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A musical wind instrument, consisting of a hollow cylinder or pipe, with holes along its length, stopped by the fingers or by keys which are opened by the fingers. The modern flute is closed at the upper end, and blown with the mouth at a lateral hole. The breathing flute's soft notes are heard around. Pope.…

The length of an extended flag from its staff; sometimes, the length from the "union" to the extreme end.

Belonging to,or concerning, a focus; as, a focal point. Focal distance, or length,of a lens or mirror (Opt.), the distance of the focus from the surface of the lens or mirror, or more exactly, in the case of a lens, from its optical center. --Focal distance of a telescope, the distance of the image of an object from th…

A measure of length equivalent to twelve inches; one third of a yard. See Yard.

In or towards the bows of a ship. Fore and aft (Naut.), from stem to stern; lengthwise of the vessel; -- in distinction from athwart. R. H. Dana, Jr. -- Fore-and-aft rigged (Naut.), not rigged with square sails attached to yards, but with sails bent to gaffs or set on stays in the midship line of the vessel. See Schoo…

The van; the front. [Obs.] My foreward shall be drawn out all in length, Consisting equally of horse and foot. Shak.

To run to a form, as a hare. B. Jonson. To form on (Mil.), to form a lengthened line with reference to (any given object) as a basis.

e. How many excellent reasonings are framed in the mind of a man of wisdom and study in a length of years. I. Watts.

he full swing and freedom of its own extravagant actings." South (Colloq.) -- In full, at length; uncontracted; unabridged; written out in words, and not indicated by figures. -- In full blast. See under Blast.

implicit function of x. -- Inverse trigonometrical functions, or Circular function, the lengths of arcs relative to the sines, tangents, etc. Thus, AB is the arc whose sine is BD, and (if the length of BD is x) is written sin - 1x, and so of the other lines. See Trigonometrical function (below). Other transcendental…

A measure of length; the eighth part of a mile; forty rods; two hundred and twenty yards.

uced by a blow on some fulminating compound. -- Time fuze, a fuze adapted, either by its length or by the character of its composition, to burn a certain time before producing an explosion.

A deep and long cut; an incision of considerable length and depth, particularly in flesh.

to the straight side of a board, etc. -- Printer's gauge, an instrument to regulate the length of the page. -- Rain gauge, an instrument for measuring the quantity of rain at any given place. -- Salt gauge, or Brine gauge, an instrument or contrivance for indicating the degree of saltness of water from its specific…

A baboon (Gelada Ruppelli) of Abyssinia, remarkable for the length of the hair on the neck and shoulders of the adult male.

so called from its fragility, the tail easily breaking into small pieces. It grows to the length of three feet. The name is applied also to similar species found in the Old World.

ocal observations. Its principal use was to find the altitude of the sun by measuring the length of its shadow.

A lengthened receptacle, bearing the stamens and carpels in a conspicuous manner.

expanded; -- opposed to small and little; as, a great house, ship, farm, plain, distance, length.

ribilis) of Western North America and the Rocky Mountains. It is remarkable for the great length of its claws.