CHAMBER, ch[=a]m'b[.e]r, _n._ an apartment: the place where an assembly
meets: an assembly or body of men met for some purpose, as a chamber of
commerce: a hall of justice: a compartment: a cavity: the back end of the
bore of a gun.--_v.t._ to put in a chamber: to confine.--_v.i._ to be
wanton.--_ns._ CHAM'BER-COUN'CIL (_Shak._), a private or secret council;
CHAM'BER-COUN'SEL, -COUN'SELLOR, a counsel who gives his advice privately,
but does not plead in court.--_adj._ CHAM'BERED.--_ns._ CHAM'BERER, a man
of intrigue: (_Shak._) a gallant; CHAM'BER-FELL'OW, one occupying the same
chamber.--_n.pl._ CHAM'BER-HANG'INGS (_Shak._), the hangings or tapestry of
a chamber.--_ns._ CHAM'BERING (_B._), lewd behaviour; CHAM'BER-LYE
(_Shak._), urine; CHAM'BER-MAID, a female servant who has the care of
bedrooms; CHAM'BER-POT, a necessary bedroom vessel--often merely CHAM'BER;
CHAM'BER-PRAC'TICE, the business of a chamber-counsellor (q.v.). [Fr.
_chambre_--L. _camera_--Gr. _kamara_, a vault, a room.]
CHAMBERLAIN, ch[=a]m'b[.e]r-l[=a]n, or -lin, _n._ an officer appointed by a
king or nobleman, or by a corporation, to perform domestic and ceremonial
duties.--_n._ CHAM'BERLAINSHIP.--LORD CHAMBERLAIN, an officer of high
standing in the royal household, having control over all the officers and
servants 'above stairs,' except those of the bedchamber, over the
establishment attached to the Chapel Royal, the physicians, surgeons, and
apothecaries of the household; LORD GREAT CHAMBERLAIN, a hereditary officer
who has the government of the palace of Westminster, and upon solemn
occasions the keys of Westminster Hall and of the Court of Requests are
delivered to him. [O. Fr. _chambrelenc_; Old Ger. _chamerling_--L.
_camera_, a chamber, and affix _-ling_ or _-lenc_ = Eng. _-ling_ in
_hireling_.]
CHAMBERTIN, shang'bert-ang, _n._ a famous red Burgundy from the vineyard of
that name near Dijon, in France.
CHAMELEON, ka-m[=e]l'yun, _n._ a small lizard famous for changing its
colour: (_fig._) an inconstant person.--_adjs._ CHAMEL'EONIC,
CHAMEL'EON-LIKE. [L. _chamæleon_--Gr. _chamaile[=o]n_--_chamai_ (= L.
_humi_), on the ground, dwarf, and _le[=o]n_, a lion.]
CHAMELOT, kam'e-lot, _n._ (_Spens._). CAMLET.
CHAMFER, cham'f[.e]r, _n._ a bevel or slope made by paring off the edge of
anything originally right-angled, either in wood or stone work: a groove,
channel, or furrow.--_v.t._ to cut or grind off bevel-wise, as a corner: to
channel or make furrows upon; to flute, as a column.--_adj._ CHAM'FERED,
furrowed, grooved, wrinkled. [Fr. _chanfrein_--O. Fr. _chanfraindre_, which
acc. to Dr Murray may be from _chant fraindre_--L. _cantum frang[)e]re_, to
break the edge or side.]
CHAMFRAIN, cham'fren, _n._ a piece of leather or plate of steel to protect
the face of a horse in battle.--Also CHAM'FRON, CHAF'FRON. [Fr.
_chanfrein_; origin unknown.]
CHAMLET, kam'let, _n._ Same as CAMLET.
CHAMOIS, sha'moi, sham'i, or sham'waw, _n._ a goat-like species or genus of
antelope inhabiting the Alps and other high mountains of southern and
central Europe: a soft kind of leather originally made from its skin.
[Fr.,--Teut.; cf. mod. Ger. _gemse_, a chamois.]
CHAMOMILE. See CAMOMILE.
CHAMP, champ, _v.i._ to make a snapping noise with the jaws in
chewing.--_v.t._ to bite or chew: to crush: to mash.--_n._ champing.--_n._
CHAMP'ING, the action of the verb _champ_: mashing. [Older form _cham_,
most prob. from Scand.]
