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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



282 words match “TROPIC”

PURPLEHEART n.
A strong, durable, and elastic wood of a purplish color, obtained from several tropical American leguminous trees of the genus Copaifera (C. pubiflora, bracteata, and officinalis). Used for decorative veneering. See Copaiba.
PURSE n.
very strong, being able to crack cocoanuts with the large claw. They chiefly inhabit the tropical islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, living in holes and feeding upon fruit. Called also palm crab. -- Purse net, a fishing net, the mouth of which may be closed or drawn together like a purse. Mortimer. Purse pride…
QUASSIA n.
The wood of several tropical American trees of the order Simarubeæ, as Quassia amara, Picræna excelsa, and Simaruba amara. It is intensely bitter, and is used in medicine and sometimes as a substitute for hops in making beer.
QUIT n.
Any one of numerous species of small passerine birds native of tropical America. See Banana quit, under Banana, and Guitguit.
RAMTIL n.
A tropical African asteraceous shrub (Guizotia abyssinica) cultivated for its seeds (called ramtil, or niger, seeds) which yield a valuable oil used for food and as an illuminant.
REVOLUTION n.
oint relatively the same; -- designated as the annual, anomalistic, nodical, sidereal, or tropical revolution, according as the point of return or completion has a fixed relation to the year, the anomaly, the nodes, the stars, or the tropics; as, the revolution of the earth about the sun; the revolution of the moon abo…
ROBALO; ROBALITO n.
Any of several pikelike marine fishes of the West Indies and tropical America constituting the family Oxylabracidæ, esp. the largest species (Oxylabrax, syn. Centropomus, undecimalis), a valuable food fish called also snook, the smaller species being called Rob`a*li"to.
ROCOA n.
The orange-colored pulp covering the seeds of the tropical plant Bixa Orellana, from which annotto is prepared. See Annoto.
RONDELETIA n.
A tropical genus of rubiaceous shrubs which often have brilliant flowers.
ROSE n.
ms. -- Rose aniline. (Chem.) Same as Rosaniline. -- Rose apple (Bot.), the fruit of the tropical myrtaceous tree Eugenia Jambos. It is an edible berry an inch or more in diameter, and is said to have a very strong roselike perfume. -- Rose beetle. (Zoöl.) (a) A small yellowish or buff longlegged beetle (Macrodactylu…
ROSEWOOD n.
binet wood of a dark red color, streaked and variegated with black, obtained from several tropical leguminous trees of the genera Dalbergia and Machærium. The finest kind is from Brazil, and is said to be from the Dalbergia nigra. African rosewood, the wood of the leguminous tree Pterocarpus erinaceus. -- Jamaica rose…
ROTELLA n.
rous species of small, polished, brightcolored gastropods of the genus Rotella, native of tropical seas.
SACCHARUM n.
A genus of tall tropical grasses including the sugar cane.
SAINT n.
England; -- instituted in 1776 by Col. St. Leger. -- Saint Martin's herb (Bot.), a small tropical American violaceous plant (Sauvagesia erecta). It is very mucilaginous and is used in medicine.
SAND n.
the rails in front of the driving wheel, to prevent slipping. -- Sand-box tree (Bot.), a tropical American tree (Hura crepitans). Its fruit is a depressed many-celled woody capsule which, when completely dry, bursts with a loud report and scatters the seeds. See Illust. of Regma. -- Sand bug (Zoöl.), an American anom…
SAPINDUS n.
A genus of tropical and subtropical trees with pinnate leaves and panicled flowers. The fruits of some species are used instead of soap, and their round black seeds are made into necklaces.
SAPODILLA n.
A tall, evergeen, tropical American tree (Achras Sapota); also, its edible fruit, the sapodilla plum. [Written also sapadillo, sappadilo, sappodilla, and zapotilla.] Sapodilla plum (Bot.), the fruit of Achras Sapota. It is about the size of an ordinary quince, having a rough, brittle, dull brown rind, the flesh being o…
SAPOTACEOUS a.
Of or pertaining to a natural order (Sapotaceæ) of (mostly tropical) trees and shrubs, including the star apple, the Lucuma, or natural marmalade tree, the gutta-percha tree (Isonandra), and the India mahwa, as well as the sapodilla, or sapota, after which the order is named.
SARSAPARILLA n.
Any plant of several tropical American species of Smilax.
SCIMITER; SCIMITAR n.
mense curved woody pods of a leguminous woody climbing plant (Entada scandens) growing in tropical India and America. They contain hard round flattish seeds two inches in diameter, which are made into boxes.
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