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TALE

tales; that is, by bonds due to the crown, but long since abandoned as hopeless-a method of paying good debts by bad ones; a stroke of finance more to be admired than imitated. Quart. Rev.

Talet (tal), v.i. To tell stories. Gower. Tale (tal), n. Same as Tael (which see). Talebearer (tal'bár-ér), n. A person who officiously tells tales likely to breed mischief; one who carries stories and makes mischief in society by his officiousness.

Where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
Prov. xxvi. 20.

Talebearing (tal'bar-ing), a. Officiously
communicating information.
Talebearing (tal'bar-ing), n. The act of
spreading tales officiously; communication
of secrets maliciously.

Timothy was extremely officious about their mistress's person, endeavouring by flattery and talebearing, to set her against the rest of the servants. Arbuthnot.

Taled (tá'led), n. A sort of habit worn by the Jews, especially when praying in the synagogue.

Thomson.

Taleful (tal'ful), a. Abounding with stories.
The cottage hind taleful there
Recounts his simple frolic.
Talegalla (ta-le-gal'la), n. [Native name.]
A genus of rasorial birds, the species of which
are natives of Australia and New Guinea.
The best known is the Brush-turkey (which
see).

Tale-mastert (tal'mas-tér), n. The author or originator of a tale.

Fuller.

I tell you my tale and my tale-master. Talen,t pres. tense pl. of tale, v.i. Chaucer. Talent (tal'ent), n. [Fr. talent, L. talentum, from Gr. talanton, a thing weighed, a balance, from obs. talao, to bear, kindred with Skr. tula, a balance, from tul, to lift up, to raise up; a root which appears also in L. tollo, tuli, to lift up; Goth. thula, and OE. and Sc. thole, to bear, to suffer.] 1. The name of a weight and denomination of money among the ancient Greeks, and also applied by Greek writers and their translators to various standard weights and denominations of money of different nations; the weight and value differing in the various nations and at various times. The Attic talent as a weight contained 60 Attic minæ, or 6000 Attic drachmæ, equal to 56 lbs. 11 oz. English troy weight. As a denomination of silver money it was equal to £243, 158. The great talent of the Romans is computed to be equal to £99, 68. 8d. sterling, and the little talent to £75 sterling. A Hebrew weight and denomination of money, equivalent to 3000 shekels, also receives this name. weight, therefore, it was equal to about 93 lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver it has been variously estimated at from £340 to £396, the higher value being that given by the latest authorities.-2. A gift, endowment, or faculty; some peculiar faculty, ability, or qualification natural or acquired. Wit, knowledge, or any other talent whatsoever.' Addison.

As a

He is chiefly to be considered in his three different talents, as a critic, a satirist, and a writer of odes. Dryden.

The most necessary talent, therefore, in a man of conversation, which is what we ordinarily intend by a fine gentleman, is a good judgment. Steele. 3. Mental endowments or capacities of a superior kind; general mental power: used in this sense either in singular or in plural; as, a man of talents; a man of great talent. This and the previous application of the word are probably borrowed from the Scriptural parable of the talents, Mat. xxv. The aristocracy of talent. Coleridge. 'All the real talent and resolution in England.' Ruskin. Like other men of talent, Fielding was unfortunate. Sir W. Scott.

His talents, his accomplishments, his graceful manners made him generally popular. Macaulay. 4. Quality; character; characteristic. Lord Rake and Lord Foplington give you their talent in their title. Jeremy Collier.

5. Disposition; inclination.

Though the nation generally was without any ill talent to the church in doctrine or discipline, yet they were not without a jealousy that popery was not enough discountenanced. Clarendon.

6. Desire; affection; will. Chaucer.-Ability, Capacity, Talent. See ABILITY. - Genius, Abilities, Talents, &c. See GENIUS. Talented (tal'ent-ed), a. Furnished with talents or great mental powers; possessing talents or endowments. [This word, as shown by the first quotation below, was introduced long ago, but seems not to have been in common use till quite recent times.

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Coleridge and others have strongly objected to it (the former calling it 'a vile and barbarous vocable'), but without any good reason. The chief objection to it has been that it is a pseudo-participle,' a participle without a verb corresponding to it, but there are many words of exactly analogous formation in quite good usage; comp. gifted, lettered, turreted, booted, bearded, slippered, landed, &c. Mr. Fitzedward Hall instances outtalented and untalented from Richardson.]

What a miserable and restless thing ambition is, when one talented but as a common person, yet, by the favour of his prince, hath gotten that interest, that in a sort all the keys of England hang at his girdle. Abp. Abbot (1562-1633).

The way in which talented and many of its fellows were once frequently used shows that these words, to the consciousness of our ancestors, began with being strictly participles. At present they have the function of participial adjectives: and, what between their distinctive termination and their history, they are, therefore, to be considered, on scientific principles, as developments from ideal verbs. The analogy on which they are formed is, further, so well established, that, whatever Coleridge dogmatized in his haste, 'mere convenience' is quite ground enough to justify us in coining terms on the same model whenever they may be really required.

Fitzedward Hall. Tale-piet, Tale-pyet (tāl'pi-et), n. [From Sc. piet, a magpie, because of its chattering.] A tell-tale; a tale-bearer. [Scotch.]

Never mind me, sir-I am no tale-pyet; but there are mair een in the world than mine. Sir W. Scott. Tales (tā'lēz), n. pl. [L. talis, pl. tales.] In law, persons of like reputation or standing;

persons in the court from whom the sheriff or his clerk makes selections to supply the place of jurors who have been impannelled but are not in attendance. It is the first word of the Latin sentence (tales de circumstantibus) which provides for this contingency. To pray a tales, to pray that the number of jurymen may be completed.

It was discovered that only ten special jurymen were present. Upon this, Mr. Sergeant Buzfuz prayed a tales; the gentleman in black then proceeded to press into the special jury two of the comDickens. mon jurymen.

-Tales book, a book containing the names of such as are admitted of the tales.

Talesman (tä'lez-man), n. In law, a person summoned to act as a juror from among the by-standers in open court.

In the manner of

Taleteller (tal'tel-ér), n. One who tells tales or stories; specifically, one who tells malicious or officious tales; a talebearer. Tale-wise (tal'wiz), a. Being in the manner of a tale. Tale-wise (tāl'wiz), adv. a tale or story. Taliacotian (tal'i-a-ko'shi-an), a. Of, pertaining, or relating to Taliacotius or Tagliacozzi, professor of anatomy and surgery at Bologna towards the end of the sixteenth century-Taliacotian operation. Same as Rhinoplastic Operation. Taliation + (tal-i-a'shon), n. [See TALION.] A return of like for like. Taliera, Talliera Palm (tal-i-e'ra, tal-i-e'ra päm), n. The Corypha Taliera, an elegant stately species of palm inhabiting Bengal, allied to the taliput. It has gigantic fanshaped leaves, which are used by the natives of India to write upon with their steel stiles, and for other purposes.

