SISAL-GRASS, sis'al-gras, _n._ the prepared fibre of the agave or American
aloe, supplying cordage.--Also SIS'AL-HEMP.
SISCOWET, sis'k[=o]-et, _n._ a Lake Superior variety of the great lake
trout.--Also SIS'KIWIT, SIS'KOWET.
SISERARY, sis'e-r[=a]-ri, _n._ a stroke, blow, originally a legal writ
transferring a cause to a higher court.--WITH A SISERARY, with suddenness
or vehemence. [A corr. of _certiorari_.]
SISKIN, sis'kin, _n._ a genus of perching birds belonging to the family
_Fringillidæ_, the true finches. [Dan. _sisgen_, Sw. _siska_, Ger.
_zeisig_.]
SIST, sist, _v.t._ (_Scots law_) to present at the bar: cause to appear,
summon: to delay, stop.--_n._ the act of staying diligence or execution on
decrees for civil debts. [L. _sist[)e]re_, to make to stand.]
[Illustration]
SISTER, sis't[.e]r, _n._ a female born of the same parents: a female
closely allied to or associated with another.--_adj._ closely related,
akin.--_v.t._ and _v.i._ to resemble closely: to be a sister to: to be
allied.--_ns._ SIS'TERHOOD, state of being a sister, the duty of a sister:
a society of females, a community of women living together under a
religious rule, and with a common object for their united life;
SIS'TER-HOOK, in a ship's rigging, one of a pair of hooks fitting closely
together and working on the same axis--also _Clip-hook_ and _Clove-hook_;
SIS'TER-IN-LAW, a husband's or wife's sister, or a brother's wife.--_adjs._
SIS'TERLESS, having no sister; SIS'TER-LIKE, SIS'TERLY, like or becoming a
sister: kind: affectionate. [A.S. _sweostor_; Dut. _zuster_, Ger.
_schwester_.]
SISTINE, sis'tin, _adj._ pertaining to a pope of the name of _Sixtus_, esp.
Sixtus IV. (1471-84) and Sixtus V. (1585-90)--also SIX'TINE.--SISTINE
CHAPEL, the Pope's chapel in the Vatican, built in 1473 by Sixtus IV.,
covered with magnificent frescoes by Michael Angelo and the great
Florentine masters; SISTINE MADONNA, or MADONNA OF SAN SISTO, a famous
painting by Raphael Santi, now at Dresden, representing the Virgin and
Child in glory, St Sixtus on the left, St Barbara on the right, and two
cherubs below.
SISTRUM, sis'trum, _n._ a form of rattle used in ancient Egypt in
connection with the worship of Isis.
SISYPHEAN, sis-i-f[=e]'an, _adj._ relating to Sisyphus: incessantly
recurring. [From _Sisyphus_, a king of Corinth, who was condemned in
Tartarus to roll to the top of a hill a huge stone, which constantly rolled
down again, making his task incessant.]
SIT, sit, _v.i._ to rest on the haunches: to perch, as birds: to rest: to
remain, abide: to brood: to occupy a seat, esp. officially: to be
officially engaged: to blow from a certain direction, as the wind: to be
worn, to fit, to be becoming: to take an attitude of readiness, or for any
special purpose: to hold a deliberative session.--_v.t._ to keep a seat, or
good seat, upon: to seat, place on a seat:--_pr.p._ sit'ting; _pa.t._ and
_pa.p._ sat.--_n._ a subsidence of the roof of a coal-mine: (_slang_) a
situation.--_adj._ SIT'-FAST, fixed, stationary.--_n._ a callosity of the
skin under the saddle, often leading to ulcer.--_ns._ SIT'TER; SIT'TING,
state of resting on a seat: a seat, a special seat allotted to a
seat-holder, at church, &c.; also the right to hold such: the part of the
year in which judicial business is transacted: the act or time of resting
in a posture for a painter to take a likeness: an official meeting to
transact business: uninterrupted application to anything for a time: the
time during which one continues at anything: a resting on eggs for
hatching, the number hatched at one time; SIT'TING-ROOM, the parlour or
most commonly used room in many houses.--SIT DOWN, to take a seat: to
pause, rest: to begin a siege; SIT LOOSE, or LOOSELY, to be careless or
indifferent; SIT ON, or UPON, to hold an official inquiry regarding:
(_slang_) to repress, check; SIT OUT, to sit, or to sit apart, during: to
await the close of; SIT UNDER, to be in the habit of hearing the preaching
of; SIT UP, to raise the body from a recumbent to a sitting position: to
keep watch during the night (_with_). [A.S. _sittan_; Ger. _sitzen_, L.
_sed[=e]re_.]
SITAR, sit'ar, _n._ an Oriental form of guitar.
SITE, s[=i]t, _n._ the place where anything is set down or fixed:
situation: a place chosen for any particular purpose: posture.--_adj._
S[=I]'TED (_Spens._), placed, situated. [Fr.,--L. _situs_--_situm_, pa.p.
of _sin[)e]re_, to set down.]
SITH, sith, _adv._, _prep._, and _conj._ since--(_obs._) SITH'ENCE,
SITH'ENS. [M. E. _sithen_--A.S. _síth thám_, after that, also written
_siththan_. Cf. _Since_.]