Chainless - Chamber

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Chainless (chānlĕs), a. Having no chain; not restrained or fettered. “The chainless mind.” Byron.
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Chainlet (?), n. A small chain. Sir W. Scott.
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chainlike adj. having a form resembling a chain; as, chainlike clusters of bacteria.
Syn. -- catenulate.
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Chain pump (?). A pump consisting of an endless chain, running over a drum or wheel by which it is moved, and dipping below the water to be raised. The chain has at intervals disks or lifts which fit the tube through which the ascending part passes and carry the water to the point of discharge.
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chains (chāns), n. metal shackles connected by chains, used to bind hands or legs; as, he was kept two weeks in chains.
Syn. -- iron, irons, chain.
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chainsaw (chāns�), n. a portable power saw having teeth that are linked to form an endless chain, rotated about two pivot points by a power mechanism, such as an electric motor or a gasoline engine. They are used to efficiently cut trees, logs, or thick branches out of doors.
Syn. -- chain saw.
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Chain stitch (?). 1. An ornamental stitch like the links of a chain; -- used in crocheting, sewing, and embroidery.
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2. (Machine Sewing) A stitch in which the looping of the thread or threads forms a chain on the under side of the work; the loop stitch, as distinguished from the lock stitch. See .
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Chain tie. (Arch.) A tie consisting of a series of connected iron bars or rods.
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Chain wheel (?). 1. A chain pulley, or sprocket wheel.
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2. An inversion of the chain pump, by which it becomes a motor driven by water.
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Chainwork (?), n. Work looped or linked after the manner of a chain; chain stitch work.
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Chair (châr), n. [OE. chaiere, chaere, OF. chaiere, chaere, F. chaire pulpit, fr. L. cathedra chair, armchair, a teacher's or professor's chair, Gr. � down + � seat, � to sit, akin to E. sit. See , and cf. , .]
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1. A movable single seat with a back.
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2. An official seat, as of a chief magistrate or a judge, but esp. that of a professor; hence, the office itself.
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The chair of a philosophical school. Whewell.
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A chair of philology. M. Arnold.
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3. The presiding officer of an assembly; a chairman; as, to address the chair.
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4. A vehicle for one person; either a sedan borne upon poles, or two-wheeled carriage, drawn by one horse; a gig. Shak.
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Think what an equipage thou hast in air,
And view with scorn two pages and a chair. Pope.
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5. An iron block used on railways to support the rails and secure them to the sleepers.
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Coloq. Chair days , days of repose and age. -- Coloq. To put into the chair , to elect as president, or as chairman of a meeting. Macaulay. -- Coloq. To take the chair , to assume the position of president, or of chairman of a meeting.
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Chair, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Chaired (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Chairing.] 1. To place in a chair.
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2. To carry publicly in a chair in triumph. [Eng.]
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3. To function as chairperson of (a meeting, committee, etc.); as, he chaired the meeting.
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chairlift n. a ski lift on which riders are seated.
Syn. -- chair lift.
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Chairman (?), n.; pl. Chairmen (�). 1. The presiding officer of a committee, or of a public or private meeting, or of any organized body.
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2. One whose business it is to cary a chair or sedan.
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Breaks watchmen's heads and chairmen's glasses. Prior.
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Chairmanship, n. The office of a chairman of a meeting or organized body.
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chairperson n. the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization; -- same as chair{3} or chairman{1}, but used to achieve a sex-neutral register.
Syn. -- president, chairman, chairwoman, chair.
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chairwoman n. a female officer who presides at the meetings of a committee, meeting, or organization; a female chairperson.
Syn. -- president, chairman, chair, chairperson.
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Chaise (shāz), n. [F. chaise seat, or chair, chaise or carriage, for chaire, from a peculiar Parisian pronunciation. See .] 1. A two-wheeled carriage for two persons, with a calash top, and the body hung on leather straps, or thorough-braces. It is usually drawn by one horse.
