one of the natural L-amino acids, obtainable as a white crystalline nitrogenous substance by the action of dilute sulphuric acid on silk gelatin. It is found in many proteins, and, having a free primary hydroxyl group on the side chain, is involved in the catalytic action at the active site of some enzymes, such as proteases. The IUPAC abbreviation for serine in protein sequences is Ser. Chemically it is 2-amino-3-hydroxy-propanoic acid (C3H7NO3), HO.CH2.CH(NH2).COOH.

Having a mixture of seriousness and sport; serious and comical.

Grave in manner or disposition; earnest; thoughtful; solemn; not light, gay, or volatile.

See Ceriph.

The making of speeches or sermons; sermonizing.

One who makes sermons or speeches.

To discourse to or of, as in a sermon.

A sermonizer.

A preacher; a sermonizer.

A short sermon.

Like, or appropriate to, a sermon; grave and didactic.

The act of discoursing; discourse; instruction; preaching.

Resembling a sermon.

See Sermonizer.

To preach or discourse to; to affect or influence by means of a sermon or of sermons.

One who sermonizes.

A peculiar fatty substance found in the blood, probably a mixture of fats, cholesterin, etc. A body found in fecal matter and thought to be formed in the intestines from the cholesterin of the bile; -- called also stercorin, and stercolin.

Same as Ceroon.

Serous.

The quality or state of being serous.

Serum-therapy. The whey cure.

The European long-eared bat (Vesperugo serotinus).

Appearing or blossoming later in the season than is customary with allied species.

Thin; watery; like serum; as, the serous fluids. Of or pertaining to serum; as, the serous glands, membranes, layers. See Serum.

A constellation represented as a serpent held by Serpentarius.

To wind; to encircle.

Having a forked tongue, like a serpent.

The fibrous aromatic root of the Virginia snakeroot (Aristolochia Serpentaria).

A constellation on the equator, lying between Scorpio and Hercules; -- called also Ophiuchus.

Having the form of a serpent.

Bred of a serpent.

To serpentize.

In a serpentine manner.

See 2d Ophite.

To convert (a magnesian silicate) into serpentine.

Relating to, or like, serpentine; as, a rock serpentinous in character.

To turn or bend like a serpent, first in one direction and then in the opposite; to meander; to wind; to serpentine.

A winding like a serpent's.

A basket.

A pruning knife with a curved blade.

Creeping; -- said of lesions which heal over one portion while continuing to advance at another.

A dry, scaly eruption on the skin; especially, a ringworm.

Wild thyme.

Any one of numerous species of tubicolous annelids of the genus Serpula and allied genera of the family Serpulidae. They secrete a calcareous tube, which is usually irregularly contorted, but is sometimes spirally coiled. The worm has a wreath of plumelike and often bright-colored gills around its head, and usually an operculum to close the aperture of its tube when it retracts.

A serpula.

A fossil serpula shell.

To crowd, press, or drive together.

Any fish of the family Serranidae, which includes the striped bass, the black sea bass, and many other food fishes. Of or pertaining to the Serranidae.

Notched on the edge, like a saw.

Condition of being serrate; formation in the shape of a saw.

Having a toothed bill, like that of a toucan.

The ivory gull (Larus eburneus).

A notching, like that between the teeth of a saw, in the edge of anything.

Covered with fine silky down.

Any one of a numerous tribe of beetles (Serricornia). The joints of the antennae are prominent, thus producing a serrate appearance. See Illust. under Antenna.

Crowded; compact; dense; pressed together.

A division of Hymenoptera comprising the sawflies.

Same as Lamellirostres.

Like the teeth off a saw; jagged.

The red-breasted merganser.

The state of being notched minutely, like a fine saw.

To crowd; to press together.

A genus of delicate branching hydroids having small sessile hydrothecae along the sides of the branches.

Any species of Sertularia, or of Sertularidae, a family of hydroids having branched chitinous stems and simple sessile hydrothecae. Also used adjectively.

The watery portion of certain animal fluids, as blood, milk, etc. A thin watery fluid, containing more or less albumin, secreted by the serous membranes of the body, such as the pericardium and peritoneum.

