CASTOR — CATERPILLAR NWAD CASTOR.1
CASTOR, n. NWAD CASTOR.1
1. A beaver, an amphibious quadruped, with a flat ovate tail, short ears, a blunt nose, small fore feet, and large hind feet. NWAD CASTOR.2
2. A reddish brown substance of a strong penetrating smell, taken from bags or cods in the groin of the beaver; a powerful antispasmodic. NWAD CASTOR.3
3. In astronomy, a moiety of the constellation Gemini, called also Apollo. NWAD CASTOR.4
Castor and Pollux, in meterology, a fiery meteor, which, at sea, appears sometimes adhering to a part of a ship, in the form of one, two and even three or four balls. When one is seen alone, it is called Helena, which portends that the severest part of the storm is yet to come. Two appearing at once are denominated Castor and Pollux, or Tyndaridoe, and portend a cessation of the storm. NWAD CASTOR.5
CASTORIN, CASTORINE, n. An animal principle discovered in castor, and prepared by boiling castor in six times its weight of alcohol, and filtering the liquor. From this is deposited the Castorin. NWAD CASTORIN.1
CASTOR-OIL, n. The oil of the Ricinus, or Palma Christi, a plant of the West Indies, which grows to the highth of twenty feet, in one season. The oil is obtained from the nuts or seeds by expression or decoction. That obtained by decoction is preferred, as less liable to become rancid, being free from the mucilage and acrid matter, which is mixed with the oil when expressed. It is a mild cathartic. NWAD CASTOR-OIL.1
CASTRAMETATION, n. The art or act of encamping; the marking or laying out of a camp. NWAD CASTRAMETATION.1
CASTRATE, v.t. NWAD CASTRATE.1
1. To geld; to deprive of the testicles; to emasculate. NWAD CASTRATE.2
2. To take away or retrench, as the obscene parts of a writing. NWAD CASTRATE.3
3. To take out a leaf or sheet from a book, and render it imperfect. NWAD CASTRATE.4
CASTRATED, pp. Gelded; emasculated; purified from obscene expressions. NWAD CASTRATED.1
CASTRATING, ppr. Gelding; taking away the obscene parts of a writing. NWAD CASTRATING.1
CASTRATION, n. The act of gelding; the act or practice of making eunuchs; the act of taking away the obscene parts of a writing; the act of taking out a leaf or sheet of a book. In botany, the cutting off of the anthers, or tops of the stamens of flowers, before the ripening of the pollen. NWAD CASTRATION.1
CASTRATO, n. A male person emasculated for the purpose of improving his voice for a singer. NWAD CASTRATO.1
CASTREL, KESTREL, n. A kind of hawk, resembling the lanner in shape and the hobby in size. NWAD CASTREL.1
CASTRENSIAN, a. Belonging to a camp. NWAD CASTRENSIAN.1
CASUAL, a. NWAD CASUAL.1
1. Falling; happening or coming to pass without design in the person or persons affected, and without being foreseen, or expected; accidental; fortuitous; coming by chance; as, the parties had a casual rencounter. NWAD CASUAL.2
2. Occasional; coming at certain times, without regularity, in distinction from stated, or regular; as casual expenses. NWAD CASUAL.3
3. Taking place, or beginning to exist without an efficient intelligent cause, and without design. NWAD CASUAL.4
Atheists assert that the existence of things is casual. NWAD CASUAL.5
CASUALLY, adv. Accidentally; fortuitously; without design; by chance. NWAD CASUALLY.1
CASUALNESS, n. Accidentalness; the quality of being casual. NWAD CASUALNESS.1
CASUALTY, n. NWAD CASUALTY.1
1. Accident; that which comes by chance or without design, or without being foreseen; contingency. NWAD CASUALTY.2
2. An accident that produces unnatural death; and by a metonymy, death, or other misfortune, occasioned by an accident. NWAD CASUALTY.3
3. In Scots law, an emolument due from a vassal to his superior, beyond the stated yearly duties, upon certain casual events. NWAD CASUALTY.4
