Chapter 1522

Se"rous (?) , a. [Cf. F. s\'82reux . See Serum .] (Physiol.) (a) Thin; watery; like serum; as the serous fluids. (b) Of or pertaining to serum; as, the serous glands, membranes, layers . See Serum .

Serous membrane . (Anat.) See under Membrane .

Serow, Surrow <Xpage=1315>

Ser"ow (?) , Sur"row (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The thar.

Serpens <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pens (?) , n. [L. See Serpent .] (Astron.) A constellation represented as a serpent held by Serpentarius.

Serpent <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pent (?) , n. [F., fr. L. serpens , -entis (sc. bestia ), fr. serpens , p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. <?/<?/<?/, Skr. sarp , and perhaps to L. repere , E. reptile . Cf. Herpes .] 1. (Zo\'94l.) Any reptile of the order Ophidia; a snake, especially a large snake. See Illust . under Ophidia .

&hand; The serpents are mostly long and slender, and move partly by bending the body into undulations or folds and pressing them against objects, and partly by using the free edges of their ventral scales to cling to rough surfaces. Many species glide swiftly over the ground, some burrow in the earth, others live in trees. A few are entirely aquatic, and swim rapidly. See Ophidia , and Fang .

2. Fig.: A subtle, treacherous, malicious person.

3. A species of firework having a serpentine motion as it passess through the air or along the ground.

4. (Astron.) The constellation Serpens.

5. (Mus.) A bass wind instrument, of a loud and coarse tone, formerly much used in military bands, and sometimes introduced into the orchestra; -- so called from its form.

Pharaoh's serpent (Chem.) , mercuric sulphocyanate, a combustible white substance which in burning gives off a poisonous vapor and leaves a peculiar brown voluminous residue which is expelled in a serpentine from. It is employed as a scientific toy. -- Serpent cucumber (Bot.) , the long, slender, serpentine fruit of the cucurbitaceous plant Trichosanthes colubrina ; also, the plant itself. -- Serpent eage (Zo\'94l.) , any one of several species of raptorial birds of the genera Circa\'89tus and Spilornis , which prey on serpents. They inhabit Africa, Southern Europe, and India. The European serpent eagle is Circa\'89tus Gallicus . -- Serpent eater . (Zo\'94l.) (a) The secretary bird . (b) An Asiatic antelope; the markhoor. -- Serpent fish (Zo\'94l.) , a fish ( Cepola rubescens ) with a long, thin, compressed body, and a band of red running lengthwise. -- Serpent star (Zo\'94l.) , an ophiuran; a brittle star. -- Serpent's tongue (Paleon.) , the fossil tooth of a shark; -- so called from its resemblance to a tongue with its root. -- Serpent withe (Bot.) , a West Indian climbing plant ( Aristolochia odoratissima ). -- Tree serpent (Zo\'94l.) , any species of African serpents belonging to the family Dendrophid\'91 .

Serpent <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pent , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Serpented ; p. pr. & vb. n. Serpenting .] To wind like a serpent; to crook about; to meander. [R.] "The serpenting of the Thames."

Evelyn.

Serpent <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pent , v. t. To wind; to encircle. [R.]

Evelyn.

Serpentaria <Xpage=1315>

Ser`pen*ta"ri*a (?) , a. [L. (sc. herba ), fr. serpens serpent.] (Med.) The fibrous aromatic root of the Virginia snakeroot ( Aristolochia Serpentaria ).

Serpentarius <Xpage=1315>

Ser`pen*ta"ri*us (?) , n. [NL., fr. L. serpens serpent.] (Astron.) A constellation on the equator, lying between Scorpio and Hercules; -- called also Ophiuchus .

Serpentiform <Xpage=1315>

Ser*pen"ti*form (?) , a. [L. serpens a serpent + -form .] Having the form of a serpent.

Serpentigenous <Xpage=1315>

Ser`pen*tig"e*nous (?) , a. [L. serpens , -entis , a serpent + -genous : cf. L. serpentigena .] Bred of a serpent.

Serpentine <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pen*tine (?) , a. [L. serpentinus : cf. F. serpentin .] Resembling a serpent; having the shape or qualities of a serpent; subtle; winding or turning one way and the other, like a moving serpent; anfractuous; meandering; sinuous; zigzag; as, serpentine braid .

