kafiz 

kafiz (kaf'iz), n. An Arabian measure of ca- 
pacity, nearly equal, according to CJueipo, to 33 
liters. According to Eliyfrh and the Sheikh Hasan el 
Jabarti, generally 90 rotl (which see), or 8 makkouk, but 
sometimes less. Also spelled cafz. 
kafsh (kafsh), n. [Pers. kaj'xh, kefsh.} In Persia, 
a slipper, one of several kinds having the heel 
folded down. 
kafta (kaf'ta), n. [Ar.] The leaves of Catha 
edulis. Also cafta, kkat. 
kaftan, . See caftan. 
Kageneckia (kaj-e-nek'i-a), n. [NL. (Ruiz and 
Pavon, 1794), named for Count F. von Kage- 
neok, Austrian minister at Madrid.] A genus 
of South American rosaceous trees, of the tribe 
Quillajece, but differing from Quillaja, the type 
of the tribe, in having the calyx-lobes imbri- 
cated instead of valvate in the bud and the 
leaves serrate. They are evergreen trees with coarse 
leathery leaves and unisexual flowers, the male racemose 
or corymbose, the female solitary and terminal. The fruit 
is a large follicle. Three species only are known, growing 
in Chill and the mountains of Peru. K. Monga yields 
wood valuable for building purposes, and very bitter leaves 
and seeds, which are used by the inhabitants as a remedy 
for fevers. It is cultivated as a greenhouse plant for its 
white flowers. K. crattzgoides is a tall ornamental tree ; 
it was introduced into England in 1831. 
kago(kag'6; Jap. pron. kang'go), n. [Jap.] A 
small basketwork palanquin slung from a pole 
Kago. 
carried on the shoulders of two men. Thekagowas 
formerly the commonest mode of conveyance in Japan, 
but Is now confined almost entirely to mountainous re- 
gions, having been superseded on the plains by the jin- 
rikisha. Also cango. 
kagu (ka'go), . [Native name.] A remark- 
able grallatorial bird, Bhinochetus jubatus, the 
sole member of the family Rhinochetidce, pecu- 
liar to New Caledonia. It is an isolated form, with- 
out very near relatives, in some respects intermediate be- 
tween herons and rails. It is gray, paler below, with dark 
cross-marks on the wings and tell; the bill and feet are red ; 
Kagu (Rhinochetus jubatus ). 
and the nape has a pendent crest. It is nocturnal, inhabits 
mountain ravines, lives chiefly on animal food, runs rapid- 
ly like a rail, has a habit of standing a long time motionless 
like a heron, and emits a guttural cry. Also kagon. 
kahikatea (ka-i-kat'a-a), . [Maori name.] 
The coniferous tree Podocarpus dacrydioides of 
New Zealand, called by the colonists white pine. 
It grows to the height of 100 or 150 feet, forming forests 
on swampy ground. Its wood is white and tough, and of 
excellent service when protected from wet. Its white sweet 
fruit is eaten by the natives. Also kai-katea. kakikatea, 
and kakaterro. 
kahoon(ka-hon'), [E.Ind.] A Calcutta unit 
of weight, equal to 40 factory maunds, or 1J 
tons; also, a money, 4 annas, or J rupee. 
kai-apple, . See kei-apple. 
kaiet, . A Middle English form of keyl. 
kaif (klf), n. [Ar. qaif, quiescence.] Undis- 
turbed quiescence, regarded as a state of high 
happiness. 
And this is the Arab's Kaif. The savoring of animal ex- 
istence ; the passive enjoyment of mere sense ; the pleas- 
ant languor, the dreamy tranquillity, the airy castle-build- 
ing. 
Jt. F. Burton, El-Medlnah, p. 23. 
3262 
kai-ku (kil'e-ku), n. [Maori name.] An ever- 
green climb'ing plant of New Zealand, Parson- 
sia albijlora (P. heterophylla). It is cultivated 
in greenhouses. 
kail 1 , n. See kale. 
kail' J (kal), n. [Formerly also ktiyle, keil, keel; 
< ME. kaylc = MD. keghel, D. kegel, a pin, nine- 
pin, = MLG. LG. Jcegel = OHG. chegil, a pin, 
plug, MHG. G. kegel, a wedge, cone, ninepin, 
= Sw. kegla, kagla = Dan. kegle, a cone, nine- 
pin; root unknown.] 1. A ninepin; a skittle- 
pin. 
All the Furies are at a game called nine-pins, or keils, 
made of old usurers' bones, and their souls looking on 
with delight, and betting on the game ! 
B. Jonson, Chloridia. 
2. pi. A game in which nine holes ranged in 
threes are made in the ground, and an iron 
ball is rolled in among them. 
In skales,or kayles, the sheepes-joynte was probably the 
bone used instead of a bowl. 
