Chapter CDII: Prologue (53)

Defn: To compose; to arrange in words, lines, etc.; as, to set type; to set a page. To set abroach. See Abroach. [Obs.] Shak. -- To set against, to oppose; to set in comparison with, or to oppose to, as an equivalent in exchange; as, to set one thing against another. -- To set agoing, to cause to move. -- To set apart, to separate to a particular use; to separate from the rest; to reserve. -- To set a saw, to bend each tooth a little, every alternate one being bent to one side, and the intermediate ones to the other side, so that the opening made by the saw may be a little wider than the thickness of the back, to prevent the saw from sticking. -- To set aside. (a) To leave out of account; to pass by; to omit; to neglect; to reject; to annul. Setting aside all other considerations, I will endeavor to know the truth, and yield to that. Tillotson. (b) To set apart; to reserve; as, to set aside part of one's income. (c) (Law) See under Aside. -- To set at defiance, to defy. -- To set at ease, to quiet; to tranquilize; as, to set the heart at ease. -- To set at naught, to undervalue; to contemn; to despise. "Ye have set at naught all my counsel." Prov. i. 25. -- To set a trap, snare, or gin, to put it in a proper condition or position to catch prey; hence, to lay a plan to deceive and draw another into one's power. -- To set at work, or To set to work. (a) To cause to enter on work or action, or to direct how tu enter on work. (b) To apply one's self; -- used reflexively. -- To set before. (a) To bring out to view before; to exhibit. (b) To propose for choice to; to offer to. -- To set by. (a) To set apart or on one side; to reject. (b) To attach the value of (anything) to. "I set not a straw by thy dreamings." Chaucer. -- To set by the compass, to observe and note the bearing or situation of by the compass. -- To set case, to suppose; to assume. Cf. Put case, under Put, v. t. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- To set down. (a) To enter in writing; to register. Some rules were to be set down for the government of the army. Clarendon. (b) To fix; to establish; to ordain. This law we may name eternal, being that order which God . . . hath set down with himself, for himself to do all things by. Hooker. (c) To humiliate. -- To set eyes on, to see; to behold; to fasten the eyes on. -- To set fire to, or To set on fire, to communicate fire to; fig., to inflame; to enkindle the passions of; to irritate. -- To set flying (Naut.), to hook to halyards, sheets, etc., instead of extending with rings or the like on a stay; -- said of a sail. -- To set forth. (a) To manifest; to offer or present to view; to exhibt; to display. (b) To publish; to promulgate; to make appear. Waller. (c) To send out; to prepare and send. [Obs.] The Venetian admiral had a fleet of sixty galleys, set forth by the Venetians. Knolles. -- To set forward. (a) To cause to advance. (b) To promote. -- To set free, to release from confinement, imprisonment, or bondage; to liberate; to emancipate. -- To set in, to put in the way; to begin; to give a start to. [Obs.] If you please to assist and set me in, I will recollect myself. Collier. -- To set in order, to adjust or arrange; to reduce to method. "The rest will I set in order when I come." 1 Cor. xi. 34. -- To set milk. (a) To expose it in open dishes in order that the cream may rise to the surface. (b) To cause it to become curdled as by the action of rennet. See 4 (e). -- To set much, or little, by, to care much, or little, for. -- To set of, to value; to set by. [Obs.] "I set not an haw of his proverbs." Chaucer. -- To set off. (a) To separate from a whole; to assign to a particular purpose; to portion off; as, to set off a portion of an estate. (b) To adorn; to decorate; to embellish. They . . . set off the worst faces with the best airs. Addison. (c) To give a flattering description of. -- To set off against, to place against as an equivalent; as, to set off one man's services against another's. -- To set on or upon. (a) To incite; to instigate. "Thou, traitor, hast set on thy wife to this." Shak. (b) To employ, as in a task. " Set on thy wife to observe." Shak. (c) To fix upon; to attach strongly to; as, to set one's heart or affections on some object. See definition 2, above. -- To set one's cap for. See under Cap, n. -- To set one's self against, to place one's self in a state of enmity or opposition to. -- To set one's teeth, to press them together tightly. -- To set on foot, to set going; to put in motion; to start. -- To set out. (a) To assign; to allot; to mark off; to limit; as, to set out the share of each proprietor or heir of an estate; to set out the widow's thirds. (b) To publish, as a proclamation. [Obs.] (c) To adorn; to embellish. An ugly woman, in rich habit set out with jewels, nothing can become. Dryden. (d) To raise, equip, and send forth; to furnish. [R.] The Venetians pretend they could set out, in case of great necessity, thirty men-of-war. Addison. (e) To show; to display; to recommend; to set off. I could set out that best side of Luther. Atterbury. (f) To show; to prove. [R.] "Those very reasons set out how heinous his sin was." Atterbury. (g) (Law) To recite; to state at large. -- To set over. (a) To appoint or constitute as supervisor, inspector, ruler, or commander. (b) To assign; to transfer; to convey. -- To set right, to correct; to put in order. -- To set sail. (Naut.) See under Sail, n. -- To set store by, to consider valuable. -- To set the fashion, to determine what shall be the fashion; to establish the mode. -- To set the teeth on edge, to affect the teeth with a disagreeable sensation, as when acids are brought in contact with them. -- To set the watch (Naut.), to place the starboard or port watch on duty. -- To set to, to attach to; to affix to. "He . . . hath set to his seal that God is true." John iii. 33. -- To set up. (a) To erect; to raise; to elevate; as, to set up a building, or a machine; to set up a post, a wall, a pillar. (b) Hence, to exalt; to put in power. "I will . . . set up the throne of David over Israel." 2 Sam. iii. 10. (c) To begin, as a new institution; to institute; to establish; to found; as, to set up a manufactory; to set up a school. (d) To enable to commence a new business; as, to set up a son in trade. (e) To place in view; as, to set up a mark. (f) To raise; to utter loudly; as, to set up the voice. I'll set up such a note as she shall hear. Dryden. (g) To advance; to propose as truth or for reception; as, to set up a new opinion or doctrine. T. Burnet. (h) To raise from depression, or to a sufficient fortune; as, this good fortune quite set him up. (i) To intoxicate. [Slang] (j) (Print.) To put in type; as, to set up copy; to arrange in words, lines, etc., ready for printing; as, to set up type. -- To set up the rigging (Naut.), to make it taut by means of tackles. R. H. Dana, Jr.

Syn. -- See Put.

SET Set, v. i.

