Castorin - Catamaran

Castorin (kăst�rĭn), n. [From 1st .] (Chem.) A white crystalline substance obtained from castoreum.
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Castor oil (kăstẽr oil). A mild cathartic oil, expressed or extracted from the seeds of the Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi. When fresh the oil is inodorous and insipid.
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Coloq. Castor-oil plant . Same as .
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Castrametation (?), n. [F. castramétation, fr. L. castra camp + metari to measure off, fr. meta limit.] (Mil.) The art or act of encamping; the making or laying out of a camp.
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Castrate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Castrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Castrating.] [L. castrarus, p; p. of castrare to castrate, asin to Skr. çastra knife.] 1. To deprive of the testicles; to emasculate; to geld; to alter.
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2. To cut or take out; esp. to remove anything erroneous, or objectionable from, as the obscene parts of a writing; to expurgate.
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My . . . correspondent . . . has sent me the following letter, which I have castrated in some places. Spectator.
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castrated adj. deprived of reproductive organs or sexual attributes.
Syn. -- altered, neutered, unsexed, fixed.
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Castration (?), n. [L. castratio; cf. F. castration.] The act of castrating.
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Castrato (?), n. [L., properly p. p. of castrare. See .] A male person castrated for the purpose of improving his voice for singing; an artificial, or male, soprano. Swift.
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Castrel (?), n. [Cf. F. crécerelle, cristel, OF. crecel, cercele. Cf. .] (Zoöl.) See .
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Castrensial (?), a. [L. castrensis, fr. castra camp.] Belonging to a camp. Sir T. Browne.
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Castrensian (?), a. Castrensial. [R.]
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Castries prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of St. Lucia. Population (2000) = 13,600.
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Cast steel (?). See Cast steel, under .
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Casual (?), a. [OE. casuel, F. casuel, fr. L. casualis, fr. casus fall, accident, fr. cadere to fall. See .] 1. Happening or coming to pass without design, and without being foreseen or expected; accidental; fortuitous; coming by chance.
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Casual breaks, in the general system. W. Irving.
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2. Coming without regularity; occasional; incidental; as, casual expenses.
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A constant habit, rather than a casual gesture. Hawthorne.

Syn. -- Accidental; fortutious; incidental; occasional; contingent; unforeseen. See .
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Casual, n. One who receives relief for a night in a parish to which he does not belong; a vagrant.
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Casualism (?), n. The doctrine that all things exist or are controlled by chance.
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Casualist, n. One who believes in casualism.
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Casually, adv. Without design; accidentally; fortuitously; by chance; occasionally.
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Casualness, n. The quality of being casual.
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Casualty (?), n.; pl. Casualties (#). [F. casualité, LL. casualitas.] 1. That which comes without design or without being foreseen; contingency.
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Losses that befall them by mere casualty. Sir W. Raleigh.
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2. Any injury of the body from accident; hence, death, or other misfortune, occasioned by an accident; as, an unhappy casualty.
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3. pl. (Mil. & Naval) Numerical loss caused by death, wounds, discharge, or desertion.
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Coloq. Casualty ward , A ward in a hospital devoted to the treatment of injuries received by accident.

Syn. -- Accident; contingency; fortuity; misfortune.
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Casuaridae n. a natural family of large ostrichlike birds; the cassowaries.
Syn. -- family Casuaridae.
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Casuariiformes n. an order of ratite birds comprising the cassowaries and emus.
Syn. -- order Casuariiformes.
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Casuarina (?), n. [NL., supposed to be named from the resemblance of the twigs to the feathers of the cassowary, of the genus Casuarius.] (Bot.) A genus of leafless trees or shrubs, with drooping branchlets of a rushlike appearance, mostly natives of Australia. Some of them are large, producing hard and heavy timber of excellent quality, called beefwood from its color.
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Casuarinaceae n. a natural family of plants having only one genus, Casuarina.
Syn. -- family Casuarinaceae.
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Casuarinales n. an order of chiefly Australian trees and shrubs comprising the casuarinas, having only one family, Casuarinaceae.
Syn. -- order Casuarinales.
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Casuarius n. the type and sole genus of the Casuaridae; the cassowaries.
