Thomas Davidson

“ Central forces, forces whose action is to cause a moving body to tend towards a fixed point called the centre of force.—Centre of attraction, the point to which bodies tend by the force of gravity; Centre of buoyancy, or displacement, the point in an immersed body at which the resultant vertical pressure may be supposed to act; Centre of gravity, a certain point, invariably situated with regard to the body, through which the resultant of the attracting forces between the earth and its several molecules always passes ”

“ Chain′-stitch, a peculiar kind of stitch resembling the links of a chain; Chain′-work, work consisting of threads, cords, &c., wrought with open spaces like the links of a chain: network. [Fr. chaine—L. catēna.]
Chair, chār, n. a movable seat for one, with a back to it: a covered vehicle for one person, as a sedan-chair: the seat or office of one in authority, as a judge, a bishop, or the person presiding over any meeting—hence 'to take the chair' = to assume the place of president; 'to address the chair' = to direct one's speech to the chairman ”

“ Chafe, chāf, v.t. to make hot by rubbing: to fret or wear by rubbing: to cause to fret or rage (with against, at) .—v.i. to fret or rage.—n. heat caused by rubbing: rage: passion.—ns. Chaf′er (obs.) , a chafing-dish, a saucepan; Chaf′ing-dish, a dish or vessel in which anything is made hot: a kind of portable grate; Chaf′ing-gear, mats, spun-yarn, battens, &c., put upon the rigging and spars of a ship to prevent their being chafed. ”

“ Centre of percussion, the point in which the direction of a blow, given to a body, intersects the plane in which the fixed axis and the centre of inertia lie, making the body begin to rotate about a fixed axis, without causing any pressure on the axis; Centre of pressure, the point at which the direction of a single force, which is equivalent to the fluid pressure on the plane surface, meets the surface. ”

“ Censor, sen′sor, n. in ancient Rome, an officer who kept account of the property of the citizens, imposed taxes, and watched over their morals: an officer who examines books or newspapers before they are printed: one who censures or blames.—adjs. ”

“ Centre of inertia, or mass, the centre of a set of parallel forces acting on all the particles of a body, each force being proportional to the mass of the particle on which it acts; Centre of oscillation, the point in a body occupied by that particle which is accelerated and retarded to an equal amount, and which therefore moves as if it were a single pendulum unconnected with the rest of the body ”

“ Chain′-rule, an arithmetical rule, so called from the terms of the problem being stated as equations, and connected, as if by a chain, so as to obtain by one operation the same result as would be obtained by a number of different operations in simple proportion: the rule for solving problems by compound proportion; Chain′-shot, two bullets or half-bullets fastened together by a chain, used formerly in naval engagements to destroy rigging, now replaced by case-shot and shrapnel-shell ”

“ Champion, cham′pi-un, n. one who fights in single combat for himself or for another: one who defends a cause: a successful combatant: in boxing, running, &c., one who has excelled all others: a hero:—fem. ”

“ Cerastes, se-ras′tēz, n. a genus of poisonous snakes having a horny process over each eye. [L.; Gr. kerastēs—keras, a horn.]
Cerate, sē′rāt, n. a compound of wax with other oily or medicinal substances in such proportions as to form a stiff ointment.—adj. Cē′rated.—n. Cero′mancy, divination from figures produced by melted wax when dropped into water. [L. cerāre, cerātum, to cover with wax, cera, wax.] ”

“ Channel, chan′el, n. a flat piece of wood or iron projecting horizontally from a ship's side to spread the shrouds and keep them clear of the bulwarks—fore, main, and mizzen channels. [Corr. of Chain-wale. Cf. Gunnel.]
Chanson, shan′son, n. a song.—n. Chan′sonette. [Fr.]
Chant, chant, v.t. to sing: to celebrate in song: to recite in a singing manner: to sell horses fraudulently.—n. song: melody: a kind of sacred music, in which prose is sung.—ns. Chant′er, Chant′or, a singer: a precentor: in a bagpipe, the pipe with finger-holes, on which the melody is played: one who cries up horses ”

“ Centrifugal, sen-trif′ū-gal, adj. relating to the force directed towards the centre of curvature constantly required to keep a body moving in a curve instead of in its natural straight line: (bot.) applied to an inflorescence when the development proceeds from the apex towards the base of the axis or leaf, as opposed to centripetal, when it is from the base upwards towards the apex.—n. Cen′trifuge, a centrifugal machine. [L. centrum, and fug-ĕre, to flee from.]
Centripetal, sen-trip′et-al, adj. of a force impelling a body towards some point as a centre. [L. centrum, and pet-ĕre, to seek.] ”

“ Chain′let, a small chain; Chain′-mail, mail or armour made of iron links connected together, much used in Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries; Chain′-mould′ing, moulding in the form of a chain; Chain′-pier, a pier supported by chains like a chain-bridge.—n.pl. Chain′-plates, on shipboard, iron plates bolted below the channels to serve as attachments for the dead-eyes, through which the standing rigging or shrouds and back-stays are rove and secured.—ns. Chain′-pump, a pump consisting of buckets or plates fastened to an endless iron chain, and used for raising water ”

“ Cel′ibate, living single.—n. one unmarried, or not allowed to marry. [L. cœlebs, single.]
Cell, sel, n. a small room in a prison, monastery, &c.: a cave: a small shut cavity: the grave: a unit-mass of living matter, whether rounded off by itself, as in the simplest plants or animals, and in the youngest stage of all organisms, or associated with other cells to form a higher unity.—adjs. Celled, having cells, cellular; Cellif′erous, having or producing cells; Cell′ular, Cell′ulated, consisting of or containing cells.—n. Cell′ule, a little cell.—adj. ”

