Third rail. (Electric Railways) (a) The third rail used in the third-rail system. (b) An electric railway using such a rail. [Colloq.]
Third-rail system. (Electric Railways) A system in which a third rail is used for carrying the current for operating the motors, the rail being insulated from the ground and the current being taken off by means of contact brushes or other devices.
{ Thom"as phos"phate or slag }. Same as Basic slag, above.
Thom"as proc"ess (?). (Iron Metal.) Same as Basic process, above.
Thomson process. [After Elihu Thomson, American inventor.] A process of electric welding in which heat is developed by a large current passing through the metal.
Thought transference. Telepathy.
Three"-col`or, a. Designating, or pert. to, a photomechanical process employing printings in three colors, as red, yellow, and blue.
Three"-mile`, a. Of or pertaining to three miles; as, the three-mile limit, or the limit of the marine belt (the three-mile belt or zone) of three miles included in territorial waters (which see) of a state.
Three"-port`, a. Having three ports; specif.: Designating a type of two-cycle internal-combustion engine in which the mixture enters the crank case through a port uncovered by the piston near the end of its stroke.
Three"-torque` system of control. (Aëronautics) Any system of rudders by which the pilot can exert a turning moment about each of the three rectangular axes of an aëroplane or airship.
Throm"bin (?), n. [See Thrombus.] (Physiol. Chem.) The fibrin ferment which produces the formation of fibrin from fibrinogen.
Throw, v. i. -- To throw back, to revert to an ancestral type or character. "A large proportion of the steerage passengers throw back to their Darwinian ancestry." The Century.
Throw"ing stick`. (Anthropol.) An instrument used by various savage races for throwing a spear; -- called also throw stick and spear thrower. One end of the stick receives the butt of the spear, as upon a hook or thong, and the other end is grasped with the hand, which also holds the spear, toward the middle, above it with the finger and thumb, the effect being to bring the place of support nearer the center of the spear, and practically lengthen the arm in the act of throwing.
Thud (?), v. i. & t. To make, or strike so as to make, a dull sound, or thud.
Hardly the softest thudding of velvety pads.
A. C. Doyle.
The waves break into spray, dash and rumble and thud below your feet.
H. F. Brown.
Thug, n. An assassin; a ruffian; a rough. "Thugs and midnight rounders." The Century.
Tick"er, n. A telegraphic receiving instrument that automatically prints off stock quotations (stock ticker) and other news on a paper ribbon or "tape."
Tid"dle*dy*winks` (?), n. A game in which the object is to snap small disks of bone, ivory, or the like, from a flat surface, as of a table, into a small cup or basket; -- called also tiddlywinks. [U. S.]
Tid"dly*winks` (?), n. Same as Tiddledywinks. Kipling.
Tide"land (?), n. Land that is overflowed by tide water; hence, land near the sea.
||Ti*en"da (?), n. [Sp., prop., tent, awning.] In Cuba, Mexico, etc., a booth, stall, or shop where merchandise is sold.
Tik"or (?), n. [Hind. tikhur.] A starch or arrow-root made from the tubes of an East Indian zinziberaceous plant (Curcuma angustifolia); also, the plant itself.
{ Ti*kur", Ti*koor" } (?), n. [Hind. tik&?;r.] An East Indian tree (Garcinia pedunculata) having a large yellow fleshy fruit with a pleasant acid flavor.
Tile"seed` (?), n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Geissois, having seeds overlapping like tiles on a roof.
||Til"i*a (?), n. [L., linden. Cf. Teil.] (Bot.) A genus of trees, the lindens, the type of the family Tiliaceæ, distinguished by the winglike bract coalescent with the peduncle, and by the indehiscent fruit having one or two seeds. There are about twenty species, natives of temperate regions. Many species are planted as ornamental shade trees, and the tough fibrous inner bark is a valuable article of commerce. Also, a plant of this genus.
||Til*land"si*a (?), n. [NL., after Prof. Tillands, of Abo, in Finland.] (Bot.) An immense genus of epiphytic bromeliaceous plants confined to tropical and subtropical America. They usually bear a rosette of narrow overlapping basal leaves, which often hold a considerable quantity of water. The spicate or paniculate flowers have free perianth segments, and are often subtended by colored bracts. Also, a plant of this genus.
Til seed (tl; tl). (a) The seed of sesame. (b) The seed of an African asteraceous plant (Guizotia abyssinica), yielding a bland fixed oil used in medicine.
Til tree (tl; tl). (a) Var. of Teil tree. (b) An ill- smelling lauraceous tree (Ocotea fœtens) of the Canary Islands; -- sometimes disting. as Canary Island til tree.
||Tim`bale" (?), n. [F., prop., a kettledrum; -- so named from the form of the mold used. Cf. Timbal.] (Cookery) A seasoned preparation, as of chicken, lobster, cheese, or fish, cooked in a drum-shaped mold; also, a pastry case, usually small, filled with a cooked mixture.
Time policy. (Insurance) A policy limited to become void at a specified time; -- often contrasted with voyage policy.
Tim"er (?), n. (Internal-combustion Engines) In electric ignition, an adjustable device for automatically timing the spark.
Time signature. (Music) A sign at the beginning of a composition or movement, placed after the key signature, to indicate its time or meter. Also called rhythmical signature. It is in the form of a fraction, of which the denominator indicates the kind of note taken as time unit for the beat, and the numerator, the number of these to the measure.
||Tin`tin*nab"u*lum (?), n.; pl. Tintinnabula (#). [L., a bell. See Tintinnabular.] A bell; also, a set or combination of bells or metal plates used as a musical instrument or as a toy.
Tint*om"e*ter (?), n. [Tint + -meter.] (Physics) An apparatus for the determination of colors by comparison with arbitrary standards; a colorimeter.
Tip"ple (?), n. [Cf. 3d Tip.] An apparatus by which loaded cars are emptied by tipping; also, the place where such tipping is done.
Tip"ster (?), n. [Tip a hint + -ster.] One who makes a practice of giving or selling tips, or private hints or information, esp. for use in gambling upon the probable outcome of events, as horse races.
Tip"stock` (?), n. The detachable or movable fore part of a gunstock, lying beneath the barrel or barrels, and forming a hold for the left hand.
Tirl (?), v. i. [Cf. Twirl, Thirl.] [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] 1. To quiver; to vibrate; to veer about.
2. To make a ratting or clattering sound by twirling or shaking; as, to tirl at the pin, or latch, of a door.
Ti"tan crane. (Mach.) A massive crane with an overhanging counterbalanced arm carrying a traveler and lifting crab, the whole supported by a carriage mounted on track rails. It is used esp. for setting heavy masonry blocks for piers, breakwaters, etc.
Ti"ti (?), n. [Orig. uncert.] 1. A tree of the southern United States (Cliftonia monophylla) having glossy leaves and racemes of fragrant white flowers succeeded by one-seeded drupes; -- called also black titi, buckwheat tree, and ironwood.