Search the Dictionary

A notch. He took his arrow by the nock. Chapman.

The notch, fork, or other device on the gunwale of a boat, in which the oar rests in rowing. See Rowlock.

A pivoted tongue, or sliding bolt, on one part of a machine, adapted to fall into notches, or interdental spaces, on another part, as a ratchet wheel, in such a manner as to permit motion in one direction and prevent it in the reverse, as in a windlass; a catch, click, or detent. See Illust. of Ratchet Wheel. [Written…

ies are very numerous, especially in tropical seas. The outer lip has usually a posterior notch or slit.

n on stone walls and on the trunks of trees, and has trifoliate, rhombic-ovate, variously notched leaves. Many people are poisoned by it, if they touch the leaves. See Poison sumac. Called also poison oak, and mercury. -- Poison nut. (Bot.) (a) Nux vomica. (b) The tree which yields this seed (Strychnos Nuxvomica). It…

Having the tongue finely notched along the sides, so as to have a featherlike appearance, as the toucans.

An arm attached to a swinging notched arc or rack, to let off the striking mechanism of a repeating clock.

Notched in regular diagonal breaks; -- said of a line, or a bearing having such an edge.

A ratchet wheel, or notched bar, with which a pawl or chick works.

ance or arrangement serving as a fulcrum for an oar in rowing. It consists sometimes of a notch in the gunwale of a boat, sometimes of a pair of pins between which the oar rests on the edge of the gunwale, sometimes of a single pin passing through the oar, or of a metal fork or stirrup pivoted in the gunwale and suport…

o another by a scarf joint, the part of the end or edge that is tapered off, rabbeted, or notched so as to be thinner than the rest of the piece.

A notch or incision; especially, one that is made as a tally mark; hence, a mark, or line, made for the purpose of account. Whereas, before, our forefathers had no other books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused printing to be used. Shak.

held cocked or half cocked. Sear spring, the spring which causes the sear to catch in the notches by which the hammer is held.

Notched on the edge, like a saw.

A notching, like that between the teeth of a saw, in the edge of anything. Martyn.

The state of being notched minutely, like a fine saw. Wright.

orm of a hook, and having a handle fitted on a tang. The sickle has one side of the blade notched, so as always to sharpen with a serrated edge. Cf. Reaping hook, under Reap. When corn has once felt the sickle, it has no more benefit from the sunshine. Shak.

ain course. -- Side glance, a glance or brief look to one side. -- Side hook (Carp.), a notched piece of wood for clamping a board to something, as a bench. -- Side lever, a working beam of a side-lever engine. -- Side-lever engine, a marine steam engine having a working beam of each side of the cylinder, near the…

ed to slide upon the longer arm to produce equilibrium, its place upon this arm (which is notched or graduated) indicating the weight; a Roman balance; -- very commonly used also in the plural form, steelyards.

Originally, a piece of wood on which notches or scores were cut, as the marks of number; later, one of two books, sheets of paper, etc., on which corresponding accounts were kept.