CASUIST, n. One who studies and resolves cases of conscience. NWAD CASUIST.1
The judgment of any casuist or leaned divine is not sufficient to give him confidence. NWAD CASUIST.2
CASUIST, v.i. To play the part of a casuist. NWAD CASUIST.3
CASUISTIC, CASUISTICAL, a. Relating to cases of conscience, or to cases of doubtful propriety. NWAD CASUISTIC.1
CASUISTRY, n. The science or doctrine of cases of conscience; the science of resolving cases of doubtful propriety, or of determining the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what a man may do, by rules and principles drawn from the scriptures, from the laws of society, or from equity and natural reason. NWAD CASUISTRY.1
Casus foederia. The case stipulated by treaty; that which comes within the terms of compact. NWAD CASUISTRY.2
CAT, n. NWAD CAT.1
1. A name applied to certain species of carnivorous quadrupeds, of the genus Felis. The domestic cat needs no description. It is a deceitful animal, and when enraged, extremely spiteful. It is kept in houses, chiefly for the purpose of catching rats and mice. The wild cat is much larger than the domestic cat. It is a strong, ferocious animal, living in the forest, and very destructive to poultry and lambs. NWAD CAT.2
The wild cat of Europe is of the same species with the domestic cat; the catamount, of N. America, is much larger and a distinct species. NWAD CAT.3
2. A ship formed on the Norwegian model, having a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and a deep waist. It is strong built, from four to six hundred tons burthen, and employed in the coal trade. NWAD CAT.4
3. A strong tackle or combination of pulleys, to hook and draw an anchor perpendicularly up to the cat-head of a ship. NWAD CAT.5
4. A double tripod having six feet. NWAD CAT.6
Cat of nine tails, an instrument of punishment, consisting of nine pieces of line or cord fastened to a piece of thick rope, and having three knots at intervals, used to flog offenders on board of ships. NWAD CAT.7
CATAMOUNT, n. Cat of the mountain, the wild cat. NWAD CATAMOUNT.1
CAT-BLOCK, n. A two or three fold block with an iron strop and large hook, used to draw up an anchor to the cat-head. NWAD CAT-BLOCK.1
CAT’S-EYE, n. Sun-stone, a subspecies of quartz, called in Latin oculus cati or onycopalus, from its white zones or rings like onyx, and its variable colors like opal. It is very hard and semitransparent, and from certain points exhibits a yellowish radiation, or chatoyant appearance, somewhat resembling a cats eye. NWAD CATS-EYE.1
CAT-EYED, a. Having eyes like a cat. NWAD CAT-EYED.1
CAT-FISH, n. A species of the Squalus, or shark. The cat-fish of the N. American rivers is a species of Cottus, or bull-head. NWAD CAT-FISH.1
CAT’S-FOOT, n. A plant of the genus Glechoma, ground ivy, or gill. NWAD CATS-FOOT.1
CAT-GUT, n. The intestines of sheep or lambs, dried and twisted together, used as strings for violins and other instruments, and for other purposes. Great quantities are imported from Lyons and Italy. NWAD CAT-GUT.1
CAT-HARPINGS, n. Ropes serving to brace in the shrouds of the lower masts behind their respective yards, to tighten the shrouds and give more rom to draw in the yards, when the whip is close hauled. NWAD CAT-HARPINGS.1
CAT-HEAD, n. A strong beam projecting horizontally horizontally over a ships bows, carrying two or three sheaves, about which a rope called the cat-fall passes, and communicates with the cat-block. NWAD CAT-HEAD.1
CAT’S-HEAD, n. A kind of apple. NWAD CATS-HEAD.1
CAT-MINT, n. A plant of the genus Nepeta, so called because cats eat it. NWAD CAT-MINT.1
CAT’S-PAW, n. NWAD CATS-PAW.1
1. Among seamen, a light air perceived, in a calm, by a rippling of the surface of the water; also, a particular turn in the bight of a rope, made to hook a tackle on. NWAD CATS-PAW.2
