Chapter 1527

(a) Gravity or austerity; extreme strictness; rigor; harshness; as, the severity of a reprimand or a reproof; severity of discipline or government; severity of penalties . "Strict age, and sour severity ."

Milton.

(b) The quality or power of distressing or paining; extreme degree; extremity; intensity; inclemency; as, the severity of pain or anguish; the severity of cold or heat; the severity of the winter .

(c) Harshness; cruel treatment; sharpness of punishment; as, severity practiced on prisoners of war .

(d) Exactness; rigorousness; strictness; as, the severity of a test .

Confining myself to the severity of truth. Dryden.

Severy <Xpage=1319>

Sev"er*y (?) , n. [Prob. corrupted fr. ciborium . Oxf . Gloss .] (Arch.) A bay or compartment of a vaulted ceiling. [Written also civery .]

Sevocation <Xpage=1319>

Sev`o*ca"tion (?) , n. [L. sevocare , sevocatum , to call aside.] A calling aside. [Obs.]

S\'8avres blue <Xpage=1319>

S\'8a"vres blue` (?) . A very light blue.

S\'8avres ware <Xpage=1319>

S\'8a"vres ware` (?) . Porcelain manufactured at S\'8avres , France, ecpecially in the national factory situated there.

Sew <Xpage=1319>

Sew (?) , n. [OE. See Sewer household officer.] Juice; gravy; a seasoned dish; a delicacy. [Obs.]

Gower.

I will not tell of their strange sewes . Chaucer.

Sew <Xpage=1319>

Sew , v. t. [See Sue to follow.] To follow; to pursue; to sue. [Obs.]

Chaucer. Spenser.

Sew <Xpage=1319>

Sew (?) , v. t. [ imp. Sewed (?) ; p. p. Sewed , rarely Sewn (<?/) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Sewing .] [OE. sewen , sowen , AS. si\'a2wian , s\'c6wian ; akin to OHG. siuwan , Icel. s<?/ja , Sw. sy , Dan. sye , Goth. siujan , Lith. siuti , Russ, shite , L. ssuere , Gr. <?/<?/<?/<?/, Skr. siv . &root;156. Cf. Seam a suture, Suture .] 1. To unite or fasten together by stitches, as with a needle and thread.

No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment. Mark ii. 21.

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

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

Sew <Xpage=1319>

Sew , v. i. To practice sewing; to work with needle and thread.

Sew <Xpage=1319>

Sew (?) , v. t. [&root;151 b. See Sewer a drain.] To drain, as a pond, for taking the fish. [Obs.]

Tusser.

Sewage <Xpage=1319>

Sew"age (?) , n. 1. The contents of a sewer or drain; refuse liquids or matter carried off by sewers

2. Sewerage, 2.

Sewe <Xpage=1319>

Sewe (?) , v. i. To perform the duties of a sewer. See 3d Sewer . [Obs.]

Sewel <Xpage=1319>

Sew"el (?) , n. [Etymol. uncertain.] A scarecrow, generally made of feathers tied to a string, hung up to prevent deer from breaking into a place.

Halliwell.

Sewellel <Xpage=1319>

Se*wel"lel (?) , n. [Of American Indian origin.] (Zo\'94l.) A peculiar gregarious burrowing rodent ( Haplodon rufus ), native of the coast region of the Northwestern United States. It somewhat resembles a muskrat or marmot, but has only a rudimentary tail. Its head is broad, its eyes are small and its fur is brownish above, gray beneath. It constitutes the family Haplodontid\'91 . Called also boomer , showt'l , and mountain beaver .

<page="1320"> Page 1320

Sewen <Xpage=1320>

Sew"en (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A British trout usually regarded as a variety (var. Cambricus ) of the salmon trout.

Sewer <Xpage=1320>

Sew"er (?) , n. 1. One who sews, or stitches.

2. (Zo\'94l.) A small tortricid moth whose larva sews together the edges of a leaf by means of silk; as, the apple-leaf sewer ( Phoxopteris nubeculana )

Sewer <Xpage=1320>

Sew"er (?) , n. [OF. sewiere , seuwiere , ultimately fr. L. ex out + a derivative of aqua water; cf. OF. essevour a drain, essever , esseuwer , essiaver , to cause to flow, to drain, to flow, LL. exaquatorium a channel through which water runs off. Cf. Ewer , Aquarium .] A drain or passage to carry off water and filth under ground; a subterraneous channel, particularly in cities.

