# Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/Crass Curari

fāte, fär; mē, hėr; mīne; mōte; mūte; mōōn; then.
Crass, kras, adj. gross: thick: dense: stupid.—ns. Crassament′um, the thick part of coagulated blood: the clot; Crass′itude, coarseness: density: stupidity.—adv. Crass′ly.—n. Crass′ness.—n.pl. Crassulā′ceæ, an order of herbaceous or shrubby, succulent plants—including the Stone-crop and House-leek. [O. Fr. cras—L. crassus.]
Cratægus, kra-tē′gus, n. a genus of thorny shrubs, of the rose family, in north temperate regions. [Gr.]
Cratch, krach, n. a crib to hold hay for cattle, a manger.—n.pl. Cratches, a swelling on a horse's pastern, under the fetlock. [Fr. crèche, a manger; from a Teut. root, whence also crib.]
Crate, krāt, n. a wicker-work case for packing crockery in, or for carrying fruit. [L. cratis, a hurdle. See Cradle.]
Crater, krāt′ėr, n. the bowl-shaped mouth of a volcano.—adjs. Crat′eriform, or Crater′iform, shaped like a crater; Crat′erous. [L.,—Gr. kratēr, a large bowl for mixing wine, from kerannynai, to mix.]
Craunch, kranch. A form of Crunch.
Cravat, kra-vat′, n. a kind of neckcloth worn chiefly by men.—v.t. to dress in a cravat.—adj. Cravat′ted, wearing a cravat. [Fr. cravate—introduced in 1636 from the Cravates or Croatians.]
Crave, krāv, v.t. to beg earnestly: to beseech: to demand or require: to long for.—ns. Crav′er, one who craves: a beggar; Crav′ing, desire: longing. [A.S. crafian, to crave; Ice. krefja.]
Craven, krāv′n, n. a coward: a spiritless fellow.—adj. cowardly: spiritless.—v.t. to render spiritless.—adv. Crav′enly.—n. Crav′enness.—To cry craven, to surrender. [M. E. cravant—O. Fr. participle cravanté, corresponding to L. crepant-em, crepāre, to rattle, to break; some explain M. E. cravant as O. Fr. creant, as in recreant.]
Craw, kraw, n. the crop, throat, or first stomach of fowls: the stomach of animals generally. [M. E. crawe; not found in A.S.; cf. Dut. kraag, neck.]
Crawfish. See Crayfish.
Crawl, krawl, v.i. to move slowly along the ground, as a worm: to creep: to move feebly, stealthily, or sneakingly: to be covered with crawling things.—n. the act of crawling.—ns. Crawl′er, one who or that which crawls: a reptile; Crawl′ing.—adv. Crawl′y (coll.), with a creepy feeling. [Scand.; Ice. krafla, Dan. kravle; Ger. krabbeln, to creep.]
Crawl, krawl, n. a pen for keeping fish: a kraal.
Crax, kraks, n. the typical genus of birds of family Cracidæ.
Crayfish, krā′fish, Crawfish, kraw′fish, n. a large fresh-water crustacean in the long-tailed division of the order Decapoda: the small spiny lobster. [M. E. crevice—O. Fr. crevice (Fr. écrevisse, a crayfish)—Old High Ger. krebiz, a Crab.]
Crayon, krā′on, n. a pencil made of chalk or pipeclay, variously coloured, used for drawing: a drawing done with crayons.—v.t. to draw with a crayon.—In crayons, of a picture, made by crayons. [Fr. crayon—craie, chalk, from L. creta, chalk.]
Craze, krāz, v.t. to weaken: to derange (applied to the intellect): (obs.) to break.—v.i. to become mad.—n. a crack or flaw: insanity.—adj. Crazed, deranged.—adv. Craz′ily.—ns. Craz′iness; Craz′ing-mill, a mill for crushing tin-ore.—adj. Craz′y, frail: insane: demented. [Scand.; Sw. krasa, Dan. krase, to crackle; whence also Fr. écraser, to crush.]
Creagh, Creach, kreh, n. a foray, raid: booty. [Gael.]
Creak, krēk, v.i. to make a sharp, grating sound, as of a hinge, &c.—n. a grating noise, as of an unoiled hinge.—adv. Creak′ily.—adj. Creak′y. [From the sound, like crake and croak.]
Cream, krēm, n. the oily substance which forms on milk, yielding butter when churned: the best part of anything: any cream-like preparation, as cold cream for the skin, &c., or any dish largely made of cream, or like cream, as chocolate-cream, ice-cream, whipped-cream, &c.—v.t. to take off the cream.—v.i. to gather or form cream.—ns. Cream′-cake, a kind of cake filled with custard made of cream, &c.; Cream′-cheese, cheese made of cream.—adj. Cream′-col′oured, of the colour of cream, light yellow.—n. Cream′ery, an establishment where butter and cheese are made from the milk supplied by a number of producers: a shop for milk, butter, &c.—adj. Cream′-faced, pale-faced.—ns. Cream′-fruit, the fruit of a creeping West African plant of the dogbane family, yielding a cream-like juice; Cream′iness.—adj. Cream′-laid, of a cream-colour and laid, or bearing linear water-lines as if laid.—ns. Cream′-nut, the Brazil nut; Cream′-slice, a wooden blade for skimming cream from milk.—adjs. Cream′-wove, woven of a cream-colour; Cream′y, full of or like cream: gathering like cream.—Cream of tartar, a white crystalline compound made by purifying argol, bitartrate of potash. [O. Fr. cresme, creme—L. chrisma.]
Creance, krē′ans, n. the cord which secures the hawk while being trained. [Fr.]
Creant, krē′ant, adj. creating: formative.
Crease, krēs, n. a mark made by folding or doubling anything: (cricket) a line indicating the boundaries of a particular space, as the position of a batter and bowler.—v.t. to make creases in anything.—v.i. to become creased.—adj. Creas′y, full of creases. [Prob. Celt., as Bret. krīz, &c.]
Crease. See Creese.
Creasote. See Creosote.
Create, krē-āt′, v.t. to bring into being or form out of nothing: to beget: to form: to invest with a new form, office, or character: to produce.—adj. Creāt′able.—n. Creā′tion, the act of creating, esp. the universe: that which is created, the world, the universe.—adj. Creā′tional.—ns. Creā′tionism, the theory of special creation, opp. to Evolutionism: the theory that God immediately creates a soul for every human being born—opp. to Traducianism; Creā′tionist.—adj. Creā′tive, having power to create: that creates.—adv. Creā′tively.—ns. Creā′tiveness; Creā′tor, he who creates: a maker:—fem. Creā′trix, Creā′tress; Creā′torship.—adjs. Crea′tural, Crea′turely, pertaining to a creature or thing created.—ns. Creature (krē′tūr), whatever has been created, animate or inanimate, esp. every animated being, an animal, a man: a term of contempt or of endearment: a dependent, instrument, or puppet; Crea′tureship.—The Creator, the Supreme Being, God.—Creature comforts, material comforts, food, &c.: liquor, esp. whisky. [L. creāre, -ātum; Gr. krain-ein, to fulfil.]
Creatine, krē′a-tin, n. a constant and characteristic constituent of the striped muscle of vertebrates—also Kre′atine.—adj. Creat′ic, relating to flesh.—n. Cre′atinine, dehydrated form, a constant constituent of urine, found also in fish muscles. [Gr. kreas, kreatos, flesh.]
Crèche, kresh, n. a sort of public nursery for children, while their mothers are at work. [Fr.]
Credence, krē′dens, n. belief: trust: the small table beside the altar on which the bread and wine are placed before being consecrated.—n. Creden′dum, a thing to be believed, an act of faith:—pl. Credenda.—adjs. Crē′dent, easy of belief; Creden′tial, giving a title to belief or credit.—n. that which entitles to credit or confidence: (pl.) esp. the letters by which one claims confidence or authority among strangers.—ns. Credibil′ity, Cred′ibleness.—adj. Credible (kred′-), that may be believed.—adv. Cred′ibly.—n. Cred′it, belief: esteem: reputation: honour: good character: sale on trust: time allowed for payment: the side of an account on which payments received are entered: a sum placed at a person's disposal in a bank on which he may draw to its amount.—v.t. to believe: to trust: to sell or lend to on trust: to enter on the credit side of an account: to set to the credit of.—adj. Cred′itable, trustworthy: bringing credit or honour.—n. Cred′itableness.—adv. Cred′itably.—ns. Cred′itor, one to whom a debt is due:—fem. Cred′itrix; Crē′do, the Creed, or a musical setting of it for church services; Credū′lity, credulousness: disposition to believe on insufficient evidence.—adj. Cred′ulous, easy of belief: apt to believe without sufficient evidence: unsuspecting.—adv. Cred′ulously.—ns. Cred′ulousness; Creed, a summary of articles of religious belief, esp. those called the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian: any system of belief. [Fr.,—Low L. credentia—L. credent-, believing, pr.p. of credĕre.]
Creek, krēk, n. a small inlet or bay of the sea, or the tidal estuary of a river: any turn or winding: in America and Australia, a small river.—adj. Creek′y, full of creeks: winding. [Prob. Scand., Ice. kriki, a nook; cf. Dut. kreek, a bay.]
Creel, krēl, n. a basket, esp. an angler's basket. [Prob. Celt; cf. Old Ir. criol, a chest.]
Creep, krēp, v.i. to move on the belly, like a snake: to move slowly: to grow along the ground or on supports, as a vine: to fawn or cringe: to have the physical sensation of something creeping over or under the skin: to shudder at from fear or repugnance: to drag with a creeper, as a river-bottom:—pr.p. creep′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. crept.—ns. Creep′er, a creeping plant: a genus of small climbing birds; Creep′-hole, a hole into which to creep: a subterfuge; Creep′ie, a low stool, the old Scotch stool of repentance.—adv. Creep′ingly.—adj. Creep′y. [A.S. creópan; Dut. kruipen.]
Creese, Crease, krēs, n. a Malay dagger with a wavy blade—also Kris.—v.t. to stab with a creese.
Creesh, krēsh, v.t. (Scot.) to grease.—n. grease.—adj. Creesh′y. [O. Fr. craisse—L. crassus, fat.]
Cremaillere, kre-mal-yār′, n. a line of fortification built zigzag to give wider range in firing. [Fr.]