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2. Loosely, a carriage in general. Cowper.
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Chaja (?), n. [Native name.] (Zoöl.) The crested screamer of Brazil (Palamedea chavaria syn. Chauna chavaria), so called in imitation of its notes; -- called also chauna, and faithful kamichi. It is often domesticated and is useful in guarding other poultry. See .
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Chalaza (?), n.; pl. E. Chalazas, L. Chalazæ (#). [NL., fr. Gr. � hail, pimple.] 1. (Bot.) The place on an ovule, or seed, where its outer coats cohere with each other and the nucleus.
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2. (Biol.) A spiral band of thickened albuminous substance which exists in the white of the bird's egg, and serves to maintain the yolk in its position; the treadle.
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Chalazal (?), a. Of or pertaining to the chalaza.
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Chalaze (?), n. Same as .
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Chalaziferous (?), a. [Chalaza + -ferous.] Having or bearing chalazas.
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Chalazion (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. � dim. of � hail, pimple.] (Med.) A small circumscribed tumor of the eyelid caused by retention of secretion, and by inflammation of the Melbomian glands.
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Chalazogamy (?), n. [Chalaza + -gamy, as in polygamy.] (Bot.) A process of fecundation in which the pollen tube penetrates to the embryosac through the tissue of the chalaza, instead of entering through the micropyle. It was originally discovered by Treub in Casuarina, and has since been found to occur regularly in the families Betulaceæ and Juglandaceæ. Partial chalazogamy is found in Ulmus, the tube here penetrating the nucleus midway between the chalaza and micropyle. -- Chalazogamic (#), a.
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Chalcanthite (?), n. [L. chalcanthum a solution of blue vitriol, Gr. �.] (Min.) Native blue vitriol. See Blue vitriol, under .
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Chalcedonic (?), a. Of or pertaining to chalcedony.
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Chalcedony (kălsĕd�n� or kăls�d�n�; 277), n.; pl. Chalcedonies (-nĭz). [ L. chalcedonius, fr. Gr. CHalkhdwn Chalcedon, a town in Asia Minor, opposite to Byzantium: cf. calcédoine, OE. calcidoine, casidoyne. Cf. .] (Min.) A cryptocrystalline, translucent variety of quartz, having usually a whitish color, and a luster nearly like wax. [Written also calcedony.]
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☞ When chalcedony is variegated with with spots or figures, or arranged in differently colored layers, it is called agate; and if by reason of the thickness, color, and arrangement of the layers it is suitable for being carved into cameos, it is called onyx. Chrysoprase is green chalcedony; carnelian, a flesh red, and sard, a brownish red variety.
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Chalchihuitl (chȧlch�w�tl), n. (Min.) The Mexican name for turquoise. See .
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Chalcid fly (?). [From Gr. chalkos copper; in allusion to its metallic colors.] (Zoöl.) One of a numerous family of hymenopterous insects (Chalcididæ. Many are gallflies, others are parasitic on insects.
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Chalcidian (?), n. [L. chalcis a lizard, Gr. chalkis.] (Zoöl.) One of a tropical family of snakelike lizards (Chalcidæ), having four small or rudimentary legs.
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Chalcis n. the type genus of the Chalcididae.
Syn. -- genus Chalcis.
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Chalcocite (?), n. [Gr. chalkos brass.] (Min.) Native copper sulphide, called also copper glance, and vitreous copper; a mineral of a black color and metallic luster. [Formerly written chalcosine.]
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{ Chalcographer (?), Chalcographist (?), } n. An engraver on copper or brass; hence, an engraver of copper plates for printing upon paper.
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Chalcography (?), n. [Gr. chalkos copper, brass + -graphy.] The act or art of engraving on copper or brass, especially of engraving for printing.