Taling + (tál'ing), n. Story-telling. Chaucer. Talion (tali-on), n. [Fr. talion, L. talio, from talis, such.] The law of retaliation, according to which the punishment inflicted is the same in kind and degree as the injury, as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, &c. This mode of punishment was established by the Mosaic law. Lev. xxiv. 20.

Crimes not capital were punished by fines, flagellation, and the law of talion, eye for eye. Dr. A. Geddes. Talipat (tal'i-pat), n. See TALIPUT. Talipes (tal'i-pes), n. [L. talus, an ankle, and pes, a foot.] The disease called Clubfoot.

Taliput, Taliput-tree (tal'i-put, tal'i-puttre), n. [Singhalese name.] The great fanpalm (Corypha umbraculifera), a native of India, Ceylon, &c. The straight cylindrical trunk, which rises sometimes to the height of 70 or even 100 feet, is crowned with a tuft of enormous fan-like leaves, usually about 18 feet long and 14 feet broad, composed of from 90 to 100 radiating segments plaited like a fan till near the extremity. Those leaves are used for covering houses, making umbrellas, fans, and frequently used as a substitute for writing-paper. At the age of thirty or forty years or more the tree

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Taliput (Corypha umbraculifera).

Talisman (tal'is-man), n. [Fr. and Sp. talisman; Ar. telsam, pl. telsamán, a magical figure, a horoscope, from Byzantine Gr. telesma, incantation, Gr. teleo, to perform, to accomplish, from telos, an end.] 1. A charm consisting of a magical figure cut or engraved under certain superstitious observances of the configuration of the heavens; the seal, figure, character, or image of a heavenly sign, constellation, or planet engraven on a sympathetic stone, or on a metal corresponding to the star, in order to receive its influence. The word is also used in a wider sense and as equivalent to amulet. The talisman is supposed to exercise extraordinary influences over the bearer, especially in averting evils, as disease, sudden death, and the like. Hence-2. Something that produces extraordinary effects; an amulet; a charm; as, a talisman to destroy diseases. Talismanic, Talismanical (tal-is-man'ik, tal-is-man'ik-al), a. Having the properties of a talisman, or preservative against evils by secret influence; magical.

The figure of a heart bleeding upon an altar, or held in the hand of a cupid, has always been looked upon as talismanic in dresses of this nature. Addison. Talismanist (tal'is-man-ist), n. One who uses a talisman or deals with talismans. Defoe.

Talk (tak), v.i. [A word related to tale, tell, in much the same way as stalk to steal, hark to hear, and walk to G. wallen. See TALE, TELL.] 1. To utter words; to speak; as, to talk in one's sleep; the child can talk already. What, canst thou talk! quoth she, hast thou a tongue! Shak.

2. More especially, to converse familiarly; to speak, as in familiar discourse, when two or more persons interchange thoughts; to hold converse.

I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, but I will not eat with you. Shak

3. To speak incessantly or impertinently; to prate; to prattle; to babble.

A good old man, sir; he will be talking. Shak. 4. To confer; to reason.

Let me talk with thee of thy judgments. Jer. xii. 1. 5. To give an account; to mention; to tell; to communicate by writing, by signs, or by words not necessarily spoken.

The natural histories of Switzerland talk much of the fall of these rocks, and the great damage done. Addison.

-To talk to, to advise or exhort; to remonstrate with; to reprove gently; as, I will talk to my son respecting his conduct.-To talk from the point, subject, &c., to direct one's marks or speech from the matter under consideration; to wander from in speaking from the topic in discussion.

Talking from the point, he drew him in... Until they closed a bargain. Tennyson. -To talk to the point, subject, &c., to confine one's remarks to the matter in hand; to keep to the required subject. - Speak, Talk. See SPEAK.

Talk (tak), v. t. 1. To use as a means of conversation or communication; to speak; as,

TALK

to talk French or German.-2. To speak; to utter; as, to talk treason; to talk nonsense. You that talked the trash that made me sick. Tennyson. 3. To pass or spend in talking: with away; as, to talk away an evening. 4. To influence by talking; to have a certain effect on by talking: with words expressive of the effect. Talk thy tongue weary; Talk us to silence;' Talk him out of patience;' They would talk themselves mad.' Shak.-Hence the phrases, to talk one down to silence one with incessant talk; to talk one out of to dissuade one from, as a plan, project, &c.; to talk one over-to gain one by persuasion; to talk one up to= to persuade one to undertake.-To talk over, to talk about; to deliberate upon; to discuss. Sat and eat, and talked old matters over. Tennyson. Talk (tak), n. 1. Familiar conversation; mutual discourse; that which is uttered by one person in familiar conversation, or the mutual converse of two or more.

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Should a man full of talk be justified? Job xi. 2. In various talk th' instructive hours they past. Pope. 2. Report; rumour.

I hear a talk up and down of raising money. Locke.

3. Subject of discourse; as, this noble achievement is the talk of the whole town.

And what delight to be by such extolled,
To live upon their tongues and be their talk

Milton. 4. A more or less formal or public discussion

held by a body of men, or by two opposing parties concerning matters of mutual interest; a negotiation; a conference; a palaver. SYN. Conversation, colloquy, discourse, chat, dialogue, conference, communication. Talk (talk), n. Talc. Talkative (tak'a-tiv), a. [This is a hybrid word, English with a Latin termination. See STARVATION.] Inclined to talk or converse; ready or apt to engage in conversation; freely communicative; chatty.

If I have held you over long, lay hardly the fault upon my old age, which in its disposition is talkative. Sir P. Sidney.

-Talkative, Loquacious, Garrulous. Talkative is said of a person who is in the habit of speaking frequently, without, however, necessarily implying that much is said at once; thus, a lively child may be talkative. A loquacious person is one who has this inclination with a greater flow of words. Garrulous is the word applied to old age, and implies feeble, prosy, continuous talk, with needless repetitions and tiresome explanation of details. The subject of a garrulous person's talk is generally himself and his own affairs.

Talkatively (tak'a-tiv-li), adv. In a talkative manner.

Talkativeness (tak'a-tiv-nes), n. The quality of being talkative; loquacity; garrulity. Learned women have lost all credit by their im pertinent talkativeness and conceit. Swift. Talker (tak'èr), n. 1. One who talks; also, a loquacious person; a prattler.

If it were desirable to have a child a mere brisk talker, ways might be found to make him so. Locke. 2. A boaster; a braggart.

The greatest talkers in the days of peace have been the most pusillanimous in the day of temptation. Fer. Taylor.

