Chapter CDLXXXIII: Prologue (134)

Defn: Act of rushing upward; an upbreak or upburst; as, an uprush of lava. R. A. Proctor.

UPSAROKAS Up`sar*o"kas, n. pl. (Ethnol.)

Defn: See Crows.

UPSEEK Up*seek", v. i.

Defn: To seek or strain upward. "Upseeking eyes suffused with . . . tears." Southey.

UPSEND Up*send", v. t.

Defn: To send, cast, or throw up. As when some island situate afar . . . Upsends a smoke to heaven. Cowper.

UPSET Up*set", v. t.

1. To set up; to put upright. [Obs.] "With sail on mast upset." R. of Brunne.

2. (a) To thicken and shorten, as a heated piece of iron, by hammering on the end. (b) To shorten (a tire) in the process of resetting, originally by cutting it and hammering on the ends.

3. To overturn, overthrow, or overset; as, to upset a carriage; to upset an argument. "Determined somehow to upset the situation." Mrs. Humphry Ward.

4. To disturb the self-possession of; to disorder the nerves of; to make ill; as, the fright upset her. [Colloq.]

UPSET Up*set", v. i.

Defn: To become upset.

UPSET Up"set`, a.

Defn: Set up; fixed; determined; -- used chiefly or only in the phrase upset price; that is, the price fixed upon as the minimum for property offered in a public sale, or, in an auction, the price at which property is set up or started by the auctioneer, and the lowest price at which it will be sold. After a solemn pause, Mr. Glossin offered the upset price for the lands and barony of Ellangowan. Sir W. Scott.

UPSET Up"set`, n.

Defn: The act of upsetting, or the state of being upset; an overturn; as, the wagon had an upset.

UPSETTING Up*set"ting, a.

Defn: Conceited; assuming; as, an upsetting fellow. [Scot.] Jamieson.

UPSETTING THERMOMETER Up*set"ting ther*mom"e*ter.

Defn: A thermometer by merely inverting which the temperature may be registered. The column of mercury is broken and, as it remains until the instrument is reset, the reading may be made at leisure.

UPSHOOT Up*shoot", v. i.

Defn: To shoot upward. "Trees upshooting high." Spenser.

UPSHOT Up"shot`, n. Etym: [Up + shot, equivalent to scot share, reckoning. Cf. the phrase to cast up an account.]

Defn: Final issue; conclusion; the sum and substance; the end; the result; the consummation. I can not pursue with any safety this sport to the upshot. Shak. We account it frailty that threescore years and ten make the upshot of man's pleasurable existence. De Quincey.

UPSIDE Up"side`, n.

Defn: The upper side; the part that is uppermost. To be upsides with, to be even with. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Sir W. Scott. T. Hughes. -- Upside down. Etym: [Perhaps a corruption of OE. up so down, literally, up as down.] With the upper part undermost; hence, in confusion; in complete disorder; topsy-turvy. Shak. These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also. Acts xvii. 6.

UPSIDOWN Up"si*down`, adv.

Defn: See Upsodown. [Obs. or Colloq.] Spenser.

UPSILON Up"si*lon, n. [Gr. 'y^ psilo`n bare, mere, simple y.]

Defn: The 20th letter (U, u) of the Greek alphabet, a vowel having originally the sound of oo as in room, becoming before the 4th century b. c. that French u or Ger. ü. Its equivalent in English is u or y.

UPSITTING Up"sit`ting, n.

Defn: A sitting up of a woman after her confinement, to receive and entertain her friends. [Obs.] To invite your lady's upsitting. Beau. & Fl.

UPSKIP Up*skip`, n.

Defn: An upstart. [Obs.] Latimer.

UPSNATCH Up*snatch", v. t.

Defn: To snatch up. [R.]

UPSOAR Up*soar", v. i.

Defn: To soar or mount up. Pope.

UPSODOWN Up"so*down`, adv. Etym: [Up + so as + down.]

Defn: Upside down. [Obs. or Colloq.] Wyclif. In man's sin is every manner order or ordinance turned upsodown. Chaucer.

UPSPEAR Up*spear", v. i.

Defn: To grow or shoot up like a spear; as, upspearing grass. [R.] Cowper.

UPSPRING Up*spring", v. i.

Defn: To spring up. Tennyson.

UPSPRING Up"spring`, n.

1. An upstart. [Obs.] "The swaggering upspring." Shak.

2. A spring or leap into the air. [R.] Chapman.

UPSPURNER Up"spurn`er, n.

Defn: A spurner or contemner; a despiser; a scoffer. [Obs.] Joye.

UPSTAIRS Up*stairs", adv.

Defn: Up the stairs; in or toward an upper story.

UPSTAIRS Up"stairs`, a.

Defn: Being above stairs; as, an upstairs room.

UPSTAND Up*stand", v. i.

Defn: To stand up; to be erected; to rise. Spenser. Milton. At once upstood the monarch, and upstood The wise Ulysses. Cowper.

UPSTARE Up*stare", v. i.

Defn: To stare or stand upward; hence, to be uplifted or conspicuous. "Rearing fiercely their upstaring crests." Spenser.

UPSTART Up*start", v. i.

Defn: To start or spring up suddenly. Spenser. Tennyson.

UPSTART Up"start`, n.

1. One who has risen suddenly, as from low life to wealth, power, or honor; a parvenu. Bacon.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: The meadow saffron. Dr. Prior.

UPSTART Up"start`, a.

Defn: Suddenly raised to prominence or consequence. "A race of upstart creatures." Milton.

UPSTAY Up*stay", v. t.

Defn: To sustain; to support. [Obs.] "His massy spear upstayed." Milton.

UPSTERTE Up*stert"e, obs.

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Upstart.

UPSTIR Up"stir`, n.

Defn: Insurrection; commotion; disturbance. [Obs.] Sir J. Cheke.

UPSTREAM Up*stream", adv.

Defn: Toward the higher part of a stream; against the current.

UPSTREET Up*street", adv.

Defn: Toward the higher part of a street; as, to walk upstreet. G. W. Gable.

UPSTROKE Up"stroke`, n.

Defn: An upward stroke, especially the stroke, or line, made by a writing instrument when moving upward, or from the body of the writer, or a line corresponding to the part of a letter thus made. Some upstroke of an Alpha and Omega. Mrs. Browning.

UPSUN Up"sun`, n. (Scots Law)

Defn: The time during which the sun is up, or above the horizon; the time between sunrise and sunset.

UPSWARM Up*swarm", v. i. & i.

Defn: To rise, or cause to rise, in a swarm or swarms. [R.] Shak. Cowper.

UPSWAY Up*sway", v. t.

Defn: To sway or swing aloft; as, to upsway a club. [R.] Sir W. Scott.

UPSWELL Up*swell", v. i.

Defn: To swell or rise up.

UPSYTURVY Up"sy*tur"vy, adv. Etym: [Cf. Upside down, under Upside, and Topsy- turvy.]

Defn: Upside down; topsy-turvy. [Obs.] Robert Greene.

