Chapter 10

Can"ta*loupe (?), n. [F. cantaloup, It. cantalupo, so called from the caste of Cantalupo, in the Marca d'Ancona, in Italy, where they were first grown in Europe, from seed said to have been imported from Armenia.] A muskmelon of several varieties, having when mature, a yellowish skin, and flesh of a reddish orange color. [Written also cantaleup.]

Can*tan"ker*ous (?), a. Perverse; contentious; ugly; malicious. [Colloq.] -- Can*tan"ker*ous*ly, adv. -- Can*tan"ker*ous*ness, n.

The cantankerous old maiden aunt. Thackeray.

{ Can"tar (?), ||Can*tar"ro (?), } n. [It. cantaro (in sense 1), Sp. cantaro (in sense 2).]

1. A weight used in southern Europe and East for heavy articles. It varies in different localities; thus, at Rome it is nearly 75 pounds, in Sardinia nearly 94 pounds, in Cairo it is 95 pounds, in Syria about 503 pounds.

2. A liquid measure in Spain, ranging from two and a half to four gallons. Simmonds.

||Can*ta"ta (?), n. [It., fr. cantare to sing, fr. L. cantare intens of canere to sing.] (Mus.) A poem set to music; a musical composition comprising choruses, solos, interludes, etc., arranged in a somewhat dramatic manner; originally, a composition for a single noise, consisting of both recitative and melody.

Can*ta"tion (?), n. [L. cantatio.] A singing. [Obs.] Blount.

Cant"a*to*ry (?), a. Containing cant or affectation; whining; singing. [R.]

||Can`ta*tri"ce (k&adot;n`t&adot;*trē"ch&asl;), n. [It.] (Mus.) A female professional singer.

Cant"ed (?), a. [From 2d Cant.] 1. Having angles; as, a six canted bolt head; a canted window.

Canted column (Arch.), a column polygonal in plan.

2. Inclined at an angle to something else; tipped; sloping.

Can*teen" (kăn*tēn"), n. [F. cantine bottle case, canteen (cf. Sp. & It. cantina cellar, bottle case), either contr. fr. It. canovettina, dim. of canova cellar, or, more likely, fr. OF. cant. corner, It. & Sp. canto. See 1st Cant.] (Mil.) 1. A vessel used by soldiers for carrying water, liquor, or other drink. [Written also cantine.]

&fist; In the English service the canteen is made of wood and holds three pints; in the United States it is usually a tin flask.

2. The sutler's shop in a garrison; also, a chest containing culinary and other vessels for officers.

Can"tel (?), n. See Cantle.

Can"ter (?), n. [An abbreviation of Caner bury. See Canterbury gallop, under Canterbury.] 1. A moderate and easy gallop adapted to pleasure riding.

&fist; The canter is a thoroughly artificial pace, at first extremely tiring to the horse, and generally only to be produced in him by the restraint of a powerful bit, which compels him to throw a great part of his weight on his haunches . . . There is so great a variety in the mode adopted by different horses for performing the canter, that no single description will suffice, nor indeed is it easy . . . to define any one of them. J. H. Walsh.

2. A rapid or easy passing over.

A rapid canter in the Times over all the topics. Sir J. Stephen.

Can"ter (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cantered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Cantering.] To move in a canter.

Can"ter, v. t. To cause, as a horse, to go at a canter; to ride (a horse) at a canter.

Cant"er, n. 1. One who cants or whines; a beggar.

2. One who makes hypocritical pretensions to goodness; one who uses canting language.

The day when he was a canter and a rebel. Macaulay.

Can"ter*bur*y (?), n. 1. A city in England, giving its name various articles. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury (primate of all England), and contains the shrine of Thomas Ó Becket, to which pilgrimages were formerly made.

2. A stand with divisions in it for holding music, loose papers, etc.

Canterbury ball (Bot.), a species of Campanula of several varieties, cultivated for its handsome bell-shaped flowers. -- Canterbury gallop, a gentle gallop such as was used by pilgrims riding to Canterbury; a canter. -- Canterbury tale, one of the tales which Chaucer puts into the mouths of certain pilgrims to Canterbury. Hence, any tale told by travelers to pass away the time.

