ebony (ebon i)

and a. [Early mod. E. ebonie, ibonie; an extended form of ebon, q. v.] I. n.; pl. ebonies (-iz). A name given to various woods distinguished in general by their dark color and hardne , and extensively used for carving, ornamental cabinet-work, instruments, canes, etc. The most valuable is the heart-wood of Diospyros Ebenum, which grows in great abundance in its heart-wood 2 feet in diameter and from 10 to 15 feet long are easily procured. Other varieties of valuable parts of Ceylon, and is of such size that logs of ebony are obtained from D. Ebenaster of the East Indies and D. melanoxylon of the Coromandel coast in Hindu stan. The most usual color is black, but the ebonies from tropical America vary much in this respect. The green ebony of Jamaica, known also as American or West Indian ebony, the wood of a leguminous tree, Brya Ebenus, takes a beautiful polish, and is used for inlaying, making flutes, etc. The brown ebony of British Guiana, the source of which is uncertain, is dark-brown, often with Sparkl'd his [the swan's] jetty eyes; his feet did show Beneath the waves like Afric's ebony. Keats , Imit. of Spenser. Mr. Brook field presents an amusing type of a prolix and ebullient old actor. Athenœum , Jan. 14, 1888, p. 60. ebullioscope (e-bul'yō-skop), n. [= F. ébullio- scope , irreg. ebullire , boil up, + Gr. σκοπεῖν , view.] An instrument by which the strength of spirit of wine is determined by the careful determination of its boiling-point. ebullition (eb-u-lish'on), n. [ OF.ebullicion , F. ébull it i on = Pr. ebullicio = Sp. ebulicion , ebul- licion = Pg. ebullição = It. ebullizione , ebullitio ( n- ), . ebullire , boil up: see ebullient .] 1. The bubbling up or agitation which results from the action of heat on a liquid, owing to the lowest portions becoming gaseous and es- caping; a boiling up or over. The temperature at which ebullition takes place varies with the liquid, and when performed in the open air with the pre ure of the atmosphere, being higher when the pre ure is increased, and lower when it is diminished. See boiling - point . It is po ible to heat water 20° F. above its boiling-point without ebullition . 2. Any similar agitation, bubbling up, or dis- turbed or seething condition or appearance, rapidly flowing water encounters numerous ob- stacles or contrary currents. The chafing of the water against these huge obstacles [rocks of granite], the meeting of the contrary currents one with another, creates such a violent ebullition ,. that it fills the mind with confusion. 3. Effervescence occasioned by fermentation or by any other proce which causes the evo- lution of an aëriform fluid, as in the mixture of an acid with a carbonated alkali. [In this sense formerly bull it i on .] 4. Figuratively, an outward display of feeling; a sudden burst; a pouring forth; an overflow- ing: as, an ebullition of pa ion. The greatest ebullitions of the imagination. Johnson. Disposed to refer this to inexperience, or the ebullition of youthful spirit. Pre scott, Ferd. and Isa., i. 3. It was not an extravagant ebullition of feeling, but might have been calculated on by any one acquainted with the spirits of our community. of steam, but of the escape of gas from a liquid. Fer- mentation is a proce often invisible, often taking place ebulumt, ebulust (eb'ū-lum, in solids, and sometimes producing effervescence in liquids. -lus), n. [L.] The herb wall- wort, danewort, or dwarf elder. E. Phillips , 1706. Eburia (e-bū'ri-ä), n. [NL. (Ser- ville, 1834), ebur , ivory: see ivory .] A genus of longicorn beetles, of the family Ceramby- cid a , comprising many species, mostly of Central and South America and the West Indies. Ten, however, are found in North America, as the common E. quadrigeminata . eburine (eb'u-rin), n. [L. ebur , ivory (see ivory ), + -ine2.] An artificial ivory composed of bone-dust, gum tragacanth, and gem in at a , natural some coloring substance. eburite (eb'u-rit), n. [L. ebur , ivory, + -ite2 .] Same as eburine . eburnation (eb-er-nā'shon), n. [= F. éburn a- tion ; eburnus , of ivory, + -ation .] In