UPTAILS ALL Up"tails` all".

1. An old game at cards. [Obs.]

2. Revelers; roysterers. [Obs.] Decker.

3. Revelry; confusion; frolic. [Obs.] Herrick.

UPTAKE Up*take", v. t.

Defn: To take into the hand; to take up; to help. [Obs.] Wyclif. Spenser.

UPTAKE Up"take`, n. (Steam Boilers)

1. The pipe leading upward from the smoke box of a steam boiler to the chimney, or smokestack; a flue leading upward.

2. Understanding; apprehension. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

UPTEAR Up*tear", v. t.

Defn: To tear up. Milton.

UPTHROW Up*throw", v. t.

Defn: To throw up. Drayton.

UPTHROW Up"throw`, n. (Mining)

Defn: See Throw, n., 9.

UPTHUNDER Up*thun"der, v. i.

Defn: To send up a noise like thunder. [R.] Coleridge.

UPTIE Up*tie", v. t.

Defn: To tie up. Spenser.

UPTILL Up*till", prep.

Defn: To; against. [Obs. & R.] She, poor bird, as all forlorn, Leaned her breast uptill a thorn. Shak.

UP-TO-DATE Up`-to-date", a.

Defn: Extending to the present time; having style, manners, knowledge, or other qualities that are abreast of the times. "A general up-to-date style of presentment." Nature.

I must prefer to translate the poet in a manner more congenial if less up-to-date. Andrew Lang.

UPTOWN Up*town", adv.

Defn: To or in the upper part of a town; as, to go uptown. [Colloq. U. S.]

UPTOWN Up"town`, a.

Defn: Situated in, or belonging to, the upper part of a town or city; as, a uptown street, shop, etc.; uptown society. [Colloq. U. S.]

UPTRACE Up*trace", v. t.

Defn: To trace up or out.

UPTRAIN Up*train", v. t.

Defn: To train up; to educate. [Obs.] "Daughters which were well uptrained." Spenser.

UP-TRAIN Up"-train`.

1. A train going in the direction of the metropolis or the main terminus. [Eng.]

2. A train going in the direction conventionally called up. [U.S.]

UPTURN Up*turn", v. t.

Defn: To turn up; to direct upward; to throw up; as, to upturn the ground in plowing. "A sea of upturned faces." D. Webster. So scented the grim feature, and upturned His nostril wide into the murky air. Milton.

UPUPA U"pu*pa, n. Etym: [L., the hoopoe.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of birds which includes the common hoopoe.

UPWAFT Up*waft", v. t.

Defn: To waft upward. Cowper.

UPWARD; UPWARDS Up"ward, Up"wards, adv. Etym: [AS. upweardes. See Up-, and -wards.]

1. In a direction from lower to higher; toward a higher place; in a course toward the source or origin; -- opposed to downward; as, to tend or roll upward. I. Watts. Looking inward, we are stricken dumb; looking upward, we speak and prevail. Hooker.

2. In the upper parts; above. Dagon his name, sea monster, upward man, And down ward fish. Milton.

3. Yet more; indefinitely more; above; over. From twenty years old and upward. Num. i. 3. Upward of, or Upwards of, more than; above. I have been your wife in this obedience Upward of twenty years. Shak.

UPWARD Up"ward, a. Etym: [AS. upweard. See Up, and -ward.]

Defn: Directed toward a higher place; as, with upward eye; with upward course.

UPWARD Up"ward, n.

Defn: The upper part; the top. [Obs.] From the extremest upward of thy head. Shak.

UPWHIRL Up*whirl", v. t. & i.

Defn: To rise upward in a whirl; to raise upward with a whirling motion.

UPWIND Up*wind", v. t.

Defn: To wind up. Spenser.

UP-WIND Up"-wind`, adv.

Defn: Against the wind.

UPWREATH Up*wreath", v. i.

Defn: To rise with a curling motion; to curl upward, as smoke. Longfellow.

UPYAT Up*yat", obs.

Defn: imp. of Upgive. Chaucer.

UR; URE Ur, Ure, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The urus.

URACHUS U"ra*chus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: A cord or band of fibrous tissue extending from the bladder to the umbilicus.

URAEMIA U*ræ"mi*a, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Med.)

Defn: Accumulation in the blood of the principles of the urine, producing dangerous disease.

URAEMIC U*ræ"mic, a. (Med.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to uræmia; as, uræmic convulsions.

URAEUM U*ræ"um, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. uraeus, adj.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The posterior half of an animal.

URAEUS U*ræ"us, n. [NL., fr. L. uraeus pertaining to a tail, Gr. , fr. tail.] (Egypt. Archæol.)

Defn: A serpent, or serpent's head and neck, represented on the front of the headdresses of divinities and sovereigns as an emblem of supreme power.

URAL U"ral, a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, the Urals, a mountain range between Europe and Asia.

URAL-ALTAIC U"ral-Al*ta"ic, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Urals and the Altai; as the Ural- Altaic, or Turanian, languages.

URALI U"ra*li, n. Etym: [See Wourali.]

Defn: See Curare.

URALIAN; URALIC U*ra"li*an, U*ral"ic, a.

Defn: Of or relating to the Ural Mountains.

URALITE U"ral*ite, n. Etym: [So called because first observed in the Ural Mountains.] (Min.)

Defn: Amphibole resulting from the alternation of pyroxene by paramorphism. It is not uncommon in massive eruptive rocks.

URALITIZATION U`ral*i`ti*za"tion, n. (Geol.)

Defn: The change of pyroxene to amphibole by paramorphism.

URAMIL U*ram"il, n. (Chem.)

Defn: Murexan.

URANATE U"ra*nate, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of uranic acid.

URANIA U*ra"ni*a, n. Etym: [L., from Gr.

1. (Class. Myth.)

Defn: One of the nine Muses, daughter of Zeus by Mnemosyne, and patron of astronomy.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of large, brilliantly colored moths native of the West Indies and South America. Their bright colored and tailed hind wings and their diurnal flight cause them to closely resemble butterflies.

URANIAN U*ra"ni*an, a. (Astron.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the planet Uranus; as, the Uranian year.

URANIC U*ran"ic, a.

1. Of or pertaining to the heavens; celestial; astronomical. On I know not what telluric or uranic principles. Carlyle.

2. (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, resembling, or containing uranium; specifically, designating those compounds in which uranium has a valence relatively higher than in uranous compounds.

URANIN U"ra*nin, n. (Chem.)

Defn: An alkaline salt of fluorescein, obtained as a brownish red substance, which is used as a dye; -- so called from the peculiar yellowish green fluorescence (resembling that of uranium glass) of its solutions. See Fluorescein.

URANINITE U*ran"i*nite, n. (Min.)

Defn: A mineral consisting chiefly of uranium oxide with some lead, thorium, etc., occurring in black octahedrons, also in masses with a pitchlike luster; pitchblende.

URANISCOPLASTY U`ra*nis"co*plas`ty, n. Etym: [Gr. -plasty.] (Surg.)

