] 1. A lord, master, or other person in authority. See Sir. [Obs.]

Pain and distress, sickness and ire, And melancholy that angry sire, Be of her palace senators.

Rom. of R.

2. A tittle of respect formerly used in speaking to elders and superiors, but now only in addressing a sovereign.

3. A father; the head of a family; the husband.

Jankin thet was our sire [i.e., husband].

Chaucer.

And raise his issue, like a loving sire.

Shak.

4. A creator; a maker; an author; an originator.

[He] was the sire of an immortal strain.

Shelley.

5. The male parent of a beast; -- applied especially to horses; as, the horse had a good sire.

Sire is often used in composition; as in grandsire, grandfather; great-grandsire, great- grandfather.

Sire, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sired (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Siring.] To beget; to procreate; -- used of beasts, and especially of stallions.

Si*re"don (?), n. [NL., from Gr. &?;&?;&?; a siren.] (Zoöl.) The larval form of any salamander while it still has external gills; especially, one of those which, like the axolotl (Amblystoma Mexicanum), sometimes lay eggs while in this larval state, but which under more favorable conditions lose their gills and become normal salamanders. See also Axolotl.

Si"ren (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;: cf. F. sirène.] 1. (Class. Myth.) One of three sea nymphs, -- or, according to some writers, of two, -- said to frequent an island near the coast of Italy, and to sing with such sweetness that they lured mariners to destruction.

Next where the sirens dwell you plow the seas; Their song is death, and makes destruction please.

Pope.

2. An enticing, dangerous woman. Shak.

3. Something which is insidious or deceptive.

Consumption is a siren.

W. Irving.

4. A mermaid. [Obs.] Shak.

5. (Zoöl.) Any long, slender amphibian of the genus Siren or family Sirenidæ, destitute of hind legs and pelvis, and having permanent external gills as well as lungs. They inhabit the swamps, lagoons, and ditches of the Southern United States. The more common species (Siren lacertina) is dull lead-gray in color, and becames two feet long.

6. [F. sirène, properly, a siren in sense 1.] (Acoustics) An instrument for producing musical tones and for ascertaining the number of sound waves or vibrations per second which produce a note of a given pitch. The sounds are produced by a perforated rotating disk or disks. A form with two disks operated by steam or highly compressed air is used sounding an alarm to vessels in fog. [Written also sirene, and syren.]

Si"ren, a. Of or pertaining to a siren; bewitching, like a siren; fascinating; alluring; as, a siren song.

Si*rene" (?), n. See Siren, 6.

Si*re"ni*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) An order of large aquatic herbivorous mammals, including the manatee, dugong, rytina, and several fossil genera.

The hind limbs are either rudimentary or wanting, and the front ones are changed to paddles. They have horny plates on the front part of the jaws, and usually flat-crowned molar teeth. The stomach is complex and the intestine long, as in other herbivorous mammals. See Cetacea (b).

Si*re"ni*an (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any species of Sirenia.

Si*ren"ic*al (?), a. Like, or appropriate to, a siren; fascinating; deceptive.

Here's couple of sirenical rascals shall enchant ye.

Marton.

Si"ren*ize (?), v. i. To use the enticements of a siren; to act as a siren; to fascinate.

||Si*ri"a*sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;, fr. &?;&?;&?; the Dog ||Star, properly, scorching.] (Med.) (a) A sunstroke. (b) The act of ||exposing to a sun bath. [Obs.] Cf. Insolation.

Sir"i*us (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;, properly, scorching.] (Astron.) The Dog Star. See Dog Star.

Sir"keer (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of Asiatic cuckoos of the genus Taccocua, as the Bengal sirkeer (T. sirkee).

Sir"loin` (?), n. [A corruption of surloin. Not so called because this cut of beef was once jocosely knighted (dubbed Sir Loin) by an English king, as according to a popular story.] A loin of beef, or a part of a loin. [Written also surloin.]

Sir"name` (?), n. See Surname.

Si"roc (?), n. See Sirocco. [Poetic] Emerson.

Si*roc"co (?), n.; pl. Siroccos (?). [It. sirocco, scirocco, Ar. shorug, fr. sharq the rising of the sun, the east, fr, sharaca to rise as the sun. Cf. Saracen.] An oppressive, relaxing wind from the Libyan deserts, chiefly experienced in Italy, Malta, and Sicily.

Sir"rah (?), n. [Probably from Icel. sra, fr. F. sire. See Sir.] A term of address implying inferiority and used in anger, contempt, reproach, or disrespectful familiarity, addressed to a man or boy, but sometimes to a woman. In sililoquies often preceded by ah. Not used in the plural. "Ah, sirrah mistress." Beau. & Fl.

Go, sirrah, to my cell.

Shak.

Sirt (?), n. [See Syrt.] A quicksand. [Obs.]

{ Sir"up (?) Syr"up }, n. [F. sirop (cf. It. siroppo, Sp. jarabe, jarope, LL. siruppus, syrupus), fr. Ar. sharb a drink, wine, coffee, sirup. Cf. Sherbet.] 1. A thick and viscid liquid made from the juice of fruits, herbs, etc., boiled with sugar.

2. A thick and viscid saccharine solution of superior quality (as sugarhouse sirup or molasses, maple sirup); specifically, in pharmacy and often in cookery, a saturated solution of sugar and water (simple sirup), or such a solution flavored or medicated.

Lucent sirups tinct with cinnamon.

Keats.

Mixing sirup. See the Note under Dextrose.

{ Sir"uped (?), Syr"uped }, a. Moistened, covered, or sweetened with sirup, or sweet juice.

{ Sir"up*y (?), Syr"up*y }, a. Like sirup, or partaking of its qualities. Mortimer.

||Sir`vente" (?), n. [F. sirvente, fr. Pr. sirventes, sirventesc, ||originally, the poem of, or concerning, a sirvent, fr. sirvent, ||properly, serving, n., one who serves (e. g., as a soldier), fr. ||servir to serve, L. servire.] A peculiar species of poetry, for the ||most part devoted to moral and religious topics, and commonly ||satirical, -- often used by the troubadours of the Middle Ages.

Sis (?), n. A colloquial abbreviation of Sister.

Sis (?), n. Six. See Sise. [Obs.] Chaucer.

{ Si*sal" grass` (?), Si*sal" hemp` (?),} The prepared fiber of the Agave Americana, or American aloe, used for cordage; -- so called from Sisal, a port in Yucatan. See Sisal hemp, under Hemp.

Sis"co*wet (?), n. [OF American Indian origin.] (Zoöl.) A large, fat variety of the namaycush found in Lake Superior; -- called also siskawet, siskiwit.

Sise (?), n. [From Assize.] An assize. [Obs.]

Sise (?), n. [See Sice.] Six; the highest number on a die; the cast of six in throwing dice.

In the new casting of a die, when ace is on the top, sise must needs be at the bottom.

Fuller.

Sis"el (?), n. [Cf. G. ziesel. Cf. Zizel.] (Zoöl.) The suslik.

Si"ser (?), n. Cider. See Sicer. [Obs.] Chaucer.

{ Sis"e*ra*ra (?), Sis"e*ra*ry (?), } n. A hard blow. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Sis"kin (?), n. [Dan. sisgen; cf. Sw. siska, G. zeisig, D. sijsje; of Slav. origin; cf. Pol. czy&?;.] (Zoöl.) (a) A small green and yellow European finch (Spinus spinus, or Carduelis spinus); -- called also aberdevine. (b) The American pinefinch (S. pinus); -- called also pine siskin. See Pinefinch.

The name is applied also to several other related species found in Asia and South America.

Siskin green, a delicate shade of yellowish green, as in the mineral torbernite.

Sis"ki*wit (?), n. (Zoöl.) The siscowet.

Sis"mo*graph (?), n. See Seismograph.

Sis*mom"e*ter (?), n. See Seismometer.

Siss (?), v. i. [Of imitative origin; cf. D. sissen, G. zischen.] To make a hissing sound; as, a flatiron hot enough to siss when touched with a wet finger. [Colloq. U. S.; Local, Eng.]

Siss, n. A hissing noise. [Colloq. U. S.]

Sis*soo" (?), n. [Hind. ss&?;.] (Bot.) A leguminous tree (Dalbergia Sissoo) of the northern parts of India; also, the dark brown compact and durable timber obtained from it. It is used in shipbuilding and for gun carriages, railway ties, etc.

Sist (?), v. t. [L. sistere to bring to a stand, to stop.] 1. (Scots Law) To stay, as judicial proceedings; to delay or suspend; to stop.

2. To cause to take a place, as at the bar of a court; hence, to cite; to summon; to bring into court. [Scot.]

Some, however, have preposterously sisted nature as the first or generative principle.

Sir W. Hamilton.

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Sist (?), n. (Scots Law) A stay or suspension of proceedings; an order for a stay of proceedings. Burril.

Sis"ter (?), n. [OE. sister, fr. Icel. systir; also suster, from AS. sweostor, sweoster, swuster, akin to OFries. sweester, suster, LG. süster, suster, D. zuster, OS. & OHG. swestar, G. schwester, Icel. systir, Sw. syster, Dan. söster, Goth. swistar, Lith. ses&?;, Russ. sestra, Pol. siostra, L. soror, Skr. svasr. &radic;298. Cf. Cousin.] 1. A female who has the same parents with another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter case, she is more definitely called a half sister. The correlative of brother.

I am the sister of one Claudio.

Shak.

2. A woman who is closely allied to, or assocciated with, another person, as in the sdame faith, society, order, or community. James ii. 15.

3. One of the same kind, or of the same condition; -- generally used adjectively; as, sister fruits. Pope.

Sister Block (Naut.), a tackle block having two sheaves, one above the other. -- Sister hooks, a pair of hooks fitted together, the shank of one forming a mousing for the other; -- called also match hook. -- Sister of charity, Sister of mercy. (R. C. Ch.) See under Charity, and Mercy.

Sis"ter, v. t. To be sister to; to resemble closely. [Obs.] Shak.

Sis"ter*hood (?), n. [Sister + hood.] 1. The state or relation of being a sister; the office or duty of a sister.

She . . . abhorr'd Her proper blood, and left to do the part Of sisterhood, to do that of a wife.

Daniel.

2. A society of sisters; a society of women united in one faith or order; sisters, collectively. "A sisterhood of holy nuns." Shak.

The fair young flowers . . . a beauteous sisterhood.

Bryant.

Sis"ter*ing, a. Contiguous. [Obs.] Shak.

Sis"ter-in-law` (?), n.; pl. Sisters-in-law (&?;). The sister of one's husband or wife; also, the wife of one's brother; sometimes, the wife of one's husband's or wife's brother.

Sis"ter*ly, a. Like a sister; becoming a sister, affectionate; as, sisterly kindness; sisterly remorse. Shak.

Sis"tine (?), a.[It. sistino.] Of or pertaining to Pope Sixtus.

Sistine chapel, a chapel in the Vatican at Rome, built by Pope Sixtus IV., and decorated with frescoes by Michael Angelo and others.

Sis"tren (?), n. pl. Sisters. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Sis"trum (?), [L., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;, from &?;&?;&?; to shake.] ||(Mus.) An instrument consisting of a thin metal frame, through which ||passed a number of metal rods, and furnished with a handle by which ||it was shaken and made to rattle. It was peculiarly Egyptian, and ||used especially in the worship of Isis. It is still used in Nubia.

Sis`y*phe"an (?), a. Relating to Sisyphus; incessantly recurring; as, Sisyphean labors.

Sis"y*phus (?), n. [L. Sisyphus, Sisyphus, fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;.] (Class. Myth.) A king of Corinth, son of Æolus, famed for his cunning. He was killed by Theseus, and in the lower world was condemned by Pluto to roll to the top of a hill a huge stone, which constantly rolled back again, making his task incessant.

Sit (?), obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Sit, for sitteth.

Sit, v. i. [imp. Sat (?) (Sate (?), archaic); p. p. Sat (Sitten (?), obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Sitting.] [OE. sitten, AS. sittan; akin to OS. sittian, OFries. sitta, D. zitten, G. sitzen, OHG. sizzen, Icel. sitja, SW. sitta, Dan. sidde, Goth. sitan, Russ. sidiete, L. sedere, Gr. &?;&?;&?;, Skr. sad. &radic;154. Cf. Assess,Assize, Cathedral, Chair, Dissident, Excise, Insidious, Possess, Reside, Sanhedrim, Seance, Seat, n., Sedate, 4th Sell, Siege, Session, Set, v. t., Sizar, Size, Subsidy.] 1. To rest upon the haunches, or the lower extremity of the trunk of the body; -- said of human beings, and sometimes of other animals; as, to sit on a sofa, on a chair, or on the ground.

And he came and took the book put of the right hand of him that sate upon the seat.

Bible (1551) (Rev. v. 7.)

I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner.

Shak.

2. To perch; to rest with the feet drawn up, as birds do on a branch, pole, etc.

3. To remain in a state of repose; to rest; to abide; to rest in any position or condition.

And Moses said to . . . the children of Reuben, Shall your brothren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

Num. xxxii. 6.

Like a demigod here sit I in the sky.

Shak.

4. To lie, rest, or bear; to press or weigh; - - with on; as, a weight or burden sits lightly upon him.

The calamity sits heavy on us.

Jer. Taylor.

5. To be adjusted; to fit; as, a coat sts well or ill.

This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, Sits not so easy on me as you think.

Shak.

6. To suit one well or ill, as an act; to become; to befit; -- used impersonally. [Obs.] Chaucer.

7. To cover and warm eggs for hatching, as a fowl; to brood; to incubate.

As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not.

Jer. xvii. 11.

8. To have position, as at the point blown from; to hold a relative position; to have direction.

Like a good miller that knows how to grind, which way soever the wind sits.

Selden.

Sits the wind in that quarter?

Sir W. Scott.

9. To occupy a place or seat as a member of an official body; as, to sit in Congress.

10. To hold a session; to be in session for official business; -- said of legislative assemblies, courts, etc.; as, the court sits in January; the aldermen sit to- night.

11. To take a position for the purpose of having some artistic representation of one's self made, as a picture or a bust; as, to sit to a painter.

To sit at, to rest under; to be subject to. [Obs.] "A farmer can not husband his ground so well if he sit at a great rent". Bacon. -- To sit at meat or at table, to be at table for eating. -- To sit down. (a) To place one's self on a chair or other seat; as, to sit down when tired. (b) To begin a siege; as, the enemy sat down before the town. (c) To settle; to fix a permanent abode. Spenser. (d) To rest; to cease as satisfied. "Here we can not sit down, but still proceed in our search." Rogers. -- To sit for a fellowship, to offer one's self for examination with a view to obtaining a fellowship. [Eng. Univ.] -- To sit out. (a) To be without engagement or employment. [Obs.] Bp. Sanderson. (b) To outstay. -- To sit under, to be under the instruction or ministrations of; as, to sit under a preacher; to sit under good preaching. -- To sit up, to rise from, or refrain from, a recumbent posture or from sleep; to sit with the body upright; as, to sit up late at night; also, to watch; as, to sit up with a sick person. "He that was dead sat up, and began to speak." Luke vii. 15.

Sit (?), v. t. 1. To sit upon; to keep one's seat upon; as, he sits a horse well.

Hardly the muse can sit the headstrong horse.

Prior.

2. To cause to be seated or in a sitting posture; to furnish a seat to; -- used reflexively.

They sat them down to weep.

Milton.

Sit you down, father; rest you.

Shak.

3. To suit (well or ill); to become. [Obs. or R.]

Site (?), n. [L. situs, fr. sinere, situm, to let, p. p. situs placed, lying, situate: cf. F. site. Cf. Position.] 1. The place where anything is fixed; situation; local position; as, the site of a city or of a house. Chaucer.

2. A place fitted or chosen for any certain permanent use or occupation; as, a site for a church.

3. The posture or position of a thing. [R.]

The semblance of a lover fixed In melancholy site.

Thomson.

Sit"ed (?), a. Having a site; situated. [Obs.]

[The garden] sited was in fruitful soil.

Chaucer.

Sit"fast` (?), a. [Sit + fast.] Fixed; stationary; immovable. [R.]

'T is good, when you have crossed the sea and back, To find the sitfast acres where you left them.

Emerson.

Sit"fast`, n. (Far.) A callosity with inflamed edges, on the back of a horse, under the saddle.

Sith (?), prep., adv., & conj. [See Since.] Since; afterwards; seeing that. [Obs.]

We need not fear them, sith Christ is with us.

Latimer.

Sith thou art rightful judge.

Chaucer.

{ Sith (?), Sithe (?), } n. [AS. &?;&?;&?; a path, way, time, occasion.] Time. [Obs.] Chaucer.

And humbly thanked him a thousand sithes.

Spenser.

Sithe (?), v. i. [Cf. Sigh.] To sigh. [A spelling of a corrupt and provincial pronunciation.]

Sithe (?), n. A scythe. [Obs.] Milton.

Sithe, v. t. To cut with a scythe; to scythe. [Obs.]

Sithed (?), a. Scythed. [Obs.] T. Warton.

Sithe"man (?), n. A mower. [Obs.] Marston.

Sith"en (?), adv. & conj. [See Since.] Since; afterwards. See 1st Sith. [Obs.]

Fortune was first friend and sithen foe.

Chaucer.

{ Sith"ence, Sith"ens } (?), adv. & conj. Since. See Sith, and Sithen. [Obs.] Piers Plowman.

Sith"then (?), adv. & conj. See Sithen. [Obs.]

Siththen that the world began.

Chaucer.

Si*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; food + -logy.] A treatise on the regulation of the diet; dietetics. [Written also sitiology.]

Si`to*pho"bi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; food + &?;&?;&?;&?; fear.] (Med.) A version to food; refusal to take nourishment. [Written also sitiophobia.]

Sit"ten (?), obs. p. p. of Sit, for sat.

Sit"ter (?), n. 1. One who sits; esp., one who sits for a portrait or a bust.

2. A bird that sits or incubates.

Sit"tine (?), a. [NL. sitta the nuthatch, from Gr. &?;&?;&?;.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the family Sittidæ, or nuthatches.

Sit"ting (?), a. Being in the state, or the position, of one who, or that which, sits.