Sewer <Xpage=1320>

Sew"er , n. [Cf. OE. assewer , and asseour , OF. asseour , F. asseoir to seat, to set, L. assidere to sit by; ad + sedere to sit (cf. Sit ); or cf. OE. sew pottage, sauce, boiled meat, AS. se\'a0w juice, Skr. su to press out.] Formerly, an upper servant, or household officer, who set on and removed the dishes at a feast, and who also brought water for the hands of the guests.

Then the sewer Poured water from a great and golden ewer, That from their hands to a silver caldron ran. Chapman.

Sewerage <Xpage=1320>

Sew"er*age (?) , n. 1. The construction of a sewer or sewers.

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

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

Sewin <Xpage=1320>

Sew"in (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) Same as Sewen .

Sewing <Xpage=1320>

Sew"ing (?) , n. 1. The act or occupation of one who sews.

2. That which is sewed with the needle.

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

Sewster <Xpage=1320>

Sew"ster (?) , n. A seamstress. [Obs.]

B. Jonson.

Sex- <Xpage=1320>

Sex- (?) . [L. sex six. See Six .] A combining form meaning six ; as, sex digitism; sex ennial .

Sex <Xpage=1320>

Sex , n. [L. sexus : cf. F. sexe .] 1. The distinguishing peculiarity of male or female in both animals and plants; the physical difference between male and female; the assemblage of properties or qualities by which male is distinguished from female.

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

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

The sex , the female sex; women, in general.

Sexagenarian <Xpage=1320>

Sex`a*ge*na"ri*an (?) , n. [See Sexagenary .] A person who is sixty years old.

Sexagenary <Xpage=1320>

Sex*ag"e*na*ry (?) , a. [L. sexagenarius , fr. sexageni sixty each, akin to sexaginta sixty, sex six: cf. sexag\'82naire . See Six .] Pertaining to, or designating, the number sixty; poceeding by sixties; sixty years old.

Sexagenary arithmetic . See under Sexagesimal . -- Sexagenary , &or; Sexagesimal , scale (Math.) , a scale of numbers in which the modulus is sixty. It is used in treating the divisions of the circle.

Sexagenary <Xpage=1320>

Sex*ag"e*na*ry , n. 1. Something composed of sixty parts or divisions.

2. A sexagenarian.

Sir W. Scott.

Sexagesima <Xpage=1320>

Sex`a*ges"i*ma (?) , n. [L., fem. of sexagesimus sixtieth, fr. sexaginta sixty.] (Eccl.) The second Sunday before Lent; -- so called as being about the sixtieth day before Easter.

Sexagesimal <Xpage=1320>

Sex`a*ges"i*mal (?) , a. [Cf. F. sexag\'82simal .] Pertaining to, or founded on, the number sixty.

Sexagesimal fractions &or; numbers (Arith. & Alg.) , those fractions whose denominators are some power of sixty; as, <frac1x60/, <frac1x3600/, <frac1x216000/; -- called also astronomical fractions , because formerly there were no others used in astronomical calculations. -- Sexagesimal , &or; Sexagenary , arithmetic , the method of computing by the sexagenary scale, or by sixties. -- Sexagesimal scale (Math.) , the sexagenary scale.

Sexagesimal <Xpage=1320>

Sex`a*ges"i*mal , n. A sexagesimal fraction.

Sexangle <Xpage=1320>

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

Hutton.

Sexangled, Sexangular <Xpage=1320>

Sex"an`gled (?) , Sex*an"gu*lar (?) a. [Cf. F. sexangulaire .] Having six angles; hexagonal. [R.]

Dryden.

Sexangularly <Xpage=1320>

Sex*an"gu*lar*ly , adv. Hexagonally. [R.]

Sexavalent <Xpage=1320>

Sex*av"a*lent (?) , a. See Sexivalent . [R.]

Sexdigitism <Xpage=1320>

Sex*dig"it*ism (?) , n. [ Sex- + digit .] The state of having six fingers on a hand, or six toes on a foot.

Sexdigitist <Xpage=1320>

Sex*dig"it*ist , n. One who has six fingers on a hand, or six toes on a foot.

