Chapter 376

Cu*nab"u*la (k?-n?b"?-l?) , n. pl. [L., a cradle, earliest abode, fr. cunae cradle.] 1. The earliest abode; original dwelling place; originals; as, the cunabula of the human race .

2. (Bibliography) The extant copies of the first or earliest printed books, or of such as were printed in the 15th century.

Cunctation <Xpage=356>

Cunc*ta"tion (k?nk-t?"sh?n) , n. [L. cunctatio , fr. cunctari , p.p. cunctatus , to delay.] Delay; procrastination. [R.]

Carlyle.

Cunctative <Xpage=356>

Cunc"ta*tive (k?nk"t?-t?v) , a. Slow; tardy; dilatory; causing delay.

Cunotator <Xpage=356>

Cuno*ta"tor (k?nk-t?"t?r) , n. [L., lit., a delayer; -- applied as a surname to Q. Fabius Maximus.] One who delays or lingers. [R.]

Cunctipotent <Xpage=356>

Cunc*tip"o*tent (k?nk-t?p"?-t e nt) , a. [L. cunctipotens ; cunctus all + potens powerful.] All-powerful; omnipotent. [R] "God cunctipotent ."

Neale (Trans. Rhythm of St. Bernard).

Cund <Xpage=356>

Cund (k\'b5nd) , v. t. [See Cond .] To con (a ship). [Obs.]

Cundurango <Xpage=356>

Cun`du*ran"go (k?n`d?-r?n"g?) , n. (Med.) The bark of a South American vine ( Gonolobus Condurango ) of the Milkweed family. It has been supposed, but erroneously, to be a cure for cancer. [Written also condurango .]

Cuneal <Xpage=356>

Cu"ne*al (k?"n?-a]/>l) , [L. cuneus a wege. See Coin .] Relating to a wedge; wedge-shaped.

Cuneate kn-t, Cuneated <Xpage=356>

Cu"ne*ate (k?"n?-?t) , Cu"ne*a`ted (-?`tEd) , a. [L. cuneatus , fr. cuneus a wege See Coin .] Wedge-shaped; (Bot.) , wedge-shaped, with the point at the base; as, a cuneate leaf .

Cuneatic <Xpage=356>

Cu`ne*at"ic (k?`n?-?t"?k) , a. Cuneiform. " Cuneatic decipherment."

Sayce.

Cuneiform k-n-frm, Cuniform <Xpage=356>

Cu*ne"i*form (k?-n?"?-f?rm) , Cu"ni*form (k?"n?-f?rm) , a. [L. cuneus a wedge + -form : cf. F. cunei-forme . See Coin .] 1. Wedge-shaped; as, a cuneiform bone ; -- especially applied to the wedge-shaped or arrowheaded characters of ancient Persian and Assyrian inscriptions. See Arrowheaded .

2. Pertaining to, or versed in, the ancient wedge-shaped characters, or the inscriptions in them. "A cuneiform scholar."

Rawlinson.

Cuneiform, Cuniform <Xpage=356>

Cu*ne"i*form , Cu"ni*form , n. 1. The wedge-shaped characters used in ancient Persian and Assyrian inscriptions.

I. Taylor (The Alphabet).

2. (Anat.) (a) One of the three tarsal bones supporting the first, second third metatarsals. They are usually designated as external, middle, and internal, or ectocuniform , mesocuniform , and entocuniform , respectively. (b) One of the carpal bones usually articulating wich the ulna; -- called also pyramidal and ulnare .

Cunette <Xpage=356>

Cu*nette" (k?-n?t") , n. [F.] (Fort.) A drain trench, in a ditch or moat; -- called also cuvette .

Cunner <Xpage=356>

Cun"ner (k?n"n?r) , n. [Cf. Conner .] (Zo\'94l.) (a) A small edible fish of the Atlantic coast ( Ctenolabrus adspersus ); -- called also chogset , burgall , blue perch , and bait stealer . [Written also conner .] (b) A small shellfish; the limpet or patella.

Cunning <Xpage=356>

Cun"ning (k?n"n?ng) , a. [AS. cunnan to know, to be able. See 1st Con , Can .] 1. Knowing; skillfull; dexterous. "A cunning workman."

Ex. xxxviii. 23.

"Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white Nature's own sweet and cunning hand laid on. Shak.

Esau was a cunning hunter. Gen xxv. 27.

2. Wrought with, or exibiting, skill or ingenuity; ingenious; curious; as, cunning work .

Over them Arachne high did lift Her cunning web. Spenser.

3. Crafty; sly; artful; designid; deceitful.

They are resolved to be cunning ; let others run the hazard of being sincere. South.

4. Pretty or pleasing; as, a cunning little boy . [Colloq. U.S.]

Barlett.