Sit"ting, n. 1. The state or act of one who sits; the posture of one who occupies a seat.

2. A seat, or the space occupied by or allotted for a person, in a church, theater, etc.; as, the hall has 800 sittings.

3. The act or time of sitting, as to a portrait painter, photographer, etc.

4. The actual presence or meeting of any body of men in their seats, clothed with authority to transact business; a session; as, a sitting of the judges of the King's Bench, or of a commission.

The sitting closed in great agitation.

Macaulay.

5. The time during which one sits while doing something, as reading a book, playing a game, etc.

For the understanding of any one of St. Paul's Epistles I read it all through at one sitting.

Locke.

6. A brooding over eggs for hatching, as by fowls.

The male bird . . . amuses her [the female] with his songs during the whole time of her sitting.

Addison.

Sitting room, an apartment where the members of a family usually sit, as distinguished from a drawing-room, parlor, chamber, or kitchen.

{ Sit"u*ate (?; 135), Sit"u*a`ted (?) }, a. [LL. situatus, from situare to place, fr. L. situs situation, site. See Site.] 1. Having a site, situation, or location; being in a relative position; permanently fixed; placed; located; as, a town situated, or situate, on a hill or on the seashore.

2. Placed; residing.

Pleasure situate in hill and dale.

Milton.

Situate is now less used than situated, but both are well authorized.

Sit"u*ate (?), v. t. To place. [R.] Landor.

Sit`u*a"tion (?), n. [LL. situatio: cf. F. situation.] 1. Manner in which an object is placed; location, esp. as related to something else; position; locality site; as, a house in a pleasant situation.

2. Position, as regards the conditions and circumstances of the case.

A situation of the greatest ease and tranquillity.

Rogers.

3. Relative position; circumstances; temporary state or relation at a moment of action which excites interest, as of persons in a dramatic scene.

There's situation for you! there's an heroic group!

Sheridan.

4. Permanent position or employment; place; office; as, a situation in a store; a situation under government.

Syn. -- State; position; seat; site; station; post; place; office; condition; case; plight. See State.

||Si"tus (?), n. [L., situation.] (Bot.) The method in which the parts ||of a plant are arranged; also, the position of the parts. Henslow.

Sitz" bath` (?). [G. sitzbad.] A tub in which one bathes in a sitting posture; also, a bath so taken; a hip bath.

||Si"va (?), n. [Skr. Civa, properly, kind, gracious.] (Hindoo Myth.) ||One of the triad of Hindoo gods. He is the avenger or destroyer, and ||in modern worship symbolizes the reproductive power of nature.

||Si"van (?), n. [Heb. svn.] The third month of the Jewish ||ecclesiastical year; -- supposed to correspond nearly with our month ||of June.

||Siv`a*the"ri*um (?), n. [NL., from E. Siva + Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; a ||beast, an animal.] (Paleon.) A genus of very large extinct ruminants ||found in the Tertiary formation of India. The snout was prolonged in ||the form of a proboscis. The male had four horns, the posterior pair ||being large and branched. It was allied to the antelopes, but very ||much larger than any exsisting species.

Siv"er (?), v. i. To simmer. [Obs.] Holland.

Siv"vens (&?;), n. (Med.) See Sibbens.

Si"win (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Sewen.

Six (?), a. [AS. six, seox, siex; akin to OFries. sex, D. zes, OS. & OHG. sehs, G. sechs, Icel., Sw., & Dan. sex, Goth. saíhs, Lith. szeszi, Russ. sheste, Gael. & Ir. se, W. chwech, L. sex, Gr. &?;&?;, Per. shesh, Skr. shash. &radic;304. Cf. Hexagon, Hexameter, Samite, Senary, Sextant, Sice.] One more than five; twice three; as, six yards.

Six Nations (Ethnol.), a confederation of North American Indians formed by the union of the Tuscaroras and the Five Nations. -- Six points circle. (Geom.) See Nine points circle, under Nine.

Six, n. 1. The number greater by a unit than five; the sum of three and three; six units or objects.

2. A symbol representing six units, as 6, vi., or VI.

To be at six and seven or at sixes and sevens, to be in disorder. Bacon. Shak. Swift.

Six"fold` (?), a. [AS. sixfealand.] Six times repeated; six times as much or as many.

Six"-foot`er (?), n. One who is six feet tall. [Colloq. U.S.]

Six"pence (?), n.; pl. Sixpences (&?;). An English silver coin of the value of six pennies; half a shilling, or about twelve cents.

Six"pen`ny (?), a. Of the value of, or costing, sixpence; as, a sixpenny loaf.

Six"score` (?), a. & n. [Six + score, n.] Six times twenty; one hundred and twenty.

Six"-shoot`er (?), n. A pistol or other firearm which can be fired six times without reloading especially, a six-chambered revolver. [Colloq. U.S.]

Six"teen` (?), a. [AS. sixt&?;ne, sixt&?;ne. See Six, and Ten, and cf. Sixty.] Six and ten; consisting of six and ten; fifteen and one more.

Six"teen`, n. 1. The number greater by a unit than fifteen; the sum of ten and six; sixteen units or objects.

2. A symbol representing sixteen units, as 16, or xvi.

Six*teen"mo (?), n.; pl. Sixteenmos (&?;). See Sextodecimo.

Six"teenth` (?), a. [From Sixteen: cf. AS. sixteó&?;a.] 1. Sixth after the tenth; next in order after the fifteenth.

2. Constituting or being one of sixteen equal parts into which anything is divided.

Sixteenth note (Mus.), the sixteenth part of a whole note; a semiquaver.

Six"teenth`, n. 1. The quotient of a unit divided by sixteen; one of sixteen equal parts of one whole.

2. The next in order after the fifteenth; the sixth after the tenth.

3. (Mus.) An interval comprising two octaves and a second. Moore (Encyc. of Music.)

Sixth (?), a. [From Six: cf. AS. sixta, siexta.] 1. First after the fifth; next in order after the fifth.

2. Constituting or being one of six equal parts into which anything is divided.

<! p. 1348 !>

Sixth (?), n. 1. The quotient of a unit divided by six; one of six equal parts which form a whole.

2. The next in order after the fifth.

3. (Mus.) The interval embracing six diatonic degrees of the scale.

Sixth"ly, adv. In the sixth place. Bacon.

Six"ti*eth (?), a. [As. sixtiogoða, sixtigoða.] 1. Next in order after the fifty-ninth.

2. Constituting or being one one of sixty equal parts into which anything is divided.

Six"ti*eth, n. 1. The quotient of a unit divided by sixty; one of sixty equal parts forming a whole.

2. The next in order after the fifty-ninth; the tenth after the fiftieth.

Six"ty (?), a. [AS. siextig; akin to G. sechzig, Goth. saíhs tigjus. See Six, Ten, and cf. Sixteen.] Six times ten; fifty-nine and one more; threescore.

Six"ty, n.; pl. Sixties (&?;). 1. The sum of six times ten; sixty units or objects.

2. A symbol representing sixty units, as 60, lx., or LX.

Six`ty-fourth" (?), a. Constituting or being one of sixty-four equal parts into which a thing is divided.

Sixty-fourth note (Mus.), the sixty- fourth part of a whole note; a hemi-demi-semiquaver.

Siz"a*ble (?), a. 1. Of considerable size or bulk. "A sizable volume." Bp. Hurd.

2. Being of reasonable or suitable size; as, sizable timber; sizable bulk. Arbuthnot.

Si"zar (?), n. One of a body of students in the universities of Cambridge (Eng.) and Dublin, who, having passed a certain examination, are exempted from paying college fees and charges. A sizar corresponded to a servitor at Oxford.

The sizar paid nothing for food and tuition, and very little for lodging.

Macaulay.

They formerly waited on the table at meals; but this is done away with. They were probably so called from being thus employed in distributing the size, or provisions. See 4th Size, 2.

Si"zar*ship, n. The position or standing of a sizar.

Size (?), n. [See Sice, and Sise.] Six.

Size (?), n. [OIt. sisa glue used by painters, shortened fr. assisa, fr. assidere, p. p. assiso, to make to sit, to seat, to place, L. assidere to sit down; ad + sidere to sit down, akin to sedere to sit. See Sit, v. i., and cf. Assize, Size bulk.] 1. A thin, weak glue used in various trades, as in painting, bookbinding, paper making, etc.

2. Any viscous substance, as gilder's varnish.

Size, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sizing.] To cover with size; to prepare with size.

Size, n. [Abbrev. from assize. See Assize, and cf. Size glue.] 1. A settled quantity or allowance. See Assize. [Obs.] "To scant my sizes." Shak.

2. (Univ. of Cambridge, Eng.) An allowance of food and drink from the buttery, aside from the regular dinner at commons; -- corresponding to battel at Oxford.

3. Extent of superficies or volume; bulk; bigness; magnitude; as, the size of a tree or of a mast; the size of a ship or of a rock.

4. Figurative bulk; condition as to rank, ability, character, etc.; as, the office demands a man of larger size.

Men of a less size and quality.

L'Estrange.

The middling or lower size of people.

Swift.

5. A conventional relative measure of dimension, as for shoes, gloves, and other articles made up for sale.

6. An instrument consisting of a number of perforated gauges fastened together at one end by a rivet, -- used for ascertaining the size of pearls. Knight.

Size roll, a small piese of parchment added to a roll. -- Size stick, a measuring stick used by shoemakers for ascertaining the size of the foot.

Syn. -- Dimension; bigness; largeness; greatness; magnitude.

Size, v. t. 1. To fix the standard of. "To size weights and measures." [R.] Bacon.

2. To adjust or arrange according to size or bulk. Specifically: (a) (Mil.) To take the height of men, in order to place them in the ranks according to their stature. (b) (Mining) To sift, as pieces of ore or metal, in order to separate the finer from the coarser parts.

3. To swell; to increase the bulk of. Beau. & Fl.

4. (Mech.) To bring or adjust anything exactly to a required dimension, as by cutting.

To size up, to estimate or ascertain the character and ability of. See 4th Size, 4. [Slang, U.S.]

We had to size up our fellow legislators.

The Century.

Size, v. i. 1. To take greater size; to increase in size.

Our desires give them fashion, and so, As they wax lesser, fall, as they size, grow.

Donne.

2. (Univ. of Cambridge, Eng.) To order food or drink from the buttery; hence, to enter a score, as upon the buttery book.

Sized (?), a. 1. Adjusted according to size.

2. Having a particular size or magnitude; -- chiefly used in compounds; as, large-sized; common- sized.

Si"zel (?), n. Same as Scissel, 2.

Siz"er (?), n. 1. See Sizar.

2. (Mech.) (a) An instrument or contrivance to size articles, or to determine their size by a standard, or to separate and distribute them according to size. (b) An instrument or tool for bringing anything to an exact size.

Siz"i*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being sizy; viscousness.

Siz"ing, n. 1. Act of covering or treating with size.

2. A weak glue used in various trades; size.

Siz"ing, n. 1. The act of sorting with respect to size.

2. The act of bringing anything to a certain size.

3. (Univ. of Cambridge, Eng.) Food and drink ordered from the buttery by a student.

Siz"y (?), a. [From 2d Size.] Sizelike; viscous; glutinous; as, sizy blood. Arbuthnot.

Siz"zle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sizzled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sizzling (?).] [See Siss.] To make a hissing sound; to fry, or to dry and shrivel up, with a hissing sound. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.] Forby.

Siz"zle, n. A hissing sound, as of something frying over a fire. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

Siz"zling (?), a. & n. from Sizzle.

Skad"dle (?), n. [Dim. of scath.] Hurt; damage. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Ray.

Skad"dle, a. Hurtful. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Ray.

Skad"don (?), n. (Zoöl.) The larva of a bee. [Prov. Eng.]

Skag (?), n. (Naut.) An additional piece fastened to the keel of a boat to prevent lateral motion. See Skeg.

Skain (?), n. See Skein. [Obs.]

Skain, n. See Skean. Drayton.

Skains"mate` (?), n. [Perhaps originally, a companion in winding thread (see Skein), or a companion in arms, from skain a sword (see Skean).] A messmate; a companion. [Obs.]

Scurvy knave! I am none of his firt-gills; I am none of his skainsmates.

Shak.

Skaith (?), n. See Scatch. [Scot.]

Skald (?), n. See 5th Scald.

Skald"ic (?), a. See Scaldic. Max Müller.

Skall (?), v. t. To scale; to mount. [Obs.]

{ Skar (?), Skare (?), } a. [From the root of scare.] Wild; timid; shy. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Skart (?), n. [Cf. Scarf a cormorant.] (Zoöl.) The shag. [Prov. Eng.]

Skate (?), n. [D. schaats. Cf. Scatches.] A metallic runner with a frame shaped to fit the sole of a shoe, -- made to be fastened under the foot, and used for moving rapidly on ice.

Batavia rushes forth; and as they sweep, On sounding skates, a thousand different ways, In circling poise, swift as the winds, along, The then gay land is maddened all to joy.

Thomson.

Roller skate. See under Roller.

Skate, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skated; p. pr. & vb. n. Skating.] To move on skates.

Skate, n. [Icel. skata; cf. Prov. G. schatten, meer-schatten, L. squatus, squatina, and E. shad.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of large, flat elasmobranch fishes of the genus Raia, having a long, slender tail, terminated by a small caudal fin. The pectoral fins, which are large and broad and united to the sides of the body and head, give a somewhat rhombic form to these fishes. The skin is more or less spinose.

Some of the species are used for food, as the European blue or gray skate (Raia batis), which sometimes weighs nearly 200 pounds. The American smooth, or barn-door, skate (R. lævis) is also a large species, often becoming three or four feet across. The common spiny skate (R. erinacea) is much smaller.

Skate's egg. See Sea purse. -- Skate sucker, any marine leech of the genus Pontobdella, parasitic on skates.

Skat"er (?), n. 1. One who skates.

2. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of hemipterous insects belonging to Gerris, Pyrrhocoris, Prostemma, and allied genera. They have long legs, and run rapidly over the surface of the water, as if skating.

Ska"tol (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;, dung + -ol.] (Physiol. Chem.) A constituent of human fæces formed in the small intestines as a product of the putrefaction of albuminous matter. It is also found in reduced indigo. Chemically it is methyl indol, C9H9N.

Skayles (?), n. [&radic;159.] Skittles. [Obs.]

Skean (?), n. [Ir sgian; akin to Gael. sgian, W. ysgien a large knife, a scimiter.] A knife or short dagger, esp. that in use among the Highlanders of Scotland. [Variously spelt.] "His skean, or pistol." Spenser.

Ske*dad"dle (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skedaddled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skedaddling (?).] [Of uncertain etymology.] To betake one's self to flight, as if in a panic; to flee; to run away. [Slang, U. S.]

Skee (?), n. [Dan. ski; Icel. sk&?; a billet of wood. See Skid.] A long strip of wood, curved upwards in front, used on the foot for sliding.

Skeed (?), n. See Skid.

Skeel (?), n. [Icel. skj&?;la a pail, bucket.] A shallow wooden vessel for holding milk or cream. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Grose.

{ Skeel"duck` (?), Skeel"goose` (?), } n. [See Sheldrake.] (Zoöl.) The common European sheldrake. [Prov. Eng.]

Skeet (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Naut.) A scoop with a long handle, used to wash the sides of a vessel, and formerly to wet the sails or deck.

Skeg (?), n. [Prov. E., also a stump of a branch, a wooden peg; cf. Icel. sk&?;gr a wood, Sw. skog. Cf. Shaw.] 1. A sort of wild plum. [Obs.] Holland.

2. pl. A kind of oats. Farm. Encyc.

3. (Naut.) The after part of the keel of a vessel, to which the rudder is attached.

Skeg"ger (?), n. (Zoöl.) The parr. Walton.

Skein (?), n. [OE. skeyne, OF. escaigne, F. écagne, probably of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. sgainne, Gael. sgeinnidh thread, small twine; or perhaps the English word is immediately from Celtic.] 1. A quantity of yarn, thread, or the like, put up together, after it is taken from the reel, -- usually tied in a sort of knot.

A skein of cotton yarn is formed by eighty turns of the thread round a fifty-four inch reel.

2. (Wagon Making) A metallic strengthening band or thimble on the wooden arm of an axle. Knight.

Skein, n. (Zoöl.) A flight of wild fowl (wild geese or the like). [Prov. Eng.]

Skeine (?), n. See Skean.

Skel"der (?), v. t. & i. [Etymol. uncertain.] To deceive; to cheat; to trick. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Skel"der, n. A vagrant; a cheat. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

{ Skel"drake` (?), or Skiel"drake` (?) }, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The common European sheldrake. (b) The oyster catcher.

Skel"et (?), n. A skeleton. See Scelet.

Skel"e*tal (?), a. Pertaining to the skeleton.

Skel`e*tog"e*nous (?), a. [Skeleton + -genous.] Forming or producing parts of the skeleton.

Skel`e*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Skeleton + -logy.] That part of anatomy which treats of the skeleton; also, a treatise on the skeleton.

Skel"e*ton (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; (sc. &?;&?;&?;) a dried body, a mummy, fr. &?;&?;&?;&?; dried up, parched, &?;&?;&?;&?; to dry, dry up, parch.] 1. (Anat.) (a) The bony and cartilaginous framework which supports the soft parts of a vertebrate animal. [See Illust. of the Human Skeleton, in Appendix.] (b) The more or less firm or hardened framework of an invertebrate animal.

In a wider sense, the skeleton includes the whole connective-tissue framework with the integument and its appendages. See Endoskeleton, and Exoskeleton.

2. Hence, figuratively: (a) A very thin or lean person. (b) The framework of anything; the principal parts that support the rest, but without the appendages.

The great skeleton of the world.

Sir M. Hale.

(c) The heads and outline of a literary production, especially of a sermon.

Skel"e*ton, a. Consisting of, or resembling, a skeleton; consisting merely of the framework or outlines; having only certain leading features of anything; as, a skeleton sermon; a skeleton crystal.

