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.
Spŏn'dyl or Spŏn'dyle, n. p. 1275(Anat.) A joint of the back-bone; a vertebra. Coxe.Spōng, n. p. 1275An irregular, narrow, projecting part of a field, whether planted or in grass. [Prov. Eng.]Spōn'ge, n. p. 1275A porous or fibrous substance, regarded as of the nature of a compound animal, found adhering to rocks, shells, &c., under water. It consists of a reticulated horny tissue, usually with spicules of…Spōnge, v. t. p. 1275To cleanse, or wipe, with a sponge; as, to sponge a slate or a cannon. 2. To wipe out with a sponge, as letters or writing; to efface; to destroy all trace of.Spōnge, v. i. p. 1275To suck in, or imbibe, as a sponge. 2. To gain by mean arts, by intrusion, or hanging on; as, an idler who sponges on his neighbor. 3. To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the…Spŏn'ge-cāke, n. p. 1275A kind of sweet cake, which is very light and spongy.Spōn'ge'let, n. p. 1275See SPONGIOLE.Spōn'ge-oūs, a. p. 1275Resembling sponge; having the nature or qualities of sponge.Spōn'ger, n. p. 1275One who uses a sponge. 2. A parasitical dependent; a hanger-on.Spōn'ge'-tree, n. p. 1275(Bot.) An evergreen tree of the genus Acacia (A. Farnesiana), found in St. Domingo. London.Spŏn'gi-fōrm, a. p. 1275Resembling a sponge; soft and porous; porous.Spōn'gi-ness, n. p. 1275The quality or state of being spongy, or porous, like sponge.Spōn'ging-house, n. p. 1275(Law.) A bailiff's house to put debtors in before being taken to jail, or until they compromise with their creditors.Spōn'gi-ōle, n. p. 1275(Bot.) An expansion of minute parts, formerly supposed to exist at the termination of radicles, resembling a sponge, for absorbing the nutriment of plants;—called also spongelet.Spŏn'gi-ōse' or Spŏn'gi-ōus p. 1276Spŏn'gi-ōus, a. [Fr. spongieux, Pr. espongios, spongios, Sp. & Pg. esponjoso, It. spongioso, Lat. spongiosus. See SPONGE.] Somewhat spongy; sponge-like; full of small cavities like sponge; as…Spŏn'gi-o-līte, n. p. 1276One of the microscopic silicious spicules which occur abundantly in the texture of sponges, and are sometimes found fossil, as in flints. Dana.Spŏn'goid, n. p. 1276Resembling sponge; like sponge; spongy.Spŏn'gŷ, a. p. 1276Soft and full of cavities; of an open, loose, pliable texture; as, a spongy excrescence; spongy earth; spongy cake; spongy bones. 2. Wet; drenched; soaked and soft, like sponge. 3. Having the quality…Spŏnk, n. p. 1276Touchwood; spunk. See SPUNK. 2. Something dipped in sulphur for readily taking fire; a match. [Scot.]Spŏn'sal, a. p. 1276Relating to marriage, or to a spouse.Spŏn'si-ble, a. p. 1276Responsible; worthy of credit. [Prov. Eng.]Spŏn'sing, n. p. 1276(Ship-building.) The curve of the timber and planking toward the outer part of the wing, before and aft each of the paddle-boxes of a steamer.Spŏn'sion, n. p. 1276The act of becoming surety for another.Spŏn'sion, n. p. 1276(International Law.) An act or engagement on behalf of a state, by an agent not specially authorized for the purpose, or one who exceeds the limits of authority. Bouvier. Brande.Spŏn'sion-al, a. p. 1276Of, or pertaining to, a pledge or agreement; responsible. [Rare.] “He is righteous even in that representative and sponsional person he put on.” Leighton.Spŏn'sor, n. p. 1276One who binds himself to answer for another, and is responsible for his default; a surety. 2. One who, at the baptism of an infant, professes the Christian faith in its name, and guarantees its…Spon-sō'ri-al, a. p. 1276Of, or pertaining to, a sponsor.Spŏn'sor-ship, n. p. 1276The state of being a sponsor.Spŏn'ta-nē'i-ty, n. p. 1276The quality or state of being spontaneous, or acting from native feeling, proneness, or temperament, without constraint or external force. Romney Leigh, who lives by diagrams, And crosses not the…Spon-tā'ne-oŭs, a. p. 1276Proceeding from natural feeling, temperament, or disposition, or from a native internal proneness, readiness, or tendency, without compulsion or constraint; as, a spontaneous gift or proposition. 