The treatment of disease by the injection of blood serum from immune animals.

Capable of being served.

Serfage; slavery; servitude.

An African wild cat (Felis serval) of moderate size; -- called also serval cat. It has rather long legs and a tail of moderate length. Its color is tawny, with black spots on the body and rings of black on the tail.

Related to, or resembling, the serval.

To subject.

A maidservant.

A body of servants; servants, collectively.

To be a servant or a slave; to be employed in labor or other business for another; to be in subjection or bondage; to render menial service.

One who serves.

Of or pertaining to Servia, a kingdom of Southern Europe. A native or inhabitant of Servia.

The act of serving; the occupation of a servant; the performance of labor for the benefit of another, or at another's command; attendance of an inferior, hired helper, slave, etc., on a superior, employer, master, or the like; also, spiritual obedience and love.

A name given to several trees and shrubs of the genus Pyrus, as Pyrus domestica and Pyrus torminalis of Europe, the various species of mountain ash or rowan tree, and the American shad bush (see Shad bush, under Shad). They have clusters of small, edible, applelike berries.

Doing service; promoting happiness, interest, advantage, or any good; useful to any end; adapted to any good end use; beneficial; advantageous.

Servitude.

Subordinate.

A table napkin.

An element which forms no part of the original root; -- opposed to radical.

In a servile manner; slavishly.

Quality of being servile; servility.

The quality or state of being servile; servileness.

a. n. from Serve.

One of the order of the Religious Servants of the Holy Virgin, founded in Florence in 1223.

One who serves; a servant; an attendant; one who acts under another; a follower or adherent.

The office, rank, or condition of a servitor.

The state of voluntary or compulsory subjection to a master; the condition of being bound to service; the condition of a slave; slavery; bondage; hence, a state of slavish dependence.

Servants, collectively.

Servitude.

A relay apparatus; An auxiliary motor, regulated by a hand lever, for quickly and easily moving the reversing gear of a large marine engine into any desired position indicated by that of the hand lever, which controls the valve of the motor. In a Whitehead torpedo, a compressed-air motor, for moving the rudders so as to correct deviations from the course.

control by a servomechanism.

an electronically controlled mechanical or hydraulic device permitting a large action or strong forces to be controlled by a small electrical signal.

A series.

Either of two annual herbaceous plants of the genus Sesamum (Sesamum Indicum, and Sesamum orientale), from the seeds of which an oil is expressed; also, the small obovate, flattish seeds of these plants, sometimes used as food. See Benne.

A sesamoid bone or cartilage.

Sesamoid.

A leguminous shrub (Sesbania aculeata) which furnishes a fiber used for making ropes.

Sesquialteral.

A stop on the organ, containing several ranks of pipes which reenforce some of the high harmonics of the ground tone, and make the sound more brilliant.

Once and a half times as great as another; having the ratio of one and a half to one.

Sesquialteral.

Containing, or acting as, a base in the proportions of a sesqui compound.

Twice and a half as great (as another thing); having the ratio of two and a half to one.

An oxide containing three atoms of oxygen with two atoms (or radicals) of some other substance; thus, alumina, Al2O3 is a sesquioxide.

Measuring or containing a foot and a half; as, a sesquipedalian pygmy; -- sometimes humorously applied to long words.

Sesquipedality.

The quality or condition of being sesquipedal.

Subduplicate of the triplicate; -- a term applied to ratios; thus, a and a/ are in the sesquiplicate ratio of b and b/, when a is to a/ as the square root of the cube of b is to the square root of the cube of b/, or a:a/::/b3:/b/3.

A salt derived from a sesquioxide base, or made up on the proportions of a sesqui compound.

A sulphide, analogous to a sesquioxide, containing three atoms of sulphur to two of the other ingredient; -- formerly called also sesquisulphuret; as, orpiment, As2S3 is arsenic sesquisulphide.

Sesquitertian.

Having the ratio of one and one third to one (as 4 : 3).

A minor third, or interval of three semitones.

A tax; an assessment. See Cess.

Hurry; run.

Attached without any sensible projecting support.