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Tadpole

The young aquatic larva of any amphibian. In this stage it breathes by means of external or internal gills, is at first destitute of legs, and has a finlike tail. Called also polliwig, polliwog, porwiggle, or purwiggy.

Tael

A denomination of money, in China, worth nearly six shillings sterling, or about a dollar and forty cents; also, a weight of one ounce and a third.

Taenia

A genus of intestinal worms which includes the common tapeworms of man. See Tapeworm.

Taeniata

A division of Ctenophora including those which have a long, ribbonlike body. The Venus's girdle is the most familiar example.

Taenidium

The chitinous fiber forming the spiral thread of the tracheae of insects. See Illust. of Trachea.

Taenioglossa

An extensive division of gastropod mollusks in which the odontophore is long and narrow, and usually bears seven rows of teeth. It includes a large number of families both marine and fresh-water.

Taenioid

Ribbonlike; shaped like a ribbon.

Taenioidea

The division of cestode worms which comprises the tapeworms. See Tapeworm.

Taeniola

One of the radial partitions which separate the internal cavities of certain medusae.

Taeniosomi

An order of fishes remarkable for their long and compressed form. The ribbon fishes are examples. See Ribbon fish, under Ribbon.

Taeping Taiping

Pertaining to or designating a dynasty with which one Hung-Siu-Chuen, a half-religious, half-political enthusiast, attempted to supplant the Manchu dynasty by the Taiping rebellion, incited by him in 1850 and suppressed by General Gordon about 1864.

Taffety Taffeta

A fine, smooth stuff of silk, having usually the wavy luster called watering. The term has also been applied to different kinds of silk goods, from the 16th century to modern times.

Taffrail

The upper part of a ship's stern, which is flat like a table on the top, and sometimes ornamented with carved work; the rail around a ship's stern.

Taffy

A kind of candy made of molasses or brown sugar boiled down and poured out in shallow pans.

Tag

A child's play in which one runs after and touches another, and then runs away to avoid being touched.

Tag sale

A sale of usually used items (such as furniture, clothing, household items or bric-a-brac), conducted by one or a small group of individuals, at a location which is not a normal retail establishment.

Tag-rag

The lowest class of people; the rabble. Cf. Rag, tag, and bobtail, under Bobtail.

Tagal

One of a Malayan race, mainly of central Luzon, next to the Visayans the most numerous of the native peoples of the Philippines. Nearly all are Christians and many are highly educated.

Tagalog

Any member of a certain tribe which is one of the leading and most civilized of those native of the Philippine Islands.

Tagger

One who, or that which, appends or joins one thing to another.

Taglia

A peculiar combination of pulleys.

Tagliacotain

Of or pertaining to Tagliacozzi, a Venetian surgeon; as, the Tagliacotian operation, a method of rhinoplasty described by him.

Taglioni

A kind of outer coat, or overcoat; -- said to be so named after a celebrated Italian family of professional dancers.

Taglock

An entangled lock, as of hair or wool.

Tagsore

Adhesion of the tail of a sheep to the wool from excoriation produced by contact with the feces; -- called also tagbelt.

Tagtail

A worm which has its tail conspicuously colored.

Taguan

A large flying squirrel (Pteromys petuarista). Its body becomes two feet long, with a large bushy tail nearly as long.

Taha

The African rufous-necked weaver bird (Hyphantornis texor).

Tahaleb

A fox (Vulpes Niloticus) of Northern Africa.

Tahitian

Of or pertaining to Tahiti, an island in the Pacific Ocean. A native inhabitant of Tahiti.

Tai

A member of one of the tribes of the Tai stock.

Tail

To hold by the end; -- said of a timber when it rests upon a wall or other support; -- with in or into.

Tail-bay

One of the joists which rest one end on the wall and the other on a girder; also, the space between a wall and the nearest girder of a floor. Cf. Case-bay.

Tailboard

The board at the rear end of a cart or wagon, which can be removed or let down, for convenience in loading or unloading.

Tailed

Having a tail; having (such) a tail or (so many) tails; -- chiefly used in composition; as, bobtailed, longtailed, etc.

Tailing

The part of a projecting stone or brick inserted in a wall.

Taille

A tally; an account scored on a piece of wood.

Tailor

To practice making men's clothes; to follow the business of a tailor.

Tailor-made

Made by a tailor or according to a tailor's fashion; -- said specif. of women's garments made with certain closeness of fit, simplicity of ornament, etc.

Tailoring

The business or the work of a tailor or a tailoress.

Tailpin

The center in the spindle of a turning lathe.

Tailstock

The sliding block or support, in a lathe, which carries the dead spindle, or adjustable center. The headstock supports the live spindle.

Tailzie

An entailment or deed whereby the legal course of succession is cut off, and an arbitrary one substituted.

Tain

Thin tin plate; also, tin foil for mirrors.

Taint

Aphetic form of Attaint.

Tainture

Taint; tinge; difilement; stain; spot.

Taintworm

A destructive parasitic worm or insect larva.

