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The principal part; the main body. Night closed upon the pursuit, and aided the mass of the fugitives in their escape. Jowett (Thucyd.).

In the game of quadrille or omber, the three principal trumps, the ace of spades being the first, the ace of clubs the third, and the second being the deuce of a black trump or the seven of a red one. When Lady Tricksey played a four, You took it with a matadore. Swift.

The bone, or principal bone, of the upper jaw, the bone of the lower jaw being the mandible. [Now commonly used in this restricted sense.]

The principal maxillary bone; the maxilla.

A high explosive similar to lyddite, consisting principally of picric acid, used in the French military service.

The middle one of the three principal basal cartilages in the fins of fishes. -- Me*sop`ter*yg"i*al, a.

The posterior of the three principal basal cartilages in the fins of fishes. -- Me*tap`ter*yg"i*al, a.

any countries, and permitted in many others, including the United States and England. The principal unit is the meter (see Meter). From this are formed the are, the liter, the stere, the gram, etc. These units, and others derived from them, are divided decimally, and larger units are formed from multiples by 10, 100, 1…

Of or pertaining to the capital or principal city of a country; as, metropolitan luxury.

A mineral of an iron-black color, and very sectile, consisting principally of sulphur, antimony, and silver.

To get, as metals, out of the earth by digging. The principal ore mined there is the bituminous cinnabar. Ure.

The principal piece of an astrolabe, into which the others are fixed. [Obs.]

z). (a) A member of a secret association formed among the tenantry in Ireland about 1843, principally for the purpose of intimidating law officers and preventing the service of legal writs. Its members disguised themselves in the dress of women. (b) A member of a similar association of Irishmen organized in the anthrac…

A principal speaker; one who utters the common opinion; a mouthpiece. Every coffeehouse has some particular statesman belonging to it, who is the mouth of the street where he lives. Addison.

(Cicumis Melo), having a peculiar aromatic flavor, and cultivated in many varieties, the principal sorts being the cantaloupe, of oval form and yellowish flesh, and the smaller nutmeg melon with greenish flesh. See Illust. of Melon.

ly; especially; expressly. [Obs.] Chaucer. The solitariness of man ...God hath namely and principally ordered to prevent by marriage. Milton.

The middle or body of a church, extending from the transepts to the principal entrances, or, if there are no transepts, from the choir to the principal entrance, but not including the aisles.

One who negotiates; a person who treats with others, either as principal or agent, in respect to purchase and sale, or public compacts.

One of the principal fibrovascular bundles or ribs of a leaf, especially when these extend straight from the base or the midrib of the leaf.

ich the steps of a circular staircase wind; hence, in stairs having straight flights, the principal post at the foot of a staircase, or the secondary ones at the landings. See Hollow newel, under Hollow.