Chapter 8

||Claire (?),n.[F.] A small inclosed pond used for gathering and greening oysters.

Clan"-na-Gael" (?),n.[Ir., clan of the Gaels.] A secret society of Irish Fenians founded in Philadelphia in 1881.

Clash gear.(Mach.)A change-speed gear in which the gears are changed by sliding endwise.

Class day. In American colleges and universities, a day of the commencement season on which the senior class celebrates the completion of its course by exercises conducted by the members, such as the reading of the class histories and poem, the delivery of the class oration, the planting of the class ivy, etc.

Clatch (?),n.[Cf. Scot.clatcha slap, the noise caused by the collision of soft bodies; prob. of imitative origin.](Scot. & Dial. Eng.)1.A soft or sloppy lump or mass; as, to throw aclatchof mud.

2.Anything put together or made in a careless or slipshod way; hence, a sluttish or slipshod woman.

Clatch,v. t. & i.To daub or smear, as with lime; to make or finish in a slipshod way. [Scot.]

Clear"cole` (?),n.[F.claire colleclear glue;clairclear (f.claire) +colleglue, Gr. &?;] A priming of size mixed with whiting or white lead, used in house painting, etc.; also, a size upon which gold leaf is applied in gilding.

Clear"cole`,v. t.[imp. & p. p.Clearcoled (?);p. pr. & vb. n.Clearcoling (?).] To coat or paint with clearcole.

Cleek (?),n.1.A large hook or crook, as for a pot over a fire; specif., an iron-headed golf club with a straight, narrow face and a long shaft.

2.Act of cleeking; a clutch. [Scot.]

Cleek,v. t.[pret.Claught (?);pret. & p. p.Cleeked (?);p. pr. & vb. n.Cleeking.] [ME.cleken,clechen, to seize, clutch; perh. akin to E.clutch.] [Scot & Dial. Eng.]1.To seize; clutch; snatch; catch; pluck.

2.To catch or draw out with a cleek, as a fish; to hook.

3.To hook or link (together); hence, to marry.Scott.

Cle`o*pa"tra's nee"dle (?). [So named afterCleopatra, queen of Egypt.] Either of two obelisks which were moved in ancient times from Heliopolis to Alexandria, one of which is now on the Thames Embankment in London, and the other in Central Park, in the City of New York.

Some writers consider that only the obelisk now in Central Park is properly calledCleopatra's needle.

Cli*mac"tic (?),a.Of or pertaining to a climax; forming, or of the nature of, a climax, or ascending series.

A fourth kind of parallelism . . . is still sufficiently marked to be noticed by the side of those described by Lowth, viz.,climacticparallelism (sometimes called "ascending rhythm").

S. R. Driver.

Clink (?),n.A prison cell; a lockup; -- probably orig. the name of the noted prison in Southwark, England. [Colloq.] "I'm here in theclink."Kipling.

Cli"no*stat (?),n.[Gr. &?; to incline + &?; to make to stand.](Bot.)An apparatus consisting of a slowly revolving disk, usually regulated by clockwork, by means of wich the action of external agents, as light and gravity, on growing plants may be regulated or eliminated.

Clip,n.1.(Mach.)A part, attachment, or appendage, for seizing, clasping, or holding, an object, as a cable, etc.

2.(Angling)A gaff or hook for landing the fish, as in salmon fishing. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

3.A rapid gait. "A three-minuteclip."Kipling.

Cloche (?),n.[F., prop., bell.](Aëronautics)An apparatus used in controlling certain kinds of aëroplanes, and consisting principally of a steering column mounted with a universal joint at the base, which is bellshaped and has attached to it the cables for controlling the wing- warping devices, elevator planes, and the like.

Clock"wise` (?),a. & adv.Like the motion of the hands of a clock; -- said of that direction of a rotation about an axis, or about a point in a plane, which is ordinarily reckoned negative.

||Clo"nus (?),n.[NL., fr. Gr. &?; violent, confused motion.](Med.)A series of muscular contractions due to sudden stretching of the muscle, -- a sign of certain neuropathies.

Cloot (?),n.[Cf. G. dial.kleuzento split.](Scot. & Dial. Eng.)1.One of the divisions of a cleft hoof, as in the ox; also, the whole hoof.

2.The Devil; Clootie; -- usually in thepl.Burns.

Cloot"ie (?),n.(Scot. & Dial. Eng.)1.A little hoof.

2.The Devil. "Satan, Nick, orClootie."Burns.

Clydes"dale (?),n.One of a breed of heavy draft horses originally from Clydesdale, Scotland. They are about sixteen hands high and usually brown or bay.

Clydesdale terrier. One of a breed of small silky- haired terriers related to, but smaller than, the Skye terrier, having smaller and perfectly erect ears.

Cly"tie knot (?). In hair dressing, a loose, low coil at the back of the head, like the knot on the head of the bust of Clytie by G. F. Watts.

Coach"er (?),n.1.A coachman. [Obs.]

2.A coach horse.

3.One who coaches; specif.(Baseball), one of the side at the bat posted near first or third base to direct a base runner.

Coal"sack` (?),n.[Coal+ 2dsack.](Astron.)Any one of the spaces in the Milky Way which are very black, owing to the nearly complete absence of stars; esp., the large space near the Southern Cross sometimes called theBlack Magellanic Cloud.

Coast and Geodetic Survey. A bureau of the United States government charged with the topographic and hydrographic survey of the coast and the execution of belts of primary triangulation and lines of precise leveling in the interior. It now belongs to the Department of Commerce and Labor.

Co*ca"in*ism (?),n.(Med.)A morbid condition produced by the habitual and excessive use of cocaine. -- Co*ca"in*ist,n.

Co*ca"in*ize (?),v. t.To treat or anæsthetize with cocaine. -- Co*ca`in*i*za"tion (#),n.

Cock"er span"iel. One of a breed of small or medium- sized spaniels kept for hunting or retrieving game or for household pets. They usually weigh from eighteen to twenty-eight pounds. They have the head of fair length, with square muzzle, the ears long and set low, the legs short or of medium length, and the coat fine and silky, wavy but not curly. Various colors are bred, as black, liver, red, black and white, black and tan, etc.

Cock"pit` (?),n.In some aëroplanes and flying machines, an inclosure for the pilot or a passenger.

