Search the Dictionary

Having a hard texture, as nutshells.

rch, or shrivel, the surface of, by heat; to subject to so much heat as changes color and texture without consuming; as, to scorch linen. Summer drouth or singed air never scorch thy tresses fair. Milton.

to cauterize; to expose to a degree of heat such as changes the color or the hardness and texture of the surface; to scorch; to make callous; as, to sear the skin or flesh. Also used figuratively. I'm seared with burning steel. Rowe. It was in vain that the amiable divine tried to give salutary pain to that seared cons…

A kind of muslin of a texture between nainsook and mull.

Bristelike in form or texture; as, a setaceous feather; a setaceous leaf.

Easily breaking into pieces; not compact; loose of texture; brittle; as, shattery spar.

l by repeated heating, rolling, and tilting, to increase its malleability and fineness of texture.

ed of thin parallel plates, capable of being separated by splitting; as, a slaty color or texture. Slaty cleavage (Min.), cleavage, as of rocks, into thin leaves or plates, like those of slate; -- applied especially to those cases in which the planes of cleavage are not parallel to the planes of stratification. It is n…

Wanting firmness of texture or substance; thin; flimsy; as, sleazy silk or muslin. [Spelt also slazy.]

One of the microsporic siliceous spicules which occur abundantly in the texture of sponges, and are sometimes found fossil, as in flints.

Soft, and full of cavities; of an open, loose, pliable texture; as, a spongy excrescence; spongy earth; spongy cake; spongy bones.

of dignity; also, the canopy itself. [Obs.] His high throne, . . . under state Of richest texture spread. Milton. When he went to court, he used to kick away the state, and sit down by his prince cheek by jowl. Swift.

appendage at the base of petioles or leaves, usually somewhat resembling a small leaf in texture and appearance.

To make stripes upon; to form with lines of different colors or textures; to variegate with stripes.

Stiff; stout; strong; as, a sturdy oak. Milton. He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy than dainty. Sir H. Wotton.

ny sponge of the genus Suberites and allied genera. These sponges have a fine and compact texture, and contain minute siliceous spicules.

Having a corky texture.

a compact granular variety. Indurated talc, an impure, slaty talc, with a nearly compact texture, and greater hardness than common talc; -- called also talc slate.

Capable of being tempered. The fusible, hard, and temperable texture of metals. Emerson.

certain degree of excellence in the instrument to determine its existence or its peculiar texture or markings. -- Test paper. (a) (Chem.) Paper prepared for use in testing for certain substances by being saturated with a reagent which changes color in some specific way when acted upon by those substances; thus, litmus…