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The carrying over of water, with the steam, from the boiler, as into the cylinder. Priming of the tide. See Lag of the tide, under 2d Lag. -- Priming tube, a small pipe, filled with a combustible composition for firing cannon. -- Priming valve (Steam Eng.), a spring safety valve applied to the cylinder of a steam eng…

A begining. [Obs.] "Their springings and imprimings." Sir H. Wotton.

is now shorter than in ancient times. -- Acceleration and retardation of the tides. See Priming of the tides, under Priming. -- Diurnal acceleration of the fixed stars, the amount by which their apparent diurnal motion exceeds that of the sun, in consequence of which they daily come to the meridian of any place abou…

A priming tube connecting the charge chamber with the gallery, or place where the slow match is applied. Knight.

cap; foolscap; legal cap. Cap of a cannon, a piece of lead laid over the vent to keep the priming dry; -- now called an apron. -- Cap in hand, obsequiously; submissively. -- Cap of liberty. See Liberty cap, under Liberty. -- Cap of maintenance, a cap of state carried before the kings of England at the coronation. It…

A priming of size mixed with whiting or white lead, used in house painting, etc.; also, a size upon which gold leaf is applied in gilding.

An iron needle for piercing the cartridge of a cannon before priming.

bot. -- Fire pan, a pan for holding or conveying fire, especially the receptacle for the priming of a gun. -- Fire plug, a plug or hydrant for drawing water from the main pipes in a street, building, etc., for extinguishing fires. -- Fire policy, the writing or instrument expressing the contract of insurance against…

An old form of gunlock, as the flintlock, which ignites the priming by a spark; perhaps originally, a matchlock. Hence, a gun having such a lock.

s, alternating with periods of dimness. Knight. -- Flash in the pan, the flashing of the priming in the pan of a flintlock musket without discharging the piece; hence, sudden, spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing.

n or pistol, having a flint fixed in the hammer, which on stricking the steel ignites the priming.

covering the pan of a flintlock musket and struck by the flint of the cock to ignite the priming.

In painting, the first coat of color, as the priming in house painting and the like. [R.]

er falls behind the mean time, in the first and third quarters of the moon; -- opposed to priming of the tide, or the acceleration of the time of high water, in the second and fourth quarters; depending on the relative positions of the sun and moon. -- Lag screw, an iron bolt with a square head, a sharp-edged thread,…

with mealed powder. It burns at the rate of one yard in thirteen seconds, and is used as priming for heavy mortars, fireworks, etc. -- Slow match, slightly twisted hempen rope soaked in a solution of limewater and saltpeter or washed in a lye of water and wood ashes. It burns at the rate of four or five inches an hou…

An old form of gunlock containing a match for firing the priming; hence, a musket fired by means of a match.

A horn or flask for holding powder, as for priming. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

The part of a flintlock which holds the priming.

A priming wire for cleaning the vent.

ith a composition of niter, sulphur, and mealed powder, -- used principally to ignite the priming in proving guns, and as an incendiary material in shells.