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3. Sturdy; lusty; bold; spirited; courageous. 'Good soldiers and tall fellows.' Shak. No, by this hand, sir,

We fought like honest and tall men. Beau. & FL Thy spirits are most tall. Beau. & FL. Shakspere speaks of a tall man of his hands, for which phrase see under HAND. 4. As an American colloquialism, (a) great; excellent; fine; remarkable; as, a tall fight; tall walking; a tall spree. (b) Extravagant; bombastic; as, tall talk. The word was formerly used with somewhat similar meanings in England; thus Bentley has "So tall a compliment to Cicero.'

Tallage, Talliage (tal'āj, tal′i-āj), n. [Written also tailage, taillage, from Fr. tailler, to cut off. See RETAIL] A term formerly applied to subsidies or taxes of every kind, but denoting, in its more proper and restricted sense, those taxes to which, under the Anglo-Norman kings, the demesne lands of the crown and all the royal towns were subject. These taxes were more rigorous and arbitrary than those imposed on the gentry.

Impositions on merchandise at the ports could no more be levied by the royal prerogative after its enactment, than internal taxes upon landed or moveable property, known in that age by the appellations of aids and tallages. Hallam.

Tallages, however arbitrary, were never paid by the barons or freeholders, nor by their tenants. Hallam.

Tallage (tal'aj), v. t. To lay an impost upon;
Tallagert (tal ́aj-ér), n.
to cause to pay tallage.
A tax or toll ga-

therer.

Tallet, Tallot (tal'et, talot), n. [Said to be a corruption of prov. t' hay-loft.] A hay-loft. Sat. Rev. [Provincial English.] Written also Tallit, Tallat.

Tallicoonah-oil (tal-i-kö'na-oil), n. The oil procured from the seeds of the Carapa Touloucouna or C. guineensis, a tree growing in Sierra Leone. It is also known by the name of Kundah-oil, and is much esteemed as an anthelmintic.

Tallier (tal'li-ér), n. One who keeps a tally. Tallit (tal'it), n. See TALLET. Tallness (tal'nes), n. The state or quality of being tall; height of stature. A hideous giant,... that with his tallness seemed to threat the sky.' Spenser. Tallow (tal'lo), n. [A. Sax. tælg, Dan. Sw. and G. talg, Icel. tólg, D talk, tallow; comp. Goth tulgus, firm.] The harder and less fusible fats melted and separated from the fibrous or membranous matter which is naturally mixed with them. These fats are mostly of animal origin, the most common being derived from sheep and oxen. When pure, animal tallow is white and nearly tasteless, but the tallow of commerce usually has a yellow tinge. All the different kinds of tallow consist chiefly of stearin, palmitin, and olein. In commerce tallow is divided into various kinds according to its qualities, of which the best are used for the manufacture of candles, and the inferior for making soap, dressing leather, greasing machinery, and several other purposes. It is imported in large quantities from Russia. Mineral tallow. The same as Hatchetine (which see).-Vegetable tallow, a kind of fat resembling tallow obtained from various plants, as from the fruit of plants of the order Dipteraceæ.

Talking (tak'ing), a. 1. Given to talking; Tallow (tal'ló), v.t. 1. To grease or smear garrulous; loquacious.

The hawthorn bush, with seats beneath the shade, For talking age and whispering lovers made. Goldsmith. 2. Having the power of speech or of uttering words; as, a talking parrot. Talky (talk'i), a. Talcky (which see).

The talky flakes in the strata were all formed before the subsidence, along with the sand. Woodward. Tall (tal), a. [Probably from W. tal, tall, towering, whence talau, to make high, to grow tall, talaad, to elevate, to grow tall.] 1. High in stature; long and comparatively slender: applied to a person or to a standing tree, mast, pole, or other erect object of which the diameter is small in proportion to the height. Hence we speak of a tall man, a tall pine, a tall steeple, but not of a tall house, a tall mountain. 'Cut down the tall cedar trees.' 2 Ki. xix. 23. Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall.' Milton. 'Some tall tower.' Young. 'His own children tall and beautiful.' Tennyson. 2. Having height, whether great or small, without reference to comparison or relation. Bring me word how tall she is.' Shak.

with tallow.-2. To fatten; to cause to have a large quantity of tallow; as, to tallow sheep.

Tallow-candle (tal'lō-kan-dl), n. A candle

made of tallow.

Tallow-catch (tallō-kach), n. A tallowkeech. Thou whoreson, obscene, greasy tallow-catch.' Shak.

Tallow-chandler (tal'lō-chand-lèr), n. [See CHANDLER.] One whose occupation is to make, or to make and sell tallow candles. Tallow - chandlery (tal'lō-chand-lèr-i), n. 1. The business or occupation of a tallowchandler. 2. The place where a tallowchandler carries on his business. Tallower (tal'ló-ér), n. 1. A tallow-chandler.-2. An animal disposed to form tallow internally.

Tallow-face (tal'lō-fās), n. One of a sickly, pale complexion. Shak Tallow-faced (tal'lo-fast). a. Having a sickly complexion; pale. Burton. Tallow-grease (tal'lo-grēs), n. Tallow, especially candle-fat. [Familiar and local.] Tallowing (tal'lo-ing), n. The act, practice, or art of causing animals to gather tallow,

TALLY

or the property in animals of forming tallow internally. Tallowish (tallō-ish), a Having the properties or nature of tallow; resembling tallow.

Tallow-keech (tal'lõ-kēch), n. [See KEECH.] A mass of tallow rolled up into a lump for the tallow-chandler. Also called Tallowcatch.

Tallow-tree (tal'lō-trē), n. The name given in different parts of the world to trees of different kinds, which produce a thick oil or vegetable tallow, capable of being used for making candles. The tallow-tree of Malabar is Vateria indica, nat. order Dipteracem, that of China, Stillingia sebifera, nat, order Euphorbiaces, and that of Sierra Leone, Pentadesma butyracea, nat. order Guttiferæ.

Tallowy (tallō-i), a. Greasy; having the qualities of tallow.

