Kerria 
A genus of rosaceous plants of the tribe Spi- 
(vi ir. c h iiractci-i /.c'l by small, dry, cartilaginous 
itclicniii, ami Inrgc. solitary, pedunoled yellow 
llowrrs tiT>nin:itiii tho branchletg. They arc 
sh i'ii Its with IMUL', slender, green linmches ami tit in, tanr, 
>l:itr, iiriiniiiiiile, i:ii;irsely serrate leaves. There Is only 
inn- i-M-iiiiiheiiiii-:iieil s|n-rie, K. Japanica. native of 
Japan, but cultivated throughout western Europe ami in 
America, usually nmlrr llf t rroneous name of Corchoru* 
Japonicu*. The natural form with five sepals anil petals is 
rare, the usual form in gardens being full-double. 
kerril (kor'il), . [E. Ind.] A venomous sea- 
snakeof the genus Hydrophis, an //. u/i/meii/etn 
<>( lilMl^ll. 
kerrite (ker'it). n. [Named after W. C. Kerr, 
a State geologist of North Carolina.] A kind of 
vermiculite from Franklin, Nortli Carolina. 
kerry (kcr'i), u. ; pi. kerrics (-iz). [Origin ob- 
scure.] A largo apron. [Prov. Eng.] 
kerrymerry-bufft (ker'i-mer-i-buf), n. [Also 
kiriinirie huff; appar. < kerry + merry + buff 1 , 
the second element being appar. a numerous 
insertion, to rime with the first.] A kind of 
stuff of which jerkins were formerly sometimes 
made. The term seems to have been prover- 
bial, and is often used jocularly. Halliwell. 
Tartaffda [It.], a swelling, rnarke, or Mack and blue of 
a blow or hurt. Also, a blow giuen with ones knuckles 
vpon ones head. Also a kirimirie buff. Florin. 
kerst, n. A Middle English form of cress. See 
cress and curse*. 
kersantite(ker'san-tit), n. [< Kersanton, a ham- 
let in Brittany, near Brest, + -ite'*.] A variety of 
fine-grained micadiorite which occurs in dikes. 
It contains accessory quartz and augite, and gen- 
erally some calcite of secondary origin. 
kerse't, n. A Middle English form of cress. See 
cress and curse 2 . 
kersen (ker'sn), v. t. A dialectal variant of 
christen. Middletoti; Beau, and Fl. 
kersey (ker'zi), n. and a. [Formerly also car- 
sey, carsaye ; said to be so called from Kersey, 
a village near Hadleigh in Suffolk, England, 
where a woolen trade was once carried on. The 
D. karsaai, Or. Dan. kersei, kirsel, Sw. kersey, F. 
carisfa, cariset, carisel = Sp. It. carisea, kersey, 
are then from E. The OF. cresp (Palsgrave), 
F. creseau, coarse twilled cloth, is appar. unre- 
lated.] I. H. A kind of coarse woolen cloth, 
usually ribbed, made from long wool, cloth of 
this name Is mentioned as early as the reign of Edward 
III. There were throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth 
centuries a coarse and a fine quality, and the finer was 
dyed in various colors. 
Kartell called Ordinaris shall conteyne In lengthe be- 
twixte seaventene and eightene yardes. Act 5 Edw. VI. 
The MI inn' when he is at his hight shineth aswel vpon 
course came as cloth of tissue. 
/./(///, Enphues and his England, p. 443. 
By various Names In various Counties known, 
Yet held in all the true Surtout alone : 
Be thine of Kersey firm, though small the Cost, 
Then brave unwet the Rain, unchill'd the Frost. 
Oay, Trivia, i. 69. 
Devon kerseys, woolen cloths made in Devonshire, Eng- 
land, and famous in the fourteenth century. 
II. a. 1. Made of kersey-cloth. 
Others you'll see when all the Town's afloat, 
Wrap't in th' embraces of a keneij coat. 
Oay, Trivia, 1. 192. 
Hence 2f. Homespun; homely. 
Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express'd 
In russet yeas, and honest ker/tet/ noes. 
Shot., L. L. L., v. 2, 413. 
kerseymere (k6r'zi-mer), . [A corruption of 
cassimere, simulating kersey.] Cassimere. 