{ Cock`y*ol"ly, or Cock`y*ol"y, bird } (?). [Cf. Cock, fowl; Yellow.] A pet name for any small bird.

Co`e*lec"tron,n.See Electron.

Co*gon" (?),n.[Sp., prob. fr. a native name.] A tall, coarse grass (Imperata arundinacea) of the Philippine Islands and adjacent countries, used for thatching.

Co*her"er (?),n.(Elec.)Any device in which an imperfectly conducting contact between pieces of metal or other conductors loosely resting against each other is materially improved in conductivity by the influence of Hertzian waves; -- so called by Sir O. J. Lodge in 1894 on the assumption that the impact of the electic waves caused the loosely connected parts to cohere, or weld together, a condition easily destroyed by tapping. A common form of coherer as used in wireless telegraphy consists of a tube containing filings (usually a pinch of nickel and silver filings in equal parts) between terminal wires or plugs (calledconductor plugs).

{ Co*hune" (?),n., or Cohune palm }. [Prob. fr. a native name in Honduras.] A Central and South American pinnate-leaved palm (Attalea cohune), the very large and hard nuts of which are turned to make fancy articles, and also yield an oil used as a substitute for coconut oil.

||Coif`feur" (?),n.[F.] A hairdresser.

Coign (?),n.A var. spelling of Coin, Quoin, a corner, wedge; -- chiefly used in the phrasecoign of vantage, a position advantageous for action or observation.

From some shielded nook orcoignof vantage.

The Century.

The lithosphere would be depressed on four faces; . . . the four projectingcoignswould stand up as continents.

Nature.

Co`in*sur"ance (?),n.[Co-+insurance.] Insurance jointly with another or others; specif., that system of fire insurance in which the insurer is treated as insuring himself to the extent of that part of the risk not covered by his policy, so that any loss is apportioned between him and the insurance company on the principle of average, as in marine insurance or between other insurers.

||Co"la,n., L.pl.of Colon.

||Co"la (?),n.[NL., fr. a native name.](Bot.)(a)A genus of sterculiaceous trees, natives of tropical Africa, esp. Guinea, but now naturalized in tropical America, esp. in the West Indies and Brazil.(b)Same as Cola nut, below.

{ Cola nut, Cola seed }.(Bot.)The bitter fruit ofCola acuminata, which is nearly as large as a chestnut, and furnishes a stimulant, which is used in medicine.

Cold"-short`,a.[Prob. fr. Sw.kallskör;kallcold +skörbrittle.Oxf. E. D.](Metal.)Brittle when cold (that is, below a red heat). -- Cold"-short`ness,n.

Cold" wave".(Meteor.)In the terminology of the United States Weather Bureau, an unusual fall in temperature, to or below the freezing point, exceeding 16° in twenty-four hours or 20° in thirty-six hours, independent of the diurnal range.

{ Col`lar*et" (?), ||Col`la*rette" (?) },n.[F.collerette, dim. ofcollier. See Collar.] A small collar; specif., a woman's collar of lace, fur, or other fancy material.

Col`lec*tiv"i*ty (?),n.1.Quality or state of being collective.

2.The collective sum. aggregate, or mass of anything; specif., the people as a body; the state.

The proposition to give work by thecollectivityis supposed to be in contravention of the sacred principle of monopolistic competition.

W. D. Howells.

3.(Polit. Econ.)Collectivism.

Col*leen" (?),n.[Ir.cailin.] A girl; a maiden. [Anglo-Irish]

Of all thecolleensin the landSweet Mollie is the daisy.

The Century.

Col"lo*type (?),n.[Gr. &?; glue +- type.] A photomechanical print made directly from a hardened film of gelatin or other colloid; also, the process of making such prints. According to one method, the film is sensitized with potassium dichromate and exposed to light under a reversed negative. After the dichromate has been washed out, the film is soaked in glycerin and water. As this treatment causes swelling in those parts of the film which have been acted on by light, a plate results from which impressions can be taken with prepared ink. The albertype, phototype, and heliotype are collotypes.

||Col*lu"vi*es (?),n.[L., a collection of washings, dregs, offscourings, fr.colluereto wash;col-+luereto wash.]1.A collection or gathering, as of pus, or rubbish, or odds and ends.

2.A medley; offscourings or rabble.

||Col`o*bo"ma (?),n.[NL. fr. Gr. &?;, the part taken away in mutilation, fr. &?; to mutilate.](Anat. & Med.)A defect or malformation; esp., a fissure of the iris supposed to be a persistent embryonic cleft.

Co*lo"ni*al*ism (?),n.1.The state or quality of, or the relationship involved in, being colonial.

The last tie ofcolonialismwhich bound us to the mother country is broken.

Brander Matthews.

2.A custom, idea, feature of government, or the like, characteristic of a colony.

3.The colonial system or policy in political government or extension of territory.

Col"o*ny,n.1.(Bot.)A cell family or group of common origin, mostly of unicellular organisms, esp. among the lower algæ. They may adhere in chains or groups, or be held together by a gelatinous envelope.

2.(Zoöl.)A cluster or aggregation of zooids of any compound animal, as in the corals, hydroids, certain tunicates, etc.

3.(Zoöl.)A community of social insects, as ants, bees, etc.

Col`o*ra"do (?),a.[Sp., red.]1.Reddish; -- often used in proper names of rivers or creeks. [Southwestern U. S.]

2.Medium in color and strength; -- said of cigars. [Cant]

Col`or*im"e*try (?),n.[See Colorimeter.]1.The quantitative determination of the depth of color of a substance.

2.A method of quantitative chemical analysis based upon the comparison of the depth of color of a solution with that of a standard liquid.

Colt pistol.(Firearms)A self-loading or semi-automatic pistol with removable magazine in the handle holding seven cartridges. The recoil extracts and ejects the empty cartridge case, and reloads ready for another shot. Called alsoBrowning, ∧ Colt-Browning,pistol.

Colt revolver.(Firearms)A revolver made according to a system using a patented revolving cylinder, holding six cartridges, patented by Samuel Colt, an American inventor, in 1835. With various modifications, it has for many years been the standard for the United States army.

