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Khaya

A lofty West African tree (Khaya Senegalensis), related to the mahogany, which it resembles in the quality of the wood. The bark is used as a febrifuge.

Khedive

A governor or viceroy; -- a title granted in 1867 by the sultan of Turkey to the ruler of Egypt.

Khond

A Dravidian of a group of tribes of Orissa, India, a section of whom were formerly noted for their cruel human sacrifices to the earth goddess, murder of female infants, and marriage by capture.

Khutbah

An address or public prayer read from the steps of the pulpit in Muslim mosques, offering glory to God, praising Mohammed and his descendants, and the ruling princes.

Ki

The Sumerian goddess personifying earth; the counterpart of Akkadian Aruru.

kiaat

a deciduous South African tree (Pterocarpus angolensis) having large odd-pinnate leaves and profuse fragrant orange-yellow flowers; it yields a red juice and heavy strong durable wood.

Kibble

A large iron bucket used in Cornwall and Wales for raising ore out of mines.

Kibblings

Portions of small fish used for bait on the banks of Newfoundland.

kibbutz

an Israeli communal{2} form of agricultural settlement. Originally it was predominantly agricultural and practiced a very high level of sharing, including collective rearing of children. More recently (by 1998) industries have taken over a significant role in the Kibbutz economy, and the level of sharing has dropped significantly.

Kibe

A chap or crack in the flesh occasioned by cold; an ulcerated chilblain.

Kibed

Chapped; cracked with cold; affected with chilblains; as, kibed heels.

Kibitka

A tent used by the Kirghiz Tartars.

Kibosh

Nonsense; stuff; also, fashion; style.

Kiby

Affected with kibes.

Kick

A blow with the foot or feet; a striking or thrust with the foot.

kick back

To pay (a kickback); as, they kicked back five percent of the sales price.

kick off

to begin; to commence; as, they kicked off the rally with a playing of the national anthem.

Kickable

Capable or deserving of being kicked.

Kickapoos

A tribe of Indians which formerly occupied the region of Northern Illinois, allied in language to the Sacs and Foxes.

kickback

recoil, of a gun or machine, as in older automobile engines when started by turning a crank.

Kicker

One who, or that which, kicks.

kicking

The act of delivering a blow with the foot.

kickoff

A kick from the center of the field to start a football game or to resume it after a score.

Kickshaw

See Kickshaws, the correct singular.

Kickshaws

Something fantastical; any trifling, trumpery thing; a toy.

Kickup

The water thrush or accentor.

Kid

See Kiddy, v. t.

Kidderminster

A kind of ingrain carpeting, named from the English town where formerly most of it was manufactured.

Kiddle

A kind of basketwork weir in a river, for catching fish.

Kiddy

A young fellow; formerly, a low thief.

Kidnap

To take (any one) by force or fear, and against one's will, with intent to carry to another place.

kidnapping

the unlawful act of capturing and carrying away a person against their will and holding them in false imprisonment.

Kidney-shaped Kidney-form

Having the form or shape of a kidney; reniform; as, a kidney-shaped leaf; a kidney-shaped swimming pool.

Kidneywort

A kind of saxifrage (Saxifrage stellaris). The navelwort.

kidskin

A soft smooth leather from the hide of a young goat; kid{3}.

Kier

A large tub or vat in which goods are subjected to the action of hot lye or bleaching liquor; -- also called keeve.

Kieselguhr

Siliceous earth; diatomaceous earth; specifically, porous infusorial earth, used as an absorbent of nitroglycerin in the manufacture of dynamite.

Kieserite

Hydrous sulphate of magnesia found at the salt mines of Stassfurt, Prussian Saxony.

Kiggelaria

A small genus of South African shrubs or small trees.

kike

A derogatory name for a jew, usually intended and taken as disparaging and offensive.

Kilderkin

A small barrel; an old liquid measure containing eighteen English beer gallons, or nearly twenty-two gallons, United States measure.

Kilerg

A unit of work equal to one thousand ergs.

kiley

An Australian boomerang, having one side flat and the other convex.

Kilkenny cats

Two cats fabled, in an Irish story, to have fought till nothing was left but their tails. It is probably a parable of a local contest between Kilkenny and Irishtown, which impoverished both towns.

Kill

The act of killing.

Kill-joy

One who causes gloom or grief; a dispiriting person; a spoilsport.

killable

fit to kill, especially for food.

