Chapter 282

2. Concisely and distinctly expressed.

Clearedness <Xpage=263>

Clear"ed*ness (?) , n. The quality of being cleared.

Imputed by his friends to the clearedness , by his foes to the searedness, of his conscience. T. Fuller.

Clearer <Xpage=263>

Clear"er (?) , n. 1. One who, or that which, clears.

Gold is a wonderful clearer of the understanding. Addison.

2. (Naut.) A tool of which the hemp for lines and twines, used by sailmakers, is finished.

Clear-headed <Xpage=263>

Clear"-head`ed (?) , a. Having a clear understanding; quick of perception; intelligent. "He was laborious and clear-headed ."

Macaulay .

-- Clear"-head`ed*ness , n.

Clearing <Xpage=263>

Clear"ing , n. 1. The act or process of making clear.

The better clearing of this point. South.

2. A tract of land cleared of wood for cultivation.

A lonely clearing on the shores of Moxie Lake. J. Burroughs.

3. A method adopted by banks and bankers for making an exchange of checks held by each against the others, and settling differences of accounts.

&hand; In England, a similar method has been adopted by railroads for adjusting their accounts with each other.

4. The gross amount of the balances adjusted in the clearing house.

Clearing house , the establishment where the business of clearing is carried on. See above , 3 .

Clearly <Xpage=263>

Clear"ly , adv. In a clear manner.

Clearness <Xpage=263>

Clear"ness , n. The quality or state of being clear.

Syn. -- Clearness , Perspicuity . Clearness has reference to our ideas, and springs from a distinct conception of the subject under consideration. Perspicuity has reference to the mode of expressing our ideas and belongs essentially to style. Hence we speak of a writer as having clear ideas, a clear arrangement, and perspicuous phraseology. We do at times speak of a person's having great clearness of style; but in such cases we are usually thinking of the clearness of his ideas as manifested in language. "Whenever men think clearly , and are thoroughly interested, they express themselves with perspicuity and force."

Robertson.

Clear-seeing <Xpage=263>

Clear"-see`ing (?) , a. Having a clear physical or mental vision; having a clear understanding.

Clear-shining <Xpage=263>

Clear"-shin`ing (?) , a. Shining brightly.

Shak.

Clear-sighted <Xpage=263>

Clear"-sight`ed (?) , a. Seeing with clearness; discerning; as, clear-sighted reason

Clear-sightedness <Xpage=263>

Clear"-sight`ed*ness , n. Acute discernment.

Clearstarch <Xpage=263>

Clear"starch` (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Clearstarched (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Clearstraching .] To stiffen with starch, and then make clear by clapping with the hands; as, to clearstarch muslin .

Clearstarcher <Xpage=263>

Clear"starch`er (?) , n. One who clearstarches.

Clearstory, Clerestory <Xpage=263>

Clear"sto`ry (?) , Clere"sto`ry , n. (Arch.) The upper story of the nave of a church, containing windows, and rising above the aisle roofs.

Clearwing <Xpage=263>

Clear"wing` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A lepidop terous insect with partially transparent wings, of the family \'92geriad\'91, of which the currant and peach-tree borers are examples.

Cleat <Xpage=263>

Cleat (kl\'c7t) , n. [OE. clete wedge; cf.D. kloot ball, Ger. kloss , klotz , lump. clod, MHG. kl\'d3z lump, ball, wedge, OHG. chl\'d3z ball, round mass.]

1. (Carp.) A strip of wood or iron fastened on transversely to something in order to give strength, prevent warping, hold position, etc.

2. (Naut.) A device made of wood or metal, having two arms, around which turns may be taken with a line or rope so as to hold securely and yet be readily released. It is bolted by the middle to a deck or mast, etc., or it may be lashed to a rope.

Cleat <Xpage=263>

Cleat , v. t. To strengthen with a cleat.

Cleavable <Xpage=263>

Cleav"a*ble (?) , a. Capable of cleaving or being divided.

Cleavage <Xpage=263>

Cleav"age (?) , n. 1. The act of cleaving or splitting.

2. (Crystallog.) The quality possessed by many crystallized substances of splitting readily in one or more definite directions, in which the cohesive attraction is a minimum, affording more or less smooth surfaces; the direction of the dividing plane; a fragment obtained by cleaving, as of a diamond. See Parting .

3. (Geol.) Division into lamin\'91, like slate, with the lamination not necessarily parallel to the plane of deposition; -- usually produced by pressure.