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Chalcopyrite (?), n. [Gr. chalkos brass + E. pyrite. So named from its color.] (Min.) Copper pyrites, or yellow copper ore; a common ore of copper, containing copper, iron, and sulphur. It occurs massive and in tetragonal crystals of a bright brass yellow color.
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Chaldaic (?), a. [L. Chaldaicus.] Of or pertaining to Chaldea. -- n. The language or dialect of the Chaldeans; Chaldee.
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Chaldaism (?), n. An idiom or peculiarity in the Chaldee dialect.
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Chaldean (?), a. [L. Chaldaeus.] Of or pertaining to Chaldea. -- n. (a) A native or inhabitant of Chaldea. (b) A learned man, esp. an astrologer; -- so called among the Eastern nations, because astrology and the kindred arts were much cultivated by the Chaldeans. (c) Nestorian.
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Chaldee (?), a. Of or pertaining to Chaldea. -- n. The language or dialect of the Chaldeans; eastern Aramaic, or the Aramaic used in Chaldea.
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Coloq. Chaldee Paraphrase , A targum written in Aramaic.
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{ Chaldrich (?), Chalder (?), } n. [Icel. tjaldr.] (Zoöl.) A kind of bird; the oyster catcher.
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Chaldron (?), n. [OF. chaldron, F. chaudron kettle. The same word as caldron.] An English dry measure, being, at London, 36 bushels heaped up, or its equivalent weight, and more than twice as much at Newcastle. Now used exclusively for coal and coke.
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☞ In the United States the chaldron is ordinarily 2,940 lbs, but at New York it is 2,500 lbs. De Colange.
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Chalet (?), n. [F.] 1. A herdsman's hut in the mountains of Switzerland.
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Chalets are summer huts for the Swiss herdsmen. Wordsworth.
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2. A summer cottage or country house in the Swiss mountains; any country house built in the style of the Swiss cottages.
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Chalice (?), n. [OR. chalis, calice, OF. chalice, calice, F. calice, fr. L. calix, akin to Gr. � and E. helmet. Cf. , .] A cup or bowl; especially, the cup used in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
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Chaliced (?), a. Having a calyx or cup; cup-shaped. “Chaliced flowers.” Shak.
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Chalk (ch�k), n. [AS. cealc lime, from L. calx limestone. See , and .] 1. (Min.) A soft, earthy substance, of a white, grayish, or yellowish white color, consisting of calcium carbonate, and having the same composition as common limestone.
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2. (Fine Arts) Finely prepared chalk, used as a drawing implement; also, by extension, a compound, as of clay and black lead, or the like, used in the same manner. See .
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Coloq. Black chalk , a mineral of a bluish color, of a slaty texture, and soiling the fingers when handled; a variety of argillaceous slate. -- Coloq. By a long chalk , by a long way; by many degrees. [Slang] Lowell. -- Coloq. Chalk drawing (Fine Arts), a drawing made with crayons. See . -- Coloq. Chalk formation . See Cretaceous formation, under . -- Coloq. Chalk line , a cord rubbed with chalk, used for making straight lines on boards or other material, as a guide in cutting or in arranging work. -- Coloq. Chalk mixture , a preparation of chalk, cinnamon, and sugar in gum water, much used in diarrheal affection, esp. of infants. -- Coloq. Chalk period . (Geol.) See Cretaceous period, under . -- Coloq. Chalk pit , a pit in which chalk is dug. -- Coloq. Drawing chalk . See , n., 1. -- Coloq. French chalk , steatite or soapstone, a soft magnesian mineral. -- Coloq. Red chalk , an indurated clayey ocher containing iron, and used by painters and artificers; reddle.
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Chalk, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Chalked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Chalking.] 1. To rub or mark with chalk.
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2. To manure with chalk, as land. Morimer.
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3. To make white, as with chalk; to make pale; to bleach. Tennyson.
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Let a bleak paleness chalk the door. Herbert.
