Thomas Davidson

“ Check, chek, v.t. to bring to a stand: to restrain or hinder: to rebuke: to control an account, &c., by comparison with certified data, vouchers, &c.: to place in check at chess: to mark with a pattern of crossing lines.—n. a term in chess when one party obliges the other either to move or guard his king: anything that checks: a sudden stop, repulse, or rebuff: (B., Shak.) ”

“ Chlōrom′etry, the process of testing the decolouring power of any compound of chlorine; Chlō′rophyl, the ordinary colouring matter of vegetation, consisting of minute soft granules in the cells; Chlorō′sis, properly green-sickness, a peculiar form of anæmia or bloodlessness, common in young women, and connected with the disorders incident to the critical period of life.—adjs. Chlōrot′ic, pertaining to chlorosis; Chlō′rous, full of chlorine.—Chloric acid, a syrupy liquid, with faint chlorine colour and acid reaction. ”

“ From the practice of reading to the assembled canons or monks a capitulum or chapter of their rule, or of the Scriptures, the men themselves came to be called in a body the capitulum or chapter, and their meeting-place the chapter-house. ”

“ Charade, shar-äd′, n. a species of riddle, the subject of which is a word proposed for solution from an enigmatical description of its component syllables and of the whole—the charade is often acted. [Fr.; ety. dub. Littré gives Prov. charrada, chatter; Prof. Skeat quotes Sp. charrada, the speech of a clown.]
Charcoal, chär′kōl, n. charred wood or coal made by charring wood; the carbonaceous residue of vegetable, animal, or mineral substances when they have undergone smothered combustion. ”

“ Choice′ness, particular value: excellence: nicety.—Hobson's choice, the alternative of a thing offered or nothing, from Hobson, a Cambridge carrier and innkeeper, who insisted on lending out the horse nearest the stable door, or none at all.—Make choice of, to select; Take one's choice, to take what one wishes. ”

“ Chich, chich, n. a dwarf pea. Same as Chick-pea.
Chicha, chēch′a, n. a South American liquor fermented from maize. [Haytian.]
Chick, chik, n. the young of fowls, esp. of the hen: a child, as a term of endearment.—ns. Chick′a-bid′dy, Chick′-a-did′dle, terms of endearment addressed to children; Chick′en, the young of birds, esp. of the hen: its flesh: a child: a faint-hearted person ”

“ Child, chīld, n. an infant or very young person: (Shak.) a female infant: one intimately related to one older: expressing origin or relation, e.g. child of the East, child of shame, child of God, &c.: a disciple: a youth of gentle birth, esp. in ballads, &c.—sometimes Childe and Chylde: (pl.) offspring: descendants: inhabitants:—pl. Chil′dren.—ns. Child′-bear′ing, the act of bringing forth children ”

“ Chem′ist, one skilled in chemistry, specially a druggist or apothecary.—Chemical affinity, the name given to the tendency to combine with one another which is exhibited by many substances, or to the force by which the substances constituting a compound are held together; Chemical notation, a method of expressing the composition of chemical substances and representing chemical changes, by certain known symbols and formulæ; Chemical works, manufactories where chemical processes are carried on for trade, as alkali works, &c. ”

“ Cheddar, ched′ar, n. an excellent kind of cheese first made in Somersetshire. [From the village of Cheddar in Somersetshire.]
Cheek, chēk, n. the side of the face below the eye, the fleshy lateral wall of the mouth: effrontery, impudence, as in 'to have the cheek' to do anything, 'to give cheek:' one of the side-posts of a door or window: the cheek-strap of a horse's bridle, the ring at the end of the bit: anything arranged in internal pairs.—v.t. to address insolently.—ns. Cheek′bone, the bone of the cheek ”

“ Chigoe, chig′ō, Chigre, Chigger, chig′ėr, n. a species of flea of the West Indies, the female of which buries itself beneath the toe-nails, and produces troublesome sores. [Fr. chique.]
Chikara, chi-kä′rä′, n. a four-horned goat-like antelope of Bengal. ”

“ Cheque, Check, chek, n. a money order on a banker payable at demand.—ns. Cheque′-book, a book containing cheque forms given by a bank to its customers; Cheq′uer, Check′er, a chess-board: alternation of colours, as on a chess-board: (pl.) draughts: chess-men.—v.t. to mark in squares of different colours: to variegate: interrupt.—adjs. Cheq′uered, Check′ered, variegated, like a chess-board: varying in character.—ns. Cheq′uer-work, any pattern having alternating squares of different colours; Blank′-cheque, a cheque signed by the owner, but without having the amount to be drawn indicated ”

“ Chlō′rite, a mineral consisting of silica, alumina, &c., in variable proportions—it is of a green colour, rather soft, and is easily scratched with a knife; Chlō′rodyne, a patent medicine containing opium, chloroform, &c., used for allaying pain and inducing sleep; Chlō′roform, a limpid, mobile, colourless, volatile liquid, with a characteristic odour and a strong sweetish taste, used to induce insensibility.—adj. Chlō′roid, like chlorine.—ns. Chlōrom′eter, an instrument for measuring the bleaching powers of chloride of lime ”