Syn. -- Cunning , Artful , Sly , Wily , Crafty . These epithets agree in expressing an aptitude for attaining some end by peculiar and secret means. Cunning is usually low; as, a cunning trick. Artful is more ingenious and inventive; as, an artful device. Sly implies a turn for what is double or concealed; as, sly humor; a sly evasion. Crafty denotes a talent for dexterously deceiving; as, a crafty manager. Wily describes a talent for the use of stratagems; as, a wily politician. "A cunning man often shows his dexterity in simply concealing. An artful man goes further, and exerts his ingenuity in misleading. A crafty man mingles cunning with art, and so shapes his actions as to lull suspicions. The young may be cunning , but the experienced only can be crafty . Slyness is a vulgar kind of cunning; the sly man goes cautiously and silently to work. Wiliness is a species of cunning or craft applicable only to cases of attack and defence."

Crabb.

Cunning <Xpage=356>

Cun"ning , n. [AS. cunnung trial, or Icel. kunnandi knowledge. See Cunning , a. ] 1. Knowledge; art; skill; dexterity. [Archaic]

Let my right hand forget her cunning . Ps. cxxxvii. 5.

A carpenter's desert Stands more in cunning than in power. Chapman.

2. The faculty or act of using stratagem to accomplish a purpose; fraudulent skill or dexterity; deceit; craft.

Discourage cunning in a child; cunning is the ape of wisdom. Locke.

We take cunning for a sinister or crooked wisdom. Bacon.

Cunningly <Xpage=356>

Cun"ning*ly (k?n"n?ng-l?) , adv. In a cunning manner; with cunning.

Cunningman <Xpage=356>

Cun"ning*man` (-m?n`) , n. A fortune teller; one who pretends to reveal mysteries. [Obs.]

Hudibras.

Cunningness <Xpage=356>

Cun"ning*ness , n. Quality of being cunning; craft.

Cup <Xpage=356>

Cup (k?p) , n. [AS. cuppe , LL. cuppa cup; cf. L. cupa tub, cask; cf. also Gr. <?/<?/<?/<?/ hut, Skr. k<?/pa pit, hollow, OSlav. kupa cup. Cf. Coop , Cupola , Cowl a water vessel, and Cob , Coif , Cop .] 1. A small vessel, used commonly to drink from; as, a tin cup , a silver cup , a wine cup ; especially, in modern times, the pottery or porcelain vessel, commonly with a handle, used with a saucer in drinking tea, coffee, and the like.

2. The contents of such a vessel; a cupful.

Give me a cup of sack, boy. Shak.

3. pl. Repeated potations; social or exessive indulgence in intoxicating drinks; revelry.

Thence from cups to civil broils. Milton.

4. That which is to be received or indured; that which is allotted to one; a portion.

O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Matt. xxvi. 39.

5. Anything shaped like a cup; as, the cup of an acorn, or of a flower .

The cowslip's golden cup no more I see. Shenstone.

6. (Med.) A cupping glass or other vessel or instrument used to produce the vacuum in cupping.

Cup and ball , a familiar toy of children, having a cup on the top of a piece of wood to which, a ball is attached by a cord; the ball, being thrown up, is to be caught in the cup; bilboquet. Milman . - Cup and can , familiar companions. -- Dry cup , Wet cup (Med.) , a cup used for dry or wet cupping . See under Cupping . -- To be in one's cups , to be drunk.

Cup <Xpage=356>

Cup , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cupped (k?pt) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Cupping .] 1. To supply with cups of wine. [R.]

Cup us, till the world go round. Shak.

2. (Surg.) To apply a cupping apparatus to; to subject to the operation of cupping. See Cupping .

3. (Mech.) To make concave or in the form of a cup; as, to cup the end of a screw .

Cupbearer <Xpage=356>

Cup"bear`er (-b?r`?r) , n. 1. One whose office it is to fill and hand the cups at an enterainment.

2. (Antiq.) One of the attendants of a prince or noble, permanently charged with the performance of this office for his master. "I was the king's cupbearer ."

Neh. i. 11.

Cupboard <Xpage=356>

Cup"board (k?b"b?rd) , n. [Cup + board .] 1. A board or shelf for cups and dishes. [Obs.]

Bacon .

2. A small closet in a room, with shelves to receive cups, dishes, food, etc.; hence, any small closet.

Cupboard love , interested love, or that which has an eye to the cupboard. "A cupboard love is seldom true." Poor Robin. [Colloq.] -- To cry cupboard , to call for food; to express hunger. [Colloq.] "My stomach cries cupboard." W. Irving.

Cupboard <Xpage=356>

Cup"board , v. t. To collect, as into a cupboard; to hoard. [R.]

Shak.

Cupel <Xpage=356>

Cu"pel (k?"p?l) , n. [LL. cupella cup (cf. L. cupella , small cask, dim. of cupa ) : cf. F. coupelle . See Cup , and cf. Coblet .] A shallow porus cup, used in refining precious metals, commonly made of bone ashes (phosphate of lime). [Written also coppel .]

