Sidesman - Sigmoidally

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Sidesman (?), n.; pl. Sidesmen (�). 1. A party man; a partisan. Milton.
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2. An assistant to the churchwarden; a questman.
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Side-taking (?), n. A taking sides, as with a party, sect, or faction. Bp. Hall.
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Sidetrack (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sidetracked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sidetracking.] 1. (Railroads) To transfer to a siding from a main line of track.
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2. Hence, fig., to divert or reduce to a position or condition that is relatively secondary or subordinate in activity, importance, effectiveness, or the like; to switch off; to turn aside, as from a purpose. [Colloq.]

Such a project was, in fact, sidetracked in favor of the census of school children. Pop. Sci. Monthly.
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Sidewalk (?), n. A walk for foot passengers at the side of a street or road; a foot pavement. [U.S.]
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Sideways (?), adv. Toward the side; sidewise.
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A second refraction made sideways. Sir I. Newton.
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His beard, a good palm's length, at least, . . .
Shot sideways, like a swallow's wings. Longfellow.
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Side-wheel, a. Having a paddle wheel on each side; -- said of steam vessels; as, a side-wheel steamer.
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Sidewinder (?), n. 1. (Zoöl.) See Horned rattler, under .
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2. A heavy swinging blow from the side, which disables an adversary. [Slang.] Sidewise (?), adv. On or toward one side; laterally; sideways.
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I saw them mask their awful glance
Sidewise meek in gossamer lids. Emerson.
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Siding (?), n. 1. Attaching one's self to a party.
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2. A side track, as a railroad; a turnout.
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3. (Carp.) The covering of the outside wall of a frame house, whether made of weatherboards, vertical boarding with cleats, shingles, or the like.
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4. (Shipbuilding) The thickness of a rib or timber, measured, at right angles with its side, across the curved edge; as, a timber having a siding of ten inches.
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Sidle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sidled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sidling (?).] [From .] To go or move with one side foremost; to move sidewise; as, to sidle through a crowd or narrow opening. Swift.
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He . . . then sidled close to the astonished girl. Sir W. Scott.
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Siege (?), n. [OE. sege, OF. siege, F. siège a seat, a siege; cf. It. seggia, seggio, zedio, a seat, asseggio, assedio, a siege, F. assiéger to besiege, It. & LL. assediare, L. obsidium a siege, besieging; all ultimately fr. L. sedere to sit. See , and cf. , n.] 1. A seat; especially, a royal seat; a throne. [Obs.] “Upon the very siege of justice.” Shak.
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A stately siege of sovereign majesty,
And thereon sat a woman gorgeous gay. Spenser.
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In our great hall there stood a vacant chair . . .
And Merlin called it “The siege perilous.” Tennyson.
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2. Hence, place or situation; seat. [Obs.]
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Ah! traitorous eyes, come out of your shameless siege forever. Painter (Palace of Pleasure).
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3. Rank; grade; station; estimation. [Obs.]
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I fetch my life and being
From men of royal siege. Shak.
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4. Passage of excrements; stool; fecal matter. [Obs.]
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The siege of this mooncalf. Shak.
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5. The sitting of an army around or before a fortified place for the purpose of compelling the garrison to surrender; the surrounding or investing of a place by an army, and approaching it by passages and advanced works, which cover the besiegers from the enemy's fire. See the Note under .
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6. Hence, a continued attempt to gain possession.
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Love stood the siege, and would not yield his breast. Dryden.
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7. The floor of a glass-furnace.
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8. A workman's bench. Knught.
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Coloq. Siege gun , a heavy gun for siege operations. -- Coloq. Siege train , artillery adapted for attacking fortified places.
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Siege, v. t. To besiege; to beset. [R.]
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Through all the dangers that can siege
The life of man. Buron.
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Siegework (?), n. A temporary fort or parallel where siege guns are mounted.
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Siemens-Martin process (?). See Open-hearth process, etc., under .
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Siemens-Martin steel (?). See Open-hearth steel, under .
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Sienite (?), n. (Min.) See .
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Sienitic (?), a. See .
