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and new matter, distinguished from the general issue. Bouvier. -- Special pleader (Law), originally, a counsel who devoted himself to drawing special counts and pleas; in a wider sense, a lawyer who draws pleadings. -- Special pleading (Law), the allegation of special or new matter, as distingiushed from a direct den…

h, appended to the name of the genus, constitutes the distinctive name of the species; -- originally applied by Linnæus to the essential character of the species, or the essential difference. The present specific name he at first called the trivial name. -- Specific performance (Law), the peformance of a contract or a…

An iron pan with a long handle, used as a kitchen utensil in frying food. Originally, it had long legs, and was used over coals on the hearth.

The track or trail of any wild animal; as, the spoor of an elephant; -- used originally by travelers in South Africa.

as for passing from one story of a house to another; -- commonly used in the plural; but originally used in the singular only. "I a winding stair found." Chaucer's Dream. Below stairs, in the basement or lower part of a house, where the servants are. -- Flight of stairs, the stairs which make the whole ascent of a st…

t; to fix deeply; as, to stamp virtuous principles on the heart. God . . . has stamped no original characters on our minds wherein we may read his being. Locke.

by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, extent, value, or quality; esp., the original specimen weight or measure sanctioned by government, as the standard pound, gallon, or yard.

A suffix denoting the agent (originally a woman), especially a person who does something with skill or as an occupation; as in spinster (originally, a woman who spins), songster, baxter (= bakester), youngster.

th cream added; -- so called from the village or parish of Stilton, England, where it was originally made. It is very rich in fat.

The original progenitor; also, the race or line of a family; the progenitor of a family and his direct descendants; lineage; family. And stand betwixt them made, when, severally, All told their stock. Chapman. Thy mother was no goddess, nor thy stock From Dardanus. Denham.

An ornamental covering for the breast, worn originally both by men and women. Those worn by women were often richly decorated. A stately lady in a diamond stomacher. Johnson.

Originally, a covered porch with seats, at a house door; the Dutch stoep as introduced by the Dutch into New York. Afterward, an out-of-door flight of stairs of from seven to fourteen steps, with platform and parapets, leading to an entrance door some distance above the street; the French perron. Hence, any porch, plat…

here. Granville. My child is yet a stranger in the world. Shak. I was no stranger to the original. Dryden.

Originally, a paved way or road; a public highway; now commonly, a thoroughfare in a city or village, bordered by dwellings or business houses. He removed [the body of] Amasa from the street unto the field. Coverdale. At home or through the high street passing. Milton.

, the original compar. & superl. of Strong. [Obs.] Two of us shall strenger be than one. Chaucer.

The act of one who strips. The mutual bows and courtesies . . . are remants of the original prostrations and strippings of the captive. H. Spencer. Never were cows that required such stripping. Mrs. Gaskell.

ain the old declensional endings. In the Teutonic languages the vowel stems have held the original endings most firmly, and are called strong; the stems in -n are called weak other constant stems conform, or are irregular. F. A. March. Strong conjugation (Gram.), the conjugation of a strong verb; -- called also old, or…

A representation or rendering of any object or scene intended, not for exhibition as an original work of art, but for the information, instruction, or assistance of the maker; as, a study of heads or of hands for a figure picture.

diamond. 3. The needle-like device used to cut the grooves which record the sound on the original disc during recording of a phonograph record. 4. (Computers)

The act or power of originating or recalling ideas or relations, distinguished as original and relative; -- a term much used by Scottish metaphysicians from Hutcherson to Thomas Brown.