Chapter C: A. Ives (1)

Se*cure"ness, n. The condition or quality of being secure; exemption from fear; want of vigilance; security.

Se*cur"er (?), n. One who, or that which, secures.

||Sec`u*rif"e*ra (?), n. pl. [NL., from L. securis an ax + ferre to ||bear.] (Zoöl.) The Serrifera.

Se*cu"ri*form (?), a. [L. securis an ax or hatchet + -form: cf. F. sécuriforme.] (Nat. Hist.) Having the form of an ax or hatchet.

Se*cu"ri*palp (?), n. [L. securis ax, hatchet + E. palp.] (Zoöl.) One of a family of beetles having the maxillary palpi terminating in a hatchet- shaped joint.

Se*cu"ri*ty (?), n.; pl. Securities (#). [L. securitas: cf. F. sécurité. See Secure, and cf. Surety.] 1. The condition or quality of being secure; secureness. Specifically: (a) Freedom from apprehension, anxiety, or care; confidence of power or safety; hence, assurance; certainty.

His trembling hand had lost the ease, Which marks security to
please.

Sir W. Scott.

(b) Hence, carelessness; negligence; heedlessness.

He means, my lord, that we are too remiss, Whilst Bolingbroke,
through our security, Grows strong and great in substance and in
power.

Shak.

(c) Freedom from risk; safety.

Give up yourself merely to chance and hazard, From firm security.

Shak.

Some . . . alleged that we should have no security for our trade.

Swift.

2. That which secures or makes safe; protection; guard; defense. Specifically: (a) Something given, deposited, or pledged, to make certain the fulfillment of an obligation, the performance of a contract, the payment of a debt, or the like; surety; pledge.

Those who lent him money lent it on no security but his bare word.

Macaulay.

(b) One who becomes surety for another, or engages himself for the performance of another's obligation.

3. An evidence of debt or of property, as a bond, a certificate of stock, etc.; as, government securities.

Syn. -- Protection; defense; guard; shelter; safety; certainty; ease; assurance; carelessness; confidence; surety; pledge; bail.

Se*dan" (?), n. [Said to be named from Sedan, in France, where it was first made, and whence it was introduced into England in the time of King Charles I.] A portable chair or covered vehicle for carrying a single person, -- usually borne on poles by two men. Called also sedan chair.

Se*date" (?), a. [L. sedatus, p. p. of sedare, sedatum, to allay, calm, causative of sedere to sit. See Sit.] Undisturbed by passion or caprice; calm; tranquil; serene; not passionate or giddy; composed; staid; as, a sedate soul, mind, or temper.

Disputation carries away the mind from that calm and sedate temper
which is so necessary to contemplate truth.

I. Watts.

Whatsoever we feel and know Too sedate for outward show.

Wordsworth.

Syn. -- Settled; composed; calm; quiet; tranquil; still; serene; unruffled; undisturbed; contemplative; sober; serious.

-- Se*date"ly, adv. -- Se*date"ness, n.

Se*da"tion (?), n. [L. sedatio.] The act of calming, or the state of being calm. [R.] Coles.

Sed"a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. sédatif.] Tending to calm, moderate, or tranquilize; specifically (Med.), allaying irritability and irritation; assuaging pain.

Sed"a*tive, n. (Med.) A remedy which allays irritability and irritation, and irritative activity or pain.

Se"dent (?), a. [L. sedens, - entis, p. pr. of sedere to sit. See Sit.] Sitting; inactive; quiet. [R.]

Sed"en*ta*ri*ly (?), adv. In a sedentary manner.

Sed"en*ta*ri*ness, n. Quality of being sedentary.

Sed"en*ta*ry (?), a. [L. sedentarius, fr. sedere to sit: cf. F. seédentaire. See Sedent.] 1. Accustomed to sit much or long; as, a sedentary man. "Sedentary, scholastic sophists." Bp. Warburton.

2. Characterized by, or requiring, much sitting; as, a sedentary employment; a sedentary life.

Any education that confined itself to sedentary pursuits was
essentially imperfect.

Beaconsfield.

3. Inactive; motionless; sluggish; hence, calm; tranquil. [R.] "The sedentary earth." Milton.

The soul, considered abstractly from its passions, is of a remiss,
sedentary nature.

Spectator.

4. Caused by long sitting. [Obs.] "Sedentary numbness." Milton.

5. (Zoöl.) Remaining in one place, especially when firmly attached to some object; as, the oyster is a sedentary mollusk; the barnacles are sedentary crustaceans.

Sedentary spider (Zoöl.), one of a tribe of spiders which rest motionless until their prey is caught in their web.

||Se*de"runt (?), n. [L., they sat, fr. sedere to sit.] A sitting, as ||of a court or other body.

'T is pity we have not Burns's own account of that long sederunt.

Prof. Wilson.

Acts of sederunt (Scots Law), ordinances of the Court of Session for the ordering of processes and expediting of justice. Bell.

Sedge (?), n. [OE. segge, AS. secg; akin to LG. segge; -- probably named from its bladelike appearance, and akin to L. secare to cut, E. saw a cutting instrument; cf. Ir. seisg, W. hesg. Cf. Hassock, Saw the instrument.] 1. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Carex, perennial, endogenous, innutritious herbs, often growing in dense tufts in marshy places. They have triangular jointless stems, a spiked inflorescence, and long grasslike leaves which are usually rough on the margins and midrib. There are several hundred species.

The name is sometimes given to any other plant of the order Cyperaceæ, which includes Carex, Cyperus, Scirpus, and many other genera of rushlike plants.

2. (Zoöl.) A flock of herons.

Sedge hen (Zoöl.), the clapper rail. See under 5th Rail. -- Sedge warbler (Zoöl.), a small European singing bird (Acrocephalus phragmitis). It often builds its nest among reeds; -- called also sedge bird, sedge wren, night warbler, and Scotch nightingale.

Sedged (?), a. Made or composed of sedge.

With your sedged crowns and ever-harmless looks.

Shak.

Sedg"y (?), a. Overgrown with sedge.

On the gentle Severn\'b6s sedgy bank.

Shak.

||Se*dil"i*a (?), n. pl.; sing. Sedile (&?;). [L. sedile a seat.] ||(Arch.) Seats in the chancel of a church near the altar for the ||officiating clergy during intervals of service. Hook.

Sed"i*ment (?), n. [F. sédiment, L. sedimentum a settling, fr. sedere to sit, to settle. See Sit.] 1. The matter which subsides to the bottom, from water or any other liquid; settlings; lees; dregs.

2. (Geol.) The material of which sedimentary rocks are formed.

Sed`i*men"tal (?), a. Sedimentary.

