Chapter CDLXIII: Prologue (114)

3. A monument erected to inclose the body and preserve the name and memory of the dead. Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb. Shak. Tomb bat (Zoöl.), any one of species of Old World bats of the genus Taphozous which inhabit tombs, especially the Egyptian species (T. perforatus).

TOMB Tomb,, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tombed; p. pr. & vb. n. Tombing.]

Defn: To place in a tomb; to bury; to inter; to entomb. I tombed my brother that I might be blessed. Chapman.

TOMBAC Tom"bac, n. Etym: [Pg. tambaca,tambaque, fr. Malay tambaga copper; cf. Skr. tamraka; cf. F. tombac.] (Metal.)

Defn: An alloy of copper and zinc, resembling brass, and containing about 84 per cent of copper; -- called also German, or Dutch, brass. It is very malleable and ductile, and when beaten into thin leaves is sometimes called Dutch metal. The addition of arsenic makes white tombac. [Written also tombak, and tambac.]

TOM ' BEDLAM Tom o' Bed"lam.

Defn: Formerly, a wandering mendicant discharged as incurable from Bethlehem Hospitel, Eng.; hence, a wandering mendicant, either mad or feigning to be so; a madman; a bedlamite.

TOMBESTER Tom"bes*ter, n. Etym: [See Tumble, and -ster.]

Defn: A female dancer. [Obs.] Chaucer.

TOMBLESS Tomb"less, a.

Defn: Destitute of a tomb.

TOMBOY Tom"boy`, n. Etym: [Tom (for Thomas, L. Thomas, fr. Gr. boy.]

Defn: A romping girl; a hoiden. [Colloq.] J. Fletcher.

TOMBSTONE Tomb"stone`, n.

Defn: A stone erected over a grave, to preserve the memory of the deceased.

TOMCAT Tom"cat`, n. Etym: [Tom (see Tomboy) + cat.]

Defn: A male cat, especially when full grown or of large size.

TOMCOD Tom"cod`, n. Etym: [Tom (see Tomboy) + cod: cf. F. tacaud whiting pout, American Indian tacaud, literally, plenty fish.] (Zoöl.) (a) A small edible American fish (Microgadus tomcod) of the Codfish family, very abundant in autumn on the Atlantic coast of the Northen United States; -- called also frostfish. See Illust. under Frostfish. (b) The kingfish. See Kingfish (a). (c) The jack. See 2d Jack, 8. (c).

TOME Tome, n. Etym: [F. tome (cf. It., Sp., & Pg. tomo), L. tomus, fr. Gr. tondere to shear, E. tonsure. Cf. Anatomy, Atom, Entomology, Epitome. ]

Defn: As many writings as are bound in a volume, forming part of a larger work; a book; -- usually applied to a ponderous volume. Tomes of fable and of dream. Cowper. A more childish expedient than that to which he now resorted is not to be found in all the tomes of the casuists. Macaulay.

TOMELET Tome"let, n.

Defn: All small tome, or volume. [R.]

TOMENTOSE To"men*tose`, a. Etym: [L. tomentum a stuffing of wool, hair, or feathers: cf. F. tomenteux.] (Bot. & Zoöl.)

Defn: Covered with matted woolly hairs; as, a tomentose leaf; a tomentose leaf; a tomentose membrane.

TOMENTOUS To*men"tous, a.

Defn: Tomentose.

TOMENTUM To*men"tum, n.; pl. Tomenta. Etym: [L. See Tomentose. ] (Bot.)

Defn: The closely matted hair or downy nap covering the leaves or stems of some plants.

TOMFOOL Tom"fool`, n. Etym: [Tom (see Tomboy) + fool.]

Defn: A great fool; a trifler.

TOMFOOLERY Tom`fool"er*y, n.

Defn: Folly; trifling.

TOMIUM To"mi*um, n.; pl. Tomia Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The cutting edge of the bill of a bird.

TOMJOHN Tom"john`, n. Etym: [Probably of East Indian origin.]

Defn: A kind of open sedan used in Ceylon, carried by a single pole on men's shoulders.

TOMMY Tom"my, n.

1. Bread, -- generally a penny roll; the supply of food carried by workmen as their daily allowance. [Slang,Eng.]

2. A truck, or barter; the exchange of labor for goods, not money. [Slang, Eng.]

Note: Tommy is used adjectively or in compounds; as, tommy master, tommy-store,tommy-shop,etc.

TOMMY ATKINS Tom"my At"kins.

Defn: Any white regular soldier of the British army; also, such soldiers collectively; -- said to be fictitious name inserted in the models given to soldiers to guide them in filling out account blanks, etc.

TOMNODDY Tom"nod`dy, n. Etym: [Tom (see Tomboy) + noddy.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A sea bird, the puffin. [Prov.Eng.]

2. A fool; a dunce; a noddy.

TOMOPTERIS To*mop"te*ris, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of transparent marine annelids which swim actively at the surface of the sea. They have deeply divided or forked finlike organs (parapodia). This genus is the type of the order, or suborder, Gymnocopa.

TOMORN To*morn", adv. Etym: [Prep. to + morn.]

Defn: To-morrow. [Obs.] Chaucer.

TOMORROW To*mor"row, adv. Etym: [Prep. to + morrow.]

Defn: On the day after the present day; on the next day; on the morrow. Summon him to-morrow to the Tower. Shak.

TOMORROW To*mor"row, n.

Defn: The day after the present; the morrow."To-morrow is our wedding day." Cowper. One today is worth two to-morrows. Franklin.

TOMPION Tom"pi*on, n. Etym: [See Tampios]

1. A stopper of a cannon or a musket. See Tampion.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: A plug in a flute or an organ pipe, to modulate the tone. Knight.

3. The iron bottom to which grapeshot are fixed.

TOMPON Tom"pon, n. Etym: [F. tampon. See Tampion.]

Defn: An inking pad used in lithographic printing.

TOMRIG Tom"rig`, n. Etym: [Tom (see Tomboy) + rig.)]

Defn: A rude, wild, wanton girl; a hoiden; a tomboy. Dennis.

TOMTATE Tom"tate, n.

Defn: A Florida and West Indian grunt (Bathystoma, or Hæmulon, rimator); also, any of various allied species.

TOMTIT Tom"tit`, n. Etym: [Tom (see Tomboy) + tit the bird.] (Zoöl.) (a) A titmouse, esp. the blue titmouse. [Prov.eng.] (b) The wren. [Prov.eng.]

TOM-TOM Tom"-tom`, n.

Defn: See Tam-tam.

TON Ton, obs.

Defn: pl. of Toe. Chaucer.

TON Ton, n. Etym: [Cf. Tunny.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The common tunny, or house mackerel.

