DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Spi·der n.
1. Zool. Any one of numerous species of arachnids comprising the order Araneina. Spiders have the mandibles converted into poison fangs, or falcers. The abdomen is large and not segmented, with two or three pairs of spinnerets near the end, by means of which they spin threads of silk to form cocoons, or nests, to protect their eggs and young. Many species spin also complex webs to entrap the insects upon which they prey. The eyes are usually eight in number (rarely six), and are situated on the back of the cephalothorax. See Illust. under Araneina.
Note: ☞ Spiders are divided into two principal groups: the Dipneumona, having two lungs: and the Tetrapneumona, having four lungs. See Mygale. The former group includes several tribes; as, the jumping spiders (see Saltigradae), the wolf spiders, or Citigradae (see under Wolf), the crab spiders, or Laterigradae (see under Crab), the garden, or geometric, spiders, or Orbitellae (see under Geometrical, and Garden), and others. See Bird spider, under Bird, Grass spider, under Grass, House spider, under House, Silk spider, under Silk.
2. Zool. Any one of various other arachnids resembling the true spiders, especially certain mites, as the red spider (see under Red).
3. An iron pan with a long handle, used as a kitchen utensil in frying food. Originally, it had long legs, and was used over coals on the hearth.
4. A trevet to support pans or pots over a fire.
5. Mach. A skeleton, or frame, having radiating arms or members, often connected by crosspieces; as, a casting forming the hub and spokes to which the rim of a fly wheel or large gear is bolted; the body of a piston head; a frame for strengthening a core or mold for a casting, etc.
Spider ant. Zool. Same as Solitary ant, under Solitary.
Spider crab Zool., any one of numerous species of maioid crabs having a more or less triangular body and ten long legs. Some of the species grow to great size, as the great Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira Kempferi), measuring sometimes more than fifteen feet across the legs when they are extended.
Spider fly Zool., any one of numerous species of parasitic dipterous insects of the family Hippoboscidae. They are mostly destitute of wings, and live among the feathers of birds and the hair of bats. Called also bird tick, and bat tick.
Spider hunter Zool., any one of several species of East Indian sunbirds of the genus Arachnothera.
Spider lines, filaments of a spider's web crossing the field of vision in optical instruments; -- used for determining the exact position of objects and making delicate measurements. Fine wires, silk fibers, or lines on glass similarly placed, are called spider lines.
Spider mite. Zool. (a) Any one of several species of parasitic mites of the genus Argas and allied genera. See Argas. (b) Any one of numerous small mites injurious to plants.
Spider monkey Zool., any one of numerous species of South American monkeys of the genus Ateles, having very long legs and a long prehensile tail.
Spider orchis Bot., a European orchidaceous plant (Ophrys aranifera), having flowers which resemble spiders.
Spider shell Zool., any shell of the genus Pteroceras. See Pteroceras.
◄ ►
Grass n.
1. Popularly: Herbage; the plants which constitute the food of cattle and other beasts; pasture.
2. Bot. An endogenous plant having simple leaves, a stem generally jointed and tubular, the husks or glumes in pairs, and the seed single.
Note: ☞ This definition includes wheat, rye, oats, barley, etc., and excludes clover and some other plants which are commonly called by the name of grass. The grasses form a numerous family of plants.
3. The season of fresh grass; spring. [Colloq.]
Two years old next grass. --Latham.
4. Metaphorically used for what is transitory.
Surely the people is grass. --Is. xl. 7.
Note: ☞ The following list includes most of the grasses of the United States of special interest, except cereals. Many of these terms will be found with definitions in the Vocabulary. See Illustrations in Appendix.
Barnyard grass, for hay. South. Panicum Grus-galli.
Bent, pasture and hay. Agrostis, several species.
Bermuda grass, pasture. South. Cynodon Dactylon.
Black bent. Same as Switch grass (below).
Blue bent, hay. North and West. Andropogon provincialis.
Blue grass, pasture. Poa compressa.
Blue joint, hay. Northwest. Aqropyrum glaucum.
Buffalo grass, grazing. Rocky Mts., etc. (a) Buchloë dectyloides. (b) Same as Grama grass (below).
Bunch grass, grazing. Far West. Eriocoma, Festuca, Stips, etc.
Chess, or Cheat, a weed. Bromus secalinus, etc.
Couch grass. Same as Quick grass (below).
Crab grass, (a) Hay, in South. A weed, in North. Panicum sanguinale. (b) Pasture and hay. South. Eleusine Indica.
Darnel (a) Bearded, a noxious weed. Lolium temulentum. (b) Common. Same as Rye grass (below).
Drop seed, fair for forage and hay. Muhlenbergia, several species.
English grass. Same as Redtop (below).
Fowl meadow grass. (a) Pasture and hay. Poa serotina. (b) Hay, on moist land. Gryceria nervata.
Gama grass, cut fodder. South. Tripsacum dactyloides.
