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A fleshy, three-celled, many-seeded fruit, as the melon, pumpkin, cucumber, etc., of the order Cucurbitaceæ; and especially the bottle gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris) which occurs in a great variety of forms, and, when the interior part is removed, serves for bottles, dippers, cups, and other dishes.

dants sometimes of Apollo but oftener of Venus. They were commonly mentioned as three in number; namely, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, and were regarded as the inspirers of the qualities which give attractiveness to wisdom, love, and social intercourse. The Graces love to weave the rose. Moore. The Loves delighted, a…

is more common in England than in the United States. When any town shall increase to the number of a hundred families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the University. Mass. Records (1647).

A cluster, usually nine in number, of small iron balls, put together by means of cast-iron circular plates at top and bottom, with two rings, and a central connecting rod, in order to be used as a charge for a cannon. Formerly grapeshot were inclosed in canvas bags.

scientific analysis or investigation, in which the relations or laws involved in tabular numbers are represented to the eye by means of curves or other figures; as the daily changes of weather by means of curves, the abscissas of which represent the hours of the day, and the ordinates the corresponding degrees of tempe…

rather large and swift California whale (Rhachianectes glaucus), formerly taken in large numbers in the bays; -- called also grayback, devilfish, and hardhead.

mallus vulgaris), allied to the trout, but having a very broad dorsal fin; -- called also umber. It inhabits cold mountain streams, and is valued as a game fish. And here and there a lusty trout, And here and there a grayling. Tennyson.

Large in number; numerous; as, a great company, multitude, series, etc.

The number of twelve dozen; twelve times twelve; as, a gross of bottles; ten gross of pens. Advowson in gross (Law), an advowson belonging to a person, and not to a manor. -- A great gross, twelve gross; one hundred and forty-four dozen. -- By the gross, by the quantity; at wholesale. -- Common in gross. (Law) See u…

A number of eighth, sixteenth, etc., notes joined at the stems; -- sometimes rather indefinitely applied to any ornament made up of a few short notes.

the development from a seed, germ, or root, to full size or maturity; increase in size, number, frequency, strength, etc.; augmentation; advancement; production; prevalence or influence; as, the growth of trade; the growth of power; the growth of intemperance. Idle weeds are fast in growth. Shak.

A director (usually one holding a number of directorships) who serves merely or mainly for the fee (in England, often a guinea) paid for attendance. [Colloq.]

The number of guns carried by a ship of war.

garithmic line on Gunter's scale, used for performing the multiplication and division of numbers mechanically by the dividers; -- called also line of lines, and line of numbers.

An apparatus for determining the number of corpuscles in a given quantity of blood.

An instrument for determining the number of blood corpuscles in a given quantity of blood.

A kingfisher. By modern ornithologists restricted to a genus including a limited number of species having omnivorous habits, as the sacred kingfisher (Halcyon sancta) of Australia. Amidst our arms as quiet you shall be As halcyons brooding on a winter sea. Dryden.

A bird of the Heron family; the umber.

kle; to insnare; to inveigle; hence, to impede in motion or progress; to embarrass; to encumber. "Hampered nerves." Blackmore. A lion hampered in a net. L'Estrange. They hamper and entangle our souls. Tillotson.

To encumber with a handicap in any contest; hence, in general, to place at disadvantage; as, the candidate was heavily handicapped.