Tallwood (tal'wyd), n. [Tall is from Fr. taille, a cut, a cutting.] Firewood cut in billets of a certain length. Calthrop. Tally (tal'li), n. [Fr. taille, a tally, a cut, a cutting, from tailler, to cut. See RETAIL] 1. A piece of wood on which notches or scores are cut, as the marks of number. In purchasing and selling it was customary for traders to have two sticks, or one stick cleft into two parts, and to mark with scores or notches on each the number or quantity of goods delivered, or what was due between debtor and creditor, the seller or creditor keeping one stick, and the purchaser or debtor the other. Before the use of writing, or before writing became general, this or something like it was the usual method of keeping accounts. In the exchequer tallies were formerly used, which answered the purpose of receipts as well as simple records of matters of account. Hence the origin of exchequer bills. In former times of financial difficulty, from the period of the Norman conquest the practice had been to issue exchequer tallies. An exchequer tally was an account of a sum of money lent to the government, or of a sum for which the government would be responsible. The tally itself consisted of a squared rod of hazel or other wood, having on one side notches, indicating the sum for which the tally was an acknowledgment. On two other sides opposite to each other, the amount of the sum, the name of the payer, and the date of the transaction, were written by an officer called the writer of the tallies. This being done the rod was then cleft longitudinally in such a manner that each piece retained one of the written sides, and one half of every notch cut in the tally. One of these parts, the counterstock, was kept in the exchequer, and the other, the stock, only issued. When the part issued was returned to the exchequer (usually in payment of taxes) the two parts were compared, as a check against fraudulent imitation. This ancient system was abolished by 25 Geo. III. lxxxii.; and by 4 and 5 Will. IV. xv. all the old tallies were ordered to be destroyed. The size of the notches made on the tallies varied with the amount. The notch for £100 was the breadth of a thumb; for £1 the breadth of a barleycorn. A penny was indicated by a slight slit.-2. Anything made to suit or correspond to another.

So suited in their minds and persons, That they were fram'd the tallies for each other. Dryden. 3. A label or ticket of wood or metal used in gardens, for the purpose of bearing either a number referring to a catalogue, or the name of the plant with which it is connected.-4. An abbreviation of Tally-shop. Tally (tal'li), v. t. pret. & pp. tallied; ppr. tallying. [As to meaning 1 see the noun TALLY. 1. To score with correspondent notches; to fit; to suit; to make to correspond.

They are not so well tallied to the present juncture. Pope.

2. Naut, to pull aft, as the sheets or lower corners of the main and fore sail.

And while the lee clue-garnet's lower'd away, Taut aft the sheet they tally, and belay. Falconer. Tally (talli), v.i. To be fitted; to suit; to correspond; to conform; to match.

I found pieces of tiles that exactly tallied with the

channel.

Addison.
Your idea... tallies exactly with mine.
H. Walpole.
Tallyt (tal'li), adv. [See TALL, 3.] Stoutly;
with spirit.

You, Lodowick,
That stand so tally on your reputation,
You shall be he shall speak it. Beau. & FL

TALLY HO

Tally Ho (tal'li ho"), interj. and n. The huntsman's cry to urge on his hounds. Tallyman (tal'li-man),n. 1. One who carries on a tally-trade; one who sells goods on credit, or on terms of payment by small weekly sums till the debt is paid.-2. One who keeps a tally or account.

Tally-shop (tal'li-shop), n. A shop or store at which goods or articles are sold on the tally-system (which see).

Tally-system, Tally-trade (tal'li-sis-tem, tal'li-trad), n. A system of dealing carried on in London and other large towns, by which shopkeepers furnish certain articles on credit to their customers, the latter agreeing to pay the stipulated price by certain weekly or monthly instalments. Both seller and purchaser keep books in which the circumstances of the transaction and the payment of the several instalments are entered, and which serve as a tally and countertally. The goods thus furnished are usually of inferior quality, and the prices exorbitant.

Talma (tal'ma), n. [Probably after Talma, the French tragedian.] A kind of large cape, or short, full cloak worn by ladies and also by gentlemen.

Talmi-gold (tal'me-gold), n. A yellow alloy consisting of 90 per cent copper and 8 zinc, covered with a very thin sheet of gold, used for trinkets. The gold varies from 0.03 to fully 1 per cent. Weale. Called also Abyssinian gold.

Talmud (tal'mud), n. [Chal. talmud, instruction; Heb. and Syr. talmid, a disciple, from lamad, to learn, to teach.] The body of the Hebrew civil and canonical laws, traditions, and explanations, or the book that contains them. The authority of the Talmud was long esteemed second only to that of the Bible, and according to its precepts almost the whole Jewish people have continued to order their religious life down almost to the present day. It contains the laws, and a compilation of expositions of duties imposed on the people, either in Scripture, by tradition, or by authority of their doctors, or by custom. It consists of two parts, the Mishna and the Gemara, the former being the written law, and the latter a collection of traditions and comments of Jewish doctors.

There are two Talmuds, both having the same Mishna, or text... but each a different Gemara, or commentary. They are called the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud. The latter is always preferred by the Jews to the former, but by Christians is less highly esteemed. Kitto.

Well versed was he in Hebrew books,
Talmud and Targum, and the lore
Of Kabala.

Tennyson.

Talmudic, Talmudical (tal-mud'ik, talmud'ik-al),a. Pertaining to the Talmud; contained in the Talmud; as, Talmudic fables. Talmudist (tal'mud-ist), n. One versed in the Talmud.

Talmudistic (tal-mud-ist'ik), a. Pertaining to the Talmud; resembling the Talmud; Talmudic.

Talon (tal'on), n. [Fr. and Sp., the heel, from L talus, the ankle, the heel.] 1. The claw of a bird of prey.

Swoops

The vulture, beak and talon, at the heart
Made for all noble motion.
Tennyson.

2. In arch. same as Ogee.-3. In locks, the shoulder on the bolt against which the key presses in shooting the bolt. Talook, Talookah (ta-luk', ta-luk'a), n. A district or dependency in India, the revenues of which are under the management of a talookdar. Simmonds.

Talookdar(ta-luk'där), n. In India, a native acting as the head of a revenue department but under a superior, or zemindar, through whom he pays his rent; a petty zemindar. Ta-lou (ta-lu'), n. The Chinese name for a glass flux, consisting chiefly of silicate of lead with a little copper, used as an enamel colour on porcelain. Watts' Dict. of Chem. Talpa (tal'pa), n. [L., a mole.] 1. The mole, a genus of insectivorous mammals. common mole (T. europea, Linn.) is well known from its subterranean habits, and its vexatious burrowings in cultivated grounds. See MOLE.-2. In pathol. a tumour under the skin; also, an encysted tumour on the head: so called because it is vulgarly supposed to burrow like a mole.

The

Talpida (tal'pi-dē), n. pl. [L. talpa, a mole, and Gr. eidos, resemblance.] The family of moles. See MOLE.

Talus (talus), n. [L. talus, the ankle.] 1. In anat. the astragalus, or that bone of the

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foot which is articulated to the leg; the ankle.-2. In arch. the slope or inclination of any work, as of a wall inclined on its face, either by decreasing its thickness toward the summit, or by leaning it against a bank. 3. In fort. the slope of a work, as a bastion, rampart, or parapet. In this signification the word is also written Talut.-4. In geol. a sloping heap of broken rocks and stones at the foot of any cliff or rocky declivity.

The term subaerial is intended to apply to those materials which are derived from atmospheric waste, but have not been assorted in water. The talus found at the foot of every cliff consists of debris which may be washed down in part by rain, but the quantity of water is not sufficient to give it a stratified character. The coarser materials are found at the bottom of the slope, which has the fan-shaped characteristic of all sediment allowed to spread without restraint from a single point. Prof. Young.

