caryopsis 
dry, indehiseent fruit, in which the thin seed- 
coat is adherent throughout to the very thin 
pericarp, as in wheat and all other cereal grains. 
Also spelled efirii>i>si. 
Caryota (kar-i-o'tji), H. [NL. (L., in Gr. sense) 
(> P. eari/ote), < Gr. Kapvurbf ijmivi!-, a palm with 
walnut-like fruit, lit. nut-like palm: napvar6f, 
nut-like, < KI'I/IVOV, a nut, walnut; ijmivil;, palm: 
see jthcnijc.] A genus of large palms, natives 
of India and the Malay archipelago, with bipin- 
nate leaves and wedge-shaped leaflets, strongly 
toothed at the extremity. The best-known species, 
C. urens, called the Inslm-il mi;/", is a native of India, and 
is of great value. By severing the ends of the successive 
flowering stems a sweet sap is obtained, which is either 
boiled down inl" syrup anil sugar, or made by fermenta- 
tion into toddy, which yields arrack by distillation. The 
soft pith abounds in sai;o-like farina, which is made into 
bread or eaten as gruel. The outer part of the stem is 
hard, strong, and durable, and is lunch used for building 
and for agricultural implements; and the sheaths of the 
leaves yield a very strong lllier, known as kittul fiber, 
which is said to he indestructible. 
cast, n . A Middle English form of cose 1 . 
casa (ka'sa), n. [L,, a cottage, hut, cabin, 
shed, ML. also a house in general (> It. Sp. Pg. 
casa, a house, = (as if < L. neut. *easum) F. 
chcz, in prep. chc~, abbr. of en chez, = OSp. en 
cas == It. in casa or a casa, in the house (of), at 
(my, his, etc.) house, with); prob. akin to cas- 
trum, a castle, fort, pi. a camp (see castrum, 
Chester}, and to cassis, a helmet; orig. a cover 
or shelter; cf. Skt. -\/ chhad, cover, cover over. 
Hence ult. casale, cassock, casula, chasuble, etc.] 
A house. 
ca. sa. In law, the usual abbreviation of capias 
ad satisfacieitdum. See capias. 
casal (ka'sal), a. [< case 1 , 6, + -aZ.] Ingram., 
of or belonging to case. [Rare.] 
The casal termination of the Saxon possessive is es or is, 
as appears in such phrases as 'Codes sight,' 'kingi's crown.' 
J. M. McCuUoch. 
casalet, [< It. casale, a hamlet, village, for- 
merly also a farm-house, manor-house, dairy, 
= Sp. Pg. casal, a farm-house, < ML. casale, 
also casalis, a farm-house, villa, hamlet, village, 
< L. casa, a house.] A hamlet; a village. 
And Saterday in ye mornynge we landyd there, and wente 
to suche caxales as we founde and refresshed vs. 
Syr It. Quylfordt, Pylgryniage, p. 56. 
casarca (ka-siir'ka), 11. [NL., < Russ. cacharkfi, 
the sea-swallow.] A name, specific or generic 
(in this case with a capital), of the ruddy shel- 
drake, Anas casarca or Casarca rutila, a bird 
of the family Anatida; and subfamily Anatinai, 
inhabiting Europe, Asia, and Africa. *As a ge- 
neric term it includes several other species, as 
C. tadornoides, C. variegata, etc. 
casava, casave (ka-sa' va, -ve), . See cassava. 
casbaldt, . [Late ME., also casbalde; origin 
uncertain.] A term of contempt. Tork Plays. 
casban (kas'ban), w. A cotton fabric similar 
to jaconet, but stouter, sometimes having a 
glossy surface like satin, and used chiefly for 
linings. 
cascabel (kas'ka-bel), n. [Sp., a little bell, the 
button at, the breech of a cannon, also casca- 
billo, = Pg. Pr. cascacel; origin uncertain.] 
That part of a cannon which is behind the 
base-ring, including the base and knob. 
cascade 1 (kas-kad'), . [< P. cascade = Sp. cas- 
cacla = Pg. cascata, < It. cascata, a waterfall, < 
cascare, fall, appar. associated in thought with 
L. cadcre, pp. casus, fall, but prob. (like Sp. 
cascar, break in pieces, beat, strike, = Pg. cas- 
car, strike) an extension of L. casare, cassare, 
variant of quassare, shake, shatter, shiver, freq. 
of quatere, pp. quassum, shake : see quash, con- 
cuss, discuss, etc. Cf . cascaUio, cascarilla, cask, 
casque, etc.] 1. A fall or flowing of water 
over a precipice or steep rocky declivity in a 
river or other stream; a waterfall, whether 
natural or artificial, but smaller than a cataract. 
The river Teverone throws itself down a precipice, and 
falls by several cascades from one roek to another. 
