CARDINAL a.
inal points (a) (Geol.) The four principal points of the compass, or intersections of the horizon with the meridian and the prime vertical circle, north, south east, and west. (b) (Astrol.) The rising and setting of the sun, the zenith and nadir. -- Cardinal signs (Astron.) Aries, Lidra, Cancer, and Capricorn. -- Car…
CHORD n.
The upper or lower part of a truss, usually horizontal, resisting compression or tension. Waddell. Accidental, Common, and Vocal chords. See under Accidental, Common, and Vocal. -- Chord of an arch. See Illust. of Arch. -- Chord of curvature, a chord drawn from any point of a curve, in the circle of curvature for tha…
COBWORK a.
Built of logs, etc., laid horizontally, with the ends dovetailed together at the corners, as in a log house; in marine work, often surrounding a central space filled with stones; as, a cobwork dock or breakwater.
COLLAR n.
A curb, or a horizontal timbering, around the mouth of a shaft. Raymond. Collar beam (Arch.), a horizontal piece of timber connecting and tying together two opposite rafters; -- also, called simply collar. -- Collar of brawn, the quantity of brawn bound up in one parcel. [Eng.] Johnson. -- Collar day, a day of great…
CONTOUR n.
The outline of a horizontal section of the ground, or of works of fortification. Contour feathers (Zoöl.), those feathers that form the general covering of a bird. -- Contour of ground (Surv.), the outline of the surface of ground with respect to its undulation, etc. -- Contour line (Topographical Suv.), the line in…