Cotter - Coumarin
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Cotter (kŏttẽr), n. 1. A piece of wood or metal, commonly wedge-shaped, used for fastening together parts of a machine or structure. It is driven into an opening through one or all of the parts. [See Illust.] In the United States a cotter is commonly called a key.
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2. A toggle.
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Cotter, v. t. To fasten with a cotter.
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Cottidae n. a natural family of fish including the sculpins.
Syn. -- family Cottidae.
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Cottier (-tĭẽr), n. [OF. cotier. See , and cf. .] In Great Britain and Ireland, a person who hires a small cottage, with or without a plot of land. Cottiers commonly aid in the work of the landlord's farm. [Written also cottar and cotter.]
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Cottise (kŏttĭs), n. [Cf. F. côté side, L. costa rib.] (Her.) A diminutive of the bendlet, containing one half its area or one quarter the area of the bend. When a single cottise is used alone it is often called a cost. See also .
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Cottised (-t?st), a. (Her.) Set between two cottises, -- said of a bend; or between two barrulets, -- said of a bar or fess.
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Cottoid (k?ttoid), a. [NL. cottus sculpin + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Like a fish of the genus Cottus. -- n. A fish belonging to, or resembling, the genus Cottus. See .
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Cottolene (kŏtt�lēn), n. A product from cotton-seed, used as lard.
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Cotton (kŏtt'n), n. [F. coton, Sp. algodon the cotton plant and its wool, coton printed cotton, cloth, fr. Ar. qutun, alqutun, cotton wool. Cf. , .] 1. A soft, downy substance, resembling fine wool, consisting of the unicellular twisted hairs which grow on the seeds of the cotton plant. Long-staple cotton has a fiber sometimes almost two inches long; short-staple, from two thirds of an inch to an inch and a half.
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2. The cotton plant. See Cotten plant, below.
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3. Cloth made of cotton.
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☞ Cotton is used as an adjective before many nouns in a sense which commonly needs no explanation; as, cotton bagging; cotton cloth; cotton goods; cotton industry; cotton mill; cotton spinning; cotton tick.
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Coloq. Cotton cambric . See , n., 2. -- Coloq. Cotton flannel , the manufactures' name for a heavy cotton fabric, twilled, and with a long plush nap. In England it is called swan's-down cotton, or Canton flannel. -- Coloq. Cotton gin , a machine to separate the seeds from cotton, invented by Eli Whitney. -- Coloq. Cotton grass (Bot.), a genus of plants (Eriphorum) of the Sedge family, having delicate capillary bristles surrounding the fruit (seedlike achenia), which elongate at maturity and resemble tufts of cotton. -- Coloq. Cotton mouse (Zool.), a field mouse (Hesperomys gossypinus), injurious to cotton crops. -- Coloq. Cotton plant (Bot.), a plant of the genus Gossypium, of several species, all growing in warm climates, and bearing the cotton of commerce. The common species, originally Asiatic, is Gossypium herbaceum. -- Coloq. Cotton press , a building and machinery in which cotton bales are compressed into smaller bulk for shipment; a press for baling cotton. -- Coloq. Cotton rose (Bot.), a genus of composite herbs (Filago), covered with a white substance resembling cotton. -- Coloq. Cotton scale (Zoöl.), a species of bark louse (Pulvinaria innumerabilis), which does great damage to the cotton plant. -- Coloq. Cotton shrub . Same as Cotton plant. -- Coloq. Cotton stainer (Zoöl.), a species of hemipterous insect (Dysdercus suturellus), which seriously damages growing cotton by staining it; -- called also redbug. -- Coloq. Cotton thistle (Bot.), the Scotch thistle. See under . -- Coloq. Cotton velvet , velvet in which the warp and woof are both of cotton, and the pile is of silk; also, velvet made wholly of cotton. -- Coloq. Cotton waste , the refuse of cotton mills. -- Coloq. Cotton wool , cotton in its raw or woolly state. -- Coloq. Cotton worm (Zool.), a lepidopterous insect (Aletia argillacea), which in the larval state does great damage to the cotton plant by eating the leaves. It also feeds on corn, etc., and hence is often called corn worm, and Southern army worm.
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Cotton, v. i. 1. To rise with a regular nap, as cloth does. [Obs.]
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It cottons well; it can not choose but bear
A pretty nap.
Family of Love.
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2. To go on prosperously; to succeed. [Obs.]
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New, Hephestion, does not this matter cotton as I would?
Lyly.
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3. To unite; to agree; to make friends; -- usually followed by with. [Colloq.]
