Search the Dictionary

The second of the Old Testament, which contains the narrative of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt.

Pertaining to the exordium of a discourse: introductory. The exordial paragraph of the second epistle. I. Taylor.

occurrence or to vary the circumstances under which they occur; this is observation; or, secondly, by putting in action causes or agents over which we have control, and purposely varying their combinations, and noticing what effects take place; this is experiment. Sir J. Herschel.

To cut off; to separate or expel from union; to extirpate. Barrow. The second presbytery of Philadelphia was also exscinded by that Assembly. Am. Cyc.

Extended or contracted as much as possible; -- said of intervals; as, an extreme sharp second; an extreme flat forth. Extreme and mean ratio (Geom.), the relation of a line and its segments when the line is so divided that the whole is to the greater segment is to the less. -- Extreme distance. (Paint.) See Distance.,…

on the immediate objects, and in the passive voice on the subject of such activity. This second object is called the factitive object. J. W. Gibbs.

nt of electricity which, with the same electromotive force, passes through one ohm in one second; the capacity, which, charged with one coulomb, gives an electro-motive force of one volt.

o determine the course of human life. They are represented, one as holding the distaff, a second as spinning, and the third as cutting off the thread.

A second raampart, exterior to, and parallel to, the main rampart, and considerably below its level.

The second month in the year, said to have been introduced into the Roman calendar by Numa. In common years this month contains twenty-eight days; in the bissextile, or leap year, it has twenty- nine days.

ment; as, the acetic ferment, the butyric ferment, etc. See Fermentation. Ferments of the second class, on the other hand, are chemical substances, as a rule soluble in glycerin and precipitated by alcohol. In action they are catalytic and, mainly, hydrolytic. Good examples are pepsin of the dastric juice, ptyalin of t…

rent converter, accompanied by other changes in electrical conditions, occurring when the secondary of the converter is connected with a condenser of moderate capacity; -- so called because first observed in connection with the Ferranti cables in London.

ship of fire falls into two great divisions, the first belonging rather to fetichism, the second to polytheism proper. Tylor.

ks, etc., somewhat like a violin. -- Scotch fiddle, the itch. (Low) -- To play first, or second, fiddle, to take a leading or a subordinate part. [Colloq.]

haped and ground ready for cutting to form a file. -- File cutter, a maker of files. -- Second-cut file, a file having teeth of a grade next finer than bastard. -- Single-cut file, a file having only one set of parallel teeth; a float. -- Smooth file, a file having teeth so fine as to make an almost smooth surface.…

To attempt, when second or third player, to make a lower card answer the purpose of a higher, when an intermediate card is out, risking the chance of its being held by the opponent yet to play.

Second best wool from Merino sheep. Gardner.

ss, and intended for passengers who pay the highest regular rate; -- distinguished from a second-class car.

ouses, produced by the revolution of reflectors, so as to show a flash of light every few seconds, alternating with periods of dimness. Knight. -- Flash in the pan, the flashing of the priming in the pan of a flintlock musket without discharging the piece; hence, sudden, spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing.…

The second coat of three-coat plastering. Knight.