CURRANT, kur'ant, _n._ a small kind of raisin or dried grape imported from
the Levant: the fruit of several species of ribes.--_ns._ CURR'ANT-JELL'Y;
CURR'ANT-WINE. [From _Corinth_.]
CURRENT, kur'ent, _adj._ running or flowing: passing from person to person:
generally received: now passing: present.--_n._ a running or flowing: a
stream: a portion of water or air moving in a certain direction:
course.--_n._ CURR'ENCY, circulation: that which circulates, as the money
of a country: general estimation.--_adv._ CURR'ENTLY.--_n._ CURR'ENTNESS,
state of being current: general acceptance.--PASS CURRENT, to be received
as genuine. [L. _currens_, _-ent-is_--_curr[)e]re_), to run.]
CURRICLE, kur-i'kl, _n._ a two-wheeled open chaise, drawn by two horses
abreast: a chariot.--_n._ CURRIC'ULUM, a course, esp. the course of study
at a university. [L. _curriculum_, from _curr[)e]re_.]
CURRISH, CURRISHLY, &c. See CUR.
CURRY, kur'i, _n._ a kind of sauce or seasoning much used in India,
compounded of pepper, ginger, and other spices: a stew mixed with
curry-powder.--_n._ CURR'Y-POW'DER. [Tamil _kari_, sauce.]
CURRY, kur'i, _v.t._ to dress leather: to rub down and dress a horse: to
beat: to scratch:--_pr.p._ curr'ying; _pa.p._ curr'ied.--_ns._ CURR'IER,
one who curries or dresses tanned leather; CURR'Y-COMB, an iron instrument
or comb used for currying or cleaning horses; CURR'YING.--CURRY FAVOUR
(corruption of CURRY FAVELL, to curry the chestnut horse), to seek favour
by flattery. [O. Fr. _correier_ (mod. _corroyer_), _conrei_, outfit, from a
supposed Low L. form _conred[=a]re_, _con-_, with, _r[=e]d[=a]re_, seen in
Array.]
CURRY, CURRIE, obsolete forms of QUARRY.
CURSE, kurs, _v.t._ to invoke or wish evil upon: to devote to perdition: to
vex or torment.--_v.i._ to utter imprecations: to swear.--_n._ the
invocation or wishing of evil or harm upon: evil invoked on another:
torment: any great evil.--_adj._ CURS'ED, under a curse: blasted by a
curse: hateful.--_adv._ CURS'EDLY.--_ns._ CURS'EDNESS; CURS'ER;
CURS'ING.--_adj._ CURST, cursed: deserving a curse: ill-tempered: shrewish:
froward.--_n._ CURST'NESS, state of being curst: peevishness: frowardness.
[A.S. _cursian_--_curs_, a curse; ety. dub.; not conn. with Cross.]
CURSITOR, kur'si-tor, _n._ a clerk or officer in the Court of Chancery who
makes out original writs. [Low L. _cursitor_, from the words '_de cursu_,'
applied in the statute to ordinary writs.]
CURSIVE, kur'siv, _adj._ written with a running hand, of handwriting:
flowing.--_adv._ CUR'SIVELY. [Low L. _cursivus_--L. _curr[)e]re_, to run.]
CURSORIAL, kur-s[=o]'ri-al, _adj._ adapted for running.--_n.pl._
CURS[=O]'RES, an order of birds variously limited.
CURSORY, kur'sor-i, _adj._ hasty: superficial: careless.--_adj._ CUR'SORARY
(_Shak._), cursory.--_adv._ CUR'SORILY.--_n._ CUR'SORINESS. [L.
_curr[)e]re_, _cursum_, to run.]
CURST. See CURSE.
CURSUS, kur'sus, _n._ a race-course: a form of daily prayer or service; an
academic curriculum. [L.]