Basal cleavage , cleavage parallel to the base of a crystal, or to the plane of the lateral axes. -- Cell cleavage (Biol.) , multiplication of cells by fission. See Segmentation . -- Cubuc cleavage , cleavage parallel to the faces of a cube. -- Diagonal cleavage , cleavage parallel to ta diagonal plane. -- Egg clavage . (Biol.) See Segmentation . -- Lateral cleavage , cleavage parallel to the lateral planes. -- Octahedral , Dodecahedral , or Rhombohedral , cleavage , cleavage parallel to the faces of an octahedron, dodecahedron, or rhombohedron. -- Prismatic cleavage , cleavage parallel to a vertical prism.

Cleave <Xpage=263>

Cleave (<?/) , v. i. [.. Cleaved (<?/) , Clave (<?/) , (Obs.) ; p. p. Cleaved ; p. pr. & vb. n. Cleaving .] [OE. cleovien , clivien , cliven , AS. cleofian , clifian ; akin to OS. klib\'d3n , G. kleben , LG. kliven , D. kleven , Dan. kl\'91be , Sw. klibba , and also to G. kleiben to cleve, paste, Icel. kl\'c6fa to climb. Cf. Climb .] 1. To adhere closely; to stick; to hold fast; to cling.

My bones cleave to my skin. Ps. cii. 5.

The diseases of Egypt . . . shall cleave unto thee. Deut. xxviii. 60.

Sophistry cleaves close to and protects Sin's rotten trunk, concealing its defects. Cowper.

2. To unite or be united closely in interest or affection; to adhere with strong attachment.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife. Gen. ii. 24.

Cleave unto the Lord your God. Josh. xxiii. 8.

3. To fit; to be adapted; to assimilate. [Poetic.]

New honors come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mold But with the aid of use. Shak.

Cleave <Xpage=263>

Cleave (?) , v. t. [ imp. Cleft (?) , Clave (<?/) , Clove (<?/) , (Obsolescent) ; p. p. Cleft , Cleaved (<?/) or Cloven (<?/) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Cleaving .] [OE. cleoven , cleven , AS. cle\'a2fan ; akin to OS. klioban , D. klooven , G. klieben , Icel. klj\'d4fa , Sw. klyfva , Dan. kl\'94ve and prob. to Gr. <?/ to carve, L. glubere to peel. Cf. Cleft .] 1. To part or divide by force; to split or rive; to cut.

O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain. Shak.

2. To pert or open naturally; to divide.

Every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws. Deut. xiv. 6.

Cleave <Xpage=263>

Cleave , v. i. To part; to open; to crack; to separate; as parts of bodies; as, the ground cleaves by frost .

The Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst. Zech. xiv. 4.

Cleavelandite <Xpage=263>

Cleave"land*ite (?) , n. [From Professor Parker Cleaveland .] (Min.) A variety of albite, white and lamellar in structure.

Cleaver <Xpage=263>

Cleav"er (?) , n. One who cleaves, or that which cleaves; especially, a butcher's instrument for cutting animal bodies into joints or pieces.

Cleavers <Xpage=263>

Cleav"ers (?) , n. [From Cleave to stick.] (Bot.) A species of Galium ( G. Aparine ), having a fruit set with hooked bristles, which adhere to whatever they come in contact with; -- called also, goose grass , catchweed , etc.

Cl\'82ch\'82 <Xpage=263>

Cl\'82`ch\'82" (?) , a. [F. cl\'82ch\'82 .] (Her.) Charged with another bearing of the same figure, and of the color of the field, so large that only a narrow border of the first bearing remains visible; -- said of any heraldic bearing. Compare Voided .

Clechy <Xpage=263>

Cle"chy (?) , a. See Cl\'82ch\'82 .

Cledge <Xpage=263>

Cledge (?) , n. [Cf. Clay .] (Mining.) The upper stratum of fuller's earth.

Cledgy <Xpage=263>

Cledg"y (?) , a. Stiff, stubborn, clayey, or tenacious; as, a cledgy soil .

Halliwell.

Clee <Xpage=263>

Clee (?) , n. A claw. [rk>

Holland.

Clee <Xpage=263>

Clee , n. (Zo\'94l.) The redshank.

Clef <Xpage=263>

Clef (?; 277) , n. [F. clef key, a key in music, fr. L. clavis key. See Clavicle .] (Mus.) A character used in musical notation to determine the position and pitch of the scale as represented on the staff.