Skeleton bill, a bill or draft made out in blank as to the amount or payee, but signed by the acceptor. [Eng.] -- Skeleton key, a key with nearly the whole substance of the web filed away, to adapt it to avoid the wards of a lock; a master key; -- used for opening locks to which it has not been especially fitted. -- Skeleton leaf, a leaf from which the pulpy part has been removed by chemical means, the fibrous part alone remaining. -- Skeleton proof, a proof of a print or engraving, with the inscription outlined in hair strokes only, such proofs being taken before the engraving is finished. -- Skeleton regiment, a regiment which has its complement of officers, but in which there are few enlisted men. -- Skeleton shrimp (Zoöl.), a small crustacean of the genus Caprella. See Illust. under Læmodipoda.

Skel"e*ton*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skeletonized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skeletonizing (?).] To prepare a skeleton of; also, to reduce, as a leaf, to its skeleton. Pop. Sci. Monthly.

Skel"e*ton*i`zer (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any small moth whose larva eats the parenchyma of leaves, leaving the skeleton; as, the apple-leaf skeletonizer.

Skel"lum (?), n. [Dan. schelm, fr. G. schelm.] A scoundrel. [Obs. or Scot.] Pepys. Burns.

Skel"ly (?), v. i. [Cf. Dan. skele, Sw. skela.] To squint. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Skel"ly, n. A squint. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Skelp (?), n. [Cf. Prov. E. skelp to kick severely, to move rapidly; Gael. sgealp, n., a slap with the palm of the hand, v., to strike with the palm of the hand.] 1. A blow; a smart stroke. [Prov. Eng.] Brockett.

2. A squall; also, a heavy fall of rain. [Scot.]

Skelp, v. t. To strike; to slap. [Scot.] C. Reade.

Skelp, n. A wrought-iron plate from which a gun barrel or pipe is made by bending and welding the edges together, and drawing the thick tube thus formed.

Skel"ter (?), v. i. [Cf. Helter- skelter.] To run off helter-skelter; to hurry; to scurry; -- with away or off. [Colloq.] A. R. Wallace.

Sken (?), v. i. To squint. [Prov. Eng.]

Skene (?), n. See Skean. C. Kingsley.

Skep (?), n. [Icel. skeppa a measure, bushel; cf. Gael. sgeap a basket, a beehive.] 1. A coarse round farm basket. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Tusser.

2. A beehive. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Skep"tic (?), n. [Gr. skeptiko`s thoughtful, reflective, fr. ske`ptesqai to look carefully or about, to view, consider: cf. L. scepticus, F. sceptique. See Scope.] [Written also sceptic.] 1. One who is yet undecided as to what is true; one who is looking or inquiring for what is true; an inquirer after facts or reasons.

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2. (Metaph.) A doubter as to whether any fact or truth can be certainly known; a universal doubter; a Pyrrhonist; hence, in modern usage, occasionally, a person who questions whether any truth or fact can be established on philosophical grounds; sometimes, a critical inquirer, in opposition to a dogmatist.

All this criticism [of Hume] proceeds upon the erroneous hypothesis that he was a dogmatist. He was a skeptic; that is, he accepted the principles asserted by the prevailing dogmatism: and only showed that such and such conclusions were, on these principles, inevitable.

Sir W. Hamilton.

3. (Theol.) A person who doubts the existence and perfections of God, or the truth of revelation; one who disbelieves the divine origin of the Christian religion.

Suffer not your faith to be shaken by the sophistries of skeptics.

S. Clarke.

This word and its derivatives are often written with c instead of k in the first syllable, -- sceptic, sceptical, scepticism, etc. Dr. Johnson, struck with the extraordinary irregularity of giving c its hard sound before e, altered the spelling, and his example has been followed by most of the lexicographers who have succeeded him; yet the prevalent practice among English writers and printers is in favor of the other mode. In the United States this practice is reversed, a large and increasing majority of educated persons preferring the orthography which is most in accordance with etymology and analogy.

Syn. -- Infidel; unbeliever; doubter. -- See Infidel.

{ Skep"tic (?), Skep"tic*al (?), } a. [Written also sceptic, sceptical.] 1. Of or pertaining to a sceptic or skepticism; characterized by skepticism; hesitating to admit the certainly of doctrines or principles; doubting of everything.

2. (Theol.) Doubting or denying the truth of revelation, or the sacred Scriptures.

The skeptical system subverts the whole foundation of morals.

R. Hall.

-- Skep"tac*al*ly, adv. -- Skep"tic*al*ness, n.

Skep"ti*cism (?), n. [Cf. F. scepticisme.] [Written also scepticism.] 1. An undecided, inquiring state of mind; doubt; uncertainty.

That momentary amazement, and irresolution, and confusion, which is the result of skepticism.

Hune.

2. (Metaph.) The doctrine that no fact or principle can be certainly known; the tenet that all knowledge is uncertain; Pyrrohonism; universal doubt; the position that no fact or truth, however worthy of confidence, can be established on philosophical grounds; critical investigation or inquiry, as opposed to the positive assumption or assertion of certain principles.

3. (Theol.) A doubting of the truth of revelation, or a denial of the divine origin of the Christian religion, or of the being, perfections, or truth of God.

Let no . . . secret skepticism lead any one to doubt whether this blessed prospect will be realized.

S. Miller.

Skep"ti*cize (?), v. i. To doubt; to pretend to doubt of everything. [R.]

To skepticize, where no one else will . . . hesitate.

Shaftesbury.

Sker"ry (?), n.; pl. Skerries (#). [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. sker, Sw. skär, Dan. ski&?;r. Cf. Scar a bank.] A rocky isle; an insulated rock. [Scot.]

Sketch (?), n. [D. schets, fr. It. schizzo a sketch, a splash (whence also F. esquisse; cf. Esquisse.); cf. It. schizzare to splash, to sketch.] An outline or general delineation of anything; a first rough or incomplete draught or plan of any design; especially, in the fine arts, such a representation of an object or scene as serves the artist's purpose by recording its chief features; also, a preliminary study for an original work.

Syn. -- Outline; delineation; draught; plan; design. -- Sketch, Outline, Delineation. An outline gives only the bounding lines of some scene or picture. A sketch fills up the outline in part, giving broad touches, by which an imperfect idea may be conveyed. A delineation goes further, carrying out the more striking features of the picture, and going so much into detail as to furnish a clear conception of the whole. Figuratively, we may speak of the outlines of a plan, of a work, of a project, etc., which serve as a basis on which the subordinate parts are formed, or of sketches of countries, characters, manners, etc., which give us a general idea of the things described. Crabb.

Sketch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sketched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sketching.] [Cf D. schetsen, It. schizzare. See Sketch, n.] 1. To draw the outline or chief features of; to make a rought of.

2. To plan or describe by giving the principal points or ideas of.

Syn. -- To delineate; design; draught; depict.

Sketch, v. i. To make sketches, as of landscapes.

Sketch"book`, n. A book of sketches or for sketches.

Sketch"er (?), n. One who sketches.

Sketch"i*ly (?), adv. In a sketchy or incomplete manner. "Sketchily descriptive." Bartlett.

Sketch"i*ness, n. The quality or state of being sketchy; lack of finish; incompleteness.

Sketch"y (?), a. Containing only an outline or rough form; being in the manner of a sketch; incomplete.

The execution is sketchy throughout; the head, in particular, is left in the rough.

J. S. Harford.

Skew (?), adv. [Cf. D. scheef. Dan. ski&?;v, Sw. skef, Icel. skeifr, G. schief, also E. shy, a. & v. i.] Awry; obliquely; askew.

Skew, a. Turned or twisted to one side; situated obliquely; skewed; -- chiefly used in technical phrases.

Skew arch, an oblique arch. See under Oblique. -- Skew back. (Civil Engin.) (a) The course of masonry, the stone, or the iron plate, having an inclined face, which forms the abutment for the voussoirs of a segmental arch. (b) A plate, cap, or shoe, having an inclined face to receive the nut of a diagonal brace, rod, or the end of an inclined strut, in a truss or frame. -- Skew bridge. See under Bridge, n. -- Skew curve (Geom.), a curve of double curvature, or a twisted curve. See Plane curve, under Curve. -- Skew gearing, or Skew bevel gearing (Mach.), toothed gearing, generally resembling bevel gearing, for connecting two shafts that are neither parallel nor intersecting, and in which the teeth slant across the faces of the gears. -- Skew surface (Geom.), a ruled surface such that in general two successive generating straight lines do not intersect; a warped surface; as, the helicoid is a skew surface. -- Skew symmetrical determinant (Alg.), a determinant in which the elements in each column of the matrix are equal to the elements of the corresponding row of the matrix with the signs changed, as in (1), below.

(1) 0 2 -3-2 0 53 -5 0 (2) 4 -1 71 8 - 2-7 2 1

This requires that the numbers in the diagonal from the upper left to lower right corner be zeros. A like determinant in which the numbers in the diagonal are not zeros is a skew determinant, as in (2), above.

Skew (?), n. (Arch.) A stone at the foot of the slope of a gable, the offset of a buttress, or the like, cut with a sloping surface and with a check to receive the coping stones and retain them in place.

Skew, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skewed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skewing.] 1. To walk obliquely; to go sidling; to lie or move obliquely.

Child, you must walk straight, without skewing.

L'Estrange.

2. To start aside; to shy, as a horse. [Prov. Eng.]

3. To look obliquely; to squint; hence, to look slightingly or suspiciously. Beau. & Fl.

Skew, v. t. [See Skew, adv.] 1. To shape or form in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position.

2. To throw or hurl obliquely.

Skew"bald` (?), a. Marked with spots and patches of white and some color other than black; -- usually distinguished from piebald, in which the colors are properly white and black. Said of horses.

Skew"er (?), n. [Probably of Scand, origin; cf. Sw. & Dan. skifer a slate. Cf. Shuver a fragment.] A pin of wood or metal for fastening meat to a spit, or for keeping it in form while roasting.

Meat well stuck with skewers to make it look round.

Swift.

Skew"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skewered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skewering.] To fasten with skewers.

Skid (skd), n. [Icel. skð a billet of wood. See Shide.] [Written also skeed.] 1. A shoe or clog, as of iron, attached to a chain, and placed under the wheel of a wagon to prevent its turning when descending a steep hill; a drag; a skidpan; also, by extension, a hook attached to a chain, and used for the same purpose.

2. A piece of timber used as a support, or to receive pressure. Specifically: (a) pl. (Naut.) Large fenders hung over a vessel's side to protect it in handling a cargo. Totten. (b) One of a pair of timbers or bars, usually arranged so as to form an inclined plane, as form a wagon to a door, along which anything is moved by sliding or rolling. (c) One of a pair of horizontal rails or timbers for supporting anything, as a boat, a barrel, etc.

Skid, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skidded (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skidding.] 1. To protect or support with a skid or skids; also, to cause to move on skids.

2. To check with a skid, as wagon wheels. Dickens.

Skid"daw` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The black guillemot. [Prov. Eng.]

Skid"pan` (?), n. See Skid, n., 1. [Eng.]

Skied (?), imp. & p. p. of Sky, v. t.

Ski"ey (?), a. See Skyey. Shelley.

Skiff (?), n. [F. esquif, fr. OHG. skif, G. schiff. See Ship.] A small, light boat.

The pilot of some small night-foundered skiff.

Milton.

Skiff caterpillar (Zoöl.), the larva of a moth (Limacodes scapha); -- so called from its peculiar shape.

Skiff, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skiffed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skiffing.] To navigate in a skiff. [R.]

Skif"fling (?), n. (Quarrying) Rough dressing by knocking off knobs or projections; knobbing.

Skil"der (?), v. i. To beg; to pilfer; to skelder. [Prov. Eng.& Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Skil"ful (?), a. See Skilful.

Skill (?), n. [Icel. skil a distinction, discernment; akin to skilja to separate, divide, distinguish, Sw. skilja,. skille to separate, skiel reason, right, justice, Sw. skäl reason, Lith. skelli to cleave. Cf. Shell, Shoal, a multitude.] 1. Discrimination; judgment; propriety; reason; cause. [Obs.] Shak. "As it was skill and right." Chaucer.

For great skill is, he prove that he wrought.

[For with good reason he should test what he created.] Chaucer.

2. Knowledge; understanding. [Obsoles.]

That by his fellowship he color might Both his estate and love from skill of any wight.

Spenser.

Nor want we skill or art.

Milton.

3. The familiar knowledge of any art or science, united with readiness and dexterity in execution or performance, or in the application of the art or science to practical purposes; power to discern and execute; ability to perceive and perform; expertness; aptitude; as, the skill of a mathematician, physician, surgeon, mechanic, etc.

Phocion, . . . by his great wisdom and skill at negotiations, diverted Alexander from the conquest of Athens.

Swift.

Where patience her sweet skill imparts.

Keble.

4. Display of art; exercise of ability; contrivance; address. [Obs.]

Richard . . . by a thousand princely skills, gathering so much corn as if he meant not to return.

Fuller.

5. Any particular art. [Obs.]

Learned in one skill, and in another kind of learning unskillful.

Hooker.

Syn. -- Dexterity; adroitness; expertness; art; aptitude; ability. -- Skill, Dexterity, Adroitness. Skill is more intelligent, denoting familiar knowledge united to readiness of performance. Dexterity, when applied to the body, is more mechanical, and refers to habitual ease of execution. Adroitness involves the same image with dexterity, and differs from it as implaying a general facility of movement (especially in avoidance of danger or in escaping from a difficalty). The same distinctions apply to the figurative sense of the words. A man is skillful in any employment when he understands both its theory and its practice. He is dexterous when he maneuvers with great lightness. He is adroit in the use od quick, sudden, and well-directed movements of the body or the mind, so as to effect the object he has in view.

Skill (?), v. t. To know; to understand. [Obs.]

To skill the arts of expressing our mind.

Barrow.

Skill, v. i. 1. To be knowing; to have understanding; to be dexterous in performance. [Obs.]

I can not skill of these thy ways.

Herbert.

2. To make a difference; to signify; to matter; -- used impersonally. Spenser.

What skills it, if a bag of stones or gold About thy neck do drown thee?

Herbert.

It skills not talking of it.

Sir W. Scott.

Skilled (?), a. Having familiar knowledge united with readiness and dexterity in its application; familiarly acquainted with; expert; skillful; -- often followed by in; as, a person skilled in drawing or geometry.

Skil"let (?), n. [OF. escuelette, dim. of escuelle a porringer, F. ecuelle, fr. L. scutella, dim. of scutra, scuta, a dish. Cf. Scuttle a basket.] A small vessel of iron, copper, or other metal, with a handle, used for culinary purpose, as for stewing meat.

Skill"ful (?), a. [Written also skilful.] 1. Discerning; reasonable; judicious; cunning. [Obs.] "Of skillful judgment." Chaucer.

2. Possessed of, or displaying, skill; knowing and ready; expert; well-versed; able in management; as, a skillful mechanic; -- often followed by at, in, or of; as, skillful at the organ; skillful in drawing.

And they shall call the husbandman to mourning, and such as are skillful of lamentations to wailing.

Amos v. 16.

Syn. -- Expert; skilled; dexterous; adept; masterly; adroit; clever; cunning.

-- Skill"ful*ly, adv. -- Skill"ful*ness, n.

Skil`li*ga*lee" (?), n. A kind of thin, weak broth or oatmeal porridge, served out to prisoners and paupers in England; also, a drink made of oatmeal, sugar, and water, sometimes used in the English navy or army. [Written also skilligolee, skillygalee, etc.]

Skil"ling (?), n. [Cf. Sheeling.] A bay of a barn; also, a slight addition to a cottage. [Prov. Eng.]

Skil"ling, n. [Sw. & Dan. See Shilling.] A money od account in Sweden, Norwey, Denmark, and North Germany, and also a coin. It had various values, from three fourths of a cent in Norway to more than two cents in Lübeck.

Skill"-less, a. Wanting skill. Shak.

Skilts (?), n. pl. A kind of large, coarse, short trousers formerly worn. [Local, U. S.] Bartlett.

Skil"ty (?), n. The water rail. [Prov. Eng.]

Skim (skm), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skimmed (skmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Skimming.] [Cf. Sw. skymma to darken. &radic;158. See Scum.] 1. To clear (a liquid) from scum or substance floating or lying thereon, by means of a utensil that passes just beneath the surface; as, to skim milk; to skim broth.

2. To take off by skimming; as, to skim cream.

3. To pass near the surface of; to brush the surface of; to glide swiftly along the surface of.

Homer describes Mercury as flinging himself from the top of Olympus, and skimming the surface of the ocean.

Hazlitt.

4. Fig.: To read or examine superficially and rapidly, in order to cull the principal facts or thoughts; as, to skim a book or a newspaper.

Skim, v. i. 1. To pass lightly; to glide along in an even, smooth course; to glide along near the surface.

Not so when swift Camilla scours the plain, Flies o'er the unbending corn, and skims along the main.

Pope.

2. To hasten along with superficial attention.

They skim over a science in a very superficial survey.

I. Watts.

3. To put on the finishing coat of plaster.

Skim, a. Contraction of Skimming and Skimmed.

Skim coat, the final or finishing coat of plaster. -- Skim colter, a colter for paring off the surface of land. -- Skim milk, skimmed milk; milk from which the cream has been taken.

Skim, n. Scum; refuse. Bryskett.

Skim"back` (skm"bk`), n. (Zoöl.) The quillback. [Local, U.S.]

Skim"ble-scam`ble (?), a. [A reduplication of scamble.] Rambling; disorderly; unconnected. [Colloq.]

Such a deal of skimble-scamble stuff.

Shak.

Skim"i*try (?), n. See Skimmington.

Skim"mer (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, skims; esp., a utensil with which liquids are skimmed.

2. (Zoöl.) Any species of longwinged marine birds of the genus Rhynchops, allied to the terns, but having the lower mandible compressed and much longer than the upper one. These birds fly rapidly along the surface of the water, with the lower mandible immersed, thus skimming out small fishes. The American species (R. nigra) is common on the southern coasts of the United States. Called also scissorbill, and shearbill.

3. (Zoöl.) Any one of several large bivalve shells, sometimes used for skimming milk, as the sea clams, and large scallops.

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Skim"mer*ton (?), n. See Skimmington.

Skim"ming (?), n. 1. The act of one who skims.

2. That which is skimmed from the surface of a liquid; -- chiefly used in the plural; as, the skimmings of broth.

Skim"ming*ly, adv. In a skimming manner.