TON Ton, n. Etym: [F. See Tone.]

Defn: The prevailing fashion or mode; vogue; as, things of ton. Byron. If our people of ton are selfish, at any rate they show they are selfish. Thackeray. Bon ton. See in the Vocabulary.

TON Ton, n. Etym: [OE. tonne, tunne, a tun, AS. tunne a tun, tub, a large vessel; akin to G. & F. tonne a ton, tun, LL. tunna a tun; all perhaps of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. & Gael. tunna a tun. Cf. Tun,Tunnel.] (Com.)

Defn: A measure of weight or quantity. Specifically: -- (a) The weight of twenty hundredweight.

Note: In England, the ton is 2,240 pounds. In the United States the ton is commonly estimated at 2,000 pounds, this being sometimes called the short ton, while that of 2,240 pounds is called the long ton. (b) (Naut. & Com.) Forty cubic feet of space, being the unit of measurement of the burden, or carrying capacity, of a vessel; as a vessel of 300 tons burden. See the Note under Tonnage. (c) (Naut. & Com.) A certain weight or quantity of merchandise, with reference to transportation as freight; as, six hundred weight of ship bread in casks, seven hundred weight in bags, eight hundred weight in bulk; ten bushels of potatoes; eight sacks, or ten barrels, of flour; forty cubic feet of rough, or fifty cubic feet of hewn, timber, etc.

Note: Ton and tun have the same etymology, and were formerly used interchangeably; but now ton generally designates the weight, and tun the cask. See Tun.

TONALITY To*nal"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. tonalité.] (Mus.)

Defn: The principle of key in music; the character which a composition has by virtue of the key in which it is written, or through the family relationship of all its tones and chords to the keynote, or tonic, of the whole. The predominance of the tonic as the link which connects all the tones of a piece, we may, with Fétis, term the principle of tonality. Helmholtz.

TO-NAME To"-name`, n. Etym: [prep. to + name.]

Defn: A name added, for the sake of distinction, to one's surname, or used instead of it. [Scot.] Jamieson.

TONCA BEAN Ton"ca bean`. (Bot.)

Defn: See Tonka bean.

TONE Tone, n. Etym: [F. ton, L. tonus a sound, tone, fr. Gr. Thin, and cf. Monotonous, Thunder, Ton fasion,Tune.]

1. Sound, or the character of a sound, or a sound considered as of this or that character; as, a low, high, loud, grave, acute, sweet, or harsh tone. [Harmony divine] smooths her charming tones. Milton. Tones that with seraph hymns might blend. Keble.

2. (Rhet.)

Defn: Accent, or inflection or modulation of the voice, as adapted to express emotion or passion. Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes. Dryden.

3. A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm ahd a regular rise and fall of the voice; as, children often read with a tone.

4. (Mus.) (a) A sound considered as to pitch; as, the seven tones of the octave; she has good high tones. (b) The larger kind of interval between contiguous sounds in the diatonic scale, the smaller being called a semitone as, a whole tone too flat; raise it a tone. (c) The peculiar quality of sound in any voice or instrument; as, a rich tone, a reedy tone. (d) A mode or tune or plain chant; as, the Gregorian tones.

Note: The use of the word tone, both for a sound and for the interval between two sounds or tones, is confusing, but is common -- almost universal.

Note: Nearly every musical sound is composite, consisting of several simultaneous tones having different rates of vibration according to fixed laws, which depend upon the nature of the vibrating body and the mode of excitation. The components (of a composite sound) are called partial tones; that one having the lowest rate of vibration is the fundamental tone, and the other partial tones are called harmonics, or overtones. The vibration ratios of the partial tones composing any sound are expressed by all, or by a part, of the numbers in the series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.; and the quality of any sound (the tone color) is due in part to the presence or absence of overtones as represented in this series, and in part to the greater or less intensity of those present as compared with the fundamental tone and with one another. Resultant tones, combination tones, summation tones, difference tones, Tartini's tones (terms only in part synonymous) are produced by the simultaneous sounding of two or more primary (simple or composite) tones.

5. (Med.)

Defn: That state of a body, or of any of its organs or parts, in which the animal functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.

Note: In this sense, the word is metaphorically applied to character or faculties, intellectual and moral; as, his mind has lost its tone.

6. (Physiol.)

Defn: Tonicity; as, arterial tone.

7. State of mind; temper; mood. The strange situation I am in and the melancholy state of public affairs, . . . drag the mind down . . . from a philosophical tone or temper, to the drudgery of private and public business. Bolingbroke. Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing. W. C. Bryant.

8. Tenor; character; spirit; drift; as, the tone of his remarks was commendatory.

9. General or prevailing character or style, as of morals, manners, or sentiment, in reference to a scale of high and low; as, a low tone of morals; a tone of elevated sentiment; a courtly tone of manners.

10. The general effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, together with color in the case of a painting; -- commonly used in a favorable sense; as, this picture has tone. Tone color. (Mus.) see the Note under def. 4, above. -- Tone syllable, an accented syllable. M. Stuart.

TONE Tone, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Toned; p. pr. & vb. n. Toning.]

1. To utter with an affected tone.

2. To give tone, or a particular tone, to; to tune. See Tune, v. t.

3. (Photog.)

Defn: To bring, as a print, to a certain required shade of color, as by chemical treatment. To tone down. (a) To cause to give lower tone or sound; to give a lower tone to. (b) (Paint.) To modify, as color, by making it less brilliant or less crude; to modify, as a composition of color, by making it more harmonius. Its thousand hues toned down harmoniusly. C. Kingsley. (c) Fig.: To moderate or relax; to diminish or weaken the striking characteristics of; to soften. The best method for the purpose in hand was to employ some one of a character and position suited to get possession of their confidence, and then use it to tone down their religious strictures. Palfrey. -- To tone up, to cause to give a higher tone or sound; to give a higher tone to; to make more intense; to heighten; to strengthen.

TONED Toned, a.

Defn: Having (such) a tone; -- chiefly used in composition; as, high- toned; sweet-toned. Toned paper, paper having a slight tint, in distinction from paper which is quite white.

TONELESS Tone"less, a.

Defn: Having no tone; unmusical.

TONG; TONGE Tong, Tonge, n.

Defn: Tongue. [Obs.] Chaucer.

TONGA Ton"ga, n. (Med.)

Defn: A drug useful in neuralgia, derived from a Fijian plant supposed to be of the aroid genus Epipremnum.

TONGKANG Tong"kang, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A kind of boat or junk used in the seas of the Malay Archipelago.

TONGO Ton"go, n.

Defn: The mangrove; -- so called in the Pacific Islands.

