Chapter 27

4. (Biol.) (a) One of the cells or division formed by segmentation, as in egg cleavage or in fissiparous cell formation. (b) One of the divisions, rings, or joints into which many animal bodies are divided; a somite; a metamere; a somatome.

Segment gear, a piece for receiving or communicating reciprocating motion from or to a cogwheel, consisting of a sector of a circular gear, or ring, having cogs on the periphery, or face. -- Segment of a line, the part of a line contained between two points on it. -- Segment of a sphere, the part of a sphere cut off by a plane, or included between two parallel planes. -- Ventral segment. (Acoustics) See Loor, n., 5.

Seg"ment (?), v. i. (Biol.) To divide or separate into parts in growth; to undergo segmentation, or cleavage, as in the segmentation of the ovum.

Seg*men"tal (?), a. 1. Relating to, or being, a segment.

2. (Anat. & Zoöl.) (a) Of or pertaining to the segments of animals; as, a segmental duct; segmental papillæ. (b) Of or pertaining to the segmental organs.

Segmental duct (Anat.), the primitive duct of the embryonic excretory organs which gives rise to the Wolffian duct and ureter; the pronephric duct. -- Segmental organs. (a) (Anat.) The embryonic excretory organs of vertebrates, consisting primarily of the segmental tubes and segmental ducts. (b) (Zoöl.) The tubular excretory organs, a pair of which often occur in each of several segments in annelids. They serve as renal organs, and often, also, as oviducts and sperm ducts. See Illust. under Sipunculacea. -- Segmental tubes (Anat.), the tubes which primarily open into the segmental duct, some of which become the urinary tubules of the adult.

Seg`men*ta"tion (?), n. The act or process of dividing into segments; specifically (Biol.), a self-division into segments as a result of growth; cell cleavage; cell multiplication; endogenous cell formation.

Segmentation cavity (Biol.), the cavity formed by the arrangement of the cells in segmentation or cleavage of the ovum; the cavity of the blastosphere. In the gastrula stage, the segmentation cavity in which the mesoblast is formed lies between the entoblast and ectoblast. See Illust. of Invagination. -- Segmentation nucleus (Biol.), the body formed by fusion of the male and female pronucleus in an impregnated ovum. See the Note under Pronucleus. -- Segmentation of the ovum, or Egg cleavage (Biol.), the process by which the embryos of all the higher plants and animals are derived from the germ cell. In the simplest case, that of small ova destitute of food yolk, the ovum or egg divides into two similar halves or segments (blastomeres), each of these again divides into two, and so on, thus giving rise to a mass of cells (mulberry mass, or morula), all equal and similar, from the growth and development of which the future animal is to be formed. This constitutes regular segmentation. Quite frequently, however, the equality and regularity of cleavage is interfered with by the presence of food yolk, from which results unequal segmentation. See Holoblastic, Meroblastic, Alecithal, Centrolecithal, Ectolecithal, and Ovum. -- Segmentation sphere (Biol.), the blastosphere, or morula. See Morula.

Seg"ment*ed (?), a. Divided into segments or joints; articulated.

{ Seg"ni*tude (?), Seg"ni*ty (?) }, n. [L. segnitas, fr. segnis slow, sluggish.] Sluggishness; dullness; inactivity. [Obs.]

||Se"gno (?), n. [It. See Sign.] (Mus.) A sign. See Al segno, and Dal ||segno.

Se"go (?), n. (Bot.) A liliaceous plant (Calochortus Nuttallii) of Western North America, and its edible bulb; -- so called by the Ute Indians and the Mormons.

Seg"re*gate (?), a. [L. segregatus, p. p. of segregare to separate; pref. se- aside + grex, gregis, a flock or herd. See Gregarious.] 1. Separate; select.

2. (Bot.) Separated from others of the same kind.

Seg"re*gate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Segregated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Segregating.] To separate from others; to set apart.