Cremation, krem-ā′shun, n. act of burning, esp. of the dead.—v.t. Cremate′.—ns. Cremā′tionist, one who advocates cremation; Cremat′or, Crematōr′ium, Crem′atory, a place where cremation is done.—adj. Crematōr′ial. [L.,—cremāre, to burn.]
Cremona, krem-ō′na, n. a superior kind of violin made at Cremona in Italy.—adj. Cremonese′.
Cremor, krē′mor, n. thick juice.
Cremosin, krem′ō-zin, n. crimson (Spens.).
Crenate, -d, krē′nāt, -ed, adj. (bot.) having the edge notched.—ns. Crē′na, a furrow or notch; Crenā′tion; Cren′ature.—adjs. Cren′ulate, -d, finely notched or crenate. [L. crena, a notch.]
Crenel, kren′el, Crenelle, kre-nel′, n. (archit.) an opening in a parapet for shooting through: a battlement—dim. Cren′elet.—n. Crenaux (krē′nō), crenellations or loopholes in a fortress.—v.t. Cren′ellate.—adjs. Crenellāt′ed, furnished with battlements: indented.—n. Crenellā′tion.—adjs. Crenelle′ (her.), embattled; Crenelled′, having embrasures. [Fr.,—Low L. crena, a notch.]
Creole, krē′ōl, n. and adj. strictly applied in the former Spanish, French, and Portuguese colonies of America, Africa, and the East Indies to natives of pure European blood (sangre azul), in opposition to immigrants themselves born in Europe, or to the offspring of mixed blood, as mulattoes, quadroons, Eurasians, &c.: (U.S.) applied only to the native French stock in Louisiana: a negro born in the West Indies—earlier Creō′lian. [Fr. créole—Sp. criollo, contr. of criadillo, 'a little nursling,' dim. of criado—criar, lit. to create, also to bring up, to nurse—L. creāre.]
Creophagous, krē-of′a-gus, adj. flesh-eating. [Gr. kreas, flesh, phagein, to eat.]
Creosote, krē′o-sōt, Creasote, krē′a-sōt, n. an oily, colourless liquid obtained from the tar produced by the destructive distillation of wood. [Gr. kreas, flesh, sōtēr, saviour—sōz-ein, to save.]
Crepance, krē′pans, n. a wound on a horse's hind ankle-joint, caused by striking with the shoe of the other hind-foot.—Also Crē′pane. [L. crepāre, to break.]
Crêpe, krāp, v.t. to frizz, as hair. [See Crape.]
Crepitate, krep′i-tāt, v.i. to crackle, snap.—adj. Crep′itant, crackling.—n. Crepitā′tion, the characteristic sound detected in the lungs by auscultation.—adj. Crep′itātive.—n. Crep′itus. [L. crepitāre, -ātum, freq. of crepāre, to crack, rattle.]
Crepon, krep′on, n. a woollen or silk crapy stuff. [Fr.]
Crept, krept, pa.t. and pa.p. of Creep.
Crepuscular, kre-pus′kū-lar, adj. of or pertaining to twilight—also Crepus′culous.—ns. Crepus′cule, Crepus′cle, twilight. [L. crepusculum—creper, dusky, obscure.]
Crescendo, kres-en′dō, adv. (mus.) gradually increasing in force or loudness.—n. a passage marked by this.—Often cres., cresc., or .
Crescent, kres′ent, adj. increasing: shaped like the new or old moon.—n. the moon as she increases towards half-moon: a figure like the crescent moon, as that on the Turkish standard: the standard itself: the Turkish power: a range of buildings in curved form.—n. Cres′centade, a religious war for Islam.—adjs. Cres′cented, Crescent′ic, formed like a crescent; Cres′cive (Shak.), increasing. [L. crescens, crescent-is, pr.p. of crescĕre, to grow.]
Cress, kres, n. the name of several species of plants like the water-cress, which grow in moist places, and have pungent leaves used as salads and medicinally.—adj. Cress′y, abounding in cresses. [A.S. cresse, cerse; cf. Dut. kers, Ger. kresse.]
Cresset, kres′et, n. an iron basket, jar, or open lamp filled with combustible material, placed on a beacon, lighthouse, wharf, &c.: a torch generally. [O. Fr. cresset, crasset (Fr. creuset)—Old Dut. kruysel, a hanging lamp.]
Crest, krest, n. the comb or tuft on the head of a cock and other birds: the summit of anything, as a roof-ridge, hill, wave: the mane of a horse, &c.: (anat.) a ridge along the surface of a bone: a plume of feathers or other ornament on the top of a helmet: (her.) an accessory figure originally surmounting the helmet, placed on a wreath, &c., also used separately as a personal cognisance on plate, &c.—v.t. to furnish with, or serve for, a crest, to surmount.—p.adj. Crest′ed, having a crest: (bot.) having an elevated appendage like a crest.—adjs. Crest′fallen, dejected: heartless; Crest′less, without a crest: not of high birth.—ns. Crest′-marine′, rock samphire; Crestol′atry, toadyism. [O. Fr. creste (mod. crête)—L. crista.]
Cretaceous, krē-tā′shus, adj. composed of or like chalk.—adj. Crē′tāted, rubbed with chalk.—n. Cretifac′tion.—v.i. Crē′tify, to become impregnated with salts of lime. [L. cretaceus, from creta, chalk.]
Cretic, krē′tik, adj. and n. Cretan, belonging to Crete: a metrical foot consisting of one short syllable between two long.—n. Crē′tism, a lie.
Cretinism, krē′tin-izm, n. a state of defective mental development, associated with bodily deformity or arrested growth, occurring esp. in connection with enlargement of the thyroid gland or goitre in the lower Alpine valleys.—n. Crē′tin, one affected with cretinism.—adjs. Crē′tinous, Crē′tinised. [Fr. crétin—Swiss crestin—L. christian-us, prob. implying that, after all, they are human, or that they are (from their fatuousness) incapable of sin—cf. the frequent use of innocent.]
Cretonne, kret-on′, or kret′on, n. a strong printed cotton fabric used for curtains or for covering furniture. [Fr., prob. from Creton in Normandy.]
Cretose, krē′tōs, adj. chalky.
Creutzer. Same as Kreutzer.
Creux, krė, n. the reverse of relief in sculpture, intaglio. [Fr.]
Crevasse, krev-as′, n. a crack or split, esp. applied to a cleft in a glacier: (U.S.) a breach in a canal or river bank.—v.t. to fissure with crevasses. [Fr.]
Crevet, krev′et, n. a variant of Cruet, a goldsmith's melting-pot.
Crevice, krev′is, n. a crack or rent: a narrow opening. [O. Fr. crevace—L. L.,—L. crepāre, to creak.]
Crew, krōō, n. a company, squad, or gang, often in a bad or contemptuous sense: a ship's company. [O. Fr. creue, increase—croistre, to grow.]
Crew, krōō, pa.t. of Crow.
Crewe, krōō, n. (Spens.) a cruse. [O. Fr. crue.]
Crewel, krōō′el, n. a fine worsted yarn used for embroidery and tapestry: work in crewels.—v.t. to work in such.—ns. Crew′elist; Crew′ellery. [Orig. a monosyllable, crule, crewle; ety. dub.]
Crewels, krōō′elz, n.pl. (Scot.) the king's evil, scrofula. [Fr. ēcrouelles.]
Crib, krib, n. the rack or manger of a stable: a stall for oxen: a child's bed; a small cottage or hovel, a confined place: (coll.) a translation of a classic baldly literal, for lazy schoolboys.—v.t. to put away in a crib, confine: to pilfer: to plagiarise:—pr.p. crib′bing; pa.p. cribbed.—n. Crib′-bit′ing, a vicious habit of horses, consisting in biting the manger. [A.S. crib; Ger. krippe.]
Cribbage, krib′āj, n. a game at cards played by two, three, or four persons, so called from crib, the name given to certain cards laid aside from his hand by each player, and which belong to the dealer.—n. Cribb′age-board, a board with holes for keeping by means of pegs the score at cribbage.
Cribble, krib′l, n. a coarse screen or sieve used for sand, gravel, or corn: coarse flour or meal.—v.t. to sift or riddle.—adjs. Crib′rāte, Crib′rose, perforated like a sieve.—n. Cribrā′tion, act of sifting.—adj. Crib′riform, shaped like a sieve. [L. cribellum, dim. of cribrum, a sieve.]
Cribellum, kri-bel′um, n. an accessory spinning-organ of certain spiders—also Cribrell′um:—pl. Cribell′a.
Criblé, krē-blā, adj. punctured like a sieve, dotted. [Fr.]
Cricetus, kri-sē′tus, n. the typical genus of Cricetinæ, a sub-family of muroid rodents with cheek-pouches.
Crick, krik, n. a spasm or cramp of the muscles, esp. of the neck. [Prob. onomatopœic.]
Cricket, krik′et, n. a saltatory, orthopterous insect, allied to grasshoppers and locusts. [O. Fr. criquet; cf. Dut. krekel, Ger. kreckel.]
Cricket, krik′et, n. an outdoor game played with bats, a ball, and wickets, between two sides of eleven each.—v.i. to play at cricket.—ns. Crick′eter, one who plays at cricket; Crick′et-match, a match at cricket. [Fr. criquet; further ety. dub. Not the A.S. crycc, a stick.]
Cricket, krik′et, n. (Scot.) a low stool.
Cricoid, krī′koid, adj. (anat.) ring-shaped. [Gr. krikos, a ring, and eidos, form.]
Cried, krīd, pa.t. and pa.p. of Cry.—n. Crī′er, one who cries or proclaims, esp. an officer whose duty is to make public proclamations.—Cried down, or Decried, denounced, belittled; Cried up, extolled.
Crime, krīm, n. a violation of law: an act punishable by law: offence: sin.—adjs. Crime′ful, criminal; Crime′less, without crime, innocent; Criminal (krim′-), relating to crime: guilty of crime: violating laws.—n. one guilty of crime.—ns. Crim′inalist, one versed in criminal law; Criminal′ity, guiltiness.—adv. Crim′inally.—v.t. Crim′ināte, to accuse.—n. Criminā′tion, act of criminating: accusation.—adjs. Crim′inātive, Crim′inātory, involving crimination or accusation.—ns. Criminol′ogist; Criminol′ogy, that branch of anthropology which treats of crime and criminals.—adj. Crim′inous, criminal—now chiefly in the phrase 'a criminous clerk.'—n. Crim′inousness.—Criminal conversation, often Crim. con., adultery. [Fr.,—L. crimen.]