Syn. -- genus Casuarius.
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Casuist (?), n. [L. casus fall, case; cf. F. casuiste. See .] One who is skilled in, or given to, casuistry.
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The judment of any casuist or learned divine concerning the state of a man's soul, is not sufficient to give him confidence. South.
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Casuist, v. i. To play the casuist. Milton.
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{ Casuistic (?), Casuistical (?), } a. Of or pertaining to casuists or casuistry; as, casuistic thinking.
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Casuistry (?), a. 1. The science or doctrine of dealing with cases of conscience, of resolving questions of right or wrong in conduct, or determining the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what a man may do by rules and principles drawn from the Scriptures, from the laws of society or the church, or from equity and natural reason; the application of general moral rules to particular cases.
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The consideration of these nice and puzzling question in the science of ethics has given rise, in modern times, to a particular department of it, distinguished by the title of casuistry. Stewart.
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Casuistry in the science of cases (i.e., oblique deflections from the general rule). De Quincey.
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2. Sophistical, equivocal, or false reasoning or teaching in regard to duties, obligations, and morals.
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Casus (?), n. [L.] An event; an occurrence; an occasion; a combination of circumstances; a case; an act of God. See the Note under .
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Coloq. Casus belli , an event or combination of events which is a cause war, or may be alleged as a justification of war. -- Coloq. Casus fortuitus , an accident against which due prudence could not have provided. See Act of God, under . -- Coloq. Casus omissus , a case not provided for by the statute.
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cat (kăt), n. [AS. cat; akin to D. & Dan. kat, Sw. katt, Icel. köttr, G. katze, kater, Ir. cat, W. cath, Armor. kaz, LL. catus, Bisc. catua, NGr. gata, gatos, Russ. & Pol. kot, Turk. kedi, Ar. qitt; of unknown origin. Cf. .] 1. (Zoöl.) Any animal belonging to the natural family Felidae, and in particular to the various species of the genera Felis, Panthera, and Lynx. The domestic cat is Felis domestica. The European wild cat (Felis catus) is much larger than the domestic cat. In the United States the name wild cat is commonly applied to the bay lynx (Lynx rufus). The larger felines, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, and cougar, are often referred to as cats, and sometimes as big cats. See , and .
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☞ The domestic cat includes many varieties named from their place of origin or from some peculiarity; as, the Angora cat; the Maltese cat; the Manx cat; the Siamese cat.
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Laying aside their often rancorous debate over how best to preserve the Florida panther, state and federal wildlife officials, environmentalists, and independent scientists endorsed the proposal, and in 1995 the eight cats [female Texas cougars] were brought from Texas and released. . . .
Uprooted from the arid hills of West Texas, three of the imports have died, but the remaining five adapted to swamp life and have each given birth to at least one litter of kittens. Mark Derr (N. Y. Times, Nov. 2, 1999, Science Times p. F2).
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The word cat is also used to designate other animals, from some fancied resemblance; as, civet cat, fisher cat, catbird, catfish shark, sea cat.
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2. (Naut.) (a) A strong vessel with a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and deep waist. It is employed in the coal and timber trade. (b) A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the cathead of a ship. Totten.
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3. A double tripod (for holding a plate, etc.), having six feet, of which three rest on the ground, in whatever position it is placed.
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4. An old game; specifically: (a) The game of tipcat and the implement with which it is played. See . (b) A game of ball, called, according to the number of batters, one old cat, two old cat, etc.
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5. same as ; as, British sailors feared the cat.
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6. A .
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Coloq. Angora cat , Coloq. blind cat , See under , . -- Coloq. Black cat the fisher. See under . -- Coloq. Cat and dog , like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonious. “I am sure we have lived a cat and dog life of it.” Coleridge. -- Coloq. Cat block (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to the cathead. -- Coloq. Cat hook (Naut.), a strong hook attached to a cat block. -- Coloq. Cat nap , a very short sleep. [Colloq.] -- Coloq. Cat o' nine tails , an instrument of punishment consisting of nine pieces of knotted line or cord fastened to a handle; -- formerly used to flog offenders on the bare back. -- Coloq. Cat's cradle , game played, esp. by children, with a string looped on the fingers so, as to resemble small cradle. The string is transferred from the fingers of one to those of another, at each transfer with a change of form. See , . -- Coloq. To bell the cat , to perform a very dangerous or very difficult task; -- taken metaphorically from a fable about a mouse who proposes to put a bell on a cat, so as to be able to hear the cat coming. -- Coloq. To let the cat out of the bag , to tell a secret, carelessly or willfully. [Colloq.] -- Coloq. Bush cat , the serval. See .