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A quarrel will end in one of you being turned off, in which case it will not be easy to cotton with another.
Swift.
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Didst see, Frank, how the old goldsmith cottoned in with his beggarly companion?
Sir W. Scott.
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4. To take a liking to; to stick to one as cotton; -- used with to. [Slang]
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Cottonade (k?tt'n-?d), n. [F. cottonade.] A somewhat stout and thick fabric of cotton.
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Cottonary (-?-r?), a. Relating to, or composed of, cotton; cottony. [Obs.]
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Cottonary and woolly pillows.
Sir T. Browne.
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Cotton batting. Cotton prepared in sheets or rolls for quilting, upholstering, and similar purposes.
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cottonmouth n. venomous semiaquatic snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus) of swamps in southern U.S.; -- called also water moccasin, cottonmouth moccasin, and cottonmouth water moccasin. It grows to a length of about 4 feet. The name refers to the whiteness of the lips and inside of the mouth.
Syn. -- water moccasin, cottonmouth moccasin, Agkistrodon piscivorus.
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Cottonous (-?s), a. Resembling cotton. [R.] Evelyn.
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{ cotton seed, or , usually collectively, cottonseed } (?), n. The seed of the cotton plant.
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Cottonseed meal. A meal made from hulled cotton seeds after the oil has been expressed.
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Cottonseed oil. A fixed, semidrying oil extracted from cottonseed. It is pale yellow when pure (sp. gr., .92-.93). and is extensively used in soap making, in cookery, and as an adulterant of other oils.
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Cotton State. Alabama; -- a nickname.
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Cottontail (kŏtt'ntāl), n. (Zoöl.) The American wood rabbit (Lepus sylvaticus); -- also called Molly cottontail.
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Cottonweed (-wēd), n. (Bot.) See .
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cottonwick n. a type of grunt (Haemulon melanurum) of warm Atlantic waters.
Syn. -- Haemulon melanurum.
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Cottonwood (-w�d), n. (Bot.) An American tree of the genus Populus or poplar, having the seeds covered with abundant cottonlike hairs; esp., the Populus monilifera and Populus angustifolia of the Western United States.
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Cottony (-?), a. 1. Covered with hairs or pubescence, like cotton; downy; nappy; woolly.
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2. Of or pertaining to cotton; resembling cotton in appearance or character; soft, like cotton.
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Cottrel (k?ttr?l), n. A trammel, or hook to support a pot over a fire. Knight.
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Coturnix n. a genus of birds comprising the Old World quail.
Syn. -- genus Coturnix.
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{ Cotyla (k?t?-l?), Cotyle (k?t?-l?), } n. [Gr. ��� anything hollow, cup of a joint, small meassure: cf. L. cotyla a measure.] (Anat.) A cuplike cavity or organ. Same as .
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Cotyledon (k?t?-l?d?n), n. [Gr.��� a cupshaped hollow, fr. ���. See .] 1. (Anat.) One of the patches of villi found in some forms of placenta.
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2. (Bot.) A leaf borne by the caulicle or radicle of an embryo; a seed leaf.
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☞ Many plants, as the bean and the maple, have two cotyledons, the grasses only one, and pines have several. In one African plant (Welwitschia) the cotyledons are permanent and grow to immense proportions.
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Cotyledonal (k?t?-l?d?n-�l), a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a cotyledon.
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Cotyledonary (-?-r?), a. Having a cotyledon; tufted; as, the cotyledonary placenta of the cow.
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Cotyledonous (-?s; 277), a. Of or pertaining to a cotyledon or cotyledons; having a seed lobe.
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Cotyliform (k?-t?l?-f?rm), a. [Cotyle + -form.] (Zoöl.) Shaped like a cotyle or a cup.
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Cotyligerous (k?t?-l?j?r-?s), a. [Cotyle + -gerous.] (Zoöl.) Having cotyles.
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cotyloid, cotyloidal (k?t?-loid), a. [Cotyle + -oid] (Anat.) (a) Shaped like a cup; cup-shaped; as, the cotyloid cavity, the cup-shaped socket which receives the head of the thigh bone. (b) Pertaining to a cotyloid cavity; as, the cotyloid ligament, or notch.
Syn. -- acetabular, cotyloid.
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Coucal (k??k?l), n. [Prob. native name.] (Zoöl.) A large, Old World, ground cuckoo of the genus Centropus, of several species.
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Couch (kouch), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Couched (koucht); p. pr. & vb. n. Couching.] [F. coucher to lay down, lie down, OF. colchier, fr. L. collocare to lay, put, place; col- + locare to place, fr. locus place. See .]
