Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter S - Page 34
Sea crow () The razorbill. [Orkney Islands]
Sea crow () The coot.
Compare: Laughing
Laughing (a. & n.) From Laugh, v. i.
Laughing falcon (Zool.), A South American hawk ({Herpetotheres cachinnans); -- so called from its notes, which resemble a shrill laugh.
Laughing gas (Chem.), Nitrous oxide, also called hyponitrous oxide, or protoxide of nitrogen; -- so called from the exhilaration and laughing which it sometimes produces when inhaled. It has been much used as an anaesthetic agent, though now its use is primarily in dentistry.
Laughing goose (Zool.), The European white-fronted goose.
Laughing gull. (Zool.) (a) A common European gull ({Xema ridibundus); -- called also pewit, black cap, red-legged gull, and sea crow.
Laughing gull. (Zool.) (b) An American gull ({Larus atricilla). In summer the head is nearly black, the back slate color, and the five outer primaries black.
Laughing hyena (Zool.), The spotted hyena. See Hyena.
Laughing jackass (Zool.), The great brown kingfisher ({Dacelo gigas), of Australia; -- called also giant kingfisher, and gogobera.
Laughing owl (Zool.), A peculiar owl ({Sceloglaux albifacies) of New Zealand, said to be on the verge of extinction. The name alludes to its notes.
Sea cucumber () (Zool.) Any large holothurian, especially one of those belonging to the genus Pentacta, or Cucumaria, as the common American and European species. ({Pentacta frondosa).
Compare: Trepang
Trepang (n.) (Zool.) Any one of several species of large holothurians, some of which are dried and extensively used as food in China; -- called also b[^e]che de mer, sea cucumber, and sea slug. [Written also tripang.]
Note: The edible trepangs are mostly large species of Holothuria, especially Holothuria edulis. They are taken in vast quantities in the East Indies, where they are dried and smoked, and then shipped to China. They are used as an ingredient in certain kinds of soup.
Sea cucumber (n.) Echinoderm having a flexible sausage-shaped body, tentacles surrounding the mouth and tube feet; free-living mud feeders [syn: sea cucumber, holothurian].
Sea dace () (Zool.) The European sea perch.
Sea perch (Zool.) (a) The European bass ({Roccus lupus syn. Labrax lupus); -- called also sea dace.
Sea perch (Zool.) (b) The cunner.
Sea perch (Zool.) (c) The sea bass.
Sea perch (Zool.) (d) The name is applied also to other species of fishes.
Sea daffodil () (Bot.) A European amarylidaceous plant ({Pancratium maritimum).
Sea devil () (Zool.) Any very large ray, especially any species of the genus Manta or Cepholoptera, some of which become more than twenty feet across and weigh several tons. See also Ox ray, under Ox.
Sea devil () (Zool.) Any large cephalopod, as a large Octopus, or a giant squid (Architeuthis). See Devilfish.
Sea devil () (Zool.) The angler.
Ox (n.; pl. Oxen.) (Zool.) The male of bovine quadrupeds, especially the domestic animal when castrated and grown to its full size, or nearly so. The word is also applied, as a general name, to any species of bovine animals, male and female.
All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field. -- Ps. viii. 7.
Note: The castrated male is called a steer until it attains its full growth, and then, an ox; but if castrated somewhat late in life, it is called a stag. The male, not castrated, is called a bull. These distinctions are well established in regard to domestic animals of this genus. When wild animals of this kind are spoken of, ox is often applied both to the male and the female. The name ox is never applied to the individual cow, or female, of the domestic kind. Oxen may comprehend both the male and the female.
Grunting ox (Zool.), The yak.
Indian ox (Zool.), The zebu.
Javan ox (Zool.), the banteng.
Musk ox. (Zool.) See under Musk.
Ox bile. See Ox gall, below.
Ox gall, The fresh gall of the domestic ox; -- used in the arts and in medicine.
Ox pith, ox marrow. [Obs.] -- Marston.
Ox+ray+(Zool.),+A+very+large+ray+({Dicerobatis+Giornae">Ox ray (Zool.), a very large ray ({Dicerobatis Giornae) of Southern Europe. It has a hornlike organ projecting forward from each pectoral fin. It sometimes becomes twenty feet long and twenty-eight feet broad, and weighs over a ton. Called also sea devil.
To have the black ox tread on one's foot, To be unfortunate; to know what sorrow is (because black oxen were sacrificed to Pluto). -- Leigh Hunt.