They are still segregated, Christians from Christians, under odious designations.

I. Taylor.

Seg"re*gate, v. i. (Geol.) To separate from a mass, and collect together about centers or along lines of fracture, as in the process of crystallization or solidification.

Seg`re*ga"tion (?), n. [L. segregatio: cf. F. ségrégation.] 1. The act of segregating, or the state of being segregated; separation from others; a parting.

2. (Geol.) Separation from a mass, and gathering about centers or into cavities at hand through cohesive attraction or the crystallizing process.

||Seiches (?), n. pl. [F.] (Geol.) Local oscillations in level observed ||in the case of some lakes, as Lake Geneva.

Seid (?), n. [Ar seyid prince.] A descendant of Mohammed through his daughter Fatima and nephew Ali.

Seid"litz (?), a. Of or pertaining to Seidlitz, a village in Bohemia. [Written also Sedlitz.]

Seidlitz powders, effervescing salts, consisting of two separate powders, one of which contains forty grains of sodium bicarbonate mixed with two drachms of Rochell&?; salt (tartrate of potassium and sodium) and the other contains thirty-five grains of tartaric acid. The powders are mixed in water, and drunk while effervescing, as a mild cathartic; -- so called from the resemblance to the natural water of Seidlitz. Called also Rochelle powders. -- Seidlitz water, a natural water from Seidlitz, containing magnesium, sodium, calcium, and potassium sulphates, with calcium carbonate and a little magnesium chloride. It is used as an aperient.

Seigh (?), obs. imp. sing. of See. Saw. Chaucer.

Seign*eu"ri*al (?), a. [F., fr. seigneur. See Seignior.] 1. Of or pertaining to the lord of a manor; manorial. Sir W. Temple.

2. Vested with large powers; independent.

Seign"ior (?), n. [OF. seignor, F. seigneur, cf. It. signore, Sp. señor from an objective case of L. senier elder. See Senior.] 1. A lord; the lord of a manor.

2. A title of honor or of address in the South of Europe, corresponding to Sir or Mr. in English.

Grand Seignior, the sultan of Turkey.

Seign"ior*age (?), n. [F. seigneuriage, OF. seignorage.] 1. Something claimed or taken by virtue of sovereign prerogative; specifically, a charge or toll deducted from bullion brought to a mint to be coined; the difference between the cost of a mass of bullion and the value as money of the pieces coined from it.

If government, however, throws the expense of coinage, as is reasonable, upon the holders, by making a charge to cover the expense (which is done by giving back rather less in coin than has been received in bullion, and is called "levying a seigniorage"), the coin will rise to the extent of the seigniorage above the value of the bullion.

J. S. Mill.

2. A share of the receipts of a business taken in payment for the use of a right, as a copyright or a patent.

Seign"ior*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a seignior; seigneurial. "Kingly or seignioral patronage." Burke.

Seign"ior*al*ty (?), n. The territory or authority of a seignior, or lord. Milman.

Seign*io"ri*al (?), a. Same as Seigneurial.

Seign"ior*ize (?), v. t. To lord it over. [Obs.]

As proud as he that seigniorizeth hell.

Fairfax.

Seign"ior*y (?), n.; pl. -ies (#). [OE. seignorie, OF. seigneurie, F. seigneurie; cf. It. signoria.] 1. The power or authority of a lord; dominion.

O'Neal never had any seigniory over that country but what by encroachment he got upon the English.

Spenser.

2. The territory over which a lord holds jurisdiction; a manor. [Written also seigneury, and seignory.]

Seine (?), n. [F. seine, or AS. segene, b&?;th fr. L. sagena, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;.] (Fishing.) A large net, one edge of which is provided with sinkers, and the other with floats. It hangs vertically in the water, and when its ends are brought together or drawn ashore incloses the fish.

Seine boat, a boat specially constructed to carry and pay out a seine.

Sein"er (?), n. One who fishes with a seine.