Tait

A small nocturnal and arboreal Australian marsupial (Tarsipes rostratus) about the size of a mouse. It has a long muzzle, a long tongue, and very few teeth, and feeds upon honey and insects. Called also noolbenger.

Taj Mahal

A marble mausoleum built at Agra, India, by the Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his favorite wife. In beauty of design and rich decorative detail it is one of the best examples of Saracenic architecture, and specifically of Mogul architecture.

Tajassu Tajacu

The common, or collared, peccary (Tayassu tajacu). Called also javelina and tayaussa.

Take

That which is taken, such as the quantity of fish captured at one haul or catch, or the amouont of money collected during one event; as, the box-office take.

Take off

To remove, as from the surface or outside; to remove from the top of anything; as, to take off a load; to take off one's hat, coat or other article of clothing; to take off a coat of paint from a surface.

take the heat

To be assigned or to accept the blame for some misdeed; as, Mary broke the vase, but she acted innocent and young Johnny had to take the heat.

Take-off Takeoff

An imitation, especially in the way of caricature; -- used with of or on; as, the comedian did a hilarious takeoff on the president.

Take-up

That which takes up or tightens; specifically, a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises, in completing a stitch.

takeover

The acquisition of ownership of one company by another company, usually by purchasing a controlling percentage of its stock or by exchanging stock of the purchasing company for that of the purchased company. It is a hostile takeover if the management of the company being taken over is opposed to the deal. A hostile takeover is sometimes organized by a corporate raider.

Taker

One who takes or receives; one who catches or apprehends.

Taking

The act of gaining possession; a seizing; seizure; apprehension.

Taking-off

Removal; murder. See To take off (c), under Take, v. t.

Talaria

Small wings or winged shoes represented as fastened to the ankles, -- chiefly used as an attribute of Mercury.

Talbot

A sort of dog, noted for quick scent and eager pursuit of game.

Talc

A soft mineral of a soapy feel and a greenish, whitish, or grayish color, usually occurring in foliated masses. It is hydrous silicate of magnesia. Steatite, or soapstone, is a compact granular variety.

Tale

To tell stories.

Talebearer

One who officiously tells tales; one who impertinently or maliciously communicates intelligence, scandal, etc., and makes mischief.

Talebearing

The act of informing officiously; communication of secrets, scandal, etc., maliciously.

Taled

A kind of quadrangular piece of cloth put on by the Jews when repeating prayers in the synagogues.

Talegalla

A genus of Australian birds which includes the brush turkey. See Brush turkey.

Talent

Among the ancient Greeks, a weight and a denomination of money equal to 60 minae or 6,000 drachmae. The Attic talent, as a weight, was about 57 lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver money, its value was /243 15s. sterling, or about $1,180 (using 1900 values).

Talented

Furnished with talents; possessing skill or talent; mentally gifted.

Tales

Persons added to a jury, commonly from those in or about the courthouse, to make up any deficiency in the number of jurors regularly summoned, being like, or such as, the latter. The writ by which such persons are summoned.

Talesman

A person called to make up a deficiency in the number of jurors when a tales is awarded.

Taleteller

One who tells tales or stories, especially in a mischievous or officious manner; a talebearer; a telltale; a tattler.

Talipes

The deformity called clubfoot. See Clubfoot.

Talipot

A beautiful tropical palm tree (Corypha umbraculifera), a native of Ceylon and the Malabar coast. It has a trunk sixty or seventy feet high, bearing a crown of gigantic fan-shaped leaves which are used as umbrellas and as fans in ceremonial processions, and, when cut into strips, as a substitute for writing paper.

Talisman

A magical figure cut or engraved under certain superstitious observances of the configuration of the heavens, to which wonderful effects are ascribed; the seal, figure, character, or image, of a heavenly sign, constellation, or planet, engraved on a sympathetic stone, or on a metal corresponding to the star, in order to receive its influence.

Talismanical Talismanic

Of or pertaining to a talisman; having the properties of a talisman, or preservative against evils by occult influence; magical.

talk

To utter words; esp., to converse familiarly; to speak, as in familiar discourse, when two or more persons interchange thoughts.

Talk

The act of talking; especially, familiar converse; mutual discourse; that which is uttered, especially in familiar conversation, or the mutual converse of two or more.

Talker

One who talks; especially, one who is noted for his power of conversing readily or agreeably; a conversationist.

Talking

That talks; able to utter words; as, a talking parrot.

Tall

High in stature; having a considerable, or an unusual, extension upward; long and comparatively slender; having the diameter or lateral extent small in proportion to the height; as, a tall person, tree, or mast.

Tallage

To lay an impost upon; to cause to pay tallage.

Tallboy

A kind of long-stemmed wineglass or cup.

Talliage Tallage

A certain rate or tax paid by barons, knights, and inferior tenants, toward the public expenses.

Tallith

An undergarment worn by orthodox Jews, covering the chest and the upper part of the back. It has an opening for the head, and has tassels, called zizith, on its four corners. A tasseled shawl or scarf worn over the head or thrown round the shoulders while at prayer.

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