Sexed <Xpage=1320>

Sexed (?) , a. Belonging to sex; having sex; distinctively male of female; as, the sexed condition .

Sexenary <Xpage=1320>

Sex"e*na*ry (?) , a. Proceeding by sixes; sextuple; -- applied especially to a system of arithmetical computation in which the base is six.

Sexennial <Xpage=1320>

Sex*en"ni*al (?) , a. [L. sexennium a period of six years, sexennis of six years; sex six + annus a year. See Six , and Annual .] Lasting six years, or happening once in six years. -- n. A sexennial event.

Sexennially <Xpage=1320>

Sex*en"ni*al*ly , adv. Once in six years.

Sexfid, Sexifid <Xpage=1320>

Sex"fid (?) , Sex"i*fid (?) , a. [ Sex- + root of L. findere to split: cf. F. sexfide .] (Bot.) Six-cleft; as, a sexfid calyx or nectary .

Sexisyllabic <Xpage=1320>

Sex`i*syl*lab"ic (?) , a. [ Sex- + syllabic .] Having six syllables.

Emerson.

Sexisyllable <Xpage=1320>

Sex"i*syl`la*ble (?) , n. [ Sex- + syllable .] A word of six syllables.

Sexivalent <Xpage=1320>

Sex*iv"a*lent (?) , a. [ Sex- + L. valens , p. pr. See Valence .] (hem.) Hexavalent. [R.]

Sexless <Xpage=1320>

Sex"less (?) , a. Having no sex.

Sexlocular <Xpage=1320>

Sex`loc"u*lar (?) , a. [ Sex- + locular : cf. F. sexloculaire .] (Bot.) Having six cells for seeds; six-celled; as, a sexlocular pericarp .

Sexly <Xpage=1320>

Sex"ly (?) , a. Pertaining to sex. [R.]

Should I ascribe any of these things unto myself or my sexly weakness, I were not worthy to live. Queen Elizabeth.

Sexradiate <Xpage=1320>

Sex*ra"di*ate (?) , a. [ Sex- + radiate .] (Zo\'94l.) Having six rays; -- said of certain sponge spicules. See Illust . of Spicule .

Sext <Xpage=1320>

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

Sextain <Xpage=1320>

Sex"tain , n. [L. sextus sixth, fr. sex six: cf. It. sestina .] (Pros.) A stanza of six lines; a sestine.

Sextans <Xpage=1320>

Sex"tans (?) , n. [L. See Sextant .] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A Roman coin, the sixth part of an as.

2. (Astron.) A constellation on the equator south of Leo; the Sextant.

Sextant <Xpage=1320>

Sex"tant (?) , n. [L. sextans , -antis , the sixth part of an as, fr. sextus sixth, sex six. See Six .] 1. (Math.) The sixth part of a circle.

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

3. (Astron.) The constellation Sextans.

Box sextant , a small sextant inclosed in a cylindrical case to make it more portable.

Sextary <Xpage=1320>

Sex"ta*ry (?) , n. ; pl. Sextaries (#) . [L. sextarius the sixth part of a measure, weight, etc., fr. sextus sixth, sex six.] (Rom. Antiq.) An ancient Roman liquid and dry measure, about equal to an English pint.

Sextary <Xpage=1320>

Sex"ta*ry (?) , n. [For sextonry .] A sacristy. [Obs.]

Sextet, Sextetto <Xpage=1320>

Sex*tet" (?) , Sex*tet"to (?) , n. (Mus.) See Sestet .

Sexteyn <Xpage=1320>

Sex"teyn (?) , n. A sacristan. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Sextic <Xpage=1320>

Sex"tic (?) , a. [L. sextus sixth.] (Math.) Of the sixth degree or order. -- n. (Alg.) A quantic of the sixth degree.

Sextile <Xpage=1320>

Sex"tile (?) , a. [F. sextil , fr. L. sextus the sixth, from sex six. See Six .] (Astrol.) Measured by sixty degrees; fixed or indicated by a distance of sixty degrees.

Glanvill.

Sextile <Xpage=1320>

Sex"tile , n. [Cf. F. aspect sextil .] (Astrol.) The aspect or position of two planets when distant from each other sixty degrees, or two signs. This position is marked thus: <8star/.

