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Spine-tailed

Having the tail quills ending in sharp, naked tips.

Spineback

A fish having spines in, or in front of, the dorsal fins.

Spinebill

Any species of Australian birds of the genus Acanthorhynchus. They are related to the honey eaters.

Spined

Furnished with spines; spiny.

Spinel

Bleached yarn in making the linen tape called inkle; unwrought inkle.

Spineless

Having no spine, or vertebral column.

Spinelle Spinel

A mineral occuring in octahedrons of great hardness and various colors, as red, green, blue, brown, and black, the red variety being the gem spinel ruby. It consist essentially of alumina and magnesia, but commonly contains iron and sometimes also chromium.

Spinescence

The state or quality of being spinescent or spiny; also, a spiny growth or covering, as of certain animals.

Spinescent

Becoming hard and thorny; tapering gradually to a rigid, leafless point; armed with spines.

Spinetail

Any one or several species of swifts of the genus Acanthylis, or Chaetura, and allied genera, in which the shafts of the tail feathers terminate in rigid spines. Any one of several species of South American and Central American clamatorial birds belonging to Synallaxis and allied genera of the family Dendrocolaptidae. They are allied to the ovenbirds. The ruddy duck.

Spiniferous

Producing spines; bearing thorns or spines; thorny; spiny.

Spinifex

A genus of chiefly Australian grasses, the seeds of which bear an elastic spine. Spinifex hirsutus (black grass) and Spinifex longifolius are useful as sand binders. Spinifex paradoxusis a valuable perennial fodder plant. Also, a plant of this genus.

Spinnaker

A large triangular sail set upon a boom, -- used when running before the wind.

Spinner

One who, or that which, spins one skilled in spinning; a spinning machine.

Spinneret

One of the special jointed organs situated on the under side, and near the end, of the abdomen of spiders, by means of which they spin their webs. Most spiders have three pairs of spinnerets, but some have only two pairs. The ordinary silk line of the spider is composed of numerous smaller lines jointed after issuing from the spinnerets.

Spinnerule

One of the numerous small spinning tubes on the spinnerets of spiders.

Spinny

Thin and long; slim; slender.

Spinose

Full of spines; armed with thorns; thorny.

Spinosity

The quality or state of being spiny or thorny; spininess.

Spinozism

The form of Pantheism taught by Benedict Spinoza, that there is but one substance, or infinite essence, in the universe, of which the so-called material and spiritual beings and phenomena are only modes, and that one this one substance is God.

Spinster

A woman who spins, or whose occupation is to spin.

Spinstry

The business of one who spins; spinning.

Spinthariscope

A small instrument containing a minute particle of a radium compound mounted in front of a fluorescent screen and viewed with magnifying lenses. The tiny flashes produced by the continual bombardment of the screen by the / rays are thus rendered visible.

Spiodea

An extensive division of marine Annelida, including those that are without oral tentacles or cirri, and have the gills, when present, mostly arranged along the sides of the body. They generally live in burrows or tubes.

Spirable

Capable of being breathed; respirable.

Spiracle

The nostril, or one of the nostrils, of whales, porpoises, and allied animals.

Spiraea

A genus of shrubs or perennial herbs including the meadowsweet and the hardhack.

Spiraeic

Of, pertaining to, or derived from, the meadowsweet (Spiraea); formerly, designating an acid which is now called salicylic acid.

Spiral

A plane curve, not reentrant, described by a point, called the generatrix, moving along a straight line according to a mathematical law, while the line is revolving about a fixed point called the pole. Cf. Helix.

Spirality

The quality or states of being spiral.

Spirally

In a spiral form, manner, or direction.

Spiralozooid

One of the special defensive zooids of certain hydroids. They have the form of long, slender tentacles, and bear lasso cells.

Spirant

A term used differently by different authorities; -- by some as equivalent to fricative, -- that is, as including all the continuous consonants, except the nasals m, n, ng; with the further exception, by others, of the liquids r, l, and the semivowels w, y; by others limited to f, v, th surd and sonant, and the sound of German ch, -- thus excluding the sibilants, as well as the nasals, liquids, and semivowels. See Guide to Pronunciation, // 197-208.

