SOL 8 



borrowed the name, is a sort of alcove, 

 raised half a foot above the floor, where 

 visitors of distinction are received. The 

 name is also given to a covered seat on 

 the side of a room. 



SOF'FIT, j The underside of an over- 

 SOF'ITE. } hanging erection, as the in- 

 trados of an arch, the underside of a cor- 

 nice, &c. The term is more particularly 

 applied, in architecture, to that part of 

 the corona or larmier which was called by 

 the ancients lacunaria, and which is 

 termed by the French plafoiui, and by us 

 the drip. The term is from the Italian 

 toffita. 



So'ri. A Persian word signifying a 

 religious person, or dervish. 



SO'FISM or SC'FISM. The mystical doc- 

 trines of the Mohammedan Sons. 



SOIRE'E (Fr.). Evening. An evening- 

 party of ladies and gentlemen, at which 

 refreshments are served up, occasional 

 addresses delivered on miscellaneous sub- 

 jects, and other means of entertainment 

 offered. 



SOIL, Lat. solum. The common name 

 for that accumulation of various sub- 

 stances which lies upon the surface of the 

 globe, and furnishes nutriment to plants, 

 or which is particularly adapted to the 

 purposes of agriculture. 



Sons. Among builders, a provincial 

 term for the principal rafters of a roof. 

 SOL. In music, the fifth note of the gamut. 

 SOLA'N ss , ) A natural family of plants , 

 SOLA'NACEJE. ) of which the genus sola- 

 num is the type. It includes the deadly 

 nightshade, henbane, belladonna, to- 

 bacco, &c. 



SO'LAN-GOOSE. Gannet. The common 

 booby (Pelicanus bassanus, Lin.), an aqua- 

 tic fowl, nearly the size of the domestic 

 goose, found on the coast of Great Bri- 

 tain and elsewhere. See BOOBY. 



SOL'ANINE. The narcotic principle of 

 the Solatium dulcamara, the woody night- 

 shade or bitter-sweet of the hedges. It 

 has also been found in several other spe- 

 cies of solanum, as in the berries of the 

 S. nigrum, and in the fruit of the common 

 potato. It is a pearly- white powder, al- 

 kaline, acrid, and exceedingly poisonous. 

 It exists in the potato after germination. 



SOLA'NUM. Night-shade. The name of 

 a very extensive and important genus of 

 plants. Pentandria Monoiji/nia. Nat. 

 order Luridee. Name from solor, to com- 

 fort, because some of its preparations give 

 ease by their narcotic qualities. The bit- 

 ter-sweet or woody nightshade, a climb- 

 ing shrub, and the common or garden 

 nightshade, found in waste places, are the 

 native types of the genus; but the po- 

 tato plant (S. tuberosum), the love-apple 

 or tomata, mad-apple or egg-plant, the 

 winter cherry and some other species, are 

 now well known. 



SOL 



SO'LAR CT'CLE*. A period of 28 years. 



SO'LAR SYS'TEM. lnattronomy,t\ieorter 

 and disposition of the several heavenly 

 bodies (planets, moons, and comets) that 

 revolve about the sun (Soi) as the centre 

 of motion. 



>LDANEL'LA. The name of a genus of 

 perennial plants. PentandriaMonogy- 

 . Name a solidando, on account of its 

 use in healing fresh wounds : soldanella, 

 a little conqueror, dim. of soldan, sultan. 

 The species are all hardy natives of 

 Europe. 



SOL'DER, ) from solidus. A metallic com- 



SOD'ER, ) position for soldering or join- 

 ng together other metals. As the metals 

 :o be united vary, the solders must of 

 course vary likewise. Thus tin-plates, 

 zinc, and lead, are soldered with an alloy 

 of tin and lead ; pewter is soldered with 

 an alloy of tin, lead, and bismuth ; iron, 

 copper, and brass, are soldered with an al- 

 oy of zinc and copper ; silver sometime* 

 with pure tin, but generally with an al- 

 oy of silver, copper, and zinc ; gold with 

 an alloy of silver and gold, or of copper 

 and gold. Platinum with pure gold. 



SOLE, ) In ichthyology, a well-knowa 



SOAL. / marine fish, the Solea vulgaris, 

 bund to inhabit the Baltic, the whole of 

 the British shores, and as far southwards 

 as the Mediterranean. It frequents sandy 

 ground. 



/LEA. The sole. The name of a ge- 

 nus of fishes, characterised by having the 

 eyes both on the right side: dorsal fin, 

 commencing over the upper lip, and 

 reaching to the caudal. This genus was 

 ncluded by Linne in the genus Pleuro- 

 nectes. The name is Latin from solum. 



SO'LEN. The razor-shell or spout-fish 

 of Scotland. A genus of molluscs. Order 

 Acfphala testacea. Family Inclusa. Ani- 

 mal an ascidia. The shell is cylindrical, 

 the foot is conical, and enables the ani- 

 mal to bury itself in the sand, which it 

 excavates with considerable rapidity on 

 the approach of danger. 



SOLE'NOID, <rta\v t t and ado;, appearance. 

 In electro-dynamics, a name given by Am- 

 pere to a species of small electric currents. 



SOL-FA'-INO. In music, the naming of 

 the intervals, ut, do, re, mi, fa, &c., in the 

 first lessons of singing. The Italians ex- 

 press this by the word solfeygiare. 



SOLFATA'RA. The name of an extinct 

 volcano, near Puzzuoli, which constantly 

 emits aqueous vapour, and sulphureous 

 and muriatic exhalations. Hence the 

 word is now applied to any volcanic vent 

 which emits similar exhalations. 



SOLIC'ITOR, from solicit. In law, one 

 who petitions for another ; one who does 

 in Chancery the business that is done by 

 attorneys in other courts. 



SOL'ID. In geometry, a bod> which ha 

 length, breadth, and thickness. A toliA 



