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The act of darkening, or state of being dark; darkness; obscurity. Johnson.

nd; readiness of comprehension; the intellect, as a gift or an endowment. And dimmed with darkness their intelligence. Spenser.

Alternate succession; alternation; a mingling. The interchanges of light and darkness. Holder. Sweet interchange Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains. Milton.

r vibrations of any kind, producing certain characteristic phenomena, as colored fringes, dark bands, or darkness, in the case of light, silence or increased intensity in sounds; neutralization or superposition of waves generally.

To render turbid; to darken; to confuse. [R.] The confusion of ideas and conceptions under the same term painfully inturbidates his theology. Coleridge.

To shade; to darken. [Obs.]

hy singing bird (Myadestes sibilons), of St. Vincent Islands. -- Invisible green, a very dark shade of green, approaching to black, and liable to be mistaken for it.

To envelop completely; to surround; to cover; to hide; to involve in darkness or obscurity. And leave a singèd bottom all involved With stench and smoke. Milton.

p, occurring always in combination, as in the iodides. When isolated it is in the form of dark gray metallic scales, resembling plumbago, soft but brittle, and emitting a chlorinelike odor. Symbol I. Atomic weight 126.5. If heated, iodine volatilizes in beautiful violet vapors.

in three principal forms; viz., cast iron, steel, and wrought iron. Iron usually appears dark brown, from oxidation or impurity, but when pure, or an fresh surface, is a gray or white metal. It is easily oxidized (rusted) by moisture, and is attacked by many corrosive agents. Symbol Fe (Latin Ferrum). Atomic weight 55…

The apparent enlargement of a bright object seen upon a dark ground, due to the fact that the portions of the retina around the image are stimulated by the intense light; as when a dark spot on a white ground appears smaller, or a white spot on a dark ground larger, than it really is, esp. when a little out of focus.…

A plant of the genus Hedera (H. helix), common in Europe. Its leaves are evergreen, dark, smooth, shining, and mostly five-pointed; the flowers yellowish and small; the berries black or yellow. The stem clings to walls and trees by rootlike fibers. Direct The clasping ivy where to climb. Milton. Ye myrtles brown, with…

A stone, commonly of a pale to dark green color but sometimes whitish. It is very hard and compact, capable of fine polish, and is used for ornamental purposes and for implements, esp. in Eastern countries and among many early peoples.

), ranging from Texas and Mexico to Patagonia. It is usually brownish yellow, with large, dark, somewhat angular rings, each generally inclosing one or two dark spots. It is chiefly arboreal in its habits. Called also the American tiger.

m or action; esp., pl., the mouth or way of entrance; as, the jaws of a pass; the jaws of darkness; the jaws of death. Shak.

Its color is yellow and olive, with golden, silvery, and blue reflections. It has a round dark spot on each side. Called also dory, doree, and St. Peter's fish.

Hard salted beef supplied to ships. Junk bottle , a stout bottle made of thick dark-colored glass. -- Junk dealer, a dealer in old cordage, old metal, glass, etc. -- Junk hook (Whaling), a hook for hauling heavy pieces of blubber on deck. -- Junk ring. (a) A packing of soft material round the piston of a steam engin…

junto of ministers; a junto of politicians. The puzzling sons of party next appeared, In dark cabals and mighty juntos met. Thomson.

ng season. It is a typical tyrant flycatcher, taking various insects upon the wing. It is dark ash above, and blackish on the bead and tail. The quills and wing coverts are whitish at the edges. It is white beneath, with a white terminal band on the tail. The feathers on the head of the adults show a bright orange basa…

The dark red dried juice of certain plants, used variously in tanning, in dyeing, and as an astringent in medicine.