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A long seat, usually with a cushioned bottom, back, and ends; - - much used as a comfortable piece of furniture. Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa round. Cowper. Sofa bed, a sofa so contrived that it may be extended to form a bed; -- called also sofa bedstead.

ey are often bright green, with a metallic luster, and are ornamented on the sides of the back with markings of yellow, like epaulets or shoulder straps. -- Soldier moth (Zoöl.), a large geometrid moth (Euschema militaris), having the wings bright yellow with bluish black lines and spots. -- Soldier orchis (Bot.), a…

An electrodynamic spiral having the conjuctive wire turned back along its axis, so as to neutralize that component of the effect of the current which is due to the length of the spiral, and reduce the whole effect to that of a series of equal and parallel circular currents. When traversed by a current the solenoid exhi…

The plate forming the back of a waterwheel bucket.

egree or measure; a little. His giantship is gone, somewhat crestfallen. Milton. Somewhat back from the village street. Longfellow.

A North American rail (Porzana Carolina) common in the Eastern United States. Its back is golden brown, varied with black and white, the front of the head and throat black, the breast and sides of the head and neck slate-colored. Called also American rail, Carolina rail, Carolina crake, common rail, sora rail, soree, m…

One of the fruit dots, or small clusters of sporangia, on the back of the fronds of ferns.

A hat made of painted canvas, oiled cloth, or the like, with a flap at the back, -- worn in stormy weather.

ich they prey. The eyes are usually eight in number (rarely six), and are situated on the back of the cephalothorax. See Illust. under Araneina.

Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the backbone, or vertebral column; rachidian; vertebral.

The backbone, or spinal column, of an animal; -- so called from the projecting processes upon the vertebræ.

A flat muscle of the back of the neck.

A joint of the backbone; a vertebra.

To fly back; as, a bow, when bent, springs back by its elastic power.

The bottom stone of an arch, which lies on the impost. The skew back is one form of springer.

To drive back or away, as with the foot; to kick. [The bird] with his foot will spurn adown his cup. Chaucer. I spurn thee like a cur out of my way. Shak.

potted squeteague (C. nebulosus) of the Southern United States is a similar fish, but the back and upper fins are spotted with black. It is called also spotted weakfish, and, locally, sea trout, and sea salmon.

ch, for one of the officiating clergy. It is inclosed, either wholly or partially, at the back and sides. The stalls are frequently very rich, with canopies and elaborate carving. The dignifird clergy, out of humanility, have called their thrones by the names of stalls. Bp. Warburton. Loud the monks in their stalls. Lo…

Whatever constitutes the principal strength or support of anything; power of endurance; backbone; vigor; as, the stamina of a constitution or of life; the stamina of a State. He succeeded to great captains who had sapped the whole stamina and resistance of the contest. De Quincey.

A standing without moving forward or backward; a stop; a state or rest.