Defn: The process of forming an artificial palate.

URANISCORAPHY; URANISCORRHAPHY U`ra*nis*cor"a*phy, U`ra*nis*cor"rha*phy, n. Etym: [Gr. (Surg.)

Defn: Suture of the palate. See Staphyloraphy.

URANITE U"ra*nite, n. Etym: [Cf. G. uranit, F. uranite.] (Min.)

Defn: A general term for the uranium phosphates, autunite, or lime uranite, and torbernite, or copper uranite.

URANITIC U`ra*nit"ic, a. (Chem.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to uranium; containing uranium.

URANIUM U*ra"ni*um, n. Etym: [NL., from Uranus the planet. See Uranus.] (Chem.)

Defn: An element of the chromium group, found in certain rare minerals, as pitchblende, uranite, etc., and reduced as a heavy, hard, nickel-white metal which is quite permanent. Its yellow oxide is used to impart to glass a delicate greenish-yellow tint which is accompanied by a strong fluorescence, and its black oxide is used as a pigment in porcelain painting. Symbol U. Atomic weight 239.

Note: Uranium was discovered in the state of an oxide by Klaproth in 1789, and so named in honor of Herschel's discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781.

URAN-OCHER; URAN-OCHRE U"ran-o`cher, U"ran-o`chre, n. Etym: [Cf. F. uranochre.] (Min.) (a) A yellow, earthy incrustation, consisting essentially of the oxide of uranium, but more or less impure.

URANOGRAPHIC; URANOGRAPHICAL U`ra*no*graph"ic, U`ra*no*graph"ic*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to uranography; as, an uranographic treatise.

URANOGRAPHIST U`ra*nog"ra*phist, n.

Defn: One practiced in uranography.

URANOGRAPHY U`ra*nog"ra*phy, n. Etym: [Gr.

Defn: A description or plan of the heavens and the heavenly bodies; the construction of celestial maps, globes, etc.; uranology.

URANOLITE U*ran"o*lite, n. Etym: [Gr. -lite.]

Defn: A meteorite or aërolite. [Obs.] Hutton.

URANOLOGY U`ra*nol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy.]

Defn: A discourse or treatise on the heavens and the heavenly bodies; the study of the heavens; uranography.

URANOMETRIA U`ra*nom`e*tri"a, n. Etym: [NL.]

Defn: A uranometry.

URANOMETRY U`ra*nom"e*try, n. Etym: [Gr. -metry.] (Astron.)

Defn: A chart or catalogue of fixed stars, especially of stars visible to the naked eye.

URANOPLASTY U"ra*no*plas`ty, n. Etym: [See Uraniscoplasty.] (Surg.)

Defn: The plastic operation for closing a fissure in the hard palate.

URANOSCOPY U`ra*nos"co*py, n. Etym: [Gr. -scopy.]

Defn: Observation of the heavens or heavenly bodies.

URANOSO- U`ra*no"so- (, a. (Chem.)

Defn: A combining form (also used adjectively) from uranium; -- used in naming certain complex compounds; as in uranoso-uranic oxide, uranoso-uranic sulphate.

URANOUS U"ra*nous (u"ra*nûs), a. (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or containing, uranium; designating those compounds in which uranium has a lower valence as contrasted with the uranic compounds.

URANUS U"ra*nus (-nûs), n. Etym: [L. Uranus, Gr. O'yrano`s Uranus, o'yrano`s heaven, sky. Cf. Uranium.]

1. (Gr. Myth.)

Defn: The son or husband of Gaia (Earth), and father of Chronos (Time) and the Titans.

2. (Astron.)

Defn: One of the primary planets. It is about 1,800,000,000 miles from the sun, about 36,000 miles in diameter, and its period of revolution round the sun is nearly 84 of our years.

Note: This planet has also been called Herschel, from Sir William Herschel, who discovered it in 1781, and who named it Georgium Sidus, in honor of George III., then King of England.

URAN-UTAN U*ran"-u*tan`, (Zoöl.)

Defn: The orang-utang

URANYL U"ra*nyl, n. Etym: [Uranium + -yl.] (Chem.)

Defn: The radical UO2, conveniently regarded as a residue of many uranium compounds.

URAO U*ra"o, n. Etym: [Sp.] (Min.)

Defn: See Trona.

URARE; URARI U*ra"re, U*ra"ri, n.

Defn: See Curare.

URATE U"rate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. urate.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A salt of uric acid; as, sodium urate; ammonium urate.

URATIC U*rat"ic, (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: Of or containing urates; as, uratic calculi.

URBAN Ur"ban, a. Etym: [L. urbanus belonging to the urbs, urbis, a city: cf. F. urbain. Cf. Urbane.]

1. Of or belonging to a city or town; as, an urban population.

2. Belonging to, or suiting, those living in a city; cultivated; polite; urbane; as, urban manners. Urban servitude. See Predial servitude, under Servitude.

URBANE Ur*bane", a. Etym: [See Urban.]

Defn: Courteous in manners; polite; refined; elegant.

URBANISTE Ur"ban*iste, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A large and delicious pear or Flemish origin.

URBANITY Ur*ban"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. urbanitas; cf. F. urbanité.]

1. The quality or state of being urbane; civility or courtesy of manners; politeness; refinement. The marquis did the honors of his house with the urbanity of his country. W. Irving.

2. Polite wit; facetiousness. [Obs.] Dryden. Raillery in the sauce of civil entertainment; and without some such tincture of urbanity, good humor falters. L'Estrange.

Syn. -- Politeness; suavity; affability; courtesy.

URBANIZE Ur"ban*ize, v. t.

Defn: To render urban, or urbane; to refine; to polish. Howell.

URBICOLAE Ur*bic"o*læ, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. urbs, urbis, a city + colere to inhabit.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An extensive family of butterflies, including those known as skippers (Hesperiadæ).

URBICOLOUS Ur*bic"o*lous, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to a city; urban. [R.]

URCEOLAR Ur"ce*o*lar, a.

Defn: Urceolate.

URCEOLATE; URCELATE Ur"ce*o*late, Ur"ce*late, a. Etym: [L. urceolus, dim. of urceus a pitcher or waterpot.] (Nat. Hist.)

Defn: Shaped like a pitcher or urn; swelling below, and contrasted at the orifice, as a calyx or corolla.

URCEOLE Ur"ce*ole, n. Etym: [See Urceolate.] (R. C. Ch.)

Defn: A vessel for water for washing the hands; also, one to hold wine or water.

URCEOLUS Ur*ce"o*lus, n.; pl. Urceoli. Etym: [L., a little pitcher.] (Bot.)

Defn: Any urn-shaped organ of a plant.

URCHIN Ur"chin, n. Etym: [OE. urchon, irchon, a hedgehog, OF. ireçon, eriçon, heri, herichon, F. hérisson, a derivative fr. L. ericius, from er a hedgehog, for her; akin to Gr. Herisson.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A hedgehog.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A sea urchin. See Sea urchin.