&hand; The clefs are three in number, called the C, F, and G clefs , and are probably corruptions or modifications of these letters. They indicate that the letters of absolute pitch belonging to the lines upon which they are placed, are respectively C, F, and G. The F or bass clef , and the G or treble clef , are fixed in their positions upon the staff. The C clef may have three positions. It may be placed upon the first or lower line of the staff, in which case it is called soprano clef , upon the third line, in which case it called alto clef , or upon the fourth line, in which case tenor clef . It rarely or never is placed upon the second line, except in ancient music. See other forms of C clef under C, 2.

Alto clef , Bass clef . See under Alto , Bass .

Cleft <Xpage=263>

Cleft (?) , imp. & p. p. from Cleave .

Cleft <Xpage=263>

Cleft , a. 1. Divided; split; partly divided or split.

2. (Bot.) Incised nearly to the midrob; as, a cleft leaf .

Cleft <Xpage=263>

Cleft , n. [OE. clift ; cf. Sw. klyft cave, den, Icel. kluft cleft, Dan. kl\'94ft , G. kluft . See Cleave to split and cf. 2d Clift , 1st Clough .] 1. A space or opening made by splitting; a crack; a crevice; as, the cleft of a rock .

Is. ii. 21.

2. A piece made by splitting; as, a cleft of wood .

3. (Far.) A disease in horses; a crack on the band of the pastern.

Branchial clefts . See under Branchial .

Syn. -- Crack; crevice; fissure; chink; cranny.

Cleft-footed <Xpage=263>

Cleft"-foot`ed (?) , a. Having a cloven foot.

Cleftgraft <Xpage=263>

Cleft"graft` (?) , v. t. To ingraft by cleaving the stock and inserting a scion.

Mortimer.

Cleg <Xpage=263>

Cleg (?) , n. [Northern Eng. & Scot. gleg : cf. Gael. crethleag .] (Zo\'94l.) A small breeze or horsefly. [North of Eng. & Scot.]

Jamieson.

Cleistogamic, Cleistogamous <Xpage=263>

Cleis`to*gam"ic (?) , Cleis*tog"a*mous (?) a. [Gr. <?/ closed (fr. <?/ to shut) + <?/ marriage.] (Bot.) Having, beside the usual flowers, other minute, closed flowers, without petals or with minute petals; -- said of certain species of plants which possess flowers of two or more kinds, the closed ones being so constituted as to insure self-fertilization.

Darwin.

Clem <Xpage=263>

Clem (?) , v. t. & i. [Cf. clam to clog, or G. klemmen to pinch, Icel. kl<?/mbra , E. clamp .] To starve; to famish. [Obs.]

B. Jonson.

Clematis <Xpage=263>

Clem"a*tis (?) , n. [NL., fr. Gr. <?/ brushwood, also (from its long, lithe branches) clematis. fr. <?/ twig, shoot, fr. <?/ to break off.] (Bot.) A genus of flowering plants, of many species, mostly climbers, having feathery styles, which greatly enlarge in the fruit; -- called also virgin's bower .

Clemence <Xpage=263>

Clem"ence (?) , n. Clemency. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Clemency <Xpage=263>

Clem"en*cy (?) , n. ; pl. Clemencies (#) . [L. clementia , fr. clemens mild, calm.] 1. Disposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mildness of temper; gentleness; tenderness; mercy.

Great clemency and tender zeal toward their subjects. Stowe.

They had applied for the royal clemency . Macaulay.

2. Mildness or softness of the elements; as, the clemency of the season .

Syn. -- Mildness; tenderness; indulgence; lenity; mercy; gentleness; compassion; kindness.

Clement <Xpage=263>

Clem"ent (?) , a. [L. clemens ; -entis ; cf. F. cl<?/ment .] Mild in temper and disposition; merciful; compassionate.

Shak.

-- Clem"ent*ly , adv.

Clementine <Xpage=263>

Clem"ent*ine (?) , a. Of or pertaining to Clement, esp. to St.Clement of Rome and the spurious homilies attributed to him, or to Pope Clement V. and his compilations of canon law.

Clench <Xpage=263>

Clench (?) , n. & v. t. See Clinch .

Clepe <Xpage=263>

Clepe (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cleped (?) &or; (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Cleping . Cf. Ycleped .] [AS. clepan , cleopian , clipian , clypian , to cry, call.] To call, or name. [Obs.]

That other son was cleped Cambalo. Chaucer.

Clepe <Xpage=263>

Clepe , v. i. To make appeal; to cry out. [Obs.]

Wandering in woe, and to the heavens on high Cleping for vengeance of this treachery. Mir. for Mag.