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Cat (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Catted; p. pr. & vb. n. Catting.] (Naut.) To bring to the cathead; as, to cat an anchor. See . Totten.
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Cata (?). [Gr. kata.] The Latin and English form of a Greek preposition, used as a prefix to signify down, downward, under, against, contrary or opposed to, wholly, completely; as in cataclysm, catarrh. It sometimes drops the final vowel, as in catoptric; and is sometimes changed to cath, as in cathartic, catholic.
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Catabaptist (?), n. [Pref. cata + aptist. See .] (Eccl.) One who opposes baptism, especially of infants. [Obs.] Featley.
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Catabasion (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. katabasion.] A vault under altar of a Greek church.
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Catabiotic (?), a. See under .
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catabolic adj. [Formerly spelled katabolic.] 1. Of or pertaining to catabolism; as, catabolic processes, which give rise to substances (katastates) of decreasing complexity and increasing stability.
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2. characterized by destructive metabolism; contrasted with anabolic.
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catabolism n. the breakdown of more complex substances into simpler ones with release of energy, in living organisms; destructive or downward metabolism; -- a form of metabolism, opposed to anabolism. See also . [Formerly spelled katabolism.]
Syn. -- katabolism, dissimilation, destructive metabolism.
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Catacala n. a genus of moths whose larvae are cutworms: underwings.
Syn. -- genus Catacala.
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Catacaustic (?), a. [Pref. cata + caustic.] (Physics) Relating to, or having the properties of, a caustic curve formed by reflection. See , a. Nichol.
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Catacaustic, n. (Physics) A caustic curve formed by reflection of light. Nichol.
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Catachresis (?), n. [L. fr. Gr. � misuse, fr. � to misuse; kata against + � to use.] (Rhet.) A figure by which one word is wrongly put for another, or by which a word is wrested from its true signification; as, “To take arms against a sea of troubles”. Shak. “Her voice was but the shadow of a sound.” Young.
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{ Catachrestic (?), Catachrestical (?), } a. Belonging to, or in the manner of, a catachresis; constituting, characterized by or given to catachresis; wrested from its natural sense or form; forced; far-fetched.
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-- Catachrestically, adv.
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[A] catachrestical and improper way of speaking. Jer. Taylor.
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Cataclasm (?), n. [Gr. �; � down + � to break.] A breaking asunder; disruption.
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cataclinal adj. (Geol) running in the direction of the dip in surrounding rock strata; -- of valleys and rivers. Opposite of anaclinal.
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Cataclysm (?), n. [L. cataclysmos, Gr. kataklysmos, from � to dash over, inundate; kata downward, against + � to wash or dash over: cf. F. cataclysme.] 1. An extensive overflow or sweeping flood of water; a deluge.
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2. (Geol.) Any violent catastrophe, involving sudden and extensive changes of the earth's surface.
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{ Cataclysmal (?), Cataclysmic (?), } a. Of or pertaining to a cataclysm.
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Cataclysmist (?), n. One who believes that the most important geological phenomena have been produced by cataclysms.
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Catacomb (?), n. [It. catacomba, fr. L. catacumba perh. from Gr. kata downward, down + kymbh cavity.] A cave, grotto, or subterraneous place of large extent used for the burial of the dead; -- commonly in the plural.
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☞ The terms is supposed to have been applied originally to the tombs under the church of St. Sebastian in Rome. The most celebrated catacombs are those near Rome, on the Appian Way, supposed to have been the place or refuge and interment of the early Christians; those of Egypt, extending for a wide distance in the vicinity of Cairo; and those of Paris, in abandoned stone quarries, excavated under a large portion of the city.
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cata-cornered adj. having a slanted or oblique direction.
