WATER 



343 



WEED 



1. =HoO : a compound of hydrogen and oxygen ; 

 liquid between 32 and 212 F., tasteless, in- 

 odorous, neutral; most extensively used as a 

 solvent. 2. Tei-m iised for diamonds ; those 

 having the highest refracting power, and 

 being as transparent as pure water, are 

 diamonds of the " first water." W. ofcrystal- 

 lization= Water which is absorbed by a salt 

 in crystallising. Hard W. , v. Hard water. 

 Mineral W. y v. Mineral waters. Rain W.= 

 Pure water. Soda W.: water impregnated 

 with carbonic acid. Soft JP.=Rain water. 

 W. beans = Nelumbiaceie, q.v. W. bears= 

 Arctisca, q.v. W. beetle = Dyticus, q.v. 

 W. birds=Gra.l\as, Pimiatipedes, and Palmi- 

 pedes. W. boatman=~Kotouecta. glauca, q.v. 

 W. &Mgrs=Hydrocorisae, q.v. W. chestnut= 

 Traps natans : a plant belonging to Onag- 

 raceje. W. colour, v. Water colour. W. cress 

 :=Nastiirtium officinale, q.v. W. drop-icort= 

 CEnanthe, q.v. W.flea Daphnia,g.v. W. gas: 

 hydrogen obtained from water. W. glass, v. 

 Water glass. W. hemlock=Cicuta., q.v. W. 

 leaf= Hydrophyllum, q.v. W. level: a tube 

 with turned-up ends, in both of which the 

 contained water stands at the same level 

 when the tube is horizontal. W. Lily: 

 Lesser W. L. = Hydro- 

 charis morsusramnse. 

 White W. L. = Nym- 

 phsea, q.v. Yellow W.L. 

 =Nuphar,g.v. W.Lilies 

 = Nymphasacese, q. v. 

 W. ?ocws=Gleditschia 

 monosperma, q.v. W. 

 measurers = Hydrome- 

 tridse, q.v. W. milfoil 

 =Myrophyllium, belongs to Haloragacese. 

 W. mites =Hydrachnidsc, q.v. W. mole= 

 Ornithorhynchus, q.v. W. net=. W. flannel 

 =Hydrodictyon utriculatum : a sea-weed. 

 W. parsnio=Smm, q.v. W. pepper 1.= 

 Polygonum hydropiper; 2. =Elatine hydro- 

 piper. W. peppers=El&tma.ce?e, q.v. W. 

 plantain=Al\sm&,q.v. W. purslane=~Pep\is, 

 q.v. W. ret=Mus amphibius. W. salaman- 

 ders=Ne\vts,q.v. !V.scorpion=Ne'pa. W.scor- 

 2Mows=Nepidse: belong to Hydrocorisae. W. 

 shields Hydropeltidse = Cabombacese, q.v. 

 W. slater, v. Slaters. W. snakes =. Hydro- 

 phidae, q.v. W. soMier=Stratiotes, q.v. W. 

 spider: l.=Argyronetra aquatica; 2.=Hy- 

 drachna crueuta. W. spout, v. Gargoyle. 

 W. thyme=A.nncha.ris,q.v. W. twt*f==ftame, 

 v. Mule. W. vascular system: a set of vessels 

 found in Rotifera and other Scolecida, which 

 ramify within the body, and. communicate 

 with the exterior by means of openings. W. 

 ri?ze=Phytocrene, q.v. W. WWW=Naididie, 

 q.v. W. woj-=E]atine, q.v. W. icorts=~Phily- 

 dracese, q.v. 



Water-colour painting, v. Painting. 



Water-glass. A solution of silica in potassa 

 or soda; used to form a protecting transparent 

 coating for fresco and other paintings. 



Watered. W. silk, v. Moire. 



Watt's. W. condenser: in which the steam 

 is condensed at a distance from the cylinder. 

 W. governor, v. Governor. 



Water Lily. 



Wattle= Acacia discolor: a plant of New Hol- 

 land. W. birds: a variety of honey-eaters; 

 also called Glaucopis. 



Wave, (wuv). [Weg, the A.-S. word.] To 

 and fro motion : alternate rise and fall of 

 water in tides, &c. W. theory of light=\3n- 

 dulatory theory. W. of sound : undulation 

 of air, v. Sound. 



Wax, (waks). [Waes, the A.-S. word.] Sees' 

 W.; secreted by bees. Chinese W., v. Chinese 

 wax. Fossil W.= Ozocerite, q.v. Mineral 

 W.=Petrolene. Sealing W.: a mixture of 

 shellac, turpentine, &c. Tree TF.=Palmitin. 

 W. myrtle=Myrica. cerifera. W. palm=Cer- 

 oxylon andicola : a palm 

 tree. W. icing: a bird, v. 

 Bombycilla. 



Way-bent. A variety of 

 barley=Hordeum muri- 

 num. 



Wayfaring tree = Vibur- 

 num lantana. 



Wealden strata, (wel'den). 

 [Weald, in Kent and Sus- 

 sex. ] Fluviatile beds, 

 forming the lower portion of the cretaceous 

 formations; marked by large extent of heath 

 land, and by large size of heather; also by 

 numerous remains of reptiles. Middle W. 

 =Hastings sand. 



Weasel, (we'zl). [Wesle, the A.-S. word.]= 

 Mustela vulgaris: a 

 burrowing noctur- 

 nal quadruped, be-' 

 longing to Mus- 

 telidse. 



Weather, (weTH'er). -fc 

 [Weder, the A."-S. 

 word.] 1. A general 

 term for the atmo- Weasel, 



spherical conditions. 2. Inclination: as of 

 the sails of a windmill to the plane of revolu- 

 tion. W. beam=1o windward. W. boarding 

 =Outercoveringof sheds ,&c., usually feather- 

 edged. W. harp = Giant harp : a large 

 Eolian harp, q.v. 



Weaver. W. bird=Plo- 

 ceus. W. birds : belong- 

 ing to Ploceinse; named 

 from the elaborate cha- 

 racter of the nests. W. 

 <ere&eo=Terebellatex- 

 trix. Tram TFs.=Laby- 

 rinthula3,q.i;. 



Websterite, (web'ster-Tt). 

 [Mr. Webster.]=Afuffli- 

 nite, q.v. 



Wedge, (wej). [Weag, the A.-S. word.] A 

 double inclined plane ; especi- ^-\ 

 ally if of hard material: one of 

 the mechanical powers. 



Wedgwood, (wej-wood). [Mr. 

 Wedgwood.] W. ware: a fine 

 variety of stoneware. W.'s pyro- 

 meter; in which temperature is 

 measured by the contraction of 

 baked clay. 



Weed, (wed). \Weod, the A.-S. Wedge. 

 word.] Bind ]V.= Convolvulus, q.v. Cotton 