CURT, kurt, _adj._ short: concise: discourteously brief or summary.--_adj._
CURT'[=A]TE, shortened or reduced; applied to the distance of a planet from
the sun or earth reduced to the plane of the ecliptic.--_n._
CURT[=A]'TION.--_adv._ CURT'LY.--_n._ CURT'NESS. [L. _curtus_, shortened.]
CURTAIL, kur-t[=a]l', _v.t._ to cut short: to cut off a part: to
abridge:--_pr.p._ curtail'ing; _pa.p._ curtailed'.--_ns._ CURTAIL'MENT;
CURTAIL'-STEP, the rounded step at the bottom of a stair. [Old spelling
_curtal_, O. Fr. _courtault_ (It. _cortaldo_)--L. _curtus_.]
CURTAIN, kur'tin, _n._ drapery hung round and enclosing a bed, &c.: the
part of a rampart between two bastions.--_v.t._ to enclose or furnish with
curtains.--_n._ CUR'TAIN-LEC'TURE, a lecture or reproof given in bed by a
wife to her husband.--BEHIND THE CURTAIN, away from public view; DRAW THE
CURTAIN, to draw it aside, so as to show what is behind, or in front of
anything so as to hide it. [O. Fr. _cortine_--Low L. _cortina_; prob. L.
_cors_, _cortis_, a court.]
CURTAL, kur'tal, _n._ a horse with a curt or docked tail: anything docked
or cut short.--_adj._ docked or shortened.--_n._ CUR'TAL-FR[=I]'AR
(_Scott_), a friar with a short frock. [Fr. _courtaud_--_court_. See
CURTAIL.]
CURTAL-AX, kur'tal-aks, CURT-AXE, kurt'aks, _n._ (_Spens._), a short, broad
sword. [A corr. of the earlier forms _coutelas_, _curtelas_. See CUTLASS.]
CURTILAGE, kur'til-[=a]j, _n._ a court attached to a dwelling-house. [O.
Fr. _courtillage_. See COURT.]
CURTSY, CURTSEY, kurt'si, _n._ an obeisance, made by bending the knees,
proper to women and children.--_v.i._ to make a curtsy. [See COURTESY.]
CURULE, k[=u]'r[=oo]l, _adj._ applied to a chair in which the higher Roman
magistrates had a right to sit. [L. _curulis_--_currus_, a chariot.]
CURVE, kurv, _n._ anything bent: a bent or curved line: an arch.--_v.t._ to
bend: to form into a curve.--_adjs._ CUR'V[=A]TE, -D, curved or bent in a
regular form.--_n._ CURV[=A]'TION.--_adj._ CUR'VATIVE.--_n._ CUR'VATURE, a
curving or bending: the continual bending or the amount of bending from a
straight line.--_adjs._ CURVED; CUR'VICAUDATE, having a crooked tail;
CURVICOS'TATE, having curved ribs; CURVIF[=O]'LIATE, having curved leaves;
CUR'VIFORM; CUR'VING; CURVIROS'TRAL, with the bill curved downward;
CUR'VITAL, of or pertaining to curvature.--_n._ CUR'VITY, the state of
being curved. [L. _curvus_, crooked.]
CURVET, kur'vet, kur-vet', _n._ a light leap of a horse in which he raises
his forelegs together, next the hindlegs with a spring before the forelegs
touch the ground: a leap, frolic.--_v.i._ (kur-vet', kur'vet) to leap in
curvets: to frisk:--_pr.p._ curvet'ting, curvet'ing; _pa.p._ cur'veted.
[It. _corvetta_, dim. of _corvo_--L. _curvus_.]
CURVILINEAR, kur-vi-lin'i-ar, CURVILINEAL, kur-vi-lin'i-al, _adj._ bounded
by curved lines.--_n._ CURVILINEAR'ITY. [L. _curvus_, and
_linearis_--_linea_, a line.]
CUSCUS, kus'kus, _n._ the grain of the African millet. Same as COUSCOUS.
[Fr. _couscou_.]