Manta ray (n.) An extremely large pelagic tropical ray of the family Mobulidae, that feeds on plankton and small fishes. It is usually harmless but its size (up to 20 feet across and up to a ton in weight) make it dangerous if harpooned. Called also manta, sea devil and devilfish. See also Cephaloptera and Sea devil.
Cephaloptera (n.) (Zool.) One of the generic names of the gigantic ray ({Manta birostris) of the family Mobulidae, known as devilfish, sea devil, manta and manta ray. It is common on the coasts of South Carolina, Florida, and farther south, and is sometimes found as far north as New York Bay. Some of them grow to enormous size, becoming twenty feet of more across the body, and weighing more than a ton.
Sea dog () (Zool.) The dogfish.
Sea dog () The common seal.
Sea dog () An old sailor; a salt. [Colloq.]
Seal (n.) (Zool.) Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families Phocidae and Otariidae.
Note: Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are numerous species, bearing such popular names as sea lion, sea leopard, sea bear, or ursine seal, fur seal, and sea elephant. The bearded seal ({Erignathus barbatus), the hooded seal ({Cystophora cristata), and the ringed seal ({Phoca foetida}), are northern species. See also Eared seal, Harp seal, Monk seal, and Fur seal, under Eared, Harp, Monk, and Fur. Seals are much hunted for their skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some species is very abundant.
Harbor+seal+(Zool.),+The+common+seal+({Phoca+vitulina">Harbor seal (Zool.), the common seal ({Phoca vitulina). It inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also marbled seal, native seal, river seal, bay seal, land seal, sea calf, sea cat, sea dog, dotard, ranger, selchie, tangfish.
Sea dog (n.) A man who serves as a sailor [syn: mariner, seaman, tar, Jack-tar, Jack, old salt, seafarer, gob, sea dog].
Sea dotterel () The turnstone.
Sea dove () The little auk, or rotche. See Illust. of Rotche.
Sea dragon () A dragonet, or sculpin.
Sea dragon () The pegasus.
Sea drake () The pewit gull.
Sea duck () Any one of numerous species of ducks which frequent the seacoasts and feed mainly on fishes and mollusks. The scoters, eiders, old squaw, and ruddy duck are examples. They may be distinguished by the lobate hind toe.
Sea eagle () Any one of several species of fish-eating eagles of the genus Haliaeetus and allied genera, as the North Pacific sea eagle. (H. pelagicus), which has white shoulders, head, rump, and tail; the European white-tailed eagle (H. albicilla); and the Indian white-tailed sea eagle, or fishing eagle (Polioaetus ichthyaetus). The bald eagle and the osprey are also sometimes classed as sea eagles.
Sea eagle () The eagle ray. See under Ray.
Sea-ear (n.) Any species of ear-shaped shells of the genus Haliotis. See Abalone.
Sea eel () The conger eel.
Sea egg () A sea urchin.
Sea
elephant () A
very large seal (Macrorhinus proboscideus) of the Antarctic seas, much hunted
for its oil. It sometimes attains a length of thirty feet, and is remarkable
for the prolongation of the nose of the adult male into an erectile elastic
proboscis, about a foot in length. Another species of smaller size (M.
angustirostris) occurs on the coast of
Sea
fan () Any
gorgonian which branches in a fanlike form, especially Gorgonia flabellum of
Seafarer (n.) One who follows the sea as a business; a mariner; a sailor.
Seafaring (a.) Following the business of a mariner; as, a seafaring man.
Sea feather () Any gorgonian which branches in a plumelike form.
Sea fennel () Samphire.
Sea fern () Any gorgonian which branches like a fern.
Sea fight () An engagement between ships at sea; a naval battle.
Sea fir () A sertularian hydroid, especially Sertularia abietina, which branches like a miniature fir tree.
Sea flewer () A sea anemone, or any related anthozoan.
Sea foam () Foam of sea water.
Sea foam () Meerschaum; -- called also sea froth.
Sea fowl () Any bird which habitually frequents the sea, as an auk, gannet, gull, tern, or petrel; also, all such birds, collectively.
Sea fox () The thrasher shark. See Thrasher.
Sea
froth ()
Sea-gate (n.) Alt. of Sea-gait.
Sea-gait (n.) A long, rolling swell of the sea.
Sea gauge () See under Gauge, n.
Sea gherkin () Alt. of Sea girkin
Sea girkin () Any small holothurian resembling in form a gherkin.
Sea
ginger () A
hydroid coral of the genus Millepora, especially M. alcicornis, of the West
Indies and
Sea girdles () A kind of kelp (Laminaria digitata) with palmately cleft fronds; -- called also sea wand, seaware, and tangle.