pa- thol ., a morbid change in bone by which it becomes very hard and dense, like ivory, as in arthritis deformans. eburnean (ē-ber'nē-an), a . [= F. éburnéen , eburneus , of ivory: see eburneous .] Relat- ing to or made of ivory. eburneous (ē-ber'nē-us), a. [= Sp. ebúrnco = Pg. eburneo = It. eburneo , eburno , eburne- us , of ivory, ebur , ivory: see ivory .] Resem- bling ivory in color; of ivory-like whitene : as, the eburneous gull, Larus eburneus . eburnification (e-bėr" ni-fi-kā' shon), n. [ eburnify , eburnus , of ivory, + -ficare , E. -fy, make: see- ation .] The conversion of sub- stances into others which have the appearance or density of ivory. Eburninæ (eb-er-ni'në), n. pl . [NL. (Swain- son, 1840), Eburna + -inæ.] A subfamily of gastropods, typified by the genus Eburna , and to which have been also referred genera now eburnine (eb'er-nin or -nin), a. [= F. ébur- nin , eburnus , of ivory, ebur , ivory: see ivory .] Made of ivory. [Rare.] All in her night-robe loose, she lay reclined, And, pensive, read from tablet eburnine . ec-. [L., etc., ec-, ἐκ , reg. form before a consonant of ἐξ- , ἐξ , out, etc.: see ex- .] A prenx prefix of Greek origin, the form of ex- before a consonant, as in ec- lipse , ec-logue, ec- stasy , etc. It is sometimes used in scientific terms as equiv- alent to ectoor exo- , as opposed to en- , endo- , or ento-. écaille-work (a-kaly'werk), n. [F. écaille , = It. scaglia ( schale , scale) (see scale1 ), + E. work.] Decorative work made by sewing scales cut from quills upon a foundation, as of velvet or silk, forming patterns in relief. When skilfully done don it resembles mother-of- pearl work. ecalcarate (e-kal'ka-rāt), a. [ ecalcara- tus , L. epriv. + calcar , a spur: see calca- rate.] In zoöl . and bot . , having no spur or cal- car, in any technical sense of the latter word. Ecaninat (e-ka-ni'nä), n . pl . [L. e-priv. + can in us , canine (tooth).] In Blyth's cla if i- cation of Mammal i a , a term proposed as a sub- stitute for the Insect i vor a of Cuvier. IMG:content-0181.jpg:[blocks in formation] Ivory-shell (Eburna spirata), gastropods, variously limited. (a) By Lamarck it was made to include the ivory shell E. glabrata , as well as turreted species of the family Buccinidæ. (b) By most later writers the typical species has been referred to the Oli- vidæ and the genus restrict ed to buccinids, like E. spi- rata , which are by others des- ignated as the genus Latrun- culus. As thus limited, it is remarkable for the oblong- ovate form, turreted spire, and flattish upper or sutural surface of the whorls, deep umbilicus, and thick porcel- lanous texture. The color is also characteristic, reddish spots being distributed on a white ground. (c) By a few the genus is restricted to the ivory-shell E. glabrata , by others called Dipsacus . There are about 14 species, found in China, etc.; some are used for food. + carte, card: see card1 , and cf. discard .] A game played by two persons with thirty-two cards, the small cards from two to six inclusive being excluded. The players having cut for the deal, which is decided by the highest card, the dealer gives five cards to each player, three and two at a time, and turns up the eleventh card for trump. If he turns up a king, he scores one; and if the king of trumps occurs in the hand of either player, the holder may score one by announcing it before playing. The cards rank as follows: king (high- est), queen, knave, ace, ten, etc. A player having a higher card of the suit led must take the trick with such a card; if he cannot follow suit, he may play a trump or not, as he chooses. Three tricks count one point, five tricks (call- ed a vole ) two points, and five points make game. Before play begins the non-dealer may propose - that is, claim the right to discard ( écarter ) any of the cards in his hand, and have them replaced with fresh ones from the pack. Should he do so, both can discard as many cards as they choose. Ecaudata (e-ka-dā'tä), n . pl . of ecaudatus: see ecaudate.] Anura or taille batrachians: data or Urodela . IMG:content-0182.jpg:[graphic] ecaudate