CUSCUS, kus'kus, _n._ the fibrous root of an Indian grass, used for making
fans, &c. [Pers. _khas khas_.]
CUSHAT, koosh'at, _n._ the ringdove or wood-pigeon. [A.S. _cúscute_, the
former part of dub. origin, the latter derived from _scéotan_, to shoot.]
CUSHION, koosh'un, _n._ a case filled with some soft, elastic stuff, for
resting on: a pillow: the 'pillow' used in making bone-lace: an engraver's
pad: the rubber of an electrical machine: a pad supporting a woman's hair:
the elastic lining of the inner side of a billiard-table: a body of steam
remaining in the cylinder of a steam-engine, acting as a buffer to the
piston.--_v.t._ to seat on or furnish with a cushion.--_p.adj._ CUSH'IONED,
furnished with a cushion, padded: having cushion-tires.--_ns._ CUSH'IONET,
a little cushion; CUSH'ION-TIRE, a bicycle tire made of india-rubber
tubing, with india-rubber stuffing.--_adj._ CUSH'IONY, like a cushion,
soft. [O. Fr. _coissin_--L. _coxinum_, _coxa_, hip.]
CUSK, kusk, _n._ the torsk: the burbot.
CUSP, kusp, _n._ a point: the point or horn of the moon, &c.: (_archit._) a
small projecting ornament common in Gothic tracery.--_adjs._ CUS'PID[=A]TE,
-D (_bot._), having a sharp end, as the canine teeth. [L. _cuspis_,
_cuspid-is_, a point.]
CUSPIDOR, kus'pi-dor, _n._ a spittoon.--Also CUS'PIDORE. [Port.,--L.
_conspu[)e]re_, to spit upon.]
CUSS, kus, _n._ (_slang_) a fellow: an expletive.--_adj._ CUSS'ED,
cursed.--_n._ CUSS'EDNESS, contrariness. [Obviously CURSE; prob. in the
personal sense with a supposed reference to CUSTOMER.]
CUSTARD, kus'tard, _n._ a composition of milk, eggs, &c., sweetened and
flavoured.--_ns._ CUS'TARD-APP'LE, the fruit of a West Indian tree, having
an eatable pulp, like a custard; CUS'TARD-COFF'IN (_Shak._), the paste or
crust which covers a custard. [Earlier _custade_, a corr. of _crustade_, a
pie with crust. See CRUST.]
CUSTODY, kus'to-di, _n._ a watching or guarding: care: security:
imprisonment.--_adj._ CUST[=O]'DIAL.--_ns._ CUST[=O]'DIAN, CUS'TODE,
CUST[=O]'DIER, CUS'TOS, one who has care, esp. of some public building. [L.
_custodia_, from _custos_, _custodis_, a keeper.]
CUSTOM, kus'tum, _n._ what one is wont to do: usage: frequent repetition of
the same act: regular trade or business: a tax on goods: (_pl._) duties
imposed on imports and exports.--_adj._ CUS'TOMABLE, customary:
common.--_adv._ CUS'TOMARILY.--_n._ CUS'TOMARINESS.--_adjs._ CUS'TOMARY,
according to use and wont: holding or held by custom; CUS'TOMED,
accustomed: usual.--_ns._ CUS'TOMER, one accustomed to frequent a certain
place of business: a buyer: (_slang_) a person; CUS'TOM-HOUSE, the place
where customs or duties on exports and imports are collected.--_adj._
CUS'TOM-SHRUNK (_Shak._), having fewer customers than formerly. [O. Fr.
_custume_, _costume_--L. _consuetud-inem_, _consuesc[)e]re_, to accustom.]
CUSTREL, kus'tr[.e]l, _n._ attendant on a knight: a villain. [O. Fr.
_coustillier_, _coustille_, a dagger.]