Sein"ing, n. Fishing with a seine.

Seint (?), n. [See Cincture.] A girdle. [Obs.] "Girt with a seint of silk." Chaucer.

Seint, n. A saint. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sein"tu*a*ry (?), n. Sanctuary. [Obs.]

Seir"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Seerfish.

Sei"ro*spore (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; a cord + E. spore.] (Bot.) One of several spores arranged in a chain as in certain algæ of the genus Callithamnion.

Seise (?), v. t. See Seize. Spenser.

This is the common spelling in the law phrase to be seised of (an estate).

Sei"sin (?), n. See Seizin. Spenser.

{ Seis"mic (?), Seis"mal (?), } a. [Gr. seismo`s an earthquake, from sei`ein to shake.] Of or pertaining to an earthquake; caused by an earthquake.

Seismic vertical, the point upon the earth's surface vertically over the center of effort or focal point whence the earthquake's impulse proceeds, or the vertical line connecting these two points.

Seis"mo*graph (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an earthquake + -graph.] (Physics) An apparatus for registering the shocks and undulatory motions of earthquakes.

Seis`mo*graph"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to a seismograph; indicated by a seismograph.

Seis*mog"ra*phy (?), n. 1. A writing about, or a description of, earthquakes.

2. The art of registering the shocks and undulatory movements of earthquakes.

Seis`mo*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to seismology. -- Seis`mo*log"ic*al*ly, adv.

Seis*mol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an earthquake + -logy.] The science of earthquakes.

Seis*mom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an earthquake + -meter.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring the direction, duration, and force of earthquakes and like concussions.

Seis`mo*met"ric (?), a. Of or pertaining to seismometry, or seismometer; as, seismometric instruments; seismometric measurements.

Seis*mom"e*try (?), n. The mensuration of such phenomena of earthquakes as can be expressed in numbers, or by their relation to the coördinates of space.

Seis"mo*scope (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; an earthquake + -scope.] (Physics) A seismometer.

Se"i*ty (?), n. [L. se one's self.] Something peculiar to one's self. [R.] Tatler.

Seiz"a*ble (?), a. That may be seized.

Seize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Seizing.] [OE. seisen, saisen, OF. seisir, saisir, F. saisir, of Teutonic origin, and akin to E. set. The meaning is properly, to set, put, place, hence, to put in possession of. See Set, v. t.] 1. To fall or rush upon suddenly and lay hold of; to gripe or grasp suddenly; to reach and grasp.

For by no means the high bank he could seize.

Spenser.

Seek you to seize and gripe into your hands The royalties and rights of banished Hereford?

Shak.

<! p. 1305 !>

2. To take possession of by force.

At last they seize The scepter, and regard not David's sons.

Milton.

3. To invade suddenly; to take sudden hold of; to come upon suddenly; as, a fever seizes a patient.

Hope and deubt alternate seize her seul.

Pope.

4. (law) To take possession of by virtue of a warrant or other legal authority; as, the sheriff seized the debtor's goods.

5. To fasten; to fix. [Obs.]

As when a bear hath seized her cruel claws Upon the carcass of some beast too weak.

Spenser.

6. To grap with the mind; to comprehend fully and distinctly; as, to seize an idea.

7. (Naut.) To bind or fasten together with a lashing of small stuff, as yarn or marline; as, to seize ropes.

This word, by writers on law, is commonly written seise, in the phrase to be seised of (an estate), as also, in composition, disseise, disseisin.

To be seized of, to have possession, or right of possession; as, A B was seized and possessed of the manor of Dale. "Whom age might see seized of what youth made prize." Chapman. -- To seize on or upon, to fall on and grasp; to take hold on; to take possession of suddenly and forcibly.

Syn. -- To catch; grasp; clutch; snatch; apprehend; arrest; take; capture.

Seiz"er (?), n. One who, or that which, seizes.