. I '///.-.//, Travels in Italy. 
2. In elect., a peculiar arrangement of Leyden 
jars in which the outer coating of the firs't jar 
which receives the charge is connected to the 
inner coating of the second, and so on. 3. A 
trimming of lace or other soft material, folded 
in a zigzag fashion so as to make a broken or ir- 
regular band, as down the front of a gown. Diet, 
of Needlework. 4. The falling water in the con- 
stellation Aquarius. See Aquarius Charged or 
discharged In cascade. See batter;/, 8.=Syn. 1. Cas- 
cade, Cataract. A cataract is greater than a cascade, but 
may not be so steep ; one descent of water may be by 
several cascades, as in the quotation above from Addison. 
The distinguishing marks of a cataract are volume of wa- 
ter and rapidity of descent. 
840 
cascade 1 (kas-kad'), v. i.; pret. and pp. cas- 
caded, ppr. cascading. [< cascade 1 , n.] To 
form cascades; fall in cascades. 
i the middle of a large octagon piece of water stands 
ibclisk of near seventy feet, for a Jet-d'Eau to cascade 
fro n the top of it. Defoe, Tour thro' G. Britain, II. 218. 
The town [of Subiaco] 
ig from the midst of a valley, 
is built on a kind of cone 
with a superb 
uitain horizon around it, and the green Anio cascading 
at its feet. Lowell, Fireside Travels, p. 271. 
cascade 2 (kas-kad'), v. i.; pret. and pp. cas- 
caded, ppr. cascading. [Appar. a perverted 
use of cascade 1 . Cf. E. dial, cast, vomit.] To 
vomit. [Colloq.] 
cascalho (kas-kal'yo), n. [Pg. (= Sp. cascajo), 
pebbles, gravel, < cascar, strike, Sp. break in 
pieces, shatter : see cascade 1 , n., and casearillti, 
and as to meaning cf. brash 1 , breccia, debris.] 
Gravel, coarse or fine, mixed with more or less 
sand; detrital material in general ; the material 
in which Brazilian diamonds are round, as also 
gold to some extent. 
cascan, cascane (kas-kan', -kan'), n. [P. cas- 
cane.] In fort., a hole or cavity, resembling a 
well, made near a rampart, from which an 
underground gallery extends, or which serves 
to give vent to an enemy's mine and diminish 
its destructive effect, 
cascara amarga, sagrada. See bark?. 
cascarilla (kas-ka-riT'a), n. [= P. eascarille, 
< Sp. rascarilla (= Pg. cascarilha = It. cas- 
carilla, cascariglia), 
dim. of cascara, bark, 
rind, peel, husk (cf. 
eased; husks, bark, 
casco, a skull, shard, 
helmet, cask, etc., > 
E. cask 1 ), < cascar, 
break, burst open : 
see cascade 1 , n., and 
cast 1 .] The aromatic 
bitter bark of Croton 
Eluteria, a West In- 
dian shrub or small 
tree of the natural 
order Euphorbiacea; 
and a native of the 
Bahama islands, it 
occurs in small thin frag- 
ments and brittle rolls like 
quills, and is used in medicine for its mild stimulating, 
tonic properties. Also called Eleuthera or su-eetwood bark. 
cascarillin, cascarilline (kas-ka-ril'in), n. [< 
cascarilla + -i2, -je 2 .] A white, crystalline, 
odorless, bitter substance (C^HigC^) obtained 
from cascarilla. 
caschrom (kas'krom), . [Also improp. writ- 
ten gascromh ; Gael, caschrom, < cas, a foot, leg, 
shaft, haft, handle, + crom, crooked : see crom- 
lech.] A long pick with a cross-handle and 
projecting foot-piece ; a foot-pick : used in the 
Scottish Highlands for digging in stony ground 
where no other instrument can be introduced. 
casco (kas'ko), n. [Pg., prop, the keel or bottom 
of a ship, = Sp. casco, the hull of a ship ; same 
as Pg. Sp. It. casco, helmet, casque, cask: see 
cask 1 , casque.] A boat of the Philippines, used 
Cascarilla-plant (Croton 
Eluteria). 
a. male flower ; t>. female flower ; 
c, fruit. 
Casco of Manila. 
chiefly on the river at Manila, almost rectan- 
gular in form, very flat and very durable, and 
much used for conveying cargoes to and from 
ships. 
case 1 (kas), . [< ME. cas, caas, case, < OP. cas, 
F. cas = Pr. cas = Pg. Sp. It. caso, circumstance, 
event, hap, chance, < L. COSMS (casw-), a falling, 
change, event, accident, misfortune, < cadere, 
pp. casus, fall (> also cadent, cadence, chance, 
accident, etc.): see cadent."] 1. Literally, that 
which happens or befalls, (a) Hap; contingency; 
event; chance. 
case 
Than he tolde hem alle worde for worde how the cat 
was lie-fallen. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 500. 