1. To pass below the horizon; to go down; to decline; to sink out of sight; to come to an end. Ere the weary sun set in the west. Shak. Thus this century sets with little mirth, and the next is likely to arise with more mourning. Fuller.

2. To fit music to words. [Obs.] Shak.

3. To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant. "To sow dry, and set wet." Old Proverb.

4. To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form; as, cuttings set well; the fruit has set well (i. e., not blasted in the blossom).

5. To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened. A gathering and serring of the spirits together to resist, maketh the teeth to set hard one against another. Bacon.

6. To congeal; to concrete; to solidify. That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set. Boyle.

7. To have a certain direction in motion; to flow; to move on; to tend; as, the current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward.

8. To begin to move; to go out or forth; to start; -- now followed by out. The king is set from London. Shak.

9. To indicate the position of game; -- said of a dog; as, the dog sets well; also, to hunt game by the aid of a setter.

10. To apply one's self; to undertake earnestly; -- now followed by out. If he sets industriously and sincerely to perform the commands of Christ, he can have no ground of doubting but it shall prove successful to him. Hammond.

11. To fit or suit one; to sit; as, the coat sets well.

Note: [Colloquially used, but improperly, for sit.]

Note: The use of the verb set for sit in such expressions as, the hen is setting on thirteen eggs; a setting hen, etc., although colloquially common, and sometimes tolerated in serious writing, is not to be approved. To set about, to commence; to begin. -- To set forward, to move or march; to begin to march; to advance. -- To set forth, to begin a journey. -- To set in. (a) To begin; to enter upon a particular state; as, winter set in early. (b) To settle one's self; to become established. "When the weather was set in to be very bad." Addyson. (c) To flow toward the shore; -- said of the tide. -- To set off. (a) To enter upon a journey; to start. (b) (Typog.) To deface or soil the next sheet; -- said of the ink on a freshly printed sheet, when another sheet comes in contract with it before it has had time to dry. -- To set on or upon. (a) To begin, as a journey or enterprise; to set about. He that would seriously set upon the search of truth. Locke. (b) To assault; to make an attack. Bacon. Cassio hath here been set on in the dark. Shak. -- To set out, to begin a journey or course; as, to set out for London, or from London; to set out in business;to set out in life or the world. -- To set to, to apply one's self to. -- To set up. (a) To begin business or a scheme of life; as, to set up in trade; to set up for one's self. (b) To profess openly; to make pretensions. Those men who set up for mortality without regard to religion, are generally but virtuous in part. Swift.

SET Set, a.

1. Fixed in position; immovable; rigid; as, a set line; a set countenance.

2. Firm; unchanging; obstinate; as, set opinions or prejudices.

3. Regular; uniform; formal; as, a set discourse; a set battle. "The set phrase of peace." Shak.

4. Established; prescribed; as, set forms of prayer.

5. Adjusted; arranged; formed; adapted. Set hammer. (a) A hammer the head of which is not tightly fastened upon the handle, but may be reversed. Knight. (b) A hammer with a concave face which forms a die for shaping anything, as the end of a bolt, rivet, etc. -- Set line, a line to which a number of baited hooks are attached, and which, supported by floats and properly secured, may be left unguarded during the absence of the fisherman. -- Set nut, a jam nut or lock nut. See under Nut. -- Set screw (Mach.), a screw, sometimes cupped or printed at one end, and screwed through one part, as of a machine, tightly upon another part, to prevent the one from slipping upon the other. -- Set speech, a speech carefully prepared before it is delivered in public; a formal or methodical speech.

SET Set, n.

1. The act of setting, as of the sun or other heavenly body; descent; hence, the close; termination. "Locking at the set of day." Tennyson. The weary sun hath made a golden set. Shak.

2. That which is set, placed, or fixed. Specifically: -- (a) A young plant for growth; as, a set of white thorn. (b) That which is staked; a wager; a venture; a stake; hence, a game at venture. [Obs. or R.] We will in France, by God's grace, play a set Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard. Shak. That was but civil war, an equal set. Dryden. (c) (Mech.)

Defn: Permanent change of figure in consequence of excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc.; as, the set of a spring. (d) A kind of punch used for bending, indenting, or giving shape to, metal; as, a saw set. (e) (Pile Driving)

Defn: A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot be reached by the weight, or hammer, except by means of such an intervening piece. [Often incorrectly written sett.] (f) (Carp.)

Defn: A short steel spike used for driving the head of a nail below the surface.

3. Etym: [Perhaps due to confusion with sect, sept.]

Defn: A number of things of the same kind, ordinarily used or classed together; a collection of articles which naturally complement each other, and usually go together; an assortment; a suit; as, a set of chairs, of china, of surgical or mathematical instruments, of books, etc. [In this sense, sometimes incorrectly written sett.]

4. A number of persons associated by custom, office, common opinion, quality, or the like; a division; a group; a clique. "Others of our set." Tennyson. This falls into different divisions, or sets, of nations connected under particular religions. R. P. Ward.

5. Direction or course; as, the set of the wind, or of a current.

6. In dancing, the number of persons necessary to execute a quadrille; also, the series of figures or movements executed.

7. The deflection of a tooth, or of the teeth, of a saw, which causes the the saw to cut a kerf, or make an opening, wider than the blade.

8. (a) A young oyster when first attached. (b) Collectively, the crop of young oysters in any locality.

9. (Tennis)

Defn: A series of as many games as may be necessary to enable one side to win six. If at the end of the tenth game the score is a tie, the set is usually called a deuce set, and decided by an application of the rules for playing off deuce in a game. See Deuce.

10. (Type Founding)

Defn: That dimension of the body of a type called by printers the width. Dead set. (a) The act of a setter dog when it discovers the game, and remains intently fixed in pointing it out. (b) A fixed or stationary condition arising from obstacle or hindrance; a deadlock; as, to be at a dead set. (c) A concerted scheme to defraud by gaming; a determined onset. -- To make a dead set, to make a determined onset, literally or figuratively.

Syn. -- Collection; series; group. See Pair.

SETA Se"ta, n.; pl. Setæ. Etym: [L. seta, saeta, a bristle.]

1. (Biol.)

Defn: Any slender, more or less rigid, bristlelike organ or part; as the hairs of a caterpillar, the slender spines of a crustacean, the hairlike processes of a protozoan, the bristles or stiff hairs on the leaves of some plants, or the pedicel of the capsule of a moss.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) One of the movable chitinous spines or hooks of an annelid. They usually arise in clusters from muscular capsules, and are used in locomotion and for defense. They are very diverse in form. (b) One of the spinelike feathers at the base of the bill of certain birds.

