SIGIL, sij'il, _n._ a seal: a signature: an occult or magical
mark.--_adjs._ SIG'ILLARY, pertaining to a seal; SIG'ILLATE, decorated, as
pottery, with impressed patterns: (_bot._) marked with seal-like
scars.--_ns._ SIGILL[=A]'TION; SIGILLOG'RAPHY, knowledge of seals.--_n.pl._
SIG'LA, abbreviations of names, &c., on seals. [L. _sigillum_, dim. of
_signum_, sign.]
SIGILLARIA, sij-il-[=a]'ri-a, _n._ a family of fossil lycopods, abundant in
Carboniferous strata, with pillar-like trunks, the columnar stems ribbed
and fluted longitudinally, the fluting marked by rows or whorls of scars
left by fallen leaves.--_adjs._ SIGILL[=A]'RIAN, SIG'ILLAROID,
SIGILL[=A]'RIOID. [L. _sigillum_, a seal.]
SIGMA, sig'ma, _n._ the Greek letter corresponding to our _s_--written
[Sigma] (capital), [sigma] (small initial) or [sigmaf] (small
final).--_adjs._ SIG'MATE, SIGMAT'IC.--_ns._ SIGM[=A]'TION, the adding of
_s_ at the end of a word or syllable; SIG'MATISM, repetition of _s_ or the
s-sound: defective pronunciation of this sound.--_adjs._ SIG'MOID, -AL,
formed like _s_.
SIGN, s[=i]n, _n._ mark, token: proof: that by which a thing is known or
represented: a word, gesture, symbol, or mark, intended to signify
something else: a remarkable event: an omen: a miraculous manifestation: a
memorial: something set up as a notice in a public place: (_math._) a mark
showing the relation of quantities or an operation to be performed:
(_med._) a symptom: (_astron._) one of the twelve parts of the zodiac, each
comprising 30 degrees of the ecliptic.--_v.t._ to represent or make known
by a sign: to attach a signature to.--_v.i._ to give one's signature: to
make a particular sign.--_adj._ SIGN'ABLE, capable of being, or requiring
to be, signed.--_ns._ SIGN'BOARD, a board with a sign telling a man's
occupation or articles for sale; SIGN'ER; SIG'NET, the privy-seal: (_B._) a
seal.--_adj._ SIG'NETED, stamped or marked with a signet.--_n._
SIG'NET-RING, a ring with a signet or private seal.--_adj._ SIGN'LESS,
making no sign.--_ns._ SIGN'-MAN'UAL, the royal signature, usually only the
initial of the sovereign's name, with R. for _Rex_ or _Regina_;
SIGN'-PAINT'ER, one who paints signs for shops, &c.; SIGN'POST, a post on
which a sign is hung: a direction-post. [Fr. _signe_--L. _signum._]
SIGNAL, sig'nal, _n._ a sign for giving notice, generally at a distance:
token: the notice given: any initial impulse.--_v.t._ and _v.i._ to make
signals to: to convey by signals:--_pr.p._ sig'nalling; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._
sig'nalled.--_adj._ having a sign: remarkable: notable: eminent.--_ns._
SIG'NAL-BOOK, a book containing a system of signals; SIG'NAL-BOX, -CAB'IN,
&c., a small house in which railway-signals are worked: the alarm-box of a
police or fire-alarm system; SIG'NAL-CODE, a code or system of arbitrary
signals, esp. at sea, by flags or lights; SIG'NAL-FIRE, a fire used for a
signal; SIG'NAL-FLAG, a flag used in signalling, its colour, shape,
markings, and combinations indicating various significations; SIG'NAL-GUN,
a gun fired as a signal.--_v.t._ SIG'NALISE, to make signal or eminent: to
signal.--_ns._ SIG'NAL-LAMP, a lamp by which signals are made by glasses or
slides of different colours, &c.; SIG'NALLING, the means of transmitting
intelligence to a greater or less distance by the agency of sight or
hearing.--_adv._ SIG'NALLY.--_ns._ SIG'NALMAN, one who makes signals and
who interprets those made; SIG'NALMENT, the act of communicating by
signals: description by means of marks; SIG'NAL-POST, a pole on which
movable flags, arms, lights, are displayed as signals; SIG'NAL-SER'VICE,
the department in the army occupied with signalling. [Fr.,--L. _signalis_,
_signum_.]