2. A dupe; the instrument which another uses. NWAD CATS-PAW.3
CAT-SALT, n. A sort of salt beautifully granulated, formed out of the bittern or leach-brine, used for making hard soap. NWAD CAT-SALT.1
CATSILVER, n. A fossil, a species of mica. NWAD CATSILVER.1
CAT-TAIL, n. NWAD CAT-TAIL.1
1. A species of reed, of the genus Typha, the downy substance of which is used for stuffing mattresses, etc. NWAD CAT-TAIL.2
2. A substance growing on nut-trees, pines, etc. NWAD CAT-TAIL.3
CATABAPTIST, n. One who opposes baptism. NWAD CATABAPTIST.1
CATACAUSTIC, a. Catacaustic curves, in geometry, are that species of caustic curves, which are formed by reflection. NWAD CATACAUSTIC.1
CATACHRESIS, n. An abuse of a trope or of words; a figure in rhetoric, when one word is abusively put for another, or when a word is too far wrested from its true signification; as, a voice beautiful to the ear. NWAD CATACHRESIS.1
A catachresis is a trope which borrows the name of one thing to express another, or a harsh trope; as when Milton, speaking of Raphaels descent from heaven, says, he sails between worlds and worlds. Here the novelty of the word sails enlivens the image. So in scripture we read of the blood of the grape. Deuteronomy 32:14. NWAD CATACHRESIS.2
CATACHRESTTIC, CATACHRESTICAL, a. Belonging to a catachresis; forced; far-fetched; wrested from its natural sense. NWAD CATACHRESTTIC.1
CATACHRESTICALLY, adv. In a forced manner. NWAD CATACHRESTICALLY.1
CATACLYSM, n. A deluge, or overflowing of water; particularly, the flood in Noahs days. NWAD CATACLYSM.1
CATACOMB, n. A cave, grotto or subterraneous place for the burial of the dead. It is said to have been originally applied to the chapel of St. Sebastian in Rome, where the ancient Roman Calendars say, the body of St. Peter was deposited. It is now applied to a vast number of subterraneous sepulchers, about three miles from Rome, in the Appian way; supposed to be the cells and caves in which the primitive Christians concealed themselves, and in which were deposited the bodies of the primitive martyrs. These are visited by devout people, and relics are taken from them, baptized by the Pope and dispersed through Catholic countries. Each catacomb is three feet broad and eight or ten high; along the side walls are sepulchral niches, closed with thick tiles or pieces of marble. Catacombs are found also at Naples and in other places. NWAD CATACOMB.1
CATACOUSTICS, n. That part of acoustics or the doctrine of sounds, which treats of reflected sounds. But the distinction is deemed of little use. NWAD CATACOUSTICS.1
CATADUPE, n. A cataract or waterfall. NWAD CATADUPE.1
CATAGMATIC, a. That has the quality of consolidating broken parts; promoting the union of fractured bones. NWAD CATAGMATIC.1
CATAGRAPH, n. The first draught o a picture; also, a profile. NWAD CATAGRAPH.1
CATALECTIC, a. Pertaining to metrical composition, or to measure. NWAD CATALECTIC.1
Catalectic verses, are such as want either feet or syllables. NWAD CATALECTIC.2
CATALEPSIS, CATALEPSY, n. A sudden suppression of motion and sensation, a kind of apoplexy, in which the patient is speechless, senseless, and fixed in one posture, with his eyes open, without seeing or understanding. The word is applied also to a retention of the breath or of the humors, and to the interception of the blood by bandages. NWAD CATALEPSIS.1
CATALEPTIC, a. Pertaining to catalepsy. NWAD CATALEPTIC.1
CATALOGIZE, v.t. To insert in a catalogue. NWAD CATALOGIZE.1
CATALOGUE, n. A list or enumeration of the names of men or things disposed in a certain order, often in alphabetical order; as a catalogue of the students of a college, or of books, or of the stars. NWAD CATALOGUE.1