Clepsine <Xpage=263>

Clep"si*ne (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A genus of freshwater leeches, furnished with a proboscis. They feed upon mollusks and worms.

Clepsydra <Xpage=263>

Clep"sy*dra (?; 277) , n. [L. from Gr. <?/; <?/ to steal, conceal + <?/ water.] A water clock; a contrivance for measuring time by the graduated flow of a liquid, as of water, through a small aperture. See Illust . in Appendix .

<page="265"> Page 265

Cleptomania <Xpage=265>

Clep`to*ma"ni*a (?) , n. [NL.] See Kleptomania .

Clerestory <Xpage=265>

Clere"sto`ry (?) , n. Same as Clearstory .

Clergeon <Xpage=265>

Cler"geon (?) , n. [F., dim. of clerc . See Clerk .] A chorister boy. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Clergial <Xpage=265>

Cler"gi*al (?) , a. Learned; erudite; clercial. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Clergical <Xpage=265>

Cler"gi*cal (?) , a. Of or pertaining to the clergy; clerical; clerkily; learned. [Obs.]

Milton.

Clergy <Xpage=265>

Cler"gy (?) , n. [OE. clergie , clergi , clerge , OF. clergie , F. clergie (fr. clerc clerc, fr. L. clericus priest) confused with OF. clergi\'82 , F. clerg\'82 , fr. LL. clericatus office of priest, monastic life, fr. L. clericus priest, LL. scholar, clerc. Both the Old French words meant clergy, in sense 1, the former having also sense 2. See Clerk .]

1. The body of men set apart, by due ordination, to the service of God, in the Christian church, in distinction from the laity; in England, usually restricted to the ministers of the Established Church.

Hooker.

2. Learning; also, a learned profession. [Obs.]

Sophictry . . . rhetoric, and other cleargy . Guy of Warwick.

Put their second sons to learn some clergy . State Papers (1515).

3. The privilege or benefit of clergy.

If convicted of a clergyable felony, he is entitled equally to his clergy after as before conviction. Blackstone.

Benefit of clergy (Eng., Law) , the exemption of the persons of clergymen from criminal process before a secular judge -- a privilege which was extended to all who could read, such persons being, in the eye of the law, clerici , or clerks. This privilege was abridged and modified by various statutes, and finally abolished in the reign of George IV. (1827). -- Regular clergy , Secular clergy See Regular , n. , and Secular , a.

Clergyable <Xpage=265>

Cler"gy*a*ble (?) , a. Entitled to, or admitting, the benefit of clergy; as, a clergyable felony .

Blackstone.

Clergyman <Xpage=265>

Cler"gy*man (?) , n. ; pl. Clergymen (#) . An ordained minister; a man regularly authorized to peach the gospel, and administer its ordinances; in England usually restricted to a minister of the Established Church.

Cleric <Xpage=265>

Cler"ic (?) , n. [AS., fr. L. clericus . See Clerk .] A clerk, a clergyman. [R.]

Bp. Horsley.

Cleric <Xpage=265>

Cler"ic (?) , a. Same as Clerical .

Clerical <Xpage=265>

Cler"ic*al (?) , a. [LL. clericalis . See Clerk .] 1. Of or pertaining to the clergy; suitable for the clergy. "A clerical education."

Burke.

2. Of or relating to a clerk or copyist, or to writing. " Clerical work."

E. Everett.

A clerical error , an error made in copying or writing.

Clericalism <Xpage=265>

Cler"ic*al*ism (?) , n. An excessive devotion to the interests of the sacerdotal order; undue influence of the clergy; sacerdotalism.

Clericity <Xpage=265>

Cler*ic"i*ty (?) , n. The state of being a clergyman.

Clerisy <Xpage=265>

Cler"i*sy (?) , n. [LL. clericia . See Clergy .] 1. The literati, or well educated class.

2. The clergy, or their opinions, as opposed to the laity.

Clerk <Xpage=265>

Clerk (?; in Eng. ?; 277) , n. [Either OF. clerc , fr. L. clericus a priest, or AS. clerc , cleric , clerk, priest, fr. L. clericus , fr. Gr. <?/ belonging to the clergy, fr. <?/ lot, allotment, clergy; cf. Deut. xviii. 2. Cf. Clergy .] 1. A clergyman or ecclesiastic. [Obs.]

All persons were styled clerks that served in the church of Christ. Ayliffe.

2. A man who could read; a scholar; a learned person; a man of letters. [Obs.] "Every one that could read . . . being accounted a clerk ."

Blackstone.