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le by coming with planetary velocity into the upper regions of the atmosphere. At certain periods, as on the 13th of November and 10th of August, they appear for a few hours in great numbers, apparently diverging from some point in the heavens, such displays being known as meteoric showers, or star showers. These bodie…

One of the two annular plates at the periphery of a water wheel, which form the sides of the buckets; a shroud plate. Bowsprit shrouds (Naut.), ropes extending from the head of the bowsprit to the sides of the vessel. -- Futtock shrouds (Naut.), iron rods connecting the topmast rigging with the lower rigging, passing…

The days immediately preceding Ash Widnesday, especially the period between the evening before Quinguagesima Sunday and the morning of Ash Wednesday.

enser. In our great hall there stood a vacant chair . . . And Merlin called it "The siege perilous." Tennyson.

lk vessel. (Zoöl.) Same as Silk gland, above. -- Virginia silk (Bot.), a climbing plant (Periploca Græca) of the Milkweed family, having a silky tuft on the seeds. It is native in Southern Europe.

nder Balsam. -- Silver age (Roman Lit.), the latter part (a. d. 14-180) of the classical period of Latinity, -- the time of writers of inferior purity of language, as compared with those of the previous golden age, so-called. -- Silver-bell tree (Bot.), an American shrub or small tree (Halesia tetraptera) with white…

The period of a transitory breeze.

A natural and healthy, but temporary and periodical, suspension of the functions of the organs of sense, as well as of those of the voluntary and rational soul; that state of the animal in which there is a lessened acuteness of sensory perception, a confusion of ideas, and a loss of mental control, followed by a more o…

n a great variety of circumstances; as, a slight (i. e., feeble) effort; a slight (i. e., perishable) structure; a slight (i. e., not deep) impression; a slight (i. e., not convincing) argument; a slight (i. e., not thorough) examination; slight (i. e., not severe) pain, and the like. "At one slight bound." Milton. Sli…

To cover over; to disguise; to conceal; to pass over lightly or with little notice. With periods, points, and tropes, he slurs his crimes. Dryden.

A short period of vigorous action; as, a snatch at weeding after a shower. Tusser. They move by fits and snatches. Bp. Wilkins.

the genus Leucoium (L. vernum, æstivum, etc.) resembling the snowdrop, but having all the perianth leaves of equal size.

The persons, collectively considered, who live in any region or at any period; any community of individuals who are united together by a common bond of nearness or intercourse; those who recognize each other as associates, friends, and acquaintances.

an praiseth his neighbor by a wicked intent. Chaucer. Most gentlemen of property, at some period or other of their lives, are ambitious of representing their county in Parliament. Blackstone.

ours, as distinguished from the Egyptian vague year, which contained 365 days. The Sothic period consists of 1,460 Sothic years, being equal to 1,461 vague years. One of these periods ended in July, a. d. 139.

so is good news from a far country. Prov. xxv. 25. God forbid so many simple souls Should perish by the aword! Shak. Now mistress Gilpin (careful soul). Cowper.

he 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.

Power or effect of magic; that which is wrought by magic; enchantment. Like those Peri isles of light That hang by spellwork in the air. Moore.

To be destroyed, ruined, or wasted; to come to ruin; to perish; to waste. [Obs.] That thou wilt suffer innocents to spill. Chaucer.

eing confined to the so-called gray matter of the central portions of the cord, while the peripheral white matter is composed of nerve fibers only. The center of the cord is traversed by a slender canal connecting with the ventricles of the brain.