Thy shape Like his, and color serpentine . Milton.

Serpentine <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pen*tine , n. [Cf. (for sense 1) F. serpentine , (for sense 2) serpentin .] 1. (Min.) A mineral or rock consisting chiefly of the hydrous silicate of magnesia. It is usually of an obscure green color, often with a spotted or mottled appearance resembling a serpent's skin. Precious , or noble , serpentine is translucent and of a rich oil-green color.

&hand; Serpentine has been largely produced by the alteration of other minerals, especially of chrysolite.

2. (Ordnance) A kind of ancient cannon.

Serpentine <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pen*tine , v. i. To serpentize. [R.]

Lyttleton.

Serpentinely <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pen*tine*ly , adv. In a serpentine manner.

Serpentinian <Xpage=1315>

Ser`pen*tin"i*an (?) , n. (Eccl.) See 2d Ophite .

Serpentinize <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pen*tin*ize (?) , v. t. (Min.) To convert (a magnesian silicate) into serpentine. -- Ser`pen*tin`i*za"tion (#) , n.

Serpentinous <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pen*ti`nous (?) , a. Relating to, or like, serpentine; as, a rock serpentinous in character .

Serpentize <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pent*ize (?) , v. i. To turn or bend like a serpent, first in one direction and then in the opposite; to meander; to wind; to serpentine. [R.]

The river runs before the door, and serpentizes more than you can conceive. Walpole.

Serpentry <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pent*ry (?) , n. 1. A winding like a serpent's.

2. A place inhabited or infested by serpents.

Serpent-tongued <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pent-tongued` (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Having a forked tongue, like a serpent.

Serpet <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pet (?) , n. [L. sirpus , scirpus , a rush, bulrush.] A basket. [Obs.]

Ainsworth.

Serpette <Xpage=1315>

Ser*pette" (?) , n. [F.] A pruning knife with a curved blade.

Knight.

Serpiginous <Xpage=1315>

Ser*pig"i*nous (?) , a. [Cf. F. serpigineux .] (Med.) Creeping; -- said of lesions which heal over one portion while continuing to advance at another.

Serpigo <Xpage=1315>

Ser*pi"go (?) , n. [LL., fr. L. serpere to creep.] (Med.) A dry, scaly eruption on the skin; especially, a ringworm.

Serpolet <Xpage=1315>

Ser"po*let (?) , n. [F.] (Bot.) Wild thyme.

Serpula <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pu*la (?) , n. ; pl. Serpul\'91 (#) , E. Serpulas (#) . [L., a little snake. See Serpent .] (Zo\'94l.) Any one of numerous species of tubicolous annelids of the genus Serpula and allied genera of the family Serpulid\'91 . They secrete a calcareous tube, which is usually irregularly contorted, but is sometimes spirally coiled. The worm has a wreath of plumelike and often bright-colored gills around its head, and usually an operculum to close the aperture of its tube when it retracts.

Serpulian, Serpulidan <Xpage=1315>

Ser*pu"li*an (?) , Ser*pu"li*dan (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A serpula.

Serpulite <Xpage=1315>

Ser"pu*lite (?) , n. A fossil serpula shell.

Serr <Xpage=1315>

Serr (?) , v. t. [F. serrer . See Serry .] To crowd, press, or drive together. [Obs.]

Bacon.

Serranoid <Xpage=1315>

Ser*ra"noid (?) , n. [NL. Serranus , a typical genus (fr. L. serra a saw) + -oid .] (Zo\'94l.) Any fish of the family Serranid\'91 , which includes the striped bass, the black sea bass, and many other food fishes. -- a. (Zo\'94l.) Of or pertaining to the Serranid\'91 .

Serrate, Serrated <Xpage=1315>

Ser"rate (?) , Ser"ra*ted (?) , a. [L. serratus , fr. serra a saw; perhaps akin to secare to cut, E. saw a cutting instrument. Cf. Sierra .] 1. Notched on the edge, like a saw.

2. (Bot.) Beset with teeth pointing forwards or upwards; as, serrate leaves .

Doubly serrate , having small serratures upon the large ones, as the leaves of the elm. -- Serrate-ciliate , having fine hairs, like the eyelashes, on the serratures; -- said of a leaf. -- Serrate-dentate , having the serratures toothed.