Can*thar"*i*dal (?), a. Of or pertaining to cantharides or made of cantharides; as, cantharidal plaster.

Can*thar"i*des (?), n. pl. See Cantharis.

Can*thar"i*din (?), n. (Chem.) The active principle of the cantharis, or Spanish fly, a volatile, acrid, bitter solid, crystallizing in four-sided prisms.

Can"tha*ris (?), n.; pl. Cantharides (#). [L., a kind of beetle, esp. the Spanish fly, Gr. kanqari`s.] (Zo÷l.) A beetle (Lytta, or Cantharis, vesicatoria), havin1g an elongated cylindrical body of a brilliant green color, and a nauseous odor; the blister fly or blister beetle, of the apothecary; -- also called Spanish fly. Many other species of Lytta, used for the same purpose, take the same name. See Blister beetle, under Blister. The plural form in usually applied to the dried insects used in medicine.

Cant" hook` (?). A wooden lever with a movable iron hook. hear the end; -- used for canting or turning over heavy logs, etc. [U. S.] Bartlett.

Can"tho*plas`ty (?), n. [Gr.&?;, corner of the eye + &?; to from.] (Surg.) The operation of forming a new canthus, when one has been destroyed by injury or disease.

||Can"thus (?), n.; pl. Canthi (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;.] (Anat.) The corner where the upper and under eyelids meet on each side of the eye.

Can"ti*cle (?), n.; pl. Canticles (#). [L. canticulum a little song, dim. of canticum song, fr. cantus a singing, fr. coner to sing. See Chant.] 1. A song; esp. a little song or hymn. [Obs.] Bacon.

2. pl. The Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, one of the books of the Old Testament.

3. A canto or division of a poem [Obs.] Spenser.

4. A psalm, hymn, or passage from the Bible, arranged for chanting in church service.

Can"ti*coy (?), n. [Of American Indian origin.] A social gathering; usually, one for dancing.

Can"tile (?), v. i. Same as Cantle, v. t.

||Can`ti*le"na (?), n. [It. & L.] (Mus.) See Cantabile.

Can"ti*lev`er (?), n. Same as Cantalever.

Can"til*late (?), v. i. [L. cantillatus, p. p. of cantillare to sing low, dim. of cantare. See Cantata.] To chant; to recite with musical tones. M. Stuart.

Can`til*la"tion (?), n. A chanting; recitation or reading with musical modulations.

Can*tine" (?), n. See Canteen.

Cant"ing (?), a. Speaking in a whining tone of voice; using technical or religious terms affectedly; affectedly pious; as, a canting rogue; a canting tone.

-- Cant"ing*ly, adv. -- Cant"ing*ness, n.

Canting arms, Canting heraldry (Her.), bearings in the nature of a rebus alluding to the name of the bearer. Thus, the Castletons bear three castles, and Pope Adrian IV. (Nicholas Breakspeare) bore a broken spear.

Cant"ing, n. The use of cant; hypocrisy.

||Can`ti*niere" (?), n. [F., fr. cantine a sutler's shop, canteen.] (Mil) A woman who carries a canteen for soldiers; a vivandiŔre.

Can"tion (?), n. [L. cantio, from canere to sing.] A song or verses. [Obs.] Spenser.

Can"tle (?), n. [OF. cantel, chantel, corner, side, piece, F. chanteau a piece cut from a larger piece, dim. of OF. cant edge, corner. See 1st Cant.] 1. A corner or edge of anything; a piece; a fragment; a part. "In one cantle of his law." Milton.

Cuts me from the best of all my land A huge half moon, a monstrous cantle out. Shak.

2. The upwardly projecting rear part of saddle, opposite to the pommel. [Written also cante.]

Can"tle, v. t. To cut in pieces; to cut out from. [Obs.] [Written also cantile.]

Cant"let (?), n. [Dim. of cantle.] A piece; a fragment; a corner. Dryden.

