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To bring to the metallic state by separating from impurities; hence, in general, to remove oxygen from; to deoxidize; to combine with, or to subject to the action of, hydrogen; as, ferric iron is reduced to ferrous iron; or metals are reduced from their ores; -- opposed to Ant: oxidize.

ction (Opt.), the angle which a refracted ray makes with the perpendicular to the surface separating the two media traversed by the ray. -- Conical refraction (Opt.), the refraction of a ray of light into an infinite number of rays, forming a hollow cone. This occurs when a ray of light is passed through crystals of s…

The act, operation, or process of resolving. Specifically: (a) The act of separating a compound into its elements or component parts.

To prepare for use, as flax, by separating the fibers from the woody part by process of soaking, macerating, and other treatment. Ure.

A sieve with coarse meshes, usually of wire, for separating coarser materials from finer, as chaff from grain, cinders from ashes, or gravel from sand.

ny implement or machine working with a rocking motion, as a trough mounted on rockers for separating gold dust from gravel, etc., by agitation in water.

attached; a whiffletree. [Eng.] -- Roller gin, a cotton gin inn which rolls are used for separating the seeds from the fiber. -- Roller mill. See under Mill. -- Roller skate, a skate which has small wheels in the place of the metallic runner; -- designed for use in skating upon a smooth, hard surface, other than ice…

To expose, as flax, to a process of maceration, etc., for the purpose of separating the fiber; to ret.

The act of breaking apart, or separating; the state of being asunder; as, the rupture of the skin; the rupture of a vessel or fiber; the rupture of a lutestring. Arbuthnot. Hatch from the egg, that soon, Bursting with kindly rupture, forth disclosed Their callow young. Milton.

The act of separating, or the state of being separated, or separate. Specifically:

An apparatus used in separating, as a separating funnel.

A wall separating two cavities; a partition; as, the nasal septum.

The act of shedding, separating, or casting off or out; as, the shedding of blood.

A utensil for separating the finer and coarser parts of a pulverized or granulated substance from each other. It consist of a vessel, usually shallow, with the bottom perforated, or made of hair, wire, or the like, woven in meshes. "In a sieve thrown and sifted." Chaucer.

The dead mass separating from a foul sore; the dead part which separates from the living tissue in mortification.

mpression and separation of the parts of the mouth; to make a noise with, as the lips, by separating them in the act of kissing or after tasting. Drinking off the cup, and smacking his lips with an air of ineffable relish. Sir W. Scott.

To melt or fuse, as, ore, for the purpose of separating and refining the metal; hence, to reduce; to refine; to flux or scorify; as, to smelt tin.

The act of separating the parts of any body, or the condition of undergoing a separation of parts; disruption; breach. In all bodies there is an appetite of union and evitation of solution of continuity. Bacon.

To break into small pieces, as ore, for the purpose of separating from rock. Pryce.

in alluvial ground; -- so called because a stream of water is the principal agent used in separating the ore from the sand and gravel. -- Stream works (Cornish Mining), a place where an alluvial deposit of tin ore is worked. Ure. -- To float with the stream, figuratively, to drift with the current of opinion, custom,…