W A T 



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W A V 



WAR TING, Fr. gnerpier. 1. A mode of 

 increasing the fertility of land on the 

 banks of rivers liable to overflow, by 

 allowing them to deposit their mud, 

 called warp, upon the surface overflown. 

 2. In architecture, see CASTING. 



WAR'RAXT. 1. In law, a writ confer- 

 ring some right or authority. 2. A 



writ giving an officer of justice the power 

 of caption. 



WAR'RANT OFFICERS, in the navy, are 

 the gunner, the boatswain, and car- 

 penter. 



WAR'RANTY. In common law, signifies 

 a promise made in a deed by one man to 

 another, for himself and hig heirs, for the 

 enjoying of anything agreed on between 

 them. 



WAR'REN. In law, a franchise next in 

 degree to a park. A forest is the highest 

 in dignity, and comprehends a chase, a 

 park, and a free warren. 



WASH. In distillation, a name by which 

 wort is distinguished. 



WASH'ER. In. mechanics, an iron ring 

 interposed between the surface of wood, 

 &c. and the head or nut of a bolt to pro- 

 tect the wood from damage during the 

 process of screwing up. 



WASP. In entomology. See YESPA. 



"WASTE WEIR (of a canal). A cut con- 

 structed through the side for carrying off 

 surplus water. 



WATCH. 1. A well-known machine for 



measuring time. 2. The portion of a 



ship's crew on duty at a time. 



WA'TER. Sir Isaac Xewton defines 

 water, when pure, to be a very fluid salt, 

 volatile and void of taste and smell. 

 Modern chemists regard it as an oxide of 

 hydrogen, being a compound of oxygen 

 and hydrogen in the proportion by weight 

 of eight of the former to one of the latter. 

 Slineral waters are those impregnated 

 with foreign substances, as sulphuretted 

 hydrogen and various salts. 



WATER-BAIL'IFF. An officer in port 

 towns, whose business in general is the 

 searching of ships. 



WATER-CLOCK. In mechanics, see CLEP- 

 SYDRA. 



WATEK-COL'OCRS. In painting, are those 

 which are diluted with guin water only, 

 in contradistinction to oil colours. When 

 water colours only are used, it is limning, 

 when oil colours, painting. 



WATER OF CRYSTALLIZA'TION. In che- 

 mistry, the proportion of water necessary 

 to retain certain salts in a crystalline form. 



WATER-LIN- E (of a ship). A horizontal 

 line, supposed to be drawn above the 

 ship's bottom, at the surface of the water. 

 This line alters according to the depth of 

 water necessary to float the vessel. 



WATER- LOO'GED. In nautical language, 

 1 vessel is said to be water-logged, when, 

 Oy leaking and receiving a great quantity 



of warn- into her hold, she has become so 

 heavy as not to be manageable by the 

 helm, but is tossed about like a log by the 

 waves. 



WATER-MEA'DOWS. Meadows on low flat 

 grounds, capable of hoinjf fertilised by the 

 overflowing of neighbouring streams. 



WATER-MEL'UN. In botany, the Cucur- 

 bita citndlus and its fruit, which is highly 

 valued in hot countries, where it grows 

 to great perfection. 



WATER-OR'DEAL. In old laic, a sort of 

 trial of persons accused of crimes, espe- 

 cially witchcraft. The person was thrown 

 into the water, and if he floated he wa 

 adjudged guilty, but if he sank he was 

 drowned and declared innocent. 



WATER-SPOUT. At sa, a vertical column 

 of water, raised from the surface of tho 

 sea and driven furiously by the wind. 



WATER-STA'TION (on a railway). A small 

 reservoir of water connected with a well, 

 from which tanks may be replenished. 



WATER-TA'BLE. In building, a string 

 course, moulding, or other projection, 

 placed to carry off water. 



WA'TER- WAY. In a ship's deck, a piece 

 of timber, forming a channel for conduct 

 ing water to the scuppers. 



WA'TER-WHEEL. Awheel moved by wa- 

 ter. There are four distinct sorts of water- 

 wheels : the undershot, the overshot, the 

 breast wheel, and the horizontal wheel. The 

 water acts vertically on the three first 

 sorts, and horizontally on the last, which 

 is very inferior and little employed. The 

 "Barker's Mill "is also a description of 

 water-wheel, much improved of late by 

 Mr. Whitelaw, of Greenock. 



WA'TER-WIX-GS. The walls erected on 

 the banks of a river, next bridges, to se- 

 cure the foundations from the action of 

 the current. 



WA'TER-WORKS. The name applied to 

 all descriptions of works employed for rais- 

 ing or sustaining water, as water-mills, 

 wheels, sluices, and various other hy- 

 draulic works ; but it is not generally 

 understood at the present time to refer 

 to any other than works erected for the 

 purpose of supplying cities and towns 

 with water for the daily use of the inha- 

 bitants. 



WAT'TLE. 1. The fleshy excrescence 

 which grows under the throat of some 

 fowls, as the turkey, and also of some 



fishes. 2. A twig ; and hence a texture 



wrought with twigs. 



WAVED. 1. In heraldry, an indented 

 outline, indicating honours originally ac- 

 quired at sea. 2. In natural history, 



variegated : undulated. 



WA'VELLITE. A rare mineral, first dis 

 covered in Devonshire by Dr. Wavell. It 

 is sometimes pure white, sometime! 

 tinged -with green, or yellow; lusti* 

 silky. It is strictly a hydrate of *ln- 