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Sienna (?), n. [It. terra di Siena, fr. Siena in Italy.] (Chem.) Clay that is colored red or brown by the oxides of iron or manganese, and used as a pigment. It is used either in the raw state or burnt.
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Coloq. Burnt sienna , sienna made of a much redder color by the action of fire. -- Coloq. Raw sienna , sienna in its natural state, of a transparent yellowish brown color.
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Siennese (?), a. Of or pertaining to Sienna, a city of Italy.
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Sierra (?), n. [Sp., properly, a saw, fr. L. serra a saw. See .] A ridge of mountain and craggy rocks, with a serrated or irregular outline; as, the Sierra Nevada.
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The wild sierra overhead. Whitter.
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Siesta (?), n. [Sp., probably fr. L. sessitare to sit much or long, v. freq. of sedere, sessum, to sit. See .] A short sleep taken about the middle of the day, or after dinner; a midday nap.
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Sieur (?), n. [F., abbrev. from seigneur. Cf. , .] Sir; -- a title of respect used by the French.
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Sieva (?), n. (Bot.) A small variety of the Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus).
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Sieve (?), n. [OE. sive, AS. sife; akin to D. zeef, zift, OHG. sib, G. sieb. √151a. Cf. .] 1. A utensil for separating the finer and coarser parts of a pulverized or granulated substance from each other. It consist of a vessel, usually shallow, with the bottom perforated, or made of hair, wire, or the like, woven in meshes. “In a sieve thrown and sifted.” Chaucer.
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2. A kind of coarse basket. Simmonds.
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Coloq. Sieve cells (Bot.), cribriform cells. See under .
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Sifac (?), n. (Zoöl.) The white indris of Madagascar. It is regarded by the natives as sacred.
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Sifflement (?), n. [F., a whistling or hissing.] The act of whistling or hissing; a whistling sound; sibilation. [Obs.] A. Brewer.
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Sifilet (?), n. [Cf. F. siflet.] (Zoöl.) The six-shafted bird of paradise. See Paradise bird, under .
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Sift (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sifted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sifting.] [AS. siftan, from sife sieve. √151a. See .] 1. To separate with a sieve, as the fine part of a substance from the coarse; as, to sift meal or flour; to sift powder; to sift sand or lime.
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2. To separate or part as if with a sieve.
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When yellow sands are sifted from below,
The glittering billows give a golden show. Dryden.
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3. To examine critically or minutely; to scrutinize.
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Sifting the very utmost sentence and syllable. Hooker.
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Opportunity I here have had
To try thee, sift thee. Milton.
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Let him but narrowly sift his ideas. I. Taylor.
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Coloq. To sift out , to search out with care, as if by sifting.
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Sifter (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, sifts.
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2. (Zoöl.) Any lamellirostral bird, as a duck or goose; -- so called because it sifts or strains its food from the water and mud by means of the lamell� of the beak.
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Sig (?), n. [Akin to AS. sīgan to fall. √151a. See , v. t.] Urine. [Prov. Eng.]
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Sigaultian (?), a. (Surg.) Pertaining to Sigault, a French physician. See .
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Sigger, v. i. Same as . [Prov. Eng.]
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Sigh (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sighed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sighing.] [OE. sighen, si�en; cf. also OE. siken, AS. sīcan, and OE. sighten, si�ten, sichten, AS. siccettan; all, perhaps, of imitative origin.] 1. To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual, and immediately expel it; to make a deep single audible respiration, especially as the result or involuntary expression of fatigue, exhaustion, grief, sorrow, or the like.
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2. Hence, to lament; to grieve.
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He sighed deeply in his spirit. Mark viii. 12.
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3. To make a sound like sighing.
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And the coming wind did roar more loud,
And the sails did sigh like sedge. Coleridge.
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The winter winds are wearily sighing. Tennyson.
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☞ An extraordinary pronunciation of this word as sīth is still heard in England and among the illiterate in the United States.
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Sigh, v. t. 1. To exhale (the breath) in sighs.
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Never man sighed truer breath. Shak.
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2. To utter sighs over; to lament or mourn over.
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Ages to come, and men unborn,
Shall bless her name, and sigh her fate. Pior.