SETACEOUS Se*ta"ceous, a. Etym: [L. seta a bristle: cf. F. sétacé.]

1. Set with, or consisting of, bristles; bristly; as, a stiff, setaceous tail.

2. Bristelike in form or texture; as, a setaceous feather; a setaceous leaf.

SETBACK Set"back`, n.

1. (Arch.)

Defn: Offset, n., 4.

2. A backset; a countercurrent; an eddy. [U. S.]

3. A backset; a check; a repulse; a reverse; a relapse. [Colloq. U.S.]

SETBOLT Set"bolt`, n. (Shipbuilding)

1. An iron pin, or bolt, for fitting planks closely together. Craig.

2. A bolt used for forcing another bolt out of its hole.

SET CHISEL Set chisel. (Mech.)

Defn: A kind of chisel or punch, variously shaped, with a broad flat end, used for stripping off rivet heads, etc.

SETDOWN Set"down`, n.

Defn: The humbling of a person by act or words, especially by a retort or a reproof; the retort or the reproof which has such effect.

SETEE Set*ee", n. (Naut.)

Defn: See 2d Settee.

SETEN Set"en,

Defn: obs. imp. pl. of Sit. Sat. Chaucer.

SETEWALE Set"e*wale, n.

Defn: See Cetewale. [Obs.]

SET-FAIR Set"-fair`, n.

Defn: In plastering, a particularly good troweled surface. Knight.

SETFOIL Set"foil`, n.

Defn: See Septfoil.

SETHEN Seth"en, adv. & conj.

Defn: See Since. [Obs.]

SETHIC Seth"ic, a.

Defn: See Sothic.

SETIFEROUS Se*tif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. seta a bristle + -ferous.]

Defn: Producing, or having one or more, bristles.

SETIFORM Se"ti*form, a. Etym: [Seta + -form: cf. F. sétiforme.]

Defn: Having the form or structure of setæ.

SETIGER Se"ti*ger, n. Etym: [NL. See Setigerous.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An annelid having setæ; a chætopod.

SETIGEROUS Se*tig"er*ous, a. Etym: [Seta + -gerous.]

Defn: Covered with bristles; having or bearing a seta or setæ; setiferous; as, setigerous glands; a setigerous segment of an annelid; specifically (Bot.), tipped with a bristle.

SETIM Se"tim, n.

Defn: See Shittim.

SETIPAROUS Se*tip"a*rous, a. Etym: [Seta + L. papere to produce.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Producing setæ; -- said of the organs from which the setæ of annelids arise.

SETIREME Se"ti*reme, n. Etym: [Seta + L. remus an oar.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A swimming leg (of an insect) having a fringe of hairs on the margin.

SETNESS Set"ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being set; formality; obstinacy. "The starched setness of a sententious writer." R. Masters.

SET-OFF Set"-off`, n. Etym: [Set + off.]

1. That which is set off against another thing; an offset. I do not contemplate such a heroine as a set-off to the many sins imputed to me as committed against woman. D. Jerrold.

2. That which is used to improve the appearance of anything; a decoration; an ornament.

3. (Law)

Defn: A counterclaim; a cross debt or demand; a distinct claim filed or set up by the defendant against the plaintiff's demand.

Note: Set-off differs from recoupment, as the latter generally grows out of the same matter or contract with the plaintiff's claim, while the former grows out of distinct matter, and does not of itself deny the justice of the plaintiff's demand. Offset is sometimes improperly used for the legal term set-off. See Recoupment.

4. (Arch.)

Defn: Same as Offset, n., 4.

5. (Print.)

Defn: See Offset, 7.

Syn. -- Set-off, Offset. -- Offset originally denoted that which branches off or projects, as a shoot from a tree, but the term has long been used in America in the sense of set-off. This use is beginning to obtain in England; though Macaulay uses set-off, and so, perhaps, do a majority of English writers.

SETON Se"ton, n. Etym: [F. séton (cf. It. setone), from L. seta a thick, stiff hair, a bristle.] (Med. & Far.)

Defn: A few silk threads or horsehairs, or a strip of linen or the like, introduced beneath the skin by a knife or needle, so as to form an issue; also, the issue so formed.

SETOSE; SETOUS Se*tose", Se"tous, a. Etym: [L. setosus, saetosus, from seta, saeta, bristle: cf. F. séteux.]

Defn: Thickly set with bristles or bristly hairs.

SETOUT Set"out`, n.

Defn: A display, as of plate, equipage, etc.; that which is displayed. [Coloq.] Dickens.

SET-STITCHED Set"-stitched`, a.

Defn: Stitched according to a formal pattern. "An old set-stiched chair, valanced, and fringed with party-colored worsted bobs." Sterne.

SETT Sett, n.

Defn: See Set, n., 2 (e) and 3.

SETTEE Set*tee", n. Etym: [From Set; cf. Settle a seat.]

Defn: A long seat with a back, -- made to accommodate several persons at once.

SETTEE Set*tee", n. Etym: [F. scétie, scitie.] (Naut.)

Defn: A vessel with a very long, sharp prow, carrying two or three masts with lateen sails, -- used in the Mediterranean. [Written also setee.]

SETTER Set"ter, n.

1. One who, or that which, sets; -- used mostly in composition with a noun, as typesetter; or in combination with an adverb, as a setter on (or inciter), a setter up, a setter forth.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A hunting dog of a special breed originally derived from a cross between the spaniel and the pointer. Modern setters are usually trained to indicate the position of game birds by standing in a fixed position, but originally they indicated it by sitting or crouching.

Note: There are several distinct varieties of setters; as, the Irish, or red, setter; the Gordon setter, which is usually red or tan varied with black; and the English setter, which is variously colored, but usually white and tawny red, with or without black.

3. One who hunts victims for sharpers. Shak.

4. One who adapts words to music in composition.

5. An adornment; a decoration; -- with off. [Obs.] They come as . . . setters off of thy graces. Whitlock.

6. (Pottery)

Defn: A shallow seggar for porcelain. Ure.

SETTER Set"ter, v. t.

Defn: To cut the dewlap (of a cow or an ox), and to insert a seton, so as to cause an issue. [Prov. Eng.]

SETTERWORT Set"ter*wort`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The bear's-foot (Helleborus foetidus); -- so called because the root was used in settering, or inserting setons into the dewlaps of cattle. Called also pegroots. Dr. Prior.