5. In surg. a variety of club-foot, in which the heel rests on the ground and the toes are drawn towards the leg. Goodrich. Talut (talut), n. See TALUS, 3. Talvas (tal'vas), n. A kind of wooden buckler or shield, of an oblong form, bent on each side and rising in the middle. It was used in the fourteenth century. Talwood (tal'wyd), n. Same as Tallwood. Tamability (tam-a-bil'i-ti), n. The quality of being tamable; tamableness. Tamable (tam'a-bl), a. Capable of being tamed or subdued; capable of being reclaimed from a wild or savage state. Tamableness (tám'a-bl-nes), n. The quality of being tamable.

Tamandua (ta-man'du-a), n. The name given to a species of ant-eater, the Myrmecophaga tamandua or Tamandua tetradactyla, about the size of a full-grown cat. Called also Little Ant-bear. See ANTEATER.

Tamanoir (tam'an-war), n. The native name of the edentate mammal known as the great ant-eater or ant-bear, the Myrmecophaga jubata. See ANT-BEAR. Tamanu (tam'a-nö), n.

The native name of a green heavy resin from the Society Islands, obtained from Calophyllum Inophyllum. Called also Tacamahac. Tamarack (tam'a-rak), n. The black or American larch (Larix americana). Called also Hackmatack. Tamara-spice (tam'a-ra-spis), n. [An East Indian name.] A spice consisting of equal parts of cinnamon, cloves, and corianderseeds, with half the quantity of aniseed and fennel-seed, all powdered. It is a favourite condiment with Italians. Tamaricaceae (tam'a-ri-ka"se-ē), n. pl. [See TAMARISK.] A small nat. order of polypetalous exogens. The species are either shrubs or herbs, inhabiting chiefly the basin of the Mediterranean. They have minute alternate simple leaves and usually small white or pink flowers in terminal spikes. They are all more or less astringent, and their ashes after burning are remarkable for possessing a large quantity of sulphate of soda. See TAMARISK. Tamarin (tam'a-rin), n. [Native name in Cayenne.] The common name for the species of the sub-genus Midas of South American monkeys. The tamarins are active, restless, and irritable little creatures, two of the smallest being the silky tamarin (Midas rosalia) and the little lion monkey (M. leonina), the

latter of which, though only a few inches in length, presents a wonderful resemblance to the lion. Tamarind(tam'a-rind), n. [It. and Sp. tamarindo, Fr. tamarin, from Ar. tamr hindi, from tamr, fruit, date, and hindi, Indian; akin Heb. tamar, a palm-tree, from tamar, to stand erect.] A genus of plants (Tamarindus), nat. order Leguminosa. The name is also given to the fruit. The tamarind-tree (T. indica) is the only species of the genus Tamarindus, but it has two varieties, characterized

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica).

TAMBOUR

by the varying length of the pod. The East Indian variety has long pods about 6 inches in length, with six to twelve seeds, whereas the West Indian variety has much shorter pods, containing one to four seeds. The tree has an elegant appearance, from its graceful pinnated foliage and its racemes of sweet-smelling flowers, the calyx of which is yellow, the petals yellow streaked with red, the filaments purple, and the anthers brown. Both varieties are cultivated for the sake of their shade, and their cooling grateful acid fruit. The pulp is imported into European countries. In the East Indies it is dried either in the sun or artificially with salt added, which latter kind is sent to Europe. The West Indian tamarinds are put into jars with layers of sugar between them, or with boiling syrup poured over them, and are called prepared tamarinds; but the East Indian tamarinds are most esteemed. The pulp is frequently employed in medicine; it is cooling and gently laxative, and is peculiarly grateful in fevers and inflammatory diseases. Tamarind-fish (tam'a-rind-fish), n. A preparation of a kind of East Indian fish with the acid pulp of the tamarind fruit, much esteemed as a breakfast relish in India. Tamarisk (tam'a-risk), n. [L. tamariscus, tamarix, said to be from the plants growing on the banks of the Tamaris,now the Tambro, on the borders of the Pyrenees.] The com

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mon name of plants of the genus Tamarix, the type of the nat. order Tamaricaces. The

are

species shrubs or small trees, clothed with very small green leaves and long spikes of pink flowers. T. gallica is a native of France and of the Mediterranean, and is naturalized on some parts of the southern English coast. Its ashes contain a large quantity of sulphate of soda. T. indica (the Indian tamarisk) produces galls which are used in dyeing and in photography. (See MAHEE.) The largest and most elegant species is T. orientalis, a native of Arabia, Persia, and the East Indies. The bark of T. africana is used in medicine as a tonic, and its ashes, like those of T. gallica, yield a large quantity of sulphate of soda.

Tamarisk (Tamarix gallica).

Tamarix (tam'a-riks), n. A genus of plants.
See TAMARISK.

Tambac (tam'bak), n. 1. Same as Tombac.
2. Agallochum or aloes-wood.
Tambour (tam'bör), n. [Fr. tambour. See
TABOUR] L. A drum.

When I sound

The tambour of God, ten cities hear

Its voice, and answer to the call in arms. Southey. -Tambour de Basque, a tambourine. - 2. In arch. (a) a term applied to the naked part of Corinthian and Composite capitals, which bear some resemblance to a drum. It is also called the vase, and campana, or the bell. (b) The wall of a circular temple surrounded with columns. (c) The circular vertical part both below and above a cupola. (d) A kind of lobby or vestibule of timber work with folding doors, and covered with a ceiling, as within the porches of churches, &c., to break the current of wind from without. (e) A cylindrical stone, such as one of the courses of the shaft of a column.-3. A circular frame on which silk or other stuff is stretched for the purpose of being embroidered: so called from its resemblance to a drum; also, the embroidery worked upon it. Machines have been constructed for tambour working, and continue to be used with success.-4. In fort. a kind of work formed of palisades, or pieces of wood 10 feet long planted closely together, and driven firmly into the ground, and intended to defend a road, gate, or other entrance.

Tambour (tam'bör), v. t. and i. To embroider with a tambour; to work on a tambour frame.

