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WIN'CING-MACHINE. The dyer's reel, 

 which he suspends horizontally, by the 

 ends of its iron axis in bearings, over the 

 edge of his vat, so that the line of the 

 axis, being placed over the middle parti- 

 tion of the copper, will permit the piece 

 of cloth which is wound upon the reel, to 

 descend alternately into either compart- 

 ment of the bath, according as it is turned 

 by hand to the right or to the left. 



WIND'AOE. In gunnery, the difference 

 between the diameter of the bore and 

 that of the ball. 



WIND'GAGE. An instrument for ascer- 

 taining the velocity and force of the wind. 



WIND'-GALL. In farriery, a soft flatulent 

 tumour, full of corrupt jelly, which grows 

 on each side of the fetlock joints, and on 

 hard ground makes a horse halt. 



WIND'LAS, ) 1. A machine for raising 



WIJJD'LASS. ) great weights, consisting 

 of a cylinder moving on an axis, and 

 turned by shifting levers, with a rope or 

 chain attached to the weight and the cy- 

 linder. 2. A crank-handle is also some- 

 times called a windlas. 



WIND'MILL, )A mill of any sort 



WIN D-EN'GINE. /which acquires its 

 power from the impulse of the wind. 

 'Windmills are of two kinds, vertical and 

 horizontal. The vertical are those almost 

 invariably used. They have four cross 

 vanes or arms, fixed at the extremity of 

 an axis lying iu a horizontal position. 

 Horizontal windmills are worked by sails 

 set horizontally, the axis being in a per- 

 pendicular position. These have not, 

 however, above one-third or one-fourth 

 the power of the vertical. 



"WIND'SAILS. In ships, a sort of venti- 

 lator, consisting of a wide tube of can- 

 vass, shaped like a funnel, to convey a 

 stream of fresh air downwards to the hold 

 and lower decks of a ship. 



WINE. The fermented juice of the grape, 

 or berries of the vine (t-itit tinifera), a 

 plant which appears to be indigenous to 

 Persia and the Levant, but is now found 

 in most temperate regions, and grows in 

 every sort of soil. The ancient wines 

 were the Lesbos and Chios among the 

 Greeks, and the Falerian and Cecuban 

 among the Romans. The moderns use 

 Port, Sherry, Claret, Champagne, Ma- 

 deira, Hock, Marsala, Cape, and many 

 varieties of these. They also prepare sev- 

 eral sorts of berry u-ine. 



WINGS (of a ship). Narrow passages 

 along the 'sides between the fore and aft 

 cock-pit. 



Wi PER. In constructive mechanics, a 

 lever fixed upon, or intended to turn, a 

 shaft which admits of revolving motion. 

 The term is commonly applied to cooms, 

 when these are long, as in fulling-mills, 

 stamping-mills, and the like, where wi- 

 yert are fixed upon a horizontal axle, and 



serve to raise the stampers to a certain 

 height, when losing hold of them, the 

 stampers descend by their own weight to 

 be again thrown up by the next wiper 

 brought in contact with them by the mo- 

 tion of the wiper-shaft. 



WINE-STONE. Another name for argal 

 or crude tartar, which settles on the sides 

 and bottoms of wine-casks. 



WINZE. In mining, a small shaft, sunk 

 from one level to another, for the purpose 

 of ventilation. 



WIRE-DRAW'ING. The art of extending 

 the ductile metals into wire. 



WITH'ERITE. Native carbonate of ba- 

 ryta, first discovered at Anglesark, in 

 Lancashire, by Dr. Withering. It is called 

 also barolite (q. v.). 



WITH'ER*. In farriery, the jointing of 

 the shoulder-bones at the bottom of the 

 neck and mane. 



WITH'ER WRUNG. In farriery, an in- 

 jury caused by a saddle, when the bows 

 being too wide, they bruise the flesh 

 against the second and third vertebrae of 

 the back, which forms the prominence 

 that rises above the shoulders. 



WOAD. In botany, the Isatis tinctoria, 

 an herbaceous plant which was formerly 

 much cultivated for the sake of the per- 

 manent blue dye which it affords. It is 

 now however well nigh superseded by 

 indigo. 



WO'DEN. In mythology, the chief deity 

 of the northern natives from which Wed- 

 nesday takes its name. He was the god 

 of war, and had human sacrifices offered 

 on his altars to propitiate his favour: to 

 him all prayers were directed before bat- 

 tle, and when the victory was obtained 

 the prisoners were his share of the booty. 

 WOLF'-FISH. T\\e Anarrhichas lupus, Cuv., 

 Yarr., called also sea- wolf, sea-cat, swine- 

 fish, and catfish. It sometimes grows to 

 the length of six feet, and is the most 

 savage and powerful of all the British 

 fishes. 



WOLF'RAM In mineralogy, the native 

 tungstate of iron and manganese, which 

 occurs in primitive formations, along 

 with ores of tin. antimony, and lead. The 

 Cornish miners call it mock-lead. 



WOLLAS'TONITE. Prismatic augite is 

 thus named in honour of Dr. Wollaston. 



WOLVER'ENE. In zoology, iheursiis lus- 

 cits. Lin., an animal of North America, 

 which differs very slightly from the com- 

 mon glutton. See GULO. 



WOM'AT, \ In zoology, a little animal 



WOM'BAT. ) which is nearly allied to our 

 opossums. It is found in New Holland. 



WOOD-GROCSE. In ornithology, the 

 Tetrao urogalhis. Lin. ; named also the 

 cock of the mountain. It is now extinct 

 in Britain, but is still kept by some in 

 aviaries. 



WOOD-OPAL. Opalised wood A variety 