Wisdom behouith to lete go and passe 
Which that men mow noght amend in no cas. 
Jtom. of Partenay (E. E. T. S.), 1. 6223. 
(b) State ; condition ; state of circumstances. 
Cumforteth him in his caas, cpueiteth not his goodes. 
Piers Plowman (A), viii. 52. 
Like Angels life was then mens happy cace. 
Spenser, V. (J., II. vii. 16. 
Tib. I come to have thee walk. 
Ovid. No, good Tibullus, I'm not now in case. 
II. JOHKOH, Poetaster, i. 1. 
They lay, therefore, all day on Saturday, in lamentable 
case, as before. Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, p. 177. 
2. A particular determination of events or cir- 
cumstances; a special state of things coming 
under a general description or rule. 
The ceremonies attendant upon death and burial are 
nearly the same in the cages of men and women. 
E. W. Lane, Modern Egyptians, II. 286. 
3. In med., an instance of disease under or 
requiring medical treatment, or the series of 
occurrences or symptoms which characterize 
it: as, the doctor has many canes of fever in 
hand; the patient explained his case. 4. A 
State of things involving a question for dis- 
cussion or decision. 
Tell hym how the cao* staut all as it is. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 491. 
Acres, I don't choose to mention names, but look on 
me as on a very ill-used gentleman. 
Sir Luc. Pray, what is the case ? 
Sheridan, The Rivals, iii. 4. 
The plainest case in many words entangling. J. Baillie. 
Specifically 5. In law: (a) A cause or suit in 
court ; any instance of litigation: as, the case 
was tried at the last term. In this sense case is 
nearly synonymous with cauxe, which is the more technical 
term. Cane includes special proceedings, as well as actions 
at law, suits in equity, and criminal prosecutions; and it 
implies not only a controversy, but also legal proceedings. 
More loosely, however, it is used for cause of action : as, 
lie has a good case. 
This false juge ... sat in his Consistorie, 
And gaf his doomes upon sondry cas. 
Chaucer, Doctor's Tale, 1. 163. 
- Force a composition or wrangle out some broken Title, 
or breake the necke of the Case with a Prohibition. 
Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 133. 
(6) The state of facts or the presentation of 
evidence on which a party to litigation relies 
for his siiccess, whether as plaintiff or defen- 
dant: as, in cross-examining plaintiffs witness, 
defendant has no right to go beyond the limits 
of the direct examination, for such inquiries 
are part of his own cose, (c) Under American 
procedure, a document prepared by the appel- 
lant on an appeal, containing the evidence, or 
the substance of it, and the proceedings on 
the trial in the court below, it is intended to 
enable the appellate court to review the evidence and 
the facts, as well as to pass upon alleged errors of law, 
and in this differs from a bill of exceptions, which pre- 
sents only alleged errors of law. Called specifically case. 
OH a]j]teat. 
6. In gram., in many languages, one of the 
forms having different offices in the sentence 
which together make up the inflection of a 
noun: as, the nominative case, that of the sub- 
ject of the verb, as he, domimts (Latin); the 
accusative or objective case, as him, dominum ; 
the genitive or possessive case, as his (John's), 
domini. These are the only cases in modem English, 
and the objective is not distinguished in form from the 
nominative except in a few pronouns. In addition to 
the three cases found in English, Greek and German have 
a dative, Latin has a dative, an ablative, and a vocative, 
and Sanskrit further an instrumental and a locative. The 
French has lost all case-distinction in nouns. Some lan- 
guages, as the Finnish and Hungarian, have many more 
cases, even fifteen or twenty. All the cases but the nomi- 
native are called oblique cases. 
7. A person who is peculiar or remarkable in 
any respect : as, a queer case; a hard case: some- 
times used without qualification: as, he is a 
case. [Colloq.] 
"Well, the General can tell you," says the hunter, glan- 
cing at that individual, " what a terrible hard case I've 
been." W. M. Baker, New Timothy, p. 114. 
8. In Iffgic, a proposition stating a fact coming 
under a general rule; a subsumption Action 
on the case, in law, a general form of action (the phrase 
being originally equivalent to action on the circumstances) 
adopted to enlarge the legal remedies at a time when 
forms of action existed for trespasses with violence and 
for debts resting in bond, but no form had been provided 
for wrongs without violence, such as negligence, or oral 
or implied promise. It became the most widely used of 
all common-law forms, and equally applicable to conse- 
quential injury to the real or personal property and to the 
personal character of the party by whom it was brought. 
AmiStad case, a noted case in the courts of the 
United States, in which Spaniards claimed as their slaves 
negroes who had been kidnapped in Africa, and who while 