Co*lum"bus Day (?). The 12th day of October, on which day in 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered America, landing on one of the Bahama Islands (probably the one now commonly called Watling Island), and naming it "San Salvador"; -- called alsoDiscovery Day. This day is made a legal holiday in many States of The United States.

Com*bus"tion cham`ber.(Mech.)(a)A space over, or in front of , a boiler furnace where the gases from the fire become more thoroughly mixed and burnt.(b)The clearance space in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine where the charge is compressed and ignited.

Come"-a*long`,n.A gripping device, as for stretching wire, etc., consisting of two jaws so attached to a ring that they are closed by pulling on the ring.

Co*meth"er (?),n.[Prob. dial. pron. ofcome hither, used in calling cows, etc.] [Dial. or Colloq., Brit.]1.Matter; affair.

2.Friendly communication or association.

To putthe, or one's,comether on, to exercise persuasion upon; to get under one's influence; to beguile; to wheedle.

How does ut come about, sorr, that whin a man hasput the comether onwan woman he's sure bound to put ut on another?

Kipling.

||Co`mi*ti"va (?),n.[It.] A body of followers; -- applied to the lawless or brigand bands in Italy and Sicily.

Com`man*deer" (?),v. t.[imp. & p. p.Commandeered (?);p. pr. & vb. n.Commandeering.] [D.kommandeerento command, in South Africa to commandeer, fr. F.commanderto command. See Command.]1.(Mil.)To compel to perform military service; to seize for military purposes; -- orig. used of the Boers.

2.To take arbitrary or forcible possession of. [Colloq.]

Com*man"do (?),n.[D. See Command,v. t.] In South Africa, a military body or command; also, sometimes, an expedition or raid; as, acommandoof a hundred Boers.

The war bands, calledcommandos, have played a great part in the . . . military history of the country.

James Bryce.

Com"merce de*stroy"er.(Nav.)A very fast, unarmored, lightly armed vessel designed to capture or destroy merchant vessels of an enemy. Not being intended to fight, they may be improvised from fast passenger steamers.

Com*min"gler (?),n.One that commingles; specif., a device for noiseless heating of water by steam, in a vessel filled with a porous mass, as of pebbles.

Com*mis`sion*aire" (?),n.[F.commissionnaire. Cf. Commissioner.]1.One intrusted with a commission, now only a small commission, as an errand; esp., an attendant or subordinate employee in a public office, hotel, or the like. Thecommissionairefamiliar to European travelers performs miscellaneous services as a light porter, messenger, solicitor for hotels, etc.

2.One of a corps of pensioned soldiers, as in London, employed as doorkeepers, messengers, etc.

Com`mu*ta"tion tick"et. A ticket for transportation at a reduced rate in consideration of some special circumstance, as increase of travel; specif., a ticket for a certain number of, or for daily, trips between neighboring places at a reduced rate, such as are commonly used by those doing business in a city and living in a suburb. Commutation tickets are excepted from the prohibition against special rates contained in the Interstate Commerce Act of Feb. 4, 1887 (24 Stat. 379), and in 145 U. S. 263 it was held thatparty ticketswere also excepted as being "obviously within the commuting principle."

Com"po (?),n.; pl.- pos(#). Short for Composition; -- used, esp. in England, colloq. in various trade applications; as :(a)A mortar made of sand and cement.(b)A carver's mixture of resin, whiting, and glue, used instead of plaster of Paris for ornamenting walls and cornices.(c)A composition for billiard balls.(d)A preparation of which printer's rollers are made.(e)A preparation used in currying leather.(f)Composition paid by a debtor.

||Com"pos men"tis (?). [L.](Law)Sane in mind; being of sound mind, memory, and understanding.

Com"pos-men"tis,n.One who is compos mentis. [Colloq.]

||Com`po`tier" (kôN`p`ty"),n.; pl.Compotiers(F.ty"). [F.] A dish for holding compotes, fruit, etc.

Com"pound con*trol".(Aëronautics)A system of control in which a separate manipulation, as of a rudder, may be effected by either of two movements, in different directions, of a single lever, etc.

Com*pressed" yeast. A cake yeast made by filtering the cells from the liquid in which they are grown, subjecting to heavy pressure, and mixing with starch or flour.

Com*pres"sion pro*jec"tile. A projectile constructed so as to take the grooves of a rifle by means of a soft copper band firmly attached near its base or, formerly, by means of an envelope of soft metal. In small arms the modern projectile, having a soft core and harder jacket, is subjected to compression throughout the entire cylindrical part.

Comp"to*graph (?),n.[F.compterto count +-graph.] A machine for adding numbers and making a printed record of the sum.

Comp*tom"e*ter (?),n.[See Count; -meter.] A calculating machine; an arithmometer.

Con"cen*tra`tor,n.(Firearms)A frame or ring of wire or hard paper fitting into the cartridge case used in some shotguns, and holding the shot together when discharged, to secure close shooting; also, a device for slightly narrowing the bore at the muzzle for the same purpose.

{ Concert of Europe,orEuropean concert}. An agreement or understanding between the chief European powers to take only joint action in the (European) Eastern Question.

Concert of the powers. An agreement or understanding between the chief European powers, the United States, and Japan in 1900 to take only joint action in the Chinese aspect of the Eastern Question.

{ Con*ces`sion*aire" (?), ||Con`ces`sion`naire" (?) },n.[F.concessionnaire.] The beneficiary of a concession or grant.

Con*ces"sion*a*ry (?),a.Of or pertaining to a concession. --n.;pl.-ries(&?;). A concessionaire.

||Con`cier`ge*rie" (?),n.[F.]1.The office or lodge of a concierge or janitor.

2.A celebrated prison, attached to the Palais de Justice in Paris.

Con"cord bug"gy (k"krd). [FromConcord, New Hampshire, where first made.] A kind of buggy having a body with low sides, and side springs.

Con"dor (kn"dr;in defs.2 & 3, kn"dr),n.1.(Zoöl.)The California vulture. [Local, U. S.]

2.A gold coin of Chile, bearing the figure of a condor, and equal to twenty pesos. It contains 10.98356 grams of gold, and is equivalent to about $7.29. Called alsocolon.

3.A gold coin of Colombia equivalent to about $9.65. It is no longer coined.