“ Cestus, ses′tus, n. the girdle of Venus, which had power to awaken love: an ancient boxing-glove loaded with lead or iron. [L.—Gr. kestos, a girdle.]
Cesura. See Cæsura.
Cesure, sē′zūr, n. a breaking off: (Spens.) a cæsura.
Cetacea, se-tā′shi-a, n.pl. an order of mammals of aquatic habit and fish-like form, including the Toothed whales, or Odontoceti, and the Baleen whales, or Mystacoceti. To the former belong the Sperm whales, the Bottlenose, the genus Platanista and its allies, and the great family of Dolphins; to the latter, the Right Whale (Balæna) , the Humpbacks, and the Rorquals.—n. ”

“ Change one's tune, to change from joy to sorrow: to change one's manner of speaking.—Put the change on, to delude, trick.—Ring the changes, to go through the various changes in ringing a peal of bells: to go over in every possible order: to pass counterfeit money: to bemuddle a shopman into giving too much change. [Fr. changer—Late L. cambiāre—L. cambīre, to barter.]
Chank, changk, Chank-shell, changk′-shel, n. the popular name of the shell of several species of Turbinella, a genus of Gasteropod molluscs, natives of the East Indian seas, used as ornaments by Hindu women. ”

“ Caulic′olous, growing on a stem.—n.pl. Cauliculā′ta, the black or antipatharian corals.—adj. Caulic′ulāte.—n. Caulic′ulus, one of the slender stems springing from the caules or main stalks supporting the volutes in the Corinthian capital.—adjs. Caul′iform, having the form of a stem; Caulig′enous, borne upon the stem; Caul′inary, Cau′line, belonging to a stem.—n. Cau′lis, the stem of a plant: one of the main stems at the angles of the Corinthian capital. [L. caulis, a stalk.]
Cauliflower, kaw′li-flow′ėr, n. a variety of cabbage, the eatable part of which is the deformed inflorescence or head. ”

“ Cathartic, -al, kath-ärt′ik, -al, adj. having the power of cleansing the stomach and bowels: purgative.—v.t. Cath′arise, to render absolutely clean.—ns. Cathar′sis, evacuation of the bowels; Cathart′ic, a purgative medicine; Cathar′tin, the purgative principle of senna. [Gr. kathartikos, fit for cleansing, katharos, clean.]
Cathead. See Cat.
Cathedral, kath-ēd′ral, n. the principal church of a diocese, in which is the seat or throne of a bishop.—adj. belonging to a cathedral.—n. Cathed′ra, a bishop's seat, the episcopal dignity—ex cathedra, from the chair, officially given forth.—adjs. ”

“ Cavity, kav′it-i, n. a hollow place: hollowness: an opening.—adj. Cav′itied. [L. cavitas, -tatem—cavus, hollow.]
Cavo-rilievo, kä′vō-rē-lyā′vō, n. a kind of relief in which the highest surface is level with the plane of the original stone, which is left round the outlines of the design.—Also Intaglio-rilievo and Cœlanaglyphic sculpture. [It. cavo, hollow, rilievo, relief. See Cave and Relief.]
Cavort, kav-ort′, v.i. (U.S. slang) to curvet, bound. [Explained as a corr. of Curvet.]
Cavy, kāv′i, n. a genus of Rodents, best known by the domesticated species, the common guinea-pig. ”

“ See Chair.]
Chal, chal, n. fellow: person:—fem. Chai. [Gipsy.]
Chalcedony, kal-sed′ō-ni, or kal′-, n. a beautiful mineral of the quartz family, consisting of quartz with some admixture of opal—it is generally translucent, has a somewhat waxy lustre, and is in colour generally white or bluish-white.—adj. Chalcedon′ic.—n. Chalced′onyx, an agate formed of a white opaque chalcedony alternating with a grayish translucent chalcedony. ”

“ Cephalopoda, sef-al-op′od-a, n.pl. the highest class of molluscs, usually large animals, exclusively marine, with well-developed head region, but having the ventral surface grown round the mouth and split up into arms bearing suckers—more commonly cuttlefish.—adj. Ceph′alopod. [Gr. kephalē, the head, pous, podos, the foot.]
Cephaloptera, sef-a-lop′tėr-a, n. a name formerly used for a genus of rays. [Gr. kephalē, the head, ptera, wings.] ”

“ Chapel, chap′el, n. a place of worship inferior or subordinate to a regular church, or attached to a palace, garrison, prison, school, college, &c.: an oratory in a mausoleum, &c., or a cell of a church containing its own altar: a dissenters' place of worship, as of Nonconformists in England, Roman Catholics or Episcopalians in Scotland, &c.: a chapel service—hence 'to keep one's chapels'—to make the requisite number of attendances at such: an association of workmen in a printing-office.—n. ”

“ Catholic king, a title given specially to the king of Spain.—Old Catholics, the title assumed by a number of Catholics who at Munich protested against the new dogma of the personal infallibility of the pope in all ex cathedrâ deliverances proclaimed by the Vatican Council in 1870—now a considerable communion or church in Germany and Switzerland. [Gr. katholicos, universal—kata, throughout, holos, the whole.] ”