3. A mischievous elf supposed sometimes to take the form a hedgehog. "We 'll dress [them] like urchins, ouphes, and fairies." Shak.

4. A pert or roguish child; -- now commonly used only of a boy. And the urchins that stand with their thievish eyes Forever on watch ran off each with a prize. W. Howitt. You did indeed dissemble, you urchin you; but where's the girl that won't dissemble for an husband Goldsmith.

5. One of a pair in a series of small card cylinders, arranged around a carding drum; -- so called from its fancied resemblance to the hedgehog. Knight. Urchin fish (Zoöl.), a diodon.

URCHIN Ur"chin, a.

Defn: Rough; pricking; piercing. [R.] "Helping all urchin blasts." Milton.

URCHON Ur"chon, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The urchin, or hedgehog.

URDU Ur"du, n. Etym: [Hind. urdu.]

Defn: The language more generally called Hindoostanee.

URE Ure, n. Etym: [OE. ure, OF. oevre, ovre, ouvre, work, F. oeuvre, L. opera. See Opera, Operate, and cf. Inure, Manure.]

Defn: Use; practice; exercise. [Obs.] Fuller. Let us be sure of this, to put the best in ure That lies in us. Chapman.

URE Ure, v. t.

Defn: To use; to exercise; to inure; to accustom by practice. [Obs.] The French soldiers . . . from their youth have been practiced and ured in feats of arms. Sir T. More.

UREA U"re*a, a. Etym: [NL. See Urine.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A very soluble crystalline body which is the chief constituent of the urine in mammals and some other animals. It is also present in small quantity in blood, serous fluids, lymph, the liver, etc.

Note: It is the main product of the regressive metamorphosis (katabolism) of proteid matter in the body, and is excreted daily to the amount of about 500 grains by a man of average weight. Chemically it is carbamide, CO(NH2)2, and when heated with strong acids or alkalies is decomposed into carbonic acid and ammonia. It unites with acids to form salts, as nitrate of urea, and it can be made synthetically from ammonium cyanate, with which it is isomeric. Urea ferment, a soluble ferment formed by certain bacteria, which, however, yield the ferment from the body of their cells only after they have been killed by alcohol. It causes urea to take up water and decompose into carbonic acid and ammonia. Many different bacteria possess this property, especially Bacterium ureæ and Micrococcus ureæ, which are found abundantly in urines undergoing alkaline fermentation.

UREAL U"re*al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to urea; containing, or consisting of, urea; as, ureal deposits.

UREAMETER U`re*am"e*ter, n. Etym: [Urea + -meter.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: An apparatus for the determination of the amount of urea in urine, in which the nitrogen evolved by the action of certain reagents, on a given volume of urine, is collected and measured, and the urea calculated accordingly.

URECHITIN U`re*chi"tin, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A glucoside extracted from the leaves of a certain plant (Urechitis suberecta) as a bitter white crystalline substance.

URECHITOXIN U`re*chi*tox"in, n. Etym: [Urechitin + toxic + -in.] (Chem.)

Defn: A poisonous glucoside found accompanying urechitin, and extracted as a bitter white crystalline substance.

UREDO U*re"do, n. Etym: [L., a blast, blight, a burning itch, fr. urere to burn, to scorch.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: One of the stages in the life history of certain rusts (Uredinales), regarded at one time as a distinct genus. It is a summer stage preceding the teleutospore, or winter stage. See Uredinales, in the Supplement.

2. (Med.)

Defn: Nettle rash. See Urticaria.

UREDOSPORE U*re"do*spore, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The thin-walled summer spore which is produced during the so- called Uredo stage of certain rusts. See (in the Supplement) Uredinales, Heteroecious, etc.

UREIDE U"re*ide, n. (Chem.)

Defn: Any one of the many complex derivatives of urea; thus, hydantoin, and, in an extended dense, guanidine, caffeine, et., are ureides. [Written also ureid.]

-URET -u*ret.

Defn: A suffix with the same meaning as -ide. See -ide. [Obs.]

URETER U*re"ter, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Urine.] (Anat.)

Defn: The duct which conveys the urine from the kidney to the bladder or cloaca. There are two ureters, one for each kidney.

URETERITIS U*re`ter*i"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Ureter, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the ureter. Dunglison.

URETHANE U*reth"ane, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A white crystalline substance, NH2.CO.OC2H5, produced by the action of ammonia on ethyl carbonate. It is used somewhat in medicine as a hypnotic. By extension, any one of the series of related substances of which urethane proper is the type.

URETHRA U*re"thra, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. Urine.] (Anat.)

Defn: The canal by which the urine is conducted from the bladder and discharged.

URETHRAL U*re"thral, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the urethra. Urethral fever (Med.), fever occurring as a consequence of operations upon the urethra.

URETHRITIS U`re*thri"tis, n. Etym: [NL. See Urethra, and -itis.] (Med.)

Defn: Inflammation of the urethra.

URETHROPLASTY U*re"thro*plas`ty, n. Etym: [Urethra + -plasty.] (Surg.)

Defn: An operation for the repair of an injury or a defect in the walls of the urethra. -- U*re`thro*plas"tic, a.

URETHROSCOPE U*re"thro*scope, n. Etym: [Urethra + -scope.] (Med.)

Defn: An instrument for viewing the interior of the urethra.

URETHROSCOPY U`re*thros"co*py, n. (Med.)

Defn: Examination of the urethra by means of the urethroscope.

URETHROTOME U*re"thro*tome, n. Etym: [Urethra + Gr.

Defn: An instrument for cutting a urethral stricture.

URETHROTOMY U`re*throt"o*my, n. Etym: [Urethra + Gr. (Surg.)

Defn: An incision of the urethra, esp. incision for relief of urethral stricture.

URETIC U*ret"ic, a. Etym: [L. ureticus, Gr. Urine.] (Med.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the urine; diuretic; urinary; as, uretic medicine.

URGE Urge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Urged; p. pr. & vb. n. Urging.] Etym: [L. urgere; akin to E. wreak. See Wreak, v. t.]

1. To press; to push; to drive; to impel; to force onward. Through the thick deserts headlong urged his flight. Pope.

2. To press the mind or will of; to ply with motives, arguments, persuasion, or importunity. My brother never Did urge me in his act; I did inquire it. Shak.

3. To provoke; to exasperate. [R.] Urge not my father's anger. Shak.

4. To press hard upon; to follow closely Heir urges heir, like wave impelling wave. Pope.

5. To present in an urgent manner; to press upon attention; to insist upon; as, to urge an argument; to urge the necessity of a case.

6. To treat with forcible means; to take severe or violent measures with; as, to urge an ore with intense heat.

Syn. -- To animate; incite; impel; instigate; stimulate; encourage.

URGE Urge, v. i.

1. To press onward or forward. [R.]

2. To be pressing in argument; to insist; to persist.

URGENCE Ur"gence, n.

Defn: Urgency. [Obs.]

URGENCY Ur"gen*cy, n. Etym: [Cf. F. urgence.]