Sei"zin (?), n. [F. saisine. See Seize.] 1. (Law) Possession; possession of an estate of froehold. It may be either in deed or in law; the former when there is actual possession, the latter when there is a right to such possession by construction of law. In some of the United States seizin means merely ownership. Burrill.

2. The act of taking possession. [Obs.]

3. The thing possessed; property. Sir M. Halle.

Commonly spelt by writers on law seisin.

Livery of seizin. (Eng. Law) See Note under Livery, 1.

Seiz"ing (?), n. 1. The act of taking or grasping suddenly.

2. (Naut.) (a) The operation of fastening together or lashing. (b) The cord or lashing used for such fastening.

Sei"zor (?), n. (Law) One who seizes, or takes possession.

Sei"zure (?), n. 1. The act of seizing, or the state of being seized; sudden and violent grasp or gripe; a taking into possession; as, the seizure of a thief, a property, a throne, etc.

2. Retention within one's grasp or power; hold; possession; ownership.

Make o'er thy honor by a deed of trust, And give me seizure of the mighty wealth.

Dryden.

3. That which is seized, or taken possession of; a thing laid hold of, or possessed.

{ Se"jant, Se"jeant } (?), a. [F. séant, p. pr. of seoir to sit, L. sedere.] (Her.) Sitting, as a lion or other beast.

Sejant rampant, sitting with the forefeet lifted up. Wright.

Se*jein" (?), v. t. [L. sejungere; pref. se- aside + jungere to join. See Join.] To separate. [Obs.]

Se*junc"tion (?), n. [L. sejunctio. See Sejoin.] The act of disjoining, or the state of being disjoined. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

Se*jun"gi*ble (?), a. [See Sejoin.] Capable of being disjoined. [Obs.] Bp. Pearson.

Seke (?), a. Sick. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Seke (?), v. t. & i. To seek. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Se"kes (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; a pen, a sacred inclosure, a ||shrine.] (Arch.) A place in a pagan temple in which the images of the ||deities were inclosed.

Se*la"chi*an (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of the Selachii. See Illustration in Appendix.

||Se*la"chi*i (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?; a fish having ||cartilages instead of bones.] (Zoöl.) An order of elasmobranchs ||including the sharks and rays; the Plagiostomi. Called also Selacha, ||Selache, and Selachoidei.

||Sel`a*choi"de*i (?), n. pl. [NL. See Selachii, and -oid.] (Zoöl.) ||Same as Selachii.

||Sel`a*chos"to*mi (?), n. pl. [NL. See Selachii, and Stoma.] (Zoöl.) A ||division of ganoid fishes which includes the paddlefish, in which the ||mouth is armed with small teeth.

||Sel`a*gi*nel"la (?), n. [NL., fr. L. selago, -inis, a kind of plant.] ||(Bot.) A genus of cryptogamous plants resembling Lycopodia, but ||producing two kinds of spores; also, any plant of this genus. Many ||species are cultivated in conservatories.

Se"lah (?), n. [Heb. selh.] (Script.) A word of doubtful meaning, occuring frequently in the Psalms; by some, supposed to signify silence or a pause in the musical performance of the song.

Beyond the fact that Selah is a musical term, we know absolutely nothing about it.

Dr. W. Smith (Bib. Dict.)

Sel"couth (sl"kth), a. [AS. selcð, seldcð; seld rare + cð known. See Uncouth.] Rarely known; unusual; strange. [Obs.]

[She] wondered much at his so selcouth case.

Spenser.

Seld (sld), a. [See Seldom.] Rare; uncommon; unusual. [Obs.] Chaucer. Spenser.

Seld, adv. Rarely; seldom. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sel"den (-sen), adv. Seldom. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Sel"dom (-dm), adv. [Usually, Compar. More seldom (mr"); superl. Most seldom (mst"); but sometimes also, Seldomer (-r), Seldomest.] [AS. seldan, seldon, seldum, fr. seld rare; akin to OFries. sielden, D. zelden, G. selten, OHG. seltan, Icel. sjaldan, Dan. sielden, Sw. sällan, Goth. sildaleiks marvelous.] Rarely; not often; not frequently.