Skim"ming*ton (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain. Perhaps the name of some notorius scold.] A word employed in the phrase, To ride Skimmington; that is to ride on a horse with a woman, but behind her, facing backward, carrying a distaff, and accompanied by a procession of jeering neighbors making mock music; a cavalcade in ridicule of a henpecked man. The custom was in vogue in parts of England.

Skimp (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skimped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skimping.] [Cf. Skinch, Scamp, v. t.] 1. To slight; to do carelessly; to scamp. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

2. To make insufficient allowance for; to scant; to scrimp. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U. S.]

Skimp, v. i. To save; to be parsimonious or niggardly. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skimp, a. Scanty. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skin (?), n. [Icel. skinn; akin to Sw. skinn, Dan. skind, AS. scinn, G. schined to skin.] 1. (Anat.) The external membranous integument of an animal.

In man, and the vertebrates generally, the skin consist of two layers, an outer nonsensitive and nonvascular epidermis, cuticle, or skarfskin, composed of cells which are constantly growing and multiplying in the deeper, and being thrown off in the superficial, layers; and an inner sensitive, and vascular dermis, cutis, corium, or true skin, composed mostly of connective tissue.

2. The hide of an animal, separated from the body, whether green, dry, or tanned; especially, that of a small animal, as a calf, sheep, or goat.

3. A vessel made of skin, used for holding liquids. See Bottle, 1. "Skins of wine." Tennyson.

4. The bark or husk of a plant or fruit; the exterior coat of fruits and plants.

5. (Naut.) (a) That part of a sail, when furled, which remains on the outside and covers the whole. Totten. (b) The covering, as of planking or iron plates, outside the framing, forming the sides and bottom of a vessel; the shell; also, a lining inside the framing.

Skin friction, Skin resistance (Naut.), the friction, or resistance, caused by the tendency of water to adhere to the immersed surface (skin) of a vessel. -- Skin graft (Surg.), a small portion of skin used in the process of grafting. See Graft, v. t., 2. -- Skin moth (Zoöl.), any insect which destroys the prepared skins of animals, especially the larva of Dermestes and Anthrenus. -- Skin of the teeth, nothing, or next to nothing; the least possible hold or advantage. Job xix. 20. -- Skin wool, wool taken from dead sheep.

Skin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skinned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skinning.] 1. To strip off the skin or hide of; to flay; to peel; as, to skin an animal.

2. To cover with skin, or as with skin; hence, to cover superficially.

It will but skin and film the ulcerous place.

Shak.

3. To strip of money or property; to cheat. [Slang]

Skin, v. i. 1. To become covered with skin; as, a wound skins over.

2. To produce, in recitation, examination, etc., the work of another for one's own, or to use in such exercise cribs, memeoranda, etc., which are prohibited. [College Cant, U.S.]

Skin"bound` (?), a. Having the skin adhering closely and rigidly to the flesh; hidebound.

Skinbound disease. (Med.) See Sclerema neonatorum, under Sclerema.

Skinch (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Skinched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skinching.] [Cf. Scant.] To give scant measure; to squeeze or pinch in order to effect a saving. [Prev. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

Skin"-deep` (?), a. Not deeper than the skin; hence, superficial. Lowell.

Skin"flint` (?), n. [Skin + flint.] A penurious person; a miser; a niggard. Sir W. Scott.

Skin"ful (?), n.; pl. Skinfuls (&?;). As much as a skin can hold.

Skink (?), n. [L. scincus, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;.] [Written also scink.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of regularly scaled harmless lizards of the family Scincidæ, common in the warmer parts of all the continents.

The officinal skink (Scincus officinalis) inhabits the sandy plains of South Africa. It was believed by the ancients to be a specific for various diseases. A common slender species (Seps tridactylus) of Southern Europe was formerly believed to produce fatal diseases in cattle by mere contact. The American skinks include numerous species of the genus Eumeces, as the blue-tailed skink (E. fasciatus) of the Eastern United States. The ground skink, or ground lizard (Oligosoma laterale) inhabits the Southern United States.

Skink, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skinked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skinking.] [Icel. skenja; akin to Sw. skäka, Dan. skienke, AS. scencan, D. & G. schenken. As. scencan is usually derived from sceonc, sceanc, shank, a hollow bone being supposed to have been used to draw off liquor from a cask. &radic;161. See Shank, and cf. Nunchion.] To draw or serve, as drink. [Obs.]

Bacchus the wine them skinketh all about.

Chaucer.

Such wine as Ganymede doth skink to Jove.

Shirley.

Skink, v. i. To serve or draw liquor. [Obs.]

Skink, n. Drink; also, pottage. [Obs.] Bacon.

Skink"er (?), n. One who serves liquor; a tapster.

Skin"less (?), a. Having no skin, or a very thin skin; as, skinless fruit.

Skin"ner (?), n. 1. One who skins.

2. One who deals in skins, pelts, or hides.

Skin"ni*ness (?), n. Quality of being skinny.

Skin"ny (?), a. Consisting, or chiefly consisting, of skin; wanting flesh. "Her skinny lips." Shak.

He holds him with a skinny hand.

Coleridge.

Skip (?), n. [See Skep.] 1. A basket. See Skep. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

2. A basket on wheels, used in cotton factories.

3. (Mining) An iron bucket, which slides between guides, for hoisting mineral and rock.

4. (Sugar Manuf.) A charge of sirup in the pans.

5. A beehive; a skep.

Skip, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skipping.] [OE. skippen, of uncertain origin; cf. Icel. skopa run, skoppa to spin like a top, OSw. & dial. Sw. skimmpa to run, skimpa, skompa, to hop, skip; or Ir. sgiob to snatch, Gael. sgiab to start or move suddenly, to snatch, W. ysgipio to snatch.] 1. To leap lightly; to move in leaps and hounds; -- commonly implying a sportive spirit.

The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play?

Pope.

So she drew her mother away skipping, dancing, and frisking fantastically.

Hawthorne.

2. Fig.: To leave matters unnoticed, as in reading, speaking, or writing; to pass by, or overlook, portions of a thing; -- often followed by over.

Skip, v. t. 1. To leap lightly over; as, to skip the rope.

2. To pass over or by without notice; to omit; to miss; as, to skip a line in reading; to skip a lesson.

They who have a mind to see the issue may skip these two chapters.

Bp. Burnet.

3. To cause to skip; as, to skip a stone. [Colloq.]

Skip, n. 1. A light leap or bound.

2. The act of passing over an interval from one thing to another; an omission of a part.

3. (Mus.) A passage from one sound to another by more than a degree at once. Busby.

Skip kennel, a lackey; a footboy. [Slang.] Swift. -- Skip mackerel. (Zoöl.) See Bluefish, 1.

Skip"jack` (?), n. 1. An upstart. [Obs.] Ford.

2. (Zoöl.) An elater; a snap bug, or snapping beetle.

3. (Zoöl.) A name given to several kinds of a fish, as the common bluefish, the alewife, the bonito, the butterfish, the cutlass fish, the jurel, the leather jacket, the runner, the saurel, the saury, the threadfish, etc.

4. (Naut.) A shallow sailboat with a rectilinear or V-shaped cross section.

Skip"per (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, skips.

2. A young, thoughtless person. Shak.

3. (Zoöl.) The saury (Scomberesox saurus).

4. The cheese maggot. See Cheese fly, under Cheese.

5. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small butterflies of the family Hesperiadæ; -- so called from their peculiar short, jerking flight.

Skip"per, n. [D. schipper. See Shipper, and Ship.] 1. (Naut.) The master of a fishing or small trading vessel; hence, the master, or captain, of any vessel.

2. A ship boy. [Obs.] Congreve.

Skip"pet (?), n. [Cf. Icel. skip, E. skipper. See Ship.] 1. A small boat; a skiff. [Obs.]

A little skippet floating did appear.

Spenser.

2. A small round box for keeping records. [Obs.]

Skip"ping*ly (?), adv. In a skipping manner; by skips, or light leaps.

Skirl (?), v. t.& i. [Of Scand. origin, and originally the same word as E. shrill.] To utter in a shrill tone; to scream. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Skirl, n. A shrill cry or sound. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Skirl"cock` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The missel thrush; -- so called from its harsh alarm note. [Prev. Eng.]

Skirl"crake` (?), n. The turnstone. [Prev. Eng.]

Skirl"ing, n. A shrill cry or sound; a crying shrilly; a skirl. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

When the skirling of the pipes cleft the air his cold eyes softened.

Mrs. J. H. Ewing.

Skirl"ing, n. (Zoöl.) A small trout or salmon; -- a name used loosely. [Prov. Eng.]

Skir"mish (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skirmished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skirmishing.] [OE. skirmishen, scarmishen, OF. escremir, eskermir, to fence, fight, F. escrimer, of German origin; cf. OHG. scirmen to protect, defend, G. schirmen, OHG. scirm, scerm, protection, shield, G. schirm; perhaps akin to Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; a sunshade. Cf. Scaramouch, Scrimmage.] To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.

Skir"mish, n.[OE. scarmishe, scrymishe. See Skirmish, v. i.] 1. A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached and small bodies of troops.

2. A slight contest.

They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit.

Shak.

Skir"mish*er (?), n. One who skirmishes. Specifically: pl. (Mil.) Soldiers deployed in loose order, to cover the front or flanks of an advancing army or a marching column.

Skirr (?), v. t. [Cf. Scur, Scurry.] To ramble over in order to clear; to scour. [Archaic] Shak.

Skirr, v. i. To scour; to scud; to run. [Archaic]

Skirr, n. (Zoöl.) A tern. [Prov. Eng.]

Skir"ret (?), n. [A corrupted form equivalent to sugarwort.] (Bot.) An umbelliferous plant (Sium, or Pimpinella, Sisarum). It is a native of Asia, but has been long cultivated in Europe for its edible clustered tuberous roots, which are very sweet.

Skir"rhus (?), n. (Med.) See Scirrhus.

Skirt (?), n. [OE. skyrt, of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. skyrta a shirt, Sw. skört a skirt, skjorta a shirt. See Shirt.] 1. The lower and loose part of a coat, dress, or other like garment; the part below the waist; as, the skirt of a coat, a dress, or a mantle.

2. A loose edging to any part of a dress. [Obs.]

A narrow lace, or a small skirt of ruffled linen, which runs along the upper part of the stays before, and crosses the breast, being a part of the tucker, is called the modesty piece.

Addison.

3. Border; edge; margin; extreme part of anything "Here in the skirts of the forest." Shak.

4. A petticoat.

5. The diaphragm, or midriff, in animals. Dunglison.

Skirt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skirted; p. pr. & vb. n. Skirting.] 1. To cover with a skirt; to surround.

Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold.

Milton.

2. To border; to form the border or edge of; to run along the edge of; as, the plain was skirted by rows of trees. "When sundown skirts the moor." Tennyson.

Skirt, v. t. To be on the border; to live near the border, or extremity.

Savages . . . who skirt along our western frontiers.

S. S. Smith.

Skirt"ing, n. 1. (Arch.) A skirting board. [R.]

2. Skirts, taken collectivelly; material for skirts.

Skirting board, the board running around a room on the wall next the floor; baseboard.

Skit (?), v. t. [Prov. E. skitto slide, as adj., hasty, precipitate, of Scand. origin, and akin to E. shoot, v.t.; cf. Icel. skyti, skytja, skytta, a marksman, shooter, skjta to shoot, skta a taunt. &radic;159. See Shoot.] To cast reflections on; to asperse. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Crose.

Skit, n. 1. A reflection; a jeer or gibe; a sally; a brief satire; a squib. Tooke.

A similar vein satire upon the emptiness of writers is given in his "Tritical Essay upon the Faculties of the Human Mind;" but that is a mere skit compared with this strange performance.

Leslie Stephen.

2. A wanton girl; a light wench. [Obs.]

Skit"tish (?), a. [See Skit, v. t.] 1. Easily frightened; timorous; shy; untrustworthy; as, a skittish colt. "A restiff, skittish jade." L'Estrange.

2. Wanton; restive; freakish; volatile; changeable; fickle. "Skittish Fortune's hall." Shak.

-- Skit"tish*ly, adv. -- Skit"tish*ness, n.

Skit"tle (?), a. Pertaining to the game of skittles.

Skittle alley, an alley or court in which the game of skittles is played. -- Skittle ball, a disk or flattish ball of wood for throwing at the pins in the game of skittles.

Skit"tle-dog` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The piked dogfish.

Skit"tles (?), n. pl. [Of Scand. origin. &radic;159. See Shoot, v. t., and cf. Shuttle, Skit, v. t.] An English game resembling ninepins, but played by throwing wooden disks, instead of rolling balls, at the pins.

Skit"ty (?), n. [Cf. Skittish.] (Zoöl.) A rail; as, the water rail (called also skitty cock, and skitty coot); the spotted crake (Porzana maruetta), and the moor hen. [Prov. Eng.]

Skive (?), n. [Cf. Icel. skfa a shaving, slice, E. shive, sheave.] The iron lap used by diamond polishers in finishing the facets of the gem.

Skive (?), v. t. To pare or shave off the rough or thick parts of (hides or leather).

Skiv"er (?), n. [Cf. Skewer, Shiver a fragment.] 1. An inferior quality of leather, made of split sheepskin, tanned by immersion in sumac, and dyed. It is used for hat linings, pocketbooks, bookbinding, etc.

2. The cutting tool or machine used in splitting leather or skins, as sheepskins.

Ski"ving (?), n. 1. The act of paring or splitting leather or skins.

2. A piece made in paring or splitting leather; specifically, the part from the inner, or flesh, side.

Sklayre (?), n. [Cf. G. schleier.] A vell. [Obs.]

Sklere (?), v. t. To shelter; to cover. [Obs.]

{ Skol"e*cite (?), Skol"e*zite (?) }, n. (Min.) See Scolecite.

Skonce (?), n. See Sconce.

Skop"ster (skp"str), n. The saury. [Prov. Eng.]

Skor"o*dite (?), n. (Min.) See Scorodite.

Skout (?), n. (Zoöl.) A guillemot.

Sko"witz (?), n. [Nisqually (American Indian) name.] (Zoöl.) The silver salmon.

Skreen (?), n. & v. See Screen. [Obs.]

Skrike (?), v. i. & t. To shriek. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Skrike, n. (Zoöl.) The missel thrush. [Prov. Eng.]

Skrim"mage (?), n. See Scrimmage.

Skrimp (?), v. t. See Scrimp.

Skringe (?), v. i. See Scringe.

Skrite (?), n. (Zoöl.) The skrike. [Prov. Eng.]

Sku"a (?), n. [Icel. sk&?;fr, sk&?;mr.] (Zoöl.) Any jager gull; especially, the Megalestris skua; -- called also boatswain.

Skue (?), a. & n. See Skew.

Skulk (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Skulked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Skulking.] [Of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. skulke to spare or save one's self, to play the truant, Sw. skolka to be at leisure, to shirk, Icel. skolla. Cf. Scowl.] To hide, or get out of the way, in a sneaking manner; to lie close, or to move in a furtive way; to lurk. "Want skulks in holes and crevices." W. C. Bryant.

Discovered and defeated of your prey, You skulked behind the fence, and sneaked away.

Dryden.

Skulk, n. [Cf. Icel. skollr, skolli, a fox, and E. skulk, v.i.] A number of foxes together. Wright.

<! p. 1351 !>

{ Skulk (?), Skulk"er (?), } n. One who, or that which, skulks.

Skulk"ing*ly, adv. In a skulking manner.

Skull (?), n. [See School a multitude.] A school, company, or shoal. [Obs.]

A knavish skull of boys and girls did pelt at him.

Warner.

These fishes enter in great flotes and skulls.

Holland.

Skull, n. [OE. skulle, sculle, scolle; akin to Scot. skull, skoll, a bowl, Sw. skalle skull, skal a shell, and E. scale; cf. G. hirnschale, Dan. hierneskal. Cf. Scale of a balance.] 1. (Anat.) The skeleton of the head of a vertebrate animal, including the brain case, or cranium, and the bones and cartilages of the face and mouth. See Illusts. of Carnivora, of Facial angles under Facial, and of Skeleton, in Appendix.

In many fishes the skull is almost wholly cartilaginous but in the higher vertebrates it is more or less completely ossified, several bones are developed in the face, and the cranium is made up, wholly or partially, of bony plates arranged in three segments, the frontal, parietal, and occipital, and usually closely united in the adult.

2. The head or brain; the seat of intelligence; mind.

Skulls that can not teach, and will not learn.

Cowper.

3. A covering for the head; a skullcap. [Obs. & R.]

Let me put on my skull first.

Beau. & Fl.

4. A sort of oar. See Scull.

Skull and crossbones, a symbol of death. See Crossbones.

Skull"cap` (?), n. 1. A cap which fits the head closely; also, formerly, a headpiece of iron sewed inside of a cap for protection.

2. (Bot.) Any plant of the labiate genus Scutellaria, the calyx of whose flower appears, when inverted, like a helmet with the visor raised.

3. (Zoöl.) The Lophiomys.

Mad-dog skullcap (Bot.), an American herb (Scetellaria lateriflora) formerly prescribed as a cure for hydrophobia.

Skull"fish` (?), n. A whaler's name for a whale more than two years old.

Skul"pin (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Sculpin.

Skun (?), n. & v. See Scum.

Skunk (?), n. [Contr. from the Abenaki (American Indian) seganku.] (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of American musteline carnivores of the genus Mephitis and allied genera. They have two glands near the anus, secreting an extremely fetid liquid, which the animal ejects at pleasure as a means of defense.

The common species of the Eastern United States (Mephitis mephitica) is black with more or less white on the body and tail. The spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius), native of the Southwestern United States and Mexico, is smaller than the common skunk, and is variously marked with black and white.

Skunk bird, Skunk blackbird (Zoöl.), the bobolink; -- so called because the male, in the breeding season, is black and white, like a skunk. -- Skunk cabbage (Bot.), an American aroid herb (Symplocarpus fœtidus>) having a reddish hornlike spathe in earliest spring, followed by a cluster of large cabbagelike leaves. It exhales a disagreeable odor. Also called swamp cabbage. -- Skunk porpoise. (Zoöl.) See under Porpoise.

