Chapter 1534

Sheep"ber`ry (?) , n. (Bot.) The edible fruit of a small North American tree of the genus Viburnum ( V. Lentago ), having white flowers in flat cymes; also, the tree itself. Called also nannyberry .

Sheepbite <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"bite` (?) , v. i. To bite or nibble like a sheep; hence, to practice petty thefts. [Obs.]

Shak.

Sheepbiter <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"bit`er (?) , n. One who practices petty thefts. [Obs.]

Shak.

There are political sheepbiters as well as pastoral; betrayers of public trusts as well as of private. L'Estrange.

Sheepcot, Sheepcote <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"cot` (?) , Sheep"cote` (?) , n. A small inclosure for sheep; a pen; a fold.

Sheep-faced <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"-faced` (?) , a. Over-bashful; sheepish.

Sheepfold <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"fold` (?) , n. A fold or pen for sheep; a place where sheep are collected or confined.

Sheep-headed <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"-head`ed (?) , a. Silly; simple-minded; stupid.

Taylor (1630)

Sheephook <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"hook` (?) , n. A hook fastened to pole, by which shepherds lay hold on the legs or necks of their sheep; a shepherd's crook.

Dryden.

Sheepish <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"ish , a. 1. Of or pertaining to sheep. [Obs.]

2. Like a sheep; bashful; over-modest; meanly or foolishly diffident; timorous to excess.

Wanting change of company, he will, when he comes abroad, be a sheepish or conceited creature. Locke.

-- Sheep"ish*ly , adv. -- Sheep"ish*ness , n.

Sheepmaster <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"mas`ter (?) , n. A keeper or feeder of sheep; also, an owner of sheep.

2 Kings iii. 4.

Sheeprack <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"rack` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The starling.

Sheep's-eye <Xpage=1326>

Sheep's"-eye` (?) , n. A modest, diffident look; a loving glance; -- commonly in the plural.

I saw her just now give him the languishing eye, as they call it; . . . of old called the sheep's-eye . Wycherley.

Sheep's-foot <Xpage=1326>

Sheep's-foot` (?) , n. A printer's tool consisting of a metal bar formed into a hammer head at one end and a claw at the other, -- used as a lever and hammer.

Sheepshank <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"shank` (?) , n. (Naut.) A hitch by which a rope may be temporarily shortened.

Sheepshead <Xpage=1326>

Sheeps"head` (<?/) , n. [So called because of the fancied resemblance of its head and front teeth to those of a sheep.] (Zo\'94l.) A large and valuable sparoid food fish ( Archosargus, &or; Diplodus, probatocephalus ) found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It often weighs from ten to twelve pounds.

&hand; The name is also locally, in a loose way, applied to various other fishes, as the butterfish, the fresh-water drumfish, the parrot fish, the porgy, and the moonfish.

Sheep-shearer <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"-shear`er (?) , n. One who shears, or cuts off the wool from, sheep.

Sheep-shearing <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"-shear`ing (?) , n. 1. Act of shearing sheep.

2. A feast at the time of sheep-shearing.

Shak.

Sheepskin <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"skin` (?) , n. 1. The skin of a sheep; or, leather prepared from it.

2. A diploma; -- so called because usually written or printed on parchment prepared from the skin of the sheep. [College Cant]

Sheepsplit <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"split` (?) , n. A split of a sheepskin; one of the thin sections made by splitting a sheepskin with a cutting knife or machine.

Sheepy <Xpage=1326>

Sheep"y (?) , a. Resembling sheep; sheepish.

Testament of Love.

Sheer <Xpage=1326>

Sheer (?) , a. [OE. shere , skere , pure, bright, Icel. sk<?/rr ; akin to sk\'c6rr , AS. sc\'c6r , OS. sk\'c6ri , MHG. sch\'c6r , G. schier , Dan. sk<?/r , Sw. sk\'84r , Goth. skeirs clear, and E. shine . &root;157. See Shine , v. i. ] 1. Bright; clear; pure; unmixed. " Sheer ale."

Shak.

Thou sheer , immaculate, and silver fountain. Shak.

2. Very thin or transparent; -- applied to fabrics; as, sheer muslin .

3. Being only what it seems to be; obvious; simple; mere; downright; as, sheer folly; sheer nonsense . "A sheer impossibility."

De Quincey.