SIGNATURE, sig'na-t[=u]r, _n._ a sign or mark: the name of a person written
by himself: (_mus._) the flats and sharps after the clef to show the key: a
sheet after being folded, the figure or letter at the foot of the page
indicating such.--_adj._ SIG'N[=A]TE, designate: bearing spots resembling
letters.--_ns._ SIGN[=A]'TION, anything used as a sign, an emblem;
SIG'NATORY, SIG'NATARY, SIG'NITARY, one bound by signature to some
agreement.--_adj._ having signed, bound by signature.--DOCTRINE OF
SIGNATURES, an inveterate belief in early medicine that plants and minerals
bore certain symbolical marks which indicated the diseases for which nature
had intended them as special remedies. [Fr.,--Low L. _signatura_--L.
_sign[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_, to sign.]
SIGNIEUR, _n._ (_Shak._). Same as SEIGNIOR.
SIGNIFY, sig'ni-f[=i], _v.t._ to make known by a sign or by words: to mean:
to indicate or declare: to have consequence.--_v.i._ to be of
consequence:--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._ sig'nif[=i]ed.--_adj._ SIG'NIFIABLE, that
may be signified or represented by symbols.--_n._ SIGNIF'ICANCE, that which
is signified: meaning: importance: moment--also SIGNIF'ICANCY.--_adj._
SIGNIF'ICANT, signifying: expressive of something: standing as a
sign.--_adv._ SIGNIF'ICANTLY.--_ns._ SIGNIF'ICATE, in logic, one of several
things signified by a common term; SIGNIFIC[=A]'TION, act of signifying:
that which is signified: meaning.--_adj._ SIGNIF'IC[=A]TIVE, signifying:
denoting by a sign: having meaning: expressive.--_adv._
SIGNIF'IC[=A]TIVELY, in a significative manner: so as to betoken by an
external sign.--_ns._ SIGNIF'IC[=A]TIVENESS, the quality of being
significative; SIGNIF'IC[=A]TOR, one who signifies: (_astrol._) a planet
ruling a house.--_adj._ SIGNIF'ICATORY. [L. _signific[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_,
_signum_, a sign, _fac[)e]re_, to make.]
SIGNOR, s[=e]'nyor, _n._ an Italian word of address equivalent to Mr--also
SIGNIOR.--_ns._ SIGNORA (s[=e]-ny[=o]'ra), feminine of signor; SIGNORINA
(s[=e]-ny[=o]-r[=e]'na), the Italian equivalent of Miss; SIG'NORY,
SIG'NIORY (same as SEIGNIORY). [It. _signore_.]
SIKE, s[=i]k, _n._ (_Scot._) a small stream of water.--Also SYKE. [Ice.
_sík_, _síki_, a ditch.]
SIKH, s[=e]k, _n._ one of a religious sect of northern India, which became
a great military confederacy--founded by Baba Nának (born 1469).--_n._
SIKH'ISM. [Hind. _Sikh_, lit. follower or disciple.]
SIL, sil, _n._ a yellowish pigment of ancient painters.
SILAGE, s[=i]'laj, _n._ the term applied to fodder which has been preserved
by ensilage in a silo.
SILE, s[=i]l, _v.t._ (_prov._) to strain.--_n._ a sieve, a strainer or
colander. [Low Ger. _silen_; Ger. _sielen_, to filter.]
SILENCE, s[=i]'lens, _n._ state of being silent: absence of sound or
speech: muteness: cessation of agitation: calmness: oblivion.--_v.t._ to
cause to be silent: to put to rest: to stop.--_interj._ be silent!--_adj._
S[=I]'LENT, free from noise: not speaking: habitually taciturn: still: not
pronounced: of distilled spirit, without flavour or odour.--_n._
SILEN'TIARY, one who keeps order in an assembly.--_adv._
S[=I]'LENTLY.--_n._ S[=I]'LENTNESS=_Silence_. [L. _sil[=e]re_, to be
silent.]
SILENE, s[=i]-l[=e]'n[=e], _n._ a genus of plants of the natural order
_Caryophyllaceæ_--the _Bladder Campion_, whose young shoots eat like
asparagus--the _Catchfly_, a general name for many British species.
SILENUS, s[=i]-l[=e]'nus, _n._ the foster-father of Bacchus, a little
pot-bellied old man, bald-headed and snub-nosed, generally astride of an
ass, drunk, and attended by a troop of satyrs.
SILESIA, si-l[=e]'shi-a, _n._ a thin brown holland for window-blinds, &c.:
a thin twilled cotton.--_adj._ SIL[=E]'SIAN, pertaining to _Silesia_.
SILEX, s[=i]'leks, _n._ silica, as found in nature, occurring as flint,
quartz, rock-crystal, &c. [L. _silex_, _silicis_, flint.]