Cupel dust , powder used in purifying metals.

Cupel <Xpage=356>

Cu*pel" (k?-p?l") , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cupelled (-p?ld") ; p. pr. & vb. n. Cupelling .] To refine by means of a cupel.

Cupellation <Xpage=356>

Cu`pel*la"tion (k?`p?l-l?"sh?n) , n. [See Cupel .] The act or process of refining gold or silver, etc., in a cupel.

&hand; The process consist in exposing the cupel containing the metal to be assayed or refined to a hot blast, by which the lead, copper, tin, etc., are oxidized, dissolved, and carried down into the porous cupel, leaving the unoxidizable precious metal. If lead is not already present in the alloy it must be added before cupellation.

Cupful <Xpage=356>

Cup"ful (k?p"f?l) , n. ; pl. Cupfuls (-f<?/lz) . As much as a cup will hold.

Cup-gall <Xpage=356>

Cup"-gall` (-g?l`) , n. A kind of oak-leaf gall. See Gall .

Cupid <Xpage=356>

Cu"pid (k?"p?d) , n . [L. Cupido , fr. cupido desire, desire of love, fr. cupidus . See Cupidity .] (Rom. Myth.) The god of love, son of Venus; usually represented as a naked, winged boy with bow and arrow.

Pretty dimpled boys, like smiling cupids . Shak.

Cupidity <Xpage=356>

Cu*pid"i*ty (k?-p?d"?-t?) , n. [F. cupidite , L. cupiditas , fr. cupidus longing, desiring, fr. cupere to long for, desire. See Covet .] 1. A passionate desire; love. [Obs.]

2. Eager or inordinate desire, especially for wealth; greed of gain; avarice; covetousness .

With the feelings of political distrust were mingled those of cupidity and envy, as the Spaniard saw the fairest provinces of the south still in the hands of the accursed race of Ishmael. Prescott.

Cup-moss <Xpage=356>

Cup"-moss` (k?p"m?s`; 115) , n. (Bot.) A kind of lichen, of the genus Cladonia .

Cupola <Xpage=356>

Cu"po*la (k?"p?-l?) , n. ; pl. Cupolas (-l<?/z) . [It. cupola , LL. cupula , cuppula (cf. L. cupula little tub). fr. cupa , cuppa , cup; cf. L. cupa tub. So called on account of its resemblance to a cup turned over. See Cup , and cf. Cupule .] 1. (Arch.) A roof having a rounded form, hemispherical or nearly so; also, a celing having the same form. When on a large scale it is usually called dome .

2. A small structure standing on the top of a dome; a lantern.

3. A furnace for melting iron or other metals in large quantity, -- used chiefly in foundries and steel works.

4. A revoling shot-proof turret for heavy ordnance.

5. (Anat.) The top of the spire of the cochlea of the ear.

Cupper <Xpage=356>

Cup"per (k?p"p?r) , n. [Fropm cup .] One who performs the operation of cupping.

Cupping <Xpage=356>

Cup"ping (k?p"p?ng) , n. (Med.) The operation of drawing blood to or from the surface of the person by forming a partial vacuum over the spot. Also, sometimes, a similar operation for drawing pus from an abscess.

Cupping glass , a glass cup in which a partial vacuum is produced by heat, in the process of cupping. -- Dry cupping , the application of a cupping instrument without scarification, to draw blood to the surface, produce counter irritation, etc. -- Wet cupping , the operation of drawing blood by the application of a cupping instrument after scarification.

Cupreous <Xpage=356>

Cu"pre*ous (k?"pr?-?s) , a. [L. cupreus , fr. cuprum .] Consisting of copper or resembling copper; coppery.

Cupric <Xpage=356>

Cu"pric (k?"pr?k) , a [From Cuprum .] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from, copper; containing copper; -- said of those compounds of copper in which this element is present in its lowest proportion.

Cupriferous <Xpage=356>

Cu*prif"er*ous (k?-pr?f"?r-?s) , a. [ Cuprum + -ferous .] Containing copper; as, cupriferous silver .

Cuprite <Xpage=356>

Cu"prite (k?"pr?t) , n. (Min.) The red oxide of copper; red copper; an important ore of copper, occurring massive and in isometric crystals.

Cuproid <Xpage=356>

Cu"proid (k?"proid) , n. [ Cuprum + -oid .] (Crystalloq.) A solid related to a tetrahedron, and contained under twelve equal triangles.

Cup-rose <Xpage=356>

Cup"-rose (k?p"r?z) , n. Red poppy. See Cop-rose .

Cuprous <Xpage=356>

Cu"prous (k?"pr?s) , a. [From Cuprum .] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or derived from, copper; containing copper; -- said of those compounds of copper in which this element is present in its highest proportion.

