DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 Sun n.
 1. The luminous orb, the light of which constitutes day, and its absence night; the central body round which the earth and planets revolve, by which they are held in their orbits, and from which they receive light and heat. Its mean distance from the earth is about 92,500,000 miles, and its diameter about 860,000.
 Note: ☞ Its mean apparent diameter as seen from the earth is 32´ 4˝, and it revolves on its own axis once in 25⅓ days. Its mean density is about one fourth of that of the earth, or 1.41, that of water being unity.  Its luminous surface is called the photosphere, above which is an envelope consisting partly of hydrogen, called the chromosphere, which can be seen only through the spectroscope, or at the time of a total solar eclipse. Above the chromosphere, and sometimes extending out millions of miles, are luminous rays or streams of light which are visible only at the time of a total eclipse, forming the solar corona.
 2. Any heavenly body which forms the center of a system of orbs.
 3. The direct light or warmth of the sun; sunshine.
    Lambs that did frisk in the sun.   --Shak.
 4. That which resembles the sun, as in splendor or importance; any source of light, warmth, or animation.
    For the Lord God is a sun and shield.   --Ps. lxxiv. 11.
    I will never consent to put out the sun of sovereignity to posterity.   --Eikon Basilike.
 Sun and planet wheels Mach., an ingenious contrivance for converting reciprocating motion, as that of the working beam of a steam engine, into rotatory motion. It consists of a toothed wheel (called the sun wheel), firmly secured to the shaft it is desired to drive, and another wheel (called the planet wheel) secured to the end of a connecting rod. By the motion of the connecting rod, the planet wheel is made to circulate round the central wheel on the shaft, communicating to this latter a velocity of revolution the double of its own. --G. Francis.
 Sun angel Zool., a South American humming bird of the genus Heliangelos, noted for its beautiful colors and the brilliant luster of the feathers of its throat.
 Sun animalcute. Zool. See Heliozoa.
 Sun bath Med., exposure of a patient to the sun's rays; insolation.
 Sun bear Zool., a species of bear (Helarctos Malayanus) native of Southern Asia and Borneo. It has a small head and short neck, and fine short glossy fur, mostly black, but brownish on the nose. It is easily tamed. Called also bruang, and Malayan bear.
 Sun beetle Zool., any small lustrous beetle of the genus Amara.
 Sun bittern Zool., a singular South American bird (Eurypyga helias), in some respects related both to the rails and herons. It is beautifully variegated with white, brown, and black. Called also sunbird, and tiger bittern.
 Sun fever Med., the condition of fever produced by sun stroke.
 Sun gem Zool., a Brazilian humming bird (Heliactin cornutus). Its head is ornamented by two tufts of bright colored feathers, fiery crimson at the base and greenish yellow at the tip. Called also Horned hummer.
 Sun grebe Zool., the finfoot.
 Sun picture, a picture taken by the agency of the sun's rays; a photograph.
 Sun spots Astron., dark spots that appear on the sun's disk, consisting commonly of a black central portion with a surrounding border of lighter shade, and usually seen only by the telescope, but sometimes by the naked eye. They are very changeable in their figure and dimensions, and vary in size from mere apparent points to spaces of 50,000 miles in diameter. The term sun spots is often used to include bright spaces (called faculae) as well as dark spaces (called maculae). Called also solar spots. See Illustration in Appendix.
 Sun star Zool., any one of several species of starfishes belonging to Solaster, Crossaster, and allied genera, having numerous rays.
 Sun trout Zool., the squeteague.
 Sun wheel. Mach. See Sun and planet wheels, above.
 Under the sun, in the world; on earth. “There is no new thing under the sun.” --Eccl. i. 9.
 Note: ☞ Sun is often used in the formation of compound adjectives of obvious meaning; as, sun-bright, sun-dried, sun-gilt, sunlike, sun-lit, sun-scorched, and the like.

 Ti·ger n.
 1. A very large and powerful carnivore (Felis tigris) native of Southern Asia and the East Indies. Its back and sides are tawny or rufous yellow, transversely striped with black, the tail is ringed with black, the throat and belly are nearly white. When full grown, it equals or exceeds the lion in size and strength. Called also royal tiger, and Bengal tiger.
 2. Fig.: A ferocious, bloodthirsty person.
    As for heinous tiger, Tamora.   --Shak.
 3. A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress.
 4. A kind of growl or screech, after cheering; as, three cheers and a tiger. [Colloq. U. S.]
 5. A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.
 American tiger. Zool. (a) The puma. (b) The jaguar.
 Clouded tiger Zool., a handsome striped and spotted carnivore (Felis macrocelis or Felis marmorata) native of the East Indies and Southern Asia.  Its body is about three and a half feet long, and its tail about three feet long. Its ground color is brownish gray, and the dark markings are irregular stripes, spots, and rings, but there are always two dark bands on the face, one extending back from the eye, and one from the angle of the mouth. Called also tortoise-shell tiger.
 Mexican tiger Zool., the jaguar.
 Tiger beetle Zool., any one of numerous species of active carnivorous beetles of the family Cicindelidae. They usually inhabit dry or sandy places, and fly rapidly.
 Tiger bittern. Zool. See Sun bittern, under Sun.
 Tiger cat Zool., any one of several species of wild cats of moderate size with dark transverse bars or stripes somewhat resembling those of the tiger.
 Tiger flower Bot., an iridaceous plant of the genus Tigridia (as Tigridia conchiflora, Tigridia grandiflora, etc.) having showy flowers, spotted or streaked somewhat like the skin of a tiger.
 Tiger grass Bot., a low East Indian fan palm (Chamaerops Ritchieana).  It is used in many ways by the natives. --J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
 Tiger lily. Bot. See under Lily.
 Tiger moth Zool., any one of numerous species of moths of the family Arctiadae which are striped or barred with black and white or with other conspicuous colors. The larvae are called woolly bears.
 Tiger shark Zool., a voracious shark (Galeocerdo tigrinus syn. Galeocerdo maculatus) more or less barred or spotted with yellow.  It is found in both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean.  Called also zebra shark.
 Tiger shell Zool., a large and conspicuously spotted cowrie (Cypraea tigris); -- so called from its fancied resemblance to a tiger in color and markings. Called also tiger cowrie.
 Tiger snake Zool., either of two very venomous snakes of Tasmania and Australia, Notechis scutatis and Notechis ater, which grow up to 5 feet in length.
 Tiger wolf Zool., the spotted hyena (Hyaena crocuta).
 Tiger wood, the variegated heartwood of a tree (Machaerium Schomburgkii) found in Guiana.
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 Bit·tern n.  Zool. A wading bird of the genus Botaurus, allied to the herons, of various species.
 Note: ☞ The common European bittern is Botaurus stellaris.  It makes, during the brooding season, a noise called by Dryden bumping, and by Goldsmith booming.  The American bittern is Botaurus lentiginosus, and is also called stake-driver and meadow hen. See Stake-driver.
 Note: The name is applied to other related birds, as the least bittern (Ardetta exilis), and the sun bittern.