Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (part 13 of 60)

Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (part 13 of 60)

COVENTRY Cov"en*try (kv"en-tr), n.

Defn: A town in the county of Warwick, England. To send to Coventry, to exclude from society; to shut out from social intercourse, as for ungentlemanly conduct. -- Coventry blue, blue thread of a superior dye, made at Coventry, England, and used for embroidery.

COVER Cov"er (kv"r), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Covered (-rd); p. pr. & vb. n. Covering.] Etym: [OF. covrir, F. couvrir, fr. L. cooperire; co- + operire to cover; probably fr. ob towards, over + the root appearing in aperire to open. Cf. Aperient, Overt, Curfew.]

1. To overspread the surface of (one thing) with another; as, to cover wood with paint or lacquer; to cover a table with a cloth.

2. To envelop; to clothe, as with a mantle or cloak. And with the majesty of darkness round Covers his throune. Milton. All that beauty than doth cover thee. Shak.

3. To invest (one's self with something); to bring upon (one's self); as, he covered himself with glory. The powers that covered themselves with everlasting infamy by the partition of Poland. Brougham.

4. To hide sight; to conceal; to cloak; as, the snemy were covered from our sight by the woods. A cloud covered the mount. Exod. xxiv. 15. In vain shou striv'st to cover shame with shame. Milton.

5. To brood or sit on; to incubate. While the hen is covering her eggs, the male . . . diverts her with his songs. Addison.

6. To overwhelm; to spread over. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen. Ex. xiv. 28.

7. To shelter, as from evil or danger; to protect; to defend; as, the cavalry covered the retreat. His calm and blameless life Does with substantial blessedness abound, And the soft wings of peace cover him round. Cowley.

8. To remove from remembrance; to put away; to remit."Blessed is he whose is covered." Ps. xxxii. 1.

9. To extend over; to be sufficient for; to comprehend, include, or embrace; to account for or solve; to counterbalance; as, a mortgage which fully covers a sum loaned on it; a law which covers all possible cases of a crime; receipts than do not cover expenses.

10. To put the usual covering or headdress on. Cover thy head . . . ; nay, prithee, be covered. Shak.

11. To copulate with (a female); to serve; as. a horse covers a mare; -- said of the male. To cover ground or distance, to pass over; as, the rider covered the ground in an hour. -- To cover one's short contracts (Stock Exchange), to buy stock when the market rises, as a dealer who has sold short does in order to protect himself. -- Covering party (Mil.), a detachment of troops sent for the protection of another detachment, as of men working in the trenches. -- To cover into, to transfer to; as, to cover into the treasury.

Syn. -- To shelter; screen; shield; hide; overspread.

COVER Cov"er (kv"r), n.

1. Anything which is laid, set, or spread, upon, about, or over, another thing; an envelope; a lid; as, the cover of a book.

2. Anything which weils or conceals; a screen; disguise; a cloack. "Under cover of the night." Macualay. A hendsome cover for imperfections. Collier.

3. Shelter; protection; as, the troops fought under cover of the batteries; the woods afforded a good cover. Being compelled to lodge in the field . . . whilst his army was under cover, they might be forced to retire. Clarendon.

4. (Huntig)

Defn: The woods, underbrush, etc., which shelter and conceal game; covert; as, to beat a cover; to ride to cover.

5. That portion of a slate, tile, or shingle, which is hidden by the overlap of the course above. Knight.

6. (Steam Engine)

Defn: The lap of a slide valve.

7. Etym: [Cf. F. couvert.]

Defn: A tablecloth, and the other table furniture; esp., the table furniture for the use of one person at a meal; as, covers were laid for fifty guests. To break cover, to start from a covert or lair; -- said of game. -- Under cover, in an envelope, or within a letter; -- said of a written message. Letters . . . dispatched under cover to her ladyship. Thackeray.

COVER Cov"er, v. i.

Defn: To spread a table for a meal; to prepare a banquet. [Obs.] Shak.

COVERAGE Cov"er*age, n.

Defn: The aggregate of risks covered by the terms of a contract of insurance.

COVERCHIEF Cov"er*chief (chf), n. Etym: [See Kerchef.]

Defn: A covering for the head. [Obs.] Chaucer.

COVERCLE Cov"er*cle (kv"r-k'l), n. Etym: [OF. covercle, F. couvercle, fr. L. coöperculum fr. coöperire. See cover]

Defn: A small cover; a lid. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

COVER CROP Cov"er crop.

Defn: A catch crop planted, esp. in orchards. as a protection to the soil in winter, as well as for the benefit of the soil when plowed under in spring.

COVERED Cov"ered (kv"rd), a.

Defn: Under cover; screened; sheltered; not exposed; hidden. Covered way (Fort.), a corridor or banquette along the top of the counterscarp and covered by an embankment whose slope forms the glacis. It gives the garrisonn an open line of communication around the works, and a standing place beyond the ditch. See Illust. of Ravelin.

COVERER Cov"er*er (-r), n.

Defn: One who, or that which, covers.

COVERING Cov"er*ing, n.

Defn: Anything which covers or conceals, as a roof, a screen, a wrapper, clothing, etc. Noah removed the covering of the ark. Gen. viii. 13. They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold. Job. xxiv. 7. A covering over the well's mouth. 2 Sam. xvii. 19.

COVERLET Cov"er*let (kv"r-lt), n. Etym: [F. couvre-lit; couvrir to cover + lit bed, fr. L. lectus bed. See Cover.]

Defn: The uppermost cover of a bed or of any piece of furniture. Lay her in lilies and in violets . . . And odored sheets and arras coverlets. Spenser.

COVERLID Cov"er*lid (-ld), n.

Defn: A coverlet. All the coverlid was clocth of gold. Tennyson.

COVER-POINT Cov"er-point` (-point!), n.

Defn: The fielder in the games of cricket and lacrosse who supports "point."

COVERSED SINE Co*versed" sine (k-vrst" sn`). Etym: [Co- (=co- in co- sine) + versed sine.] (Geom.)

Defn: The versed sine of the complement of an arc or angle. See Illust. of Functions.

COVER-SHAME Cov"er-shame` (-shm`), n.

Defn: Something used to conceal infamy. [Obs.] Dryden.

COVERSIDE Cov"er*side`, n.

Defn: A region of country having covers; a hunting country.

COVERT Cov"ert (kv"rt), a. Etym: [OF. covert, F. couvert, p. p. of couvrir. See Cover, v. t.]

1. Covered over; private; hid; secret; disguised. How covert matters may be best disclosed. Shak. Whether of open war or covert guile. Milton

2. Sheltered; not open or exposed; retired; protected; as, a covert nook. Wordsworth. Of either side the green, to plant a covert alley. Bacon.

3. (Law)

Defn: Under cover, authority or protection; as, a feme covert, a married woman who is considered as being under the protection and control of her husband. Covert way, (Fort.) See Covered way, under Covered.

Syn. -- Hidden; secret; private; covered; disguised; insidious; concealed. See Hidden.

COVERT Cov"ert, n. Etym: [OF. See Covert, a.]

1. A place that covers and protects; a shelter; a defense. A tabernacle . . . for a covert from storm. Is. iv. 6. The highwayman has darted from his covered by the wayside. Prescott.

2. Etym: [Cf. F. couverte.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the special feathers covering the bases of the quills of the wings and tail of a bird. See Illust. of Bird.

COVERT BARON Cov"ert bar`on (br`n). (Law)

Defn: Under the protection of a husband; married. Burrill.

COVERTLY Cov"ert*ly, adv.

Defn: Secretly; in private; insidiously.

COVERTNESS Cov"ert*ness (kv"rt-ns), n.

Defn: Secrecy; privacy. [R.]

COVERTURE Cov"er*ture (kv"r-tr; 135), n. Etym: [OF. coverture,F.couverture.]

1. Covering; shelter; defence; hiding. Protected by walls or other like coverture. Woodward. Beatrice, who even now Is couched in the woodbine coverture. Shak.

2. (Law)

Defn: The condition of a woman during marriage, because she is considered under the cover, influence, power, and protection of her husband, and therefore called a feme covert, or femme couverte.

COVET Cov"et (kv"t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Covered; p. pr. & vb. n. Coveting.] Etym: [OF. coveitier, covoitier, F. convoiter, from a derivative fr. L. cupere to desire; cf. Skr. kup to become excited. Cf. Cupidity.]

1. To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of; -- used in a good sen Covet earnestly the best gifts. 1. Cor. xxii. 31. If it be a sin to covet honor, I am the most offending soul alive. Shak.

2. To long for inordinately or unlawfully; to hanker after (something forbidden). Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Ex. xx. 17.

Syn: To long for; desire; hanker after; crave.

COVET Cov"et, v. i.

Defn: To have or indulge inordinate desire. Which [money] while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith. 1 Tim. vi. 10.

COVETABLE Cov"et*a*ble (kv"t--b'l), a.

Defn: That may be coveted; desirable.

COVETER Cov"et*er (-r), n.

Defn: One who covets.

COVETISE Cov"et*ise (-s), n. Etym: [OF. coveitise, F. convoitise. See Covet, v. t. ]

Defn: Avarice. [Obs.] Spenser.

COVETIVENESS Cov"et*ive*ness (-v-), n. (Phren.)

Defn: Acquisitiveness.

COVETOUS Cov"et*ous (kv"t-s), a. Etym: [OF. coveitos, F. convoiteux. See Covet, v. t.]

1. Very desirous; eager to obtain; -- used in a good sense. [Archaic] Covetous of wisdom and fair virtue. Shak. Covetous death bereaved us all, To aggrandize one funeral. Emerson.

2. Inordinately desirous; excessively eager to obtain and possess (esp. money); avaricious; -- in a bad sense. The covetous person lives as if the world were madealtogether for him, and not he for the world. South.

Syn. -- Avaricious; parsimonious; penurious; misrely; niggardly. See Avaricious.

COVETOUSLY Cov"et*ous*ly, adv.

Defn: In a covetous manner.

COVETOUSNESS Cov"et*ous*ness, n.

1. Strong desire. [R.] When workmen strive to do better than well, They do confound their skill in covetousness. Shak.

2. A strong or inordinate desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good; excessive desire for riches or money; -- in a bad sense. Covetousness, by a greed of getting more, deprivess itself of the true end of getting. Sprat.

Syn. -- Avarice; cupidity; eagerness.

COVEY Cov"ey (kv"), n. Etym: [OF. cov, F. couv, fr. cover, F. couver, to sit or brood on, fr. L. cubare to lie down; cf. E. incubate. See Cubit, and cf. Cove to brood.]

1. A brood or hatch of birds; an old bird with her brood of young; hence, a small flock or number of birds together; -- said of game; as, a covey of partridges. Darwin.

2. A company; a bevy; as, a covey of girls. Addison.

COVEY Cov"ey, v. i.

Defn: To brood; to incubate. [Obs.] [Tortoises] covey a whole year before they hatch. Holland.

COVEY Cov"ey, n.

Defn: A pantry. [Prov. Eng.] Parker.

COVIN Cov"in (kv"n), n. Etym: [OF. covine, covaine, fr. covenir to agree. See Covenant.]

1. (Law)

Defn: A collusive agreement between two or more persons to prejudice a third.

2. Deceit; fraud; artifice. [Obs.] Chaucer.

COVING Cov"ing, n. (Arch.) (a) A cove or series of coves, as the concaved surface under the overhang of a projecting upper story. (b) The splayed jambs of a flaring fireplace.

COVINOUS Cov"in*ous (kv"n-s), a. (Law)

Defn: Deceitful; collusive; fraudulent; dishonest.

COW Cow (kou), n. Etym: [See Cowl a hood.]

Defn: A chimney cap; a cowl

COW Cow, n.; pl. Cows (kouz); old pl. Kine (k. Etym: [OE. cu, cou, AS. c; akin to D. koe, G. kuh, OHG. kuo, Icel. k, Dan. & Sw. ko, L. bos ox, cow, Gr. g. sq. root223. Cf. Beef, Bovine, Bucolic, Butter, Nylghau.]

1. The mature female of bovine animals.

2. The female of certain large mammals, as whales, seals, etc.

COW Cow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cowed (koud);; p. pr. & vb. n. Cowing.] Etym: [Cf. Icel. kuga, Sw. kufva to check, subdue, Dan. kue. Cf. Cuff, v. t.]

Defn: To depress with fear; to daunt the spirits or courage of; to overawe. To vanquish a people already cowed. Shak. THe French king was cowed. J. R. Green.

COW Cow, n. Etym: [Prob. from same root as cow, v.t.] (Mining)

Defn: A wedge, or brake, to check the motion of a machine or car; a chock. Knight.

COWAGE Cow"age (kou1j), n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Cowhage.

COWALKER Co`walk"er, n.

Defn: A phantasmic or "astral" body deemed to be separable from the physical body and capable of acting independently; a doppelgänger.

COWAN Cow"an (kou"an), n. Etym: [Cf. OF. couillon a coward, a cullion.]

Defn: One who works as a mason without having served a regular apprenticeship. [Scot.]

Note: Among Freemasons, it is a cant term for pretender, interloper.

COWARD Cow"ard (kou"rd), a. Etym: [OF. couard, coard, coart, n. and adj., F. couard, fr. OF. coe, coue, tail, F. queue (fr. L. coda, a form of cauda tail) + -ard; orig., short-tailed, as an epithet of the hare, or perh., turning tail, like a scared dog. Cf. Cue, Queue, Caudal.]

1. (Her.)

Defn: Borne in the escutcheon with his tail doubled between his legs; -- said of a lion.

2. Destitute of courage; timid; cowardly. Fie, coward woman, and soft-hearted wretch. Shak.

3. Belonging to a coward; proceeding from, or expressive of, base fear or timidity. He raised the house with loud and coward cries. Shak. Invading fears repel my coward joy. Proir.

COWARD Cow"ard, n.

Defn: A person who lacks courage; a timid or pusillanimous person; a poltroon. A fool is nauseous, but a coward worse. Dryden.

Syn. -- Craven; poltroon; dastard.

COWARD Cow"ard, v. t.

Defn: To make timoroys; to frighten. [Obs.] That which cowardeth a man's heart. Foxe.

COWARDICE Cow"ard*ice (-s), n. Etym: [F. couardise, fr. couard. See Coward.]

Defn: Want of courage to face danger; extreme timidity; pusillanimity; base fear of danger or hurt; lack of spirit. The cowardice of doing wrong. Milton. Moderation was despised as cowardice. Macualay.

COWARDIE Cow"ard*ie (kou"rd-), n. Etym: [OF. couardie.]

Defn: Cowardice. [Obs.]

COWARDISH Cow"ard*ish, a.

Defn: Cowardly. [Obs.] " A base and a cowardish mind." Robynson (More's Utopia).

COWARDIZE Cow"ard*ize (-, v. t.

Defn: To render cowardly. [Obs.] God . . . cowardizeth . . . insolent spirits. Bp. Hall.

COWARDLINESS Cow"ard*li*ness (-l-ns), n.

Defn: Cowardice.

COWARDLY Cow"ard*ly, a.

1. Wanting courage; basely or weakly timid or fearful; pusillanimous; spiritless. The cowardly rascals that ran from the battle. Shak.

2. Proceeding from fear of danger or other consequences; befitting a coward; dastardly; base; as, cowardly malignity. Macualay. The cowardly rashness of those who dare not look danger in the face. Burke.

Syn. -- Timid; fearful; timorous; dastardly; pusillanimous; recreant; craven; faint-hearted; chicken-hearted; white-livered.

COWARDLY Cow"ard*ly, adv.

Defn: In the manner of a coward. Spenser.

COWARDSHIP Cow"ard*ship, n.

Defn: Cowardice. [Obs.] Shak.

COWBANE Cow"bane` (kou"bn`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A poisonous umbelliferous plant; in England, the Cicuta virosa; in the United States, the Cicuta maculata and the Archemora rigida. See Water hemlock.

COWBERRY Cow"ber`ry (-br`r), n.; pl. Cowberries (-r. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of Vaccinium (V. Vitis-id), which bears acid red berries which are sometimes used in cookery; -- locally called mountain cranberry.

COWBIRD Cow"bird` (-brd`), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The cow blackbird (Molothrus ater), an American starling. Like the European cuckoo, it builds no nest, but lays its eggs in the nests of other birds; -- so called because frequently associated with cattle.

COWBLAKES Cow"blakes` (-blks`), n. pl.

Defn: Dried cow dung used as fuel.[Prov. Eng.] Simmonds.

COWBOY Cow"boy` (-boi`), n.

1. A cattle herder; a drover; specifically, one of an adventurous class of herders and drovers on the plains of the Western and Southwestern United States.

2. One of the marauders who, in the Revolutionary War infested the neutral ground between the American and British lines, and committed depredations on the Americans.

COWCATCHER Cow"catch`er (-kch`r), n.

Defn: A strong inclined frame, usually of wrought-iron bars, in front of a locomotive engine, for catching or throwing off obstructions on a railway, as cattle; the pilot. [U.S.]

COWDIE Cow"die (kou"d), n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Kauri.

COWER Cow"er (-r), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cowered (-rd);p. pr. & vb. n. Cowering.] Etym: [Cf. Icel. kera to doze, liequiet, Sw. kura, Dan. kure, G. kauern to cower, W. cwrian.]

Defn: To stoop by bending the knees; to crouch; to squat; hence, to quail; to sink through fear. Our dame sits cowering o'er a kitchen fire. Dryden. Like falcons, cowering on the nest. Goldsmith.

COWER Cow"er (kou"r), v. t.

Defn: To cherish with care. [Obs.]

COWFISH Cow"fish` (-fch`), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The grampus. (b) A California dolphin (Tursiops Gillii). (c) A marine plectognath fish (Ostracoin quadricorne, and allied species), having two projections, like horns, in front; -- called also cuckold, coffer fish, trunkfish.

COWHAGE Cow"hage (kou"hj), n. Etym: [Cf. Hind. kaw, ko.] (Bot.)

Defn: A leguminous climbing plant of the genus Mucuna, having crooked pods covered with sharp hairs, which stick to the fingers, causing intolerable itching. The spiculæ are sometimes used in medicine as a mechanical vermifuge. [Written also couhage, cowage, and cowitch.]

COWHEARTED Cow"heart`ed (-hrt`d), a.

Defn: Cowardly. The Lady Powis . . . patted him with her fan, and called him a cowhearted fellow. R. North.

COWHERD Cow"herd` (-hrd`), n. Etym: [AS. c; c cow + hyrde a herder.]

Defn: One whose occupation is to tend cows.

COWHIDE Cow"hide` (-hd`), n.

1. The hide of a cow.

2. Leather made of the hide of a cow.

3. A coarse whip made of untanned leather.

COWHIDE Cow"hide`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cowhided; p. pr. & vb. n. Cowhiding.]

Defn: To flog with a cowhide.

COWISH Cow"ish (kou"sh), a. Etym: [From Cow, v. t.]

Defn: Timorous; fearful; cowardly. [R.] Shak.

COWISH Cow"ish, n. (Bot.)

Defn: An umbelliferous plant (Peucedanum Cous) with edible tuberous roots, found in Oregon. [Written also cous.]

COWITCH Cow"itch (kou"ch; 224), n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Cowhage.

COWL Cowl (koul), n. Etym: [AS cuhle, cugle, cugele; cf. dial. G. kogel, gugel, OF. coule, goule; all fr. LL. cuculla, cucullus, fr. L. cucullus cap, hood; perh. akin to celare to conceal, cella cell. Cf. Cucullate.]

1. A monk's hood; -- usually attached to the gown. The nname was also applied to the hood and garment together. What differ more, you cry, than crown and cowl Pope.

2. A cowl-shaped cap, commonly turning with the wind, used to improve the draft of a chimney, ventilatingshaft, etc.

3. A wire cap for the smokestack of a locomotive.

COWL Cowl, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. cuvele, cuvel, dim. of F. cuve tub, vat, fr. L. cupa. See Cup.]

Defn: A vessel carried on a pole between two persons, for conveyance of water. Johnson.

COWLED Cowled (kould), a.

Defn: Wearing a cowl; hooded; as, a cowled monk. "That cowled churchman." Emerson.

COWLEECH Cow"leech` (kou"lch`), n. Etym: [2d cow + leech a physician.]

Defn: One who heals disease of cows; a cow doctor.

COWLEECHING Cow"leech`ing, n.

Defn: Healing the distemper of cows.

COWLICK Cow"lick` (-lk`), n.

Defn: A tuft of hair turned up or awry (usually over the forehead), as if licked by a cow.

COWLIKE Cow"like` (-lk`), a.

Defn: Resembling a cow. With cowlike udders and with oxlike eyes. Pope.

COWLSTAFF Cowl"staff` (koul"stf`), n. Etym: [Cowl a vessel + staff.]

Defn: A staff or pole on which a vessel is supported between two persons. Suckling.

COWORKER Co`work"er (k`wrk"r), n.

Defn: One who works with another; a co

COW PARSLEY Cow" pars`ley (kou` prs`l). (Bot.)

Defn: An umbelliferous plant of the genus Chærophyllum (C. temulum and C. sylvestre).

COW PARSNIP Cow" pars`nip (-np). (Bot.)

Defn: A coarse umbelliferous weed of the genus Heracleum (H. sphondylium in England, and H. lanatum in America).

COWPEA Cow"pea` (-p`), n.

Defn: The seed of one or more leguminous plants of the genus Dolichos; also, the plant itself. Many varieties are cultivated in the southern part of the United States.

COWPER'S GLANDS Cow"per's glands` (kou"prz glndz`). Etym: [After the discoverer, William Cowper, an English surgeon.] (Anat.)

Defn: Two small glands discharging into the male urethra.

COW-PILOT Cow"-pi`lot (kou"p`lt), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A handsomely banded, coral-reef fish, of Florida and the West Indies (Pomacentrus saxatilis); -- called also mojarra.

COWPOCK Cow"pock` (-pk`), n.

Defn: See Cowpox. Dunglison.

COWPOX Cow"pox` (--pks`), n. (Med.)

Defn: A pustular eruptive disease of the cow, which, when communicated to the human system, as by vaccination, protects from the smallpox; vaccinia; -- called also kinepox, cowpock, and kinepock. Dunglison.

COWQUAKE Cow"quake` (-kwk`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of plants (Briza); quaking grass.

COWRIE Cow"rie (-r), n. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Kauri.

COWRIE; COWRY Cow"rie Cow"ry (kou"r), n.; pl. Cowries (-r. Etym: [Hind. kaur.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A marine shell of the genus Cypræa.

Note: There are numerous species, many of them ornamental. Formerly C. moneta and several other species were largely used as money in Africa and some other countries, and they are still so used to some extent. The value is always trifling, and varies at different places.

COWSLIP Cow"slip` (-slp`), n. Etym: [AS. c, c, prob. orig., cow's droppings. Cf. Slop, n.] (Bot.)

1. A common flower in England (Primula veris) having yellow blossoms and appearing in early spring. It is often cultivated in the United States.

2. In the United States, the marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), appearing in wet places in early spring and often used as a pot herb. It is nearer to a buttercup than to a true cowslip. See Illust. of Marsh marigold. American cowslip (Bot.), a pretty flower of the West (Dodecatheon Meadia), belonging to the same order (Primulaceæ) with the English cowslip. -- French cowslip (Bot.), bear's-ear (Primula Auricula).

COWSLIPPED Cow"slipped` (-slpt`), a.

Defn: Adorned with cowslips. "Cowslipped lawns." Keats.

COW'S LUNGWORT Cow's" lung"wort` (kouz" lng"wrt`).

Defn: Mullein.

COW TREE Cow" tree` (kou" tr`). Etym: [Cf. SP. palo de vaca.] (Bot.)

Defn: A tree (Galactodendron utile or Brosimum Galactodendron) of South America, which yields, on incision, a nourishing fluid, resembling milk.

COWWEED Cow"weed" (-wEd`),, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Cow parsley.

COWWHEAT Cow"wheat` (-hwt`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A weed of the genus Melampyrum, with black seeds, found on European wheatfields.

COX Cox (kks), n. Etym: [OE. cokes. Cf. Coax.]

Defn: A coxcomb; a simpleton; a gull. [Obs.] Go; you're a brainless cox, a toy, a fop. Beau. & Fl.

COXA Cox"a (kks"), n. Etym: [L., the hip.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The first joint of the leg of an insect or crustacean.

COXALGIA; COXALGY Cox*al"gi*a (-l"j-), Cox"al`gy (kks"l`j), n. Etym: [NL. coxalgia, fr. L. coxa hip. + Gr. coxalgie.] (Med.)

Defn: Pain in the hip.

COXCOMB Cox"comb` (kks"km`), n. Etym: [A corrupted spelling of cock's comb.]

1. (a) A strip of red cloth notched like the comb of a cock, which licensed jesters formerly wore in their caps. (b) The cap itself.

2. The top of the head, or the head itself. We will belabor you a little better, And beat a little more care into your coxcombs. Beau & Fl.

3. A vain, showy fellow; a conceited, silly man, fond of display; a superficial pretender to knowledge or accomplishments; a fop. Fond to be seen, she kept a bevy Of powdered coxcombs at her levee. Goldsmith. Some are bewildered in the maze of schools, And some made coxcombs, nature meant but fools. Pope.

4. (Bot.)

Defn: A name given to several plants of different genera, but particularly to Celosia cristata, or garden cockscomb. Same as Cockscomb.

COXCOMBICAL Cox*comb"ic*al (kks-km"-kal), a.

Defn: Befitting or indicating a coxcomb; like a coxcomb; foppish; conceited. -- Cox*comb"ic*al*ly, adv. Studded all over in coxcombical fashion with little brass nails. W. Irving.

COXCOMBLY Cox"comb"ly (kks"km`l), a.

Defn: like a coxcomb. [Obs.] "You coxcombly ass, you!" Beau & Fl.

COXCOMBRY Cox"comb`ry (-r), n.

Defn: The manners of a coxcomb; foppishness.

COXCOMICAL Cox*com"ic*al (kks-km"-kal), a.

Defn: Coxcombical. [R.]

COXCOMICALLY Cox*com"ic*al*ly, adv.

Defn: Conceitedly. [R.]

COXSWAIN Cox"swain` (kk"swn, Colloq. kk"s'n), n.

Defn: See Cockswain.

COY Coy (koi), a. Etym: [OE. coi quiet, still, OF. coi, coit, fr.L. quietus quiet, p. p. of quiescere to rest, quie rest; prob. akin to E. while. See While, and cf. Quiet, Quit, Quite.]

1. Quiet; still. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. Shrinking from approach or familiarity; reserved; bashful; shy; modest; -- usually applied to women, sometimes with an implication of coquetry. Coy, and difficult to win. Cowper. Coy and furtive graces. W. Irving. Nor the coy maid, half willings to be pressed, Shall kiss the cup, to pass it to the rest. Goldsmith.

3. Soft; gentle; hesitating. Enforced hate, Instead of love's coy touch, shall rudely tear thee. Shak.

Syn. -- Shy; shriking; reserved; modest; bashful; backward; distant.

COY Coy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coyed (koid); p. pr. & vb. n. Coying.]

1. To allure; to entice; to decoy. [Obs.] A wiser generation, who have the art to coy the fonder sort into their nets. Bp. Rainbow.

2. To caress with the hand; to stroke. Come sit thee down upon this flowery bed, While I thy amiable cheeks do coy. Shak.

COY Coy, v. i.

1. To behave with reserve or coyness; to shrink from approach or familiarity. [Obs.] Thus to coy it, With one who knows you too! Rowe.

2. To make difficulty; to be unwilling. [Obs.] If he coyed To hear Cominius speak, I 'll keep at home. Shak.

COYISH Coy"ish, a.

Defn: Somewhat coy or reserved. Warner.

COYLY Coy"ly, adv.

Defn: In a coy manner; with reserve.

COYNESS Coy"ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being coy; feigned o When the kind nymph would coyness feign, And hides but to be found again. Dryden.

Syn. -- Reserve; shrinking; shyness; backwardness; modesty; bashfulness.

COYOTE Coy"o*te (k"-t or k"t), n. Etym: [Spanish Amer., fr. Mexican coyotl.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A carnivorous animal (Canis latrans), allied to the dog, found in the western part of North America; -- called also prairie wolf. Its voice is a snapping bark, followed by a prolonged, shrill howl.

COYOTE STATE Coyote State.

Defn: South Dakota; -- a nickname.

COYOTILLO Co`yo*til"lo, n. [Mex. Sp. dim. See Coyote.]

Defn: A low rhamnaceous shrub (Karwinskia humboldtiana) of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its berries are said to be poisonous to the coyote.

COYPU Coy"pu (koi"p), n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A South American rodent (Myopotamus coypus), allied to the beaver. It produces a valuable fur called nutria. [Written also coypou.]

COYSTREL Coys"trel (kois"trl), n.

Defn: Same as Coistril.

COZ Coz (kz), n.

Defn: A contraction of cousin. Shak.

COZEN Coz"en (kz"'n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cozened (-'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cozening (-'n-ng). ] Etym: [From cousin, hence, literally, to deceive through pretext of relationship, F. cousiner.]

Defn: To cheat; to defrand; to beguile; to deceive, usually by small arts, or in a pitiful way. He had cozened the world by fine phrases. Macualay. Children may be cozened into a knowledge of the letters. Locke. Goring loved no man so well but that he would cozen him, and expose him to public mirth for having been cozened. Clarendon.

COZEN Coz"en, v. i.

Defn: To deceive; to cheat; to act deceitfully. Some cogging,cozening slave. Shak.

COZENAGE Coz"en*age (-j), n. Etym: [See Cozen, and cf. Cousinage.]

Defn: The art or practice of cozening; artifice; fraud. Shak.

COZENER Coz"en*er (kz"'n-r), n.

Defn: One who cheats or defrauds.

COZIER Co*zier (k"zhr), n.

Defn: See Cosier.

COZILY Co"zi*ly (k"z-l), adv.

Defn: Snugly; comfortably.

COZINESS Co"zi*ness, n.

Defn: The state or quality of being cozy.

COZY Co"zy (k"z), a. [Compar. Cozier (-z-r); superl. Coziest.] Etym: [Cf. Scot. cosie, cozie, prob. from Gael. cosach abounding in hollows, or cosagach full of holes or crevices, snug, sheltered, from cos a hollow, a crevice.]

1. Snug; comfortable; easy; contented. [Written also cosey and cosy.]

2. Etym: [Cf. F. causer to chat, talk.]

Defn: Chatty; talkative; sociable; familiar. [Eng.]

COZY Co"zy, n. Etym: [See Cozy,a.]

Defn: A wadded covering for a teakettle or other vessel to keep the contents hot.

CRAB Crab (krb), n. Etym: [AS. crabba; akin to D. krab, G. krabbe, krebs, Icel. krabbi, Sw. krabba, Dan. krabbe, and perh. to E. cramp. Cf. Crawfish.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the brachyuran Crustacea. They are mostly marine, and usually have a broad, short body, covered with a strong shell or carapace. The abdomen is small and curled up beneath the body.

Note: The name is applied to all the Brachyura, and to certain Anomura, as the hermit crabs. Formerly, it was sometimes applied to Crustacea in general. Many species are edible, the blue crab of the Atlantic coast being one of the most esteemed. The large European edible crab is Cancer padurus. Soft-shelled crabs are blue crabs that have recently cast their shells. See Cancer; also, Box crab, Fiddler crab, Hermit crab, Spider crab, etc., under Box, Fiddler. etc.

2. The zodiacal constellation Cancer.

3. Etym: [See Crab, a.] (Bot.)

Defn: A crab apple; -- so named from its harsh taste. When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl. Shak.

4. A cudgel made of the wood of the crab tree; a crabstick. [Obs.] Garrick.

5. (Mech.) (a) A movable winch or windlass with powerful gearing, used with derricks, etc. (b) A form of windlass, or geared capstan, for hauling ships into dock, etc. (c) A machine used in ropewalks to stretch the yarn. (d) A claw for anchoring a portable machine. Calling crab. (Zoöl.) See Fiddler., n., 2. -- Crab apple, a small, sour apple, of several kinds; also, the tree which bears it; as, the European crab apple (Pyrus Malus var.sylvestris); the Siberian crab apple (Pyrus baccata); and the American (Pyrus coronaria). -- Crab grass. (Bot.) (a) A grass (Digitaria, or Panicum, sanguinalis); -- called also finger grass. (b) A grass of the genus Eleusine (E. Indica); -- called also dog's-tail grass, wire grass, etc. -- Crab louse (Zoöl.), a species of louse (Phthirius pubis), sometimes infesting the human body. -- Crab plover (Zoöl.), an Asiatic plover (Dromas ardeola). -- Crab's eyes, or Crab's stones, masses of calcareous matter found, at certain seasons of the year, on either side of the stomach of the European crawfishes, and formerly used in medicine for absorbent and antacid purposes; the gastroliths. -- Crab spider (Zoöl.), one of a group of spiders (Laterigradæ); -- called because they can run backwards or sideways like a crab. -- Crab tree, the tree that bears crab applies. -- Crab wood, a light cabinet wood obtained in Guiana, which takes a high polish. McElrath. -- To catch a crab (Naut.), a phrase used of a rower: (a) when he fails to raise his oar clear of the water; (b) when he misses the water altogether in making a stroke.

CRAB Crab (krb), v. t.

1. To make sour or morose; to embitter. [Obs.] Sickness sours or crabs our nature. Glanvill.

2. To beat with a crabstick. [Obs.] J. Fletcher.

CRAB Crab, v. i. (Naut.)

Defn: To drift sidewise or to leeward, as a vessel. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

CRAB Crab, a. Etym: [Prob. from the same root as crab, n.]

Defn: Sour; rough; austere. The crab vintage of the neighb'ring coast. Dryden.

CRABBED Crab"bed (krb"bd), a. Etym: [See Crab,n.]

1. Characterized by or manifesting, sourness, peevishness, or moroseness; harsh; cross; cynical; -- applied to feelings, disposition, or manners. Crabbed age and youth can not live together. Shak.

2. Characterized by harshness or roughness; unpleasant; -- applied to things; as, a crabbed taste.

3. Obscure; difficult; perplexing; trying; as, a crabbed author. "Crabbed eloquence." Chaucer. How charming is divine philosophy! Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose. Milton.

4. Cramped; irregular; as, crabbed handwriting. -- Crab"bed*ly, adv. -- Crab"bed*ness, n.

CRABBER Crab"ber (krb"br), n.

Defn: One who catches crabs.

CRABBING Crab"bing, n.

1. The act or art of catching crabs.

2. (Falconry)

Defn: The foghting of hawks with each other.

3. (Woolem Manuf.)

Defn: A process of scouring clocth be

CRABBISH Crab"bish (krb"bsh), a.

Defn: Somewhat sour or cross. The wips of the most crabbish Satyristes. Decker.

CRABBY Crab"by (-b), a.

Defn: Crabbed; difficult, or perplexing. "Persius is crabby, because ancient." Marston.

CRABEATER Crab"eat`er (krb"t`r), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The cobia. (b) An etheostomoid fish of the southern United States (Hadropterus nigrofasciatus). (c) A small European heron (Ardea minuta, and other allied species).

CRABER Cra"ber (kr"br), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The water rat. Walton.

CRABFACED Crab"faced` (krb"fst`), a.

Defn: Having a sour, disagreeable countenance. Beau & Fl.

CRABSIDLE Crab"si`dle (-s`d'l), v. i.

Defn: To move sidewise, as a crab. [Jocular]. Southey.

CRABSTICK Crab"stick` (-stk`), n.

Defn: A stick, cane, or cudgel, made of the wood of the carb tree.

CRAB TREE Crab" tree (tr`).

Defn: See under Crab.

CRAB-YAWS Crab"-yaws` (krb"yz`), n. (Med.)

Defn: A disease in the West Indies. It is a kind of ulcer on the soles of the feet, with very hard edges. See Yaws. Dunglison.

CRACHE Crache (krch), v.

Defn: To scratch. [Obs.] Chaucer.

CRACK Crack (krk), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cracked (krkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Cracking.] Etym: [OE. cracken, craken, to crack, break, boast, AS. cracian, cearcian, to crack; akin to D. kraken, G. krachen; cf. Skr. garj to rattle, or perh. of imitative origin. Cf. Crake, Cracknel, Creak.]

1. To break or burst, with or without entire separation of the parts; as, to crack glass; to crack nuts.

2. To rend with grief or pain; to affect deeply with sorrow; hence, to disorder; to distract; to craze. O, madam, my old hear is cracked. Shak. He thought none poets till their brains were cracked. Roscommon.

3. To cause to sound suddenly and sharply; to snap; as, to crack a whip.

4. To utter smartly and sententiously; as, to crack a joke. B. Jonson.

5. To cry up; to extol; -- followed by up. [Low] To crack a bottle, to open the bottle and drink its contents. -- To crack a crib, to commit burglary. [Slang] -- To crack on, to put on; as, to crack on more sail, or more steam. [Colloq.]

CRACK Crack, v. i.

1. To burst or open in chinks; to break, with or without quite separating into parts. By misfortune it cracked in the coling. Boyle. The mirror cracked from side to side. Tennyson.

2. To be ruined or impaired; to fail. [Collog.] The credit . . . of exchequers cracks, when little comes in and much goes out. Dryden.

3. To utter a loud or sharp, sudden sound. As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack. Shak.

4. To utter vain, pompous words; to brag; to boast; -- with of. [Archaic.] Ethoipes of their sweet complexion crack. Shak.

CRACK Crack, n.

1. A partial separation of parts, with or without a perceptible opening; a chink or fissure; a narrow breach; a crevice; as, a crack in timber, or in a wall, or in glass.

2. Ropture; flaw; breach, in a moral sense. My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw. Shak.

3. A sharp, sudden sound or report; the sound of anything suddenly burst or broken; as, the crack of a falling house; the crack of thunder; the crack of a whip. Will the stretch out to the crack of doom Shak.

4. The tone of voice when changed at puberty. Though now our voices Have got the mannish crack. Shak.

5. Mental flaw; a touch of craziness; partial insanity; as, he has a crack.

6. A crazy or crack-brained person. [Obs.] I . . . can not get the Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me as a crack and a projector. Addison.

7. A boast; boasting. [Obs.] "Crack and brags." Burton. "Vainglorius cracks." Spenser.

8. Breach of chastity. [Obs.] Shak.

9. A boy, generally a pert, lively boy. [Obs.] Val. 'Tis a noble child. Vir. A crack, madam. Shak.

10. A brief time; an instant; as, to be with one in a crack. [Eng. & Scot. Colloq.]

11. Free conversation; friendly chat. [Scot.] What is crack in English . . . Acrack . . . a chat with a good, kindly human heart in it. P. P. Alexander.

CRACK Crack, a.

Defn: Of superior excellence; having qualities to be boasted of. [Colloq.] One of our crack speakers in the Commons. Dickens.

CRACKAJACK Crack"a*jack`, n.

1. An individual of marked ability or excellence, esp. in some sport; as, he is a crackajack at tennis. [Slang]

2. A preparation of popped corn, candied and pressed into small cakes. [U. S.]

CRACKAJACK Crack"a*jack`, a.

Defn: Of marked ability or excellence. [Slang]

CRACK-BRAINED Crack"-brained` (-brnd`), a.

Defn: Having an impaired intellect; whimsical; crazy. Pope.

CRACKED Cracked (krkt), a.

1. Coarsely ground or broken; as, cracked wheat.

2. Crack-brained. [Colloq.]

CRACKER Crack"er (krk"r), n.

1. One who, or that which, cracks.

2. A noisy boaster; a swaggering fellow. [Obs.] What cracker is this same that deafs our ears Shak.

3. A small firework, consisting of a little powder inclossed in a thick paper cylinder with a fuse, and exploding with a sharp noise; - - often called firecracker.

4. A thin, dry biscuit, often hard or crisp; as, a Boston cracker; a Graham cracker; a soda cracker; an oyster cracker.

5. A nickname to designate a poor white in some parts of the Southern United States. Bartlett.

6. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The pintail duck.

7. pl. (Mach.)

Defn: A pair of fluted rolls for grinding caoutchouc. Knight.

CRACKER STATE Cracker State.

Defn: Georgia; -- a nickname. See Cracker, n. 5.

CRACKLE Crac"kle (krk"k'l), v. i. Etym: [Dim. of crack.]

Defn: To make slight cracks; to make small, sharp, sudden noises, rapidly or frequently repeated; to crepitate; as, burning thorns crackle. The unknown ice that crackles underneath them. Dryden.

CRACKLE Crac"kle, n.

1. The noise of slight and frequent cracks or reports; a crackling. The crackle of fireworks. Carlyle.

2. (Med.)

Defn: A kind of crackling sound or râle, heard in some abnormal states of the lungs; as, dry crackle; moist crackle. Quain.

3. (Fine Arts)

Defn: A condition produced in certain porcelain, fine earthenware, or glass, in which the glaze or enamel appears to be cracked in all directions, making a sort of reticulated surface; as, Chinese crackle; Bohemian crackle.

CRACKLED Crac"kled (-k'ld), a. (Fine Arts)

Defn: Covered with minute cracks in the glaze; -- said of some kinds of porcelain and fine earthenware.

CRACKLEWARE Crac"kle*ware` (-wr`), n.

Defn: See Crackle, n., 3.

CRACKLING Crac"kling (krk"klng), n.

1. The making of small, sharp cracks or reports, frequently repeated. As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Eccl. vii. 6.

2. The well-browned, crisp rind of roasted pork. For the first time in his life he tested crackling. Lamb.

3. pl.

Defn: Food for dogs, made from the refuse of tallow melting.

CRACK-LOO; CRACKALOO Crack"-loo`, n. Also Crack"a*loo` .

Defn: A kind of gambling game consisting in pitching coins to or towards the ceiling of a room so that they shall fall as near as possible to a certain crack in the floor. [Gamblers' Cant, U. S.]

CRACKNEL Crack"nel (krk"nl), n. Etym: [F. craquelin, fr. D. krakeling, fr. krakken to crack. See Crack, v. t.]

Defn: A hard brittle cake or biscuit. Spenser.

CRACKSMAN Cracks"man (krks"man), n., pl. Cracksmen (-men).

Defn: A burglar. [Slang]

CRACOVIAN Cra*co"vi*an (kr-k"v-an), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Cracow in Poland.

CRACOVIENNE Cra*co`vi*enne" (kr-k`v-n"), n. Etym: [F., fr. Cracow, the city.] (Mus.)

Defn: A lively Polish dance, in 2-4 time.

CRACOWES Cra"cowes (kr"kz), n. pl.

Defn: Long-toed boots or shoes formerly worn in many parts of Europe; -- so called from Cracow, in Poland, where they were first worn in the fourteenth century. Fairholt.

CRADLE Cra"dle (krd'l), n. Etym: [AS. cradel, cradol, prob. from Celtic; cf. Gael. creathall, Ir. craidhal, W. cryd a shaking or rocking, a cradle; perh. akin to E. crate.]

1. A bed or cot for a baby, oscillating on rockers or swinginng on pivots; hence, the place of origin, or in which anything is nurtured or protected in the earlier period of existence; as, a cradle of crime; the cradle of liberty. The cradle that received thee at thy birth. Cowper. No sooner was I crept out of my cradle But I was made a king, at nine months old. Shak.

2. Infancy, or very early life. From their cradles bred together. Shak. A form of worship in which they had been educated from their cradles. Clarendon.

3. (Agric.)

Defn: An implement consisting of a broad scythe for cutting grain, with a set of long fingers parallel to the scythe, designed to receive the grain, and to lay it eventlyin a swath.

4. (Engraving)

Defn: A tool used in mezzotint engraving, which, by a rocking motion, raises burrs on the surface of the plate, so preparing the ground.

5. A framework of timbers, or iron bars, moving upon ways or rollers, used to support, lift, or carry ships or other vessels, heavy guns, etc., as up an inclined plane, or across a strip of land, or in launching a ship.

6. (Med.) (a) A case for a broken or dislocated limb. (b) A frame to keep the bedclothes from conntact with the person.

7. (Mining) (a) A machine on rockers, used in washing out auriferous earth; -- also called a rocker. [U.S.] (b) A suspended scaffold used in shafts.

8. (Carp.)

Defn: The ribbing for vaulted ceilings and arches intended to be covered with plaster. Knight.

9. (Naut.)

Defn: The basket or apparatus in which, when a line has been made fast to a wrecked ship from the shore, the people are brought off from the wreck. Cat's cradle. See under Cat. -- Cradle hole, a sunken place in a road, caused by thawing, or by travel over a soft spot. -- Cradle scythe, a broad scythe used in a cradle for cutting grain.

CRADLE Cra"dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cradled (-d'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Cradling (-dlng).]

1. To lay to rest, or rock, as in a cradle; to lull or quiet, as by rocking. It cradles their fears to sleep. D. A. Clark.

2. To nurse or train in infancy. He that hath been cradled in majesty will not leave the throne to play with beggars. Glanvill.

3. To cut and lay with a cradle, as grain.

4. To transport a vessel by means of a cradle. In Lombardy . . . boats are cradled and transported over the grade. Knight. To cradle a picture, to put ribs across the back of a picture, to prevent the panels from warping.

CRADLE Cra"dle, v. i.

Defn: To lie or lodge, as in a cradle. Withered roots and husks wherein the acorn cradled. Shak.

CRADLELAND Cra"dle*land` (kra"d'l*land`), n.

Defn: Land or region where one was cradled; hence, land of origin.

CRADLING Cra"dling (-dlng), n.

1. The act of using a cradle.

2. (Coopering)

Defn: Cutting a cask into two pieces lengthwise, to enable it to pass a narrow place, the two parts being afterward united and rehooped.

3. (Carp.)

Defn: The framework in arched or coved ceilings to which the laths are nailed. Knight.

CRAFT Craft (krft), n. Etym: [AS. cr strength, skill, art, cunning; akin to OS., G., Sw., & Dan. kraft strength, D. kracht, Icel. kraptr; perh. originally, a drawing together, stretching, from the root of E. cramp.]

1. Strength; might; secret power. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. Art or skill; dexterity in particular manual employment; hence, the occupation or employment itself; manual art; a trade. Ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Acts xix. 25. A poem is the work of the poet; poesy is his skill or craft of making. B. Jonson. Since the birth of time, throughout all ages and nations, Has the craft of the smith been held in repute. Longfellow.

3. Those engaged in any trade, taken collectively; a guild; as, the craft of ironmongers. The control of trade passed from the merchant guilds to the new craft guilds. J. R. Green.

4. Cunning, art, or skill, in a bad sense, or applied to bad purposes; artifice; guile; skill or dexterity employed to effect purposes by deceit or shrewd devices. You have that crooked wisdom which is called craft. Hobbes. The chief priets and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. Mark xiv. 1.

5. (Naut.)

Defn: A vessel; vessels of any kind; -- generally used in a collective sense. The evolutions of the numerous tiny craft moving over the lake. Prof. Wilson. Small crafts, small vessels, as sloops, schooners, ets.

CRAFT Craft, v.t.

Defn: To play tricks; to practice artifice. [Obs.] You have crafted fair. Shak.

CRAFTER crafter n.

Defn: a creator of great skill in the manual arts. Syn. -- craftsman. [WordNet 1.5]

CRAFTILY Craft"i*ly (--l), adv. Etym: [See Crafty.]

Defn: With craft; artfully; cunningly.

CRAFTINESS Craft"i*ness (krft"-ns), n.

Defn: Dexterity in devising and effecting a purpose; cunning; artifice; stratagem. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. Job. v. 13.

CRAFTLESS Craft"less (-ls), a.

Defn: Without craft or cunning. Helpless, craftless, and innocent people. Jer. Taylor.

CRAFTSMAN Crafts"man (krfts"man), n.; pl. Craftsmen (-men).

Defn: One skilled in some trade or manual occupation; an artificer; a mechanic.

CRAFTSMANSHIP Crafts"man*ship, n.

Defn: The work of a craftsman.

CRAFTSMASTER Crafts"mas`ter (-ms`tr), n.

Defn: One skilled in his craft or trade; one of superior cunning. In cunning persuasion his craftsmaster. Holland.

CRAFTY Craft"y (krft"), a. Etym: [AS. cr.]

1. Relating to, or characterized by, craft or skill; dexterous. [Obs.] "Crafty work." Piers Plowman.

2. Possessing dexterity; skilled; skillful. A noble crafty man of trees. Wyclif.

3. Skillful at deceiving others; characterized by craft; cunning; wily. "A pair of crafty knaves." Shak. With anxious care and crafty wiles. J. Baillie.

Syn. -- Skillful; dexterous; cunning; artful; wily; Cunning.

CRAG Crag (krg), n. Etym: [W. craig; akin to Gael. creag, Corn. karak, Armor. karrek.]

1. A steep, rugged rock; a cough, broken cliff, or point of a rock, on a ledge. From crag to crag the signal fiew. Sir W. Scott.

2. (Geol.)

Defn: A partially compacted bed of gravel mixed with shells, of the Tertiary age.

CRAG Crag, n. Etym: [A form of craw: cf. D. kraag neck, collar, G. kragen. See Craw.]

1. The neck or throat [Obs.] And bear the crag so stiff and so state. Spenser.

2. The neck piece or scrag of mutton. Johnson.

CRAGGED Crag"ged (-gd), a.

Defn: Full of crags, or steep, broken Into its cragged rents descend. J. Baillie.

CRAGGEDNESS Crag"ged*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being cragged; cragginess.

CRAGGINESS Crag"gi*ness (-g-ns), n.

Defn: The state of being craggy.

CRAGGY Crag"gy (krg"g), a.

Defn: Full of crags; rugged with projecting points of rocks; as, the craggy side of a mountain. "The craggy ledge." Tennyson.

CRAGSMAN Crags"man (krgz"man), n.; pl. Cragsmen (-men).

Defn: One accustomed to climb rocks or crags; esp., one who makes a business of climbing the cliffs overhanging the sea to get the eggs of sea birds or the birds themselves.

CRAIE Craie (kr), n.

Defn: See Crare. [Obs.]

CRAIG FLOUNDER Craig" floun`der (krg" floun`dr). Etym: [Scot. craig a rock. See 1st Crag.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The pole flounder.

CRAIL Crail (krl),, n. Etym: [See Creel.]

Defn: A creel or osier basket.

CRAKE Crake (krk), v. t. & i. Etym: [See Crack.]

1. To cry out harshly and loudly, like the bird called crake.

2. To boast; to speak loudly and boastfully. [Obs.] Each man may crake of that which was his own. Mir. for Mag.

CRAKE Crake, n.

Defn: A boast. See Crack, n. [Obs.] Spenser.

CRAKE Crake, n. Etym: [Cf. Icel. kr crow, kr raven, Sw. kr, Dan. krage; perh. of imitative origin. Cf. Crow.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any species or rail of the genera Crex and Porzana; -- so called from its singular cry. See Corncrake.

CRAKEBERRY Crake"ber`ry (-br`r), n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Crowberry.

CRAKER Crak"er (krk"r), n.

Defn: One who boasts; a braggart. [Obs.] Old Play.

CRAM Cram (krm), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crammed (krmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cramming.] Etym: [AS. crammian to cram; akin to Icel. kremia to squeeze, bruise, Sw. krama to press. Cf. Cramp.]

1. To press, force, or drive, particularly in filling, or in thrustung one thing into another; to stuff; to crowd; to fill to superfluity; as, to cram anything into a basket; to cram a room with people. Their storehouses crammed with grain. Shak. He will cram his brass down our throats. Swift.

2. To fill with food to satiety; to stuff. Children would be freer from disease if they were not crammed so much as they are by fond mothers. Locke. Cram us with praise, and make us As fat as tame things. Shak.

3. To put hastily through an extensive course of memorizing or study, as in preparation for an examination; as, a pupil is crammed by his tutor.

CRAM Cram, v. i.

1. To eat greedly, and to satiety; to stuff. Gluttony . . . . Cr, and blasphemes his feeder. Milton.

2. To make crude preparation for a special occasion, as an examination, by a hasty and extensive course of memorizing or study. [Colloq.]

CRAM Cram, n.

1. The act of cramming.

2. Innformation hastily memorized; as. a cram from an examination. [Colloq.]

3. (Weaving)

Defn: A warp having more than two threads passing through each dent or split of the reed.

CRAMBO Cram"bo, n. Etym: [Cf. Cramp, a., difficult.]

1. A game in which one person gives a word, to which another finds a rhyme. I saw in one corner . . . a cluster of men and women,diverting themselves with a game at crambo. I heard several double rhymes . . . which raised a great deal of mirth. Addison.

2. A werd rhyming with another word. His similes in order set And every crambo he could get. Swift. Dumb crambo, a game in which one party of players give a word which rhymes with another, which last to be guessed by the opposing party, who represent in dumb show what they think it to be.

CRAMMER Cram"mer (krm"mr), n.

Defn: One who crams; esp., one who prepares a pupil hastily for an exxamination, or a pupil who is thus prepared. Dickens.

CRAMOISIE; CRAMOISY Cra*moi"sie Cra*moi"sy (kr-moi"z), a. Etym: [F. cramoisi crimson. See Crimson.]

Defn: Crimson. [Obs.] A splendid seignior, magnificent in cramoisy velevet. Motley.

CRAMP Cramp (krmp), n. Etym: [OE. crampe, craumpe; akin to D. & Sw. kramp, Dan. krampe, G. krampf (whence F. crampe), Icel. krappr strait, narrow, and to E. crimp, crumple; cf. cram. See Grape.]

1. That which confines or contracts; a restraint; a shakle; a hindrance. A narrow fortune is a cramp to a great mind. L'Estrange. Crippling his pleasures with the cramp of fear. Cowper.

2. (Masonry)

Defn: A device, usually of iron bent at the ends, used to hold together blocks of stone, timbers, etc.; a cramp iron.

3. (Carp.)

Defn: A rectangular frame, with a tightening screw, used for compressing the jionts of framework, etc.

4. A piece of wood having a curve corresponding to that of the upper part of the instep, on which the upper leather of a boot is stretched to give it the requisite shape.

5. (Med.)

Defn: A spasmodic and painful involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles, as of the leg. The cramp, divers nights, gripeth him in his legs. Sir T. More. Cramp bone, the patella of a sheep; -- formerly used as a charm for the cramp. Halliwell. "He could turn cramp bones into chess men." Dickens. -- Cramp ring, a ring formerly supposed to have virtue in averting or curing cramp, as having been consecrated by one of the kings of England on Good Friday.

CRAMP Cramp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cramped (krp. pr. & vb. n. Cramping.]

1. To compress; to restrain from free action; to confine and contract; to hinder. The mind my be as much cramped by too much knowledge as by ignorance. Layard.

2. To fasten or hold with, or as with, a cramp.

3. Hence, to bind together; to unite. The . . . fabric of universal justic is well cramped and bolted together in all its parts. Burke.

4. To form on a cramp; as, to cramp boot legs.

5. To afflict with cramp. When the gout cramps my joints. Ford. To cramp the wheels of wagon, to turn the front wheels out of line with the hind wheels, so that one of them shall be against the body of the wagon.

CRAMP Cramp, a. Etym: [See Cramp, n.]

Defn: Knotty; difficult. [R.] Care being taken not to add any of the cramp reasons for this opinion. Coleridge.

CRAMPET Cram"pet (krm"pt), n. Etym: [See Cramp,n.] (Mil.)

Defn: A cramp iron or cramp ring; a chape, as of a scabbard. [Written also crampit and crampette.]

CRAMPFISH Cramp"fish` (krmp"fsh`), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The torpedo, or electric ray, the touch of which gives an electric shock. See Electric fish, and Torpedo.

