World Book 1997 4.0

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ World Book 1997 4.0 / The World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia v4.00.iso / data / dictdata / spartree.dic < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1997-04-11 | 11.3 KB | 253 lines

<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>DICTIONARY: spar tree - spavined</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="spartree"> spar tree,<DL COMPACT><DD> a tall tree used to support the cable for carrying other trees in high-lead logging. </DL> <A NAME="sparvarnish"> spar varnish,<DL COMPACT><DD> an oleoresinous, weather-resistant varnish used for exterior surfaces, especially on ships. </DL> <A NAME="spasm"> spasm, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a sudden, abnormal, involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles. A clonic spasm is characterized by alternate contraction and relaxation of the muscles, and a tonic spasm by prolonged contraction without relaxation for some time. Ex. The child in a spasm kept twitching his arms and legs. (SYN) convulsion. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) any sudden brief fit or spell of unusual energy or activity. Ex. a spasm of temper, a spasm of enthusiasm. He caused her a spasm of anguish (George Meredith). Between the spasms of violence there were long quiet intervals when the ordinary occupations of men went on as usual (James A. Froude). </DL> <A NAME="spasmodic"> spasmodic, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. having to do with spasms; resembling a spasm. Ex. a spasmodic cough. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) <DD> a. sudden and violent, but brief. Ex. spasmodic rage. <DD> b. occurring very irregularly; intermittent. Ex. a spasmodic interest in reading. (SYN) fitful. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) having or showing bursts of excitement. Ex. Miss Tox immediately became spasmodic (Dickens). <DD> 4. (Figurative.) disjointed; choppy. Ex. a spasmodic style, spasmodic writing. (SYN) jerky. </DL> <A NAME="spasmodical"> spasmodical, adjective. =spasmodic.adv. spasmodically. </DL> <A NAME="spasmolytic"> spasmolytic, adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>adj. of or for the relief of muscular spasms. <DD>noun a spasmolytic substance. </DL> <A NAME="spastic"> spastic, adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>adj. 1. of, having to do with, or characterized by spasms, especially tonic spasms. Ex. a spastic disease. <DD> 2. caused by a spasm or spasms. Ex. spastic pain. <DD> 3. having spastic paralysis. <DD>noun a person suffering from a form of paralysis marked by prolonged contraction of a muscle or muscles. adv. spastically. </DL> <A NAME="spasticity"> spasticity, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the tendency to go into spasms. <DD> 2. the state of being spastic. Ex. Elaborate animal experiments have been attempted to try to relate how damage to the brain causes spasticity (New Scientist). </DL> <A NAME="spasticparalysis"> spastic paralysis,<DL COMPACT><DD> paralysis characterized by prolonged contraction of a muscle or muscles with exaggerated reflexes, caused by brain damage. </DL> <A NAME="spasur"> SPASUR, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a radar system that detects artificial satellites such as those used for surveillance that broadcast only on command from the ground. </DL> <A NAME="spat"> spat (1), noun, verb, spatted, spatting.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. a slight quarrel; tiff. Ex. They got into kind of a spat about which one'd make the best actress (Booth Tarkington). <DD> 2. a light blow; slap. <DD>v.i. 1. (Informal.) to quarrel slightly or briefly. Ex. The dog and cat spatted before the dog chased the cat up the tree. <DD> 2. to give a slap or slaps. <DD>v.t. to slap lightly. </DL> <A NAME="spat"> spat (2), verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> a past tense and a past participle of spit (1). Ex. The cat spat at the dog. </DL> <A NAME="spat"> spat (3), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under spats. </DL> <A NAME="spat"> spat (4), noun, verb, spatted, spatting.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. the spawn of oysters or certain other shellfish. <DD> 2. a young oyster. <DD>v.i. (of oysters or certain other shellfish) to spawn. </DL> <A NAME="spatangus"> spatangus, noun, pl. -gi.<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of a group of sea urchins, some of which are heart-shaped. </DL> <A NAME="spatchcock"> spatchcock, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun a freshly killed fowl, split and broiled. <DD>v.t. 1. to cook as or in the manner of a spatchcock. <DD> 2. (Especially British Informal, Figurative.) to insert or interpolate; sandwich in. Ex. The new matter consists of long quotations from secondary sources ... and of over-written descriptive paragraphs, spatchcocked into the old text (Manchester Guardian). </DL> <A NAME="spate"> spate, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a sudden outburst; violent outpouring. Ex. a spate of words or of anger. <DD> 2. a large number; great quantity. Ex. a spate of new books on astronomy. <DD> 3. (British.) <DD> a. a sudden flood; freshet. Ex. Is the torrent in spate? He must ford it or swim (Rudyard Kipling). <DD> b. a sudden, heavy downpour of rain. </DL> <A NAME="spathaceous"> spathaceous, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. furnished with or enclosed by a spathe. <DD> 2. of or like a spathe. </DL> <A NAME="spathal"> spathal, adjective. =spathaceous.