Wisdom and youth are seldom joined in one.

Hooker.

Sel"dom (?), a. Rare; infrequent. [Archaic.] "A suppressed and seldom anger." Jer. Taylor.

Sel"dom*ness, n. Rareness. Hooker.

Seld"seen` (?), a. [AS. seldsiene.] Seldom seen. [Obs.] Drayton.

Seld"shewn` (?), a. [Seld + shown.] Rarely shown or exhibited. [Obs.] Shak.

Se*lect" (?), a. [L. selectus, p. p. of seligere to select; pref. se- aside + levere to gather. See Legend.] Taken from a number by preferance; picked out as more valuable or exellent than others; of special value or exellence; nicely chosen; selected; choice.

A few select spirits had separated from the crowd, and formed a fit audience round a far greater teacher.

Macaulay.

Se*lect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Selected; p. pr. & vb. n. Selecting.] To choose and take from a number; to take by preference from among others; to pick out; to cull; as, to select the best authors for perusal. "One peculiar nation to select." Milton.

The pious chief . . . A hundred youths from all his train selects.

Dryden.

Se*lect"ed*ly, adv. With care and selection. [R.]

Se*lec"tion (?), n. [L. selectio: cf. F. sélection.] . The act of selecting, or the state of being selected; choice, by preference.

2. That which is selected; a collection of things chosen; as, a choice selection of books.

Natural selection. (Biol.) See under Natural.

Se*lect"ive (?), a. Selecting; tending to select.

This selective providence of the Almighty.

Bp. Hall.

Se*lect"man (?), n.; pl. Selectmen (&?;). One of a board of town officers chosen annually in the New England States to transact the general public business of the town, and have a kind of executive authority. The number is usually from three to seven in each town.

The system of delegated town action was then, perhaps, the same which was defined in an "order made in 1635 by the inhabitants of Charlestown at a full meeting for the government of the town, by selectmen;" the name presently extended throughout New England to municipal governors.

Palfrey.

Se*lect"ness, n. The quality or state of being select.

Se*lect"or (?), n. [L.] One who selects.

Sel"e*nate (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of selenic acid; -- formerly called also seleniate.

Sel`en*hy"dric (?), a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, hydrogen selenide, H2Se, regarded as an acid analogous to sulphydric acid.

Se*len"ic (?), a. [Cf. F. sélénique.] (Chem.) Of or pertaining to selenium; derived from, or containing, selenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which the element has a higher valence as contrasted with selenious compounds.

Sel"e*nide (?), n. (Chem.) A binary compound of selenium, or a compound regarded as binary; as, ethyl selenide.

Sel`e*nif"er*ous (?), a. [Selenium + -ferous. ] Containing, or impregnated with, selenium; as, seleniferous pyrites.

Se*le"ni*o- (&?;). (Chem.) A combining form (also used adjectively) denoting the presence of selenium or its compounds; as, selenio-phosphate, a phosphate having selenium in place of all, or a part, of the oxygen.

Se*le"ni*ous (?), a. [Cf. F. sélénieux.] (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or containing, selenium; specifically, designating those compounds in which the element has a lower valence as contrasted with selenic compounds.

Sel"e*nite (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of selenious acid.

Sel"e*nite, n. [L. selenites, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; (sc. &?;&?;&?;), from selh`nh the moon. So called from a fancied resemblance in luster or appearance to the moon.] (Min.) A variety of gypsum, occuring in transparent crystals or crystalline masses.

{ Sel`e*nit"ic (?), Sel`e*nit"ic*al (?), } a. (Min.) Of or pertaining to selenite; resembling or containing selenite.

