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A vegetable substance consisting of soft, elastic, yellowish brown chaff, gathered in the Hawaiian Islands from the young fronds of free ferns of the genus Cibotium, chiefly C. Menziesii; -- used for stuffing mattresses, cushions, etc., and as an absorbent.

Tending to decomposition or decay; decomposed; rotten; -- said of animal or vegetable matter; as, putrid flesh. See Putrefaction.

gent odor. It is the nucleus of a large number of organic substances, among which several vegetable alkaloids, as nicotine and certain of the ptomaïnes, may be mentioned. See Lutidine.

A yellow crystalline substance, occurring quite widely distributed in the vegetable kingdom, as is apple-tree bark, horse- chestnut leaves, etc., but originally obtained by the decomposition of quercitrin. Called also meletin.

limits of descriptions and terms adapted to use in computation; as, to reduce animals or vegetables to a class or classes; to reduce a series of observations in astronomy; to reduce language to rules.

Any one of a class of yellowish brown solid inflammable substances, of vegetable origin, which are nonconductors of electricity, have a vitreous fracture, and are soluble in ether, alcohol, and essential oils, but not in water; specif., pine resin (see Rosin).

A contagious affection of the skin due to the presence of a vegetable parasite, and forming ring-shaped discolored patches covered with vesicles or powdery scales. It occurs either on the body, the face, or the scalp. Different varieties are distinguished as Tinea circinata, Tinea tonsurans, etc., but all are caused by…

ke putrid; to cause to be wholly or partially decomposed by natural processes; as, to rot vegetable fiber.

A preparation of vegetables, as lettuce, celery, water cress, onions, etc., usually dressed with salt, vinegar, oil, and spice, and eaten for giving a relish to other food; as, lettuce salad; tomato salad, etc. Leaves eaten raw termed salad. I. Watts.

Vegetable for salad.

One of a tribe of beetles which feed upon dacaying animal and vegetable substances; a carrion beetle.

Any plant growing on dacayed animal or vegetable matter, as most fungi and some flowering plants with no green color, as the Indian pipe.

Feeding or growing upon decaying anomal or vegetable matter; pertaining to a saprophyte or the saprophytes.

Any garden vegetables eaten with meat. [Prov. Eng. & Colloq. U.S.] Forby. Bartlett. Roots, herbs, vine fruits, and salad flowers . . . they dish up various ways, and find them very delicious sauce to their meats, both roasted and boiled, fresh and salt. Beverly.

A tract of level land covered with the vegetable growth usually found in a damp soil and warm climate, -- as grass or reeds, -- but destitute of trees. [Spelt also savannah.] Savannahs are clear pieces land without woods. Dampier. Savanna flower (Bot.), a West Indian name for several climbing apocyneous plants of the g…

One of a class of vegetable organisms, in the classification of Cohn, which includes all of the inferior forms that multiply by fission, whether they contain chlorophyll or not.

Vegetable tissue composed of short cells with thickened or hardened walls, as in nutshells and the gritty parts of a pear. See Sclerotic.

sioned by confinement, innutritious food, and hard labor, but especially by lack of fresh vegetable food, or confinement for a long time to a limited range of food, which is incapable of repairing the waste of the system. It was formerly prevalent among sailors and soldiers. Scurvy grass Etym: [Scurvy + grass; or cf. I…

Producing vegetable tallow.

ree's shade. Shak. Let the arched knife well sharpened now assail the spreading shades of vegetables. J. Philips.