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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



228 words match “TROPICAL”

GUITGUIT n.
One of several species of small tropical American birds of the family Coerebidæ, allied to the creepers; -- called also quit. See Quit.
HARP n.
öl.), a beautiful marine gastropod shell of the genus Harpa, of several species, found in tropical seas. See Harpa.
HELICONIA n.
One of numerous species of Heliconius, a genus of tropical American butterflies. The wings are usually black, marked with green, crimson, and white.
HORNBILL n.
æ, of which about sixty species are known, belonging to numerous genera. They inhabit the tropical parts of Asia, Africa, and the East Indies, and are remarkable for having a more or less horn-like protuberance, which is usually large and hollow and is situated on the upper side of the beak. The size of the hornbill va…
HORSE n.
Horse parsley. (Bot.) See Alexanders. -- Horse purslain (Bot.), a coarse fleshy weed of tropical America (Trianthema monogymnum). -- Horse race, a race by horses; a match of horses in running or trotting. -- Horse racing, the practice of racing with horses. -- Horse railroad, a railroad on which the cars are drawn…
INCENSE n.
. Incense tree, the name of several balsamic trees of the genus Bursera (or Icica) mostly tropical American. The gum resin is used for incense. In Jamaica the Chrysobalanus Icaco, a tree related to the plums, is called incense tree. -- Incense wood, the fragrant wood of the tropical American tree Bursera heptaphylla.…
INDIGOFERA n.
A genus of leguminous plants having many species, mostly in tropical countries, several of them yielding indigo, esp. Indigofera tinctoria, and I. Anil.
IONIDIUM n.
A genus of violaceous plants, chiefly found in tropical America, some species of which are used as substitutes for ipecacuanha.
JACAMAR n.
Any one of numerous species of tropical American birds of the genus Galbula and allied genera. They are allied to the kingfishers, but climb on tree trunks like nuthatches, and feed upon insects. Their colors are often brilliant.
JACK n.
Jack-in-office, an insolent fellow in authority. Wolcott. -- Jack-in-the-bush (Bot.), a tropical shrub with red fruit (Cordia Cylindrostachya). -- Jack-in-the-green, a chimney sweep inclosed in a framework of boughs, carried in Mayday processions. -- Jack-in-the-pulpit (Bot.), the American plant Arisæma triphyllum,…
JAMBOLANA n.
A myrtaceous tree of the West Indies and tropical America (Calyptranthes Jambolana), with astringent bark, used for dyeing. It bears an edible fruit.
KNIFE n.
A sword or dagger. The coward conquest of a wretch's knife. Shak. Knife grass (Bot.) a tropical American sedge (Scleria latifolia), having leaves with a very sharp and hard edge, like a knife. -- War to the knife, mortal combat; a conflict carried to the last extremity.
KUSIMANSE n.
A carnivorous animal (Crossarchus obscurus) of tropical Africa. It its allied to the civets. Called also kusimansel, and mangue.
LAND n.
Land leech (Zoöl.), any one of several species of blood-sucking leeches, which, in moist, tropical regions, live on land, and are often troublesome to man and beast. -- Land measure, the system of measurement used in determining the area of land; also, a table of areas used in such measurement. -- Land, or House, of…
LEAD n.
supposed to indicate lead ore. Gray. -- Lead tree. (a) (Bot.) A West Indian name for the tropical, leguminous tree, Leucæna glauca; -- probably so called from the glaucous color of the foliage. (b) (Chem.) Lead crystallized in arborescent forms from a solution of some lead salt, as by suspending a strip of zinc in lea…
LEMON n.
resembling the orange, and containing a pulp usually intensely acid. It is produced by a tropical tree of the genus Citrus,the common fruit known in commerce being that of the species C. Limonum or C. Medica (var. Limonum). There are many varieties of the fruit, some of which are sweet.
LICORICE n.
etish flavor. -- Licorice sugar. (Chem.) See Glycyrrhizin. -- Licorice weed (Bot.), the tropical plant Scapania aulcis. -- Mountain licorice (Bot.), a kind of clover (Trifolium alpinum), found in the Alps. It has large purplish flowers and a sweetish perennial rootstock. -- Wild licorice. (Bot.) (a) The North Ameri…
LUFFA n.
A small genus of tropical cucurbitaceous plants having white flowers, the staminate borne in racemes, and large fruits with a dry fibrous pericarp. The fruit of several species and the species themselves, esp. L. Ægyptiaca, are called dishcloth gourds.
LUXURIANCE n.
of being luxuriant; rank, vigorous growth; excessive abundance produced by rank growth. "Tropical luxuriance." B. Taylor.
MADREPORA n.
A genus of reef corals abundant in tropical seas. It includes than one hundred and fifty species, most of which are elegantly branched. -- Mad`re*po"ral, a.
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