Strutt, Sports and Pastimes, p. 366. 
And now at keels they try a harmelesse chaunce ; 
And now their curre they teach to fetch and dannce. 
Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, i. 
kail 3 (ka'il),. [E.Ind.] The Himalayan Finns 
excelsa, or Bhutan pine. 
kaim, n. See kame. 
kaimakam (ki-ma-kam'), n. [Also caimacam, 
caimacan, caymacan, kaimkan, etc. ; < Turk, and 
Hind, kaimakam, < Ar. qaim-makdm, a lieuten- 
ant, < qdim, firm, fixed, + makdm, a deputy.] 
1 . An officer in the Turkish service, especially a 
lieutenant-colonel. 2. An administrative of- 
ficerin Turkey; specifically, the administrator 
of a subdivision of a vilayet. 
Fezzan is governed by a kaimakam or lieutenant-gov- 
ernor. Encyc. Brit., IX. 129. 
kain, . See cane 2 . [Scotch.] 
kain-fowl (kan'foul), n. A fowl paid or to be 
paid by a tenant as kain (cane). See cane 2 . 
kain-hen (kan'hen), n. A hen paid or to be 
paid by a tenant as kain (cane). See cone 2 . 
Yet it shall never be said the fairest maid in the Fair 
City was cooped up in a convent like a kain-hen in a cavey. 
Scott, Fair Maid of Perth, xxv. 
kainite (ki'nlt), n. [Prop. *ccenite or "cenite, < 
Gr. iauv6f, new, recent, + -ite 2 .] A hydrous 
magnesium sulphate with potassium chlorid, 
occurring in beds of considerable extent at the 
salt-mines of Stassfurt, Germany. The impure 
kainite, which contains twelve per cent, or more of pot- 
ash, is used largely as a fertilizer. 
Kainozoic (kl-no-zo'ik), a. Same as Camozoic. 
kairet, v. See eair. 
kairine (ki'rin), n. [< (?) Gr. Koupdf, the right 
time, + -iwe 2 .] A whitish crystalline powder 
(Ci H 13 ON.HCl. + H ? O), bitter-salt in taste, 
soluble in water and alcohol, and used in medi- 
cine as an antipyretic. 
kairnt, n. An obsolete spelling of cairn. 
kaiser (kl'z6r), n. [Early mod. E. also keisar; 
< ME. caiser, cayser, kaiser (North.), < AS. co- 
sere, emperor, < L. Ccesar, Csesar, emperor: see 
Caesar.'} If. An emperor. Compare Ccesar, 1. 
Wei kud kinges & kaysers krauen me i-now, 
I nel leie mi loue so low now at this time. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.X 1. 483. 
King nor keimr 
Shall equal me in that world. 
Fletcher, Mad Lover, 1L 1. 
2. [Recent, G.] The emperor of Germany (or 
of Austria). 
kaisership (ki'z6r-ship), . [< kaiser^ + -ship.'] 
The office of kaiser or emperor. 
He was ready for the Kaisership before the Kaisership 
was ready for him. Contemporary Rev., LIV. 622. 
ka.jak, n. See Jcayak. 
kajeput, . See cajeput. 
kaju-apple (ka-j8'ap*l), n. [Anglo-Ind.] The 
cashew-nut. Cyclopedia of India. 
kaka (ka'ka), n. [Maori; prob. imitative ; ef. 
cockatoo.} A parrot of the genus Nestor, pecu- 
liar to New Zealand. The common kaka is N. 
liypopolius, and the mountain kaka N. notabilis. 
See Nestor. 
kakapo (kak'a-po), n. [Maori ; cf. kaka.} The 
owl-parrot or ground-parrot of New Zealand, 
Stringops habroptilus, a large and noteworthy 
parrot, by some made the type of a family 
Stringopidce, distinct from the Psittaddce. it is 
nocturnal, unable to fly, and in danger of rapid extermi- 
nation. It is of a mottled-greenish color, and about as 
large as a raven. 
kakarali (kak-a-ral'i), n. [S. Amer.] A tree 
of British Guiana, Lecythis Ollaria. Its wood is 
very durable in salt water, resisting the depredations of 
the sea-worm and barnacle. Its bark is composed of a 
great number of thin layers, which the natives separate 
by beating and use for wrapping. Also kakaralli. 
kale 
kakelt, '' ' A Middle English form of cackle. 
kakemono (kak-e-m6'no),M. [Jap.,< fcA-e-,root 
of bakery, hang, + mono, thing.] A Japanese 
wall-picture or decoration, painted in transpa- 
rent colors on a band of silk, gauze, or paper, 
and mounted on a roller. It is generally long and 
narrow, and is the common form of wall-picture in Japan : 
to be distinguished from malrirtwno, a roll-picture or 
scroll, sometimes of great length, intended to be unrolled 
and examined in the hands. 
kaki (ka'ke), n. [Jap.] The persimmon of 
Japan, or Chinese date, Diospyros Kaki, or its 
fruit. 
