water spike (water spik)

A plant of the genus Potamogeton, which consists of aquatics with small greenish or reddish flowers in spikes or heads; pondweed. water-spinner (water-spin"èr), n. A water spider; especially, the diving spider. waterspout (water-spout), n. 1. A pipe, nozle, or orifice from which water is spouted. The manner in which he gazed at the shops, stumbled into the gutters, ran against the porters, and stood under the waterspouts , marked him out as an excellent subject for the operations of swindlers and banterers. Macaulay , Hist. Eng., iii. Every dozen or fifteen miles is a station-two or three sheds, and a water - spout and woodpile. S. Bowles, Our New West, p. 50. 2. A spout, jet, or column of water; specifically, a whirlwind over a body of water, producing the appearance of a solid column of water extending from the surface to the clouds. In reality, however, the phenomenon that is seen is the cloud brought down to the earth's surface by the rapid gyratory motion of a vertical whirl, and it consists simply of fine mist surrounding a central axis of rarefaction. At first the cloud has the form of a tapering funnel; then, descending to near the water's surface, it draws up the water for a distance into its vortex, and imparts to it its whirling motion. The spout is then complete, and appears as an immense column connecting sea and cloud, light in color near the center, but dark along the sides. Like other whirlwinds, the waterspout has a progre ive as well as a rotary motion, its axis sometimes being inclined forward in the direction of advance. After continuing a short time, generally le than twenty minutes, the column is disunited, the lower part descending as rain, while the upper part is drawn back into the clouds. The height of the spout depends upon the hygrometric state of the air; in general it is between 800 and 2,500 feet. It is common In the Friendly Islands the water - snake was much respected. Sir J. Lubbock , Orig. of Civilisation, p. 179. Especially-(a) Any one of the venomous sea-snakes. See Hydrophidæ and sea - serpent , 2, with cuts there or there cited. (b) The Indian Ford on i a unicolor , or any member of the family Homa lop side . (c) A wart-snake; any member of the Acrochordidæ , as species of Acrochordus and Chersydrus. See cut under wart -snake. (d) The common ringed snake of Europe, Trop i do not us natrix. See cuts under snake and Trop i do not us. (e) In the United States, one of several harmle aquatic colubrines, as the species of Nerodia (or Trop i do not us ) and Regina, as N. siped on and R. leberis. In the West several species of garter snakes ( Eutænia ) are thoroughly aquatic, and would come locally under this name. See water - adder and water -moccasin. water-soak (wa'tėr-sōk), v. t. To soak or fill the interstices of with water. water-socks (water-soks), n. pl. The white water-lily, Castalia speciosa. Britten and Holland, water-sodden (water-sod"n), a. [ water-soldier (water-sōljėr), n. The water sengreen, Stratiotes aloïdes. Also called water aloe. water-sorrel (water-sor"el), n. Same as water dock.