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lf. -- Stream anchor, Stream cable. (Naut.) See under Anchor, and Cable. -- Stream ice, blocks of ice floating in a mass together in some definite direction. -- Stream tin, particles or masses of tin ore found in alluvial ground; -- so called because a stream of water is the principal agent used in separating the or…

rtion of money, or the attempt to extort money, by threat of injury; blackmailing. Strike block (Carp.), a plane shorter than a jointer, used for fitting a short joint. Moxon. -- Strike of flax, a handful that may be hackled at once. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Chaucer. -- Strike of sugar. (Sugar Making) (a) The act of empt…

A piece of rope spliced into a circular wreath, and put round a block for hanging it.

A log; a block; a blockhead. [Obs.] Milton.

A stumbling-block. This stumbling-stone we hope to take away. T. Burnet.

ubmit that a wooden spoon of our day would not be justified in calling Galileo and Napier blockheads because they never heard of the differential calculus. Macaulay.

A dunce; a blockhead. [Scot.]

ng the swage upon the work, or the work upon the swage, and striking with a sledge. Swage block, a perforated block of iron, having grooved sides and adapted for use in heading bolts and swaging objects of large size.

The aperture in a block through which the rope reeves. Ham. Nav. Encyc. Swallow plover (Zoöl.), any one of several species of fork-tailed ploverlike birds of the genus Glareola, as G. orientalis of India; a pratincole. -- Swallow shrike (Zoöl.), any one of several species of East Indian and Asiatic birds of the family…

To pull upon (a tackle) by throwing the weight of the body upon the fall between the block and a cleat.

.), a species of cress of the genus Senebiera (S. Coronopus). -- Swine's head, a dolt; a blockhead. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- Swine thistle (Bot.), the sow thistle.

l axis; a swing bridge. -- Swivel hook, a hook connected with the iron strap of a pulley block by a swivel joint, for readily taking the turns out of a tackle. -- Swivel joint, a joint, the two pieces composing which turn round, with respect to each other, on a longitudinal pin or axis, as in a chain, to prevent twis…

edded in, or scattered over, the surface of the common tissue of many compound ascidians. Block system, Conservative system, etc. See under Block, Conservative, etc.

Apparatus for raising or lowering heavy weights, consisting of a rope and pulley blocks; sometimes, the rope and attachments, as distinct from the block.

A rope spliced to the strap of a block, by which it may be lashed to anything.

The sliding block or support, in a lathe, which carries the dead spindle, or adjustable center. The headstock supports the live spindle.

ow cast his sight Through thick of bars, that gave a scanty light. Dryden. Thick-and-thin block (Naut.), a fiddle block. See under Fiddle. -- Through thick and thin, through all obstacles and difficulties, both great and small. Through thick and thin she followed him. Hudibras. He became the panegyrist, through thick…

A dullard, or dull person; a blockhead; a numskull. Entick.

Money. [Cant] Beaconsfield. Block tin (Metal.), commercial tin, cast into blocks, and partially refined, but containing small quantities of various impurities, as copper, lead, iron, arsenic, etc.; solid tin as distinguished from tin plate; -- called also bar tin. -- Butter of tin. (Old Chem.) See Fuming liquor of Lib…

supported by a carriage mounted on track rails. It is used esp. for setting heavy masonry blocks for piers, breakwaters, etc.