Skunk, v. t. In games of chance and skill: To defeat (an opponent) (as in cards) so that he fails to gain a point, or (in checkers) to get a king. [Colloq. U. S.]

Skunk"ball` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The surf duck.

Skunk"head` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The surf duck. (b) A duck (Camptolaimus Labradorus) which formerly inhabited the Atlantic coast of New England. It is now supposed to be extinct. Called also Labrador duck, and pied duck.

Skunk"ish, a. Like the skunk, especially in odor.

Skunk"top` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The surf duck.

Skunk"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) Skunk cabbage.

Skur"ry (?), n. & v. See Scurry.

Skute (?), n. [Icel. sk&?;ta; akin to Sw. skuta, Dan. skude, D. schuit, Lg. schüte, and E. schoot, v.t.] A boat; a small vessel. [Obs.] Sir R. Williams.

Skut"ter*ud*ite (?), n. [From Skutterud, in Norway, whence it is obtained.] (Min.) A mineral of a bright metallic luster and tin-white to pale lead- gray color. It consists of arsenic and cobalt.

Sky (sk), n.; pl. Skies (skz). [OE. skie a cloud, Icel. sk; akin to Sw. & Dan. sky; cf. AS. sca, scwa, shadow, Icel. skuggi; probably from the same root as E. scum. &radic;158. See Scum, and cf. Hide skin, Obscure.] 1. A cloud. [Obs.]

[A wind] that blew so hideously and high, That it ne lefte not a sky In all the welkin long and broad.

Chaucer.

2. Hence, a shadow. [Obs.]

She passeth as it were a sky.

Gower.

3. The apparent arch, or vault, of heaven, which in a clear day is of a blue color; the heavens; the firmament; - - sometimes in the plural.

The Norweyan banners flout the sky.

Shak.

4. The wheather; the climate.

Thou wert better in thy grave than to answer with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies.

Shak.

Sky is often used adjectively or in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, sky color, skylight, sky-aspiring, sky-born, sky-pointing, sky- roofed, etc.

Sky blue, an azure color. -- Sky scraper (Naut.), a skysail of a triangular form. Totten. -- Under open sky, out of doors. "Under open sky adored." Milton.

Sky, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skied (?) or Skyed; p. pr. & vb. n. Skying (?).] 1. To hang (a picture on exhibition) near the top of a wall, where it can not be well seen. [Colloq.]

Brother Academicians who skied his pictures.

The Century.

2. To throw towards the sky; as, to sky a ball at cricket. [Colloq.]

Sky"-blue (?), a. Having the blue color of the sky; azure; as, a sky-blue stone. Wordsworth.

Skyed (?), a. Surrounded by sky. [Poetic & R.] "The skyed mountain." Thomson.

Skye" ter"ri*er (?). (Zoöl.) See Terrier.

Sky"ey (?), a. Like the sky; ethereal; being in the sky. "Skyey regions." Thackeray.

Sublime on the towers of my skyey bowers, Lightning, my pilot, sits.

Shelley.

Sky"-high` (?), adv. & a. Very high. [Colloq.]

Sky"ish, a. Like the sky, or approaching the sky; lofty; ethereal. [R.] Shak.

Sky"lark` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A lark that mounts and sings as it files, especially the common species (Alauda arvensis) found in Europe and in some parts of Asia, and celebrated for its melodious song; -- called also sky laverock. See under Lark.

The Australian skylark (Cincloramphus cantillans) is a pipit which has the habit of ascending perpendicularly like a skylark, but it lacks the song of a true lark. The Missouri skylark is a pipit (Anthus Spraguei) of the Western United States, resembling the skylark in habit and song.

Sky"lark"ing, n. The act of running about the rigging of a vessel in sport; hence, frolicking; scuffing; sporting; carousing. [Colloq.]

Sky"light` (?), n. A window placed in the roof of a building, in the ceiling of a room, or in the deck of a ship, for the admission of light from above.

Sky"rock`et (?), n. A rocket that ascends high and burns as it flies; a species of fireworks.

Sky"sail (?), n. (Naut.) The sail set next above the royal. See Illust. under Sail.

Sky"ward (?), a. & adv. Toward the sky.

Slab (?), n. [OE. slabbe, of uncertain origin; perhaps originally meaning, a smooth piece, and akin to slape, Icel. sleipr slippery, and E. slip, v. i.] 1. A thin piece of anything, especially of marble or other stone, having plane surfaces. Gwilt.

2. An outside piece taken from a log or timber in sawing it into boards, planks, etc.

3. (Zoöl.) The wryneck. [Prov. Eng.]

4. (Naut.) The slack part of a sail.

Slab line (Naut.), a line or small rope by which seamen haul up the foot of the mainsail or foresail. Totten.

Slab, a. [Cf. Gael. & Ir. slaib mud, mire left on a river strand, and E. slop puddle.] Thick; viscous. [Obs.]

Make the gruel thick and slab.

Shak.

Slab, n. That which is slimy or viscous; moist earth; mud; also, a puddle. [Obs.] Evelyn.

Slab"ber (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slabbered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slabbering.] [OE. slaberen; akin to LG. & D. slabbern, G. schlabbern, LG. & D. slabben, G. schlabben, Icel. slafra. Cf. Slaver, Slobber, Slubber.] To let saliva or some liquid fall from the mouth carelessly, like a child or an idiot; to drivel; to drool. [Written also slaver, and slobber.]

Slab"ber, v. t. 1. To wet and foul spittle, or as if with spittle.

He slabbered me over, from cheek to cheek, with his great tongue.

Arbuthnot.

2. To spill liquid upon; to smear carelessly; to spill, as liquid foed or drink, in careless eating or drinking.

The milk pan and cream pot so slabbered and tost That butter is wanting and cheese is half lost.

Tusser.

Slab"ber, n. Spittle; saliva; slaver.

Slab"ber (?), n. [See 1st Slab.] (Mach.) (a) A saw for cutting slabs from logs. (b) A slabbing machine.

Slab"ber*er (?), n. One who slabbers, or drools; hence, an idiot.

Slab"ber*y (?), a. Like, or covered with, slabber or slab; slippery; sloppy.

Slab"bi*ness (?), n. Quality of being slabby.

Slab"bing (?), a. [See 1st Slab.] Adapted for forming slabs, or for dressing flat surfaces.

Slabbing machine, a milling machine.

Slab"by (?), a. [Compar. Slabbier (?); superl. Slabbiest.] [See Slab, a.] 1. Thick; viscous.

They present you with a cup, and you must drink of a slabby stuff.

Selden.

2. Sloppy; slimy; miry. See Sloppy. Gay.

Slab"-sid`ed (?), a. Having flat sides; hence, tall, or long and lank. [Colloq. U. S.]

Slack (?), n. [Cf. Slag.] Small coal; also, coal dust; culm. Raymond.

Slack, n. [Icel. slakki a slope on a mountain edge.] A valley, or small, shallow dell. [Prov. Eng.] Grose.

Slack, a. [Compar. Slacker (?); superl. Slackest.] [OE. slak, AS. sleac; akin to OS. slak, OHG. slah, Prov. G. schlack, Icel. slakr, Sw. slak; cf. Skr. sj to let loose, to throw. Cf. Slake.] Lax; not tense; not hard drawn; not firmly extended; as, a slack rope.

2. Weak; not holding fast; as, a slack hand. Milton.

3. Remiss; backward; not using due diligence or care; not earnest or eager; as, slack in duty or service.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness.

2 Pet. iii. 9.

4. Not violent, rapid, or pressing; slow; moderate; easy; as, business is slack. "With slack pace." Chaucer.

C&?;sar . . . about sunset, hoisting sail with a slack southwest, at midnight was becalmed.

Milton.

Slack in stays (Naut.), slow in going about, as a ship. -- Slack water, the time when the tide runs slowly, or the water is at rest; or the interval between the flux and reflux of the tide. -- Slack-water navigation, navigation in a stream the depth of which has been increased, and the current diminished, by a dam or dams.

Syn. -- Loose; relaxed; weak; remiss; backward; abated; diminished; inactive; slow; tardy; dull.

Slack (?), adv. Slackly; as, slack dried hops.

Slack, n. The part of anything that hangs loose, having no strain upon it; as, the slack of a rope or of a sail.

{ Slack (?), Slack"en (?), } v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slacked (?), Slackened (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Slacking, Slackening.] [See Slack, a.] 1. To become slack; to be made less tense, firm, or rigid; to decrease in tension; as, a wet cord slackens in dry weather.

2. To be remiss or backward; to be negligent.

3. To lose cohesion or solidity by a chemical combination with water; to slake; as, lime slacks.

4. To abate; to become less violent.

Whence these raging fires Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames.

Milton.

5. To lose rapidity; to become more slow; as, a current of water slackens.

6. To languish; to fail; to flag.

7. To end; to cease; to desist; to slake. [Obs.]

That through your death your lineage should slack.

Chaucer.

They will not of that firste purpose slack.

Chaucer.

{ Slack, Slack"en, } v. t. 1. To render slack; to make less tense or firm; as, to slack a rope; to slacken a bandage. Wycklif (Acts xxvii. 40)

2. To neglect; to be remiss in. [Obs.] Shak.

Slack not the pressage.

Dryden.

3. To deprive of cohesion by combining chemically with water; to slake; as, to slack lime.

4. To cause to become less eager; to repress; to make slow or less rapid; to retard; as, to slacken pursuit; to slacken industry. "Rancor for to slack." Chaucer.

I should be grieved, young prince, to think my presence Unbent your thoughts, and slackened 'em to arms.

Addison.

In this business of growing rich, poor men should slack their pace.

South.

With such delay Well plased, they slack their course.

Milton.

5. To cause to become less intense; to mitigate; to abate; to ease.

To respite, or deceive, or slack thy pain Of this ill mansion.

Milton.

Air-slacked lime, lime slacked by exposure to the air, in consequence of the absorption of carton dioxide and water, by which it is converted into carbonate of lime and hydrate of lime.

Slack"en (?), n. (Metal.) A spongy, semivitrifled substance which miners or smelters mix with the ores of metals to prevent their fusion. [Written also slakin.]

Slack"ly, adv. In a slack manner. Trench.

Slack"ness, n. The quality or state of being slack.

Slade (?), n. [AS. sl&?;d.] 1. A little dell or valley; a flat piece of low, moist ground. [Obs.] Drayton.

2. The sole of a plow.

Slag (?), n. [Sw. slagg, or LG. slacke, whence G. schlacke; originally, perhaps, the splinters struck off from the metal by hammering. See Slay, v. t.] 1. The dross, or recrement, of a metal; also, vitrified cinders.

2. The scoria of a volcano.

Slag furnace, or Slag hearth (Metal.), a furnace, or hearth, for extracting lead from slags or poor ore. -- Slag wool, mineral wool. See under Mineral.

Slag"gy (?), a. Of or pertaining to slag; resembling slag; as, slaggy cobalt.

Slaie (?), n. [See Sley.] A weaver's reed; a sley.

Slake (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slaked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slaking.] [OE. slaken to render slack, to slake, AS. sleacian, fr. sleac slack. See Slack, v. & a.] 1. To allay; to quench; to extinguish; as, to slake thirst. "And slake the heavenly fire." Spenser.

It could not slake mine ire nor ease my heart.

Shak.

2. To mix with water, so that a true chemical combination shall take place; to slack; as, to slake lime.

Slake, v. i. 1. To go out; to become extinct. "His flame did slake." Sir T. Browne.

2. To abate; to become less decided. [R.] Shak.

3. To slacken; to become relaxed. "When the body's strongest sinews slake." [R.] Sir J. Davies.

4. To become mixed with water, so that a true chemical combination takes place; as, the lime slakes.

Slake trough, a trough containing water in which a blacksmith cools a forging or tool.

Slake"less, a. Not capable of being slaked.

Slak"in (?), n. (Metal.) Slacken.

Slam (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slammed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slamming.] [Of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. slamra, slambra, sl&?;ma, Norw. slemba, slemma, dial. Sw. slämma.] 1. To shut with force and a loud noise; to bang; as, he slammed the door.

2. To put in or on some place with force and loud noise; -- usually with down; as, to slam a trunk down on the pavement.

3. To strike with some implement with force; hence, to beat or cuff. [Prov. Eng.]

4. To strike down; to slaughter. [Prov. Eng.]

5. To defeat (opponents at cards) by winning all the tricks of a deal or a hand. Hoyle.

To slam to, to shut or close with a slam. "He slammed to the door." W. D. Howells.

Slam, v. i. To come or swing against something, or to shut, with sudden force so as to produce a shock and noise; as, a door or shutter slams.

Slam, n. 1. The act of one who, or that which, slams.

2. The shock and noise produced in slamming.

The slam and the scowl were lost upon Sam.

Dickens.

3. (Card Playing) Winning all the tricks of a deal.

4. The refuse of alum works. [Prov. Eng.]

Slam"-bang` (?), adv. With great violence; with a slamming or banging noise. [Colloq.]

{ Slam"kin (?), Slam"mer*kin (?), } n. [Cf. G. schlampe, schlamp, dim. schlämpchen; schlampen to dangle, to be slovenly in one's dress.] A slut; a slatternly woman. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Slan"der (?), n. [OE. sclandere, OF. esclandre, esclandle, escandre, F. esclandre, fr. L. scandalum, Gr. &?;&?;&?; a snare, stumbling block, offense, scandal; probably originally, the spring of a trap, and akin to Skr. skand to spring, leap. See Scan, and cf. Scandal.] 1. A false tale or report maliciously uttered, tending to injure the reputation of another; the malicious utterance of defamatory reports; the dissemination of malicious tales or suggestions to the injury of another.

Whether we speak evil of a man to his face or behind his back; the former way, indeed, seems to be the most generous, but yet is a great fault, and that which we call "reviling;" the latter is more mean and base, and that which we properly call "slander", or "Backbiting."

Tillotson.

[We] make the careful magistrate The mark of slander.

B. Jonson.

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2. Disgrace; reproach; dishonor; opprobrium.

Thou slander of thy mother's heavy womb.

Shak.

3. (Law) Formerly, defamation generally, whether oral or written; in modern usage, defamation by words spoken; utterance of false, malicious, and defamatory words, tending to the damage and derogation of another; calumny. See the Note under Defamation. Burril.

Slan"der (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slandered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slandering.] 1. To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false report; to tarnish or impair the reputation of by false tales maliciously told or propagated; to calumniate.

O, do not slander him, for he is kind.

Shak.

2. To bring discredit or shame upon by one's acts.

Tax not so bad a voice To slander music any more than once.

Shak.

Syn. -- To asperse; defame; calumniate; vilify; malign; belie; scandalize; reproach. See Asperse.

Slan"der*er (?), n. One who slanders; a defamer; a calumniator. Jer. Taylor.

Slan"der*ous (?), a. 1. Given or disposed to slander; uttering slander. "Slanderous tongue." Shak.

2. Embodying or containing slander; calumnious; as, slanderous words, speeches, or reports.

-- Slan"der*ous*ly, adv. -- Slan"der*ous*ness, n.

Slang (?), imp. of Sling. Slung. [Archaic]

Slang, n. Any long, narrow piece of land; a promontory. [Local, Eng.] Holland.

Slang, n. [Cf. Sling.] A fetter worn on the leg by a convict. [Eng.]

Slang, n. [Said to be of Gypsy origin; but probably from Scand., and akin to E. sling; cf. Norw. sleng a slinging, an invention, device, slengja to sling, to cast, slengja kjeften (literally, to sling the jaw) to use abusive language, to use slang, slenjeord (ord = word) an insulting word, a new word that has no just reason for being.] Low, vulgar, unauthorized language; a popular but unauthorized word, phrase, or mode of expression; also, the jargon of some particular calling or class in society; low popular cant; as, the slang of the theater, of college, of sailors, etc.

Slang, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slanged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slanging.] To address with slang or ribaldry; to insult with vulgar language. [Colloq.]

Every gentleman abused by a cabman or slanged by a bargee was bound there and then to take off his coat and challenge him to fisticuffs.

London Spectator.

Slang"i*ness (?), n. Quality of being slangy.

Slan"gous (?), a. Slangy. [R.] John Bee.

Slang"-whang`er (?), n. [Slang + whang to beat.] One who uses abusive slang; a ranting partisan. [Colloq. or Humorous] W. Irving.

Slang"y (?), a. Of or pertaining to slang; of the nature of slang; disposed to use slang. [Written also slangey.]

Slank (?), imp. & p. p. of Slink.

Slant (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Slanting.] [OE. slenten to slope, slide; cf. Sw. slinta to slide.] To be turned or inclined from a right line or level; to lie obliquely; to slope.

On the side of younder slanting hill.

Dodsley.

Slant, v. t. To turn from a direct line; to give an oblique or sloping direction to; as, to slant a line.

Slant, n. 1. A slanting direction or plane; a slope; as, it lies on a slant.

2. An oblique reflection or gibe; a sarcastic remark.

Slant or wind, a local variation of the wind from its general direction.

Slant, a. [Cf. dial. Sw. slant. See Slant, v. i.] Inclined from a direct line, whether horizontal or perpendicular; sloping; oblique. "The slant lightning." Milton.

Slant"ing, a. Oblique; sloping. -- Slant"ing*ly, adv.

{ Slant"wise` (?), Slant"ly }, adv. In an inclined direction; obliquely; slopingly.

Slap (?), n. [OE. slappe; akin to LG. slappe, G. schlappe; probably of imitative origin.] A blow, esp. one given with the open hand, or with something broad.

Slap, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slapping.] To strike with the open hand, or with something broad.

Slap, adv. [Cf. LG. slap, G. schlapp. See Slap, n.] With a sudden and violent blow; hence, quickly; instantly; directly. [Colloq.] "The railroad cars drive slap into the city." Thackeray.

Slap"dash` (?), adv. [Slap + dash.] 1. In a bold, careless manner; at random. [Colloq.]

2. With a slap; all at once; slap. [Colloq.] Prior.

Slap"dash`, v. t. To apply, or apply something to, in a hasty, careless, or rough manner; to roughcast; as, to slapdash mortar or paint on a wall, or to slapdash a wall. [Colloq.] Halliwell.