A figure . . . tall and physically impressive, even In 
kid and kerseymere. Oeorge Eliot, Daniel Deronda, xxxix. 
kerseynette (ker-zi-nef), n. [A corruption of 
cassinctte, simulating kersey.] Cassinette. 
Kersmas (kers'mas), n. A dialectal variant of 
Christmas. Middleton. 
kerve (kerv), v. If. A Middle English form of 
enrre 1 . 2. Incmil-ntiiiiiii/. See kirve. [North. 
Eng.] 
kervert, . A Middle English form of carver. 
kesart, . A variant of kaiser 1 . 
kesh (kesh), n. A. dialectal form of kex. 
keslop (kes'lop), n. [Var. of cheslip, ult. of 
elnetteli]>, q. \-.] The stomach of a calf pre- 
pared for rennet. Also, in Scotland, called 
kccsUp. [Prov. Eng.] 
kesset, r. A Middle English form of kiss. 
kestt. A Middle English preterit of cast 1 . 
kestrel (kes'trel), n. [Early mod. E. also kex- 
tril, cast ret. kaxtrel, kitxtril ; "with medial t de- 
veloped between s and r, < OF. quercerelle, also 
written ccmrclle, crescerelle, F. crecerelle, a kes- 
trc'l: cf. It. tristarello (Florio) for cristarelln. 
dim. of i/it< nW/ii, u kestrel; OF. cercellc, a teal, 
3277 
F. sarcelle, a teal, F. dial, cristel, a kestrel; Sp. 
ivcn In, a kestrel; all < L. querquedula, a kind 
of teal: sec ',(< /'/im/nla. The forms show much 
variation, due in part to different manipulations 
of the dim. ending.] A common European fal- 
con, Fulro tinnunculus, Tinnunculus alaudarius, 
or Cerchneis tinnunculus, of small size and red- 
dish color. The body Is 12J inches long, the wing 9. 
The bird is brick-red with black arrow-heads on the back, 
the under parts being some shade of buff, fawn, or rufous, 
much spotted with black, and the head, neck, and rump 
being mostly bluish-gray. It Inhabit* parts of Asia and 
Africa, as well as the whole of Europe. It builds In 1ml- 
low trees and in cliffs, or in nests deserted by crows, mag- 
pies, etc., and feeds on mice, small birds, and insects. The 
kestrel may be recognized by its habit of hovering or sus- 
taining Itself in the same place in the air by a rapid motion 
of the wings, always with its head to the wind (whence 
the names ttaimel and miulhm-er). The male and female 
differ In color, ash-gray prevailing in the former and rusty 
brown in the latter. This hawk being regarded as of a 
mean or base kind, kestrel was formerly often used as an 
epithet of contempt. The term is extended to a number 
of species of the restricted genus Tiiuutneuliu utCenhneu. 
The American representatives are commonly known as 
*parroic-hau:ki. See cut under iparroic-haick. Also called 
flannel and windhover. 
Ne thought of honour ever did assay 
His baser brent, but In his keitrell kynd 
A pleasing valne of glory he did fynd. 
Spenter, W. Q., II. ill. 4. 
What a cast of kestrils are these to hawk after ladles 
thus ! B. Jonson, Epicomv, Iv. 2. 
The hobby Is used for smaller game, for daring larks, 
and stooping at quails. The kentrel was trained for the 
same purposes. Qoldimith, Nat. Hist., 11. 5. 
ket 1 (ket), n. [< Icel. kjot = Dan. kjikl = Sw. 
kott, flesh.] Carrion; filth. [Scotch and North. 
Eng.] 
ket 2 (ket), w. [Perhaps other uses of ket 1 .] 1. 
A matted hairy fleece of wool. [Scotch.] 
She was nae get o' moorland tips, 
Wl' tawted ket, and hairy hips. 
Burnt, Poor Mailie's Elegy. 
2. The couch- or quitch-grass, Triticum repens. 
[Scotch.] 
ket 3 (ket), n. Same as Int. 
ketch 1 (kech), v. and n. An obsolete or dia- 
lectal form of catch 1 . 
