SONOMETER 



308 



SPECIFIC 



Sonometer, (son-om'e-ter). [L. sonus, sound; 

 Gk. metron, measure.] An instrument, con- 

 sisting of one tightly stretched string or wire, 

 for measuring the transverse vibrations of 

 strings, &c. 



Soot, (soot). [Sot, the A.-S. word.] The un- 

 burnt remains of fuel usually black, and of 

 complex composition. 



Sophrosyne, ( so-fros'i-ne ). [Classical.] A 

 Minor PJanet. No. 134, discovered in 1873. 



Sorbio acid, (sor'bik). [Sqrbus, <j.v.]=CH 8 O 2 : 

 a crystalline acid substance obtained from 

 sorbus berries. 



Sorbin, (sor'bin). [Sorbus, q.tf.]=CflHi 2 O fi : 

 a variety of sugar, prepared from fruit of 

 Sorbus aucuparia. 



Sorbus, (sor'bus). [The Latin name.] A sub- 

 division of Pyrus, q.v. ; also called Service- 

 tree. 



Sorex, (so'reks). [The Latin name.]=Shrew: 

 the type of Soricida), q.v. 



Sorghum, (sor'gum). A grass-plant, belonging 

 to Gramiuacete ; also called Audropogou sor- 

 ghum and Indian millet. 



Soricidae, (so-ris'i-de). [Sorex, q.v. ; Gk. eidot, 

 fonu.]=Shrews: small mice-like animals be- 

 longing to Insectivora. 



Sorrel, (sor'rel). [A.-8. tur, sour.]=Rumex 

 acetosum. Mountain /S.=Oxyria. Wood S. 

 =Oxalis. 



Sorus, (so'rus). [Gk. oros, heap.] An aggre- 

 gation of spore cases, in ferns, Ac. 



Soubresauts= Jumping ebullition. 



Sound, (sound). [Soun, the O. E. word.] The 

 perception, by means of the ear, of the vibra- 

 tion of elastic bodies when these vibrations 

 are more than 16, and fewer than 36,000, 

 double vibrations per second. Prolongation 

 ofS.= Resonance. S. .figures: regular figures, 

 formed by fine sand when strewn on vibrat- 

 ing plates. S. wave, v. Wave. 



Sounding-lead. A weight let down into water 

 to measure the depth by the length of the 

 rope drawn after it as it goes to the bottom. 

 v. Deep-sea sounding. 



Sour-sop=Anona nmricata. 



Southern fish=Piscis Australis, q.v. 



Southern-wood- Artemisia abrotonura. 



Sow, (sow). [Sugu, the A.-S. name.] The 

 female of the hog, v. Sus. S. 6reati=Cycla- 

 men. S. (Autte=Sonchu8 oleraceus. 



Spadix, (sp.Vdiks). [L. spadix, palm branch 

 and fruit.] A variety of the spike form of 

 innoresence. v. Spike. 



Spalacotherium, (spal-a-ko-the'ri-um). [Gk. 

 spalax, mole; therion, beast.] An insecti- 

 vorous marsupial animal, known only by 

 fossil remains found in Purbeck rocks. 



Spalax, (spa'laks). [Gk. spalax, mole.]=Blind 

 rat: a rat-like animal belonging to Muridte; 

 having a large head, 

 no eyes, and very 

 short legs. 



Spandrels, (span'- 

 drelz ). [ Span. ] 

 Triangular spaces on] 

 each side of an arch, 



or between two S S, Spandrels, 



arches. 



Spaniel, (span'yel). lEspaniel. the old French 

 name.] A variety 

 of the dog, used in 

 sporting,and not- 

 ed for its sagacity 

 and beauty. 



Spanish. S. fly= 

 Cantharis. S. MOM 

 =cLycopodium 

 denticulatum. Spaniel (King Charles'). 



Spar, (spar). [Spath, the German word.] A 

 general term for crystalline minerals, v. 

 Iceland spar, Rhomb spar, Fluor spar, &c. 



Sparganium, (spar-ga'ui-uin). [Gk.spari/i'in>-, 

 band.] = Reed-bur : a plant belonging to 

 Typhaceaj, named from the form of the leaf. 



Sparidse, (spa'ri-de). [Spams, q.r.; Gk. n,/,,*, 

 form.] A family of fishes belonging to Ai-an- 

 thouteryxii. 



Spark, (spark). [Spfarca, the A.-S. wor.l.J A 

 particle of incandescent matter. Elect, <c S. , 

 r. Electric spark. 



Sparrow, (spar'o). [Spance, the O. E. name.] 

 = Passer domesti- 

 cus. S. hawk = 

 Accipiter nisus. 



Sparry iron ore. A 

 crystalline variety 

 of chalybite, q.v. 



Sparteia, (spar'ti-a). 



./u/x, aj>lant.] | 

 =C 1 jjU 2 6N 2 : a na- 

 tui.il organic base 

 obtained from Spar- 

 tium, q.v. 



Spartium, (sixir'phi-um). [The Latin name.] 

 =Cytisu8=I3room-plant. 



Sparus, (spa'rus). [The Latin name.] A fisli, 

 T)I.- type nt' Sjiarid:**, q.v. S. JM^rvfacBwdcer. 



Spatangoid, (pa-tang'uid). [.S/.^/'/if//'.<, tin- 

 typical genus; Gk. eidos, form.] S. sea- 

 urchins: a sub-division of Echinidie. 



Spatangus, (spa-tan g'us). Ilt-art-urfhin: & 

 radiate animal, belonging t<> Iv-liiniu:*?. 



Spathe, (spaTH). [N/'"'/"', the Latin \\onl.J 

 A sheath-like involucrum. 



Spathic, (spath'ic). [Ger. spatlt, spar.] Spar- 

 like : crystalline and foliated. 



Spatula, (spat'u-la). [L. spatula, spoon. ]= 

 Mn>veller=Ana8 clypeata: a variety of tlie 

 duck, named from the form of his bill. 



Spatularia, ( spat-u-la'ri-a ). [ L. tjtatuln, 

 spoon.] A sturgeon-like fish, named from 

 its broad snout. 



Spawn, (spawn). 1. Young stem of a fungus. 

 2. Eggs of fish, frogs, <tc. 



Speaking trumpet. An instrument for carry- 

 ing vocal sounds to a great distance. 



Spear. S. wi?i=Mentha viridis. S.-icort= 

 Ranunculus lingua. 



Species, (spe'shi-ez). [The Latin name.] In 

 biology: forms that differ by characters never 

 varying in the same group, and never found 

 connected by intermediate states; differs 

 from varieties only in greater distinctness 

 and less fluctuation. 



Specific, (spe-sifik). [Species, q.v.] Peculiar: 

 belonging only to given species or kind. S. 

 gravity . the weight of a solid or liquid body 



