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A mill for grinding grain; especially, a mill for grinding grists, or portions of grain brought by different customers; a custom mill.

A boy or young man; a waiter; a servant; especially, a man or boy who has charge of horses, or the stable. Spenser.

One who, or that which, grooms horses; especially, a brush rotated by a flexible or jointed revolving shaft, for cleaning horses.

The larva of an insect, especially of a beetle; -- called also grubworm. See Illust. of Goldsmith beetle, under Goldsmith. Yet your butterfly was a grub. Shak.

One who, or that which, grubs; especially, a machine or tool of the nature of a grub ax, .grub hook, etc.

One who carries on, or assists in carrying on, irregular warfare; especially, a member of an independent band engaged in predatory excursions in war time.

Any contrivance, especially one having a directing edge, surface, or channel, for giving direction to the motion of anything, as water, an instrument, or part of a machine, or for directing the hand or eye, as of an operator; as:

A concrete juice produced by various trees found in the Malayan archipelago, especially by the Isonandra, or Dichopsis, Gutta. It becomes soft, and unpressible at the tamperature of boiling water, and, on cooling, retains its new shape. It dissolves in oils and ethers, but not in water. In many of its properties it res…

A shackle; especially, one to confine the legs; a fetter. [Written also give.] Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves. Shak. With gyves upon his wrist. Hood.

A writ having for its object to bring a party before a court or judge; especially, one to inquire into the cause of a person's imprisonment or detention by another, with the view to protect the right to personal liberty; also, one to bring a prisoner into court to testify in a pending trial. Bouvier.…

esident; -- a name applied to and denoting farmers of French descent or origin in Canada, especially in the Province of Quebec; -- usually in plural. The habitants or cultivators of the soil. Parkman.

A short line used in drawing and engraving, especially in shading and denoting different surfaces, as in map drawing. See Hatching.

A person who is blooded; the offspring of parents of different races, especially of the American Indian and the white race.

A circle of light; especially, the bright ring represented in painting as surrounding the heads of saints and other holy persons; a glory; a nimbus.

tro-negative element or radical, which, by combination with a metal, forms a haloid salt; especially, chlorine, bromine, and iodine; sometimes, also, fluorine and cyanogen. See Chlorine family, under Chlorine.

A strong strap or cord. Especially: (a) A rope or strap, with or without a headstall, for leading or tying a horse. (b) A rope for hanging malefactors; a noose. Shak. No man e'er felt the halter draw With good opinion of the law. Trumbull.

The thigh of any animal; especially, the thigh of a hog cured by salting and smoking. A plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak ham. Shak.

A sale, gift, or delivery into the hand of another; especially, a sale, gift, delivery, or using which is the first of a series, and regarded as on omen for the rest; a first installment; an earnest; as the first money received for the sale of goods in the morning, the first money taken at a shop newly opened, the firs…

That by which a thing is suspended. Especially:

Fortuitous elegance; unstudied grace; -- used especially of language. Some beauties yet no precepts can declare, For there's a happiness, as well as care. Pope.