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of the genus Serrasalmo of many species, remakable for its voracity. When numerous they attack man or beast, often with fatal results.

A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the cathead of a ship. Totten.

A particular hitch or turn in the bight of a rope, into which a tackle may be hooked.

t breeze) so to turn or make a circuit as to recover, without bracing the yards, the same tack on which she had been sailing.

To bear down upon; to rush upon; to attack. Charged our main battle's front. Shak.

nd rodents, used for holding food. -- Cheeks of a block, the two sides of the shell of a tackle block. -- Cheeks of a mast, the projection on each side of a mast, upon which the trestletrees rest. -- Cheek tooth (Anat.), a hinder or molar tooth. -- Butment cheek. See under Butment.

A mild, eruptive disease, generally attacking children only; varicella.

ies of flea (Pulex penetrans), common in the West Indies and South America, which often attacks the feet or any exposed part of the human body, and burrowing beneath the skin produces great irritation. When the female is allowed to remain and breed, troublesome sores result, which are sometimes dangerous. See Jigger. […

Hoisted as high as the tackle will admit; brought close together, as the two blocks of a tackle in hoisting.

besieged place and the besieging army, to protect the camp of the besiegers against the attack of an enemy from without.

To put on the other tack by dropping the lee anchor as soon as the wind is out of the sails (which brings the vessel's head to the wind), and by cutting the cable as soon as she pays off on the other tack. Clubhauling is attempted only in an exigency.

Any device for gripping an object, as at the end of a chain or tackle.

ut.), to turn it the contrary way, so as to slacken the rope about it. -- To come up the tackle fall (Naut.), to slacken the tackle gently. Totten. -- To come up to, to rise to; to equal. -- To come up with, to overtake or reach by pursuit. -- To come upon. (a) To befall. (b) To attack or invade. (c) To have a clai…

ent vessel, and send it out on service after it has been laid up; esp., the formal act of tacking command of a vessel for service, hoisting the flag, reading the orders, etc. -- To put a vessel out of commission (Naut.), to detach the officers and crew and retire it from active service, temporarily or permanently. --…

llful guidance or management; generalship. Conduct of armies is a prince's art. Waller. Attacked the Spaniards . . . with great impetuosity, but with so little conduct, that his forces were totally routed. Robertson.

problem) directly; taking the bull by the horns. Syn. -- braving, coping with, grappling, tackling. [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]

sound. Pope. I am much consoled by the reflection that the religion of Christ has been attacked in vain by all the wits and philosophers, and its triumph has been complete. P. Henry.

A change of front, as a body of troops attacked in the flank.

l which causes great injury to grain. (b) In America, a weevil (Sphenophorus zeæ) which attacks the stalk of maize near the root, often doing great damage. See Grain weevil, under Weevil.

needle; as, to couch a cataract. To couch a spear or lance, to lower to the position of attack; to place in rest. He stooped his head, and couched his spear, And spurred his steed to full career. Sir W. Scott. To couch malt, to spread malt on a floor. Mortimer.