Seagirt (a.) Surrounded by the water of the sea or ocean; as, a seagirt isle.
Sea god () A marine deity; a fabulous being supposed to live in, or have dominion over, the sea, or some particular sea or part of the sea, as Neptune.
Sea goddess () A goddess supposed to live in or reign over the sea, or some part of the sea.
Seagoing (a.) Going upon the sea; especially, sailing upon the deep sea; -- used in distinction from coasting or river, as applied to vessels.
Sea goose () A phalarope.
Sea gown () A gown or frock with short sleeves, formerly worn by mariners.
Sea grape () The gulf weed. See under Gulf.
Sea grape () A shrubby plant (Coccoloba uvifera) growing on the sandy shores of tropical America, somewhat resembling the grapevine.
Sea grape () The clusters of gelatinous egg capsules of a squid (Loligo).
Sea grass () Eelgrass.
Sea green () The green color of sea water.
Sea-green (a.) Of a beautiful bluish green color, like sea water on soundings.
Sea gudgeon () The European black goby (Gobius niger).
Sea gull () Any gull living on the seacoast.
Seah (n.) A Jewish dry measure containing one third of an an ephah.
Sea hare () Any tectibranchiate mollusk of the genus Aplysia. See Aplysia.
Sea hawk () A jager gull.
Sea heath () A low perennial plant (Frankenia laevis) resembling heath, growing along the seashore in Europe.
Sea hedgehog () A sea urchin.
Sea hen () The common guillemot; -- applied also to various other sea birds.
Sea hog () The porpoise.
Sea holly () An evergeen seashore plant (Eryngium maritimum). See Eryngium.
Sea holm () A small uninhabited island.
Sea holm () Sea holly.
Sea horse () A fabulous creature, half horse and half fish, represented in classic mythology as driven by sea dogs or ridden by the Nereids. It is also depicted in heraldry. See Hippocampus.
Sea horse () The walrus.
Sea horse () Any fish of the genus Hippocampus.
Sea hulver () Sea holly.
Sea-island (a.) Of or pertaining to certain islands along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia; as, sea-island cotton, a superior cotton of long fiber produced on those islands.
Sea jelly () A medusa, or jellyfish.
Seak (n.) Soap prepared for use in milling cloth.
Sea kale () See under Kale.
Sea king () One of the leaders among the Norsemen who passed their lives in roving the seas in search of plunder and adventures; a Norse pirate chief. See the Note under Viking.
Seal (n.) Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families Phocidae and Otariidae.
Seal (n.) An engraved or inscribed stamp, used for marking an impression in wax or other soft substance, to be attached to a document, or otherwise used by way of authentication or security.
Seal (n.) Wax, wafer, or other tenacious substance, set to an instrument, and impressed or stamped with a seal; as, to give a deed under hand and seal.
Seal (n.) That which seals or fastens; esp., the wax or wafer placed on a letter or other closed paper, etc., to fasten it.
Seal (n.) That which confirms, ratifies, or makes stable; that which authenticates; that which secures; assurance.
Seal (n.) An arrangement for preventing the entrance or return of gas or air into a pipe, by which the open end of the pipe dips beneath the surface of water or other liquid, or a deep bend or sag in the pipe is filled with the liquid; a draintrap.
Sealed (imp. & p. p.) of Seal.
Skaling (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Seal.
Seal (v. t.) To set or affix a seal to; hence, to authenticate; to confirm; to ratify; to establish; as, to seal a deed.
Seal (v. t.) To mark with a stamp, as an evidence of standard exactness, legal size, or merchantable quality; as, to seal weights and measures; to seal silverware.
Seal (v. t.) To fasten with a seal; to attach together with a wafer, wax, or other substance causing adhesion; as, to seal a letter.
Seal (v. t.) Hence, to shut close; to keep close; to make fast; to keep secure or secret.
Seal (v. t.) To fix, as a piece of iron in a wall, with cement, plaster, or the like.
Seal (v. t.) To close by means of a seal; as, to seal a drainpipe with water. See 2d Seal, 5.
Seal (v. t.) Among the Mormons, to confirm or set apart as a second or additional wife.
Seal (v. i.) To affix one's seal, or a seal.
Sea laces () A kind of seaweed (Chorda Filum) having blackish cordlike fronds, often many feet long.
Sea lamprey () The common lamprey.
Sea language () The peculiar language or phraseology of seamen; sailor's cant.
Sea lark () The rock pipit (Anthus obscurus).