CUT, kut, _v.t._ to make an incision in: to cleave or pass through: to
divide: to carve, hew, or fashion by cutting: to wound or hurt: to affect
deeply: to shorten: to break off acquaintance with, to pass intentionally
without saluting: to renounce, give up: to castrate: to perform or execute,
as 'to cut a caper.'--_v.i._ to make an incision: to pass, go quickly:
(_slang_) to run away, to be off: to twiddle the feet rapidly in
dancing:--_pr.p._ cut'ting; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ cut.--_n._ a cleaving or
dividing: a stroke or blow: an act of unkindness: the card obtained by
cutting or dividing the pack: an incision or wound: a piece cut off: an
engraved block, or the picture from it: manner of cutting, or, fashion:
(_pl._) a lot.--_n._ CUT'AWAY', a coat with the skirt cut away in a curve
in front--also _adj._--_ns._ CUT'-OFF, that which cuts off or shortens, a
straighter road, a shorter channel cut by a river across a bend: a
contrivance for saving steam by regulating its admission to the cylinder;
CUT'PURSE (_Shak._), one who stole by [Illustration] cutting off and
carrying away purses (the purses being worn at the girdle): a pickpocket;
CUT'TER, the person or thing that cuts: in a tailor's shop, the one who
measures and cuts out the cloth: a small vessel with one mast, a mainsail,
a forestaysail, and a jib set to bowsprit-end, any sloop of narrow beam and
deep draught; CUT'-THROAT, an assassin: ruffian; CUT'TING, a dividing or
lopping off: an incision: a piece cut off: a paragraph from a newspaper: a
piece of road or railway excavated: a twig; CUT'-WA'TER, the fore-part of a
ship's prow.--CUT A DASH, or FIGURE, to make a conspicuous appearance;
CUT-AND-COME-AGAIN, abundant supply, from the notion of cutting a slice,
and returning at will for another; CUT-AND-COVER, a method of forming a
tunnel by cutting out, arching it over, and then covering in; CUT-AND-DRY,
or CUT-AND-DRIED, ready made, without the merit of freshness--from the
state of herbs in the shop instead of the field; CUT AND RUN, to be off
quickly; CUT DOWN, to take down the body of one hanged by cutting the rope:
to reduce, curtail; CUT IN, to strike into, as to a conversation, a game at
whist; CUT IT TOO FAT, to overdo a thing; CUT OFF, to destroy, put to an
untimely death: intercept: stop; CUT OFF WITH A SHILLING, to disinherit,
bequeathing only a shilling; CUT ONE'S STICK, to take one's departure; CUT
OUT, to shape: contrive: debar: supplant: to take a ship out of a harbour,
&c., by getting between her and the shore; CUT SHORT, to abridge: check;
CUT THE COAT ACCORDING TO THE CLOTH, to adapt one's self to circumstances;
CUT THE TEETH, to have the teeth grow through the gums--of an infant; CUT
THE THROAT OF (_fig._), to destroy utterly; CUT UP, to carve: eradicate:
criticise severely: turn out (well or ill) when divided into parts; CUT UP
ROUGH, to become quarrelsome.--A CUT ABOVE (_coll._), a degree or stage
above; SHORT CUT, or NEAR CUT, a short way. [Prob. W. _cwtau_, shorten.]
CUTANEOUS. See CUTIS.
CUTCH, kuch, _n._ the commercial name for catechu, from the Indian name
_kut_.
CUTCHERRY, kuch'[.e]r-i, _n._ an office for public business, a
court-house.--Also CUTCH'ERY. [Hind.]
CUTE, k[=u]t, _adj._ an aphetic form of ACUTE.
CUTHBERT, kuth'bert, _n._ the apostle of Northumbria (635-687), whose name
lives in (ST) CUTHBERT'S BEADS, a popular name for the perforated joints of
encrinites found on Holy Island; (ST) CUTHBERT'S DUCK, the eider-duck.
CUTIKINS, k[=oo]'ti-kinz, _n.pl._ (_Scot._) spatterdashes--also CUITIKINS.