SETTING Set"ting, n.

1. The act of one who, or that which, sets; as, the setting of type, or of gems; the setting of the sun; the setting (hardening) of moist plaster of Paris; the setting (set) of a current.

2. The act of marking the position of game, as a setter does; also, hunting with a setter. Boyle.

3. Something set in, or inserted. Thou shalt set in it settings of stones. Ex. xxviii. 17.

4. That in which something, as a gem, is set; as, the gold setting of a jeweled pin. Setting coat (Arch.), the finishing or last coat of plastering on walls or ceilings. -- Setting dog, a setter. See Setter, n., 2. -- Setting pole, a pole, often iron-pointed, used for pushing boats along in shallow water. -- Setting rule. (Print.) A composing rule.

SETTING-UP EXERCISE Set`ting-up" ex"er*cise.

Defn: Any one of a series of gymnastic exercises used, as in drilling recruits, for the purpose of giving an erect carriage, supple muscles, and an easy control of the limbs.

SETTLE Set"tle, n. Etym: [OE. setel, setil, a seat, AS. setl: akin to OHG. sezzal, G. sessel, Goth. sitls, and E. sit. sq. root154. See Sit.]

1. A seat of any kind. [Obs.] "Upon the settle of his majesty" Hampole.

2. A bench; especially, a bench with a high back.

3. A place made lower than the rest; a wide step or platform lower than some other part. And from the bottom upon the ground, even to the lower settle, shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit. Ezek. xliii. 14. Settle bed, a bed convertible into a seat. [Eng.]

SETTLE Set"tle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Settled; p. pr. & vb. n. Settling.] Etym: [OE. setlen, AS. setlan. sq. root154. See Settle, n. In senses 7, 8, and 9 perhaps confused with OE. sahtlen to reconcile, AS. sahtlian, fr. saht reconciliation, sacon to contend, dispute. Cf. Sake.]

1. To place in a fixed or permanent condition; to make firm, steady, or stable; to establish; to fix; esp., to establish in life; to fix in business, in a home, or the like. And he settled his countenance steadfastly upon him, until he was ashamed. 2 Kings viii. 11. (Rev. Ver.) The father thought the time drew on Of setting in the world his only son. Dryden.

2. To establish in the pastoral office; to ordain or install as pastor or rector of a church, society, or parish; as, to settle a minister. [U. S.]

3. To cause to be no longer in a disturbed condition; to render quiet; to still; to calm; to compose. God settled then the huge whale-bearing lake. Chapman. Hoping that sleep might settle his brains. Bunyan.

4. To clear of dregs and impurities by causing them to sink; to render pure or clear; -- said of a liquid; as, to settle coffee, or the grounds of coffee.

5. To restore or bring to a smooth, dry, or passable condition; -- said of the ground, of roads, and the like; as, clear weather settles the roads.

6. To cause to sink; to lower; to depress; hence, also, to render close or compact; as, to settle the contents of a barrel or bag by shaking it.

7. To determine, as something which is exposed to doubt or question; to free from unscertainty or wavering; to make sure, firm, or constant; to establish; to compose; to quiet; as, to settle the mind when agitated; to settle questions of law; to settle the succession to a throne; to settle an allowance. It will settle the wavering, and confirm the doubtful. Swift.

8. To adjust, as something in discussion; to make up; to compose; to pacify; as, to settle a quarrel.

9. To adjust, as accounts; to liquidate; to balance; as, to settle an account.

10. Hence, to pay; as, to settle a bill. [Colloq.] Abbott.

11. To plant with inhabitants; to colonize; to people; as, the French first settled Canada; the Puritans settled New England; Plymouth was settled in 1620. To settle on or upon, to confer upon by permanent grant; to assure to. "I . . . have settled upon him a good annuity." Addison. -- To settle the land (Naut.), to cause it to sink, or appear lower, by receding from it.

Syn. -- To fix; establish; regulate; arrange; compose; adjust; determine; decide.

SETTLE Set"tle, v. i.

1. To become fixed or permanent; to become stationary; to establish one's self or itself; to assume a lasting form, condition, direction, or the like, in place of a temporary or changing state. The wind came about and settled in the west. Bacon. Chyle . . . runs through all the intermediate colors until it settles in an intense red. Arbuthnot.

2. To fix one's residence; to establish a dwelling place or home; as, the Saxons who settled in Britain.

3. To enter into the married state, or the state of a householder. As people marry now and settle. Prior.

4. To be established in an employment or profession; as, to settle in the practice of law.

5. To become firm, dry, and hard, as the ground after the effects of rain or frost have disappeared; as, the roads settled late in the spring.

6. To become clear after being turbid or obscure; to clarify by depositing matter held in suspension; as, the weather settled; wine settles by standing. A government, on such occasions, is always thick before it settles. Addison.

7. To sink to the bottom; to fall to the bottom, as dregs of a liquid, or the sediment of a reserveir.

8. To sink gradually to a lower level; to subside, as the foundation of a house, etc.

9. To become calm; to cease from agitation. Till the fury of his highness settle, Come not before him. Shak.

10. To adjust differences or accounts; to come to an agreement; as, he has settled with his creditors.

11. To make a jointure for a wife. He sighs with most success that settles well. Garth.

SETTLEDNESS Set"tled*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being settled; confirmed state. [R.] Bp. Hall.

SETTLEMENT Set"tle*ment, n.

1. The act of setting, or the state of being settled. Specifically: - - (a) Establishment in life, in business, condition, etc.; ordination or installation as pastor. Every man living has a design in his head upon wealth power, or settlement in the world. L'Estrange.

(b) The act of peopling, or state of being peopled; act of planting, as a colony; colonization; occupation by settlers; as, the settlement of a new country.

(c) The act or process of adjusting or determining; composure of doubts or differences; pacification; liquidation of accounts; arrangement; adjustment; as, settlement of a controversy, of accounts, etc. (d) Bestowal, or giving possession, under legal sanction; the act of giving or conferring anything in a formal and permanent manner. My flocks, my fields, my woods, my pastures take, With settlement as good as law can make. Dryden. (e) (Law)

Defn: A disposition of property for the benefit of some person or persons, usually through the medium of trustees, and for the benefit of a wife, children, or other relatives; jointure granted to a wife, or the act of granting it.

2. That which settles, or is settled, established, or fixed. Specifically: -- (a) Matter that subsides; settlings; sediment; lees; dregs. [Obs.] Fuller's earth left a thick settlement. Mortimer.