Can"to (?), n.; pl. Cantos (#). [It. canto, fr. L. cantus singing, song. See Chant.] 1. One of the chief divisions of a long poem; a book.

2. (Mus.) The highest vocal part; the air or melody in choral music; anciently the tenor, now the soprano.

||Canto fermo (&?;) [It.] (Mus.), the plain ecclesiastical chant in cathedral service; the plain song.

Can"ton (?), n. A song or canto [Obs.]

Write loyal cantons of contemned love. Shak.

Can"ton, n. [F. canton, augm. of OF. cant edge, corner. See 1st Cant.] 1. A small portion; a division; a compartment.

That little canton of land called the "English pale" Davies.

There is another piece of Holbein's, . . . in which, in six several cantons, the several parts of our Savior's passion are represented. Bp. Burnet.

2. A small community or clan.

3. A small territorial district; esp. one of the twenty-two independent states which form the Swiss federal republic; in France, a subdivision of an arrondissement. See Arrondissement.

4. (Her.) A division of a shield occupying one third part of the chief, usually on the dexter side, formed by a perpendicular line from the top of the shield, meeting a horizontal line from the side.

The king gave us the arms of England to be borne in a canton in our arms. Evelyn.

Can"ton, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Cantoned ; p. pr. & vb. n. Cantoning.] [Cf. F. cantonner.] 1. To divide into small parts or districts; to mark off or separate, as a distinct portion or division.

They canton out themselves a little Goshen in the intellectual world. Locke.

2. (Mil.) To allot separate quarters to, as to different parts or divisions of an army or body of troops.

Can"ton*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a canton or cantons; of the nature of a canton.

Can"ton crape" (krāp"). A soft, white or colored silk fabric, of a gauzy texture and wavy appearance, used for ladies' scarfs, shawls, bonnet trimmings, etc.; -- called also Oriental crape. De Colange.

Can"toned (?), a. 1. (Her.) Having a charge in each of the four corners; -- said of a cross on a shield, and also of the shield itself.

2. (Arch.) Having the angles marked by, or decorated with, projecting moldings or small columns; as, a cantoned pier or pilaster.

Can"ton flan"nel (?). See Cotton flannel.

Can"ton*ize (?), v. i. To divide into cantons or small districts.

Can"ton*ment (?), n. [Cf. F. cantonnement.] A town or village, or part of a town or village, assigned to a body of troops for quarters; temporary shelter or place of rest for an army; quarters.

&fist; When troops are sheltered in huts or quartered in the houses of the people during any suspension of hostilities, they are said to be in cantonment, or to be cantoned. In India, permanent military stations, or military towns, are termed cantonments.

Can*toon" (?), n. A cotton stuff showing a fine cord on one side and a satiny surface on the other.

Can"tor (?), n. [L., a singer, fr. caner to sing.] A singer; esp. the leader of a church choir; a precentor.

The cantor of the church intones the Te Deum. Milman.

Can"tor*al (?), a. Of or belonging to a cantor.

Cantoral staff, the official staff or baton of a cantor or precentor, with which time is marked for the singers.

Can*to"ris (?), a. [L., lit., of the cantor, gen. of cantor.] Of or pertaining to a cantor; as, the cantoris side of a choir; a cantoris stall. Shipley.

{ Can"trap (?), Can"trip (?), } n. [Cf. Icel. gandar, ODan. & OSw. gan, witchcraft, and E. trap a snare, tramp.] A charm; an incantation; a shell; a trick; adroit mischief. [Written also cantraip.] [Scot.]

{ Can"tred (?), ||Can"tref, } n. [W. cantref; cant hundred + tref dwelling place, village.] A district comprising a hundred villages, as in Wales. [Written also kantry.]

Can"ty (?), a. Cheerful; sprightly; lively; merry. "The canty dame." Wordsworth [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

Contented with little, and canty with mair. Burns.

Ca*nuck" (?), n. 1. A Canadian. [Slang]

2. A small or medium-sized hardy horse, common in Canada. [Colloq.]

{ Can"u*la (?), n., Can"u*lar (?), a., Can"u*la`ted (?), } a. See Cannula, Cannular, and Cannulated.