CHAMPAC, cham'pak, _n._ an Indian tree of great beauty, much venerated by
Brahminists and Buddhists.--Also CHAM'PAK. [Hind.]
CHAMPAGNE, sham-p[=a]n', _n._ a light sparkling wine from _Champagne_ in
France. Still or non-effervescent champagne is also made.
CHAMPAIGN, sham-p[=a]n', _adj._ level, open.--_n._ an open, level
country.--_n._ CHAMP (_her._), the field of a shield.--THE CHAMPAGNE, level
land. [A doublet of CAMPAIGN, from O. Fr. _champaigne_--L. _campania_, a
plain.]
CHAMPERTY, sham'p[.e]r-ti, _n._ an illegal bargain whereby the one party is
to assist the other in recovering property, and is to share in the
proceeds.--_n._ CHAM'PART, the division of the produce of land, the right
of the feudal lord. [Norm. Fr.--L. _campi pars_, part of the field.]
CHAMPIGNON, sham-pin'yon, _n._ a mushroom, esp. the Fairy-ring Agaric.
[Fr.]
CHAMPION, cham'pi-un, _n._ one who fights in single combat for himself or
for another: one who defends a cause: a successful combatant: in boxing,
running, &c., one who has excelled all others: a hero:--_fem._
CHAM'PIONESS.--_adj._ acting as champion, first: first-class.--_v.t._
(_obs._) to challenge: to defend: to support.--_n._ CHAM'PIONSHIP.
[Fr.,--Low L. _campio_, _campion-em_--L. _campus_, a plain, a place for
games.]
CHANCE, chans, _n._ that which falls out or happens: an unexpected event:
risk: opportunity: possibility of something happening: probability: (_pl._)
misfortunes.--_v.t._ to risk.--_v.i._ to happen.--_adj._ happening by
chance.--_adv._ perchance.--_n._ CHANCE'-COM'ER, one who comes by chance or
unexpectedly.--_adjs._ CHANCE'FUL (_Spens._), full of risk or danger,
hazardous; CHANC'Y (_coll._), lucky, bringing good luck: also risky,
uncertain.--BY CHANCE, accidentally; EVEN CHANCE, the probability being
equally for or against.--HOW CHANCE? (_Shak._) how does it happen
that?--STAND A GOOD CHANCE, to have a reasonable expectation; TAKE ONE'S
CHANCE, to accept what happens: to risk an undertaking; THE MAIN CHANCE,
the chief object (often used of matrimony): what is most important. [O. Fr.
_cheance_--Low L. _cadentia_--L. _cad[)e]re_, to fall.]
CHANCEL, chan'sel, _n._ the eastern part of a church, originally separated
from the nave by a screen of lattice-work, so as to prevent general access
thereto, though not to interrupt either sight or sound. [O. Fr.,--L.
_cancelli_, lattices.]
CHANCELLOR, chan'sel-or, _n._ (_Shak._) secretary: the president of a court
of chancery or other court: the official who keeps the registers of an
order of knighthood: the titular head of a university: (_Scot._) the
foreman of a jury.--_ns._ CHAN'CELLORSHIP; CHAN'CELLORY.--CHANCELLOR OF A
CATHEDRAL, an officer who formerly had charge of the chapter library,
custody of the common seal, superintendence of the choir practices, and
headship of the cathedral schools; CHANCELLOR OF A DIOCESE, an
ecclesiastical judge uniting the functions of vicar-general and official
principal, appointed to assist the bishop in questions of ecclesiastical
law, and hold his courts for him; CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, the chief
minister of finance in the British government; LORD CHANCELLOR, LORD HIGH
CHANCELLOR, the presiding judge of the Court of Chancery, the keeper of the
great seal, and the first lay person of the state after the blood-royal.
[Fr. _chancelier_--Low L. _cancellarius_, orig. an officer that had charge
of records, and stood near the _cancelli_ (L.), the crossbars that
surrounded the judgment-seat.]
CHANCE-MEDLEY, chans'-med-li, _n._ homicide justifiable because done in the
hot blood caused by an unprovoked assault--the word has no reference to
homicide by accident: inadvertency. [O. Fr. _chance medlée_, mingled
chance. 'From the fact that _medley_ is also a noun, and _chance-medley_ a
possible combination in the sense of "fortuitous medley," the meaning has
often been mistaken' (Dr Murray).]