(b) A colony newly established; a place or region newly settled; as, settlement in the West. (c) That which is bestowed formally and permanently; the sum secured to a person; especially, a jointure made to a woman at her marriage; also, in the United States, a sum of money or other property formerly granted to a pastor in additional to his salary.

3. (Arch.) (a) The gradual sinking of a building, whether by the yielding of the ground under the foundation, or by the compression of the joints or the material. (b) pl.

Defn: Fractures or dislocations caused by settlement.

4. (Law)

Defn: A settled place of abode; residence; a right growing out of residence; legal residence or establishment of a person in a particular parish or town, which entitles him to maintenance if a pauper, and subjects the parish or town to his support. Blackstone. Bouvier. Act of settlement (Eng. Hist.), the statute of 12 and 13 William III, by which the crown was limited to the present reigning house (the house of Hanover). Blackstone.

SETTLER Set"tler, n.

1. One who settles, becomes fixed, established, etc.

2. Especially, one who establishes himself in a new region or a colony; a colonist; a planter; as, the first settlers of New England.

3. That which settles or finishes; hence, a blow, etc., which settles or decides a contest. [Colloq.]

4. A vessel, as a tub, in which something, as pulverized ore suspended in a liquid, is allowed to settle.

SETTLING Set"tling, n.

1. The act of one who, or that which, settles; the act of establishing one's self, of colonizing, subsiding, adjusting, etc.

2. pl.

Defn: That which settles at the bottom of a liquid; lees; dregs; sediment. Milton. Settling day, a day for settling accounts, as in the stock market.

SET-TO Set"-to`, n.

Defn: A contest in boxing, in an argument, or the like. [Colloq.] Halliwell.

SETULA Set"u*la, n.; pl. Setulæ. Etym: [L. setula, saetula, dim. of seta, saeta, bristle.]

Defn: A small, short hair or bristle; a small seta.

SETULE Set"ule, n. Etym: [See Setula.]

Defn: A setula.

SETULOSE Set"u*lose`, a.

Defn: Having small bristles or setæ.

SETWALL Set"wall`, n. Etym: [CF. Cetewale.] (Bot.)

Defn: A plant formerly valued for its restorative qualities (Valeriana officinalis, or V. Pyrenaica). [Obs.] [Written also setwal.] Chaucer.

SEVEN Sev"en, a. Etym: [OE. seven, seoven, seofen, AS. seofon, seofan, seofen; akin to D. zeven, OS., Goth., & OHG. sibun, G. sieben, Icel. sjau, sjö, Sw. sju, Dan. syv, Lith. septyni, Russ. seme, W. saith, Gael. seachd, Ir. seacht, L. septem, Gr. saptan. sq. root305. Cf. Hebdomad, Heptagon, September.]

Defn: One more than six; six and one added; as, seven days make one week. Seven sciences. See the Note under Science, n., 4. -- Seven stars (Astron.), the Pleiades. -- Seven wonders of the world. See under Wonders. -- Seven-year apple (Bot.), a rubiaceous shrub (Genipa clusiifolia) growing in the West Indies; also, its edible fruit. -- Seven-year vine (Bot.), a tropical climbing plant (Ipomoea tuberosa) related to the morning-glory.

SEVEN Sev"en, n.

1. The number greater by one than six; seven units or objects. Of every beast, and bird, and insect small, Game sevens and pairs. Milton.

2. A symbol representing seven units, as 7, or vii.

SEVENFOLD Sev"en*fold`, a.

Defn: Repeated seven times; having seven thicknesses; increased to seven times the size or amount. "Sevenfold rage." Milton.

SEVENFOLD Sev"en*fold`, adv.

Defn: Seven times as much or as often. Whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. Gen. iv. 15.

SEVENNIGHT Seven"night, n.

Defn: A week; any period of seven consecutive days and nights. See Sennight.

SEVENSCORE Sev"en*score`, n. & a.

Defn: Seven times twenty, that is, a hundred and forty. The old Countess of Desmond . . . lived sevenscore years. Bacon.

SEVEN-SHOOTER Sev"en-shoot`er, n.

Defn: A firearm, esp. a pistol, with seven barrels or chambers for cartridges, or one capable of firing seven shots without reloading. [Colloq.]

SEVENTEEN Sev"en*teen`, a. Etym: [OE. seventene, AS. seofontyne, i. e., seven- ten. Cf. Seventy.]

Defn: One more than sixteen; ten and seven added; as, seventeen years.

SEVENTEEN Sev"en*teen`, n.

1. The number greater by one than sixteen; the sum of ten and seven; seventeen units or objects.

2. A symbol denoting seventeen units, as 17, or xvii.

SEVENTEENTH Sev"en*teenth`, a. Etym: [From Seventeen: cf. AS. seofonteóedha, seofonteogeedha.]

1. Next in order after the sixteenth; coming after sixteen others. In . . . the seventeenth day of the month . . . were all the fountains of the great deep broken up. Gen. vii. 11.

2. Constituting or being one of seventeen equal parts into which anything is divided.

SEVENTEENTH Sev"en*teenth`, n.

1. The next in order after the sixteenth; one coming after sixteen others.

2. The quotient of a unit divided by seventeen; one of seventeen equal parts or divisions of one whole.

3. (Mus.)

Defn: An interval of two octaves and a third.

SEVENTH Sev"enth, a. Etym: [From Seven: cf. AS. seofoedha.]

1. Next in order after the sixth;; coming after six others. On the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. Gen. ii. 2.

2. Constituting or being one of seven equal parts into which anything is divided; as, the seventh part. Seventh day, the seventh day of the week; Saturday. -- Seventh-day Baptists. See under Baptist.

SEVENTH Sev"enth, n.

1. One next in order after the sixth; one coming after six others.

2. The quotient of a unit divided by seven; one of seven equal parts into which anything is divided.

3. (Mus.) (a) An interval embracing seven diatonic degrees of the scale. (b) A chord which includes the interval of a seventh whether major, minor, or diminished.

SEVEN-THIRTIES Sev`en-thir"ties, n. pl.

Defn: A name given to three several issues of United States Treasury notes, made during the Civil War, in denominations of $50 and over, bearing interest at the rate of seven and three tenths (thirty hundredths) per cent annually. Within a few years they were all redeemed or funded.

SEVENTHLY Sev"enth*ly, adv.

Defn: In the seventh place.