Can"vas (?), n. [OE. canvas, canevas, F. canevas, LL. canabacius hempen cloth, canvas, L. cannabis hemp, fr. G. &?;. See Hemp.] 1. A strong cloth made of hemp, flax, or cotton; -- used for tents, sails, etc.

By glimmering lanes and walls of canvas led. Tennyson.

2. (a) A coarse cloth so woven as to form regular meshes for working with the needle, as in tapestry, or worsted work. (b) A piece of strong cloth of which the surface has been prepared to receive painting, commonly painting in oil.

History . . . does not bring out clearly upon the canvas the details which were familiar. J. H. Newman.

3. Something for which canvas is used: (a) A sail, or a collection of sails. (b) A tent, or a collection of tents. (c) A painting, or a picture on canvas.

To suit his canvas to the roughness of the see. Goldsmith.

Light, rich as that which glows on the canvas of Claude. Macaulay.

4. A rough draft or model of a song, air, or other literary or musical composition; esp. one to show a poet the measure of the verses he is to make. Grabb.

Can"vas, a. Made of, pertaining to, or resembling, canvas or coarse cloth; as, a canvas tent.

Can"vas*back` (?), n. (Zo÷l.) A Species of duck (Aythya vallisneria), esteemed for the delicacy of its flesh. It visits the United States in autumn; particularly Chesapeake Bay and adjoining waters; -- so named from the markings of the plumage on its back.

Can"vass (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. canvassed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Canvassing.] [OF. Canabasser to examine curiously, to search or sift out; properly, to sift through canvas. See Canvas, n.] 1. To sift; to strain; to examine thoroughly; to scrutinize; as, to canvass the votes cast at an election; to canvass a district with reference to its probable vote.

I have made careful search on all hands, and canvassed the matter with all possible diligence. Woodward.

2. To examine by discussion; to debate.

An opinion that we are likely soon to canvass. Sir W. Hamilton.

3. To go through, with personal solicitation or public addresses; as, to canvass a district for votes; to canvass a city for subscriptions.

Can"vass, v. i. To search thoroughly; to engage in solicitation by traversing a district; as, to canvass for subscriptions or for votes; to canvass for a book, a publisher, or in behalf of a charity; -- commonly followed by for.

Can"vass, n. 1. Close inspection; careful review for verification; as, a canvass of votes. Bacon.

2. Examination in the way of discussion or debate.

3. Search; exploration; solicitation; systematic effort to obtain votes, subscribers, etc.

No previous canvass was made for me. Burke.

Can"vass*er (?), n. One who canvasses.

Can"y (?), a. [From Cane.] Of or pertaining to cane or canes; abounding with canes. Milton.

Can"yon (?), n. The English form of the Spanish word Ca˝on.

||Can*zo"ne (?), n. [It., a song, fr. L. cantio, fr. canere to sing. Cf. Chanson, Chant.] (Mus.) (a) A song or air for one or more voices, of Provenšal origin, resembling, though not strictly, the madrigal. (b) An instrumental piece in the madrigal style.

Can`zo*net" (?), n. [It. canzonetta, dim. of canzone.] (Mus.) A short song, in one or more parts.

Caout"chin (?), n. (Chem.) An inflammable, volatile, oily, liquid hydrocarbon, obtained by the destructive distillation of caoutchouc.

Caout"chouc (?), n. [F. caoutchouc, from the South American name.] A tenacious, elastic, gummy substance obtained from the milky sap of several plants of tropical South America (esp. the euphorbiaceous tree Siphonia elastica or Hevea caoutchouc), Asia, and Africa. Being impermeable to liquids and gases, and not readly affected by exposure to air, acids, and alkalies, it is used, especially when vulcanized, for many purposes in the arts and in manufactures. Also called India rubber (because it was first brought from India, and was formerly used chiefly for erasing pencil marks) and gum elastic. See Vulcanization.

Mineral caoutchouc. See under Mineral.