Crimine, Crimini, krim′i-ne, interj. an ejaculation of surprise or impatience.
Crimp, krimp, adj. made crisp or brittle.—v.t. to wrinkle: to plait: to make crisp: to seize or decoy sailors or soldiers.—n. one who presses or decoys.—ns. Crimp′age, act of crimping; Crimp′er, one who or that which crimps or corrugates; Crimp′ing-ī′ron, an iron instrument used for crimping hair; Crimp′ing-machine′, a machine for forming crimps or plaits on ruffles.—v.t. Crimp′le, to contract or draw together: to plait: to curl. [A dim. of cramp; Dut. krimpen, to shrink.]
Crimson, krim′zn, n. a deep red colour, tinged with blue: red in general.—adj. deep red.—v.t. to dye crimson.—v.i. to become crimson: to blush. [M. E. crimosin—O. Fr. cramoisin; from Ar. qermazi, the cochineal insect, from which it is made.]
Crinal, krī′nal, adj. of or belonging to the hair.—adjs. Crin′ate, -d, having hair; Crinicul′tural, relating to the culture or growth of the hair; Crinig′erous, hairy; Crī′nite, hairy: (bot.) resembling a tuft of hair. [L. crinalis—crinis, the hair.]
Crine, krīn, v.i. (Scot.) to shrink or shrivel. [Gael. crìon, dry.]
Cringe, krinj, v.i. to bend or crouch with servility: to submit: to fawn: to flatter with mean servility.—n. a servile obeisance.—ns. Cringe′ling, Crin′ger, one who cringes.—adv. Crin′gingly, in an obsequious manner. [Related to A.S. crincan, cringan, to shrink. Cf. Crank, weak.]
Cringle, kring′gl, n. a small piece of rope worked into the bolt-rope of a sail, and containing a metal ring or thimble. [Teut.; cf. Ger. kringel.]
Crinite. See Crinal, Crinoidea.
Crinkle, krink′l, v.t. to twist, wrinkle, crimp.—v.i. to wrinkle up, curl.—n. a wrinkle.—adj. Crink′ly, wrinkly.—n. and adj. Crink′um-crank′um, a word applied familiarly to things intricate or crooked.
Crinoidea, krī-noid′ē-a, n.pl. a class of Echinodermata, sometimes called feather-stars or sea-lilies, and well known in fossil forms as encrinites or stone-lilies.—n. Cri′nite, a fossil crinoid.—adjs. and ns. Crinoid′, Crinoid′ean.—adj. Crinoid′al. [Gr. krinon, a lily, and eidos, form.]
Crinoline, krin′o-lin, n. a name originally given by the French modistes to a stiff fabric of horse-hair, employed to distend women's attire: a hooped petticoat or skirt made to project all round by means of steel-wire: a netting round ships as a guard against torpedoes.—n. Crin′olette, a small crinoline causing the dress to project behind only—akin to the bustle and dress-improver.—adj. Crin′olined. [Fr., crin—L. crinis, hair, and lin—L. linum, flax.]
Crinose, krī′nōs, adj. hairy. [L. crinis, hair.]
Crio-sphinx, krī′ō-sfingks, n. a ram-headed sphinx. [Gr. krios, a ram, sphingx, a sphinx.]
Cripple, krip′l, n. a lame person.—adj. lame.—v.t. to make lame: to lame: disable, impair the efficiency of.—ns. Cripp′ledom; Cripp′ling, a prop set up as a support against the side of a building. [A.S. crypel; conn. with Creep.]
Crisis, krī′sis, n. point or time for deciding anything, the decisive moment or turning-point:—pl. Crises (krī′sēz). [Gr. krisis, from krinein, to separate.]
Crisp, krisp, adj. curling closely: having a wavy surface: so dry as to be crumbled easily: brittle, or short, as 'crisp cakes,' &c.: fresh and bracing, as 'crisp air:' firm, the opposite of limp or flabby, as a 'crisp style' in writing.—v.t. to curl or twist: to make crisp or wavy.—adjs. Cris′pāte, -d, having a crisped or wavy appearance.—ns. Crispā′tion; Crisp′ature, a curling; Crisp′er, one who or that which crisps; Crisp′ing-ī′ron, -pin, a curling-iron.—adv. Crisp′ly.—n. Crisp′ness.—adj. Crisp′y. [A.S.,—L. crispus.]
Crispin, kris′pin, n. a shoemaker, from Crispin of Soissons, the patron saint of shoemakers, martyred 25th October 287.
Criss-cross, kris′-kros, n. a mark formed by two lines in the form of a cross, as the signature of a person unable to write his name: a child's game played on a slate, the lines being drawn in the form of a cross.—v.i. to intersect frequently.
Cristate, kris′tāt, adj. crested.—n. Cris′ta, a crest.—adjs. Cris′tiform; Cristim′anous, having crested claws.
Criterion, krī-tē′ri-on, n. a means or standard of judging: a test: a rule, standard, or canon:—pl. Critē′ria. [Gr., from kritēs, a judge.]
Crith, krith, n. a chemical unit of mass for gases, the mass of one litre of hydrogen. [Gr. krithē, barley.]
Crithomancy, krith′o-man-si, n. divination by the meal strewed over the victims of sacrifice. [Gr. krithē, barley, and manteia, divination.]
Critic, krit′ik, n. one skilled in estimating the quality of literary or artistic work: a professional reviewer: one skilled in textual or biblical criticism, literature, the fine arts, &c.: a fault-finder.—adj. Crit′ical, relating to criticism: discriminating: captious: decisive.—adv. Crit′ically.—ns. Crit′icalness, Critical′ity; Crit′icaster, Crit′ickin, a petty critic.—adj. Criticīs′able.—v.t. Crit′icise, to pass judgment on: to censure.—ns. Crit′icism, the art of judging, esp. in literature or the fine arts: a critical judgment or observation; Critique (kri-tēk′), a critical examination of any production: a review.—Critical angle, the least angle of incidence at which a ray is totally reflected; Critical philosophy, that of Kant as based on a critical examination of the faculty of knowledge; Critical point, that temperature below which a substance may, and above which it cannot, be liquefied by pressure alone.—Higher or Historical criticism, as distinguished from Textual or Verbal criticism, the inquiry into the composition, date, and authenticity of the books of Scripture, from historical and literary considerations. [Gr. kritikos—krinein, to judge.]
Croak, krōk, v.i. to utter a low hoarse sound, as a frog or raven: to grumble: to forebode evil: to utter croakingly: (slang) to die.—n. the sound of a frog or raven.—n. Croak′er.—adv. Croak′ily.—n. Croak′ing.—adj. Croak′y. [From the sound. Cf. Crake, Crow.]
Croat, krō′at, n. a native of Croatia, esp. one serving as a soldier in the Austrian army.
Croceous, krō′shi-us, adj. saffron-coloured.
Croche, krō′she, n. one of the buds or knobs at the top of a deer's horn. [Fr.]
Crochet, krō′shā, n. a kind of handiwork in fancy worsted, cotton, or silk—an extensive system of looping, by means of a small hook.—v.i. to do such work. [Fr. crochet—croche, croc, a hook.]
Crocidolite, kro-sid′o-līt, n. a mineral consisting mainly of silicate of iron, in asbestos-like fibres. [From Gr. krokis, -idos, cloth, and lithos, stone.]
Crock, krok, n. a pot or jar.—n. Crock′ery, earthenware: vessels formed of baked clay. [A.S. croc; Ger. krug; perh. of Celt. origin, as in W. crochan, a pot, Gael. krogan, a pitcher.]
Crock, krok, n. dirt, smut.—v.i. to dirty.
Crock, krok, n. an old ewe: an old horse. [Cf. Norw. and Sw. krake, a poor beast.]
Crocket, krok′et, n. (archit.) an ornament on the angles of spires, canopies, &c., like curled leaves or flowers.
Crocodile, krok′o-dīl, n. a genus of large amphibious saurian reptiles, including the crocodile of the Nile, and also the alligators and gavials.—adj. and n. Crocodil′ian.—n. Crocodil′ity, captious arguing.—Crocodile tears, affected tears, hypocritical grief—from the old story that crocodiles (which have large lachrymal glands) shed tears over the hard necessity of killing animals for food. [O. Fr. cocodrille—L. crocodilus—Gr. krokodeilos, a lizard.]
Crocus, krō′kus, n. a bulbous plant with brilliant yellow or purple flowers: (slang) a quack doctor. [L. crocus—Gr. krokos; prob. of Eastern origin, as Heb. karkom, and Ar. kurkum, saffron.]
Croft, kroft, n. a small piece arable land adjoining a dwelling: a kind of small farm.—ns. Croft′er; Croft′ing. [A.S. croft; perh. cog. with Dut. kroft, or with Gael. croit.]
Croissant. Same as Crescent.
Croma, krō′ma, n. (mus.) an eighth note, or quaver.—Also Crome.
Crome, krōm, Cromb, krōōm, n. a hook or crook.—v.t. to draw with such. [Cf. Dut. kram.]
Cromlech, krom′lek, n. a term applied in Brittany to a group of standing stones, a stone circle: formerly applied to a dolmen, with which it is still sometimes confounded in England (see Dolmen). [W. cromlech—crom, curved, circular, and llech, a stone.]
Cromorna, krō-mor′na, n. a clarinet-like reed-stop in an organ. [Fr.,—Ger. krummhorn.]
Crone, krōn, n. an old woman, usually in contempt—sometimes an old man. [Perh. O. Fr. carogne, a crabbed woman; or Celt., as in Ir. crion, withered.]
Cronet, krō′net, n. the hair growing over the top of a horse's hoof.
Crony, krōn′i, n. an old and intimate companion. [Ety. unknown.]
Croodle, krōōd′l, v.i. to cower down, or cling close to anything. [Prob. related to Cuddle.]
Croodle, krōōd′l, v.i. (Scot.), to coo like a dove, to coax.
