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The time during which one person or gang works until relieved; hence, any relatively short period of time, whether a few hours, days, or weeks. Nothing new hass happened in this quarter, except the setting in of a severe spell of cold weather. Washington.

A short jacket worn by men and by women. Ld. Lutton.

or of most kinds of sea urchins, and consisting of an oval or sherical head surmounting a short pedicel. It is generally supposed to be an olfactory organ.

A kind of short arrow. [Obs.] Bacon.

The act of sprinting; a run of a short distance at full speed. Sprint race, a foot race at the highest running speed; -- usually limited to distance under a quarter of a mile.

Anything short and stiff. [Obs.]

Anything short and thick; specifically, a piece of dough boiled in fat. [Local, U.S.]

iage, as on a military expedition. -- Spun silk, a cheap article produced from floss, or short-fibered, broken, and waste silk, carded and spun, in distinction from the long filaments wound from the cocoon. It is often mixed with cotton. -- Spun yarn (Naut.), a line formed of two or more rope-yarns loosely twisted.…

seman, to urge the horse by its pressure. Modern spurs have a small wheel, or rowel, with short points. Spurs were the badge of knighthood. And on her feet a pair of spurs large. Chaucer.

A person of a short, fat figure. Gorgonious sits abdominous and wan, Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan. Cowper.

Short and thick; suqabbish.

A loud scream; a harsh cry. There oft are heard the notes of infant woe, -The short, thick sob, loud scream, and shriller squall. Pope.

Short and thick, like the figure of an animal squatting. "The round, squat turret." R. Browning. The head [of the squill insect] is broad and squat. Grew.

To utter a sharp, shrill cry, usually of short duration; to cry with an acute tone, as an animal; or, to make a sharp, disagreeable noise, as a pipe or quill, a wagon wheel, a door; to creak. Who can endure to hear one of the rough old Romans squeaking through the mouth of an eunuch Addison. Zoilus calls the companions…

d with a pointed weapon; to pierce; to thrust with a pointed weapon. None shall dare With shortened sword to stab in closer war. Dryden.

Disconnected; separated; distinct; -- a direction to perform the notes of a passage in a short, distinct, and pointed manner. It is opposed to legato, and often indicated by heavy accents written over or under the notes, or by dots when the performance is to be less distinct and emphatic.

e fiber of wool, cotton, flax, or the like; as, a coarse staple; a fine staple; a long or short staple.

of rays varies from five to forty or more. The rays are often long, but are sometimes so short as to appear only as angles to the disklike body. Called also sea star, five-finger, and stellerid.

Continuance in a place; abode for a space of time; sojourn; as, you make a short stay in this city. Make haste, and leave thy business and thy care; No mortal interest can be worth thy stay. Dryden. Embrace the hero and his stay implore. Waller.

The endmost plank of a strake which stops short of the stem or stern.