Caout"chou*cin (?), n. See Caoutchin.

Cap (kăp), n. [OE. cappe, AS. cŠppe, cap, cape, hood, fr. LL, cappa, capa; perhaps of Iberian origin, as Isidorus of Seville mentions it first: "Capa, quia quasi totum capiat hominem; it. capitis ornamentum." See 3d Cape, and cf. 1st Cope.] 1. A covering for the head; esp. (a) One usually with a visor but without a brim, for men and boys; (b) One of lace, muslin, etc., for women, or infants; (c) One used as the mark or ensign of some rank, office, or dignity, as that of a cardinal.

2. The top, or uppermost part; the chief.

Thou art the cap of all the fools alive. Shak.

3. A respectful uncovering of the head.

He that will give a cap and make a leg in thanks. Fuller.

4. (Zo÷l.) The whole top of the head of a bird from the base of the bill to the nape of the neck.

5. Anything resembling a cap in form, position, or use; as: (a) (Arch.) The uppermost of any assemblage of parts; as, the cap of column, door, etc.; a capital, coping, cornice, lintel, or plate. (b) Something covering the top or end of a thing for protection or ornament. (c) (Naut.) A collar of iron or wood used in joining spars, as the mast and the topmast, the bowsprit and the jib boom; also, a covering of tarred canvas at the end of a rope. (d) A percussion cap. See under Percussion. (e) (Mech.) The removable cover of a journal box. (f) (Geom.) A portion of a spherical or other convex surface.

6. A large size of writing paper; as, flat cap; foolscap; legal cap.

Cap of a cannon, a piece of lead laid over the vent to keep the priming dry; -- now called an apron. -- Cap in hand, obsequiously; submissively. -- Cap of liberty. See Liberty cap, under Liberty. -- Cap of maintenance, a cap of state carried before the kings of England at the coronation. It is also carried before the mayors of some cities. -- Cap money, money collected in a cap for the huntsman at the death of the fox. -- Cap paper. (a) A kind of writing paper including flat cap, foolscap, and legal cap. (b) A coarse wrapping paper used for making caps to hold commodities. -- Cap rock (Mining), The layer of rock next overlying ore, generally of barren vein material. -- Flat cap, cap See Foolscap. -- Forage cap, the cloth undress head covering of an officer of soldier. -- Legal cap, a kind of folio writing paper, made for the use of lawyers, in long narrow sheets which have the fold at the top or "narrow edge." -- To set one's cap, to make a fool of one. (Obs.) Chaucer. -- To set one's cap for, to try to win the favor of a man with a view to marriage. [Colloq.]

Cap (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Capped (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Capping.] 1. To cover with a cap, or as with a cap; to provide with a cap or cover; to cover the top or end of; to place a cap upon the proper part of; as, to cap a post; to cap a gun.

The bones next the joint are capped with a smooth cartilaginous substance. Derham.

2. To deprive of cap. [Obs.] Spenser.

3. To complete; to crown; to bring to the highest point or consummation; as, to cap the climax of absurdity.

4. To salute by removing the cap. [Slang. Eng.]

Tom . . . capped the proctor with the profoundest of bows. Thackeray.

5. To match; to mate in contest; to furnish a complement to; as, to cap text; to cap proverbs. Shak.

Now I have him under girdle I'll cap verses with him to the end of the chapter. Dryden.

&fist; In capping verses, when one quotes a verse another must cap it by quoting one beginning with the last letter of the first letter, or with the first letter of the last word, or ending with a rhyming word, or by applying any other arbitrary rule may be agreed upon.

Cap, v. i. To uncover the head respectfully. Shak.

Ca`pa*bil"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Capabilities (#). 1. The quality of being capable; capacity; capableness; esp. intellectual power or ability.

A capability to take a thousand views of a subject. H. Taylor.

2. Capacity of being used or improved.

Ca"pa*ble (?), a. [F. capable, LL. capabilis capacious, capable, fr. L. caper to take, contain. See Heave.] 1. Possessing ability, qualification, or susceptibility; having capacity; of sufficient size or strength; as, a room capable of holding a large number; a castle capable of resisting a long assault.

