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as the fingers; to close by bringing the parts together; as, to shut the hand; to shut a book. To shut in. (a) To inclose; to confine. "The Lord shut him in." Cen. vii. 16. (b) To cover or intercept the view of; as, one point shuts in another. -- To shut off. (a) To exclude. (b) To prevent the passage of, as steam th…

ibyls; uttered, written, or composed by sibyls; like the productions of sibyls. Sibylline books. (a) (Rom. Antiq.) Books or documents of prophecies in verse concerning the fate of the Roman empire, said to have been purchased by Tarquin the Proud from a sibyl. (b) Certain Jewish and early Christian writings purporting…

A letter or figure placed at the bottom of the first page of each sheet of a book or pamphlet, as a direction to the binder in arranging and folding the sheets.

, any bird that sings; a song bird. (b) Specifically, any one of the Oscines. -- Singing book, a book containing music for singing; a book of tunes. -- Singing falcon or hawk. (Zoöl.) See Chanting falcon, under Chanting. -- Singing fish (Zoöl.), a California toadfish (Porichthys porosissimus). -- Singing flame (Aco…

wo players. -- Single-cut file. See the Note under 4th File. -- Single entry. See under Bookkeeping. -- Single file. See under 1st File. -- Single flower (Bot.), a flower with but one set of petals, as a wild rose. -- Single knot. See Illust. under Knot. -- Single whip (Naut.), a single rope running through a fix…

her animals; as, to sit on a sofa, on a chair, or on the ground. And he came and took the book put of the right hand of him that sate upon the seat. Bible (1551) (Rev. v. 7.) I pray you, jest, sir, as you sit at dinner. Shak.

The time during which one sits while doing something, as reading a book, playing a game, etc. For the understanding of any one of St. Paul's Epistles I read it all through at one sitting. Locke.

A thin, weak glue used in various trades, as in painting, bookbinding, paper making, etc.

A book of sketches or for sketches.

uperficially and rapidly, in order to cull the principal facts or thoughts; as, to skim a book or a newspaper.

plit sheepskin, tanned by immersion in sumac, and dyed. It is used for hat linings, pocketbooks, bookbinding, etc.

one which closes with a snapping sound, as the catch of a bracelet, necklace, clasp of a book, etc.

The distance or interval between words or letters in the lines, or between lines, as in books.

punishment; to forbear to punish, injure, or harm; to show mercy to. Spare us, good Lord. Book of Common Prayer. Dim sadness did not spare That time celestial visages. Milton. Man alone can whom he conquers spare. Waller.

To bring forth; to generate; -- used in contempt. One edition [of books] spawneth another. Fuller.

A book of selections for declamation. [U. S.]

Fig.: An aid to the intellectual sight. Shakespeare . . . needed not the spectacles of books to read nature. Dryden.

A spelling book. [U. S.]

Of or pertaining to spelling. Spelling bee, a spelling match. [U.S.] -- Spelling book, a book with exercises for teaching children to spell; a speller. -- Spelling match, a contest of skill in spelling words, between two or more persons.

sporrts; exhibiting the character or conduct of one who, or that which, sports. Sporting book, a book containing a record of bets, gambling operations, and the like. C. Kingsley. -- Sporting house, a house frequented by sportsmen, gamblers, and the like. -- Sporting man, one who practices field sports; also, a horse…