Sed`i*men"ta*ry (?), a. [Cf. F. sédimentaire.] Of or pertaining to sediment; formed by sediment; containing matter that has subsided.

Sedimentary rocks. (Geol.) See Aqueous rocks, under Aqueous.

Sed`i*men*ta"tion (?), n. The act of depositing a sediment; specifically (Geol.), the deposition of the material of which sedimentary rocks are formed.

Se*di"tion (?), n. [OE. sedicioun, OF. sedition, F. sédition, fr. L. seditio, originally, a going aside; hence, an insurrectionary separation; pref. se-, sed-, aside + itio a going, fr. ire, itum, to go. Cf. Issue.] 1. The raising of commotion in a state, not amounting to insurrection; conduct tending to treason, but without an overt act; excitement of discontent against the government, or of resistance to lawful authority.

In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate The cockle of
rebellion, insolence, sedition.

Shak.

Noisy demagogues who had been accused of sedition.

Macaulay.

2. Dissension; division; schism. [Obs.]

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, . . . emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies.

Gal. v. 19, 20.

Syn. -- Insurrection; tumult; uproar; riot; rebellion; revolt. See Insurrection.

Se*di"tion*a*ry (?), n. An inciter or promoter of sedition. Bp. Hall.

Se*di"tious (?), a.[L. seditiosus: cf. F. séditieux.] 1. Of or pertaining to sedition; partaking of the nature of, or tending to excite, sedition; as, seditious behavior; seditious strife; seditious words.

2. Disposed to arouse, or take part in, violent opposition to lawful authority; turbulent; factious; guilty of sedition; as, seditious citizens.

-- Se*di"tious*ly, adv. -- Se*di"tious*ness, n.

Sed"litz (?), a. Same as Seidlitz.

Se*duce" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seduced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Seducing (?).] [L. seducere, seductum; pref. se- aside + ducere to lead. See Duke.] 1. To draw aside from the path of rectitude and duty in any manner; to entice to evil; to lead astray; to tempt and lead to iniquity; to corrupt.

For me, the gold of France did not seduce.

Shak.

2. Specifically, to induce to surrender chastity; to debauch by means of solicitation.

Syn. -- To allure; entice; tempt; attract; mislead; decoy; inveigle. See Allure.

Se*duce"ment (?), n. 1. The act of seducing.

2. The means employed to seduce, as flattery, promises, deception, etc.; arts of enticing or corrupting. Pope.

Se*du"cer (?), n. One who, or that which, seduces; specifically, one who prevails over the chastity of a woman by enticements and persuasions.

He whose firm faith no reason could remove, Will melt before that
soft seducer, love.

Dryden.

Se*du"ci*ble (?), a. Capable of being seduced; corruptible.

Se*du"cing (?), a. Seductive. "Thy sweet seducing charms." Cowper. -- Se*du"cing*ly, adv.

Se*duc*tion (?), n. [L. seductio: cf. F. séduction. See Seduce.] 1. The act of seducing; enticement to wrong doing; specifically, the offense of inducing a woman to consent to unlawful sexual intercourse, by enticements which overcome her scruples; the wrong or crime of persuading a woman to surrender her chastity.

2. That which seduces, or is adapted to seduce; means of leading astray; as, the seductions of wealth.

Se*duc"tive (?), a. Tending to lead astray; apt to mislead by flattering appearances; tempting; alluring; as, a seductive offer.

This may enable us to understand how seductive is the influence of
example.

Sir W. Hamilton.

Se*duc"tive*ly, adv. In a seductive manner.

Se*duc"tress (?), n. A woman who seduces.

Se*du"li*ty (?), n. [L. sedulitas. See Sedulous.] The quality or state of being sedulous; diligent and assiduous application; constant attention; unremitting industry; sedulousness.

The industrious bee, by his sedulity in summer, lives in honey all
the winter.

Feltham.

Sed"u*lous (?; 135), a. [L. sedulus, perhaps from sedere to sit, and so akin to E. sit.] Diligent in application or pursuit; constant, steady, and persevering in business, or in endeavors to effect an object; steadily industrious; assiduous; as, the sedulous bee.

What signifies the sound of words in prayer, without the affection
of the heart, and a sedulous application of the proper means that
may naturally lead us to such an end?

L'Estrange.

Syn. -- Assiduous; diligent; industrious; laborious; unremitting; untiring; unwearied; persevering.

-- Sed"u*lous*ly, adv. -- Sed"u*lous*ness, n.

||Se"dum (?), n. [NL., fr. L. sedere to sit; so called in allusion to ||the manner in which the plants attach themselves to rocks and walls.] ||(Bot.) A genus of plants, mostly perennial, having succulent leaves ||and cymose flowers; orpine; stonecrop. Gray.

See (?), n. [OE. se, see, OF. se, sed, sied, fr. L. sedes a seat, or the kindred sedere to sit. See Sit, and cf. Siege.] 1. A seat; a site; a place where sovereign power is exercised. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Jove laughed on Venus from his sovereign see.

Spenser.

2. Specifically: (a) The seat of episcopal power; a diocese; the jurisdiction of a bishop; as, the see of New York. (b) The seat of an archbishop; a province or jurisdiction of an archbishop; as, an archiepiscopal see. (c) The seat, place, or office of the pope, or Roman pontiff; as, the papal see. (d) The pope or his court at Rome; as, to appeal to the see of Rome.

Apostolic see. See under Apostolic.

See (s), v. t. [imp. Saw (s); p. p. Seen (sn); p. pr. & vb. n. Seeing.] [OE. seen, sen, seon, AS. seón; akin to OFries. sa, D. zien, OS. & OHG. sehan, G. sehen, Icel. sj, Sw. se, Dan. see, Goth. saíhwan, and probably to L. sequi to follow (and so originally meaning, to follow with the eyes). Gr. "e`pesqai, Skr. sac. Cf. Sight, Sue to follow.] 1. To perceive by the eye; to have knowledge of the existence and apparent qualities of by the organs of sight; to behold; to descry; to view.

I will now turn aside, and see this great sight.

Ex. iii. 3.

2. To perceive by mental vision; to form an idea or conception of; to note with the mind; to observe; to discern; to distinguish; to understand; to comprehend; to ascertain.

Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren.

Gen. xxxvii. 14.

Jesus saw that he answered discreetly.

Mark xii. 34.

Who's so gross That seeth not this palpable device?

Shak.

3. To follow with the eyes, or as with the eyes; to watch; to regard attentively; to look after. Shak.

I had a mind to see him out, and therefore did not care for
contradicting him.

Addison.

4. To have an interview with; especially, to make a call upon; to visit; as, to go to see a friend.

And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death.

