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To break at once into many pieces; to dash, burst, or part violently into fragments; to rend into splinters; as, an explosion shatters a rock or a bomb; too much steam shatters a boiler; an oak is shattered by lightning. A monarchy was shattered to pieces, and divided amongst revolted subjects. Locke.…

Easily breaking into pieces; not compact; loose of texture; brittle; as, shattery spar.

heer strake (Shipbuilding), the strake under the gunwale on the top side. Totten. -- To break sheer (Naut.), to deviate from sheer, and risk fouling the anchor.

To strip or break off the shell of; to take out of the shell, pod, etc.; as, to shell nuts or pease; to shell oysters.

t, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.

A kind of shallow plow used in tillage to break the ground, and clear it of weeds.

-- Ship boy, a boy who serves in a ship. "Seal up the ship boy's eyes." Shak. -- Ship breaker, one who breaks up vessels when unfit for further use. -- Ship broker, a mercantile agent employed in buying and selling ships, procuring cargoes, etc., and generally in transacting the business of a ship or ships when in…

The breaking in pieces, or shattering, of a ship or other vessel by being cast ashore or driven against rocks, shoals, etc., by the violence of the winds and waves.

cally, one of the scales or pieces of the woody part of flax removed by the operation of breaking.

To break into many small pieces, or splinters; to shatter; to dash to pieces by a blow; as, to shiver a glass goblet. All the ground With shivered armor strown. Milton.

parts are varied with dark brown and light brown. It has a yellow throat, yellow local streaks, a black crescent on its breast, a black streak below each eye, and two small black erectile ear tufts. Called also horned lark. -- Shore plover (Zoöl.), a large-billed Australian plover (Esacus magnirostris). It lives on t…

Breaking or crumbling readily in the mouth; crisp; as, short pastry.

An unsweetened breakfast cake shortened with butter or lard, rolled thin, and baked.

A discharge, from the vagina, of mucus streaked with blood, occuring a short time before labor.

To utter an acute, piercing sound; to sound with a sharp, shrill tone; to become shrill. Break we our pipes, that shrilledloud as lark. Spenser. No sounds were heard but of the shrilling cock. Goldsmith. His voice shrilled with passion. L. Wallace.

n and out; of a serpentine or undulating form; winding; crooked. -- Sin"u*ous*ly, adv. Streaking the ground with sinuous trace. Milton. Gardens bright with sinuous rills. Coleridge.

Wanton; restive; freakish; volatile; changeable; fickle. "Skittish Fortune's hall." Shak. -- Skit"tish*ly, adv. -- Skit"tish*ness, n.

To break in pieces by violence; to dash to pieces; to crush. Here everything is broken and smashed to pieces. Burke.

One who, or that which, smashes or breaks things to pieces.

ppressed activity; quiet but not dead. Some evil chance Will make the smoldering scandal break and blaze. Tennyson.