CRAMP IRON Cramp" i`ron (`rn).

Defn: See Cramp, n., 2.

CRAMPIT Cram"pit (krm"pt), n. (Mil.)

Defn: See Crampet.

CRAMPON Cram"pon (krm"pn), n. Etym: [F. See Crampoons.] (Bot.)

Defn: An a

CRAMPONEE Cram`po*nee" (krm`p-n"), a. Etym: [F. cramponn. See Crampoons.] (Her.)

Defn: Having a cramp or square piece at the end; -- said of a cross so furnished.

CRAMPOONS Cram*poons" (krm-pnz"), n. pl. Etym: [F. crampon, fr. OHG. chramph crooked; akin to G. krampf cramp. See Cramp,n., and cf. Crampon.]

1. A clutch formed of hooked pieces of iron, like double calipers, for raising stones, lumber, blocks of ice, etc.

2. Iron insruments with sharp points, worn on the shoes to assist in gaining or keeping a foothold.

CRAMPY Cramp"y (krmp"),

1. Affected with cramp.

2. Productive of, or abounding in, cramps. "This crampy country." Howitt.

CRAN; CRANE Cran (krn), Crane (krn), n. Etym: [Scot., fr. Gael. crann.]

Defn: A measure for fresh herrings, -- as many as will fill a barrel. [Scot.] H. Miller.

CRANAGE Cran"age (krn"j), n. Etym: [See Crane.]

1. The liberty of using a crane, as for loading and unloading vessels.

2. The money or price paid for the use of a crane.

CRANBERRY Cran"ber*ry (krn"br-r), n.; pl. Cranberries (-r Etym: [So named from its fruit being ripe in the spring when the cranes return. Dr. Prior.] (Bot.)

Defn: A red, acid berry, much used for making sauce, etc.; also, the plant producing it (several species of Vaccinum or Oxycoccus.) The high cranberry or cranberry tree is a species of Viburnum (V. Opulus), and the other is sometimes called low cranberry or marsh cranberry to distinguish it.

CRANCH Cranch (krnch), v. t.

Defn: See Craunch.

CRANDALL Cran"dall (kran"dal), n. [Prob. from Crandall, a proper name.] (Stonecutting)

Defn: A kind of hammer having a head formed of a group of pointed steel bars, used for dressing ashlar, etc. -- v. t.

Defn: To dress with a crandall.

CRANE Crane (krn), n. Etym: [AS. cran; akin to D. & LG. craan, G. kranich, krahn (this in sense 2), Gr. grus, W. & Armor. garan, OSlav. zerav, Lith. gerve, Icel. trani, Sw. trana, Dan. trane. Geranium.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A wading bird of the genus Grus, and allied genera, of various species, having a long, straight bill, and long legs and neck.

Note: The common European crane is Grus cinerea. The sand-hill crane (G. Mexicana) and the whooping crane (G. Americana) are large American species. The Balearic or crowned crane is Balearica pavonina. The name is sometimes erroneously applied to the herons and cormorants.

2. A machine for raising and lowering heavy weights, and, while holding them suspended, transporting them through a limited lateral distance. In one form it consists of a projecting arm or jib of timber or iron, a rotating post or base, and the necessary tackle, windlass, etc.; -- so called from a fancied similarity between its arm and the neck of a crane See Illust. Of Derrick.

3. An iron arm with horizontal motion, attached to the side or back of a fireplace, for supporting kettles, etc., over a fire.

4. A siphon, or bent pipe, for drawing liquors out of a cask.

5. (Naut.)

Defn: A forked post or projecting bracket to support spars, etc., -- generally used in pairs. See Crotch, 2. Crane fly (Zoöl.), a dipterous insect with long legs, of the genus Tipula. -- Derrick crane. See Derrick. -- Gigantic crane. (Zoöl.) See Adjutant, n., 3. -- Traveling crane, Traveler crane, Traversing crane (Mach.), a crane mounted on wheels; esp., an overhead crane consisting of a crab or other hoisting apparatus traveling on rails or beams fixed overhead, as in a machine shop or foundry. -- Water crane, a kind of hydrant with a long swinging spout, for filling locomotive tenders, water carts, etc., with water.

CRANE Crane (krn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Craned (krnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Craning.]

1. To cause to rise; to raise or lift, as by a crane; -- with up. [R.] What engines, what instruments are used in craning up a soul, sunk below the center, to the highest heavens. Bates. An upstart craned up to the height he has. Massinger.

2. To stretch, as a crane stretches its neck; as, to crane the neck disdainfully. G. Eliot.

CRANE crane, v. i.

Defn: to reach forward with head and neck, in order to see better; as, a hunter cranes forward before taking a leap. Beaconsfield. Thackeray. The passengers eagerly craning forward over the bulwarks. Howells.

CRANE'S-BILL Crane's"-bill` (krnz"bl`), n.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: The geranium; -- so named from the long axis of the fruit, which resembles the beak of a crane. Dr. Prior.

2. (Surg.)

Defn: A pair of long-beaked forceps.

CRANG Crang (krng), n.

Defn: See Krang.

CRANIA Cra"ni*a (kr"n-), n. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of living Brachiopoda; -- so called from its fancied resemblance to the cranium or skull.

CRANIAL Cra"ni*al (kr"n-al), a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the cranium.

CRANIOCLASM Cra"ni*o*clasm (kr"n--klz'm), n. Etym: [Cranium + Gr. (Med.)

Defn: The crushing of a child's head, as with the cranioclast or craniotomy forceps in cases of very difficult delivery. Dunglison.

CRANIOCLAST Cra"ni*o*clast (-klst), n. (Med.)

Defn: An instrument for crushing the head of a fetus, to facilitate delivery in difficult eases.

CRANIOFACIAL Cra`ni*o*fa"cial (-f"shal), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the cranium and face; as, the craniofacial angle.

CRANIOGNOMY Cra`ni*og"no*my (-g"n-m), n. Etym: [Cranium + Gr.

Defn: The science of the form and characteristics of the skull. [R.]

CRANIOLOGICAL Cra`ni*o*log"ic*al (--lj"-kal), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to craniology.

CRANIOLOGIST Cra`ni*ol"o*gist (-l"-jst), n.

Defn: One proficient in craniology; a phrenologist.

CRANIOLOGY Cra`ni*ol"o*gy (-j), n. Etym: [Cranium + -logy.]

Defn: The department of science (as of ethnology or archæology) which deals with the shape, size, proportions, indications, etc., of skulls; the study of skulls.

CRANIOMETER Cra`ni*om"e*ter (kr`n-m"-tr), n. Etym: [Cranium + -meter.]

Defn: An instrument for measuring the size of skulls.

CRANIOMETRIC; CRANIOMETRICAL Cra`ni*o*met"ric (--mt"rk), Cra`ni*o*met"ric*al (-r-kal), a.

Defn: Pertaining to craniometry.

CRANIOMETRY Cra`ni*om"e*try (kr`n-m"-tr), n.

Defn: The art or act of measuring skulls.

CRANIOSCOPIST Cra`ni*os"co*pist (kr`n-s"k-pst), n.

Defn: One skilled in, or who practices, cranioscopy. It was found of equal dimension in a literary man whose skull puzzied the cranioscopists. Coleridge.

CRANIOSCOPY Cra`ni*os"co*py (-p), n. Etym: [Cranium + -scopy.]

Defn: Scientific examination of the cranium.

CRANIOTA Cra`ni*o"ta (kr`n-t), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. cranium.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A comprehensive division of the Vertebrata, including all those that have a skull.

CRANIOTOMY Cra`ni*ot"o*my (kr`n-t"-m), n. Etym: [Cranium + Gr. (Med.)

Defn: The operation of opening the fetal head, in order to effect delivery.

CRANIUM Cra"ni*um (kr"n-m), n.; pl. E. Craniums (-Crania (-. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr.

Defn: The skull of an animal; especially, that part of the skull, either cartilaginous or bony, which immediately incloses the brain; the brain case or brainpan. See Skull.

CRANK Crank (krnk), n. Etym: [OE. cranke; akin to E. cringe, cringle, crinkle, and to crank, a., the root meaning, probably, "to turn, twist." See Cringe.]

1. (Mach.)

Defn: A bent portion of an axle, or shaft, or an arm keyed at right angles to the end of a shaft, by which motion is imparted to or received from it; also used to change circular into reciprocating motion, or reciprocating into circular motion. See Bell crank.

2. Any bend, turn, or winding, as of a passage. So many turning cranks these have, so many crooks. Spenser.

3. A twist or turn in speech; a conceit consisting in a change of the form or meaning of a word. Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles. Milton.

4. A twist or turn of the mind; caprice; whim; crotchet; also, a fit of temper or passion. [Prov. Eng.] Violent of temper; subject to sudden cranks. Carlyle.

5. A person full of crotchets; one given to fantastic or impracticable projects; one whose judgment is perverted in respect to a particular matter. [Colloq.]

6. A sick person; an invalid. [Obs.] Thou art a counterfeit crank, a cheater. Burton. Crank axle (Mach.), a driving axle formed with a crank or cranks, as in some kinds of locomotives. -- Crank pin (Mach.), the cylindrical piece which forms the handle, or to which the connecting rod is attached, at the end of a crank, or between the arms of a double crank. -- Crank shaft, a shaft bent into a crank, or having a crank fastened to it, by which it drives or is driven. -- Crank wheel, a wheel acting as a crank, or having a wrist to which a connecting rod is attached.

CRANK Crank (krnk), a. Etym: [AS. cranc weak; akin to Icel. krangr, D. & G. krank sick, weak (cf.D. krengen to careen). Cf. Crank, n.]

1. Sick; infirm. [Prov. Eng.]

2. (Naut.)

Defn: Liable to careen or be overest, as a ship when she is too narrow, or has not sufficient ballast, or is loaded too high, to carry full sail.

3. Full of spirit; brisk; lively; sprightly; overconfident; opinionated. He who was, a little before, bedrid, . . . was now crank and lusty. Udall. If you strong electioners did not think you were among the elect, you would not be so crank about it. Mrs. Stowe.

CRANK Crank, v. i. Etym: [See Crank, n. ]

Defn: To run with a winding course; to double; to crook; to wind and turn. See how this river comes me cranking in. Shak.

CRANKBIRD Crank"bird` (-brd`), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small European woodpecker (Picus minor).

CRANKED Cranked (krnkt), a.

Defn: Formed with, or having, a bend or crank; as, a cranked axle.

CRANKINESS Crank"i*ness (krnk"-ns), n.

Defn: Crankness. Lowell.

CRANKLE Cran"kle (krn"k'l), v. t. Etym: [Cf. Crinkle.]

Defn: To break into bends, turns, or angles; to crinkle. Old Veg's stream . . . drew her humid train aslope, Crankling her banks. J. Philips.

CRANKLE Cran"kle, v. i.

Defn: To bend, turn, or wind. Along the crankling path. Drayton.

CRANKLE Cran"kle, n.

Defn: A bend or turn; a twist; a crinkle.

CRANKNESS Crank"ness (krnk"ns), n.

1. (Naut.)

Defn: Liability to be overset; -- said of a ship or other vessel.

2. Sprightliness; vigor; health.

CRANKY Crank"y (-), a.

1. Full of spirit; crank.

2. Addicted to crotchets and whims; unreasonable in opinions; crotchety. [Colloq.]

3. Unsteady; easy to upset; crank.

CRANNIED Cran"nied (krn"nd), a.

Defn: Having crannies, chinks, or fissures; as, a crannied wall. Tennyson.

CRANNOG; CRANNOGE Cran"nog (krn"ng), Cran"noge (krn"nj), n. Etym: [From Celtic; cf. Gael. crann a tree.]

Defn: One of the stockaded islands in Scotland and Ireland which in ancient times were numerous in the lakes of both countries. They may be regarded as the very latest class of prehistoric strongholds, reaching their greatest development in early historic times, and surviving through the Middle Ages. See also Lake dwellings, under Lake. Encyc. Brit.

CRANNY Cran"ny (krn"n), n.; pl. Crannies (-n. Etym: [F. cran notch, prob. from L. crena (a doubful word).]

1. A small, narrow opening, fissure, crevice, or chink, as in a wall, or other substance. In a firm building, the cavities ought not to be filled with rubbish, but with brick or stone fitted to the crannies. Dryden. He peeped into every cranny. Arbuthnot.

2. (Glass Making)

Defn: A tool for forming the necks of bottles, etc.

CRANNY Cran"ny, v. i. [imp & p. p. Crannied (-nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Crannying.]

1. To crack into, or become full of, crannies. [R.] The ground did cranny everywhere. Golding.

2. To haunt, or enter by, crannies. All tenantless, save to the cranning wind. Byron.

CRANNY Cran"ny, a. Etym: [Perh. for cranky. See Crank, a. ]

Defn: Quick; giddy; thoughtless. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

CRANTARA Cran*ta"ra (krn-t"r or -t"r), n. Etym: [Gael. cranntara.]

Defn: The fiery cross, used as a rallying signal in the Highlands of Scotland.

CRANTS Crants (krnts), n. Etym: [Cf. D. krans, G. kranz.]

Defn: A garland carried before the bier of a maiden. [Obs.] Yet here she is allowed her virgin crants, Her maaiden strewments. Shak.

CRAP Crap (krap), n.

Defn: In the game of craps, a first throw of the dice in which the total is two, three, or twelve, in which case the caster loses.

CRAPAUD Cra*paud", n. [Written also crapawd, crapald, crepaud, etc.] [F. crapaud.]

1.

Defn: A toad. [Obs.]

2. (Pronounced kra`po") As a proper name, Johnny Crapaud, or Crapaud, a nickname for a Frenchman.

CRAPAUDINE Crap"au*dine (krp"-dn), a. Etym: [F., n.] (Arch.)

Defn: Turning on pivots at the top and bottom; -- said of a door.

CRAPAUDINE Crap"au*dine, n. Etym: [F.] (Far.)

Defn: An ulcer on the coronet of a horse. Bailey.

CRAPE Crape (krp), n. Etym: [F. cr, fr. L. crispus curled, crisped. See Crisp.]

Defn: A thin, crimped stuff, made of raw silk gummed and twisted on the mill. Black crape is much used for mourning garments, also for the dress of some clergymen. A saint in crape is twice a saint in lawn. Pope. Crape myrtle (Bot.), a very ornamental shrub (Lagerströmia Indica) from the East Indies, often planted in the Southern United States. Its foliage is like that of the myrtle, and the flower has wavy crisped petals. -- Oriental crape. See Canton crape.

CRAPE Crape, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Craped (krpt); p. pr. & vb.n. Craping.] Etym: [F. cr, fr. L. crispare to curl, crisp, fr. crispus. See Crape, n.]

Defn: To form into ringlets; to curl; to crimp; to friz; as, to crape the hair; to crape silk. The hour for curling and craping the hair. Mad. D'Arblay.

CRAPEFISH Crape"fish` (krp"fsh`), n.

Defn: Salted codfish hardened by pressure. Kane.

CRAPNEL Crap"nel (krp"nel), n.

Defn: A hook or drag; a grapnel.

CRAPPIE Crap"pie (krp"p), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A kind of fresh-water bass of the genus Pomoxys, found in the rivers of the Southern United States and Mississippi valley. There are several species. [Written also croppie.]

CRAPPLE Crap"ple (krp"p'l), n. Etym: [See Graple.]

Defn: A claw. [Obs.]

CRAPS Craps (krps), n.

Defn: A gambling game with dice. [Local, U.S.]

CRAP SHOOTING Crap shooting.

Defn: Same as Craps.

CRAPULA; CRAPULE Crap"u*la (krp"-l), Crap"ule (krp"l), n. Etym: [L. crapula intoxication.]

Defn: Same as Crapulence.

CRAPULENCE Crap"u*lence (--lens), n.

Defn: The sickness occasioned by intemperance; surfeit. Bailey.

CRAPULENT; CRAPULOUS Crap"u*lent (-lent), Crap"u*lous (-ls), a. Etym: [L. crapulentus, crapulosus: cf. F. crapuleux.]

Defn: Surcharged with liquor; sick from excessive indulgence in liquor; drunk; given to excesses. [R.]

CRAPY Crap"y (krp"), a.

Defn: Resembling crape.

CRARE Crare (krr), n. Etym: [OF. craier, creer, croyer, ship of war, LL. craiera, creyera, perh. from G. krieger warrior, or D. krijger.]

Defn: A slow unwieldy trading vessel. [Obs.] [Written also crayer, cray, and craie.] Shak.

CRASE Crase (krz), v. t. Etym: [See Craze.]

Defn: To break in pieces; to crack. [Obs.] "The pot was crased." Chaucer.

CRASH Crash (kr), v. t. [imp & p. p. Crashed (kr; p. pr & vb. n. Crashing.] Etym: [OE. crashen, the same word as crasen to break, E. craze. See Craze.]

Defn: To break in pieces violently; to dash together with noise and violence. [R.] He shakt his head, and crasht his teeth for ire. Fairfax.

CRASH Crash, v. i.

1. To make a loud, clattering sound, as of many things falling and breaking at once; to break in pieces with a harsh noise. Roofs were blazing and walls crashing in every part of the city. Macualay.

2. To break with violence and noise; as, the chimney in falling crashed through the roof.

CRASH Crash, n.

1. A loud, sudden, confused sound, as of manu things falling and breaking at once. The wreck of matter and the crash of worlds. Addison.

2. Ruin; failure; sudden breaking down, as of a business house or a commercial enterprise.

CRASH Crash, n. Etym: [L. crassus coarse. See Crass.]

Defn: Coarse, heavy, narrow linen cloth, used esp. for towels.

CRASHING Crash"ing, n.

Defn: The noise of many things falling and breaking at once. There shall be . . . a great crashing from the hills. Zeph. i. 10.

CRASIS Cra"sis (kr"ss), n. Etym: [LL., temperament, fr. Gr.

1. (Med.)

Defn: A mixture of constituents, as of the blood; constitution; temperament.

2. (Gram.)

Defn: A contraction of two vowels (as the final and initial vowels of united words) into one long vowel, or into a dipthong; synæresis; as, cogo for coago.

CRASPEDOTA Cras`pe*do"ta (krs`p-d"t), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The hydroid or naked-eyed medusæ. See Hydroidea.

CRASPEDOTE Cras"pe*dote (krs"p-dt), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Craspedota.

CRASS Crass (krs), a. Etym: [L. crassus thick, fat, gross, prob. orig., closely woven See Crease animal fat, and cf. Crate, Hurdle.]

Defn: Cross; thick; dense; coarse; not elaborated or refined. "Crass and fumid exhalations." Sir. T. Browne. "Crass ignorance" Cudworth.

CRASSAMENT; CRASSAMENTUM Cras"sa*ment (krs"s-ment), Cras`sa*men"tum (-mn"tm), n. Etym: [L. crassamentum, fr. crassare to make thick. See Crass, a.]

Defn: A semisolid mass or clot, especially that formed in coagulation of the blood.

CRASSIMENT Cras"si*ment (krs"s-ment), n.

Defn: See Crassament.

CRASSITUDE Cras"si*tude (-td), n. Etym: [L. crassitudo.]

Defn: Crossness; coarseness; thickness; density. Bacon.

CRASSNESS Crass"ness (krs"ns), n.

Defn: Grossness. [Obs.] Glanvill.

CRASTINATION Cras`ti*na"tion (krs`t-n"shn), n. Etym: [L. crastinus of to-morrow, from cras to-morrow.]

Defn: Procrastination; a putting off till to-morrow. [Obs.]

CRATAEGUS Cra*tæ"gus (kr-t"gs), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of small, hardy trees, including the hawthorn, much used for ornamental purposes.

CRATCH Cratch (krch; 224), n. Etym: [OE. crache, creche, F. cr crib, manger, fr. OHG. krippa, krippea,G. krippe crib. See Crib.]

Defn: A manger or open frame for hay; a crib; a rack. [Obs.] Begin from first where He encradled was, In simple cratch, wrapt in a wad of hay. Spenser. Cratch cradle, a representation of the figure of the cratch, made upon the fingers with a string; cat's cradle; -- called also scratch cradle.

CRATE Crate (krt), n. Etym: [L. cratis hurdle; perh. akin to E. cradle. See Hurdle, and cf. Crate a framework.]

1. A large basket or hamper of wickerwork, used for the transportation of china, crockery, and similar wares.

2. A box or case whose sides are of wooden slats with interspaces, -- used especially for transporting fruit.

CRATE Crate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crated; p. pr. & vb. n. Crating.]

Defn: To pack in a crate or case for transportation; as, to crate a sewing machine; to crate peaches.

CRATER Cra"ter (krtr), n. Etym: [L. crater, cratera, a mixing vessel, the mouth of a volcano, Gr. ir to cook, Crail, in Holy Grail.]

1. The basinlike opening or mouth of a volcano, through which the chief eruption comes; similarly, the mouth of a gevser, about which a cone of silica is often built up.

2. (Mil.)

Defn: The pit left by the explosion of a mine.

3. (Astron.)

Defn: A constellation of the southen hemisphere; -- called also the Cup.

CRATERIFORM Cra*ter"i*form (kr-tr"-frm), a. Etym: [L. cratera + -form.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having the form of a shallow bowl; -- said of a corolla.

CRATEROUS CRa"ter*ous (kr"tr-s), a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, a crater. [R.] R. Browning.

CRAUNCH Craunch (krnch), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Craunched (krncht);p. pr. & vb. n. Craunching.] Etym: [See Crunch.]

Defn: To crush with the teeth; to chew with violence and noise; to crunch. Swift.

CRAVAT Cra*vat" (kr-vt"), n. Etym: [F. cravate, fr. Cravate a Croat, an inhabitant of Croatia, one of a body of Austrian troops, from whom, in 1636, this article of dress was adopted in France.]

Defn: A neckcloth; a piece of silk, fine muslin, or other cloth, worn by men about the neck. While his wig was combed and his cravat tied. Macualay.

CRAVATTED Cra*vat`ted (kr-vt"td), a.

Defn: Wearing a cravat. The young men faultlessly appointed, handsomely cravatted. Thackeray.

CRAVE Crave (krv), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Craved (kr; p pr. & vb. n. Craving.] Etym: [AS. crafian; akin to Icel. krefia, Sw. kr, Dan. kr.]

1. To ask with earnestness or importunity; to ask with submission or humility; to beg; to entreat; to beseech; to implore. I crave your honor's pardon. Shak. Joseph . . . went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. Mark xv. 43.

2. To call for, as a gratification; to long for; hence, to require or demand; as, the stomach craves food. His path is one that eminently craves weary walking. Edmund Gurney.

Syn. -- To ask; seek; beg; beseech; implore; entreat; solicit; request; supplicate; adjure.

CRAVE Crave, v. i.

Defn: To desire strongly; to feel an insatiable longing; as, a craving appetite. Once one may crave for love. Suckling.

CRAVEN Cra"ven (kr"v'n), a. Etym: [OE. cravant, cravaunde, OF. cravant struck down, p. p. of cravanter, crevanter, to break, crush, strike down, fr. an assumed LL. crepantare, fr. L. crepans, p. pr. of crepare to break, crack, rattle. Cf. Crevice, Crepitate.]

Defn: Cowardly; fainthearted; spiritless. "His craven heart." Shak. The poor craven bridegroom said never a word. Sir. W. Scott. In craven fear of the sarcasm of Dorset. Macualay.

CRAVEN Cra"ven, n. Etym: [Formerly written also cravant and cravent.]

Defn: A recreant; a coward; a weak-hearted, spiritless fellow. See Recreant, n. King Henry. Is it fit this soldier keep his oath Fluellen.He is a craven and a villain else. Shak.

Syn. -- Coward; poltroon; dastard.

CRAVEN Cra"ven, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cravened (-v'nd);p. pr. & vb. n. Cravening.]

Defn: To make recreant, weak, spiritless, or cowardly. [Obs.] There is a prohibition so divine, That cravens my weak hand. Shak.

CRAVER Crav"er (krv"r), n.

Defn: One who craves or begs.

CRAVING Crav"ing (-ng), n.

Defn: Vehement or urgent desire; longing for; beseeching. A succession of cravings and satiety. L'Estrange. -- Crav"ing*ly, adv. -- Crav"ing*ness, n.

CRAW Craw (kr), n. Etym: [Akin to D. kraag neck, collar, G. kragen, Sw. kr craw, Dan. kro, and possibly to Gr.bronchus), or Crag neck.] (Zoöl.) (a) The crop of a bird. (b) The stomach of an animal.

CRAWFISH; CRAYFISH Craw"fish` (kr"fsh`), Cray"fish` (kr"fsh`), n.; pl. -fishes or -fish. Etym: [Corrupted fr. OE. crevis, creves, OF. crevice, F. , fr. OHG. krebiz crab, G. krebs. See Crab. The ending -fish arose from confusion with E. fish.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any crustacean of the family Astacidæ, resembling the lobster, but smaller, and found in fresh waters. Crawfishes are esteemed very delicate food both in Europe and America. The North American species are numerous and mostly belong to the genus Cambarus. The blind crawfish of the Mamoth Cave is Cambarus pellucidus. The common European species is Astacus fluviatilis.

CRAWFORD Craw"ford (kr"frd), n.

Defn: A Crawford peach; a well-known freestone peach, wich yellow flesh, first raised by Mr. William Crawford, of New Jersey.

CRAWL Crawl (krl), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Crawled (krld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crawling.] Etym: [Dan. kravle, or Icel. krafla, to paw, scrabble with the hands; akin to Sw. kr to crawl; cf. LG. krabbeln, D. krabbelen to scratch.]

1. To move slowly by drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; to move slowly on hands and kness; to creep. A worm finds what it searches after only by feeling, as it crawls from one thing to another. Grew.

2. Hence, to move or advance in a feeble, slow, or timorous manner. He was hardly able to crawl about the room. Arbuthnot. The meanest thing that crawl'd beneath my eyes. Byron.

3. To advance slowly and furtively; to insinuate one's self; to advance or gain influence by servile or obsequious conduct. Secretly crawling up the battered walls. Knolles. Hath crawled into the favor of the king. Shak. Absurd opinions crawl about the world. South.

4. To have a sensation as of insect creeping over the body; as, the flesh crawls. See Creep, v. i. ,7.

CRAWL Crawl (krl), n.

Defn: The act or motion of crawling;

CRAWL Crawl, n. Etym: [Cf. Kraal.]

Defn: A pen or inclosure of stakes and hurdles on the seacoast, for holding fish.

CRAWLER Crawl"er (krl"r), n.

Defn: One who, or that which, crawls; a creeper; a reptile.

CRAWL STROKE Crawl stroke. (Swimming)

Defn: A racing stroke, in which the swimmer, lying flat on the water with face submerged, takes alternate overhand arm strokes while moving his legs up and down alternately from the knee.

CRAWLY Crawl"y (krl"), a.

Defn: Creepy. [Colloq.]

CRAY; CRAYER Cray (kr), Cray"er (-r), n.

Defn: See Crare. [Obs.]

CRAYFISH Cray"fish (kr"fsh), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Crawfish.

CRAYON Cray"on (kr"n), n. Etym: [F., a crayon, a lead pencil (crayon Conté Conté's pencil, i. e., one made a black compound invented by Conté), fr. craie chalk, L. creta; said to be, properly, Cretan earth, fr. Creta the island Crete. Cf. Cretaceous.]

1. An implement for drawing, made of clay and plumbago, or of some preparation of chalk, usually sold in small prisms or cylinders. Let no day pass over you . . . without giving some strokes of the pencil or the crayon. Dryden.

Note: The black crayon gives a deeper black than the lead pencil. This and the colored crayons are often called chalks. The red crayon is also called sanguine. See Chalk, and Sanguine.

2. A crayon drawing.

3. (Electricity)

Defn: A pencil of carbon used in producing electric light. Crayon board, cardboard with a surface prepared for crayon drawing. -- Crayon drawing, the act or art of drawing with crayons; a drawing made with crayons.

CRAYON Cray"on, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crayoned (-nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Crayoning.] Etym: [Cf. F. crayonner.]

Defn: To sketch, as with a crayon; to sketch or plan. He soon afterwards composed that discourse, conformably to the plan which he had crayoned out. Malone.

CRAZE Craze (krz), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crazed (krzd); p. pr. & vb. n. Crazing.] Etym: [OE. crasen to break, fr. Scand., perh. through OF.; cf. Sw. krasa to crackle, sl, to break to pieces, F. to crush, fr. the Scand. Cf. Crash.]

1. To break into pieces; to crush; to grind to powder. See Crase. God, looking forth, will trouble all his host, And craze their chariot wheels. Milton.

2. To weaken; to impair; to render decrepit. [Obs.] Till length of years, And sedentary numbness, craze my limbs. Milton.

3. To derange the intellect of; to render insane. Any man . . . that is crazed and out of his wits. Tilloston. Grief hath crazed my wits. Shak.

CRAZE Craze, v. i.

1. To be crazed, or to act or appear as She would weep and he would craze. Keats.

2. To crack, as the glazing of porcelain or pottery.

CRAZE Craze, n.

1. Craziness; insanity.

2. A strong habitual desire or fancy; a crotchet. It was quite a craze with him [Burns] to have his Jean dressed genteelly. Prof. Wilson.

3. A temporary passion or infatuation, as for same new amusement, pursuit, or fashion; as, the bric-a-brac craze; the æsthetic craze. Various crazes concerning health and disease. W. Pater.

CRAZEDNESS Craz"ed*ness (-d-ns), n.

Defn: A broken state; decrepitude; an impaired state of the intellect.

CRAZE-MILL; CRAZING-MILL Craze"-mill` (krz"m*l`), Craz"ing-mill` (kr"zng-), n. Etym: [See 1st Craze.]

Defn: A mill for grinding tin ore.

CRAZILY Cra"zi*ly (kr*"z-l), adv.

Defn: In a crazy manner.

CRAZINESS Cra"zi*ness, n.

1. The state of being broken down or weakened; as, the craziness of a ship, or of the limbs.

2. The state of being broken in mind; imbecility or weakness of intellect; derangement.

CRAZY Cra"zy (kr"z), a. Etym: [From Craze.]

1. Characterized by weakness or feeblness; decrepit; broken; falling to decay; shaky; unsafe. Piles of mean andcrazy houses. Macualay. One of great riches, but a crazy constitution. Addison. They . . . got a crazy boat to carry them to the island. Jeffrey.

2. Broken, weakened, or dissordered in intellect; shattered; demented; deranged. Over moist and crazy brains. Hudibras.

3. Inordinately desirous; foolishly eager. [Colloq.] The girls were crazy to be introduced to him. R. B. Kimball. Crazy bone, the bony projection at the end of the elbow (olecranon), behind which passes the ulnar nerve; -- so called on account of the curiously painful tingling felt, when, in a particular position, it receives a blow; -- called also funny bone. -- Crazy quilt, a bedquilt made of pieces of silk or other material of various sizes, shapes, and colors, fancifully stitched together without definite plan or arrangement.

CREABLE Cre"a*ble (kr"-b'l), a. Etym: [L. creabilis, from creare to create. See Create.]

Defn: Capable of being created. [Obs.] I. Watts.

CREAGHT Creaght (krt), n. Etym: [Ir. & Gael. graidh, graigh.]

Defn: A drove or herd. [Obs.] Haliwell.

CREAGHT Creaght, v. i.

Defn: To graze. [Obs.] Sir. L. Davies.

CREAK Creak (krk), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Creaked (krkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Creaking.] Etym: [OE. creken, prob. of imitative origin; cf. E. crack, and. D. kreiken to crackle, chirp.]

Defn: To make a prolonged sharp grating or ssqueaking sound, as by the friction of hard substances; as, shoes creak. The creaking locusts with my voice conspire. Dryden. Doors upon their hinges creaked. Tennyson.

CREAK Creak, v. t.

Defn: To produce a creaking sound with. Creaking my shoes on the plain masonry. Shak.

CREAK Creak (krk), n.

Defn: Thew sound produced by anuthing that creaks; a creaking. Roget.

CREAKING CReak"ing, n.

Defn: A harsh grating or squeaking sound, or the act of making such a sound. Start not at the creaking of the door. Longfellow.

CREAM Cream (krm), n. Etym: [F. cr, perh. fr. LL. crema cteam of milk; cf. L. cremor thick juice or broth, perh. akin to cremare to burn.]

1. The rich, oily, and yellowish part of milk, which, when the milk stands unagitated, rises, and collects on the surface. It is the part of milk from which butter is obtained.

2. The part of any liquor that rises, and collects on the surface. [R.]

3. A delicacy of several kinds prepared for the table from cream, etc., or so as to resemble cream.

4. A cosmetic; a creamlike medicinal preparation. In vain she tries her paste and creams, To smooth her skin or hide its seams. Goldsmith.

5. The best or choicest part of a thing; the quintessence; as. the cream of a jest or story; the cream of a collection of books or pictures. Welcome, O flower and cream of knights errant. Shelton. Bavarian cream, a preparation of gelatin, cream, sugar, and eggs, whipped; -- to be eaten cold. -- Cold cream, an ointment made of white wax, almond oil, rose water, and borax, and used as a salve for the hands and lips. -- Cream cheese, a kind of cheese made from curd from which the cream has not been taken off, or to which cream has been added. -- Cream gauge, an instrument to test milk, being usually a graduated glass tube in which the milk is placed for the cream to rise. -- Cream nut, the Brazil nut. -- Cream of lime. (a) A scum of calcium carbonate which forms on a solution of milk of lime from the carbon dioxide of the air. (b) A thick creamy emulsion of lime in water. -- Cream of tartar (Chem.), purified tartar or argol; so called because of the crust of crystals which forms on the surface of the liquor in the process of purification by recrystallization. It is a white crystalline substance, with a gritty acid taste, and is used very largely as an ingredient of baking powders; -- called also potassium bitartrate, acid potassium tartrate, etc.

CREAM Cream, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Creamed (krmd); p. pr. & vb. n. Creaming.]

1. To skim, or take off by skimming, as cream.

2. To take off the best or choicest part of.

3. To furnish with, or as with, cream. Creaming the fragrant cups. Mrs. Whitney. To cream butter (Cooking), to rub, stir, or beat, butter till it is of a light creamy consistency.

CREAM Cream, v. i.

Defn: To form or become covered with cream; to become thick like cream; to assume the appearance of cream; hence, to grow stiff or formal; to mantle. There are a sort of men whose visages Do cream and mantle like a standing pool. Shak.

CREAMCAKE Cream"cake` (-kk`), n. (Cookery)

Defn: A kind of cake filled with custard made of cream, eggs, etc.

CREAM-COLORED Cream"-col`ored (-kl`rd), a.

Defn: Of the color of cream; light yellow. "Cream-colored horses." Hazlitt.

CREAMERY Cream"er*y (-r-), n.; pl. Creameries (-. Etym: [CF. F. cr.]

1. A place where butter and cheese are made, or where milk and cream are put up in cans for market.

2. A place or apparatus in which milk is set for raising cream.

3. An establishment where cream is sold.

CREAM-FACED Cream"-faced` (krm"fst`), a.

Defn: White or pale, as the effect of fear, or as the natural complexion. Thou cream-faced loon. Shak.

CREAM-FRUIT Cream"-fruit` (krm"frt`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant of Sierra Leone which yields a wholesome, creamy juice.

CREAMINESS Cream"i*ness (--ns), n.

Defn: The quality of being creamy.

CREAM LAID Cream" laid` (krm" ld`).

Defn: See under Laid.

CREAM-SLICE Cream"-slice` (-sls`), n.

Defn: A wooden knife with a long thin blade, used in handling cream or ice cream.

CREAM-WHITE Cream"-white` (-hwt`), a.

Defn: As white as cream.

CREAMY Cream"y (krm"), a.

Defn: Full of, or containing, cream; resembling cream, in nature, appearance, or taste; creamlike; unctuous. "Creamy bowis." Collins. "Lines of creamy spray." Tennyson. "Your creamy words but cozen." Beau & Fl.

CREANCE Cre"ance (kr"ans), n. Etym: [F. créance, lit., credence, fr. L. credere to trust. See Credence.]

1. Faith; belief; creed. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. (Falconry)

Defn: A fine, small line, fastened to a hawk's leash, when it is first lured.

CREANCE Cre"ance (kr*"ans), v. i. & t.

Defn: To get on credit; to borrow. [Obs.] Chaucer.

CREANT Cre"ant (kr"ant), a. Etym: [L. creans, p. pr. of creare to create.]

Defn: Creative; formative. [R.] Mrs. Browning.

CREASE Crease (krs), n.

Defn: See Creese. Tennison.

CREASE Crease, n. Etym: [Cf. LG. krus, G. krause, crispness, krausen, kr, to crisp, curl, lay on folds; or perh. of Celtic origin; cf. Armor.kriz a wrinkle, crease, kriza to wrinkle, fold, W. crych a wrinkle, crychu to rumple, ripple, crease.]

1. A line or mark made by folding or doubling any pliable substance; hence, a similar mark, howewer produced.

2. (Cricket)

Defn: One of the lines serving to define the limits of the bowler and the striker. Bowling crease (Cricket), a line extending three feet four inches on each side of the central strings at right angles to the line between the wickets. -- Return crease (Cricket), a short line at each end of the bowling crease and at right angles to it, extending toward the bowler. -- Popping crease (Cricket),, a line drawn in front of the wicket, four feet distant from it, parallel to the bowling crease and at least as long as the latter. J. H. Walsh (Encyc. of Rural Sports).

CREASE Crease, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Creased (krst); p. pr. & vb. n. Creasing.]

Defn: To make a crease or mark in, as by folding or doubling. Creased, like dog's ears in a folio. Gray.

CREASER Creas"er (krs"r), n.

1. A tool, or a sewing-mashine attachment, for making lines or creases on leather or cloth, as guides to sew by.

2. A tool for making creases or beads, as in sheet iron, or for rounding small tubes.

3. (Bookbinding)

Defn: A tool for making the band impression distinct on the back. Knight.

CREASING Creas"ing (krs"ng), n. (Arch.)

Defn: A layer of tiles forming a corona for a wall.

CREASOTE Cre"a*sote (kr"-st), n.

Defn: See Creosote.

CREASY Creas"y (krs"), a.

Defn: Full of creases. Tennyson.

CREAT Cre"at (kr"t), n. Etym: [F. cr, ultimateli fr. L. creatus created, begotten; cf. It. creato pupil, servant, Sp. criado a servant, client.] (Man.)

Defn: An usher to a riding master.

CREATABLE Cre*at"a*ble (kr-"t-b'l), a.

Defn: That may be created.

CREATE Cre*ate" (kr-t"), a.Etym: [L. creatus, p. p. of creare to create; akin to Gr. k to make, and to E. ending -cracy in aristocracy, also to crescent, cereal.]

Defn: Created; composed; begotte. [Obs.] Hearts create of duty and zeal. Shak.

CREATE Cre*ate", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Created;p. pr. & vb. n. Creating.]

1. To bring into being; to form out of nothing; to cause to exist. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. Gen. i. 1.

2. To effect by the agency, and under the laws, of causation; to be the occasion of; to cause; to produce; to form or fashion; to renew. Your eye in Scotland Would create soldiers. Shak. Create in me a clean heart. Ps. li. 10.

3. To invest with a new form, office, or character; to constitute; to appoint; to make; as, to create one a peer. "I create you companions to our person." Shak.

CREATIC Cre*at"ic (kr-t"k), a. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Relating to, or produced by, flesh or animal food; as, creatic nausea. [Written also kreatic.]

CREATIN Cre"a*tin (kr"-tn), n. Etym: [Gr. (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A white, crystalline, nitrogenous substance found abundantly in muscle tissue. [Written also kreatine.]

CREATININ Cre*at"i*nin (kr-t"-nn), n. (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A white, crystalline, nitrogenous body closely related to creatin but more basic in its properties, formed from the latter by the action of acids, and occurring naturally in muscle tissue and in urine. [Written also kretinine.]

CREATION Cre*a"tion (kr-A"shn), n. Etym: [L. creatio: cf. F. cr. See Create.]

1. The act of creating or causing to exist. Specifically, the act of bringing the universe or this world into existence. From the creation to the general doom. Shak. As when a new particle of matter dotn begin to exist, in rerum natura, which had before no being; and this we call creation. Locke.

2. That which is created; that which is produced or caused to exist, as the world or some original work of art or of the imagination; nature. We know that the whole creation groaneth. Rom. viii. 22. A dagger of the mind, a false creation. Shak. Choice pictures and creations of curious art. Beaconsfield.

3. The act of constituting or investing with a new character; appointment; formation. An Irish peer of recent creation. Landor.

CREATIONAL Cre*a"tion*al (-al), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to creation.

CREATIONISM Cre*a"tion*ism (-z'm), n.

Defn: The doctrine that a soul is specially created for each human being as soon as it is formed in the womb; -- opposed to traducianism.

CREATIVE Cre*a"tive (-tv), a.

Defn: Having the power to create; exerting the act of creation. "Creative talent." W. Irving. The creative force exists in the germ. Whewell.

CREATIVENESS Cre*a"tive*ness, n.

Defn: The qualiyu of being creative.

CREATOR Crea*"tor (kr-"tr), n. Etym: [L. creator: cf. F. cr.]

Defn: One who creates, produces, or constitutes. Specifically, the Supreme Being. To sin's rebuke and my Creater's praise. Shak. The poets and artists of Greece, who are at the same time its prophets, the creators of its divinities, and the revealers of its theological beliefs. Caird.

CREATORSHIP Cre*a"tor*ship, n.

Defn: State or condition of a creator.

CREATRESS Cre*a"tress, n. Etym: [L. creatrix: cf. F. cr.]

Defn: She who creates. Spenser.

CREATRIX Cre*a"trix (-trks), n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: A creatress. [R.]

CREATURAL Crea"tur*al (kr"tr-al; 135), a.

Defn: Belonging to a creature; having the qualities of a creature. [R.]

CREATURE Crea"ture (kr"tr; 135), n. Etym: [F. cr, L. creatura. See Create.]

1. Anything created; anything not self-existent; especially, any being created with life; an animal; a man. He asked water, a creature so common and needful that it was against the law of nature to deny him. Fuller. God's first creature was light. Bacon. On earth, join, all ye creatures, to extol Him first, him last, him midst, and without end. Milton. And most attractive is the fair result Of thought, the creature of a polished mind. Cowper.

2. A human being, in pity, contempt, or endearment; as, a poor creature; a pretty creature. The world hath not a sweeter creature. Shak.

3. A person who owes his rise and fortune to another; a servile dependent; an instrument; a tool. A creature of the queen's, Lady Anne Bullen. Shak. Both Charles himself and his creature, Laud. Macualay.

4. A general term among farmers for horses, oxen, etc. Creature comforts, those which minister to the comfort of the body.

CREATURELESS Crea"ture*less, a.

Defn: Without created beings; alone. God was alone And creatureless at first. Donne.

CREATURELY Crea"ture*ly, a.

Defn: Creatural; characteristic of a creature. [R.] "Creaturely faculties." Cheyne.

CREATURESHIP Crea"ture*ship, n.

Defn: The condition of being a creature.

CREATURIZE Crea"tur*ize (-z), v. t.

Defn: To make like a creature; to degrade [Obs.] Degrade and creaturize that mundane soul. Cudworth.

CREAZE Creaze (krz), n. (Mining)

Defn: The tin ore which collects in the central part of the washing pit or buddle.

CREBRICOSTATE Cre`bri*cos"tate (kr`br-ks"tt), a. Etym: [L. creber close + costa rib.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Marked with closely set ribs or ridges.

CREBRISULCATE Cre`bri*sul"cate (kr`br-sl"kt), a. Etym: [L. creber close + sulcus furrow.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Marked with closely set transverse furrows.

CREBRITUDE Creb"ri*tude (krb"r-td), n. Etym: [L. crebritudo, fr. creber close.]

Defn: Frequency. [Obs.] Bailey.

CREBROUS Cre"brous (kr"brs), a. Etym: [L. creber close set, frequent.]

Defn: Frequent; numerous. [Obs.] Goodwin.

CRECHE Creche (krsh), n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A public nursery, where the young children of poor women are cared for during the day, while their mothers are at work.

CREDENCE Cre"dence (kr"dens), n. Etym: [LL. credentia, fr. L. credens, -entis, p. pr. of credere to trust, believe: cf. OF. credence. See Creed, and cf. Credent, Creance.]

1. Reliance of the mind on evidence of facts derived from other sources than personal knowledge; belief; credit; confidence. To give credence to the Scripture miracles. Trench. An assertion which might easily find credence. Macualay.

2. That which gives a claim to credit, belief, or confidence; as, a letter of credence.

3. (Eccl.)

Defn: The small table by the side of the altar or communion table, on which the bread and wine are placed before being consecrated.

4. A cupboard, sideboard, or cabinet, particularly one intended for the display of rich vessels or plate, and consisting chiefly of open shelves for that purpose.

CREDENCE Cre"dence, v. t.

Defn: To give credence to; to believe. [Obs.]

CREDENDUM Cre*den"dum (kr-dn"dm), n.;pl. Credenda (-d. Etym: [L., fr. credere to belive.] (Theol.)

Defn: A thing to be believed; an article of faith; -- distinguished from agendum, a practical duty. The great articles and credenda of Christianity. South.

CREDENT Cre"dent (kr"dent), a. Etym: [. credens, -entis, p. pr. of credere to trust, believe. See Creed.]

1. Believing; giving credence; credulous. [R.] If with too credent esr you list songs. Shak.

2. Having credit or authority; credible. [Obs.] For my authority bears of a credent bulk. Shak.

CREDENTIAL Cre*den"tial (kr-dn"shal), a. Etym: [Cf. It. credenziale, fr. LL. credentia. See Credence.]

Defn: Giving a title or claim to credit or confidence; accrediting. Their credential letters on both sides. Camden.

CREDENTIAL Cre*den"tial, n. Etym: [Cf. It. credenziale.]

1. That which gives a title to credit or confidence.

2. pl.

Defn: Testimonials showing that a person is entitled to credit, or has right to exercise official power, as the letters given by a government to an ambassador or envoy, or a certificate that one is a duly elected delegate. The committee of estates excepted against the credentials of the English commissioners. Whitelocke. Had they not shown undoubted credentials from the Divine Person who sent them on such a message. Addison.

CREDIBILITY Cred`i*bil"i*ty (krd`-bl"-t), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cr.]

Defn: The quality of being credible; credibleness; as, the credibility of facts; the credibility of witnesses.

CREDIBLE Cred"i*ble (krd"-b'l), a. Etym: [L. credibilis, fr. credere. See Creed.]

Defn: Capable of being credited or believed; worthy of belief; entiled to confidence; trustworthy. Things are made credible either by the known condition and quality of the utterer or by the manifest likelihood of truth in themselves. Hooker. A very diligent and observing person, and likewise very sober and credible. Dampier.

CREDIBLENESS Cred"i*ble*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being credible; worthness of belief; credibility. [R.] Boyle.

CREDIBLY Cred"i*bly, adv.

Defn: In a manner inducing belief; as, I have been credibly informed of the event.

CREDIT Cred"it (krd"t), n. Etym: [F. cr (cf. It. credito), L. creditum loan, prop. neut. of creditus, p. p. of credere to trust, loan, believe. See Creed.]

1. Reliance on the truth of something said or done; belief; faith; trust; confidence. When Jonathan and the people heard these words they gave no credit into them, nor received them. 1 Macc. x. 46.

2. Reputation derived from the confidence of others; esteem; honor; good name; estimation. John Gilpin was a citizen Of credit and renown. Cowper.

3. A ground of, or title to, belief or confidence; authority derived from character or reputation. The things which we properly believe, be only such as are received on the credit of divine testimony. Hooker.

4. That which tends to procure, or add to, reputation or esteem; an honor. I published, because I was told I might please such as it was a credit to please. Pope.

5. Influence derived from the good opinion, confidence, or favor of others; interest. Having credit enough with his master to provide for his own interest. Clarendon.

6. (Com.)

Defn: Trust given or received; expectation of future playment for property transferred, or of fulfillment or promises given; mercantile reputation entitling one to be trusted; -- applied to individuals, corporations, communities, or nations; as, to buy goods on credit. Credit is nothing but the expectation of money, within some limited time. Locke.

7. The time given for payment for lands or goods sold on trust; as, a long credit or a short credit.

8. (Bookkeeping)

Defn: The side of an account on which are entered all items reckoned as values received from the party or the category named at the head of the account; also, any one, or the sum, of these items; -- the opposite of debit; as, this sum is carried to one's credit, and that to his debit; A has several credits on the books of B. Bank credit, or Cash credit. See under Cash. -- Bill of credit. See under Bill. -- Letter of credit, a letter or notification addressed by a banker to his correspondent, informing him that the person named therein is entitled to draw a certain sum of money; when addressed to several different correspondents, or when the money can be drawn in fractional sums in several different places, it is called a circular letter of credit. -- Public credit. (a) The reputation of, or general confidence in, the ability or readiness of a government to fulfull its pecuniary engagements. (b) The ability and fidelity of merchants or others who owe largely in a community. He touched the dead corpse of Public Credit, and it sprung upon its feet. D. Webster.

CREDIT Cred"it (krd"t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Credited; p. pr. & vb. n. Crediting.]

1. To confide in the truth of; to give credence to; to put trust in; to believe. How shall they credit A poor unlearned virgin Shak.

2. To bring honor or repute upon; to do credit to; to raise the estimation of. You credit the church as much by your government as you did the school formerly by your wit. South.

3. (Bookkeeping)

Defn: To enter upon the credit side of an account; to give credit for; as, to credit the amount paid; to set to the credit of; as, to credit a man with the interest paid on a bond. To credit with, to give credit for; to assign as justly due to any one. Crove, Helmholtz, and Meyer, are more than any others to be credited with the clear enunciation of this doctrine. Newman.

CREDITABLE Cred"it*a*ble (--b'l), a.

1. Worthy of belief. [Obs.] Divers creditable witnesses deposed. Ludlow.

2. Deserving or possessing reputation or esteem; reputable; estimable. This gentleman was born of creditable parents. Goldsmith.

3. Bringing credit, reputation, or honor; honorable; as, such conduct is highly creditable to him. Macualay. He settled him in a good creditable way of living. Arbuthnot.

CREDITABLENESS Cred"it*a*ble*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being creditable.

CREDITABLY Cred"it*a*bly (--bl), adv.

Defn: In a creditable manner; reputably; with credit.

CREDIT FONCIER Cre`dit" fon`cier" (krd" fn`s"). Etym: [F. cr credit & foncier relating to land, landed.]

Defn: A company licensed for the purpose of carrying out improvements, by means of loans and advances upon real securities. ]

CREDIT MOBILIER Cre`dit" mo`bi`lier" (m`b`ly"). Etym: [F. cr credit & mobilier personal, pertaining to personal property.]

Defn: A joint stock company, formed for general banking business, or for the construction of public works, by means of loans on personal estate, after the manner of the crédit foncier on real estate. In practice, however, this distinction has not been strictly observed.

CREDITOR Cred"it*or (krd"t-r), n. Etym: [L.: cf. F. cr. See Credit.]

1. One who credits, believes, or trusts. The easy creditors of novelties. Daniel.

2. One who gives credit in business matters; hence, one to whom money is due; -- correlative to debtor. Creditors have better memories than debtors. Franklin.

CREDITRESS; CREDITRIX Cred"it*ress (krd"t-rs), Cred"i*trix (krd"-trks), n. Etym: [L. creditrix.]

Defn: A female creditor.

CREDO Cre"do (kr"d), n. Etym: [L. See Creed.]

Defn: The creed, as sung or read in the Roman Catholic church. He repeated Aves and Credos. Macualay.

CREDULITY Cre*du"li*ty (kr-d"l-t), n. Etym: [L. credulitas, fr. credulus: cf. F. cr. See Credulous.]

Defn: Readiness of belief; a disposition to believe on slight evidence. That implict credulity is the mark of a feeble mind will not be disputed. Sir W. Hamilton.

CREDULOUS Cred"u*lous (krd"-ls; 135), a. Etym: [L. credulus, fr. credere. See Creed.]

1. Apt to believe on slight evidence; easly imposed upon; unsuspecting. Landor. Eve, our credulous mother. Milton.

2. Believed too readily. [Obs.] Beau & Fl.

CREDULOUSLY Cred"u*lous*ly, adv.

Defn: With credulity.

CREDULOUSNESS Cred"u*lous*ness, n.

Defn: Readiness to believe on slight evidence; credulity. Beyond all credulity is the credulousness of atheists. S. Clarke.

CREED Creed (krd), n. Etym: [OE. credo, crede, AS. creda, fr. L. credo I believe, at the beginning of the Apostles' creed, fr. credere to believe; akin to OIr. cretin I believe, and Skr. ; crat trust + dh to put. See Do, v. t., and cf. Credo, Grant.]

1. A definite summary of what is believed; esp., a summary of the articles of Christian faith; a confession of faith for public use; esp., one which is brief and comprehensive. In the Protestant system the creed is not coördinate with, but always subordinate to, the Bible. Schaff-Herzog Encyc.

2. Any summary of principles or opinions professed or adhered to. I love him not, nor fear him; there's my creed. Shak. Apostles' creed, Athanasian creed, Nicene creed. See under Apostle, Athanasian, Nicene.

CREED Creed, v. t.

Defn: To believe; to credit. [Obs.] That part which is so creeded by the people. Milton.

CREEDLESS Creed"less, a.

Defn: Without a creed. Carlyle.

CREEK Creek (krk), n. Etym: [AS. crecca; akin to D. kreek, Icel. kriki crack, nook; cf. W. crig crack, crigyll ravine, creek. Cf. Crick, Crook.]

1. A small inlet or bay, narrower and extending further into the land than a cove; a recess in the shore of the sea, or of a river. Each creek and cavern of the dangerous shore. Cowper. They discovered a certain creek, with a shore. Acts xxvii. 39.

2. A stream of water smaller than a river and larger than a brook. Lesser streams and rivulets are denominated creeks. Goldsmith.

3. Any turn or winding. The passages of alleys, creeks, and narrow lands. Shak.

CREEKFISH Creek"fish (krk"fsh), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The chub sucker.

CREEKS Creeks (krks), n. pl.; sing. Creek. (Ethnol.)

Defn: A tribe or confederacy of North American Indians, including the Muskogees, Seminoles, Uchees, and other subordinate tribes. They formerly inhabited Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

CREEKY Creek"y (krk"), a.

Defn: Containing, or abounding in, creeks; characterized by creeks; like a creek; winding. "The creeky shore." Spenser.

CREEL Creel (krl), n. Etym: [Gael. craidhleag basket, creel.]

1. An osier basket, such as anglers use. Sir W. Scott.

2. (Spinning)

Defn: A bar or set of bars with skewers for holding paying-off bobbins, as in the roving machine, throstle, and mule.

CREEP Creep (krp), v. t. [imp. Crept (krpt) (Crope (kr, Obs.); p. p. Crept; p. pr. & vb. n. Creeping.] Etym: [OE. crepen, creopen, AS. cre; akin to D. kruipen, G. kriechen, Icel. krjupa, Sw. krypa, Dan. krybe. Cf. Cripple, Crouch.]

1. To move along the ground, or on any other surface, on the belly, as a worm or reptile; to move as a child on the hands and knees; to crawl. Ye that walk The earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep. Milton.

2. To move slowly, feebly, or timorously, as from unwillingness, fear, or weakness. The whining schoolboy . . . creeping, like snail, Unwillingly to school. Shak. Like guilty thing, Icreep. Tennyson.