Con*duct"ance (kn*dk"tans),n.[Conduct, v. +-ance.](Elec.)Conducting power; -- the reciprocal ofresistance. A suggested unit is themho, the reciprocal of the ohm.

Conductanceis an attribute of any specified conductor, and refers to its shape, length, and other factors. Conductivity is an attribute of any specified material without direct reference to its shape or other factors.

Sloane's Elec. Dict.

Con"duit sys"tem.(Elec.)A system of electric traction, esp. for light railways, in which the actuating current passes along a wire or rail laid in an underground conduit, from which the current is "picked up" by a plow or other device fixed to the car or electric locomotive. Hence Conduit railway.

Cone clutch.(Mach.)A friction clutch with conical bearing surfaces.

Cone"flow`er (?),n.Any plant of the genusRudbeckia; -- so called from the cone-shaped disk of the flower head. Also, any plant of the related generaRatibidaandBrauneria, the latter usually known aspurple coneflower.

Cone"-nose`,n.A large hemipterous insect of the familyReduviidæ, often found in houses, esp. in the southern and western United States. It bites severely, and is one of the species calledkissing bugs. It is also calledbig bedbug.

{ Con`es*to"ga wag`on or wain (?) }. [FromConestoga, Pennsylvania.] A kind of large broad-wheeled wagon, usually covered, for traveling in soft soil and on prairies.

Con*fec"tion*ers' sug`ar. A highly refined sugar in impalpable powder, esp. suited to confectioners' uses.

Con*fed"er*a*cy,n.(Amer. Hist.)Withthe, the Confederate States of America.

||Con*fet"ti (?),n. pl.; sing.-fetto(&?;). [It. Cf. Comfit.] Bonbons; sweetmeats; confections; also, plaster or paper imitations of, or substitutes for, bonbons, often used by carnival revelers, at weddings, etc.

Con"for*ma`tor (?),n.[L., a framer.] An apparatus for taking the conformation of anything, as of the head for fitting a hat, or, in craniometry, finding the largest horizontal area of the head.

Con"go group. [From Congo red.] A group of artificial dyes with an affinity for vegetable fibers, so that no mordant is required. Most of them are azo compounds derived from benzidine or tolidine. Called alsobenzidine dyes.

Congo red.(Chem.)An artificial red dye from which the Congo group received its name. It is also widely used either in aqueous solution or as test paper (Congo paper) for the detection of free acid, which turns it blue.

Con"greve (?),n.[After Sir WilliamCongreve, the inventor.]1.Short forCogreve rocket, a powerful form of rocket formerly used in war, either in the field or for bombardment. In the former case it was armed with shell, shrapnel, or other missiles; in the latter, with an inextinguishable explosive material, inclosed in a metallic case. It was guided by a long wooden stick.

2.Short forCongreve match, an early friction match, containing sulphur, potassium chlorate, and antimony sulphide.

Con"qui*an (?),n.(Card Playing)A game for two, played with 40 cards, in which each player tries to form three or four of a kind or sequences.

Con*sol" (?),n.A consolidated annuity (see Consols); -- chiefly in combination or attributively.

{ Con`so*la"tion game, match, pot, race, etc. } A game, match, etc., open only to losers in early stages of contests.

Con"stant,n.1.(Astron.)A number whose value, when ascertained (as by observation) and substituted in a general mathematical formula expressing an astronomical law, completely determines that law and enables predictions to be made of its effect in particular cases.

2.(Physics)A number expressing some property or condition of a substance or of an instrument of precision; as, the dielectricconstantof quartz; the collimationconstantof a transit instrument.

Aberration constant,orConstant of aberration(Astron.), a number which by substitution in the general formula for aberration enables a prediction to be made of the effect of aberration on a star anywhere situated. Its value is 20″.47. --Constant of integration(Math.), an undetermined constant added to every result of integration. --Gravitation constant(Physics), the acceleration per unit of time produced by the attraction of a unit of mass at unit distance. When this is known the acceleration produced at any distance can be calculated. --Solar constant(Astron.), the quantity of heat received by the earth from the sun in a unit of time. It is, on the C. G. S. system, 0.0417 small calories per square centimeter per second.Young.

Con*sum"er's goods (?).(Polit. Econ.)Economic goods that directly satisfy human wants or desires, such as food, clothes, pictures, etc.; -- called alsoconsumption goods, orgoods of the first order, and opposed toproducer's goods.

Consumer's surplus.(Polit. econ.)The excess that a purchaser would be willing to pay for a commodity over that he does pay, rather than go without the commodity; -- called alsoconsumer's rent.

The price which a person pays for a thing can never exceed, and seldom comes up to, that which he would be willing to pay rather than go without it. . . . The excess of the price which he would be willing to pay rather than go without it, over that which he actually does pay, is the economic measure of this surplus satisfaction. It has some analogies to a rent; but is perhaps best called simplyconsumer's surplus.

Alfred Marshall.

Con*ta"gious dis*ease".(Med.)A disease communicable by contact with a patient suffering from it, or with some secretion of, or object touched by, such a patient. Most such diseases have already been proved to be germ diseases, and their communicability depends on the transmission of the living germs. Many germ diseases are not contagious, some special method of transmission or inoculation of the germs being required.

||Conte (?),n.; pl.Contes(#). [F.] A short narrative or tale, esp. one dealing with surprising or marvelous events.

Theconte(sic) is a tale something more than a sketch, it may be, and something less than a short story. . . . The "Canterbury Tales" arecontes, most of them, if not all, and so are some of the "Tales of a Wayside Inn."

Brander Matthews.

Con`ti*nen"tal drive.(Automobiles)A transmission arrangement in which the longitudinal crank shaft drives the rear wheels through a clutch, change-speed gear, countershaft, and two parallel side chains, in order.

Continental glacier. A broad ice sheet resting on a plain or plateau and spreading outward from a central névé, or region of accumulation.

Continental pronunciation (of Latin and Greek.) A method of pronouncing Latin and Greek in which the vowels have their more familiar Continental values, as in German and Italian, the consonants being pronounced mostly as in English. The stricter form of this method of pronouncing Latin approaches the Roman, the modified form the English, pronunciation. The Continental method of Greek pronunciation is often calledErasmian.