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Coloq. To chalk out , to sketch with, or as with, chalk; to outline; to indicate; to plan. [Colloq.] “I shall pursue the plan I have chalked out.” Burke.
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chalkboard (ch�kbōrd), n. a dark sheet of slate used as a surface for writing on, with chalk.
Syn. -- blackboard.
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Chalkcutter (?), n. A man who digs chalk.
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Chalkiness (?), n. The state of being chalky.
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chalk line (ch�k līn), n. 1. a string impregnated with powdered chalk, used in construction to mark a straight line on a surface, such as a wall. The string is held taut on the surface between the two end points of the line to be made, the center of the line is drawn away from the surface, and the string is released and snapped against the surface, leaving a line of chalk in the desired location.
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2. the line of chalk on a surface left by a .
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chalkpit (ch�kpĭt), n. a quarry for mining chalk.
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Chalkstone (?), n. 1. A mass of chalk.
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As chalkstones . . . beaten in sunder. Isa. xxvii. 9.
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2. (Med.) A chalklike concretion, consisting mainly of urate of sodium, found in and about the small joints, in the external ear, and in other situations, in those affected with gout; a tophus.
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Chalky (?), a. Consisting of, or resembling, chalk; containing chalk; as, a chalky cliff; a chalky taste.
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Challenge (?), n. [OE. chalenge claim, accusation, challenge, OF. chalenge, chalonge, claim, accusation, contest, fr. L. calumnia false accusation, chicanery. See .] 1. An invitation to engage in a contest or controversy of any kind; a defiance; specifically, a summons to fight a duel; also, the letter or message conveying the summons.
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A challenge to controversy. Goldsmith.
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2. The act of a sentry in halting any one who appears at his post, and demanding the countersign.
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3. A claim or demand. [Obs.]
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There must be no challenge of superiority. Collier.
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4. (Hunting) The opening and crying of hounds at first finding the scent of their game.
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5. (Law) An exception to a juror or to a member of a court martial, coupled with a demand that he should be held incompetent to act; the claim of a party that a certain person or persons shall not sit in trial upon him or his cause. Blackstone
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6. An exception to a person as not legally qualified to vote. The challenge must be made when the ballot is offered. [U. S.]
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Coloq. Challenge to the array (Law), an exception to the whole panel. -- Coloq. Challenge to the favor , the alleging a special cause, the sufficiency of which is to be left to those whose duty and office it is to decide upon it. -- Coloq. Challenge to the polls , an exception taken to any one or more of the individual jurors returned. -- Coloq. Peremptory challenge , a privilege sometimes allowed to defendants, of challenging a certain number of jurors (fixed by statute in different States) without assigning any cause. -- Coloq. Principal challenge , that which the law allows to be sufficient if found to be true.
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Challenge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Challenged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Challenging.] [OE. chalengen to accuse, claim, OF. chalengier, chalongier, to claim, accuse, dispute, fr. L. calumniar to attack with false accusations. See , n., and cf. .] 1. To call to a contest of any kind; to call to answer; to defy.
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I challenge any man to make any pretense to power by right of fatherhood. Locke.
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2. To call, invite, or summon to answer for an offense by personal combat.
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By this I challenge him to single fight. Shak.
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3. To claim as due; to demand as a right.
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Challenge better terms. Addison.
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4. To censure; to blame. [Obs.]
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He complained of the emperors . . . and challenged them for that he had no greater revenues . . . from them. Holland.
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5. (Mil.) To question or demand the countersign from (one who attempts to pass the lines); as, the sentinel challenged us, with “Who comes there?”
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6. To take exception to; question; as, to challenge the accuracy of a statement or of a quotation.
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7. (Law) To object to or take exception to, as to a juror, or member of a court.
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8. To object to the reception of the vote of, as on the ground that the person in not qualified as a voter. [U. S.]
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Coloq. To challenge to the Coloq. array, favor, polls . See under , n.
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Challenge, v. i. To assert a right; to claim a place.