Grama grass, grazing. West and Pacific slope. Bouteloua oligostachya, etc.
Great bunch grass, pasture and hay. Far West. Festuca scabrella.
Guinea grass, hay. South. Panicum jumentorum.
Herd's grass, in New England Timothy, in Pennsylvania and South Redtop.
Indian grass. Same as Wood grass (below).
Italian rye grass, forage and hay. Lolium Italicum.
Johnson grass, grazing and hay. South and Southwest. Sorghum Halepense.
Kentucky blue grass, pasture. Poa pratensis.
Lyme grass, coarse hay. South. Elymus, several species.
Manna grass, pasture and hay. Glyceria, several species.
Meadow fescue, pasture and hay. Festuca elatior.
Meadow foxtail, pasture, hay, lawn. North. Alopecurus pratensis.
Meadow grass, pasture, hay, lawn. Poa, several species.
Mesquite grass, or Muskit grass. Same as Grama grass (above).
Nimble Will, a kind of drop seed. Muhlenbergia diffsa.
Orchard grass, pasture and hay. Dactylis glomerata.
Porcupine grass, troublesome to sheep. Northwest. Stipa spartea.
Quaking grass, ornamental. Briza media and maxima.
Quitch, or Quick, grass, etc., a weed. Agropyrum repens.
Ray grass. Same as Rye grass (below).
Redtop, pasture and hay. Agrostis vulgaris.
Red-topped buffalo grass, forage. Northwest. Poa tenuifolia.
Reed canary grass, of slight value. Phalaris arundinacea.
Reed meadow grass, hay. North. Glyceria aquatica.
Ribbon grass, a striped leaved form of Reed canary grass.
Rye grass, pasture, hay. Lolium perenne, var.
Seneca grass, fragrant basket work, etc. North. Hierochloa borealis.
Sesame grass. Same as Gama grass (above).
Sheep's fescue, sheep pasture, native in Northern Europe and Asia. Festuca ovina.
Small reed grass, meadow pasture and hay. North. Deyeuxia Canadensis.
Spear grass, Same as Meadow grass (above).
Squirrel-tail grass, troublesome to animals. Seacoast and Northwest. Hordeum jubatum.
Switch grass, hay, cut young. Panicum virgatum.
Timothy, cut young, the best of hay. North. Phleum pratense.
Velvet grass, hay on poor soil. South. Holcus lanatus.
Vernal grass, pasture, hay, lawn. Anthoxanthum odoratum.
Wire grass, valuable in pastures. Poa compressa.
Wood grass, Indian grass, hay. Chrysopogon nutans.
Note: ☞ Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not true grasses botanically considered, such as black grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.
Black grass, a kind of small rush (Juncus Gerardi), growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.
Grass of the Andes, an oat grass, the Arrhenatherum avenaceum of Europe.-- Grass of Parnassus, a plant of the genus Parnassia growing in wet ground. The European species is Parnassia palustris; in the United States there are several species.
Grass bass Zool., the calico bass.
Grass bird, the dunlin.
Grass cloth, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the grass-cloth plant.
Grass-cloth plant, a perennial herb of the Nettle family (Bœhmeria nivea syn. Urtica nivea), which grows in Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and strong fibers suited for textile purposes.
Grass finch. Zool. (a) A common American sparrow (Poöcætes gramineus); -- called also vesper sparrow and bay-winged bunting. (b) Any Australian finch, of the genus Poëphila, of which several species are known.
Grass lamb, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land and giving rich milk.-- Grass land, land kept in grass and not tilled.
Grass moth Zool., one of many small moths of the genus Crambus, found in grass.
Grass oil, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in India from grasses of the genus Andropogon, etc.; -- used in perfumery under the name of citronella, ginger grass oil, lemon grass oil, essence of verbena etc.
Grass owl Zool., a South African owl (Strix Capensis).
Grass parrakeet Zool., any of several species of Australian parrots, of the genus Euphemia; -- also applied to the zebra parrakeet.
Grass plover Zool., the upland or field plover.
Grass poly Bot., a species of willowwort (Lythrum Hyssopifolia). --Johnson.
Crass quit Zool., one of several tropical American finches of the genus Euetheia. The males have most of the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.
Grass snake. Zool. (a) The common English, or ringed, snake (Tropidonotus natrix). (b) The common green snake of the Northern United States. See Green snake, under Green.
Grass snipe Zool., the pectoral sandpiper (Tringa maculata); -- called also jacksnipe in America.
Grass spider Zool., a common spider (Agelena nævia), which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous when covered with dew.
Grass sponge Zool., an inferior kind of commercial sponge from Florida and the Bahamas.
Grass table. Arch. See Earth table, under Earth.
Grass vetch Bot., a vetch (Lathyrus Nissolia), with narrow grasslike leaves.
Grass widow.
Grass wrack Bot. eelgrass.
To bring to grass Mining., to raise, as ore, to the surface of the ground.
To put to grass, To put out to grass, to put out to graze a season, as cattle.