The kaki, or Japan persimmon, is a comparatively re- 
cent introduction. Sci. Amer., N. 8., LX. 225. 
kakistocracy (kak-is-tok'ra-si), .; pi. kakin- 
tocracies (-siz). [< Gr. tAuorof, superl. of raxof, 
bad, + -Kparia, rule : see -cracy.} Government 
by the worst men in the state : opposed to aris- 
tocracy, government by the best men. [Rare.] 
Jacobin democracy differs from ancient and medieval 
merely in this, that it is not an aristocracy, or government 
of the best, but a kakistocracy, or government of the worst. 
Fortnightly Rev., N. S., XXXIX. 44. 
kaklet, <' >' A Middle English form of cackle. 
kakodyl, kakodyle, . See cacodyl. 
kakoxene, kakoxine, n. See cacoxene. 
kal, . A variant spelling of cal. 
kal. An abbreviation of kalends. See calends. 
kaladana (kal-a-da'na), n. [Origin unknown.] 
A species of morning-glory, Ipomcea (Pharbi- 
tis) Nil, found in the warmer parts of the Old 
World. 
kaladana-seed (kal-a-da'na-sed), n. The seed 
of Ipomaia Nil, used as a cathartic. 
kalamdan (kal'am-dan), n. [Also Tealemdan; 
Pers. (> Ar. Hind.) galam-dan, a pen-case, < qa- 
lam, a pen, pencil, reed (see calamus), + dan, 
having, holding.] A Persian writing-case, con- 
sisting of a long and narrow box of wood or 
papier-mach6 painted in bright colors and var- 
nished, haying at one end the ink-pot, in a 
slightly projecting compartment, and including 
a receptacle for pens, a knife, etc. 
kalamkari (kal-am-kar'i), n. [< Pers. qalam- 
kdri, < qalam-kdr, a painter, < qalam, a pen, pen- 
cil, + -kdr, denoting an agent.] Color-decora- 
tion of certain special kinds in Indian countries ; 
specifically, a chintz of which the pattern is pro- 
duced by many separate dyeings, the ground bo- 
ing covered in places by repellent preparations, 
and also by printing from small blocks. 
kalan (ka'lan), n. The sea-otter. See cut un- 
der Enhydris. 
An adult kalan is an animal not much larger than a ma- 
ture and well-conditioned beaver. . . . Itwill measure from 
the tip of its tail, which is short, to the extremity of the 
muzzle, 3J to 4$ feet, the tall not being over 6 to 8 inches 
long, and it has a proportionate girth of a little over 2 feet. 
Fisheries of U. S., V. it. 487. 
Kalanchoe (kal-an-ko'e), n. [NL. (Adanson, 
1763), from the Chinese name of the plant.] 1. 
A genus of tropical herbs or shrubs belonging 
to the natural order Crassulaceai. or orpine fam- 
ily, differing from most other plants of the or- 
der by having the calyx 4-parted. The leaves 
are opposite and fleshy, and the flowers are large, white, yel- 
low,orpurplish,and disposed in many-flowered paniculate 
cymes. There are about 20 species, one of which is a na- 
tive of Brazil, all the rest occurring in tropical Africa anil 
Australia. K. crenata of Sierra Leone is a succulent shrub 
cultivated in greenhouses, and is called scalloped kalan- 
choe. The name is sometimes written Calanchoe. 
2. [1. c.} A plant of this genus. 
Kalands (kal'andz), n. pi. [Probably from L. 
Kalenate, the first day of the month.] A religious 
brotherhood which originated in northern Ger- 
many in the thirteenth century, and extended 
to France and other countries. Its objects were 
the establishment of solemn burial rites, common reli- 
gious exercises, and mutual support. The meetings oc- 
curred on the first of each month, and terminated with a 
feast; these feasts gradually degenerated into excesses, 
and the fraternity was abolished. Also called Calender 
brothers. 
kalathos(kara-thos),. [< Gr. naAaOo;.} Same 
as mlathus, 1. 
kaldt, a. A Middle English form of cold. 
kale, kail 1 (kal), n. [Formerly also teal; a 
dial.var. of cole 2 .} 1. In Scotland, loosely, cab- 
bage in general, and by extension any kind of 
greens; specifically, both there and elsewhere, 
any variety of cabbage with curled or wrinkled 
leaves not forming compact heads like the com- 
mon cabbage, nor yielding a fleshy edible in- 
florescence like the cauliflower and broccoli, 
and usually having a long stalk ; borecole. 
The first ceremony of Halloween is pulling each a stock 
or plant of kail. Burns, Halloween, note. 
2. A broth made in Scotland in which kale or 
cabbage is a principal ingredient ; hence, any 
