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To run swiftly round, as a small stream flowing among stones or other obstructions; to eddy; also, to make a murmuring sound, as water does in running over or through obstructions. Swift o'er the rolling pebbles, down the hills, Louder and louder purl the falling rills. Pope.

The motion of a small stream running among obstructions; also, the murmur it makes in so doing.

rd. (a) A device attached to the front of a locomotive on each side for 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 h…

A cyst formed under the tongue by obstruction of the duct of the submaxillary gland.

That which retards; an obstacle; an obstruction. Hills, sloughs, and other terrestrial retardations. Sir W. Scott.

the right be duly paid; a lien. Erskine. Craig. Retention cyst (Med.), a cyst produced by obstruction of a duct leading from a secreting organ and the consequent retention of the natural secretions.

rs to pass or to be seated. -- To make room, to open a space, way, or passage; to remove obstructions; to give room. Make room, and let him stand before our face. Shak.

That which rubs; that which tends to hinder or obstruct motion or progress; hindrance; obstruction, an impediment; especially, a difficulty or obstruction hard to overcome; a pinch. Every rub is smoothed on our way. Shak. To sleep, perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub. Shak. Upon this rub, the English ambassadors th…

An accumulation of adherent, partly fused material forming a shelf, or dome-shaped obstruction, above the tuyères in a blast furnace.

animals. Sebaceous cyst (Med.), a cyst formed by distention of a sebaceous gland, due to obstruction of its excretory duct. -- Sebaceous glands (Anat.), small subcutaneous glands, usually connected with hair follicles. They secrete an oily semifluid matter, composed in great part of fat, which softens and lubricates…

A hindrance; an obstruction. [Obs.] Bacon.

Flowing or uttered without check, obstruction, or hesitation; not harsh; voluble; even; fluent. The only smooth poet of those times. Milton. Waller was smooth; but Dryden taught to join The varying verse, the full-resounding line. Pope. When sage Minerva rose, From her sweet lips smooth elocution flows. Gay.…

s of an antler. Snag boat, a steamboat fitted with apparatus for removing snags and other obstructions in navigable streams. [U.S.] -- Snag tooth. Same as Snag, 2. How thy snag teeth stand orderly, Like stakes which strut by the water side. J. Cotgrave.

Obstruction of the nose by mucus; nasal catarrh of infants or children. [Colloq.]

To die by reason of obstruction of the breath, or because some noxious substance prevents respiration. You shall stifle in your own report. Shak.

stopped; hindrance of progress or of action; cessation; repression; interruption; check; obstruction. It is doubtful . . . whether it contributed anything to the stop of the infection. De Foe. Occult qualities put a stop to the improvement of natural philosophy. Sir I. Newton. It is a great step toward the mastery of…

Having the circulation stopped by compression; attended with arrest or obstruction of circulation, caused by constriction or compression; as, a strangulated hernia.

To obstruct, as any of the organs; to affect with some obstruction in the organs of sense or respiration. I'm stuffed, cousin; I can not smell. Shak.

A pin in a tumbler lock which forms an obstruction to throwing the bolt, except when the gates of the tumblers are properly arranged, as by the key; a fence; also, a pin or projection in a lock to form a guide for a movable piece. Leg stump (Cricket), the stump nearest to the batsman. -- Off stump (Cricket), the stump…

vocal sound, not pure as in the vowels, but dimmed and otherwise modified by some kind of obstruction in the oral or the nasal passage, and in some cases with a mixture of breath sound; -- a term introduced by Dr. James Rush in 1833. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§155, 199-202.