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l.), any stony coral which contributes material to the formation of coral reefs. -- Reef heron (Zoöl.), any heron of the genus Demigretta; as, the blue reef heron (D.jugularis) of Australia.

a sort of novel, especially one which treats of surprising adventures usually befalling a hero or a heroine; a tale of extravagant adventures, of love, and the like. "Romances that been royal." Chaucer. Upon these three columns -- chivalry, gallantry, and religion -- repose the fictions of the Middle Ages, especially t…

A breeding place of other gregarious birds, as of herons, penguins, etc.

vacated. [Obs.] When he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod. Matt. ii. 22. Neither that I look for a higher room in heaven. Tyndale. Let Bianca take her sister's room. Shak.

Not firm or trusty; unsound; defective; treacherous; unsafe; as, a rotten plank, bone, stone. "The deepness of the rotten way." Knolles. Rotten borough. See under Borough. -- Rotten stone (Min.), a soft stone, called also Tripoli (from the country from which it was formerly brought), used in all sorts of finer grindin…

strong; -- from the gigantic bones shown at Roncesvalles, and alleged to be those of old heroes. [Obs.]

A Scandinavian legend, or heroic or mythic tradition, among the Norsemen and kindred people; a northern European popular historical or religious tale of olden time. And then the blue-eyed Norseman told A saga of the days of old. Longfellow.

Having a propensity to venery; lustful; lecherous. Dryden. -- Sa*la"cious*ly, dv. -- Sa*la"cious*ness, n.

Strong propensity to venery; lust; lecherousness.

Fig.: Salacious; lecherous; lustful. Shak. Salt acid (Chem.), hydrochloric acid. -- Salt block, an apparatus for evaporating brine; a salt factory. Knight. -- Salt bottom, a flat piece of ground covered with saline efforescences. [Western U.S.] bartlett. -- Salt cake (Chem.), the white caked mass, consisting of sodi…

One of the ancient Scandinavian poets and historiographers; a reciter and singer of heroic poems, etc., among the Norsemen; more rarely, a bard of any of the ancient Teutonic tribes. [Written also skald.] A war song such as was of yore chanted on the field of battle by the scalds of the yet heathen Saxons. Sir W. Scott…

A flock of herons. Sedge ken (Zoöl.), the clapper rail. See under 5th Rail. -- Sedge warbler (Zoöl.), a small European singing bird (Acrocephalus phragmitis). It often builds its nest among reeds; -- called also sedge bird, sedge wren, night warbler, and Scotch nightingale.

Fig.: A subtle, treacherous, malicious person.

That which is set off against another thing; an offset. I do not contemplate such a heroine as a set-off to the many sins imputed to me as committed against woman. D. Jerrold.

ible to the sight, though not to the touch; a spirit; a ghost; as, the shades of departed heroes. Swift as thought the flitting shade Thro' air his momentary journey made. Dryden.

tems of religious belief in Japan. Its essence is ancestor worship, and sacrifice to dead heroes. [Written also Sintu, and Sintuism.]

A large African wading bird (Balæniceps rex) allied to the storks and herons, and remarkable for its enormous broad swollen bill. It inhabits the valley of the White Nile. See Illust. (l.) of Beak.

xcites interest, as of persons in a dramatic scene. There's situation for you! there's an heroic group! Sheridan.

ing but frown . . . He hears merry tales and smiles not. Shak. She led to see the doughty hero slain. Pope. When last I saw thy young blue eyes, they smiled. Byron.

mished; unstained; spotless. There did he lose his snowy innocence. J. Hall (1646). Snowy heron (Zoöl.), a white heron, or egret (Ardea candidissima), found in the Southern United States, and southward to Chili; -- called also plume bird. -- Snowy lemming (Zoöl.), the collared lemming (Cuniculus torquatus), which turn…