Continental system.(Hist.)The system of commercial blockade aiming to exclude England from commerce with the Continent instituted by theBerlin decree, which Napoleon I. issued from Berlin Nov. 21, 1806, declaring the British Isles to be in a state of blockade, and British subjects, property, and merchandise subject to capture, and excluding British ships from all parts of Europe under French dominion. The retaliatory measures of England were followed by theMilan decree, issued by Napoleon from Milan Dec. 17, 1807, imposing further restrictions, and declaring every ship going to or from a port of England or her colonies to be lawful prize.

Con`tra*bass" (?),n.(Mus.)The lowest stringed instrument of the violin family.

Con"tract sys"tem.1.The sweating system.

2.The system of employing convicts by selling their labor (to be performed inside the prison) at a fixed price per day to contractors who are allowed to have agents in the prison to superintend the work.

Con"tract tablet.(Babylonian & Assyrian Antiq.)A clay tablet on which was inscribed a contract, for safe keeping. Such tablets were inclosed in an outer case (often called theenvelope), on which was inscribed a duplicate of the inscription on the inclosed tablet.

Con"tra*plex (?),a.[Contra-+-plexas in duplex.](Teleg.)Pertaining to the sending of two messages in opposite directions at the same time.

Con*trap"tion (?),n.A contrivance; a new-fangled device; -- used scornfully. [Colloq. or Dial.] -- Con*trap"tious (#),a.

We all remember some of the extraordinarycontraptionswhich have been thus evolved and put upon the market.

F. M. Ware.

Con"tre*danse` (?),n.[Cf. F.contredanse(fr. E. Country-dance). ]1.(a)A dance in which the partners are arranged face to face, or in opposite lines.(b)The quadrille. [Obs.]

2.(Music)A piece of music in the rhythm of such a dance.

Con`tri*bu"tion plan.(Life Insurance)A plan of distributing surplus by giving to each policy the excess of premiums and interest earned thereon over the expenses of management, cost of insurance, and the policy value at the date of computation. This excess is called thecontributionof the policy.

Con*trol",n.1.(Mach.)The complete apparatus used to control a mechanism or machine in operation, as a flying machine in flight; specifically(Aëronautics), the mechanism controlling the rudders and ailerons.

2.(Climatology)Any of the physical factors determining the climate of any particular place, as latitude,distribution of land and water, altitude, exposure, prevailing winds, permanent high- or low-barometric-pressure areas, ocean currents, mountain barriers, soil, and vegetation.

Con*trol"ler,n.1.(Elec.)Any electric device for controlling a circuit or system; specif.:(a)An electromagnet, excited by the main current, for throwing a regulator magnet into or out of circuit in an automatic device for constant current regulation.(b)A kind of multiple switch for gradually admitting the current to, or shutting it off from, an electric motor; as, a carcontrollerfor an electric railway car.

2.(Mach.)A lever controlling the speed of an engine; -- applied esp. to the lever governing a throttle valve, as of a steam or gasoline engine, esp. on an automobile.

Con"voy pen"nant. A white pennant with red border, carried :(a)Forward on all vessels on convoy duty.(b)Alone by a senior officer present during evolutions or drills, when it commands "Silence."(c)Over a signal number, when it refers to the signal number of an officer in the Annual Navy Register.

{ Coo"ey, Coo"ee (?) },n.[Of imitative origin.] A peculiar cry uttered by the Australian aborigines as a call to attract attention, and also in common use among the Australian colonists. In the actual call the first syllable is much prolonged (k"-) and the second ends in a shrill, staccato . To represent the sound itself the spellingcooeeis generally used.

Within cooey, within earshot.

{ Coo"ey, Coo"ee },v. i.[imp. & p. p.Cooeyed or Cooeed (&?;);p. pr. & vb. n.Cooeying or Cooeeing.] To call outcooee. [Australia]

Icooeyedand beckoned them to approach.

E. Giles.

Coon"can (?),n.[Corrupt ofconquian.] A game of cards derived from conquian, played by two or more players with one or two full packs of cards.

Co"palm` (?),n.The yellowish, fragrant balsam yielded by the sweet gum; also, the tree itself.

Co`pen*ha"gen (?),n.[FromCopenhagen, Denmark.]1.A sweetened hot drink of spirit and beaten eggs.

2.A children's game in which one player is inclosed by a circle of others holding a rope.

Cop"pice (kp"ps),v. t.[imp. & p. p.Coppiced (-pst);p. pr. & vb. n.Coppicing (?).](Forestry)To cause to grow in the form of a coppice; to cut back (as young timber) so as to produce shoots from stools or roots.

Coptic Church. The native church of Egypt or church of Alexandria, which in general organization and doctrines resembles the Roman Catholic Church, except that it holds to the Monophysitic doctrine which was condemned (a. d. 451) by the council of Chalcedon, and allows its priests to marry. The "pope and patriarch" has jurisdiction over the Abyssinian Church. Since the 7th century the Coptic Church has been so isolated from modifying influences that in many respects it is the most ancient monument of primitive Christian rites and ceremonies. But centuries of subjection to Moslem rule have weakened and degraded it.

Coque (?),n.[F., prop., a shell.] A small loop or bow of ribbon used in making hats, boas, etc.

Co*quille" (k*kl";F.k`k"y'),n.[F.] Lit., a shell; hence:(a)A shell or shell-like dish or mold in which viands are served.(b)The expansion of the guard of a sword, dagger, etc.(c)A form of ruching used as a dress trimming or for neckwear, and named from the manner in which it is gathered or fulled.[Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Co"rah (?),n.[Hind.krvirgin, plain.] Plain; undyed; -- applied to Indian silk. --n.Corah silk.

{ Cor"bel*ing, Cor"bel*ling },n.Corbel work or the construction of corbels; a series of corbels or piece of continuous corbeled masonry, sometimes of decorative purpose, as in the stalactite ornament of the Moslems.

Cord"ite (?),n.[From Cord,n.](Mil.)A smokeless powder composed of nitroglycerin, guncotton, and mineral jelly, and used by the British army and in other services. In making it the ingredients are mixed into a paste with the addition of acetone and pressed out into cords (of various diameters) resembling brown twine, which are dried and cut to length. A variety containing less nitroglycerin than the original is known ascordite M. D.