Defn: The quality or condition of being urgent; insistence; pressure; as, the urgency of a demand or an occasion.

URGENT Ur"gent, a. Etym: [L. urgens, p. pr. of urgere: cf. F. urgent. See Urge.]

Defn: Urging; pressing; besetting; plying, with importunity; calling for immediate attention; instantly important. "The urgent hour." Shak. Some urgent cause to ordain the contrary. Hooker. The Egyptians were urgent upon the people that they might send them out of the land in haste. Ex. xii. 33.

URGENTLY Ur"gent*ly, adv.

Defn: In an urgent manner.

URGER Ur"ger, n.

Defn: One who urges. Beau. & Fl.

URIC U"ric, a. Etym: [Gr. urique. See Urine.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to urine; obtained from urine; as, uric acid. Uric acid, a crystalline body, present in small quantity in the urine of man and most mammals. Combined in the form of urate of ammonia, it is the chief constituent of the urine of birds and reptiles, forming the white part. Traces of it are also found in the various organs of the body. It is likewise a common constituent, either as the free acid or as a urate, of urinary or renal calculi and of the so-called gouty concretions. From acid urines, uric acid is frequently deposited, on standing in a cool place, in the form of a reddish yellow sediment, nearly always crystalline. Chemically, it is composed of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, C5H4N4O3, and by decomposition yields urea, among other products. It can be made synthetically by heating together urea and glycocoll. It was formerly called also lithic acid, in allusion to its occurrence in stone, or calculus.

URIM U"rim, n. Etym: [Heb. , pl. of , fire light.]

Defn: A part or decoration of the breastplate of the high priest among the ancient Jews, by which Jehovah revealed his will on certain occasions. Its nature has been the subject of conflicting conjectures. Thou shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim. Ex. xxviii. 30. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 1 Sam. xxviii. 6.

Note: Professor Plumptre supposes the Urim to have been a clear and colorless stone set in the breastplate of the high priest as a symbol of light, answering to the mystic scarab in the pectoral plate of the ancient Egyptian priests, and that the Thummim was an image corresponding to that worn by the priestly judges of Egypt as a symbol of truth and purity of motive. By gazing steadfastly on these, he may have been thrown into a mysterious, half ecstatic state, akin to hypnotism, in which he lost all personal consciousness, and received a spiritual illumination and insight.

URINAL U"ri*nal, n. Etym: [L. urinal, fr. urina urine: cf. F. urinal.]

1. A vessel for holding urine; especially, a bottle or tube for holding urine for inspection.

2. A place or convenience for urinating purposes.

URINARIUM U`ri*na"ri*um, n. Etym: [LL. urinarium.] (Agric.)

Defn: A reservoir for urine, etc., for manure.

URINARY U"ri*na*ry, a. Etym: [L. urina urine: cf. F. urinaire.]

1. Of or pertaining to the urine; as, the urinary bladder; urinary excretions.

2. Resembling, or being of the nature of, urine. Urinary calculus (Med.), a concretion composed of some one or more crystalline constituents of the urine, liable to be found in any portion of the urinary passages or in the pelvis of the kidney. -- Urinary pigments, (Physiol. Chem.), certain colored substances, urochrome, or urobilin, uroerythrin, etc., present in the urine together with indican, a colorless substance which by oxidation is convertible into colored bodies.

URINARY U"ri*na*ry, n.

Defn: A urinarium; also, a urinal.

URINATE U"ri*nate, v. i. Etym: [LL. urinare.]

Defn: To discharge urine; to make water.

URINATION U`ri*na"tion, n.

Defn: The act or process of voiding urine; micturition.

URINATIVE U"ri*na*tive, a.

Defn: Provoking the flow of urine; uretic; diuretic. [R.] Bacon.

URINATOR U"ri*na`tor, n. Etym: [L., from urinari to plunge under water, to dive.]

Defn: One who dives under water in search of something, as for pearls; a diver. [R.] Ray.

URINE U"rine, n. Etym: [F. urine, L. urina; akin to urinari to plunge under water, to dive, Gr. var water, Icel. drizzling rain, AS. wær the sea.] (Physiol.)

Defn: In mammals, a fluid excretion from the kidneys; in birds and reptiles, a solid or semisolid excretion.

Note: In man, the urine is a clear, transparent fluid of an amber color and peculiar odor, with an average density of 1.02. The average amount excreted in 24 hours is from 40 to 60 ounces (about 1,200 cubic centimeters). Chemically, the urine is mainly an aqueous solution of urea, salt (sodium chloride), and uric acid, together with some hippuric acid and peculiar pigments. It usually has an acid reaction, owing to the presence of acid phosphates of soda or free uric acid. Normally, it contains about 960 parts of water to 40 parts of solid matter, and the daily average excretion is 35 grams (540 grains) of urea, 0.75 gram (11 grains) of uric acid, and 16.5 grams (260 grains) of salt. Abnormally, it may contain sugar as in diabetes, albumen as in Bright's disease, bile pigments as in jaundice, or abnormal quantities of some one or more of the normal constituents.

URINE U"rine, v. i.

Defn: To urinate. [Obs.] Bacon.

URINIFEROUS U`ri*nif"er*ous, a. Etym: [Urine + -ferous.]

Defn: Bearing or conveying urine; as, uriniferous tubules.

URINIPAROUS U`ri*nip"a*rous, a. Etym: [Urine + L. parere to produce: cf. F. urinipare.] (Physiol.)

Defn: Producing or preparing urine; as, the uriniparous tubes in the cortical portion of the kidney.

URINOGENITAL U`ri*no*gen"i*tal, a. (Anat.)

Defn: Pertaining to the urinary and genital organs; genitourinary; urogenital; as, the urinogenital canal.

URINOMETER U`ri*nom"e*ter, n. Etym: [Urine + -meter.]

Defn: A small hydrometer for determining the specific gravity of urine.

URINOMETRY U`ri*nom"e*try, n.

Defn: The estimation of the specific gravity of urine by the urinometer.

URINOSE; URINOUS U"ri*nose, U"ri*nous, a. Etym: [Cf. F. urineux. See Urine.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to urine, or partaking of its qualities; having the character or odor of urine; similar to urine. Arbuthnot.

URITE U"rite, n. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the segments of the abdomen or post-abdomen of arthropods.

URITH U"rith, n.

Defn: The bindings of a hedge. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

URN Urn, n. Etym: [OE. urne, L. urna; perhaps fr. urere to burn, and sop called as being made of burnt clay (cf. East): cf. F. urne.]

1. A vessel of various forms, usually a vase furnished with a foot or pedestal, employed for different purposes, as for holding liquids, for ornamental uses, for preserving the ashes of the dead after cremation, and anciently for holding lots to be drawn. A rustic, digging in the ground by Padua, found an urn, or earthen pot, in which there was another urn. Bp. Wilkins. His scattered limbs with my dead body burn, And once more join us in the pious urn. Dryden.