[Illustration]
SILHOUETTE, sil-[=oo]-et', _n._ a shadow-outline of the human figure or
profile filled in of a dark colour.--_v.t._ to represent in silhouette: to
bring out a shaded profile or outline view of. [Étienne de _Silhouette_
(1709-67), French minister of finance for four months in 1759, after whom
everything cheap was named, from his excessive economy. According to
Littré, the making of such shadow-portraits was a favourite pastime of his;
hence the name.]
SILICA, sil'i-ka, _n._ silicon dioxide, or silicic anhydride, a white or
colourless substance, the most abundant solid constituent of our globe,
existing both in the crystalline and in the amorphous form, the best
examples of the former being rock-crystal, quartz, chalcedony, flint,
sandstone, and quartzose sand; of the latter, opal.--_n._ SIL'ICATE, a salt
of silicic acid.--_adjs._ SIL'IC[=A]TED, combined or impregnated with
silica; SILIC'IC, pertaining to, or obtained from, silica; SILICIF'EROUS,
producing or containing silica.--_n._ SILICIFIC[=A]'TION, conversion into
silica.--_v.t._ SILIC'IFY, to convert into silica: to render
silicious.--_v.i._ to become silicious or flinty:--_pr.p._ silic'ifying;
_pa.p._ silic'if[=i]ed.--_adjs._ SILIC'IOUS, SILIC'EOUS, pertaining to,
containing, or resembling silica.--_n._ SIL'ICON, or SILIC'IUM, the base of
silica, a non-metallic elementary substance, obtainable in three different
forms, the amorphous, the graphitoid, and the crystalline. [L. _silex_,
_silicis_, flint.]
[Illustration]
SILICLE, sil'i-kl, _n._ (_bot_.) a seed-vessel shorter and containing fewer
seeds than a silique--also SIL'ICULE, SILIC'ULA.--_adj._ SILIC'UL[=O]SE
(_bot_.), having, pertaining to, or resembling silicles: husky.--_ns._
(_bot_.) SILIQUE (si-l[=e]k'), SIL'IQUA, the two-valved elongated
seed-vessel of the _Cruciferæ_.--_adjs._ SIL'IQUIFORM, SIL'IQUOSE,
SIL'IQUOUS (_bot_.), pertaining to, resembling, or bearing siliques. [L.
_silicula_, dim. of _siliqua_, a pod.]
SILK, silk, _n._ the delicate, soft thread produced by the larvæ of certain
bombycid moths which feed on the leaves of the mulberry, &c.: thread or
cloth woven from it: anything resembling silk, the styles of maize, the
silky lustre in the ruby, &c.--_adj._ pertaining to, or consisting of,
silk.--_n._ SILK'-COTT'ON, the silky seed-covering of various species of
_Bombax_.--_adjs._ SILK'EN, made of silk: dressed in silk: resembling silk:
soft: delicate; SILK'-FIG'URED, having the ornamental pattern in
silk.--_ns._ SILK'-GOWN, or THE SILK, the robe of a queen's or king's
counsel, instead of the stuff-gown of the ordinary barrister--hence 'to
take silk'=to be appointed Q.C.; SILK'-GRASS, Adam's needle, or bear-grass;
SILK'INESS; SILK'-MAN (_Shak._), a dealer in silks; SILK'-MER'CER, a mercer
or dealer in silks; SILK'-MILL, a mill for the manufacture of silks;
SILK'-PA'PER, tissue-paper; SILK'-REEL, a machine in which raw silk is
unwound from the cocoons, and wound into a thread; SILK'-THROW'ER,
-THROW'STER, one who manufactures _thrown-silk_ or organzine, silk thread
formed by twisting together two or more threads or singles; SILK'-WEAV'ER,
a weaver of silk stuffs; SILK'WORM, the bombycid moth whose larva produces
silk; SILK'WORM-GUT, a material used by anglers for dressing the hook-end
of the fishing-line, consisting of the drawn-out glands of the silkworm
when these are fully distended.--_adj._ SILK'Y, like silk in texture: soft:
smooth: glossy. [A.S. _seolc_--L. _sericum_--Gr. _s[=e]rikon_, neut. of
adj. _S[=e]rikos_, pertaining to the _S[=e]res_--_S[=e]r_, a native of
China.]
SILL, sil, _n._ the timber or stone at the foot of a door or window: the
lowest piece in a window-frame: (_fort_.) the inner edge of the bottom of
an embrasure: the floor of a mine-passage, also a miner's term for bed or
stratum. [A.S. _syl_; Ice. _sylla_, Ger. _schwelle_.]