Search the Dictionary

An artifice or stratagem; a cunning contrivance; a sly procedure, usually with a dishonest intent; as, a trick in trade. tricks of the trade mean simply specialized knowledge, in a good or neutral sense. He comes to me for counsel, and I show him a trick. South. I know a trick worth two of that. Shak.…

The art of dressing up; artifice; stratagem; fraud; imposture.

Work or devices suitable to be concealed; a secret stratagem. [Obs.]

Want of parallelism between one series of strata and another, especially when due to a disturbance of the position of the earlier strata before the latter were deposited.

Not conformable; not lying in a parallel position; as, unconformable strata. -- Un`con*form"a*ble*ness, n. -- Un`con*form"a*bly, adv.

Want of parallelism between strata in contact.

Lying under or beneath; hence, fundamental; as, the underlying strata of a locality; underlying principles.

deposits of loose material, as the glacial till, which occur in masses without layers or strata.

A raising or upheaval of strata so as to disturb their regularity and uniformity, and to occasion folds, dislocations, and the like.

A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place. [Eng.]

weald Moan as she fled. Tennyson. Weald clay (Geol.), the uppermost member of the Wealden strata. See Wealden.

The Wealden group or strata.

sified minerals according to their external characters, and advocated the theory that the strata of the earth's crust were formed by depositions from water; designating, or according to, Werner's system.

A trick or stratagem practiced for insnaring or deception; a sly, insidious; artifice; a beguilement; an allurement. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph. vi. 11. Not more almighty to resist our might, Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles. Milton.…

Full of wiles, tricks, or stratagems; using craft or stratagem to accomplish a purpose; mischievously artful; subtle. "Wily and wise." Chaucer. "The wily snake." Milton. This false, wily, doubling disposition of mind. South.

Trick; deceit; fraud; stratagem. [Obs.] His wily wrenches thou ne mayst not flee. Chaucer.