</DL> <A NAME="spathe"> spathe, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a large bract or pair of bracts, often colored, that encloses a flower cluster. The calla lily has a white spathe around a yellow flower cluster. </DL> <A NAME="spathed"> spathed, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having or surrounded by a spathe. </DL> <A NAME="spathic"> spathic, adjective. =spathose (1).</DL> <A NAME="spathiform"> spathiform, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> resembling spar in form. Ex. a spathiform variety of uranite. </DL> <A NAME="spathose"> spathose (1), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> like or consisting of spar; foliated; sparry. </DL> <A NAME="spathose"> spathose (2), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Botany.) like or formed like a spathe. </DL> <A NAME="spathulate"> spathulate, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Botany.) spatulate. </DL> <A NAME="spatial"> spatial, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. of or having to do with space. <DD> 2. existing in space. <DD> 3. occupying or taking up space. Also, spacial. adv. spatially. </DL> <A NAME="spatiality"> spatiality, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> spatial quality or character. </DL> <A NAME="spatiotemporal"> spatio-temporal, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> belonging to both space and time. Ex. linked in a manner transcending the spatio-temporal order, and hence wholly outside the ambit of "the laws of mechanics" (New Scientist). adv. spatio-temporally. </DL> <A NAME="spatlese"> Spatlese, noun, pl. -lesen.<DL COMPACT><DD> a naturally sweet wine made from grapes picked after the harvest. </DL> <A NAME="spats"> spats, noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> short gaiters worn over the instep and reaching just above the ankle, usually fastened by straps under the feet and buttons on one side. </DL> <A NAME="spatter"> spatter, verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>v.t. 1. to scatter or dash in drops or particles; splatter. Ex. to spatter paint, to spatter mud. <DD> 2. to strike in a shower; strike in a number of places. Ex. Bullets spattered the wall. <DD> 3a. to sprinkle or spot with something that soils or stains; bespatter. Ex. to spatter a white dress with mud. <DD> b. (Figurative.) to stain with something that harms. Ex. to spatter a person with disgrace. (SYN) smear. <DD>v.i. 1. to send out or throw off drops or particles. <DD> 2. to fall in drops or particles. Ex. Rain spatters on the sidewalk. <DD>noun 1. a spattering. Ex. a spatter of bullets. <DD> 2. the sound of spattering. Ex. the spatter of rain on a roof. <DD> 3. a spot caused by something splashed; splatter. adv. spatteringly. </DL> <A NAME="spattercone"> spatter cone,<DL COMPACT><DD> a clot or hardened mass of lava in the form of a steep-sloped cone. </DL> <A NAME="spatterdash"> spatterdash, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> Often, spatterdashes. <DD> a long gaiter or legging of leather or cloth worn to keep the trousers or stockings from being splashed with mud, as in riding. </DL> <A NAME="spatterdock"> spatterdock, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. an aquatic plant of the water-lily family, with large erect leaves and rounded yellow flowers, common in stagnant waters of the eastern United States. <DD> 2. any one of various related water plants. </DL> <A NAME="spatterware"> spatterware, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> earthenware with a design produced by spatterwork. </DL> <A NAME="spatterwork"> spatterwork, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> decorative work in which a design is produced on a surface by spattering ink or the like over exposed parts. </DL> <A NAME="spatula"> spatula, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a tool with a broad, flat, flexible blade, used for mixing, spreading, scraping, or stirring soft substances, such as plaster or frosting, and for mixing powders. </DL> <A NAME="spatular"> spatular, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or like a spatula. </DL> <A NAME="spatulate"> spatulate, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. shaped some what like a spatula. Ex. a spatulate blade. <DD> 2. (Botany.) having a broad, rounded end and a long, narrow base. Ex. a spatulate leaf. <DD> 3. wide at the tips. Ex. spatulate fingers. </DL> <A NAME="spatule"> spatule, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. =spatula. <DD> 2. (Zoology.) a spatulate formation or part, as at the end of the tail feathers of a bird. </DL> <A NAME="spatzle"> spatzle, noun, pl. -le or -les.<DL COMPACT><DD> a kind of small dumpling made with flour, eggs, salt, and water. Also, spaetzle. </DL> <A NAME="spavin"> spavin, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a disease of horses in which a bony swelling forms at the hock, causing lameness. <DD> 2. a less serious disease of horses in which the capsule of tissue at the hock fills with fluid. </DL> <A NAME="spavined"> spavined, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. having spavin. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) lame; crippled. Ex. Even by its own spavined standards the native product is poor (London Times). </DL> <A HREF="spawl.dic">NEXT</A>