Crook, krōōk, n. a bend, anything bent: a curved tube used to lower the pitch of a cornet, &c.: the bending of the body in reverence: a staff bent at the end, as a shepherd's or bishop's: an artifice or trick: (Spens.) gibbet.—v.t. to bend or form into a hook: to turn from the straight line or from what is right.—v.i. to bend or be bent.—n. Crook′back (Shak.), a hunchback.—adj. Crook′backed; Crook′ed, bent like a crook: not straight: deviating from rectitude, perverse.—adv. Crook′edly.—n. Crook′edness.—adjs. Crook′-kneed; Crook′-shoul′dered.—A crook in the lot, any trial in one's experience. [Prob. Scand.; cf. Ice. krókr, Dan. krog.]
Crool, krool, v.i. to mutter. [Imit.]
Croon, krōōn, v.t. (Scot.) to utter a low, monotonous, inarticulate sound like a baby: to sing or hum in an undertone.—n. Croon′ing, a low murmuring sound. [Cf. Dut. kreunen, to groan.]
Crop, krop, n. all the produce of a field of grain: anything gathered or cropped: an entire ox-hide: the craw of a bird: (archit.) a finial: a whip-handle: the cutting the hair short.—v.t. to cut off the top or ends: to cut short or close: to mow, reap, or gather.—v.i. to yield:—pr.p. crop′ping; pa.p. cropped.—n. Crop′-ear, one having cropped or cut ears.—adj. Crop′ful (Milt.), satiated.—ns. Crop′per, one who or that which crops: a plant which furnishes a crop: one who raises a crop for a share of it: a kind of fancy pigeon remarkable for its large crop; Crop′ping, act of cutting off: the raising of crops: (geol.) an outcrop; Crop′py, one of the Irish rebels of 1798 who cut their hair short in imitation of the French Revolutionists.—adj. Crop′-sick, sick of a surfeit.—Crop out, to appear above the surface; Crop up, to come up incidentally. [A.S. crop, the top shoot of a plant, the crop of a bird; Dut. crop, a bird's crop.]
Cropper, krop′ėr, n. a fall; failure.—Come a cropper, to have a fall, perhaps from phrase 'neck and crop.'
Croquet, krō′kā, n. a game in which two or more players try to drive wooden balls, by means of long-handled mallets, through a series of arches set in the ground. [North Fr. croquet, a dial. form of crochet, dim. of croc, croche, a crook.]
Croquette, krok-et′, n. a ball of minced meat or fish, seasoned and fried. [Fr. croquer, to crunch.]
Crore, krōr, n. the sum of ten millions, or one hundred lacs. [Hind.]
Crosier, Crozier, krō′zhėr, n. a cross mounted on a staff, borne before archbishops and patriarchs—often confounded with the pastoral staff.—adj. Crō′siered. [O. Fr. crocier—Late L. crociarius—L. crux, a cross.]
Cross, kros, n. a gibbet on which malefactors were hung, consisting of two pieces of timber, one placed crosswise on the other, either thus or : the instrument on which Christ suffered, and thus the symbol of the Christian religion: the sufferings of Christ: the atonement effected by these: a representation of the cross, a staff surmounted by a cross, a monument, model, or ornament in the form of a cross, esp. that in this form in the centre of a town at which proclamations are made, &c.: (Scot.) a signal or call to arms sent throughout a district, being a cross of two sticks charred and dipped in blood (Fiery cross): the transverse part of an anchor, or the like: a surveyor's cross-staff: anything that crosses or thwarts: a crossing or crossway: adversity or affliction in general.—v.t. to mark with a cross, or to make the sign of the cross.—ns. Cross′-aisle, a transept aisle of a cruciform church; Cross′-bear′er, one who carries a cross in a procession; Cross′-bun, a bun marked with the form of a cross, eaten on Good-Friday; Cross′ing, the making the sign of the cross; Cross′-stitch, a double stitch in the form of a cross; Cross′let, a little cross.—Crost, obsolete pa.p. of Cross.—Cross-and-pile, the obverse and reverse side of a coin, head and tail; Cross of Calvary, the Latin cross or cross of crucifixion elevated on three steps; Cross of Jerusalem, one having each arm capped by a cross-bar; Cross of Lorraine, a cross with two horizontal arms, combining the Greek and Latin crosses; Cross of St James, a Latin cross figured as a sword; Cross of St Patrick, the saltier cross of Ireland (red on a white ground).—Cross one's mind, to flash across the mind; Cross the path of any one, to thwart him.—Ansate cross (crux ansata), a common symbol of immortality in ancient Egypt; Archiepiscopal cross, the pastoral staff surmounted by a cross; Buddhist cross, the gammadion or fylfot, with returned arms, a symbol found in prehistoric remains in Italy and elsewhere; Capital cross, a Greek cross having each extremity terminated in an ornament like a Tuscan capital; Capuchin-cross, a cross having each arm terminated by a ball; Celtic cross, a type of cross found in Ireland and in the north and west of Scotland, varying from a cross incised on a flat slate to an elaborate cruciform monument—some crosses of this type show Scandinavian workmanship, and hence are often called Runic crosses; Greek cross, an upright cross with limbs of equal length—the well-known Cross of St George (red on a white ground); Latin cross (crux immissa), an upright cross having the lower limb longer than the others; Maltese cross, the badge of the knights of Malta, converging to a point in the centre, with two points to each limb; Norman cross, an elaborate memorial cross like a Gothic turret set on the ground, or on the base of a few steps, with niches for figures and pinnacles; Patriarchal cross, a cross with two horizontal bars; Rouen cross, a cross in fretwork, as a brooch or pendant; St Andrew's cross (crux decussata), or Cross saltier, a cross of two shafts of equal length crossed diagonally at the middle—the saltier cross of Scotland (white on a blue ground); St Anthony's cross (crux commissa), shaped like a ; Southern cross, a constellation in the Antarctic region where the stars are in the form of a cross. [O. Fr. crois (Fr. croix)—L. cruc-em, orig. an upright post to which latterly a cross-piece was added.]
Cross, kros, adj. lying across: transverse: oblique: opposite: adverse: ill-tempered: interchanged: dishonest: balancing, neutralising.—adv. across.—n. a crossing or mixing of breeds, esp. of cattle: something intermediate in character between two other things: dishonest practices, esp. in a sporting contest when one of the parties corruptly allows himself to be beaten.—v.t. to lay one body or draw one line across another: to cancel by drawing cross lines: to pass from side to side: to write across a bank-cheque the name of a banking company, or simply '& Co.' between the lines, to be filled up with the name of a banking company, through whom alone it may be paid: to obstruct: to thwart: to interfere with.—v.i. to lie or be athwart: to move or pass from place to place.—n. Cross′-ac′tion (law), an action brought by the defender against the pursuer in the same cause.—adjs. Cross′-armed, having the arms crossed: (bot.) brachiate; Cross′-band′ed, having the grain of the veneer run across that of the rail—of a hand-rail.—n. Cross′-bar, a transverse bar: a kind of lever.—adj. Cross′-barred.—ns. Cross′-beam, a large beam stretching across a building and serving to hold its sides together; Cross′-bench, in the House of Lords, certain benches so placed, on which independent members sometimes sit; Cross′-bill, a bill brought by the defendant in a Chancery suit against the plaintiff; Cross′-bill, a genus of birds resembling bullfinches, linnets, &c., with the mandibles of the bill crossing each other near the points; Cross′-birth, a birth in which the child lies transversely in the uterus.—v.t. Cross′bite, to bite the biter.—n.pl. Cross′-bones, a figure of two thigh-bones laid across each other—together with the skull, a conventional emblem of death.—ns. Cross′bow, a weapon for shooting arrows, formed of a bow placed crosswise on a stock; Cross′bower, -bowman, one who uses a crossbow.—adj. Cross′-bred.—ns. Cross′-breed, a breed produced by the crossing or intermixing of different races; Cross′-breed′ing; Cross′-butt′ock, a particular throw over the hip in wrestling; Cross′-cheque (see Cheque).—adj. Cross′-coun′try, across the fields rather than by the road.—n. Cross′-cut, a short road across from one point to another.—v.t. to cut across.—ns. Cross′cut-saw, a large saw worked by two men, one at each end, for cutting beams crosswise; Cross′-divi′sion, the division of any group into divisions that cut across each other and produce confusion.—adj. Crossed, marked by a line drawn crosswise, often denoting cancellation: folded: cruciate.—n. Cross′-examinā′tion.—v.t. Cross′-exam′ine, to test the evidence of a witness by subjecting him to an examination by the opposite party.—adj. Cross′-eyed, having a squint.—ns. Cross′-fertilisā′tion, the fecundation of a plant by pollen from another; Cross′-fire (mil.), the crossing of lines of fire from two or more points; Cross′-gar′net, a T-shaped hinge.—adjs. Cross′-gar′tered (Shak.), wearing the garters crossed on the leg; Cross′-grained, having the grain or fibres crossed or intertwined: perverse: contrary: intractable.—ns. Cross′-grain′edness; Cross′-guard, the bar, at right angles to the blade, forming the hilt-guard of a sword; Cross′-hatch′ing, the art of shading by parallel intersecting lines; Cross′-head, a beam across the head of something, esp. the bar at the end of the piston-rod of a steam-engine; Cross′ing, act of going across: the place where a roadway, &c. may be crossed: intersection: act of thwarting: cross-breeding.—adj. Cross′-legged, having the legs crossed.—adv. Cross′ly.—ns. Cross′ness; Cross′-patch, an ill-natured person; Cross′-piece, a piece of material of any kind crossing another: (naut.) a timber over the windlass, with pins for belaying the running rigging; Cross′-pur′pose, a contrary purpose: contradictory conduct or system: an enigmatical game; Cross′-quar′ters, an ornament of tracery like the four petals of a cruciform flower: a quatrefoil.—v.t. Cross′-ques′tion, to question minutely, to cross-examine.—ns. Cross′-ref′erence, a reference in a book to another title or passage; Cross′-road, a road crossing the principal road, a bypath; Cross′-row (same as Christ-cross-row); Cross′-sea, a sea that sets at an angle to the direction of the wind; Cross′-sill, a railroad sleeper lying under the rails transversely as a support to the stringer; Cross′-spring′er, a cross-rib in a groined vault; Cross′-staff, a surveying instrument consisting of a staff surmounted with a brass circle divided into four equal parts by two intersecting lines; Cross′-stone, chiastolite: staurolite: harmotome; Cross′-tie, in a railroad, a timber placed under opposite rails as a support; Cross′-tin′ing, a mode of harrowing crosswise.—n.pl. Cross′trees, pieces of timber placed across the upper end of the lower-masts and top-masts of a ship.—ns. Cross′-vault′ing, vaulting formed by the intersection of two or more simple vaults; Cross′way, a way that crosses another; Cross′-wind, an unfavourable wind, a side-wind.—adv. Cross′wise, in the form of a cross: across.—Cross as two sticks, particularly perverse and disagreeable.—Cross the path of any one, to thwart him; Cross one's mind, to flash across the mind.