1 Sam. xv. 35.

5. To fall in with; to meet or associate with; to have intercourse or communication with; hence, to have knowledge or experience of; as, to see military service.

Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us,
and the years wherein we have seen evil.

Ps. xc. 15.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall
never see death.

John viii. 51.

Improvement in wisdom and prudence by seeing men.

Locke.

6. To accompany in person; to escort; to wait upon; as, to see one home; to see one aboard the cars.

God you (him, or me, etc.) see, God keep you (him, me, etc.) in his sight; God protect you. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- To see (anything) out, to see (it) to the end; to be present at, or attend, to the end. -- To see stars, to see flashes of light, like stars; -- sometimes the result of concussion of the head. [Colloq.] -- To see (one) through, to help, watch, or guard (one) to the end of a course or an undertaking.

See, v. i. 1. To have the power of sight, or of perceiving by the proper organs; to possess or employ the sense of vision; as, he sees distinctly.

Whereas I was blind, now I see.

John ix. 25.

2. Figuratively: To have intellectual apprehension; to perceive; to know; to understand; to discern; -- often followed by a preposition, as through, or into.

For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not
might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

John ix. 39.

Many sagacious persons will find us out, . . . and see through all
our fine pretensions.

Tillotson.

3. To be attentive; to take care; to give heed; -- generally with to; as, to see to the house.

See that ye fall not out by the way.

Gen. xlv. 24.

Let me see, Let us see, are used to express consideration, or to introduce the particular consideration of a subject, or some scheme or calculation.

Cassio's a proper man, let me see now, - To get his place.

Shak.

See is sometimes used in the imperative for look, or behold. "See. see! upon the banks of Boyne he stands." Halifax.

To see about a thing, to pay attention to it; to consider it. -- To see on, to look at. [Obs.] "She was full more blissful on to see." Chaucer. -- To see to. (a) To look at; to behold; to view. [Obs.] "An altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to" Josh. xxii. 10. (b) To take care about; to look after; as, to see to a fire.

Seed (sd), n.; pl. Seed or Seeds (#). [OE. seed, sed, AS. sd, fr. swan to sow; akin to D. zaad seed, G. saat, Icel. sð, sæði, Goth. manasþs seed of men, world. See Sow to scatter seed, and cf. Colza.] 1. (Bot.) (a) A ripened ovule, consisting of an embryo with one or more integuments, or coverings; as, an apple seed; a currant seed. By germination it produces a new plant. (b) Any small seedlike fruit, though it may consist of a pericarp, or even a calyx, as well as the seed proper; as, parsnip seed; thistle seed.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed
is in itself.

Gen. i. 11.

The seed proper has an outer and an inner coat, and within these the kernel or nucleus. The kernel is either the embryo alone, or the embryo inclosed in the albumen, which is the material for the nourishment of the developing embryo. The scar on a seed, left where the stem parted from it, is called the hilum, and the closed orifice of the ovule, the micropyle.

2. (Physiol.) The generative fluid of the male; semen; sperm; -- not used in the plural.

3. That from which anything springs; first principle; original; source; as, the seeds of virtue or vice.

4. The principle of production.

Praise of great acts he scatters as a seed, Which may the like in
coming ages breed.

Waller.

5. Progeny; offspring; children; descendants; as, the seed of Abraham; the seed of David.

In this sense the word is applied to one person, or to any number collectively, and admits of the plural form, though rarely used in the plural.

6. Race; generation; birth.

Of mortal seed they were not held.

Waller.

Seed bag (Artesian well), a packing to prevent percolation of water down the bore hole. It consists of a bag encircling the tubing and filled with flax seed, which swells when wet and fills the space between the tubing and the sides of the hole. -- Seed bud (Bot.), the germ or rudiment of the plant in the embryo state; the ovule. -- Seed coat (Bot.), the covering of a seed. -- Seed corn, or Seed grain (Bot.), corn or grain for seed. -- Seed down (Bot.), the soft hairs on certain seeds, as cotton seed. -- Seed drill. See 6th Drill, 2 (a). -- Seed eater (Zoöl.), any finch of the genera Sporophila, and Crithagra. They feed mainly on seeds. -- Seed gall (Zoöl.), any gall which resembles a seed, formed on the leaves of various plants, usually by some species of Phylloxera. -- Seed leaf (Bot.), a cotyledon. -- Seed lobe (Bot.), a cotyledon; a seed leaf. -- Seed oil, oil expressed from the seeds of plants. -- Seed oyster, a young oyster, especially when of a size suitable for transplantation to a new locality. -- Seed pearl, a small pearl of little value. -- Seed plat, or Seed plot, the ground on which seeds are sown, to produce plants for transplanting; a nursery. -- Seed stalk (Bot.), the stalk of an ovule or seed; a funicle. -- Seed tick (Zoöl.), one of several species of ticks resembling seeds in form and color. -- Seed vessel (Bot.), that part of a plant which contains the seeds; a pericarp. -- Seed weevil (Zoöl.), any one of numerous small weevils, especially those of the genus Apion, which live in the seeds of various plants. -- Seed wool, cotton wool not yet cleansed of its seeds. [Southern U.S.]

Seed (?), v. i. 1. To sow seed.

2. To shed the seed. Mortimer.

3. To grow to maturity, and produce seed.

Many interests have grown up, and seeded, and twisted their roots
in the crevices of many wrongs.

Landor.

Seed, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seeded; p. pr. & vb. n. Seeding.] 1. To sprinkle with seed; to plant seeds in; to sow; as, to seed a field.

2. To cover thinly with something scattered; to ornament with seedlike decorations.

A sable mantle seeded with waking eyes.

B. Jonson.

To seed down, to sow with grass seed.

Seed"box` (?), n. (Bot.) (a) A capsule. (b) A plant (Ludwigia alternifolia) which has somewhat cubical or box-shaped capsules.

Seed"cake` (?), n. A sweet cake or cooky containing aromatic seeds, as caraway. Tusser.

Seed"cod` (?), n. A seedlip. [Prov. Eng.]

Seed"er (?), n. One who, or that which, sows or plants seed.

Seed`i*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being seedy, shabby, or worn out; a state of wretchedness or exhaustion. [Colloq.] G. Eliot.

What is called seediness, after a debauch, is a plain proof that
nature has been outraged.

J. S. Blackie.

Seed"-lac` (?), n. A species of lac. See the Note under Lac.

Seed"less, a. Without seed or seeds.

Seed"ling (?), n. (Bot.) A plant reared from the seed, as distinguished from one propagated by layers, buds, or the like.

{ Seed"lip` (?), Seed"lop` (?), } n. [AS. sdleáp; sd seed + leáp basket.] A vessel in which a sower carries the seed to be scattered. [Prov. Eng.]