SEVENTIETH Sev"en*ti*eth, a. Etym: [AS. hund-seofontigoedha.]

1. Next in order after the sixty-ninth; as, a man in the seventieth year of his age.

2. Constituting or being one of seventy equal parts.

SEVENTIETH Sev"en*ti*eth, n.

1. One next in order after the sixty-ninth.

2. The quotient of a unit divided by seventy; one of seventy equal parts or fractions.

SEVENTY Sev"en*ty, a. Etym: [AS. hund-seofontig. See Seven, and Ten, and cf. Seventeen, Sixty.]

Defn: Seven times ten; one more than sixty-nine.

SEVENTY Sev"en*ty, n.; pl. Seventies (.

1. The sum of seven times ten; seventy units or objects.

2. A symbol representing seventy units, as 70, or lxx. The Seventy, the translators of the Greek version of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. See Septuagint.

SEVENTY-FOUR Sev`en*ty-four", n. (Naut.)

Defn: A naval vessel carrying seventy-four guns.

SEVEN-UP Sev"en-up`, n.

Defn: The game of cards called also all fours, and old sledge. [U. S.]

SEVER Sev"er, v. t. [imp. &. p. p. Severed; p. pr. & vb. n. Severing.] Etym: [OF. sevrer, severer, to separate, F. sevrer to wean, fr. L. separare. See Separate, and cf. Several.]

1. To separate, as one from another; to cut off from something; to divide; to part in any way, especially by violence, as by cutting, rending, etc.; as, to sever the head from the body. The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just. Matt. xiii. 49.

2. To cut or break open or apart; to divide into parts; to cut through; to disjoin; as, to sever the arm or leg. Our state can not be severed; we are one. Milton.

3. To keep distinct or apart; to except; to exempt. I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there. Ex. viii. 22.

4. (Law)

Defn: To disunite; to disconnect; to terminate; as, to sever an estate in joint tenancy. Blackstone.

SEVER Sev"er, v. i.

1. To suffer disjunction; to be parted, or rent asunder; to be separated; to part; to separate. Shak.

2. To make a separation or distinction; to distinguish. The Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt. Ex. ix. 4. They claimed the right of severing in their challenge. Macaulay.

SEVERABLE Sev"er*a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being severed. Encyc. Dict.

SEVERAL Sev"er*al, a. Etym: [OF., fr. LL. separalis, fr. L. separ separate, different. See Sever, Separate.]

1. Separate; distinct; particular; single. Each several ship a victory did gain. Dryden. Each might his several province well command, Would all but stoop to what they understand. Pope.

2. Diverse; different; various. Spenser. Habits and faculties, several, and to be distinguished. Bacon. Four several armies to the field are led. Dryden.

3. Consisting of a number more than two, but not very many; divers; sundry; as, several persons were present when the event took place.

SEVERAL Sev"er*al, adv.

Defn: By itself; severally. [Obs.] Every kind of thing is laid up several in barns or storehoudses. Robynson (More's Utopia).

SEVERAL Sev"er*al, n.

1. Each particular taken singly; an item; a detail; an individual. [Obs.] There was not time enough to hear . . . The severals. Shak.

2. Persons oe objects, more than two, but not very many. Several of them neither rose from any conspicuous family, nor left any behind them. Addison.

3. An inclosed or separate place; inclosure. [Obs.] They had their several for heathen nations, their several for the people of their own nation. Hooker. In several, in a state of separation. [R.] "Where pastures in several be." Tusser.

SEVERALITY Sev`er*al"i*ty, n.; pl. Severalities (.

Defn: Each particular taken singly; distinction. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

SEVERALIZE Sev"er*al*ize, v. t.

Defn: To distinguish. [Obs.]

SEVERALLY Sev"er*al*ly, adv.

Defn: Separately; distinctly; apart from others; individually. There must be an auditor to check and revise each severally by itself. De Quincey.

SEVERALTY Sev"er*al*ty, n.

Defn: A state of separation from the rest, or from all others; a holding by individual right. Forests which had never been owned in severalty. Bancroft. Estate in severalty (Law), an estate which the tenant holds in his own right, without being joined in interest with any other person; -- distinguished from joint tenancy, coparcenary, and common. Blackstone.

SEVERANCE Sev"er*ance, n.

1. The act of severing, or the state of being severed; partition; separation. Milman.

2. (Law)

Defn: The act of dividing; the singling or severing of two or more that join, or are joined, in one writ; the putting in several or separate pleas or answers by two or more disjointly; the destruction of the unity of interest in a joint estate. Bouvier.

SEVERE Se*vere", a. [Compar. Severer; superl. Severest.] Etym: [L. severus; perhaps akin to Gr. swikns innocent, chaste: cf. F. sévère. Cf. Asseverate, Persevere.]

1. Serious in feeeling or manner; sedate; grave; austere; not light, lively, or cheerful. Your looks alter, as your subject does, From kind to fierce, from wanton to severe. Waller.

2. Very strict in judgment, discipline, or government; harsh; not mild or indulgent; rigorous; as, severe criticism; severe punishment. "Custody severe." Milton. Come! you are too severe a moraler. Shak. Let your zeal, if it must be expressed in anger, be always more severe against thyself than against others. Jer. Taylor.

3. Rigidly methodical, or adherent to rule or principle; exactly conformed to a standard; not allowing or employing unneccessary ornament, amplification, etc.; strict; -- said of style, argument, etc. "Restrained by reason and severe principles." Jer. Taylor. The Latin, a most severe and compendious language. Dryden.

4. Sharp; afflictive; distressing; violent; extreme; as, severe pain, anguish, fortune; severe cold.

5. Difficult to be endured; exact; critical; rigorous; as, a severe test.

Syn. -- Strict; grave; austere; stern; morose; rigid; exact; rigorous; hard; rough; harsh; censorious; tart; acrimonious; sarcastic; satirical; cutting; biting; keen; bitter; cruel. See Strict. -- Se*vere"ly, adv. -- Se*vere"ness, n.

SEVERITY Se*ver"i*ty, n.; pl. Severities. Etym: [L. severitas: cf. F. sévérité.]

Defn: The quality or state of being severe. Specifically: -- (a) Gravity or austerity; extreme strictness; rigor; harshness; as, the severity of a reprimand or a reproof; severity of discipline or government; severity of penalties. "Strict age, and sour severity." Milton. (b) The quality or power of distressing or paining; extreme degree; extremity; intensity; inclemency; as, the severity of pain or anguish; the severity of cold or heat; the severity of the winter. (c) Harshness; cruel treatment; sharpness of punishment; as, severity practiced on prisoners of war. (d) Exactness; rigorousness; strictness; as, the severity of a test. Confining myself to the severity of truth. Dryden.