Slape (?), a. [Icel. sleipr slippery; akin to E. slip.] Slippery; smooth; crafty; hypocritical. [Prov. Eng.]

Slape ale, plain ale, as opposed to medicated or mixed ale. [Prov. Eng.]

Slape"face` (?), n. A soft-spoken, crafty hypocrite. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Slap"jack` (?), n. A flat batter cake cooked on a griddle; a flapjack; a griddlecake. [Local, U.S.]

Slap"per (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, slaps.

2. Anything monstrous; a whopper. [Slang] Grose.

{ Slap"per (?), Slap"ping (?), } a. Very large; monstrous; big. [Slang.]

Slash, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slashed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slashing.] [OE. slaschen, of uncertain origin; cf. OF. esclachier to break, esclechier, esclichier, to break, and E. slate, slice, slit, v. t.] 1. To cut by striking violently and at random; to cut in long slits.

2. To lash; to ply the whip to. [R.] King.

3. To crack or snap, as a whip. [R.] Dr. H. More.

Slash, v. i. To strike violently and at random, esp. with an edged instrument; to lay about one indiscriminately with blows; to cut hastily and carelessly.

Hewing and slashing at their idle shades.

Spenser.

Slash, n. 1. A long cut; a cut made at random.

2. A large slit in the material of any garment, made to show the lining through the openings.

3. [Cf. Slashy.] pl. Swampy or wet lands overgrown with bushes. [Local, U.S.] Bartlett.

Slashed (?), a. 1. Marked or cut with a slash or slashes; deeply gashed; especially, having long, narrow openings, as a sleeve or other part of a garment, to show rich lining or under vesture.

A gray jerkin, with scarlet and slashed sleeves.

Sir W. Scott.

2. (Bot.) Divided into many narrow parts or segments by sharp incisions; laciniate.

Slash"er (?), n. (Textile Manuf.) A machine for applying size to warp yarns.

Slash" pine" (?). (Bot.) A kind of pine tree (Pinus Cubensis) found in Southern Florida and the West Indies; -- so called because it grows in "slashes."

Slash"y (?), a. [Cf. Sw. slaska to dabble in water. Cf. Slush.] Wet and dirty; slushy. [Prov. Eng.]

Slat (?), n. [CF. Slot a bar.] A thin, narrow strip or bar of wood or metal; as, the slats of a window blind.

Slat, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slatted; p. pr. & vb. n. Slatting.] [OE. slatten; cf. Icel. sletta to slap, to dab.] 1. To slap; to strike; to beat; to throw down violently. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.]

How did you kill him? Slat[t]ed his brains out.

Marston.

2. To split; to crack. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

3. To set on; to incite. See 3d Slate. [Prov. Eng.]

Slatch (?), n. [See Slack.] (Naut.) (a) The period of a transitory breeze. (b) An interval of fair weather. (c) The loose or slack part of a rope; slack.

Slate (?), n. [OE. slat, OF. esclat a shiver, splinter, F. éclat, fr. OF. esclater to shiver, to chip, F. éclater, fr. OHG. sliezen to tear, slit, split, fr. slzan to slit, G. schleissen. See Slit, v. t., and cf. Eclat.] 1. (Min.) An argillaceous rock which readily splits into thin plates; argillite; argillaceous schist.

2. Any rock or stone having a slaty structure.

3. A prepared piece of such stone. Especially: (a) A thin, flat piece, for roofing or covering houses, etc. (b) A tablet for writing upon.

4. An artificial material, resembling slate, and used for the above purposes.

5. A thin plate of any material; a flake. [Obs.]

6. (Politics) A list of candidates, prepared for nomination or for election; a list of candidates, or a programme of action, devised beforehand. [Cant, U.S.] Bartlett.

Adhesive slate (Min.), a kind of slate of a greenish gray color, which absorbs water rapidly, and adheres to the tongue; whence the name. -- Aluminous slate, or Alum slate (Min.), a kind of slate containing sulphate of alumina, -- used in the manufacture of alum. -- Bituminous slate (Min.), a soft species of sectile clay slate, impregnated with bitumen. -- Hornblende slate (Min.), a slaty rock, consisting essentially of hornblende and feldspar, useful for flagging on account of its toughness. -- Slate ax or axe, a mattock with an ax end, used in shaping slates for roofs, and making holes in them for the nails. -- Slate clay (Geol.), an indurated clay, forming one of the alternating beds of the coal measures, consisting of an infusible compound of alumina and silica, and often used for making fire bricks. Tomlinson. -- Slate globe, a globe the surface of which is made of an artificial slatelike material. -- Slate pencil, a pencil of slate, or of soapstone, used for writing on a slate. -- Slate rocks (Min.), rocks which split into thin laminæ, not necessarily parallel to the stratification; foliated rocks. -- Slate spar (Min.), a variety of calcite of silvery white luster and of a slaty structure. -- Transparent slate, a plate of translucent material, as ground glass, upon which a copy of a picture, placed beneath it, can be made by tracing.

Slate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slated; p. pr. & vb. n. Slating.] 1. To cover with slate, or with a substance resembling slate; as, to slate a roof; to slate a globe.

2. To register (as on a slate and subject to revision), for an appointment. [Polit. Cant]

Slate, v. t. [Cf. AS. slting a privilege of hunting.] To set a dog upon; to bait; to slat. See 2d Slat, 3. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] [Written also slete.] Ray.

Slate"-col`or (?). A dark bluish gray color.

Slate"-gray` (?), a. Of a dark gray, like slate.

Slat"er (?), n. One who lays slates, or whose occupation is to slate buildings.

Slat"er, n. (Zoöl.) Any terrestrial isopod crustacean of the genus Porcellio and allied genera; a sow bug.

Slat"ing, n. 1. The act of covering with slate, slates, or a substance resembling slate; the work of a slater.

2. Slates, collectively; also, material for slating.

Slatt (?), n. [See Slat a strip of board.] A slab of stone used as a veneer for coarse masonry. Knight.

Slat"ter (?), v. i. [E. slat to throw or dash about.] To be careless, negligent, or aswkward, esp. with regard to dress and neatness; to be wasteful. Ray.

Slat"tern (?), n. A woman who is negligent of her dress or house; one who is not neat and nice.

Slat"tern, a. Resembling a slattern; sluttish; slatterny. "The slattern air." Gay.

Slat"tern (?), v. t. To consume carelessly or wastefully; to waste; -- with away. [R.] Chesterfield.

Slat"tern*li*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being slatternly; slovenliness; untidiness.

Slat"tern*ly, a. Resembling a slattern; sluttish; negligent; dirty. -- adv. In a slatternly manner.

Slat"ter*pouch` (?), n. A dance or game played by boys, requiring active exercise. [Obs.] Gayton.

Slat"ting (?), Slats, collectively.

Slat"ting, n. The violent shaking or flapping of anything hanging loose in the wind, as of a sail, when being hauled down.

Slat"y (?), a. [From Slate.] Resembling slate; having the nature, appearance, or properties, of slate; composed of thin parallel plates, capable of being separated by splitting; as, a slaty color or texture.

Slaty cleavage (Min.), cleavage, as of rocks, into thin leaves or plates, like those of slate; -- applied especially to those cases in which the planes of cleavage are not parallel to the planes of stratification. It is now believed to be caused by the compression which the strata have undergone. -- Slaty gneiss (Min.), a variety of gneiss in which the scales of mica or crystals of hornblende, which are usually minute, form thin laminæ, rendering the rock easily cleavable.

Slaugh"ter (?), n. [OE. slautir, slaughter, slaghter, Icel. sltr slain flesh, modified by OE. slaught, slaht, slaughter, fr. AS. sleaht a stroke, blow; both from the root of E. slay. See Slay, v. t., and cf. Onslaught.] The act of killing. Specifically: (a) The extensive, violent, bloody, or wanton destruction of life; carnage.

On war and mutual slaughter bent.

Milton.

(b) The act of killing cattle or other beasts for market.

Syn. -- Carnage; massacre; butchery; murder; havoc.

Slaugh"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slaughtered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slaughtering.] 1. To visit with great destruction of life; to kill; to slay in battle.

Your castle is surprised; your wife and babes Savagely slaughtered.

Shak.

2. To butcher; to kill for the market, as beasts.

Slaugh"ter*er (?), n. One who slaughters.

Slaugh"ter*house` (?), n. A house where beasts are butchered for the market.

Slaugh"ter*man (?), n.; pl. Slaughtermen (&?;). One employed in slaughtering. Shak.

Slaugh"ter*ous (?), a. Destructive; murderous. Shak. M. Arnold. -- Slaugh"ter*ous*ly, adv.

Slav (?), n.;pl. Slavs (#). [A word originally meaning, intelligible, and used to contrast the people so called with foreigners who spoke languages unintelligible to the Slavs; akin to OSlav. slovo a word, slava fame, Skr. çru to hear. Cf. Loud.] (Ethnol.) One of a race of people occupying a large part of Eastern and Northern Europe, including the Russians, Bulgarians, Roumanians, Servo-Croats, Slovenes, Poles, Czechs, Wends or Sorbs, Slovaks, etc. [Written also Slave, and Sclav.]

Slave (?), n. See Slav.

Slave (?), n. [Cf. F. esclave, D. slaaf, Dan. slave, sclave, Sw. slaf, all fr. G. sklave, MHG. also slave, from the national name of the Slavonians, or Sclavonians (in LL. Slavi or Sclavi), who were frequently made slaves by the Germans. See Slav.] 1. A person who is held in bondage to another; one who is wholly subject to the will of another; one who is held as a chattel; one who has no freedom of action, but whose person and services are wholly under the control of another.

thou our slave, Our captive, at the public mill our drudge?

Milton.

2. One who has lost the power of resistance; one who surrenders himself to any power whatever; as, a slave to passion, to lust, to strong drink, to ambition.

3. A drudge; one who labors like a slave.

4. An abject person; a wretch. Shak.

Slave ant (Zoöl.), any species of ants which is captured and enslaved by another species, especially Formica fusca of Europe and America, which is commonly enslaved by Formica sanguinea. -- Slave catcher, one who attempted to catch and bring back a fugitive slave to his master. -- Slave coast, part of the western coast of Africa to which slaves were brought to be sold to foreigners. -- Slave driver, one who superintends slaves at their work; hence, figuratively, a cruel taskmaster. -- Slave hunt. (a) A search after persons in order to reduce them to slavery. Barth. (b) A search after fugitive slaves, often conducted with bloodhounds. -- Slave ship, a vessel employed in the slave trade or used for transporting slaves; a slaver. -- Slave trade, the business of dealing in slaves, especially of buying them for transportation from their homes to be sold elsewhere. -- Slave trader, one who traffics in slaves.

Syn. -- Bond servant; bondman; bondslave; captive; henchman; vassal; dependent; drudge. See Serf.

Slave, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slaved (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slaving.] To drudge; to toil; to labor as a slave.

Slave, v. t. To enslave. Marston.

Slave"born` (?), a. Born in slavery.

Slave"hold`er (?), n. One who holds slaves.

Slave"hold`ing, a. Holding persons in slavery.

Slave*oc"ra*cy (?), n. See Slavocracy.

Slav"er (?), n. 1. A vessel engaged in the slave trade; a slave ship.

2. A person engaged in the purchase and sale of slaves; a slave merchant, or slave trader.

The slaver's hand was on the latch, He seemed in haste to go.

Longfellow.

Slav"er (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slavered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slavering.] [Cf. Icel. slafra. See Slabber.] 1. To suffer spittle, etc., to run from the mouth.

2. To be besmeared with saliva. Shak.

Slav"er, v. t. To smear with saliva issuing from the mouth; to defile with drivel; to slabber.

Slav"er, n. Saliva driveling from the mouth.

Of all mad creatures, if the learned are right, It is the slaver kills, and not the bite.

Pope.

Slav"er*er (?), n. A driveler; an idiot.

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Slav"er*ing (?), a. Drooling; defiling with saliva. -- Slav"er*ing*ly, adv.

Slav"er*y (?), n.; pl. Slaveries (#). [See 2d Slave.] 1. The condition of a slave; the state of entire subjection of one person to the will of another.

Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, slavery, said I, still thou art a bitter draught!

Sterne.

I wish, from my soul, that the legislature of this state [Virginia] could see the policy of a gradual abolition of slavery. It might prevent much future mischief.

Washington.

2. A condition of subjection or submission characterized by lack of freedom of action or of will.

The vulgar slaveries rich men submit to.

C. Lever.

There is a slavery that no legislation can abolish, -- the slavery of caste.

G. W. Cable.

3. The holding of slaves.

Syn. -- Bondage; servitude; inthrallment; enslavement; captivity; bond service; vassalage.

Slav"ey (?), n. A maidservant. [Colloq. & Jocose Eng.]

Slav"ic (?), a. Slavonic. -- n. The group of allied languages spoken by the Slavs.

Slav"ish (?), a. Of or pertaining to slaves; such as becomes or befits a slave; servile; excessively laborious; as, a slavish life; a slavish dependance on the great. -- Slav"ish*ly, adv. -- Slav"ish*ness, n.

Slav"ism (?), n. The common feeling and interest of the Slavonic race.

Slav*oc"ra*cy (?), n. [Slave + -cracy, as in democracy.] The persons or interest formerly representing slavery politically, or wielding political power for the preservation or advancement of slavery. [U. S.]

{ Sla*vo"ni*an (?), Sla*von"ic (?), } a. 1. Of or pertaining to Slavonia, or its inhabitants.

2. Of or pertaining to the Slavs, or their language.

Sla*vo"ni*an, n. A native or inhabitant of Slavonia; ethnologically, a Slav.

{ Slav"o*phil (?), Slav"o*phile (?), } n. [Slavic + Gr. &?;&?;&?; loving.] One, not being a Slav, who is interested in the development and prosperity of that race.

Slaw (?), n. [D. sla, contr. fr. salade, OD. salaet, salad. See Salad.] Sliced cabbage served as a salad, cooked or uncooked.

{ Slaw, Slaw"en } (?), obs. p. p. of Slee, to slay.

With a sword drawn out he would have slaw himself.

Wyclif (Acts xvi. 27.)

Slay (?), v. t. [imp. Slew (?); p. p. Slain (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slaying.] [OE. slan, sl&?;n, sleen, slee, AS. sleán to strike, beat, slay; akin to OFries. sl, D. slaan, OS. & OHG. slahan, G. schlagen, Icel. sl, Dan. slaae, Sw. sl&?;, Goth. slahan; perhaps akin to L. lacerare to tear to pieces, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;, E. lacerate. Cf. Slaughter, Sledge a hammer, Sley.] To put to death with a weapon, or by violence; hence, to kill; to put an end to; to destroy.

With this sword then will I slay you both.

Chaucer.

I will slay the last of them with the sword.

Amos ix. 1.

I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk.

Shak.

Syn. -- To kill; murder; slaughter; butcher.

Slay"er (?), n. One who slays; a killer; a murderer; a destroyer of life.

Sla"zy (sl"z), a. See Sleazy.

Sle (sl), v. t. To slay. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sleave (slv), n. [Cf. Dan. slöif, a knot loop, Sw. slejf, G. schleife a knot, sliding knot, and E. slip, v.i.] (a) The knotted or entangled part of silk or thread. (b) Silk not yet twisted; floss; -- called also sleave silk.

Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care.

Shak.

Sleave, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sleaved (slvd); p. pr. & vb. n. Sleaving.] To separate, as threads; to divide, as a collection of threads; to sley; -- a weaver's term.

Sleaved (slvd), a. Raw; not spun or wrought; as, sleaved thread or silk. Holinshed.

Slea"zi*ness (?), n. Quality of being sleazy.

Slea"zy (sl"z), a. [Cf. G. schleissig worn out, threadbare, from schleissen to slit, split, decay, or E. leasy.] Wanting firmness of texture or substance; thin; flimsy; as, sleazy silk or muslin. [Spelt also slazy.]

Sled (sld), n. [Akin to D. slede, G. schlitten, OHG. slito, Icel. sleði, Sw. släde, Dan. slæde, and E. slide, v. See Slide, and cf. Sledge a vehicle, Sleigh.] 1. A vehicle on runners, used for conveying loads over the snow or ice; -- in England called sledge.

2. A small, light vehicle with runners, used, mostly by young persons, for sliding on snow or ice.

Sled, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sledded; p. pr. & vb. n. Sledding.] To convey or transport on a sled; as, to sled wood or timber.

Sled"ding (?), n. 1. The act of transporting or riding on a sled.

2. The state of the snow which admits of the running of sleds; as, the sledding is good.

Sledge (slj), n. [Perhaps from sleds, pl. of sled, confused with sledge a hammer. See Sled, n.] 1. A strong vehicle with low runners or low wheels; or one without wheels or runners, made of plank slightly turned up at one end, used for transporting loads upon the snow, ice, or bare ground; a sled.

2. A hurdle on which, formerly, traitors were drawn to the place of execution. [Eng.] Sir W. Scott.

3. A sleigh. [Eng.]

4. A game at cards; -- called also old sledge, and all fours.

Sledge (slj), v. i. & t. [imp. & p. p. Sledged (sljd); p. pr. & vb. n. Sledging.] To travel or convey in a sledge or sledges. Howitt.

Sledge, n. [AS. slecge,from sleán to strike, beat. See Slay, v. t.] A large, heavy hammer, usually wielded with both hands; -- called also sledge hammer.

With his heavy sledge he can it beat.

Spenser.

Slee (sl), v. t. [See Slay.] To slay. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sleek (slk), a. [Compar. Sleeker (-r); superl. Sleekest.] [OE. slik; akin to Icel. slkr, and OE. sliken to glide, slide, G. schleichen, OHG. slhhan, D. slik, slijk, mud, slime, and E. slink. Cf. Slick, Slink.] 1. Having an even, smooth surface; smooth; hence, glossy; as, sleek hair. Chaucer.

So sleek her skin, so faultless was her make.

Dryden.

2. Not rough or harsh.

Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek.

Milton.

Sleek, adv. With ease and dexterity. [Low]

Sleek, n. That which makes smooth; varnish. [R.]

Sleek, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sleeked (?);p. pr. & vb. n. Sleeking.] To make even and smooth; to render smooth, soft, and glossy; to smooth over.

Sleeking her soft alluring locks.