Seed"man (?), See Seedsman.

Seed"ness, n. Seedtime. [Obs.] Shak.

Seeds"man (?), n.; pl. Seedsmen (-men). 1. A sower; one who sows or scatters seed.

The seedsman Upon the slime and ooze scatters his grain.

Shak.

2. A person who deals in seeds.

Seed"time` (?), n. [AS. sdtma.] The season proper for sowing.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat,
and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease.

Gen. viii. 22.

Seed"y (?), a. [Compar. Seedier (?); superl. Seediest.] 1. Abounding with seeds; bearing seeds; having run to seeds.

2. Having a peculiar flavor supposed to be derived from the weeds growing among the vines; -- said of certain kinds of French brandy.

3. Old and worn out; exhausted; spiritless; also, poor and miserable looking; shabbily clothed; shabby looking; as, he looked seedy; a seedy coat. [Colloq.]

Little Flanigan here . . . is a little seedy, as we say among us
that practice the law.

Goldsmith.

Seedy toe, an affection of a horse's foot, in which a cavity filled with horn powder is formed between the laminæ and the wall of the hoof.

See"ing (?), conj. (but originally a present participle). In view of the fact (that); considering; taking into account (that); insmuch as; since; because; - - followed by a dependent clause; as, he did well, seeing that he was so young.

Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me?

Gen. xxvi. 27.

Seek (?), a. Sick. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Seek, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sought (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Seeking.] [OE. seken, AS. scan, scean; akin to OS. skian, LG. söken, D. zoeken, OHG. suohhan, G. suchen, Icel. sækja, Sw. söka, Dan. söge, Goth. skjan, and E. sake. Cf. Beseech, Ransack, Sagacious, Sake, Soc.] 1. To go in search of; to look for; to search for; to try to find.

The man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? And he said, I seek
my brethren.

Gen. xxxvii. 15, 16.

2. To inquire for; to ask for; to solicit; to beseech.

Others, tempting him, sought of him a sign.

Luke xi. 16.

3. To try to acquire or gain; to strive after; to aim at; as, to seek wealth or fame; to seek one's life.

4. To try to reach or come to; to go to; to resort to.

Seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal.

Amos v. 5.

Since great Ulysses sought the Phrygian plains.

Pope.

Seek (?), v. i. To make search or inquiry; to endeavor to make discovery.

Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read.

Isa. xxxiv. 16.

To seek, needing to seek or search; hence, unprepared. "Unpracticed, unprepared, and still to seek." Milton. [Obs.] -- To seek after, to make pursuit of; to attempt to find or take. -- To seek for, to endeavor to find. -- To seek to, to apply to; to resort to; to court. [Obs.] "All the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom." 1 Kings x. 24. -- To seek upon, to make strict inquiry after; to follow up; to persecute. [Obs.]

To seek Upon a man and do his soul unrest.

Chaucer.

Seek"er (?), n. 1. One who seeks; that which is used in seeking or searching.

2. (Eccl.) One of a small heterogeneous sect of the 17th century, in Great Britain, who professed to be seeking the true church, ministry, and sacraments.

A skeptic [is] ever seeking and never finds, like our new upstart
sect of Seekers.

Bullokar.

Seek"-no-fur`ther (?), n. A kind of choice winter apple, having a subacid taste; -- formerly called go- no-further.

Seek"-sor`row (?), n. One who contrives to give himself vexation. [Archaic.] Sir P. Sidney.

Seel (sl), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seeled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Seeling.] [F. siller, ciller, fr. cil an eyelash, L. cilium.] 1. (Falconry) To close the eyes of (a hawk or other bird) by drawing through the lids threads which were fastened over the head. Bacon.

Fools climb to fall: fond hopes, like seeled doves for want of
better light, mount till they end their flight with falling.

J. Reading.

2. Hence, to shut or close, as the eyes; to blind.

Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day.

Shak.

Cold death, with a violent fate, his sable eyes did seel.

Chapman.

Seel, v. i. [Cf. LG. sielen to lead off water, F. siller to run ahead, to make headway, E. sile, v.t.] To incline to one side; to lean; to roll, as a ship at sea. [Obs.] Sir W. Raleigh.

{ Seel (?), Seel"ing, } n. The rolling or agitation of a ship in a storm. [Obs.] Sandys.

Seel, n. [AS. sl, from sl good, prosperous. See Silly.] 1. Good fortune; favorable opportunity; prosperity. [Obs.] "So have I seel". Chaucer.

2. Time; season; as, hay seel. [Prov. Eng.]

Seel"i*ly (?), adv. In a silly manner. [Obs.]

Seel"y (?), a. See Silly. [Obs.] Spenser.

Seem (sm), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Seemed (smd); p. pr. & vb. n. Seeming.] [OE. semen to seem, to become, befit, AS. sman to satisfy, pacify; akin to Icel. sæma to honor, to bear with, conform to, sæmr becoming, fit, sma to beseem, to befit, sama to beseem, semja to arrange, settle, put right, Goth. samjan to please, and to E. same. The sense is probably due to the adj. seemly. √191. See Same, a., and cf. Seemly.] To appear, or to appear to be; to have a show or semblance; to present an appearance; to look; to strike one's apprehension or fancy as being; to be taken as. "It now seemed probable." Macaulay.

Thou picture of what thou seem'st.

Shak.

All seemed well pleased; all seemed, but were not all.

Milton.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof
are the ways of death.

Prov. xiv. 12.

It seems, it appears; it is understood as true; it is said.

A prince of Italy, it seems, entertained his mistress on a great
lake.

Addison.

Syn. -- To appear; look. -- Seem, Appear. To appear has reference to a thing's being presented to our view; as, the sun appears; to seem is connected with the idea of semblance, and usually implies an inference of our mind as to the probability of a thing's being so; as, a storm seems to be coming. "The story appears to be true," means that the facts, as presented, go to show its truth; "the story seems to be true," means that it has the semblance of being so, and we infer that it is true. "His first and principal care being to appear unto his people such as he would have them be, and to be such as he appeared." Sir P. Sidney.

Ham. Ay, madam, it is common. Queen. If it be, Why seems it so
particular with thee? Ham. Seems, madam! Nay, it is; I know not
"seems."

Shak.

Seem, v. t. To befit; to beseem. [Obs.] Spenser.

Seem"er (?), n. One who seems; one who carries or assumes an appearance or semblance.

Hence shall we see, If power change purpose, what our seemers be.

Shak.

Seem"ing, a. Having a semblance, whether with or without reality; apparent; specious; befitting; as, seeming friendship; seeming truth.

My lord, you have lost a friend indeed; And I dare swear you borrow
not that face Of seeming sorrow, it is sure your own.