Crosse, kros, n. the implement used in lacrosse.
Crossette, kro-set′, n. a small projecting part of an impost-stone at the extremity of an arch: a shoulder in an arch-stone fitting into the stone next to it. [Fr.]
Crotalaria, krō-ta-lā′ri-a, n. a genus of Leguminosæ, the rattlewort. [Gr. krotalon, a rattle.]
Crotalidæ, krō-tal′i-dē, n.pl. a family of venomous serpents, including rattlesnakes, copper-heads, &c.
Crotalo, krō′ta-lō, n. a Turkish musical instrument, like the ancient cymbalum.
Crotch, kroch, n. a fork, as of a tree: the bifurcation of the human body.—adj. Crotched. [Ety. obscure.]
Crotchet, kroch′et, n. a hook: a note in music, equal to half a minim, : a crooked or perverse fancy: a whim, or conceit.—adjs. Crotch′eted, Crotch′ety, having crotchets or peculiarities: whimsical.—n. Crotch′eteer, a crotchety person. [Fr. crochet, dim. of croche, a hook. See Crochet.]
Croton, krō′ton, n. a genus of tropical plants, producing a brownish-yellow oil, having a hot, biting taste.—ns. Crō′tonate, a salt formed by the union of crotonic acid with a base; Crō′ton-oil, a powerful purgative oil, expressed from the seeds of the Croton tiglium, also used externally.—Croton′ic acid, an acid obtained from croton-oil. [Gr. krotōn, a tick or mite, which the seed of the plant resembles.]
Crottles, krot′ls, n.pl. lichens used for dyeing. [Gael. crotal.]
Crouch, krowch, v.i. to squat or lie close to the ground: to cringe: to fawn. [Possibly crook.]
Crouched-friars = Crutched-friars. See Crutch.
Crouch-ware, krowch′-wār, n. a finely finished pottery made with an admixture of pipe-clay in Shropshire: the famous salt-glazed stoneware made at Burslem.
Croup, krōōp, n. a severe disease in the throat of children, accompanied by a hoarse cough.—v.i. to cry or speak hoarsely.—n. Croup′iness.—adjs. Croup′ous, Croup′y. [A.S. kropan, to cry; Scot. roup, croup, hoarseness; from the sound.]
Croup, krōōp, n. the rump of a horse: the place behind the saddle.—n. Croup′on (obs.), the croup: the human buttocks. [Fr. croupe, a protuberance; allied to Crop.]
Croupade, kroo-pād′, n. in the manège, a leap in which the horse draws up his hind-legs toward the belly. [Fr.]
Crouper, krōōp′ėr, n. obsolete form of Crupper.
Croupier, krōō′pi-ėr, n. one who sits at the lower end of the table as assistant-chairman at a public dinner: a vice-president: he who watches the cards and collects the money at the gaming-table. [Fr., 'one who rides on the croup.']
Crouse, krōōs, adj. (Scot.) lively, pert.—adv. boldly, pertly.—adv. Crouse′ly. [M. E. crūs; cf. Ger. kraus, Dut. kroes, crisp, cross.]
Crout, krowt, n. See Sauer-kraut.
Crow, krō, n. a large bird, generally black, of the genus Corvus, which includes magpies, nut-crackers, jays, choughs, &c.: the cry of a cock: a crow-bar.—v.i. to croak: to cry as a cock, in joy or defiance: to boast, swagger (with over):—pa.t. crew (krōō) or crowed; pa.p. crowed.—ns. Crow′-bar, a large iron bar mostly bent at the end, to be used as a lever; Crow′-berr′y, a small creeping shrub, producing small black berries; Crow′-flow′er (Shak.), perhaps the same as Crow′foot, a common weed, the flower of which is like a crow's foot, the buttercup: crow's-foot: a number of lines rove through a long wooden block, supporting the backbone of an awning horizontally; Crow′-keep′er (Shak.), a scarecrow; Crow′-quill, a pen made of the quill of a crow, &c., for fine writing or etching; Crow's′-bill, Crow′-bill (surg.), a kind of forceps for extracting bullets, &c., from wounds; Crow's′-foot, one of the wrinkles produced by age, spreading out from the corners of the eyes: (mil.) a caltrop; Crow's′-nest (naut.), a shelter at the top-gallant mast-head of whalers for the man on the lookout.—n.pl. Crow′-steps (see Corbie).—n. Crow′-toe (Milt.), probably the same as Crowfoot.—As the crow flies, in a straight line; Eat crow, or boiled crow, to be forced to do something very disagreeable; Have a crow to pluck with, to have something to settle with some one. [A.S. crawe, a crow, crawan, to cry like a cock; imit.]
Crowd, krowd, n. a number of persons or things closely pressed together, without order: the rabble: multitude.—v.t. to gather into a lump or crowd: to fill by pressing or driving together: to compress.—v.i. to press on: to press together in numbers: to swarm.—p.adj. Crowd′ed.—Crowd sail, to carry a press of sail for speed. [A.S. crúdan, to press.]
Crowd, krowd, n. (obs.) an ancient musical instrument of the nature of the violin.—n. Crowd′er (obs.), a fiddler. [W. crwth, a hollow protuberance, a fiddle; Gael., Ir. cruit.]
Crowdie, krowd′i, n. a mixture of meal and water: (Scot.) brose. [Der. unknown.]
Crown, krown, n. the diadem or state-cap of royalty: regal power: the sovereign: honour: reward, as the 'martyr's crown:' the top of anything, esp. of the head: completion: accomplishment; a coin stamped with a crown, esp. the silver 5s. piece—used also as the translation of the old French écu, worth from six francs (or livres) to three francs: a size of paper, because originally water-marked with a crown: (archit.) a species of spire or lantern, formed by converging flying-buttresses.—v.t. to cover or invest with a crown: to invest with royal dignity: to adorn: to dignify: to complete happily.—ns. Crown′-ag′ent, a solicitor in Scotland who prepares criminal prosecutions; Crown′-ant′ler, the uppermost antler of the horn of a stag; Crown′-col′ony, a colony whose administration is directly under the home government; Crown Derby porcelain (see Porcelain).—p.adj. Crowned, having or wearing a crown: rewarded: consummated.—ns. Crown′er (Shak.), a corruption of coroner; Crown′et, a coronet: (Shak.) that which crowns or accomplishes; Crown′-glass, a kind of window-glass formed in circular plates or discs; Crown′-impē′rial, a plant, a species of fritillary; Crown′ing.—n.pl. Crown′-jew′els, jewels pertaining to the crown or sovereign.—ns. Crown′-land, land belonging to the crown or sovereign; Crown′-law′yer, the lawyer who acts for the crown in criminal cases.—adj. Crown′less.—ns. Crown′let, a small crown; Crown′-liv′ing, a church living in the gift of the crown; Crown-office, the office for the business of the crown side of the King's Bench: the office in which the great seal is affixed; Crown′-pā′per, in England, a printing-paper of the size 15 × 20 in.: in America, a writing-paper 15 × 19 in.; Crown′-post, the same as King-post (q.v.); Crown′-prince, the prince who succeeds to the crown; Crown′-saw, a circular saw made by cutting teeth round a cylinder; Crown′-wheel, a wheel resembling a crown, with teeth or cogs set at right angles to its plane; Crown′-wit′ness, a witness for the crown in a criminal prosecution instituted by it; Crown′work (fort.), an outwork composed of a bastion between two curtains, with demi-bastions at the extremes.—Crown of the causeway, the middle of the street. [O. Fr. corone (Fr. couronne)—L. corona; cf. Gr. korōnos, curved.]
Croze, krōz, n. the groove in the staves of a cask in which the edge of the head is set.
Crozier. See Crosier.
Crucial, krōō′shi-al, adj. testing, searching, from the practice of marking a testing instance with a cross to draw attention to it.—adj. Cru′ciāte (bot.), arranged in the form of a cross, as leaves or petals. [Fr. crucial, from L. crux, crucis, a cross.]
Crucian, Crusian, kroo′shi-an, n. the German carp, having no barbels.
Crucible, krōō′si-bl, n. an earthen pot for melting ores, metals, &c. [Low L. crucibulum, most prob. from L. crux.]
Cruciferæ, kroo-sif′ėr-ē, n. a natural order of exogenous plants (many edible), having a corolla of four petals arranged in the form of a cross.—n. Cruc′ifer, a cross-bearer in a procession.—adj. Crucif′erous (bot.), bearing four petals in the form of a cross. [L. crux, crucis, a cross, ferre, to bear.]
Crucify, krōō′si-fī, v.t. to put to death by fixing the hands and feet to a cross: to subdue completely: to mortify: to torment:—pa.p. cru′cified.—ns. Crucifī′er, one who crucifies; Cru′cifix, a figure or picture of Christ fixed to the cross; Crucifix′ion, death on the cross, esp. that of Christ.—adjs. Cru′ciform, in the form of a cross; Crucig′erous, bearing a cross. [O. Fr. crucifier—L. crucifigĕre, crucifixum—crux, and figĕre, to fix.]
Crude, krōōd, adj. raw, unprepared: not reduced to order or form: unfinished: undigested: immature.—adv. Crude′ly.—ns. Crude′ness; Crud′ity, rawness: unripeness: that which is crude.—adj. Crud′y (Shak.), crude, raw. [L. crudus, raw.]
