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heel placed below a fall or in a chute where rapidly moving water strikes the tips of the floats; -- so called from the spattering, and the fluttering noise it makes.

To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag. Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job v. 7.

A European plant (Hydrocharis Morsus-ranæ), floating on still water and propagating itself by runners. It has roundish leaves and small white flowers.

n the sky attending frosty weather and formed by reflection of sunlight from ice crystals floating in the air; the parhelic circle whose center is at the zenith.

To put into the form of bonds or stocks bearing regular interest; as, to fund the floating debt.

nging to the family Rallidae. They are remarkable for running rapidly over marshes and on floating plants. The purple gallinule of America is Ionornis Martinica, that of the Old World is Porphyrio porphyrio. The common European gallinule (Gallinula chloropus) is also called moor hen, water hen, water rail, moor coot, n…

A fine, filmy substance, like cobwebs, floating in the air, in calm, clear weather, especially in autumn. It is seen in stubble fields and on furze or low bushes, and is formed by small spiders.

it of a theater. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Ground angling, angling with a weighted line without a float. -- Ground annual (Scots Law), an estate created in land by a vassal who instead of selling his land outright reserves an annual ground rent, which becomes a perpetual charge upon the land. -- Ground ash. (Bot.) See Groutw…

be suspended or fastened to some elevated point without support from below; to dangle; to float; to rest; to remain; to stay.

. -- Horizontal water wheel, a water wheel in which the axis is vertical, the buckets or floats revolving in a horizontal plane, as in most turbines.

e where the sick or wounded of an army cared for. Hospital ship, a vessel fitted up for a floating hospital. -- Hospital Sunday, a Sunday set apart for simultaneous contribution in churches to hospitals; as, the London Hospital Sunday.

To hang fluttering in the air, or on the wing; to remain in flight or floating about or over a place or object; to be suspended in the air above something. Great flights of birds are hovering about the bridge, and settling on it. Addison. A hovering mist came swimming o'er his sight. Dryden.

cific gravity (0.92, that of water at 4° C. being 1.0) being less than that of water, ice floats.

A large mass of ice, generally floating in the ocean.

eral allied genera, all of which have spurs on the wings. They are able to run about over floating water weeds by means of their very long, spreading toes. Called also surgeon bird.

A popular colloquial name for a sailor; -- called also Jack tar, and Jack afloat.

hen cast into the sea, and remain under water; -- distinguished from flotsam, goods which float, and ligan, goods which are sunk attached to a buoy.

A waiter. [Old Cant] Tatler. Floating kidney. See Wandering kidney, under Wandering. -- Kidney bean (Bot.), a sort of bean; -- so named from its shape. It is of the genus Phaseolus (P. vulgaris). See under Bean. -- Kidney ore (Min.), a variety of hematite or iron sesquioxide, occurring in compact kidney-shaped masses…

The float of a mill wheel; -- called also ladle board.

used in fishing to take the fish from the water after being hooked. -- Landing stage, a floating platform attached at one end to a wharf in such a manner as to rise and fall with the tide, and thus facilitate passage between the wharf and a vessel lying beside the stage. -- Landing waiter, a customhouse officer who…