2. Fig.: Any place of burial; the grave. Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn, Tombless, with no remembrance over them. Shak.

3. (Rom. Antiq.)

Defn: A measure of capacity for liquids, containing about three gallons and a haft, wine measure. It was haft the amphora, and four times the congius.

4. (Bot.)

Defn: A hollow body shaped like an urn, in which the spores of mosses are contained; a spore case; a theca.

5. A tea urn. See under Tea. Urn mosses (Bot.), the order of true mosses; -- so called because the capsules of many kinds are urn- shaped.

URN Urn, v. t.

Defn: To inclose in, or as in, an urn; to inurn. When horror universal shall descend, And heaven's dark concave urn all human race. Young.

URNAL Urn"al, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to an urn; effected by an urn or urns. "Urnal interments." Sir T. Browne.

URNFUL Urn"ful, n.; pl. Urnfuls (.

Defn: As much as an urn will hold; enough to fill an urn.

URN-SHAPED Urn"-shaped`, a.

Defn: Having the shape of an urn; as, the urn-shaped capsules of some mosses.

URO- U"ro-.

Defn: A combining form fr. Gr. o'y^ron, urine.

URO- U"ro-.

Defn: A combining form from Gr. o'yra`, the tail, the caudal extremity.

UROBILIN U`ro*bi"lin, n. Etym: [1st uro- + bile + -in.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A yellow pigment identical with hydrobilirubin, abundant in the highly colored urine of fever, and also present in normal urine. See Urochrome.

UROCELE U"ro*cele, n. Etym: [1st uro + Gr. (Med.)

Defn: A morbid swelling of the scrotum due to extravasation of urine into it.

UROCERATA U`ro*cer"a*ta, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A division of boring Hymenoptera, including Tremex and allied genera. See Illust. of Horntail.

UROCHORD U"ro*chord, n. Etym: [2d uro- + chord.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The central axis or cord in the tail of larval ascidians and of certain adult tunicates. [Written also urocord.]

UROCHORDA U`ro*chor"da, n. pl. Etym: [NL. See Urochord.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Tunicata.

UROCHORDAL U`ro*chor"dal, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Urochorda.

UROCHROME U"ro*chrome, n. Etym: [1st uro- + Gr. (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A yellow urinary pigment, considered by Thudichum as the only pigment present in normal urine. It is regarded by Maly as identical with urobilin.

UROCHS U"rochs, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Aurochs.

UROCORD U"ro*cord, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Urochord.

UROCYST U"ro*cyst, n. Etym: [1st uro- + cyst.] (Anat.)

Defn: The urinary bladder.

URODELA U`ro*de"la, n. pl. Etym: [NL.; Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An order of amphibians having the tail well developed and often long. It comprises the salamanders, tritons, and allied animals.

URODELE U"ro*dele, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the Urodela.

URODELIAN U`ro*de"li*an, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Urodela. -- n.

Defn: One of the Urodela.

UROERYTHRIN U`ro*e*ryth"rin, n. Etym: [See 1st Uro-, and Erythrin.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A reddish urinary pigment, considered as the substance which gives to the urine of rheumatism its characteristic color. It also causes the red color often seen in deposits of urates.

UROGASTRIC U`ro*gas"tric, a. Etym: [2d uro- + gastric.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Behind the stomach; -- said of two lobes of the carapace of certain crustaceans.

UROGENITAL U`ro*gen"i*tal, a. Etym: [1st uro- + genital.] (Anat.)

Defn: Same as Urinogenital.

UROGLAUCIN U`ro*glau"cin, n. Etym: [1st uro- + L. glaucus bright.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: A body identical with indigo blue, occasionally found in the urine in degeneration of the kidneys. It is readily formed by oxidation or decomposition of indican.

UROHAEMATIN U`ro*hæm"a*tin, n. Etym: [1st uro- + hæmatin.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: Urinary hæmatin; -- applied to the normal coloring matter of the urine, on the supposition that it is formed either directly or indirectly (through bilirubin) from the hæmatin of the blood. See Urochrome, and Urobilin.

UROHYAL U`ro*hy"al, a. Etym: [2d uro- + the Gr. letter (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to one or more median and posterior elements in the hyoidean arch of fishes. -- n.

Defn: A urohyal bone or cartilage.

UROLOGY U*rol"o*gy, n. Etym: [1st uro- + -logy.] (Med.)

Defn: See Uronology.

UROMERE U"ro*mere, n. Etym: [2d uro- + -mere.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of the abdominal segments of an arthropod.

URONOLOGY U`ro*nol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy.] (Med.)

Defn: That part of medicine which treats of urine. Dunglison.

UROPOD U"ro*pod, n. Etym: [2d uro- + -pod.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of the abdominal appendages of a crustacean, especially one of the posterior ones, which are often larger than the rest, and different in structure, and are used chiefly in locomotion. See Illust. of Crustacea, and Stomapoda.

UROPODAL U*rop"o*dal, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a uropod.

UROPOETIC U`ro*po*et"ic, a. Etym: [1st uro- + Gr.

1. (Med.)

Defn: Producing, or favoring the production of, urine.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of, pertaining to, or designating, a system of organs which eliminate nitrogenous waste matter from the blood of certain invertebrates.

UROPYGIAL U`ro*pyg"i*al, a. Etym: [See Uropygium.] (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the uropygium, or prominence at the base of the tail feathers, in birds. Uropygial gland, a peculiar sebaceous gland at the base of the tail feathers in most birds. It secretes an oily fluid which is spread over the feathers by preening.

UROPYGIUM U`ro*pyg"i*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: The prominence at the posterior extremity of a bird's body, which supports the feathers of the tail; the rump; -- sometimes called pope's nose.

UROSACRAL U`ro*sa"cral, a. Etym: [2d uro- + sacral.] (Anat.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to both the caudal and sacral parts of the vertebral column; as, the urosacral vertebræ of birds.

UROSCOPY U*ros"co*py, n. Etym: [1st uro- + -scopy: cf. F. uroscopie.]

Defn: The diagnosis of diseases by inspection of urine. Sir T. Browne.

UROSOME U"ro*some, n. Etym: [2d uro- + -some body.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The abdomen, or post-abdomen, of arthropods.

UROSTEGE U"ro*stege, n. Etym: [2d uro- + Gr. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the plates on the under side of the tail of a serpent.

UROSTEON U*ros"te*on, n.; pl. L. Urostea, E. Urosteons. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: A median ossification back of the lophosteon in the sternum of some birds.

UROSTERNITE U`ro*ster"nite, n. Etym: [2d uro- + sternum.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The sternal, or under piece, of any one of the uromeres of insects and other arthropods.

UROSTYLE U"ro*style, n. Etym: [2d uro- + Gr. (Anat.)

Defn: A styliform process forming the posterior extremity of the vertebral column in some fishes and amphibians.

UROX U"rox, n. Etym: [See Aurochs, and cf. Urus.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The aurochs.

UROXANATE U*rox"a*nate, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of uroxanic acid.