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3. To express by sighs; to utter in or with sighs.
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They . . . sighed forth proverbs. Shak.
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The gentle swain . . . sighs back her grief. Hoole.
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Sigh, n. [OE. sigh; cf. OE. sik. See , v. i.] 1. A deep and prolonged audible inspiration or respiration of air, as when fatigued or grieved; the act of sighing.
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I could drive the boat with my sighs. Shak.
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2. Figuratively, a manifestation of grief; a lan�ent.
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With their sighs the air
Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite. Milton.
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Sigh-born (?), a. Sorrowful; mournful. [R.] “Sigh-born thoughts.” De Quincey.
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Sigher (?), n. One who sighs.
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Sighing, a. Uttering sighs; grieving; lamenting. “Sighing millions.” Cowper. -- Sighingly, adv.
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Sight (sīt), n. [OE. sight, siþt, siht, AS. siht, gesiht, gesihð, gesiehð, gesyhð; akin to D. gezicht, G. sicht, gesicht, Dan. sigte, Sw. sigt, from the root of E. see. See , v. t.] 1. The act of seeing; perception of objects by the eye; view; as, to gain sight of land.
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A cloud received him out of their sight. Acts. i. 9.
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2. The power of seeing; the faculty of vision, or of perceiving objects by the instrumentality of the eyes.
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Thy sight is young,
And thou shalt read when mine begin to dazzle. Shak.
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O loss of sight, of thee I most complain! Milton.
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3. The state of admitting unobstructed vision; visibility; open view; region which the eye at one time surveys; space through which the power of vision extends; as, an object within sight.
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4. A spectacle; a view; a show; something worth seeing.
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Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. Ex. iii. 3.
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They never saw a sight so fair. Spenser.
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5. The instrument of seeing; the eye.
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Why cloud they not their sights? Shak.
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6. Inspection; examination; as, a letter intended for the sight of only one person.
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7. Mental view; opinion; judgment; as, in their sight it was harmless. Wake.
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That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. Luke xvi. 15.
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8. A small aperture or optical device through which objects are to be seen, and by which their direction is settled or ascertained; -- used on surveying instruments; as, the sight of a quadrant.
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Thier eyes of fire sparking through sights of steel. Shak.
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9. An optical device or small piece of metal, fixed or movable, on the breech, muzzle, center, or trunnion of a gun, or on the breech and the muzzle of a rifle, pistol, etc., by means of which the eye is guided in aiming. A telescope mounted on a weapon, such as a rifle, and used for accurate aiming at distant targets is called a telescopic sight. Farrow.
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10. In a drawing, picture, etc., that part of the surface, as of paper or canvas, which is within the frame or the border or margin. In a frame or the like, the open space, the opening.
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11. A great number, quantity, or sum; as, a sight of money. [Now colloquial]
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☞ Sight in this last sense was formerly employed in the best usage. “A sight of lawyers.” Latimer.
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A wonder sight of flowers. Gower.
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Coloq. At sight , as soon as seen, or presented to sight; as, a draft payable at sight: to read Greek at sight; to shoot a person at sight. -- Coloq. Front sight (Firearms), the sight nearest the muzzle. -- Coloq. Open sight . (Firearms) (a) A front sight through which the objects aimed at may be seen, in distinction from one that hides the object. (b) A rear sight having an open notch instead of an aperture. -- Coloq. Peep sight , Coloq. Rear sight . See under , and . -- Coloq. Sight draft , an order, or bill of exchange, directing the payment of money at sight. -- Coloq. To take sight , to take aim; to look for the purpose of directing a piece of artillery, or the like.
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Syn. -- Vision; view; show; spectacle; representation; exhibition.
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Sight (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sighting.] 1. To get sight of; to see; as, to sight land; to sight a wreck. Kane.
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2. To look at through a sight; to see accurately; as, to sight an object, as a star.
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3. To apply sights to; to adjust the sights of; also, to give the proper elevation and direction to by means of a sight; as, to sight a rifle or a cannon.
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Sight, v. i. (Mil.) To take aim by a sight.
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Sighted, a. Having sight, or seeing, in a particular manner; -- used in composition; as, long-sighted, short-sighted, quick-sighted, sharp-sighted, and the like.
