COTTABUS, kot'a-bus, _n._ an amusement in ancient Greece among young men,
consisting in throwing wine into a vessel, success at which betokened
fortune in love. [L.,--Gr. _kottabos_.]
COTTAGE, kot'[=a]j, _n._ a small dwelling-house, esp. of labourers, varying
greatly in size, appearance, and comfort: a country residence.--_adj._
COTT'AGED, covered with cottages.--_n._ COTT'AGER, one who dwells in a
cottage, esp. of labourers.--COTTAGE ALLOTMENTS, pieces of land allotted to
cottagers to be cultivated as gardens; COTTAGE PIANO, a small upright
piano. [See COT.]
COTTAR, COTTER, kot'[.e]r, _n._ (_Scot._) a peasant occupying a cot or
cottage for which he has to give labour.--_ns._ COTT'IER, a cottar: an
Irish tenant; COTT'IERISM, the cottier system of land tenure.
COTTER, kot'[.e]r, _n._ a pin or wedge for fastening and tightening.
[Origin obscure.]
COTTON, kot'n, _n._ a soft substance like fine wool, got from the pods of
the cotton-plant: cloth made of cotton.--_adj._ made of cotton.--_v.t._ to
provide with cotton.--_v.i._ to agree: to be attached to (the connection of
the intransitive meanings is unknown).--_ns._ COTTONADE', a name given to
an inferior kind of cotton cloth; COTT'ON-GIN, a machine for separating the
seeds from the fibre of cotton; COTT'ON-GRASS, a genus of _Cyperaceæ_ in
which the _perigone_ or covering of united bracts, which in this order
enclose the ripening ovary, is developed into long, silky, or cottony
hairs; COTTONOC'RACY, the cotton planting or the cotton manufacturing
interest; COTT'ON-PLANT, one of various plants of the genus _Gossypium_,
natural order _Malvaceæ_, yielding the textile substance cotton;
COTT'ON-PRESS, a press for compressing cotton into bales; COTT'ON-SEED, the
seed of the cotton-plant, yielding a valuable oil; COTT'ON-SPIN'NER, one
who spins cotton, or employs those who do; COTT'ON-TAIL, the ordinary
United States rabbit; COTT'ON-THIS'TLE, a strong thistle covered with a
cottony down; COTT'ON-TREE, the American cotton-wood: the Indian _Bombax
malabaricum_; COTT'ON-WEED, cudweed or everlasting; COTT'ON-WOOD, any one
of several American species of poplar; COTT'ON-WOOL, cotton in its raw or
woolly state.--_adj._ COTT'ONY, like cotton: soft: downy. [Fr. _coton_--Ar.
_qutun_.]
COTYLE, kot'i-l[=e], _n._ an ancient Greek drinking-cup: (_zool._) a
cup-like cavity:--_pl._ COT'YLÆ, or COT'YLES.--_adj._ COTYL'IFORM. [Gr.]
COTYLEDON, kot-i-l[=e]'don, _n._ (_bot._) the term applied to the
seed-leaves of the embryo: the seed-leaf.--_adjs._ COTYL[=E]'DONARY;
COTYL[=E]'DONOUS, pertaining to or having cotyledons or seed-lobes;
COT'YLOID, cup-shaped. [L.,--Gr. _kotyl[=e]d[=o]n_--_kotyl[=e]_, a cup.]
COUCAL, k[=oo]'kal, _n._ a genus of common bush-birds in Africa and India.
COUCH, kowch, _v.t._ to lay down on a bed, &c.: to lower: to level: to
arrange in language, to express: to depress or remove a cataract in the
eye.--_v.i._ to lie down for the purpose of sleep, concealment, &c.: to
bend or stoop in reverence.--_n._ any place for rest or sleep: a bed: the
lair of a wild beast.--_adj._ COUCH'ANT, couching or lying down: (_her._)
of a beast lying down with his head up.--_ns._ COUCH'-FELL'OW, COUCH'-MATE,
a bed-fellow; COUCHING.--COUCH A SPEAR, to fix it in its rest at the side
of the armour. [Fr. _coucher_, to lie down--L. _colloc[=a]re_, to
place--_com_, together, _locus_, a place.]
COUCH, kowch, COUCH-GRASS, kowch'-gras, _n._ a grass of the same genus with
wheat, but a widespread and troublesome weed. [A variant of QUITCH.]
COUCHEE, k[=oo]'sh[=a], _n._ an evening party or reception. [Fr. _couché_.
See COUCH.]
COUGAR, k[=oo]'gar, _n._ an American animal, same as the puma. [Fr.
_couguar_, from native name.]
COUGH, kof, _n._ an effort of the lungs to throw off injurious matter,
accompanied by a harsh sound, proceeding from the throat.--_v.i._ to make
this effort.--_v.t._ to expel from the throat or lungs by a cough.--_ns._
COUGH'-DROP, -LOZ'ENGE, a sweetmeat taken to cure coughing; COUGH'ER;
COUGH'ING,--COUGH DOWN, to drown a speaker's voice by coughing, so that he
must stop. [M. E. _coughen_; cf. Dut. _kuchen_, Ger. _keuchen_, _keichen_,
to gasp.]
COULD, kood, _pa.t._ of CAN. [M. E. _coude_, _couth_--A.S. _cúðe_ for
_cunðe_, was able; _l_ is inserted from the influence of _would_ and
_should_.]
COULÉE, k[=oo]-l[=a]', or k[=oo]'li, _n._ a ravine, esp. one worn out by
water. [Fr.,--_couler_, to flow.]
COULEUR, kool'[=a]r, _n._ French word for COLOUR.--_n._ COUL'EUR-DE-ROSE',
rose colour.--_adv._ in a favourable light: fanciful.
COULISSE, k[=oo]-lis', _n._ a piece of grooved wood, as the slides in which
the side-scenes of a theatre run--hence, the side-scene of a theatre.
[Fr.,--_couler_, to glide, to flow--L. _col[=a]re_, to flow.]