UROXANIC U`rox*an"ic, a. Etym: [Uric + alloxan.] (Chem.)

Defn: Pertaining to, or designating, an acid, C5H8N4O6, which is obtained, as a white crystalline substance, by the slow oxidation of uric acid in alkaline solution.

UROXANTHIN U`ro*xan"thin, n. Etym: [1st uro- + xanthin.] (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: Same as Indican.

URRHODIN Ur*rho"din, n. Etym: [1st uro- + Gr. (Physiol. Chem.)

Defn: Indigo red, a product of the decomposition, or oxidation, of indican. It is sometimes found in the sediment of pathological urines. It is soluble in ether or alcohol, giving the solution a beautiful red color. Also called indigrubin.

URRY Ur"ry, n. Etym: [Cf. Gael. uir, uireach, mold, clay.]

Defn: A sort of blue or black clay lying near a vein of coal.

URSA Ur"sa, n. Etym: [L. ursa a she-bear, also, a constellation, fem. of ursus a bear. Cf. Arctic.] (Astron.)

Defn: Either one of the Bears. See the Phrases below. Ursa Major Etym: [L.], the Great Bear, one of the most conspicuous of the northern constellations. It is situated near the pole, and contains the stars which form the Dipper, or Charles's Wain, two of which are the Pointers, or stars which point towards the North Star. -- Ursa Minor Etym: [L.], the Little Bear, the constellation nearest the north pole. It contains the north star, or polestar, which is situated in the extremity of the tail.

URSAL Ur"sal, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The ursine seal. See the Note under 1st Seal.

URSIFORM Ur"si*form, a. Etym: [L. ursus, ursa, a bear + -form.]

Defn: Having the shape of a bear.

URSINE Ur"sine, a. Etym: [L. ursinus, from ursus a bear. See Ursa.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to a bear; resembling a bear. Ursine baboon. (Zoöl.) See Chacma. -- Ursine dasyure (Zoöl.), the Tasmanian devil. -- Ursine howler (Zoöl.), the araguato. See Illust. under Howler. -- Ursine seal. (Zoöl.) See Sea bear, and the Note under 1st Seal.

URSON Ur"son, n. Etym: [Cf. Urchin.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The Canada porcupine. See Porcupine.

URSUK Ur"suk, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The bearded seal.

URSULA Ur"su*la, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A beautiful North American butterfly (Basilarchia, or Limenitis, astyanax). Its wings are nearly black with red and blue spots and blotches. Called also red-spotted purple.

URSULINE Ur"su*line, n. Etym: [Cf. F. ursuline.] (R. C. Ch.)

Defn: One of an order of nuns founded by St. Angela Merici, at Brescia, in Italy, about the year 1537, and so called from St. Ursula, under whose protection it was placed. The order was introduced into Canada as early as 1639, and into the United States in 1727. The members are devoted entirely to education.

URSULINE Ur"su*line, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to St. Ursula, or the order of Ursulines; as, the Ursuline nuns.

URSUS Ur"sus, n. Etym: [L., a bear.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A genus of Carnivora including the common bears.

URTICA Ur*ti"ca, n. Etym: [L., a nettle.] (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of plants including the common nettles. See Nettle, n.

URTICACEOUS Ur`ti*ca"ceous, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to a natural order (Urticaceæ) of plants, of which the nettle is the type. The order includes also the hop, the elm, the mulberry, the fig, and many other plants.

URTICAL Ur"tic*al, a.

Defn: Resembling nettles; -- said of several natural orders allied to urticaceous plants.

URTICARIA Ur`ti*ca"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL. See Urtica.] (Med.)

Defn: The nettle rash, a disease characterized by a transient eruption of red pimples and of wheals, accompanied with a burning or stinging sensation and with itching; uredo.

URTICATE Ur"ti*cate, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Urticated; p. pr. & vb. n. Urticating.]

Defn: To sting with, or as with, nettles; to irritate; to annoy. G. A. Sala.

URTICATION Ur`ti*ca"tion, n. (Med.)

Defn: The act or process of whipping or stinging with nettles; -- sometimes used in the treatment of paralysis.

URUBU U*ru*bu", n. Etym: [Cf. Pg. urubú a certain Brazilian bird.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The black vulture (Catharista atrata). It ranges from the Southern United States to South America. See Vulture.

URUS U"rus, n. Etym: [L.; of Teutonic origin. See Aurochs.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A very large, powerful, and savage extinct bovine animal (Bos urus or primigenius) anciently abundant in Europe. It appears to have still existed in the time of Julius Cæsar. It had very large horns, and was hardly capable of domestication. Called also, ur, ure, and tur.

URVA Ur"va, n. Etym: [NL.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The crab-eating ichneumon (Herpestes urva), native of India. The fur is black, annulated with white at the tip of each hair, and a white streak extends from the mouth to the shoulder.

US Us, pron. Etym: [OE. us, AS. ; akin to OFries. & OS. , D. ons, G. uns, Icel. & Sw. oss, Dan. os, Goth. uns, L. nos we, us, Gr. nas us. Nostrum, Our.]

Defn: The persons speaking, regarded as an object; ourselves; -- the objective case of we. See We. "Tell us a tale." Chaucer. Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11.

USABLE Us"a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being used.

USAGE Us"age, n. Etym: [F. usage, LL. usaticum. See Use.]

1. The act of using; mode of using or treating; treatment; conduct with respect to a person or a thing; as, good usage; ill usage; hard usage. My brother Is prisoner to the bishop here, at whose hands He hath good usage and great liberty. Shak.

2. Manners; conduct; behavior. [Obs.] A gentle nymph was found, Hight Astery, excelling all the crew In courteous usage. Spenser.

3. Long-continued practice; customary mode of procedure; custom; habitual use; method. Chaucer. It has now been, during many years, the grave and decorous usage of Parliaments to hear, in respectful silence, all expressions, acceptable or unacceptable, which are uttered from the throne. Macaulay.

4. Customary use or employment, as of a word or phrase in a particular sense or signification.

5. Experience. [Obs.] In eld [old age] is both wisdom and usage. Chaucer.

Syn. -- Custom; use; habit. -- Usage, Custom. These words, as here compared, agree in expressing the idea of habitual practice; but a custom is not necessarily a usage. A custom may belong to many, or to a single individual. A usage properly belongs to the great body of a people. Hence, we speak of usage, not of custom, as the law of language. Again, a custom is merely that which has been often repeated, so as to have become, in a good degree, established. A usage must be both often repeated and of long standing. Hence, we speak of a "hew custom," but not of a "new usage." Thus, also, the "customs of society" is not so strong an expression as the "usages of society." "Custom, a greater power than nature, seldom fails to make them worship." Locke. "Of things once received and confirmed by use, long usage is a law sufficient." Hooker. In law, the words usage and custom are often used interchangeably, but the word custom also has a technical and restricted sense. See Custom, n., 3.

USAGER Us"a*ger, n. Etym: [F. usager.]

Defn: One who has the use of anything in trust for another. [Obs.] Daniel.