I can already riddle, and can sing Ketches. 
Beaumont, To B. Jonson. 
ketch 2 (kech), n. [Cf. D. kits, G. kits, kitz, F. 
caiche, quaiche (< E.); ult. (like caique 1 , which 
is directly < F. caique = It. caicco) < Turk, q&iq, 
qaiq, a boat, skiff.] A small, strongly built, two- 
masted vessel, usually of from 100 to 250 tons 
burden, but sometimes of less. Ketches were for- 
merly much used as bomb-vessels, the peculiarity of the 
rig affording ample space forward of the mainmast and at 
the greatest beam. See bmnb-ketch. 
Joseph Orafton set sail from Salem, the 2nd day In the 
morning, in a ketch of about forty tons (three men and a 
boy In her). Winthrop, Hist. New England, I. 400. 
A small ketch perished ; so that seven ships only arrived 
in Virginia. Bancroft, Hist U. 8., I. 106. 
ketch 3 t (kech), w. A variant of keech. 
Thou k i n it t y -pat cil fool ; thon whoreson obscene, greasy 
tallow-i-eCcA. Shak., 1 Hen. IV., II. 4, 258. 
ketchup, n. See catchup. 
Present my compliments to young Mr. Thomas, and ask 
him if he would step up and partake of a lamb chop and 
walnut ketchup. Dickens, Hard Times, x. 
ket-crow (ket'kro), n. [< ket 1 + croic.] The 
carrion-crow. [Scotch and North. Eng.] 
ketet, a. [ME., prob.< Icel. kdtr, merry, cheer- 
ful, = Sw. k&t = Dan. kaad, wanton.] Bold; 
eager; alert; lively; cheerful; wanton. 
Thou komest to kourt among the kete lordes. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. 8.), 1. 830. 
keterin (ket'er-in), n. A variant of cateran. 
ketgee-oil (ket'je-oil), n. [< Hind, ketjee + E. 
oil.] Same as keora-oil. 
kethert, n. A corrupt form of quotha, as used 
in contempt. 
Hi'i, hel ! handsom, kether! sure somebody has been 
routing him In the rice ; sirrah, you a spoil d your clothes. 
Unnatural Mother (1898). 
ketlingt, . and a. An obsolete variant of kit- 
linn. 
ketlyt, adv. [ME., < kete + -ty 2 .] Quickly; 
eagerly. 
Than that comli quen ketli vp rises, 
Biddande bisili hire bcdes buskes to hire chapel. 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.\ 1. 3028. 
ketmia (ket'mi-a), . [NL. (Adanson).] If. 
[cap.] A genus of plants, now Hibiscus. 2. A 
plant of this genus, as bladder-ketmia. 
ketone (kO'ton), n. [Appar. an arbitrary varia- 
tion of acetone, to make a distinction.] A com- 
pound in which the carbonyl group CO unites 
two alcohol radicals: as, methyl-ethyl ketone, 
CH 3 .CO.C 2 H 5 . Theketonesare volatile etherealliqulds 
kettledrum 
allied to the aldehyde*, tint ilihVi ing from them in thai tiny 
do not reduce anini"Mi:n a! silver solutions, are converted 
into secondary alcohols by nascent hvli.... n, :m<! l>y fur- 
ther oxidation are decomposed. Tin- k'i tones are aim. 
acetanei, but this term should be n-wrved for dimetlijl 
ketone. 
ketonic (ke-tou'ik), a. [< ketone + ~ic.] Re- 
l:iti-d to or containing a ketone Ketonic acid, 
an acid containing the carbonyl or ketone group CO, ami 
having the properties of a ketone as well as of an acid. 
kett (ket), . See k> /-, L'. 
kettle 1 (ket'l), H. [< ME. ket, I, I:, /nl, kettul, also 
chetrl, < AS. crtel, eytel = OS. ketil = OFries. 