Sea lark () Any one of several small sandpipers and plovers, as the ringed plover, the turnstone, the dunlin, and the sanderling.
Sea lavender () (Bot.) See Marsh rosemary, under Marsh.
Compare: Lavender
Lavender (n.) (Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus Lavandula ({Lavandula vera), common in the south of Europe. It yields and oil used in medicine and perfumery. The Spike lavender ({Lavandula Spica}) yields a coarser oil (oil of spike), used in the arts.
Lavender (n.) The pale, purplish color of lavender flowers, paler and more delicate than lilac.
Lavender cotton (Bot.), A low, twiggy, aromatic shrub ({Santolina Cham[ae]cyparissus) of the Mediterranean region, formerly used as a vermifuge, etc., and still used to keep moths from wardrobes. Also called ground cypress.
Lavender water, A perfume, toilet water, or shaving lotion containing the essential oil of lavender, and sometimes the essential oil of bergamot, and essence of ambergris.
Sea lavender. (Bot.) See Marsh rosemary.
To lay in lavender. (a) To lay away, as clothing, with sprigs of lavender.
To lay in lavender. (b) To pawn. [Obs.]
Compare: Marsh
Marsh (n.) A tract of soft wet land, commonly covered partially or wholly with water; a fen; a swamp; a morass. [Written also marish.]
Marsh+asphodel+(Bot.),+A+plant+({Nartheeium+ossifragum">Marsh asphodel (Bot.), a plant ({Nartheeium ossifragum) with linear equitant leaves, and a raceme of small white flowers; -- called also bog asphodel.
Marsh+cinquefoil+(Bot.),+A+plant+({Potentilla+palustris">Marsh cinquefoil (Bot.), a plant ({Potentilla palustris) having purple flowers, and found growing in marshy places; marsh five-finger.
Marsh elder. (Bot.) (a) The guelder-rose or cranberry tree ({Viburnum Opulus).
Marsh elder. (Bot.) (b) In the United States, a composite shrub growing in salt marshes ({Iva frutescens).
Marsh five-finger. (Bot.) See Marsh cinquefoil (above).
Marsh gas. (Chem.) See under Gas.
Marsh+grass+(Bot.),+A+genus+({Spartina">Marsh grass (Bot.), a genus ({Spartina) of coarse grasses growing in marshes; -- called also cord grass. The tall Spartina cynosuroides is not good for hay unless cut very young. The low Spartina juncea is a common component of salt hay.
Marsh harrier (Zool.), A European hawk or harrier ({Circus aeruginosus); -- called also marsh hawk, moor hawk, moor buzzard, puttock.
Marsh hawk. (Zool.) (a) A hawk or harrier ({Circus cyaneus), native of both America and Europe. The adults are bluish slate above, with a white rump. Called also hen harrier, and mouse hawk.
Marsh hawk. (Zool.) (b) The marsh harrier.
Marsh hen (Zool.), A rail; esp., Rallus elegans of fresh-water marshes, and Rallus longirostris of salt-water marshes.
Marsh mallow (Bot.), A plant of the genus Althaea (Althaea officinalis) common in marshes near the seashore, and whose root is much used in medicine as a demulcent.
Marsh marigold. (Bot.) See in the Vocabulary.
Marsh pennywort (Bot.), Any plant of the umbelliferous genus Hydrocotyle; low herbs with roundish leaves, growing in wet places; -- called also water pennywort.
Marsh quail (Zool.), The meadow lark.
Marsh rosemary (Bot.), A plant of the genus Statice ({Statice Limonium), common in salt marshes. Its root is powerfully astringent, and is sometimes used in medicine. Called also sea lavender.
Marsh+samphire+(Bot.),+A+plant+({Salicornia+herbacea">Marsh samphire (Bot.), a plant ({Salicornia herbacea) found along seacoasts. See Glasswort.
Marsh St. John's-wort (Bot.), An American herb ({Elodes Virginica) with small opposite leaves and flesh-colored flowers.
Marsh tea. (Bot.). Same as Labrador tea.
Marsh trefoil. (Bot.) Same as Buckbean.
Marsh wren (Zool.), Any species of small American wrens of the genus Cistothorus, and allied genera. They chiefly inhabit salt marshes.
Sea lavender (n.) Any of various plants of the genus Limonium of temperate salt marshes having spikes of white or mauve flowers [syn: sea lavender, marsh rosemary, statice].
Sea lawyer () (Zool.) The gray snapper. See under Snapper.
Sea lawyer (n.) An argumentative and contentious seaman.