STRATA, str[=a]'ta, _pl._ of _stratum_.
STRATAGEM, strat'a-jem, _n._ an artifice, esp. in war: a plan for deceiving
an enemy or gaining an advantage: any artifice generally.--_adjs._
STRATEGET'IC, -AL, STRATEG'IC, -AL, pertaining to, or done by,
strategy.--_adv._ STRATEGET'ICALLY.--_ns._ STRATEGET'ICS, STRAT'EGY,
generalship, or the art of conducting a campaign and manoeuvring an army:
artifice or finesse generally.--_adv._ STRATEG'ICALLY.--_n._ STRAT'EGIST,
one skilled in strategy. [Fr.,--L. _stratagema_--Gr.
_strat[=e]g[=e]ma_--_strat[=e]gos_, a general--_stratos_, an army, _agein_,
to lead.]
STRATH, strath, _n._ in Scotland, an extensive valley through which a river
runs. [Gael. _srath_, a valley--L. _strata_, a street.]
STRATHSPEY, strath'sp[=a], _n._ a Scotch dance, allied to and danced
alternately with the reel, differing from it in being slower, and abounding
in the jerky motion of dotted notes and semiquavers (when the latter
precede the former it constitutes the _Scotch snap_), while the reel is
almost entirely in smooth, equal, gliding motion: the music for a
strathspey, or its movement. [_Strathspey_, valley of the _Spey_.]
STRATIFY, strat'i-f[=i], _v.t._ to form or lay in strata or
layers:--_pr.p._ strat'ifying; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ strat'if[=i]ed.--_adj._
STRATIC'ULATE, arranged in thin layers.--_n._ STRATIFIC[=A]'TION, act of
stratifying: state of being stratified: process of being arranged in
layers.--_adj._ STRAT'IFORM, in the form of strata. [Fr. _stratifier_--L.
_stratum_, _fac[)e]re_, to make.]
STRATIOTES, strat'i-[=o]-t[=e]z, _n._ the water-soldier. See under SOLDIER.
[Gr. _strati[=o]tes_, a soldier.]
STRATOCRACY, str[=a]-tok'ra-si, _n._ military despotism. [Gr. _stratos_, an
army, _kratein_, to rule.]
STRATOGRAPHY, str[=a]-tog'ra-fi, _n._ description of an army and whatever
pertains to it.--_adjs._ STRATOGRAPH'IC, -AL.--_adv._ STRATOGRAPH'ICALLY.
[Gr. _stratos_, an army, _graphein_, to write.]
STRATUM, str[=a]'tum, _n._ a bed of earth or rock formed by natural causes,
and consisting usually of a series of layers: any bed or layer:--_pl._
STR[=A]'TA.--_adj._ STRAT'IFORM, formed like strata.--_ns._ STRATIG'RAPHER,
STRATIG'RAPHIST, a student of stratigraphical geology.--_adjs._
STRATIGRAPH'IC, -AL, concerned with the relative position of the strata
forming the earth's crust.--_adv._ STRATIGRAPH'ICALLY.--_n._ STRATIG'RAPHY,
the order and position of the stratified groups: the study or description
of these, descriptive geology.--_adj._ STR[=A]'TOSE, arranged in layers,
stratified.--_n.pl._ STRAT'[=U]LA. thin layers in rock-strata. [L.
_stratum_--_stern[)e]re_, _stratum_, to spread out.]
STRATUS, str[=a]'tus, _n._ the fall or night-cloud, the lowest of clouds, a
widely-extended horizontal sheet, of varied thickness.--_ns._
STR[=A]'TO-CIR'RUS, better CIRRO-STRATUS (see CIRRUS);
STR[=A]'TO-C[=U]'MULUS, better CUMULO-STRATUS (see CUMULUS). [L. _stratus_,
a coverlet--_stern[)e]re_, _stratum_, to spread.]
STRAUGHT, strawt, obsolete _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of _stretch_.
STRAUNGE, strawnj. _adj._ (_Spens._), same as STRANGE: foreign, borrowed.
STRAVAIG, stra-v[=a]g', _v.i._ (_Scot._) to wander about idly.--_n._
STRAVAIG'ER. [Cf. _Extravagant_.]
STRAW, straw, _n._ the stalk on which corn grows, and from which it is
thrashed: a quantity of these when thrashed: anything worthless, the least
possible thing.--_ns._ STRAW'BERRY, the delicious and fragrant fruit of any
of the species of the genus _Fragaria_, the plant itself; STRAW'BERRY-LEAF,
a symbolic ornament on the coronets of dukes, marquises, and earls--in
_pl._ a dukedom; STRAW'BERRY-MARK, a soft reddish nævus or birth-mark;
STRAW'BERRY-TREE, a species of Arbutus, which produces a fruit resembling
the strawberry; STRAW'-BOARD, a kind of mill-board or thick card-board,
made of straw after it has been boiled with lime or soda to soften it;
STRAW'-COL'OUR, the colour of dry straw, a delicate yellow.--_adj._
STRAW'-COL'OURED, of the colour of dry straw, of a delicate yellowish
colour.--_ns._ STRAW'-CUT'TER, an instrument for chopping straw for fodder;
STRAW'-EMBROI'DERY, embroidery done by sewing straw on net; STRAW'-HOUSE, a
house for holding thrashed straw; STRAW'ING (_slang_), the sale of straws
on the streets in order to cover the giving to the purchaser of things
forbidden to be sold, as indecent books, &c.; STRAW'-PLAIT, a narrow band
of plaited wheat-straw, used in making straw hats, bonnets, &c.;
STRAW'-STEM, the fine stem of a wine-glass pulled out from the material of
the bowl, instead of being attached separately: a wine-glass having such a
stem.--_adj._ STRAW'Y, made of, or like, straw.--MAN OF STRAW (see under
MAN). [A.S. _streaw_; Ger. _stroh_, from the root of _strew_.]
