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One of the chief magistrates of the Italian republics in the Middle Ages. Brande & C.

The step, or raised secondary part, of an altar; a superaltar; hence, in Italian painting, a band or frieze of several pictures running along the front of a superaltar, or forming a border or frame at the foot of an altarpiece.

The lower classes; beggars. "The Italian proletariate." J. A. Symonds.

The fifteenth century, when applied to Italian art or literature; as, the sculpture of the quattrocento; quattrocento style. --Quat`tro*cen"tist (#), n.

A prefix, from the Latin re and ad combined, coming to us through the French and Italian. See Re-, and Ad-.

The principles of painting introduced by Raphael, the Italian painter.

grass (Lolium perenne); -- called also rye grass, and red darnel. See Darnel, and Grass. Italian ray, or rye, grass. See Darnel, and Grass.

A favorite Italian public entertainment, consisting of music and dancing, -- held generally on fast eves. Brande & C. There are to be ridottos at guinea tickets. Walpole.

. Roman alum (Chem.), a cubical potassium alum formerly obtained in large quantities from Italian alunite, and highly valued by dyers on account of its freedom from iron. -- Roman balance, a form of balance nearly resembling the modern steelyard. See the Note under Balance, n., 1. -- Roman candle, a kind of firework…

ects, which were originally forms of popular or vulgar Latin, and have now developed into Italian. Spanish, French, etc. (called the Romanic languages).

ch, during the Middle Ages, sprung out of the old Roman, or popular form of Latin, as the Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Provencal, etc.

A disease in a hawk. Ainsworth. Rye grass, Italian rye grass, (Bot.) See under Grass. See also Ray grass, and Darnel. -- Wild rye (Bot.), any plant of the genus Elymus, tall grasses with much the appearance of rye.

A popular Italian dance in quick 3-4 or 6-8 time, running mostly in triplets, but with a hop step at the beginning of each measure. See Tarantella.

A personage in the old Italian comedy (derived from Spain) characterized by great boastfulness and poltroonery; hence, a person of like characteristics; a buffoon.

A dangerous rock on the Italian coast opposite the whirpool Charybdis on the coast of Sicily, -- both personified in classical literature as ravenous monsters. The passage between them was formerly considered perilous; hence, the saying "Between Scylla and Charybdis," signifying a great peril on either hand.…

was first struck at Venice about the end of the 13th century, and afterward in the other Italian cities, and by the Levant trade was introduced into Turkey. It is worth about 9s. 3d. sterling, or about $2.25. The different kinds vary somewhat in value. [Written also chequin, and zequin.]

Sir; Mr. The English form and pronunciation for the Italian Signor and the Spanish Señor.

Sir; Mr; -- a title of address or respect among the Italians. Before a noun the form is Signor.

Madam; Mrs; -- a title of address or respect among the Italians.

Miss; -- a title of address among the Italians.