Spiranthy

The occasional twisted growth of the parts of a flower.

Spire

A spiral; a curl; a whorl; a twist.

Spired

Having a spire; being in the form of a spire; as, a spired steeple.

Spiricle

One of certain minute coiled threads in the coating of some seeds. When moistened these threads protrude in great numbers.

Spirifer

Any one of numerous species of fossil brachipods of the genus Spirifer, or Delthyris, and allied genera, in which the long calcareous supports of the arms form a large spiral, or helix, on each side.

Spirillum

A genus of common gram-negative motile microorganisms (family Spirillaceae) having the form of spiral-shaped filaments. They are obligately microaerophilic, and do not ferment carbohydrates.

Spiring

Shooting up in a spire or spires.

Spirit

To animate with vigor; to excite; to encourage; to inspirit; as, civil dissensions often spirit the ambition of private men; -- sometimes followed by up.

Spirited

Animated or possessed by a spirit.

Spiritless

Destitute of spirit; wanting animation; wanting cheerfulness; dejected; depressed.

Spiritoso

Spirited; spiritedly; -- a direction to perform a passage in an animated, lively manner.

Spiritous

Like spirit; refined; defecated; pure.

Spiritual

A spiritual function, office, or affair. See Spirituality, 2.

Spiritual-minded

Having the mind set on spiritual things, or filled with holy desires and affections.

Spirituality

The quality or state of being spiritual; incorporeality; heavenly-mindedness.

Spiritualize

To refine intellectiually or morally; to purify from the corrupting influence of the world; to give a spiritual character or tendency to; as, to spiritualize soul.

Spiritually

In a spiritual manner; with purity of spirit; like a spirit.

Spiritualness

The quality or state of being spiritual or spiritual-minded; spirituality.

Spirituelle

Of the nature, or having the appearance, of a spirit; pure; refined; ethereal.

Spirituosity

The quality or state of being spirituous; spirituousness.

Spirituous

Having the quality of spirit; tenuous in substance, and having active powers or properties; ethereal; immaterial; spiritual; pure.

Spirketing

The planking from the waterways up to the port sills.

Spirochaete Spirochaeta

A genus of Spirobacteria similar to Spirillum, but distinguished by its motility. One species, the Spirochaete Obermeyeri, is supposed to be the cause of relapsing fever.

Spirograph

An instrument for recording the respiratory movements, as the sphygmograph does those of the pulse.

Spirometer

An instrument for measuring the vital capacity of the lungs, or the volume of air which can be expelled from the chest after the deepest possible inspiration. Cf. Pneumatometer.

Spirometry

The act or process of measuring the chest capacity by means of a spirometer.

Spiroscope

A wet meter used to determine the breathing capacity of the lungs.

Spirtle

To spirt in a scattering manner.

Spirula

A genus of cephalopods having a multilocular, internal, siphunculated shell in the form of a flat spiral, the coils of which are not in contact.

Spirulate

Having the color spots, or structural parts, arranged spirally.

Spiry

Of or pertaining to a spire; like a spire, tall, slender, and tapering; abounding in spires; as, spiry turrets.

Spiss

Thick; crowded; compact; dense.

Spissated

Rendered dense or compact, as by evaporation; inspissated; thickened.

Spissitude

The quality or state of being spissated; as, the spissitude of coagulated blood, or of any coagulum.

Spit

To throw out saliva from the mouth.

spit ball spitball

Paper chewed, and rolled into a ball, to be thrown as a missile; -- a childish prank.

Spit-venom

Poison spittle; poison ejected from the mouth.

Spitbox

A vessel to receive spittle.

Spitchcocked

Broiled or fried after being split lengthwise; -- said of eels.

Spite

To be angry at; to hate.

Spiteful

Filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to vex, annoy, or injure; malignant; malicious; as, a spiteful person or act.

Spitfire

A violent, irascible, or passionate person.

Spitted

p. p. of Spit, v. i., to eject, to spit.

Spitter

One who puts meat on a spit.

Spittle

The thick, moist matter which is secreted by the salivary glands; saliva; spit.

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