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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



459 words match “SCALE”

BUR; BURR n.
oak (Quercus macrocarpa) with ovoid acorns inclosed in deep cups imbricated with pointed scales. It grows in the Middle and Western United States, and its wood is tough, close-grained, and durable. -- Bur reed (Bot.), a plant of the genus Sparganium, having long ribbonlike leaves.
C n.
(a) The keynote of the normal or "natural" scale, which has neither flats nor sharps in its signature; also, the third note of the relative minor scale of the same (b) C after the clef is the mark of common time, in which each measure is a semibreve (four fourths or crotchets); for alla breve time it is written (c) The…
CADASTRAL a.
to landed property. Cadastral survey, or Cadastral map, a survey, map, or plan on a large scale (Usually topographical map, which exaggerates the dimensions of houses and the breadth of roads and streams, for the sake of distinctness. Brande & C.
CALIBER; CALIBRE n.
compasses. See Calipers. -- Caliber rule, a gunner's calipers, an instrument having two scales arranged to determine a ball's weight from its diameter, and conversely. -- A ship's caliber, the weight of her armament.
CALIBRATION n.
of estimating the caliber a tube, as of a thermometer tube, in order to graduate it to a scale of degrees; also, more generally, the determination of the true value of the spaces in any graduated instrument.
CALLIOPE n.
A musical instrument consisting of series of steam whistles, toned to the notes of the scale, and played by keys arranged like those of an organ. It is sometimes attached to steamboat boilers.
CAMEO n.
A carving in relief, esp. one on a small scale used as a jewel for personal adornment, or like.
CAST v.
To turn (the balance or scale); to overbalance; hence, to make preponderate; to decide; as, a casting voice. How much interest casts the balance in cases dubious! South.
CATAPHRACT n.
sive armor used for the whole body and often for the horse, also, esp. the linked mail or scale armor of some eastern nations.
CATAPHRACTED a.
Covered with a cataphract, or armor of plates, scales, etc.; or with that which corresponds to this, as horny or bony plates, hard, callous skin, etc.
CELSIUS n.
The Celsius thermometer or scale, so called from Anders Celsius, a Swedish astronomer, who invented it. It is the same as the centigrade thermometer or scale.
CENTIGRADE a.
s. It is called also the Celsius thermometer, from Anders Celsius, the originator of this scale.
CERASTES n.
A genus of poisonous African serpents, with a horny scale over each eye; the horned viper.
CHAFF n.
The scales or bracts on the receptacle, which subtend each flower in the heads of many Compositæ, as the sunflower. Gray. Chaff cutter, a machine for cutting, up straw, etc., into "chaff" for the use of cattle.
CHAFFY a. 2 definitions
Resembling chaff; composed of light dry scales.
CHANGE n.
Any order in which a number of bells are struck, other than that of the diatonic scale. Four bells admit twenty-four changes in ringing. Holder. Change of life, the period in the life of a woman when menstruation and the capacity for conception cease, usually occurring between forty-five and fifty years of age. -- Cha…
CHORD n.
, a chord drawn from any point of a curve, in the circle of curvature for that point. -- Scale of chords. See Scale.
CHROMATIC a.
Proceeding by the smaller intervals (half steps or semitones) of the scale, instead of the regular intervals of the diatonic scale.
CHURCH MODES n.
The modes or scales used in ancient church music. See Gregorian.
CINDER n.
A scale thrown off in forging metal.
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