Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
- 1,538
- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Spärk'li-ness, n. p. 1266Vivacity. [Obs.] Aubrey.Spärk'ling, p. a. p. 1266Emitting sparks; glittering; lively; as, sparkling wine; sparkling eyes. See SHINING.Spärk'ling-ly, adv. p. 1266In a sparkling manner; with twinkling or vivid brilliancy.Spärk'ling-ness, n. p. 1266The quality of being sparkling; vivid and twinkling luster.Spär'ling, n. p. 1266A smelt. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Cotgrave.Spär'lyre, n. p. 1266The hinder part or calf of the leg. [Obs.] Wycliffe.Spä'roid, a. p. 1266(Ichth.) Belonging to a family of spinous-finned fishes which includes the gilt-head, sea-bream, and porgee.Spär'-piēce, n. p. 1266(Arch.) The collar-beam of a roof; span-piece. Gwilt.Spär'poil, v. t. p. 1266To scatter; to spread abroad; to disperse. [Obs.]Spär'rōw, n. p. 1266(Ornith.) One of several species of small passerine birds, having conical bills, and feeding on insects and seeds. The common sparrow, or house-sparrow of Europe (Passer [or Fringilla] domestica), is…Spăr'rōw-bĭll, n. p. 1266A small nail; a cast-iron shoe-nail; a sparable.Spăr'rōw-grāss, n. p. 1266Asparagus. [Vulgar.] See AS-PARAGUS.Spăr'rōw-hawk, n. p. 1266(Ornith.) A small species of short-winged hawk. [Written also spar-hawk.] The Falco (or Astur) nisus is called sparrow-hawk, by way of eminence, in England. The American sparrow-hawk is the Falco (or…Spăr'rōw-wort, n. p. 1266(Bot.) An evergreen shrub of the genus Erica (E. passerina).Spär'ry, a. p. 1266Resembling spar, or consisting of spar; having a confused crystalline structure; spathose. Sparry iron (Min.), carbonate of iron, or spathic iron.Spärse, a. p. 1266Thinly scattered; set or planted here and there; as, a sparse population. 2. (Bot.) Not opposite, nor alternate, nor in any apparent regular order; scattered; —applied to branches, leaves, peduncles…Spärse, v. t. p. 1266To disperse. [Obs.] Spenser.Spärs'ed-ly, adv. p. 1266In a scattered manner. [Obs.]Spärse'ness, n. p. 1266The state of being sparse; thinness: scattered state; as, sparseness of population.Spär'sim, adv. p. 1266Sparsely; scatteredly; here and there.Spar'tan, a. p. 1266(Geog.) Of, or pertaining to, Sparta, especially to ancient Sparta; hence, hardy; undaunted; as, Spartan souls; Spartan bravery.Spär'ter-iē, n. p. 1266A kind of woven work made of the blades of the Lygeum Spartum and Stipa tenacissima, kinds of grass used in Spain, Provence, and other countries for making ropes, mats, baskets, nets, and mattresses.…Spâr'y, a. p. 1266Sparing; parsimonious. [Obs.]Spăsm, n. p. 1266(Med.) An involuntary and morbid contraction of one or more muscles or muscular fibers. ☞ Spasms are either clonic or tonic. In clonic spasms, the muscles or muscular fibers contract and relax…Spas-măt'ic-al, a. p. 1266Spasmodical. [Obs.] Blount.Spas-mŏd'ic or Spas-mŏd'ic-al, a. p. 1266Relating to spasm; consisting in spasm; as, a spasmodic affection. 2. Soon relaxed or exhausted; convulsive; as, spasmodic industry.Spas-mōd'ic, n. p. 1266(Med.) A medicine good for removing spasm; an anti-spasmodic.Spas-mōl'o-gy, n. p. 1266A discourse on spasms. Dunglison.Spăs'tic, a. p. 1266Relating to spasm; spasmodic.Spas-tĭc'i-ty, n. p. 1266A state of spasm. 