It is not a sheer advantage to have several strings to one's bow. M. Arnold.

4. Stright up and down; vertical; prpendicular.

A sheer precipice of a thousand feet. J. D. Hooker.

It was at least Nine roods of sheer ascent. Wordsworth.

Sheer <Xpage=1326>

Sheer , adv. Clean; quite; at once. [Obs.]

Milton.

Sheer <Xpage=1326>

Sheer , v. t. [See Shear .] To shear. [Obs.]

Dryden.

Sheer <Xpage=1326>

Sheer , v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Sheered (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Sheering .] [D. sheren to shear, cut, withdraw, warp. See Shear .] To decline or deviate from the line of the proper course; to turn aside; to swerve; as, a ship sheers from her course; a horse sheers at a bicycle .

To sheer off , to turn or move aside to a distance; to move away. -- To sheer up , to approach obliquely.

Sheer <Xpage=1326>

Sheer , n. 1. (Naut.) (a) The longitudinal upward curvature of the deck, gunwale, and lines of a vessel, as when viewed from the side. (b) The position of a vessel riding at single anchor and swinging clear of it.

2. A turn or change in a course.

Give the canoe a sheer and get nearer to the shore. Cooper.

3. pl. Shears See Shear .

Sheer batten (Shipbuilding) , a long strip of wood to guide the carpenters in following the sheer plan. -- Sheer boom , a boom slanting across a stream to direct floating logs to one side. -- Sheer hulk . See Shear hulk , under Hulk . -- Sheer plan , &or; Sheer draught (Shipbuilding) , a projection of the lines of a vessel on a vertical longitudinal plane passing through the middle line of the vessel. -- Sheer pole (Naut.) , an iron rod lashed to the shrouds just above the dead-eyes and parallel to the ratlines. -- Sheer strake (Shipbuilding) , the strake under the gunwale on the top side. Totten . -- To break sheer (Naut.) , to deviate from sheer, and risk fouling the anchor.

Sheerly <Xpage=1326>

Sheer"ly (?) , adv. At once; absolutely. [Obs.]

Sheerwater <Xpage=1326>

Sheer"wa`ter (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The shearwater.

Sheet <Xpage=1326>

Sheet (?) , n. [OE. shete , schete , AS. sc<?/te , sc<?/te , fr. sce\'a0t a projecting corner, a fold in a garment (akin to D. schoot sheet, bosom, lap, G. schoss bosom, lap, flap of a coat, Icel. skaut , Goth. skauts the hem of a garment); originally, that which shoots out, from the root of AS. sce\'a2tan to shoot. &root;159. See Shoot , v. t. ] In general, a large, broad piece of anything thin, as paper, cloth, etc.; a broad, thin portion of any substance; an expanded superficies. Specifically: (a) A broad piece of cloth, usually linen or cotton, used for wrapping the body or for a covering; especially, one used as an article of bedding next to the body.

He fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners. Acts x. 10, 11.

If I do die before thee, prithee, shroud me In one of those same sheets . Shak.

(b) A broad piece of paper, whether folded or unfolded, whether blank or written or printed upon; hence, a letter; a newspaper, etc. (c) A single signature of a book or a pamphlet; in pl. , the book itself.

To this the following sheets are intended for a full and distinct answer. Waterland.

(d) A broad, thinly expanded portion of metal or other substance; as, a sheet of copper, of glass, or the like; a plate; a leaf . (e) A broad expanse of water, or the like . "The two beautiful sheets of water." Macaulay . (f) A sail . Dryden . (g) (Geol.) An extensive bed of an eruptive rock intruded between, or overlying, other strata .

2. [AS. sce\'a0ta . See the Etymology above.] (Naut.) (a) A rope or chain which regulates the angle of adjustment of a sail in relation in relation to the wind; -- usually attached to the lower corner of a sail, or to a yard or a boom. (b) pl. The space in the forward or the after part of a boat where there are no rowers; as, fore sheets ; stern sheets .

&hand; Sheet is often used adjectively, or in combination, to denote that the substance to the name of which it is prefixed is in the form of sheets, or thin plates or leaves; as, sheet brass, or sheet -brass; sheet glass, or sheet -glass; sheet gold, or sheet -gold; sheet iron, or sheet -iron, etc.