USANCE Us"ance, n. Etym: [F. See Use, v. t.]

1. Use; usage; employment. [Obs.] Spenser.

2. Custom; practice; usage. [Obs.] Gower. Chaucer.

3. Interest paid for money; usury. [Obs.] Shak.

4. (Com.)

Defn: The time, fixed variously by the usage between different countries, when a bill of exchange is payable; as, a bill drawn on London at one usance, or at double usance.

USANT Us"ant, a. Etym: [OF.]

Defn: Using; accustomed. [Obs.] "Usant for to steal." Chaucer.

USBEGS; USBEKS Us"begs, Us"beks, n. pl. (Ethnol.)

Defn: A Turkish tribe which about the close of the 15th century conquered, and settled in, that part of Asia now called Turkestan. [Written also Uzbecks, and Uzbeks.]

USE Use, n. Etym: [OE. us use, usage, L. usus, from uti, p. p. usus, to use. See Use, v. t.]

1. The act of employing anything, or of applying it to one's service; the state of being so employed or applied; application; employment; conversion to some purpose; as, the use of a pen in writing; his machines are in general use. Books can never teach the use of books. Bacon. This Davy serves you for good uses. Shak. When he framed All things to man's delightful use. Milton.

2. Occasion or need to employ; necessity; as, to have no further use for a book. Shak.

3. Yielding of service; advantage derived; capability of being used; usefulness; utility. God made two great lights, great for their use To man. Milton. 'T is use alone that sanctifies expense. Pope.

4. Continued or repeated practice; customary employment; usage; custom; manner; habit. Let later age that noble use envy. Spenser. How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world! Shak.

5. Common occurrence; ordinary experience. [R.] O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use. Shak.

6. (Eccl.)

Defn: The special form of ritual adopted for use in any diocese; as, the Sarum, or Canterbury, use; the Hereford use; the York use; the Roman use; etc. From henceforth all the whole realm shall have but one use. Pref. to Book of Common Prayer.

7. The premium paid for the possession and employment of borrowed money; interest; usury. [Obs.] Thou art more obliged to pay duty and tribute, use and principal, to him. Jer. Taylor.

8. Etym: [In this sense probably a corruption of OF. oes, fr. L. opus need, business, employment, work. Cf. Operate.] (Law)

Defn: The benefit or profit of lands and tenements. Use imports a trust and confidence reposed in a man for the holding of lands. He to whose use or benefit the trust is intended shall enjoy the profits. An estate is granted and limited to A for the use of B.

9. (Forging)

Defn: A stab of iron welded to the side of a forging, as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging. Contingent, or Springing, use (Law), a use to come into operation on a future uncertain event. -- In use. (a) In employment; in customary practice observance. (b) In heat; -- said especially of mares. J. H. Walsh. -- Of no use, useless; of no advantage. -- Of use, useful; of advantage; profitable. -- Out of use, not in employment. -- Resulting use (Law), a use, which, being limited by the deed, expires or can not vest, and results or returns to him who raised it, after such expiration. -- Secondary, or Shifting, use, a use which, though executed, may change from one to another by circumstances. Blackstone. -- Statute of uses (Eng. Law), the stat. 27 Henry VIII., cap. 10, which transfers uses into possession, or which unites the use and possession. -- To make use of, To put to use, to employ; to derive service from; to use.

USE Use, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Used; p. pr. & vb. n. Using.] Etym: [OE. usen, F. user to use, use up, wear out, LL. usare to use, from L. uti, p. p. usus, to use, OL. oeti, oesus; of uncertain origin. Cf. Utility.]

1. To make use of; to convert to one's service; to avail one's self of; to employ; to put a purpose; as, to use a plow; to use a chair; to use time; to use flour for food; to use water for irrigation. Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs. Shak. Some other means I have which may be used. Milton.

2. To behave toward; to act with regard to; to treat; as, to use a beast cruelly. "I will use him well." Shak. How wouldst thou use me now Milton. Cato has used me ill. Addison.

3. To practice customarily; to make a practice of; as, to use diligence in business. Use hospitality one to another. 1 Pet. iv. 9.

4. To accustom; to habituate; to render familiar by practice; to inure; -- employed chiefly in the passive participle; as, men used to cold and hunger; soldiers used to hardships and danger. I am so used in the fire to blow. Chaucer. Thou with thy compeers, Used to the yoke, draw'st his triumphant wheels. Milton. To use one's self, to behave. [Obs.] "Pray, forgive me, if I have used myself unmannerly." Shak. -- To use up. (a) To consume or exhaust by using; to leave nothing of; as, to use up the supplies. (b) To exhaust; to tire out; to leave no capacity of force or use in; to overthrow; as, he was used up by fatigue. [Colloq.]

Syn. -- Employ. -- Use, Employ. We use a thing, or make use of it, when we derive from it some enjoyment or service. We employ it when we turn that service into a particular channel. We use words to express our general meaning; we employ certain technical terms in reference to a given subject. To make use of, implies passivity in the thing; as, to make use of a pen; and hence there is often a material difference between the two words when applied to persons. To speak of "making use of another" generally implies a degrading idea, as if we had used him as a tool; while employ has no such sense. A confidential friend is employed to negotiate; an inferior agent is made use of on an intrigue. I would, my son, that thou wouldst use the power Which thy discretion gives thee, to control And manage all. Cowper. To study nature will thy time employ: Knowledge and innocence are perfect joy. Dryden.

USE Use, v. i.

1. To be wont or accustomed; to be in the habit or practice; as, he used to ride daily; -- now disused in the present tense, perhaps because of the similarity in sound, between "use to," and "used to." They use to place him that shall be their captain on a stone. Spenser. Fears use to be represented in an imaginary. Bacon. Thus we use to say, it is the room that smokes, when indeed it is the fire in the room. South. Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp. Ex. xxxiii. 7 (Rev. Ver.)

2. To be accustomed to go; to frequent; to inhabit; to dwell; -- sometimes followed by of. [Obs.] "Where never foot did use." Spenser. He useth every day to a merchant's house. B. Jonson. Ye valleys low, where the mild whispers use Of shades, and wanton winds, and gushing brooks. Milton.

USEFUL Use"ful, a.

Defn: Full of use, advantage, or profit; producing, or having power to produce, good; serviceable for any end or object; helpful toward advancing any purpose; beneficial; profitable; advantageous; as, vessels and instruments useful in a family; books useful for improvement; useful knowledge; useful arts. To what can I useful! Milton.

USEFULLY Use"ful*ly, adv.

Defn: In a useful manner.

USEFULNESS Use"ful*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being useful; utility; serviceableness; advantage. Addison.

Syn. -- Utility; value; profit. See Utility.

USELESS Use"less, a.

Defn: Having, or being of, no use; unserviceable; producing no good end; answering no valuable purpose; not advancing the end proposed; unprofitable; ineffectual; as, a useless garment; useless pity. Not to sit idle with so great a gift Useless, and thence ridiculous. Milton.