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The astragalus.

A genus of poisonous serpents, including the rattlesnakes.

A genus of wading birds comprising the wood ibises. Tantalus's cup (Physics), a philosophical toy, consisting of a cup, within which is the figure of a man, and within the figure a siphon, the longer arm of which passes down through the bottom of the cup, and allows the escape of any liquid that may be poured in, when…

what one dislikes; also, whatever causes such a feeling; as, to work annoy. Worse than Tantalus' is her annoy. Shak.

s famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Cen. xli. 55. The pains of famished Tantalus he'll feel. Dryden.

ter siluroid fish; the bullpout. -- Horned rattler (Zoöl.), a species of rattlesnake (Crotalus cerastes), inhabiting the dry, sandy plains, from California to Mexico. It has a pair of triangular horns between the eyes; -- called also sidewinder. -- Horned ray (Zoöl.), the sea devil. -- Horned screamer (Zoöl.), the k…

The black rattlesnake (Crotalus, or Caudisona, tergemina), found in the Mississippi Valley.

The daughter of Tantalus, and wife of Amphion, king of Thebes. Her pride in her children provoked Apollo and Diana, who slew them all. Niobe herself was changed by the gods into stone.

Any one of several species of venomous American snakes belonging to the genera Crotalus and Caudisona, or Sistrurus. They have a series of horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail which make a sharp ratting sound when shaken. The common rattlesnake of the Northern United States (Crotalus horridus), and the diam…

To distress or subdue by famine; as, to starvea garrison into a surrender. Attalus endeavored to starve Italy by stopping their convoy of provisions from Africa. Arbuthnot.

A punishment like that of Tantalus; a teasing or tormenting by the hope or near approach of good which is not attainable; tantalization. Addison. Is not such a provision like tantalism to this people Josiah Quincy.

The diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus); -- so called from its preference for damp places near water.

any one of several species of large, long- legged, wading birds belonging to the genus Tantalus. The head and neck are naked or scantily covered with feathers. The American wood ibis (Tantalus loculator) is common in Florida. -- Wood lark (Zoöl.), a small European lark (Alauda arborea), which, like, the skylark, utter…