“ Cherr′y-brand′y, a pleasant liqueur made by steeping Morello cherries in brandy; Cherr′y-lau′rel, the common English name for the Cerasus Lauro-Cerasus of Asia Minor; Cherr′y-pepp′er, a West Indian species of Capsicum; Cherr′y-pie, a pie made of cherries; the common heliotrope; Cherr′y-pit, a game which consists in throwing cherry-stones into a small hole; Cherr′y-stone, the hard seed of the cherry. [A.S. ciris—L. cerasus—Gr. kerasos, a cherry-tree, said to be so named from Cerasus, a town in Pontus, from which the cherry was brought.]
Cherry, cher′i, v.t. (Spens.) to cheer. ”

“ Chrō′mosphere, a layer of incandescent red gas surrounding the sun through which the light of the photosphere passes—also Chrōmat′osphere; Chrō′mo-typog′raphy, typography in colours; Chrō′mo-xy′lograph, a picture printed in colours from wooden blocks; Chrō′mo-xylog′raphy.—Chromatic scale, a scale proceeding by semitones; Chromic acid, an acid of chromium, of an orange-red colour, much used in dyeing and bleaching. [Gr. chrōmatikos—chrōma, colour.]
Chronic, -al, kron′ik, -al, adj. lasting a long time: of a disease, deep seated or long continued, as opposed to acute.—n. ”

“ Choke′-cherr′y, a name given to certain nearly allied species of cherry, natives of North America, whose fruit, though at first rather agreeable, is afterwards astringent in the mouth.—adj. Choked, suffocated, clogged.—n. Choke′damp, the carbonic acid gas given off by coal which accumulates in coal-mines, and may suffocate those exposed to it.—adj. ”

“ Chine, chīn, n. the spine or backbone: a piece of the backbone and adjoining parts for cooking: a ridge, crest.—v.t. (Spens.) to break the back. [O. Fr. eschine, prob. from Old High Ger. scina, a pin, thorn.]
Chiné, shē-nā′, adj. mottled in appearance, the warp being dyed in different colours, or from threads of different colours twisted together. [Fr., lit. 'Chinese.']
Chine, chīn, n. a ravine. [A.S. cinu, a cleft.] ”

“ Chin, chin, n. the jutting part of the face below the mouth.—Up to the chin, deeply immersed. [A.S. cin; Ger. kinn, Gr. genys.]
China, chīn′a, n. fine kind of earthenware, originally made in China: porcelain.—ns. Chin′a-bark, a common name of cinchona bark (derived not from the empire of China, but from. Kina or Quina, the Peruvian name of cinchona—see Quinine) ; Chin′a-clay, a fine white clay used in making porcelain; Chin′a-grass (Bœhmeria nivea) , a small shrubby-like plant, allied to the nettle, native to China ”

“ Chas′er, one who practises chasing; Chas′ing, the art of representing figures in bas-relief by punching them out from behind, and then carving them on the front: the art of cutting the threads of screws. [Short for Enchase.]
Chase, chās, n. a case or frame for holding types: a groove. [Fr. châsse, a shrine, a setting—L. capsa, a chest. See Case.]
Chasericulture, chas-er-i-kul′tūr, n. the combined industries of tea-growing and of silk-production. [A combination of Chinese cha, tea, chasze, the former tea valuers of Canton, and L. sericum, silk.] ”

“ Char′ley-pitch′er (slang) , one who makes a living by the thimble-and-pea trick.
Charlock, chär′lok, n. a plant of the mustard family, with yellow flowers, that grows as a weed in cornfields. [A.S. cerlic.]
Charlotte, shär′lot, n. a dish of apple marmalade covered with crumbs of toast.—Charlotte russe, a custard enclosed in a kind of sponge-cake.
Charm, chärm, n. a spell: something thought to possess occult power, a metrical form of words: attractiveness: a trinket worn on a watch-guard: the blended singing of birds, children, &c.: (pl.) ”

“ Chim′ney-Stack, a group of chimneys carried up together; Chim′ney-stalk, a very tall chimney; Chim′ney-swall′ow, the Hirundo rustica, a very common swallow: the chimney-swift; Chim′ney-sweep, Chim′ney-sweep′er, one who sweeps or cleans chimneys; Chim′ney-top, the top of a chimney.—Chimney-pot hat, a familiar name for the ordinary cylindrical hat of gentlemen. [Fr. cheminée—L. camīnus; Gr. kaminos, a furnace.]
Chimpanzee, chim-pan′zē, n. an African ape, the highest of the anthropoid or more man-like apes, belonging to the same genus as the gorilla. [West African.] ”

