Silkness - Silversides

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Silkness (?), n. Silkiness. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
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Silk-stocking, a. Wearing silk stockings (which among men were formerly worn chiefly by the luxurious or aristocratic); hence, elegantly dressed; aristocratic; luxurious; -- chiefly applied to men, often by way of reproach.

[They] will find their levees crowded with silk-stocking gentry, but no yeomanry; an army of officers without soldiers. Jefferson.
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Silkweed (?), n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genera Asclepias and Acerates whose seed vessels contain a long, silky down; milkweed.
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Silkworm (?), n. [AS. seolcwyrm.] (Zoöl.) The larva of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths, which spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon before changing to a pupa.
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☞ The common species (Bombyx mori) feeds on the leaves of the white mulberry tree. It is native of China, but has long been introduced into other countries of Asia and Europe, and is reared on a large scale. In America it is reared only to small extent. The Ailanthus silkworm (Philosamia cynthia) is a much larger species, of considerable importance, which has been introduced into Europe and America from China. The most useful American species is the Polyphemus. See .
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Coloq. Pernyi silkworm , the larva of the Pernyi moth. See . -- Coloq. Silkworm gut , a substance prepared from the contents of the silk glands of silkworms and used in making lines for angling. See . -- Coloq. Silkworm rot , a disease of silkworms; muscardine.
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Silky (?), a. [Compar. Silkier (?); superl. Silkiest.] 1. Of or pertaining to silk; made of, or resembling, silk; silken; silklike; as, a silky luster.
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2. Hence, soft and smooth; as, silky wine.
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3. Covered with soft hairs pressed close to the surface, as a leaf; sericeous.
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Coloq. Silky oak (Bot.), a lofty Australian tree (Grevillea robusta) with silky tomentose lobed or incised leaves. It furnishes a valuable timber.
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Sill (sĭl), n. [OE. sille, sylle, AS. syl, syll; akin to G. schwelle, OHG. swelli, Icel. syll, svill, Sw. syll, Dan. syld, Goth. gasuljan to lay a foundation, to found.] The basis or foundation of a thing; especially, a horizontal piece, as a timber, which forms the lower member of a frame, or supports a structure; as, the sills of a house, of a bridge, of a loom, and the like. Hence: (a) The timber or stone at the foot of a door; the threshold. (b) The timber or stone on which a window frame stands; or, the lowest piece in a window frame. (c) The floor of a gallery or passage in a mine. (d) A piece of timber across the bottom of a canal lock for the gates to shut against.
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Coloq. Sill course (Arch.), a horizontal course of stone, terra cotta, or the like, built into a wall at the level of one or more window sills, these sills often forming part of it.
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Sill, n. [Cf. .] The shaft or thill of a carriage. [Prov. Eng.]
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Sill, n. [Cf. 4th .] A young herring. [Eng.]
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Sillabub (?), n. [Cf. sile to strain, and bub liquor, also Prov. E. sillibauk.] A dish made by mixing wine or cider with milk, and thus forming a soft curd; also, sweetened cream, flavored with wine and beaten to a stiff froth. [Written also syllabub.]
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Siller (?), n. Silver. [Scot.]
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Sillily (?), adv. [From .] In a silly manner; foolishly. Dryden.
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Sillimanite (?), n. [After Benjamin Siliman, an American meneralogist.] (Min.) Same as .
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Silliness, n. The quality or state of being silly.
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Sillock (?), n. (Zoöl.) The pollock, or coalfish.
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Sillon (?), n. [F., a furrow.] (Fort.) A work raised in the middle of a wide ditch, to defend it. Crabb.
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Silly, a. [Compar. Sillier (?); superl. Silliest.] [OE. seely, sely, AS. s�lig, ges�lig, happy, good, fr. s�l, s�l, good, happy, s�l good fortune, happines; akin to OS. sālig, a, good, happy, D. zalig blessed, G. selig, OHG. sālīg, Icel. s�l, Sw. säll, Dan. salig, Goth. s�ls good, kind, and perh. also to L. sollus whole, entire, Gr. ���, Skr. sarva. Cf. , n.] 1. Happy; fortunate; blessed. [Obs.] Chaucer.
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2. Harmless; innocent; inoffensive. [Obs.] “This silly, innocent Custance.” Chaucer.
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The silly virgin strove him to withstand. Spenser.
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A silly, innocent hare murdered of a dog. Robynson (More's Utopia).
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3. Weak; helpless; frail. [Obs.]
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After long storms . . .
With which my silly bark was tossed sore. Spenser.