3. To move in a stealthy or secret manner; to move imperceptibly or clandestinely; to steal in; to insinuate itself or one's self; as, age creeps upon us. The sothistry which creeps into most of the books of argument. Locke. Of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women. 2. Tim. iii. 6.

4. To slip, or to become slightly displaced; as, the collodion on a negative, or a coat of varnish, may creep in drying; the quicksilver on a mirror may creep.

5. To move or behave with servility or exaggerated humility; to fawn; as, a creeping sycophant. To come as humbly as they used to creep. Shak.

6. To grow, as a vine, clinging to the ground or to some other support by means of roots or rootlets, or by tendrils, along its length. "Creeping vines." Dryden.

7. To have a sensation as of insects creeping on the skin of the body; to crawl; as, the sight made my flesh creep. See Crawl, v. i.,4.

8. To drag in deep water with creepers, as for recovering a submarine cable.

CREEP Creep, n.

1. The act or process of creeping.

2. A distressing sensation, or sound, like that occasioned by the creeping of insects. A creep of undefinable horror. Blackwood's Mag. Out of the stillness, with gathering creep, Like rising wind in leaves. Lowell.

3. (Mining)

Defn: A slow rising of the floor of a gallery, occasioned by the pressure of incumbent strata upon the pillars or sides; a gradual movement of mining ground.

CREEPER Creep"er (krp"r), n.

1. One who, or that which, creeps; any creeping thing. Standing waters are most unwholesome, . . . full of mites,creepers; slimy, muddy, unclean. Burton.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant that clings by rootlets, or by tendrils, to the ground, or to trees, etc.; as, the Virginia creeper (Ampelopsis quinquefolia).

3. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small bird of the genus Certhia, allied to the wrens. The brown or common European creeper is C. familiaris, a variety of which (var. Americana) inhabits America; -- called also tree creeper and creeptree. The American black and white creeper is Mniotilta varia.

4. A kind of patten mounted on short pieces of iron instead of rings; also, a fixture with iron points worn on a shoe to prevent one from slipping.

5. pl.

Defn: A spurlike device strapped to the boot, which enables one to climb a tree or pole; -- called often telegraph creepers.

6. A small, low iron, or dog, between the andirons.

7. pl.

Defn: An instrument with iron hooks or claws for dragging at the bottom of a well, or any other body of water, and bringing up what may lie there.

8. Any device for causing material to move steadily from one part of a machine to another, as an apron in a carding machine, or an inner spiral in a grain screen.

9. pl. (Arch.)

Defn: Crockets. See Crocket.

CREEPHOLE Creep"hole` (-hl`), n.

1. A hole or retreat onto which an animal may creep, to escape notice or danger.

2. A subterfuge; an excuse.

CREEPIE Creep"ie (-), n.

Defn: A low stool. [Scot.]

CREEPINESS Creep"i*ness (--ns), n.

Defn: An uneasy sensation as of insects creeping on the skin. She felt a curious, uneasy creepiness. Mrs. Alexander.

CREEPING Creep"ing, a.

1. Crawling, or moving close to the ground. "Every creeping thing." Gen. vi. 20.

2. Growing along, and clinging to, the ground, or to a wall, etc., by means of rootlets or tendrils. Casements lined with creeping herbs. Cowper. Ceeping crowfoot (Bot.), a plant, the Ranunculus repens.- Creeping snowberry, an American plant (Chiogenes hispidula) with white berries and very small round leaves having the flavor of wintergreen.

CREEPING CHARLIE Creep"ing Char"lie.

Defn: The stonecrop (Sedum acre).

CREEPINGLY Creep"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: by creeping slowly; in the manner of a reptile; insidiously; cunningly. How slily and creepingly did he address himself to our first parents. South.

CREEPLE Cree"ple (kr"p'l), n. Etym: [See Cripple.]

1. A creeping creature; a reptile. [Obs.] There is one creeping beast, or long creeple (as the name is in Devonshire), that hath a rattle at his tail that doth discover his age. Morton (1632).

2. One who is lame; a cripple. [Obs.] Thou knowest how lame a creeple this world is. Donne.

CREEPY Creep"y (krp"), a.

Defn: Crawly; having or producing a sensation like that caused by insects creeping on the skin. [Colloq.] One's whole blood grew curdling and creepy. R. Browning.

CREES Crees (krz), n. pl.; sing. Cree. (Ethnol.)

Defn: An Algonquin tribe of Indians, inhabiting a large part of British America east of the Rocky Mountains and south of Hudson's Bay.

CREESE Creese (krs), n. Etym: [Malay. kris.]

Defn: A dagger or short sword used by the Malays, commonly having a serpentine blade. [Written also crease and kris.] From a Malayan creese to a sailor's jackknife. Julian Hawthorne.

CREMAILLERE Cré`mail`lère" (kr`m`lyr" or -m`yr"), n. Etym: [F.] (Fort.)

Defn: An indented or zigzaged line of intrenchment.

CREMASTER Cre*mas"ter (kr-ms"tr), n. Etym: [NL., from Gr.

1. (Anat.)

Defn: A thin muscle which serves to draw up the testicle.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The apex of the last abdominal segment of an insect.

CREMASTERIC Crem`as*ter"ic (krm`3s-tr"k), a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the cremaster; as, the cremasteric artery.

CREMATE Cre"mate (kr"mt or kr-mt"), v. t. Etym: [L. crematus, p. p. of cremare to burn; cf. Skr. cr to cook.]

Defn: To burn; to reduce to ashes by the action of fire, either directly or in an oven or retort; to incremate or incinerate; as, to cremate a corpse, instead of burying it.

CREMATION Cre*ma"tion (kr-m"shn), n. Etym: [L. crematio.]

Defn: A burning; esp., the act or practice of cremating the dead. Without cremation . . . of their bodies. Sir T. Browne.

CREMATIONIST Cre*ma"tion*ist, n.

Defn: One who advocates the practice of cremation.

CREMATOR Cre*ma"tor (-tr), n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who, or that which, cremmates or consumes to ashes.

CREMATORIUM; CREMATORY Crem`a*to"ri*um (krm`-t"r-m), Crem"a*to*ry (krm"-t-r), n.; pl. Crematoriums (-Crematories (-r. Etym: [NL. crematorium, fr. L. cremator.]

Defn: A furnace for cremating corpses; a building containing such a furnace.

CREMATORY Crem"a*to*ry, a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or employed in, cremation.

CREME Crême, n. [F.]

Defn: Cream; -- a term used esp. in cookery, names of liqueurs, etc.

CREMOCARP Crem"o*carp (krm"-krp or kr"m-), n. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: The peculiar fruit of fennel, carrott, parsnip, and the like, consisting of a pair of carpels pendent from a supporting axis.

CREMONA Cre*mo"na (kr-m"n), n.

Defn: A superior kind of violin, formerly made at Cremona, in Italy.

CREMOR Cre"mor (kr"mr), n. Etym: [L. CF. Cream.]

Defn: Cream; a substance resembling cream; yeast; scum.

CREMOSIN Crem"o*sin (krm"-sn), n.

Defn: See Crimson. [Obs.]

CREMS Crems (krmz), n.

Defn: See Krems.

CRENATE; CRENATED Cre"nate (krnt), Cre"na*ted (kr"n-td), a. Etym: [L. crena notch. See Cranny.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having the margin cut into rounded teeth notches, or scallops.

CRENATION Cre*na"tion (kr-n"shn), n.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: A rounded tooth on the edge of a leaf.

2. The condition of being crenate.

CRENATURE Cren"a*ture (krn"-tr or kr"n-; 135), n.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: A rounded tooth or notch of a crenate leaf, or any part that is crenate; -- called also crenelle.

2. The state of being crenated or notched.

CRENEL Cre*nel" (kr-nl"), n.

Defn: See Crenelle.

CRENELATE Cren"el*ate (krn"l-t or kr"nl-t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crenelated (- `td); p. pr. & vb. n. Crenelating (-`tng).] Etym: [LL. crenellare, kernellare: cf. F. cr to indent. See Crenelle.] [Written also crenellate.]

1. To furnish with crenelles.

2. To indent; to notch; as, a crenelated leaf. Crenelated molding (Arch.), a kind of indented molding used in Norman buildings.

CRENELATION Cren`el*a"tion (-"shn), n.

Defn: The act of crenelating, or the state of being crenelated; an indentation or an embrasure. [Written also crenellation.]

CRENELLE; CRENEL Cre*nelle", Cre*nel" (kr-nl"), n. Etym: [OF. crenel, F. cr, LL. crenellus, kernellus, dim. (prob.) fr. L. crena notch. See Crenny.]

1. An embrasure or indentation in a battlement; a loophole in a fortress; an indentation; a notch. See Merlon, and Illust. of Battlement.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Crenature.

CRENELLED Cre*nelled" (kr a. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Crenate.

CRENGLE; CRENKLE Cren"gle (krn"g'l), Cren"kle (-k'l), n.

Defn: See Cringle.

CRENULATE; CRENULATED Cren"u*late (krn"-lt), Cren"u*la`ted (-l`td), a. Etym: [Dim. of crenate.] (Bot.)

Defn: Minutely crenate.

CRENULATION Cren`u*la"tion (-l"shn), n.

1. A minute crenation.

2. The state of being minutely scalloped.

CREOLE Cre"ole (kr"l), n. Etym: [F. cr, Sp. criollo, from an American negro word, perh. a corruption of a Sp. criadillo, dim. of criado servant, formerly also, child, fr. L. creatus, p. p. of creare to create. Cf. Create.]

Defn: One born of European parents in the American colonies of France or Spain or in the States which were once such colonies, esp. a person of French or Spanish descent, who is a native inhabitant of Louisiana, or one of the States adjoining, bordering on the Gulf of of Mexico.

Note: "The term creole negro is employed in the English West Indies to distinguish the negroes born there from the Africans imported during the time of the slave trade. The application of this term to the colored people has led to an idea common in some parts of the United States, though wholly unfounded, that it implies an admixture greater or less of African blood." R. Hildreth.

Note: "The title [Creole] did not first belong to the descendants of Spanish, but of French, settlers, But such a meaning implied a certain excellence of origin, and so came early to include any native of French or Spanish descent by either parent, whose nonalliance with the slave race entitled him to social rank. Later, the term was adopted by, not conceded to, the natives of mixed blood, and is still so used among themselves. . . . Besides French and Spanish, there are even, for convenience of speech, 'colored' Creoles; but there are no Italian, or Sicilian, nor any English, Scotch, Irish, or 'Yankee' Creoles, unless of parentage married into, and themselves thoroughly proselyted in, Creole society." G. W. Cable.

CREOLE Cre"ole (kr"l), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to a Creole or the Creoles.

Note: In New Orleans the word Creole is applied to any product, or variety of manufacture, peculiar to Louisiana; as, Creole ponies, chickens, cows, shoes, eggs, wagons, baskets, etc.

CREOLEAN; CREOLIAN Cre*o"le*an (kr-"l-an), Cre*o"li*an, a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or characteristic of, the Creoles. -- n.

Defn: A Creole.

CREOLE STATE Creole State.

Defn: Louisiana; -- a nickname. See Creole, n. & a.

CREOSOL Cre"o*sol (kr"-sl), n. Etym: [Cresote + phenol.] (Chem.)

Defn: A colorless liquid resembling phenol or carbolic acid, homologous with pyrocatechin, and obtained from beechwood tar and gum guaiacum. [Written also creasol.]

CREOSOTE Cre"o*sote (kr"-st), n. Etym: [Gr. (Chem.)

Defn: Wood-tar oil; an oily antiseptic liquid, of a burning smoky taste, colorless when pure, but usually colored yellow or brown by impurity or exposure. It is a complex mixture of various phenols and their ethers, and is obtained by the distillation of wood tar, especially that of beechwood.

Note: It is remarkable as an antiseptic and deodorizer in the preservation of wood, flesh, etc., and in the prevention of putrefaction; but it is a poor germicide, and in this respect has been overrated. Smoked meat, as ham, owes its preservation and taste to a small quantity of creosote absorbed from the smoke to which it is exposed. Carbolic acid is phenol proper, while creosote is a mixture of several phenols. Coal-tar creosote (Chem.), a colorless or yellow, oily liquid, obtained in the distillation of coal tar, and resembling wood-tar oil, or creosote proper, in composition and properties.

CREOSOTE Cre"o*sote, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Creosoted (-s"td); p. pr. & vb. n. Creosoting.]

Defn: To saturate or impregnate with creosote, as timber, for the prevention of decay.

CREOSOTE BUSH Cre"o*sote bush.

Defn: A shrub (Covillea mexicana) found in desert regions from Colorado to California and southward through Mexico. It has yellow flowers and very resinous foliage with a strong odor of creosote.

CREPANCE; CREPANE Cre"pance (kr"pans), Cre"pane (kr"pn), n. Etym: [Cf. L. crepare to crack.] (Far.)

Defn: An injury in a horse's leg, caused by the shoe of one hind foot striking and cutting the other leg. It sometimes forms an ulcer.

CREPE Crêpe (krp), n.

Defn: Same as Crape.

CREPITANT Crep"i*tant (krp"-tant), a. Etym: [See Crepitate.]

Defn: Having a crackling sound; crackling; rattling. Crepitant rale (Med.), a peculiar crackling sound audible with inspiration in pneumonia and other lung disease.

CREPITATE Crep"i*tate (kr, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Crepitated (-t; p. pr. & vb. n. Crepitating (-t.] Etym: [L. crepitatus, p. p. of crepitare to crackle, v. intensive of crepare to crack. Cf. Crevice.]

Defn: To make a series of small, sharp, rapidly repeated explosions or sounds, as salt in fire; to crackle; to snap.

CREPITATION Crep`i*ta"tion (krp`-t"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. F. crépitation.]

1. The act of crepitating or crackling.

2. (Med.) (a) A grating or crackling sensation or sound, as that produced by rubbing two fragments of a broken bone together, or by pressing upon cellular tissue containing air. (b) A crepitant râle.

CREPITUS Crep"i*tus (krp"-ts), n. Etym: [L., fr. crepare to crack.] (Med.) (a) The noise produced bu a sudden discharge of wind from the bowels. (b) Same as Crepitation, 2.

CREPON Cre"pon (kr"pn; F. kr`pn"), n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A thin stuff made of the finest wool or silk, or of wool and silk.

CREPT Crept (krpt),

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Creep.

CREPUSCLE; CREPUSCULE Cre*pus"cle (kr-ps"s'l), Cre*pus"cule (kr-ps"kl), n. Etym: [L. crepusculum, fr. creper dusky, dark: cf. F. cr.]

Defn: Twilight. Bailey.

CREPUSCULAR; CREPUSCULOUS Cre*pus"cu*lar (-k-lr), Cre*pus"cu*lous (-ls), a. Etym: [Cf. F. cr.]

1. Pertaining to twilight; glimmering; hence, imperfectly clear or luminous. This semihistorical and crepuscular period. Sir G. C. Lewis.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Flying in the twilight or evening, or before sunrise; -- said certain birds and insects. Others feed only in the twilight, as bats and owls, and are called crepuscular. Whewell.

CREPUSCULINE Cre*pus"cu*line, a.

Defn: Crepuscular. [Obs.] Sprat.

CRESCENCE Cres"cence (krs"sens), n. Etym: [See Crescent.]

Defn: Increase; enlargement. [Obs.] And toward the moon's attractive crescence bend. H. Brooke.

CRESCENDO Cres*cen"do (krs-sn"d; It. kr-shn"d), a. & adv. Etym: [It., from crescere to increase. See Crescent.] (Mus.)

Defn: With a constantly increasing volume of voice; with gradually increasing strength and fullness of tone; -- a direction for the performance of music, indicated by the mark, or by writing the word on the score.

CRESCENDO Cres*cen"do, n. (Mus.) (a) A gradual increase in the strength and fullness of tone with which a passage is performed. (b) A pssage to be performed with constantly increasing volume of tone.

CRESCENT Cres"cent (krs"sent), n. Etym: [OE. cressent, cressaunt, crescent (in sense 1), OF. creissant increasing, F. croissant, p. pr. of cro, OF. creistre, fr. L. crescere to increase, v. incho.; akin to creare to create. See Create, and cf. Accrue, Increase, Crescendo.]

1. The increasing moon; the moon in her first quarter, or when defined by a concave and a convex edge; also, applied improperly to the old or decreasing moon in a like state.

2. Anything having the shape of a crescent or new moon.

3. A representation of the increasing moon, often used as an emblem or badge; as: (a) A symbol of Artemis, or Diana. (b) The ancient symbol of Byzantium or Constantinople. Hence: (c) The emblem of the Turkish Empire, adopted after the taking of Constantinople. The cross of our faith is replanted, The pale, dying crescent is daunted. Campbell.

4. Any one of three orders of knighthood; the first instituted by Charles I., king of Naples and Sicily, in 1268; the second by René of Anjou, in 1448; and the third by the Sultan Selim III., in 1801, to be conferred upon foreigners to whom Turkey might be indebted for valuable services. Brande & C.

5. (Her.)

Defn: The emblem of the increasing moon with horns directed upward, when used in a coat of arms; -- often used as a mark of cadency to distinguish a second son and his descendants.

CRESCENT Cres"cent (krs"sent), a.

1. Shaped like a crescent. Astarte, queen of heaven, with crescent horns. Milton.

2. Increasing; growing. O, I see the crescent promise of my spirit hath not set. Tennyson.

CRESCENT Cres"cent, v. t.

1. To form into a crescent, or something resembling a crescent. [R.] Anna Seward.

2. To adorn with crescents.

CRESCENTIC Cres*cen"tic (krs-sn"tk), a.

Defn: Crescent-shaped. "Crescentic lobes." R. Owen.

CRESCENTWISE Cres"cent*wise` (krs"sent-wz`), adv.

Defn: In the form of a crescent; like a crescent. Tennyson.

CRESCIVE Cres"cive (krs"sv), a. Etym: [L. crescere to increase.]

Defn: Increasing; growing. [R.] Unseen, yet crescive in his faculty. Shak.

CRESOL Cre"sol (kr"sl), n. Etym: [From Creosote.] (Chem.)

Defn: Any one of three metameric substances, CH3.C6H4.OH, homologous with and resembling phenol. They are obtained from coal tar and wood tar, and are colorless, oily liquids or solids.

Note: [Called also cresylic acid.]

CRESORCIN Cre*sor"cin (kr-sr"sn), n. (Chem.)

Defn: Same as Isorcin.

CRESS Cress (krs), n.; pl. Cresses (kr. Etym: [OE. ces, cresse, kers, kerse, AS. cresse, cerse; akin to D. kers, G. kresse, Dan. karse, Sw. krasse, and possibly also to OHG. chresan to creep.] (Bot.)

Defn: A plant of various species, chiefly cruciferous. The leaves have a moderately pungent taste, and are used as a salad and antiscorbutic.

Note: The garden cress, called also peppergrass, is the Lepidium sativum; the water cress is the Nasturtium officinale. Various other plants are sometimes called cresses. To strip the brook with mantling cresses spread. Goldsmith. Bitter cress. See under Bitter. -- Not worth a cress, or "not worth a kers." a common old proverb, now turned into the meaningless "not worth a curse." Skeat.

CRESSELLE Cres*selle" (krs-sl"), n. Etym: [F. crécelle rattle.] (Eccl.)

Defn: A wooden rattle sometimes used as a substitute for a bell, in the Roman Catholic church, during the latter part of Holy Week, or the last week of Lent.

CRESSET Cres"set (krs"st), n. Etym: [OF. crasset, cresset, sort of lamp or torch; perh. of Dutch or German origin, and akin to E. cruse, F. creuset crucible, E. crucible.]

1. An open frame or basket of iron, filled with combustible material, to be burned as a beacon; an open lamp or firrepan carried on a pole in nocturnal processions. Starry lamps and blazing cressets, fed With naphtha and asphaltus. Milton. As a cresset true that darts its length Of beamy luster from a tower of strength. Wordsworth.

2. (Coopering)

Defn: A small furnace or iron cage to hold fire for charring the inside of a cask, and making the staves flexible. Knight.

CRESSY Cress"y (krs"), a.

Defn: Abounding in cresses. The cressy islets white in flower. Tennyson.

CREST Crest (krst), n. Etym: [OF. creste, F. cr, L. crista.]

1. A tuft, or other excrescence or natural ornament, growing on animal's head; the comb of a cock; the swelling on the head of a serpent; the lengthened feathers of the crown or nape of bird, etc. Darwin. [Attack] his rising crest, and drive the serpent back. C. Pitt.

2. The plume of feathers, or other decoration, worn on a helmet; the distinctive ornament of a helmet, indicating the rank of the weare; hence, also, the helmet. Stooping low his lofty crest. Sir W. Scott. And on his head there stood upright A crest, in token of a knight. Gower.

3. (Her.)

Defn: A bearing worn, not upon the shield, but usually above it, or separately as an ornament for plate, liveries, and the like. It is a relic of the ancient cognizance. See Cognizance, 4.

4. The upper curve of a horse's neck. Throwing the base thong from his bending crest. Shak.

5. The ridge or top of wave. Like wave with crest of sparkling foam. Sir W. Scott.

6. The summit of a hill or mountain ridge.

7. The helm or head, as typical of a high spirit; pride; courage. Now the time is come That France must vail her lofty plumed crest. Shak.

8. (Arch.)

Defn: The ornamental finishing which surmounts the ridge of a roof, canopy, etc. The finials of gables and pinnacles are sometimes called crest. Parker.

9. (Engin.)

Defn: The top line of a slope or embankment. Crest tile, a tile made to cover the ridge of a roof, fitting upon it like a saddle. -- Interior crest (Fort.), the highest line of the parapet.

CREST Crest, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crested; p. pr. & vb. n. Cresting.]

1. To furnish with, or surmount as, a crest; to serve as a crest for.

His legs bestrid the ocean, his reared arm Crested the world. Shak. Mid groves of clouds that crest the mountain's brow. Wordsworth.

2. To mark with lines or streaks, like, or regarded as like, waving plumes. Like as the shining sky in summer's night, . . . Is crested with lines of fiery light. Spenser.

CREST Crest (krst), v. i.

Defn: To form a crest.

CRESTED Crest"ed (krst"d), a.

1. Having a crest. But laced crested helm. Dryden.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having a crest of feathers or hair upon the head. "The crested bird." Dryden.

3. (Bott.)

Defn: Bearing any elevated appendage like a crest, as an elevated line or ridge, or a tuft. Gray.

CRESTFALLEN Crest"fall`en (-fl`'n), a.

1. With hanging head; hence, dispirited; dejected; cowed. Let it make thee crestfullen; Ay, and allay this thy abortive pride. Shak.

2. Having the crest, or upper part of the neck, hanging to one side; -- said of a horse.

CRESTING Crest"ing, n. (Arch.)

Defn: An ornamental finish on the top of a wall or ridge of a roof.

CRESTLESS Crest"less, a.

Defn: Without a crest or escutcheon; of low birth. "Crestless yeomen." Shak.

CRESYLIC Cre*syl"ic (kr-sl"k), a. Etym: [From Creosote.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or derived from, cresol, creosote, etc. Cresylic acid. (Chem.) See Cresol.

CRETACEOUS Cre*ta"ceous (kr-t"shs), a. Etym: [L. cretaceus, fr. creta chalk. See Crayon.]

Defn: Having the qualities of chalk;abounding with chalk; chalky; as, cretaceous rocks and formations. See Chalk. Cretaceous acid, an old name for carbonic acid. -- Cretaceous formation (Geol.), the series of strata of various kinds, including beds of chalk, green sand, etc., formed in the Cretaceous period; -- called also the chalk formation. See the Diagram under Geology. -- Cretaceous period (Geol.), the time in the latter part of the Mesozoic age during which the Cretaceous formation was deposited.

CRETACEOUS; CRETACIC Cre*ta"ceous, a. Also Cre*tac"ic. (Geol.)

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or designating, the period of time following the Jurassic and preceding the Eocene.

CRETACEOUSLY Cre*ta"ceous*ly, adv.

Defn: In a chalky manner; as chalk.

CRETAN Cre"tan (kr"tan), a.

Defn: Pertaining to Crete, or Candia. -- n.

Defn: A native or inhabitant of Crete or Candia.

CRETE Crete (krt), n. Etym: [L. Cres, Cretis.]

Defn: A Cretan

CRETIAN Cre"tian (kr"shan), a. & n.

Defn: See Cretan.

CRETIC Cre"tic (kr"tk), n. Etym: [L. Creticus (sc. pes foot), Gr. (Gr. & Lat. Pros.)

Defn: A poetic foot, composed of one short syllable between two long ones (-Bentley.

CRETICISM Cre"ti*cism (-t-sz'm), n.

Defn: Falsehood; lying; cretism.

CRETIN Cre"tin (kr"tn), n. Etym: [F. crétin; of uncertain origin.]

Defn: One afflicted with cretinism.

CRETINISM Cre"tin*ism (kr"tn-*z'm), n. Etym: [F. cr.]

Defn: A condition of endemic or inherited idiocy, accompanied by physical degeneracy and deformity (usually with goiter), frequent in certain mountain valleys, esp. of the Alps.

CRETINOUS Cre"tin*ous (-s), a.

Defn: Having the characteristics of a cretin. "Cretinous stupefaction." Ruskin.

CRETISM Cre"tism (kr"tz'm), n. Etym: [Gr. Titus i. 12.]

Defn: A Cretan practice; iying; a falsehood.

CRETONNE Cre*tonne" (kr-tn"), n. Etym: [F., gr. Creton, its first manufacturer.]

1. A strong white fabric with warp of hemp and welt of flax.

2. A fabric with cotton warp and woolen weft.

3. A kind of chintz with a glossy surface.

CRETOSE Cre"tose (kr"ts), a. Etym: [L. cretosus, fr. creta chalk.]

Defn: Chalky; cretaceous. [Obs.] Ash.

CREUTZER Creut"zer

Defn: (kroitn. See Kreutzer.

CREUX Creux (kr), n. Etym: [F., adj., hollow, n., a hollow.]

Defn: Used in English only in the expression en creux. Thus, engraving en creux is engraving in intaglio, or by sinking or hollowing out the design.

CREVALLE Cre`val*le" (kr`vl-l"), n. Etym: [Prob. of same origin as cavally. See Cavally.] (Zoöl.) (a) The cavally or jurel. See Cavally, and Jurel. (b) The pompano (Trachynotus Carolinus).

CREVASSE Cre`vasse" (kr`vs"), n. Etym: [F. See Crevice.]

1. A deep crevice or fissure, as in embankment; one of the clefts or fissure by which the mass of a glacier is divided.

2. A breach in the levee or embankment of a river, caused by the pressure of the water, as on the lower Mississippi. [U.S.]

CREVET Crev"et (krv"t), n. Etym: [Cf. Creut.]

Defn: A crucible or melting pot; a cruset. Crabb.

CREVICE Crev"ice (krv"s), n. Etym: [OE. crevace, crevice. F. crevasse, fr. crever to break, burst, fr. L. crepare to crack,break. Cf. Craven, Crepitate, Crevasse.]

Defn: A narrow opening resulting from a split or crack or the separation of a junction; a cleft; a fissure; a rent. The mouse, Behind the moldering wainscot, shrieked, Or from the crevice peered about. Tennyson.

CREVICE Crev"ice, v. t.

Defn: To crack; to flaw. [R.] Sir H. Wotton.

CREVICED Crev"iced (-st), a.

Defn: Having a crevice or crevices; as, a creviced structure for storing ears of corn. Trickling through the creviced rock. J. Cunningham.

CREVIS Crev"is (-s), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The crawfish. [Prov. Eng.]

CREW Crew (kr), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The Manx shearwater.

CREW Crew (kr), n. Etym: [From older accrue accession, reAccrue, Crescent.]

1. A company of people associated together; an assemblage; a throng. There a noble crew Of lords and ladies stood on every side. Spenser. Faithful to whom to thy rebellious crew Milton.

2. The company of seamen who man a ship, vessel, or at; the company belonging to a vessel or a boat.

Note: The word crew, in law, is ordinarily used as equivalent to ship's company, including master and other officers. When the master and other officers are excluded, the context always shows it. Story. Burrill.

3. In an extended sense, any small body of men associated for a purpose; a gang; as (Naut.), the carpenter's crew; the boatswain's crew.

Syn. -- Company; band; gang; horde; mob; herd; throng; party.

CREW Crew (kr),

Defn: imp. of Crow.

CREWEL Crew"el (kr"l), n. Etym: [Perh. for clewel, dim. of clew a ball of thread; or cf. D. krul curl, E. curl. sq. root26.]

Defn: Worsted yarn,, slackly twisted, used for embroidery.

CREWELWORK Crew"el*work` (-wrk`), n.

Defn: Embroidery in crewels, commonly done upon some plain material, such as linen.

CREWET Crew"et (kr"t), n.

Defn: See Cruet.

CRIB Crib (krb), n. Etym: [AS. crybb; akin to OS. kribbja, D. krib, kribbe, Dan. krybbe, G. krippe, and perh. to MHG. krebe basket, G, korb, and E. rip a sort of wicker basket.]

1. A manger or rack; a feeding place for animals. The steer lion at one crib shall meet. Pope.

2. A stall for oxen or other cattle. Where no oxen are, the crib is clean. Prov. xiv. 4.

3. A small inclosed bedstead or cot for a child.

4. A box or bin, or similar wooden structure, for storing grain, salt, etc.; as, a crib for corn or oats.

5. A hovel; a hut; a cottage. Why rather, Sleep, liest thou in smoky cribs, . . . Than in the perfumed chambers of the great Shak.

6. (Mining)

Defn: A structure or frame of timber for a foundation, or for supporting a roof, or for lining a shaft.

7. A structure of logs to be anchored with stones; -- used for docks, pier, dams, etc.

8. A small raft of timber. [Canada]

9. A small theft; anything purloined;; a plagiaris [Colloq.] The Latin version technically called a crib. Ld. Lytton. Occasional perusal of the Pagan writers, assisted by a crib. Wilkie Collins.

10. A miner's luncheon. [Cant] Raymond.

11. (Card Playing)

Defn: The discarded cards which the dealer can use in scoring points in cribbage.

CRIB Crib, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cribbed (krbd); p.pr. & vb. n. Cribbing.]

1. To shut up or confine in a narrow habitation; to cage; to cramp. If only the vital energy be not cribbed or cramped. I. Taylor. Now I am cabin'd, cribbed, confined. Shak.

2. To pilfer or purloin; hence, to steal from an author; to appropriate; to plagiarize; as, to crib a line from Milton. [Colloq.] Child, being fond of toys, cribbed the necklace. Dickens.

CRIB Crib, v. i.

1. To crowd together, or to be confined, as in a crib or in narrow accommodations. [R.] Who sought to make . . . bishops to crib in a Presbyterian trundle bed. Gauden.

2. To make notes for dishonest use in recitation or examination. [College Cant]

3. To seize the manger or other solid object with the teeth and draw in wind; -- said of a horse.

CRIBBAGE Crib"bage (krb"j), n. Etym: [From Crib, v. t., 2.]

Defn: A game of cards, played by two or four persons, in which there is a crib. (See Crib, 11.) It is characterized by a great variety of chances. A man's fancy would be summed up in cribbage. John Hall. Cribbage board, a board with holes and pegs, used by cribbage players to score their game.

CRIBBER; CRIB-BITER Crib"ber (krb"r), Crib"-bit`er (-bt"r), n.

Defn: A horse that has the habit of cribbing.

CRIBBING Crib"bing (krb"bng), n.

1. The act of inclosing or confining in a crib or in close quarters.

2. Purloining; stealing; plagiarizing. [Colloq.]

3. (Mining)

Defn: A framework of timbers and plank backing for a shaft lining, to prevent caving, percolation of water, etc.

4. A vicious habit of a horse; crib-biting. The horse lays hold of the crib or manger with his teeth and draws air into the stomach with a grunting sound.

CRIB-BITING Crib"-bit`ing (krb"bt`ng), n.

Defn: Same as Cribbing, 4.

CRIBBLE Crib"ble (krb"b'l), n. Etym: [F. crible, LL. criblus sieve, fr. L. cribrum.]

1. A coarse sieve or screen.

2. Coarse flour or meal. [Obs.] Johnson.

CRIBBLE Crib"ble, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cribbled (-b'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Cribbling (-blng).] Etym: [Cf. F. cribler.]

Defn: To cause to pass through a sieve or riddle; to sift.

CRIBBLE Crib"ble, a.

Defn: Coarse; as, cribble bread. [Obs.] Huloet.

CRIBELLUM Cri*bel"lum (krbl"lm), n. Etym: [L., a small sieve, dim. of cribrum sieve.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A peculiar perforated organ of certain spiders (Ciniflonidæ), used for spinning a special kind of silk.

CRIBRATE Crib"rate (krb"rt), a. Etym: [L. cribratus, p.p. of cribrare to sift, fr. cribrum a sieve.]

Defn: Cribriform.

CRIBRATION Cri*bra"tion (kr-br"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cribration, fr. L. cribrare to sift. See Cribble, n.] (Pharmacy)

Defn: The act or process of separating the finer parts of drugs from the coarser by sifting.

CRIBRIFORM Crib"ri*form (krb"rfrm), a. Etym: [L. cribrum sieve + -form: cf. F. cribriforme.]

Defn: Resembling, or having the form of, a sieve; pierced with hokes; as, the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone; a cribriform compress. Cribriform cells (Bot.), those which have here and there oblique or transverse sieve plates, or places perforated with many holes.

CRIBROSE Crib"rose (krb"rs), a. Etym: [L. cribrum sieve.]

Defn: Perforated like a sieve; cribriform.

CRIC Cric (krk), n. Etym: [prob. fr. F. cric a jackscrew.]

Defn: The ring which turns inward and condenses the flame of a lamp. Knight.

CRICK Crick (krk), n. Etym: [See Creak.]

Defn: The creaking of a door, or a noise resembling it. [Obs.] Johnson.

CRICK Crick, n. Etym: [The same as creek a bending, twisting. See Creek, Crook.]

1. A painful, spasmodic affection of the muscles of some part of the body, as of the neck or back, rendering it difficult to move the part. To those also that, with a crick or cramp, have thei necks drawn backward. Holland.

2. Etym: [Cf. F. cric.]

Defn: A small jackscrew. Knight.

CRICKET Crick"et (krk"t), n. Etym: [OE. criket, OF. crequet, criquet; prob. of German origin, and akin to E. creak; cf. D. kriek a cricket. See Creak.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An orthopterous insect of the genus Gryllus, and allied genera. The males make chirping, musical notes by rubbing together the basal parts of the veins of the front wings.

Note: The common European cricket is Gryllus domesticus; the common large black crickets of America are G. niger, G. neglectus, and others. Balm cricket. See under Balm. -- Cricket bird, a small European bird (Silvia locustella); -- called also grasshopper warbler. -- Cricket frog, a small American tree frog (Acris gryllus); -- so called from its chirping.

CRICKET Crick"et, n. Etym: [AS. cricc, crycc, crooked staff, crutch. Perh. first used in sense 1, a stool prob. having been first used as a wicket. See Crutch.]

1. A low stool.

2. A game much played in England, and sometimes in America, with a ball, bats, and wickets, the players being arranged in two contesting parties or sides.

3. (Arch.)

Defn: A small false roof, or the raising of a portion of a roof, so as to throw off water from behind an obstacle, such as a chimney.

CRICKET Crick"et, v. i.

Defn: To play at cricket. Tennyson.

CRICKETER Crick"et*er (krk"t-r), n.

Defn: One who plays at cricket.

CRICOID Cri"coid (kr"koid), a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.] (Anat.)

Defn: Resembling a ring; -- said esp. of the cartilage at the larynx, and the adjoining parts.

CRICOTHYROID Cri`co*thy"roid (-k-th"roid), a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining both to the cricoid and the thyroid cartilages.

CRIED Cried (krd),

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Cry.

CRIER Cri"er (kr"r), n. Etym: [Cf. F. crieur. See Cry.]

Defn: One who cries; one who makes proclamation. Specifically, an officer who proclams the orders or directions of a court, or who gives public notice by loud proclamation; as, a town-crier. He openeth his mouth like a crier. Ecclus. xx. 15.

CRIME Crime (krm), n.Etym: [F. crime, fr. L. crimen judicial decision, that which is subjected to such a decision, charge, fault, crime, fr. the root of cernere to decide judicially. See Certain.]

1. Any violation of law, either divine or human; an omission of a duty commanded, or the commission of an act forbidden by law.

2. Gross violation of human law, in distinction from a misdemeanor or trespass, or other slight offense. Hence, also, any aggravated offense against morality or the public welfare; any outrage or great wrong. "To part error from crime." Tennyson.

Note: Crimes, in the English common law, are grave offenses which were originally capitally punished (murder, rape, robbery, arson, burglary, and larceny), as distinguished from misdemeanors, which are offenses of a lighter grade. See Misdemeanors.

3. Any great wickedness or sin; iniguity. Nocrime was thine, if 'tis no crime to love. Pope.

4. That which occasion crime. [Obs.] The tree of life, the crime of our first father's fall. Spenser. Capital crime, a crime punishable with death.

Syn. -- Sin; vice; iniquity; wrong. -- Crime, Sin,Vice. Sin is the generic term, embracing wickedness of every kind, but specifically denoting an offense as committed against God. Crime is strictly a violation of law either human or divine; but in present usage the term is commonly applied to actions contrary to the laws of the State. Vice is more distinctively that which springs from the inordinate indulgence of the natural appetites, which are in themselves innocent. Thus intemperance, unchastity, duplicity, etc., are vices; while murder, forgery, etc., which spring from the indulgence of selfish passions, are crimes.

CRIMEFUL Crime"ful (krm"fl), a.

Defn: Criminal; wicked; contrary to law, right, or dury. [Obs.] Shak.

CRIMELESS Crime"less, a.

Defn: Free from crime; innocent. Shak.

CRIMINAL Crim"i*nal (krm"-nal), a. Etym: [L. criminalis, fr. crimen: cf. F. criminel. See Crime.]

1. Guilty of crime or sin. The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God. Rogers.

2. Involving a crime; of the nature of a crime; -- said of an act or of conduct; as, criminal carelessness. Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves. Addison.

3. Relating to crime; -- opposed to civil; as, the criminal code. The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject . . . were in some cases liable to criminal process. Hallam. Criminal action (Law), an action or suit instituted to secure conviction and punishment for a crime. -- Criminal conversation (Law), unlawful intercourse with a married woman; adultery; -- usually abbreviated, crim. con. -- Criminal law, the law which relates to crimes.

CRIMINAL Crim"i*nal, n.

Defn: One who has commited a crime; especially, one who is found guilty by verdict, confession, or proof; a malefactor; a felon.

CRIMINALIST Crim"i*nal*ist, n.

Defn: One versed in criminal law. [R.]

CRIMINALITY Crim`i*nal"i*ty (krm`-nl"-t), n. Etym: [LL. criminalitas, fr. L. criminalis. See Criminal.]

Defn: The quality or state of being criminal; that which constitutes a crime; guiltiness; guilt. This is by no means the only criterion of criminality. Blackstone.

CRIMINALLY Crim"i*nal*ly (krm"-nal-l), adv.

Defn: In violation of law; wickedly.

CRIMINALNESS Crim"i*nal*ness, n.

Defn: Criminality. [R.]

CRIMINATE Crim"i*nate (kr, v. t. [imp & p. p. Criminated (-n; p. pr. & vb. n. Criminating (-n.] Etym: [L. criminatus, p. p. of criminare, criminari, to criminate, fr. crimen. See Crime.]

1. To accuse of, or charge with, a crime. To criminate, with the heavy and ungrounded charge of disloyalty and disaffection, an uncorrupt, independent, and reforming parliament. Burke.

2. To involve in a crime or in its consequences; to render liable to a criminal charge. Impelled by the strongest pressure of hope and fear to criminate him. Macaulay.

CRIMINATION Crim`i*na"tion (krm`-n"shn), n. Etym: [L. criminatio.]

Defn: The act of accusing; accusation; charge; complaint. The criminations and recriminations of the adverse parties. Macaulay.

CRIMINATIVE Crim"i*na*tive (krm"-n-tv), a.

Defn: Charging with crime; accusing; criminatory. R. North.

CRIMINATORY Crim"i*na*to*ry (-t-r), a.

Defn: Relating to, or involving, crimination; accusing; as, a criminatory conscience.

CRIMINOLOGY Crim`i*nol"o*gy (-nl"-j), n. Etym: [L. crimen, crimenis, crime + - logy.]

Defn: A treatise on crime or the criminal population. -- Crim`i*nol"o*gist (-j, n.

CRIMINOUS Crim"i*nous (krm"-ns), a. Etym: [L. criminosus, fr. crimen. See Crime.]

Defn: Criminal; involving great crime or grave charges; very wicked; heinous. [Obs.] Holland. -- Crim"i*nous*ly, adv.. -- Crim"i*nous*ness,n. [Obs.]

CRIMOSIN Crim"o*sin (krm"-zn), n. [Obs.]

Defn: See Crimson.

CRIMP Crimp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crimped (krmt; 215); p. pr. & vb. n. Crimping.] Etym: [Akin to D. krimpen to shrink, shrivel, Sw. krympa, Dan. krympe, and to E. cramp. See Cramp.]

1. To fold or plait in regular undulation in such a way that the material will retain the shape intended; to give a wavy apperance to; as, to crimp the border of a cap; to crimp a ruffle. Cf. Crisp. The comely hostess in a crimped cap. W. Irving.

2. To pinch and hold; to seize.

3. Hence, to entrap into the military or naval service; as, to crimp seamen. Coaxing and courting with intent to crimp him. Carlyle.

4. (Cookery)

Defn: To cause to contract, or to render more crisp, as the flesh of a fish, by gashing it, when living, with a knife; as, to crimp skate, etc. Crimping house, a low lodging house, into which men are decoyed and plied with drink, to induce them to ship or enlist as sailors or soldiers. -- Crimping iron. (a) An iron instrument for crimping and curling the hair. (b) A crimping machine. -- Crimping machine, a machine with fluted rollers or with dies, for crimping ruffles leather, iron, etc. -- Crimping pin, an instrument for crimping or puckering the border of a lady's cap.

CRIMP Crimp, a.

1. Easily crumbled; friable; brittle. [R.] Now the fowler . . . treads the crimp earth. J. Philips.

2. Weak; inconsistent; contradictory. [R.] The evidance is crimp; the witnesses swear backward and forward, and contradict themselves. Arbuthnot.

CRIMP Crimp, n.

1. A coal broker. [Prov. Eng.] De Foe.

2. One who decoys or entraps men into the military or naval service. Marryat.

3. A keeper of a low lodging house where sailors and emigrants are entrapped and fleeced.

4. Hair which has been crimped; -- usually in pl.

5. A game at cards. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Boot crimp. See under Boot.

CRIMPAGE Crimp"age (-j), n.

Defn: The act or practice of crimping; money paid to a crimp for shipping or enlisting men.

CRIMPER Crimp"er (-r), n.

Defn: One who, or that which, crimps; as: (a) A curved board or frame over which the upper of a boot or shoe is stretched to the required shape. (b) A device for giving hair a wavy apperance. (c) A machine for crimping or ruffling textile fabrics.

CRIMPLE Crim"ple (krm"p'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crimpled (-p'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crimpling (-plng).] Etym: [Dim. of crimp, v. t. ]

Defn: To cause to shrink or draw together; to contract; to curl. [R.] Wiseman.

CRIMPY Crimp"y (krmp"), a.

Defn: Having a crimped appearance; frizzly; as, the crimpy wool of the Saxony sheep.

CRIMSON Crim"son (krm"z'n), n. Etym: [OE. crimson, OF. crimoisin, F. cramoisi (cf. Sp. carmesi.) LL. carmesinus, fr. Ar. qermazi, fr. qermez crimson, kermes, fr. Skr. k produced by a worm; k worm or insect + jan to generate; akin to E. kin. CF. Carmine, Kermes.]

Defn: A deep red color tinged with blue; also, red color in general. Theugh jour be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Is. i. 18. A maid jet rosed over with the virgin crimson of modesty. Shak.

CRIMSON Crim"son, a.

Defn: Of a deep red color tinged with blue; deep red. "A crimson tide." Mrs. Hemans. The blushing poppy with a crimson hue. Prior.

CRIMSON Crim"son, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crimsoned (-z'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Crimsoning.]

Defn: To dye with crimson or deep red; to redden. Signed in thy spoil and crimsoned in thy lethe. Shak.

CRIMSON Crim"son, b. t.

Defn: To become crimson; to blush. Ancient towers . . . beginning to crimson with the radiant luster of a cloudless July morning. De Quincey.

CRINAL Cri"nal (kr"nal), a. Etym: [L. crinalis, fr. crinis the hair.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to the hair. [R.] Blount.

CRINATED Cri"na*ted (kr"n-td), a.

Defn: Having hair; hairy.

CRINATORY Cri"na*to*ry (kr"n-t-r), a.

Defn: Crinitory. Craig.

CRINCUM Crin"cum (krn"km), n. Etym: [Cf. Crinkle.]

Defn: A twist or bend; a turn; a whimsey. [Colloq.] Hudibras.

CRINCUM-CRANCUM Crin"cum-cran"cum (krn"km-krn"km), n.

Defn: A twist; a whimsey or whim. [Colloq.]

CRINED Crined (krnd), a. Etym: [L. crinis hair.] (Her.)

Defn: Having the hair of a different tincture from the rest of the body; as, a charge crined of a red tincture.

CRINEL; CRINET Cri"nel (kr"nEl), Cri"net (kr"nt), n. Etym: [L. crinis hair.]

Defn: A very fine, hairlike feather. Booth.

CRINGE Cringe (krnj), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crnged (krnjd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cringing.] Etym: [As. crincgang, cringan, crincan, to jield, fall; akin to E. crank.]

Defn: To draw one's self together as in fear or servility; to bend or crouch with base humility; to wince; hence; to make court in a degrading manner; to fawn. When they were come up to the place where the lions were, the boys that went before were glad to cringe behind, for they were afraid of the lions. Bunyan. Sly hypocrite, . . . who more than thou Once fawned and cringed, and servilely adored Heaven's awful monarch Milton. Flatterers . . . are always bowing and cringing. Arbuthnot.

CRINGE Cringe, v. t.

Defn: To contract; to draw together; to cause to shrink or wrinkle; to distort. [Obs.] Till like a boy you see him cringe his face, And whine aloud for mercy. Shak.

CRINGE Cringe, n.

Defn: Servile civility; fawning; a shrinking or bowing, as in fear or servility. "With cringe and shrug, and bow obsequious." Cowper.

CRINGELING Cringe"ling, n.

Defn: One who cringes meanly; a fawner.

CRINGER Crin"ger (krn"jr), n.

Defn: One who cringes.

CRINGINGLY Crin"ging*ly, adv.

Defn: In a cringing manner.

CRINGLE Crin"gle (krn"g'l), n. Etym: [Icel. kringla orb; akin to kring around, and to D. kring circle, and to E. cringe, crank.]

1. A withe for fastening a gate.

2. (Naut.)

Defn: An iron or pope thimble or grommet worked into or attached to the edges and corners of a sail; -- usually in the plural. The cringles are used for making fast the bowline bridles, earings, etc.

CRINICULTURAL Crin`i*cul"tur*al (krn`-kl"tr-al; 135), a. Etym: [L. crinis hair + cultura.]

Defn: Relating to the growth of hair. [R.]

CRINIGEROUS Cri*nig"er*ous (kr-nj"r-s), a. Etym: [L. criniger; crinis hair + gerere to bear.]

Defn: Bearing hair; hairy. [R.]

CRINITAL Cri"ni*tal (kr"n-tal), a.

Defn: Same as Crinite,

1. He the star crinital adoreth. Stanyhurst.

CRINITE Cri"nite (kr"nt), a. Etym: [L. crinitus, p. p. of crinire to provide or cover with hair, fr. crinis hair.]

1. Having the appearance of a tuft of hair; having a hairlike tail or train. "Comate, crinite, caudate stars."

2. (Bot.)

Defn: Bearded or tufted with hairs. Gray.

CRINITORY Cri"ni*to*ry (kr"n-t-r), a.

Defn: Of or relating to hair; as, a crinitory covering. T. Hook.

CRINKLE Crin"kle (krn"k'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crinkled (-k'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crinkling (-klng).] Etym: [A dim., fr. the root of cringe; akin to D. krinkelen to wind or twist. Cf. Cringle, Cringe.]

Defn: To form with short turns, bends, or wrinkles; to mold into inequalites or sinuosities; to cause to wrinkle or curl. The houscrinkled to and fro. Chaucer. Her face all bowsy, Comely crinkled, Wondrously wrinkled. Skelton. The flames through all the casements pushing forth, Like red-not devils crinkled into snakes. Mrs. Browning.

CRINKLE Crin"kle, v. i.

Defn: To turn or wind; ti run in and out in many short bends or turns; to curl; to run in wavws; to wrinkle; also, to rustle, as stiff cloth when moved. The green wheat crinkles like a lake. L. T. Trowbridge. And all the rooms Were full of crinkling silks. Mrs. Browning.

CRINKLE Crin"kle, n.

Defn: A winding or turn; wrinkle; sinuosity. The crinkles in this glass, making objects appear double. A. Tucker.

CRINKLED Crin"kled (krn"k'ld), a.

Defn: Having short bends, turns, or wrinkles; wrinkled; wavy; zigzag. "The crinkled lightning." Lowell.

CRINKLY Crin"kly (-kl), a.

Defn: Having crinkles; wavy; wrinkly.

CRINOID Cri"noid (kr"noid), a. [See Crinoidea.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Crinoidal. -- n.

Defn: One of the Crinoidea.

CRINOIDAL Cri*noid"al (kr-noidal), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of pertaining to crinoids; consisting of, or containing, crinoids.

CRINOIDEA Cri*noid"e*a (kr-noid"-), n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. -oid: cf. F. crino.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large class of Echinodermata, including numerous extinct families and genera, but comparatively few living ones. Most of the fossil species, like some that are recent, were attached by a jointed stem. See Blastoidea, Cystoidea, Comatula.

CRINOIDEAN Cri*noid"e*an (-an), n. (Zoöl)

Defn: One of the Crinoidea.

CRINOLINE Crin"o*line (krn"-ln), n. Etym: [F., fr. crin hair,L. crinis.]

1. A kind of stiff cloth, used chiefly by women, for underskirts, to expand the gown worn over it; -- so called because originally made of hair.

2. A lady's skirt made of any stiff material; latterly, a hoop skirt.

CRINOSE Cri*nose" (kr-ns"), a. Etym: [L. crinis hair.]

Defn: Hairy. [R.]

CRINOSITY Cri*nos"i*ty (kr-ns"-t), n.

Defn: Hairiness. [R.]

CRINUM Cri"num (kr"nm), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of bulbous plants, of the order Amaryllidace, cultivated as greenhouse plants on account of their beauty.

CRIOSPHINX Cri"o*sphinx` (kr"-sfnks`), n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: A sphinx with the head of a ram.

CRIPPLE Crip"ple (krp"p'l), n. Etym: [OE. cripel, crepel, crupel, AS. crypel (akin to D. kreuple, G. kr, Dan. kr, Icel. kryppill), prop., one that can not walk, but must creep, fr. AS. cre to creep. See Creep.]

Defn: One who creeps, halts, or limps; one who has lost, or never had, the use of a limb or limbs; a lame person; hence, one who is partially disabled. I am a cripple in my limbs; but what decays are in my mind, the reader must determine. Dryden.

CRIPPLE Crip"ple (krp"p'l), a.

Defn: Lame; halting. [R.] "The cripple, tardy-gaited night." Shak.

CRIPPLE Crip"ple, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crippled (-p'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crippling (-plng).]

1. To deprive of the use of a limb, particularly of a leg or foot; to lame. He had crippled the joints of the noble child. Sir W. Scott.

2. To deprive of strength, activity, or capability for service or use; to disable; to deprive of resources; as, to be financially crippled. More serious embarrassments . . . were crippling the energy of the settlement in the Bay. Palfrey. An incumbrance which would permanently cripple the body politic. Macaulay.

CRIPPLED Crip"pled (krp"p'ld), a.

Defn: Lamed; lame; disabled; impeded. "The crippled crone." Longfellow.

CRIPPLENESS Crip"ple*ness, n.

Defn: Lameness. [R.] Johnson.

CRIPPLER Crip"pler (-plr), n.

Defn: A wooden tool used in graining leather. Knight.

CRIPPLING Crip"pling (-plng), n.

Defn: Spars or timbers set up as a support against the side of a building.

CRIPPLY Crip"ply (-pl), a.

Defn: Lame; disabled; in a crippled condition. [R.] Mrs. Trollope.

CRISIS Cri"sis (kr"ss), n.; pl. Crises (-s. Etym: [L. crisis, Gr. Certain.]

1. The point of time when it is to be decided whether any affair or course of action must go on, or be modified or terminate; the decisive moment; the turning point. This hour's the very crisis of your fate. Dryden. The very times of crisis for the fate of the country. Brougham.

2. (Med.)

Defn: That change in a disease which indicates whether the result is to be recovery or death; sometimes, also, a striking change of symptoms attended by an outward manifestation, as by an eruption or sweat. Till some safe crisis authorize their skill. Dryden.

CRISP Crisp (krsp), a. Etym: [AS. crisp, fr. L. crispus; cf. carpere to pluck, card (wool), and E. harvest. Cf. Crape.]

1. Curling in stiff curls or ringlets; as, crisp hair.

2. Curled with the ripple of the water. [Poetic] You numphs called Naiads, of the winding brooks . . . Leave jour crisp channels. Shak.

3. Brittle; friable; in a condition to break with a short, sharp fracture; as, crisp snow. The cakes at tea ate short and crisp. Goldsmith.

4. Possessing a certain degree of firmness and freshness; in a fresh, unwilted condition. It [laurel] has been plucked nine months, and yet looks as hale and crisp as if it would last ninety years. Leigh Hunt.

5. Lively; sparking; effervescing. Your neat crisp claret. Beau & Fl.

6. Brisk; crackling; cheerful; lively. The snug, small room, and the crisp fire. Dickens.

CRISP Crisp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crisped (krspt); p. pr. & vb. n. Crisping.] Etym: [L. crispare, fr. crispus. See Crisp. a. ]

1. To curl; to form into ringlets, as hair, or the nap of cloth; to interweave, as the branches of trees.

2. To cause to undulate irregularly, as crape or water; to wrinkle; to cause to ripple. Cf. Crimp. The lover with the myrtle sprays Adorns his crisped tresses. Drayton. Along the crisped shades and bowers. Milton. The crisped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold. Milton.

3. To make crisp or brittle, as in cooking. Crisping iron, an instrument by which hair or any textile fabric is crisped. -- Crisping pin, the simplest form of crisping iron. Is. iii. 22.

CRISP Crisp, v. i.

Defn: To undulate or ripple. Cf. Crisp, v. t. To watch the crisping ripples on the beach. Tennuson.

CRISP Crisp, n.

Defn: That which is crisp or brittle; the state of being crisp or brittle; as, burned to a crisp; specifically, the rind of roasted pork; crackling.

CRISPATE; CRISPATED Cris"pate (krs"pt), Cris"pa*ted (-p-td), a. Etym: [L. crispatus, p. p. of crispare.]

Defn: Having a crisped appearance; irregularly curled or twisted.

CRISPATION Cris*pa"tion (krs-p"shn), n. Etym: [CF. F. crispation.]

1. The act or process of curling, or the state of being curled. Bacon.

2. A very slight convulsive or spasmodic contraction of certain muscles, external or internal. Few men can look down from a great height without creepings and crispations. O. W. Holmes.