Shak.

Seem"ing, n. 1. Appearance; show; semblance; fair appearance; speciousness.

These keep Seeming and savor all the winter long.

Shak.

2. Apprehension; judgment. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Nothing more clear unto their seeming.

Hooker.

His persuasive words, impregned With reason, to her seeming.

Milton.

Seem"ing*ly, adv. In appearance; in show; in semblance; apparently; ostensibly.

This the father seemingly complied with.

Addison.

Seem"ing*ness, n. Semblance; fair appearance; plausibility. Sir K. Digby.

Seem"less, a. Unseemly. [Obs.] Spenser.

Seem"li*ly (?), adv. In a seemly manner. [Obs.]

Seem"li*ness, n. The quality or state of being seemly: comeliness; propriety.

<! p. 1304 !>

Seem"ly (?), a. [Compar.Seemlier (&?;); superl. Seeliest.] [Icel. s&?;miligr, fr. s&?;mr becoming, fit; akin to samr same, E. same; the sense being properly, the same or like, hence, fitting. See Seem, v. i.] Suited to the object, occasion, purpose, or character; suitable; fit; becoming; comely; decorous.

He had a seemly nose.

Chaucer.

I am a woman, lacking wit To make a seemly answer to such persons.

Shak.

Suspense of judgment and exercise of charity were safer and
seemlier for Christian men than the hot pursuit of these
controversies.

Hooker.

Syn. -- Becoming; fit; suitable; proper; appropriate; congruous; meet; decent; decorous.

Seem"ly (?), adv. [Compar. Seemlier; superl. Seemliest.] In a decent or suitable manner; becomingly.

Suddenly a men before him stood, Not rustic as before, but seemlier
clad, As one in city or court or place bred.

Milton.

Seem"ly*hed (?), n. [See -hood.] Comely or decent appearance. [Obs.] Rom. of R. Spenser.

Seen (?), p. p. of See.

Seen, a. Versed; skilled; accomplished. [Obs.]

Well seen in every science that mote be.

Spenser.

Noble Boyle, not less in nature seen, Than his great brother read
in states and men.

Dryden.

{ Seep (?), or Sipe (?) }, v. i. [AS. span to distill.] To run or soak through fine pores and interstices; to ooze. [Scot. & U. S.]

Water seeps up through the sidewalks.

G. W. Cable.

{ Seep"age (?), or Sip"age }, n. Water that seeped or oozed through a porous soil. [Scot. & U. S.]

{ Seep"y (?), or Sip"y }, a. Oozy; -- applied to land under cultivation that is not well drained.

Seer (sr), a. Sore; painful. [Prov. Eng.] Ray.

Se"er (s"r), n. One who sees. Addison.

Seer (sr), n. [From See.] A person who foresees events; a prophet. Milton.

Seer"ess, n. A female seer; a prophetess.

Seer"fish` (-fsh), n. (Zoöl.) A scombroid food fish of Madeira (Cybium Commersonii).

Seer"hand (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] A kind of muslin of a texture between nainsook and mull.

Seer"ship, n. The office or quality of a seer.

Seer"suck`er (?), n. A light fabric, originally made in the East Indies, of silk and linen, usually having alternating stripes, and a slightly craped or puckered surface; also, a cotton fabric of similar appearance.

Seer"wood` (?), n. [See Sear.] Dry wood. [Written also searwood.] [Obs.] Dryden.

See"saw` (?), n. [Probably a reduplication of saw, to express the alternate motion to and fro, as in the act of sawing.] 1. A play among children in which they are seated upon the opposite ends of a plank which is balanced in the middle, and move alternately up and down.

2. A plank or board adjusted for this play.

3. A vibratory or reciprocating motion.

He has been arguing in a circle; there is thus a seesaw between the
hypothesis and fact.

Sir W. Hamilton.

4. (Whist.) Same as Crossruff.

See"saw`, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Seesawad (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Seesawing.] To move with a reciprocating motion; to move backward and forward, or upward and downward.

See"saw`, v. t. To cause to move backward and forward in seesaw fashion.

He seesaws himself to and fro.

Ld. Lytton.

See"saw`, a. Moving up and down, or to and fro; having a reciprocating motion.

Seet (?), obs. imp. of Sit. Sate; sat. Chaucer.

Seeth (?), obs. imp. of Seethe. Chaucer.

Seethe (?), v. t. [imp. Seethed (?) (Sod (&?;), obs.); p. p. Seethed, Sodden (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Seething.] [OE. sethen, AS. seó&?;an; akin to D. sieden, OHG. siodan, G. sieden, Icel. sj&?;&?;a, Sw. sjuda, Dan. syde, Goth. saubs a burnt offering. Cf. Sod, n., Sodden, Suds.] To decoct or prepare for food in hot liquid; to boil; as, to seethe flesh. [Written also seeth.]

Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the
prophets.

2 Kings iv. 38.

Seethe, v. i. To be a state of ebullition or violent commotion; to be hot; to boil. 1 Sam. ii. 13.

A long Pointe, round which the Mississippi used to whirl, and
seethe, and foam.

G. W. Cable.

Seeth"er (?), n. A pot for boiling things; a boiler.

Like burnished gold the little seether shone.

Dryden.

Seg (?), n. [See Sedge.] (Bot.) 1. Sedge. [Obs.]

2. The gladen, and other species of Iris. Prior.

Seg, n. [Probably from the root of L. secare to cut.] A castrated bull. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Halliwell.

Se*gar" (?), n. See Cigar.

Seg"gar (?), n. [Prov. E. saggard a seggar, seggard a sort of riding surtout, contr. fr. safeguard.] A case or holder made of fire clay, in which fine pottery is inclosed while baking in the kin. [Written also saggar, sagger, and segger.] Ure.

Segge (?), n. (Zoöl.) The hedge sparrow. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Seg"ment (?), n. [L. segmentum, fr. secare to cut, cut off: cf. F. segment. See Saw a cutting instrument.] 1. One of the parts into which any body naturally separates or is divided; a part divided or cut off; a section; a portion; as, a segment of an orange; a segment of a compound or divided leaf.

2. (Geom.) A part cut off from a figure by a line or plane; especially, that part of a circle contained between a chord and an arc of that circle, or so much of the circle as is cut off by the chord; as, the segment acb in the Illustration.

3. (Mach.) (a) A piece in the form of the sector of a circle, or part of a ring; as, the segment of a sectional fly wheel or flywheel rim. (b) A segment gear.

4. (Biol.) (a) One of the cells or division formed by segmentation, as in egg cleavage or in fissiparous cell formation. (b) One of the divisions, rings, or joints into which many animal bodies are divided; a somite; a metamere; a somatome.

