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ed by a crocodile. Crocodile bird (Zoöl.), an African plover (Pluvianus ægypticus) which alights upon the crocodile and devours its insect parasites, even entering its open mouth (according to reliable writers) in pursuit of files, etc.; -- called also Nile bird. It is the trochilos of ancient writers. -- Crocodile te…

ing of an evening bell, originally a signal to the inhabitants to cover fires, extinguish lights, and retire to rest, -- instituted by William the Conqueror; also, the bell itself. He begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock. Shak. The village curfew, as it tolled profound. Campbell.

One who dances or who practices dancing. The merry dancers, beams of the northern lights when they rise and fall alternately without any considerable change of length. See Aurora borealis, under Aurora.

e in a painting, engraving, or the like; as, the light and darks are well contrasted. The lights may serve for a repose to the darks, and the darks to the lights. Dryden.

Delicacies; delights. [Obs.] "Dainty delices." Spenser.

delight to; to affect with great pleasure; to please highly; as, a beautiful landscape delights the eye; harmony delights the ear. Inventions to delight the taste. Shak. Delight our souls with talk of knightly deeds. Tennyson.

One who delights in destroying that which is valuable; one whose principles and influence tend to destroy existing institutions; a destructive.

ng; digressive; desultory. "Discursive notices." De Quincey. The power he [Shakespeare] delights to show is not intense, but discursive. Hazlitt. A man rather tacit than discursive. Carlyle.

The refined spirit; the quintessence. The . . . elixir of worldly delights. South.

One who enchants; a sorcerer or magician; also, one who delights as by an enchantment. Like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing. Shelley. Enchanter's nightshade (Bot.), a genus (Circæa) of low inconspicuous, perennial plants, found in damp, shady places.

which captivates the heart and senses; an influence or power which fascinates or highly delights. Such an enchantment as there is in words. South.

To illumine; to enlighten. [R.] Which from the first has shone on ages past, Enlights the present, and shall warm the last. Pope.

o emit; to push out. [Obs.] So from the seas exerts his radiant head The star by whom the lights of heaven are led. Dryden.

de extent of space or body; especially, the arch of the sky. "The green expanse." Savage. Lights . . . high in the expanse of heaven. Milton. The smooth expanse of crystal lakes. Pope.

ed, and that is the lamp of experience. P. Henry To most men experience is like the stern lights of a ship, which illumine only the track it has passed. Coleridge. When the consuls . . . came in . . . they knew soon by experience how slenderly guarded against danger the majesty of rulers is where force is wanting. Holl…

charge or compensation, or for which an additional charge is made; as, at European hotels lights are extras. [Colloq.]

haracter; corruption; pollution. To purify the soul from the dross and filth of sensual delights. Tillotson. Filth disease (Med.), a disease supposed to be due to pollution of the soil or water.

ns. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the miGen. i. 6. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament. Gen. i. 14.

lly. Could he have kept his spirit to that flight, He had been happy. Byron. His highest flights were indeed far below those of Taylor. Macaulay.

Indulging in flights, or wild and unrestrained sallies, of imagination, humor, caprice, etc.; given to disorder Proofs of my flighty and paradoxical turn of mind. Coleridge. A harsh disciplinarian and a flighty enthusiast. J. S. Har