Oil of safflower, a purgative oil expressed from the seeds of the
safflower.
Saf"fron (?; 277), n. [OE. saffran, F. safran; cf. It. zafferano, Sp.
azafran, Pg. açafrão; all fr. Ar. & Per. za' farn.] 1. (Bot.) A bulbous
iridaceous plant (Crocus sativus) having blue flowers with large yellow
stigmas. See Crocus.
2. The aromatic, pungent, dried stigmas, usually with part of the
stile, of the Crocus sativus. Saffron is used in cookery, and in
coloring confectionery, liquors, varnishes, etc., and was formerly much
used in medicine.
3. An orange or deep yellow color, like that of the stigmas of the
Crocus sativus.
Bastard saffron, Dyer's saffron. (Bot.) See Safflower. -- Meadow
saffron (Bot.), a bulbous plant (Colchichum autumnale) of Europe,
resembling saffron. -- Saffron wood (Bot.), the yellowish wood of a
South African tree (Elæodendron croceum); also, the tree itself. --
Saffron yellow, a shade of yellow like that obtained from the stigmas
of the true saffron (Crocus sativus).
Saf"fron (?; 277), a. Having the color of the stigmas of saffron
flowers; deep orange-yellow; as, a saffron face; a saffron streamer.
Saf"fron, v. t. To give color and flavor to, as by means of saffron; to
spice. [Obs.]
And in Latyn I speak a wordes few, To saffron with my predication.
Chaucer.
Saf"fron*y (?), a. Having a color somewhat like saffron; yellowish.
Lord (1630).
Saf"ra*nin (?), n. (Chem.) (a) An orange-red dyestuff extracted from
the saffron. [R.] (b) A red dyestuff extracted from the safflower, and
formerly used in dyeing wool, silk, and cotton pink and scarlet; --
called also Spanish red, China lake, and carthamin. (c) An orange-red
dyestuff prepared from certain nitro compounds of creosol, and used as
a substitute for the safflower dye.
Saf"ra*nine (? or ?), n. [So called because used as a substitute for
safranin.] (Chem.) An orange-red nitrogenous dyestuff produced
artificially by oxidizing certain aniline derivatives, and used in
dyeing silk and wool; also, any one of the series of which safranine
proper is the type.
Sag (sg), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sagged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sagging (?).]
[Akin to Sw. sacka to settle, sink down, LG. sacken, D. zakken. Cf.
Sink, v. i.] 1. To sink, in the middle, by its weight or under applied
pressure, below a horizontal line or plane; as, a line or cable
supported by its ends sags, though tightly drawn; the floor of a room
sags; hence, to lean, give way, or settle from a vertical position; as,
a building may sag one way or another; a door sags on its hinges.
2. Fig.: To lose firmness or elasticity; to sink; to droop; to flag; to
bend; to yield, as the mind or spirits, under the pressure of care,
trouble, doubt, or the like; to be unsettled or unbalanced. [R.]
The mind I sway by, and the heart I bear, Shall never sag with
doubt nor shake with fear.
Shak.