TONGS Tongs, n. pl. Etym: [OE. tonge, tange, AS. tange; akin to D. tang, G. zanga, OHG. zanga, Don. tang, Sw. tng, Icel. tng, Gr. dadaTang a strong taste, anything projecting.]

Defn: An instrument, usually of metal, consisting of two parts, or long shafts, jointed together at or near one end, or united by an elastic bow, used for handling things, especially hot coals or metals; -- often called a pair of tongs.

TONGUE Tongue, n. Etym: [OE. tunge, tonge, AS. tunge; akin to OFries. tunge, D. tong, OS. tunga, G. zunge, OHG. zunga, Icel. & Sw. tunga, Dan tunge, Goth. tugdingua, L. lingua. Language, Lingo. ]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: an organ situated in the floor of the mouth of most vertebrates and connected with the hyoid arch.

Note: The tongue is usually muscular, mobile, and free at one extremity, and in man other mammals is the principal organ of taste, aids in the prehension of food, in swallowing, and in modifying the voice as in speech. To make his English sweet upon his tongue. Chaucer.

2. The power of articulate utterance; speech. Parrots imitating human tongue. Dryden.

3. Discourse; fluency of speech or expression. Much tongue and much judgment seldom go together. L. Estrange.

4. Honorable discourse; eulogy. [Obs.] She was born noble; let that title find her a private grave, but neither tongue nor honor. Beau. & Fl.

5. A language; the whole sum of words used by a particular nation; as, the English tongue. Chaucer. Whose tongue thou shalt not understand. Deut. xxviii. 49. To speak all tongues. Milton.

6. Speech; words or declarations only; -- opposed to thoughts or actions. My little children, let us love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John iii. 18.

7. A people having a distinct language. A will gather all nations and tongues. Isa. lxvi. 18.

8. (Zoöl.) (a) The lingual ribbon, or odontophore, of a mollusk. (b) The proboscis of a moth or a butterfly. (c) The lingua of an insect.

9. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any small sole.

10. That which is considered as resembing an animal's tongue, in position or form. Specifically: -- (a) A projection, or slender appendage or fixture; as, the tongue of a buckle, or of a balance.

(b) A projection on the side, as of a board, which fits into a groove. (c) A point, or long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or a lake. (d) The pole of a vehicle; especially, the pole of an ox cart, to the end of which the oxen are yoked. (e) The clapper of a bell. (f) (Naut.) A sort piece of rope spliced into the upper part of standing backstays, etc.; also. the upper main piece of a mast composed of several pieces. (g) (Mus.) Same as Reed, n., 5. To hold the tongue, to be silent. -- Tongue bone (Anat.), the hyoid bone. -- Tongue grafting. See under Grafting.

Syn. -- Language; speech; expression. See Language.

TONGUE Tongue, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tongued; p. pr. & vb. n. Tonguing.]

1. To speak; to utter. "Such stuff as madmen tongue." Shak.

2. To chide; to scold. How might she tongue me. Shak .

3. (Mus.)

Defn: To modulate or modify with the tongue, as notes, in playing the flute and some other wind instruments.

4. To join means of a tongue and grove; as, to tongue boards together.

TONGUE Tongue, v. i.

1. To talk; to prate. Dryden.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: To use the tongue in forming the notes, as in playing the flute and some other wind instruments.

TONGUEBIRD Tongue"bird`, n.

Defn: The wryneck. [Prov. Eng.]

TONGUED Tongued, a.

Defn: Having a tongue. Tongued like the night crow. Donne.

TONGUEFISH Tongue"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A flounder (Symphurus plagiusa) native of the southern coast of the United States.

TONGUELESS Tongue"less, a.

1. Having no tongue.

2. Hence, speechless; mute. "What tongueless blocks were they! would they not speak" Shak.

3. Unnamed; not spoken of. [Obs.] One good deed dying tongueless. Shak.

TONGUELET Tongue"let, n.

Defn: A little tongue.

TONGUE-PAD Tongue"-pad`, n.

Defn: A great talker. [Obs.]

TONGUE-SHAPED Tongue"-shaped`, a.

Defn: Shaped like a tongue; specifically (Bot.), linear or oblong, and fleshy, blunt at the end, and convex beneath; as, a tongue-shaped leaf.

TONGUE-SHELL Tongue"-shell`, n.

Defn: Any species of Lingula.

TONGUESTER Tongue"ster, n.

Defn: One who uses his tongue; a talker; a story-teller; a gossip. [Poetic.] Step by step we rose to greatness; through the tonguesters we may fall. Tennyson.

TONGUE-TIE Tongue"-tie`, n. (Med.)

Defn: Impeded motion of the tongue because of the shortness of the frænum, or of the adhesion of its margins to the gums. Dunglison.

TONGUE-TIE Tongue"-tie`, v. t.

Defn: To deprive of speech or the power of speech, or of distinct articulation.

TONGUE-TIED Tongue"-tied`, a.

1. Destitute of the power of distinct articulation; having an impediment in the speech, esp. when caused by a short frænum.

2. Unable to speak freely, from whatever cause. Love, therefore, and tongue-tied simplicity. Shak.

TONGUEWORM Tongue"worm`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any species of Linguatulina.

TONGUY Tongu"y, a.

Defn: Ready or voluble in speaking; as, a tonguy speaker. [Written also tonguey.] [Colloq.]

TONIC Ton"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. tonigue, Gr. Tone.]

1. Of or relating to tones or sounds; specifically (Phon.), applied to, or distingshing, a speech sound made with tone unmixed and undimmed by obstruction, such sounds, namely, the vowels and diphthongs, being so called by Dr. James Rush (1833) " from their forming the purest and most plastic material of intonation."

2. Of or pertaining to tension; increasing tension; hence, increasing strength; as, tonic power.

3. (Med.)

Defn: Increasing strength, or the tone of the animal system; obviating the effects of debility, and restoring heatly functions. Tononic spasm. (Med.) See the Note under Spasm.

TONIC Ton"ic, n. Etym: [Cf. F. tonigue, NL. tonicum.]

1. (Phon.)

Defn: A tonic element or letter; a vowel or a diphthong.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: The key tone, or first tone of any scale.

3. (Med.)

Defn: A medicine that increases the srength, and gives vigor of action to the system. Tonic sol-fa (Mus.), the name of the most popular among letter systems of notation (at least in England), based on key relationship, and hence called "tonic." Instead of the five lines, clefs, signature, etc., of the usual notation, it employs letters and the syllables do, re, mi, etc., variously modified, with other simple signs of duration, of upper or lower octave, etc. See Sol-fa.

TONICAL Ton"ic*al, a.

Defn: Tonic. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

TONICITY To*nic"i*ty, n. (Physiol.)

Defn: The state of healty tension or partial contraction of muscle fibers while at rest; tone; tonus.