CUTIS, k[=u]'tis, _n._ the skin: the true skin, as distinguished from the
cuticle.--_adj._ CUT[=A]N'EOUS, belonging to the skin.--_n._ C[=U]'TICLE,
the outermost or thin skin.--_adj._ CUTIC'ULAR, belonging to the cuticle.
[L.]
CUTLASS, kut'las, _n._ a short, broad sword, with one cutting edge, used in
the navy. [Fr. _coutelas_, augmentative of _couteau_, knife, from L.
_cultellus_, dim. of _culter_, a ploughshare, a knife.]
CUTLER, kut'l[.e]r, _n._ one who makes or sells knives.--_n._ CUT'LERY, the
business of a cutler: edged or cutting instruments in general. [Fr.
_coutelier_, _coutel_, knife.]
CUTLET, kut'let, _n._ a slice of meat cut off for cooking, esp. of mutton
or veal--generally the rib and the meat belonging to it. [Fr. _côtelette_,
dim. of _côte_, from L. _costa_, a rib.]
CUTTLE, kut'l, _n._ a kind of mollusc, remarkable for its power of ejecting
a black inky liquid--also CUTT'LE-FISH.--_n._ CUTT'LE-BONE, the internal
shell or bone of the cuttle-fish, used for making tooth-powder and for
polishing the softer metals. [A.S. _cudele_.]
CUTTO, CUTTOE, kut'o, _n._ a large knife.
CUTTY, kut'i, _adj._ (_Scot._) short, curtailed.--_n._ a short clay pipe: a
short, dumpy girl: applied to a woman, a term of reprobation, serious or
playful.--_n._ CUTT'Y-STOOL, the stool of repentance in old Scotch church
discipline. [CUT.]
CUVETTE, küv-et', _n._ a trench sunk along the middle of a dry ditch or
moat.--Also CUNETTE'. [Fr.]
CYANOGEN, s[=i]-an'o-jen, _n._ a compound of carbon, obtained by
decomposing the cyanide of mercury by heat, so called from being an
essential ingredient in the formation of Prussian blue.--_n._ CY'ANATE, a
salt of cyanic acid.--_adj._ CYAN'IC, of or belonging to cyanogen.--_ns._
CY'ANIDE, a direct compound of cyanogen with a metal; CY'ANINE, the blue
colouring matter of violets, &c.; CY'ANITE, a mineral composed of alumina
and silica, generally sky-blue; CYANOM'ETER, an instrument for measuring
the degrees of blueness of the sky or ocean; CYAN[=O]'SIS, morbid lividness
of the skin, blue jaundice.--_adj._ CYANOT'IC.--_ns._ CYAN'OTYPE, a
photograph on paper sensitised by a cyanide; CYAN'URET, a cyanide.--CYANIC
ACID, an acid composed of cyanogen and oxygen. [Gr. _kyanos_, blue.]
CYAR, s[=i]'ar, _n._ the internal auditory meatus.
CYATHIFORM, s[=i]'a-thi-form, _adj._ like a cup a little widened at top.
CYCAD, s[=i]'kad, _n._ an order allied to _Coniferæ_, but in appearance
rather resembling ferns and palms.--_adj._ CYCAD[=A]'CEOUS. [Formed from
Gr. _kykas_, an erroneous form of _koikas_, _koiks_, the doom-palm.]
CYCLAMEN, sik'lä-men, _n._ a genus of _Primulaceæ_, native to southern
Europe. [Formed from Gr. _kyklamis_, _-inos_.]