Milton.

Gentle, my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks.

Shak.

Sleek"ly, adv. In a sleek manner; smoothly.

Sleek"ness, n. The quality or state of being sleek; smoothness and glossiness of surface.

Sleek"y (?), a. 1. Of a sleek, or smooth, and glossy appearance. Thomson.

2. Fawning and deceitful; sly. [Scot.]

Sleep (?), obs. imp. of Sleep. Slept. Chaucer.

Sleep, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slept (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sleeping.] [OE. slepen, AS. sl&?;pan; akin to OFries. sl&?;pa, OS. slpan, D. slapen, OHG. slfan, G. schlafen, Goth. sl&?;pan, and G. schlaff slack, loose, and L. labi to glide, slide, labare to totter. Cf. Lapse.] 1. To take rest by a suspension of the voluntary exercise of the powers of the body and mind, and an apathy of the organs of sense; to slumber. Chaucer.

Watching at the head of these that sleep.

Milton.

2. Figuratively: (a) To be careless, inattentive, or uncouncerned; not to be vigilant; to live thoughtlessly.

We sleep over our happiness.

Atterbury.

(b) To be dead; to lie in the grave.

Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1 Thess. iv. 14.

(c) To be, or appear to be, in repose; to be quiet; to be unemployed, unused, or unagitated; to rest; to lie dormant; as, a question sleeps for the present; the law sleeps.

How sweet the moonlight sleep upon this bank!

Shak.

Sleep, v. t. 1. To be slumbering in; -- followed by a cognate object; as, to sleep a dreamless sleep. Tennyson.

2. To give sleep to; to furnish with accomodations for sleeping; to lodge. [R.] Blackw. Mag.

To sleep away, to spend in sleep; as, to sleep away precious time. -- To sleep off, to become free from by sleep; as, to sleep off drunkeness or fatigue.

Sleep, n. [AS. slp; akin to OFries. slp, OS. slp, D. slaap, OHG. slf, G. schlaf, Goth. slps. See Sleep, v. i.] A natural and healthy, but temporary and periodical, suspension of the functions of the organs of sense, as well as of those of the voluntary and rational soul; that state of the animal in which there is a lessened acuteness of sensory perception, a confusion of ideas, and a loss of mental control, followed by a more or less unconscious state. "A man that waketh of his sleep." Chaucer.

O sleep, thou ape of death.

Shak.

Sleep is attended by a relaxation of the muscles, and the absence of voluntary activity for any rational objects or purpose. The pulse is slower, the respiratory movements fewer in number but more profound, and there is less blood in the cerebral vessels. It is susceptible of greater or less intensity or completeness in its control of the powers.

Sleep of plants (Bot.), a state of plants, usually at night, when their leaflets approach each other, and the flowers close and droop, or are covered by the folded leaves.

Syn. -- Slumber; repose; rest; nap; doze; drowse.

Sleep"-at-noon" (?), n. (Bot.) A plant (Tragopogon pratensis) which closes its flowers at midday; a kind of goat's beard. Dr. Prior.

Sleep"-charged` (?), a. Heavy with sleep.

Sleep"er (?), n. 1. One who sleeps; a slumberer; hence, a drone, or lazy person.

2. That which lies dormant, as a law. [Obs.] Bacon.

3. A sleeping car. [Colloq. U.S.]

4. (Zoöl.) An animal that hibernates, as the bear.

5. (Zoöl.) (a) A large fresh-water gobioid fish (Eleotris dormatrix). (b) A nurse shark. See under Nurse.

Sleep"er, n. [Cf. Norw. sleip a sleeper (a timber), as adj., slippery, smooth. See Slape.] Something lying in a reclining posture or position. Specifically: --

(a) One of the pieces of timber, stone, or iron, on or near the level of the ground, for the support of some superstructure, to steady framework, to keep in place the rails of a railway, etc.; a stringpiece.

(b) One of the joists, or roughly shaped timbers, laid directly upon the ground, to receive the flooring of the ground story. [U.S.]

(c) (Naut.) One of the knees which connect the transoms to the after timbers on the ship's quarter.

(d) (Naut.) The lowest, or bottom, tier of casks.

Sleep"ful (?), a. Strongly inclined to sleep; very sleepy. -- Sleep"ful*ness, n.

Sleep"i*ly (?), adv. In a sleepy manner; drowsily.

Sleep"i*ness, n. The quality or state of being sleepy.

Sleep"ing, a. & n. from Sleep.

Sleeping car, a railway car or carrriage, arranged with apartments and berths for sleeping. -- Sleeping partner (Com.), a dormant partner. See under Dormant. -- Sleeping table (Mining), a stationary inclined platform on which pulverized ore is washed; a kind of buddle.

Sleep"ish (?), a. Disposed to sleep; sleepy; drowsy.

Your sleepish, and more than sleepish, security.

Ford.

Sleep"less, a. 1. Having no sleep; wakeful.

2. Having no rest; perpetually agitated. "Biscay's sleepless bay." Byron.

-- Sleep"less*ly, adv. -- Sleep"less*ness, n.

Sleep"mark`en (?), n. (Zoöl.) See 1st Hag, 4.

Sleep"wak`er (?), n. On in a state of magnetic or mesmeric sleep.

Sleep"wak`ing, n. The state of one mesmerized, or in a partial and morbid sleep.

Sleep"walk`er (?), n. One who walks in his sleep; a somnambulist.

Sleep"walk`ing, n. Walking in one's sleep.

Sleep"y (?), a. [Compar. Sleepier (?); superl. Sleepiest.] [AS. sl&?;pig. See Sleep, n.] 1. Drowsy; inclined to, or overcome by, sleep. Shak.

She waked her sleepy crew.

Dryden.

2. Tending to induce sleep; soporiferous; somniferous; as, a sleepy drink or potion. Chaucer.

3. Dull; lazy; heavy; sluggish. Shak.

'Tis not sleepy business; But must be looked to speedily and strongly.

Shak.

4. Characterized by an absence of watchfulness; as, sleepy security.

Sleepy duck (Zoöl.), the ruddy duck.

Sleep"y*head` (?), n. 1. A sleepy person.

To bed, to bed, says Sleepyhead.

Mother Goose.

2. (Zoöl.) The ruddy duck.

Sle"er (?), n. A slayer. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sleet (?), n. (Gun.) The part of a mortar extending from the chamber to the trunnions.

Sleet, n. [OE. sleet; akin to MHG. sl&?;z, sl&?;ze hailstone, G. schlosse; of uncertain origin.] Hail or snow, mingled with rain, usually falling, or driven by the wind, in fine particles.

Sleet, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sleeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sleeting.] To snow or hail with a mixture of rain.

Sleetch (?), n. [Cf. Slush, Slutch.] Mud or slime, such as that at the bottom of rivers. [Scot.]

Sleet"i*ness (?), n. The state of being sleety.

Sleet"y (?), a. Of or pertaining to sleet; characterized by sleet; as, a sleety storm; sleety weather.

Sleeve (?), n. See Sleave, untwisted thread.

Sleeve, n. [OE. sleeve, sleve, AS. sl&?;fe, sl&?;fe; akin to sl&?;fan to put on, to clothe; cf. OD. sloove the turning up of anything, sloven to turn up one's sleeves, sleve a sleeve, G. schlaube a husk, pod.] 1. The part of a garment which covers the arm; as, the sleeve of a coat or a gown. Chaucer.

2. A narrow channel of water. [R.]

The Celtic Sea, called oftentimes the Sleeve.

Drayton.

3. (Mach.) (a) A tubular part made to cover, sustain, or steady another part, or to form a connection between two parts. (b) A long bushing or thimble, as in the nave of a wheel. (c) A short piece of pipe used for covering a joint, or forming a joint between the ends of two other pipes.

Sleeve button, a detachable button to fasten the wristband or cuff. -- Sleeve links, two bars or buttons linked together, and used to fasten a cuff or wristband. -- To laugh in the sleeve, to laugh privately or unperceived, especially while apparently preserving a grave or serious demeanor toward the person or persons laughed at; that is, perhaps, originally, by hiding the face in the wide sleeves of former times. -- To pin, or hang, on the sleeve of, to be, or make, dependent upon.

Sleeve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sleeved (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sleeving.] To furnish with sleeves; to put sleeves into; as, to sleeve a coat.

Sleeved (?), a. Having sleeves; furnished with sleeves; -- often in composition; as, long- sleeved.

Sleeve"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A squid.

Sleeve"hand` (?), n. The part of a sleeve nearest the hand; a cuff or wristband. [Obs.] Shak.

Sleeve"less, a. [AS. sl&?;fleás.] 1. Having no sleeves.

2. Wanting a cover, pretext, or palliation; unreasonable; profitless; bootless; useless. [Obs.] Shak.

The vexation of a sleeveless errand.

Bp. Warburton.

Sleid (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sleided; p. pr. & vb. n. Sleiding.] [See Sley.] To sley, or prepare for use in the weaver's sley, or slaie. Shak.

Sleigh (?), a. Sly. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sleigh (?), n. [Cf. D. & LG. slede, slee, Icel. sle&?;i. See Sled.] A vehicle moved on runners, and used for transporting persons or goods on snow or ice; -- in England commonly called a sledge.

Sleigh bell, a small bell attached either to a horse when drawing a slegh, or to the sleigh itself; especially a globular bell with a loose ball which plays inside instead of a clapper.

Sleigh"ing, n. 1. The act of riding in a sleigh.

2. The state of the snow or ice which admits of running sleighs.

Sleight (?), n. [OE. sleighte, sleihte, sleithe, Icel. sl&?;g&?; (for sl&?;g&?;) slyness, cunning, fr. sl&?;gr (for sl&?;gr) sly, cunning. See Sly.] 1. Cunning; craft; artful practice. [Obs.] "His sleight and his covin." Chaucer.

2. An artful trick; sly artifice; a feat so dexterous that the manner of performance escapes observation.

The world hath many subtle sleights.

Latimer.

3. Dexterous practice; dexterity; skill. Chaucer. "The juggler's sleight." Hudibras.

Sleight of hand, legerdemain; prestidigitation.

<! p. 1354 !>

Sleight"ful (?), a. Cunning; dexterous. [Obs.]

Sleight"ly (?), adv. Cinningly. [Obs.] Huloet.

Sleight"y (?), a. Cinning; sly. [Obs.] Huloet.

Slen"der (?), a. [Compar. Slenderer (?); superl. Slenderest.] [OE. slendre, sclendre, fr. OD. slinder thin, slender, perhaps through a French form; cf. OD. slinderen, slidderen, to creep; perh. akin to E. slide.] 1. Small or narrow in proportion to the length or the height; not thick; slim; as, a slender stem or stalk of a plant. "A slender, choleric man." Chaucer.

She, as a veil down to the slender waist, Her unadorned golden tresses wore.

Milton.

2. Weak; feeble; not strong; slight; as, slender hope; a slender constitution.

Mighty hearts are held in slender chains.

Pope.

They have inferred much from slender premises.

J. H. Newman.

The slender utterance of the consonants.

J. Byrne.

3. Moderate; trivial; inconsiderable; slight; as, a man of slender intelligence.

A slender degree of patience will enable him to enjoy both the humor and the pathos.

Sir W. Scott.

4. Small; inadequate; meager; pitiful; as, slender means of support; a slender pittance.

Frequent begging makes slender alms.

Fuller.

5. Spare; abstemious; frugal; as, a slender diet.

The good Ostorius often deigned To grace my slender table with his presence.

Philips.

6. (Phon.) Uttered with a thin tone; -- the opposite of broad; as, the slender vowels long e and i.

-- Slen"der*ly, adv. -- Slen"der*ness, n.

Slent (?), n. & v. See Slant. [Obs.]

Slep (?), obs. imp. of Sleep. Slept. Chaucer.

Sle*pez" (?), n. [Russ. sliepets'.] (Zoöl.) A burrowing rodent (Spalax typhlus), native of Russia and Asia Minor. It has the general appearance of a mole, and is destitute of eyes. Called also mole rat.

Slept (?), imp. & p. p. of Sleep.

Sleuth (?), n. [Icel. slð. See Slot a track.] The track of man or beast as followed by the scent. [Scot.] Halliwell.

Sleuth"hound` (?), n. [See Sleuth, and cf. Slothound.] (Zoöl.) A hound that tracks animals by the scent; specifically, a bloodhound. [Spelt variously slouthhound, sluthhound, etc.]

Slew (?), imp. of Slay.

Slew, v. t. See Slue.

Slewed (?), a. Somewhat drunk. [Slang]

Slewth (?), n. Sloth; idleness. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sley (?), n. [AS. sl&?;, fr. sleán to strike. See Slay, v. t.] 1. A weaver's reed. [Spelt also slaie.]

2. A guideway in a knitting machine. Knight.

Sley, v. t. To separate or part the threads of, and arrange them in a reed; -- a term used by weavers. See Sleave, and Sleid.

Slib"ber (?), a. Slippery. [Obs.] Holland.

Slice (?), n. [OE. slice, sclice, OF. esclice, from esclicier, esclichier, to break to pieces, of German origin; cf. OHG. slzan to split, slit, tear, G. schleissen to slit. See Slit, v. t.] 1. A thin, broad piece cut off; as, a slice of bacon; a slice of cheese; a slice of bread.

2. That which is thin and broad, like a slice. Specifically: (a) A broad, thin piece of plaster. (b) A salver, platter, or tray. [Obs.] (c) A knife with a thin, broad blade for taking up or serving fish; also, a spatula for spreading anything, as paint or ink. (d) A plate of iron with a handle, forming a kind of chisel, or a spadelike implement, variously proportioned, and used for various purposes, as for stripping the planking from a vessel's side, for cutting blubber from a whale, or for stirring a fire of coals; a slice bar; a peel; a fire shovel. [Cant] (e) (Shipbuilding) One of the wedges by which the cradle and the ship are lifted clear of the building blocks to prepare for launching. (f) (Printing) A removable sliding bottom to galley.

Slice bar, a kind of fire iron resembling a poker, with a broad, flat end, for stirring a fire of coals, and clearing it and the grate bars from clinkers, ashes, etc.; a slice.

Slice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sliced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slicing (?).] 1. To cut into thin pieces, or to cut off a thin, broad piece from.

2. To cut into parts; to divide.

3. To clear by means of a slice bar, as a fire or the grate bars of a furnace.

Sli"cer (?), n. One who, or that which, slices; specifically, the circular saw of the lapidary.

{ Slich (?), Slick (?) }, n. (Metal.) See Schlich.

Slick (?), a. [See Sleek.] Sleek; smooth. "Both slick and dainty." Chapman.

Slick, v. t. To make sleek or smoth. "Slicked all with sweet oil." Chapman.

Slick, n. (Joinery) A wide paring chisel.

Slick"en (?), a. Sleek; smooth. [Prov. Eng.]

Slick"ens (?), n. [Cf. Slick, n.] (Mining) The pulverized matter from a quartz mill, or the lighter soil of hydraulic mines. [Local, U. S.]

Slick"en*sides` (?), n. 1. The smooth, striated, or partially polished surfaces of a fissure or seam, supposed to have been produced by the sliding of one surface on another.

2. A variety of galena found in Derbyshire, England.

Slick"er (?), n. That which makes smooth or sleek. Specifically: (a) A kind of burnisher for leather. (b) (Founding) A curved tool for smoothing the surfaces of a mold after the withdrawal of the pattern.

Slick"er, n. A waterproof coat. [Western U.S.]

Slick"ing, n. 1. The act or process of smoothing.

2. pl. (Min.) Narrow veins of ore.

Slick"ness, n. The state or quality of being slick; smoothness; sleekness.

Slid (?), imp. & p. p. of Slide.

Slid"den (?), p. p. of Slide.

Slid"der (?), v. t. [AS. sliderian. See Slide, v. t.] To slide with interruption. [Obs.] Dryden.

{ Slid"der, Slid"der*ly, Slid"der*y (?) }, a. [AS. slidor. See Slide, v. t.] Slippery. [Obs.]

To a drunk man the way is slidder.

Chaucer.

Slide (?), v. t. [imp. Slid (?); p. p. Slidden (?), Slid; p. pr. & vb. n. Slidding (?).] [OE. sliden, AS. sldan; akin to MHG. slten, also to AS. slidor slippery, E. sled, Lith. slidus slippery. Cf. Sled.] 1. To move along the surface of any body by slipping, or without walking or rolling; to slip; to glide; as, snow slides down the mountain's side.

2. Especially, to move over snow or ice with a smooth, uninterrupted motion, as on a sled moving by the force of gravity, or on the feet.

They bathe in summer, and in winter slide.

Waller.

3. To pass inadvertently.

Beware thou slide not by it.

Ecclus. xxviii. 26.

4. To pass along smoothly or unobservedly; to move gently onward without friction or hindrance; as, a ship or boat slides through the water.

Ages shall slide away without perceiving.

Dryden.

Parts answering parts shall slide into a whole.

Pope.

5. To slip when walking or standing; to fall.

Their foot shall slide in due time.

Deut. xxxii. 35.

6. (Mus.) To pass from one note to another with no perceptible cassation of sound.

7. To pass out of one's thought as not being of any consequence. [Obs. or Colloq.]

With good hope let he sorrow slide.

Chaucer.

With a calm carelessness letting everything slide.

Sir P. Sidney.

Slide, v. t. 1. To cause to slide; to thrust along; as, to slide one piece of timber along another.

2. To pass or put imperceptibly; to slip; as, to slide in a word to vary the sense of a question.

Slide, n. [AS. slde.] 1. The act of sliding; as, a slide on the ice.

2. Smooth, even passage or progress.

A better slide into their business.

Bacon.

3. That on which anything moves by sliding. Specifically: (a) An inclined plane on which heavy bodies slide by the force of gravity, esp. one constructed on a mountain side for conveying logs by sliding them down. (b) A surface of ice or snow on which children slide for amusement.

4. That which operates by sliding. Specifically: (a) A cover which opens or closes an aperture by sliding over it. (b) (Mach.) A moving piece which is guided by a part or parts along which it slides. (c) A clasp or brooch for a belt, or the like.

5. A plate or slip of glass on which is a picture or delineation to be exhibited by means of a magic lantern, stereopticon, or the like; a plate on which is an object to be examined with a microscope.