Cór"do*ba (kôr"d*vä),n.[Prob. fr. the Spanish explorer Francisco Hernández de Córdoba.] The monetary unit of Nicaragua, equivalent to the United States gold dollar.

Cord"y (kôr"d),a.[Compar.Cordier (?);superl.Cordiest.] Of, or like, cord; having cords or cordlike parts.

Core,n.(Elec.)A mass of iron, usually made of thin plates, upon which the conductor of an armature or of a transformer is wound.

Core loss.(Elec.)Energy wasted by hysteresis or eddy currents in the core of an armature, transformer, etc.

Cor"e*plas`ty (kr"*pls`t),n.[Gr. ko`rh pupil +-plasty.](Med.)A plastic operation on the pupil, as for forming an artificial pupil. -- Cor`e*plas"tic (- pls"tk),a.

Co*rin"thi*an,n.A man of fashion given to pleasuring or sport; a fashionable man about town; esp., a man of means who drives his own horse, sails his own yacht, or the like.

Cork"wood` (kôrk"wd`),n.1.The wood of the cork oak. [Obs.]

2.Any one of several trees or shrubs having light or corky wood; esp.:(a)In the United States, the treeLeitneria floridana.(b)In the West Indies: (1) Either of the cotton treesOchroma lagopusandPariti tiliaceum. (2) The tree producing the aligator apple. (3) The blolly.

Cor"ner,n.(Association Football)[More fullycorner kick.]A free kick from close to the nearest corner flag post, allowed to the opposite side when a player has sent the ball behind his own goal line.

Cor"o*na*ry bone. The small pastern bone of the horse and allied animals.

Coronary cushion. A cushionlike band of vascular tissue at the upper border of the wall of the hoof of the horse and allied animals. It takes an important part in the secretion of the horny walls.

Co*ro"ni*um (?),n.[NL. See Corona.](Chem. & Astron.)The principal gaseous substance forming the solar corona, characterized by a green line in the coronal spectrum.

Corps (?),n.[Ger.] In some countries of Europe, a form of students' social society binding the members to strict adherence to certain student customs and its code of honor; -- Ger. spelling usuallykorps.

Cor"pus*cle (?),n.(Physics)An electron.

Cor`res*pond"ence school. A school that teaches by correspondence, the instruction being based on printed instruction sheets and the recitation papers written by the student in answer to the questions or requirements of these sheets. In the broadest sense of the termcorrespondence schoolmay be used to include any educational institution or department for instruction by correspondence, as in a university or other educational bodies, but the term is commonly applied to various educational institutions organized on a commercial basis, some of which offer a large variety of courses in general and technical subjects, conducted by specialists.

Cor"ri*dor train. A train whose coaches are connected so as to have through its entire length a continuous corridor, into which the compartments open. [Eng.]

Cor*rob"o*ree` (?),n.[Alsocorrobboree,corrobori, etc.] [Native name.]1.A nocturnal festivity with which the Australian aborigines celebrate tribal events of importance. Symbolic dances are given by the young men of the tribe, while the women act as musicians.

2.A song or chant made for such a festivity.

3.A festivity or social gathering, esp. one of a noisy or uproarious character; hence, tumult; uproar. [Australia]

Cor*rob"o*ry (?),n. & v.See Corroboree.

Cor"sair (?),n.(Zoöl.)A Californian market fish (Sebastichthys rosaceus).

||Cor"tes Ge*ra"es (?). [Pg.] See Legislature,Portugal.

||Cos"mos (?),n.(Bot.)A genus of composite plants closely related toBidens, usually with very showy flowers, some with yellow, others with red, scarlet, purple, white, or lilac rays. They are natives of the warmer parts of America, and many species are cultivated.Cosmos bipinnatusandC. diversifoliusare among the best-known species;C. caudatus, of the West Indies, is widely naturalized.

Cos"sack post.(Mil.)An outpost consisting of four men, forming one of a single line of posts substituted for the more formal line of sentinels and line of pickets.

||Cos*sette" (?),n.[F.] One of the small chips or slices into which beets are cut in sugar making.

Cos"ton lights (?). Signals made by burning lights of different colors and used by vessels at sea, and in the life-saving service; -- named after their inventor.

||Co`teau" (?),n.; pl.Coteaux(#). [F., a hill.] [Canada & U. S.]1.A hilly upland including the divide between two valleys; a divide.

2.The side of a valley.

Cot"ta (?),n.[LL. See Coat.]1.(Eccl.)A surplice, in England and America usually one shorter and less full than the ordinary surplice and with short sleeves, or sometimes none.

2.A kind of very coarse woolen blanket.

Cot"ton bat"ting. Cotton prepared in sheets or rolls for quilting, upholstering, and similar purposes.

{ Cotton seed, or,usually collectively, Cot"ton*seed` } (?),n.The seed of the cotton plant.

Cottonseed meal. A meal made from hulled cotton seeds after the oil has been expressed.

Cottonseed oil. A fixed, semidrying oil extracted from cottonseed. It is pale yellow when pure (sp. gr., .92-.93). and is extensively used in soap making, in cookery, and as an adulterant of other oils.

Cotton State. Alabama; -- a nickname.

||Cou`leur" (?),n.[F.]1.Color; -- chiefly used in a few French phrases, ascouler de rose, color of rose; and hence, adjectively, rose-colored; roseate.

2.A suit of cards, as hearts or clubs; -- used in some French games.

Cou*lisse" (?),n.1.A fluting in a sword blade.

2.The outside stock exchange, or "curb market," of Paris. [French Use]

Cou`lomb" me"ter (?).(Elec.)Any instrument by which electricity can be measured in coulombs.

Cou`lomb's" law (?).(Physics)The law that the force exerted between two electric or magnetic charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely to the square of the distance between them.

Cou*lure" (?),n.[F., prop., a dropping.](Hort.)A disease affecting grapes, esp. in California, manifested by the premature dropping of the fruit.

||Cou"ma*rou (?),n.[See Coumarin.](Bot.)The tree (Dipteryx odorata) which bears the tonka bean; also, the bean itself.

Coun"ter,n.--Over the counter(Stock Exchanges), in an office; -- said of business so done, as distinguished from that done at an exchange. [Cant]

Coun"ter*glow` (?),n.(Astron.)An exceedingly faint roundish or somewhat oblong nebulous light near the ecliptic and opposite the sun, best seen during September and October, when in the constellations Sagittarius and Pisces. Its cause is not yet understood. Called alsoGegenschein.