Syn. -- bias, catacorner, catercorner, cater-cornered, catty-corner, catty-cornered, diagonal, kitty-corner, kitty-cornered, oblique, skew, skewed, slanted.
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Catacoustic (?), n. [Pref. cata + acoustics: cf. F. caraconstique.] (Physics) That part of acoustics which treats of reflected sounds or echoes See . Hutton.

Catacrotic (?), a. [Cata- + Gr. � a beating.] (Physiol.) Designating, pertaining to, or characterized by, that form of pulse tracing, or sphygmogram, in which the descending portion of the curve is marked by secondary elevations due to two or more expansions of the artery in the same beat. -- Catacrotism (#), n.
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Catadicrotism (?), n. [Cata- + dicrotism.] (Physiol.) Quality or state of being catacrotic. -- Catadicrotic (#), a.
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{ Catadioptric (?), Catadioptrical (?), } a. [Pref. cata + dioptric: cf. F. catadioptrique.] (Physics) Pertaining to, produced by, or involving, both the reflection and refraction of light; as, a catadioptric light. Hutton.
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Catadioptrics (?), n. The science which treats of catadioptric phenomena, or of the used of catadioptric instruments.
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Catadrome (?), n. [Gr. katadromos race course; kata down + dromos course.] 1. A race course.
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2. (Mach.) A machine for raising or lowering heavy weights.
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Catadromous (?), a. [Gr. kata down + dromos a running.] 1. (Bot.) Having the lowest inferior segment of a pinna nearer the rachis than the lowest superior one; -- said of a mode of branching in ferns, and opposed to anadromous.
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2. (Zoöl.) Living in fresh water, and going to the sea to spawn; -- opposed to anadromous, and said of the eel.
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Catafalco (?), n. [It.] See .
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Catafalque (?), n. [F., fr. It. catafalco, scaffold, funeral canopy; of uncertain origin; cf. Sp. catafalso, cadahalso, cadalso, Pr. casafalc, OF. chafaut. Cf. .] A temporary structure sometimes used in the funeral solemnities of eminent persons, for the public exhibition of the remains, or their conveyance to the place of burial.
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Catagmatic (?), a. [Gr. � fracture, fr. � to break in places; kata down + 'agnynai to break: cf. F. catagmatique.] (Med.) Having the quality of consolidating broken bones.
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Cataian (?), n. A native of Cathay or China; a foreigner; -- formerly a term of reproach. Shak.
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Catalan (?), a. Of or pertaining to Catalonia. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Catalonia; also, the language of Catalonia.
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Coloq. Catalan furnace , Coloq. Catalan forge (Metal.), a kind of furnace for producing wrought iron directly from the ore. It was formerly much used, esp. in Catalonia, and is still used in some parts of the United States and elsewhere.
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catalase n. an enzyme found in most plant and animal cells that functions as an oxidative catalyst; it decomposes hydrogen peroxide into hydrogen and water.
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catalatic adj. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of catalases.
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Catalectic (?), a. [L. catalecticus, Gr. � incomplete, fr. � to leave off; kata down, wholly + lhgein to stop.] 1. (Pros.) Wanting a syllable at the end, or terminating in an imperfect foot; as, a catalectic verse.
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2. (Photog. & Chem.) Incomplete; partial; not affecting the whole of a substance. Abney.
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{ Catalepsy (?), Catalepsis (?), } n. [NL. catalepsis, fr. Gr. � a seizure, fr. � to seize upon; kata down + � to take, seize.] (Med.) A sudden suspension of sensation and volition, the body and limbs preserving the position that may be given them, while the action of the heart and lungs continues.
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Cataleptic (?), a. [Gr. katalhptikos.] Pertaining to, or resembling, catalepsy; affected with catalepsy; as, a cataleptic fit.
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Catallacta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. �. See .] (Zoöl.) A division of Protozoa, of which Magosphæra is the type. They exist both in a myxopod state, with branched pseudopodia, and in the form of ciliated bodies united in free, spherical colonies.
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Catallactics (?) n. [Gr. � to exchange; kata wholly + � to change.] The science of exchanges, a branch of political economy.
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Catalog (?), n. & v. Catalogue.
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Catalogize (?), v. t. To insert in a catalogue; to register; to catalogue. [R.] Coles.