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The silly buckets on the deck. Coleridge.
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4. Rustic; plain; simple; humble. [Obs.]
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A fourth man, in a sillyhabit. Shak.
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All that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. Milton.
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5. Weak in intellect; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; foolish; witless; simple; as, a silly woman.
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6. Proceeding from want of understanding or common judgment; characterized by weakness or folly; unwise; absurd; stupid; as, silly conduct; a silly question.
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Syn. -- Simple; brainless; witless; shallow; foolish; unwise; indiscreet. See .
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Sillyhow (?), n. [Prov. E. silly-hew; cf. AS. sǣlig happy, good, and hūfe a cap, hood. See , a.] A caul. See , n., 3. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
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Silo (?), n. [F.] A pit or vat for packing away green fodder for winter use so as to exclude air and outside moisture. See .
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Silt (sĭlt), n. [OE. silte gravel, fr. silen to drain, E. sile; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. sila, prob. akin to AS. seón to filter, sīgan to fall, sink, cause to sink, G. seihen to strain, to filter, OHG. sīhan, Icel. sīa, Skr. sic to pour; cf. Gr. 'ikmas moisture. Cf. , .] Mud or fine earth deposited from running or standing water.
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Silt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silted; p. pr. & vb. n. Silting.] To choke, fill, or obstruct with silt or mud.
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Silt, v. i. To flow through crevices; to percolate.
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Silty (?), a. Full of silt; resembling silt.
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Silundum (?), n. [Trade name] A form of silicon carbide, produced in the electric furnace, possessing great hardness, and high electrical resistance, and not subject to oxidation below 2880° F., or 1600° C.
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Silure (?), n. [L. silurus a sort of river fish, Gr. ���: cf. F. silure.] (Zoöl.) A fish of the genus Silurus, as the sheatfish; a siluroid.
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Silurian (?), a. [From L. Silures, a people who anciently inhabited a part of England and Wales.] (Geol.) Of or pertaining to the country of the ancient Silures; -- a term applied to the earliest of the Paleozoic eras, and also to the strata of the era, because most plainly developed in that country.
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☞ The Silurian formation, so named by Murchison, is divided into the Upper Silurian and Lower Silurian. The lower part of the Lower Silurian, with some underlying beds, is now separated under the name Cambrian, first given by Sedwick. Recently the term Ordovician has been proposed for the Lower Silurian, leawing the original word to apply only to the Upper Silurian.
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Silurian, n. The Silurian age.
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Siluridan (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any fish of the family Siluridæ or of the order Siluroidei.
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Siluroid (?), n. [Silurus + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Belonging to the Siluroidei, or Nematognathi, an order of fishes including numerous species, among which are the American catfishes and numerous allied fresh-water species of the Old World, as the sheatfish (Silurus glanis) of Europe. -- n. A siluroid fish.
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Siluroidei (?), n. pl. [NL.] (zoöl.) An order of fishes, the Nematognathi.
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Silurus (?), n. [L. See .] (Zoöl.) A genus of large malacopterygious fishes of the order Siluroidei. They inhabit the inland waters of Europe and Asia.
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Silva (?), n.; pl. E. Silvas (#), L. Silvae (�). [L., properly, a wood, forest.] [Written also sylva.] (Bot.) (a) The forest trees of a region or country, considered collectively. (b) A description or history of the forest trees of a country.
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Silvan (?), a. [L. silva, less correctly sylva, a wood or grove, perh. akin to Gr. ylh; cf. L. Silvanus Silvanus the god of woods: cf. F. sylvain silvan. Cf. .] Of or pertaining to woods; composed of woods or groves; woody. [Written also sylvan.]
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Betwixt two rows of rocks, a silvan scene
Appears above, and groves forever green. Dryden.
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Silvan, n. (Old Chem.) See . [Obs.]
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Silvanite (?), n. (Min.) See .
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{ Silvas (?) or Selvas (?), } n. pl. [L. silva a forest, Sp. selva.] Vast woodland plains of South America.
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Silvate (?), n. (Chem.) Same as .
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Silver (sĭlvẽr), n. [OE. silver, selver, seolver, AS. seolfor, siolfur, siolufr, silofr, sylofr; akin to OS. silubar, OFries. selover, D. zilver, LG. sulver, OHG. silabar, silbar, G. silber, Icel. silfr, Sw. silfver, Dan. sölv, Goth. silubr, Russ. serebro, Lith. sidabras; of unknown origin.] 1. (Chem.) A soft white metallic element, sonorous, ductile, very malleable, and capable of a high degree of polish. It is found native, and also combined with sulphur, arsenic, antimony, chlorine, etc., in the minerals argentite, proustite, pyrargyrite, ceragyrite, etc. Silver is one of the “noble” metals, so-called, not being easily oxidized, and is used for coin, jewelry, plate, and a great variety of articles. Symbol Ag (Argentum). Atomic weight 107.7. Specific gravity 10.5.
