Se"rye (?), n. A series. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Ses"a*me (?), n. [L. sesamum, sesama, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;, &?;&?;&?;: cf.
F. sésame.] (Bot.) Either of two annual herbaceous plants of the genus
Sesamum (S. Indicum, and S. orientale), from the seeds of which an oil
is expressed; also, the small obovate, flattish seeds of these plants,
sometimes used as food. See Benne.
Open Sesame, the magical command which opened the door of the robber's
den in the Arabian Nights' tale of "The Forty Thieves;" hence, a
magical password. -- Sesame grass. (Bot.) Same as Gama grass.
Ses"a*moid (?), a. [Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; like sesame; &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;
sesame + &?;&?;&?; form: cf. F. sésamoïde.] 1. Resembling in shape the
seeds of sesame.
2. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the sesamoid bones or cartilages;
sesamoidal.
Sesamoid bones, Sesamoid cartilages (Anat.), small bones or cartilages
formed in tendons, like the patella and pisiform in man.
Ses"a*moid, n. (Anat.) A sesamoid bone or cartilage.
Ses`a*moid"al (?), a. (Anat.) Sesamoid.
Ses"ban (?), n. [F., fr. Ar. saisabn, seisebn, a kind of tree, fr. Per.
ssabn seed of cinquefoil.] (Bot.) A leguminous shrub (Sesbania
aculeata) which furnishes a fiber used for making ropes.
The name is applied also to the similar plant, Sesbania Ægyptiaca, and
other species of the same genus.
||Ses`qui- (?). [L., one half more, one and a half.] (Chem.) A
||combining form (also used adjectively) denoting that three atoms or
||equivalents of the substance to the name of which it is prefixed are
||combined with two of some other element or radical; as,
||sesquibromide, sesquicarbonate, sesquichloride, sesquioxide.
Sesquidupli- is sometimes, but rarely, used in the same manner to
denote the proportions of two and a half to one, or rather of five to
two.
Ses`qui*al"ter (?), a. Sesquialteral.
{ Ses`qui*al"ter (?), Ses`qui*al"ter*a (?), } n. [NL. sesquialtera.]
(Mus.) A stop on the organ, containing several ranks of pipes which
reënforce some of the high harmonics of the ground tone, and make the
sound more brilliant.
{ Ses`qui*al"ter*al (?), Ses`qui*al"ter*ate (?), } a. [L. sesquialter
once and a half; sesqui- + alter other: cf. F. sesquialtére.] Once and
a half times as great as another; having the ratio of one and a half to
one.
Sesquialteral ratio (Math.), the ratio of one and a half to one; thus,
9 and 6 are in a sesquialteral ratio.
Ses`qui*al"ter*ous (?), a. Sesquialteral.
Ses`qui*ba"sic (?), a. [Sesqui- + basic.] (Chem.) Containing, or acting
as, a base in the proportions of a sesqui compound.
Ses`qui*du"pli*cate (?), a. [Sesqui- + duplicate.] Twice and a half as
great (as another thing); having the ratio of two and a half to one.
Sesquiduplicate ratio (Math.), the ratio of two and a half to one, or
one in which the greater term contains the lesser twice and a half, as
that of 50 to 20.
Ses`qui*ox"ide (?), n. [Sesqui- + oxide.] (Chem.) An oxide containing
three atoms of oxygen with two atoms (or radicals) of some other
substance; thus, alumina, Al2O3 is a sesquioxide.
{ Ses*quip"e*dal (?), Ses`qui*pe*da"li*an (?), } a. [Sesqui- + pedal:
cf. F. sesquipédal, L. sesquipedalis.] Measuring or containing a foot
and a half; as, a sesquipedalian pygmy; -- sometimes humorously applied
to long words.
{ Ses`qui*pe*da"li*an*ism (?), Ses*quip"e*dal*ism (?), } n.
Sesquipedality.
Ses`qui*pe*dal"i*ty (?), n. 1. The quality or condition of being
sesquipedal. Sterne.
2. The use of sesquipedalian words; style characterized by the use of
long words; sesquipedalism.
Ses*quip"li*cate (?), a. [Sesqui- + plicate.] (Math.) Subduplicate of
the triplicate; -- a term applied to ratios; thus, a and a′ are
in the sesquiplicate ratio of b and b′, when a is to a′ as
the square root of the cube of b is to the square root of the cube of
b′, or a:a′::√b3:√b′3.
The periodic times of the planets are in the sesquiplicate ratio of
their mean distances.
Sir I. Newton.
Ses"qui*salt (?), n. [Sesqui- + salt.] (Chem.) A salt derived from a
sesquioxide base, or made up on the proportions of a sesqui compound.
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Ses`qui*sul"phide (?), n. [Sesqui- + sulphide.] (Chem.) A sulphide,
analogous to a sesquioxide, containing three atoms of sulphur to two of
the other ingredient; -- formerly called also sesquisulphuret; as,
orpiment, As2S3 is arsenic sesquisulphide.
Ses`qui*ter"tial (?), a. Sesquitertian.
{ Ses`qui*ter"tian (?), Ses`qui*ter"tian*al (?), } a. [Sesqui- + L.
tertianus belonging to the third. Cf. Tertian.] (Math.) Having the
ratio of one and one third to one (as 4 : 3).
Ses"qui*tone (?), n. [Sesqui- + tone.] (Mus.) A minor third, or
interval of three semitones.
Sess (?), v. t. [Aphetic form of assess. See Assess, Cess.] To lay a
tax upon; to assess. [Obs.]