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The lesser third. Busby.

The lesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus minor) of Europe. [Prov. Eng.]

. Acts xvi. 29. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. Gen. i. 16.

principal duct or pipe, as distinguished from lesser ones; esp. (Engin.), a principal pipe leading to or from a reservoir; as, a fire main. Forcing main, the delivery pipe of a pump. -- For the main, or In the main, for the most part; in the greatest part. -- With might and main, or With all one's might and main, wit…

e minor seconds. -- Major offense (Law), an offense of a greater degree which contains a lesser offense, as murder and robbery include assault. -- Major premise (Logic), that premise of a syllogism which contains the major term. -- Major scale (Mus.), the natural diatonic scale, which has semitones between the third…

a semitone in interval or difference of pitch; as, a minor third. Asia Minor (Geog.), the Lesser Asia; that part of Asia which lies between the Euxine, or Black Sea, on the north, and the Mediterranean on the south. -- Minor mode (Mus.), that mode, or scale, in which the third and sixth are minor, -- much used for mou…

A lesser kind of triumph allowed to a commander for an easy, bloodless victory, or a victory over slaves.

The lesser woodpecker. [Obs.] Bailey.

The lesser gate, where there are two of different dimensions.

tion or result; thus, in subtraction, if the difference between two numbers, added to the lesser number, makes a sum equal to the greater, the correctness of the subtraction is proved.

The studs have their surface punctulated, as if set all over with other studs infinitely lesser. Woodward.

hat of the civet, which is highly prized by the Javanese. Called also Malacca weasel, and lesser civet.

n bearded titmouse (Panurus biarmicus); -- called also reed bunting, bearded pinnock, and lesser butcher bird.

r a member of the class, of military retainers of the daimios, constituting the gentry or lesser nobility. They possessed power of life and death over the commoners, and wore two swords as their distinguishing mark. Their special rights and privileges were abolished with the fall of feudalism in 1871.…

called also broadbill, bluebill, blackhead, flock duck, flocking fowl, and raft duck; the lesser scaup duck (A. affinis), called also little bluebill, river broadbill, and shuffler; the tufted, or ring-necked, scaup duck (A. collaris), called also black jack, ringneck, ringbill, ringbill shuffler, etc. See Illust. of R…

the lesser tern (Sterna minuta). [Prov. Eng.]

A lesser third, having its terms as 6 to 5; a hemiditone. [R.]

Math.), the ratio of two and a half to one, or one in which the greater term contains the lesser twice and a half, as that of 50 to 20.

s name of knighthood foully shend. Spenser. She passed the rest as Cynthia doth shend The lesser stars. Spenser.

ake greater size; to increase in size. Our desires give them fashion, and so, As they wax lesser, fall, as they size, grow. Donne.