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1. To lay upon a bed or other resting place.
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Where unbruised youth, with unstuffed brain,
Does couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign.
Shak.
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2. To arrange or dispose as in a bed; -- sometimes followed by the reflexive pronoun.
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The waters couch themselves as may be to the center of this globe, in a spherical convexity.
T. Burnet.
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3. To lay or deposit in a bed or layer; to bed.
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It is at this day in use at Gaza, to couch potsherds, or vessels of earth, in their walls.
Bacon.
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4. (Paper Making) To transfer (as sheets of partly dried pulp) from the wire cloth mold to a felt blanket, for further drying.
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5. To conceal; to include or involve darkly.
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There is all this, and more, that lies naturally couched under this allegory.
L'Estrange.
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6. To arrange; to place; to inlay. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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7. To put into some form of language; to express; to phrase; -- used with in and under.
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A well-couched invective.
Milton.
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I had received a letter from Flora couched in rather cool terms.
Blackw. Mag.
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8. (Med.) To treat by pushing down or displacing the opaque lens with a needle; as, to couch a cataract.
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Coloq. To couch a spear or Coloq. To couch a lance , to lower to the position of attack; to place in rest.
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He stooped his head, and couched his spear,
And spurred his steed to full career.
Sir W. Scott.
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Coloq. To couch malt , to spread malt on a floor. Mortimer.
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Couch, v. i. 1. To lie down or recline, as on a bed or other place of rest; to repose; to lie.
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Where souls do couch on flowers, we 'll hand in hand.
Shak.
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If I court moe women, you 'll couch with moe men.
Shak.
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2. To lie down for concealment; to hide; to be concealed; to be included or involved darkly.
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We 'll couch in the castle ditch, till we see the light of our fairies.
Shak.
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The half-hidden, hallf-revealed wonders, that yet couch beneath the words of the Scripture.
I. Taylor.
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3. To bend the body, as in reverence, pain, labor, etc.; to stoop; to crouch. [Obs.]
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An aged squire
That seemed to couch under his shield three-square.
Spenser.
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Couch, n. [F. couche, OF. colche, culche, fr. colchier. See , v. t. ] 1. A bed or place for repose or sleep; particularly, in the United States, a lounge.
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Gentle sleep . . . why liest thou with the vile
In loathsome beds, and leavest the kingly couch?
Shak.
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Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.
Bryant.
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2. Any place for repose, as the lair of a beast, etc.
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3. A mass of steeped barley spread upon a floor to germinate, in malting; or the floor occupied by the barley; as, couch of malt.
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4. (Painting & Gilding) A preliminary layer, as of color, size, etc.
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Couchancy (kouchan-s?), n. State of lying down for repose. [R.]
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Couchant (kouchant), a. [F., p. pr. of coucher. See , v. t.] 1. Lying down with head erect; squatting.
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2. (Her.) Lying down with the head raised, which distinguishes the posture of couchant from that of dormant, or sleeping; -- said of a lion or other beast.
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Coloq. Couchant and levant (Law), rising up and lying down; -- said of beasts, and indicating that they have been long enough on land, not belonging to their owner, to lie down and rise up to feed, -- such time being held to include a day and night at the least. Blackstone.
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Couché (k??sh?), a. [F., p. p. of coucher. See , v. t. ] (Her.) (a) Not erect; inclined; -- said of anything that is usually erect, as an escutcheon. (b) Lying on its side; thus, a chevron couché is one which emerges from one side of the escutcheon and has its apex on the opposite side, or at the fess point.
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Couched (koucht), a. (Her.) Same as .
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Couchee (k??sh?; F. k??sh?), n. [F. couch�e a sleeping place from coucher. See , v. t. ] A reception held at the time of going to bed, as by a sovereign or great prince. [Obs.] Dryden.
The duke's levees and couchees were so crowded that the antechambers were full.
Bp. Burnet.
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Coucher (kouch?r), n. 1. One who couches.
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2. (Paper Manuf.) One who couches paper.
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3. [Cf. L. collectarius.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) A factor or agent resident in a country for traffic. Blount. (b) The book in which a corporation or other body registers its particular acts. [Obs.] Cowell.
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Couch grass (gr?s). (Bot.) See .
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Couching, n. 1. (Med.) The operation of putting down or displacing the opaque lens in cataract.
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2. Embroidering by laying the materials upon the surface of the foundation, instead of drawing them through.
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Couchless (kouchl?s), a. Having no couch or bed.
