JEWISH CALENDAR n.
] was the first year of the 299th lunar cycle. The common year is said to be defective, regular, or perfect (or abundant) according as it has 353, 354, or 355 days. The leap year has an intercalary month, and a total of 383 (defective), 384 (regular), or 385 (perfect, or abundant) days. The calendar is complicated by v…
JOG n.
A rub; a slight stop; an obstruction; hence, an irregularity in motion of from; a hitch; a break in the direction of a line or the surface of a plane. Glanvill. Jog trot, a slow, regular, jolting gait; hence, a routine habit or method, persistently adhered to. T. Hook.
KAGU n.
A singular, crested, grallatorial bird (Rhinochetos jubatus), native of New Caledonia. It is gray above, paler beneath, and the feathers of the wings and tail are handsomely barred with brown, black, and gray. It is allied to the sun bittern.
KEY n.
A family of tones whose regular members are called diatonic tones, and named key tone (or tonic) or one (or eight), mediant or three, dominant or five, subdominant or four, submediant or six, supertonic or two, and subtonic or seven. Chromatic tones are temporary members of a key, under such names as " sharp four," "fl…
LAPWING n.
cristatus, or V. vanellus). It has long and broad wings, and is noted for its rapid, irregular fight, upwards, downwards, and in circles. Its back is coppery or greenish bronze. Its eggs are the "plover's eggs" of the London market, esteemed a delicacy. It is called also peewit, dastard plover, and wype. The gray lapw…
LATEEN a.
gled triangle; cf. It. & Sp. vela latina; properly Latin sail. See Latin.] (Naut.) A triangular sail, extended by a long yard, which is slung at about one fourth of its length from the lower end, to a low mast, this end being brought down at the tack, while the other end is elevated at an angle or about forty-five degr…
LATHE n.
ting up the weft; -- called also lay and batten. Blanchard lathe, a lathe for turning irregular forms after a given pattern, as lasts, gunstocks, and the like. -- Drill lathe, or Speed lathe, a small lathe which, from its high speed, is adapted for drilling; a hand lathe. -- Engine lathe, a turning lathe in which the…