Cruel, krōō′el, adj. disposed to inflict pain, or pleased at suffering: void of pity, merciless, savage: severe.—adj. Cru′el-heart′ed, delighting in cruelty: hard-hearted: unrelenting.—adv. Cru′elly.—ns. Cru′elness (obs.); Cru′elty. [Fr. cruel—L. crudelis.]
Cruet, krōō′et, n. a small jar or phial for sauces and condiments.—n. Cru′et-stand, a stand or frame for holding cruets. [Acc. to Skeat, prob. formed from Dut. kruik, a jar = Eng. crock; and acc. to E. Müller, dim. of O. Fr. cruye (mod. Fr. cruche, cruchette, a jar), from root of crock.]
Cruise, krōōz, v.i. to sail to and fro: to rove on the sea.—n. a sailing to and fro: a voyage in various directions in search of an enemy, or for the protection of vessels.—n. Cruis′er. [Dut. kruisen, to cross—kruis, a cross.]
Cruisie. See Crusie.
Cruisken, kroos′ken, n. (Ir.) a small bottle.—Also Cruis′keen.
Cruive, Cruve, krōōv, n. (Scot.) a sty, hovel: a wattled hedge built on tidal flats for catching fish.
Cruller, krul′ėr, n. a cake cut from rolled dough made of eggs, butter, sugar, flour, &c., fried crisp in boiling lard. [Cf. Dut. krullen, to curl.]
Crumb, krum, n. a small bit or morsel of bread: a small particle of anything: the soft part of bread.—v.t. to break into crumbs: to fill with crumbs.—ns. Crumb′-brush, a brush for sweeping crumbs off the table; Crumb′-cloth, a cloth laid under a table to keep falling crumbs from the carpet.—adjs. Crumb′y, Crum′my, in crumbs: soft. [A.S. cruma; Dut. kruim; Ger. krume; allied to crimp.]
Crumble, krum′bl, v.t. to break into crumbs: to scatter in crumbs.—v.i. to fall into small pieces: to decay.—n. a crumb: that which crumbles easily.—adj. Crumb′ly, apt to crumble, brittle. [Orig. dim. of Crumb; Dut. kruimelen; Ger. krümeln.]
Crumenal, krōō′me-nal, n. (Spens.) a purse. [From L. crumena, a purse.]
Crump, krump, adj. crooked: wrinkled.—ns. Crum′my, a cow with a crumpled horn; Crump′et, a kind of crumby or soft cake or muffin.—adj. Crump′y, crump: easily broken. [A.S. crump—crumb, crooked; Ger. krumm. Cf. Cramp, Crimp.]
Crumple, krump′l, v.t. to contort: to mark with or draw into folds or wrinkles: to crease.—v.i. to become wrinkled: to contract or shrink.—adj. Crump′led.—n. Crump′ling. [Formed from Crump.]
Crunch, krunsh, v.t. to crush with the teeth: to chew anything hard, and so make a noise.—n. the act of crunching. [From the sound; cf. Fr. grincer.]
Crunkle, krunk′l, v.i. to crumple.
Crunt, krunt, n. (Scot.) a blow on the head.
Cruor, krōō′or, n. coagulated blood.—n. Cru′orine, the red colouring matter of blood corpuscles.
Crup, krup, adj. (prov.) brittle.
Crupper, krup′ėr, n. a strap of leather fastened to the saddle and passing under the horse's tail to keep the saddle in its place: the hind part of a horse. [Fr. cropière—crope, the croup.]
Crural, krōō′ral, adj. belonging to or shaped like a leg. [L. cruralis, from crus, cruris, the leg.]
Crusade, kroo-sād′, n. a military expedition under the banner of the cross to recover the Holy Land from the Turks: any daring or romantic undertaking.—v.i. to go on a crusade.—n. Crusad′er, one engaged in a crusade. [Fr. croisade—Prov. crozada—croz, a cross—L. crux, a cross.]
Crusado, kroo-sā′do, n. a Portuguese coin, so called because marked with a cross. [Port. cruzado.]
Cruse, krōōz, n. an earthen pot: a small cup or bottle. [Cf. Ice. krus; Dan. kruus; Ger. krause.]
Cruset, krōō′set, n. a goldsmith's crucible. [Fr. creuset.]
Crush, krush, v.t. to break or bruise: to squeeze together: to beat down or overwhelm: to subdue: to ruin.—v.i. to become broken under pressure.—n. a violet squeezing: a vast crowd of persons or things.—adj. Crushed, broken by pressure: subdued: oppressed.—ns. Crush′er, he who, or that which, crushes or subdues: (slang) a policeman; Crush′-hat, a hat so constructed as to collapse and become flat: an opera-hat.—adj. Crush′ing, bruising: overwhelming.—adv. Crush′ingly.—n. Crush′-room, a room in a theatre, &c., where the audience may promenade during the intervals of the entertainment.—Crush a cup, to empty a cup: to quaff.—Crushed strawberry, of the colour of strawberries that have been crushed. [O. Fr. croissir; per. cog. with Mid. High Ger. krosen, to crunch.]
Crusie, Crusy, krōōz′i, n. (Scot.) a lamp which burns oil. [From Cruset.]
Crust, krust, n. the hard rind or outside coating of anything: the outer part of bread: covering of a pie, &c.: (geol.) the solid exterior of the earth.—v.t. to cover with a crust or hard case.—v.i. to gather into a hard crust.—adj. Crustāt′ed, covered with a crust.—n. Crustā′tion, an adherent crust.—adv. Crust′ily.—n. Crust′iness.—adj. Crust′y, of the nature of or having a crust, as port or other wine: having a hard or harsh exterior: hard: snappy: surly. [O. Fr.,—L. crusta, rind.]
Crusta, krus′ta, n. something, as a gem, prepared for inlaying: a hard coating: a cocktail served in a glass, its rim encrusted in sugar:—pl. Crustæ (ē).
Crustacea, krus-tā′shi-a, n.pl. a large class of Arthropod animals, almost all aquatic, including crabs, lobsters, shrimps, sand-hoppers, wood-lice, water-fleas, barnacles, acorn-shells, &c.—n. Crustā′cean, one of the crustacea.—adj. Crustaceolog′ical.—ns. Crustaceol′ogist; Crustaceol′ogy, the science which treats of the crustacea.—adjs. Crustā′ceous, Crustā′cean, pertaining to the crustacea, or shellfish.
Crut, krut, n. (prov.) a dwarf.
Crutch, kruch, n. a staff with a cross-piece at the head to place under the arm of a lame person: any support like a crutch.—v.t. to support: to prop.—v.i. to go on crutches.—adj. Crutched, marked by the sign of or wearing a cross.—n.pl. Crutched′-frī′ars, an order of friars so called from the sign of the cross which they wore—Crouched- or Crossed-friars. [From root of Crook; perh. modified by L. crux.]
Crux, kruks, n. a cross: (fig.) something that occasions difficulty. [L. crux, a cross.]
Crwth, kröth, n. an old Welsh stringed instrument, four of its six strings played with a bow, two twitched by the thumb. [W.]
Cry, krī, v.i. to utter a shrill loud sound, esp. one expressive of pain or grief: to lament: to weep: to bawl.—v.t. to utter loudly: to proclaim or make public:—pa.t. and pa.p. cried.—n. any loud sound, esp. of grief or pain: a fit of weeping: a pack of hounds, hence of people: particular sound uttered by an animal: bawling: lamentation: prayer: clamour:—pl. Cries.—ns. Crī′er; Cry′ing, act of calling loudly: weeping.—adj. calling loudly: claiming notice: notorious.—Cry against, to protest against; Cry down, to condemn: to decry; Cry off, to withdraw from a bargain; Cry on, to call upon: to invoke; Cry up, to praise: extol.—A far cry, a great distance; Great cry and little wool, appearance without reality: much ado about nothing; Hue and cry (see Hue); In full cry, in full pursuit, used of dogs in hunt; Within cry of, within hearing distance. [Fr. crier—L. quiritāre, to scream—freq. of L. queri, to lament.]
Cryolite, krī′o-līt, n. a mineral found on the coast of Greenland, consisting mainly of a fluoride of aluminium in combination with fluoride of sodium. [Gr. kryos, frost, and lithos, a stone.]
Cryophorus, krī-of′o-rus, n. an instrument for showing the decrease of temperature in water by evaporation. [Gr. kryos, frost, and pherein, to bear.]
Crypt, kript, n. an underground cell or chapel, esp. one used for burial.—adjs. Cryp′tic, -al, hidden: secret: unseen. [L. crypta—Gr. kryptē—kryptein, to conceal. Doublet of Grot.]
Cryptogamia, krip-to-gā′mi-a, n. the class of flowerless plants, or those which have their fructification concealed.—n. Cryp′togam.—adjs. Cryptogā′mian, Cryptogam′ic, Cryptog′amous.—ns. Cryptog′amist; Cryptog′amy. [Gr. kryptos, concealed, and gamos, marriage.]
Cryptogram, krip′tō-gram, n. a cryptograph.—ns. Cryptad′ia, things to be kept secret; Cryptol′ogy, secret language; Cryp′tonym, a secret name.
Cryptography, krip-tog′ra-fi, n. the art of secret writing: the character or cipher so used.—ns. Crypt′ograph; Cryptog′rapher.—adjs. Cryptograph′ic, -al. [Gr. kryptos, secret, and graphein, to write.]
Crystal, kris′tal, n. a superior kind of quartz, clear like ice: (chem.) a piece of matter which has assumed a definite geometrical form, with plane faces.—adjs. Crys′tal, Crys′tallīne, consisting of or like crystal in clearness, &c.; Crys′talform; Crys′tallīsable, capable of being crystallised or formed into crystals.—n. Crystallīsā′tion, the act of crystallising.—v.t. Crys′tallīse, to reduce to the form of a crystal.—v.i. to assume a crystalline form.—ns. Crys′tallite; Crystallogen′esis.—adj. Crystallogen′ic.—n. Crystallog′rapher, one skilled in crystallography.—adj. Crystallograph′ic—n. Crystallog′raphy, the science of crystallisation.—adj. Crys′talloid, having the form of a crystal.—n. a name given by Graham to a class of substances which when in solution pass easily through membranes.—n. Crys′tallomancy, a mode of divination by means of transparent bodies. [O. Fr. cristol—L. crystallum—Gr. krystallos, ice—kryos, frost.]
