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s of the day. Sir W. Hamilton. Milton was not an extensive or discursive thinker, as Shakespeare was; for the motions of his mind were slow, solemn, and sequacious, like those of the planets. De Quincey.

The long handle of a spear or similar weapon; hence, the weapon itself; (Fig.) anything regarded as a shaft to be thrown or darted; as, shafts of light. And the thunder, Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage, Perhaps hath spent his shafts. Milton. Some kinds of literary pursuits . . . have been attacked with all…

Having a shaft; -- applied to a spear when the head and the shaft are of different tinctures.

To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply. M. Arnold. The head [of a spear] full sharp yground. Chaucer. You bite so sharp at reasons. Shak.

part of the wall or trunk of the body; as, a pain in the side. One of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side. John xix. 34.

l, shrill sound; as, the air sings in passing through a crevice. O'er his head the flying spear Sang innocent, and spent its force in air. Pope.

and, or with a missile thrown by the hand; as, to smite with the fist, with a rod, sword, spear, or stone. Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matt. v. 39. And David . . . took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead. 1 Sam. xvii. 49.…

Fig.: An aid to the intellectual sight. Shakespeare . . . needed not the spectacles of books to read nature. Dryden.

e, 7. above. -- Spindle side, the female side in descent; in the female line; opposed to spear side. Ld. Lytton. [R.] "King Lycaon, grandson, by the spindle side, of Oceanus." Lowell. -- Spindle tree (Bot.), any shrub or tree of the genus Eunymus. The wood of E. Europæus was used for spindles and skewers. See Prickwo…

r weapon; a pole or srick, used for many purposes; as, a surveyor's staff; the staff of a spear or pike. And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar to bear it withal. Ex. xxxviii. 7. With forks and staves the felon to pursue. Dryden.

to stick a pin on the sleeve. My shroud of white, stuck all with yew. Shak. The points of spears are stuck within the shield. Dryden.

also, the hurt or injury resulting; a sprain. Whether any poet of our country since Shakespeare has exerted a greater variety of powers with less strain and less ostentation. Landor. Credit is gained by custom, and seldom recovers a strain. Sir W. Temple.

nscript or drafted man. Hast thou not made me here thy substitute Milton. Ladies [in Shakespeare's age] . . . wore masks as the sole substitute known to our ancestors for the modern parasol. De Quincey.

ts; a division or severance. In sunder, into parts. "He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder." Ps. xlvi. 9.

Fig.: An appellation for a sweet singer, or a poet noted for grace and melody; as Shakespeare is called the swan of Avon.

To bore; to drill or thrill. See Thrill. [Obs. or Prov.] That with a spear was thirled his breast bone. Chaucer.

the involucre. -- Scotch thistle, either the cotton thistle, or the musk thistle, or the spear thistle; -- all used national emblems of Scotland. -- Sow thistle, Sonchus oleraceus. -- Spear thistle. Same as Bull thistle. -- Star thistle, a species of Centaurea. See Centaurea. -- Torch thistle, a candelabra-shaped…

A strap of leather; especially, one used for fastening anything. And nails for loosened spears, and thongs for shields, provide. Dryden. Thong seal (Zoöl.), the bearded seal. See the Note under Seal.

Piercing; sharp; thrilling. [Obs.] "His thrillant spear." Spenser.

An instrument used by various savage races for throwing a spear; -- called also throw stick and spear thrower. One end of the stick receives the butt of the spear, as upon a hook or thong, and the other end is grasped with the hand, which also holds the spear, toward the middle, above it with the finger and thumb, the…