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One of the orders of myriapods, including the centipeds. They have a single pair of elongated legs attached laterally to each segment; well developed jaws; and a pair of thoracic legs converted into poison fangs. They are insectivorous, very active, and some species grow to the length of a foot.

k (Bot.), an anual or biennial species of Dianthus (D. Chiensis) having variously colored single or double flowers; Indian pink. -- China root (Med.), the rootstock of a species of Smilax (S. China, from the East Indies; -- formerly much esteemed for the purposes that sarsaparilla is now used for. Also the galanga roo…

ity in arms, courtesy, etc. The glory of our Troy this day doth lie On his fair worth and single chivalry. Shak.

A plane figure, bounded by a single curve line called its circumference, every part of which is equally distant from a point within it, called the center.

A single, sudden act or motion; a stroke; a blow. What, fifty of my followers at a clap! Shak.

A wind instrument, blown by a single reed, of richer and fuller tone than the oboe, which has a double reed. It is the leading instrument in a military band.

volume is often expressed as a certain proportion of the volume swept by the piston in a single stroke.

The product of a single shearing of sheep; a season's crop of wool.

nk, to hold together the lappels of a double-breasted coat; or a button with a loop for a single-breasted coat. -- Coat of mail, a defensive garment of chain mail. See Chain mail, under Chain. -- Mast coat (Naut.), a piece of canvas nailed around a mast, where it passes through the deck, to prevent water from getting…

the least body may be coextended with the greatest. Boyle. Has your English language one single word that is coextended through all these significations Bentley.

To bring together by colligation; to sum up in a single proposition. He had discovered and colligated a multitude of the most wonderful . . . phenomena. Tundall.

A number of ships so arranged as to follow one another in single or double file or in squadrons; -- in distinction from "line", where they are side by side.

An engagement of no great magnitude; or one in which the parties engaged are not armies. Single combat, one in which a single combatant meets a single opponent, as in the case of David and Goliath; also a duel.

thing else in place of, as a smaller penalty, obligation, or payment, for a greater, or a single thing for an aggregate; hence; to lessen; to diminish; as, to commute a sentence of death to one of imprisonment for life; to commute tithes; to commute charges for fares. The sounds water and fire, being once annexed to th…

ible straight lines in space being considered, the entire system of lines which satisfy a single relation constitute a complex; as, all the lines which meet a given curve make up a complex. The lines which satisfy two relations constitute a congruency of lines; as, the entire system of lines, each one of which meets tw…

ech.), a force which, acting conjointly with one or more forces, produces the effect of a single force or resultant; one of a number of forces into which a single force may be resolved.

Divided into squares of alternate tinctures in a single row; -- said of any bearing; or, in the case of a bearing having curved lines, divided into patches of alternate colors following the curve. If there are two rows it is called counter-compony.

e united in their reserved positions. -- Composition of forces (Mech.), the finding of a single force (called the resultant) which shall be equal in effect to two or more given forces (called the components) when acting in given directions. Herbert. -- Composition metal, an alloy resembling brass, which is sometimes…

nd ether. (Chem.) See under Ether. -- Compound flower (Bot.), a flower head resembling a single flower, but really composed of several florets inclosed in a common calyxlike involucre, as the sunflower or dandelion. -- Compound fraction. (Math.) See Fraction. -- Compound fracture. See Fracture. -- Compound househol…

as of a rudder, may be effected by either of two movements, in different directions, of a single lever, etc.