Cuprum <Xpage=356>

Cu"prum (k?"pr?m) , n. [L.] (Chem.) Copper.

Cupulate <Xpage=356>

Cu"pu*late (k?"p?-l?t) , a. Having or bearing cupeles; cupuliferous.

Cupule <Xpage=356>

Cu"pule (k?"p?l) , n. [See Cupola .] 1. (Bot.) A cuplet or little cup, as the acorn; the husk or bur of the filbert, chestnut, etc.

2. (Zo\'94l.) A sucker or acetabulum.

Cupuliferous <Xpage=356>

Cu`pu*lif"er*ous (k?`p?-l?f"?r-?s) , a. [ Cupule + -ferous : cf. F. cupulif<?/re .] Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the family of plants ot which the oak and the chestnut are examples, -- trees bearing a smooth, solid nut inclosed in some kind of cup or bur; bearing, or furnished with, a cupule.

Cur <Xpage=356>

Cur (k?r) , n. [OE. curre , kur ; cf. dial. Sw. kurre dog, OD. korre watchdog, and Icel. kurra to murmur, grumble, Sw. kurra to rumble, croak, Dan. kurre to coo, whirr; prob. of imitative origin.] 1. A mongrel or inferior dog.

They . . . like to village curs , Bark when their fellows do. Shak.

2. A worthless, snarling fellow; -- used in contempt.

What would you have, you curs , That like nor peace nor war? Shak.

Curability <Xpage=356>

Cur`a*bil"i*ty (k?r`?-b?l"?-t?) , n. The state of being curable; curableness.

Curable <Xpage=356>

Cur"a*ble (k?r"?-b'l) , a. [Cf. F. curable . See Cure , v. t. ] Capable of being cured; admitting remedy. " Curable diseases." Harvey . -- Cur"a*ble*ness , n. -- Cur`a*bly , adv.

Cura\'87ao, Cura\'87oa <Xpage=356>

Cu`ra*\'87ao" , Cu`ra*\'87oa" , (k??`r?-s?") , n. A liqueur, or cordial, flavored with orange peel, cinnamon, and mace; -- first made at the island of Cura\'87cao .

Curacy <Xpage=356>

Cu"ra*cy (k?"r?-s?) , n. ; pl. Curacies (-s<?/z) . [See Cure , Curate .] The office or employment of a curate.

Curare Curari <Xpage=356>

Cu*ra"re Cu*ra"ri (k?-r?"r?) , n. [Native name. Cf. Wourall .] A black resinoid extract prepared by the South American Indians from the bark of several species of Strychnos ( S. toxifera , etc.). It sometimes has little effect when taken internally, but is quickly fatal when introduced into the blood, and used by the Indians as an arrow poison. [Written also urari , woorali , woorari , etc.]

Curarine <Xpage=356>

Cu"ra*rine (k?"r?-r?n &or; k?-r?"r?n; 104) , n. (Chem.) A deadly alkaloid extracted from the curare poison and from the Strychnos toxifera . It is obtained in crystalline colorless salts.

Curarize <Xpage=356>

Cu"ra*rize (-r?z) , v. t. To poison with curare.

Curassow <Xpage=356>

Cu*ras"sow (k?-r?s"s?) , n. [Native name in Brazil.] (Zool.) A large gallinaceous bird of the American genera Crax , Ourax , etc., of the family Cracid\'91 .

&hand; The crested curassow ( Crax alector ) is black, and about the size of a small hen-turkey, with an erectile crest of curled feathers. It ranges from Mexico to Brazil. The galeated curassow or cushew bird ( Ourax Pauxi ) is similar in size, and has a large, hollow, blue, pear-shaped protuberance on the head.

Curat <Xpage=356>

Cu"rat (k?"r?t) , n. [See Cuirass .] A cuirass or breastplate. [Obs.]

Spenser.

<page="357"> Page 357

Curate <Xpage=357>

Cu"rate (k?"r?t) , n. [LL. curatus , prop., one who is charged with the care (L. cura ) of souls. See Cure , n. , and cf. Cur<?/ ] One who has the cure souls; originally, any clergyman, but now usually limited to one who assist a rector or vicar

Hook.

All this the good old man performed alone, He spared no pains, for curate he had none. Dryden.

Curateship <Xpage=357>

Cu"rate*ship , n. A curacy.

Curation <Xpage=357>

Cu*ra"tion (k?-r?"sh?n) , n. [Cf. OF. curacion .] Cure; healing. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Curative <Xpage=357>

Cur"a*tive (k?r"?-t?v) , a. [Cf. F. curatif . See Cure , v. t. ] Relating to, or employed in, the cure of diseases; tending to cure.

Arbuthnot.

Curator <Xpage=357>