TAMBOURINE

Tambourine (tam-bu-ren'), n. [Fr. tambourin, from tambour, a tabor. See TABOR.] 1. A musical instrument of the drum species. It is much used among the Biscayans, and hence is also known by the name of tambour de Basque. It is formed of a hoop, like one end of a drum, over which parchment is stretched. Small pieces of metal called jingles are inserted in the hoop, to which also small bells are sometimes attached. It is sounded by sliding the fingers along the parchment, or by striking it with the back of the hand or with the fist or the elbow; a timbrel.-2. A lively French dance, formerly in vogue in operas. It was accompanied with a pedal bass in imitation of the drone caused by rubbing the thumb over the skin of a tambourine. Tambour-work (tam'bör-wèrk), n. A kind of embroidery. See TAMBOUR, 3. Tambreet (tam-bret'), n. The name given by the natives of New South Wales to the duck-bill or Ornithorhynchus. Tamburin, Tamburinet (tam-by-ren'), n. Same as Tambourine. Spenser. Tamburone (tam-bu-ro'na), n. [It.] The Italian name for the military bass-drum. Tame (tam), a. [A. Sax. tam, tame, gentle, mild; D. Dan. Sw. and Goth. tam, Icel. tamr, O. H.G. zam, Mod. G. zahm, tame. The root is the same as in L. domo, to tame, subdue, conquer, dominus, a lord; Gr. damaō, to subdue; Skr. dam, to subdue, to tame.] 1. Having lost its native wildness and shyness; accustomed to man; domesticated; domestic; as, a tame deer; a tame bird.2. Wanting in spirit; submissive; subdued; depressed; spiritless. You, tame slaves of the laborious plough.' Roscommon. He's no swaggerer, hostess; a tame cheater, i' faith. Shak.

3. Unanimated; without spirit; insipid; dull; wanting in interest; flat; as, a tame poem; his anecdotes are very tame; the scenery was quite tame.-4. Without earnest feeling or fervour; listless; cold.

He that is cold and tame in his prayers hath not

tasted of the deliciousness of religion and the good. Fer. Taylor.

ness of God.

5. Accommodated to one's habits; grown into a custom; wonted; accustomed. [Rare.] Sequestering from me all

That time, acquaintance, custom and condition Made tame and most familiar to my nature. Shak. 6. Harmless; ineffectual; impotent.

His remedies are fame i' the present peace. Shak.

Tame (tam), v. t. pret. & pp. tamed; ppr. taming. [A. Sax. tamian, from the adjective.] 1. To reclaim; to reduce from a wild to a domestic state; to make gentle and familiar; as, to tame a wild beast.-2. To subdue; to crush; to conquer; to depress; as, to tame the pride or passions of youth.

I'll tame you; I'll bring you in subjection. Shak. Nay-yet it chafes me that I could not bend

One will; nor tame and tutor with mine eye That dull cold-blooded Cæsar. Tennyson. Tamet (tām), v.t. [Fr. entamer, to cut into, to make the first cut upon, to begin upon.] To begin upon by taking a part of; to broach or taste, as liquor; to deal out; to divide; to distribute.

In the time of the famine he is the Joseph of the country, and keeps the poor from starving. Then he tameth his stacks of corn, which not his covetousness, but providence, hath reserved for time of need. Fuller.

Tameability (tam-a-bil'i-ti), n. Capability of being tamed; tameableness. Sydney Smith.

Tameable (tām'a-bl), a. Tamable.

Ganzas are supposed to be great fowls, of a strong flight, and easily tameable, divers of which may be so brought up as to join together in carrying the weight of a man. Bp. Wilkins. Tameless (tam'les), a. Incapable of being tamed; untamable.

The tameless steed could well his waggon wield. Bp. Hall. Tamelessness (tam'les-nes), n. The state or quality of being tameless; untamableness. Byron.

Tamely (tam'li), adv. In a tame manner; with unresisting submission; meanly; servilely; without manifesting spirit; as, to submit tamely to oppression; to bear reproach tamely. When you can tamely suffer to be abused.' Swift. Tameness (tam'nes), n. 1. The quality of being tame or gentle; a state of domestication.-2. Unresisting submission; meanness in bearing insults or injuries; want of spirit. 3. The state of being without interest, beauty, or animation; as, the tameness of a narrative; the tameness of the scenery.

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Tamias (ta'mi-as), n. [Gr., a steward, a store-keeper, from the cheek-pouches in which these animals can carry a quantity of food or from their laying up large stores in their holes.] A genus of rodent mammals, allied to the true squirrels, but distinguished from them by the possession of cheek-pouches, and their habit of retreating into underground holes. They are of small size, and all of them marked with stripes on the back and sides. Lister's ground-squirrel (T. Listeri) is very common in the United States, where it is popularly known as hackee, chipmunk, or chipmuck. The striped ground-squirrel (T. striatus) is a very small species, inhabiting the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains, and an allied species is said to be very common in Siberia. See GROUND-SQUIRREL. Tamil (tam'il), n. 1. One of a race of men inhabiting South India and Ceylon, and belonging to the Dravidian stock. The Tamils form by far the most civilized and energetic of the Dravidian peoples.-2. The language spoken in the south-east of the Madras Presidency, and in the northern parts of Ceylon. It is a member of the Dravidian or Tamilian family. See DRAVIDIAN. Tamilian (ta-mil'i-an), a. Of or pertaining to the Tamils or their language. See above. Tamine, Taminy (tam'in, tam'i-ni), n. [Fr. étamine. See STAMIN.] 1. A strainer or bolter of hair or cloth. 2. A thin woollen or worsted stuff, highly glazed. Written also Tammin.

Tamis (tam'i), n. [Fr., from D. tems, E. temse, a sieve.] A sieve; a searce. Written also Tammy.

Tamis - bird (tä'mis-berd), n. A guinea

fowl.

They are by some called the Barbary-hen; by others the Tamis-bird, and by others the bird of Numidia. Goldsmith.

Tamkin (tam'kin), n. [For tampkin.] The stopper of a cannon. See TAMPION. Tammany-ring (tam'ma-ni-ring), n. [From Tammany, an American Indian chief, who for his reputed virtues was in the latter years of the Revolution facetiously chosen patron saint of the new republic, his name being adopted by several secret societies.] A New York political combination which, by extensive bribery and intrigue, secured the control of the elections in that city and the management of the municipal revenues, which were unscrupulously plundered; any combination for similar purposes. Tammin (tam'in), n.

See TAMINE.

Tammuz (tam'muz), n. A word occurring once in the Bible, and probably designating the Phoenician Adonis. His feast began with mourning for his loss.

And behold there sat women weeping for Tammuz. Ezek. viii. 14. Tammy (tam'i), n. See TAMIS. Tamp (tamp), v.t. [Fr. tamponner, taper, Pr. tampir. See TAMPION.] 1. In blasting, when the hole is drilled and charged with powder to ram it tight, with dry sand, tough clay, or some other substance, to prevent the explosion taking effect by way of the hole. The term is similarly used in some other cases. See TAMPING.-2. To force in or down by frequent, somewhat light, strokes; as, to tamp mud so as to make a smooth place. Tampan (tam'pan), n. A South African tick, remarkable for the venom of its bite. Dr. Livingstone.