CATALOGUE, v.t. To make a list of. NWAD CATALOGUE.2
CATALPA, n. A large tree of Carolina and the South, which in blossom has a beautiful appearance. It belongs to the genus Bignonia, or trumpet flower. NWAD CATALPA.1
CATALYSIS, n. Dissolution. NWAD CATALYSIS.1
CATAMENIAL, a. Pertaining to the catamenia, or menstrual discharges. NWAD CATAMENIAL.1
CATAMITE, n. A boy kept for unnatural purposes. NWAD CATAMITE.1
CATAPASM, n. A dry powder for sprinkling the body. NWAD CATAPASM.1
CATAPELT, CATAPULT, n. A military engine used by the ancient Greeks and Romans for throwing stones, darts and arrows upon an enemy. Some of these would throw a stone of a hundred pounds weight. NWAD CATAPELT.1
CATAPELTIC, a. Pertaining to the catapelt. As a noun, the catapelt. NWAD CATAPELTIC.1
CATAPHONICS, n. The doctrine of reflected sounds, a branch of acoustics. NWAD CATAPHONICS.1
CATAPHRACT, n. NWAD CATAPHRACT.1
1. In the ancient military art, a piece of heavy defensive armor, formed of cloth or leather, strengthened with scales or links, used to defend the breast, or whole body, or even the horse as well as the rider. NWAD CATAPHRACT.2
2. A horseman in complete armor. NWAD CATAPHRACT.3
CATAPLASM, n. A poultice; a soft and moist substance to be applied to some part of the body, to excite or repel heat, or to relax the skin, etc. When mustard is an ingredient, it is called a sinapism. NWAD CATAPLASM.1
CATAPUCE, n. The herb spurge. NWAD CATAPUCE.1
CATARACT, n. NWAD CATARACT.1
1. A great fall of water over a precipice; as that of Niagara, of the Rhine, Danube and Nile. It is a cascade upon a great scale. NWAD CATARACT.2
The tremendous cataracts of America thundering in their solitudes. NWAD CATARACT.3
2. In medicine and surgery, an opacity of the cystaline lens, or its capsule; a disorder in the eye, by which the pupil, which is usually black and transparent, becomes opake, blue, gray, brown, etc., by which vision is impaired or destroyed. NWAD CATARACT.4
CATARRH, n. catar. A defluxion, or increased secretion of mucus from the membranes of the nose, fauces and bronchiae, with fever, sneezing cough, thirst, lassitude and loss of appetite, and sometimes an entire loss of taste; called also a cold, coryza. An epidemic catarrh is called Influenza. NWAD CATARRH.1
CATARRHAL, CATARRHOUS, a. Pertaining to catarrh, produced by it or attending it; as a catarrhal fever. NWAD CATARRHAL.1
CATASTERISM, n. A constellation, or a placing among the stars. NWAD CATASTERISM.1
1. The change or revolution which produces the final event of a dramatic piece; or the unfolding and winding up of the plot, clearing up difficulties, and closing the play. The ancients divided a play into the protasis, epitasis, catastasis, and catastrophy; the introduction, continuance, heightening, and development or conclusion. NWAD CATASTROPHE.2
2. A final event; conclusion; generally, an unfortunate conclusion, calamity, or disaster. NWAD CATASTROPHE.3
CATCALL, n. A squeaking instrument, used in play-houses to condemn plays. NWAD CATCALL.1
CATCH, v.t. NWAD CATCH.1
1. To seize or lay hold on with the hand; carrying the sense of pursuit, thrusting forward the hand, or rushing on. NWAD CATCH.2
And they came upon him and caught him. Acts 6:12. NWAD CATCH.3
2. To seize, in a general sense; as, to catch a ball; to catch hold of a bough. NWAD CATCH.4
3. To seize, as in a snare or trap; to ensnare; to entangle. NWAD CATCH.5
They sent certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. Mark 12:13. NWAD CATCH.6
4. To seize in pursuit; hence simply to overtake; a popular use of the word. NWAD CATCH.7
He ran, but could not catch him companion. NWAD CATCH.8
5. To take hold; to communicate to. NWAD CATCH.9
