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dark brown or black color like soot; fuliginous; dusky; dark. "The grisly legions that troop under the sooty flag of Acheron." Milton. Sooty albatross (Zoöl.), an albatross (Phoebetria fuliginosa) found chiefly in the Pacific Ocean; -- called also nellie. -- Sooty tern (Zoöl.), a tern (Sterna fuliginosa) found chiefl…

A chance group; a company of persons who happen to be together; a troop; also, an assemblage of animals. [Obs.] "A sort of shepherds." Spenser. "A sort of steers." Spenser. "A sort of doves." Dryden. "A sort of rogues." Massinger. A boy, a child, and we a sort of us, Vowed against his voyage. Chapman.…

The sudden issuing of a body of troops, usually small, from a besieged place to attack or harass the besiegers; a sally.

To sweep. See Sweep, and Swoop. [Obs.]

To swoop or plunge, as a bird upon its prey; to fall suddenly; to rush with speed; to make a sudden attack. For then I viewed his plunge and souse Into the foamy main. Marston. Jove's bird will souse upon the timorous hare. J. Dryden. Jr.

One of a breed of small dogs having long and thick hair and large drooping ears. The legs are usually strongly feathered, and the tail bushy. See Illust. under Clumber, and Cocker.

wist, given to the yarn by a revolving bobbin, is regulated by the drag of a small metal loop which slides around a ring encircling the bobbin, instead of by a throstle.

ts of a cylinder of wood, covered with sheepskin with the wool on, or cloth with a heavy looped nap, and having a handle, or staff.

Primarily, a square; hence, a square body of troops; a body of troops drawn up in a square. [R.] Those half-rounding quards Just met, and, closing, stood in squadron joined. Milton.

To scatter; to disperse. [Obs.] Our squandered troops he rallies. Dryden.

A body of troops formed in a square, esp. one formed to resist a charge of cavalry; a squadron. "The brave squares of war." Shak.

To sit close to the ground; to cower; to stoop, or lie close, to escape observation, as a partridge or rabbit.

A large drinking cup. Greene. Standard bearer, an officer of an army, company, or troop, who bears a standard; -- commonly called color sergeantor color bearer; hence, the leader of any organization; as, the standard bearer of a political party.

A loop of iron, or a bar or wire, bent and formed with two points to be driven into wood, to hold a hook, pin, or the like.

The cuckoopint, the tubers of which yield a fine quality of starch.

Strong; vigorous; powerful. A stark, moss-trooping Scot. Sir W. Scott. Stark beer, boy, stout and strong beer. Beau. & Fl.

m Eng.), a hand lever for working the values in starting an engine. -- Starting hole, a loophole; evasion. [Obs.] -- Starting point, the point from which motion begins, or from which anything starts. -- Starting post, a post, stake, barrier, or place from which competitors in a race start, or begin the race.…

set; to appoint or assign to the occupation of a post, place, or office; as, to station troops on the right of an army; to station a sentinel on a rampart; to station ships on the coasts of Africa. He gained the brow of the hill, where the English phalanx was stationed. Lyttelton.

A pole, or piece of wood, constructed with a step or loop to raise the foot above the ground in walking. It is sometimes lashed to the leg, and sometimes prolonged upward so as to be steadied by the hand or arm. Ambition is but avarice on stilts, and masked. Landor.

g services for a stated price or compensation. His great stipendiary prelates came with troops of evil-appointed horseman not half full. Knolles.