/i t, I, n:,til, txetel, tMCtel = D. ketel = OHG. 
elie;il, MHO. kezzel, G. kesel = Icel. ketill = Sw. 
kittrl = Dan. kjcdel = Norw. kjel, kit = Goth. 
l.niils. a kettle; cf. Lit h. katilas = Lett. l;ti* 
= OBulg. kotet, kotl, a kettle ; usually derived 
< L. catiinin (Sicilian KUTIVOV), dim. catillus, a 
deep bowl, a deep vessel for cooking or serving 
up food (cf. Gr. xoTv?.of, a cup); but the word 
may bo Teut. confused with tho L. : cf. OHG. 
cltezzi, MHG. kczzi, a kettle (= AS. cete, glossed 
cacabus); Icel. l.nt,. also I.-' tin. a small ship.] 
1. A vessel of iron, copper, tin, or other metal, 
of various shapes and dimensions, used for boil- 
ing or heating water and other liquids, or for 
cooking vegetables, etc., by boiling. Compare 
camp-kettle, tea-kettle. 
A kettle, slung 
Between two poles upon a stick transverse. 
Receives the morsel. Couyer, Task, I. 500. 
A few weeks ago she had all the fruit gathered, all the 
sugar got out, all the brass kettles scoured and ready. 
W. M. Baker, -New Timothy, p. 288. 
2. A tin pail. [Local, U. S.] 3f. A kettle- 
drum. 
And let the kettle to the trumpet speak, 
The trumpet to the cannoneer without 
ShaJc., Hamlet, v. 2, 286. 
4. Figuratively, a cavity or depression suggest- 
ing the interior of a kettle. Specifically -(o) A hole 
In The ground in deep water. In which carp huddle toge- 
ther during winter In a kind of hibernation. (6) In geol., 
any cavity, large or small, in solid rock or detrltal ma- 
terial, which resembles a kettle In form. "The kettle" 
of the Sierra Nevada is about a mile across the top and 
1,600 feet deep. Small cavities worn in rock by the revolu- 
tions of a stone in a swift current are of fretnient occur- 
rence, varying from a few inches to several feet in diam- 
eter and depth. Cavities of this kind are more commonly 
known as pot-hnlei, and sometimes as giants' kettle*. (See 
also UlickiuiJ-krttle.) 
kettle 2 (ket'l), n. Same as kiddle 1 A kettle of 
fish, or a pretty kettle Of fish, a complicated and bun- 
gled affair ; an awkward mess. [Kettle in this phrase Is 
usually plausibly referred to kettle* = kiddlel, but as used 
it has no Individual significance.) 
" Vi in had better tell your uncle with my compliments," 
said Mr. Dtngwell, " that hell make a kettle of fish of the 
whole affair, in a way he doesn't expect, unless he makes 
matters square with me." 
J. S. Le Fanu, Tenants of Mallory, xxxvll. 
kettle 3 (ket'l), r. i. A variant of kittle*. 
kettle-bail (ket'1-bal), n. A dredge used in 
taking scallops, having the blade adjusted to 
swing in the eyes of the arms to prevent it 
from sinking in the mud. [Rhode Island.] 
kettle-case (ket'1-kas), . The Orchis niasciila, 
an early orchis in England. [Prov. Eng.] 
kettle-de-benders. See kittly-benders. 
kettle-dock (ket'1-dok), . One of various 
plants : (a) Ragwort, Scnecio Jacobaa. (b) Wild 
chervil, Anthriscus sylrestris. (c) Butter-bur, 
Petasites vulgaris (Tussilayo I'ekigites). (d) Bit- 
ter dock, Rumex obtusifolius. 
kettledrum (ket'1-drum), n. 1. A musical in- 
strument used in military bands and in orches- 
tras, consisting of a hollow brass hemisphere 
from 24 to 30 inches in diameter, over which is 
stretched a head of parchment, it Is sounded by 
blows from a soft-headed, elastic mallet or stick. The 
pitch of the tone is determined by various devices for 
adjusting the tension of the head. In orchestral music 
two or more kettledrums (technically called timpani) are 
employed, tuned at different pitches, usually at the tonic 
and the dominant of the piece to be performed. As the 
pitch may be accurately fixed, kettledrums are much used, 
In conjunction with other Instruments, for emphasizing 
the rhythm, and for increasing the sonority of the general 
effect. They are also much used in short solo passage* ; 
and various experiments have been made, with extended 
and elaborate effects, with a large number of drums. 