CRISPATURE Cris"pa*ture (krs"p-tr; 135), n.

Defn: The state of being crispate.

CRISPER Crisp"er (krs"pr), n.

Defn: One who, or that which, crisps or curls; an instrument for making little curls in the nap of cloth, as in chinchilla.

CRISPIN Cris"pin (krs"pn), n.

1. A shoemaker; -- jocularly so called from the patron sant of the craft.

2. A member of a union or association of shoemakers.

CRISPLY Crisp"ly (krsp"l), adv.

Defn: In a crisp manner.

CRISPNESS Crisp"ness, n.

Defn: The state or quality of being crisp.

CRISPY Crisp"y (-), a.

1. Formed into short, close ringlets; frizzed; crisp; as, crispy locks.

2. Crisp; brittle; as. a crispy pie crust.

CRISSAL Cris"sal (krs"sal), a. (Zoöl.)

1. Pertaining to the crissum; as, crissal feathers.

2. Having highly colored under tail coverts; as, the crissal thrasher.

CRISSCROSS Criss"cross` (krs"krs`; 115), n. Etym: [A corruption of Christcross.]

1. A mark or cross, as the signature of a person who is unable to write.

2. A child's game played on paper or on a slate, consisting of lines arranged in the form of a cross.

CRISSCROSS Criss"cross`, v. t.

Defn: To mark or cover with cross lines; as, a paper was crisscrossed with red marks.

CRISSCROSS Criss"cross` (krs"krs`;115), adv.

1. In opposite directions; in a way to cross something else; crossing one another at various angles and in various ways. Logs and tree luing crisscross in utter confusion. W. E. Boardman.

2. With opposition or hindrance; at cross purposes; contrarily; as, things go crisscross.

CRISSCROSS-ROW Criss"cross-row` (-r`), n.

Defn: See Christcross-row.

CRISSUM Cris"sum (krs"sm),, n.; pl. Crissa (-s. Etym: [NL.; cf. L. crisso to move the haunches.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: That part of a bird, or the feathers, surrounding the cloacal opening; the under tail coverts.

CRISTATE Cris"tate (krs"tt), a. Etym: [L. ctistatus, fr. crista crest.] (Bot. & Zoöl.)

Defn: Crested.

CRITERION Cri*te"ri*on (kr-t"r-n), n.; pl. Criteria (-Criterions (-. Etym: [Gr. Certain.]

Defn: A standard of judging; any approved or established rule or test, by which facts, principles opinions, and conduct are tried in forming a correct judgment respecting them. Of the diseases of the mind there is no criterion. Donne. Inferences founded on such enduring criteria. Sir G. C. Lewis.

Syn. -- Standard; measure; rule.

CRITH Crith (krth), n. Etym: [Gr. (Chem.)

Defn: The unit for estimating the weight of a

CRITHOMANCY Crith"o*man`cy, n. Etym: [Gr. -mancy: cf. F. crithomancie.]

Defn: A kind of divination by means of the dough of the cakes offered in the ancient sacrifices, and the meal strewed over the victims.

CRITIC Crit"ic (krt"k), n. Etym: [L. criticus, Gr. able to discuss, from Certain, and cf. Critique.]

1. One skilled in judging of the merits of literary or artistic works; a connoisseur; an adept; hence, one who examines literary or artistic works, etc., and passes judgment upon them; a reviewer. The opininon of the most skillful critics was, that nothing finer [than Goldsmith's "Traveler"] had appeared in verse since the fourth book of the "Dunciad." Macaulay.

2. One who passes a rigorous or captious judgment; one who censures or finds fault; a harsh examiner or judge; a caviler; a carper. When an author has many beauties consistent with virtue, piety, and truth, let not little critics exalt themselves, and shower down their ill nature. I. Watts. You know who the critics are the men who have failed in literature and art. Beaconsfield.

3. The art of criticism. [Obs.] Locke.

4. An act of criticism; a critique. [Obs.] And make each day a critic on the last. Pope.

CRITIC Crit"ic, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to critics or criticism; critical. [Obs.] "Critic learning." Pope.

CRITIC Crit"ic, v. i. Etym: [Cf. F. critiquer.]

Defn: To criticise; to play the critic. [Obs.] Nay, if you begin to critic once, we shall never have done. A. Brewer.

CRITICAL Crit"ic*al (krt"-kal), a. Etym: [See Critic, n., Crisis.]

1. Qualified to criticise, or pass judgment upon, literary or artistic productions. It is submitted to the judgment of more critical ears to direct and determine what is graceful and what is not. Holder.

2. Pertaining to criticism or the critic's art; of the nature of a criticism; accurate; as, critical knowledge; a critical dissertation.

3. Inclined to make nice distinctions, or to exercise careful judgment and selection; exact; nicely judicious. Virgil was so critical in the rites of religion. that he would never have brought in such prayers as these, if they had not been agreeable to the Roman customs. Bp. Stillingfleet.

4. Inclined to criticise or find fault; fastidious; captious; censorious; exacting. O gentle lady, do not put me to 't, For I am nothing, if not critical. Shak.

5. Characterized by thoroughness and a reference to principles, as becomes a critic; as, a critical analysis of a subject.

6. Etym: [See Crisis.]

Defn: Pertaining to, or indicating, a crisis, turning point, or specially important juncture; important as regards consequences; hence, of doubtful issue; attended with risk; dangerous; as, the critical stage of a fever; a critical situation. Our circumstances are indeed critical. Burke. The small moment, the exact point, the critical minute, on which every good work so much depends. South. Critical angle (Optics), that angle of incidence of a luminous ray at which it is wholly reflected, and no portion of it transmitted. The sine of this angle is the reciprocal of the refractive index of the medium. -- Critical philosophy, the metaphysical system of Kant; -- so called from his most important work, the "Critique of Pure Reason." - - Critical point (Physics), a certain temperature, different for different gases, but always the same for each gas, regarded as the limit above which no amount of pressure can produce condensation to a liquid.

CRITICALLY Crit"ic*al*ly, adv.

1. In a critical manner; with nice discernment; accurately; exactly. Critically to discern good writers from bad. Dryden.

2. At a crisis; at a critical time; in a situation. place, or condition of decisive consequence; as, a fortification critically situated. Coming critically the night before the session. Bp. Burnet.

CRITICALNESS Crit"ic*al*ness, n.

1. The state or quality of being critical, or of occurring at a critical time.

2. Accuracy in examination or decision; exactness.

CRITICASTER Crit"ic*as`ter (krt"k-s`tr), n.

Defn: A contemptible or vicious critic. The rancorous and reptile crew of poeticules, who decompose into criticasters. Swinburne.

CRITICISABLE Crit"i*cis`a*ble (krt"-sz`-b'l), a.

Defn: Capable of being criticised.

CRITICISE Crit"i*cise (krt"-sz), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Criticised (-szd); p. pr. & vb. n. Criticising.] Etym: [Written also, more analogically, but less commonly, criticize.] Etym: [Cf. G. kritisiren. See Critic.]

1. To examine and judge as a critic; to pass literary or artistic judgment upon; as, to criticise an author; to criticise a picture.

2. To express one's views as to the merit or demerit of; esp., to animadvert upon; to find fault with; as, to criticise conduct. Blackwood's Mag.

CRITICISE Crit"i*cise, v. i.

1. To act as a critic; to pass literary or artistic judgment; to play the critic; -- formerly used with on or upon. Several of these ladies, indeed, criticised upon the form of the association. Addison.

2. To discuss the merits or demerits of a thing or person; esp., to find fault. Cavil you may, but never criticise. Pope.

CRITICISER Crit"i*ci`ser (-s`zr), n.

Defn: One who criticises; a critic.

CRITICISM Crit"i*cism (krt"-sz'm), n.

1. The rules and principles which regulate the practice of the critic; the art of judging with knowledge and propriety of the beauties and faults of a literary performance, or of a production in the fine arts; as, dramatic criticism. The elements ofcriticism depend on the two principles of Beauty and Truth, one of which is the final end or object of study in every one of its pursuits: Beauty, in letters and the arts; Truth, in history and sciences. Brande & C. By criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle, was meant a standard of judging well. Dryden.

2. The act of criticising; a critical judgment passed or expressed; a critical observation or detailed examination and review; a critique; animadversion; censure. About the plan of "Rasselas" little was said by the critics; and yet the faults of the plan might seem to invite severe criticism. Macaulay.

CRITIQUE Cri*tique" (kr-tk"), n. Etym: [F. critique, f., fr. Gr. Critic.]

1. The art of criticism. [Written also critic.] [R.]

2. A critical examination or estimate of a work of literature or art; a critical dissertation or essay; a careful and through analysis of any subject; a criticism; as, Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason." I should as soon expect to see a critique on the poesy of a ring as on the inscription of a medal. Addison.

3. A critic; one who criticises. [Obs.] A question among critiques in the ages to come. Bp. Lincoln.

CRITIQUE Cri*tique", v. t. Etym: [Cf. Critic, v.]

Defn: To criticise or pass judgment upon. [Obs.] Pope.

CRIZZEL Criz"zel (krz"z'l), n. Etym: [Cf. grizzle darkish gray, or G. griselig gravelly, granular, speckled.]

Defn: A kind of roughness on the surface of glass, which clouds its transparency. [Written also crizzeling and crizzle.]

CROAK Croak (krk), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Croaked. (krp. pr. & vb. n. Croaking.] Etym: [From the primitive of AS. cracettan to croak as a raven; akin to G. kr to croak, and to E. creak, crake.]

1. To make a low, hoarse noise in the throat, as a frog, a raven, or a crow; hence, to make any hoarse, dismal sound. Loud thunder to its bottom shook the bog, And the hoarse nation croaked. Pope.

2. To complain; especially, to grumble; to forebode evil; to utter complaints or forebodings habitually. Marat . . . croaks with reasonableness. Carlyle.

CROAK Croak, v. t.

Defn: To utter in a low, hoarse voice; to announce by croaking; to forebode; as, to croak disaster. The raven himself is hoarse, That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan. Shak. Two ravens now began to croak Their nuptial song. Wordsworth.

CROAK Croak, n.

Defn: The coarse, harsh sound uttered by a frog or a raven, or a like sound.

CROAKER Croak"er (-r), n.

1. One who croaks, murmurs, grumbles, or complains unreasonably; one who habitually forebodes evil.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) A small American fish (Micropogon undulatus), of the Atlantic coast. (a) An American fresh-water fish (Aplodinotus grunniens); -- called also drum. (c) The surf fish of California.

Note: When caught these fishes make a croaking sound; whence the name, which is often corrupted into crocus.

CROAT Cro"at (kr"t), n. Etym: [Cf. Cravat.]

1. A native of Croatia, in Austria; esp., one of the native Slavic race.

2. An irregular soldier, generally from Croatia.

CROATIAN Cro*a"tian (kr-"shan), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Croatia. -- n.

Defn: A Croat.

CROCEIN Cro"ce*in (kr"s-n), n. Etym: [See Croceous.] (Chem.)

Defn: A name given to any one of several yellow or scarlet dyestuffs of artificial production and complex structure. In general they are diazo and sulphonic acid derivatives of benzene and naphthol.

CROCEOUS Cro"ceous (kr"shs), a. Etym: [L. croceus, fr. crocus saffron. See Crocus.]

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or like, saffron; deep reddish yellow. [R.]

CROCETIN Cro"ce*tin (kr"s-tn), n. (Chem.)

Defn: A dyestuff, obtained from the Chinese croicin, which produces a brilliant yellow.

CROCHE Croche (krch), n. Etym: [OF. croche, equiv. to F. crochet, croc, hook. See Crotchet, Crook.]

Defn: A little bud or knob at the top of a deer's antler.

CROCHET Cro*chet" (kr-sh"), n. Etym: [F. crochet small hook. See Croche.]

Defn: A kind of knitting done by means of a hooked needle, with worsted, silk, or cotton; crochet work. Commonly used adjectively. Crochet hook, Crochet needle, a small hook, or a hooked needle (often of bone), used in crochet work.

CROCHET Cro*chet", v. t. & i. [imp. & p.p. Crocheted (shd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Crocheting (-sh"ng).]

Defn: To knit with a crochet needle or hook; as, to rochett a shawl.

CROCIARY Cro"ci*a*ry (kr"sh--r), n. Etym: [See Crosier.] (Eccl.)

Defn: One who carries the cross before an archbishop. [Obs.]

CROCIDOLITE Cro*cid"o*lite (kr-sd"-lt), n. Etym: [Gr. kroky`s nap on cloth + - lite.] (Min.)

Defn: A mineral occuring in silky fibers of a lavender blue color. It is related to hornblende and is essentially a silicate of iron and soda; -- called also blue asbestus. A silicified form, in which the fibers penetrating quartz are changed to oxide of iron, is the yellow brown tiger-eye of the jewelers.

CROCIN Cro"cin (kr"sn), n. Etym: [Gr. (Chem.) (a) The coloring matter of Chinese yellow pods, the fruit of Gardenia grandiflora. Watts. (b) A red powder (called also polychroite), which is made from the saffron (Crocus sativus). See Polychroite.

CROCK Crock (krk), n. Etym: [Cf. W. croeg cover, Scot. crochit covered.]

Defn: The loose black particles collected from combustion, as on pots and kettles, or in a chimney; soot; smut; also, coloring matter which rubs off from cloth.

CROCK Crock, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Crocked (krkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Crocking.]

Defn: To soil by contact, as with soot, or with the coloring matter of badly dyed cloth.

CROCK Crock, v. i.

Defn: To give off crock or smut.

CROCK Crock, n.

Defn: A low stool. "I . . . seated her upon a little crock." Tatler.

CROCK Crock (krk), n. Etym: [AS. croc, croca, crog, croh; akin to D. kruik, G. krug, Icel. krukka, Dan. krukke, Sw. kruka; but cf. W. crwc bucket, pail, crochan pot, cregen earthen vessel, jar. Cf. Cruet.]

Defn: Any piece of crockery, especially of coarse earthenware; an earthen pot or pitcher. Like foolish flies about an honey crock. Spenser.

CROCK Crock, v. t.

Defn: To lay up in a crock; as, to crock butter. Halliwell.

CROCKER Crock"er (-r), n.

Defn: A potter. [Obs.] Wyclif.

CROCKERY Crock"er*y ( krk"r-), n. Etym: [From Crock an earthen vessel.]

Defn: Earthenware; vessels formed of baked clay, especially the coarser kinds.

CROCKET Crock"et (krk"t), n. Etym: [OF. croquet, F. crochet, dim. of croc hook. See Crook, and cf. Crotchet.]

1. (Arch.)

Defn: An ornament often resembling curved and bent foliage, projecting from the sloping edge of a gable, spire, etc.

2. A croche, or knob, on the top of a stag's antler. The antlers and the crockets. W. Black.

CROCKETED Crock"et*ed, a. (Arch.)

Defn: Ornamented with crockets.

CROCKETING Crock"et*ing, n. (Arch.)

Defn: Ornamentation with crockets. Ruskin.

CROCKY Crock"y (-), a. Etym: [From Crock soot.]

Defn: Smutty.

CROCODILE Croc"o*dile (krk"-dl; 277), n. Etym: [L. crocodilus, Gr. crocodile. Cf. Cookatrice.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large reptile of the genus Crocodilus, of several species. They grow to the length of sixteen or eighteen feet, and inhabit the large rivers of Africa, Asia, and America. The eggs, laid in the sand, are hatched by the sun's heat. The best known species is that of the Nile (C. vulgaris, or C. Niloticus). The Florida crocodile (C. Americanus) is much less common than the alligator and has longer jaws. The name is also sometimes applied to the species of other related genera, as the gavial and the alligator.

2. (Logic)

Defn: A fallacious dilemma, mythically supposed to have been first used by a crocodile. Crocodile bird (Zoöl.), an African plover (Pluvianus ægypticus) which alights upon the crocodile and devours its insect parasites, even entering its open mouth (according to reliable writers) in pursuit of files, etc.; -- called also Nile bird. It is the trochilos of ancient writers. -- Crocodile tears, false or affected tears; hypocritical sorrow; -- derived from the fiction of old travelers, that crocodiles shed tears over their prey.

CROCODILIA Croc`o*dil"i*a (-dl"-), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. crocodilus crocodile.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of reptiles including the crocodiles, gavials, alligators, and many extinct kinds.

CROCODILIAN Croc`o*dil"i*an (krk`-dl"-an), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Like, or pertaining to, the crocodile; characteristic of the crocodile. -- n.

Defn: One of the Crocodilia.

CROCODILITY Croc`o*dil"i*ty (--t), n. (Logic)

Defn: A caption or sophistical mode of arguing. [R.]

CROCOISITE Cro"cois*ite (kr"kois-t), n. Etym: [Cf. F. croco.] (Min.)

Defn: Same as Crocoite.

CROCOITE Cro"co*ite (kr"k-t), n. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)

Defn: Lead chromate occuring in crystals of a bright hyacinth red color; -- called also red lead ore.

CROCONATE Cro"con*ate (kr"kn-t), n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt formed by the union of croconic acid with a base.

CROCONIC Cro*con"ic (kr-kn"k), a. Etym: [Gr.

1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling saffron; having the color of saffron; as, croconic acid.

2. Pertaining to, or derived from, croconic acid.

Croconic acid (Chem.), a yellow crystalline substance, C5O3(OH)2, obtained from potassium carboxide, rhodizonic acid, and various phenol and quinone derivatives of benzene, and forming yellow or orange colored salts.

CROCOSE Cro"cose (kr"ks), n. Etym: [Gr. (Chem.)

Defn: A white crystalline sugar, metameric with glucose, obtained from the coloring matter of saffron. [Written also crokose.]

CROCUS Cro"cus (kr"ks), n. Etym: [L., saffron, fr. Gr. kark, Ar. kurkum, Skr. ku.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of iridaceous plants, with pretty blossoms rising separately from the bulb or corm. C. vernus is one of the earliest of spring-blooming flowers; C. sativus produces the saffron, and blossoms in the autumn.

2. (Chem.)

Defn: A deep yellow powder; the oxide of some metal calcined to a red or deep yellow color; esp., the oxide of iron (Crocus of Mars or colcothar) thus produced from salts of irron, and used as a polishing powder. Crocus of Venus (Old Chem.), oxide of copper.

CROESUS Croe"sus (kr"ss), n. Etym: [L., fr. G.

Defn: A king of Lydia who flourished in the 6th century b. c., and was renowned for his vast wealth; hence, a common appellation for a very rich man; as, he is veritable Croesus.

CROFT Croft (krft; 115), n. Etym: [AS. croft; akin to D. kroft hillock; cf. Gael. croit hump, croft.]

Defn: A small, inclosed field, adjoining a house; a small farm. A few small crofts of stone-encumbered ground. Wordsworth.

CROFTER Croft"er (-r), n.

Defn: One who rents and tills a small farm or helding; as, the crofters of Scotland.

CROFTING Croft"ing, n.

1. Croftland. [Scot.] Jamieson.

2. (Textile Manuf.)

Defn: Exposing linen to the sun, on the grass, in the process of bleaching.

CROFTLAND Croft"land (-lnd), n.

Defn: Land of superior quality, on which successive crops are raised. [Scot.] Jamieson.

CROFTON SYSTEM Crof"ton sys"tem. [After Sir Walter Crofton, Irish penologist.] (Penology)

Defn: A system of prison discipline employing for consecutive periods cellular confinement, associated imprisonment under the mark system, restraint intermediate between imprisonment and freedom, and liberation on ticket of leave.

CROIS Crois (krois). n. Etym: [OF.]

Defn: See Cross, n. [Obs.]

CROISADE; CROISADO Croi*sade" (kroi-sd"), Croi*sa"do (-s"d), n. Etym: [F. criosade. See Crusade.]

Defn: A holy war; a crusade. [Obs.] Bacon.

CROISE Croise (krois), n. Etym: [F. crois crusader, fr. OF. crois, F. croix, cross. See Cross.]

1. A pilgrim bearing or wearing a cross. [Obs.]

2. A crusader. [Obs.] The conquesta of the croises extending over Palestine. Burke.

CROISSANTE Crois`san`te" (krw`sn`t"), a. Etym: [F. croissant, adj. & n., crescent.] (Her.)

Defn: Terminated with crescent; -- said of a cross the ends of which are so terminated.

CROKER Cro"ker (kr"kr), n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: A cultivator of saffron; a dealer in saffron. [Obs.] Holinshed.

CROMA Cro"ma (kr"m), n. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)

Defn: A quaver. [Obs.]

CROMLECH Crom"lech (krm"l*k), n. Etym: [W. cromlech; crom bending or bent, concave + llech a flat stone; akin to Ir. cromleac.] (Arch

Defn: A monument of rough stones composed of one or more large ones supported in a horizontal position upon others. They are found chiefly in countris inhabited by the ancient Celts, and are of a period anterior to the introduction of Christianity into these countries.

CROMORNA Cro*mor"na (kr-mr"n), n. Etym: [F. cromorne (cf. It. cromorno0, fr. G. krummhorn crooked horn, cornet, an organ pipe turned like a trumpet; krumm crooked + horn horn.] (Mus.)

Defn: A certain reed stop in the organ, of a quality of tone resembling that of the oboe. [Corruptly written cromona.]

CRONE Crone (krn), n. Etym: [OD. kronie, karonie, an old sheep, OF. carogne, F. charogne, carrion (also F. carogne illnatured woman.). See Carrion, and Crony.]

1. An old ewe. [Obs.] Tusser.

2. An old woman; -- usually in contempt. But still the crone was constant to her note. Dryden.

3. An old man; especially, a man who talks and acts like an old woman. [R.] The old crone [a negro man] lived in a hovel, . . . which his master had given him. W. Irving. A few old battered crones of office. Beaconsfield.

CRONEL Cro"nel (kr"nl), n. Etym: [Cf. Coronel spearhead, Crown.]

Defn: The iron head of a tilting spear.

CRONET Cro"net (kr"nt), n. Etym: [Cf. Coronet, Crownet.]

Defn: The coronet of a horse.

CRONIAN Cro"ni*an (kr"n-an), a. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Saturnian; -- applied to the North Polar Sea. [R.] Milton.

CRONSTEDTITE Cron"stedt*ite (krn"stt-t), n. (Min.)

Defn: A mineral consisting principally of silicate of iron, and crystallizing in hexagonal prisms with perfect basal cleavage; -- so named from the Swedish mineralogist Cronstedt.

CRONY Cro"ny (kr"n), n.; pl. Cronies (-n. Etym: [Orig., an old woman. See Crone.]

1. A crone. [Obs.] "Marry not an old crony." Burton.

2. An intimate companion; a familiar frend. [Colloq.] He soon found his former cronies, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of time. W. Irving.

CROODLE Croo"dle (kr"d'l), v. i. Etym: [Cf. Cruddle, Crudle.]

1. To cower or cuddle together, as from fear or cold; to lie close and snug together, as pigs in straw. [Prov. Eng.] Wright. Forby. A dove to fly home her nest and croodle there. C. Kingsley.

2. To fawn or coax. [Obs.]

3. To coo. [Scot.]

CROOK Crook (krk), n. Etym: [OE. crok; akin to Icel. kr hook,bend, SW. krok, Dan. krog, OD. krooke; or cf. Gael. crecan crook, hook, W. crwca crooked. Cf. Crosier, Crotchet, Crutch, Encroach.]

1. A bend, turn, or curve; curvature; flexure. Through lanes, and crooks, and darkness. Phaer.

2. Any implement having a bent or crooked end. Especially: (a) The staff used by a shepherd, the hook of which serves to hold a runaway sheep. (b) A bishop's staff of office. Cf. Pastoral stafu. He left his crook, he left his flocks. Prior.

3. A pothook. "As black as the crook." Sir W. Scott.

4. An artifice; trick; tricky device; subterfuge. For all yuor brags, hooks, and crooks. Cranmer.

5. (Mus.)

Defn: A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key.

6. A person given to fraudulent practices; an accomplice of thieves, forgers, etc. [Cant, U.S.] By hook or by crook, in some way or other; by fair means or foul.

CROOK Crook (krk), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crooked (krkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Crooking.] Etym: [OE. croken; cf. Sw. kr, Dan. kr. See Crook, n.]

1. To turn from a straight line; to bend; to curve. Crook the pregnant hinges of the knee. Shak.

2. To turn from the path of rectitude; to pervert; to misapply; to twist. [Archaic] There is no one thing that crooks youth more than such unlawfull games. Ascham. What soever affairs pass such a man's hands, he crooketh them to his own ends. Bacon.

CROOK Crook, v. i.

Defn: To bend; to curve; to wind; to have a curvature. " The port . . . crooketh like a bow." Phaer. Their shoes and pattens are snouted, and piked more than a finger long, crooking upwards. Camden.

CROOKBACK Crook"back` (krk"bk), n.

Defn: A crooked back; one who has a crooked or deformed back; a hunchback.

CROOKBACK Crook"back`, a.

Defn: Hunched. Shak. `

CROOKBILL Crook"bill` ( -bl`), n. (Zoöl)

Defn: A New Zealand plover (Anarhynchus frontalis), remarkable for having the end of the beak abruptly bent to the right.

CROOKED Crook"ed (krk"d), a.

1. Characterized by a crook or curve; not straight; turning; bent; twisted; deformed. "Crooked paths." Locke. he is deformed, crooked, old, and sere. Shak.

2. Not straightforward; deviating from rectitude; distorted from the right. They are a perverse and crooked generation. Deut. xxxii. 5.

3. False; dishonest; fraudulent; as, crooked dealings. Crooked whisky, whisky on wich the paiment of duty has been fraudulently evaded. [Slang, U.S.] Barlett.

CROOKEDLY Crook"ed*ly, adv.

Defn: In a curved or crooked manner; in a perverse or untoward manner.

CROOKEDNESS Crook"ed*ness, n.

Defn: The condition or quality of being crooked; hence, deformity of body or of mind; deviation from moral rectitude; perverseness.

CROOKEN Crook"en (krk"'n), v. t.

Defn: To make crooked. [Obs.]

CROOKES SPACE Crookes space (krooks). [After Sir William Crookes, English chemist, who first described it.] (Physics)

Defn: The dark space within the negative-pole glow at the cathode of a vacuum tube, observed only when the pressure is low enough to give a striated discharge; -- called also Crookes layer.

CROOKES TUBE Crookes" tube` (krks" tb`). (Phys.)

Defn: A vacuum tube in which the exhaustion is carried to a very high degree, with the production of a distinct class of effects; -- so called from W. Crookes who introduced it.

CROOKNECK Crook"neck`, n.

Defn: Either of two varieties of squash, distinguished by their tapering, recurved necks. The summer crookneck is botanically a variety of the pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) and matures early in the season. It is pale yellow in color, with warty excrescences. The winter crookneck belongs to a distinct species (C. moschata) and is smooth and often striped. [U. S.]

CROON Croon (krn), v. i. Etym: [OE. croinen, cf. D. kreunen to moan.

1. To make a continuous hollow moan, as cattle do when in pain. [Scot.] Jamieson.

2. To hum or sing in a low tone; to murmur softly. Here an old grandmother was crooning over a sick child, and rocking it to and fro. Dickens.

CROON Croon, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crooned (krnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Crooning.]

1. To sing in a low tone, as if to one's self; to hum. Hearing such stanzas crooned in her praise. C. Bront

2. To soothe by singing softly. The fragment of the childish hymn with which he sung and crooned himself asleep. Dickens.

CROON Croon, n.

1. A low, continued moan; a murmur.

2. A low singing; a plain, artless melody.

CROP Crop (krp), n. Etym: [OE. crop, croppe, craw, top of a plant, harvest, AS. crop, cropp, craw, top, bunch, ear of corn; akin to D. krop craw, G. kropf, Icel. kroppr hump or bunch on the body, body; but cf. also W. cropa, croppa, crop or craw of a bird, Ir. & Gael. sgroban. Cf. Croup, Crupper, Croup.]

1. The pouchlike enlargement of the gullet of birds, serving as a receptacle for food; the craw.

2. The top, end, or highest part of anything, especially of a plant or tree. [Obs.] "Crop and root." Chaucer.

3. That which is cropped, cut, or gathered from a single felld, or of a single kind of grain or fruit, or in a single season; especially, the product of what is planted in the earth; fruit; harvest. Lab'ring the soil, and reaping plenteous crop, Corn, wine, and oil. Milton.

4. Grain or other product of the field while standing.

5. Anything cut off or gathered. Guiltless of steel, and from the razor free, It falls a plenteous crop reserved for thee. Dryden.

6. Hair cut close or short, or the act or style of so cutting; as, a convict's crop.

7. (Arch.)

Defn: A projecting ornament in carved stone. Specifically, a finial. [Obs.]

8. (Mining.) (a) Tin ore prepared for smelting. (b) Outcrop of a vein or seam at the surface. Knight.

9. A riding whip with a loop instead of a lash. Neck and crop, altogether; roughly and at once. [Colloq.]

CROP Crop, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cropped (krpt); p. pr. & vb. n. Cropping.]

1. To cut off the tops or tips of; to bite or pull off; to browse; to pluck; to mow; to reap. I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one. Ezek. xvii. 22.

2. Fig.: To cut off, as if in harvest. Death . . . .crops the growing boys. Creech.

3. To cause to bear a crop; as, to crop a field.

CROP Crop, v. i.

Defn: To yield harvest. To crop out. (a) (Geol.) To appear above the surface, as a seam or vein, or inclined bed, as of coal. (b) To come to light; to be manifest; to appear; as, the peculiarities of an author crop out. -- To crop up, to sprout; to spring up. "Cares crop up in villas." Beaconsfield.

CROP-EAR Crop"-ear` (krp"r`), n.

Defn: A person or animal whose ears are cropped.

CROP-EARED Crop"-eared` (krp"rd`), a.

Defn: Having the ears cropped.

CROPFUL Crop"ful (-fl), a.

Defn: Having a full crop or belly; satiated. Milton.

CROPPER Crop"per (krp"pr), n.

1. One that crops.

2. A variety of pigeon with a large crop; a pouter.

3. (Mech.)

Defn: A machine for cropping, as for shearing off bolts or rod iron, or for facing cloth.

4. A fall on one's head when riding at full speed, as in hunting; hence, a sudden failure or collapse. [Slang.]

CROPSICK Crop"sick` (kr"sk`), a.

Defn: Sick from excess in eating or drinking. [Obs.] "Cropsick drunkards." Tate. -- Crop"sick`ness, n. [Obs.] Whitlock.

CROP-TAILED Crop"-tailed` (-tld`), a.

Defn: Having the tail cropped.

CROQUANTE Cro`quante", n. [F.]

Defn: A brittle cake or other crisp pastry.

CROQUET Cro*quet" (kr-k"), n. Etym: [From French; cf. Walloon croque blow, fillip. F. croquet a crisp biscuit, croquer to crunch, fr. croc a crackling sound, of imitative origin. Croquet then properly meant a smart tap on the ball.]

1. An open-air game in which two or more players endeavor to drive wooden balls, by means of mallets, through a series of hoops or arches set in the ground according to some pattern.

2. The act of croqueting.

CROQUET Cro*quet", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Croqueted (-kd); p. pr. & vb. n. Croqueting (-k"ng).]

Defn: In the game of croquet, to drive away an opponent's ball, after putting one's own in contact with it, by striking one's own ball with the mallet.

CROQUETTE Cro*quette", n. Etym: [F., fr. croquer to crunch.] (Cookery)

Defn: A ball of minced meat, fowl, rice, or other ingredients, highly seasoned, and fried.

CRORE Crore (krr), n. Etym: [Hind. karor, Skr. koTi.]

Defn: Ten millions; as, a crore of rupees (which is nearly $5,000,000). [East Indies] Malcolm.

CROSIER Cro"sier (kr"zhr), n. Etym: [OE. rocer, croser, croyser, fr. croce crosier, OF. croce, croche, F. crosse, fr. LL. crocea, crocia, from the same German or Celtic sourse as F. croc hook; akin to E. crook.]

Defn: The pastoral staff of a bishop (also of an archbishop, being the symbol of his office as a shepherd of the flock of God.

Note: The true shape of the crosier was with a hooked or curved top; the archbishop's staff alone bore a cross instead of a crook, and was of exceptional, not of regular form. Skeat.

CROSIERED Cro"siered (-zhrd), a.

Defn: Bearing a crosier.

CROSLET Cros"let (krs"lt; 115), n.

Defn: See Crosslet.

CROSS Cross (krs; 115), n. Etym: [OE. crois, croys, cros; the former fr. OF. crois, croiz, F. croix, fr. L. crux; the second is perh. directly fr. Prov. cros, crotz. fr. the same L. crux; cf. Icel. kross. Cf. Crucial, Crusade, Cruise, Crux.]

1. A gibbet, cosisting of two pieces of timber placed transversely upon one another, in various forms, as a T, or +, with the horizontal piece below the upper end of the upright, or as an X. It was anciently used in the execution of criminals. Nailed to the cross By his own nation. Milton.

2. The sign or mark of the cross, made with the finger, or in ink, etc., or actually represented in some material; the symbol of Christ's death; the ensign and chosen symbol of Christianity, of a Christian people, and of Christendom. The custom of making the sign of the cross with the hand or finger, as a means of conferring blessing or preserving from evil, is very old. Schaff-Herzog Encyc. Before the cross has waned the crescent's ray. Sir W. Scott. Tis where the cross is preached. Cowper.

3. Affiction regarded as a test of patience or virtue; trial; disappointment; opposition; misfortune. Heaven prepares a good man with crosses. B. Jonson.

4. A piece of money stamped with the figure of a cross, also, that side of such a piece on which the cross is stamped; hence, money in general. I should bear no cross if I did bear you; for I think you have no money in your purse. Shak.

5. An appendage or ornament or anything in the form of a cross; a badge or ornamental device of the general shape of a cross; hence, such an ornament, even when varying considerably from that form; thus, the Cross of the British Order of St. George and St. Michael consist of a central medallion with seven arms radiating from it.

6. (Arch.)

Defn: A monument in the form of a cross, or surmounted bu a cross, set up in a public place; as, a market cross; a boundary cross; Charing Cross in London. Dun-Edin's Cross, a pillared stone, Rose on a turret octagon. Sir W. Scott.

7. (Her.)

Defn: A common heraldic bearing, of which there are many varieties. See the Illustration, above.

8. The crosslike mark or symbol used instead of a signature by those unable to write. Five Kentish abbesses . . . .subscribed their names and crosses. Fuller.

9. Church lands. [Ireland] [Obs.] Sir J. Davies.

10. A line drawn across or through another line.

11. Hence: A mixing of breeds or stock, especially in cattle breeding; or the product of such intermixture; a hybrid of any kind. Toning down the ancient Viking into a sort of a cross between Paul Jones and Jeremy Diddler. Lord Dufferin.

12. (Surveying)

Defn: An instrument for laying of offsets perpendicular to the main course.

13. (Mech.)

Defn: A pipe-fitting with four branches the axes of which usually form's right angle. Cross and pile, a game with money, at which it is put to chance whether a coin shall fall with that side up which bears the cross, or the other, which is called pile, or reverse; the game called heads or tails. -- Cross bottony or bottoné. See under Bottony. -- Cross estoilé (Her.). a cross, each of whose arms is pointed like the ray of a star; that is, a star having four long points only. -- Cross of Calvary. See Calvary, 3. -- Southern cross. (Astron.) See under Southern. -- To do a thing on the cross, to act dishonestly; -- opposed to acting on the square. [Slang] -- To take up the cross, to bear troubles and afflictions with patience from love to Christ.

CROSS Cross (krs), a.

1. Not parallel; lying or falling athwart; transverse; oblique; intersecting. The cross refraction of the second prism. Sir I. Newton.

2. Not accordant with what is wished or expected; interrupting; adverse; contrary; thwarting; perverse. "A cross fortune." Jer. Taylor. The cross and unlucky issue of my design. Glanvill. The article of the resurrection seems to lie marvelously cross to the common experience of mankind. South. We are both love's captives, but with fates so cross, One must be happy by the other's loss. Dryden.

3. Characterized by, or in a state of, peevishness, fretfullness, or ill humor; as, a cross man or woman. He had received a cross answer from his mistress. Jer. Taylor.

4. Made in an opposite direction, or an inverse relation; mutually inverse; interchanged; as, cross interrogatories; cross marriages, as when a brother and sister marry persons standing in the same relation to each other. Cross action (Law), an action brought by a party who is sued against the person who has sued him, upon the same subject matter, as upon the same contract. Burrill. -- Cross aisle (Arch.), a transept; the lateral divisions of a cruciform church. -- Cross axie. (a) (Mach.) A shaft, windlass, or roller, worked by levers at opposite ends, as in the copperplate printing press. (b) A driving axle. with cranks set at an angle of 90º with each other. -- Cross bedding (Geol.), oblique lamination of horizontal beds, -- Cross bill. See in the Vocabulary. -- Cross bitt. Same as Crosspiece. -- Cross bond, a form of bricklaying, in which the joints of one stretcher course come midway between those of the stretcher courses above and below, a course of headers and stretchers intervening. See Bond, n., 8. -- Cross breed. See in the Vocabulary. -- Cross breeding. See under Breeding. -- Cross buttock, a particular throw in wrestling; hence, an unexpected defeat or repulse. Smollet. -- Cross country, across the country; not by the road. "The cross- country ride." Cowper. -- Cross fertilization, the fertilization of the female products of one physiological individual by the male products of another, -- as the fertilization of the ovules of one plant by pollen from another. See Fertilization. -- Cross file, a double convex file, used in dressing out the arms or crosses of fine wheells. -- Cross fire (Mil.), lines of fire, from two or more points or places, crossing each other. -- Cross forked. (Her.) See under Forked. -- Cross frog. See under Frog. -- Cross furrow, a furrow or trench cut across other furrows to receive the water running in them and conduct it to the side of the field. -- Cross handle, a handle attached transversely to the axis of a tool, as in the augur. Knight. -- Cross lode (Mining), a vein intersecting the true or principal lode. -- Cross purpose. See Cross-purpose, in the Vocabulary. -- Cross reference, a reference made from one part of a book or register to another part, where the same or an allied subject is treated of. -- Cross sea (Naut.), a chopping sea, in which the waves run in contrary directions. -- Cross stroke, a line or stroke across something, as across the letter t. -- Cross wind, a side wind; an unfavorable wind. -- Cross wires, fine wires made to traverse the field of view in a telescope, and moved by a screw with a graduated head, used for delicate astronomical observations; spider lines. Fixed cross wires are also used in microscopes, etc.

Syn. -- Fretful; peevish. See Fretful.

CROSS Cross, prep.

Defn: Athwart; across. [Archaic or Colloq.] A fox was taking a walk one night cross a village. L'Estrange. To go cross lots, to go across the fields; totake a short cut. [Colloq.]

CROSS Cross, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crossed (krst; 115); p. pr. & vb. n. Crossing.]

1. To put across or athwart; to cause to intersect; as, to cross the arms.

2. To lay or draw something, as a line, across; as, to cross the letter t.

3. To pass from one side to the other of; to pass or move over; to traverse; as, to cross a stream. A hunted hare . . . crosses and confounds her former track. I. Watts.

4. To pass, as objects going in an opposite direction at the same time. "Your kind letter crossed mine." J. D. Forbes.

5. To run counter to; to thwart; to obstruct; to hinder; to clash or interfere with. In each thing give him way; cross him in nothing. Shak. An oyster may be crossed onlove. Sheridan.

6. To interfere and cut off; to debar. [Obs.] To cross me from the golden time I look for. Shak.

7. To make the sign of the cross upon; -- followed by the reflexive pronoun; as, he crossed himself.

8. To cancel by marking crosses on or over, or drawing a line across; to erase; -- usually with out, off, or over; as, to cross out a name.

9. To cause to interbreed; -- said of different stoocks or races; to mix the breed of. To cross one's path, to oppose one's plans. Macualay.

CROSS Cross, v. i.

1. To lie or be athwart.

2. To move or pass from one side to the other, or from place to place; to make a transit; as, to cross from New York to Liverpool.

3. To be inconsistent. [Obs.] Men's actions do not always cross with reason. Sir P. Sidney.

4. To interbreed, as races; to mix distinct breeds. If two individuals of distinct races cross, a third is invariably produced different from either. Coleridge.

CROSS-ARMED Cross"-armed` (krs"rmd), a.

Defn: With arms crossed.

CROSS-BANDED Cross"-band`ed (-bnd`d), a.

Defn: A term used when a narrow ribbon of veneer is inserted into the surfase of any piece of furniture, wainscoting, etc., so that the grain of it is contrary to the general surface.

CROSSBAR Cross"bar` (-br`), n.

Defn: A transverse bar or piece, as a bar across a door, or as the iron bar or stock which passes through the shank of an anchor to insure its turning fluke down. Russell. Crossbar shot, a projectile which folds into a sphere for loading, but on leaving the gun expands to a cross with a quarter ball at the end of each arm; -- used in naval actions for cutting the enemy's rigging.

CROSSBARRED Cross"barred` (-brd`), a.

1. Secured by, or furnished with, crossbars. Milton.

2. Made or patterned in lines crossing each other; as, crossbarred muslin.

CROSSBEAK Cross"beak` (-bk`), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Crossbill.

CROSSBEAM Cross"beam` (-bm`). n.

1. (Arch.)

Defn: A girder.

2. (Naut.)

Defn: A beam laid across the bitts, to which the cable is fastened when riding at anchor.

CROSS-BEARER Cross"-bear`er (-br`r), n. (R.C.Ch.)

Defn: A subdeacon who bears a cross before an archbishop or primate on solemn occasions.

CROSSBILL Cross"bill` (-bl`). (Law)

Defn: A bill brought by a defendant, in an equity or chancery suit, against the plaintiff, respecting the matter in question in that suit. Bouvier.

Note: In criminal practice, cross bills of indictment for assault, in which the prosecutor in once case is the defendant in another, may be tried together.

CROSSBILL Cross"bill`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A bird of the genus Loxia, allied to the finches. Their mandibles are strongly curved and cross each other; the crossbeak.

CROSS-BIRTH Cross"-birth` (-brth`), n. (Med.)

Defn: Any preternatural labor, in whiche the boly of the child lies across the pelvis of the mother, so that the shoulder, arm, or trunk is the part first presented at the mouth of the uterus.

CROSSBITE Cross"bite` (-bt`), n.

Defn: A deeption; a cheat. [Obs.]

CROSSBITE Cross"bite", b. t.

Defn: To deceive; to trick; to gull. [Obs.]

CROSSBONES Cross"bones` (-bnz`), n. pl.

Defn: A representation of two of the leg bones or arm bones of a skeleton, laid crosswise, often surmounted with a skull, and serving as a symbol of death. Crossbones, scythes, hourglasses, and other lugubrios emblems of mortality. Hawthorne.

CROSSBOW Cross"bow` (-b`), n. (Archery)

Defn: A weapon, used in discharging arrows, formed by placing a bow crosswise on a stock.

CROSSBOWER Cross"bow`er (-b`r), n.

Defn: A crossbowman.[Obs.]

CROSSBOWMAN Cross"bow`man (-man), n.

Defn: One who shoots with a crossbow. See Arbalest.

CROSSBRED Cross"bred` (-brd`), a. (Stock Breeding)

Defn: Produced by mixing distinct breeds; mongrel.

CROSSBREED Cross"breed` (-brd`), n.

1. A breed or an animal produced from parents of different breeds; a new variety, as of plants, combining the qualites of two parent varieties or stocks.

2. Anything partaking of the natures of two different things; a hybrid.

CROSS-BUN Cross"-bun` (-bn`), n.

Defn: A bun or cake marked with a cross, and intended to be eaten on Good Friday.

CROSS-BUTTOCK Cross"-but`tock, n. (Wrestling)

Defn: A throw in which the wrestler turns his left side to his opponent, places his left leg across both legs of his opponent, and pulls him forward over his hip; hence, an unexpected defeat or repulse.

CROSS-CROSSLET Cross`-cross"let (-krs"lt; 115), n. (Her.)

Defn: A cross having the three upper ends crossed, so as to from three small crosses.

CROSSCUT Cross"cut` (-kt`)

Defn: , v. t. To cut across or through; to intersect.

CROSSCUT Cross"cut`, n.

1. A short cut across; a path shorter than by the high road.

2. (Mining)

Defn: A level driven across the course of a vein, or across the main workings, as from one gangway to another. Crosscut saw. (a) A saw, the teeth of which are so set as to adapt it for sawing wood crosswise of the grain rather than lengthwise. (b) A saw managed by two men, one at each end, for cutting large logs crosswise.

CROSS-DAYS Cross"-days` (-dz`), n. pl. (Eccl.)

Defn: The three days preceding the Feast of the Ascension.

CROSSE Crosse, n. [F., crosier, hooked stick.]

Defn: The implement with which the ball is thrown and caught in the game of lacrosse.

CROSSETTE Cros*sette" (krs-st`), n. Etym: [F., dim. of crosse. See Crosier.] (Arch.) (a) A return in one of the corners of the architrave of a door or window; -- called also ancon, ear, elbow. (b) The shoulder of a joggled keystone.

CROSS-EXAMINATION Cross"-ex*am`i*na"tion (krs"gz-m`-n"shn; 115), n. (Low)

Defn: The interrogating or questioning of a witness by the party against whom he has been called and examined. See Examination.

CROSS-EXAMINE Cross"-ex*am"ine (-m"n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cross-examined (-nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cross-examining.] (Low)

Defn: To examine or question, as a witness who has been called and examined by the opposite party. "The opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses." Kent.

CROSS-EXAMINER Cross"-ex*am"in*er (-r), n.

Defn: One who cross-examines or conducts a crosse-examination.

CROSS-EYE Cross"-eye` (-`), n.

Defn: See Strabismus.

CROSS-EYED Cross"-eyed` (-d`), a.

Defn: Affected with strabismus; squint-eyed; squinting.

CROSS-FERTILIZE Cross"-fer"ti*lize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cross-fertilized; p. pr. & vb. n. Cross-fertilizing.] (Bot.)

Defn: To fertilize, as the stigmas of a flower or plant, with the pollen from another individual of the same species.

CROSSFISH Cross"fish` (-fsh`), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A starfish.

CROSSFLOW Cross"flow` (-fl`), v. i.

Defn: To flow across, or in a contrary direction. "His crossflowing course." Milton.

CROSS-GARNET Cross"-gar`net (krs"gr`nt), n.

Defn: A hinge having one strap perpendicular and the other strap horizontal giving it the form of an Egyptian or T cross.

CROSSGRAINED Cross"grained (-grnd`), a.

1. Having the grain or fibers run diagonally, or more or less transversely an irregularly, so as to interfere with splitting or planing. If the stuff proves crossgrained, . . . then you must turn your stuff to plane it the contrary way. Moxon.

2. Perverse; untractable; contrary. She was none of your crossgrained, termagant, scolding jades. Arbuthnot.

CROSSHATCH Cross"hatch` (-hch`; 224), v. t.

Defn: To shade by means of crosshatching.

CROSSHATCHING Cross"hatch`ing, n.

Defn: In drawing and line engraving, shading with lines that cross one another at an angle.

CROSSHEAD Cross"head` (-hd), n. (Mach.)

Defn: A beam or bar across the head or end of a rod, etc., or a block attached to it and carrying a knuckle pin; as the solid crosspiece running between parallel slides, which receives motion from the piston of a steam engine and imparts it to the connecting rod, which is hinged to the crosshead.

CROSSING Cross"ing, n. Etym: [See Cross, v. t. ]

1. The act by which anything is crossed; as, the crossing of the ocean.

2. The act of making the sign of the cross. Bp. Hall.

3. The act of interbreeding; a mixing of breeds.

4. Intersection, as of two paths or roads.

5. A place where anything (as a stream) is crossed; a paved walk across a street.

6. Contradiction; thwarting; obstruction. I do not bear these crossings. Shak.

CROSSJACK Cross"jack` (krs"jk` or kr"jk`), n. (Naut.)

Defn: The lowest square sail, or the lower yard of the mizzenmast.

CROSSLEGGED CRoss"legged` (-lgd`), a.

Defn: Having the legs crossed.

CROSSLET Cross"let (-lEt), n. Etym: [Dim. of cross.]

1. A small cross. Spenser.

2. Etym: [Cf. OF. croisel crucible, and E. Cresset.]

Defn: A crucible. [Obs.] Chaucer.

CROSSLET Cross"let, a. (Her.)

Defn: Crossed again; -- said of a cross the arms of which are crossed. SeeCross-crosslet.

CROSSLY Cross"ly, adv.

Defn: Athwart; adversely; unfortunately; peevishly; fretfully; with ill humor.

CROSSNESS Cross"ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being cross; peevishness; fretfulness; ill humor.

CROSSOPTERYGIAN Cros*sop`ter*yg"i*an (krs-sp`tr-j-an), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Crossopterygii. -- n.

Defn: One of the Crossopterygii.

CROSSOPTERYGII Cros*sop`te*ryg"i*i (krs-sp`t-rj-), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of ganoid fishes including among living species the bichir (Polypterus). See Brachioganoidei.

CROSSPATCH Cross"patch` (-pch`; 224), n.

Defn: An ill-natured person. [Colloq.] "Crosspatch, draw the latch." Mother Goose.

CROSS-PAWL Cross"-pawl` (-pl`), n. (Shipbuilding)

Defn: Same as Cross-spale.

CROSSPIECE Cross"piece` (krs"ps`; 115), n.

1. A piece of any structure which is fitted or framed crosswise.

2. (Naut.)

Defn: A bar or timber connecting two knightheads or two bitts.

CROSS-PURPOSE Cross"-pur`pose (-pr`ps), n.

1. A counter or opposing purpose; hence, that which is inconsistent or contradictory. Shaftesbury.

2. pl.

Defn: A conversational game, in which questions and answers are made so as to involve ludicrous combinations of ideas. Pepys. To be at cross-purposes, to misunderstand or to act counter to one another without intending it; -- said of persons.

CROSS-QUESTION Cross"-ques`tion (-kws`chn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cross-questioned (- chnd), p. pr. & vb. n. Cross-questioning.]

Defn: To cross-examine; to subject to close questioning.

CROSS-READING Cross"-read`ing (rd`ng), n.

Defn: The reading of the lines of a newspaper directly across the page, instead of down the columns, thus producing a ludicrous combination of ideas.

CROSSROAD Cross"road` (-rd`), n.

Defn: A road that crosses another; an obscure road intersecting or avoiding the main road.

CROSSROW Cross"row` (-r`), n.

1. The alphabet; -- called also Christcross-row. And from the crossrow plucks the letter G. Shak.

2. A row that crosses others.

CROSSRUFF Cross"ruff` (-rf`), n. (Whist)

Defn: The play in whist where partners trump each a different suit, and lead to each other for that purpose; -- called also seesaw.

CROSS-SPALE; CROSS-SPALL Cross"-spale` (-spl`), Cross"-spall` (-spl`), n. Etym: [See Spale & Spall.] (Shipbuilding)

Defn: One of the temporary wooden braces, placed horizontally across a frame to hold it in position until the deck beams are in; a cross- pawl.

CROSS-SPRINGER Cross"-spring`er (-sprng`r), n. (Arch.)

Defn: One of the ribs in a groined arch, springing from the corners in a diagonal direction.

Note: [See Illustr. of Groined vault.]

CROSS-STAFF Cross"-staff` (-stf`), n.

1. An instrument formerly used at sea for taking the altitudes of celestial bodies.

2. A surveyor's instrument for measuring offsets.

CROSS-STITCH Cross"-stitch` (-stch`; 224), n.

Defn: A form of stitch, where the stitches are diagonal and in pairs, the thread of one stitch crossing that of the other. "Tent and cross- stitch." Sir W. Scott. -- Cross"-stitch`, v. t. & i.

CROSS-STONE Cross"-stone` (-stn`), n. (Min.)

Defn: See Harmotome, and Staurotide.

CROSS-TAIL Cross"-tail` (-tl`), n. (Steam Engine)

Defn: A bar connecting the ends of the side rods or levers of a backaction or side-lever engine.

CROSS-TIE Cross"-tie` (-t`), n. (Railroad)

Defn: A sleeper supporting and connecting the rails, and holding them in place.

CROSS-TINING Cross"-tin`ing (krs"tn`ng), n. (Agric.)

Defn: A mode of harrowing crosswise, or transversely to the ridges. Crabb.

CROSSTREES Cross"trees` (-trz`), n. pl. (Naut.)

Defn: Pieces of timber at a masthead, to which are attached the upper shrouds. At the head of lower masts in large vessels, they support a semicircular platform called the "top."

CROSS-VAULTING Cross"-vault`ing (-vlt`ng), n. (Arch.)

Defn: Vaulting formed by the intersection of two or more simple vaults.

CROSSWAY Cross"way` (-w`), n.

Defn: See Crossroad.

CROSS-WEEK Cross"-week` (-wk`), n.

Defn: Rogation week, when the cross was borne in processions.

CROSSWISE Cross"wise` (-wz`), adv.

Defn: In the form of a cross; across; transversely. Longfellow.

CROSSWORT Cross"wort` (-wrt`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A name given to several inconspicuous plants having leaves in whorls of four, as species of Crucianella, Valantia, etc.

CROTALARIA Crot`a*la"ri*a (krt`-l"r- or kr`t-l"r-A), n. Etym: [NL. See Crotalum.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of leguminous plants; rattlebox.

Note: Crotalaria juncea furnishes the fiber called sunn or Bombay hemp.

CROTALINE Crot"a*line (krt"-ln or kr`t-), a. Etym: [See Crotalus.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Resembling, or pertaining to, the Crotalidae, or Rattlesnake family.

CROTALO Crot"a*lo (-l), n.

Defn: A Turkish musical instrument.

CROTALUM Crot"a*lum (-lm), n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Mus.)

Defn: A kind of castanet used by the Corybantes.

CROTALUS Crot"a*lus (-ls), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of poisonous serpents, including the rattlesnakes.

CROTAPHITE Crot"a*phite (krt"-ft), n. Etym: [Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The temple or temporal fossa. Also used adjectively.

CROTAPHITIC Crot`a*phit"ic (krt`-ft"k), n. (Anat.)

Defn: Pertaining to the temple; temporal.

CROTCH Crotch (krch; 224), n.; pl. Crotches (-. Etym: [Cf. Crotchet, Crutch.]

1. The angle formed by the parting of two legs or branches; a fork; the point where a trunk divides; as, the crotch of a tree.

2. (Naut.)

Defn: A stanchion or post of wood or iron, with two arms for supporting a boom, spare yards, etc.; -- called also crane and crutch. Totten.

CROTCH CHAIN Crotch chain. (Logging)

Defn: A form of tackle for loading a log sideways on a sled, skidway, etc.

CROTCHED Crotched (krcht), a.

1. Having a crotch; forked.

2. Cross; peevish. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

CROTCHET Crotch"et (krch"t; 224), n. Etym: [F. crochet, prop., a little hook, a dim. from the same source as croc hook. See Crook, and cf. Crochet, Crocket, Crosier.]

1. A forked support; a crotch. The crotchets of their cot in columns rise. Dryden.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: A time note, with a stem, having one fourth the value of a semibreve, one half that of a minim, and twice that of a quaver; a quarter note.

3. (Fort.)

Defn: An indentation in the glacis of the covered way, at a point where a traverse is placed.

4. (Mil.)

Defn: The arrangement of a body of troops, either forward or rearward, so as to form a line nearly perpendicular to the general line of battle.

5. (Print.)

Defn: A bracket. See Bracket.

6. (Med.)