A sheet in the wind , half drunk. [Sailors' Slang] -- Both sheets in the wind , very drunk. [Sailors' Slang] -- In sheets , lying flat or expanded; not folded, or folded but not bound; -- said especially of printed sheets. -- Sheet bend (Naut.) , a bend or hitch used for temporarily fastening a rope to the bight of another rope or to an eye. -- Sheet lightning , Sheet piling , etc. See under Lightning , Piling , etc. <-- Three sheets to the wind, very drunk (now more common than "both sheets in the wind" -->

Sheet <Xpage=1326>

Sheet , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Sheeted ; p. pr. & vb. n. Sheeting .] 1. To furnish with a sheet or sheets; to wrap in, or cover with, a sheet, or as with a sheet. "The sheeted dead." "When snow the pasture sheets ."

Shak.

<page="1327"> Page 1327

2. To expand, as a sheet.

The star shot flew from the welkin blue, As it fell from the sheeted sky. J. R. Drake.

To sheet home (Naut.) , to haul upon a sheet until the sail is as flat, and the clew as near the wind, as possible.

Sheet anchor <Xpage=1327>

Sheet" an"chor (?) . [OE. scheten to shoot, AS. sce\'a2tan ; cf. OE. shoot anchor . See Shoot , v. t. ] 1. (Naut.) A large anchor stowed on shores outside the waist of a vessel; -- called also waist anchor . See the Note under Anchor .

2. Anything regarded as a sure support or dependence in danger; the best hope or refuge.

Sheet cable <Xpage=1327>

Sheet" ca"ble (?) . (Naut.) The cable belonging to the sheet anchor.

Sheet chain <Xpage=1327>

Sheet" chain" (?) . (Naut.) A chain sheet cable.

Sheetful <Xpage=1327>

Sheet"ful (?) , n. ; pl. Sheetfuls (<?/) . Enough to fill a sheet; as much as a sheet can hold.

Sheeting <Xpage=1327>

Sheet"ing , n. 1. Cotton or linen cloth suitable for bed sheets. It is sometimes made of double width.

2. (Hydraul. Engin.) A lining of planks or boards (rarely of metal) for protecting an embankment.

3. The act or process of forming into sheets, or flat pieces; also, material made into sheets.

Sheik <Xpage=1327>

Sheik (?) , n. [Ar. sheikh , shaykh , a venerable old man, a chief, fr. sh\'bekha to grow or be old.] The head of an Arab family, or of a clan or a tribe; also, the chief magistrate of an Arab village. The name is also applied to Mohammedan ecclesiastics of a high grade. [Written also scheik , shaik , sheikh .]

Shell, Shelling <Xpage=1327>

Shell (?) , Shell"ing , n. See Sheeling .

Shekel <Xpage=1327>

Shek"el (?) , n. [Heb. shegel , fr. sh\'begal to weigh.] 1. An ancient weight and coin used by the Jews and by other nations of the same stock.

&hand; A common estimate makes the shekel equal in weight to about 130 grains for gold, 224 grains for silver, and 450 grains for copper, and the approximate values of the coins are (gold) $5.00, (silver) 60 cents, and (copper half shekel), one and one half cents.

2. pl. A jocose term for money .

Shekinah <Xpage=1327>

She*ki"nah (?) , n. [Heb Talmud shek\'c6n\'beh , fr. sh\'bekan to inhabit.] The visible majesty of the Divine Presence, especially when resting or dwelling between the cherubim on the mercy seat, in the Tabernacle, or in the Temple of Solomon; -- a term used in the Targums and by the later Jews, and adopted by Christians. [Written also Shechinah .]

Dr. W. Smith (Bib. Dict.)

Sheld <Xpage=1327>

Sheld (?) , a. [OE., fr. sheld a shield, probably in allusion to the ornamentation of shields. See Shield .] Variegated; spotted; speckled; piebald. [Prov. Eng.]

Sheldafle, Sheldaple <Xpage=1327>

Sheld"a*fle (?) , Sheld"a*ple (?) , n. [Perhaps for sheld dapple . Cf. Sheldrake .] (Zo\'94l.) A chaffinch. [Written also sheldapple , and shellapple .]

Sheldfowl <Xpage=1327>

Sheld"fowl` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The common sheldrake. [Prov. Eng.]