CHANCERY, chan's[.e]r-i, _n._ formerly the highest court of justice next to
the House of Lords, presided over by the Lord High Chancellor--now a
division of the High Court of Justice: a court of record generally:
(_slang_) the position of a boxer's head when under his adversary's arm:
(_obs._) the office of a chancellor or ambassador.--CHANCERY OFFICE, in
Scotland, an office in the General Register House at Edinburgh, managed by
a director, in which all royal charters of novodamus, patents of dignities,
gifts of offices, remissions, legitimations, presentations, commissions,
and other writs appointed to pass the Great and Quarter Seals are
recorded.--IN CHANCERY, in litigation, as an estate: (_slang_) in an
awkward predicament. [Fr. _chancellerie_.]
CHANCRE, shang'k[.e]r, _n._ an ulcer arising from the direct application of
syphilitic poison.--_adjs._ CHAN'CROID, CHAN'CROUS. [Fr.; a form of
CANKER.]
CHANDELIER, shan-de-l[=e]r', _n._ a frame with branches for holding
lights.--_ns._ CHAND'LER, originally a candle maker and dealer: a dealer
generally; CHAND'LERING.--_adv._ CHAND'LERLY.--_ns._ CHAND'LERY, goods sold
by a chandler; SHIP'-CHAND'LER, dealer in general stores for ships.
[Fr.,--Low L. _candelaria_, a candlestick--L. _cand[=e]la_, a candle.]
CHANGE, ch[=a]nj, _v.t._ to alter or make different: to put or give for
another: to make to pass from one state to another: to exchange.--_v.i._ to
suffer change: to change one's clothes.--_n._ the act of changing:
alteration or variation of any kind: (_Shak._) exchange: (_Shak._)
fickleness: a shift: variety: small coin: also used as a short term for the
Exchange.--_ns._ CHANGEABIL'ITY, CHANGE'ABLENESS, fickleness: power of
being changed.--_adj._ CHANGE'ABLE, subject or prone to change: fickle:
inconstant.--_adv._ CHANGE'ABLY.--_adj._ CHANGE'FUL, full of change:
changeable.--_adv._ CHANGE'FULLY.--_ns._ CHANGE'FULNESS; CHANGE'-HOUSE
(_Scot._), a small inn or alehouse.--_adj._ CHANGE'LESS, without change:
constant.--_ns._ CHANGE'LING, a child taken or left by the fairies in place
of another--usually an under-sized, crabbed child: one apt to change;
CHANG'ER, one who changes the form of anything: one employed in changing or
discounting money; CHANG'ING-PIECE (_Shak._), a fickle person.--CHANGE
COLOUR, to blush or turn pale; CHANGE ONE'S MIND, to form a different
opinion; CHANGE ONE'S SELF, to change one's clothes; CHANGE ONE'S TUNE, to
change from joy to sorrow: to change one's manner of speaking.--PUT THE
CHANGE ON, to delude, trick.--RING THE CHANGES, to go through the various
changes in ringing a peal of bells: to go over in every possible order: to
pass counterfeit money: to bemuddle a shopman into giving too much change.
[Fr. _changer_--Late L. _cambi[=a]re_--L. _camb[=i]re_, to barter.]
CHANK, changk, CHANK-SHELL, changk'-shel, _n._ the popular name of the
shell of several species of Turbinella, a genus of Gasteropod molluscs,
natives of the East Indian seas, used as ornaments by Hindu women. [Hind.
_cantch_.]
CHANNEL, chan'el, _n._ the bed of a stream of water: the deeper part of a
strait, bay, or harbour: a strait or narrow sea: a groove or furrow: means
of passing or conveying: (_Scot._) gravel.--_v.t._ to make a channel: to
furrow: to convey.--_p.adj._ CHANN'ELLED.--THE CHANNEL, the English
Channel. [O. Fr. _chanel_, _canel_--L. _canalis_, a canal.]
CHANNEL, chan'el, _n._ a flat piece of wood or iron projecting horizontally
from a ship's side to spread the shrouds and keep them clear of the
bulwarks--_fore_, _main_, and _mizzen channels_. [Corr. of _Chain-wale_.
Cf. GUNNEL.]