Coun"ter*lath` (?),n.(Building)(a)A batten laid lengthwise between two rafters to afford a bearing for laths laid crosswise.(b)Any lath laid without actual measurement between two gauged laths.(c)Any of a series of laths nailed to the timbers to raise the sheet lathing above their surface to afford a key for plastering.(d)One of many laths used in preparing one side of a partition or framed wall, when the other side has been covered in and finished.

Coun"try bank.(Banking)A national bank not in a reserve city. [Colloq., U. S.]

Coun"try club. A club usually located in the suburbs or vicinity of a city or town and devoted mainly to outdoor sports.

Coun"try cousin. A relative from the country visiting the city and unfamiliar with city manners and sights.

||Coup (k),n.1.A single roll of the wheel at roulette, or a deal at rouge et noir. [Cant]

2.Among some tribes of North American Indians, the act of striking or touching an enemy in warfare with the hand or at close quarters, as with a short stick, in such a manner as by custom to entitle the doer to count the deed an act of bravery; hence, any of various other deeds recognized by custom as acts of bravery or honor.

While thecoupwas primarily, and usually, a blow with something held in the hand, other acts in warfare which involved great danger to him who performed them were also reckonedcoupsby some tribes.

G. B. Grinnell.

Among the Blackfeet the capture of a shield, bow, gun, war bonnet, war shirt, or medicine pipe was deemed acoup.

G. B. Grinnell.

Coup.v. i.To make a coup.

Woe to the Sioux if the Northern Cheyennes get a chance tocoup!

F. Remington.

Coup"stick` (k"stk`),n.[Coup+stick.] A stick or switch used among some American Indians in making or counting a coup.

Court,n.--Court of claims(Law), a court for settling claims against a state or government; specif., a court of the United States, created by act of Congress, and holding its sessions at Washington. It is given jurisdiction over claims on contracts against the government, and sometimes may advise the government as to its liabilities.

||Cou`veuse" (?),n.[F.](Med.)An incubator for sickly infants, esp. those prematurely born.

Cov"er*age (?),n.The aggregate of risks covered by the terms of a contract of insurance.

Cov"er crop. 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.

Cov"er*side` (?),n.A region of country having covers; a hunting country.

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.

Co`walk"er (?),n.A phantasmic or "astral" body deemed to be separable from the physical body and capable of acting independently; a doppelgänger.

Cow"pea`,n.(Bot.)A leguminous plant (Vigna Sinensis, syn.V. Catjang) found throughout the tropics of the Old World. It is extensively cultivated in the Southern United States for fodder, and the seed is used as food for man.

Coyote State. South Dakota; -- a nickname.

||Co`yo*til"lo (?),n.[Mex. Sp. dim. See Coyote.] A low rhamnaceous shrub (Karwinskia humboldtiana) of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Its berries are said to be poisonous to the coyote.

C Q D. In radiotelegraphy, the letters signified by the code call formerly used (cf. S O S) by ships in distress, formed by combining the code call C Q (formerly used as a general call for all stations) with D for distress.

Crack"a*jack` (?),n.1.An individual of marked ability or excellence, esp. in some sport; as, he is acrackajackat tennis. [Slang]

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

Crack"a*jack`,a.Of marked ability or excellence. [Slang]

Cracker State. Georgia; -- a nickname. See Cracker,n.5.

{ Crack"-loo` (?),n.Also Crack"a*loo` }. 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.]

Cra"dle*land` (kr"d'l*lnd`),n.Land or region where one was cradled; hence, land of origin.

Cramp,n.(Med.)A paralysis of certain muscles due to excessive use; as, writer'scramp; milker'scramp, etc.

Cram"pet,n.One of the plates of iron, with attached spikes, forming a pair of crampoons; hence(Curling), an iron plate for a player to stand on when delivering the stones.

Cran"dall (krn"dal),n.[Prob. fromCrandall, a proper name.](Stonecutting)A kind of hammer having a head formed of a group of pointed steel bars, used for dressing ashlar, etc. --v. t.To dress with a crandall.

Crane,n.1.Any arm which swings about a vertical axis at one end, used for supporting a suspended weight.

2.(Zoöl.)The American blue heron (Ardea herodias). [Local, U. S.]

Crap (krp),n.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.

Cra*paud" (?),n.[Written alsocrapawd,crapald,crepaud, etc.] [F.crapaud.]1.A toad. [Obs.]

2.(Pronouncedkr`p") As a proper name,Johnny Crapaud, orCrapaud, a nickname for a Frenchman.

Crap shooting. Same as Craps.

Crawl stroke.(Swimming)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.

Craze,n.(Ceramics)A crack in the glaze or enamel such as is caused by exposure of the pottery to great or irregular heat.

Craz"ing (?),p. pr. & vb. n.of Craze,v.Hence:n.Fine cracks resulting from shrinkage on the surface of glazed pottery, concrete, or other material. The admired crackle in some Oriental potteries and porcelains is crazing produced in a foreseen and regulated way. In common pottery it is often the result of exposure to undue heat, and the beginning of disintegration.

Crease (?),n.(Lacrosse)The combination of four lines forming a rectangle inclosing either goal, or the inclosed space itself, within which no attacking player is allowed unless the ball is there; -- called alsogoal crease.

Creep"ing Char"lie. The stonecrop (Sedum acre).

||Crême (?),n.[F.] Cream; - - a term used esp. in cookery, names of liqueurs, etc.

Creole State. Louisiana; -- a nickname. See Creole,n. & a.

Cre"o*sote bush. 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.

||Crêpe (krâp;Eng.krp),n.[F.] Any of various crapelike fabrics, whether crinkled or not.

Crêpe de Chine(&?;)[F.de Chineof China], Canton crape or an inferior gauzy fabric resembling it. --C. lisse(ls)[F.lissesmooth], smooth, or unwrinkled, crape.

Cre*ta"ceous,a.Also Cre*tac"ic (&?;).(Geol.)Of, pertaining to, or designating, the period of time following the Jurassic and preceding the Eocene.