TONIGHT To*night", adv. Etym: [Prep. to+night]

1. On this present or coming night.

2. On the last night past. [Obs.] Shak.

TONIGHT To*night", n.

Defn: The present or the coming night; the night after the present day.

TONITE Ton"ite, n. Etym: [Cf.L. tonare to thunder.]

Defn: An explosive compound; a preparation of gun cotton.

TONKA BEAN Ton"ka bean`. Etym: [Cf. F. onca, tonka.] (Bot.)

Defn: The seed of a leguminous tree (Dipteryx odorata), native of Guiana. It has a peculiarly agreeable smell, and is employed in the scenting of snuff. Called also tiononquin bean. [Written also tonca bean, tonga bean.]

TON MILE Ton mile. (Railroads)

Defn: A unit of measurement of the freight transportation performed by a railroad during a given period, usually a year, the total of which consists of the sum of the products obtained by multiplying the aggregate weight of each shipment in tons during the given period by the number of miles for which it is carried.

TON MILEAGE Ton mileage. (Railroads)

Defn: Ton miles collectively; esp., the total ton miles performed by a railroad in a given period.

TONNAGE Ton"nage (; 48), n. Etym: [From Ton a measure.]

1. The weight of goods carried in a boat or a ship.

2. The cubical content or burden of a vessel, or vessels, in tons; or, the amount of weight which one or several vessels may carry. See Ton, n. (b). A fleet . . . with an aggregate tonnage of 60,000 seemed sufficient to conquer the world. Motley.

3. A duty or impost on vessels, estimated per ton, or, a duty, toll, or rate payable on goods per ton transported on canals .

4. The whole amount of shipping estimated by tons; as, the tonnage of the United States. See Ton.

Note: There are in common use the following terms relating to tonnage: (a) Displacement. (b) Register tonnage, gross and net. (c) Freight tonnage. (d) Builders' measurement. (e) Yacht measurement. The first is mainly used for war vessels, where the total weight is likely to be nearly constant. The second is the most important, being that used for commercial purposes. The third and fourth are different rules for ascertaining the actual burden-carrying power of a vessel, and the fifth is for the proper classification of pleasure craft. Gross tonnage expresses the total cubical interior of a vessel; net tonnage, the cubical space actually available for freight-carrying purposes. Rules for ascertaining these measurements are established by law.

TONNE Tonne, n.

Defn: A tun. [Obs.] Chaucer.

TONNEAU Ton`neau", n.; pl. Tonneaux (#). [F.]

1. In France, a light-wheeled vehicle with square or rounded body and rear entrance.

2. (Automobiles) Orig., the after part of the body with entrance at the rear (as in vehicle in def. 1); now, one with sides closing in the seat or seats and entered by a door usually at the side, also, the entire body of an automobile having such an after part.

3. = Tonne.

TONNIHOOD Ton"ni*hood, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The female of the bullfinch; -- called also tonyhoop. [Prov. Eng.]

TONNISH Ton"nish, a.

Defn: In the ton; fashionable; modish. -- Ton"nish*ness, n.

TONOMETER To*nom"e*ter, n. Etym: [Gr. -meter.]

1. (Physics.)

Defn: An instrument for determining the rate of vibrations in tones.

2. (Physiol.) (a) An apparatus for studying and registering the action of various fluids and drugs on the excised heart of lower animals. (b) An instrument for measuring tension, esp. that of the eyeball.

TONOMETRY To*nom"e*try, n.

Defn: The act of measuring with a tonometer; specifically (Med.), measurement of tension, esp. the tension of the eyeball.

TONOPHANT Ton"o*phant, n. Etym: [Gr. (Physics.)

Defn: A modification of the kaleidophon, for showing composition of acoustic vibrations. It consists of two thin slips of steel welded together, their length being adjystable by a screw socket.

TONOUS Ton"ous, a.

Defn: Abounding in tone or sound.

TONQUIN BEAN Ton"quin bean`

Defn: See Tonka bean.

TONSIL Ton"sil, n. Etym: [L. tonsilltonsille. ] (Anat.)

Defn: One of the two glandular organs situated in the throat at the sides of the fauces. The tonsils are sometimes called the almonds, from their shape.

TONSILAR Ton"sil*ar, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the tonsils; tonsilitic. [Written also tonsillar.]

TONSILE Ton"sile, a. Etym: [L. tonsilis, fr. tondere, tonsum, to shear, clip. See Tonsure. ]

Defn: Capable of being clipped.

TONSILITIC Ton`sil*it"ic, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Tonsilar. [Written also tonsillitic.]

TONSILITIS Ton`sil*i"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Tonsil, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the tonsil; quinsy. [Written also, and more usually, tonsillitis.]

TONSILOTOME Ton*sil"o*tome, n. Etym: [Tonsil + Gr. (Surg.)

Defn: An instrument for removing the tonsils.

TONSILOTOMY Ton`sil*ot"o*my, n. (Surg.)

Defn: The operation of removing the tonsil, or a portion thereof.

TONSOR Ton"sor, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: A barber. Sir W. Scott.

TONSORIAL Ton*so"ri*al, a. Etym: [L. tonsorius, fr. tonsor a shearer, barber, fr. tondere, tonsum, to shear. See Tonsure.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to a barber, or shaving.

TONSURE Ton"sure, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. tonsura a shearing, clipping, from tondere, tonsum, to shear, shave; cf. Gr. tome.]

1. The act of clipping the hair, or of shaving the crown of the head; also, the state of being shorn.

2. (R. C. Ch.) (a) The first ceremony used for devoting a person to the service of God and the church; the first degree of the clericate, given by a bishop, abbot, or cardinal priest, consisting in cutting off the hair from a circular space at the back of the head, with prayers and benedictions; hence, entrance or admission into minor orders. (b) The shaven corona, or crown, which priests wear as a mark of their order and of their rank.

TONSURED Ton"sured, a.

Defn: Having the tonsure; shaven; shorn; clipped; hence, bald. A tonsured head in middle age forlorn. Tennyson.

TONTINE Ton*tine", n. Etym: [F., from It. tontina; -- so called from its inventor, Tonti, an Italian, of the 17th century.]

Defn: An annuity, with the benefit of survivorship, or a loan raised on life annuities with the benefit of survivorship. Thus, an annuity is shared among a number, on the principle that the share of each, at his death, is enjoyed by the survivors, until at last the whole goes to the last survivor, or to the last two or three, according to the terms on which the money is advanced. Used also adjectively; as, tontine insurance. Too many of the financiers by professions are apt to see nothing in revenue but banks, and circulations, and annuities on lives, and tontines, and perpetual rents, and all the small wares of the shop. Burke.