Ctenoid, tē′noid, adj. comb-shaped, applied by Agassiz to the scales and fins of certain fishes, as the perch, &c.—adj. and n. Ctenoid′ean. [Gr. kteis, ktenos, a comb, eidos, form.]
Ctenophora, ten-of′o-ra, n.pl. a sub-class of Cœlenterates—beautifully delicate, free-swimming marine organisms, generally globular, moving by means of comb-like plates. [Gr. kteis, ktenos, a comb, pherein, to carry.]
Cub, kub, n. the young of certain animals, as foxes, &c.: a whelp: a young boy or girl (in contempt).—v.i. to bring forth young:—pr.p. cub′bing; pa.p. cubbed.—adjs. Cub′bish, like a cub: awkward; Cub′-drawn (Shak.), drawn or sucked by cubs.—n. Cub′hood.—adj. Cub′less, without cubs. [Prob. Celt., as Ir. cuib, a whelp, from cu, a dog.]
Cub, kub, n. a cattle-pen: chest.
Cuban, kū′ban, n. a native of the island of Cuba in the West Indies.—adj. pertaining to Cuba.
Cube, kūb, n. a solid body having six equal square faces, a solid square: the third power of a number, as—2 × 2 × 2 = 8.—v.t. to raise to the third power.—ns. Cū′bage, Cubā′tion, Cū′bature, the act of finding the solid or cubic content of a body: the result thus found.—adjs. Cū′bic, -al, pertaining to a cube: of the third power or degree: solid.—adv. Cū′bically.—n. Cū′bicalness, state or quality of being cubical.—adjs. Cū′biform; Cū′boid, Cuboid′al, resembling a cube in shape.—Cube root, the number or quantity that produces a given cube by being raised to the third power—thus 2 is the cube root of 8. [Fr.,—L. cubus—Gr. kybos, a die.]
Cubeb, kū′beb, n. the dried berry of Piper cubeba, a climbing shrub, native to Sumatra—useful as a stomachic and carminative in indigestion, for piles and for sore throats.—n. Cubeb′in, a crystallising substance in cubebs. [Fr. cubèbe—Ar. kabābah.]
Cubica, kū′bi-ka, n. a fine worsted for linings.
Cubicle, kū′bi-kl, n. a bedroom.
Cubit, kū′bit, n. a measure employed by the ancients, equal to the length of the arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle-finger, from 18 to 22 inches—also Cū′bitus.—adj. Cū′bital, of the length of a cubit. [L. cubitum, the elbow; cf. L. cubāre, to lie down.]
Cucking-stool, kuk′ing-stōōl, n. a stool in which scolds and other culprits were placed, usually before their own door, to be pelted by the mob. [Mentioned in Domesday Book as in use in Chester, and called cathedra stercoris. From an obs. word cuck, to ease one's self; cf. Ice. kúka.]
Cuckold, kuk′old, n. a man whose wife has proved unfaithful.—v.t. to wrong (a husband) by unchastity.—v.t. Cuck′oldise, to make a cuckold.—adv. Cuck′oldly (Shak.).—ns. Cuck′old-mak′er; Cuck′oldom, state of a cuckold: act of adultery; Cuck′oldry, adultery. [O. Fr. cucuault—cucu, cuckoo.]
Cuckoo, kook′kōō, n. a bird which cries cuckoo, remarkable for laying its eggs in the nests of other birds.—ns. Cuck′oo-bud (Shak.), name of a plant; Cuck′oo-clock, a clock in which the hours are told by a cuckoo-call; Cuck′oo-flow′er, a species of Cardamine—called also Lady's Smock; Cuck′oo-pint, the Wake-robin, Arum maculatum; Cuck′oo-spit, -spit′tle, a frothy spittle, made by many insects parasitic on plants, surrounding the larvæ and pupæ.
Cucullate, -d, kū′kul-lāt, -ed, adj. hooded: shaped like a hood. [L. cucullatus—cucullus, a hood.]
Cucumber, kū′kum-bėr, n. a creeping plant, with heart-shaped leaves, rough with bristly hairs, and large oblong fruit used as a salad and pickle—a native of southern Asia.—adj. Cucum′iform. [L. cucumis, cucumeris.]
Cucurbit, kū′kur-bit, n. a chemical vessel used in distillation, originally shaped like a gourd.—adjs. Cucur′bital, Cucurbitā′ceous, pertaining to the Cucurbitaceæ, mostly herbaceous climbers, as the gourd, melon, &c.; Cucur′bitive, like a gourd-seed. [Fr. cucurbite—L. cucurbita, a gourd.]
Cud, kud, n. the food brought from the first stomach of a ruminating animal back into the mouth and chewed again.—n. Cud′weed, the popular name for many species of plants covered with a cottony down.—Chew the cud, to meditate. [A.S. cwidu.]
Cudbear, kud′bār, n. a purple or violet coloured powder prepared from a lichen, used in dyeing. [A corr. of Cuthbert—from Dr Cuthbert Gordon, who first made it an article of commerce.]
Cuddle, kud′l, v.t. to hug: to embrace: to fondle.—v.i. to lie close and snug together.—n. a close embrace. [Perh. a freq. of M. E. couth, cosy.]
Cuddy, kud′i, n. a small cabin or cookroom, in the fore-part of a boat or lighter: in large vessels, the officers' cabin under the poopdeck. [Origin uncertain; cf. Fr. cahute; Dut. kajuit; Ger. kajüte.]
Cuddy, kud′i, n. the right of a lord to entertainment from his tenant: rent: (Spens.) Cuddeehih. [Corr. of Ir. cuid oidhche—cuid, a share, oidhche, night.]
Cuddy, Cuddie, kud′i, n. a donkey: (Scot.) a stupid person. [Perh. formed from Cuthbert.]
Cudgel, kud′jel, n. a heavy staff: a club.—v.t. to beat with a cudgel:—pr.p. cud′gelling; pa.p. cud′gelled.—ns. Cud′geller; Cud′gelling.—adj. Cud′gel-proof, not to be hurt by beating.—Take up the cudgels, to engage in a contest. [A.S. cycgel.]
Cue, kū, n. the last words of an actor's speech serving as a hint to the next speaker: any hint: the part one has to play. [Acc. to some from Fr. queue, tail, as the ending words of the last speech; in 17th cent. written Q, and derived from L. quando, 'when,' i.e. when the actor was to begin.]
Cue, kū, n. a twist of hair at the back of the head: a rod used in playing billiards.—v.t. of the hair, to form in a cue. [Fr. queue—L. cauda, a tail.]
Cuff, kuf, n. a stroke with the open hand.—v.t. to strike with the open hand: to beat. [Origin obscure; cf. Sw. kuffa, to knock.]
Cuff, kuf, n. the end of the sleeve near the wrist: a covering for the wrist: a handcuff (q.v.). [Prob. cog. with Coif.]
Cuff, kuf, n. Scotch form of Scruff.—Cuff of the neck. See Scruff.
Cuffin, kuf′in, n. a man: a justice of the peace. [Thieves' slang.]
Cufic, kūf′ik, adj. of or pertaining to Cufa, esp. applied to the kind of writing of the scholars of Cufa in Asiatic Turkey, seat of the most expert copyists of the Koran.
Cuirass, kwi-ras′, or kū-, n. a defensive covering for the breast and back, of leather or iron fastened with straps and buckles, &c.—v.t. to furnish with such.—n. Cuirassier′, a horse-soldier armed with such. [Fr. cuirasse—cuir, leather—L. corium, skin leather.]
Cuir-bouilli, kwēr-bōō′lyi, n. leather softened by boiling, then dried, retaining the impressions made on it.—Also Cuir-bouilly.
Cuisine, kwe-zēn′, n. a kitchen or cooking department: cookery.—n. Cuisin′ier, a cook. [Fr. (It. cucina)—L. coquina—coquĕre, to cook.]
Cuisse, kwis, Cuish, kwish, n. armour for the thighs, consisting of iron plates laid horizontally over each other and riveted together. [Fr. cuisse (It. coscia, the thigh)—L. coxa, the hip.]
Cuiter, küt′ėr, v.t. (Scot.) to fondle, pamper.
Cuittle, küt′l, v.t. to curry: (Scot.) to cajole.
Culch, kulch, n. (prov.) rubbish.
Culdee, kul′dē, n. one of a fraternity of monks living in Scotland in the 8th century in groups of cells. [Acc. to Reeves and Skene, the old Ir. céle dé, 'servants of God,' or 'companions of God'—Latinised by Boece into Culdei, as if cultores Dei.]
Cul-de-four, kōō-de-foor, n. (archit.) a sort of low spherical vault, oven-like.—ns. Cul-de-lampe, an ornamental design used in filling up blank spaces in a book; Cul-de-sac, a street, &c., closed at one end: a blind alley. [Fr. cul, bottom—L. culus; Fr. four, furnace, lampe, lamp, sac, sack.]
Culet, kū′let, n. the small flat surface at the back or bottom of a brilliant: the part of armour protecting the body behind, from the waist downwards—also Culette. [O. Fr., cul—L. culus, the rump.]
Culex, kū′leks, n. the typical genus of Culicidæ or gnats—adj. Culic′iform, gnat-like. [L.]
Culinary, kū′lin-ar-i, adj. pertaining to the kitchen or to cookery: used in the kitchen. [L. culinarius—culina, a kitchen.]
Cull, kul, v.t. to select, pick out.—ns. Cull′er; Cull′ing. [Fr. cueillir, to gather—L. colligĕre—col, together, legĕre, to gather. Doublet of Collect.]
Cullender. See Colander.
Cullet, kul′et, n. refuse glass.
Cullion, kul′yun, n. a wretch: a cowardly fellow.—adj. Cull′ionly (Shak.), mean, base. [Fr. couillon, a poltroon (It. coglione)—L. coleus, a leather bag.]
Cullis, kul′is, n. a gutter in a roof: a groove, as for a side-scene in a theatre. [Fr. coulisse.]
Cully, kul′i, n. a mean dupe.—v.t. to deceive meanly:—pa.p. cull′ied.—ns. Cull, a dupe; Cull′yism, state of being a cully. [Prob. a contr. of Cullion.]