CYCLE, s[=i]'kl, _n._ a period of time in which events happen in a certain
order, and which constantly repeats itself: an imaginary circle or orbit in
the heavens: a series of poems, prose romances, &c., centring round a
figure or event--also CY'CLUS: an abbreviation for bicycle and
tricycle.--_v.i._ to move in cycles: to ride or take exercise on a bicycle
or tricycle.--_adjs._ CY'CLIC, -AL, pertaining to or containing a
cycle.--_ns._ CY'CLIST, for bicyclist or tricyclist; CY'CLOGRAPH, an
instrument for describing the arcs of circles that have too large a
curvature for compasses; CY'CLOID, a figure like a circle: a curve made by
a point in a circle, when the circle is rolled along a straight
line.--_adj._ CYCLOID'AL.--_ns._ CYCLOID'IAN, one of the fourth order of
fishes, according to the classification of Agassiz, having cycloid scales
with smooth edges, as the salmon; CYCLOM'ETER, an instrument for measuring
circular arcs: an apparatus attached to the wheel of a cycle for
registering the distance traversed; CY'CLORN, a cycle-horn. [Gr. _kyklos_,
a circle.]
CYCLONE, s[=i]'kl[=o]n, _n._ a circular or rotatory storm.--_adj._
CYCLON'IC. [Coined from Gr. _kykl[=o]n_, pr.p. of _kykloein_, to whirl
round--_kyklos_.]
CYCLOPÆDIA, CYCLOPEDIA, s[=i]-kl[=o]-p[=e]'di-a, _n._ the circle or compass
of human knowledge: a work containing information on every department, or
on a particular department, of knowledge, usually arranged
alphabetically.--_adjs._ CYCLOPÆ'DIC, CYCLOPE'DIC. [Gr. _kyklos_, a circle,
and _paideia_, learning.]
CYCLOPS, s[=i]'klops, _n._ one of a fabled race of giants who lived chiefly
in Sicily, with one eye in the middle of the forehead: a genus of minute
freshwater copepods with an eye in front:--_pl._ CYCL[=O]'PES.--_adjs._
CYCLOP[=E]'AN, CYCLOP'IC, relating to or like the Cyclops: giant-like:
vast: pertaining to a prehistoric style of masonry with immense stones of
irregular form. [Gr. _kykl[=o]ps_--_kyklos_, a circle, and _[=o]ps_, an
eye.]
CYCLORAMA, s[=i]-klo-rä'ma, _n._ a circular panorama painted on the inside
of a cylindrical surface appearing in natural perspective. [Formed from Gr.
_kyklos_, circle, _horama_, view.]
CYCLOSIS, s[=i]-kl[=o]'sis, _n._ circulation, as of blood.
CYCLYOLOSTOMOUS, s[=i]-klos't[=o]-mus, _adj._ round-mouthed, as a lamprey.
CYCLOSTYLE, s[=i]'klo-st[=i]l, _n._ an apparatus for multiplying copies of
a writing. [Formed from Gr. _kyklos_, circle, and STYLE.]
CYDER. Same as CIDER.
CYGNET, sig'net, _n._ a young swan. [Acc. to Diez, a dim. of Fr. _cygne_,
whose old form _cisne_ (Sp. _cisne_, a swan) is from Low L. _cecinus_, not
conn. with L. _cygnus_, Gr. _kyknos_, a swan.]
CYLINDER, sil'in-d[.e]r, _n._ a solid circular or roller-like body, whose
ends are equal parallel circles: (_mech._) applied to many cylindrical
parts of machines, as any rotating cylindrical portion of a
printing-press.--_adjs._ CYLINDR[=A]'CEOUS, somewhat cylindrical;
CYLIN'DRIC, -AL, having the form or properties of a cylinder.--_n._
CYLINDRIC'ITY.--_adj._ CYLIN'DRIFORM, in the form of a cylinder.--_n._
CYL'INDROID, a body like a cylinder, but having its base elliptical. [Gr.
_kylindros_, _kylindein_, to roll.]
CYMA, s[=i]'ma, _n._ a moulding of the cornice, an ogee.--_ns._ CYM'AGRAPH,
an instrument for tracing the outline of mouldings; CYM[=A]'TIUM, a cyma.
[Gr. _kyma_, a billow.]