tartuffish, tartufish

[Eng. tartuff (e); -ish.] Hypocritical; rigid or precise in behavior. "She has some mother-in-law, or tartufish aunt, or nonsensical old woman, to consult upon the occasion as well as myself."-Sterne. *tar-tuff-ism, subst . [English tartuff (e); -ism.] Hypocrisy. tăsco, s. [Etym. doubtful.) A sort of clay for making melting-pots. tăs-ě-omě těr, s. [Greek tas is (gen it. taseōs ) = a stretching, a straining, and Eng. meter.] Physics: An instrument, invented by Steiner of Vienna, for measuring the strains to which the different parts of any structure may be submitted. It depends upon the tone given out by a wire or strip when stretched, the variation in length causing a change in the tone. and Eng. meter . tă-sim-ě-tër, s. [ Gr.tas is =stretching, tension, Physics: An instrument, invented by Edison, for measuring very minute variations of pre ure, temperature, moisture, . It is founded on the discovery of the inventor that carbon, when pre ed in the form of a button, affects the electric currents pa ing through the same, and offers a resistance which diminishes with the pre ure. So sensitive is the carbon that, when this pre ure varies to the amount of one-millionth part of an inch, the variation in the electric current pa ing through it will cause a proportional deflection of the galvanometer needle. The tasimeter is an outgrowth of Edison's experiments with that form of telephone with which he tried to vary the intensity of electric waves by means of the human voice; and its superiority to the thermopile may be thus exemplified: A hot iron placed a few inches from a thermopile will deflect the needle of an ordinary galvanometer about 1°; the human finger, held four inches from a tasimeter, will deflect the needle of a similar galvanometer 6°. The practical uses of the instrument are said to be: (1) Warning ve els of the approach of icebergs, by exposure to the air or to the water cooled by their vicinity; (2) Indicating otherwise inappreciable weights; (3) Recording pre ures of air in motion, thus affording a useful addition to the anemometer. tăs-I-mět-ric, a. [Eng. tasimeter; -ic.] Pertaining to, or determined by a tasimeter. task, *taske, s . [O. Fr. tasque , tasche (Fr. tâche ), from Low Lat. tasca = a tax, from Lat.taxo=to rate, value, tax (q.v.). Tax and task are thus doublets.] *1. A tax. "Graunted to the inhabytauntes thereof great fredom, and quyt theym of al kyngly taske or tribute."-Fabyan: Chronycle, ch. cc. 2. Busine or work imposed by another, generally a definite quantity or amount of work to be done; what duty or nece ity imposes; duty or duties collectively. "This my mean task ."-Shakesp.: Tempest, iii. 1. 4009 3. Specifically, a le on to be learnt; a portion of study imposed by a teacher. 4. Work undertaken; an undertaking. "Dare to be wise; begin; for, once begun, Your task is easy; half the work is done." Francis: Horace ; Ep . i. 2. 5. Burdensome employment; toil, labor. "All with weary task fordone." Shakesp.: Midsummer Night's Dream, v. 2. * (1) At task : To be censured; blamed; taken to task. ( Shakesp .) (2) To take to task : [TAKE, U., 52.] task-work, 8. 1. Work imposed or performed as a task. 2. Work done by the job, as opposed to day-work or time-work. IMG:content-0834.png:[blocks in formation]