ELEPHANT n.
fruit with a rough, hard rind, and edible pulp, borne by Feronia elephantum, a large tree related to the orange. -- Elephant bed (Geol.), at Brighton, England, abounding in fossil remains of elephants. Mantell. -- Elephant beetle (Zoöl.), any very large beetle of the genus Goliathus (esp. G. giganteus), of the family…
ELK n.
allied to the American moose. The American elk, or wapiti (Cervus Canadensis), is closely related to the European stag. See Moose, and Wapiti. Irish elk (Paleon.), a large, extinct, Quaternary deer (Cervus giganteus) with widely spreading antlers. Its remains have been found beneath the peat of swamps in Ireland and En…
EPISODE n.
t, story, or action, introduced for the purpose of giving a greater variety to the events related; an incidental narrative, or digression, separable from the main subject, but naturally arising from it.
EYE n.
. Brande & C. -- Eye animalcule (Zoöl), a flagellate infusorian belonging to Euglena and related genera; -- so called because it has a colored spot like an eye at one end. -- Eye doctor, an oculist. -- Eye of a volute (Arch.), the circle in the center of volute. -- Eye of day, Eye of the morning, Eye of heaven, the…
F n.
Phoenician, the ultimate source being probably Egyptian. Etymologically fis most closely related to p,k,v, and b; as in E. five, Gr. f, L. lupus, Gr. fox, vixen ; fragile, break ; fruit, brook, v. t.; E. bear, L. ferre. See Guide to Pronunciation, sq. root 178, 179, 188, 198, 230.
FELDSPAR; FELDSPATH n.
A name given to a group of minerals, closely related in crystalline form, and all silicates of alumina with either potash, soda, lime, or, in one case, baryta. They occur in crystals and crystalline masses, vitreous in luster, and breaking rather easily in two directions at right angles to each other, or nearly so. The…
FOR conj.
g before advanced, a cause, motive, explanation, justification, or the like, of an action related or a statement made. It is logically nearly equivalent to since, or because, but connects less closely, and is sometimes used as a very general introduction to something suggested by what has gone before. Give thanks unto…
FRIGATE n.
fish which they obtain by robbing gulls, terns, and other birds, of their prey. They are related to the pelicans. -- Frigate mackerel (Zoöl.), an oceanic fish (Auxis Rochei) of little or no value as food, often very abundant off the coast of the United States. -- Frigate pelican. (Zoöl.) Same as Frigate bird.…