Defn: An instrument of a hooked form, used in certain cases in the extraction of a fetus. Dunglison.

7. A perverse fancy; a whim which takes possession of the mind; a conceit. He ruined himself and all that trusted in him by crotchets that he could never explain to any rational man. De Quincey.

CROTCHET Crotch"et, v. i.

Defn: To play music in measured time. [Obs.] Donne.

CROTCHETED Crotch"et*ed, a.

Defn: Marked or measured by crotchets; having musical notation. Harmar (1587).

CROTCHETINESS Crotch"et*i*ness (krch"t--ns), n.

Defn: The state or character of being crotchety, or whimsical. This belief in rightness is a kind of conscientiousness, and when it degenerates it becomes crotchetiness. J. Grote.

CROTCHETY Crotch"et*y (krch"t-), a.

Defn: Given to crotchets; subject to whims; as, a crotchety man.

CROTON Cro"ton (kr"tn), n. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of euphorbiaceous plants belonging to tropical countries. Croton oil (Med.), a viscid, acrid, brownish yellow oil obtained from the seeds of Croton Tiglium, a small tree of the East Indies. It is a most powerful drastic cathartic, and is used externally as a pustulant.

CROTON BUG Cro"ton bug` (bg`). Etym: [From the Croton water of New York.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small, active, winged species of cockroach (Ectobia Germanica), the water bug. It is common aboard ships, and in houses in cities, esp. in those with hot-water pipes.

CROTONIC Cro*ton"ic (kr-tn"k), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to, or derived from, a plant of the genus Croton, or from croton oil. Crotonic acid (Chem.), a white crystalline organic acid, C3H5.CO2H, of the ethylene, or acrylic acid series. It was so named because formerly supposed to exist in croton oil. Also, any acid metameric with crotonic acid proper.

Note: The acid characteristic of croton oil is tiglic or tiglinic acid, a derivative of crotonic acid.

CROTONINE Cro"ton*ine (kr"tn-n), n. (Chem.)

Defn: A supposed alkaloid obtained from croton oil by boiling it with water and magnesia, since found to be merely a magnesia soap of the oil. Watts.

CROTONYLENE Cro*ton"y*lene (kr-tn"-ln), n. Etym: [Crotonic + acet-ylene.] (Chem.)

Defn: A colorless, volatile, pungent liquid, C4H6, produced artificially, and regarded as an unsaturated hydrocarbon of the acetylene series, and analogous to crotonic acid.

CROTTLES Crot"tles (krt"t'lz), n. pl. Etym: [Gael. crotal.]

Defn: A name given to various lichens gathered for dyeing. [Scot.]

CROUCH Crouch (krouch; 129), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Crouched (kroucht); p. pr. & vb. n. Crouching.] Etym: [OE. cruchen, crouchen, crouken; cf. E. creep, G. krauchen, kriechen, or E. crook to bend, also crouch to cross.]

1. To bend down; to stoop low; to lie close to the ground with the logs bent, as an animal when waiting for prey, or in fear. Now crouch like a cur. Beau. & Fl.

2. To bend servilely; to stoop meanly; to fawn; to cringe. "A crouching purpose." Wordsworth. Must I stand and crouch Under your testy humor Shak.

CROUCH Crouch, v. t. Etym: [OE. cruchen, crouchen, from cruche, crouche, cross. Cf. Crosier, Crook.]

1. To sign with the cross; to bless. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. To bend, or cause to bend, as in humility or fear. She folded her arms across her chest, And crouched her head upon her breast. Colerige.

CROUCHED Crouched (kroucht), a.

Defn: Marked with the sign of the cross. [Obs.] Crouched friar. See Crutched friar, under Crutched.

CROUD Croud (kroud), n. (Mus.)

Defn: See Crowd, a violin.

CROUKE Crouke (krouk), n.

Defn: A crock; a jar. [Obs.] Chauser.

CROUP Croup (krp), n. Etym: [F. croupe hind quarters, croup, rump, of German or Icel. origin; cf. Icel. kryppa hump; akin to Icel. kroppr. Cf. Crop.]

Defn: The hinder part or buttocks of certain quadrupeds, especially of a horse; hence, the place behind the saddle. So light to the croup the fair lady he swung, So light to the saddle before her he sprung. Sir W. Scott.

CROUP Croup (krp), n. Etym: [Scot. croup, cf. croup, crowp, to croak, to cry or speak with a hoarse voice; cf. also LG. kropp, G. kropf, the crop or craw of a bird, and tumor on the anterior part of the neck, a wen, etc. Cf. Crop.] (Med.)

Defn: An inflammatory affection of the larynx or trachea, accompanied by a hoarse, ringing cough and stridulous, difficult breathing; esp., such an affection when associated with the development of a false membrane in the air passages (also called membranous croup). See False croup, under False, and Diphtheria.

CROUPADE Crou*pade" (kr-pd"), n. Etym: [F., fr. croupe hind quarters.] (Man.)

Defn: A leap in which the horse pulls up his hind legs toward his belly.

CROUPAL Croup"al (krp"al), a.

Defn: Croupy.

CROUPER Croup"er (krp"r), n.

Defn: See Crupper.

CROUPIER Crou"pi*er (kr, n. Etym: [F.; prop., one who sits on the croup, and hence, in the second place; an assistant. See 1st Croup.]

1. One who presides at a gaming table and collects the stakes.

2. One who, at a public dinner party, sits at the lower end of the table as assistant chairman.

CROUPOUS Croup"ous (krp"s), a. (Med.)

Defn: Relating to or resembling croup; especially, attended with the formation of a deposit or membrance like that found in membranous croup; as, croupous laryngitis. Croupous pneumonia, pneumonia attended with deposition of fibrinous matter in the air vesicles of the lungs; ordinary acute pneumonia.

CROUPY Croup"y (krp"), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to croup; resembling or indicating croup; as, a croupy cough.

CROUSE Crouse (krs), a. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]

Defn: Brisk; lively; bold; self-complacent. [Scot.] Burns.

CROUSTADE Crou`stade" (kr`std"), n. Etym: [F., fr. cro a crust, OF. crouste.] (Cookery)

Defn: Bread baked in a mold, and scooped out, to serve minces upon. Bishop.

CROUT Crout (krout), n. Etym: [G. kraut.]

Defn: See Sourkrout.

CROUTON Crou`ton" (kr`tn"), n. Etym: [F. cro, fr. cro a crust.] (Cookery)

Defn: Bread cut in various forms, and fried lightly in butter or oil, to garnish hashes, etc.

CROW Crow (kr), v. i. [imp. Crew (kr or Crowed (kr; p. p. Crowed (Crown (krn), Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Crowing.] Etym: [AS. cr; akin to D. kraijen, G. kr, cf. Lith. groti to croak. sq. root24. Cf. Crake.]

1. To make the shrill sound characteristic of a cock, either in joy, gayety, or defiance. "The cock had crown." Bayron. The morning cock crew loud. Shak.

2. To shout in exultation or defiance; to brag.

3. To utter a sound expressive of joy or pleasure. The sweetest little maid, That ever crowed for kisses. Tennyson. To crow over, to exult over a vanquished antagonist. Sennacherib crowing over poor Jerusalem. Bp. Hall.

CROW Crow, n. Etym: [AS. cr a crow (in sense 1); akin to D. kraai, G. kr; cf. Icel. kr crow. So named from its cry, from AS. cr to crow. See Crow, v. i. ]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A bird, usually black, of the genus Corvus, having a strong conical beak, with projecting bristles. It has a harsh, croaking note. See Caw.

Note: The common crow of Europe, or carrion crow, is C. corone. The common American crow is C. Americanus. See Carrion crow, and Illustr., under Carrion.

2. A bar of iron with a beak, crook, or claw; a bar of iron used as a lever; a crowbar. Get me an iron crow, and bring it straight Unto my cell. Shak.

3. The cry of the cock. See Crow, v. i., 1.

4. The mesentery of a beast; -- so called by butchers. Carrion crow. See under Carrion. -- Crow blackbird (Zoöl.), an American bird (Quiscalus quiscula); -- called also purple grackle. -- Crow pheasant (Zoöl.), an Indian cuckoo; the common coucal. It is believed by the natives to give omens. See Coucal. -- Crow shrike (Zoöl.), any bird of the genera Gymnorhina, Craticus, or Strepera, mostly from Australia. -- Red-legged crow. See Crough. -- As the crow flies, in a direct line. -- To pick a crow, To pluck a crow, to state and adjust a difference or grievance (with any one).

CROWBAR Crow"bar` (kr"br), n.

Defn: A bar of iron sharpened at one end, and used as a lever.

CROWBERRY Crow`ber`ry (kr"br`r), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A heathlike plant of the genus Empetrum, and its fruit, a black, scarcely edible berry; -- also called crakeberry.

CROWD Crowd (kroud), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crowded; p. pr. & vb. n. Crowding.] Etym: [OE. crouden, cruden, AS. cr; cf. D. kruijen to push in a wheelbarrow.]

1. To push, to press, to shove. Chaucer.

2. To press or drive together; to mass together. "Crowd us and crush us." Shak.

3. To fill by pressing or thronging together; hence, to encumber by excess of numbers or quantity. The balconies and verandas were crowded with spectators, anxious to behold their future sovereign. Prescott.

4. To press by solicitation; to urge; to dun; hence, to treat discourteously or unreasonably. [Colloq.] To crowd out, to press out; specifically, to prevent the publication of; as, the press of other matter crowded out the article. -- To crowd sail (Naut.), to carry an extraordinary amount of sail, with a view to accelerate the speed of a vessel; to carry a press of sail.

CROWD Crowd, v. i.

1. To press together or collect in numbers; to swarm; to throng. The whole company crowded about the fire. Addison. Images came crowding on his mind faster than he could put them into words. Macaulay.

2. To urge or press forward; to force one's self; as, a man crowds into a room.

CROWD Crowd, n. Etym: [AS. croda. See Crowd, v. t. ]

1. A number of things collected or closely pressed together; also, a number of things adjacent to each other. A crowd of islands. Pope.

2. A number of persons congregated or collected into a close body without order; a throng. The crowd of Vanity Fair. Macualay. Crowds that stream from yawning doors.--Tennyson.

3. The lower orders of people; the populace; the vulgar; the rabble; the mob. To fool the crowd with glorious lies. Tennyson. He went not with the crowd to see a shrine. Dryden.

Syn. -- Throng; multitude. See Throng.

CROWD Crowd, n. Etym: [W. crwth; akin to Gael. cruit. Perh. named from its shape, and akin to Gr. curve. Cf. Rote.]

Defn: An ancient instrument of music with six strings; a kind of violin, being the oldest known stringed instrument played with a bow. [Written also croud, crowth, cruth, and crwth.] A lackey that . . . can warble upon a crowd a little. B. Jonson.

CROWD Crowd, v. t.

Defn: To play on a crowd; to fiddle. [Obs.] "Fiddlers, crowd on." Massinger.

CROWDER Crowd"er (kroud"r), n.

Defn: One who plays on a crowd; a fiddler. [Obs.] "Some blind crowder." Sir P. Sidney.

CROWDER Crowd"er, n.

Defn: One who crowds or pushes.

CROWDY Crow"dy (krou"d), n.

Defn: A thick gruel of oatmeal and milk or water; food of the porridge kind. [Scot.]

CROWFLOWER Crow"flow`er (kr"flou`r), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of campion; according to Gerarde, the Lychnis Flos- cuculi.

CROWFOOT Crow"foot` (kr"ft`), n.

1. (Bot.)

Defn: The genus Ranunculus, of many species; some are common weeds, others are flowering plants of considerable beauty.

2. (Naut.)

Defn: A number of small cords rove through a long block, or euphroe, to suspend an awning by.

3. (Mil.)

Defn: A caltrop. [Written also crow's-foot.]

4. (Well Boring)

Defn: A tool with a side claw for recovering broken rods, etc. Raymond.

CROWKEEPER Crow"keep`er (-kp`r), n.

Defn: A person employed to scare off crows; hence, a scarecrow. [Obs.] Scaring the ladies like a crowkeeper. Shak.

CROWN Crown (krn),

Defn: p. p. of Crow. [Obs.]

CROWN Crown (kroun), n. Etym: [OE. corone, coroun, crune, croun, OF. corone, corune, F. couronne, fr. L. corona crown, wreath; akin to Gr. curvus curved, E. curve, curb, Gael. cruinn round, W. crwn. Cf. Cornice, Corona, Coroner, Coronet.]

1. A wreath or garland, or any ornamental fillet encircling the head, especially as a reward of victory or mark of honorable distinction; hence, anything given on account of, or obtained by, faithful or successful effort; a reward. "An olive branch and laurel crown." Shak. They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptiblle. 1 Cor. ix. 25. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev. ii. 10.

2. A royal headdress or cap of sovereignty, worn by emperors, kings, princes, etc.

Note: Nobles wear coronets; the triple crown of the pope is usually called a tiara. The crown of England is a circle of gold with crosses, fleurs-de-lis, and imperial arches, inclosing a crimson velvet cap, and ornamented with thousands of diamonds and precious stones.

3. The person entitled to wear a regal or imperial crown; the sovereign; -- with the definite article. Parliament may be dissolved by the demise of the crown. Blackstone. Large arrears of pay were due to the civil and military servants of the crown. Macaulay.

4. Imperial or regal power or dominion; sovereignty. There is a power behind the crown greater than the crown itself. Junius.

5. Anything which imparts beauty, splendor, honor, dignity, or finish. The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. Prov. xvi. 31. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. Prov. xvi. 4.

6. Highest state; acme; consummation; perfection. Mutual love, the crown of all our bliss. Milton.

7. The topmost part of anything; the summit. The steepy crown of the bare mountains. Dryden.

8. The topmost part of the head (see Illust. of Bird.); that part of the head from which the hair descends toward the sides and back; also, the head or brain. From toe to crown he'll fill our skin with pinches. Shak. Twenty things which I set down: This done, I twenty more-had in my crown. Bunyan.

9. The part of a hat above the brim.

10. (Anat.)

Defn: The part of a tooth which projects above the gum; also, the top or grinding surface of a tooth.

11. (Arch.)

Defn: The vertex or top of an arch; -- applied generally to about one third of the curve, but in a pointed arch to the apex only.

12. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Corona.

13. (Naut.) (a) That part of an anchor where the arms are joined to the shank. (b) The rounding, or rounded part, of the deck from a level line. (c) pl.

Defn: The bights formed by the several turns of a cable. Totten.

14. The upper range of facets in a rose diamond.

15. The dome of a furnace.

16. (Geom.)

Defn: The area inclosed between two concentric perimeters.

17. (Eccl.)

Defn: A round spot shaved clean on the top of the head, as a mark of the clerical state; the tonsure.

18. A size of writing paper. See under Paper.

19. A coin stamped with the image of a crown; hence,a denomination of money; as, the English crown, a silver coin of the value of five shillings sterling, or a little more than $1.20; the Danish or Norwegian crown, a money of account, etc., worth nearly twenty-seven cents.

20. An ornaments or decoration representing a crown; as, the paper is stamped with a crown. Crown of aberration (Astron.), a spurious circle around the true circle of the sun. -- Crown antler (Zoöl.), the topmost branch or tine of an antler; also, an antler having a cuplike top, with tines springing from the rim. -- Crown bar, one of the bars which support the crown sheet of steam-boiler furnace. -- Crown glass. See under Glass. -- Crown imperial. (Bot.) See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown jewels, the jewels appertaining to the sovereign while wearing the crown. [Eng.] "She pawned and set to sale the crown jewels." Milton. -- Crown land, land belonging to the crown, that is, to the sovereign. -- Crown law, the law which governs criminal prosecutions. [Eng.] -- Crown lawyer, one employed by the crown, as in criminal cases. [Eng.] -- Crown octavo. See under Paper. -- Crown office. See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown paper. See under Paper. -- Crown piece. See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown Prince, the heir apparent to a crown or throne. -- Crown saw. See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown scab (Far.), a cancerous sore formed round the corners of a horse's hoof. -- Crown sheet, the flat plate which forms the top of the furnace or fire box of an internally fired steam boiler. -- Crown shell. (Zoöl.) See Acorn-shell. -- Crown side. See Crown office. -- Crown tax (Eccl. Hist.), a golden crown, or its value, which was required annually from the Jews by the king of Syria, in the time of the Maccabees. 1 Macc. x. 20. -- Crown wheel. See in the Vocabulary. -- Crown work. See in the Vocabulary. -- Pleas of the crown (Engl. law), criminal actions.

CROWN Crown (kroun), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crowned (kround); p. pr. & vb. n. Crowning.] Etym: [OE. coronen, corunen, crunien, crounien, OF. coroner, F. couronner, fr. L. coronare, fr. corona a crown. See Crown, n.]

1. To cover, decorate, or invest with a crown; hence, to invest with royal dignity and power. Her who fairest does appear, Crown her queen of all the year. Dryden. Crown him, and say, "Long live our emperor." Shak.

2. To bestow something upon as a mark of honor, dignity, or recompense; to adorn; to dignify. Thou . . . hast crowned him with glory and honor. Ps. viii. 5.

3. To form the topmost or finishing part of; to complete; to consummate; to perfect. Amidst the grove that crowns yon tufted hill. Byron. One day shall crown the alliance. Shak. To crown the whole, came a proposition. Motley.

4. (Mech.)

Defn: To cause to round upward; to make anything higher at the middle than at the edges, as the face of a machine pulley.

5. (Mil.)

Defn: To effect a lodgment upon, as upon the crest of the glacis, or the summit of the breach. To crown a knot (Naut.), to lay the ends of the strands over and under each other.

CROWN COLONY Crown colony.

Defn: A colony of the British Empire not having an elective magistracy or a parliament, but governed by a chief magistrate (called Governor) appointed by the Crown, with executive councilors nominated by him and not elected by the people.

CROWNED Crowned (kround), p. p. & a.

1. Having or wearing a crown; surmounted, invested, or adorned, with a crown, wreath, garland, etc.; honored; rewarded; completed; consummated; perfected. "Crowned with one crest." Shak. "Crowned with conquest." Milton. With surpassing glory crowned. Milton.

2. Great; excessive; supreme. [Obs.] Chaucer.

CROWNER Crown"er (kroun"r), n.

1. One who, or that which, crowns. Beau. & FL.

2. Etym: [Cf. Coroner.]

Defn: A coroner. [Prov. Eng. or Scot.]

CROWNET Crown"et (kroun"t), n. Etym: [See Crown, Coronet.]

1. A coronet. [R.] P. Whitehead.

2. The ultimate end and result of an undertaking; a chief end. [Obs.] O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm . . . . Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end. Shak.

CROWN-IMPERIAL Crown"-im*pe"ri*al (-m-p"r-al), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A spring-blooming plant (Fritillaria imperialis) of the Lily family, having at the top of the stalk a cluster of pendent bell- shaped flowers surmounted with a tuft of green leaves.

CROWNLAND Crown"land`, n. [G. kronland.]

Defn: In Austria-Hungary, one of the provinces, or largest administrative divisions of the monarchy; as, the crownland of Lower Austria.

CROWNLESS Crown"less, a.

Defn: Without a crown.

CROWNLET Crown"let (-lt), n.

Defn: A coronet. [Poetic] Sir W. Scott.

CROWN OFFICE Crown" of`fice (f`fs; 115). (Eng. Law)

Defn: The criminal branch of the Court of King's or Queen's Bench, commonly called the crown side of the court, which takes cognizance of all criminal cases. Burrill.

CROWNPIECE Crown"piece` (-ps`), n. (a) A piece or part which passes over the head, as in a bridle. (b) A coin [In sense (b) properly crown piece.] See Crown, 19.

CROWN-POST Crown"-post` (kroun"pst`), n.

Defn: Same as King-post.

CROWN-SAW Crown"-saw` (-s`), n. Etym: [From its supposed resemblance to a crown.] (Mech.)

Defn: A saw in the form of a hollow cylinder, with teeth on the end or edge, and operated by a rotative motion.

Note: The trephine was the first of the class of crownsaws. Knight.

CROWN SIDE Crown" side` (sd`).

Defn: See Crown office.

CROWN WHEEL Crown" wheel` (hwl`). Etym: [Named from its resemblance to a crown.] (Mach.)

Defn: A wheel with cogs or teeth set at right angles to its plane; -- called also a contrate wheel or face wheel.

CROWNWORK Crown"work` (-wrk`), n. (Fort.)

Defn: A work consisting of two or more bastioned fronts, with their outworks, covering an enceinte, a bridgehead, etc., and connected by wings with the main work or the river bank.

CROW-QUILL Crow"-quill` (kr"kwl`), n.

Defn: A quill of the crow, or a very fine pen made from such a quill.

CROWS Crows (krz), n. pl.; sing. Crow. (Ethnol.)

Defn: A tribe of Indians of the Dakota stock, living in Montana; -- also called Upsarokas.

CROW'S-FOOT Crow's"-foot` (krz"ft`), n.; pl. Crow's-feet (-f.

1. pl.

Defn: The wrinkles that appear, as the effect of age or dissipation, under and around the outer corners of the eyes. Tennyson.

2. (Mil.)

Defn: A caltrop. [Written also crowfoot.]

3. (Arch.)

Defn: Same as Bird's-mouth. [U.S.]

CROW-SILK Crow"-silk` (kr"slk`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A filamentous fresh-water alga (Conferva rivularis of Linnaeus, Rhizoclonium rivulare of Kutzing).

CROW'S-NEST Crow's-nest` (krz"nst`), n. (Naut.)

Defn: A box or perch near the top of a mast, esp. in whalers, to shelter the man on the lookout.

CROWSTEP Crow"step` (kr"stp`), n. (Arch.)

Defn: See Corriestep.

CROWSTONE Crow"stone` (kr"stn`), n. (Arch.)

Defn: The top stone of the gable end of a house. Halliwell.

CROWTH Crowth (krouth), n.

Defn: An ancient musical instrument. See 4th Crowd.

CROWTOE Crow"toe` (kr"t`), n. (Bot.)

1. The Lotus corniculatus. Dr. Prior.

2. An unidentified plant, probably the crowfoot. "The tufted crowtoe." Milton.

CROW-TRODDEN Crow"-trod`den (kr"trd`d'n), a.

Defn: Marked with crow's-feet, or wrinkles, about the eyes. [Poetic] Do I look as if I were crow-trodden Beau. & FL.

CROYDON Croy"don, n. [From Croydon, England.]

1.

Defn: A kind of carriage like a gig, orig. of wicker-work.

2. A kind of cotton sheeting; also, a calico.

CROYLSTONE Croyl"stone` (kroil"stn`), n. (Min.)

Defn: Crystallized cawk, in which the crystals are small.

CROYS Croys (krois), n.

Defn: See Cross, n. [Obs.] Chaucer.

CROZE Croze (krz), n. Etym: [Cf. Cross, and Crosier.]

Defn: A cooper's tool for making the grooves for the heads of casks, etc.; also, the groove itself.

CROZIER Cro"zier (kr"zhr), n.

Defn: See Crosier.

CROZIERED Cro"ziered (-zhrd), a.

Defn: Crosiered.

CRUCIAL Cru"cial (kr"shal), a. Etym: [F. crucial, fr. L. crux, crucis, cross, torture. See Cross.]

1. Having the form of a cross; appertaining to a cross; cruciform; intersecting; as, crucial ligaments; a crucial incision.

2. Severe; trying or searching, as if bringing to the cross; decisive; as, a crucial test.

CRUCIAN CARP Cru"cian carp` (-shan krp`). Etym: [Cf. Sw. karussa, G. karausche, F. carousse, -assin, corassin, LL. coracinus, Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A kind of European carp (Carasius vulgaris), inferior to the common carp; -- called also German carp.

Note: The gibel or Prussian carp is now generally considered a variety of the crucian carp, or perhaps a hybrid between it and the common carp.

CRUCIATE Cru"ci*ate (kr"sh-t or -sht; 106), a. Etym: [L. cruciatus, p. p. of cruciare to crucify, torture, fr. crux, crucis, a cross. See Cross.]

1. Tormented. [Obs.] Bale.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: Having the leaves or petals arranged in the form of a cross; cruciform.

CRUCIATE Cru"ci*ate (kr"sh-t), v. t.

Defn: To torture; to torment. [Obs.] See Excruciate. Bale.

CRUCIATION Cru`ci*a"tion (kr`sh-"shn), n. Etym: [LL. cruciatio.]

Defn: The act of torturing; torture; torment. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

CRUCIBLE Cru"ci*ble (kr"s-b'l), n. Etym: [LL. crucubulum a hanging lamp, an earthen pot for melting metals (cf. OF. croisel, creuseul, sort of lamp, crucible, F. creuset crucible), prob. of German origin; cf. OHG. kr, LG. kr, hanging lamp, kroos, kruus, mug, jug, jar, D. kroes cup, crucible, Dan. kruus, Sw. krus, E. cruse. It was confused with derivatives of L. crux cross (cf. Crosslet), and crucibles were said to have been marked with a cross, to prevent the devil from marring the chemical operation. See Cruse, and cf. Cresset.]

1. A vessel or melting pot, composed of some very refractory substance, as clay, graphite, platinum, and used for melting and calcining substances which require a strong degree of heat, as metals, ores, etc.

2. A hollow place at the bottom of a furnace, to receive the melted metal.

3. A test of the most decisive kind; a severe trial; as, the crucible of affliction. Hessian crucible (Chem.), a cheap, brittle, and fragile, but very refractory crucible, composed of the finest fire clay and sand, and commonly used for a single heating; -- named from the place of manufacture.

CRUCIBLE STEEL Cru"ci*ble steel.

Defn: Cast steel made by fusing in crucibles crude or scrap steel, wrought iron, and other ingredients and fluxes.

CRUCIFER Cru"ci*fer (-fr), n. Etym: [See Cruciferous.] (Bot.)

Defn: Any plant of the order Cruciferæ.

CRUCIFEROUS Cru*cif"er*ous (kr-sf"r-s), a. Etym: [L. crux, crucis, cross + - ferous: cf. F. crucif.]

1. Bearing a cross.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a family of plants which have four petals arranged like the arms of a cross, as the mustard, radish, turnip, etc.

CRUCIFIER Cru"ci*fi`er (kr"s-f`r), n.

Defn: One who crucifies; one who subjects himself or another to a painful trial.

CRUCIFIX Cru"ci*fix (kr"s-fks), n.; pl. Crucifixes (-. Etym: [F. crucifix or LL. crucifixum, fr. L. crux, crucis, cross + figere, fixum, to fix. See Cross, and Fix, and cf. Crucify.]

1. A representation in art of the figure of Christ upon the cross; esp., the sculptured figure affixed to a real cross of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, used by the Roman Catholics in their devotions. The cross, too, by degrees, become the crucifix. Milman. And kissing oft her crucifix, Unto the block she drew. Warner.

2. The cross or religion of Christ. [R.] Jer. Taylor.

CRUCIFIXION Cru`ci*fix"ion (kr`s-fk"shn), n.

1. The act of nailing or fastening a person to a cross, for the purpose of putting him to death; the use of the cross as a method of capital punishment.

2. The state of one who is nailed or fastened to a cross; death upon a cross.

3. Intense suffering or affliction; painful trial. Do ye prove What crucifixions are in love Herrick.

CRUCIFORM Cru"ci*form (kr"s-frm), a. Etym: [L. crux, crucis, cress + -form: cf. F. cruciforme.]

Defn: Cross-shaped; (Bot.) having four parts arranged in the form of a cross.

CRUCIFY Cru"ci*fy (-f), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crucified (-fd); p. pr. & vb.n. Crucifying.] Etym: [F. crucifier, fr. (assumed) LL. crucificare, for crucifigere, fr, L. crux, crucis, cross + figere to fix, the ending - figere being changed to -ficare, F. -fier (in compounds), as if fr. L. facere to do, make. See Cross, and Fix, and cf. Crucifix.]

1. To fasten to a cross; to put to death by nailing the hands and feet to a cross or gibbet. They cried, saying, Crucify him, cricify him. Luke xxiii. 21.

2. To destroy the power or ruling influence of; to subdue completely; to mortify. They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. Gal. v. 24.

3. To vex or torment. Beau. & FL.

CRUCIGEROUS Cru*cig"er*ous (kr-sj"r-s), a. Etym: [L. crux, cricis, cross + - gerous.]

Defn: Bearing the cross; marked with the figure of a cross. Sir. T. Browne.

CRUD Crud (krd), n.

Defn: See Curd. [Obs.]

CRUDDLE Crud"dle (-d'l), v. i.

Defn: To curdle. [Obs.] See how thy blood cruddles at this. Bea

CRUDE Crude (krd), a. [Compar. Cruder (-r); superl. Crudest.] Etym: [L. crudus raw; akin to cruor blood (which flows from a wound). See Raw, and cf. Cruel.]

1. In its natural state; not cooked or prepared by fire or heat; undressed; not altered, refined, or prepared for use by any artificial process; raw; as, crude flesh. "Common crude salt." Boyle. Molding to its will each successive deposit of the crude materials. I. Taylor.

2. Unripe; not mature or perfect; immature. I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude. Milton.

3. Not reduced to order or form;unfinished; not arranged or prepared; ill-considered; immature. "Crudeprojects." Macualay. Crude, undigested masses of suggestion, furnishing rather raw materials for composition. De Quincey. The originals of Nature in their crude Conception. Milton.

4. Undigested; unconcocted; not brought into a form to give nourishment. "Crude and inconcoct." Bacon.

5. Having, or displaying, superficial and undigested knowledge; without culture or profudity; as, a crude reasoner.

6. (Paint.)

Defn: Harsh and offensive, as a color; tawdry or in bad taste, as a combination of colors, or any design or work of art.

CRUDELY Crude"ly, adv.

Defn: In a crude, immature manner.

CRUDENESS Crude"ness, n.

Defn: A crude, undigested, or unprepared state; rawness; unripeness; immatureness; unfitness for a destined use or purpose; as, the crudeness of iron ore; crudeness of theories or plans.

CRUDITY Cru"di*ty (kr"d-t), n.; pl. Crudities (-t. Etym: [L. cruditas, fr. crudus: cf. F. crudit. See Crude.]

1. The condition of being crude; rawness.

2. That which is in a crude or undigested state; hence, superficial, undigested views, not reduced to order or form. "Cridities in the stomach." Arbuthnot.

CRUDLE Cru"dle (-d'l), v. i.

Defn: See Cruddle.

CRUDY Crud"y (krd"), a. Etym: [From Crud.]

Defn: Coagulated. [Obs.] His cruel wounds with crudy blood congealed. Spenser.

CRUDY Cru"dy (kr"d), a. Etym: [From Crude.]

Defn: Characterized by crudeness; raw. [Obs.] The foolish and dull and crudy vapors. Shak.

CRUEL Cru"el (kr"l), n.

Defn: See Crewel.

CRUEL Cru"el (kr*"l), a. Etym: [F. cruel, fr. L. crudelis, fr. crudus. See Crude.]

1. Disposed to give pain to others; willing or pleased to hurt, torment, or afflict; destitute of sympathetic kindness and pity; savage; inhuman; hard-hearted; merciless. Behold a people cometh from the north country; . . . they are cruel and have no mercy. Jer. vi. 22,23.

2. Causing, or fitted to cause, pain, grief, or misery. Cruel wars, wasting the earth. Milton. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath for it was cruel. Gen. xlix. 7.

3. Attended with cruetly; painful; harsh. You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength. Shak.

CRUELLY Cru"el*ly, adv.

1. In a cruel manner.

2. Extremly; very. [Colloq.] Spectator.

CRUELNESS Cru"el*ness, n.

Defn: Cruelty. [Obs.] Spenser.

CRUELS Cru"els (kr"lz), n. pl. Etym: [Corrupt. fr. F. scrofula.]

Defn: Glandular scrofulous swellings in the neck.

CRUELTY Cru"el*ty (-t), n.; pl. Cruelties (-t. Etym: [OF. cruelt, F. cruaut, fr. L. crudelitas, fr. crudelis. See Cruel.]

1. The attribute or quality of being cruel; a disposition to give unnecessary pain or suffering to others; inhumanity; barbarity. Pierced through the heart with your stern cruelty. Shak.

2. A cruel and barbarous deed; inhuman treatment; the act of willfully causing unnecessary pain. Cruelties worthy of the dungeons of the Inquisition. Macualay.

CRUENTATE Cru"en*tate (kr"n-tt), a. Etym: [L. cruentatus, p. p. of cruentare to make bloody, fr. cruentus bloody, fr. cruor. See Crude.]

Defn: Smeared with blood. [Obs.] Glanwill.

CRUENTOUS Cru*en"tous (kr-n"ts), a. Etym: [L. cruentus.]

Defn: Bloody; cruentate. [Obs.]

CRUET Cru"et, n. Etym: [Anglo-French cruet, a dim. from OF. crue, cruie; of German or Celtic origin, and akin to E. crock an earthen vessel.]

1. A bottle or vessel; esp., aviai or small glass bottle for holding vinegar, oil, pepper, or the like, for the table; a caster. Swift.

2. (Eccl.)

Defn: A vessel used to hold wine, oil, or water for the service of the altar. Cruet stand, a frame for holding cruets; a caster.

CRUISE Cruise (krs), n.

Defn: See Cruse, a small bottle.

CRUISE Cruise (krz), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cruised (krzd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cruising.] Etym: [D. kruisen to move crosswise or in a zigzag, to cruise, fr. kruis cross, fr. OF. crois, croiz, F. croix, or directly fr. OF. croisier, F. croiser, to cross, cruise, fr. crois a cross. See Cross.]

1. To sail back and forth on the ocean; to sail, as for the potection of commerce, in search of an enemy, for plunder, or for pleasure.

Note: A ship cruises in any particular sea or ocean; as, in the Baltic or in the Atlantic. She cruises off any cape; as, off the Lizard; off Ushant. She cruises on a coast; as, on the coast of Africa. A priate cruises to seize vessels; a yacht cruises for the pleasure of the owner. Ships of war were aent to cruise near the isle of Bute. Macualay. 'Mid sands, and rocks, and storms to cruise for pleasure. Young.

2. To wander hither and thither on land. [Colloq.]

CRUISE Cruise, n.

Defn: A voyage made in various directions, as of an armed vessel, for the protection of other vessels, or in search of an enemy; a sailing to and fro, as for exploration or for pleasure. He feigned a compliance with some of his men, who were bent upon going a cruise to Manilla. Dampier.

CRUISER Cruis"er (kr"zr), n.

Defn: One who, or a vessel that, cruises; -- usually an armed vessel.

CRUIVE Cruive (krv), n.

Defn: A kind of weir or dam for trapping salmon; also, a hovel. [Scot.]

CRULL Crull (krl), a. Etym: [SeeCurl.]

Defn: Curly; curled. [Obs.]

CRULLER Crul"ler (krl"lr), n. Etym: [Cf. Curl.]

Defn: A kind of sweet cake cut in strips and curled or twisted, and fried crisp in boiling fat. [Also written kruller.]

CRUMB Crumb (krm), n. Etym: [AS. cruma, akin to D. kruim, G. krume; cf. G. krauen to scratch, claw.] [Written also crum.]

1. A small fragment or piece; especially, a small piece of bread or other food, broken or cut off. Desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Luke xvi. 21.

2. Fig.: A little; a bit; as, a crumb of comfort.

3. The soft part of bread. Dust unto dust, what must be, must; If you can't get crumb, you'd best eat crust. Old Song. Crumb brush, a brush for sweeping crumbs from a table. -- To a crum, with great exactness; completely.

CRUMB Crumb, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crumbed (krmd); p. pr. & vb.n. Crumbing (krm"ng).]

Defn: To break into crumbs or small pieces with the fingers; as, to crumb bread. [Written also crum.]

CRUMBCLOTH Crumb"cloth` (-kl, n.

Defn: A cloth to be laid under a dining table to receive falling fragments, and keep the carpet or floor clean. [Written also crumcloth.]

CRUMBLE Crum"ble (krm"b'l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crumbled (-b'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crumbling (-blng).] Etym: [Dim. of crumb, v. t., akin to D. krimelen G. kr.]

Defn: To break into small pieces; to cause to fall in pieces. He with his bare wand can unthread thy joints, And crumble all thy sinews. Milton.

CRUMBLE Crum"ble, v. i.

Defn: To fall into small pieces; to break or part into small fragments; hence, to fall to decay or ruin; to become disintegrated; to perish. If the stone is brittle, it will crumble and pass into the form of gravel. Arbuthnot. The league deprived of its principal supports must soon crumble to pieces. Prescott.

CRUMBLY Crum"bly (-bl), a.

Defn: EAsily crumbled; friable; brittle. "The crumbly soil." Hawthorne.

CRUMENAL Cru"me*nal (kr"m-nal), n. Etym: [L. crumena purse.]

Defn: A purse. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

CRUMMABLE Crum"ma*ble (krm"mA-b'l), a.

Defn: Capable of being crumbed or broken into small pieces.

CRUMMY Crum"my (krm"m), a.

1. Full of crumb or crumbs.

2. Soft, as the crumb of bread is; not crusty.

CRUMP Crump (krmp), a. Etym: [AS. crumb stooping, bent down; akin to OHG. chrumb, G. krumm, Dan. krum, D. krom, and E. cramp.]

1. Crooked; bent. [Obs.] Crooked backs and crump shoulders. Jer. Taylor.

2. Hard or crusty; dry baked; as, a crump loaf. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Hallivell.

CRUMPET Crump"et (krmp"t), n. Etym: [Prob. from W. crempog, crammwgth, a pancake or fritter.]

Defn: A kind of large. thin muffin or cake, light and spongy, and cooked on a griddle or spider.

CRUMPLE Crum"ple (krm"p'l), v. t. [imp & p. p. Crumpled (-p'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Crumpling (-plng).] Etym: [Dim. fr. crump, a.]

Defn: To draw or press into wrinkles or folds to crush together; to rumple; as, to crumple paper. They crumpled it into all shapes, and diligently scanned every wrinkle that could be made. Addison.

CRUMPLE Crum"ple, v. i.

Defn: To contract irregularly; to show wrinkless after being crushed together; as, leaves crumple.

CRUMPY Crump"y (krmp"Y), a.

Defn: Brittle; crisp. Wright.

CRUNCH Crunch (krnch), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Crunched (krncht); p. pr. & vb. n. Crunching.] Etym: [Prob. of imitative origin; or cf. D. schransen to eat heartily, or E. scrunch.]

1. To chew with force and noise; to craunch. And their white tusks crunched o'er the whiter skull. Byron.

2. To grind or press with violence and noise. The ship crunched through the ice. Kane.

3. To emit a grinding or craunching noise. The crunching and ratting of the loose stones. H. James.

CRUNCH Crunch, v. t.

Defn: To crush with the teeth; to chew with a grinding noise; to craunch; as, to crunch a biscuit.

CRUNK; CRUNKLE Crunk (krnk), Crun"kle (krn"k'l), v. i. Etym: [Cf. Icel. kr to croak.]

Defn: To cry like a crane. [Obs.] "The crane crunketh." Withals (1608).

CRUNODAL Cru*no"dal (kr-n"dal), a. (Geom.)

Defn: Possessing, or characterized by, a crunode; -- used of curves.

CRUNODE Cru"node (kr"nd), n. Etym: [Prob. fr. L. crux a cross + E. node.] (Geom.)

Defn: A point where one branch of a curve crosses another branch. See Double point, under Double, a.

CRUOR Cru"or (kr"r), n. Etym: [L., blood. See Crude.]

Defn: The coloring matter of the blood; the clotted portion of coagulated blood, containing the coloring matter; gore.

CRUORIN Cru"o*rin (--rn), n. (Physiol.)

Defn: The coloring matter of the blood in the living animal; hæmoglobin.

CRUP Crup (krp), a. Etym: [Cf. OHG. grop, G. grob, coarse.]

Defn: Short; brittle; as, crup cake. Todd.

CRUP Crup (krp), n.

Defn: See Croup, the rump of a horse.

CRUPPER Crup"per (krp"pr in U.S.; krp"r in Eng.), n. Etym: [F. croupi, fr. croupe. See Croup the rump of a horse.] [Written also crouper.]

1. The buttocks or rump of a horse.

2. A leather loop, passing under a horse's tail, and buckled to the saddle to keep it from slipping forwards.

CRUPPER Crup"per, v. t.

Defn: To fit with a crupper; to place a crupper upon; as, to crupper a horse.

CRURA Cru"ra (kr"r), n. pl. (Anat.)

Defn: See Crus.

CRURAL Cru"ral (-ral), a. Etym: [L. cruralis, fr. crus, cruris, leg: cf. F. crural.] (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the thigh or leg, or to any of the parts called crura; as, the crural arteries; crural arch; crural canal; crural ring.

CRUS Crus (krs), n.; pl. Crura (kr. Etym: [L., the leg.] (Anat.) (a) That part of the hind limb between the femur, or thigh, and the ankle, or tarsus; the shank. (b) Often applied, especially in the plural, to parts which are supposed to resemble a pair of legs; as, the crura of the diaphragm, a pair of muscles attached to it; crura cerebri, two bundles of nerve fibers in the base of the brain, connecting the medulla and the forebrain.

CRUSADE Cru*sade" (kr-sd"), n. Etym: [F. croisade, fr. Pr. crozada, or Sp cruzada, or It. crociata, from a verb signifying to take the cross, mark one's self with a cross, fr. L. crux cross; or possibly taken into English directly fr. Pr. Cf. Croisade, Crosado, and see Cross.]

1. Any one of the military expeditions undertaken by Christian powers, in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Mohammedans.

2. Any enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm; as, a crusade against intemperance.

3. A Portuguese coin. See Crusado.

CRUSADE Cru*sade", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Crusaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Crusading.]

Defn: To engage in a crusade; to attack in a zealous or hot-headed manner. "Cease crusading against sense." M. Green.

CRUSADER Cru*sad"er (-s"dr), n.

Defn: One engaged in a crusade; as, the crusaders of the Middle Ages. Azure-eyed and golden-haired, Forth the young crusaders fared. Longfellow.

CRUSADING Cru*sad"ing, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to a crusade; as, a crusading spirit.

CRUSADO Cru*sa"do (-s"d), n. Etym: [Pg. cruzado, fr. cruz, fr. L. crux. See Crusade, 3.]

Defn: An old Portuguese coin, worth about seventy cents. [Written also cruade.] Shak.

CRUSE Cruse (krs), n. Etym: [Akin to LG. kruus, kroos, mug, jug, jar, D. kroes, G. krause, Icel. krus, Sw. krus, Dan. kruus. Cf. Crucible, Cresset.]

1. A cup or dish. Take with thee . . . a cruse of honey. 1 Kings xiv. 3.

2. A bottle for holding water, oil, honey, etc. So David took . . . the cruse of water. 1 Sam. xxvi. 12.

CRUSET Cru"set (kr"st), n. Etym: [Cf. F. creuset. See Cruse, Crucible.]

Defn: A goldsmith's crucible or melting pot.

CRUSH Crush (krsh), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crushed (krsht); p. pr. & vb. n. Crushing.] Etym: [OE. cruschen, crousshen, Of. cruisir, croissir, fr. LL. cruscire, prob. of Ger. origin, from a derivative of the word seen in Goth. kruistan to gnash; akin to Sw. krysta to squeeze, Dan. kryste, Icel. kreysta.]

1. To press or bruise between two hard bodies; to squeeze, so as to destroy the natural shape or integrity of the parts, or to force together into a mass; as, to crush grapes. Ye shall not offer unto the Lord that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut. Lev. xxii. 24. The ass . . . thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall. Num. xxii. 25.

2. To reduce to fine particles by pounding or grinding; to comminute; as, to crush quartz.

3. To overwhelm by pressure or weight; to beat or force down, as by an incumbent weight. To crush the pillars which the pile sustain. Dryden. Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again. Bryant.

4. To oppress or burden grievously. Thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway. Deut. xxviii. 33.

5. To overcome completely; to subdue totally. Speedily overtaking and crushing the rebels. Sir. W. Scott. To crush a cup, to drink. [Obs.] -- To crush out. (a) To force out or separate by pressure, as juice from grapes. (b) To overcome or destroy completely; to suppress.

CRUSH Crush (krsh), v. i.

Defn: To be or become broken down or in, or pressed into a smaller compass, by external weight or force; as, an eggshell crushes easily.

CRUSH Crush, n.

1. A violent collision or compression; a crash; destruction; ruin. The wreck of matter, and the crush of worlds. Addison.

2. Violent pressure, as of a crowd; a crowd which produced uncomfortable pressure; as, a crush at a peception. Crush hat, a hat which collapses, and can be carried under the arm, and when expanded is held in shape by springs; hence, any hat not injured by compressing. -- Crush room, a large room in a theater, opera house, etc., where the audience may promenade or converse during the intermissions; a foyer. Politics leave very little time for the bow window at White's in the day, or for the crush room of the opera at night. Macualay.

CRUSHER Crush"er (-r), n.

Defn: One who, or that which, crushes. Crusher gauge, an instrument for measuring the explosive force of gunpowder, etc., by its effect in compressing a piece of metal.

CRUSHING Crush"ing, a.

Defn: That crushes; overwhelming. "The blow must be quick and crushing." Macualay.

CRUST Crust (krst), n. Etym: [L. crusta: cf. OF. crouste, F. cro; prob. akin to Gr. crystal, from the same root as E. crude, raw. See Raw, and cf. Custard.]

1. The hard external coat or covering of anything; the hard exterior surface or outer shell; an incrustation; as, a crust of snow. I have known the statute of an emperor quite hid under a crust of dross. Addison. Below this icy crust of conformity, the waters of infidelity lay dark and deep as ever. Prescott.

2. (Cookery) (a) The hard exterior or surface of bread, in distinction from the soft part or crumb; or a piece of bread grown dry or hard. (b) The cover or case of a pie, in distinction from the soft contents. (c) The dough, or mass of doughy paste, cooked with a potpie; -- also called dumpling. Th' impenetrable crust thy teeth defies. Dryden. He that keeps nor crust nor crumb. Shak. They . . . made the crust for the venison pasty. Macualay.

3. (Geol.)

Defn: The exterior portion of the earth, formerly universally supposed to inclose a molten interior.

4. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The shell of crabs, lobsters, etc.

5. (Med.)

Defn: A hard mass, made up of dried secretions blood, or pus, occurring upon the surface of the body.

6. An incrustation on the interior of wine bottles, the result of the ripening of the wine; a deposit of tartar, etc. See Beeswing.

CRUST Crust, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Crusted; p. pr. & vb. n. Crusting.] Etym: [Cf. OF. crouster, L. crustare. See Crust, n. ]

Defn: To cover with a crust; to cover or line with an incrustation; to incrust. The whole body is crusted over with ice. Boyle. And now their legs, and breast, and bodies stood Crusted with bark. Addison. Very foul and crusted bottles. Swift. Their minds are crusted over, like diamonds in the rock. Felton.

CRUST Crust, v. i.

Defn: To gather or contract into a hard crust; to become incrusted. The place that was burnt . . . crusted and healed. Temple.

CRUSTA Crus"ta (krs"t), n. Etym: [L., shell, crust, inlaid work.]

1. A crust or shell.

2. A gem engraved, or a plate embossed in low relief, for inlaying a vase or other object.

CRUSTACEA Crus*ta"ce*a (krs-t"sh-), n. pl. Etym: [Neut. pl. of NL. crustaceus pert. to the crust or shell, from L. crusta the hard surfsce of a body, rind, shell.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the classes of the arthropods, including lobsters and crabs; -- so called from the crustlike shell with which they are covered.

Note: The body usually consists of an anterior part, made up of the head and thorax combined, called the cephalothorax, and of a posterior jointed part called the abdomen, postabdomen, and (improperly) tail. They breathe by means of gills variously attached to some of the limbs or to the sides the body, according to the group. They are divisible into two subclasses, Entomostraca and Malacostraca, each of which includes several orders.

CRUSTACEAN Crus*ta"cean (krs-t"shan; 97), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Crustacea; crustaceous. -- n.

Defn: An animal belonging to the class Crustacea.

CRUSTACEOLOGICAL Crus*ta`ce*o*log"ic*al (-sh--lj"-kal), a.

Defn: Pertaining to crustaceology.

CRUSTACEOLOGIST Crus*ta`ce*ol"o*gist (-ll"-jst), n.

Defn: One versed in crustaceology; a crustalogist.

CRUSTACEOLOGY Crus*ta`ce*ol"o*gy (-j), n. Etym: [Crustacea + -logy.]

Defn: That branch of Zoölogy which treats of the Crustacea; malacostracology; carcinology.

CRUSTACEOUS Crus*ta"ceous (krs-t"shs; 97), a. Etym: [NL. crustaceous. See crustacea.]

1. Pertaining to, or of the nature of, crust or shell; having a crustlike shell.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Belonging to the Crustacea; crustacean.

CRUSTACEOUSNESS Crus*ta"ceous*ness, n.

Defn: The state or quality of being crustaceous or having a crustlike shell.

CRUSTAL Crust"al (krst"al), a.

Defn: Relating to a crust.

CRUSTALOGICAL Crus`ta*log"ic*al (krs`t-lj"-kal), a.

Defn: Pertaining to crustalogy.

CRUSTALOGIST Crus*tal"o*gist (-t, n.

Defn: One versed in crustalogy.

CRUSTALOGY Crus*tal"o*gy (krs-tl"-j), n. Etym: [L. crusta shell + -logy.]

Defn: Crustaceology.

CRUSTATED Crus"ta*ted (krs"t-td), a. Etym: [L. crustatus, p. p. of crustare, fr. crusta. See Crust.]

Defn: Covered with a crust; as, crustated basalt.

CRUSTATION Crus*ta"tion (krs-t"shn), n.

Defn: An adherent crust; an incrustation. Pepys.

CRUSTED Crust"ed (krst"d), a.

Defn: Incrusted; covered with, or containing, crust; as, old, crusted port wine.

CRUSTIFIC Crus*tif`ic (krs-tf"k), a. Etym: [L. crusta crust + -facere to make.]

Defn: Producing or forming a crust or skin. [R.]

CRUSTILY Crust"i*ly (krst"-l*), adv.

Defn: In a crusty or surly manner; morosely.

CRUSTINESS Crust"i*ness (--ns), n.

1. The state or quality of having crust or being like crust; hardness.

2. The quality of being crusty or surly. Old Christy forgot his usual crustiness. W. Irving.

CRUSTY Crust"y (-), a.

1. Having the nature of crust; pertaining to a hard covering; as, a crusty coat; a crusty surface or substance.

2. Etym: [Possibly a corruption of cursty. Cf. Curst, Curstness.]

Defn: Having a hard exterior, or a short, rough manner, though kind at heart; snappish; peevish; surly. Thou crusty batch of nature, what's the news Shak.

CRUT Crut (krt), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cro crust.]

Defn: The rough, shaggy part of oak bark.

CRUTCH Crutch (krch; 224), n.; pl. Crutches (-. Etym: [OE. cruche, AS. crycc, cricc; akin to D. kruk, G. kr, Dan. krykke, Sw. krycka, and to E. crook. See Crook, and cf. Cricket a low stool.]

1. A staff with a crosspiece at the head, to be placed under the arm or shoulder, to support the lame or infirm in walking. I'll lean upon one crutch, and fight with the other. Shak. Rhyme is a crutch that lifts the weak alone. H. Smith.

2. A form of pommel for a woman's saddle, consisting of a forked rest to hold the leg of the rider.

3. (Naut.) (a) A knee, or piece of knee timber. (b) A forked stanchion or post; a crotch. See Crotch.

CRUTCH Crutch, v. t.

Defn: To support on crutches; to prop up. [R.] Two fools that crutch their feeble sense on verse. Dryden.

CRUTCHED Crutched (krcht), a.

1. Supported upon crutches.

2. Etym: [See Crouch, v. t., and Crouched, a. ]

Defn: Marked with the sign of the cross; crouched. Crutched friar (Eccl.), one of a religious order, so called because its members bore the sign of the cross on their staves and habits; -- called also crossed friar and crouched friar.

CRUTH Cruth (krth), n. Etym: [W. crwth.] (Mus.)

Defn: See 4th Crowd.

CRUX Crux (krks), n.; pl. E. Cruxes (-, L. Cruces (kr. Etym: [L., cross, torture, trouble.]

Defn: Anything that is very puzzling or difficult to explain. Dr. Sheridan. The perpetual crux of New Testament chronologists. Strauss.

CRUX ANSATA Crux an*sa"ta. [L., cross with a handle.]

Defn: A cross in the shape of the ankh.

CRUZADO Cru*za"do (kr-z"d), n.

Defn: A coin. See Crusado.

CRWTH Crwth (krth), n. Etym: [W.] (Mus)

Defn: See 4th Crowd.

CRY Cry (kr), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cried (krd); p. pr. & vb. n. Crying.] Etym: [F. crier, cf. L. quiritare to raise a plaintive cry, scream, shriek, perh. fr. queri to complain; cf. Skr. cvas to pant, hiss, sigh. Cf. Quarrel a brawl, Querulous.]

1. To make a loud call or cry; to call or exclaim vehemently or earnestly; to shout; to vociferate; to proclaim; to pray; to implore. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice. Matt. xxvii. 46. Clapping their hands, and crying with loud voice. Shak. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee. Ps. xxviii. 2. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Is. xl. 3. Some cried after him to return. Bunyan.

2. To utter lamentations; to lament audibly; to express pain, grief, or distress, by weeping and sobbing; to shed tears; to bawl, as a child. Ye shall cry for sorrow of heart. Is. lxv. 14. I could find it in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel and to cry like a woman. Shak.

3. To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals. The young ravens which cry. Ps. cxlvii. 9. In a cowslip's bell I lie There I couch when owls do cry. Shak. To cry on or upon, to call upon the name of; to beseech."No longer on Saint Denis will we cry." Shak. -- To cry out. (a) To exclaim; to vociferate; to scream; to clamor. (b) To complain loudly; to lament. -- To cry out against, to complain loudly of; to censure; to blame. -- To cry out on or upon, to denounce; to censure. "Cries out upon abuses." Shak. -- To cry to, to call on in prayer; to implore. -- To cry you mercy, to beg your pardon. "I cry you mercy, madam; was it you" Shak.

CRY Cry, v. t.

1. To utter loudly; to call out; to shout; to sound abroad; to declare publicly. All, all, cry shame against ye, yet I 'll speak. Shak. The man . . . ran on,crying, Life! life! Eternal life! Bunyan.

2. To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping; as, to cry one's self to sleep.

3. To make oral and public proclamation of; to declare publicly; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, ets.; as, to cry goods, etc. Love is lost, and thus she cries him. Crashaw.

4. Hence, to publish the banns of, as for marriage. I should not be surprised if they were cried in church next Sabbath. Judd. To cry aim. See under Aim. -- To cry down, to decry; to depreciate; to dispraise; to condemn. Men of dissolute lives cry down religion, because they would not be under the restraints of it. Tillotson. -- To cry out, to proclaim; to shout."Your gesture cries it out." Shak. -- To cry quits, to propose, or declare, the abandonment of a contest. -- To cry up, to enhance the value or reputation of by public and noisy praise; to extol; to laud publicly or urgently.

CRY Cry (kr), n.; pl. Cries (kr. Etym: [F. cri, fr. crier to cry. See Cry, v. i. ]

1. A loud utterance; especially, the inarticulate sound produced by one of the lower animals; as, the cry of hounds; the cry of wolves. Milton.

2. Outcry; clamor; tumult; popular demand. Again that cry was found to have been as unreasonable as ever. Macaulay.

3. Any expression of grief, distress, etc., accompanied with tears or sobs; a loud sound, uttered in lamentation. There shall be a great cry throughout all the land. Ex. xi. 6. An infant crying in the night, An infant crying for the light; And with no language but a cry. Tennyson.