TONTINE INSURANCE Ton*tine" in*su"rance. (Life Insurance)

Defn: Insurance in which the benefits of the insurance are distributed upon the tontine principle. Under the old, or full tontine, plan, all benefits were forfeited on lapsed policies, on the policies of those who died within the tontine period only the face of the policy was paid without any share of the surplus, and the survivor at the end of the tontine period received the entire surplus. This plan of tontine insurance has been replaced in the United States by the semitontine plan, in which the surplus is divided among the holders of policies in force at the termination of the tontine period, but the reverse for the paid-up value is paid on lapsed policies, and on the policies of those that have died the face is paid. Other modified forms are called free tontine, deferred dividend, etc., according to the nature of the tontine arrangement.

TONUS To"nus, n. Etym: [L. a sound, tone. See Tone.] (Physiol.)

Defn: Tonicity, or tone; as, muscular tonus.

TONY To"ny, n.; pl. Tonies. Etym: [Abbrev. from Anthony.]

Defn: A simpleton. L'Estrange. A pattern and companion fit For all the keeping tonies of the pit. Dryden.

TOO Too, adv. Etym: [The same word as to, prep. See To.]

1. Over; more than enough; -- noting excess; as, a thing is too long, too short, or too wide; too high; too many; too much. His will, too strong to bend, too proud to learn. Cowley.

2. Likewise; also; in addition. An honest courtier, yet a patriot too. Pope. Let those eyes that view The daring crime, behold the vengeance too. Pope. Too too, a duplication used to signify great excess. O that this too too solid flesh would melt. Shak. Such is not Charles his too too active age. Dryden.

Syn. -- Also; likewise. See Also.

TOOK Took,

Defn: imp. of Take.

TOOL Tool, n. Etym: [OE. tol,tool. AS. tl; akin to Icel. tl, Goth. taijan to do, to make, taui deed, work, and perhaps to E. taw to dress leather. sq. root64.]

1. An instrument such as a hammer, saw, plane, file, and the like, used in the manual arts, to facilitate mechanical operations; any instrument used by a craftsman or laborer at his work; an implement; as, the tools of a joiner, smith, shoe-maker, etc.; also, a cutter, chisel, or other part of an instrument or machine that dresses work.

2. A machine for cutting or shaping materials; -- also called machine tool.

3. Hence, any instrument of use or service. That angry fool . . . Whipping her house, did with his amarting tool Oft whip her dainty self. Spenser.

4. A weapon. [Obs.] Him that is aghast of every tool. Chaucer.

5. A person used as an instrument by another person; -- a word of reproach; as, men of intrigue have their tools, by whose agency they accomplish their purposes. I was not made for a minion or a tool. Burks.

TOOL Tool, v. t. [imp. & p. p. tooled; p. pr. & vb. n. tooling.]

1. To shape, form, or finish with a tool. "Elaborately tooled." Ld. Lytton.

2. To drive, as a coach. [Slang,Eng.]

TOOLING Tool"ing, n.

Defn: Work perfomed with a tool. The fine tooling and delicate tracery of the cabinet artist is lost upon a building of colossal proportions. De Quincey.

TOOL-POST; TOOL-STOCK Tool"-post`, Tool"-stock`, n. (Mach.)

Defn: The part of a toolrest in which a cutting tool is clamped.

TOOL-REST Tool"-rest`, n. (Mach.)

Defn: the part that supports a tool-post or a tool.

TOOL STEEL Tool steel.

Defn: Hard steel, usually crucible steel, capable of being tempered so as to be suitable for tools.

TOOM Toom, a. Etym: [OE. tom, fr. Icel. tomr; akin to Dan. & Sw. tom, As. tome, adv. Cf. Teem to pour.]

Defn: Empty. [Obs. or Prov.Eng. & Scot.] Wyclif.

TOOM Toom, v. t.

Defn: To empty. [Obs. or Prov.Eng. & Scot.]

TOON Toon, obs.

Defn: pl. of Toe. Chaucer.

TOON Toon, n. Etym: [Hind. tun, tun, Skr. tunna.] (Bot.)

Defn: The reddish brown wood of an East Indian tree (Cedrela Toona) closely resembling the Spanish cedar; also. the tree itself.

TOONWOOD Toon"wood`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Toon.

TOOT Toot, v. i. Etym: [OE. toten, AS. totian to project; hence, to peep out.] [Written also tout.]

1. To stand out, or be prominent. [Obs.] Howell.

2. To peep; to look narrowly. [Obs.] Latimer. For birds in bushes tooting. Spenser.

TOOT Toot, v. t.

Defn: To see; to spy. [Obs.] P. Plowman.

TOOT Toot, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Tooted; p. pr. & vb. n. Tooting.] Etym: [Cf. D. toeten to blow a horn, G. tuten, Sw.tuta, Dan. tude; probably of imitative origin.]

Defn: To blow or sound a horn; to make similar noise by contact of the tongue with the root of the upper teeth at the beginning and end of the sound; also, to give forth such a sound, as a horn when blown. "A tooting horn." Howell. Tooting horns and rattling teams of mail coaches. Thackeray.

TOOT Toot, v. t.

Defn: To cause to sound, as a horn, the note being modified at the beginning and end as if by pronouncing the letter t; to blow; to sound.

TOOTER Toot"er, n.

Defn: One who toots; one who plays upon a pipe or horn. B. Jonson.

TOOTH Tooth, n.; pl. Teeth. Etym: [OE. toth,tooth, AS. ttth, OS. & D. tand, OHG. zang, zan, G. zahn, Icel. tnn, Sw. & Dan. tand, Goth. tumpus, Lith. dantis, W. dant, L. dens, dentis, Gr. danta; probably originally the p. pr. of the verb to eat. *239. Cf. Eat, Dandelion, Dent the tooth of a wheel, Dental, Dentist, Indent, Tine of a fork, Tusk. ]

1. (Anat.)

Defn: One of the hard, bony appendages which are borne on the jaws, or on other bones in the walls of the mouth or pharynx of most vertebrates, and which usually aid in the prehension and mastication of food.

Note: The hard parts of teeth are principally made up of dentine, or ivory, and a very hard substance called enamel. These are variously combined in different animals. Each tooth consist of three parts, a crown, or body, projecting above the gum, one or more fangs imbedded in the jaw, and the neck, or intermediate part. In some animals one or more of the teeth are modified into tusks which project from the mouth, as in both sexes of the elephant and of the walrus, and in the male narwhal. In adult man there are thirty-two teeth, composed largely of dentine, but the crowns are covered with enamel, and the fangs with a layer of bone called cementum. Of the eight teeth on each half of each jaw, the two in front are incisors, then come one canine, cuspid, or dog tooth, two bicuspids, or false molars, and three molars, or grinding teeth. The milk, or temporary, teeth are only twenty in number, there being two incisors, one canine, and two molars on each half of each jaw. The last molars, or wisdom teeth, usually appear long after the others, and occasionally do not appear above the jaw at all. How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is To have a thankless child ! Shak.