Killdeer Killdee

A small American plover (Charadrius vociferus, formerly Aegialitis vocifera) of inland waters and fields having a distinctive cry. The adult has two black bands around the neck and upper breast, but the young chick has only the breast band. It ranges from Canada to Mexico and the West Indies.

Killer

One who deprives of life; one who, or that which, kills.

Killesse

A gutter, groove, or channel. A hipped roof.

Killifish

Any one of several small American cyprinodont fishes of the genus Fundulus and allied genera. They live equally well in fresh and brackish water, or even in the sea. They are usually striped or barred with black. Called also minnow, and brook fish. See Minnow.

Killigrew

The Cornish chough. See under Chough.

Killing

Literally, that kills; having power to kill; fatal; in a colloquial sense, conquering; captivating; irresistible.

killing

The act or process of causing a living organism to die.

Killock

A small anchor; also, a kind of anchor formed by a stone inclosed by pieces of wood fastened together.

Killow

An earth of a blackish or deep blue color.

Kiln

A large stove or oven; a furnace of brick or stone, or a heated chamber, for the purpose of hardening, burning, or drying anything; as, a kiln for baking or hardening earthen vessels; a kiln for drying grain, meal, lumber, etc.; a kiln for calcining limestone.

Kiln-dry

To dry in a kiln; as, to kiln-dry meal or grain.

Kilnhole

The mouth or opening of an oven or kiln.

Kilo

An abbreviation of Kilogram.

Kilo-

A combining form used to signify thousand in forming the names of units of measurement; as, kilogram, kilometer, kilowatt, etc.

Kilogramme Kilogram

A measure of mass and weight, being a thousand grams, equal to 2.2046226 pounds avoirdupois (15,432.34 grains). It is nearly equal to the mass of a cubic decimeter of distilled water at the temperature of maximum density, or 39/ Fahrenheit. See 3rd gram.

Kilogrammetre Kilogrammeter

A measure of energy or work done, being the amount expended in raising one kilogram through the height of one meter, in the latitude of Paris.

Kilolitre Kiloliter

A measure of capacity equal to a cubic meter, or a thousand liters. It is equivalent to 35.315 cubic feet, and to 220.04 imperial gallons, or 264.18 American gallons of 321 cubic inches.

Kilometre Kilometer

A measure of length, being a thousand meters. It is equal to 3,280.84 feet, or 0.62137119 of a mile.

Kilostere

A cubic measure containing 1000 cubic meters, and equivalent to 35,315 cubic feet.

Kilovolt

A unit of electromotive force equal to one thousand volts.

Kilt

To tuck up; to truss up, as the clothes.

kilter

Regular order or proper condition. Same as kelter, but kilter is the more common spelling in the U. S. Used chiefly in the phrase out of kilter, meaning out of order or irregular in some manner.

Kilting

A perpendicular arrangement of flat, single plaits, each plait being folded so as to cover half the breadth of the preceding one.

Kimbo

Crooked; arched; bent.

kimono

A kind of loose robe or gown tied with a sash, worn as a traditional outer garment by Japanese women and men. Women may wear it with a broad sash called an obi, having a large bow in the back. At present (1998), most Japanese wear it only at home or on ceremonial occasions, western-style clothing being more common in the workplace.

Kin

Of the same nature or kind; kinder.

kinaesthesis kinaesthesia

The perception attendant upon the movements of the muscles; the sensation accompanying movement of the muscles.

kinase

One of a class of enzymes that catalyze transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to another molecule; it is a type of phosphorylase.

Kincob

India silk brocaded with flowers in silver or gold. Of the nature of kincob; brocaded.

Kind-hearted

Having kindness of nature; sympathetic; characterized by a humane disposition; as, a kind-hearted landlord.

Kindergarten

A class within a primary school or a separate school for young children, usually between the ages of four and six years, designed to adapt children to the classroom environment before beginning academic training, on the theory that education should be begun by gratifying and cultivating the normal aptitude for exercise, play, observation, imitation, and construction; -- a name given by Friedrich Froebel, a German educator, who introduced this method of training, in rooms opening on a garden.

Kindle

To take fire; to begin to burn with flame; to start as a flame.

Kindler

One who, or that which, kindles, stirs up, or sets on fire.

Kindless

Destitute of kindness; unnatural.

Kindling

The act of causing to burn, or of exciting or inflaming the passions.

Kindness

The state or quality of being kind, in any of its various senses; manifestation of kind feeling or disposition beneficence.

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