4. Loud expression of triumph or wonder or of popular acclamation or favor. Swift. The cry went once on thee. Shak.

5. Importunate supplication. O, the most piteous cry of the poor souls. Shak.

6. Public advertisement by outcry; proclamation, as by hawkers of their wares. The street cries of London. Mayhew.

7. Common report; fame. The cry goes that you shall marry her. Shak.

8. A word or phrase caught up by a party or faction and repeated for effect; as, the party cry of the Tories. All now depends upon a good cry. Beaconsfield.

9. A pack of hounds. Milton. A cry more tunable Was never hollaed to, nor cheered with horn. Shak.

10. A pack or company of persons; -- in contempt. Would not this . . . get me a fellowship in a cry of players Shak.

11. The cracklling noise made by block tin when it is bent back and forth. A far cry, a long distance; -- in allusion to the sending of criers or messengers through the territory of a Scottish clan with an announcement or summons.

CRYAL Cry"al (kr"al), n. Etym: [Cf. W. creyr, cryr, crychydd. Cf. Cruer a hawk.]

Defn: The heron [Obs.] Ainsworth.

CRYER Cry"er (-r), n. Etym: [F. faucon gruyer a falcon trained to fly at the crane, fr. crye crane, fr. L. crus crane. Cf. Cryal.]

Defn: The female of the hawk; a falcon-gentil.

CRYING Cry"ing, a.

Defn: Calling for notice; compelling attention; notorious; heinous; as, a crying evil. Too much fondness for meditative retirement is not the crying sin of our modern Christianity. I. Taylor.

CRYOHYDRATE Cry`o*hy"drate (kr`-h"drt), n. Etym: [Gr. hydrate.] (Chem.)

Defn: A substance, as salt, ammonium chloride, etc., which crystallizes with water of crystallization only at low temperatures, or below the freezing point of water. F. Guthrie.

CRYOLITE Cry"o*lite (kr"-lt), n. Etym: [Gr. -lite: cf. F. cryolithe.] (Min.)

Defn: A fluoride of sodium and aluminum, found in Greenland, in white cleavable masses; -- used as a source of soda and alumina.

CRYOMETER Cry*om"e*ter, n. [Gr. cold, frost + -meter.] (Physics)

Defn: A thermometer for the measurement of low temperatures, esp. such an instrument containing alcohol or some other liquid of a lower freezing point than mercury.

CRYOPHORUS Cry*oph"o*rus (kr-f"-rs), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Chem.)

Defn: An instrument used to illustrate the freezing of water by its own evaporation. The ordinary form consist of two glass bulbs, connected by a tube of the same material, and containing only a quantity of water and its vapor, devoid of air. The water is in one of the bulbs, and freezes when the other is cooled below 32º Fahr.

CRYPT Crypt (krpt), n. Etym: [L. crypta vault, crypt, Gr. Crot, Crotto.]

1. A vault wholly or partly under ground; especially, a vault under a church, whether used for burial purposes or for a subterranean chapel or oratory. Priesthood works out its task age after age, . . . treasuring in convents and crypts the few fossils of antique learning. Motley. My knees are bowed in crypt and shrine. Tennyson.

2. (Anat.)

Defn: A simple gland, glandular cavity, or tube; a follicle; as, the cryps of Lieberk.

CRYPTAL Crypt"al (-al), a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to crypts.

CRYPTIC; CRYPTICAL Cryp"tic (krp"tk), Cryp"tic*al (-t-kal), a. Etym: [L. crypticus, Gr.

Defn: Hidden; secret; occult. "Her [nature's] more cryptic ways of working." Glanvill.

CRYPTICALLY Cryp"tic*al*ly, adv.

Defn: Secretly; occultly.

CRYPTIDINE Cryp"ti*dine (krp"t-dn; 104), n. Etym: [Gr. krypto`s hidden.] (Chem.)

Defn: One of the quinoline bases, obtained from coal tar as an oily liquid, C11H11N; also, any one of several substances metameric with, and resembling, cryptidine proper.

CRYPTOBRANCHIATA Cryp`to*bran`chi*a"ta (krp`t-bra`k-"t), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. krypto`s hidden + L. branchia a gill.] (Zoöl.) (a) A division of the Amphibia; the Derotremata. (b) A group of nudibranch mollusks.

CRYPTOBRANCHIATE Cryp`to*bran"chi*ate (-br"k-t), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having concealed or rudimentary gills.

CRYPTOCRYSTALLINE Cryp`to*crys"tal*line (-krs"tal-ln), a. Etym: [Gr. krypto`s hidden + E. crystalline.] (Geol.)

Defn: Indistinctly crystalline; -- applied to rocks and minerals, whose state of aggregation is so fine that no distinct particles are visible, even under the microscope.

CRYPTOGAM Cryp"to*gam (krp"t-gm), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cryptogame. See Cryptogamia.] (Bot.)

Defn: A plant belonging to the Cryptogamia. Henslow.

CRYPTOGAMIA Cryp`to*ga"mi*a (krp`t-g"m-), n.; pl. Cryptogamiæ (-. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. krypto`s hidden, secret + ga`mos marriage.] (Bot.)

Defn: The series or division of flowerless plants, or those never having true stamens and pistils, but propagated by spores of various kinds.

Note: The subdivisions have been variously arranged. The following arrangement recognizes four classes: --I. Pteridophyta, or Vascular Acrogens. These include Ferns, Equiseta or Scouring rushes, Lycopodiaceæ or Club mosses, Selaginelleæ, and several other smaller orders. Here belonged also the extinct coal plants called Lepidodendron, Sigillaria, and Calamites. II. Bryophita, or Cellular Acrogens. These include Musci, or Mosses, Hepaticæ, or Scale mosses and Liverworts, and possibly Characeæ, the Stoneworts. III. Algæ, which are divided into Florideæ, the Red Seaweeds, and the orders Dictyoteæ, Oösporeæ, Zoösporeæ, Conjugatæ, Diatomaceæ, and Cryptophyceæ. IV. Fungi. The molds, mildews, mushrooms, puffballs, etc., which are variously grouped into several subclasses and many orders. The Lichenes or Lichens are now considered to be of a mixed nature, each plant partly a Fungus and partly an Alga.

CRYPTOGAMIAN; CRYPTOGAMIC; CRYPTOGAMOUS Cryp`to*ga"mi*an (krp`t-g"m-an), Cryp`to*gam"ic (krp`t-gm"k), Cryp*to"gam*ous a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the series Cryptogamia, or to plants of that series.

CRYPTOGAMIST Cryp*tog"a*mist (-mst), n.

Defn: One skilled in cryptogamic botany.

CRYPTOGRAM Cryp"to*gram (krp"t-grm), n.

Defn: A cipher writing. Same as Cryptograph.

CRYPTOGRAPH Cryp"to*graph (-grf), n. Etym: [Gr. krypto`s hidden + -graph: cf. F. cryptographe.]

Defn: Cipher; something written in cipher. "Decipherers of cryptograph." J. Earle.

CRYPTOGRAPHAL Cryp*tog"ra*phal (krp-tg"r-fal), a.

Defn: Pertaining to cryptography; cryptographical. Boyle.

CRYPTOGRAPHER Cryp*tog"ra*pher (krp-tg"r-fr), n.

Defn: One who writes in cipher, or secret characters.

CRYPTOGRAPHIC; CRYPTOGRAPHICAL Cryp`to*graph"ic (krp`t-grf"k), Cryp`to*graph"ic*al (krp`t-grf"-kal), a.

Defn: Relating to cryptography; written in secret characters or in cipher, or with sympathetic ink.

CRYPTOGRAPHIST Cryp*tog"ra*phist (krp-tg"r-fst), n.

Defn: Same as Cryptographer.

CRYPTOGRAPHY Cryp*tog"ra*phy (-f), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cryptographie.]

Defn: The act or art of writing in secret characters; also, secret characters, or cipher.

CRYPTOLOGY Cryp*tol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. krypto`s hidden + -logy.]

Defn: Secret or enigmatical language. Johnson.

CRYPTONYM Cryp"to*nym (krp"t-nm), n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: A secret name; a name by which a person is known only to the initiated.

CRYPTOPINE Cryp"to*pine (krp"t-pn; 104), n. Etym: [Gr. krypto`s hidden + E. opium.] (Chem.)

Defn: A colorless crystalline alkaloid obtained in small quantities from opium.

CRYPTURI Cryp*tu"ri (krp-t"r), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of flying, dromTinamou.

CRYSTAL Crys"tal (krs"tal), n. Etym: [OE. cristal, F. cristal, L. crystallum crystal, ice, fr. Gr. crystalla, fr. L. crystallum; prob. akin to E. crust. See Crust, Raw.]

1. (Chem. & Min.)

Defn: The regular form which a substance tends to assume in solidifying, through the inherent power of cohesive attraction. It is bounded by plane surfaces, symmetrically arranged, and each species of crystal has fixed axial ratios. See Crystallization.

2. The material of quartz, in crystallization transparent or nearly so, and either colorless or slightly tinged with gray, or the like; - - called also rock crystal. Ornamental vessels are made of it. Cf. Smoky quartz, Pebble; also Brazilian pebble, under Brazilian.

3. A species of glass, more perfect in its composition and manufacture than common glass, and often cut into ornamental forms. See Flint glass.

4. The glass over the dial of a watch case.

5. Anything resembling crystal, as clear water, etc. The blue crystal of the seas. Byron. Blood crystal. See under Blood. -- Compound crystal. See under Compound. -- Iceland crystal, a transparent variety of calcite, or crystallized calcium carbonate, brought from Iceland, and used in certain optical instruments, as the polariscope. -- Rock crystal, or Mountain crystal, any transparent crystal of quartz, particularly of limpid or colorless quartz.

CRYSTAL Crys"tal, a.

Defn: Consisting of, or like, crystal; clear; transparent; lucid; pellucid; crystalline. Through crystal walls each little mote will peep. Shak. By crystal streams that murmur through the meads. Dryden. The crystal pellets at the touch congeal, And from the ground rebounds the ratting hail. H. Brooks.

CRYSTALLIN Crys"tal*lin (-ln), n. (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: See Gobulin.

CRYSTALLINE Crys"tal*line (krs"tal-ln or -ln; 277), a. Etym: [L. crystallinus, from Gr. cristallin. See Crystal.]

1. Consisting, or made, of crystal. Mount, eagle, to my palace crystalline. Shak.

2. Formed by crystallization; like crystal in texture. Their crystalline structure. Whewell.

3. Imperfectly crystallized; as, granite is only crystalline, while quartz crystal is perfectlly crystallized.

4. Fig.: Resembling crystal; pure; transparent; pellucid. "The crystalline sky." Milton. Crystalline heavens, or Crystalline spheres, in the Ptolemaic system of astronomy, two transparent spheres imagined to exist between the region of the fixed stars and the primum mobile (or outer circle of the heavens, which by its motion was supposed to carry round all those within it), in order to explain certain movements of the heavently bodies. -- Crystalline lens (Anat.), the capsular lenslike body in the eye, serving to focus the rays of light. It consists of rodlike cells derived from the external embryonic epithelium.

CRYSTALLINE Crys"tal*line, n.

1. A crystalline substance.

2. See Aniline. [Obs.]

CRYSTALLITE Crys"tal*lite (krs"tal-lt), n. Etym: [See Crystal.] (Min.)

Defn: A minute mineral form like those common in glassy volcanic rocks and some slags, not having a definite crystalline outline and not referable to any mineral species, but marking the first step in the crystallization process. According to their form crystallites are called trichites, belonites, globulites, etc.

CRYSTALLIZABLE Crys"tal*li`za*ble (krs"tal-l`z-b'l), a.

Defn: Capable of being crystallized; that may be formed into crystals.

CRYSTALLIZATION Crys`tal*li*za"tion (krs`tal-l-z"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cristallization.]

1. (Chem. & Min.)

Defn: The act or process by which a substance in solidifying assumes the form and sructure of a crystal, or becomes crystallized.

2. The body formed by crystallizing; as, silver on precipitation forms arborescent crystallizations.

Note: The systems of crystallization are the several classes to which the forms are mathematically referable. They are most simply described according to the relative lengths and inclinations of certain assumed lines called axes; but the real distinction is the degree of symmetry characterizing them. 1. The Isometric, or Monometric, system has the axes all equal, as in the cube, octahedron, etc. 2. The Tetragonal, or Dimetric, system has a varying vertical axis, while the lateral are equal, as in the right square prism. 3. The Orthorhombic, or Trimetric, system has the three axes unequal, as in the rectangular and rhombic prism. In this system, the lateral axes are called, respectively, macrodiagonal and brachydiagonal. -- The preceding are erect forms, the axes intersecting at right angles. The following are oblique. 4. The Monoclinic system, having one of the intersections oblique, as in the oblique rhombic prism. In this system, the lateral axes are called respectively, clinodiagonal and orthodiagonal. 5. The Triclinic system, having all the three intersections oblique, as in the oblique rhomboidal prism. There is also: 6. The Hexagonal system (one division of which is called Rhombohedral), in which there are three equal lateral axes, and a vertical axis of variable length, as in the hexagonal prism and the rhombohedron.

Note: The Diclinic system, sometimes recognized, with two oblique intersections, is only a variety of the Triclinic.

CRYSTALLIZE Crys"tal*lize (krs"tal-lz), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Crystallized (-lzd); p. pr. & vb. n. Crystallizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. cristalliser. See Crystal.]

Defn: To cause to form crystals, or to assume the crystalline form.

CRYSTALLIZE Crys"tal*lize, v. i.

Defn: To be converted into a crystal; to take on a crystalline form, through the action of crystallogenic or cohesive attraction.

CRYSTALLOGENIC; CRYSTALLOGENICAL Crys`tal*lo*gen"ic (-l-jn"k), Crys`tal*lo*gen"ic*al (--kal), a.

Defn: Pertaining to the production of crystals; crystal-producing; as, crystallogenic attraction.

CRYSTALLOGENY Crys`tal*log"e*ny (krs`tal-lj"-n), n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: The science which pertains to the production of crystals.

CRYSTALLOGRAPHER Crys`tal*log"ra*pher (krs`tal-lg"r-fr), n.

Defn: One who describes crystals, or the manner of their formation; one versed in crystallography.

CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC; CRYSTALLOGRAPHICAL Crys`tal*lo*graph"ic (-l-grf"k), Crys`tal*lo*graph"ic*al (--kal), a. Etym: [Cf. F. crystallographique.]

Defn: Pertaining to crystallography.

CRYSTALLOGRAPHICALLY Crys`tal*lo*graph"ic*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In the manner of crystallography.

CRYSTALLOGRAPHY Crys`tal*log"ra*phy (krs`tal-lg"r-f), n. Etym: [Gr. -graphy: cf. F. cristallographie. See Crystal.]

1. The doctrine or science of crystallization, teaching the system of forms among crystals, their structure, and their methods of formation.

2. A discourse or treatise on crystallization.

CRYSTALLOID Crys"tal*loid (krs"tal-loid), a. Etym: [Gr. -oid.]

Defn: Crystal-like; transparent like crystal.

CRYSTALLOID Crys"tal*loid, n.

1. (Chem.)

Defn: A body which, in solution, diffuses readily through animal membranes, and generally is capable of being crystallized; -- opposed to colloid.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: One of the microscopic particles resembling crystals, consisting of protein matter, which occur in certain plant cells; -- called also protein crystal.

CRYSTALLOLOGY; CRISTALLOLOGY Crys`tal*lol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy.]

Defn: The science of the crystalline structure of inorganic bodies.

CRYSTALLOMANCY Crys"tal*lo*man`cy (-l-mn`s), n. Etym: [Gr. -mancy.]

Defn: Divination by means of a crystal or other transparent body, especially a beryl.

CRYSTALLOMETRY Crys`tal*lom"e*try (-lm"-tr), n. Etym: [Gr. -metry.]

Defn: The art of measuring crystals.

CRYSTALLURGY Crys"tal*lur`gy (-lr`j), n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: Crystallizaton.

CTENOCYST Cte"no*cyst (t"n-sst), n. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An organ of the Ctenophora, supposed to be sensory.

CTENOID Cte"noid (t"noid or tn"oid), a. (Zoöl.) (a) Having a comblike margin, as a ctenoid scale. (b) Pertaining to the Ctenoidei. -- n.

Defn: A ctenoidean.

CTENOIDEAN Cte*noid"e*an (t-noid"-an), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Relating to the Ctenoidei. -- n.

Defn: One of the Ctenoidei.

CTENOIDEI Cte*noid"e*i (--), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. -oid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A group of fishes, established by Agassiz, characterized by having scales with a pectinated margin, as in the perch. The group is now generally regarded as artificial.

CTENOPHORA Cte*noph"o*ra (t-nf"-r), n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A class of Coelenterata, commonly ellipsoidal in shape, swimming by means of eight longitudinal rows of paddles. The separate paddles somewhat resemble combs.

CTENOPHORE Cten"o*phore (tn"-fr), n.

Defn: (Zoöl.) One of the Ctenophora.

CTENOPHORIC; CTENOPHOROUS Cten`o*phor"ic (tn`-fr"k), Cte*noph"o*rous (t-nf"-rs), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Ctenophora.

CTENOSTOMATA Cten`o*stom"a*ta (tn`-stm"-t), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A suborder of Bryozoa, usually having a circle of bristles below the tentacles.

CUB Cub (kb), n. Etym: [Cf. Ir. cuib cub, whelp, young dog, Ir. & Gael. cu dog; akin to E. hound.]

1. A young animal, esp. the young of the bear.

2. Jocosely or in contempt, a boy or girl, esp. an awkward, rude, illmannered boy. O, thuo dissembling cub! what wilt thou be When time hath sowed a drizzle on thy case Shak.

CUB Cub, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Cubbed (kp. pr. & vb. n. Cubbing.]

Defn: To bring forth; -- said of animals, or in contempt, of persons. "Cubb'd in a cabin." Dryden.

CUB Cub, n. Etym: [Cf. Cub a young animal.]

1. A stall for cattle. [Obs.] I would rather have such . . . .in cubor kennel than in my closet or at my table. Landor.

2. A cupboard. [Obs.] Laud.

CUB Cub, v. t.

Defn: To shut up or confine. [Obs.] Burton.

CUBAN Cu"ban (k"ban), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Cuba or its inhabitants. -- n.

Defn: A native or an inhabitant of Cuba.

CUBATION Cu*ba"tion (k-b"shn), n. Etym: [L. cubatio, fr. cubare to lie down.]

Defn: The act of lying down; a reclining. [Obs.]

CUBATORY Cu"ba*to*ry (k"b-t-r), a. Etym: [L. cubator he who lies down, fr. cubare.]

Defn: Lying down; recumbent. [R.]

CUBATURE Cu"ba*ture (k"b-tr; 135), n. Etym: [L. cubus cube: cf. F. cubature. See Cube.]

Defn: The process of determining the solid or cubic contents of a body.

CUBBRIDGE-HEAD Cub"bridge-head` (kb"rjj-hd), n. (Naut.)

Defn: A bulkhead on the forecastle and half deck of a ship.

CUBBY; CUBBYHOLE Cub"by (kb"b), Cub"by*hole` (-hl`), n. Etym: [See Cub a stall.]

Defn: A snug or confined place.

CUBDRAWN Cub"*drawn` (kb"drn`), a.

Defn: Sucked by cubs. [R.] This night, wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch. Shak.

CUBE Cube (kb), n. Etym: [F. cube, L. cubus, fr. Gr.

1. (Geom.)

Defn: A regular solid body, with six equal square sides.

2. (Math.)

Defn: The product obtained by taking a number or quantity three times as a factor; as, 4x4=16, and 16x4=64, the cube of 4. Cube ore (Min.), pharmacosiderite. It commonly crystallizes in cubes of a green color. -- Cube root. (Math.), the number or quantity which, multiplied into itself, and then into the product, produces the given cube; thus, 3 is the cube root of 27, for 3x3x3 = 27. -- Cube spar (Min.), anhydrite; anhydrous calcium sulphate.

CUBE Cube, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cubed (kbd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cubing.]

Defn: To raise to the third power; to obtain the cube of.

CUBEB Cu"beb (k"bb), n. Etym: [F. cub (cf. It. cubebe, Pr., Sp., Pg., & NL. cubeba), fr. Ar. kab.]

Defn: The small, spicy berry of a species of pepper (Piper Cubeba; in med., Cubeba officinalis), native in Java and Borneo, but now cultivated in various tropical countries. The dried unripe fruit is much used in medicine as a stimulant and purgative.

CUBEBIC Cu*beb"ic (k-bb"k), a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or derived from, cubebs; as, cubebic acid (a soft olive-green resin extracted from cubebs).

CUBHOOD Cub"hood (kb"hd), n.

Defn: The state of being a cub. [Jocose] "From cubhood to old age." W. B. Dawkins.

CUBIC; CUBICAL Cu"bic (k"bk), Cu"bic*al (-b-kal), a. Etym: [L. cubicus, Gr. cubique. See Cube.]

1. Having the form or properties of a cube; contained, or capable of being contained, in a cube.

2. (Crystallog.)

Defn: Isometric or monometric; as, cubic cleavage. See Crystallization. Cubic equation, an equation in which the highest power of the unknown quantity is a cube. -- Cubic foot, a volume equivalent to a cubical solid which measures a foot in each of its dimensions. -- Cubic number, a number produced by multiplying a number into itself, and that product again by the same number. See Cube. -- Cubical parabola (Geom.), two curves of the third degree, one plane, and one on space of three dimensions.

CUBIC Cu"bic, n. (Geom.)

Defn: A curve of the third degree. Circular cubic. See under Circular.

CUBICALLY Cu"bic*al*ly, adv.

Defn: In a cubical method.

CUBICALNESS Cu"bic*al*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being cubical.

CUBICLE Cu"bi*cle (k"b-k'l), n. Etym: [L. cubiculum.]

Defn: A loding room; esp., a sleeping place partitioned off from a large dormitory.

CUBICULAR Cu*bic"u*lar (k-k"-lr), a. Etym: [L. cubicularis, fr. cubiculum a sleeping room, fr. cubare to lie down.]

Defn: Belonging to a chamber or bedroom. [Obs.] Howell.

CUBIFORM Cu"bi*form (k"b-frm), a.

Defn: Of the form of a cube.

CUBILE Cu*bi"le (k-b"l), n. Etym: [L., bed.]

Defn: The lowest course of stones in a building.

CUBILOSE Cu"bi*lose` (k"b-ls`), n. Etym: [L. cubile bed, nest.]

Defn: A mucilagenous secretion of certain birds found as the characteristic ingredient of edible bird's-nests.

CUBISM Cu"bism (ku"biz'm), n. (Painting)

Defn: A movement or phase in post-impressionism (which see, below). - - Cu"bist (#), n.

CUBIT Cu"bit (k"bt), n. Etym: [L. cubitum, cubitus; elbow, ell, cubit, fr. (because the elbow serves focubare to lie down, recline; cf. Gr. Incumbent, Covey.]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: The forearm; the ulna, a bone of the arm extending from elbow to wrist. [Obs.]

2. A measure of length, being the distance from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger.

Note: The cubit varies in length in different countries, the Roman cubit being 17,47 inches, the Greek 18,20, the Hebrew somewhat longer, and the English 18 inches.

CUBITAL Cu"bit*al (k"bt-al), a. Etym: [L. cubitalis.]

1. Of or pertaining to the cubit or ulna; as, the cubital nerve; the cubital artery; the cubital muscle.

2. Of the length of a cubit. Sir. T. Browne.

CUBITAL Cu"bit*al, n.

Defn: A sleeve covering the arm from the elbow to the hand. Crabb.

CUBITED Cu"bit*ed, a.

Defn: Having the measure of a cubit.

CUBLESS Cub"less (kb"ls), a.

Defn: Having no cubs. Byron.

CUBOID Cu"boid (k"boid), a. Etym: [Cube + -oid: cf. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: Cube-shaped, or nearly so; as, the cuboid bone of the foot. -- n. (Anat.)

Defn: The bone of the tarsus, which, in man and most mammals, supports the metatarsals of the fourth and fifth toes.

CUBOIDAL Cu*boid"al (k-boid"al), a. (Anat.)

Defn: Cuboid.

CUBO-OCTAHEDRAL Cu`bo-oc`ta*he"dral (k`b-k`t-hdral), a.

Defn: Presenting a combination of a cube and an octahedron.

CUBO-OCTAHEDRON Cu`bo-oc`ta*he"dron (-drn), n. (Crystallog.)

Defn: A combination of a cube and octahedron, esp. one in which the octahedral faces meet at the middle of the cubic edges.

CUCA Cu"ca (k"k), n. Etym: [Sp., fr. native name.]

Defn: See Coca.

CUCKING STOOL Cuck"ing stool` (k. Etym: [Cf. AS. scealfingstol, a word of similar meaning, allied to scealfor a diver, mergus avis; or possibly from F. coquine a hussy, slut, jade, f. of coquin, OE. cokin, a rascal; or cf. Icel. k to dung, k dung, the name being given as to a disgracing or infamous punishment.]

Defn: A kind of chair formerly used for punishing scolds, and also dishonest tradesmen, by fastening them in it, usually in front of their doors, to be pelted and hooted at by the mob, but sometimes to be taken to the water and ducked; -- called also a castigatory, a tumbrel, and a trebuchet; and often, but not so correctly, a ducking stool. Sir. W. Scott.

CUCKOLD Cuck"old (kk"ld), n. Etym: [OE. kukeweld, cokewold, cokold, fr. OF. coucoul, cucuault, the last syllable being modified by the OE. suffix -wold (see Herald); cf. F. cocu a cuckold, formerly also, a cuckoo, and L. cuculus a cuckoo. The word alludes to the habit of the female cuckoo, who lays her eggs in the nests of other birds, to be hatched by them.]

1. A man whose wife is unfaithful; the husband of an adulteress. Shak.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) A West Indian plectognath fish (Ostracion triqueter). (b) The cowfish.

CUCKOLD Cuck"old, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cuckolded;p. pr. & vb. n. Cuckolding.]

Defn: To make a cuckold of, as a husband, by seducing his wife, or by her becoming an adulteress. Shak.

CUCKOLDIZE Cuck"old*ize (-z), v. t.

Defn: To cuckold. Dryden.

CUCKOLDLY Cuck"old*ly, a.

Defn: Having the qualities of a cuckold; mean-spirited; sneaking. Shak.

CUCKOLDOM Cuck"ol*dom (-l-dm), n.

Defn: The state of a cuckold; cuckolds, collectively. Addison.

CUCKOLDRY Cuck"old*ry (-ld-r), n.

Defn: The state of being a cuckold; the practice of making cuckolds.

CUCKOLD'S KNOT Cuck"old's knot` (kk"ldz nt`). (Naut.)

Defn: A hitch or knot, by which a rope is secured to a spar, the two parts of the rope being crossed and seized together; -- called also cuckold's neck. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

CUCKOO Cuck"oo (kk"), n. Etym: [OE. coccou, cukkow, F. coucou, prob. of imitative origin; cf. L. cuculus, Gr. k, G. kuckuk, D. koekoek.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A bird belonging to Cuculus, Coccyzus, and several allied genera, of many species.

Note: The European cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) builds no nest of its own, but lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, to be hatched by them. The American yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus Americanus) and the black-billed cuckoo (C. erythrophthalmus) build their own nests. Cuckoo bee (Zool.), a bee, parasitic in the larval stage in the nests of other bees, feeding either upon their food or larvae. They belong to the genera Nomada, Melecta, Epeolus, and others. -- Cuckoo clock, a clock so constructed that at the time for striking it gives forth sounds resembling the cry of the cuckoo. -- Cuckoo dove (Zoöl.), a long-tailed pigeon of the genus Macropygia. Many species inhabit the East Indies. -- Cuckoo fish (Zoöl.), the European red gurnard (Trigla cuculus). The name probably alludes to the sound that it utters. -- Cuckoo falcon (Zoöl.), any falcon of the genus Baza. The genus inhabits Africa and the East Indies. -- Cuckoo maid (Zoöl.), the wryneck; -- called also cuckoo mate. -- Cuckoo ray (Zoöl.), a British ray (Raia miraletus). -- Cuckoo spit, or Cuckoo spittle. (a) A frothy secretion found upon plants, exuded by the larvae of certain insects, for concealment; -- called also toad spittle and frog spit. (b) (Zoöl.) A small hemipterous insect, the larva of which, living on grass and the leaves of plants, exudes this secretion. The insects belong to Aphrophora, Helochara, and allied genera. -- Ground cuckoo, the chaparral cock.

CUCKOOBUD Cuck"oo*bud" (kk"-bd`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of Ranunculus (R. bulbosus); -- called also butterflower, buttercup, kingcup, goldcup. Shak.

CUCKOOFLOWER Cuck"oo*flow`er (-flou`r), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of Cardamine (C. pratensis), or lady's smock. Its leaves are used in salads. Also, the ragged robin (Lychnis Flos- cuculi).

CUCKOOPINT Cuck"oo*pint` (-pnt`), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant of the genus Arum (A. maculatum); the European wake- robin.

CUCQUEAN Cuc"quean` (kk"kwn`), n. Etym: [Cuckold + quean.]

Defn: A woman whose husband is unfaithful to her. [Obs.]

CUCUJO Cu*cu"jo (k-k"h), n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The fire beetle of Mexico and the West Indies.

CUCULLATE; CUCULLATED Cu"cul*late (k"kl-lt or k-kl"lt), Cu"cul*la`ted (-l`td or -l-td), a. Etym: [LL. cullatus, fr. L. cucullus a cap, hood. See Cowl a hood.]

1. Hooded; cowled; covered, as with a hood. Sir T. Browne.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: Having the edges toward the base rolled inward, as the leaf of the commonest American blue violet.

3. (Zoöl.) (a) Having the prothorax elevated so as to form a sort of hood, receiving the head, as in certain insects. (b) Having a hoodlike crest on the head, as certain birds, mammals, and reptiles.

CUCULLUS Cu*cul"lus, n.; pl. Cuculli (#). [L., a hood.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: A hood-shaped organ, resembling a cowl or monk's hood, as certain concave and arched sepals or petals.

2. (Zoöl.) A color marking or structure on the head somewhat resembling a hood.

CUCULOID Cu"cu*loid (kk-loid), a. Etym: [L.cuculus a cuckoo + -oid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Like or belonging to the cuckoos (Cuculidæ).

CUCUMBER Cu"cum*ber (k`km-br, formerly kou"km-br), n.Etym: [OE. cucumer, cocumber, cucumber, fr. L. cucmis, gen.cucumeris; cf. OF. cocombre,F. concombre.] (Bot.)

Defn: A creeping plant, and its fruit, of several species of the genus Cucumis, esp. Cucumis sativus, the unripe fruit of which is eaten either fresh or picked. Also, similar plants or fruits of several other genera. See below. Bitter cucumber (Bot.), the Citrullus or Cucumis Colocynthis. SeeColocynth. -- Cucumber beetle. (Zoöl.) (a) A small, black flea-beetle (Crepidodera cucumeris), which destroys the leaves of cucumber, squash, and melon vines. (b) The squash beetle. -- Cucumber tree.(a) A large ornamental or shade tree of the genus Magnolia (M. acuminata), so called from a slight resemblance of its young fruit to a small cucumber. (b) An East Indian plant (Averrhoa Bilimbi) which produces the fruit known as bilimbi. -- Jamaica cucumber, Jerusalem cucumber, the prickly-fruited gherkin (Cucumis Anguria). -- Snake cucumber, a species (Cucumis flexuosus) remarkable for its long, curiously-shaped fruit. -- Squirting cucumber, a plant (Ecbalium Elaterium) whose small oval fruit separates from the footstalk when ripe and expels its seeds and juice with considerable force through the opening thus made. See Elaterium. -- Star cucumber,a climbing weed (Sicyos angulatus) with prickly fruit.

CUCUMIFORM Cu*cu"mi*form (k-k"m-frm), a. Etym: [L. cucumis cucumber + -form.]

Defn: Having the form of a cucumber; having the form of a cylinder tapered and rounded at the ends, and either straight or curved.

CUCUMIS Cu"cu*mis (kk--ms), n. Etym: [L., cucumber.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of plants including the cucumber, melon, and same kinds of gourds.

CUCURBIT; CUCURBITE Cu*cur"bit Cu*cur"bite (k-kr"bt), n. Etym: [L. cucurbita a gourd: cf. F. cucurbite. See Gourd.] (Chem.)

Defn: A vessel of flask for distillation, used with, or forming part of, an alembic; a matrass; -- originally in the shape of a gourd, with a wide mouth. See Alembic.

CUCURBITACEOUS Cu*cur`bi*ta"ceous (-b-t"shs), a. Etym: [Cf. F. cucurbitac.] (Bot.)

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a family of plants of which the cucumber, melon, and gourd are common examples.

CUCURBITIVE Cu*cur"bi*tive (k-kr"b-tv), a.

Defn: Having the shape of a gourd seed; -- said of certain small worms.

CUD Cud (kd), n Etym: [AS. cudu, cwudu,cwidu,cweodo, of uncertain origin; cf, G. k bait, Icel. kvi womb, Goth. qipus. Cf. Quid.]

1. That portion of food which is brought up into the mouth by ruminating animals from their first stomach, to be cheved a second time. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Levit. xi. 3

2. A portion of tobacco held in the mouth and chewed; a quid. [Low]

3. The first stomach of ruminating beasts. Crabb. To chew the cud, to ruminate; to meditate; used with of; as, to chew the cud of bitter memories. Chewed the thrice turned cudof wrath. Tennyson.

CUDBEAR Cud"bear` (kd"br`), n Etym: [Also cudbeard, corrupted fr. the name of Dr. Cuthbert Gordon, a Scotchman, who first brought it into notice.]

1. A powder of a violet red color, difficult to moisten with water, used for making violet or purple dye. It is prepared from certain species of lichen, especially Lecanora tartarea. Ure.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A lichen (Lecanora tartarea), from which the powder is obtained.

CUDDEN Cud"den (kd"d'n), n. Etym: [For sense 1, cf. Scot.cuddy an ass; for sense 2, see 3d Cuddy.]

1. A clown; a low rustic; a dolt. [Obs.] The slavering cudden, propped upon his staff. Dryden.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The coalfish. See 3d Cuddy.

CUDDLE Cud"dle (kd"d'l), v. i. [imp. & p.p. Cuddled (-d'ld); p.pr. & vb. n. Cuddling (-dlng).] Etym: [Prob. for couthle, fr. couth known; cf. OE. kuppen to cuddle, or cu to make friends with. SeeCouth, Uncouth, Can.]

Defn: To She cuddles low beneath the brake; Nor would she stay, nor dares she fly. Prior.

CUDDLE Cud"dle, v. t.

Defn: To embrace closely; to foundle. Forby.

CUDDLE Cud"dle, n.

Defn: A close embrace.

CUDDY Cud"dy (-d), n. Etym: [See Cudden. ]

1. An ass; esp., one driven by a huckster or greengrocer. [Scot.]

2. Hence: A blockhead; a lout. Hood.

3. (Mech.)

Defn: A lever mounted on a tripod for lifting stones, leveling up railroad ties, etc. Knight.

CUDDY Cud"dy (kd"d), n. Etym: [Prob. a contraction fr. D. kajuit cabin: cf. F.cahute hut.] (Naut.)

Defn: A small cabin: also, the galley or kitchen of a vessel.

CUDDY Cud"dy, n. Etym: [Scot.; cf. Gael. cudaig, cudainn, or E.cuttlefish, or cod, codfish.] (Zoöl)

Defn: The coalfish (Pollachius carbonarius). [Written also cudden.]

CUDGEL Cudg"el (kj"l), n. Etym: [OE. kuggel; cf. G. keule club (with a round end), kugel ball, or perh. W. cogyl cudgel, or D. cudse, kuds, cudgel.]

Defn: A staff used in cudgel play, shorter than the quarterstaff, and wielded with one hand; hence, any heavy stick used as a weapon. He getteth him a grievous crabtree cudgel and . . . falls to rating of them as if they were dogs. Bunyan. Cudgel play, a fight or sportive contest with cudgels. -- To cross the cudgels, to forbear or give up the contest; -- a phrase borrowed from the practice of cudgel players, who lay one cudgel over another when the contest is ended. -- To take up cudgels for, to engage in a contest in behalf of (some one or something).

CUDGEL Cudg"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cudgeled or Cudgelled (-; p. pr. & vb. n. Cudgeling or cudgelling.]

Defn: To beat with a cudgel. An he here, I would cudgel him like a dog. Shak. To cudgel one's brains, to exercise one's wits.

CUDGELER Cudg"el*er (-r), n.

Defn: One who beats with a cudgel. [Written also cudgeller.]

CUDWEED Cud"weed` (kd"wd`), n Etym: [Apparently fr. cud. + weed, but perh. a corruption of cottonweed; or of cut weed, so called from its use as an application to cuts and chafings.] (Bot.)

Defn: A small composite plant with cottony or silky stem and leaves, primarily a species of Gnaphalium, but the name is now given to many plants of different genera, as Filago, Antennaria, etc.; cottonweed.

CUE Cue (k, n. Etym: [ OF. coue, coe, F. queue, fr. L. coda, cauda, tail. Cf. Caudal, Coward, Queue.]

1. The tail; the end of a thing; especially, a tail-like twist of hair worn at the back of the head; a queue.

2. The last words of a play actor's speech, serving as an intimation for the next succeeding player to speak; any word or words which serve to remind a player to speak or to do something; a catchword. When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. Shak.

3. A hint or intimation. Give them [the servants] their cue to attend in two lines as he leaves the house. Swift.

4. The part one has to perform in, or as in, a play. Were it my cueto fight, I should have known it Without a prompter. Shak.

5. Humor; temper of mind. [Colloq.] Dickens.

6. A straight tapering rod used to impel the balls in playing billiards.

CUE Cue, v. t.

Defn: To form into a cue; to braid; to twist.

CUE Cue, n. Etym: [From q, an abbreviation for quadrans a farthing.]

Defn: A small portion of bread or beer; the quantity bought with a farthing or half farthing. [Obs.]

Note: The term was formerly current in the English universities, the letter q being the mark in the buttery books to denote such a portion. Nares. Hast thou worn Gowns in the university, tossed logic, Sucked philosophy, eat cues Old Play.

CUERPO Cuer"po (kwr"p), n. Etym: [Sp. cuerpo, fr. L. corpus body. See Corpse.]

Defn: The body. In cuerpo, without full dress, so that the shape of the Body is exposed; hence, naked or uncovered. Exposed in cuerpo to their rage. Hudibras.

CUESTA Cues"ta, n. [Sp.]

Defn: A sloping plain, esp. one with the upper end at the crest of a cliff; a hill or ridge with one face steep and the opposite face gently sloping. [Southwestern U. S.]

CUFF Cuff (kf), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cuffed (k; p. pr. & vb. n. Cuffing.] Etym: [Cf. Sw. kuffa to knock, push,kufva to check, subdue, and E. cow, v. t. ]

1. To strike; esp., to smite with the palm or flat of the hand; to slap. I swear I'll cuff you, if you strike again. Shak. They with their quills did all the hurt they could, And cuffed the tender chickens from their food. Dryden.

2. To buffet. "Cuffed by the gale." Tennyson.

CUFF Cuff, v. i.

Defn: To fight; to scuffle; to box. While the peers cuff to make the rabble sport. Dryden.

CUFF Cuff, n.

Defn: A blow; esp.,, a blow with the open hand; a box; a slap. Snatcheth his sword, and fiercely to him flies; Who well it wards, and quitten cuff with cuff. Spenser. Many a bitter kick and cuff. Hudibras.

CUFF Cuff, n. Etym: [Perh. from F. coiffe headdress, hood, or coif; as if the cuff were a cap for the hand. Cf. Coif.]

1. The fold at the end of a sleeve; the part of a sleeve turned back from the hand. He would visit his mistress in a morning gown, band,short cuffs, and a peaked beard. Arbuthnot.

2. Any ornamental appendage at the wrist, whether attached to the sleeve of the garment or separate;especially, in modern times, such an appendage of starched linen, or a substitute for it of paper, or the like.

CUFFY Cuf"fy (k, n.

Defn: A name for a negro. [Slang]

CUFIC Cu"fic (k`fk), a. Etym: [So called from the town of Cufa, in the province of Bagdad.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to the older characters of the Arabic language. [Written also Kufic.]

CUI BONO Cui` bo"no. [L.]

Defn: Lit., for whose benefit; incorrectly understood, it came to be used in the sense, of what good or use; and hence, (what) purpose; object; specif., the ultimate object of life.

CUINAGE Cuin"age (kwn`j), n.Etym: [Corrupted fr. coinage.]

Defn: The stamping of pigs of tin, by the proper officer, with the arms of the duchy of Cornwall.

CUIRASS Cui*rass" (kw-rs`, or kw`rs; 277), n.; pl. Cuirasses(-. Etym: [ F.cuirasse, orig., a breascuir, cuirie influenced by It. corazza, or Sp. cora, fr. an assumed LL. coriacea, fr. L. coriacevs, adj., of leather, fr. corium leather, hide; akin to Gr. skora hide, Lith. skura hide, leather. Cf. Coriaceous.]

1. (a) A piece of defensive armor, covering the body from the neck to the girdle. (b) The breastplate taken by itself.

Note: The cuirass covered the body before and behind. It consisted of two parts, a breast- and backpiece of iron fastened together by means of straps and buckles or other like contrivances. It was originally, as the name imports, made of leather, but afterward of metal. Crose.

2. (Zoöl)

Defn: An armor of bony plates, somewhat resembling a cuirass.

CUIRASSED Cui*rassed" (kw-rst` or kw`rst), a.

1. Wearing a cuirass.

2. (Zoöl)

Defn: Having a covering of bony plates, resembling a cuirass;- said of certain fishes.

CUIRASSIER Cui`ras*sier" (kw`rs-sr"), n. Etym: [F. cuirassier. See Curass.]

Defn: A soldier armed with a cuirass. Milton.

CUIR BOUILLI Cuir" bou`illi". [F.]

Defn: In decorative art, boiled leather, fitted by the process to receive impressed patterns, like those produced by chasing metal, and to retain the impression permanently.

CUISH Cuish (kws), n. Etym: [F. cuisse thigh, fr. L. coxa hip: cf. F. cuissard, OF, cuissot, armor for the thigh, cuish. Cf. Hough.]

Defn: Defensive armor for the thighs. [ Written also cuisse, and quish.]

CUISINE Cui`sine" (kw`zn"), n. Etym: [F., fr. L. coquina kitchen, fr. coquere to cook. See Kitchen.]

1. The kitchen or cooking department.

2. Manner or style of cooking.

CULASSE Cu`lasse" (ku`ls"), n. Etym: [F., fr. cul back.]

Defn: The lower faceted portion of a brilliant-cut diamond.

CULDEE Cul*dee" (k, n. Etym: [ Prob. fr. Gael.cuilteach; cf. Ir. ceilede.]

Defn: One of a class of anchorites who lived in various parts of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The pure Culdees Were Albyn's earliest priests of God. Campbell.

CUL-DE-SAC Cul`-de-sac" (ku`de-sk" or kul`de-sk"), n.; pl. Culs-de-sac (ku`- or kulz`-). Etym: [ F., lit., bottom of a bag.]

1. A passage with only one outlet, as a street closed at one end; a blind alley; hence, a trap.

2. (Mil.)

Defn: a position in which an army finds itself with no way of exit but to the front.

3. (Anat.)

Defn: Any bag-shaped or tubular cavity, vessel, or organ, open only at one end.

CULERAGE Cul"er*age (kl"r-j), n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Culrage.

CULEX Cu"lex (k"lks), n. Etym: [L., a gnat.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of dipterous insects, including the gnat and mosquito.

CULICID Cu"li*cid, a. [L. culex, -icis, gnat.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Like or pertaining to the Mosquito family (Culicidæ). -- n.

Defn: A culicid insect.

CULICIFORM Cu*lic"i*form (k-ls"i-frm). a. Etym: [L. culex a gnat + -form:cf. F. culiciforme.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Gnat-shaped.

CULINARILY Cu"li*na*ri*ly (k`l-n-r-l), adv.

Defn: In the manner of a kitchen; in connection with a kitchen or cooking.

CULINARY Cu"li*na*ry (k"l-n-r), a. Etym: [L. culinarius, fr. culina kitchen, perh. akin to carbo coal: cf. F. culinare.]

Defn: Relating to the kitchen, or to the art of cookery; used in kitchens; as, a culinary vessel; the culinary art.

CULL Cull (kl), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Culled (kld); p. pr.& Culling.] Etym: [OE., OF. cuillir, coillir, F.cueillir, to gather, pluck, pick, fr. L. colligere. See Coil, v. t., and cf. Collect.]

Defn: To separate, select, or pick out; to choose and gather or collect; as, to cuil flowers. From his herd he culls, For slaughter, from the fairest of his bulls. Dryden. Whitest honey in fairy gardens culled. Tennyson.

CULL Cull, n.

Defn: A cully; a dupe; a gull. See Gully.

CULLENDER Cul"len*der (kl"ln-dr), n.

Defn: A strainer. See Colander.

CULLER Cull"er (kl"r), n.

Defn: One who piks or chooses; esp., an inspector who select wares suitable for market.

CULLET Cul"let (kl"lt), n. Etym: [From Cull, v. t. ]

Defn: Broken glass for remelting.

CULLET Cul"let, n. Etym: [A dim. from F. cul back.]

Defn: A small central plane in the back of a cut gem. See Collet, 3 (b).

CULLIBILITY Cul`li*bil"i*ty (-l-bl"-ty), n. Etym: [From cully to trick, cheat.]

Defn: Gullibility. [R.] Swift.

CULLIBLE Cul"li*ble (kl"l-b'l), a.

Defn: Easily deceived; gullible.

CULLING Cull"ing (kl"ng), n

1. The act of one who culls.

2. pl.

Defn: Anything separated or selected from a mass.

CULLION Cul"lion (kl"yn), n. Etym: [OF. couillon, coillon, F. co, a vile fellow, coward, dupe, from OF. couillon, coillon, testicle, fr. il the scrotum, fr. L. coleus a leather bag, the scrotum.]

Defn: A mean wretch; a base fellow; a poltroon; a scullion. "Away, base cullions." Shak.

CULLIONLY Cul"lion*ly, a.

Defn: Mean; base. Shak.

CULLIS Cul"lis (k, n. Etym: [OF. coleïs, F. coulis, fr. OF. & F. couler to strain, to flow, fr. L. colare to filter, strain; cf. LL. coladicium. Cf. Colander.]

Defn: A strong broth of meat, strained and made clear for invalids; also, a savory jelly. [Obs.] When I am exellent at caudles And cullises . . . you shall be welcome to me. Beau. & Fl.

CULLIS Cul"lis, n.; pl. Cullises (-. Etym: [F.coulisse groove, fr. the same source as E. cullis broth.] (Arch.)

Defn: A gutter in a roof; a channel or groove.

CULLS Culls (klz), n. pl. Etym: [From Cull,, v. t.]

1. Refuse timber, from which the best part has been culled out.

2. Any refuse stuff, as rolls not properly baked.

CULLY Cul"ly (kl"l), n.; pl. Cullies (-l. Etym: [Abbrev. fr. cullion.]

Defn: A person easily deceived, tricked, or imposed on; a mean dupe; a gull. I have learned that . . . I am not the first cully whom she has passed upon for a countess. Addison.

CULLY Cul"ly, v. t. Etym: [See Cully,n., and cf. D. kullen to cheat, gull.]

Defn: To trick, cheat, or impose on; to deceive. "Tricks to cully fools." Pomfret.

CULLYISM Cul"ly*ism (-z'm), n.

Defn: The state of being a cully. Less frequent instances of eminent cullyism. Spectator.

CULM Culm (klm), n. Etym: [L. culmus stark, stem; akin to colasmus. SeeHalm.] (Bot.)

Defn: The stalk or stem of grain and grasses (including the bamboo), jointed and usually hollow.

CULM Culm, n. Etym: [Perh. from W. cwlm knot or tie, applied to this species of coal, which is much found in balls or knots in some parts of Wales: cf. OE. culme smoke, soot.] (Min.) (a) Mineral coal that is not bituminous; anthracite, especially when found in small masses. (b) The waste of the Pennsylvania anthracite mines, consisting of fine coal, dust, etc., and used as fuel. Raymond.

CULMEN Cul"men (kl"mn), n. Etym: [L., fr. cellere (in comp.) to impel; cf. celsus pushed upward, lofty.]

1. Top; summit; acme. R. North.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The dorsal ridge of a bird's bill.

CULMIFEROUS Cul*mif"er*ous (kl-mf"r-s), a. Etym: [L. culmus stalk or stem + - ferous: cf. F. culmif.]

Defn: Having jointed stems or culms.

CULMIFEROUS Cul*mif"er*ous (kl-mf"r-s), a.Etym: [2d culm + -ferous.] (Min.)

Defn: Containing, or abounding in, culm or glance coal.

CULMINAL Cul"mi*nal (kl"m-nal), a.

Defn: Pertaining to a culmen.

CULMINANT Cul"mi*nant (-nant), a.

Defn: Being vertical, or at the highest point of altitude; hence, predominant. [R.]

CULMINATE Cul"mi*nate (kl"m-nt), v. i. [imp. & p.p. Culminated (-n`td); p. pr. & vb. n. Culminating (-n Etym: [L. cuimen top or ridge. See Column.]

1. To reach its highest point of altitude; to come to the meridian; to be vertical or directly overhead. As when his beams at noon Culminate from the equator. Milton.

2. To reach the highest point, as of rank, size, power, numbers, etc. The reptile race culminated in the secondary era. Dana. The house of Burgundy was rapidly culminating. Motley.

CULMINATE Cul"mi*nate (kl"m-nt), a.

Defn: Growing upward, as distinguished from a laterral growth; -- applied to the growth of corals. Dana.

CULMINATION Cul"mi*na"tion (kl`m-n"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. F.culmination]

1. The attainment of the highest point of altitude reached by a heavently body; passage across the meridian; transit.

2. Attainment or arrival at the highest pitch of glory, power, etc.

CULPA Cul"pa (kl"p), n. Etym: [L.] (Law)

Defn: Negligence or fault, as distinguishable from dolus (deceit, fraud), which implies intent, culpa being imputable to defect of intellect, dolus to defect of heart. Wharton.

CULPABILITY Cul`pa*bil"i*ty (kl`p-bl`-t), n.; pl. Culpabilities (-t. Etym: [Cf. F. culpabilité.]

Defn: The state of being culpable.

CULPABLE Cul"pa*ble (kl"p-b'l), a. Etym: [OE. culpable, coulpable, coupable, F. coupable, formerly also coupable, formerly also coulpable, culpable, fr. L. culpabilis, fr. culpare to blame, fr. culpa fault.]

1. Deserving censure; worthy of blame; faulty; immoral; criminal. State Trials (1413). If he acts according to the best reason he hath, he is not culpable, though he be mistaken in his measures. Sharp.

2. Guilty; as, clpable of a crime. [Obs.] Spenser. -- Cul"pa*ble*ness, n. -- Cul"pa*bly, adv.

CULPATORY Cul"pa*to*ry (-t-r), a.

Defn: Expressing blame; censuring; reprehensory; inculpating. Adjectives . . . commonly used by Latian authors in a culpatory sense. Walpole.

CULPE Culpe (klp), n. Etym: [F. coulpe, fr.L.culpa.]

Defn: Blameworthiness. [Obs.] Banished out of the realme . . . without culpe. E. Hall.

CULPON Cul"pon (kl"pn), n. Etym: [See Coupon.]

Defn: A shered; a fragment; a strip of wood. [Obs.] Chaucer.

CULPRIT Cul"prit (kl"prt), n. Etym: [Prob. corrupted for culpate, fr. Law Latin culpatus the accused, p. p. of L. culpare to blame. See Culpable.]

1. One accused of, or ar An author is in the condition of a culprit; the public are his judges. Prior.

2. One quilty of a fault; a criminal.

CULRAGE Cul"rage (kl"rj), n. Etym: [OE. culrage, culrache; prob. fr. F. cul the buttok + F. & E. rage; F. curage.] (Bot.)

Defn: Smartweed (Polygonum Hydropiper).

CULT Cult (klt) n .Etym: [F. culte, L. cultus care, culture, fr. colere to cultivate. Cf. Cultus.]

1. Attentive care; homage; worship. Every one is convinced of the reality of a better self, and of. thecult or homage which is due to it. Shaftesbury.

2. A system of religious belief and worship. That which was the religion of Moses is the ceremonial or cult of the religion of Christ. Coleridge.

CULTCH Cultch (klch;224), n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]

Defn: Empty oyster shells and other substances laid down on oyster grounds to furnish points for the attachment of the spawn of the oyster. [Also written cutch.]

CULTER Cul"ter (kl"tr), n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: A colter. See Colter.

CULTIROSTRAL Cul`ti*ros"tral (-t-rs"tral), a. Etym: [See Cultirostres.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having a bill shaped like the colter of a plow, or like a knife, as the heron, stork, etc.

CULTIROSTRES Cul`ti*ros"tres (-trz), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. culter colter of a plow, knife + rostrum bill.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A tribe of wading birds including the stork, heron, crane, etc.

CULTIVABLE Cul"ti*va*ble (kl"t-v-b'l), a. Etym: [Cf. F. cultivable.]

Defn: Capable of being cultivated or tilled. Todd.

CULTIVATABLE Cul"ti*va`ta*ble (kl"t-v`t-b'l), a.

Defn: Cultivable.

CULTIVATE Cul"ti*vate (kl"t-vt), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cultivated (-v`td); p.pr. & vb. n. Cultivating (-v`-t*ng).] Etym: [LL. cultivatus, p.p. of cultivare to cultivate, fr. cultivus cultivated, fr. L. cultus, p.p. of colere to till, cultivate. Cf. Colony.]

1. To bestow attention, care, and labor upon, with a view to valuable returns; to till; to fertilize; as, to cultivate soil.

2. To direct special attention to; to devote time and thought to; to foster; to cherish. Leisure . . . to cultivate general literature. Wordsworth.

3. To seek the society of; to court intimacy with. I ever looked on Lord Keppel as one of the greatest and best men of his age; and I loved and cultivated him accordingly. Burke.

4. To improve by labor, care, or study; to impart culture to; to civilize; to refine. To cultivate the wild, licentious savage. Addison. The mind of man hath need to be prepared for piety and virtue; it must be cultivated to the end. Tillotson.

5. To raise or produce by tillage; to care for while growing; as, to cultivate corn or grass.

CULTIVATION Cul`ti*va"tion (kl`t-v"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cultivation.]

1. The art or act of cultivating; improvement for agricultural purposes or by agricultural processes; tillage; production by tillage.

2. Bestowal of time or attention for self-improvement or for the benefit of others; fostering care.

3. The state of being cultivated; advancement in physical, intellectual, or moral condition; refinement; culture. Italy . . . was but imperfectly reduced to cultivation before the irruption of the barbarians. Hallam.

CULTIVATOR Cul"ti*va`tor (kl"t-v`tr), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cultivateur.]

1. One who cultivates; as, a cultivator of the soil; a cultivator of literature. Whewell.

2. An agricultural implement used in the tillage of growing crops, to loosen the surface of the earth and kill the weeds; esp., a triangular frame set with small shares, drawn by a horse and by handles.