2. Fig.: Taste; palate. These are not dishes for thy dainty tooth. Dryden.

3. Any projection corresponding to the tooth of an animal, in shape, position, or office; as, the teeth, or cogs, of a cogwheel; a tooth, prong, or tine, of a fork; a tooth, or the teeth, of a rake, a saw, a file, a card.

4. (a) A projecting member resembling a tenon, but fitting into a mortise that is only sunk, not pierced through. (b) One of several steps, or offsets, in a tusk. See Tusk.

5. (Nat. Hist.)

Defn: An angular or prominence on any edge; as, a tooth on the scale of a fish, or on a leaf of a plant; specifically (Bot.),

Defn: one of the appendages at the mouth of the capsule of a moss. See Peristome.

6. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any hard calcareous or chitinous organ found in the mouth of various invertebrates and used in feeding or procuring food; as, the teeth of a mollusk or a starfish. In spite of the teeth, in defiance of opposition; in opposition to every effort. -- In the teeth, directly; in direct opposition; in front. "Nor strive with all the tempest in my teeth." Pope. -- To cast in the teeth, to report reproachfully; to taunt or insult one with. -- Tooth and nail, as if by biting and scratching; with one's utmost power; by all possible means. L'Estrange. "I shall fight tooth and nail for international copyright." Charles Reade. -- Tooth coralline (Zoöl.), any sertularian hydroid. -- Tooth edge, the sensation excited in the teeth by grating sounds, and by the touch of certain substances, as keen acids. -- Tooth key, an instrument used to extract teeth by a motion resembling that of turning a key. -- Tooth net, a large fishing net anchored. [Scot.] Jamieson. -- Tooth ornament. (Arch.) Same as Dogtooth, n., 2.Tooth paste, a paste for cleaning the teeth; a dentifrice. -- Tooth powder, a powder for cleaning the teeth; a dentifrice. -- Tooth rash. (Med.) See Red-gum, 1. -- To show the teeth, to threaten. "When the Law shows her teeth, but dares not bite." Young. -- To the teeth, in open opposition; directly to one's face. "That I shall live, and tell him to his teeth ." Shak.

TOOTH Tooth, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Toothed; p. pr. & vb. n. Toothing.]

1. To furnish with teeth. The twin cards toothed with glittering wire. Wordsworth.

2. To indent; to jag; as, to tooth a saw.

3. To lock into each other. See Tooth, n., 4. Moxon.

TOOTHACHE Tooth"ache`, n. (Med.)

Defn: Pain in a tooth or in the teeth; odontalgia. Toothache grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Ctenium Americanum) having a very pungent taste. -- Toothache tree. (Bot.) (a) The prickly ash. (b) A shrub of the genus Aralia (A. spinosa).

TOOTHBACK Tooth"back`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any notodontian.

TOOTHBILL Tooth"bill`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A peculiar fruit-eating ground pigeon (Didunculus strigiostris) native of the Samoan Islands, and noted for its resemblance, in several characteristics, to the extinct dodo. Its beak is stout and strongly hooked, and the mandible has two or three strong teeth toward the end. or ts color is chocolate red. Called also toothbilled pigeon, and manu-mea.

TOOTHBRUSH Tooth"brush`, n.

Defn: A brush for cleaning the teeth.

TOOTHDRAWER Tooth"draw`er, n.

Defn: One whose business it is to extract teeth with instruments; a dentist. Shak.

TOOTHED Toothed, a.

1. Having teeth; furnished with teeth. "Ruby-lipped and toothed with pearl." Herrick.

2. (Bot. & Zoöl.)

Defn: Having marginal projecting points; dentate. Toothed whale (Zoöl.), any whale of the order Denticete. See Denticete. -- Toothed wheel, a wheel with teeth or projections cut or set on its edge or circumference, for transmitting motion by their action on the engaging teeth of another wheel.

TOOTHFUL Tooth"ful, a.

Defn: Toothsome. [Obs.]

TOOTHING Tooth"ing, n.

1. The act or process of indenting or furnishing with teeth.

2. (Masonry)

Defn: Bricks alternately projecting at the end of a wall, in order that they may be bonded into a continuation of it when the remainder is carried up. Toothing plane, a plane of which the iron is formed into a series of small teeth, for the purpose of roughening surfaces, as of veneers.

TOOTHLESS Tooth"less, a.

Defn: Having no teeth. Cowper.

TOOTHLET Tooth"let, n.

Defn: A little tooth, or like projection.

TOOTHLETED Tooth"let*ed, a.

Defn: Having a toothlet or toothlets; as, a toothleted leaf. [Written also toothletted.]

TOOTHPICK Tooth"pick`, n.

Defn: A pointed instument for clearing the teeth of substances lodged between them.

TOOTHPICKER Tooth"pick`er, n.

Defn: A toothpick. [Obs.] Shak.

TOOTHSHELL Tooth"shell", n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any species of Dentalium and allied genera having a tooth- shaped shell. See Dentalium.

TOOTHSOME Tooth"some, a.

Defn: Grateful to the taste; palable. -- Tooth"some*ly, adv. -- Tooth"some*ness, n. Though less toothsome to me, they were more wholesome for me. Fuller.

TOOTHWORT Tooth"wort`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant whose roots are fancied to resemble teeth, as certain plants of the genus Lathræa, and various species of Dentaria. See Coralwort.

TOOTHY Tooth"y, a.

Defn: Toothed; with teeth. [R] Croxall.

TOOTLE Too"tle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Tootled; p. pr. & vb. n. Tootling.] [Freq. of toot.]

Defn: To toot gently, repeatedly, or continuously, on a wind instrument, as a flute; also, to make a similar noise by any means. "The tootling robin." John Clare.

TOOZOO Too*zoo", n.

Defn: The ringdove. [Prov. Eng.]

TOP Top, n. Etym: [CF. OD. dop, top, OHG., MNG., & dial. G. topf; perhaps akin to G. topf a pot.]

1. A child's toy, commonly in the form of a conoid or pear, made to spin on its point, usually by drawing off a string wound round its surface or stem, the motion being sometimes continued by means of a whip.

2. (Rope Making)

Defn: A plug, or conical block of wood, with longitudital grooves on its surface, in which the strands of the rope slide in the process of twisting.

TOP Top, n. Etym: [AS. top; akin to OFries. top a tuft, D. top top, OHG. zopf end, tip, tuft of hair, G. zopf tuft of hair, pigtail, top of a tree, Icel. toppr a tuft of hair, crest, top, Dan. top, Sw. topp pinnacle, top; of uncertain origin. Cf. Tuft.]

