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A single particle of earth or other matter. [R.] "To touch a dust of England's ground." Shak.

A genus of cucurbitaceous plants consisting of the single species Ecballium agreste (or Elaterium), the squirting cucumber. Its fruit, when ripe, bursts and violently ejects its seeds, together with a mucilaginous juice, from which elaterium, a powerful cathartic medicine, is prepared.

parts combined in a system of aggregation, when each is of the nature of the whole; as, a single cell is an element of the honeycomb.

Having only one principle or constituent part; consisting of a single element; simple; uncompounded; as, an elementary substance.

owers are mostly in three, or some multiple of three, parts, and their embryos have but a single cotyledon, with the first leaves alternate. The endogens constitute one of the great primary classes of plants, and included all palms, true lilies, grasses, rushes, orchids, the banana, pineapple, etc. See Exogen.…

Consisting of a single piece, as a corolla.

titute the offense or burglary. Burrill. Bill of entry. See under Bill. -- Double entry, Single entry. See Bookkeeping. -- Entry clerk (Com.), a clerk who makes the original entries of transactions in a business. -- Writ of entry (Law), a writ issued for the purpose of obtaining possession of land from one who has u…

A work of earth, in the form of a single parapet or of a small rampart. It is sometimes raised in the ditch and sometimes beyond it. Wilhelm.

An American genus of plants, containing but a single species (E. repens), the trailing arbutus.

A short poem treating concisely and pointedly of a single thought or event. The modern epigram is so contrived as to surprise the reader with a witticism or ingenious turn of thought, and is often satirical in character. Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram Shak.

-- Theory of equations (Math.), the branch of algebra that treats of the properties of a single algebraic equation of any degree containing one unknown quantity.

for warlike purposes, or the furniture and necessaries of an army, a body of troops, or a single soldier, including whatever is necessary for efficient service; equipments; accouterments; habiliments; attire. Did their exercises on horseback with noble equipage. Evelyn. First strip off all her equipage of Pride. Pope.…

An instrument for measuring and recording the work done by a single muscle or set of muscles, the rate of fatigue, etc. -- Er`go*graph"ic (#), a.

An error or mistake in writing or printing. A single erratum may knock out the brains of a whole passage. Cowper.

ease accompanied with a diffused inflammation of the skin, which, starting usually from a single point, spreads gradually over its surface. It is usually regarded as contagious, and often occurs epidemically.

Distinguished among others of the same class or kind; special; concerning a species or a single object; principal; particular; as, in an especial manner or degree.

iples and rules concerting duty, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions; as, political or social ethics; medical ethics. The completeness and consistency of its morality is the peculiar praise of the ethics which the Bible has taught. I. Taylor.

continuous progress from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous in structure, and from the single and simple to the diverse and manifold in quality or function. The pocess is by some limited to organic beings; by others it is applied to the inorganic and the psychical. It is also applied to explain the existence and gro…

An act of knowledge, one or more, by which single facts or general truths are ascertained; experimental or inductive knowledge; hence, implying skill, facility, or practical wisdom gained by personal knowledge, feeling or action; as, a king without experience of war. Whence hath the mind all the materials of reason and…

One of the circles or windings of a cable or hawser, as it lies in a coil; a single turn or coil.