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forms; devoted to forms and ceremonies; formally respectful; punctilious. "Ceremonious phrases." Addison. Too ceremonious and traditional. Shak.

A class of parasitic worms (Platelminthes) of which the tapeworms are the most common examples. The body is flattened, and usually but not always long, and composed of numerous joints or segments, each of which may contain a complete set of male and female reproductive organs. They have neither mouth nor intestine. See…

The glumes or husks of grains and grasses separated from the seed by threshing and winnowing, etc. So take the corn and leave the chaff behind. Dryden. Old birds are not caught with caff. Old Proverb.

a numerous family of hymenopterous insects (Chalcididæ. Many are gallflies, others are parasitic on insects.

An engraver on copper or brass; hence, an engraver of copper plates for printing upon paper.

The act or art of engraving on copper or brass, especially of engraving for printing.

ning copper, iron, and sulphur. It occurs massive and in tetragonal crystals of a bright brass yellow color.

dialect of the Chaldeans; eastern Aramaic, or the Aramaic used in Chaldea. Chaldee Paraphrase, A targum written in Aramaic.

An edible species of mushroom (Agaricus campestris). Fairy ring champignon, the Marasmius oreades, which has a strong flavor but is edible.

wboys, to protect the legs from thorny bushes, as in the chaparral; -- called also chapareras or colloq. chaps. [Sp. Amer.]

A cap of maintenance. See Maintenance. Chapeau bras ( Etym: [F. chapeau hat + bras arm], a hat so made that it can be compressed and carried under the arm without injury. Such hats were particularly worn on dress occasions by gentlemen in the 18th century. A chapeau bras is now worn in the United States army by general…

A cruciferous plant (Brassica sinapistrum) with yellow flowers; wild mustard. It is troublesome in grain fields. Called also chardock, chardlock, chedlock, and kedlock. Jointed charlock, White charlock, a troublesome weed (Raphanus Raphanistrum) with straw- colored, whitish, or purplish flowers, and jointed pods: wild…

Careful; wary; cautious; not rash, reckless, or spendthrift; saving; frugal. His rising reputation made him more chary of his fame. Jeffrey.

ommon; mean. You grow cheap in every subject's eye. Dryden. Dog cheap, very cheap, -- a phrase formed probably by the catachrestical transposition of good cheap. [Colloq.]

A troublesome grass, growing as a weed in grain fields; -- called also chess. See Chess.

againts a preceding joint or a projecting part of it, so that the whole may be ised for grasping, as the claw of a crab; pincherlike.

he plum) bearing a fleshy drupe with a bony stone; (a) The common garden cherry (Prunus Cerasus), of which several hundred varieties are cultivated for the fruit, some of which are, the begarreau, blackheart, black Tartarian, oxheart, morelle or morello, May-duke (corrupted from Médoc in France). (b) The wild cherry; a…

A species of brome grass (Bromus secalinus) which is a troublesome weed in wheat flelds, and is often erroneously regarded as degenerate or changed wheat; it bears a very slight resemblance to oats, and if reaped and ground up with wheat, so as to be used for food, is said to produce narcotic effects; -- called also ch…

An inversion of the order of words or phrases, when repeated or subsequently referred to in a sentence; thus, If e'er to bless thy sons My voice or hands deny, These hands let useful skill forsake, This voice in silence die. Dwight.

A Mexican prickly poppy (Argemone platyceras), which has migrated into California.