2. The tendency to, or capability of suffering, spasm.Spăt, imp. p. 1266of spit. [Rare.] See SPIT.Spăt, n. p. 1266The young of shell-fish. Woodward. 2. [Cf. PAT.] A slight blow. Halliwell. 3. Hence, a petty combat; a little quarrel or dissension. [Local U. S.]Spa-tăng'gus, n. p. 1266(Zool.) A genus of pedicellate echinodermatous animals.Spātch'-cŏck, n. p. 1266A fowl killed and immediately broiled for some sudden occasion. Halliwell.Spā'thē, n. p. 1266(Bot.) The same as SPATHE, q. v.Spa-thă'ceōŭs, a. p. 1266(Bot.) Having a spatha; resembling a spathe; spathal.Spā'thal, a. p. 1266(Bot.) Furnished with a spathe; as, spathal flowers. Howitt.Spāthe, n. p. 1266(Bot.) The calyx or bract of a spadix opening or bursting longitudinally, in form of a sheath; a sheath-formed involucre, as in the Indian turnip.Spā'thēd, a. p. 1266(Bot.) Having a spathe or calyx like a sheath.Spāth'ic, a. p. 1266Like spar; foliated or lamellar; spathose. Spathic iron (Min.), carbonate of iron, an ore of iron having a foliated structure, and a yellowish or brownish color.Spāth'i-fōrm, a. p. 1266Resembling spar in form. “The ocherous, spathiform, and mineralized forms of uranite.” Lavoisier, Trans.Späth'ōse or Späth'ous, a. p. 1266(Bot.) Having a spathe; resembling a spathe; spathaceous; spathal. 2. (Min.) Having the characters of spar; sparry; spathic. Dana.Spăth'ū-lāte, a. p. 1266Spatulate. See SPATULATE.Spā'tial, a. p. 1266Of, or pertaining to, space.Spā'tial-ly, adv. p. 1266In a spatial manner; with reference to space.Spā'ti-āte, v. i. p. 1266To rove; to ramble. [Obs.] Bacon.Spăt'ter, v. t. p. 1266To sprinkle with a liquid or with any wet substance, as water, mud, or the like; as, to spatter a coat; to spatter the floor; to spatter the boots with mud. Upon any occasion, he is to be spattered…Spăt'ter, v. i. p. 1266To throw out of the mouth in a scattered manner; to sputter. See SPUTTER. That mind must needs be irrecoverably depraved, which, — tasting but once of one just dead, spatters at it, and abhors the…Spăt'ter-dăsh'es, n. pl. p. 1266Coverings for the legs, to keep them clean from water and mud.Spăt'tle, n. p. 1266Spittle. [Obs.] Bale.Spăt'tle, n. p. 1266A spatula. See SPATULA.Spăt'tling-pŏp'py, n. p. 1266(Bot.) A plant; Silene inflata.Spătts, n. pl. p. 1266A kind of small spatterdashes, reaching only a little above the ankle. Crabb.Spăt'ū-la, n. p. 1266A thin, broad-bladed knife, having both of its edges somewhat sharp, used for spreading plasters, and for various other purposes.Spăt'ū-late, a. p. 1266(Nat. Hist.) Shaped like a spatula, or like a battledoor, being roundish, with a long, narrow, linear base.Spăv'in, n. p. 1266(Far.) A swelling in or near some of the joints of a horse, by which lameness is produced. Blood or bog spavin, a distention of one of the small mucous sacs on the inside of the hock, occasioned by a…Spăv'ined, a. p. 1266Affected with spavin.Spaw, n. p. 1266The same as SPA. See SPA.Spawl, v. i. p. 1266To throw saliva from the mouth in a scattering form; to disperse spittle in a careless, dirty manner. Why must he sputter, spawl, and slaver it? Swift.Spawl, n. p. 1266Saliva or spittle thrown out carelessly. 2. [See SPALL.] A splinter or fragment, as of wood or stone.