“ Chlorine, klō′rin, n. a yellowish-green gas with a peculiar and suffocating odour.—ns. Chlō′ral, a limpid, colourless, oily liquid, with a peculiar penetrating odour, formed when anhydrous alcohol is acted on by dry chlorine gas; Chlō′ralism, the habit of using chloral, a morbid state induced by such; Chlō′rate, a salt composed of chloric acid and a base.—adj. Chlō′ric, of or from chlorine.—n. Chlō′ride, a compound of chlorine with some other substance, as potash, soda, &c.—v.t. ”

“ Child′less, without children; Child′-like, like a child: becoming a child: docile: innocent.—n. Child′-wife, a very young wife.—Child's play, something very easy to do: something slight.—From or Of a Child, since the days of childhood.—Second childhood, the childishness of old age.—With child, pregnant, e.g. Get with child, Be or Go with child. ”

“ Chin′a-rose, a name applied to several varieties of garden roses; Chin′a-shop, a shop in which china, crockery, &c. are sold; Chin′a-ware, porcelain-ware; Chinee′, a Chinaman.—adj. Chinese′, of or belonging to China.—China aster (see Aster) .
Chinch, chinch, n. the bed-bug in America. [Sp.,—L. cimic-em.]
Chinchilla, chin-chil′la, n. a small rodent quadruped of South America, valued for its soft gray fur: the fur itself. [Sp.]
Chincough, chin′kof, n. a disease, esp. of children, attended with violent fits of coughing: whooping-cough. ”

“ Chin′a-ink (see Ink) ; Chin′aman, a native of China; Chin′a-root, the root-stock of a Chinese shrubby plant, formerly used in Europe medicinally, but still in the East as a remedy in rheumatic or syphilitic cases ”

“ Chip, chip, v.t. to chop or cut into small pieces: to hew: of chickens, to break the shell of the egg in hatching: to pare away the crust of bread, &c.: to bet:—pr.p. chip′ping; pa.p. chipped.—n. a small piece of wood or other substance chopped off: (slang) a sovereign.—n. Chip′-hat, a cheap kind of hat, made of what is popularly called Brazilian grass, but really consisting of strips of the leaves of a palm (Chamærops argentea) imported from Cuba.—adj. ”

“ Chrōmatop′sia, coloured vision; Chrō′matrope, an arrangement in a magic-lantern by which effects like those of the kaleidoscope are produced; Chrō′matype, Chrō′motype, a photographic process by which a coloured impression of a picture is obtained.—adj. relating to the chromatype.—ns. Chrōme, Chrō′mium, a metal remarkable for the beautiful colours of its compounds.—adj. Chrōm′ic.—ns. Chrō′mite, a mineral consisting of oxide of chromium and iron; Chrō′mo-lith′ograph, or merely Chrō′mo, a lithograph printed in colours ”

“ Chick′en-pox, a contagious febrile disease, chiefly of children, and bearing some resemblance to a very mild form of small-pox; Chick′ling, a little chicken; Chick′weed, a species of stitchwort, and one of the most common weeds of gardens and cultivated fields—for making poultices, and for feeding cage-birds, which are very fond of its leaves and seeds.—Mother Carey's chicken, a sailor's name for the Stormy Petrel; No chicken, one no longer young. [A.S. cicen; cf. Dut. kieken, Ger. küchlein.]
Chick-pea, chik′-pē, n. ”

“ Chryselephantine, kris-el-e-fan′tin, adj. noting the art of making statues jointly of gold and ivory. [Gr. chrysos, gold, elephantinos, made of ivory—elephas, -antos, ivory.]
Chrysoberyl, kris′o-ber-il, n. a mineral of various shades of greenish-yellow or gold colour. [Gr. chrysos, gold, and Beryl.]
Chrysocolla, kris-ō-kol′a, n. a silicate of protoxide of copper, bluish-green. [Gr. chrysos, gold, kolla, glue.]
Chrysocracy, kri-sok′ra-si, n. the rule of wealth. [Gr. chrysos, gold, kratein, to rule.] ”

“ Character, kar′ak-tėr, n. a letter, sign, figure, stamp, or distinctive mark: a mark of any kind, a symbol in writing, &c.: writing generally, handwriting: a secret cipher: any essential feature or peculiarity: nature: (obs.) ”

“ Choler, kol′ėr, n. the bile: (Shak.) biliousness: anger, irascibility.—adj. Chol′eric, full of choler: passionate. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. cholera—cholē, bile.]
Cholera, kol′ėr-a, n. a highly infectious and deadly disease characterised by bilious vomiting and purging.—adj. Cholerā′ic.—British cholera, an acute catarrhal affection of the mucous membrane of the stomach and small intestines. [Gr. cholera.]
Cholesterine, ko-les′te-rin, n. a substance occurring abundantly in bile and biliary calculi, probably a monovalent alcohol.—adj. Cholester′ic. [Gr. cholē, bile, stereos, solid.] ”