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Coudee (k??d?; F. k??d?), n. [F. coud�e, from coude elbow.] A measure of length; the distance from the elbow to the end of the middle finger; a cubit.
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Cougar (k??g?r), n. [F. couguar, from the native name in the South American dialects, cuguacuara, cuguacuarana.] (Zoöl.) An American feline quadruped (Felis concolor), resembling the African panther in size and habits. Its color is tawny, without spots; hence writers often called it the American lion. Called also puma, panther, mountain lion, and catamount. See .
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Cough (k?f), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Coughed (k?ft); p. pr. & vb. n. Coughing.] [Cf. D. kuchen, MHG. k�chen to breathe, G. keuchen to pant, and E. chincough, the first part of which is prob. akin to cough; cf. also E. choke.] To expel air, or obstructing or irritating matter, from the lungs or air passages, in a noisy and violent manner.
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Cough, v. t. 1. To expel from the lungs or air passages by coughing; -- followed by up; as, to cough up phlegm.
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2. To bring to a specified state by coughing; as, he coughed himself hoarse.
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Coloq. To cough down , to silence or put down (an objectionable speaker) by simulated coughing.
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Cough, n. [Cg. D. kuch. See , v. i. ] 1. A sudden, noisy, and violent expulsion of air from the chest, caused by irritation in the air passages, or by the reflex action of nervous or gastric disorder, etc.
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2. The more or less frequent repetition of coughing, constituting a symptom of disease.
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Coloq. Stomach cough , Coloq. Ear cough , cough due to irritation in the stomach or ear.
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Cougher (k?f?r), n. One who coughs.
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Couhage (kou?j), n. (Bot.) See .
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Could (k??d), imp. of . [OF. coude. The l was inserted by mistake, under the influence of should and would.] Was, should be, or would be, able, capable, or susceptible. Used as an auxiliary, in the past tense or in the conditional present.
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Coulee (k??l?), n. [F. coulée, fr. couler to run or flow.] A stream; (Geol.) a stream of lava. Also, in the Western United States, the bed of a stream, even if dry, when deep and having inclined sides; distinguished from a cañon, which has precipitous sides.
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Couleur (?), n. [F.] 1. Color; -- chiefly used in a few French phrases, as couler de rose, color of rose; and hence, adjectively, rose-colored; roseate.
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2. A suit of cards, as hearts or clubs; -- used in some French games.
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Coulisse (k�lĭs; F. k�l�s), n. [F., fr. couler to flow, glide.] 1. A piece of timber having a groove in which something glides.
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2. One of the side scenes of the stage in a theater, or the space included between the side scenes.
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Coulisse (k�lēs), n. 1. A fluting in a sword blade.
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2. The outside stock exchange, or “curb market,” of Paris. [French Use]
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Couloir (k??lw?r), n. [F., a strainer.] 1. A deep gorge; a gully.
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2. (Hydraul. Engin.) A dredging machine for excavating canals, etc.
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Coulomb (k??l?n), n. [From Coulomb, a French physicist and electrican.] (Physics) The standard unit of quantity in electrical measurements. It is the quantity of electricity conveyed in one second by the current produced by an electro-motive force of one volt acting in a circuit having a resistance of one ohm, or the quantity transferred by one ampère in one second. Formerly called weber.
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Coulomb meter (?). (Elec.) Any instrument by which electricity can be measured in coulombs.
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Coulomb's law (?). (Physics) The law that the force exerted between two electric or magnetic charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely to the square of the distance between them.
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Coulter (kōltẽr), n. Same as .
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Coulterneb (-nĕb), n. (Zoöl.) The puffin.
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Coulure (?), n. [F., prop., a dropping.] (Hort.) A disease affecting grapes, esp. in California, manifested by the premature dropping of the fruit.
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Coumaric (k??-m?r?k), a. Relating to, derived from, or like, the Dipterix odorata, a tree of Guiana.
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Coloq. Coumaric acid (Chem.), one of a series of aromatic acids, related to cinnamic acid, the most important of which is a white crystalline substance, HO.C6H4.C2H2.CO2H, obtained from the tonka bean, sweet clover, etc., and also produced artificially.
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Coumarin (k�mȧrĭn), n. [F., fr. coumarou, a tree of Guiana.] (Chem.) The concrete essence of the tonka bean, the fruit of Dipterix (formerly Coumarouna) odorata and consisting essentially of coumarin proper, which is a white crystalline substance, C9H6O2, of vanilla-like odor, regarded as an anhydride of coumaric acid, and used in flavoring. Coumarin in also made artificially.
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