Se*le"ni*um (?), n. [NL., from Gr. selh`nh the moon. So called because of its chemical analogy to tellurium (from L. tellus the earth), being, as it were, a companion to it.] (Chem.) A nonmetallic element of the sulphur group, and analogous to sulphur in its compounds. It is found in small quantities with sulphur and some sulphur ores, and obtained in the free state as a dark reddish powder or crystalline mass, or as a dark metallic-looking substance. It exhibits under the action of light a remarkable variation in electric conductivity, and is used in certain electric apparatus. Symbol Se. Atomic weight 78.9.

Sel`e*ni"u*ret (?), n. (Chem.) A selenide. [Obs.]

Sel`e*ni"u*ret`ed (?), a. (Chem.) Combined with selenium as in a selenide; as, seleniureted hydrogen. [Written also seleniuretted.] [Obsoles.]

Se*le`no*cen"tric (?), a. [Gr. selh`nh the moon + E. centric.] (Astron.) As seen or estimated from the center of the moon; with the moon central.

Se*le"no*graph (?), n. A picture or delineation of the moon's surface, or of any part of it.

Sel`e*nog"ra*pher (?), n. One skilled in selenography. Wright.

{ Sel`e*no*graph"ic (?), Sel`e*no*graph"i*cal (?), } a. [Cf. F. sélénographique.] Of or pertaining to selenography.

Sel`e*nog"ra*phist (?), n. A selenographer.

Sel`e*nog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;&?;&?; the moon + -graphy.] The science that treats of the physical features of the moon; -- corresponding to physical geography in respect to the earth. "Accurate selenography, or description of the moon." Sir T. Browne.

Sel`e*nol"o*gy, n. [Gr. selh`nh the moon + -logy.] That branch of astronomy which treats of the moon. -- Sel`e*no*log"i*cal (#), a.

Sel`e*no"ni*um (?), n. [Selenium + sulphonium.] (Chem.) A hypothetical radical of selenium, analogous to sulphonium. [R.]

Self (slf), a. [AS. self, seolf, sylf; akin to OS. self, OFries. self, D. zelf, G. selb, selber, selbst, Dan. selv. Sw. sjelf, Icel. sjlfr, Goth. silba. Cf. Selvage.] Same; particular; very; identical. [Obs., except in the compound selfsame.] "On these self hills." Sir. W. Raleigh.

To shoot another arrow that self way Which you did shoot the first.

Shak.

At that self moment enters Palamon.

Dryden.

Self, n.; pl. Selves (&?;). 1. The individual as the object of his own reflective consciousness; the man viewed by his own cognition as the subject of all his mental phenomena, the agent in his own activities, the subject of his own feelings, and the possessor of capacities and character; a person as a distinct individual; a being regarded as having personality. "Those who liked their real selves." Addison.

A man's self may be the worst fellow to converse with in the world.

Pope.

The self, the I, is recognized in every act of intelligence as the subject to which that act belongs. It is I that perceive, I that imagine, I that remember, I that attend, I that compare, I that feel, I that will, I that am conscious.

Sir W. Hamilton.

2. Hence, personal interest, or love of private interest; selfishness; as, self is his whole aim.

3. Personification; embodiment. [Poetic.]

She was beauty's self.

Thomson.

Self is united to certain personal pronouns and pronominal adjectives to express emphasis or distinction. Thus, for emphasis; I myself will write; I will examine for myself; thou thyself shalt go; thou shalt see for thyself; you yourself shall write; you shall see for yourself; he himself shall write; he shall examine for himself; she herself shall write; she shall examine for herself; the child itself shall be carried; it shall be present itself. It is also used reflexively; as, I abhor myself; thou enrichest thyself; he loves himself; she admires herself; it pleases itself; we walue ourselves; ye hurry yourselves; they see themselves. Himself, herself, themselves, are used in the nominative case, as well as in the objective. "Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples." John iv. 2.