Sheldrake <Xpage=1327>

Shel"drake` (?) , n. [ Sheld + drake .] 1. (Zo\'94l.) Any one of several species of large Old World ducks of the genus Tadorna and allied genera, especially the European and Asiatic species. ( T. cornuta, &or; tadorna ), which somewhat resembles a goose in form and habit, but breeds in burrows.

&hand; It has the head and neck greenish black, the breast, sides, and forward part of the back brown, the shoulders and middle of belly black, the speculum green, and the bill and frontal bright red. Called also shelduck , shellduck , sheldfowl , skeelduck , bergander , burrow duck , and links goose .

&hand; The Australian sheldrake ( Tadorna radja ) has the head, neck, breast, flanks, and wing coverts white, the upper part of the back and a band on the breast deep chestnut, and the back and tail black. The chestnut sheldrake of Australia ( Casarca tadornoides ) is varied with black and chestnut, and has a dark green head and neck. The ruddy sheldrake, or Braminy duck ( C. rutila ), and the white-winged sheldrake ( C. leucoptera ), are related Asiatic species.

2. Any one of the American mergansers.

&hand; The name is also loosely applied to other ducks, as the canvasback, and the shoveler.

Shelduck <Xpage=1327>

Shel"duck` (?) , n. [ Sheld variegated + duck .] (Zo\'94l.) The sheldrake. [Written also shellduck .]

Shelf <Xpage=1327>

Shelf (?) , n. ; pl. Shelves (#) . [OE. shelfe , schelfe , AS. scylfe ; akin to G. schelfe , Icel. skj\'belf . In senses 2 & 3, perhaps a different word (cf. Shelve , v. i. ).] 1. (Arch.) A flat tablet or ledge of any material set horizontally at a distance from the floor, to hold objects of use or ornament.

2. A sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships.

On the tawny sands and shelves . Milton.

On the secret shelves with fury cast. Dryden.

3. (Mining) A stratum lying in a very even manner; a flat, projecting layer of rock.

4. (Naut.) A piece of timber running the whole length of a vessel inside the timberheads.

D. Kemp.

To lay on the shelf , to lay aside as unnecessary or useless; to dismiss; to discard.

Shelfy <Xpage=1327>

Shelf"y (?) , a. 1. Abounding in shelves; full of dangerous shallows. "A shelfy coast."

Dryden.

2. Full of strata of rock. [Obs.]

The tillable fields are in some places . . . so shelfy that the corn hath much ado to fasten its root. Carew.

Shell <Xpage=1327>

Shell (?) , n. [OE. shelle , schelle , AS. scell , scyll ; akin to D. shel , Icel. skel , Goth. skalja a tile, and E. skill . Cf. Scale of fishes, Shale , Skill .] 1. A hard outside covering, as of a fruit or an animal. Specifically: (a) The covering, or outside part, of a nut; as, a hazelnut shell . (b) A pod . (c) The hard covering of an egg.

Think him as a serpent's egg, . . . And kill him in the shell . Shak.

(d) (Zo\'94l.) The hard calcareous or chitinous external covering of mollusks, crustaceans, and some other invertebrates. In some mollusks, as the cuttlefishes, it is internal, or concealed by the mantle. Also, the hard covering of some vertebrates, as the armadillo, the tortoise, and the like. (e) (Zo\'94l.) Hence, by extension, any mollusks having such a covering .

2. (Mil.) A hollow projectile, of various shapes, adapted for a mortar or a cannon, and containing an explosive substance, ignited with a fuse or by percussion, by means of which the projectile is burst and its fragments scattered. See Bomb .

3. The case which holds the powder, or charge of powder and shot, used with breechloading small arms.

4. Any slight hollow structure; a framework, or exterior structure, regarded as not complete or filled in; as, the shell of a house .

5. A coarse kind of coffin; also, a thin interior coffin inclosed in a more substantial one.

Knight.

6. An instrument of music, as a lyre, -- the first lyre having been made, it is said, by drawing strings over a tortoise shell.

When Jubal struck the chorded shell . Dryden.

7. An engraved copper roller used in print works.

8. pl. The husks of cacao seeds, a decoction of which is often used as a substitute for chocolate, cocoa, etc.

9. (Naut.) The outer frame or case of a block within which the sheaves revolve.

10. A light boat the frame of which is covered with thin wood or with paper; as, a racing shell .