STRAWED (_B._), for strewed, _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of _strew_.
STRAY, str[=a], _v.i._ to wander: to go from the enclosure, company, or
proper limits: to err: to rove: to deviate from duty or rectitude.--_v.t._
(_Shak._) to cause to stray.--_n._ a domestic animal that has strayed or is
lost: a straggler, a waif, a truant: the act of wandering.--_adj._ STRAYED,
wandering, astray.--_ns._ STRAY'ER, one who strays, a wanderer; STRAY'LING,
a little waif or stray. [O. Fr. _estraier_, to wander--_estree_, a
street--L. _strata_, a street.]
STRAYNE, str[=a]n, _v.t._ (_Spens._) to stretch out, to embody or express
in strains. [_Strain_.]
STRAYT, str[=a]t, _n._ (_Spens._) a street.
STREAK, str[=e]k, _n._ a line or long mark different in colour from the
ground, a band of marked colour of some length, a stripe: a slight
characteristic, a trace, a passing mood: (_min._) the appearance presented
by the surface of a mineral when scratched: a strake or line of planking: a
short piece of iron forming one section of a pieced tire on the wheel of an
artillery-carriage.--_v.t._ to form streaks in: to mark with
streaks.--_adj._ STREAKED, streaky, striped: (_U.S._) confused.--_n._
STREAK'INESS.--_adj._ STREAK'Y, marked with streaks, striped: uneven in
quality. [A.S. _strica_, a stroke--_strícan_, to go, Ger. _strich_; cf.
_Strike_. Skeat makes it Scand., Sw. _strek_, Dan. _streg_, a dash.]
STREAK, str[=e]k, _v.t._ (_Scot._) to lay out a corpse for burial.--_v.i._
to stretch out.
STREAK, str[=e]k, _v.i._ (_U.S._) to run swiftly.
STREAM, str[=e]m, _n._ a current of water, air, or light, &c.: anything
flowing out from a source: anything forcible, flowing, and continuous:
drift, tendency.--_v.i._ to flow in a stream: to pour out abundantly: to be
overflown with: to issue in rays: to stretch in a long line.--_v.t._ to
discharge in a stream: to wave.--_ns._ STREAM'ER, an ensign or flag
streaming or flowing in the wind: a luminous beam shooting upward from the
horizon; STREAM'-GOLD, placer-gold, the gold of alluvial districts;
STREAM'-ICE, pieces of drift ice swept down in a current; STREAM'INESS,
streamy quality; STREAM'ING, the working of alluvial deposits for the ores
contained.--_adj._ STREAM'LESS, not watered by streams.--_ns._ STREAM'LET,
STREAM'LING, a little stream; STREAM'-TIN, disintegrated tin-ore found in
alluvial ground.--_adj._ STREAM'Y, abounding in streams: flowing in a
stream. [A.S. _streám_; Ger. _straum_, Ice. _straumr_.]
STREET, str[=e]t, _n._ a road in a town lined with houses, broader than a
lane: those who live in a street: the part of the street for vehicles: the
body of brokers.--_ns._ STREET'AGE, toll for the use of a street;
STREET'CAR, a passenger-car on the streets of a city, drawn by horses,
cable traction, or electricity; STREET'-DOOR, the door of a house which
opens upon a street; STREET'-RAIL'ROAD, a railroad or tramway constructed
on a public street; STREET'-SWEEP'ER, one who, or that which, sweeps the
streets clean; STREET'-WALK'ER, a whore who prowls about the streets;
STREET'-WARD, an officer who formerly took care of the streets;
STREET'-WAY, the roadway. [A.S. _str['æ]t_ (Dut. _straat_, Ger. _strasse_,
It. _strada_)--L. _strata_ (_via_), a paved (way), from _stern[)e]re_,
_stratum_, to strew.]
STREIGHT, str[=a]t, _adj._ (_Spens._) narrow, strict, close.--_adv._
strictly, closely.--_n._ same as STRAIT.--_adv._
STREIGHT'LY=_Straitly_.--_n._ STREIGHT'NESS=_Straitness_.
STRELITZ, strel'its, _n._ one of the ancient Muscovite guards, a kind of
hereditary standing army, abolished by Peter the Great.
STRELITZIA, strel-it'si-a, _n._ a genus of South African plants of the
banana family, with large showy flowers--_Strelitzia Reginæ_, also
_Queen-plant_, _Bird-of-Paradise flower_--with fine orange and purple
flowers. [From Queen Charlotte, wife of George III., of the house of
Mecklenburg-_Strelitz_.]