6. The descent of a mass of earth, rock, or snow down a hill or mountain side; as, a land slide, or a snow slide; also, the track of bare rock left by a land slide.

7. (Geol.) A small dislocation in beds of rock along a line of fissure. Dana.

8. (Mus.) (a) A grace consisting of two or more small notes moving by conjoint degrees, and leading to a principal note either above or below. (b) An apparatus in the trumpet and trombone by which the sounding tube is lengthened and shortened so as to produce the tones between the fundamental and its harmonics.

9. (Phonetics) A sound which, by a gradual change in the position of the vocal organs, passes imperceptibly into another sound.

10. (Steam Engine) (a) Same as Guide bar, under Guide. (b) A slide valve.

Slide box (Steam Engine), a steam chest. See under Steam. -- Slide lathe, an engine lathe. See under Lathe. -- Slide rail, a transfer table. See under Transfer. -- Slide rest (Turning lathes), a contrivance for holding, moving, and guiding, the cutting tool, made to slide on ways or guides by screws or otherwise, and having compound motion. -- Slide rule, a mathematical instrument consisting of two parts, one of which slides upon the other, for the mechanical performance of addition and subtraction, and, by means of logarithmic scales, of multiplication and division. -- Slide valve. (a) Any valve which opens and closes a passageway by sliding over a port. (b) A particular kind of sliding valve, often used in steam engines for admitting steam to the piston and releasing it, alternately, having a cuplike cavity in its face, through which the exhaust steam passes. It is situated in the steam chest, and moved by the valve gear. It is sometimes called a D valve, -- a name which is also applied to a semicylindrical pipe used as a sliding valve.

In the illustration, a is the cylinder of a steam engine, in which plays the piston p; b the steam chest, receiving its supply from the pipe i, and containing the slide valve s, which is shown as admitting steam to one end of the cylinder through the port e, and opening communication between the exhaust passage f and the port c, for the release of steam from the opposite end of the cylinder.

Slide"groat (?), n. The game of shovelboard. [Obs.]

Slid"er (?), a. See Slidder. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Slid"er, n. 1. One who, or that which, slides; especially, a sliding part of an instrument or machine.

2. (Zoöl.) The red-bellied terrapin (Pseudemys rugosa). [Local, U. S. ]

Slider pump, a form of rotary pump.

Slid"ing (?), a. 1. That slides or slips; gliding; moving smoothly.

2. Slippery; elusory. [Obs.]

That sliding science hath me made so bare.

Chaucer.

Sliding friction (Mech.), the resistance one body meets with in sliding along the surface of another, as distinguished from rolling friction. -- Sliding gunter (Naut.), a topmast arranged with metallic fittings so as to be hoisted and lowered by means of halyards. -- Sliding keel (Naut), a movable keel, similar to a centeboard. -- Sliding pair. (Mech.) See the Note under Pair, n., 7. -- Sliding rule. Same as Slide rule, under Slide, n. -- Sliding scale. (a) A scale for raising or lowering imposts in proportion to the fall or rise of prices. (b) A variable scale of wages or of prices. (c) A slide rule. -- Sliding ways (Naut.), the timber guides used in launching a vessel.

Sli*dom"e*ter (?), n. [Slide + -meter.] An instrument for indicating and recording shocks to railway cars occasioned by sudden stopping.

Slight (?), n. Sleight. Spenser.

Slight, v. t. [Cf. D. slechten to level, to demolish.] 1. To overthrow; to demolish. [Obs.] Clarendon.

2. To make even or level. [Obs.] Hexham.

3. To throw heedlessly. [Obs.]

The rogue slighted me into the river.

Shak.

Slight (?), a. [Compar. Slighter (?); superl. Slightest.] [OE. sli&?;t, sleght, probably from OD. slicht, slecht, simple, plain, D. slecht; akin to OFries. sliucht, G. schlecht, schlicht, OHG. sleht smooth, simple, Icel. sl&?;ttr smooth, Sw. slät, Goth. slaíhts; or uncertain origin.] 1. Not decidedly marked; not forcible; inconsiderable; unimportant; insignificant; not severe; weak; gentle; -- applied in a great variety of circumstances; as, a slight (i. e., feeble) effort; a slight (i. e., perishable) structure; a slight (i. e., not deep) impression; a slight (i. e., not convincing) argument; a slight (i. e., not thorough) examination; slight (i. e., not severe) pain, and the like. "At one slight bound." Milton.

Slight is the subject, but not so the praise.

Pope.

Some firmly embrace doctrines upon slight grounds.

Locke.

2. Not stout or heavy; slender.

His own figure, which was formerly so slight.

Sir W. Scott.

3. Foolish; silly; weak in intellect. Hudibras.

Slight, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Slighting.] To disregard, as of little value and unworthy of notice; to make light of; as, to slight the divine commands. Milton.

The wretch who slights the bounty of the skies.

Cowper.

To slight off, to treat slightingly; to drive off; to remove. [R.] -- To slight over, to run over in haste; to perform superficially; to treat carelessly; as, to slight over a theme. "They will but slight it over." Bacon.

Syn. -- To neglect; disregard; disdain; scorn. -- Slight, Neglect. To slight is stronger than to neglect. We may neglect a duty or person from inconsiderateness, or from being over-occupied in other concerns. To slight is always a positive and intentional act, resulting from feelings of dislike or contempt. We ought to put a kind construction on what appears neglect on the part of a friend; but when he slights us, it is obvious that he is our friend no longer.

Beware . . . lest the like befall . . . If they transgress and slight that sole command.

Milton.

This my long-sufferance, and my day of grace, Those who neglect and scorn shall never taste.

Milton.

Slight, n. The act of slighting; the manifestation of a moderate degree of contempt, as by neglect or oversight; neglect; indignity.

Syn. -- Neglect; disregard; inattention; contempt; disdain; scorn; disgrace; indignity; disparagement.

Slight, adv. Slightly. [Obs. or Poetic]

Think not so slight of glory.

Milton.

Slight"en (?), v. t. To slight. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Slight"er (?), n. One who slights.

Slight"ful (?), a. See Sleightful. [Obs.]

Slight"ing, a. Characterized by neglect or disregard.

Slight"ing*ly, adv. In a slighting manner.

Slight"ly, adv. 1. In a slight manner.

2. Slightingly; negligently. [Obs.] Shak.

Slight"ness, n. The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.

Slight"y (?), a. Slight. [Obs.] Echard.

Slik (slk), a. [See Such.] Such. [Obs. or Scot.]

Used by Chaucer as of the Northern dialect.

Slik"en*sides`, n. Same as Slickensides.

Sli"ly (?), adv. See Slyly. South.

Slim (slm), a. [Compar. Slimmer (?); superl. Slimmest.] [Formerly, bad, worthless, weak, slight, awry, fr. D. slim; akin to G. schlimm, MHG. slimp oblique, awry; of uncertain origin. The meaning of the English word seems to have been influenced by slender.] 1. Worthless; bad. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

2. Weak; slight; unsubstantial; poor; as, a slim argument. "That was a slim excuse." Barrow.

3. Of small diameter or thickness in proportion to the height or length; slender; as, a slim person; a slim tree. Grose.

Slime (?), n. [OE. slim, AS. slm; akin to D. slijm, G. schleim, MHG. slmen to make smooth, Icel. slm slime, Dan. sliim; cf. L. limare to file, polish, levis smooth, Gr. &?;&?;&?;; or cf. L. limus mud.] 1. Soft, moist earth or clay, having an adhesive quality; viscous mud.

As it [Nilus] ebbs, the seedsman Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain.

Shak.

2. Any mucilaginous substance; any substance of a dirty nature, that is moist, soft, and adhesive.

3. (Script.) Bitumen. [Archaic]

Slime had they for mortar.

Gen. xi. 3.

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4. pl. (Mining) Mud containing metallic ore, obtained in the preparatory dressing. Pryce.

5. (Physiol.) A mucuslike substance which exudes from the bodies of certain animals. Goldsmith.

Slime eel. (Zoöl.) See 1st Hag, 4. -- Slime pit, a pit for the collection of slime or bitumen.

Slime (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slimed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sliming.] To smear with slime. Tennyson.

Slim"i*ly (?), adv. In a slimy manner.

Slim"i*ness, n. The quality or state of being slimy.

Slim"ly (?), adv. In a state of slimness; in a slim manner; slenderly.

Slim"ness, n. The quality or state of being slim.

Slim"sy (?), a. Flimsy; frail. [Colloq. U.S.]

Slim"y (?), a. [Compar. Slimier (?); superl. Slimiest.] Of or pertaining to slime; resembling slime; of the nature of slime; viscous; glutinous; also, covered or daubed with slime; yielding, or abounding in, slime.

Slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy sea.

Coleridge.

Sli"ness (?), n. See Slyness.

Sling (?), n. [OE. slinge; akin to OD. slinge, D. slinger, OHG. slinga; cf. OF. eslingue, of German origin. See Sling, v. t.] 1. An instrument for throwing stones or other missiles, consisting of a short strap with two strings fastened to its ends, or with a string fastened to one end and a light stick to the other. The missile being lodged in a hole in the strap, the ends of the string are taken in the hand, and the whole whirled rapidly round until, by loosing one end, the missile is let fly with centrifugal force.

2. The act or motion of hurling as with a sling; a throw; figuratively, a stroke.

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

Shak.

At one sling Of thy victorius arm, well-pleasing Son.

Milton.

3. A contrivance for sustaining anything by suspension; as: (a) A kind of hanging bandage put around the neck, in which a wounded arm or hand is supported. (b) A loop of rope, or a rope or chain with hooks, for suspending a barrel, bale, or other heavy object, in hoisting or lowering. (c) A strap attached to a firearm, for suspending it from the shoulder. (d) (Naut.) A band of rope or iron for securing a yard to a mast; -- chiefly in the plural.

Sling cart, a kind of cart used to transport cannon and their carriages, large stones, machines, etc., the objects transported being slung, or suspended by a chain attached to the axletree. -- Sling dog, one of a pair of iron hooks used as part of a sling. See def. 3 (b) above.

Sling, v. t. [imp. Slung (?), Archaic Slang (&?;); p. p. Slung; p. pr. & vb. n. Slinging.] [AS. slingan; akin to D. slingeren, G. schlingen, to wind, to twist, to creep, OHG. slingan to wind, to twist, to move to and fro, Icel. slyngva, slöngva, to sling, Sw. slunga, Dan. slynge, Lith. slinkti to creep.] 1. To throw with a sling. "Every one could sling stones at an hairbreadth, and not miss." Judg. xx. 16.

2. To throw; to hurl; to cast. Addison.

3. To hang so as to swing; as, to sling a pack.

4. (Naut) To pass a rope round, as a cask, gun, etc., preparatory to attaching a hoisting or lowering tackle.

Sling, n. [Cf. G. schlingen to swallow.] A drink composed of spirit (usually gin) and water sweetened.

Sling"er (?), n. One who slings, or uses a sling.

Slink (?), v. t. [imp. Slunk (?), Archaic Slank (&?;); p. p. Slunk; p. pr. & vb. n. Slinking.] [AS. slincan; probably akin to G. schleichen, E. sleek. See Sleek, a.] 1. To creep away meanly; to steal away; to sneak. "To slink away and hide." Tale of Beryn.

Back to the thicket slunk The guilty serpent.

Milton.

There were some few who slank obliquely from them as they passed.

Landor.

2. To miscarry; -- said of female beasts.

Slink, v. t. To cast prematurely; - - said of female beasts; as, a cow that slinks her calf.

Slink, a. 1. Produced prematurely; as, a slink calf.

2. Thin; lean. [Scot.]

Slink, n. 1. The young of a beast brought forth prematurely, esp. a calf brought forth before its time.

2. A thievish fellow; a sneak. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Slink"y (?), a. Thin; lank. [Prov. Eng. & U. S.]

Slip (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Slipped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Slipping.] [OE. slippen; akin to LG. & D. slippen, MHG. slipfen (cf. Dan. slippe, Sw. slippa, Icel. sleppa), and fr. OE. slipen, AS. slpan (in comp.), akin to G. schleifen to slide, glide, drag, whet, OHG. slfan to slide, glide, make smooth, Icel. slpa to whet; cf. also AS. sl&?;pan, Goth. sliupan, OS. slopian, OHG. sliofan, G. schliefen, schl&?;pfen, which seem to come from a somewhat different root form. Cf. Slope, n.] 1. To move along the surface of a thing without bounding, rolling, or stepping; to slide; to glide.

2. To slide; to lose one's footing or one's hold; not to tread firmly; as, it is necessary to walk carefully lest the foot should slip.

3. To move or fly (out of place); to shoot; -- often with out, off, etc.; as, a bone may slip out of its place.

4. To depart, withdraw, enter, appear, intrude, or escape as if by sliding; to go or come in a quiet, furtive manner; as, some errors slipped into the work.

Thus one tradesman slips away, To give his partner fairer play.

Prior.

Thrice the flitting shadow slipped away.

Dryden.

5. To err; to fall into error or fault.

There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart.

Ecclus. xix. 16.

To let slip, to loose from the slip or noose, as a hound; to allow to escape.

Cry, "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of war.

Shak.

Slip (?), v. t. 1. To cause to move smoothly and quickly; to slide; to convey gently or secretly.

He tried to slip a powder into her drink.

Arbuthnot.

2. To omit; to loose by negligence.

And slip no advantage That my secure you.

B. Jonson.

3. To cut slips from; to cut; to take off; to make a slip or slips of; as, to slip a piece of cloth or paper.

The branches also may be slipped and planted.

Mortimer.

4. To let loose in pursuit of game, as a greyhound.

Lucento slipped me like his greyhound.

Shak.

5. To cause to slip or slide off, or out of place; as, a horse slips his bridle; a dog slips his collar.

6. To bring forth (young) prematurely; to slink.

To slip a cable. (Naut.) See under Cable. -- To slip off, to take off quickly; as, to slip off a coat. -- To slip on, to put on in haste or loosely; as, to slip on a gown or coat.

Slip, n. [AS. slipe, slip.] 1. The act of slipping; as, a slip on the ice.

2. An unintentional error or fault; a false step.

This good man's slip mended his pace to martyrdom.

Fuller.

3. A twig separated from the main stock; a cutting; a scion; hence, a descendant; as, a slip from a vine.

A native slip to us from foreign seeds.

Shak.

The girlish slip of a Sicilian bride.

R. Browning.

4. A slender piece; a strip; as, a slip of paper.

Moonlit slips of silver cloud.

Tennyson.

A thin slip of a girl, like a new moon Sure to be rounded into beauty soon.

Longfellow.

5. A leash or string by which a dog is held; - - so called from its being made in such a manner as to slip, or become loose, by relaxation of the hand.

We stalked over the extensive plains with Killbuck and Lena in the slips, in search of deer.

Sir S. Baker.

6. An escape; a secret or unexpected desertion; as, to give one the slip. Shak.

7. (Print.) A portion of the columns of a newspaper or other work struck off by itself; a proof from a column of type when set up and in the galley.

8. Any covering easily slipped on. Specifically: (a) A loose garment worn by a woman. (b) A child's pinafore. (c) An outside covering or case; as, a pillow slip. (d) The slip or sheath of a sword, and the like. [R.]

9. A counterfeit piece of money, being brass covered with silver. [Obs.] Shak.

10. Matter found in troughs of grindstones after the grinding of edge tools. [Prov. Eng.] Sir W. Petty.

11. Potter's clay in a very liquid state, used for the decoration of ceramic ware, and also as a cement for handles and other applied parts.

12. A particular quantity of yarn. [Prov. Eng.]

13. An inclined plane on which a vessel is built, or upon which it is hauled for repair.

14. An opening or space for vessels to lie in, between wharves or in a dock; as, Peck slip. [U. S.]

15. A narrow passage between buildings. [Eng.]

16. A long seat or narrow pew in churches, often without a door. [U. S.]

17. (Mining.) A dislocation of a lead, destroying continuity. Knight.

18. (Engin.) The motion of the center of resistance of the float of a paddle wheel, or the blade of an oar, through the water horozontally, or the difference between a vessel's actual speed and the speed which she would have if the propelling instrument acted upon a solid; also, the velocity, relatively to still water, of the backward current of water produced by the propeller.

19. (Zoöl.) A fish, the sole.

20. (Cricket) A fielder stationed on the off side and to the rear of the batsman. There are usually two of them, called respectively short slip, and long slip.

To give one the slip, to slip away from one; to elude one. -- Slip dock. See under Dock. -- Slip link (Mach.), a connecting link so arranged as to allow some play of the parts, to avoid concussion. -- Slip rope (Naut.), a rope by which a cable is secured preparatory to slipping. Totten. -- Slip stopper (Naut.), an arrangement for letting go the anchor suddenly.

Slip"board` (?), n. A board sliding in grooves.

Slip"coat` cheese" (?). A rich variety of new cheese, resembling butter, but white. Halliwell.

Slipes (?), n. pl. [Cf. Slip, v.] Sledge runners on which a skip is dragged in a mine.

Slip"knot` (?), n. knot which slips along the rope or line around which it is made.

Slip"-on` (?), n. A kind of overcoat worn upon the shoulders in the manner of a cloak. [Scot.]

Slip"page (?), n. The act of slipping; also, the amount of slipping.

Slip"per (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, slips.

2. A kind of light shoe, which may be slipped on with ease, and worn in undress; a slipshoe.

3. A kind of apron or pinafore for children.

4. A kind of brake or shoe for a wagon wheel.

5. (Mach.) A piece, usually a plate, applied to a sliding piece, to receive wear and afford a means of adjustment; -- also called shoe, and gib.

Slipper animalcule (Zoöl.), a ciliated infusorian of the genus Paramecium. -- Slipper flower.(Bot.) Slipperwort. - - Slipper limpet, or Slipper shell (Zoöl.), a boat shell.

Slip"per, a. [AS. slipur.] Slippery. [Obs.]

O! trustless state of earthly things, and slipper hope Of mortal men.

Spenser.

Slip"pered (?), a. Wearing slippers. Shak.

Slip"per*i*ly (?), adv. In a slippery manner.

Slip"per*i*ness, n. The quality of being slippery.

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