Segment gear, a piece for receiving or communicating reciprocating motion from or to a cogwheel, consisting of a sector of a circular gear, or ring, having cogs on the periphery, or face. -- Segment of a line, the part of a line contained between two points on it. -- Segment of a sphere, the part of a sphere cut off by a plane, or included between two parallel planes. -- Ventral segment. (Acoustics) See Loor, n., 5.

Seg"ment (?), v. i. (Biol.) To divide or separate into parts in growth; to undergo segmentation, or cleavage, as in the segmentation of the ovum.

Seg*men"tal (?), a. 1. Relating to, or being, a segment.

2. (Anat. & Zoöl.) (a) Of or pertaining to the segments of animals; as, a segmental duct; segmental papillæ. (b) Of or pertaining to the segmental organs.

Segmental duct (Anat.), the primitive duct of the embryonic excretory organs which gives rise to the Wolffian duct and ureter; the pronephric duct. -- Segmental organs. (a) (Anat.) The embryonic excretory organs of vertebrates, consisting primarily of the segmental tubes and segmental ducts. (b) (Zoöl.) The tubular excretory organs, a pair of which often occur in each of several segments in annelids. They serve as renal organs, and often, also, as oviducts and sperm ducts. See Illust. under Sipunculacea. -- Segmental tubes (Anat.), the tubes which primarily open into the segmental duct, some of which become the urinary tubules of the adult.

Seg`men*ta"tion (?), n. The act or process of dividing into segments; specifically (Biol.), a self-division into segments as a result of growth; cell cleavage; cell multiplication; endogenous cell formation.

Segmentation cavity (Biol.), the cavity formed by the arrangement of the cells in segmentation or cleavage of the ovum; the cavity of the blastosphere. In the gastrula stage, the segmentation cavity in which the mesoblast is formed lies between the entoblast and ectoblast. See Illust. of Invagination. -- Segmentation nucleus (Biol.), the body formed by fusion of the male and female pronucleus in an impregnated ovum. See the Note under Pronucleus. -- Segmentation of the ovum, or Egg cleavage (Biol.), the process by which the embryos of all the higher plants and animals are derived from the germ cell. In the simplest case, that of small ova destitute of food yolk, the ovum or egg divides into two similar halves or segments (blastomeres), each of these again divides into two, and so on, thus giving rise to a mass of cells (mulberry mass, or morula), all equal and similar, from the growth and development of which the future animal is to be formed. This constitutes regular segmentation. Quite frequently, however, the equality and regularity of cleavage is interfered with by the presence of food yolk, from which results unequal segmentation. See Holoblastic, Meroblastic, Alecithal, Centrolecithal, Ectolecithal, and Ovum. -- Segmentation sphere (Biol.), the blastosphere, or morula. See Morula.

Seg"ment*ed (?), a. Divided into segments or joints; articulated.

{ Seg"ni*tude (?), Seg"ni*ty (?) }, n. [L. segnitas, fr. segnis slow, sluggish.] Sluggishness; dullness; inactivity. [Obs.]

||Se"gno (?), n. [It. See Sign.] (Mus.) A sign. See Al segno, and Dal ||segno.

Se"go (?), n. (Bot.) A liliaceous plant (Calochortus Nuttallii) of Western North America, and its edible bulb; -- so called by the Ute Indians and the Mormons.

Seg"re*gate (?), a. [L. segregatus, p. p. of segregare to separate; pref. se- aside + grex, gregis, a flock or herd. See Gregarious.] 1. Separate; select.

2. (Bot.) Separated from others of the same kind.

Seg"re*gate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Segregated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Segregating.] To separate from others; to set apart.

They are still segregated, Christians from Christians, under odious
designations.

I. Taylor.

Seg"re*gate, v. i. (Geol.) To separate from a mass, and collect together about centers or along lines of fracture, as in the process of crystallization or solidification.

Seg`re*ga"tion (?), n. [L. segregatio: cf. F. ségrégation.] 1. The act of segregating, or the state of being segregated; separation from others; a parting.

2. (Geol.) Separation from a mass, and gathering about centers or into cavities at hand through cohesive attraction or the crystallizing process.

||Seiches (?), n. pl. [F.] (Geol.) Local oscillations in level observed ||in the case of some lakes, as Lake Geneva.

Seid (?), n. [Ar seyid prince.] A descendant of Mohammed through his daughter Fatima and nephew Ali.

Seid"litz (?), a. Of or pertaining to Seidlitz, a village in Bohemia. [Written also Sedlitz.]

Seidlitz powders, effervescing salts, consisting of two separate powders, one of which contains forty grains of sodium bicarbonate mixed with two drachms of Rochell&?; salt (tartrate of potassium and sodium) and the other contains thirty-five grains of tartaric acid. The powders are mixed in water, and drunk while effervescing, as a mild cathartic; -- so called from the resemblance to the natural water of Seidlitz. Called also Rochelle powders. -- Seidlitz water, a natural water from Seidlitz, containing magnesium, sodium, calcium, and potassium sulphates, with calcium carbonate and a little magnesium chloride. It is used as an aperient.

Seigh (?), obs. imp. sing. of See. Saw. Chaucer.

Seign*eu"ri*al (?), a. [F., fr. seigneur. See Seignior.] 1. Of or pertaining to the lord of a manor; manorial. Sir W. Temple.

2. Vested with large powers; independent.

Seign"ior (?), n. [OF. seignor, F. seigneur, cf. It. signore, Sp. señor from an objective case of L. senier elder. See Senior.] 1. A lord; the lord of a manor.

2. A title of honor or of address in the South of Europe, corresponding to Sir or Mr. in English.

Grand Seignior, the sultan of Turkey.

Seign"ior*age (?), n. [F. seigneuriage, OF. seignorage.] 1. Something claimed or taken by virtue of sovereign prerogative; specifically, a charge or toll deducted from bullion brought to a mint to be coined; the difference between the cost of a mass of bullion and the value as money of the pieces coined from it.

If government, however, throws the expense of coinage, as is
reasonable, upon the holders, by making a charge to cover the
expense (which is done by giving back rather less in coin than has
been received in bullion, and is called "levying a seigniorage"),
the coin will rise to the extent of the seigniorage above the value
of the bullion.

J. S. Mill.

2. A share of the receipts of a business taken in payment for the use of a right, as a copyright or a patent.

Seign"ior*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a seignior; seigneurial. "Kingly or seignioral patronage." Burke.

Seign"ior*al*ty (?), n. The territory or authority of a seignior, or lord. Milman.

Seign*io"ri*al (?), a. Same as Seigneurial.

Seign"ior*ize (?), v. t. To lord it over. [Obs.]