The fire caught the adjoining building. NWAD CATCH.10
6. To seize the affections; to engage and attach to; as, to catch the fair. NWAD CATCH.11
7. To take or receive by contagion or infection; as, to catch the measles or small pox. NWAD CATCH.12
8. To snatch; to take suddenly; as, to catch a book out of the hand. NWAD CATCH.13
9. To receive something passing. NWAD CATCH.14
The swelling sails no more catch the soft airs and wanton in the sky. Trumbull. NWAD CATCH.15
To catch at, to endeavor to seize suddenly. NWAD CATCH.16
To catch at all opportunities of subverting the state. NWAD CATCH.17
To catch up, to snatch; to take up suddenly. NWAD CATCH.18
CATCH, v.i. NWAD CATCH.19
1. To communicate; to spread by infecting; as, a disease will catch from man to man. NWAD CATCH.20
2. Any thing that seizes or takes hold, as a hook. NWAD CATCH.21
3. The posture of seizing; a state of preparation to catch, or of watching an opportunity to seize; as, to lie upon the catch. NWAD CATCH.22
4. A sudden advantage taken. NWAD CATCH.23
5. The thing caught, considered as an object of desire; profit; advantage. NWAD CATCH.24
Hector shall have a great catch. Shak. NWAD CATCH.25
6. A snatch; a short interval of action. NWAD CATCH.26
It has been writ by catches. NWAD CATCH.27
7. A little portion. NWAD CATCH.28
We retain a catch of a pretty story. NWAD CATCH.29
8. In music, a fugue in the unison, wherein to humor some conceit in the words, the melody is broken, and the sense is interrupted in one part, and caught and supported by another, or a different sense is given to the words; or a piece for three or more voices, one of which leads and the others follow in the same notes. NWAD CATCH.30
CATCHABLE, a. That may be caught. NWAD CATCHABLE.1
CATCHER, n. One who catches; that which catches, or in which any thing is caught. NWAD CATCHER.1
CATCH-FLY, n. A plant of the genus Lychnis; campion. NWAD CATCH-FLY.1
CATCHING, ppr. Seizing; taking hold; ensnaring; entangling. NWAD CATCHING.1
CATCHING, a. Communicating, or that may be communicated, by contagion; infectious; as, a disease is catching. NWAD CATCHING.2
CATCHPENNY, n. Something worthless, particularly a book or pamphlet, adapted to the popular taste, and intended to gain money in market. NWAD CATCHPENNY.1
CATCH-POLL, n. A bailiffs assistant, so called by way of reproach. NWAD CATCH-POLL.1
CATCHUP, CATSUP, n. A liquor extracted from mushrooms, used as a sauce. NWAD CATCHUP.1
CATCH-WORD, n. Among printers, the word placed at the bottom of each page, under the last line, which is to be inserted as the first word on the following page. NWAD CATCH-WORD.1
CATE, n. [See Cates.] NWAD CATE.1
CATECHETICAL, a. [See Catechise.] NWAD CATECHETICAL.1
1. Relating to oral instruction, and particularly in the first principles of the Christian religion. NWAD CATECHETICAL.2
2. Relating to or consisting in asking questions and receiving answers, according to the ancient manner of teaching pupils. NWAD CATECHETICAL.3
Socrates introduced a catechetical method of arguing. NWAD CATECHETICAL.4
CATECHETICALLY, adv. By question and answer; in the way of oral instruction. NWAD CATECHETICALLY.1
CATECHISE, v.t. NWAD CATECHISE.1
1. To instruct by asking questions, receiving answers, and offering explanations and corrections. NWAD CATECHISE.2
2. To question; to interrogate; to examine or try by questions, and sometimes with a view to reproof, by eliciting answers from a person, which condemn his own conduct. NWAD CATECHISE.3
3. Appropriately, to ask questions concerning the doctrines of the Christian religion; to interrogate pupils and give instruction in the principles of religion. NWAD CATECHISE.4
CATECHISED, pp. Instructed. NWAD CATECHISED.1
