CYMBAL, sim'bal, _n._ a hollow brass, basin-like, musical instrument,
beaten together in pairs.--_ns._ CYM'BALIST, a cymbal-player; CYM'BALO, the
dulcimer.--_adj._ CYM'BIFORM, boat-shaped. [L. _cymbalum_--Gr.
_kymbanon_--_kymb[=e]_, the hollow of a vessel.]
CYME, s[=i]m, _n._ a young shoot: (_bot._) term applied to all forms of
inflorescence which are definite or centrifugal.--_adjs._ CYM'OID, CYM'OSE,
CYM'OUS. [L. _cyma_--Gr. _kyma_, a sprout.]
CYMOPHANE, s[=i]'m[=o]-f[=a]n, _n._ chrysoberyl.--_adj._ CYMOPH'ANOUS,
opalescent. [Formed from Gr. _kyma_, wave, _phainein_, to show.]
CYMRIC, kim'rik, _adj._ Welsh.--_n._ CYM'RY, the Welsh, [W. _Cymru_,
Wales.]
CYNANCHE, si-nang'k[=e], _n._ a name of various diseases of the throat or
windpipe, esp. quinsy. [Gr., _ky[=o]n_, a dog, _anchein_, to throttle.]
CYNIC, -AL, sin'ik, -al, _adj._ dog-like: surly: snarling: austere;
misanthropic.--_ns._ CYNAN'THROPY, lycanthropy; CYN'IC, one of a sect of
philosophers founded by Antisthenes of Athens (born c. 444 B.C.),
characterised by an ostentatious contempt for riches, arts, science, and
amusements--so called from their morose manners: a morose man: a snarler;
CYN'ICISM, surliness: contempt for human nature: heartlessness,
misanthropy.--_adv._ CYN'ICALLY.--_n._ CYN'ICALNESS. [Gr. _kynikos_,
dog-like--_ky[=o]n_, _kynos_, a dog; cf. L. _can-is_.]
CYNOCEPHALUS, s[=i]-no-sef'al-us, _n._ the dog-faced baboon: a race of men
with dogs' heads. [Gr. _ky[=o]n_, _kynos_, dog, _kephal[=e]_, head.]
CYNOSURE, sin'o-sh[=oo]r, or s[=i]', _n._ the dog's tail, a constellation
(_Ursa minor_) containing the north-star; hence anything that strongly
attracts attention or admiration. [Gr. _ky[=o]n_, _kynos_, a dog, _oura_, a
tail.]
CYPERUS, sip-[=e]'rus, _n._ a tropical genus of _Cyperaceæ_.--_adj._
CYPER[=A]'CEOUS, belonging to, or like, sedge plants. [From Gr. _kypeiros_,
sedge.]
CYPHER. Same as CIPHER.
CY PRES, s[=e] pr[=a], in the law of charitable trusts in England, the
principle of applying the money to some object _as near as possible_ to the
one specified, when this has become impracticable. [O. Fr.]
CYPRESS, s[=i]'pres, _n._ an evergreen tree whose branches used to be
carried at funerals; hence a symbol of death.--_adj._ CYP'RINE. [O. Fr.
_ciprès_ (Fr. _cyprès_)--L. _cupressus_--Gr. _kyparissos_.]
CYPRIAN, sip'ri-an, _adj._ belonging to the island of _Cyprus_: lewd,
licentious--Cyprus being the place where Venus was worshipped.--_n._ a
native of Cyprus--also CYP'RIOT: a lewd woman.
CYPRUS, s[=i]'prus, _n._ a thin, transparent, black stuff, a kind of
crape.--_n._ CY'PRUS-LAWN (_Milt._). [Prob. named from the island of
_Cyprus_.]
CYRENAIC, s[=i]-rin-[=a]'ik, _adj._ pertaining to _Cyrene_, or to the
hedonism of its philosopher Aristippus, a pupil of Socrates.
CYRILLIC, sir-il'ik, _adj._ pertaining to the alphabet attributed to St
_Cyril_ (9th cent.), distinguished from the other Slavonic alphabet, the
Glagolitic.
CYST, sist, _n._ a bag in animal bodies containing morbid matter.--_adjs._
CYST'IC, CYST'IFORM, CYSTOID', having the form of, or contained in, a cyst
or bag.--_ns._ CYS'TICLE, a small cyst; CYST[=I]'TIS, inflammation of the
bladder; CYS'TOCELE, a hernia formed by the protrusion of the bladder;
CYST[=O]'MA, a tumour containing cysts; CYSTOT'OMY, the operation of
cutting into the bladder to remove extraneous matter. [Low L. _cystis_--Gr.
_kystis_, a bladder.]
CYTHEREAN, sith-e-r[=e]'an, _adj._ pertaining to Venus. [L.
_Cythereus_--_Cythera_, an island in the Ægean Sea (now _Cerigo_),
celebrated for the worship of Venus.]
CYTISUS, sit'i-sus, _n._ a group of hardy leguminous shrubby plants, with
yellow, white, or purple flowers, chiefly in the warmer temperate parts of
the Old World. [Gr. _kytisos_.]
CYTOBLAST, s[=i]'to-blast, _n._ the nucleus or germinal spot of a cellule,
from which the organic cell is developed.--_n._ CYTOGEN'ESIS,
cell-formation. [Gr. _kytos_, a vessel, _blastanein_, to bud.]
CZAR, TSAR, tsär, or zär, _n._ the emperor of Russia:--_fem._ CZARI'NA,
TSARI'NA.--_ns._ CZAR'EVITCH, TSAR-, a son of a czar.--CESAR'EVITCH is the
title of the eldest son, and CESAREV'NA, of his wife.--_ns._ CZAREV'NA,
TSAREV'NA, a daughter of a czar. [Russ. _tsari_, a king; conn. with Ger.