Crimp,v. t.(Firearms)In cartridge making, to fold the edge of (a cartridge case) inward so as to close the mouth partly and confine the charge.

Crip"ple, [Local. U. S.](a)Swampy or low wet ground, often covered with brush or with thickets; bog.

The flats orcrippleland lying between high- and low-water lines, and over which the waters of the stream ordinarily come and go.

Pennsylvania Law Reports.

(b)A rocky shallow in a stream; -- a lumberman's term.

Crof"ton sys"tem (?). [After Sir WalterCrofton, Irish penologist.](Penology)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.

Crookes space (krks). [After Sir WilliamCrookes, English chemist, who first described it.](Physics)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 alsoCrookes layer.

Crook"neck` (?),n.Either of two varieties of squash, distinguished by their tapering, recurved necks. Thesummer crookneckis botanically a variety of the pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) and matures early in the season. It is pale yellow in color, with warty excrescences. Thewinter crookneckbelongs to a distinct species (C. moschata) and is smooth and often striped. [U. S.]

||Cro`quante" (?),n.[F.] A brittle cake or other crisp pastry.

Cross,v. t.--To cross a check(Eng. Banking), to draw two parallel transverse lines across the face of a check, with or without adding between them the words "and company", with or without the words "not negotiable", or to draw the transverse lines simply, with or without the words "not negotiable" (the check in any of these cases beingcrossed generally). Also, to write or print across the face of a check the name of a banker, with or without the words "not negotiable" (the check being thencrossed specially). A check crossed generally is payable only when presented through a bank; one crossed specially, only when presented through the bank mentioned.

Cross"-but`tock,n.(Wrestling)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.

Crosse (?),n.[F.,crosier, hooked stick.] The implement with which the ball is thrown and caught in the game of lacrosse.

Cross"-fer"ti*lize (?),v. t.[imp. & p. p.Cross-fertilized (?);p. pr. & vb. n.Cross-fertilizing (?).](Bot.)To fertilize, as the stigmas of a flower or plant, with the pollen from another individual of the same species.

Crotch,n.(Billiards)In the three-ball carom game, a small space at each corner of the table. See Crotched, below.

Crotch,v. t.[imp. & p. p.Crotched (?);p. pr. & vb. n.Crotch"ing.]1.To provide with a crotch; to give the form of a crotch to; as, tocrotchthe ends of ropes in splicing or tying knots.

2.(Logging)To notch (a log) on opposite sides to provide a grip for the dogs in hauling. [Western, U. S.]

Crotch chain.(Logging)A form of tackle for loading a log sideways on a sled, skidway, etc.

Crotched (?),a.(Billiards)Lying within a crotch; -- said of the object balls in the three- ball carom game whenever the centers of both lie within a 4½- inch square at a corner of the table, in which case but three counts are allowed unless one or both balls be forced out of the crotch.

Crown colony. 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.

Crown"land` (?),n.[G.kronland.] In Austria-Hungary, one of the provinces, or largest administrative divisions of the monarchy; as, thecrownlandof Lower Austria.

Croy"don (?),n.[FromCroydon, England.]1.A kind of carriage like a gig, orig. of wicker-work.

2.A kind of cotton sheeting; also, a calico.

Cru"ci*ble steel. Cast steel made by fusing in crucibles crude or scrap steel, wrought iron, and other ingredients and fluxes.

Cruise (?),v. i.(Forestry)To inspect forest land for the purpose of estimating the quantity of lumber it will yield.

Cruise,v. t.1.To cruise over or about.

2.(Forestry)To explore with reference to capacity for the production of lumber; as, tocruisea section of land.

Cruis"er (?),n.Specif.:(Nav.)A man-of-war less heavily armed and armored than a battle ship, having great speed, and generally of from two thousand to twelve thousand tons displacement.

||Crux an*sa"ta (?). [L., cross with a handle.] A cross in the shape of the ankh.

Cry*om"e*ter (?),n.[Gr. &?; cold, frost +-meter.](Physics)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.

Cu"bism (k"bz'm),n.(Painting)A movement or phase in post-impressionism (which see, below). -- Cu"bist (#),n.

||Cu*cul"lus (?),n.; pl.Cuculli(#). [L., a hood.]1.(Bot.)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.

||Cues"ta (?),n.[Sp.] 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.]

||Cui` bo"no (?). [L.] 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.

Cui`ras*sier" (?),n.(Mil.)In modern armies, a soldier of the heaviest cavalry, wearing a cuirass only when in full dress.

||Cuir" bou`illi" (?). [F.] 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.

Cu"lex (?),n.[L., a gnat.](Zoöl.)A genus of mosquitoes to which most of the North American species belong. Some members of this genus are exceedingly annoying, asC. sollicitans, which breeds in enormous numbers in the salt marshes of the Atlantic coast, andC. pipiens, breeding very widely in the fresh waters of North America. (For characters distinguishing these from the malaria mosquitoes, see Anopheles, above.) The yellow-fever mosquito is now placed in another genus,Stegomyia.

Cu"li*cid (?),a.[L.culex,- icis, gnat.](Zoöl.)Like or pertaining to the Mosquito family (Culicidæ). --n.A culicid insect.

Cultch (?),n.1.Young or seed oysters together with the shells and other objects to which they are usually attached.

2.Rubbish; débris; refuse.

Cul"ture (?),n.1.(Biol.)(a)The cultivation of bacteria or other organisms in artificial media or under artificial conditions.(b)The collection of organisms resulting from such a cultivation.

The word is used adjectively with the above senses in many phrases, such as:culture medium, any one of the various mixtures of gelatin, meat extracts, etc., in which organisms cultivated;culture flask,culture oven,culture tube,gelatin culture,plate culture, etc.

2.(Cartography)Those details of a map, collectively, which do not represent natural features of the area delineated, as names and the symbols for towns, roads, houses, bridges, meridians, and parallels.

Culture features.(Surv.)The artificial features of a district as distinguished from the natural.

Culture myth. A myth accounting for the discovery of arts and sciences or the advent of a higher civilization, as in the Prometheus myth.

Cul"tus (?),a.[See Cultus cod.] Bad, worth less; no good. [Northwestern U. S.]

"A bad horse,cultus[no good] !" he said, beating it with his whip.

F. H. Balch.

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