2.…Spon-tā'ne-ōus-ly, adv. p. 1276In a spontaneous manner; of one's own internal or native feeling; of one's own accord; as, he acts spontaneously. 2. By its own force or energy; without the impulse of a foreign cause;—used of…Spon-tā'ne-ōs-ness, n. p. 1276The state or quality of being spontaneous; spontaneity.Spŏn'ta-ny, a. p. 1276Spontaneous. [Obs.]Spon-tōon', n. p. 1276(Mil.) A kind of half pike; a military weapon borne by inferior officers of infantry.Spōōk, n. p. 1276A spirit; a ghost; a hobgoblin. [Written also spuke.] Bulwer.Spōol, n. p. 1276A piece of cane or reed with a knot at each end, or a hollow cylinder of wood with a ridge at each end, used to wind thread or yarn upon.Spōōl, v. t. p. 1276To wind on spools.Spōōl'er, n. p. 1276One who spools.Spōōl'-stānd, n. p. 1276An article holding spools of thread, turning on pins, used by ladies at their work.Spōōm, v. i. p. 1276(NAUT.) To be driven steadily and swiftly as before a strong wind; to be driven before the wind without any sail, or with only a part of the sails spread. [Written also spoon.] See SPOON, v. i. Down…Spōōn, n. p. 1276An instrument consisting of a small concave basin with a handle, used especially in preparing or partaking of food. He needs a long spoon that must eat with the devil. Shak.Spōōn, v. i. p. 1276(Naut.) To put before the wind in a gale, especially with little or no sail. See Spoom. [Obs. and rare.] We might have spooned before the wind as well as they. Pepys.Spōon'bill, n. p. 1276(Or-nith.) A certain wading bird of the grallie order, and genus Platalea, so named from the shape of the bill, which is long, large, much flattened, dilated and rounded at the extremity into the…Spōōn'-drift, n. p. 1276(Naut.) A showery sprinkling of sea-water, swept from the tops of the waves, and driven upon the surface in a tempest. Totten.Spōōn'ey, n. p. 1276One who is half-witted or foolish; a weak-minded or silly person; —used contemptuously. [Low.] Thackeray. There is no doubt, whatever, that I was a lackadaisical young spooner. Dickens.Spōōn'ey, a. p. 1276Weak-minded; silly. [Low.] Kingsley.Spōōn'ful, n. p. 1276The quantity which a spoon contains, or is able to contain; as, a tea-spoonful; a table-spoonful. 2. Hence, a small quantity. Arbuthnot.Spōōn'i-ly, adv. p. 1276In a weak or foolish manner; as, to behave spoonily.Spōōn'-meat, n. p. 1276Food that is or must be taken with a spoon; liquid food. “Diet most upon spoon-meats.” Harvey.Spōōn'-worm, n. p. 1276(Zoöl.) A radiate animal of the genus Thalassema, having a spoon-like proboscis.Spōōn’wört, n. p. 1276(Bot.) A plant of the genus Cochlearia; scurvy-grass.Spōor, n. p. 1276The track or trail of an animal, especially of one pursued as game; as, the spoor of an elephant. Anderson. G. Cummings.Spōr'a-dēs, n. pl. p. 1276(Geog.) A group of scattered islands; — applied especially to a group in the Egean Sea. 2. (Astron.) Stars not included in any constellation; — now called informed or uninformed stars.Spo-rā'di·al, a. p. 1276Sporadic. [Rare.]Spo-răd'ie or Spo-răd'ie-al, a. p. 1276Occurring singly or apart from other things of the same kind; separate; single; as, a sporadic fire-ball; a sporadic case of disease; a sporadic example of a flower. Sporadic disease (Med.), a…Spo-rād'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 1276In a sporadic manner.Spo-rān'jē-ŭm, n. p. 1276A spore-case in the cryptogams. Gray.Spōre, n. p. 1276(Bot.) One of the minute grains in flowerless plants which performs the function of seeds.Spō'rid, n. p. 1276(Bot.) The same as SPORE. Lindley.Spō-rīd'i-um, n. p. 1276A compound spore, or one which contains two or more germinating cells.