As proud as he that seigniorizeth hell.

Fairfax.

Seign"ior*y (?), n.; pl. -ies (#). [OE. seignorie, OF. seigneurie, F. seigneurie; cf. It. signoria.] 1. The power or authority of a lord; dominion.

O'Neal never had any seigniory over that country but what by
encroachment he got upon the English.

Spenser.

2. The territory over which a lord holds jurisdiction; a manor. [Written also seigneury, and seignory.]

Seine (?), n. [F. seine, or AS. segene, b&?;th fr. L. sagena, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;.] (Fishing.) A large net, one edge of which is provided with sinkers, and the other with floats. It hangs vertically in the water, and when its ends are brought together or drawn ashore incloses the fish.

Seine boat, a boat specially constructed to carry and pay out a seine.

Sein"er (?), n. One who fishes with a seine.

Sein"ing, n. Fishing with a seine.

Seint (?), n. [See Cincture.] A girdle. [Obs.] "Girt with a seint of silk." Chaucer.

Seint, n. A saint. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sein"tu*a*ry (?), n. Sanctuary. [Obs.]

Seir"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Seerfish.

Sei"ro*spore (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; a cord + E. spore.] (Bot.) One of several spores arranged in a chain as in certain algæ of the genus Callithamnion.

Seise (?), v. t. See Seize. Spenser.

This is the common spelling in the law phrase to be seised of (an estate).

Sei"sin (?), n. See Seizin. Spenser.

{ Seis"mic (?), Seis"mal (?), } a. [Gr. seismo`s an earthquake, from sei`ein to shake.] Of or pertaining to an earthquake; caused by an earthquake.

Seismic vertical, the point upon the earth's surface vertically over the center of effort or focal point whence the earthquake's impulse proceeds, or the vertical line connecting these two points.

Seis"mo*graph (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an earthquake + -graph.] (Physics) An apparatus for registering the shocks and undulatory motions of earthquakes.

Seis`mo*graph"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to a seismograph; indicated by a seismograph.

Seis*mog"ra*phy (?), n. 1. A writing about, or a description of, earthquakes.

2. The art of registering the shocks and undulatory movements of earthquakes.

Seis`mo*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to seismology. -- Seis`mo*log"ic*al*ly, adv.

Seis*mol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an earthquake + -logy.] The science of earthquakes.

Seis*mom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an earthquake + -meter.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring the direction, duration, and force of earthquakes and like concussions.

Seis`mo*met"ric (?), a. Of or pertaining to seismometry, or seismometer; as, seismometric instruments; seismometric measurements.

Seis*mom"e*try (?), n. The mensuration of such phenomena of earthquakes as can be expressed in numbers, or by their relation to the coördinates of space.

Seis"mo*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an earthquake + -scope.] (Physics) A seismometer.

Se"i*ty (?), n. [L. se one's self.] Something peculiar to one's self. [R.] Tatler.

Seiz"a*ble (?), a. That may be seized.

Seize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Seizing.] [OE. seisen, saisen, OF. seisir, saisir, F. saisir, of Teutonic origin, and akin to E. set. The meaning is properly, to set, put, place, hence, to put in possession of. See Set, v. t.] 1. To fall or rush upon suddenly and lay hold of; to gripe or grasp suddenly; to reach and grasp.

For by no means the high bank he could seize.

Spenser.

Seek you to seize and gripe into your hands The royalties and
rights of banished Hereford?

Shak.

<! p. 1305 !>

2. To take possession of by force.

At last they seize The scepter, and regard not David's sons.

Milton.

3. To invade suddenly; to take sudden hold of; to come upon suddenly; as, a fever seizes a patient.

Hope and deubt alternate seize her seul.

Pope.

4. (law) To take possession of by virtue of a warrant or other legal authority; as, the sheriff seized the debtor's goods.

5. To fasten; to fix. [Obs.]

As when a bear hath seized her cruel claws Upon the carcass of some
beast too weak.

Spenser.

6. To grap with the mind; to comprehend fully and distinctly; as, to seize an idea.

7. (Naut.) To bind or fasten together with a lashing of small stuff, as yarn or marline; as, to seize ropes.

This word, by writers on law, is commonly written seise, in the phrase to be seised of (an estate), as also, in composition, disseise, disseisin.

To be seized of, to have possession, or right of possession; as, A B was seized and possessed of the manor of Dale. "Whom age might see seized of what youth made prize." Chapman. -- To seize on or upon, to fall on and grasp; to take hold on; to take possession of suddenly and forcibly.

Syn. -- To catch; grasp; clutch; snatch; apprehend; arrest; take; capture.

Seiz"er (?), n. One who, or that which, seizes.

Sei"zin (?), n. [F. saisine. See Seize.] 1. (Law) Possession; possession of an estate of froehold. It may be either in deed or in law; the former when there is actual possession, the latter when there is a right to such possession by construction of law. In some of the United States seizin means merely ownership. Burrill.

2. The act of taking possession. [Obs.]

3. The thing possessed; property. Sir M. Halle.

Commonly spelt by writers on law seisin.

Livery of seizin. (Eng. Law) See Note under Livery, 1.

Seiz"ing (?), n. 1. The act of taking or grasping suddenly.

2. (Naut.) (a) The operation of fastening together or lashing. (b) The cord or lashing used for such fastening.

Sei"zor (?), n. (Law) One who seizes, or takes possession.

Sei"zure (?), n. 1. The act of seizing, or the state of being seized; sudden and violent grasp or gripe; a taking into possession; as, the seizure of a thief, a property, a throne, etc.

2. Retention within one's grasp or power; hold; possession; ownership.

Make o'er thy honor by a deed of trust, And give me seizure of the
mighty wealth.

Dryden.

3. That which is seized, or taken possession of; a thing laid hold of, or possessed.

{ Se"jant, Se"jeant } (?), a. [F. séant, p. pr. of seoir to sit, L. sedere.] (Her.) Sitting, as a lion or other beast.

Sejant rampant, sitting with the forefeet lifted up. Wright.

Se*jein" (?), v. t. [L. sejungere; pref. se- aside + jungere to join. See Join.] To separate. [Obs.]

Se*junc"tion (?), n. [L. sejunctio. See Sejoin.] The act of disjoining, or the state of being disjoined. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

Se*jun"gi*ble (?), a. [See Sejoin.] Capable of being disjoined. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

Seke (?), a. Sick. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Seke (?), v. t. & i. To seek. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Se"kes (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; a pen, a sacred inclosure, a ||shrine.] (Arch.) A place in a pagan temple in which the images of the ||deities were inclosed.

