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That which is proper or peculiar; an inherent property or quality; peculiarity. [Obs.] Bacon. We find no mention hereof in ancient zoögraphers, . . . who seldom forget proprieties of such a nature. Sir T. Browne.

The quality or state of being provincial; peculiarity of language characteristic of a province. T. Warton.

The essence, nature, or distinctive peculiarity, of a thing; that which answers the question, Quid est or, What is it " The degree of nullity and quiddity." Bacon. The quiddity or characteristic difference of poetry as distinguished from prose. De Quincey.

A rabbinic expression or phraseology; a peculiarity of the language of the rabbins.

The distinguishing peculiarity of male or female in both animals and plants; the physical difference between male and female; the assemblage of properties or qualities by which male is distinguished from female.

racter or quality of a thing by which it is distinguished from all, or from most, others; peculiarity. Pliny addeth this singularity to that soil, that the second year the very falling down of the seeds yieldeth corn. Sir. W. Raleigh. I took notice of this little figure for the singularity of the instrument. Addison.…

Anything peculiar to the Chinese; esp., a Chinese peculiarity in manners or customs.

A plant or an animal, or part of a plant or animal, which has some peculiarity not usually seen in the species; an abnormal variety or growth. See Sporting plant, under Sporting.

A Syrian idiom, or a peculiarity of the Syrian language; a Syriacism. Paley.

A distinguishing or marked feature; a peculiarity; as, a trait of character.

A particular habit or manner; a peculiarity; a trait; as, a trick of drumming with the fingers; a trick of frowning. The trick of that voice I do well remember. Shak. He hath a trick of Coeur de Lion's face. Shak.

le. -- Universal instrument (Astron.), a species of altitude and azimuth instrument, the peculiarity of which is, that the object end of the telescope is placed at right angles to the eye end, with a prism of total reflection at the angle, and the eye end constitutes a portion of the horizontal axis of the instrument,…