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A double-lens instrument for measuring slight variations of the sun's diameter by photography, utilizing the common chord of two overlapping images.

perhaps from other fibrous tropical leaves. It is delicate, soft, and transparent, with a slight tinge of pale yellow.

applied to a person as being of a certain nature or quality; often, but not always, used slightingly or in contempt. "If I had not been a piece of a logician before I came to him." Sir P. Sidney. Thy mother was a piece of virtue. Shak. His own spirit is as unsettled a piece as there is in all the world. Coleridge. a p…

perhaps from other fibrous tropical leaves. It is delicate, soft, and transparent, with a slight tinge of pale yellow.

A feeling of hurt, vexation, or resentment, awakened by a social slight or injury; irritation of the feelings, as through wounded pride; stinging vexation. Men take up piques and displeasures. Dr. H. More. Wars had arisen . . . upon a personal pique. De Quincey.

s of a smooth-soled stock, usually of wood, from the under side or face of which projects slightly the steel cutting edge of a chisel, called the iron, which inclines backward, with an apperture in front for the escape of shavings; as, the jack plane; the smoothing plane; the molding plane, etc. Objective plane (Surv.)…

The fruit of this plant. It is long and somewhat cylindrical, slightly curved, and, when ripe, soft, fleshy, and covered with a thick but tender yellowish skin. The plantain is a staple article of food in most tropical countries, especially when cooked. Plantain cutter, or Plantain eater (Zoöl.), any one of several lar…

A genus of diatoms of elongated elliptical shape, but having the sides slightly curved in the form of a letter S. Pleurosigma angulatum has very fine striations, and is a favorite object for testing the high powers of microscopes.

A puff, as of smoke from a pipe, or of dust from a puffball; a slight explosion, as of a small quantity of gunpowder. [Scot.]

acting, but not striking or impressing; of a pleasing and attractive form a color; having slight or diminutive beauty; neat or elegant without elevation or grandeur; pleasingly, but not grandly, conceived or expressed; as, a pretty face; a pretty flower; a pretty poem. This is the prettiest lowborn lass that ever Ran o…

To pierce slightly with a sharp-pointed instrument or substance; to make a puncture in, or to make by puncturing; to drive a fine point into; as, to prick one with a pin, needle, etc.; to prick a card; to prick holes in paper.

To prick slightly, as with prickles, or fine, sharp points. Felt a horror over me creep, Prickle skin, and catch my breath. Tennyson.

and single emission of breath from the mouth; hence, any sudden or short blast of wind; a slight gust; a whiff. " To every puff of wind a slave." Flatman.

A moist, slightly cohering mass, consisting of soft, undissolved animal or vegetable matter. Specifically:

A small hole made by a point; a slight wound, bite, or sting; as, the puncture of a nail, needle, or pin. A lion may perish by the puncture of an asp. Rambler.

ded opposite fleshy leaves. -- Water purslane, an aquatic plant (Ludwiqia palustris) but slightly resembling purslane.

To find fault; to cavil; as, to quarrel with one's lot. I will not quarrel with a slight mistake. Roscommon.

n alloy somewhat resembling pewter or britannia, and consisting essentially of tin with a slight admixture of antimony, bismuth, and lead or copper. -- Queen's pigeon. (Zoöl.) Same as Queen pigeon, above. -- Queen's ware, glazed English earthenware of a cream color. -- Queen's yellow (Old Chem.), a heavy yellow powd…

A colorless liquid of a slightly pungent odor, C9H6N.CH3, first obtained as a condensation product of aldehyde and aniline, and regarded as a derivative of quinoline; -- called also methyl quinoline. [Written also chinaldine.]

To shake or move with slight and tremulous motion; to tremble; to quake; to shudder; to shiver. The green leaves quiver with the cooling wind. Shak. And left the limbs still quivering on the ground. Addison.