Se*la"chi*an (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of the Selachii. See Illustration in Appendix.

||Se*la"chi*i (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; a fish having ||cartilages instead of bones.] (Zoöl.) An order of elasmobranchs ||including the sharks and rays; the Plagiostomi. Called also Selacha, ||Selache, and Selachoidei.

||Sel`a*choi"de*i (?), n. pl. [NL. See Selachii, and -oid.] (Zoöl.) ||Same as Selachii.

||Sel`a*chos"to*mi (?), n. pl. [NL. See Selachii, and Stoma.] (Zoöl.) A ||division of ganoid fishes which includes the paddlefish, in which the ||mouth is armed with small teeth.

||Sel`a*gi*nel"la (?), n. [NL., fr. L. selago, -inis, a kind of plant.] ||(Bot.) A genus of cryptogamous plants resembling Lycopodia, but ||producing two kinds of spores; also, any plant of this genus. Many ||species are cultivated in conservatories.

Se"lah (?), n. [Heb. selh.] (Script.) A word of doubtful meaning, occuring frequently in the Psalms; by some, supposed to signify silence or a pause in the musical performance of the song.

Beyond the fact that Selah is a musical term, we know absolutely
nothing about it.

Dr. W. Smith (Bib. Dict.)

Sel"couth (sl"kth), a. [AS. selcð, seldcð; seld rare + cð known. See Uncouth.] Rarely known; unusual; strange. [Obs.]

[She] wondered much at his so selcouth case.

Spenser.

Seld (sld), a. [See Seldom.] Rare; uncommon; unusual. [Obs.] Chaucer. Spenser.

Seld, adv. Rarely; seldom. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sel"den (-sen), adv. Seldom. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sel"dom (-dm), adv. [Usually, Compar. More seldom (mr"); superl. Most seldom (mst"); but sometimes also, Seldomer (-r), Seldomest.] [AS. seldan, seldon, seldum, fr. seld rare; akin to OFries. sielden, D. zelden, G. selten, OHG. seltan, Icel. sjaldan, Dan. sielden, Sw. sällan, Goth. sildaleiks marvelous.] Rarely; not often; not frequently.

Wisdom and youth are seldom joined in one.

Hooker.

Sel"dom (?), a. Rare; infrequent. [Archaic.] "A suppressed and seldom anger." Jer. Taylor.

Sel"dom*ness, n. Rareness. Hooker.

Seld"seen` (?), a. [AS. seldsiene.] Seldom seen. [Obs.] Drayton.

Seld"shewn` (?), a. [Seld + shown.] Rarely shown or exhibited. [Obs.] Shak.

Se*lect" (?), a. [L. selectus, p. p. of seligere to select; pref. se- aside + levere to gather. See Legend.] Taken from a number by preferance; picked out as more valuable or exellent than others; of special value or exellence; nicely chosen; selected; choice.

A few select spirits had separated from the crowd, and formed a fit
audience round a far greater teacher.

Macaulay.

Se*lect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Selected; p. pr. & vb. n. Selecting.] To choose and take from a number; to take by preference from among others; to pick out; to cull; as, to select the best authors for perusal. "One peculiar nation to select." Milton.

The pious chief . . . A hundred youths from all his train selects.

Dryden.

Se*lect"ed*ly, adv. With care and selection. [R.]

Se*lec"tion (?), n. [L. selectio: cf. F. sélection.] . The act of selecting, or the state of being selected; choice, by preference.

2. That which is selected; a collection of things chosen; as, a choice selection of books.

Natural selection. (Biol.) See under Natural.

Se*lect"ive (?), a. Selecting; tending to select.

This selective providence of the Almighty.

Bp. Hall.

Se*lect"man (?), n.; pl. Selectmen (&?;). One of a board of town officers chosen annually in the New England States to transact the general public business of the town, and have a kind of executive authority. The number is usually from three to seven in each town.

The system of delegated town action was then, perhaps, the same
which was defined in an "order made in 1635 by the inhabitants of
Charlestown at a full meeting for the government of the town, by
selectmen;" the name presently extended throughout New England to
municipal governors.

Palfrey.

Se*lect"ness, n. The quality or state of being select.

Se*lect"or (?), n. [L.] One who selects.

Sel"e*nate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of selenic acid; -- formerly called also seleniate.

Sel`en*hy"dric (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, hydrogen selenide, H2Se, regarded as an acid analogous to sulphydric acid.

Se*len"ic (?), a. [Cf. F. sélénique.] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to selenium; derived from, or containing, selenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which the element has a higher valence as contrasted with selenious compounds.

Sel"e*nide (?), n. (Chem.) A binary compound of selenium, or a compound regarded as binary; as, ethyl selenide.

Sel`e*nif"er*ous (?), a. [Selenium + -ferous. ] Containing, or impregnated with, selenium; as, seleniferous pyrites.

Se*le"ni*o- (&?;). (Chem.) A combining form (also used adjectively) denoting the presence of selenium or its compounds; as, selenio-phosphate, a phosphate having selenium in place of all, or a part, of the oxygen.

Se*le"ni*ous (?), a. [Cf. F. sélénieux.] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, selenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which the element has a lower valence as contrasted with selenic compounds.

Sel"e*nite (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of selenious acid.

Sel"e*nite, n. [L. selenites, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; (sc. &?;&?;&?;), from selh`nh the moon. So called from a fancied resemblance in luster or appearance to the moon.] (Min.) A variety of gypsum, occuring in transparent crystals or crystalline masses.

{ Sel`e*nit"ic (?), Sel`e*nit"ic*al (?), } a. (Min.) Of or pertaining to selenite; resembling or containing selenite.

Se*le"ni*um (?), n. [NL., from Gr. selh`nh the moon. So called because of its chemical analogy to tellurium (from L. tellus the earth), being, as it were, a companion to it.] (Chem.) A nonmetallic element of the sulphur group, and analogous to sulphur in its compounds. It is found in small quantities with sulphur and some sulphur ores, and obtained in the free state as a dark reddish powder or crystalline mass, or as a dark metallic-looking substance. It exhibits under the action of light a remarkable variation in electric conductivity, and is used in certain electric apparatus. Symbol Se. Atomic weight 78.9.

Sel`e*ni"u*ret (?), n. (Chem.) A selenide. [Obs.]

Sel`e*ni"u*ret`ed (?), a. (Chem.) Combined with selenium as in a selenide; as, seleniureted hydrogen. [Written also seleniuretted.] [Obsoles.]

Se*le`no*cen"tric (?), a. [Gr. selh`nh the moon + E. centric.] (Astron.) As seen or estimated from the center of the moon; with the moon central.

Se*le"no*graph (?), n. A picture or delineation of the moon's surface, or of any part of it.

Sel`e*nog"ra*pher (?), n. One skilled in selenography. Wright.