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Spermic

Of or pertaining to sperm, or semen.

Spermism

The theory, formerly held by many, that the sperm or spermatozoon contains the germ of the future embryo; animalculism.

Spermist

A believer in the doctrine, formerly current, of encasement in the male (see Encasement), in which the seminal thread, or spermatozoid, was considered as the real animal germ, the head being the true animal head and the tail the body.

Spermoblast

One of the cells formed by the division of the spermospore, each of which is destined to become a spermatozoid; a spermatocyte; a spermatoblast.

Spermoderm

The covering of a seed; -- sometimes limited to the outer coat or testa.

Spermogonium

A conceptacle of certain lichens, which contains spermatia.

Spermophile

Any ground squirrel of the genus Spermophilus; a gopher. See Illust. under Gopher.

Spermophyta

Plants which produce seed; phaenogamia. These plants constitute the highest grand division of the vegetable kingdom.

Spermophyte

Any plant which produces true seeds; -- a term recently proposed to replace ph/nogam.

Spermosphere

A mass or ball of cells formed by the repeated division of a male germinal cell (spermospore), each constituent cell (spermoblast) of which is converted into a spermatozoid; a spermatogemma.

Spermospore

The male germinal or seminal cell, from the breaking up of which the spermoblasts are formed and ultimately the spermatozoids; a spermatospore.

Sperre Sper

To shut in; to support; to inclose; to fasten.

Sperrylite

An arsenide of platinum occuring in grains and minute isometric crystals of tin-white color. It is found near Sudbury, Ontario Canada, and is the only known compound of platinum occuring in nature.

Spetches

Parings and refuse of hides, skins, etc., from which glue is made.

Spew

That which is vomited; vomit.

Spewy

Wet; soggy; inclined to spew.

Sphacelation

The process of becoming or making gangrenous; mortification.

Sphaerenchyma

Vegetable tissue composed of thin-walled rounded cells, -- a modification of parenchyma.

Sphaeridium

A peculiar sense organ found upon the exterior of most kinds of sea urchins, and consisting of an oval or sherical head surmounting a short pedicel. It is generally supposed to be an olfactory organ.

Sphaerospore

One of the nonsexual spores found in red algae; a tetraspore.

Sphagnous

Pertaining to moss of the genus Sphagnum, or bog moss; abounding in peat or bog moss.

Sphagnum

A genus of mosses having white leaves slightly tinged with red or green and found growing in marshy places; bog moss; peat moss.

Sphalerite

Zinc sulphide; -- called also blende, black-jack, false galena, etc. See Blende (a).

Sphene

A mineral found usually in thin, wedge-shaped crystals of a yellow or green to black color. It is a silicate of titanium and calcium; titanite.

Sphenogram

A cuneiform, or arrow-headed, character.

Sphenography

The art of writing in cuneiform characters, or of deciphering inscriptions made in such characters.

Sphenoid

A wedge-shaped crystal bounded by four equal isosceles triangles. It is the hemihedral form of a square pyramid.

Spheral

Of or pertaining to a sphere or the spheres.

Sphere

To place in a sphere, or among the spheres; to insphere.

Spheric Spherical

Having the form of a sphere; like a sphere; globular; orbicular; as, a spherical body.

Sphericity

The quality or state of being spherial; roundness; as, the sphericity of the planets, or of a drop of water.

Spherics

The doctrine of the sphere; the science of the properties and relations of the circles, figures, and other magnitudes of a sphere, produced by planes intersecting it; spherical geometry and trigonometry.

Spheroconic

A nonplane curve formed by the intersection of the surface of an oblique cone with the surface of a sphere whose center is at the vertex of the cone.

Spherograph

An instrument for facilitating the practical use of spherics in navigation and astronomy, being constructed of two cardboards containing various circles, and turning upon each other in such a manner that any possible spherical triangle may be readily found, and the measures of the parts read off by inspection.

Spheroid

A body or figure approaching to a sphere, but not perfectly spherical; esp., a solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about one of its axes.

Spheromere

Any one of the several symmetrical segments arranged around the central axis and composing the body of a radiate anmal.

Spherometer

An instrument for measuring the curvature of spherical surface, as of lenses for telescope, etc.

Spherulate

Covered or set with spherules; having one or more rows of spherules, or minute tubercles.

Spherule

A little sphere or spherical body; as, quicksilver, when poured upon a plane, divides itself into a great number of minute spherules.

Spherulite

A minute spherical crystalline body having a radiated structure, observed in some vitreous volcanic rocks, as obsidian and pearlstone.

Spherulitic

Of or pertaining to a spherulite; characterized by the presence of spherulites.

Sphery

Round; spherical; starlike.

Sphex

Any one of numerous species of sand wasps of the genus Sphex and allied genera. These wasps have the abdomen attached to the thorax by a slender pedicel. See Illust. of Sand wasp, under Sand.

Sphincter

Of, pertaining to, or designating, a sphincter; as, a sphincter muscle.

Sphingid

Of or pertaining to a sphinx, or the family Sphingidae.

Sphinx

In Egyptian art, an image of granite or porphyry, having a human head, or the head of a ram or of a hawk, upon the wingless body of a lion.

Sphragistics

The science of seals, their history, age, distinctions, etc., esp. as verifying the age and genuiness of documents.

Sphrigosis

A condition of vegetation in which there is too abundant growth of the stem and leaves, accompanied by deficiency of flowers and fruit.

Sphygmogram

A tracing, called a pulse tracing, consisting of a series of curves corresponding with the beats of the heart, obtained by the application of the sphygmograph.

Sphygmograph

An instrument which, when applied over an artery, indicates graphically the movements or character of the pulse. See Sphygmogram.

Sphygmographic

Relating to, or produced by, a sphygmograph; as, a sphygmographic tracing.

Sphygmometer

An instrument for measuring the strength of the pulse beat; a sphygmograph.

Sphygmophone

An electrical instrument for determining by the ear the rhythm of the pulse of a person at a distance.

Sphyraenoid

Of or pertaining to the Sphyraenidae, a family of marine fishes including the barracudas.

Spica

A kind of bandage passing, by successive turns and crosses, from an extremity to the trunk; -- so called from its resemblance to a spike of a barley.

Spicated Spicate

Having the form of a spike, or ear; arranged in a spike or spikes.

Spiccato

Detached; separated; -- a term indicating that every note is to be performed in a distinct and pointed manner.

Spice

To season with spice, or as with spice; to mix aromatic or pungent substances with; to flavor; to season; as, to spice wine; to spice one's words with wit.

Spicer

One who seasons with spice.

Spicewood

An American shrub (Lindera Benzoin), the bark of which has a spicy taste and odor; -- called also Benjamin, wild allspice, and fever bush.

Spiciness

The quality or state of being spicy.

Spicknel

An umbelliferous herb (Meum Athamanticum) having finely divided leaves, common in Europe; -- called also baldmoney, mew, and bearwort.

Spicose

Having spikes, or ears, like corn spikes.

Spicosity

The state of having, or being full of, ears like corn.

Spicula

A little spike; a spikelet. A pointed fleshy appendage.

Spicular

Resembling a dart; having sharp points.

Spicule

A minute, slender granule, or point.

Spiculispongiae

A division of sponges including those which have independent siliceous spicules.

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