Tamper (tam'pér), v.i. [Probably a form of temper.] 1. To meddle; to be busy; to try little experiments; to have to do with anything without fitness or necessity; as, to tamper with a disease.

'Tis dangerous tamp'ring with a muse. Roscommon. The Tudors, far from considering the law of succession as a divine and unchangeable institution, were constantly tampering with it. Macaulay.

2. To meddle with, especially so as to alter by corruption or adulteration; to make to be not genuine; as, the text has been tampered with.-3. To practise secretly, as by bribery or other unfair underhand means; to influence towards a certain course by secret and unfair means; as, the witness has been tampered with. Tamper is generally followed by with in all the senses. In the following extract, however, it is used independently.

Others tampered
For Fleetwood, Desborough, and Lambert.
Hudibras.

TAN

Tamper (tamp'èr), n. 1. One who tamps, or prepares for blasting, by stopping the hole in which the charge is placed.-2. An instrument used in tamping; a tamping-bar or tamping-iron.

Tamperer (tam'pér-ér), n. One who tampers; one who uses unfair, underhand means in dealing with a person to bring him over to his ends.

He himself was not tortured, but was surrounded in the Tower by tamperers and traitors, and so made unfairly to convict himself out of his own mouth. Household Words.

Tamping (tamp'ing), n. [See TAMP.] 1. In blasting, the act or operation of filling up a blast-hole above the charge, so as to direct the force of the explosion laterally and rend the rock.-2. In milit. mining, the operation of packing with earth, sand, &c., that part of a mine nearest to the charge, to increase its effectiveness in a given direction.-3. In smelting, the operation of stopping with clay the issues of a blast-furnace.-4. The material used for the above purposes. Tamping-bar, Tamping-iron (tamp'ingbär, tamp'ing-i-ern), n. A bar of copper, brass, or wood used in packing tamping upon a charge.

Tampion (tam'pi-on), n. [Fr. tampon, a nasalized form from tapon, tape, a bung, from the German or Dutch word equivalent to E. tap, a plug or stopper. See TAP.] 1. The stopper of a cannon or other piece of ordnance, consisting of a cylinder of wood placed in its muzzle to prevent the admission of water or dust; also, the wooden bottom for a charge of grape-shot.-2. A plug for stopping closely the upper end of an organ-pipe. Written also Tampoon, Tompion.

Tampon (tam'pon), n. [See TAMPION.] In surg. a plug inserted to stop hæmorrhage. Tampoont (tam'pun), n. 1. A tampion.2. The bung of a vessel.

Tam-tam (tam'tam), n. [Hind., from sound of drum.] 1. A kind of native drum used in the East Indies and in Western Africa. The tam-tam is of various shapes, but generally it is made of a hollow cylinder formed

[graphic][merged small]

of fibrous wood, such as palm-tree, or of earthenware, each end covered with skin. It is beat upon with the fingers, and also with the open hand, and produces a hollow monotonous sound. Public notices, when proclaimed in the bazaar or public parts of Eastern towns, are generally accompanied by the tam-tam. Written also Tom-tom.

2. A Chinese gong. Tamulian (ta-mü'li-an), a. Same as Tamilian. Tamus (tā'mus), n. [L. tamnus, tamus, a kind of wild climbing plant.] A genus of plants, nat. order Dioscoreaceæ. The T. communis, or black bryony, is a very common plant in hedges and thickets throughout Europe, and is very frequent in England. It is a climbing herbaceous plant, having very large tubers, shining heart-shaped pointed leaves, and racemes of small greenish dicecious flowers, which are succeeded by shining red berries. The whole plant contains a bitter acrid principle, which renders it unwholesome.

Tan (tan), v. t. pret. & pp. tanned; ppr. tanning. [Fr. tanner, to tan, tan, oak bark for tanning; probably from Armor. tann, oak, or from G. tanne, a fir. From Fr. tanner comes also tawny.] 1. To convert into leather, as animal skins, by steeping them in an infusion of oak or some other bark, by which they are impregnated with tannin or tannic acid, an astringent substance which exists in several species of bark, and thus rendered firm, durable, and in some degree impervious to water.-2. To make brown; to

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imbrown by exposure to the rays of the sun; Tang (tang), n. ['A metaphor from a ringto make sunburnt.

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4. To beat; to flog; to thrash. [Colloq. or low.]

The master couldn't tan him for not doing it. Mrs. H. Wood. Tan (tan), v.i. 1. To get or become tanned; as, the leather tans easily.-2. To become tan-coloured or tawny; as, my face tans quickly with the sun.

Tan (tan), n. 1. The bark of the oak, willow, chestnut, larch, and other trees abounding in tannin, bruised and broken by a mill, and used for tanning hides. Tan, after being used in tanning, is utilized in gardening for making hot-beds; and it is also made into cakes and used as fuel. Called in this form Tan-balls or Tan-turf.-2. A yellowish-brown colour, like that of tan.-3. An imbrowning of the skin by exposure to the sun, especially in tropical countries; as, hands covered with tan.

Tan (tan), a. Of the colour of tan; resembling tan; tawny.

Several black and tan spaniels of the breed of King Charles the Second, were reposing near him Disraeli.

on velvet cushions.

Tanacetum (tan-a-sē'tum), n. [See TANSY.] A genus of plants, nat. order Compositæ, containing about thirty species, natives of Europe, North Africa, North and Central Asia, and North America. They are tall annual or perennial herbs, with usually finely divided leaves and button-like heads of yellow flowers. T. vulgare, or common tansy, is a well-known plant, being abundant in Britain and throughout Europe on the borders of fields and roadsides. Every part of the plant is bitter, and it is considered as tonic and anthelmintic, tansy-tea being an old popular medicine. It is now cultivated in gardens mainly for the young leaves, which are shredded down and employed to flavour puddings, cakes, &c. Tanager (tan'a-jêr), n. A bird of the genus Tanagra (which see).

Tanagra (tan'a-gra), n. [Braz. tangara, a

Tanager (Tanagra cyanocephala). tanager.] A genus of passerine birds of the finch family (Fringillida), having a conical beak, triangular at the base, the upper mandible notched towards the tip, and its ridge arched. There are several species, all resembling the finches proper in their habits. They are remarkable for their bright colours. They are chiefly inhabitants of the tropical parts of America. Tanagrinæ (tan-a-gri'nê),n. pl. A sub-family of passerine birds, family Fringillida; the tanagers. See TANAGRA

Tan-balls (tan-balz), n. pl. The spent bark of the tanner's yard pressed into balls or lumps, which harden on drying and serve for fuel. Called also Tan-turf. Tan-bed (tan bed), n. In hort. a bed made of tan; a bark bed or stove. See BARK-BED. Tandem (tan'dem), adv. [L., at length, that is, after a certain interval of time. Its use in the English sense is by a mere pun or joke.] One harnessed behind the other; as, to drive tandem, that is, with two horses harnessed singly one before the other instead of abreast.

