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ge of an instrument breadthwise over the surface with pressure, cutting away excesses and superfluous parts; to make smooth or clean; as, to scrape a bone with a knife; to scrape a metal plate to an even surface.

Hence, a confused contest; a tumultuous struggle for superiority; a fight. The dog leaps upon the serpent, and tears it to pieces; but in the scuffle the cradle happened to be overturned. L'Estrange.

o certain islands along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia; as, sea-island cotton, a superior cotton of long fiber produced on those islands.

Separate; distinct. [Obs.] They suppose two other divine hypostases superior thereunto, which were perfectly secret from matter. Cudworth.

An officer of state whose business is to superintend and manage the affairs of a particular department of government, and who is usually a member of the cabinet or advisory council of the chief executive; as, the secretary of state, who conducts the correspondence and attends to the relations of a government with forei…

The figure made up of all the points common to a superficies and a solid which meet, or to two superficies which meet, or to two lines which meet. In the first case the section is a superficies, in the second a line, and in the third a point.

An officer in the houses of princes and dignitaries, in the Middle Ages, who had the superintendence of feasts and domestic ceremonies; a steward. Sometimes the seneschal had the dispensing of justice, and was given high military commands. Then marshaled feast Served up in hall with sewers and seneschale. Milton. Phili…

an another in age; prior in age; elder; hence, more advanced in dignity, rank, or office; superior; as, senior member; senior counsel.

ther, or at another's command; attendance of an inferior, hired helper. slave, etc., on a superior, employer, master, or the like; also, spiritual obedience and love. "O God . . . whose service is perfect freedom." Bk. of Com. Prayer. Madam, I entreat true peace of you, Which I will purchase with my duteous service. Sh…

(g) (Law) To recite; to state at large. -- To set over. (a) To appoint or constitute as supervisor, inspector, ruler, or commander. (b) To assign; to transfer; to convey. -- To set right, to correct; to put in order. -- To set sail. (Naut.) See under Sail, n. -- To set store by, to consider valuable. -- To set th…

tually deep; not profound; not penetrating deeply; simple; not wise or knowing; ignorant; superficial; as, a shallow mind; shallow learning. The king was neither so shallow, nor so ill advertised, as not to perceive the intention of the French king. Bacon. Deep versed in books, and shallow in himself. Milton.…

anything thin, as paper, cloth, etc.; a broad, thin portion of any substance; an expanded superficies. Specifically:

A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a smaller district; as, Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Richmondshire, Hallamshire. An indefinite number of these hundreds make up a county or shire. Blackstone.…

A young branch or growth. Superfluous branches and shoots of this second spring. Evelyn.

, a. Etym: [Compar. Showier (; superl. Showiest.]

a soft steel plate, which thus becomes a facsimile of the original. The process has been superseded by electrotypy.

as been agreed upon as the occasion of concerted action. All obeyed The wonted signal and superior voice Of this great potentate. Milton.

To burn slightly or superficially; to burn the surface of; to burn the ends or outside of; as, to singe the hair or the skin. You sulphurous and thought-executing fires, . . . Singe my white head! Shak. I singed the toes of an ape through a burning glass. L'Estrange.

ng a man, without being prefixed to his name; -- used especially in speaking to elders or superiors; sometimes, also, used in the way of emphatic formality. "What's that to you, sir" Sheridan.

A tittle of respect formerly used in speaking to elders and superiors, but now only in addressing a sovereign.