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Sightful (?), a. Easily or clearly seen; distinctly visible; perspicuous. [Obs.] Testament of Love.
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Sightfulness, n. The state of being sightful; perspicuity. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.
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Sight-hole (?), n. A hole for looking through; a peephole. “Stop all sight-holes.” Shak.
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Sighting, a. & n. from , v. t.
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Coloq. Sighting shot , a shot made to ascertain whether the sights of a firearm are properly adjusted; a trial shot.
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Sightless, a. 1. Wanting sight; without sight; blind.
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Of all who blindly creep or sightless soar. Pope.
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2. That can not be seen; invisible. [Obs.]
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The sightless couriers of the air. Shak.
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3. Offensive or unpleasing to the eye; unsightly; as, sightless stains. [R.] Shak.
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-- Sightlessly, adv.- Sightlessness, n.
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Sightliness (?), n. The state of being sightly; comeliness; conspicuousness.
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Sightly (?), a. 1. Pleasing to the sight; comely. “Many brave, sightly horses.” L'Estrange.
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2. Open to sight; conspicuous; as, a house stands in a sightly place.
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Sightproof (?), a. Undiscoverable to sight.
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Hidden in their own sightproof bush. Lowell.
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Sight-seeing (?), a. Engaged in, or given to, seeing sights; eager for novelties or curiosities.
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Sight-seeing, n. The act of seeing sights; eagerness for novelties or curiosities.
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Sight-seer (?), n. One given to seeing sights or noted things, or eager for novelties or curiosities.
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Sight-shot (?), n. Distance to which the sight can reach or be thrown. [R.] Cowley.
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Sightsman (?), n.; pl. Sightsmen (�). (Mus.) One who reads or performs music readily at first sight. [R.] Busby.
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Sigil (?), n. [L. sigillum. See a stamp.] A seal; a signature. Dryden.
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Of talismans and sigils knew the power. Pope.
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Sigillaria (?), n. pl. [L., from sigillum a seal. See .] (Rom. Antic.) Little images or figures of earthenware exposed for sale, or given as presents, on the last two days of the Saturnalia; hence, the last two, or the sixth and seventh, days of the Saturnalia.
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Sigillaria, n. [NL., fem sing. fr. L. sigillum a seal.] (Paleon.) A genus of fossil trees principally found in the coal formation; -- so named from the seallike leaf scars in vertical rows on the surface.
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Sigillarid (?), n. (Paleon.) One of an extinct family of cryptagamous trees, including the genus Sigillaria and its allies.
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Sigillated (?), a. [L. sigillatus adorned with little images.] Decorated by means of stamps; -- said of pottery.
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Sigillative (?), a. [L. sigillum a seal: cf. OF. sigillatif.] Fit to seal; belonging to a seal; composed of wax. [R.]
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Sigillum (?), n.; pl. Sigilla (#). [L.] (Rom. & Old Eng. Law) A seal.
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Sigla (?), n. pl. [L.] The signs, abbreviations, letters, or characters standing for words, shorthand, etc., in ancient manuscripts, or on coins, medals, etc. W. Savage.
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Sigma (?), n.; pl. Sigmas (#). [L., from Gr. ���, ���.] The Greek letter Σ, σ, or ς (English S, or s). It originally had the form of the English C.
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Sigmodont (?), n. [Gr. ��� sigma (�) + ���, ���, a tooth.] (Zoöl.) Any one of a tribe (Sigmodontes) of rodents which includes all the indigenous rats and mice of America. So called from the form of the ridges of enamel on the crowns of the worn molars. Also used adjectively.
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{ Sigmoid (?), Sigmoidal (?), } a. [Gr. ���; ��� sigma + e'i^dos form, likeness: cf. F. sigmoïde.] Curved in two directions, like the letter S, or the Greek ς.
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Coloq. Sigmoid flexure (Anat.), the last curve of the colon before it terminates in the rectum. See Illust. under . -- Coloq. Sigmoid valves . (Anat.) See Semilunar valves, under .
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Sigmoidally, adv. In a sigmoidal manner.
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