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Catalogue (?), n. [F., fr. catalogus, fr. Gr. � a counting up, list, fr. � to count up; kata down, completely + � to say.] A list or enumeration of names, or articles arranged methodically, often in alphabetical order; as, a catalogue of the students of a college, or of books, or of the stars.
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Coloq. Card catalogue , a catalogue, as of books, having each item entered on a separate card, and the cards arranged in cases by subjects, or authors, or alphabetically. -- Coloq. Catalogue raisonné (?) [F.], a catalogue of books, etc., classed according to their subjects.

Syn. -- List; roll; index; schedule; enumeration; inventory. See .
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Catalogue, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Catalogued (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Cataloguing (?).] To make a list or catalogue; to insert in a catalogue.
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Cataloguer (?), n. A maker of catalogues; esp. one skilled in the making of catalogues.
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Catalonia n. a geographical and administrative region of northeastern Spain.
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Catalpa (?), n. [From the language of the Indians of Carolina, where Catesby discovered this tree in the year 1726.] (Bot.) A genus of American and East Indian trees, of which the best known species are the Catalpa bignonioides, a large, ornamental North American tree, with spotted white flowers and long cylindrical pods, and the Catalpa speciosa, of the Mississipi valley; -- called also Indian bean.
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catalufa n. a type of brightly colored carnivorous fish (Priacanthus arenatus) of the West Atlantic and West Indies waters.
Syn. -- Priacanthus arenatus.
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Catalyse (kătȧlīz), v. t. [ML., fr. Gr. � dissolution, fr. � to destroy, dissolve; kata down, wholly + � to loose.] same as .
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Catalysis (?), n.; pl. Catalyse. (#) [ML., fr. Gr. � dissolution, fr. � to destroy, dissolve; kata down, wholly + � to loose.]
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1. Dissolution; degeneration; decay. [R.]
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Sad catalysis and declension of piety. Evelyn.
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2. (Chem.) (a) A process by which a chemical reaction is accelerated in the presence of certain agents which were formerly believed to exert an influence by mere contact. It is now believed that such reactions are attended with the formation of an intermediate compound or compounds, so that by alternate composition and decomposition the agent is apparenty left unchanged; as, the catalysis of making ether from alcohol by means of sulphuric acid; or catalysis in the action of enzymes (as diastase, or ptyalin) on starch. (b) The catalytic force.
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catalyst n. 1. (Chem.) a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected; as, thousands of enzymes serve in concert as calaysts to produce the sequence of reactions we call “life“; the industrial production of cheap ammonia depended on finding a good catalyst.
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2. something that serves as a precipitating occasion for an event; as, the invasion acted as a catalyst to unite the country. A catalyst is never the main cause of an event, but may serve to hasten events for which the underlying causes are present prior to the appearance or occurrence of the catalyst.
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3. something or someone that causes events to happen with itself being changed.
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Catalytic (?), a. Relating to, or causing, catalysis. “The catalytic power is ill understood.” Ure.
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Coloq. Catalytic force , that form of chemical energy formerly supposed to determine catalysis.
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Catalytic, n. (Chem.) An agent employed in catalysis, as platinum black, aluminium chloride, etc.
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catalyze v. t. 1. 1 (chemistry) to cause (a chemical reaction) to proceed more quickly by contacting the reactant(s) with another substance; as, moisture catalyzes the oxidation of iron in air. [Also spelled catalyse.]
Syn. -- change by catalysis, cause to catalyze.
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Catamaran, n. [The native East Indian name.] 1. A kind of raft or float, consisting of two or more logs or pieces of wood lashed together, and moved by paddles or sail; -- used as a surf boat and for other purposes on the coasts of the East and West Indies and South America. Modified forms are much used in the lumber regions of North America, and at life-saving stations.
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2. Any vessel with twin hulls, whether propelled by sails or by steam; esp., one of a class of double-hulled pleasure boats remarkable for speed.
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3. A kind of fire raft or torpedo bat.
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The incendiary rafts prepared by Sir Sidney Smith for destroying the French flotilla at Boulogne, 1804, were called catamarans. Knight.
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4. A quarrelsome woman; a scold. [Colloq.]
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