SEVERY Sev"er*y, n. Etym: [Prob. corrupted fr. ciborium. Oxf. Gloss.] (Arch.)

Defn: A bay or compartment of a vaulted ceiling. [Written also civery.]

SEVOCATION Sev`o*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. sevocare, sevocatum, to call aside.]

Defn: A calling aside. [Obs.]

SEVRES BLUE Sè"vres blue`.

Defn: A very light blue.

SEVRES WARE Sè"vres ware`.

Defn: Porcelain manufactured at Sèvres, France, ecpecially in the national factory situated there.

SEW Sew, n.Etym: [OE. See Sewer household officer.]

Defn: Juice; gravy; a seasoned dish; a delicacy. [Obs.] Gower. I will not tell of their strange sewes. Chaucer.

SEW Sew, v. t. Etym: [See Sue to follow.]

Defn: To follow; to pursue; to sue. [Obs.] Chaucer. Spenser.

SEW Sew, v. t. [imp. Sewed; p. p. Sewed, rarely Sewn (; p. pr. & vb. n. Sewing.] Etym: [OE. sewen, sowen, AS. siówian, siwian; akin to OHG. siuwan, Icel. s, Sw. sy, Dan. sye, Goth. siujan, Lith. siuti, Russ, shite, L. ssuere, Gr. siv. sq. root156. Cf. Seam a suture, Suture.]

1. To unite or fasten together by stitches, as with a needle and thread. No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment. Mark ii. 21.

2. To close or stop by ssewing; -- often with up; as, to sew up a rip.

3. To inclose by sewing; -- sometimes with up; as, to sew money in a bag.

SEW Sew, v. i.

Defn: To practice sewing; to work with needle and thread.

SEW Sew, v. t. Etym: [sq. root151 b. See Sewer a drain.]

Defn: To drain, as a pond, for taking the fish. [Obs.] Tusser.

SEWAGE Sew"age, n.

1. The contents of a sewer or drain; refuse liquids or matter carried off by sewers

2. Sewerage, 2.

SEWE Sewe, v. i.

Defn: To perform the duties of a sewer. See 3d Sewer. [Obs.]

SEWEL Sew"el, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]

Defn: A scarecrow, generally made of feathers tied to a string, hung up to prevent deer from breaking into a place. Halliwell.

SEWELLEL Se*wel"lel, n. Etym: [Of American Indian origin.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A peculiar gregarious burrowing rodent (Haplodon rufus), native of the coast region of the Northwestern United States. It somewhat resembles a muskrat or marmot, but has only a rudimentary tail. Its head is broad, its eyes are small and its fur is brownish above, gray beneath. It constitutes the family Haplodontidæ. Called also boomer, showt'l, and mountain beaver.

SEWEN Sew"en, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A British trout usually regarded as a variety (var. Cambricus) of the salmon trout.

SEWER Sew"er, n.

1. One who sews, or stitches.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small tortricid moth whose larva sews together the edges of a leaf by means of silk; as, the apple-leaf sewer (Phoxopteris nubeculana)

SEWER Sew"er, n. Etym: [OF. sewiere, seuwiere, ultimately fr. L. ex out + a derivative of aqua water; cf. OF. essevour a drain, essever, esseuwer, essiaver, to cause to flow, to drain, to flow, LL. exaquatorium a channel through which water runs off. Cf. Ewer, Aquarium.]

Defn: A drain or passage to carry off water and filth under ground; a subterraneous channel, particularly in cities.

SEWER Sew"er, n. Etym: [Cf. OE. assewer, and asseour, OF. asseour, F. asseoir to seat, to set, L. assidere to sit by; ad + sedere to sit (cf. Sit); or cf. OE. sew pottage, sauce, boiled meat, AS. seáw juice, Skr. su to press out.]

Defn: Formerly, an upper servant, or household officer, who set on and removed the dishes at a feast, and who also brought water for the hands of the guests. Then the sewer Poured water from a great and golden ewer, That from their hands to a silver caldron ran. Chapman.

SEWERAGE Sew"er*age, n.

1. The construction of a sewer or sewers.

2. The system of sewers in a city, town, etc.; the general drainage of a city or town by means of sewers.

3. The material collected in, and discharged by, sewers. [In this sense sewage is preferable and common.]

SEWIN Sew"in, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Sewen.

SEWING Sew"ing, n.

1. The act or occupation of one who sews.

2. That which is sewed with the needle. Sewing horse (Harness making), a clamp, operated by the foot, for holding pieces of leather while being sewed. -- Sewing machine, a machine for sewing or stitching. -- Sewing press, or Sewing table (Bookbinding), a fixture or table having a frame in which are held the cords to which the back edges of folded sheets are sewed to form a book.

SEWSTER Sew"ster, n.

Defn: A seamstress. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

SEX- Sex-. Etym: [L. sex six. See Six.]

Defn: A combining form meaning six; as, sexdigitism; sexennial.

SEX Sex, n. Etym: [L. sexus: cf. F. sexe.]

1. The distinguishing peculiarity of male or female in both animals and plants; the physical difference between male and female; the assemblage of properties or qualities by which male is distinguished from female.

2. One of the two divisions of organic beings formed on the distinction of male and female.

3. (Bot.) (a) The capability in plants of fertilizing or of being fertilized; as, staminate and pistillate flowers are of opposite sexes. (b) One of the groups founded on this distinction. The sex, the female sex; women, in general.

SEXAGENARIAN Sex`a*ge*na"ri*an, n. Etym: [See Sexagenary.]

Defn: A person who is sixty years old.

SEXAGENARY Sex*ag"e*na*ry, a. Etym: [L. sexagenarius, fr. sexageni sixty each, akin to sexaginta sixty, sex six: cf. sexagénaire. See Six.]

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, the number sixty; poceeding by sixties; sixty years old. Sexagenary arithmetic. See under Sexagesimal. -- Sexagenary, or Sexagesimal, scale (Math.), a scale of numbers in which the modulus is sixty. It is used in treating the divisions of the circle.

SEXAGENARY Sex*ag"e*na*ry, n.

1. Something composed of sixty parts or divisions.

2. A sexagenarian. Sir W. Scott.

SEXAGESIMA Sex`a*ges"i*ma, n. Etym: [L., fem. of sexagesimus sixtieth, fr. sexaginta sixty.] (Eccl.)