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☞ Silver was known under the name of luna to the ancients and also to the alchemists. Some of its compounds, as the halogen salts, are remarkable for the effect of light upon them, and are used in photography.
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2. Coin made of silver; silver money.
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3. Anything having the luster or appearance of silver.
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4. The color of silver.
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☞ Silver is used in the formation of many compounds of obvious meaning; as, silver-armed, silver-bright, silver-buskined, silver-coated, silver-footed, silver-haired, silver-headed, silver-mantled, silver-plated, silver-slippered, silver-sounding, silver-studded, silver-tongued, silver-white. See , a.
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Coloq. Black silver (Min.), stephanite; -- called also brittle silver ore, or brittle silver glance. -- Coloq. Fulminating silver . (Chem.) (a) A black crystalline substance, Ag2O.(NH3)2, obtained by dissolving silver oxide in aqua ammonia. When dry it explodes violently on the slightest percussion. (b) Silver fulminate, a white crystalline substance, Ag2C2N2O2, obtained by adding alcohol to a solution of silver nitrate; -- also called fulminate of silver. When dry it is violently explosive. -- Coloq. German silver . (Chem.) See under . -- Coloq. Gray silver . (Min.) See . -- Coloq. Horn silver . (Min.) See . -- Coloq. King's silver . (O. Eng. Law) See . -- Coloq. Red silver , or Coloq. Ruby silver . (Min.) See , and . -- Coloq. Silver beater , one who beats silver into silver leaf or silver foil. -- Coloq. Silver glance , or Coloq. Vitreous silver . (Min.) See .
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Silver, a. 1. Of or pertaining to silver; made of silver; as, silver leaf; a silver cup.
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2. Resembling silver. Specifically: (a) Bright; resplendent; white. “Silver hair.” Shak.
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Others, on silver lakes and rivers, bathed
Their downy breast. Milton.
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(b) Precious; costly. (c) Giving a clear, ringing sound soft and clear. “Silver voices.” Spenser. (d) Sweet; gentle; peaceful. “Silver slumber.” Spenser.
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Coloq. American silver fir (Bot.), the balsam fir. See under . -- Coloq. Silver age (Roman Lit.), the latter part (a. d. 14-180) of the classical period of Latinity, -- the time of writers of inferior purity of language, as compared with those of the previous golden age, so-called. -- Coloq. Silver-bell tree (Bot.), an American shrub or small tree (Halesia tetraptera) with white bell-shaped flowers in clusters or racemes; the snowdrop tree. -- Coloq. Silver bush (Bot.), a shrubby leguminous plant (Anthyllis Barba-Jovis) of Southern Europe, having silvery foliage. -- Coloq. Silver chub (Zoöl.), the fallfish. -- Coloq. Silver eel . (Zoöl.) (a) The cutlass fish. (b) A pale variety of the common eel. -- Coloq. Silver fir (Bot.), a coniferous tree (Abies pectinata) found in mountainous districts in the middle and south of Europe, where it often grows to the height of 100 or 150 feet. It yields Burgundy pitch and Strasburg turpentine. -- Coloq. Silver foil , foil made of silver. -- Coloq. Silver fox (Zoöl.), a variety of the common fox (Vulpes vulpes, variety argenteus) found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and America. Its fur is nearly black, with silvery tips, and is highly valued. Called also black fox, and silver-gray fox. -- Coloq. Silver gar . (Zoöl.) See (a). -- Coloq. Silver grain (Bot.), the lines or narrow plates of cellular tissue which pass from the pith to the bark of an exogenous stem; the medullary rays. In the wood of the oak they are much larger than in that of the beech, maple, pine, cherry, etc. -- Coloq. Silver grebe (Zoöl.), the red-throated diver. See Illust. under . -- Coloq. Silver hake (Zoöl.), the American whiting. -- Coloq. Silver leaf , leaves or sheets made of silver beaten very thin. -- Coloq. Silver lunge (Zoöl.), the namaycush. -- Coloq. Silver moonfish .(Zoöl.) See (b). -- Coloq. Silver moth (Zoöl.), a lepisma. -- Coloq. Silver owl (Zoöl.), the barn owl. -- Coloq. Silver perch (Zoöl.), the mademoiselle, 2. -- Coloq. Silver pheasant (Zoöl.), any one of several species of beautiful crested and long-tailed Asiatic pheasants, of the genus Euplocamus. They have the tail and more or less of the upper parts silvery white. The most common species (E. nychtemerus) is native of China. -- Coloq. Silver plate , domestic utensils made of silver. -- Coloq. Silver plover (Zoöl.), the knot. -- Coloq. Silver salmon (Zoöl.), a salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) native of both coasts of the North Pacific. It ascends all the American rivers as far south as the Sacramento. Called also kisutch, whitefish, and white salmon. -- Coloq. Silver shell (Zoöl.), a marine bivalve of the genus Anomia. See . -- Coloq. Silver steel , an alloy of steel with a very small proportion of silver. -- Coloq. Silver stick , a title given to the title field officer of the Life Guards when on duty at the palace. [Eng.] Thackeray. -- Coloq. Silver tree (Bot.), a South African tree (Leucadendron argenteum) with long, silvery, silky leaves. -- Coloq. Silver trout , (Zoöl.) See . -- Coloq. Silver wedding . See under . -- Coloq. Silver whiting (Zoöl.), a marine sciænoid food fish (Menticirrus littoralis) native of the Southern United States; -- called also surf whiting. -- Coloq. Silver witch (Zoöl.), A lepisma.