Hutton.

Sextillion <Xpage=1320>

Sex*til"lion (?) , n. [Formed (in imitation of million ) fr. L. sextus sixth, sex six: cf. F. sextilion .] According to the method of numeration (which is followed also in the United States), the number expressed by a unit with twenty-one ciphers annexed. According to the English method, a million raised to the sixth power, or the number expressed by a unit with thirty-six ciphers annexed. See Numeration .

Sexto <Xpage=1320>

Sex"to (?) , n. ; pl. Sextos (#) . [L. sextus sixth.] A book consisting of sheets each of which is folded into six leaves.

Sextodecimo <Xpage=1320>

Sex`to*dec"i*mo (?) , a. [L. sextus-decimus the sixteenth; sextus the sixth (fr. sex six) + decimus the tenth, from decem ten. See -mo .] Having sixteen leaves to a sheet; of, or equal to, the size of one fold of a sheet of printing paper when folded so as to make sixteen leaves, or thirty-two pages; as, a sextodecimo volume .

Sextodecimo <Xpage=1320>

Sex`to*dec"imo , n. ; pl. Sextodecimos (<?/) . A book composed of sheets each of which is folded into sixteen leaves; hence, indicating, more or less definitely, a size of a book; -- usually written 16mo, or 16&deg;.

Sextolet <Xpage=1320>

Sex"to*let (?) , n. (Mus.) A double triplet; a group of six equal notes played in the time of four.

Sexton <Xpage=1320>

Sex"ton (?) , n. [OE. sextein , contr. fr. sacristan .] An under officer of a church, whose business is to take care of the church building and the vessels, vestments, etc., belonging to the church, to attend on the officiating clergyman, and to perform other duties pertaining to the church, such as to dig graves, ring the bell, etc.

Sexton beetle (Zo\'94l.) , a burying beetle.

Sextoness <Xpage=1320>

Sex"ton*ess , n. A female sexton; a sexton's wife.

Sextonry <Xpage=1320>

Sex"ton*ry (?) , n. Sextonship. [Obs.]

Ld. Bernes.

Sextonship <Xpage=1320>

Sex"ton*ship , n. The office of a sexton.

Swift.

Sextry <Xpage=1320>

Sex"try (?) , n. See Sacristy . [Obs.]

Sextuple <Xpage=1320>

Sex"tu*ple (?) , a. [Formed (in imitation of quadruple ) fr. L. sextus sixth: cf. F. sextuple .] 1. Six times as much; sixfold.

2. (Mus.) Divisible by six; having six beats; as, sixtuple measure .

Sexual <Xpage=1320>

Sex"u*al (?) , a. [L. sexualis , fr. sexus sex: cf. F. sexuel .] Of or pertaining to sex, or the sexes; distinguishing sex; peculiar to the distinction and office of male or female; relating to the distinctive genital organs of the sexes; proceeding from, or based upon, sex; as, sexual characteristics; sexual intercourse, connection, or commerce; sexual desire; sexual diseases; sexual generation .

Sexual dimorphism (Biol.) , the condition of having one of the sexes existing in two forms, or varieties, differing in color, size, etc., as in many species of butterflies which have two kinds of females. -- Sexual method (Bot.) , a method of classification proposed by Linn\'91us, founded mainly on difference in number and position of the stamens and pistils of plants. -- Sexual selection (Biol.) , the selective preference of one sex for certain characteristics in the other, such as bright colors, musical notes, etc.; also, the selection which results from certain individuals of one sex having more opportunities of pairing with the other sex, on account of greater activity, strength, courage, etc.; applied likewise to that kind of evolution which results from such sexual preferences. Darwin.

In these cases, therefore, natural selection seems to have acted independently of sexual selection . A. R. Wallace.

Sexualist <Xpage=1320>

Sex"u*al*ist , n. (Bot.) One who classifies plants by the sexual method of Linn\'91us.

Sexuality <Xpage=1320>

Sex`u*al"i*ty (?) , n. The quality or state of being distinguished by sex.

Lindley.

Sexualize <Xpage=1320>

Sex"u*al*ize (?) , v. t. To attribute sex to.

Sexually <Xpage=1320>

Sex"u*al*ly , adv. In a sexual manner or relation.