CATECHISER, n. One who catechises; one who instructs by question and answer, and particularly in the rudiments of the Christian religion. NWAD CATECHISER.1
CATECHISING, ppr. Instructing in rudiments or principles. NWAD CATECHISING.1
CATECHISM, n. NWAD CATECHISM.1
1. A form of instruction by means of questions and answers, particularly in the principles of religion. NWAD CATECHISM.2
2. An elementary book containing a summary of principles in any science or art, but appropriately in religion, reduced to the form of questions and answers, and sometimes with notes, explanations, and references to authorities. NWAD CATECHISM.3
CATECHIST, n. One who instructs viva voice, or by question and answer; a catechiser; one appointed by the church to instruct in the principles of religion. NWAD CATECHIST.1
CATECHISTIC, CATECHISTICAL, a. Pertaining to a catechist, or catechism. NWAD CATECHISTIC.1
CATECHU, n. Terra Japonica, a dry extract, or brown astringent substance, obtained by decoction and evaporation from a species of Mimosa in India. It consists chiefly of tannin. NWAD CATECHU.1
CATECHUMEN, n. One who is in the first rudiments of Christianity; one who is receiving instruction and preparing himself for baptism. These were anciently the children of believing parents, or pagans not fully initiated in the principles of the Christian religion. They were admitted to this state by the imposition of hands, and the sign of the cross. NWAD CATECHUMEN.1
CATECHUMENICAL, a. Belonging to catechumens. NWAD CATECHUMENICAL.1
CATECHUMENIST, n. A catechumen. NWAD CATECHUMENIST.1
CATEGORICAL, a. NWAD CATEGORICAL.1
1. Pertaining to a category. NWAD CATEGORICAL.2
2. Absolute; positive; express; not relative or hypothetical; as a categorical proposition, syllogism or answer. NWAD CATEGORICAL.3
CATEGORY, n. In logic, a series or order of all the predicates or attributes contained under a genus. The school philosophers distributed all the objects of our thoughts and ideas into genera or classes. Aristotle made ten categories, viz. Substance, quantity, quality, relation, action, passion, time, place, situation and habit. NWAD CATEGORY.1
CATENARIAN, CATENARY, a. Relating to a chain; like a chain. The catenarian curve, in geometry, is formed by a rope or chain hanging freely between two points of suspension, whether the points are horizontal or not. NWAD CATENARIAN.1
CATENATE, v.t. To chain, or rather to connect in a series of links or ties. NWAD CATENATE.1
CATENATION, n. Connection of links, union of parts, as in a chain; regular connection. [See Concatenation.] NWAD CATENATION.1
CATER, v.i. To provide food; to buy or procure provisions; followed by for; as, to cater for the sparrow. NWAD CATER.1
CATER, n. A provider. [See Caterer.] NWAD CATER.2
CATER, n. The four of cards or dice; so written for Fr. quatre. NWAD CATER.3
CATER-COUSIN, n. A quaere-cousin, a remote relation. NWAD CATER-COUSIN.1
CATERER, n. A provider, buyer or purveyor of provision. NWAD CATERER.1
CATERESS, n. A woman who caters; a female provider of food. NWAD CATERESS.1
CATERPILLAR, n. The colored and often hairy larva of the lepidopterous insects. This term is also applied to the larvas of other insects, such as the Tenthredo, or saw-fly; but is more generally confined to the lepidopters. Caterpillars are produced immediately from the egg; they are furnished with several pairs of feet, and have the shape and appearance of a worm. They contain the embryo of the perfect insect, inclosed within a muscular envelop, which is thrown off, when the insect enters the nymph or chrysalis state, in which it remains for sometime as if inanimate. It then throws off its last envelop, and emerges a perfect insect. Caterpillars generally feed on leaves or succulent vegetables, and are sometimes very destructive. NWAD CATERPILLAR.1