_kaiser_, ult. from L. _cæsar_, a king or emperor.]
CZARDAS, zär'das (Hung. pron. chär'dosh), _n._ a Hungarian national dance,
consisting of two sections--a slow movement called a _lassu_ or _lassan_,
and a quick step, the _friss_ or _friska_.
CZECH, tshek, _n._ a member of the most westerly branch of the Slavic
family of races, the term including the Bohemians, or Czechs proper, the
Moravians, and the Slovaks: the language of the Czechs, Bohemian, closely
allied to Polish.--_adj._, also CZECH'IC.
* * * * *
[Illustration]
the fourth letter in our alphabet, as well as in the Phoenician, Hebrew,
Greek, and Latin, from which last it was immediately derived--its sound the
soft dental mute: (_mus._) the second note in the natural scale.
DAB, dab, _v.t._ to strike gently with something soft or moist, to
smear:--_pr.p._ dab'bing; _pa.p._ dabbed.--_n._ a gentle blow: a small lump
of anything soft or moist: a species of flounder of light-brown colour,
with small dark spots and rough, close-set scales.--_ns._ DAB'BER, a sort
of pad for dabbing ink on engraved wood blocks or plates; DAB'CHICK, a
small water-fowl, a kind of grebe. [First about 1300; cf. Old Dut.
_dabben_, to pinch; Ger. _tappe_, a pat. Confused with DAUB and TAP.]
DAB, dab, _n._ an expert person.--_n._ DAB'STER (_coll._). [Prob. a corr.
of ADEPT.]
DABBLE, dab'l, _v.t._ to spatter with moisture.--_v.i._ to play in water
with hands or feet: to do anything in a trifling way.--_n._ DABB'LER, one
who does things superficially.--_adv._ DABB'LINGLY. [Freq. of DAB.]
DA CAPO, dä kä'p[=o], a term in music, frequently placed at the end of a
movement, indicating that the performer must return to the beginning of the
music--usually written _D.C._ [It., 'from the beginning'--L. _de_, from,
_caput_, head.]
DACE, d[=a]s, DARE, d[=a]r, DART, därt, _n._ a small river fish of the carp
family, and of the same genus as the roach, chub, minnow, &c. [M. E.
_darce_--O. Fr. _dars_--Low L. _dardus_, a dart or javelin--of Teut.
origin. So called from its quickness.]
DACHSHUND, daks'hoond, _n._ a badger-dog. [Ger. _dachs_, a badger, _hund_,
dog.]
DACKER, dak'[.e]r, DAKER, d[=a]'k[.e]r, _v.i._ (_Scot._) to lounge,
saunter.--Also DAIK'ER.
DACOIT, da-koit', _n._ one of a gang of robbers in India and Burma--also
DAKOIT'.--_ns._ DACOIT'Y, DACOIT'AGE, robbery by gang-robbers, brigandage.
[Hind. _d[=a]k[=a][=i]t_, a robber.]
DACRYOMA, dak-ri-[=o]'ma, _n._ stoppage of the tear duct. [Formed from Gr.
_dakry_, a tear.]
DACTYL, dak'til, _n._ in Latin and Greek poetry, a foot of three syllables,
one long followed by two short, so called from its likeness to the joints
of a finger; in English, a foot of three syllables, with the first
accented, as _mer_'rily, _vi_'olate.--_adjs._ DAC'TYLAR, DACTYL'IC,
relating to or consisting chiefly of dactyls.--_ns._ DACTYL'IOMANCY,
divination by means of a finger-ring; DAC'TYLIST; DACTYLOG'RAPHY, the
science of finger-rings; DACTYLOL'OGY, the art of talking with the fingers,
like the deaf and dumb. [L. _dactylus_--Gr. _daktylos_, a finger.]
DAD, dad, DADDY, dad'i, _n._ father, a word used by children.--_n._
DADD'Y-LONG-LEGS, the crane-fly, a familiar insect with long body, legs,
and antennæ. [Prob. Celt., W. _tad_, Bret, _tad_, _tat_; cf. Gr. _tata_.]
DAD, dad, _v.t._ to throw against something: to dash.--_n._ a lump: a
piece: a blow. [Der. unknown.]
DADDLE, dad'l, _v.i._ to walk in an unsteady manner, as a child or very old
person: to totter:--_pr.p._ dadd'ling; _pa.p._ dadd'led. [Perh. conn. with
DAWDLE.]
DADDLE, dad'l, _n._ (_slang_) the hand.
DADDOCK, dad'ok, _n._ (_prov._) the heart of a rotten tree.
DADO, d[=a]'do, _n._ in classical architecture, the cubic block forming the
body of a pedestal: a skirting of wood along the lower part of the walls of
a room, often represented merely by wall-paper, painting, &c. [It.,--L.
_datus_ (_talus_, a die, being understood), given or thrown
forth--_d[=a]re_, to give.]
DÆDAL, d[=e]'dal, DÆDALIAN, de-d[=a]'li-an, _adj._ formed with art:
displaying artistic skill: intricate. [From L. _Dædalus_, Gr. _Daidalos_,
the mythical artist who constructed the Cretan labyrinth.]
DÆMON, d[=e]'mon, _n._ a spirit holding a middle place between gods and
men, like the dæmon or good genius of Socrates.--_adj._ DÆ'MONIC,
supernatural: of power or intelligence more than human. [L. _dæmon_--Gr.
_daim[=o]n_, a spirit, a genius, and later a devil. See DEMON.]
DAFF, daf, _v.i._ to play, to play the fool.--_n._ DAFF'ING (_Scot._),
foolery, gaiety. [M. E. _daf_, deaf, prob. Ice. _dawfr_ (Sw. _döf_, Dan.
_döv_), deaf.]