Culm, kulm, n. the stalk or stem of corn or of grasses.—v.i. to form a culm.—adj. Culmif′erous, having a culm. [L. culmus, a stalk.]
Culm, kulm, n. coal-dust: name given in some parts of England to anthracite or stone-coal.—adj. Culmif′erous, producing culm. [See Coom.]
Culmen, kul′men, n. highest point: the median length-wise ridge of a bird's upper mandible. [L.]
Culminate, kul′min-āt, v.i. (astron.) to be vertical or at the highest point of altitude: to reach the highest point (with in).—adj. Cul′minant, at its highest point.—n. Culminā′tion, act of culminating: the top: (astron.) transit of a body across the meridian or highest point for the day. [Low L. culmināre, from L. culmen, properly columen, a summit.]
Culottic, kul-ot′ic, adj. wearing trousers: (Carlyle) respectable. [Fr. culotte, breeches.]
Culpable, kul′pa-bl, adj. faulty: criminal.—ns. Culpabil′ity, Cul′pableness, liability to blame.—adv. Cul′pably.—adj. Cul′patory, expressive of blame. [O. Fr. coupable—L. culpabilis—culpa, a fault.]
Culprit, kul′prit, n. one in fault: a criminal: (Eng. law) a prisoner accused but not yet tried. [From the fusion in legal phraseology of cul. (culpable, culpabilis), and prit, prist (O. Fr. prest), ready. Not culpate—law L. culpatus, a person accused.]
Cult, kult, n. a system of religious belief, worship.—Also Cult′us. [L. cultus—colĕre, to worship.]
Culter, kul′tėr, n. obsolete form of Coulter.—adjs. Cultiros′tral, Culturos′tral; Cul′trate, -d, shaped like a pruning-knife; Cul′triform, in the form of a pruning-knife: sharp-edged.
Cultism, kult′ism, n. a style of writing after the manner of Luis de Góngora y Argote (1561-1627), a Spanish lyric poet—estilo culto, being florid, pedantic, often obscure.—ns. Cult′ist, Cult′orist. [Sp. culte, elegant—L. cultus.]
Cultivate, kul′ti-vāt, v.i. to till or produce by tillage: to prepare for crops: to devote attention to: to civilise or refine.—adjs. Cul′tivable, Cultivat′able, capable of being cultivated.—ns. Cultivā′tion, the art or practice of cultivating: civilisation: refinement; Cul′tivator.—Cultivate a person's friendship, to endeavour to get his good-will. [Low L. cultivāre, -ātum—L. colĕre, to till, to worship.]
Culture, kul′tūr, n. cultivation: the state of being cultivated: refinement the result of cultivation.—v.t. to cultivate: to improve.—adjs. Cul′turable; Cul′tural.—p.adj. Cul′tured, cultivated: well educated: refined.—adj. Cul′tureless. [L. cultūra—colĕre.]
Cultus. See Cult.
Culver, kul′vėr, n. a dove: a pigeon.—n. Cul′ver-key, an herb, probably the columbine, having key-shaped flowerets.—adj. Cul′vertailed, dovetailed. [A.S. culfre, prob. from L. columba.]
Culverin, kul′vėr-in, n. one of the earlier forms of cannon of great length, generally an 18-pounder, weighing 50 cwt.—ns. Cul′verineer; Dem′i-cul′verin, a 9-pounder, weighing 30 cwt. [Fr. coulevrine, from couleuvre, a serpent.]
Culver's physic, root, n. popular name of a kind of speedwell, the rhizome of Veronica virginica, used medicinally. [Prob. from one Dr Culver.]
Culvert, kul′vėrt, n. an arched channel of masonry for carrying water beneath a road, railway, &c. [Perh. from Fr. couler, to flow—L. colāre.]
Culvertage, kul′ver-tāj, n. degradation of a vassal to the position of a serf. [O. Fr. culvert, a serf.]
Cumbent, kum′bent, adj. lying down; reclining. [L. cumbens, -entis, pr.p. of cumbĕre, to lie down.]
Cumber, kum′bėr, v.t. to trouble or hinder with something useless: to retard, trouble.—n. encumbrance: cumbering.—adj. Cum′bered, hampered: obstructed.—ns. Cum′berer; Cum′ber-ground, a useless thing, from Luke, xiii. 7.—adj. Cum′berless, unencumbered.—ns. Cum′berment, Cum′brance, encumbrance.—adjs. Cum′bersome, unwieldy: heavy; Cum′brous, hindering: obstructing: heavy.—adv. Cum′brously.—n. Cum′brousness. [O. Fr. combrer, to hinder—Low L. cumbrus, a heap; corr. of L. cumulus, a heap.]
Cumbrian, kum′bri-an, adj. (geol.) of or pertaining to a system of slaty rocks best developed in Cumberland and Westmorland, now merged in the Cambrian or Silurian system.
Cumin, Cummin, kum′in, n. an umbelliferous plant, common in Egypt, and cultivated in southern Europe and India—its seeds, resembling the caraway, valuable as carminatives. [L. cuminum—Gr. kyminon, cog. with Heb. kammôn.]
Cummer, kum′ėr, Kimmer, kim′ėr, n. a gossip: a woman: (Scot.) a girl. [Fr. commère—L. con, with, mater, mother.]
Cummerbund, kum′ėr-bund, n. a waist-belt, a sash. [Anglo-Ind.—Pers. kamarband, a loin-band.]
Cumshaw, kum′shaw, n. a gift, a tip. [Pidgin-English.]
Cumulate, kūm′ū-lāt, v.t. to heap together: to accumulate.—adjs. Cum′ulate, -d, heaped up.—n. Cumulā′tion (= Accumulation).—adj. Cum′ulative, increasing by successive additions.—adv. Cum′ulatively. [L. cumulāre, -ātum—cumulus, a heap.]
Cumulus, kū′mū-lus, n. a heap; a kind of cloud common in summer, consisting of rounded heaps with a darker horizontal base.—adjs. Cū′muliform; Cū′mulose.—n. Cū′mulo-strā′tus, a cloud looking like a combination of the cumulus and stratus. [L. cumulus, a heap, and stratus.]
Cunabula, kū-nab′ul-a, n.pl. a cradle. [L.]
Cunarder, kūn-ard′ėr, n. one of a certain line of steamships between England and America. [Founded by Sir Samuel Cunard (1787-1865).]
Cunctator, kungk-tā′tor, n. one who delays or puts off.—n. Cunctā′tion, delay.—adjs. Cunctā′tious, Cunctā′tive, Cunctā′tory, inclined to delay. [L.,—cunctāri, to delay.]
Cuneal, kū′ne-al, Cuneate, kū′ne-āt, adj. of the form of a wedge.—adjs. Cunē′iform, Cū′niform, wedge-shaped—specially applied to the old Babylonian and Assyrian writing, of which the characters have a wedge-shape. [L. cuneus, a wedge.]
Cunette. See Cuvette.
Cunning, kun′ing, adj. knowing: skilful: artful: crafty.—n. knowledge: skill: faculty of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose: artifice.—adv. Cunn′ingly.—n. Cunn′ingness, quality of being cunning: artfulness, slyness. [A.S. cunnan, to know.]
Cup, kup, n. a vessel used to contain liquid: a drinking-vessel: the liquid contained in a cup: that which we must receive or undergo: afflictions: blessings.—v.i. to extract blood from the body by means of cupping-glasses: (Shak.) to make drunk:—pr.p. cup′ping; pa.p. cupped.—ns. Cup′-bear′er, one who attends at a feast to fill out and hand the wine; Cupboard (kub′urd), a place for keeping victuals, dishes, &c.—v.t. to store.—ns. Cup′board-love, -faith, love or faith indulged in for a material end; Cup′ful, as much as fills a cup:—pl. Cup′fuls; Cup′-gall, a cup-shaped gall in oak-leaves; Cup′-lī′chen, or -moss, a species of Cladonia; Cup′man, a boon companion; Cup′per, a cup-bearer: one professionally engaged in cupping; Cup′ping, the application of cups from which the air has been exhausted to a scarified part of the skin for the purpose of drawing blood; Cup′ping-glass, a glass used in the operation of cupping; Dry′-cup′ping, the application of cups without previous scarification; Lov′ing-cup, a cup (from which all drink) passed round at the close of a feast.—Cry cupboard, to cry for food; In his cups, under the influence of liquor; Many a slip between the cup and the lip, a proverb signifying that something adverse may occur at the last moment. [A.S. cuppe (Fr. coupe, It. coppa, a cup, the head); all from L. cupa, cuppa, a tub.]
Cupel, kū′pel, n. a small vessel used by goldsmiths in assaying precious metals.—v.t. to assay in a cupel.—n. Cupellā′tion, the process of assaying precious metals. [L. cupella, dim. of cupa. See Cup.]
Cupidity, kū-pid′i-ti, n. covetousness.—n. Cū′pid, the god of love. [L. cupiditas—cupĕre, to desire.]
Cupola, kū′po-la, n. a spherical vault, or concave ceiling, on the top of a building: the internal part of a dome: a dome.—v.t. to furnish with such. [It.; dim. of Low L. cupa, a cup—L. cupa, a tub.]
Cupreous, kūp′rē-us, Cupric, kūp′rik, adj. of or containing copper.—adj. Cuprif′erous, producing copper.—n. Cū′prite, the red oxide of copper. [L. cuprum, copper, ferre, to bear.]
Cupressus, kū-pres′us, n. the cypress genus of coniferous trees. [L.]
Cupule, kū′pūl, n. (bot.) a shortened axis with a number of more or less cohering bracts enclosing the ripening fruit—also Cū′pula.—adj. Cupulif′erous, bearing cupules. [L. cupula, dim. of cupa, a tub, and ferre, to carry.]
Cur, kur, n. a worthless dog, of low breed: a churlish fellow.—adj. Cur′rish.—adv. Cur′rishly.—n. Cur′rishness. [M. E. curre; cf. Old Dut. korre, Dan. kurre, to whir.]
Curaçoa, koo-ra-sō′a, n. a liqueur so named from the island of Curaçao in the West Indies, where it was first made.—Also Curaça′o.
Curari, koo-rä′ri, n. a poison used by South American Indians for their arrows—also Cura′ra.—n. Cura′rine, a highly poisonous alkaloid extracted from curari. [From the native name.]