sneezewood

[Eng. sneeze, and wood.] Bot.: Pteroxylon utile. Its sawdust causes sneezing, hence the English name. sneeze-wõrt, s . [Eng. sneeze, and wort. So called because the dried leaves produce sneezing.] Bot.: Achillea Ptarmic a ( Ptarmic a vulgar is ), a common plant with linear, serrulate leaves. The root-stock is aromatic, the whole plant pungent and sialogogue. sneēz-Ing, pr. par., a. & 8. [SNEEZE, v.] A. & B. As pr. par. & particip. adj.: (See the verb.) C. As substantive: 1. A sudden violent and convulsive expulsion of air through the nostrils, with a peculiar sound. It is preceded by a more or le long-drawn and deep inspiration, like that which precedes coughing; but the opening from the pharynx into the mouth is closed by the contraction of the anterior pillars of the fauces and the descent of the soft palate, so that the force of the blast is driven entirely through the nose. It is caused by the irritation of the inner membrane of the nostrils, and is designed to throw off any particles causing the morbid action. It is often one of the earliest symptoms in coryza. "Repeated sneezings proceed from the invisible steams of spirit of sal armoniak."-Boyle: Works , iii. 687. 2. A medicine to promote sneezing; an errhine; a sternutatory. ( Bacon .) A large body of folklore has gathered round sneezing. According to Aristotle ( Prob . , xxxiii. 7.), in his days a single sneeze was considered a holy thing. The custom of saluting a person sneezing existed in cla ic times, is still found among the Jews and Moslems and almost every race of lower culture, and lingers in Europe, though here the early idea that sneezing was due to spiritual po e ion has vanished (See Tylor : Prim. Cult., ch. iii., for copious references.) *sneēz-, s. [Eng. sneez(e); -y.] A free translation of Brumaire (Foggy), the second month of the French republican year. sněll, a . [A. S. snel; O. H. Ger. sneller=active.] *1. Active, quick, brisk, nimble, brave. 2. Sharp, cold, severe, piercing, bitter. (Lit. & fig .) (Scotch.) "And he's snell, and dure enough in casting up their nonsense."- Scott : Antiquary , ch. xxi.