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Where nature doth with merit challenge. Shak.
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Challengeable (?), a. That may be challenged.
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challenged adj. 1. having doubts expressed about its truth.
Syn. -- disputed, questioned.
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2. handicapped or disabled; -- used as a euphemism, especially in combinations; as, physically challenged; mentally challenged.
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Challenger (?), n. One who challenges.
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challenging adj. 1. requiring full use of one's abilities or resources; as, challenging task.
Syn. -- ambitious, demanding.
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2. disposed to or engaged in defiance of established authority.
Syn. -- insubordinate, resistant, resistive.
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Challis (?), n. [F. chaly, challis, a stuff made of goat's hair.] A soft and delicate woolen, or woolen and silk, fabric, for ladies' dresses. [Written also chally.]
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Chalon (?), n. A bed blanket. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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Chalybean (?), a. [L. chalybeïus, fr. chalybs steel, Gr. �.] 1. Of or pertaining to the Chalybes, an ancient people of Pontus in Asia Minor, celebrated for working in iron and steel.
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2. Of superior quality and temper; -- applied to steel. [Obs.] Milton.
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Chalybeate (?), a. [NL. chalybeatus, fr. chalubeïus. See .] Impregnated with salts of iron; having a taste like iron; as, chalybeate springs.
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Chalybeate, n. Any water, liquid, or medicine, into which iron enters as an ingredient.
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Chalybeous (?), a. (Zoöl.) Steel blue; of the color of tempered steel.
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Chalybite (?), n. (Min.) Native iron carbonate; -- usually called siderite.
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Cham (chăm), v. t. [See .] To chew. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Sir T. More.
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Cham (kăm), n. [See .] The sovereign prince of Tartary; -- now usually written khan. Shak.
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Chamade (?), n. [F. chamade, fr. Pg. chamada, fr. chamar to call, fr. L. clamare.] (Mil.) A signal made for a parley by beat of a drum.
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They beat the chamade, and sent us carte blanche. Addison.
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Chamaecytisus n. a genus of small late-flowering trees or subshrubs having yellow to red flowers and leathery or woody pods; -- often used especially for those formerly included in genus Cytisus.
Syn. -- genus Chamaecytisus.
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Chamaedaphne n. a genus consisting of only one species, the leatherleaf.
Syn. -- genus Chamaedaphne.
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Chamaeleo n. the type genus of the Chamaeleontidae.
Syn. -- genus Chamaeleo, genus Chamaeleon.
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chamaeleon n. [L. Chamaeleon, Gr. chamailewn, lit., “ground lion;” chamai on the ground + lewn lion.] (Zoöl.) a lizard of Africa and Madagascar able to change skin color and having a projectile tongue.
Syn. -- chameleon.
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Chamaeleon n. (Astronomy) a small constellation in the southern skies between Hydrus and Musca.
Syn. -- Chameleon.
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Chamaeleonidae, Chamaeleontidae n. a natural family comprising the Old World chameleons; in some classifications Rhiptoglossa is considered a superfamily of Sauria.
Syn. -- family Chamaeleontidae, family Chamaeleonidae, Rhiptoglossa, family Rhiptoglossa.
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Chamaemelum n. a small genus of plants sometimes included in genus Anthemis; chamomile.
Syn. -- genus Chamaemelum.
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chamaephyte (kăm�fīt), n. [Gr. chamai on the ground + -phyte.] a perennial plant that sets its dormant vegetative buds just at or above the surface of the ground.
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Chamal (?), n. [Native name.] (Zoöl.) The Angora goat. See Angora goat, under .
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Chamber (?), n. [F. chambre, fr. L. camera vault, arched roof, in LL. chamber, fr. Gr. � anything with a vaulted roof or arched covering; cf. Skr. kmar to be crooked. Cf. , , .]
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1. A retired room, esp. an upper room used for sleeping; a bedroom; as, the house had four chambers.
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