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The spreading abroad, or extension, of anything; diffusion; dissemination; as, the propagation of sound; the propagation of the gospel. Bacon.

A class of Mollusca in which the anterior lobes of the foot are developed in the form of broad, thin, winglike organs, with which they swim at near the surface of the sea.

Open to common or general use; as, a public road; a public house. "The public street." Shak. Public act or statute (Law), an act or statute affecting matters of public concern. Of such statutes the courts take judicial notice. -- Public credit. See under Credit. -- Public funds. See Fund, 3. -- Public house, an inn,…

A corporation, such as a railroad company, lighting company, water company, etc., organized or chartered to follow a public calling or to render services more or less essential to the general public convenience or safety.

ing in the designs or doings of others. Barrow. Others pudder into their food with their broad nebs. Holland.

A wheel with a broad rim, or grooved rim, for transmitting power from, or imparting power to, the different parts of machinery, or for changing the direction of motion, by means of a belt, cord, rope, or chain.

A broad, shallow basket, for displaying fruit or flowers.

pletion; to accomplish; as, he put through a measure of legislation; he put through a railroad enterprise. [U.S.] -- To put to. (a) To add; to unite; as, to put one sum to another. (b) To refer to; to expose; as, to put the safety of the state to hazard. "That dares not put it to the touch." Montrose.…

A punting pole with a broad flange near the end to prevent it from sinking into the mud; a setting pole.

Request; desire; solicitation. Gad not abroad at every quest and call Of an untrained hope or passion. Herbert.

ed, and held tight by the use of a small stick of wood twisted around. -- Rack rail (Railroads), a toothed rack, laid as a rail, to afford a hold for teeth on the driving wheel of locomotive for climbing steep gradients, as in ascending a mountain. -- Rack saw, a saw having wide teeth. -- Rack stick, the stick used…

A broad wooden shoe or patten for a man horse, to enable him to step on marshy or soft ground. Racket court, a court for playing the game of rackets.

A hostile or predatory incursion; an inroad or incursion of mounted men; a sudden and rapid invasion by a cavalry force; a foray. Marauding chief! his sole delight. The moonlight raid, the morning fight. Sir W. Scott. There are permanent conquests, temporary occupation, and occasional raids. H. Spenser.…

or clearing the rail obstructions. (b) A guard rail. See under Guard. -- Rail joint (Railroad), a splice connecting the adjacent ends of rails, in distinction from a chair, which is merely a seat. The two devices are sometimes united. Among several hundred varieties, the fish joint is standard. See Fish joint, under F…

A broad embankment of earth round a place, upon which the parapet is raised. It forms the substratum of every permanent fortification. Mahan.

A broad-leaved species of garlic (Allium ursinum), common in European gardens; -- called also buckram.

In a restricted sense, any of the broad, flat, narrow-tailed species, as the skates and sting rays. See Skate. Bishop ray, a yellow-spotted, long-tailed eagle ray (Stoasodon nàrinari) of the Southern United States and the West Indies. -- Butterfly ray, a short-tailed American sting ray (Pteroplatea Maclura), having ve…

rt to obtain funds for the preservation of the assets held by him, as for operating a railroad. Receivers' certificates are ordinarily a first lien on the assets, prior to that of bonds or other securities.

idly cooling heated liquids or vapors, connected with a still, etc. Refrigerator car (Railroad), a freight car constructed as a refrigerator, for the transportation of fresh meats, fish, etc., in a temperature kept cool by ice.

To fund again or anew; to replace (a fund or loan) by a new fund; as, to refund a railroad loan.