Tandem (tan'dem), n. [See above.] A twowheeled carriage drawn by two horses harnessed one before the other.

The Duke of St. James's now got on rapidly, and also found sufficient time for his boat, his tandem, and his toilette. Disraeli.

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ing sound. Twang and tang are both used for a loud ringing sound and a strong taste.' Wedgwood.] 1. A strong taste or flavour; particularly, a taste of something extraneous to the thing itself; as, wine or cider has a tang of the cask.-2. Specific flavour or quality; characteristic property; distinctive tinge, taint, or the like. A cant of philosophism and a tang of party politics.' Jeffrey. Such proceedings had a strong tang of tyranny. Fuller. 3. Sound; tone; especially, a twang or sharp sound. 'She had a tongue with a tang." Shak.

There is a pretty affectation in the Allemain, which gives their speech a different tang from ours. Holder. Tang (tang), v.t. To ring; to twang; to cause to sound loudly. Let thy_tongue tang arguments of state.' Shak.-To tang bees, to strike two pieces of metal together so as, by producing a loud sound, to induce a swarm of bees to settle.

Tang (tang), n. [Probably a modification of tongue, O.E. tong, or allied to tongs.] A projecting part of an object which is inserted into and so secured to another; as, (a) the part of a knife, fork, chisel, file, and the like, which goes into the handle. (b) The projecting part of the breech of a musket which goes into the stock. (c) The part of a sword-blade to which the hilt is fastened. (d) The tongue of a buckle.

Tang (tang), n. A kind of sea-weed; tangle. Tangalung (tan'ga-lung), n. [Native name.] An animal of the civet kind, Viverra Tangalunga, belonging to Sumatra. It is about 24 feet long, the head measuring nearly 7 inches in length, and the tail 11 inches. The body is furnished with a close downy

covering of soft hairs next the skin. Tangence (tan'jens), n. A touching; tangency. The point of tangence is the point of contact of a tangent line. Tangency (tan'jen-si), n. State of being tangent; a contact or touching.-Problem of tangencies, among the old geometers, a branch of the geometrical analysis, the general object of which was to describe a circle passing through given points, and touching straight lines or circles given in position, the number of data being always limited to

three.

A

Fig. 1.

Tangent (tan'jent), n. [L. tangens, tangentis, ppr. from L. tango, to touch. Akin tact.] In geom. a straight line which touches or meets a circle or curve in one point, and which being produced does not cut it, as A, B, C, D, E, F in fig. 1. Euclid has shown that the straight line drawn at right angles to the diameter of a circle, from the extremity of it, is a tan

E

Fig. 2.

D

B

[ocr errors]

B

E

gent to the circle. In trigon. the tangent of an arc or angle is a straight line touching the circle of which the arc is a part, at one extremity of the arc, and meeting the diameter passing through the other extremity. Thus, in fig. 2, let AH be a straight line drawn touching the circle ADE at A, one extremity of the arc A B, and meeting the diameter IB produced, which passes through the other extremity B in the point H; then AH is the tangent of the arc AB, or of the angle A ACB, of which AB is the measure. The tangent of an arc or angle is also the tangent of its supplement. Thus, AH is the tangent of the supplement AI, or of the angle ACI; for it is easy to see that the definition above given applies equally to the arc AB and to the are AI. The arc and its tangent have always a certain relation to each other; and when the one is given in parts of the radius, the other can always be computed by means of an infinite series. For trigonometrical purposes tangents for every arc from 0 degrees to 90 degrees, as well as sines, cosines, &c., have been calculated with reference to a radius of a certain length, and these or their logarithms formed into tables. In the higher geometry the word tangent is not limited to straight lines, but is also applied to curves in contact with other curves, and also to surfaces.-Method of tangents,

f, Fr. ton; ng, sing; TH, then; th, thin;

TANGHINIA

the name given to the calculus in its early period. When the equation of a curve is given, and it is required to determine the tangent at any point, this is called the direct method of tangents; and when the subtangent to a curve, at any point, is given, and it is required to determine the equation of the curve, this is termed the inverse method of tangents. The above terms are synonymous with the differential and integral calculus. Natural tangents, tangents expressed by natural numbers.-Artificial tangents, tangents expressed by logarithms.To go or fly off at a tangent, to break off suddenly from one line of action, train of thought, or the like, and go on to something else.

From Dodson and Fogg's his mind flew off at a tangent to the very centre of the history of the queer client.

Dickens.

Tangent (tan'jent), a. Touching; in geom. touching at a single point; as, a tangent line; curves tangent to each other.-Tangent galvanometer. See under GALVANOMETER. Tangent plane, a plane which touches a curved surface, as a sphere, cylinder, &c.-Tangent sailing. Same as Middlelatitude Sailing. See under MIDDLE.-Tangent scale, a form of breech sight for cannon. Its base has a curvature corresponding to the circumference of the breech of the gun, and its face is cut into steps corresponding to angles of elevation. - Tangent screw, a screw which acts in the direction of a tangent to an arc or circle. Such screws are used for minute adjustments of instruments of precision, as a considerable amount of rotation in the screw gives but a small amount of rotation to the circle or wheel. See WORM-WHEEL.

Tangential (tan-jen'shal), a. Pertaining to a tangent; in the direction of a tangent.Tangential force, (a) the same as centrifugal force. (b) In mach, a force which acts upon a wheel in the direction of a tangent to the wheel is said to be tangential, and this is the direction in which motion is communicated between wheels and pinions, or from one wheel to another. -Tangential plane. The same as Tangent Plane. See under TANGENT, a.

Tangentially (tan-jen'shal-li), adv. In a tangential manner; in the direction of a tangent.

Tangerine (tan'jer-in), n. [From Tangiers.] An esteemed small-fruited variety of orange. Tang-fish (tang'fish), n. [From tang, a kind of sea-weed.] A name given to the seal in Shetland.

Tanghin (tan'gin), n. [The native name in Madagascar.] A deadly poison obtained from the seeds of Tanghinia venenifera. See TANGHINIA-Trial by tanghin, a kind of ordeal formerly practised in Madagascar to determine the guilt or innocence of an accused person, by taking the tanghin poison. The seed was pounded and a small piece_swallowed by each person to be tried. If the accused retained the poison in the system death quickly resulted-a proof of guilt; if the stomach rejected the dose little harm supervened and innocence was established. By the influence of Christianity its use has been discontinued. Spelled also Tanguin. Tanghinia (tan-gin'i-a), n. [See above.] A

Tanghinia venenifera,

genus of plants belonging to the nat. order Apocynace. T. venenifera is a tree which produces the celebrated tanghin poison of

w, wig; wh, whig; zh, azure. -See KEY.

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