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Silver (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silvered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Silvering.] 1. To cover with silver; to give a silvery appearance to by applying a metal of a silvery color; as, to silver a pin; to silver a glass mirror plate with an amalgam of tin and mercury.
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2. To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.
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And smiling calmness silvered o'er the deep. Pope.
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3. To make hoary, or white, like silver.
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His head was silvered o'er with age. Gay.
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Silver, v. i. To acquire a silvery color. [R.]
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The eastern sky began to silver and shine. L. Wallace.
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Silverback (?), n. (Zoöl.) The knot.
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Silverberry (?), n. (Bot.) A tree or shrub (Elæagnus argentea) with silvery foliage and fruit. Gray.
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Silverbill (?), n. (Zoöl.) An Old World finch of the genus Minia, as the M. Malabarica of India, and M. cantans of Africa.
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Silverboom (?), n. [D. zilver silver + boom tree.] (Bot.) See .
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Silver certificate. A certificate issued by a government that there has been deposited with it silver to a specified amount, payable to the bearer on demand. In the United States and its possessions, it is issued against the deposit of silver coin, and is not legal tender, but is receivable for customs, taxes, and all public dues. In the United States the redeemability in silver of silver certificates was discontinued in the 1970's; they are still (1997) accepted as money at the face dollar value, but cannot be redeemed in silver.
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Silverfin (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small North American fresh-water cyprinoid fish (Notropis Whipplei).
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Silverfish (?), n. 1. (Zoöl.) (a) The tarpum. (b) A white variety of the goldfish.
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2. one of a variety of insects of the order Thysanura, especially Lepisma saccharina, which may infest houses, and eats starched clothing and sized papers. See
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Silver-gray (?), a. Having a gray color with a silvery luster; as, silver-gray hair.
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Silveriness (?), n. The state of being silvery.
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Silvering, n. (Metal.) The art or process of covering metals, wood, paper, glass, etc., with a thin film of metallic silver, or a substance resembling silver; also, the firm do laid on; as, the silvering of a glass speculum.
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Silverite (?), n. One who favors the use or establishment of silver as a monetary standard; -- so called by those who favor the gold standard. [Colloq. or Cant]
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Silverize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Silverized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Silverizing.] To cover with silver.
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Silverless, a. Having no silcver; hence, without money; impecunious. Piers Plowman.
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Silverling, n. A small silver coin. [Obs.]
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A thousand vines at a thousand silverings. Isa. vii. 23.
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Silverly, adv. Like silver in appearance or in sound.
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Let me wipe off this honorable dew,
That silverly doth progress on thy cheeks. Shak.
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Silvern (?), a. [AS. seolfern, sylfren.] Made of silver. [Archaic.] Wyclif (Acts xix. 24).
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Speech is silvern; silence is golden. Old Proverb.
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Silversides (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of small fishes of the family Atherinidæ, having a silvery stripe along each side of the body. The common species of the American coast (Menidia notata) is very abundant. Called also silverside, sand smelt, friar, tailor, and tinker.
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Coloq. Brook silversides (Zoöl.), a small fresh-water North American fish (Labadesthes sicculus) related to the marine silversides.
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