1. The highest part of anything; the upper end, edge, or extremity; the upper side or surface; summit; apex; vertex; cover; lid; as, the top of a spire; the top of a house; the top of a mountain; the top of the ground. The star that bids the shepherd fold, Now the top of heaven doth hold. Milton.

2. The utmost degree; the acme; the summit. The top of my ambition is to contribute to that work. Pope.

3. The highest rank; the most honorable position; the utmost attainable place; as, to be at the top of one's class, or at the top of the school. And wears upon hisbaby brow the round And top of sovereignty. Shak.

4. The chief person; the most prominent one. Other . . . aspired to be the top of zealots. Milton.

5. The crown of the head, or the hair upon it; the head. "From top to toe" Spenser. All the stored vengeance of Heaven fall On her ungrateful top ! Shak.

6. The head, or upper part, of a plant. The buds . . . are called heads, or tops, as cabbageheads. I. Watts.

7. (Naut.)

Defn: A platform surrounding the head of the lower mast and projecting on all sudes. It serves to spead the topmast rigging, thus strengheningthe mast, and also furnishes a convenient standing place for the men aloft. Totten.

8. (Wool Manuf.)

Defn: A bundle or ball of slivers of comkbed wool, from which the noils, or dust, have been taken out.

9. Eve; verge; point. [R.] "He was upon the top of his marriage with Magdaleine." Knolles.

10. The part of a cut gem between the girdle, or circumference, and the table, or flat upper surface. Knight.

11. pl.

Defn: Top-boots. [Slang] Dickens.

Note: Top is often used adjectively or as the first part of compound words, usually self-explaining; as, top stone, or topstone; top- boots, or top boots; top soil, or top-soil. Top and but (Shipbuilding), a phrase used to denote a method of working long tapering planks by bringing the but of one plank to the top of the other to make up a constant breadth in two layers. -- Top minnow (Zoöl.), a small viviparous fresh-water fish (Gambusia patruelis) abundant in the Southern United States. Also applied to other similar species.

TOP Top, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Topped; p. pr. & vb. n. Topping.]

1. To rise aloft; to be eminent; to tower; as, lofty ridges and topping mountains. Derham.

2. To predominate; as, topping passions. "Influenced by topping uneasiness." Locke.

3. To excel; to rise above others. But write thy, and top. Dryden.

TOP Top, v. t.

1. To cover on the top; to tip; to cap; -- chiefly used in the past participle. Like moving mountains topped with snow. Waller. A mount Of alabaster, topped with golden spires. Milton.

2. To rise above; to excel; to outgo; to surpass. Topping all others in boasting. Shak. Edmund the base shall top the legitimate. Shak.

3. To rise to the top of; to go over the top of. But wind about till thou hast topped the hill. Denham.

4. To take off the or upper part of; to crop. Top your rose trees a little with your knife. Evelyn.

5. To perform eminently, or better than before. From endeavoring universally to top their parts, they will go universally beyond them. Jeffrey.

6. (Naut.)

Defn: To raise one end of, as a yard, so that that end becomes higher than the other. To top off, to complete by putting on, or finishing, the top or uppermost part of; as, to top off a stack of hay; hence, to complete; to finish; to adorn.

TOPARCH To"parch, n. Etym: [L. toparcha, Gr.

Defn: The ruler or principal man in a place or country; the governor of a toparchy. The prince and toparch of that country. Fuller.

TOPARCHY To"parch*y, n.; pl. Toparchies. Etym: [L. toparchia, Gr. Toparch.]

Defn: A small state, consisting of a few cities or towns; a petty country governed by a toparch; as, Judea was formerly divided into ten toparchies. Fuller.

TOP-ARMOR Top"-ar`mor, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A top railing supported by stanchions and equipped with netting.

TOPAU To"pau, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The rhinocerous bird (a).

TOPAZ To"paz, n. Etym: [OE. topas, F. topaze, L. topazos, or topazion, a kind of precious stone, Gr. to`pazos, topa`zion; possibly akin to Skr. tap to glow (cf. Tepid). According to some, the name is from Topazos, a small island in the Red Sea, where the Romans obtained a stone which they called by this name, but which is the chrysolite of the moderns.]

1. (Min.)

Defn: A mineral occurring in rhombic prisms, generally yellowish and pellucid, also colorless, and of greenesh, bluish, or brownish shades. It sometimes occurs massive and opaque. It is a fluosilicate of alumina, and is used as a gem.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Either one of two species of large, brilliantly colored humming birds of the Topaza, of South America and the West Indies.

Note: The two tail feathers next to the central ones are much longer that the rest, curved, and crossed. The Throat is metallic yellowish- green, with a tint like topaz in the center, the belly is bright crimson, the back bright red. Called also topaz hummer. False topaz. (Min.) See the Note under Quartz.

TOPAZOLITE To*paz"o*lite, n. Etym: [Topaz + -lite; cf. F. topazolithe.] (Min.)

Defn: A topaz-yellow variety of garnet.

TOP-BLOCK Top"-block`, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A large ironbound block strapped with a hook, and, when used, hung to an eyebolt in the cap, -- used in swaying and lowering the topmast. Totten.

TOP-BOOTS Top"-boots, n. pl.

Defn: High boots, having generally a band of some kind of light- colored leather around the upper part of the leg; riding boots.

TOP-CHAIN Top"-chain`, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A chain for slinging the lower yards, in time of action, to prevent their falling, if the ropes by which they are hung are shot away.

TOP-CLOTH Top"-cloth, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A piece of canvas used to cover the hammocks which are lashed to the top in action to protect the topmen.

TOPCOAT Top"coat`, n.

Defn: An outer coat; an overcoat.

TOP-DRAIN Top"-drain`, v. t.

Defn: To drain the surface of, as land; as, to top-drain a field or farm.

TOP-DRAINING Top"-drain`ing, n.

Defn: The act or practice of drining the surface of land.

TOP-DRESS Top"-dress`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Top-dressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Top- dressing.]

Defn: To apply a surface dressing of manureto,as land.

TOP-DRESSING Top"-dress`ing, n.

Defn: The act of applying a dressing of manure to the surface of land; also, manure so applied.

TOPE Tope, n. Etym: [Probably from Skr. stpa a tope, astupa, through Prakrin tppo.]

Defn: A moundlike Buddhist sepulcher, or memorial monument. often erected over a Buddhish relic.

TOPE Tope, n. Etym: [Tamil tppu.]

Defn: A grove or clumb of trees; as, a toddy tope. [India] Whitworth.

TOPE Tope, n.

