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Any long, slender amphibian of the genus Siren or family Sirenidæ, destitute of hind legs and pelvis, and having permanent external gills as well as lungs. They inhabit the swamps, lagoons, and ditches of the Southern United States. The more common species (Siren lacertina) is dull lead-gray in color, and becames two f…

of numerous species of large, flat elasmobranch fishes of the genus Raia, having a long, slender tail, terminated by a small caudal fin. The pectoral fins, which are large and broad and united to the sides of the body and head, give a somewhat rhombic form to these fishes. The skin is more or less spinose.…

Not stout or heavy; slender. His own figure, which was formerly so slight. Sir W. Scott.

The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.

Of small diameter or thickness in proportion to the height or length; slender; as, a slim person; a slim tree. Grose.

In a state of slimness; in a slim manner; slenderly.

A slender piece; a strip; as, a slip of paper. Moonlit slips of silver cloud. Tennyson. A thin slip of a girl, like a new moon Sure to be rounded into beauty soon. Longfellow.

A long piece cut ot rent off; a sharp, slender fragment; a splinter.

Weak; slender; fine; gentle; soft; not loud. "A still, small voice." 1 Kings xix. 12. Great and small,of all ranks or degrees; -- used especially of persons. "His quests, great and small." Chaucer. -- Small arms, muskets, rifles, pistols, etc., in distinction from cannon. -- Small beer. See under Beer. -- Small coal…

nus Anhinga or Plotus. They are allied to the gannets and cormorants, but have very long, slender, flexible necks, and sharp bills.

ne of numerous species of limicoline game birds of the family Scolopacidæ, having a long, slender, nearly straight beak.

A long, slender deep-sea fish (Nemichthys scolopaceus) with a slender beak.

(Platanista Gangeticus) native of the river Ganges; the Gangetic dolphin. It has a long, slender, somewhat spatulate beak. [Written also susu.]

he like. [Obs.] Thy specular orb Apply to well-dissected kernels; lo! In each observe the slender threads Of first-beginning trees. J. Philips.

e genus Sphex and allied genera. These wasps have the abdomen attached to the thorax by a slender pedicel. See Illust. of Sand wasp, under Sand. Sphex fly (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of small dipterous flies of the genus Conops and allied genera. The form of the body is similar to that of a sphex.…

A minute, slender granule, or point.

ot.) See under Rush. -- Spike shell (Zoöl.), any pteropod of the genus Styliola having a slender conical shell. -- Spike team, three horses, or a horse and a yoke of oxen, harnessed together, a horse leading the oxen or the span. [U.S.]

A slender piece of anything. Specifically: --

l white matter is composed of nerve fibers only. The center of the cord is traversed by a slender canal connecting with the ventricles of the brain.

The long, round, slender rod or pin in spinning wheels by which the thread is twisted, and on which, when twisted, it is wound; also, the pin on which the bobbin is held in a spinning machine, or in the shuttle of a loom.