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A sewing needle having a very slender point; a needle of the most pointed of the three grades, blunts, betweens, and sharps.

A case for the reception of a sword, hunting knife, or other long and slender instrument; a scabbard. The dead knight's sword out of his sheath he drew. Spenser.

Any long, slender, worm-shaped bivalve mollusk of Teredo and allied genera. The shipworms burrow in wood, and are destructive to wooden ships, piles of wharves, etc. See Teredo.

-- Shot tower, a lofty tower for making shot, by dropping from its summit melted lead in slender streams. The lead forms spherical drops which cool in the descent, and are received in water or other liquid. -- Shot window, a window projecting from the wall. Ritson, quoted by Halliwell, explains it as a window that ope…

s species of macruran Crustacea belonging to Crangon and various allied genera, having a slender body and long legs. Many of them are used as food. The larger kinds are called also prawns. See Illust. of Decapoda.

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…

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

e 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.

See Sallenders.

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

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