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REFRAC'TION, a breaking: re, and 

 franco, to break. The term is technically 

 applied to denote the deviation of bodies 

 in motion (especially rays of light) from 

 their original course, arising from dif- 

 ferent densities of the several parts of the 

 medium through which they pass. It is 

 in consequence of this, that rays from 

 objects, whether terrestrial or celestial, 

 proceed in curves, which are concave to- 

 wards the earth, and that the eye never 

 sees in its true place a distant object, 

 except it be directly in the zenith, but 



always more elevated, viz., in the direc- 

 tion of the tangent to the curve of that 

 point. Refraction is therefore an element 

 of the utmost importance in astronomical 

 calculations. Double refraction is the se- 

 paration of a ray of light into two parts, 

 by passing through certain transparent 

 media, as Iceland spar. 



REFRANGIBIL'ITY. In optics, the dis- 

 position of the rays of light to be refracted 

 in passing from one medium into another. 



REFRio'ERATORY,from refrigero,to cool. 

 A vessel filled with cold water, to con- 

 deiise vapours into liquids in the process 

 of distilling. The common worm-tub is 

 an example. 



REGARD'. In the forest laws, inspection. 

 The Court of Regard or Survy of Dogs, is 

 a court in England, held every third year, 

 for thelawing or expeditation of mastives, 

 i. e., for cutting off the claws and ball of 

 the fore feet, to prevent them from run- 

 ning after deer. 



REGARD'ANT, 1. In late, a villein re- 

 gardant is one annexed to the manor or 



land. 2. In heraldry: a beast, as a lion, 



regardant is when placed in the attitude 

 of looking behind. 



REOARD'ER. In the forest laws, an offi- 

 cer of the royal forests, the chief judge of 

 the Court of Regard. 



RE'GEL, I In astrqnomy, the name of a 



RI'GEL. } fixed star of the first magni- 

 tude in Orion's left foot. 



REGENERATION. In theology, the new 

 birth of man unto righteousness, having 

 been delivered from the original corrup- 

 tion of his nature. 



RE'GENT, a governor : rego, to rule. 1. 

 One who governs a kingdom, in the mi- 



nority, absence, or disability of the sove- 

 reign. 2. In colleges, a teacher of the 



arts and sciences, inferior to the Pro- 

 fessors. This title is also given, in the 

 English universities, to Masters of Arts 

 under five years' standing, and to Doctors 

 under two years'. In the United States 

 of America, the corporate bodies invested 

 with the superintendence of the educa- 

 tional establishments of their respective 

 States, are called regents. They have 

 power to grant acts of incorporation for 

 colleges, to visit those in operation, and 

 regulate their government. 



REG'IMEN (Lat.), from rego, to govern. 

 1. In medicine, the regulation of diet with 

 a view to the preservation or restoration 

 of health. 2. In grammar, government. 



REG'IMENT : Lat. rego, I rule. A body 

 of troops consisting (if infantry) of several 

 battalions, or (if cavalry) of several squa- 

 drons, under the command of a colonel. 



REG'ISTER. 1. Low Lat. registrum, from 

 regero, to write down. A written account 

 or entry of facts, for transmitting to future 

 times an exact knowledge of transactions ; 

 also, the book in which the register or 



record is kept. 2. Low Lat. registrants. 



An pflBcer appointed to keep a register, 

 particularly the acts and proceedings of 

 courts and public bodies ; as the Register 



of the Court of Probate. 3. In the arts, 



an aperture or valve placed in a chimney, 

 stove, or furnace, furnished with a turn- 

 ing or sliding door for regulating the 

 quantity of air to be admitted to the fire, 

 or to open and shut the communication 

 with the chimney. 



REG'ISTRY. In commercial navigation, 

 the registration or enrolment of ships at 

 the Custom-house, so as to entitle them 

 to be classed among, and to enjoy the pri- 

 vileges of, British-built ships, first re- 

 quired by the Navigation Act of 12 Car. II. 

 c. 18. 



RE'GIUM DO'NTJM (Lat,), royal gift. An 

 annual grant of public money in aid of the 

 Presbyterian clergy of Ireland. 



RE'GICS, the Latin word for royal, from 

 rex, a king. In the universities, those 

 Professors whose Professorships were in- 

 stituted and endowed by the Crown are 

 called Regius Professors. 



REG'LET (Fr.), from regie, rule. 1. A 

 flat narrow moulding, used to separate 

 from each other the parts or members of 

 compartments and panels, and to form 



knots, frets, &c. 2. A slip of metal 



(originally a ledge of wood exactly planed) 

 used by printers to separate lines, and 

 make the work more open : slips of this 

 kind are now generally called leads ; and 

 printing where they are used is said to 

 be leaded. 



REORA'TING: Fr. regratter. to scratch 

 again. 1. In old law, purchasing pro- 

 visions and selling them in the tarn* 