Serration <Xpage=1315>

Ser*ra"tion (?) , n. 1. Condition of being serrate; formation in the shape of a saw.

2. One of the teeth in a serrate or serrulate margin.

Serratirostral <Xpage=1315>

Ser*ra`ti*ros"tral (?) , a. [ Serrate + rostral .] (Zo\'94l.) Having a toothed bill, like that of a toucan.

Serrator <Xpage=1315>

Ser*ra"tor (?) , n. [NL.] (Zo\'94l.) The ivory gull ( Larus eburneus ).

Serrature <Xpage=1315>

Ser"ra*ture (?) , n. [L. serratura a sawing, fr. serrare to saw.] 1. A notching, like that between the teeth of a saw, in the edge of anything.

Martyn.

2. One of the teeth in a serrated edge; a serration.

Serricated <Xpage=1315>

Ser"ri*ca`ted (?) , a. [See Sericeous .] Covered with fine silky down.

Serricorn <Xpage=1315>

Ser"ri*corn (?) , a. [L. serra saw + cornu horn.] (Zo\'94l.) Having serrated antenn<?/.

Serricorn <Xpage=1315>

Ser"ri*corn , n. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of a numerous tribe of beetles ( Serricornia ). The joints of the antenn\'91 are prominent, thus producing a serrate appearance. See Illust . under Antenna .

Serried <Xpage=1315>

Ser"ried (?) , a. [See Serry .] Crowded; compact; dense; pressed together.

Nor seemed it to relax their serried files. Milton.

Serrifera <Xpage=1315>

Ser*rif"e*ra (?) , n. pl. [NL., fr. L. serra saw + ferre to bear.] (Zo\'94l.) A division of Hymenoptera comprising the sawflies.

Serrirostres <Xpage=1315>

Ser`ri*ros"tres (?) , n. pl. [NL. fr. L. serra saw + rostrum beak.] (Zo\'94l.) Same as Lamellirostres .

Serrous <Xpage=1315>

Ser"rous (?) , a. [L. serra a saw.] Like the teeth off a saw; jagged. [Obs.]

Sir T. Browne.

Serrula <Xpage=1315>

Ser"ru*la (?) , n. [L., a little saw.] (Zo\'94l.) The red-breasted merganser.

Serrulate, Serrulated <Xpage=1315>

Ser"rulate (?) , Ser"ru*la`ted (?) , a. [L. serrula a lttle saw, dim. of serra a saw.] Finely serrate; having very minute teeth.

Serrulation <Xpage=1315>

Ser`ru*la"tion (?) , n. 1. The state of being notched minutely, like a fine saw.

Wright.

2. One of the teeth in a serrulate margin.

Serry <Xpage=1315>

Ser"ry (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Serried (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Serrying .] [F. serrer , LL. serrare , serare , from L. sera a bar, bolt; akin to serere to join or bind together. See Serries .] To crowd; to press together. [Now perhaps only in the form serried , p. p. or a.]

Sertularia <Xpage=1315>

Ser`tu*la"ri*a (?) , n. [NL., dim. fr. L. serta a garland.] (Zo\'94l.) A genus of delicate branching hydroids having small sessile hydrothec\'91 along the sides of the branches.

Sertularian <Xpage=1315>

Ser`tu*la"ri*an (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) Any species of Sertularia, or of Sertularid\'91 , a family of hydroids having branched chitinous stems and simple sessile hydrothec\'91. Also used adjectively.

Serum <Xpage=1315>

Se"rum (?) , n. [L., akin to Gr. <?/<?/<?/, Skr. s\'bera curd.] (Physiol.) (a) The watery portion of certain animal fluids, as blood, milk, etc. (b) A thin watery fluid, containing more or less albumin, secreted by the serous membranes of the body, such as the pericardium and peritoneum.

Blood serum , the pale yellowish fluid which exudes from the clot formed in the coagulation of the blood; the loquid portion of the blood, after removal of the blood corpuscles and the fibrin. -- Muscle serum , the thin watery fluid which separates from the muscles after coagulation of the muscle plasma; the watery portion of the plasma. See Muscle plasma , under Plasma . -- Serum albumin (Physiol. Chem.) , an albuminous body, closely related to egg albumin, present in nearly all serous fluids; esp., the albumin of blood serum. -- Serum globulin (Physiol. Chem.) , paraglobulin. -- Serum of milk (Physiol. Chem.) , the whey, or fluid portion of milk, remaining after removal of the casein and fat.