Note: In a broader signification it includes any complex implement for pulverizing or stirring the surface of the soil, as harrows, grubbers, horse hoes, etc.

CULTRATE; CULTRATED Cul"trate (kl"trt), Cul"tra*ted (-tr-td), a. Etym: [L. cultratus knife-shaped, fromculter, cultri, knife.] (Bot. & Zoöl.)

Defn: Sharp-edged and pointed; shaped like a pruning knife, as the beak of certain birds.

CULTRIFORM Cul"tri*form (-tr-frm), a. Etym: [L. culter, cultri, knife + -form.] (Bot. & Zoöl.)

Defn: Shaped like a pruning knife; cultrate.

CULTRIVOROUS Cul*triv"o*rous (kl-trb"-rs), a. Etym: [L. culter, cultri, knife + vorare to devour.]

Defn: Devouring knives; swallowing, or pretending to swallow, knives; -- applied to persons who have swallowed, or have seemed to swallow, knives with impunity. Dunglison.

CULTURABLE Cul"tur*a*ble (kl"tr--b'l; 135), a.

Defn: Capable of, or fit for, being cultivated; capable or becoming cultured. London Spectator.

CULTURAL Cul"tur*al (kl"tr-al), a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to culture.

CULTURE Cul"ture (kl"tr; 135), n. Etym: [F. culture, L. cultura, fr. colere to till, cultivate; of uncertain origin. Cf. Colony.]

1. The act or practice of cultivating, or of preparing the earth for seed and raising crops by tillage; as, the culture of the soil.

2. The act of, or any labor or means employed for, training, disciplining, or refining the moral and intellectual nature of man; as. the culture of the mind. If vain our toil We ought to blame theculture, not the soil. Pepe.

3. The state of being cultivated; result of cultivation; physical improvement; enlightenment and discipline acquired by mental and moral training; civilization; refinement in manners and taste. What the Greeks expressed by their humanitas, we less happily try to express by the more artificial word culture. J. C. Shairp. The list of all the items of the general life of a people represents that whole which we call its culture. Tylor. Culture fluid, a fluid in which the germs of microscopic organisms are made to develop, either for purposes of study or as a means of modifying their virulence.

CULTURE Cul"ture, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cultured (-trd; 135); p. pr. & vb. n. Culturing.]

Defn: To cultivate; to educate. They came . . . into places well inhabited and cultured. Usher.

CULTURED Cul"tured (kl"trd), a.

1. Under culture; cultivated. "Cultured vales." Shenstone.

2. Characterized by mental and moral training; disciplined; refined; well-educated. The sense of beauty in nature, even among cultured people, is less often met with than other mental endowments. I. Taylor. The cunning hand and cultured brain. Whittier.

CULTURE FEATURES Culture features. (Surv.)

Defn: The artificial features of a district as distinguished from the natural.

CULTURELESS Cul"ture*less, a.

Defn: Having no culture.

CULTURE MYTH Culture myth.

Defn: A myth accounting for the discovery of arts and sciences or the advent of a higher civilization, as in the Prometheus myth.

CULTURIST Cul"tur*ist, n.

1. A cultivator.

2. One who is an advocate of culture. The culturists, by which term I mean not those who esteem culture (as what intelligent man does notJ. C. Shairp

CULTUS Cul"tus (kl"ts), n. sing. & pl.; E. pl.Cultuses (-. Etym: [L., cultivation, culture. See Cult.]

Defn: Established or accepted religious rites or usages of worship; state of religious development. Cf.Cult, 2.

CULTUS COD Cul"tus cod` (kd`). Etym: [Chinook cultus of little worth.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Cod, and Buffalo cod, under Buffalo.

CULVER Cul"ver (k"vr), n. Etym: [AS. culfre, perh. fr. L. columba.]

Defn: A dove. "Culver in the falcon's fist." Spenser.

CULVER Cul"ver, n. Etym: [Abbrev. fr. Culverin.]

Defn: A culverin. Falcon and culver on each tower Stood prompt their deadly hail to shower. Sir W. Scott.

CULVERHOUSE Cul"ver*house` (-hous`), n.

Defn: A dovecote.

CULVERIN Cul"ver*in (kl"vr-n), n.Etym: [F. coulevrine, prop. fem. of couleuvrin like a serpent, fr. couleuvre adder, fr. L. coluber, colubra.]

Defn: A long cannon of the 16th century, usually an 18-pounder with serpent-shaped handles. Trump, and drum, and roaring culverin. Mac

CULVERKEY Cul"ver*key` (-k`), n.

1. A bunch of the keys or samaras of the ash tree. Wright.

2. An English meadow plant, perhaps the columbine or the bluebell squill (Scilla nutans). [Obs.] A girl cropping culverkeys and cowslips to make garlands. Walton.

CULVER'S PHYSIC; CULVER'S ROOT Cul"ver's phys"ic, or Cul"ver's root`. [So called after a Dr. Culver, who used it.] (Bot.)

Defn: The root of a handsome erect herb (Leptandra, syn. Veronica, Virginica) common in most moist woods of North America , used as an active cathartic and emetic; also, the plant itself.

CULVERT Cul"vert (kl"vrt), n. Etym: [Prob. from OF. coulouere, F. couloir, channel, gutter, gallery, fr. couler to flow. See Cullis.]

Defn: A transverse drain or waterway of masonry under a road, railroad, canal, etc.; a small bridge.

CULVERTAIL Cul"ver*tail` (kl"vr-tl`), n. (Carp.)

Defn: Dovetail.

CULVERTAILED Cul"ver*tailed` (-tld`), a.

Defn: United or fastened by a dovetailed joint.

CUMACEA Cu*ma"ce*a (k-m"sh- or -s-), n. pl. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of marine Crustacea, mostly of small size.

CUMBENT Cum"bent (km"bent), a. Etym: [Cf. Recumbent, Covey.]

Defn: Lying down; recumbent. J. Dyer.

CUMBER Cum"ber (km"br), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cumbered (-brd); p. pr. & vb. n. Cumbering.] Etym: [OE. combren, cumbren,OF. combrer to hinder, from LL. cumbrus a heap, fr. L. cumulus; cf. Skr. to increase, grow strong. Cf. Cumulate.]

Defn: To rest upon as a troublesome or useless weight or load; to be burdensome or oppressive to; to hinder or embarrass in attaining an object, to obstruct or occupy uselessly; to embarrass; to trouble. Why asks he what avails him not in fight, And would but cumber and retard his flight Dryden. Martha was cumbered about much serving. Luke x. 40. Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground Luke xiii. 7. The multiplying variety of arguments, especially frivolous ones, . . . but cumbers the memory. Locke.

CUMBER Cum"ber (km"br), n. Etym: [Cf. encombre hindrance, impediment. See Cuber,v.]

Defn: Trouble; embarrassment; distress. [Obs.] [Written also comber.] A place of much distraction and cumber. Sir H. Wotton. Sage counsel in cumber. Sir W. Scott.

CUMBERSOME Cum"ber*some (k, a.

1. Burdensome or hindering, as a weight or drag; embarrassing; vexatious; cumbrous. To perform a cumbersome obedience. Sir. P. Sidney.

2. Not easily managed; as, a cumbersome contrivance or machine. He holds them in utter contempt, as lumbering, cumbersome, circuitous. I. Taylor. -- Cum"ber*some*ly, adv. -- Cum"ber*some*ness,n.

CUMBRANCE Cum"brance (km"brans), n.

Defn: Encumbrance. [Obs.] Extol not riches then, the toil of fools, The wise man's cumbrance, if not snare. Milton.

CUMBRIAN Cum"bri*an (km"br-an), a.

Defn: Pertaining to Cumberland, England, or to a system of rocks found there. Cumbrian system (Geol.), the slate or graywacke system of rocks, now included in the Cambrian or Silurian system; -- so called because most prominent at Cumberland.

CUMBROUS Cum"brous (km"brs), a.

1. Rendering action or motion difficult or toilsome; serving to obstruct or hinder; burdensome; clogging. He sunk beneath the cumbrous weight. Swift. That cumbrousand unwieldy style which disfigures English composition so extensively. De Quincey.

2. Giving trouble; vexatious. [Obs.] A clud of cumbrous gnats. Spenser. -- Cum"brous*ly, adv. -- Cum"brous*ness, n.

CUMENE Cu"mene (k"mn), n. Etym: [From Cumin.] (Chem.)

Defn: A colorless oily hydrocarbon, C6H5.C3H7, obtained by the distillation of cuminic acid; -- called also cumol.

CUMFREY Cum"frey (km"fr), n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Comfrey.

CUMIC Cu"mic (k"mk), a. (Chem.)

Defn: See Cuming.

CUMIDINE Cu"mi*dine (k"m-dn or -dn), n. Etym: [From Cumin.] (Chem.)

Defn: A strong, liquid, organic base, C3H7.C6H4.NH2, homologous with aniline.

CUMIN Cum"in (km"n), n. Etym: [OE.comin, AS. cymen, fr. L. cuminum, Gr.kamm, Heb. kamm; cf. OF. comin, F. cumin. Cf. Kummel.] (Bot.)

Defn: A dwarf umbelliferous plant, somewhat resembling fennel (Cuminum Cyminum), cultivated for its seeds, which have a bitterish, warm taste, with an aromatic flavor, and are used like those of anise and caraway. [Written also cummin.] Rank-smelling rue, and cumin good for eyes. Spenser. Black cumin (Bot.), a plant (Nigella sativa) with pungent seeds, used by the Afghans, etc.

CUMINIC Cu*min"ic (k-mn"k), a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or derived from, cumin, or from oil of caraway; as, cuminic acid. Cuminic acid (Chem.), white crystalline substance, C3H7.C6H4.CO2H, obtained from oil of caraway.

CUMINIL Cu"mi*nil (k"m-nl), n .

Defn: A substance, analogous to benzil, obtained from oil of caraway.

CUMINOL Cu"mi*nol (-nl), n. Etym: [Cuminic + L. oleum.]

Defn: A liquid, C3H7.C6H4.CHO, obtained from oil of caraway; -- called also cuminic aldehyde.

CUMMERBUND Cum"mer*bund`, n. [Written also kummerbund, cummerband, etc.] [Hind. kamarband, fr. Per. Kamar loins + band fastening.]

Defn: A sash for the waist; a girdle. [India]

CUMMIN Cum"min (km"mn), n.

Defn: Same as Cumin. Ye pay tithe of mint, and cummin. Matt. xxiii. 23.

CUMQUAT Cum"quat, n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Kumquat.

CUMSHAW Cum"shaw (km"sha), n. Etym: [Chin. kom-tsie.]

Defn: A present or bonus; -- originally applied to that paid on ships which entered the port of Canton. S. Wells Williams.

CUMSHAW Cum"shaw, v. t.

Defn: To give or make a present to.

CUMU-CIRRO-STRATUS Cu"mu-cir`ro-stra"tus (k`m*-sr`r-str"ts), n. (Meteor.)

Defn: Nimbus, or rain cloud. See Nimbus, and Cloud.

CUMULATE Cu"mu*late (k"m-lt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cumulated (-l`td); p. pr. & vb. n. Cumulating (-l`tng).] Etym: [L. cumulatus, p. p. of cumulare to heap up, fr. cumulus a heap. See Cumber.]

Defn: To gather or throw into a heap; to heap together; to accumulate. Shoals of shells, bedded and cumulated heap upon heap. Woodward.

CUMULATION Cu`mu*la"tion (k`m-l"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cumulation.]

Defn: The act of heaping together; a heap. See Accumulation.

CUMULATIST Cu"mu*la*tist (k"m-l-tst), n.

Defn: One who accumulates; one who collects. [R.]

CUMULATIVE Cu"mu*la*tive (k"m-l-tv), a. Etym: [Cf. F. cumulatif.]

1. Composed of parts in a heap; forming a mass; agregated. "As for knowledge which man receiveth by teaching, it is cumulative, njt original." Bacon

2. Augmenting, gaining, or giving force, by successive additions; as, a cumulative argument, i. e., one whose force increases as the statement proceeds. The argument . . . is in very truth not logical and single, but moral and cumulative. Trench.

3. (Law) (a) Tending to prove the same point to which other evidence has been offered; -- said of evidence. (b) Given by same testator to the same legatee; -- said of a legacy. Bouvier. Wharton.

Cumulative action (Med.), that action of certain drugs, by virtue of which they produce, when administered in small doses repeated at considerable intervals, the same effect as if given in a single large dose. -- Cumulative poison, a poison the action of which is cumulative. -- Cumulative vote or system of voting (Politics), that system which allows to each voter as many votes as there are persons to be voted for, and permits him to accumulate these votes upon one person, or to distribute them among the candidates as he pleases.

CUMULOSE Cu"mu*lose` (k"m-ls`), a. Etym: [From Cumulus.]

Defn: Full of heaps.

CUMULOSTRATUS Cu"mu*lo*stra"tus (k"m-l-str"ts), n. (Meteor.)

Defn: A form of cloud. See Cloud.

CUMULUS Cu"mu*lus (k"m-ls), n.; pl. Cumuli (-l. Etym: [L., a heap. See Cumber.] (Meteor.)

Defn: One of the four principal forms of clouds. SeeCloud.

CUN Cun (kn), v. t. Etym: [See Cond.]

Defn: To con (a ship). [Obs.]

CUN Cun, v. t. Etym: [See 1st Con.]

Defn: To know. See Con. [Obs.]

CUNABULA Cu*nab"u*la (k-nb"-l), n. pl. Etym: [L., a cradle, earliest abode, fr. cunae cradle.]

1. The earliest abode; original dwelling place; originals; as, the cunabula of the human race.

2. (Bibliography)

Defn: The extant copies of the first or earliest printed books, or of such as were printed in the 15th century.

CUNCTATION Cunc*ta"tion (knk-t"shn), n. Etym: [L. cunctatio, fr. cunctari, p.p. cunctatus, to delay.]

Defn: Delay; procrastination. [R.] Carlyle.

CUNCTATIVE Cunc"ta*tive (knk"t-tv), a.

Defn: Slow; tardy; dilatory; causing delay.

CUNCTATOR Cunc*ta"tor (knk-t"tr), n. Etym: [L., lit., a delayer; -- applied as a surname to Q. Fabius Maximus.]

Defn: One who delays or lingers. [R.]

CUNCTIPOTENT Cunc*tip"o*tent (knk-tp"-tent), a. Etym: [L. cunctipotens; cunctus all + potens powerful.]

Defn: All-powerful; omnipotent. [R] "God cunctipotent." Neale (Trans. Rhythm of St. Bernard).

CUND Cund (k*nd), v. t. Etym: [See Cond.]

Defn: To con (a ship). [Obs.]

CUNDURANGO Cun`du*ran"go (kn`d-rn"g), n. (Med.)

Defn: The bark of a South American vine (Gonolobus Condurango) of the Milkweed family. It has been supposed, but erroneously, to be a cure for cancer. [Written also condurango.]

CUNEAL Cu"ne*al (k"n-al), Etym: [L. cuneus a wege. See Coin.]

Defn: Relating to a wedge; wedge-shaped.

CUNEATE; CUNEATED Cu"ne*ate (k"n-t), Cu"ne*a`ted (-`tEd), a. Etym: [L.cuneatus, fr. cuneus a wege SeeCoin.]

Defn: Wedge-shaped; (Bot.), wedge-shaped, with the point at the base; as, a cuneate leaf.

CUNEATIC Cu`ne*at"ic (k`n-t"k), a.

Defn: Cuneiform. "Cuneatic decipherment." Sayce.

CUNEIFORM; CUNIFORM Cu*ne"i*form (k-n"-frm), Cu"ni*form (k"n-frm), a. Etym: [L. cuneus a wedge + -form: cf. F. cunei-forme. See Coin.]

1. Wedge-shaped; as, a cuneiform bone; -- especially applied to the wedge-shaped or arrowheaded characters of ancient Persian and Assyrian inscriptions. See Arrowheaded.

2. Pertaining to, or versed in, the ancient wedge-shaped characters, or the inscriptions in them. "A cuneiform scholar." Rawlinson.

CUNEIFORM; CUNIFORM Cu*ne"i*form, Cu"ni*form, n.

1. The wedge-shaped characters used in ancient Persian and Assyrian inscriptions. I. Taylor (The Alphabet).

2. (Anat.) (a) One of the three tarsal bones supporting the first, second third metatarsals. They are usually designated as external, middle, and internal, or ectocuniform, mesocuniform, and entocuniform, respectively. (b) One of the carpal bones usually articulating wich the ulna; -- called also pyramidal and ulnare.

CUNETTE Cu*nette" (k-nt"), n. Etym: [F.] (Fort.)

Defn: A drain trench, in a ditch or moat; -- called also cuvette.

CUNNER Cun"ner (kn"nr), n. Etym: [Cf. Conner.] (Zoöl.) (a) A small edible fish of the Atlantic coast (Ctenolabrus adspersus); -- called also chogset, burgall, blue perch, and bait stealer. [Written also conner.] (b) A small shellfish; the limpet or patella.

CUNNING Cun"ning (kn"nng), a. Etym: [AS. cunnan to know, to be able. See 1st Con, Can.]

1. Knowing; skillfull; dexterous. "A cunning workman." Ex. xxxviii. 23. "Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on. Shak. Esau was a cunning hunter. Gen xxv. 27.

2. Wrought with, or exibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious; curious; as, cunning work. Over them Arachne high did lift Her cunning web. Spenser.

3. Crafty; sly; artful; designid; deceitful. They are resolved to be cunning; let others run the hazard of being sincere. South.

4. Pretty or pleasing; as, a cunning little boy. [Colloq. U.S.] Barlett.

Syn. -- Cunning, Artful, Sly, Wily, Crafty. These epithets agree in expressing an aptitude for attaining some end by peculiar and secret means. Cunning is usually low; as, a cunning trick. Artful is more ingenious and inventive; as, an artful device. Sly implies a turn for what is double or concealed; as, sly humor; a sly evasion. Crafty denotes a talent for dexterously deceiving; as, a crafty manager. Wily describes a talent for the use of stratagems; as, a wily politician. "Acunning man often shows his dexterity in simply concealing. An artful man goes further, and exerts his ingenuity in misleading. A crafty man mingles cunning with art, and so shapes his actions as to lull suspicions. The young may be cunning, but the experienced only can be crafty. Slyness is a vulgar kind of cunning; the sly man goes cautiously and silently to work. Wiliness is a species of cunning or craft applicable only to cases of attack and defence." Crabb.

CUNNING Cun"ning, n. Etym: [AS. cunnung trial, or Icel. kunnandi knowledge. See Cunning, a.]

1. Knowledge; art; skill; dexterity. [Archaic] Let my right hand forget her cunning. Ps. cxxxvii. 5. A carpenter's desert Stands more in cunning than in power. Chapman.

2. The faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose; fraudulent skill or dexterity; deceit; craft. Discourage cunning in a child; cunning is the ape of wisdom. Locke. We take cunning for a sinister or crooked wisdom. Bacon.

CUNNINGLY Cun"ning*ly (kn"nng-l), adv.

Defn: In a cunning manner; with cunning.

CUNNINGMAN Cun"ning*man` (-mn`), n.

Defn: A fortune teller; one who pretends to reveal mysteries. [Obs.] Hudibras.

CUNNINGNESS Cun"ning*ness, n.

Defn: Quality of being cunning; craft.

CUP Cup (kp), n. Etym: [AS. cuppe, LL. cuppa cup; cf. L. cupa tub, cask; cf. also Gr. k pit, hollow, OSlav. kupa cup. Cf. Coop, Cupola, Cowl a water vessel, and Cob, Coif, Cop.]

1. A small vessel, used commonly to drink from; as, a tin cup, a silver cup, a wine cup; especially, in modern times, the pottery or porcelain vessel, commonly with a handle, used with a saucer in drinking tea, coffee, and the like.

2. The contents of such a vessel; a cupful. Give me a cup of sack, boy. Shak.

3. pl.

Defn: Repeated potations; social or exessive indulgence in intoxicating drinks; revelry. Thence from cups to civil broils. Milton.

4. That which is to be received or indured; that which is allotted to one; a portion. O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Matt. xxvi. 39.

5. Anything shaped like a cup; as, the cup of an acorn, or of a flower. The cowslip's golden cup no more I see. Shenstone.

6. (Med.)

Defn: A cupping glass or other vessel or instrument used to produce the vacuum in cupping. Cup and ball, a familiar toy of children, having a cup on the top of a piece of wood to which, a ball is attached by a cord; the ball, being thrown up, is to be caught in the cup; bilboquet. Milman.- Cup and can, familiar companions. -- Dry cup, Wet cup (Med.), a cup used for dry or wet cupping. See under Cupping. -- To be in one's cups, to be drunk.

CUP Cup, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cupped (kpt); p. pr. & vb. n. Cupping.]

1. To supply with cups of wine. [R.] Cup us, till the world go round. Shak.

2. (Surg.)

Defn: To apply a cupping apparatus to; to subject to the operation of cupping. See Cupping.

3. (Mech.)

Defn: To make concave or in the form of a cup; as, to cup the end of a screw.

CUPBEARER Cup"bear`er (-br`r), n.

1. One whose office it is to fill and hand the cups at an enterainment.

2. (Antiq.)

Defn: One of the attendants of a prince or noble, permanently charged with the performance of this office for his master. "I was the king's cupbearer." Neh. i. 11.

CUPBOARD Cup"board (kb"brd), n. Etym: [Cup + board.]

1. A board or shelf for cups and dishes. [Obs.] Bacon.

2. A small closet in a room, with shelves to receive cups, dishes, food, etc.; hence, any small closet. Cupboard love, interested love, or that which has an eye to the cupboard. "A cupboard love is seldom true." Poor Robin. [Colloq.] -- To cry cupboard, to call for food; to express hunger. [Colloq.] "My stomach cries cupboard." W. Irving.

CUPBOARD Cup"board, v. t.

Defn: To collect, as into a cupboard; to hoard. [R.] Shak.

CUPEL Cu"pel (k"pl), n. Etym: [LL. cupella cup (cf. L. cupella, small cask, dim. of cupa) : cf. F. coupelle. See Cup, and cf. Coblet.]

Defn: A shallow porus cup, used in refining precious metals, commonly made of bone ashes (phosphate of lime). [Written also coppel.] Cupel dust, powder used in purifying metals.

CUPEL Cu*pel" (k-pl"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cupelled (-pld"); p. pr. & vb. n. Cupelling.]

Defn: To refine by means of a cupel.

CUPELLATION Cu`pel*la"tion (k`pl-l"shn), n. Etym: [See Cupel.]

Defn: The act or process of refining gold or silver, etc., in a cupel.

Note: The process consist in exposing the cupel containing the metal to be assayed or refined to a hot blast, by which the lead, copper, tin, etc., are oxidized, dissolved, and carried down into the porous cupel, leaving the unoxidizable precious metal. If lead is not already present in the alloy it must be added before cupellation.

CUPFUL Cup"ful (kp"fl), n.; pl. Cupfuls (-f.

Defn: As much as a cup will hold.

CUP-GALL Cup"-gall` (-gl`), n.

Defn: A kind of oak-leaf gall. See Gall.

CUPID Cu"pid (k"pd), n . Etym: [L.Cupido, fr. cupido desire, desire of love, fr. cupidus. See Cupidity.] (Rom. Myth.)

Defn: The god of love, son of Venus; usually represented as a naked, winged boy with bow and arrow. Pretty dimpled boys, like smiling cupids. Shak.

CUPIDITY Cu*pid"i*ty (k-pd"-t), n. Etym: [F. cupidite, L. cupiditas, fr. cupidus longing, desiring, fr. cupere to long for, desire. See Covet.]

1. A passionate desire; love. [Obs.]

2. Eager or inordinate desire, especially for wealth; greed of gain; avarice; covetousness. With the feelings of political distrust were mingled those of cupidity and envy, as the Spaniard saw the fairest provinces of the south still in the hands of the accursed race of Ishmael. Prescott.

CUP-MOSS Cup"-moss` (kp"ms`; 115), n. (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of lichen, of the genus Cladonia.

CUPOLA Cu"po*la (k"p-l), n.; pl. Cupolas (-l. Etym: [It. cupola, LL. cupula, cuppula (cf. L. cupula little tub). fr. cupa, cuppa, cup; cf. L. cupa tub. So called on account of its resemblance to a cup turned over. See Cup, and cf.Cupule.]

1. (Arch.)

Defn: A roof having a rounded form, hemispherical or nearly so; also, a celing having the same form. When on a large scale it is usually called dome.

2. A small structure standing on the top of a dome; a lantern.

3. A furnace for melting iron or other metals in large quantity, -- used chiefly in foundries and steel works.

4. A revoling shot-proof turret for heavy ordnance.

5. (Anat.)

Defn: The top of the spire of the cochlea of the ear.

CUPPER Cup"per (kp"pr), n. Etym: [Fropm cup.]

Defn: One who performs the operation of cupping.

CUPPING Cup"ping (kp"png), n. (Med.)

Defn: The operation of drawing blood to or from the surface of the person by forming a partial vacuum over the spot. Also, sometimes, a similar operation for drawing pus from an abscess. Cupping glass, a glass cup in which a partial vacuum is produced by heat, in the process of cupping. -- Dry cupping, the application of a cupping instrument without scarification, to draw blood to the surface, produce counter irritation, etc. -- Wet cupping, the operation of drawing blood by the application of a cupping instrument after scarification.

CUPPY Cup"py, a.

1. Hollow; cuplike; also, full of cups, or small depressions.

2. Characterized by cup shakes; -- said of timber.

CUPREOUS Cu"pre*ous (k"pr-s), a. Etym: [L. cupreus, fr. cuprum.]

Defn: Consisting of copper or resembling copper; coppery.

CUPRIC Cu"pric (k"prk), a Etym: [From Cuprum.] (Chem.)

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or derived from, copper; containing copper; -- said of those compounds of copper in which this element is present in its lowest proportion.

CUPRIFEROUS Cu*prif"er*ous (k-prf"r-s), a. Etym: [Cuprum + -ferous.]

Defn: Containing copper; as, cupriferous silver.

CUPRITE Cu"prite (k"prt), n. (Min.)

Defn: The red oxide of copper; red copper; an important ore of copper, occurring massive and in isometric crystals.

CUPROID Cu"proid (k"proid), n. Etym: [Cuprum + -oid.]

Defn: (Crystalloq.) A solid related to a tetrahedron, and contained under twelve equal triangles.

CUP-ROSE Cup"-rose (kp"rz), n.

Defn: Red poppy. See Cop-rose.

CUPROUS Cu"prous (k"prs), a. Etym: [From Cuprum.] (Chem.)

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or derived from, copper; containing copper; -- said of those compounds of copper in which this element is present in its highest proportion.

CUPRUM Cu"prum (k"prm), n. Etym: [L.] (Chem.)

Defn: Copper.

CUP SHAKE Cup shake. (Forestry)

Defn: A shake or fissure between the annual rings of a tree, found oftenest near the roots.

CUPULATE Cu"pu*late (k"p-lt), a.

Defn: Having or bearing cupeles; cupuliferous.

CUPULE Cu"pule (k"pl), n. Etym: [See Cupola.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: A cuplet or little cup, as the acorn; the husk or bur of the filbert, chestnut, etc.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A sucker or acetabulum.

CUPULIFEROUS Cu`pu*lif"er*ous (k`p-lf"r-s), a. Etym: [Cupule + -ferous: cf. F. cupulif.]

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the family of plants ot which the oak and the chestnut are examples, -- trees bearing a smooth, solid nut inclosed in some kind of cup or bur; bearing, or furnished with, a cupule.

CUR Cur (kr), n. Etym: [OE. curre, kur; cf. dial. Sw. kurre dog, OD. korre watchdog, and Icel. kurra to murmur, grumble, Sw. kurra to rumble, croak, Dan. kurre to coo, whirr; prob. of imitative origin.]

1. A mongrel or inferior dog. They . . . like to village curs, Bark when their fellows do. Shak.

2. A worthless, snarling fellow; -- used in contempt. What would you have, you curs, That like nor peace nor war Shak.

CURABILITY Cur`a*bil"i*ty (kr`-bl"-t), n.

Defn: The state of being curable; curableness.

CURABLE Cur"a*ble (kr"-b'l), a. Etym: [Cf. F. curable. See Cure, v. t.]

Defn: Capable of being cured; admitting remedy. "Curable diseases." Harvey. -- Cur"a*ble*ness, n. -- Cur`a*bly, adv.

CURACAO; CURACOA Cu`ra*çao", Cu`ra*çoa", (k`r-s"), n.

Defn: A liqueur, or cordial, flavored with orange peel, cinnamon, and mace; -- first made at the island of Curaçcao.

CURACY Cu"ra*cy (k"r-s), n.; pl. Curacies (-s. Etym: [See Cure, Curate.]

Defn: The office or employment of a curate.

CURARE; CURARI Cu*ra"re Cu*ra"ri (k-r"r), n. Etym: [Native name. Cf. Wourall.]

Defn: A black resinoid extract prepared by the South American Indians from the bark of several species of Strychnos (S. toxifera, etc.). It sometimes has little effect when taken internally, but is quickly fatal when introduced into the blood, and used by the Indians as an arrow poison. [Written also urari, woorali, woorari, etc.]

CURARINE Cu"ra*rine (k"r-rn or k-r"rn; 104), n. (Chem.)

Defn: A deadly alkaloid extracted from the curare poison and from the Strychnos toxifera. It is obtained in crystalline colorless salts.

CURARIZE Cu"ra*rize (-rz), v. t.

Defn: To poison with curare.

CURASSOW Cu*ras"sow (k-rs"s), n. Etym: [Native name in Brazil.] (Zool.)

Defn: A large gallinaceous bird of the American genera Crax, Ourax, etc., of the family Cracidæ.

Note: The crested curassow (Crax alector) is black, and about the size of a small hen-turkey, with an erectile crest of curled feathers. It ranges from Mexico to Brazil. The galeated curassow or cushew bird (Ourax Pauxi) is similar in size, and has a large, hollow, blue, pear-shaped protuberance on the head.

CURAT Cu"rat (k"rt), n. Etym: [SeeCuirass.]

Defn: A cuirass or breastplate. [Obs.] Spenser.

CURATE Cu"rate (k"rt), n. Etym: [LL. curatus, prop., one who is charged with the care (L. cura) of souls. See Cure, n., and cf. Cur]

Defn: One who has the cure souls; originally, any clergyman, but now usually limited to one who assist a rector or vicar Hook. All this the good old man performed alone, He spared no pains, for curate he had none. Dryden.

CURATESHIP Cu"rate*ship, n.

Defn: A curacy.

CURATION Cu*ra"tion (k-r"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. OF.curacion.]

Defn: Cure; healing. [Obs.] Chaucer.

CURATIVE Cur"a*tive (kr"-tv), a. Etym: [Cf. F.curatif. See Cure, v. t.]

Defn: Relating to, or employed in, the cure of diseases; tending to cure. Arbuthnot.

CURATOR Cu*ra"tor (k-r"tr). n. Etym: [L., fr. curare to take care of, fr. cura care.]

1. One who has the care and superintendence of anything, as of a museum; a custodian; a keeper.

2. One appointed to act as guardian of the estate of a person not legally competent to manage it, or of an absentee; a trustee; a guardian.

CURATORSHIP Cu*ra"tor*ship, n.

Defn: The office of a curator.

CURATRIX Cu*ra"trix (-trks), n. Etym: [L.]

1. A woman who cures.

2. A woman who is a guardian or custodian. Burrill.

CURB Curb (krb), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Curbed (krbd); p. pr. & vb. n. Curbing.] Etym: [F. courber to bend, curve, L.curvare, fr. curvus bent, curved; cf. Gr. Curve.]

1. To bend or curve [Obs.] Crooked and curbed lines. Holland.

2. To guide and manage, or restrain, as with a curb; to bend to one's will; to subject; to subdue; to restrain; to confine; to keep in check. Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed. Milton. Where pinching want must curbthy warm desires. Prior.

3. To furnish wich a curb, as a well; also, to restrain by a curb, as a bank of earth.

CURB Curb, v. i.

Defn: To bend; to crouch; to cringe. [Obs.] Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg, Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good. Shak.

CURB Curb, n.

1. That which curbs, restrains, or subdues; a check or hindbrance; esp., a chain or strap attached to the upper part of the branches of a bit, and capable of being drawn tightly against the lower jaw of the horse. He that before ran in the pastures wild Felt the stiff curb control his angry jaws. Drayton. By these men, religion,that should be The curb, is made the spur of tyranny. Denham.

2. (Arch.)

Defn: An assemblage of three or more pieces of timber, or a metal member, forming a frame around an opening, and serving to maintain the integrity of that opening; also, a ring of stone serving a similar purpose, as at the eye of a dome.

3. A frame or wall round the mouth of a well; also, a frame within a well to prevent the earth caving in.

4. A curbstone.

5. (Far.)

Defn: A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness. James Law. Curb bit, a stiff bit having branches by which a leverage is obtained upon the jaws of horse. Knight. -- Curb pins (Horology), the pins on the regulator which restrain the hairspring. -- Curb plate (Arch.), a plate serving the purpose of a curb. -- Deck curb. See under Deck.

CURBLESS Curb"less, a.

Defn: Having no curb or restraint.

CURB ROOF Curb" roof` (rf`).

Defn: A roof having a double slope, or composed, on each side, of two parts which have unequal inclination; a gambrel roof.

CURBSTONE Curb"stone` (krb"stn`), n.

Defn: A stone Curbstone broker.See under Broker.

CURCH Curch (krch), n.

Defn: See Courche.

CURCULIO Cur*cu"li*o (kr-r"l-), n.; pl. Curculios (-. Etym: [L., a grain weevil.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of a large group of beetles (Rhynchophora) of many genera; -- called also weevils, snout beetles, billbeetles, and billbugs. Many of the species are very destructive, as the plum curculio, the corn, grain, and rice weevils, etc.

CURCULIONIDOUS Cur`cu*li*on"i*dous (kr`-k-l-n"-ds), a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Pertaining to the Curculionideæ, or weevil tribe.

CURCUMA Cur"cu*ma (kr"k-m), n. Etym: [Cf. F., It., & Sp. curcuma; all fr. Ar. kurkum. Cf. Turmeric.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of plants of the order Scitamineæ, including the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa). Curcuma paper. (Chem.) See Turmeric paper, under Turmeric.

CURCUMIN Cur"cu*min (-mn), n. (Chem.)

Defn: The coloring principle of turmeric, or curcuma root, extracted as an orange yellow crystalline substance, C14H14O4, with a green fluorescence.

Note: It possesses acid properties and with alkalies forms brownish salts. This change in color from yellow to brown is the characteristic reaction of tumeric paper. See Turmeric paper, under Turmeric.

CURD Curd (krd), n. Etym: [Of Celtic origin; cf. Gael. gruth, Ir, gruth, cruth, curd, cruthaim I milk.] [Sometimes written crud.]

1. The coagulated or thickened part of milk, as distingushed from the whey, or watery part. It is eaten as food, especially when made into cheese. Curds and cream, the flower of country fare. Dryden.

2. The coagulated part of any liquid.

3. The edible flower head of certain brassicaceous plants, as the broccoli and cauliflower. Broccoli should be cut while the curd, as the flowering mass is termed, is entire. R. Thompson. Cauliflowers should be cut for use while the head, or curd, is still close and compact. F. Burr.

CURD Curd (krd), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Curded;p. pr. &* vb. n. Curding.]

Defn: To cause to coagulate or thicken; to cause to congeal; to curdle. Does it curd thy blood To say I am thy mother Shak.

CURD Curd, v. i.

Defn: To become coagulated or thickened; to separate into curds and whey Shak.

CURDINESS Curd"i*ness (--ns), n.

Defn: The state of being curdy.

CURDLE Cur"dle (kr"d'l), v. i. Etym: [From Curd.] [Sometimes written crudle and cruddle.]

1. To change into curd; to coagulate; as, rennet causes milk to curdle. Thomson.

2. To thicken; to congeal. Then Mary could feel her heart's blood curdle cold. Southey.

CURDLE Cur"dle, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Curdled (-d'ld); p.pr. & vb. n. Curdling (-dlng).]

1. To change into curd; to cause to coagulate. "To curdle whites of eggs" Boyle.

2. To congeal or thicken. My chill blood is curdled in my veins. Dryden.

CURDLESS Curd"less (krd"ls), a.

Defn: Destitute of curd.

CURDY Curd"y (krd"), a.

Defn: Like curd; full of curd; coagulated. "A curdy mass." Arbuthnot.

CURE Cure (k, n. Etym: [OF, cure care, F., also, cure, healing, cure of souls, L. cura care, medical attendance, cure; perh. akin to cavere to pay heed, E. cution. Cure is not related to care.]

1. Care, heed, or attention. [Obs.] Of study took he most cure and most heed. Chaucer. Vicarages of greatcure, but small value. Fuller.

2. Spiritual charge; care of soul; the office of a parish priest or of a curate; hence, that which is committed to the charge of a parish priest or of a curate; a curacy; as, to resign a cure; to obtain a cure. The appropriator was the incumbent parson, and had the cure of the souls of the parishioners. Spelman.

3. Medical or hygienic care; remedial treatment of disease; a method of medical treatment; as, to use the water cure.

4. Act of healing or state of being healed; restoration to health from disease, or to soundness after injury. Past hope! pastcure! past help. Shak. I do cures to-day and to-morrow. Luke xii. 32.

5. Means of the removal of disease or evil; that which heals; a remedy; a restorative. Cold, hunger, prisons, ills without a cure. Dryden. The proper cure of such prejudices. Bp. Hurd.

CURE Cure, v. t. [imp.& p.p. Cured (krd); p. pr. & vb. n. Curing.] Etym: [OF. curer to take care, to heal, F., only, to cleanse, L. curare to take care, to heal, fr. cura. See Cure,.]

1. To heal; to restore to health, soundness, or sanity; to make well; -- said of a patient. The child was cured from that very hour. Matt. xvii. 18.

2. To subdue or remove by remedial means; to remedy; to remove; to heal; -- said of a malady. To cure this deadly grief. Shak. Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power . . . to cure diseases. Luke ix. 1.

3. To set free from (something injurious or blameworthy), as from a bad habit. I never knew any man cured of inattention. Swift.

4. To prepare for preservation or permanent keeping; to preserve, as by drying, salting, etc.; as, to cure beef or fish; to cure hay.

CURE Cure, v. i.

1. To pay heed; to care; to give attention. [Obs.]

2. To restore health; to effect a cure. Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles' spear, Is able with the change to kill and cure. Shak.

3. To become healed. One desperate grief cures with another's languish. Shak.

CURE Cu`ré" (k`r"), n. Etym: [F., fr. LL. curatus. See Curate.]

Defn: A curate; a pardon.

CUREALL Cure"*all` (kr"l`), n.

Defn: A remedy for all diseases, o

CURELESS Cure"less, a.

Defn: Incapable of cure; incurable. With patience undergo A cureless ill, since fate will have it so. Dryden.

CURER Cur"er (-r), n.

1. One who cures; a healer; a physician.

2. One who prepares beef, fish, etc., for preservation by drying, salting, smoking, etc.

CURETTE Cu*rette" (k-rt"), n.Etym: [F., fr. curer to cleanse.] (Med.)

Defn: A scoop or ring with either a blunt or a cutting edge, for removing substances from the walls of a cavity, as from the eye, ear, or womb.

CURFEW Cur"few (kr"f), n. Etym: [OE. courfew, curfu, fr. OF. cuevrefu, covrefeu, F. couvre-feu; covrir to cover + feu fire, fr. L. focus fireplace, hearth. See Cover, and Focus.]

1. The ringing of an evening bell, originally a signal to the inhabitants to cover fires, extinguish lights, and retire to rest, -- instituted by William the Conqueror; also, the bell itself. He begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock. Shak. The village curfew, as it tolled profound. Campbell.

2. A utensil for covering the fire. [Obs.] For pans, pots, curfews, counters and the like. Bacon.

CURIA Cu"ri*a (k"r-), n.; pl. Curle (-. Etym: [L.]

1. (Rom. Antiq.) (a) One of the thirty parts into which the Roman people were divided by Romulus. (b) The place of assembly of one of these divisions. (c) The place where the meetings of the senate were held; the senate house.

2. (Middle Ages)

Defn: The court of a sovereign or of a feudal lord; also; his residence or his household. Burrill.

3. (Law)

Defn: Any court of justice.

4. The Roman See in its temporal aspects, including all the machinery of administration; -- called also curia Romana.

CURIAL Cu"ri*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the papal curia; as, the curial etiquette of the Vatican. -- n.

Defn: A member of a curia, esp. of that of Rome or the later Italian sovereignties.

CURIALISM Cu"ri*a*lism (k"r--lz'm), n.

Defn: The wiew or doctrins of the ultramontane party in the Latin Church. Gladstone.

CURIALIST Cu"ri*a*list (k"r--lst), n.

Defn: One who belongs to the ultramontane party in the Latin Church. Shipley.

CURIALISTIC Cu`ri*a*lis"tic (-ls"tk), a. Etym: [L.curialis belonging to the imperial court, fr. curia, LL., also, counselors and retinue of a king.]

1. Pertaining to a court.

2. Relating or belonging to the ultramonate party in the Latin Church.

CURIALITY Cu`ri*al"i*ty (-l"-t), n. Etym: [Cf. LL. curialitas courtesy, fr. curialis.]

Defn: The privileges, prerogatives, or retinue of a court. [Obs.] Bacon.

CURIET Cu"ri*et (k"r-t), n.

Defn: A cuirass. [Obs.] Spenser.

CURING Cur"ing (kr"ng),

Defn: p. a. & vb. n. of Cure. Curing house, a building in which anything is cured; especially, in the West Indies, a building in which sugar is drained and dried.

CURIO Cu"ri*o (k"r-), n.; pl.Curios (-. Etym: [Abbreviation of curiosity.]

Defn: Any curiosity or article of virtu. The busy world, which does not hunt poets as collectors hunt for curios. F. Harrison.

CURIOLOGIC Cu`ri*o*log"ic (--lj"k), a. Etym: [Gr. Cyriologic.]

Defn: Pertaining to a rude kind of hieroglyphics, in which a thing is represented by its picture instead of by a symbol.

CURIOSITY Cu`ri*os"i*ty (k`r-s"-t), n.; pl. Curiosities (-t. Etym: [OE. curiouste, curiosite, OF. curioseté, curiosité, F. curiosit, fr. L. curiositas, fr. curiosus. See Currious, and cf. Curio.]

1. The state or quality or being curious; nicety; accuracy; exactness; elaboration. [Obs.] Bacon. When thou wast in thy gilt and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much curiosity. Shak. A screen accurately cut in tapiary work . . . with great curiosity. Evelin.

2. Disposition to inquire, investigate, or seek after knowledge; a desire to gratify the mind with new information or objects of interest; inquisitiveness. Milton.

3. That which is curious, or fitted to excite or reward attention. We took a ramble together to see the curiosities of this great town. Addison. There hath been practiced also a curiosity, to set a tree upon the north side of a wall, and, at a little hieght, to draw it through the wall, etc. Bacon.

CURIOSO Cu`ri*o"so (k`r-"z or k`r-"s), n.; pl. Curiosos (-zor -s. Etym: [It. See Curious.]

Defn: A virtuoso.

CURIOUS Cu"ri*ous (k"r-s), a. Etym: [OF. curios, curius, F. curieux, L. curiosus careful, inquisitive, fr. cura care. See Cure.]

1. Difficult to please or satisfy; solicitous to be correct; careful; scrupulous; nice; exact. [Obs.] Little curious in her clothes. Fuller. How shall we, If he be curious, work upon his faith Bean &

2. Exhibiting care or nicety; artfully constructed; elaborate; wrought with elegance or skill. To devise curious works. Ex. xxxv. 32 His body couched in a curious bed. Shak.

3. Careful or anxious to learn; eager for knowledge; given to research or inquiry; habitually inquisitive; prying; -- sometimes with after or of. It is a picurious after things that were elegant and beatiful should not have been as curious as to their origin, their uses, and their natural history. Woodward.

4. Exciting attention or inquiry; awakening surprise; inviting and rewarding inquisitiveness; not simple or plain; strange; rare. "Acurious tale" Shak. A multitude of curious analogies. Mocaulay. Many a quaint and curiousvolume of forgotten lore. E. A. Poe. Abstruse investigations in recondite branches of learning or sciense often bring to light curious results. C. J. Smith. Curious arts, magic. [Obs.] Many . . . which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them. Acts xix. 19.

Syn. -- Inquisitive; prying. See Inquisitive.

CURIOUSLY Cu"ri*ous*ly, adv.

Defn: In a curious manner.

CURIOUSNESS Cu"ri*ous*ness, n.

1. Carefulness; painstaking. [Obs.] My father's care With curiousness and cost did train me up. Massinger.

2. The state of being curious; exactness of workmanship; ingenuity of contrivance.

3. Inquisitiveness; curiosity.

CURL Curl (krl), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Curled (krld); p. pr. & vb. n. Curling.] Etym: [Akin to D. krullen, Dan. kr, dial. Sw. krulla to curl, crisp; possibly akin to E. crook. Cf. Curl, n., Cruller.]

1. To twist or form into ringlets; to crisp, as the hair. But curl their locks with bodkins and with braid. Cascoigne.

2. To twist or make onto coils, as a serpent's body. Of his tortuous train, Curled many a wanton wreath in sight of Eve. Milton.

3. To deck with, or as with, curls; to ornament. Thicker than the snaky locks That curledMegæra. Milton. Curling with metaphors a plain intention. Herbert.

4. To raise in waves or undulations; to ripple. Seas would be pools without the brushing air To curl the waves. Dryden.

5. (Hat Making)

Defn: To shape (the brim) into a curve.

CURL Curl, v. i.

1. To contract or bend into curis or ringlets, as hair; to grow in curls or spirals, as a vine; to be crinkled or contorted; to have a curly appearance; as, leaves lie curled on the ground. Thou seest it [hair] will not curl by nature. Shak.

2. To move in curves, spirals, or undulations; to contract in curving outlines; to bend in a curved form; to make a curl or curls. "Cirling billows." Dryden. Then round her slender waist he curled. Dryden. Curling smokes from village tops are seen. Pope. Gayly curl the waves before each dashing prow. Byron. He smiled a king of sickly smile, and curled up on the floor. Bret Harte. . 358

3. To play at the game called curling. [Scot.]

CURL Curl (krl), n. Etym: [Akin to D. krul, Dan. kr. See Curl, v. ]

1. A ringlet, especially of hair; anything of a spiral or winding form. Under a coronet, his flowing hair In curls on either cheek played. Milton.

2. An undulating or waving line or streak in any substance, as wood, glass, etc.; flexure; sinuosity. If the glass of the prisms . . . be without those numberless waves or curls which usually arise from the sand holes. Sir I. Newton.

3. A disease in potatoes, in which the leaves, at their first appearance, seem curled and shrunken. Blue curls. (Bot.) See under Blue.

CURLED Curled (lrld), a.

Defn: Having curls; curly; sinuous; wavy; as, curled maple (maple having fibers which take a sinnuous course). Curled hair (Com.), the hair of the manes and tails of horses, prepared for upholstery purposes. McElrath.

CURLEDNESS Curl"ed*ness, n.

Defn: State of being curled; curliness.

CURLER Curl"er (-r), n.

1. One who, or that which, curls.

2. A player at the game called curling. Burns.

CURLEW Cur"lew (kr"l), n. Etym: [F. courlieu, corlieu, courlis; perh. of imitative origin, but cf. OF. corlieus courier; L. currere to run + levis light.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A wading bird of the genus Numenius, remarkable for its long, slender, curved bill.

Note: The common European curlew is N. arquatus. The long-billed (N. longirostris), the Hudsonian (N. Hudsonicus), and the Eskimo curlew (N. borealis, are American species. The name is said to imitate the note of the European species. Curlew Jack (Zoöl.) the whimbrel or lesser curlew. -- Curlew sandpiper (Zoöl.), a sandpiper (Tringa ferruginea, or subarquata), common in Europe, rare in America, resembling a curlew in having a long, curved bill. See Illustation in Appendix.

CURLINESS Curl"i*ness (krl"-ns), n.

Defn: State of being curly.

CURLING Curl"ing, n.

1. The act or state of that which curls; as, the curling of smoke when it rises; the curling of a ringlet; also, the act or process of one who curls something, as hair, or the brim of hats.

2. A scottish game in which heavy weights of stone or iron are propelled by hand over the ice towards a mark. Curling . . . is an amusement of the winter, and played on the ice, by sliding from one mark to another great stones of 40 to 70 pounds weight, of a hemispherical form, with an iron or wooden handle at top. The object of the player is to lay his stone as near to the mark as possible, to guard that of his partner, which has been well laid before, or to strike off that of his antagonist. Pennant (Tour in Scotland. 1772). Curling irons, Curling tong, an instrument for curling the hair; -- commonly heated when used.

CURLINGLY Curl"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: With a curl, or curls.

CURLY Curl"y (krl"), a.

Defn: Curling or tending to curl; having curls; full of ripples; crinkled.

CURLYCUE Curl"y*cue (krl"-k), n. Etym: [Cf. F. caracole.]

Defn: Some thing curled or spiral,, as a flourish made with a pen on paper, or with skates on the ice; a trick; a frolicsome caper. [Sometimes written carlicue.] [ Colloq. U.S.] To cut a curlycue, to make a flourish; to cut a caper. I gave a flourishing about the room and cut a curlycue with my right foot. McClintock.

CURMUDGEON Cur*mudg"eon (kr-mj"n), n. Etym: [OE. cornmudgin, where -mudgin is prob. from OF. muchier, mucier, F. musser to hide; of uncertain origin; cf. OE. muchares skulking thieves, E. miche, micher.]

Defn: An avaricious, grasping fellow; a miser; a niggard; a churl. A gray-headed curmudgeon of a negro. W. Irving.

CURMUDGEONLY Cur*mudg"eon*ly, a.

Defn: Like a curmudgeon; niggardly; churlish; as, a curmudgeonly fellow.

CURMURRING Cur*mur"ring (kr-mr"rng), n.

Defn: Murmuring; grumbling; -- sometimes applied to the rumbling produced by a slight attack of the gripes. [Scot.] Burns.

CURR Curr (kr), v. i. Etym: [Prob. imitative.]

Defn: To coo. [Scot.] The owlets hoot, the owlets curr. Wordsworth.

CURRANT Cur"rant (kr"rant), n. Etym: [F. corinthe (raisins de Corinthe raisins of Corinth) currant (in sense 1), from the city of Corinth in Greece, whence, probably, the small dried grape (1) was first imported, the Ribes fruit (2) receiving the name from its resemblance to that grape.]

1. A small kind of seedless raisin, imported from the Levant, chiefly from Zante and Cephalonia; -- used in cookery.

2. The acid fruit or berry of the Ribes rubrum or common red currant, or of its variety, the white currant.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: A shrub or bush of several species of the genus Ribes (a genus also including the gooseberry); esp., the Ribes rubrum. Black currant,a shrub or bush (Ribes nigrum and R. floridum) and its black, strong-flavored, tonic fruit. -- Cherry currant, a variety of the red currant, having a strong, symmetrical bush and a very large berry. -- Currant borer (Zoöl.), the larva of an insect that bores into the pith and kills currant bushes; specif., the larvae of a small clearwing moth (Ægeria tipuliformis) and a longicorn beetle (Psenocerus supernotatus). -- Currant worm (Zoöl.), an insect larva which eats the leaves or fruit of the currant. The most injurious are the currant sawfly (Nematus ventricosus), introduced from Europe, and the spanworm (Eufitchia ribearia). The fruit worms are the larva of a fly (Epochra Canadensis), and a spanworm (Eupithecia). -- Flowering currant, Missouri currant, a species of Ribes (R. aureum), having showy yellow flowers.

CURRENCY Cur"ren*cy (kr"rn-c), n.; pl. Currencies (-s. Etym: [Cf. LL. currentia a current, fr. L. currens, p. pr. of currere to run. See Current.]

1. A continued or uninterrupted course or flow like that of a sream; as, the currency of time. [Obs.] Ayliffe.

2. The state or quality of being current; general acceptance or reception; a passing from person to person, or from hand to hand; circulation; as, a report has had a long or general currency; the currency of bank notes.

3. That which is in circulation, or is given and taken as having or representing value; as, the currency of a country; a specie currency; esp., government or bank notes circulating as a substitute for metallic money.

4. Fluency; readiness of utterance. [Obs.]

5. Current value; general estimation; the rate at which anything is generally valued. He . . . takes greatness of kingdoms according to their bulk and currency, and not after intrinsic value. Bacon. The bare name of Englishman . . . too often gave a transient currency to the worthless and ungrateful. W. Irving.

CURRENT Cur"rent (kr"rent), a. Etym: [OE. currant, OF. curant, corant, p. pr. of curre, corre, F. courre, courir, to run, from L. currere; perh. akin to E. horse. Cf. Course, Concur, Courant, Coranto.]

1. Running or moving rapidly. [Archaic] Like the current fire, that renneth Upon a cord. Gower. To chase a creature that was current then In these wild woods, the hart with golden horns. Tennyson.

2. Now passing, as time; as, the current month.

3. Passing from person to person, or from hand to hand; circulating through the community; generally received; common; as, a current coin; a current report; current history. That there was current money in Abraham's time is past doubt. Arbuthnot. Your fire-new stamp of honor is scarce current. Shak. His current value, which is less or more as men have occasion for him. Grew.

4. Commonly estimated or acknowledged.

5. Fitted for general acceptance or circulation; authentic; passable. O Buckingham, now do I play the touch To try if thou be current gold indeed. Shak. Account current. See under Account. -- Current money, lawful money. Abbott.

CURRENT Cur"rent, n. Etym: [Cf. F. courant. See Current, a. ]

1. A flowing or passing; onward motion. Hence: A body of fluid moving continuously in a certain direction; a stream; esp., the swiftest part of it; as, a current of water or of air; that which resembles a stream in motion; as, a current of electricity. Two such silver currents, when they join, Do glorify the banks that bound them in. Shak. The surface of the ocean is furrowed by currents, whose direction . . . the navigator should know. Nichol.

2. General course; ordinary procedure; progressive and connected movement; as, the current of time, of events, of opinion, etc. Current meter, an instrument for measuring the velocity, force, etc., of currents. -- Current mill, a mill driven by a current wheel. -- Current wheel, a wheel dipping into the water and driven by the current of a stream or by the ebb and flow of the tide.

Syn. -- Stream; course. See Stream.

CURRENTLY Cur"rent*ly, adv.

Defn: In a current manner; generally; commonly; as, it is currently believed.

CURRENTNESS Cur"rent*ness, n.

1. The quality of being current; currency; circulation; general reception.

2. Easiness of pronunciation; fluency. [Obs.] When currentness [combineth] with staidness, how can the language . . . sound other than most full of sweetness Camden.

CURRICLE Cur"ri*cle (kr"r-k'l), n. Etym: [L.curriculum a running, a race course, fr. currere to run. See Current, and cf. Curriculum.]

1. A small or short course. Upon a curricle in this world depends a long course of the next. Sir T. Browne.

2. A two-wheeled chaise drawn by two horses abreast.

CURRICULUM Cur*ric"u*lum (kr-rk"-lm), n.; pl. E. Curriculums (-lCurricula (-l. Etym: [L. See Curricle.]

1. A race course; a place for running.

2. A course; particularly, a specified fixed course of study, as in a university.

CURRIE Cur"rie (kr"r), n. & v.

Defn: See 2d & 3d Curry.

