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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



141 words match “AUSTRALIAN”

CORROBOREE n.
A nocturnal festivity with which the Australian aborigines celebrate tribal events of importance. Symbolic dances are given by the young men of the tribe, while the women act as musicians.
DEATH n.
A venomous Australian snake of the family Elapidæ, of several species, as the Hoplocephalus superbus and Acanthopis antarctica. -- Death bell, a bell that announces a death. The death bell thrice was heard to ring. Mickle. -- Death candle, a light like that of a candle, viewed by the superstitious as presaging death.…
DUBOISINE n.
An alkaloid obtained from the leaves of an Australian tree (Duboisia myoporoides), and regarded as identical with hyoscyamine. It produces dilation of the pupil of the eye.
ECHIDNA n.
inea. They are toothless and covered with spines; -- called also porcupine ant-eater, and Australian ant-eater.
EMU n.
A large Australian bird, of two species (Dromaius Novæ- Hollandiæ and D. irroratus), related to the cassowary and the ostrich. The emu runs swiftly, but is unable to fly. [Written also emeu and emew.]
EMU WREN n.
A small wrenlike Australian bird (Stipiturus malachurus), having the tail feathers long and loosely barbed, like emu feathers.
EUCALYPTUS n.
A myrtaceous genus of trees, mostly Australian. Many of them grow to an immense height, one or two species exceeding the height even of the California Sequoia.
FALCONET n.
One of a group of Australian birds of the genus Falcunculus, resembling shrikes and titmice.
FANTAIL n.
Any bird of the Australian genus Rhipidura, in which the tail is spread in the form of a fan during flight. They belong to the family of flycatchers.
FLANNEL FLOWER n.
An umbelliferous Australian flower (Actinotus helianthi), often erroneously thought to be composite. The involucre looks as if cut out of white flannel.
FLINTWOOD n.
An Australian name for the very hard wood of the Eucalyptus piluralis.
FLOWER n.
hes, family Nitidulidæ, some of which are injurious to crops. -- Flower bird (Zoöl.), an Australian bird of the genus Anthornis, allied to the honey eaters. -- Flower bud, an unopened flower. -- Flower clock, an assemblage of flowers which open and close at different hours of the day, thus indicating the time. -- F…
FRIAR n.
An American fish; the silversides. Friar bird (Zoöl.), an Australian bird (Tropidorhynchus corniculatus), having the head destitute of feathers; -- called also coldong, leatherhead, pimlico; poor soldier, and four-o'clock. The name is also applied to several other species of the same genus. -- Friar's balsam (Med.), a…
FRILLED a.
Furnished with a frill or frills. Frilled lizard (Zoöl.), a large Australian lizard (Chlamydosaurus Kingii) about three feet long, which has a large, erectile frill on each side of the neck.
GOSHAWK n.
best known species. They are noted for their powerful flight, activity, and courage. The Australian goshawk (A. Novæ-Hollandiæ) is pure white.
GRASS TREE n. 2 definitions
An Australian plant of the genus Xanthorrhoea, having a thick trunk crowned with a dense tuft of pendulous, grasslike leaves, from the center of which arises a long stem, bearing at its summit a dense flower spike looking somewhat like a large cat-tail. These plants are often called "blackboys" from the large trunks de…
GREEN-LEEK n.
An Australian parrakeet (Polytelis Barrabandi); -- called also the scarlet-breasted parrot.
GROUND n.
t crystals of its constituents are embedded. -- Ground parrakeet (Zoöl.), one of several Australian parrakeets, of the genera Callipsittacus and Geopsittacus, which live mainly upon the ground. -- Ground pearl (Zoöl.), an insect of the family Coccidæ (Margarodes formicarum), found in ants' nests in the Bahamas, and h…
GUM n.
British gum, etc. See under Black, Blue, etc. -- Gum Acaroidea, the resinous gum of the Australian grass tree (Xanlhorrhoea). -- Gum animal (Zoöl.), the galago of West Africa; -- so called because it feeds on gums. See Galago. -- Gum animi or animé. See Animé. -- Gum arabic, a gum yielded mostly by several species…
HARE n.
he others, called the hounds, through a wide circuit. -- Hare kangaroo (Zoöl.)., a small Australian kangaroo (Lagorchestes Leporoides), resembling the hare in size and color, -- Hare's lettuce (Bot.), a plant of the genus Sonchus, or sow thistle; -- so called because hares are said to eat it when fainting with heat. D…
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