Defn: The second Sunday before Lent; -- so called as being about the sixtieth day before Easter.

SEXAGESIMAL Sex`a*ges"i*mal, a. Etym: [Cf. F. sexagésimal.]

Defn: Pertaining to, or founded on, the number sixty. Sexagesimal fractions or numbers (Arith. & Alg.), those fractions whose denominators are some power of sixty; as, astronomical fractions, because formerly there were no others used in astronomical calculations. -- Sexagesimal, or Sexagenary, arithmetic, the method of computing by the sexagenary scale, or by sixties. -- Sexagesimal scale (Math.), the sexagenary scale.

SEXAGESIMAL Sex`a*ges"i*mal, n.

Defn: A sexagesimal fraction.

SEXANGLE Sex"an`gle, n. Etym: [L. sexangulus sexangular; sex six + angulus angle: cf. F. sexangle. Cf. Hexangular.] (Geom.)

Defn: A hexagon. [R.] Hutton.

SEXANGLED; SEXANGULAR Sex"an`gled, Sex*an"gu*lar a. Etym: [Cf. F. sexangulaire.]

Defn: Having six angles; hexagonal. [R.] Dryden.

SEXANGULARLY Sex*an"gu*lar*ly, adv.

Defn: Hexagonally. [R.]

SEXAVALENT Sex*av"a*lent, a.

Defn: See Sexivalent. [R.]

SEXDIGITISM Sex*dig"it*ism, n. Etym: [Sex- + digit.]

Defn: The state of having six fingers on a hand, or six toes on a foot.

SEXDIGITIST Sex*dig"it*ist, n.

Defn: One who has six fingers on a hand, or six toes on a foot.

SEXED Sexed, a.

Defn: Belonging to sex; having sex; distinctively male of female; as, the sexed condition.

SEXENARY Sex"e*na*ry, a.

Defn: Proceeding by sixes; sextuple; -- applied especially to a system of arithmetical computation in which the base is six.

SEXENNIAL Sex*en"ni*al, a. Etym: [L. sexennium a period of six years, sexennis of six years; sex six + annus a year. See Six, and Annual.]

Defn: Lasting six years, or happening once in six years. -- n.

Defn: A sexennial event.

SEXENNIALLY Sex*en"ni*al*ly, adv.

Defn: Once in six years.

SEXFID; SEXIFID Sex"fid, Sex"i*fid, a. Etym: [Sex- + root of L. findere to split: cf. F. sexfide.] (Bot.)

Defn: Six-cleft; as, a sexfid calyx or nectary.

SEXISYLLABIC Sex`i*syl*lab"ic, a. Etym: [Sex- + syllabic.]

Defn: Having six syllables. Emerson.

SEXISYLLABLE Sex"i*syl`la*ble, n. Etym: [Sex- + syllable.]

Defn: A word of six syllables.

SEXIVALENT Sex*iv"a*lent, a. Etym: [Sex- + L. valens, p. pr. See Valence.] (hem.)

Defn: Hexavalent. [R.]

SEXLESS Sex"less, a.

Defn: Having no sex.

SEXLOCULAR Sex`loc"u*lar, a. Etym: [Sex- + locular: cf. F. sexloculaire.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having six cells for seeds; six-celled; as, a sexlocular pericarp.

SEXLY Sex"ly, a.

Defn: Pertaining to sex. [R.] Should I ascribe any of these things unto myself or my sexly weakness, I were not worthy to live. Queen Elizabeth.

SEXRADIATE Sex*ra"di*ate, a. Etym: [Sex- + radiate.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having six rays; -- said of certain sponge spicules. See Illust. of Spicule.

SEXT Sext, n. Etym: [L. sexta, fem. of sextus sixtt, fr. sex six: cf. F. sexte.] (R.C.Ch.) (a) The office for the sixth canonical hour, being a part of the Breviary. (b) The sixth book of the decretals, added by Pope Boniface VIII.

SEXTAIN Sex"tain, n. Etym: [L. sextus sixth, fr. sex six: cf. It. sestina.] (Pros.)

Defn: A stanza of six lines; a sestine.

SEXTANS Sex"tans, n. Etym: [L. See Sextant.]

1. (Rom. Antiq.)

Defn: A Roman coin, the sixth part of an as.

2. (Astron.)

Defn: A constellation on the equator south of Leo; the Sextant.

SEXTANT Sex"tant, n. Etym: [L. sextans, -antis, the sixth part of an as, fr. sextus sixth, sex six. See Six.]

1. (Math.)

Defn: The sixth part of a circle.

2. An instrument for measuring angular distances between objects, -- used esp. at sea, for ascertaining the latitude and longitude. It is constructed on the same optical principle as Hadley's quadrant, but usually of metal, with a nicer graduation, telescopic sight, and its arc the sixth, and sometimes the third, part of a circle. See Quadrant.

3. (Astron.)

Defn: The constellation Sextans. Box sextant, a small sextant inclosed in a cylindrical case to make it more portable.

SEXTARY Sex"ta*ry, n.; pl. Sextaries. Etym: [L. sextarius the sixth part of a measure, weight, etc., fr. sextus sixth, sex six.] (Rom. Antiq.)

Defn: An ancient Roman liquid and dry measure, about equal to an English pint.

SEXTARY Sex"ta*ry, n. Etym: [For sextonry.]

Defn: A sacristy. [Obs.]

SEXTET; SEXTETTO Sex*tet", Sex*tet"to, n. (Mus.)

Defn: See Sestet.

SEXTEYN Sex"teyn, n.

Defn: A sacristan. [Obs.] Chaucer.

SEXTIC Sex"tic, a. Etym: [L. sextus sixth.] (Math.)

Defn: Of the sixth degree or order. -- n. (Alg.)

Defn: A quantic of the sixth degree.

SEXTILE Sex"tile, a. Etym: [F. sextil, fr. L. sextus the sixth, from sex six. See Six.] (Astrol.)

Defn: Measured by sixty degrees; fixed or indicated by a distance of sixty degrees. Glanvill.

SEXTILE Sex"tile, n. Etym: [Cf. F. aspect sextil.] (Astrol.)

Defn: The aspect or position of two planets when distant from each other sixty degrees, or two signs. This position is marked thus: Hutton.

SEXTILLION Sex*til"lion, n. Etym: [Formed (in imitation of million) fr. L. sextus sixth, sex six: cf. F. sextilion.]