CURRIED Cur"ried (-r, p.a. Etym: [See Curry, v. t., and Curry, n.]

1. Dressed by currying; cleaned; prepared.

2. Prepared with curry; as, curried rice, fowl, etc.

CURRIER Cur"ri*er (k"r-r), n. Etym: [From 1st Curry.]

Defn: One who curries and dresses leather, after it is tanned.

CURRISH Cur"rish (kr"rsh), a. Etym: [From Cur.]

Defn: Having the qualities, or exhibiting the characteristics, of a cur; snarling; quarrelsome; snappish; churlish; hence, also malicious; malignant; brutal. Thy currish spirit Governed a wolf. Shak. Some currish plot, -- some trick. Lockhart. -- Cur"rish*ly, adv. -- Cur"rish*ness, n.

CURRY Cur"ry (kr"r), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Curried (-rd); p.pr. & vb. n. Currying.] Etym: [OE. curraien, curreien, OF. cunreer, correier, to prepare, arrange, furnish, curry (a horse), F. corroyer to curry (leather) (cf. OF. conrei, conroi, order, arrangement, LL. conredium); cor- (L.com-) + roi, rei, arrangement, order; prob. of German origin, and akin to E. ready. See Ready, Greith, and cf. Corody, Array.]

1. To dress or prepare for use by a process of scraping, cleansing, beating, smoothing, and coloring; -- said of leather.

2. To dress the hair or coat of (a horse, ox, or the like) with a currycomb and brush; to comb, as a horse, in order to make clean. Your short horse is soon curried. Beau. & FL.

3. To beat or bruise; to drub; -- said of persons. I have seen him curry a fellow's carcass handsomely. Beau. & FL. To curry favor, to seek to gain favor by flattery or attentions. See Favor, n.

CURRY Cur"ry, n. Etym: [Tamil kari.] [Written also currie.]

1. (Cookery)

Defn: A kind of sauce much used in India, containing garlic, pepper, ginger, and other strong spices.

2. A stew of fowl, fish, or game, cooked with curry. Curry powder (Cookery), a condiment used for making curry, formed of various materials, including strong spices, as pepper, ginger, garlic, coriander seed, etc.

CURRY Cur"ry (kr"r), v. t.

Defn: To flavor or cook with curry.

CURRYCOMB Cur"ry*comb` (kr"r-km`), n.

Defn: A kind of card or comb having rows of metallic teeth or serrated ridges, used in curryng a horse.

CURRYCOMB Cur"ry*comb`, v. t.

Defn: To comb with a currycomb.

CURSE Curse (krs), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cursed (krst) or Curst; p. pr. & vb. n. Cursing.] Etym: [AS. cursian, corsian, perh. of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. korse to make the sign of the cross, Sw. korsa, fr. Dan. & Sw. kors cross, Icel kross, all these Scand. words coming fr. OF. crois, croiz, fr. L. crux cross. Cf. Cross.]

1. To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate. Thou shalt not . . . curse the ruler of thy people. Ex. xxii. 28. Ere sunset I'll make thee curse the deed. Shak.

2. To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment. On impious realms and barbarous kings impose Thy plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those. Pope. To curse by bell, book, and candle. See under Bell.

CURSE Curse, v. i.

Defn: To utter imprecations or curses; to affirm or deny with imprecations; to swear. Then began he to curse and to swear. Matt. xxi. 74. His spirits hear me, And yet I need must curse. Shak.

CURSE Curse, n. Etym: [AS. curs. See Curse, v. t.]

1. An invocation of, or prayer for, harm or injury; malediction. Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. Shak.

2. Evil pronounced or invoked upon another, solemnly, or in passion; subjection to, or sentence of, divine condemnation. The priest shall write these curses in a book. Num. v. 23. Curses, like chickens, come home to roost. Old Proverb.

3. The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment. The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance. Shak. All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget, Is propagated curse. Milton. The curse of Scotland (Card Playing), the nine of diamonds. -- Not worth a curse. See under Cress.

Syn. -- Malediction; imprecation; execration. See Malediction.

CURSED Curs"ed (krs"d), a.

Defn: Deserving a curse; execrable; hateful; detestable; abominable. Let us fly this cursed place. Milton. This cursed quarrel be no more renewed. Dryden.

CURSEDLY Curs"ed*ly, adv.

Defn: In a cursed manner; miserably; in a manner to be detested; enormously. [Low]

CURSEDNESS Curs"ed*ness, n.

1. The state of being under a curse or of being doomed to execration or to evil.

2. Wickedness; sin; cursing. Chaucer.

3. Shrewishness. "My wife's cursedness." Chaucer.

CURSER Curs"er (krs"r), n.

Defn: One who curses.

CURSHIP Cur"ship (kr"shp), n. Etym: [Cur +-ship.]

Defn: The state of being a cur; one who is currish. [Jocose] How durst he, I say, oppose thy curship! Hudibras.

CURSITATING Cur"si*ta`ting (kr"s-t`tng), a. Etym: [See Cursitor.]

Defn: Moving about slightly. [R.] H. Bushnell.

CURSITOR Cur"si*tor (kr"s-tr), n. Etym: [LL. cursitor, equiv. to L. cursor, fr. cursare to run hither and thither, fr. currere to run. See Current, and cf. Cursor.]

1. A courier or runner. [Obs.] "Cursitors to and fro." Holland.

2. (Eng.Law)

Defn: An officer in the Court of Chancery, whose business is to make out original writs.

CURSIVE Cur"sive (kr"sv), a. Etym: [LL. cursivus: cf. F. cursif See Cursitor.]

Defn: Running; flowing. Cursive hand,a running handwriting.

CURSIVE Cur"sive, n.

1. A character used in cursive writing.

2. A manuscript, especially of the New Testament, written in small, connected characters or in a running hand; -- opposed to uncial. Shipley.

CURSOR Cur"sor (kr"sr), n. Etym: [L., a runner. See Cursitor.]

Defn: Any part of a mathematical instrument that moves or slides backward and forward upon another part.

CURSORARY Cur"so*ra*ry (-s-r-r), a.

Defn: Cursory; hasty. [Obs.] With a cursorary eye o'erglanced the articles. Shak.

CURSORES Cur*so"res (kr-s"rEz), n. pl. Etym: [L. cursor, pl. cursores, a runner.] (Zoöl.) (a) An order of running birds including the ostrich, emu, and allies; the Ratitaæ. (b) A group of running spiders; the wolf spiders.

CURSORIAL Cur*so"ri*al (kr-s"r-al), a. (Zoöl.) (a) Adapted to running or walking, and not to prehension; as, the limbs of the horse are cursorial. See Illust. of Aves. (b) Of or pertaining to the Cursores.

CURSORILY Cur"so*ri*ly (kr"s-r-l), adv.

Defn: In a running or hasty manner; carelessly.

CURSORINESS Cur"so*ri*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being cursory; superficial performance; as, cursoriness of view.

CURSORY Cur"so*ry (kr"s-r), a. Etym: [L. cursorius, fr. cursor. See Cursor.]

1. Running about; not stationary. [Obs.]

2. Characterized by haste; hastily or superficially performed; slight; superficial; careless. Events far too important to be treated in a cursory manner. Hallam.

CURST Curst (krst),

Defn: imp. & p.p. of Curse.

CURST Curst, a. Etym: [SeeCurse.]

Defn: Froward; malignant; mischievous; malicious; snarling. [Obs.] Though his mind Be ne'er so curst, his tonque is kind. Crashaw.

CURSTFULLY Curst"ful*ly (-fl-l), adv.

Defn: Peevishly; vexatiously; detestably. [Obs.] "Curstfully mad." Marston.

CURSTNESS Curst"ness (krst"ns), n.

Defn: Peevishness; malignity; frowardness; crabbedness; surliness. [Obs.] Shak.

CURT Curt (krt), a. Etym: [L. curtus; cf. Skr. kart to cut. Cf. Curtail.]

Defn: Characterized by exessive brevity; short; rudely concise; as, curt limits; a curt answer. The curt, yet comprehensive reply. W. Irving.

CURTAIL Cur*tail" (kr-tl"), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Curtailed (-tld"); p.pr. & vb.n. Curtailing.] Etym: [See Curtal.]

Defn: To cut off the end or tail, or any part, of; to shorten; to abridge; to diminish; to reduce. I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion. Shak. Our incomes have been curtailed; his salary has been doubled. Macualay.

CURTAIL Cur"tail (kr"tl), n.

Defn: The scroll termination of any architectural member, as of a step, etc.

CURTAIL DOG Cur"tail dog` (d.

Defn: A dog with a docked tail; formerly, the dog of a person not qualified to course, which, by the forest laws, must have its tail cut short, partly as a mark, and partly from a notion that the tail is necessary to a dog in running; hence, a dog not fit for sporting. Hope is a curtail dog in some affairs. Shak.

CURTAILER Cur*tail"er (kr-tl"r), n.

Defn: One who curtails.

CURTAILMENT Cur*tail"ment (kr-tl"ment), n.

Defn: The act or result of curtailing or cutting off. Bancroft.

CURTAIN Cur"tain (kr"tn; 48), n. Etym: [OE.cortin, curtin,fr. OF. cortine, curtine, F. courtine, LL. cortina, curtian (in senses 1 and 2), also, small court, small inclosure surrounded by walls, from cortis court. See Court.]

1. A hanging screen intended to darken or conceal, and admitting of being drawn back or up, and reclosed at pleasure; esp., drapery of cloth or lace hanging round a bed or at a window; in theaters, and like places, a movable screen for concealing the stage.

2. (Fort.)

Defn: That part of the rampart and parapet which is between two bastions or two gates. See Illustrations of Ravelin and Bastion.

3. (Arch.)

Defn: That part of a wall of a building which is between two pavilions, towers, etc.

4. A flag; an ensign; -- in contempt. [Obs.] Shak. Behind the curtain, in concealment; in secret. -- Curtain lecture, a querulous lecture given by a wife to her husband within the bed curtains, or in bed. Jerrold. A curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtues of patience and long-suffering. W. Irving. -- The curtain falls, the performance closes. -- The curtain rises, the performance begins. -- To draw the curtain, to close ot over an object, or to remove it; hence: (a) To hide or to disclose an object. (b) To commence or close a performance. -- To drop the curtain, to end the tale, or close the performance.

CURTAIN Cur"tain, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Curtained (-tnd; 48); p. pr. & vb. n. Curtaining.]

Defn: To inclose as with curtains; to furnish with curtains. So when the sun in bed Curtained with cloudy red. Milton.

CURTAL Cur"tal (kr"tal), a. Etym: [OF. courtault, F. courtaud, having a docked tail (cf. It. cortaldo), fr. court short, L. curtus. See Curt, and Curtail.]

Defn: Curt; brief; laconic. Essays and curtal aphorisms. Milton. Curtal dog. See Curtail dog.

CURTAL Cur"tal, n.

Defn: A horse with a docked tail; hence, anything cut short. [Obs] Nares.

CURTAL AX; CURTLE AX; CURTELASSE Cur"tal ax`, Cur"tle ax`, Curte"lasse (krt"las).

Defn: A corruption of Cutlass.

CURTAL FRIAR Cur"tal fri`ar (fr`r).

Defn: A friar who acted as porter at the gate of a monastery. Sir W. Scott.

CURTANA Cur*ta"na (kr-t"n), n.

Defn: The pointless sword carried before English monarchs at their coronation, and emblematically considered as the sword of mercy; -- also called the sword of Edward the Confessor.

CURTATE Cur"tate (kr"tt), a. Etym: [L. curtatus, p.p. of curtare to shorten, fr. curtus. See Curt.] (Astron.)

Defn: Shortened or reduced; -- said of the distance of a planet from the sun or earth, as measured in the plane of the ecliptic, or the distance from the sun or earth to that point where a perpendicular, let fall from the planet upon the plane of the ecliptic, meets the ecliptic. Curtate cycloid. (Math.) See Cycloid.

CURTATION Cur*ta"tion (kr-t"shn), n. (Astron.)

Defn: The interval by which the curtate distance of a planet is less than the true distance.

CURTEIN Cur*tein" (kr-tn"), n.

Defn: Same as Curtana.

CURTES Cur*tes" (kr-ts"), a.

Defn: Courteous. [Obs.] Chaucer.

CURTESY Cur"te*sy (kr"t-s), n.; pl. Curtesies (-s. Etym: [Either fr. courlesy, the lands being held as it were by favor; or fr. court (LL. curtis), the husband being regarded as holding the lands as a vassal of the court. See Court, Courtesy.] (Law)

Defn: the life estate which a husband has in the lands of his deceased wife, which by the common law takes effect where he has had issue by her, born alive, and capable of inheriting the lands. Mozley & W.

CURTILAGE Cur"ti*lage (k, n. Etym: [OF. cortillage, curtillage, fr. cortil court, courtyard, LL. cortis court. See Court.] (Law)

Defn: A yard, courtyard, or piece of ground, included within the fence surrounding a dwelling house. Burrill.

CURTLY Curt"ly (krt"l), adv.

Defn: In a curt manner.

CURTNESS Curt"ness, n.

Defn: The quality of bing curt.

CURTSY Curt"sy (krt"s), n.

Defn: Same as Courtesy, an act of respect.

CURULE Cu"rule (k"rl), a. Etym: [L. curulis, fr. currus a charoit: cf. F. curule.]

1. Of or pertaining to a charoit.

2. (Rom. Antiq.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a kind of chair appropriated to Roman magistrates and dignitaries; pertaining to, having, or conferring, the right to sit in the curule chair; hence, official.

Note: The curule chair was usually shaped like a camp stool, and provided with curved legs. It was at first ornamented with ivory, and later sometimes made of ivory and inlaid with gold. Curule dignity right of sitting in the curule chair.

CURURO Cu*ru"ro (k-r"r), n. Etym: [Chilian name.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A Chilian burrowing rodent of the genus Spalacopus.

CURVAL; CURVANT Cur"val (kr"val), Cur"vant (-vant), a. Etym: [L. curvans, p. pr. ] (Her.)

Defn: Bowed; bent; curved.

CURVATE; CURVATED Cur"vate (kr"vt), Cur"va*ted (-v-td), a. Etym: [L. curvatus p. p. of curvare to curve, fr. curvus. See Curve.]

Defn: Bent in a regular form; curved.

CURVATION Cur*va"tion (kr-v"shn), n. Etym: [L. curvatio.]

Defn: The act of bending or crooking.

CURVATIVE Cur"va*tive (kr"v-tv), a. (Bot.)

Defn: Having the margins only a little curved; -- said of leaves. Henslow.

CURVATURE Cur"va*ture (kr"v-tr; 135), n. Etym: [L. curvatura. See Curvate.]

1. The act of curving, or the state of being bent or curved; a curving or bending, normal or abnormal, as of a line or surface from a rectilinear direction; a bend; a curve. Cowper. The elegant curvature of their fronds. Darwin.

2. (Math.)

Defn: The amount of degree of bending of a mathematical curve, or the tendency at any point to depart from a tangent drawn to the curve at that point. Aberrancy of curvature (Geom.), the deviation of a curve from a curcular form. -Absolute curvature. See under Absolute. -- Angle of curvature (Geom.), one that expresses the amount of curvature of a curve. -- Chord of curvature. See under Chord. -- Circle of curvature. See Osculating circle of a curve, under Circle. -- Curvature of the spine (Med.), an abnormal curving of the spine, especially in a lateral direction. -- Radius of curvature, the radius of the circle of curvature, or osculatory circle, at any point of a curve.

CURVE Curve (krv), a. Etym: [L. curvus bent, curved. See Cirb.]

Defn: Bent without angles; crooked; curved; as, a curve line; a curve surface.

CURVE Curve, n. Etym: [See Curve, a., Cirb.]

1. A bending without angles; that wcich is bent; a flexure; as, a curve in a railway or canal.

2. (Geom.)

Defn: A line described according to some low, and having no finite portion of it a straight line. Axis of a curve. See under Axis. -- Curve of quickest descent. See Brachystochrone. -- Curve tracing (Math.), the process of determining the shape, location, singular points, and other perculiarities of a curve from its equation. -- Plane curve (Geom.), a curve such that when a plane passes through three points of the curve, it passes through all the other points of the curve. Any other curve is called a curve of double curvature, or a twisted curve.

CURVE Curve, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Curved (krvd); p. pr. & vb. n. Curving.] Etym: [L. curvare., fr. curvus. See Curve, a., Curb.]

Defn: To bend; to crook; as, to curve a line; to curve a pipe; to cause to swerve from a straight course; as, to curve a ball in pitching it.

CURVE Curve, v. i.

Defn: To bend or turn gradually from a given direction; as, the road curves to the right.

CURVEDNESS Curv"ed*ness (-d-ns), n.

Defn: The state of being curved.

CURVET Cur"vet (kr"vt or kr-vt"; 277), n. Etym: [OE. corvet, It.corvetta: cf. F. courbette. See Curve, and cf. Corvetto.]

1. (Man.)

Defn: A particular leap of a horse, when he raises both his fore legs at once, equally advanced, and, as his fore legs are falling, raises his hind legs, so that all his legs are in the air at once.

2. A prank; a frolic.

CURVET Cur"vet, v. i. [imp. & p.p. Curveted or -vetted; p.pr. & vb. n. Curveting or -vetting.] Etym: [Cf. It. corvettare. See Curvet, n.]

1. To make a curvet; to leap; to bound. 'Oft and high he did curvet." Drayton.

2. To leap and frisk; to frolic. Shak.

CURVET Cur"vet, v. t.

Defn: To cause to curvet. Landor.

CURVICAUDATE Cur`vi*cau"date (kr`v-k"dt), a. Etym: [L. curvus bent + E. caudate.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having a curved or crooked tail.

CURVICOSTATE Cur`vi*cos"tate (kr`v-ks"tt), a. Etym: [L. curvus + E. costate.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having bent ribs.

CURVIDENTATE Cur`vi*den"tate (kr`v-dn"tt), a. Etym: [L. curvus + E. dentate.]

Defn: Having curved teeth.

CURVIFORM Cur"vi*form (kr"v-frm), a. Etym: [L. curvus + -form.]

Defn: Having a curved form.

CURVILINEAD Cur`vi*lin"e*ad (kr`v-ln"-d), n. (Geom.)

Defn: An instrument for drawing curved lines.

CURVILINEAL; CURVILINEAR Cur`vi*lin"e*al (-al), Cur`vi*lin"e*ar (-r), a. Etym: [L. curvus bent + E. lineal, linear.]

Defn: Consisting of, or bounded by, curved lines; as, a curvilinear figure.

CURVILINEARITY Cur`vi*lin`e*ar"i*ty (-r"-t), n.

Defn: The state of being curvilinear or of being bounded by curved lines.

CURVILINEARLY Cur`vi*lin"e*ar*ly (-r-l), adv.

Defn: In a curvilinear manner.

CURVINERVED Cur"vi*nerved` (-nrvd`), a. Etym: [L. curvus bent + E. nerve. ] (Bot.)

Defn: Having the ribs or the veins of the leaves curved; -- called also curvinervate and curve-veined.

CURVIROSTRAL Cur`vi*ros"tral (-rs"tral), a. Etym: [L. curvus + E. rostral.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having a crooked beak, as the crossbill.

CURVIROSTRES Cur"vi*ros"tres (-rs"trz), n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. curvus curved + rostrum beak, rostrum.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A group of passerine birds, including the creepers and nuthatches.

CURVISERIAL Cur`vi*se"ri*al (-s"r-al), a. Etym: [L. curvus bent + E. serial.] (Bot.)

Defn: Distributed in a curved line, as leaves along a stem.

CURVITY Cur"vi*ty (kr"v-y), n. Etym: [L. curvitas, from curvus bent: cf. F. curvité.]

Defn: The state of being curved; a bending in a regular form; crookedness. Holder.

CURVOGRAPH Cur"vo*graph (kr"v-grf), n. Etym: [L. curvus bent + -graph.] (Geom.)

Defn: An arcograph.

CUSCUS Cus"cus, n. [The same word as Couscous, fr. F. couscous couscous, Ar. kuskus.] (Bot.)

Defn: A soft grass (Pennisetum typhoideum) found in all tropical regions, used as food for men and cattle in Central Africa.

CUSCUS OIL Cuscus oil.

Defn: Same as Vetiver oil.

CUSHAT Cush"at (ksh"t), n. Etym: [AS. cusceote.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The ringdove or wood pigeon. Scarce with cushat's homely song can vie. Sir W. Scott.

CUSHEWBIRD Cush"ew*bird (ksh"-brd`), n. (Zoöl)

Defn: The galeated curassow. See Curassow.

CUSHION Cush"ion (ksh"n), n. Etym: [OE. cuischun, quisshen, OF. coissin, cuissin, F. coussin, fr. (assumed) LL. culcitinum, dim. of L. culcita cushion, mattress, pillow. See Quilt, and cf. Counterpoint a coverlet.]

1. A case or bag stuffed with some soft and elastic material, and used to sit or recline upon; a soft pillow or pad. Two cushions stuffed with straw, the seat to raise. Dryden.

2. Anything resembling a cushion in properties or use; as: (a) a pad on which gilders cut gold leaf; (b) a mass of steam in the end of the cylinder of a steam engine to receive the impact of the piston; (c) the elastic edge of a billiard table.

3. A riotous kind of dance, formerly common at weddings; -- called also cushion dance. Halliwell. Cushion capital.(Arch.) A capital so sculptured as to appear like a cushion pressed down by the weight of its entablature. (b) A name given to a form of capital, much used in the Romanesque style, modeled like a bowl, the upper part of which is cut away on four sides, leaving vertical faces. -- Cushion star (Zoöl.) a pentagonal starfish belonging to Goniaster, Astrogonium, and other allied genera; -- so called from its form.

CUSHION Cush"ion (ksh"n), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cushioned (-nd); p. pr. & vb. Cushioning.]

1. To seat or place on, or as on a cushion. Many who are cushioned on thrones would have remained in obscurity. Bolingbroke.

2. To furnish with cushions; as, to cushion a chaise.

3. To conceal or cover up, as under a cushion. Cushioned hammer, a dead-stroke hammer. See under Dead-stroke.

CUSHIONET Cush"ion*et (ksh"n-t), n. Etym: [OF. coissinet, F. coussinet. See Cushion, and cf. Coussinet.]

Defn: A little cushion.

CUSHIONLESS Cush"ion*less, a.

Defn: Hot furnished with a cushion. Rows of long, cushionless benches, supplying the place of pews. Hawthorne.

CUSHION TIRE Cushion tire.

Defn: A thick solid-rubber tire, as for a bicycle, with a hollow groove running lengthwise on the inside.

CUSHIONY Cush"ion*y (-), a.

Defn: Like a cushion; soft; pliable. A flat and cushiony noce. Dickens.

CUSHITE Cush"ite (ksh"t), n.

Defn: A descendant of Cush, the son of Ham and grandson of Noah.

CUSK Cusk (ksk), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large, edible, marine fish (Brosmius brosme), allied to the cod, common on the northern coasts of Europe and America; -- called also tusk and torsk.

CUSKIN Cus"kin (ks"kn), n.

Defn: A kind of drinking cup. [Obs.]

CUSP Cusp (ksp), n. Etym: [L. cuspis, -idis, point, pointed end.]

1. (Arch.)

Defn: A triangular protection from the intrados of an arch, or from an inner curve of tracery.

2. (Astrol.)

Defn: The beginning or first entrance of any house in the calculations of nativities, etc.

3. (Astron)

Defn: The point or horn of the crescent moon or other crescent-shaped luminary.

4. (Math.)

Defn: A multiple point of a curve at which two or more branches of the curve have a common tangent.

5. (Anat.)

Defn: A prominence or point, especially on the crown of a tooth.

6. (Bot.)

Defn: A sharp and rigid point.

CUSP Cusp, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cusped (kspt); p.pr. & vb. n. Cusping.]

Defn: To furnish with a cusp or cusps.

CUSPATED Cus"pa*ted (ks"p-td), a.

Defn: Ending in a point.

CUSPID Cus"pid (ks"pd), n. Etym: [See Cusp.] (Anat.)

Defn: One of the canine teeth; -- so called from having but one point or cusp on the crown. See Tooth.

CUSPIDAL Cus"pi*dal (-p-dal), a. Etym: [From L. cuspis, cuspidis. See Cusp.]

Defn: Ending in a point.

CUSPIDATE Cus"pi*date (-dt), v. t.

Defn: To make pointed or sharp.

CUSPIDATE; CUSPIDATED Cus"pi*date (ks"p-dt), Cus"pi*da`ted (-d`td), a. Etym: [L. cuspidatus, p.p. of cuspidare to make pointed, fr. cuspis. See Cusp.]

Defn: Having a sharp end, like the point of a spear; terminating in a hard point; as, a cuspidate leaf.

CUSPIDOR Cus"pi*dor (-dr), n. Etym: [Pg. cuspideria, fr. cuspir to spit.]

Defn: Any ornamental vessel used as a spittoon; hence, to avoid the common term, a spittoon of any sort.

CUSPIS Cus"pis (ks"ps), n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: A point; a sharp end.

CUSSEDNESS Cuss"ed*ness, n. [Cussed (for cursed) + -ness.]

Defn: Disposition to willful wrongdoing; malignity; perversity; cantankerousness; obstinacy. [Slang or Colloq., U. S.]

In her opinion it was all pure "cussedness." Mrs. Humphry Ward.

Disputatiousness and perversity (what the Americans call "cussedness"). James Bryce.

CUSTARD Cus"tard (ks"trd), n. Etym: [Prob. the same word as OE. crustade, crustate, a pie made with a crust, fr. L. crustatus covered with a crust, p. p. of crustare, fr. crusta crust; cf. OF. croustade pasty, It. crostata, or F. coutarde. See Crust, and cf. Crustated.]

Defn: A mixture of milk and eggs, sweetened, and baked or boiled. Custard apple (Bot.), a low tree or shrub of tropical America, including several species of Anona (A. squamosa, reticulata, etc.), having a roundish or ovate fruit the size of a small orange, containing a soft, yellowish, edible pulp. -- Custard coffin, pastry, or crust, which covers or coffins a custard [Obs.] Shak.

CUSTODE Cus"tode (ks"td), n. Etym: [F. or It. custode, fr. L. custos, -odis.]

Defn: See Custodian.

CUSTODIAL Cus*to"di*al (ks-t"d-al), a. Etym: [Cf. F. custodial, fr. L. custodia. See Custody.]

Defn: Relating to custody or guardianship.

CUSTODIAN Cus*to"di*an (ks-t"d-an), n. Etym: [From Custody.]

Defn: One who has care or custody, as of some public building; a keeper or superintendent.

CUSTODIANSHIP Cus*to"di*an*ship, n.

Defn: Office or duty of a custodian.

CUSTODIER Cus*to"di*er (-r), n. Etym: [Cf. LL. custodiarus.]

Defn: A custodian. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

CUSTODY Cus"to*dy (ks"t-d), n. Etym: [L. custodia, fr. custos guard; prob. akin to Gr. hide. Seee Hide to cover.]

1. A keeping or guarding; care, watch, inspection, for keeping, preservation, or security. A fleet of thirty ships for the custody of the narrow seas. Bacon.

2. Judicial or penal safe-keeping. Jailer, take him to thy custody. Shak.

3. State of being guarded and watched to prevent escape; restraint of liberty; confinement; imprisonment. What pease will be given To us enslaved, but custody severe, And stripes and arbitrary punishment Milton.

CUSTOM Cus"tom (ks"tm), n. Etym: [OF. custume, costume, Anglo-Norman coustome, F. coutume, fr. (assumed) LL. consuetumen custom, habit, fr. L. consuetudo, -dinis, fr. consuescere to accustom, verb inchoative fr. consuere to be accustomed; con- + suere to be accustomed, prosuus one's own; akin to E. so, adv. Cf. Consuetude, Costume.]

1. Frequent repetition of the same act; way of acting common to many; ordinary manner; habitual practice; usage; method of doing or living. And teach customs which are not lawful. Acts xvi. 21. Moved beyong his custom, Gama said. Tennyson. A custom More honored in the breach than the observance. Shak.

2. Habitual buying of goods; practice of frequenting, as a shop, manufactory, etc., for making purchases or giving orders; business support. Let him have your custom, but not your votes. Addison.

3. (Law)

Defn: Long-established practice, considered as unwritten law, and resting for authority on long consent; usage. See Usage, and Prescription.

Note: Usage is a fact. Custom is a law. There can be no custom without usage, though there may be usage without custom. Wharton.

4. Familiar aquaintance; familiarity. [Obs.] Age can not wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety. Shak. Custom of merchants, a system or code of customs by which affairs of commerce are regulated. -- General customs, those which extend over a state or kingdom. -- Particular customs, those which are limited to a city or district; as, the customs of London.

Syn. -- Practice; fashion. See Habit, and Usage.

CUSTOM Cus"tom, v. t. Etym: [Cf. OF. costumer. Cf. Accustom.]

1. To make familiar; to accustom. [Obs.] Gray.

2. To supply with customers. [Obs.] Bacon.

CUSTOM Cus"tom, v. i.

Defn: To have a custom. [Obs.] On a bridge he custometh to fight. Spenser.

CUSTOM Cus"tom, n. Etym: [OF. coustume, F. coutume, tax, i. e., the usual tax. See 1st Custom.]

Defn: 1 the customary toll,tax, or tribute. Render, therefore, to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom. Rom. xiii. 7.

2. pl.

Defn: Duties or tolls imposed by law on commodities, imported or exported.

CUSTOM Cus"tom, v. t.

Defn: To pay the customs of. [Obs.] Marlowe.

CUSTOMABLE Cus"tom*a*ble (--b'l), a. Etym: [Cf. OF. coustumable.]

1. Customary. [Obs.] Sir T. More.

2. Subject to the payment of customs; dutiable.

CUSTOMABLENESS Cus"tom*a*ble*ness, n.

Defn: Quality of being customable; conformity to custom. [Obs.]

CUSTOMABLY Cus"tom*a*bly, adv.

Defn: Usually. [Obs.] Milton.

CUSTOMARILY Cus"tom*a*ri*ly (--r-l), adv.

Defn: In a customary manner; habitually.

CUSTOMARINESS Cus"tom*a*ri*ness, n.

Defn: Quality of being customary.

CUSTOMARY Cus"tom*a*ry (ks"tm--r), a. Etym: [CF. OF. coustumier, F. coutumier. See Custom, and cf. Customer.]

1. Agreeing with, or established by, custom; established by common usage; conventional; habitual. Even now I met him With customary compliment. Shak. A formal customary attendance upon the offices. South.

2. (Law)

Defn: Holding or held by custom; as, customary tenants; customary service or estate.

CUSTOMARY Cus"tom*a*ry, n. Etym: [OF. coustumier, F. coutumier.]

Defn: A book containing laws and usages, or customs; as, the Customary of the Normans. Cowell.

CUSTOMER Cus"tom*er (ks"tm-r), n. Etym: [A doublet of customary, a.: cf. LL. custumarius toll gatherer. See Custom.]

1. One who collect customs; a toll gatherer. [Obs.] The customers of the small or petty custom and of the subsidy do demand of them custom for kersey cloths. Hakluyt.

2. One who regularly or repeatedly makes purchases of a trader; a purchaser; a buyer. He has got at last the character of a good customer; by this means he gets credit for something considerable, and then never pays for it. Goldsmith.

3. A person with whom a business house has dealings; as, the customers of a bank. J. A. H. Murray.

4. A peculiar person; -- in an indefinite sense; as, a queer customer; an ugly customer. [Colloq.] Dickens.

5. A lewd woman. [Obs.] Shak.

CUSTOMHOUSE Cus"tom*house" (-hous`), n.

Defn: The building where customs and duties are paid, and where vessels are entered or cleared. Customhouse broker, an agent who acts for merchants in the business of entering and clearing goods and vessels.

CUSTOS Cus"tos (ks"ts), n.; pl. Custodes (k. Etym: [L.]

Defn: A keeper; a custodian; a superintendent. [Obs.] Custos rotulorum (r Etym: [LL., keeper of the rolls] (Eng. Law), the principal justice of the peace in a county, who is also keeper of the rolls and records of the sessions of the peace.

CUSTREL Cus"trel (ks"trel), n Etym: [OF. coustillier. See Coistril.]

Defn: An armor-bearer to a knight. [Obs.]

CUSTREL Cus"trel, n.

Defn: See Costrel. [Obs.] Ainsworth.

CUSTUMARY Cus"tu*ma*ry (-t-m-r), a.

Defn: See Customary. [Obs.]

CUT Cut (kt), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cut; p.pr. & vb. n. Cutting.] Etym: [OE. cutten, kitten, ketten; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. cwtau to shorten, curtail, dock, cwta bobtailed, cwt tail, skirt, Gael. cutaich to shorten, curtail, dock, cutach short, docked, cut a bobtail, piece, Ir. cut a short tail, cutach bobtailed. Cf. Coot.]

1. To sparate the parts of with, or as with, a sharp instrument; to make an incision in; to gash; to sever; to divide. You must cut this flesh from off his breast. Shak. Before the whistling winds the vessels fly, With rapid swiftness cut the liquid way. Pope.

2. To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering; to hew; to mow or reap. Thy servants can skill to cut timer. 2. Chron. ii. 8

3. To sever and remove by cutting; to cut off; to dock; as, to cut the hair; to cut the nails.

4. To castrate or geld; as, to cut a horse.

5. To form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing, etc.; to carve; to hew out. Why should a man. whose blood is warm within, Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster Shak. Loopholes cut through thickest shade. Milton.

6. To wound or hurt deeply the snsibilities of; to pierce; to lacerate; as, sarcasm cuts to the quick. The man was cut to the heart. Addison.

7. To intersect; to cross; as, one line cuts another at right angles.

8. To refuse to recognize; to ignorre; as, to cut a person in the street; to cut one's acquaintance. [Colloq.]

9. To absent one's self from; as, to cut an appointment, a recitation. etc. [Colloq.] An English tradesman is always solicitous to cut the shop whenever he can do so with impunity. Thomas Hamilton. To cut a caper. See under Caper. -- To cut the cards, to divide a pack of cards into portions, in order to determine the deal or the trump, or to change the cards to be dealt. -- To cut a dash or a figure, to make a display. [Colloq.] -- To cut down. (a) To sever and cause to fall; to fell; to prostrate. "Timber . . . cut down in the mountains of Cilicia." Knolles. (b) To put down; to abash; to humble, [Obs] "So great is his natural eloquence, that he cuts doun the finest orator." Addison (c) To lessen; to retrench; to curtail; as, to cut down expenses. (d) (Naut.) To raze; as, to cut down a frigate into a sloop. -- To cut the knot or the Gordian knot, to dispose of a difficulty summarily; to solve it by prompt, arbitrary action, rather than by skill or patience. -- To cut lots, to determine lots by cuttings cards; to draw lots. -- To cut off. (a) To sever; to separate. I would to God, . . . The king had cut off my brother's. Shak. (b) To put an untimely death; to put an end to; to destroy. "Irencut off by martyrdom." Addison. (c) To interrupt; as, to cut off communication; to cut off (the flow of) steam from (the boiler to) a steam engine. (d) To intercept; as,, to cut off an enemy's retreat. (e) To end; to finish; as, to cut off further debate. -- To cut out. (a) To remove by cutting or carving; as, to cut out a piece from a board. (b) To shape or form by cutting; as, to cut out a garment. " A large forest cut out into walks." Addison. (c) To scheme; to contrive; to prepare; as, to cut out work for another day. "Every man had cut out a place for himself." Addison. (d) To step in and take the place of; to supplant; as, to cut out a rival. [Colloq.] (e) To debar. "I am cut out from anything but common acknowledgments." Pope. (f) To seize and carry off (a vessel) from a harbor, or from under the guns of an enemy. -- To cut to pieces. (a) To cut into pieces; as, to cut cloth to pieces. (b) To slaughter; as, to cut an army to pieces. -- To cut a play (Drama), to shorten it by leaving out passages, to adapt it for the stage. -- To cut rates (Railroads, etc.), to reduce the charges for transportation below the rates established between competing lines. -- To cut short, to arrest or check abruptly; to bring to a sudden termination. "Achilles cut him short, and thus replied." Dryden. -- To cut stick, to make off clandestinely or precipitately. [Slang] -- To cut teeth, to put forth teeth; to have the teeth pierce through the gum and appear. -- To have cut one's eyeteeth, to be sharp and knowing. [Colloq.] -- To cut one's wisdom teeth, to come to years of discretion. -- To cut under, to undersell; as, to cut under a competitor in trade. -- To cut up. (a) To cut to pieces; as, to cut up an animal, or bushes. (b) To damage or destroy; to injure; to wound; as, to cut up a book or its author by severe criticism. "This doctrine cuts up all government by the roots." Locke. (c) To afflict; to discourage; to demoralize; as, the death of his friend cut him up terribly. [Colloq.] Thackeray.

CUT Cut (kt), v. i.

1. To do the work of an edged tool; to serve in dividing or gashing; as, a knife cuts well.

2. To admit of incision or severance; to yield to a cutting instrument. Panels of white wood that cuts like cheese. Holmes.

3. To perform the operation of dividing, severing, incising, intersecting, etc.; to use a cutting instrument. He saved the lives of thousands by manner of cutting for the stone. Pope.

4. To make a stroke with a whip.

5. To interfere, as a horse.

6. To move or make off quickly. [Colloq.]

7. To divide a pack of cards into two portion to decide the deal or trump, or to schange the order of the cards to be dealt. To cut across, to pass over or through in the most direct way; as, to cut across a field. -- To cut and run, to make off suddenly and quickly; -- from the cutting of a ship's cable, when there is not time to raise the anchor. [Colloq.] -- To cut in or into, to interrupt; to jont an anything suddenly. -- To cut up. (a) To play pranks. [Colloq.] (b) To divide into portions well or ill; to have the property left at one's death turn out well or poorly when divided among heirs, legatees, etc. [Slang.] "When I die, may I cut up as well as Morgan Pendennis." Thackeray.

CUT Cut, n.

1. An opening made with an edged instrument; a cleft; a gash; a slash; a wound made by cutting; as, a sword cut.

2. A stroke or blow or cutting motion with an edged instrument; a stroke or blow with a whip.

3. That which wounds the feelings, as a harsh remark or criticism, or a sarcasm; personal discourtesy, as neglecting to recognize an acquaintance when meeting him; a slight. Rip called him by name, but the cur snarled, snapped his teeth, and passed on. This was an unkind cut indeed. W. Irving.

4. A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting or digging; a furrow; a groove; as, a cut for a railroad. This great cut or ditch Secostris . . . purposed to have made a great deal wider and deeper. Knolles.

5. The surface left by a cut; as, a smooth or clear cut.

6. A portion severed or cut off; a division; as, a cut of beef; a cut of timber. It should be understood, moreover, . . . that the group are not arbitrary cuts, but natural groups or types. Dana.

7. An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving; as, a book illustrated with fine cuts.

8. (a) The act of dividing a pack cards. (b) The right to divide; as, whose cut is it

9. Manner in which a thing is cut or formed; shape; style; fashion; as, the cut of a garment. With eyes severe and beard of formal cut. Shak.

10. A common work horse; a gelding. [Obs.] He'll buy me a cut, forth for to ride. Beau. & Fl.

11. The failure of a college officer or student to be present at any appointed exercise. [College Cant]

12. A skein of yarn. Wright. A cut in rates (Railroad), a reduction in fare, freight charges, etc., below the established rates. -- A short cut, a cross route which shortens the way and cuts off a circuitous passage. -- The cut of one's jib, the general appearance of a person. [Colloq.] -- To draw cuts, to draw lots, as of paper, etc., cut unequal lengths. Now draweth cut . . . The which that hath the shortest shall begin. Chaucer.

CUT Cut (kt), a.

1. Gashed or divided, as by a cutting instrument.

2. Formed or shaped as by cuttting; carved.

3. Overcome by liquor; tipsy. [Slang] Cut and dried, prepered beforehand; not spontaneous. -- Cut glass, glass having a surface ground and polished in facets or figures. -- Cut nail, a nail cut by machinery from a rolled plate of iron, in distinction from a wrought nail. -- Cut stone, stone hewn or chiseled to shape after having been split from the quarry.

CUTANEOUS Cu*ta"ne*ous (k-t"n-s), a. Etym: [Cf. F. cutan, fr. L. cutis skin. See Cuticle.]

Defn: Of pertaining to the skin; existing on, or affecting, the skin; as, a cutaneous disease; cutaneous absorption; cutaneous respiration.

CUTAWAY Cut"a*way` (kt"-w`), a.

Defn: Having a part cut off or away; having the corners rounded or cut away. Cutaway coat, a coat whose skirts are cut away in front so as not to meet at the bottom.

CUTCH Cutch (kch; 224), n.

Defn: See Catechu.

CUTCH Cutch, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Cultch.

CUTCHERY Cutch"er*y (kch"r-), n. Etym: [Hind. kachahri.]

Defn: A hindoo hall of justice. Malcom.

CUTE Cute (kt), a. Etym: [An abbrev. of acute.]

Defn: Clever; sharp; shrewd; ingenious; cunning. [Colloq.]

CUTENESS Cute"ness, n.

Defn: Acuteness; cunning. [Colloq.]

CUTGRASS Cut"grass` (kt"grs`).

Defn: A grass with leaves having edges furnished with very minute hooked prickles, which form a cutting edge; one or more species of Leersia.

CUTICLE Cu"ti*cle (k"t-k'l), n. Etym: [L. cuticula, dim. of cuttis skin; akin to E. hide skin of an animal.]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: The scarfskin or epidermis. See Skin.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: The outermost skin or pellicle of a plant, found especially in leaves and young stems.

3. A thin skin formed on the surface of a liquid.

CUTICULAR Cu*tic"u*lar (k-tk"-lr), a.

Defn: Pertaining to the cuticle, or external coat of the skin; epidermal.

CUTIN Cu"tin (k"tn), n. Etym: [L. cutis skin, outside.] (Bot.)

Defn: The substance which, added to the material of a cell wall, makes it waterproof, as in cork.

CUTINIZATION Cu`tin*i*za"tion (k`tn--z"shn), n. (Bot.)

Defn: The conversion of cell walls into a material which repels water, as in cork.

CUTINIZE Cu"tin*ize (k"tn-z), v. t. & i.

Defn: To change into cutin.

CUTIS Cu"tis (k"ts), n. Etym: [L. See Cuticle.] (Anat.)

Defn: See Dermis.

CUTLASS Cut"lass (kt"lass), n.; pl. Cutlasses (-Ez). Etym: [F. coutelas (cf. It. coltellaccio), augm. fr. L. cuttellus a smallknife, dim. of culter knife. See Colter, and cf. Curtal ax.]

Defn: A short, heavy, curving sword, used in the navy. See Curtal ax. Cutlass fish, (Zoöl.), a peculiar, long, thin, marine fish (Trichirus lepturus) of the southern United States and West Indies; -- called also saber fish, silver eel, and, improperly, swordfish.

CUTLER Cut"ler (kUt"lEr), n. Etym: [OE. coteler, F. coutelier, LL. cultellarius, fr. L. cultellus. See Cutlass.]

Defn: One who makes or deals in cutlery, or knives and other cutting instruments.

CUTLERY Cut"ler*y (kt"lr-), n.

1. The business of a cutler.

2. Edged or cutting instruments, collectively.

CUTLET Cut"let (kt"lt), n. Etym: [F. c, prop., little rib, dim. of c rib, fr. L. costa. See Coast.]

Defn: A piece of meat, especially of veal or mutton, cut for broiling.

CUTLING Cut"ling (kt"lng), n., Etym: [Cf. Cuttle a knife.]

Defn: The art of making edged tools or cutlery. [Obs.] Milton.

CUT-OFF Cut"-off` (kt"f`; 115), n.

1. That which cuts off or shortens, as a nearer passage or road.

2. (Mach.) (a) The valve gearing or mechanism by which steam is cut off from entering the cylinder of a steam engine after a definite point in a stroke, so as to allow the remainder of the stroke to be made by the expansive force of the steam already let in. See Expansion gear, under Expansion. (b) Any device for stopping or changing a current, as of grain or water in a spout.

CUTOSE Cu"tose (k"ts), n. Etym: [L. cutis skin.] (Chem.)

Defn: A variety of cellulose, occuring as a fine transparent membrane covering the aerial organs of plants, and forming an essential ingredient of cork; by oxidation it passes to suberic acid.

CUT-OUT Cut"-out` (kt"out`), n. (a) (Telegraphy) A species of switch for changing the current from one circuit to another, or for shortening a circuit. (b) (Elec.) A divice for breaking or separating a portion of circuit.

CUTPURSE Cut"purse` (kt"prs`), n.

Defn: One who cuts purses for the sake of stealing them or their contents (an act common when men wore purses fastened by a string to their girdles); one who steals from the person; a pickpocket To have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is necessary for a cutpurse. Shak.

CUTTER Cut"ter (kt"tr), n.

1. One who cuts; as, a stone cutter; a die cutter; esp., one who cuts out garments.

2. That which cuts; a machine or part of a machine, or a tool or instrument used for cutting, as that part of a mower which severs the stalk, or as a paper cutter.

3. A fore tooth; an incisor. Ray.

4. (Naut.) (a) A boat used by ships of war. (b) A fast sailing vessel with one mast, rigged in most essentials like a sloop. A cutter is narrower end deeper than a sloop of the same length, and depends for stability on a deep keel, often heavily weighted with lead. (c) A small armed vessel, usually a steamer, in the revenue marine service; -- also called revenue cutter.

5. A small, light one-horse sleigh.

6. An officer in the exchequer who notes by cutting on the tallies the sums paid.

7. A ruffian; a bravo; a destroyer. [Obs.]

8. A kind of soft yellow brick, used for facework; -- so called from the facility with which it can be cut. Cutter bar.(Mach.) (a) A bar which carries a cutter or cutting tool, as in a boring machine. (b) The bar to which the triangular knives of a harvester are attached. -- Cutter head (Mach.), a rotating head, which itself forms a cutter, or a rotating stock to which cutters may be attached, as in a planing or matching machine. Knight.

CUTTHROAT Cut"throat` (kt"thrt`), n.

Defn: One who cuts throats; a murderer; an assassin.

CUTTHROAT Cut"throat`, a.

Defn: Murderous; cruel; barbarous.

CUTTING Cut"ting (kt"tng), n.

1. The act or process of making an incision, or of severing, felling, shaping, etc.

2. Something cut, cut off, or cut out, as a twig or

CUTTING Cut"ting, a.

1. Adapted to cut; as, a cutting tool.

2. Chilling; penetratinn; sharp; as, a cutting wind.

3. Severe; sarcastic; biting; as, a cutting reply.

CUTTINGLY Cut"ting*ly, adv.

Defn: In a cutting manner.

CUTTLE Cut"tle (kt"t'l), n. Etym: [OF. cultel, coltel, coutel, fr. L. cultellus. See Cutlass.]

Defn: A knife. [Obs.] Bale.

CUTTLE; CUTTLEFISH Cut"tle (kt"t'l), Cut"tle*fish` (-fsh`), n. Etym: [OE. codule, AS. cudele; akin to G. kuttelfish; cf. G. k, D. keutel, dirt from the guts, G. kuttel bowels, entrails. AS. cwip womb, Gith. qipus belly, womb.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A cephalopod of the genus Sepia, having an internal shell, large eyes, and ten arms furnished with denticulated suckers, by means of which it secures its prey. The name is sometimes applied to dibranchiate cephalopods generally.

Note: It has an ink bag, opening into the siphon, from which, when pursued, it throws out a dark liquid that clouds the water, enabling it to escape observation.

2. A foul-mouthed fellow. "An you play the saucy cuttle me." Shak.

CUTTLE BONE Cut"tle bone` (bn`).

Defn: The shell or bone of cuttlefishes, used for various purposes, as for making polishing powder, etc.

CUTTOO PLATE Cut*too" plate` (kt-t" plt`).

Defn: A hood over the end of a wagon wheel hub to keep dirt away from the axle.

CUTTY Cut"ty, a. Etym: [Cf. Ir. & Gael. cut a short tail, cutach bobtailed. See Cut.]

Defn: Short; as, a cutty knife; a cutty sark. [Scot.]

CUTTY Cut"ty (kt"t), n. Etym: [Scotch.]

1. A short spoon.

2. A short tobacco pipe. Ramsay.

3. A light or unchaste woman. Sir W. Scott.

CUTTYSTOOL Cut"ty*stool` (-stl`), n.

1. A low stool [Scot.]

2. A seat in old Scottish churches, where offenders were made to sit, for public rebuke by the minister.

CUTWAL Cut"wal (kt"wl), n. Etym: [Per. kotw.]

Defn: The chief police officer of a large city. [East Indies]

CUTWATER Cut"wa`ter (kt"wa`tr), n. (Naut.)

1. The fore part of a ship's prow, which cuts the water.

2. A starling or other structure attached to the pier of a birdge, with an angle or edge directed up stream, in order better to resist the action of water, ice, etc.; the sharpened upper end of the pier itself.

3. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A sea bird of the Atlantic (Rhynchops nigra); -- called also black skimmer, scissorsbill, and razorbill. See Skimmer.

CUTWORK Cut"work` (kt"wrk`), n. (Fine Arts)

Defn: An ancient term for embroidery, esp. applied to the earliest form of lace, or to that early embroidery on linen and the like, from which the manufacture of lace was developed.

CUTWORM Cut"worm` (-wrm`), n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A caterpillar which at night eats off young plants of cabbage, corn, etc., usually at the ground. Some kinds ascend fruit trees and eat off the flower buds. During the day, they conceal themselves in the earth. The common cutworms are the larvæ of various species of Agrotis and related genera of noctuid moths.

CUVETTE Cu*vette" (k-wt"), n. Etym: [F., dim. of cuve a tub.]

1. A pot, bucket, or basin, in which molten plate glass is carried from the melting pot to the casting table.

2. (Fort.)

Defn: A cunette. 3. (Spectrometry) (Analytical chemistry)

Defn: A small vessel with at least two flat and transparent sides, used to hold a liquid sample to be analysed in the light path of a spectrometer.

Note: The shape and materials vary; for ultraviolet spectrometry, quartz is typically used. For visible-light spectrometry, plastic cuvettes may be employed. Occasionally, small vessels used for other laboratory purposes are called cuvettes. cuvette holder, (Spectrometry) A small device used to hold one or more cuvettes[3], shaped specifically to fit in the sample chamber of a particular type of spectrometer, with openings to permit light to pass through the holder and the cuvettes, and designed so as to hold the cuvette accurately and reproducibly within the light path of the spectrometer. For cuvettes with a square horizontal cross-section, the compartments will have a corresponding square cross-section, usu. slightly larger than the cuvette.

CYAMELIDE Cy*am"e*lide (s-m"-ld or -ld; 104), n. (Chem.)

Defn: A white amorphous substance, regarded as a polymeric modification of isocyanic acid.

CYAMELLONE Cy*am"el*lone (s-m"l-ln), n. (Chem)

Defn: A complex derivative of cyanogen, regarded as an acid, and known chiefly in its salts; -- called also hydromellonic acid.

CYANATE Cy"a*nate (s"-nt), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cuanate. See Cyanic.] (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of cyanic acid. Ammonium cyanate (Chem.), a remarkable white crystalline substance, NH4.O.CN, which passes, on standing, to the organic compound, urea, CO.(NH)2.

CYANAURATE Cy`an*au"rate (s`n-"rt), n.

Defn: See Aurocyanide.

CYANEAN Cy*a"ne*an (s-"n-an), a. Etym: [Gr. kya`neos dark blue.]

Defn: Having an azure color. Pennant.

CYANIC Cy*an"ic (s-n"k), a. Etym: [Gr. cyanique. Cf. Kyanite.]

1. Pertaining to, or containing, cyanogen.

2. Of or pertaining to a blue color. Cyanic acid (Chem.), an acid, HOCN, derived from cyanogen, well known in its salts, but never isolated in the free state. -- Cyanic colors (Bot.), those colors (of flowers) having some tinge of blue; -- opposed to xanthic colors. A color of either series may pass into red or white, but not into the opposing color. Red and pure white are more common among flowers of cyanic tendency than in those of the other class.

CYANIDE Cy"a*nide (s"-nd or -nd; 104), n. Etym: [Cf. F. cyanide. See Cyanic.] (Chem.)

Defn: A compound formed by the union of cyanogen with an element or radical.

CYANIN Cy"a*nin (s"-nn), n. Etym: [See Cyanic.] (Chem.)

Defn: The blue coloring matter of flowers; -- called also anthokyan and anthocyanin.

CYANINE Cy"a*nine (s"-nn or -nn; 104), n. (Chem.)

Defn: One of a series of artificial blue or red dyes obtained from quinoline and lepidine and used in calico printing.

CYANITE Cy"a*nite (-nt), n. Etym: [See Cyanic.] (Min.)

Defn: A mineral occuring in thin-bladed crystals and crystalline aggregates, of a sky-blue color. It is a silicate of aluminium. [Written also kyanite.]

CYANOGEN Cy*an"o*gen (s-n"-jn), n. Etym: [Gr. -gen: cf. F. cyanogène. So called because it produced blue dyes.] (Chem.)

Defn: A colorless, inflammable, poisonous gas, C2N2, with a peach- blossom odor, so called from its tendency to form blue compounds; obtained by heating ammonium oxalate, mercuric cyanide, etc. It is obtained in combination, forming an alkaline cyanide when nitrogen or a nitrogenous compound is strongly ignited with carbon and soda or potash. It conducts itself like a member of the halogen group of elements, and shows a tendency to form complex compounds. The name is also applied to the univalent radical, CN (the half molecule of cyanogen proper), which was one of the first compound radicals recognized.

Note: Cyanogen is found in the commercial substances, potassium cyanide, or prussiate of potash, yellow prussiate of potash, Prussian blue, Turnbull's blue, prussic acid, etc.

CYANOMETER Cy`a*nom"e*ter (s`-nm"-tr), n. Etym: [Gr. -meter: cf. F. cyanomètre.]

Defn: An instrument for measuring degress of blueness.

CYANOPATHY Cy`a*nop"a*thy (-np"-th), n. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)

Defn: A disease in which the body is colored blue in its surface, arising usually from a malformation of the heart, which causes an imperfect arterialization of the blood; blue jaundice.

CYANOPHYLL Cy*an"o*phyll (s-n"-fl), n. Etym: [Gr. (Bot.)

Defn: A blue coloring matter supposed by some to be one of the component parts ofchlorophyll.

CYANOSED Cy"a*nosed (s"-nst), a. Etym: [See Cyanic.]

Defn: Rendered blue, as the surface of the body, from cyanosis or deficient a

CYANOSIS Cy`a*no"sis (s`-n"ss), n. Etym: [NL. See Cyanic.] (Med.)

Defn: A condition in which, from insufficient aCyanopathy.

CYANOSITE Cy*an"o*site (s-n"-st), n. Etym: [See Cyanic.] (Min.)

Defn: Native sulphate of copper. Cf. Blue vitriol, under Blue.

CYANOTIC Cy`a*not"ic (s`-nt"k), a. (Med.)

Defn: Relating to cyanosis; affected with cyanosis; as, a cyanotic patient; having the hue caused by cyanosis; as, a cyanitic skin.

CYANOTYPE Cy*an"o*type (s-n"-tp), n. Etym: [Cyanide + -type.]

Defn: A photographic picture obtained by the use of a cyanide.

CYANURATE Cy"an"u*rate (s-n"-rt), n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of cyanuric acid.

CYANURET Cy*an"u*ret (-rt), n. (Chem.)