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small shark or dogfish (Galeorhinus, or Galeus, galeus), native of Europe, but found also on the coasts of California and Tasmania; -- called also toper, oil shark, miller's dog, and penny dog.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The wren. [Prov. Eng.]

TOPE Tope, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Toped; p. pr. & vb. n. Toping.] Etym: [F. tôper to cover a stake in playing at dice, to accept an offer, tôpe agreed !; -- perhaps imitative of the sound of striking hands on concluding a bargain. From being used in English as a drinking term, probably at first in accepting a toast.]

Defn: To drink hard or frequently; to drink strong or spiritous liquors to excess. If you tope in form, and treat. Dryden.

TOPEK To"pek, n. [Eskimo tupek.]

Defn: An ESkimo house made of material other than snow, esp. one having walls of turf, driftwood, rock, or skin, and a roof of skins of the walrus or seal. In Alaska it is often partially underground and covered with timber and turf. Topeks are also used by Indians of the lower Yukon region.

TOPER To"per, n.

Defn: One who topes, or drinks frequently or to excess; a drunkard; a sot.

TOPET Top"et, n. Etym: [F. toupet tuft. See Touper.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The European crested titmouse. [Prov. Eng.]

TOP FERMENTATION Top fermentation.

Defn: An alcoholic fermentation during which the yeast cells are carried to the top of the fermening liquid. It proceeds with some violence and requires a temperature of 14-30º C. (58-86º F.). It is used in the production of ale, porter, etc., and of wines high in alcohol, and in distilling.

TOPFUL Top"ful, a.

Defn: Full to the top, ore brim; brimfull. "Topful of direst cruelty." Shak. [He] was so topful of himself, that he let it spill on all the company. I. Watts.

TOPGALLANT Top`gal"lant, a.

1. (Naut.)

Defn: Situated above the topmast and below the royal mast; designatb, or pertaining to, the third spars in order from the deck; as, the topgallant mast, yards, braces, and the like. See Illustration of Ship.

2. Fig.: Highest; elevated; splendid. "The consciences of topgallant sparks." L'Estrange. Topgallant breeze, a breeze in which the topgallant sails may properly be carried.

TOPGALLANT Top`gal"lant, n.

1. (Naut.)

Defn: A topgallant mast or sail.

2. Fig.: Anything elevated or splendid. Bacon.

TOPH Toph, n. Etym: [L. tophus, tofus, tufa, or tuft. Cf. Tufa, Tofus, Tophus.] (Min.)

Defn: kind of sandstone.

TOPHACEOUS To*pha"ceous, a. Etym: [L. tophaceus, tofaceus.]

Defn: Gritty; sandy; rough; stony.

TOP-HAMPER Top"-ham`per, n. (Naut.)

Defn: The upper rigging, spars, etc., of a ship. [Written also top hamper.] All the ships of the fleet . . . were so encumbered with tophamper, so overweighted in proportion to their draught of water, that they could bear but little canvas, even with smooth seas and light and favorable winds. Motley.

TOP-HEAVY Top"-heav`y, a.

Defn: Having the top or upper part too heavy for the lower part. Sir H. Wotton.

TOPHET To"phet, n. Etym: [Heb. tophet, literally, a place to be spit upon, an abominable place, fr. tph to spit out.]

Defn: A place lying east or southeast of Jerusalem, in the valley of Hinnom. [Written also Topheth.] And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom. 2 Kings xxiii. 10.

Note: It seems to have been at first part of the royal garden, but it was afterwards defiled and polluted by the sacrifices of Baal and the fires of Moloch, and resounded with the cries of burning infants. At a later period, its altars and high places were thrown down, and all the filth of the city poured into it, until it became the abhorrence of Jerusalem, and, in symbol, the place where are wailing and gnashing of teeth. The pleasant valley of Hinnom, Tophet thence And black Gehenna called, the type of hell. Milton.

TOPHIN Toph"in, n. (Min.)

Defn: Same as Toph.

TOPHUS To"phus, n.; pl. Tophi. Etym: [NL.: cf. F. tophus a mineral concretion in the joint. See Toph.] [Written also tofus.]

1. (Med.)

Defn: One of the mineral concretions about the joints, and in other situations, occurring chiefly in gouty persons. They consist usually of urate of sodium; when occurring in the internal organs they are also composed of phosphate of calcium.

2. (Min.)

Defn: Calcareous tufa.

TOPI To"pi, n.

Defn: An antelope (Damaliscus corrigum jimela) having a glossy purplish brown coat. It is related to the blesbok and is native of British East Africa. Also, any of various related varieties of other districts south of the Sahara.

TOPIARIAN Top`i*a"ri*an, a. Etym: [See Toplary.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to the ornamental cutting and trimming of trees, hedges, etc.; practicing ornamental gardening. [R.] "The topiarian artist." Sir W. Scott. All the pedantries of the topiarian art. C. Kingsley.

TOPIARY Top"i*a*ry, a. Etym: [L. topiarius belonging to ornamental gardening, fr. topia (sc. opera) ornamental gardening, fr. Gr.

Defn: Of or pertaining to ornamental gardening; produced by cutting, trimming, etc.; topiarian. Topiary work, arbors, shrubbery, hedges, or the like, cut and trimmed into fanciful forms, as of animals, building, etc.

TOPIC Top"ic, n. Etym: [F. topiques, pl., L. topica the title of a work of Aristotle, Gr. topika`, fr. topiko`s of or for place, concerning to`poi, or commonplaces, fr. to`pos a place.] (a) One of the various general forms of argument employed in probable as distinguished from demonstrative reasoning, -- denominated by Aristotle to`poi (literally, places), as being the places or sources from which arguments may be derived, or to which they may be referred; also, a prepared form of argument, applicable to a great variety of cases, with a supply of which the ancient rhetoricians and orators provided themselves; a commonplace of argument or oratory. (b) pl.

Defn: A treatise on forms of argument; a system or scheme of forms or commonplaces of argument or oratory; as, the Topics of Aristotle. These topics, or loci, were no other than general ideas applicable to a great many different subjects, which the orator was directed to consult. Blair. In this question by [reason] I do not mean a distinct topic, but a transcendent that runs through all topics. Jer. Taylor.

2. An argument or reason. [Obs.] Contumacious persons, who are not to be fixed by any principles, whom no topics can work upon. Bp. Wilkins.

3. The subject of any distinct portion of a discourse, or argument, or literary composition; also, the general or main subject of the whole; a matter treated of; a subject, as of conversation or of thought; a matter; a point; a head.

4. (Med.)

Defn: An external local application or remedy, as a plaster, a blister, etc. [Obsoles.] Wiseman.

TOPIC Top"ic, a.

Defn: Topical. Drayton. Holland.

TOPICAL Top"ic*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. topique, LL. topicus, Gr. Topic, n.]