Concious of joy and capable of pain. Prior.

2. Possessing adequate power; qualified; able; fully competent; as, a capable instructor; a capable judge; a mind capable of nice investigations.

More capable to discourse of battles than to give them. Motley.

3. Possessing legal power or capacity; as, a man capable of making a contract, or a will.

4. Capacious; large; comprehensive. [Obs.] Shak.

&fist; Capable is usually followed by of, sometimes by an infinitive.

Syn. -- Able; competent; qualified; fitted; efficient; effective; skillful.

Ca"pa*ble*ness, n. The quality or state of being capable; capability; adequateness; competency.

Ca*pac"i*fy (k&adot;*păs"&ibreve;*fī), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Capacified (-fīd).] [L. capax, -acis, capacious + -fy.] To quality. [R.]

The benefice he is capacified and designed for. Barrow.

Ca*pa"cious (k&adot;*pā"shŭs), a. [L. capax, -acis, fr. capere to take. See Heave.] 1. Having capacity; able to contain much; large; roomy; spacious; extended; broad; as, a capacious vessel, room, bay, or harbor.

In the capacious recesses of his mind. Bancroft.

2. Able or qualified to make large views of things, as in obtaining knowledge or forming designs; comprehensive; liberal. "A capacious mind." Watts.

Ca*pa"cious*ly, adv. In a capacious manner or degree; comprehensively.

Ca*pa"cious*ness, n. The quality of being capacious, as of a vessel, a reservoir a bay, the mind, etc.

Ca*pac"i*tate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Capacitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Capacitating.] To render capable; to enable; to qualify.

By this instruction we may be capaciated to observe those errors. Dryden.

Ca*pac"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Capacities (-t&ibreve;z). [L. capacitus, fr. capax, capacis; fr. F. capacitÚ. See Capacious.] 1. The power of receiving or containing; extent of room or space; passive power; -- used in reference to physical things.

Had our great palace the capacity To camp this host, we all would sup together. Shak.

The capacity of the exhausted cylinder. Boyle.

2. The power of receiving and holding ideas, knowledge, etc.; the comprehensiveness of the mind; the receptive faculty; capability of understanding or feeling.

Capacity is now properly limited to these [the mere passive operations of the mind]; its primary signification, which is literally room for, as well as its employment, favors this; although it can not be denied that there are examples of its usage in an active sense. Sir W. Hamilton.

3. Ability; power pertaining to, or resulting from, the possession of strength, wealth, or talent; possibility of being or of doing.

The capacity of blessing the people. Alex. Hamilton.

A cause with such capacities endued. Blackmore.

4. Outward condition or circumstances; occupation; profession; character; position; as, to work in the capacity of a mason or a carpenter.

5. (Law) Legal or moral qualification, as of age, residence, character, etc., necessary for certain purposes, as for holding office, for marrying, for making contracts, wills, etc.; legal power or right; competency.

Capacity for heat, the power of absorbing heat. Substances differ in the amount of heat requisite to raise them a given number of thermometric degrees, and this difference is the measure of, or depends upon, what is called their capacity for heat. See Specific heat, under Heat.

Syn. -- Ability; faculty; talent; capability; skill; efficiency; cleverness. See Ability.

Cap`*a*pe" (?), adv. See Cap-a-pie. Shak.

||Cap`*a*pie" (?), adv. [OF. (&?;) cap-a-pie, from head to foot, now de pied en cap from foot to head; L. pes foot + caput head.] From head to foot; at all points. "He was armed cap-a-pie." Prescott.

Ca*par"i*son (?), n. [F. caparašon, fr. Sp. caparazon a cover for a saddle, coach, etc.; capa cloak, cover (fr. LL. capa, cf. LL. caparo also fr. capa) + the term. azon. See Cap.] 1. An ornamental covering or housing for a horse; the harness or trappings of a horse, taken collectively, esp. when decorative.

Their horses clothed with rich caparison. Drylen.

2. Gay or rich clothing.