Servable <Xpage=1315>

Serv"a*ble (?) , a. [See Serve .] 1. Capable of being served.

2. [L. servabilis .] Capable of being preserved. [R.]

Servage <Xpage=1315>

Serv"age (?) , n. [Cf. F. servage .] Serfage; slavery; servitude. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Serval <Xpage=1315>

Ser"val (?) , n. [Cf. F. serval .] (Zo\'94l.) An African wild cat ( Felis serval ) of moderate size. It has rather long legs and a tail of moderate length. Its color is tawny, with black spots on the body and rings of black on the tail.

Servaline <Xpage=1315>

Ser"val*ine (?) , a. (Zo\'94l.) Related to, or resembling, the serval.

Servant <Xpage=1315>

Serv"ant (?) , n. [OE. servant , servaunt , F. servant , a & p. pr. of servir to serve, L. servire . See Serve , and cf. Sergeant .] 1. One who serves, or does services, voluntarily or on compulsion; a person who is employed by another for menial offices, or for other labor, and is subject to his command; a person who labors or exerts himself for the benefit of another, his master or employer; a subordinate helper. "A yearly hired servant ."

Lev. xxv. 53.

Men in office have begun to think themselves mere agents and servants of the appointing power, and not agents of the government or the country. D. Webster.

&hand; In a legal sense, stewards, factors, bailiffs, and other agents, are servants for the time they are employed in such character, as they act in subordination to others. So any person may be legally the servant of another, in whose business, and under whose order, direction, and control, he is acting for the time being.

Chitty.

2. One in a state of subjection or bondage.

Thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt. Deut. v. 15.

3. A professed lover or suitor; a gallant. [Obs.]

In my time a servant was I one. Chaucer.

Servant of servants , one debased to the lowest condition of servitude. -- Your humble servant , &or; Your obedient servant , phrases of civility often used in closing a letter.

Our betters tell us they are our humble servants , but understand us to be their slaves. Swift.

Servant <Xpage=1315>

Serv"ant , v. t. To subject. [Obs.]

Shak.

Servantess <Xpage=1315>

Serv"ant*ess , n. A maidservant. [Obs.]

Wyclif.

Servantry <Xpage=1315>

Serv"ant*ry (?) , n. A body of servants; servants, collectively. [R.]

Serve <Xpage=1315>

Serve (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Served (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Serving .] [OE. serven , servien , OF. & F. servir , fr. L. servire ; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf. Conserve , Desert merit, Dessert , Observe , Serf , Sergeant .] 1. To work for; to labor in behalf of; to exert one's self continuously or statedly for the benefit of; to do service for; to be in the employment of, as an inferior, domestic, serf, slave, hired assistant, official helper, etc.; specifically, in a religious sense, to obey and worship.

God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit. Rom. i. 9.

Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. Gen. xxix. 18.

No man can serve two masters. Matt. vi. 24.

Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my king, he would not in mine age Have left me naked to mine enemies. Shak.

2. To be subordinate to; to act a secondary part under; to appear as the inferior of; to minister to.

Bodies bright and greater should not serve The less not bright. Milton.

3. To be suitor to; to profess love to. [Obs.]

To serve a lady in his beste wise. Chaucer.

4. To wait upon; to supply the wants of; to attend; specifically, to wait upon at table; to attend at meals; to supply with food; as, to serve customers in a shop .

Others, pampered in their shameless pride, Are served in plate and in their chariots ride. Dryden.

5. Hence, to bring forward, arrange, deal, or distribute, as a portion of anything, especially of food prepared for eating; -- often with up ; formerly with in .

Bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner. Shak.

Some part he roasts, then serves it up so dressed. Dryde.

<page="1316"> Page 1316

6. To perform the duties belonging to, or required in or for; hence, to be of use to; as, a curate may serve two churches; to serve one's country .

7. To contribute or conduce to; to promote; to be sufficient for; to satisfy; as, to serve one's turn .

Turn it into some advantage, by observing where it can serve another end. Jer. Taylor.

8. To answer or be (in the place of something) to; as, a sofa serves one for a seat and a couch .

9. To treat; to behave one's self to; to requite; to act toward; as, he served me very ill .

10. To work; to operate; as, to serve the guns .