scythe 
curving blade with a sharp edge, made fast 
at an angle to a handle or snath, which is bent 
Scythe. 
A, blade ; B, tang ; C, ' , fastening hy which the scythe is attached 
rigidly to the snath ; />, snath ; /:', K, handles grasped by the oper- 
ator in imm-inn. 
into a convenient form for swinging the blade 
to advantage. Most scythes have, fixed to the princi- 
pal handle, two projecting handles by which they are held. 
He rent the sail with hokes like a si/the. 
Chaucer, Good Women, 1. 840. 
Every one had his githe and hooke in his hand. 
Coryat, Crudities, I. 148. 
2. A curved sharp blade anciently attached to 
the wheels of some war-chariots. 
scythe (SITE), v. t. ; pret. and pp. scythed, ppr. 
scything. [Early mod. E. sithe, sythe (prop. 
si the, as with the noun); < scythe, .] 1. To 
mow; cut with a scythe, or as with a scythe. 
Time had not scythed all that youth begun. 
Shak., Lover's Complaint, 1. 12. 
2. To arm or furnish with a scythe or scythes. 
Chariots, scythed, 
On thundering axles rolled. 
Glover, Leonidas, iv. 
Gorgon-headed targes, and the wheels 
Of scyt,hed chariots. 
Shelley, Prometheus Unbound, iv. 1. 
SCytheman(sr?H'man),. ; p\.seythenien(-men). 
[Early mod. E. also 'xithcmaii. sytheman ; < 
scythe + man."] One who uses a scythe ; a 
mower. 
The stooping sytheman, that doth barb the field, 
Thou mak'st wink sure ; in night all creatures sleep. 
Marston and Webster, Malcontent, ill. 2. 
scythe-Stone (smi'ston), . A whetstone for 
sharpening scythes. 
scythe-whet (siTH'hwet), . The veery, Tiir- 
dtts fuscescens (Wilson's thrush) : so named from 
the sharp metallic ring of its note, towell, [Lo- 
cal, U. S.] 
Scythian (sith'i-an), a. and n. [< L. Srytliia, 
< Gr. Sicv6ia, Scythia, < S/d&yr, > L. Scythes, 
Scytha, a Scythian, as adj. Scythian; nit. ori- 
gin unknown. The word has been compared 
with LL. Scotus, Scottus, LGr. SmjTOf, Scot: see 
Scot 1 .] I. a. 1. Pertaining to the Scythians, or 
to Scythia, an ancient region of indefinite ex- 
tent north of the Black Sea, or in the northern 
and central parts of Asia. 
I heartily congratulate your Return to England, and 
that you so safely crossed the Scythian Vale. 
Howell, Letters, iv. 40. 
2. Pertaining to the family of languages 
sometimes called Ural-Altaic or Turanian. 
Scythian lamb. See agmts Scythicw (under agnus), and 
barmnetz. 
II. . A member of an ancient nomadic 
race, found in the steppe regions from the Car- 
pathian mountains eastward. The Scythians 
nave been thought to be of Mongolian or more 
probably of Aryan descent. 
The barbarous Scythian . . . shall to my bosom 
Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and relieved, 
As thou my sometime daughter. Shak., Lear, i. 1. 118. 
Scythic (sith'ik), a. [< L. Scythicun, < Gr. ZTO- 
ft/cdf , of the Scythians, < 2*6%, Scythian : see 
Scythian.] Scythian. 
The Scythic settlement was not effected without a 
struggle. Encyc. Krit.. XII. 789. 
noT'ie-hollandi^ , 
5437 
Scythrops (si'thropsj, M. [NL. (John Latham, 
1(90), < Gr. aiatipitf, angry, + uij>, face, coun- 
tenance.] A remarkable genus of Austra- 
lian CiK'ulitltr: the channelbills, or horn-billed 
cuckoos. There is but one species, S. ttova-hallandur, 
notable for its large size and elegant plumage, the singu- 
lar shape of the bill, and the naked scarlet sides of the 
head. See cut in preceding column. 
Scytodepsic (si-to-dep'sik), a. [< Gr. anvTooeijii- 
<};, pertaining to a tanner (fern. aKvroieijiuc^, sc. 
~*yyii the art of tanning), < anvrodi^nif, a tan- 
ner, currier, < OKVTOC, skin, hide, anything made 
of hide, + tityeiv, soften, make supple, < tityeiv, 
soften, esp. by moisture.] Pertaining to the 
business of a tanner. [Rare.] Scytodepsic acid, 
gallic acid. Scytodepsic principle, tannin. 
Scytodermata (si-to-der'ma-ta), n. pi. [NL., 
neut.pl. of seytodermatus : see scytodermatous.~] 
In Leuckart's classification (1848), the third 
class of Echinodermata, distinguished from 
Pelmatozoa and Actinoeoa, and containing the 
two orders Holothuriee and Sipitnculida. 
scytodermatous (si-to-der'ma-tus), a. [< NL. 
scytodermatus, < Gr. akirrof, skin, hide, + depfta, 
skin.] Having a tough, leathery integument, 
as a holothurian ; of or pertaining to the Scyto- 
dennata. 
Scytodes (si-to'dez), n. [NL. (Walckenaer, 
1806), also incorrectly Scytode, < Gr. aiarrof, skin, 
hide, + dSof , form.] A genus of spiders, typical 
of the family Scytodidse. 
Scytpdidse (si-tod'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < Scytodes 
+ -idee.'] A family of dipneumonous spiders, 
typified by the genus Scytodes. Also called 
Scytodides. 
Scytomonadina (si-to-mon-a-di'nii), K. pi. 
[NL., < Scytomonas (-ad-) + -m 2 .] In Stein's 
classification (1878), a family of flagellate in- 
fusorians, represented by Scytomonas and nine 
other genera. 
scytomqnadine (si-to-mon'a-din), a. Of or 
pertaining to the Scytomonditina. 
Scytomonas (si-tom'o-nas), n. [NL. (F. Stein), 
< Gr. cKVTOf, skin, hide, + NL. Monas, q. v.] A 
genus of pantpstomatous monomastigate fla- 
gellate inf usorians, containing free-swimming 
animalcules of minute size and persistent ovate 
form, without distinct oral aperture, dividing 
by transverse fission, and found in fresh water, 
as S. pitsitta. 
Scytonema (si-to-ne'mii,), n. [NL. (Agardh), 
so called because the filaments are inclosed 
in a sheath ; < Gr. anvTof, skin, hide, + vy/ia, a 
thread.] A genus of fresh-water algje, of the 
class Cyanophyceee, subclass Nostochineie, and 
typical of the order ficytonemaceee. They are com- 
posed of branching filaments which produce interwoven 
mats of greater or less extent. Each sheath incloses a 
single trichome, and the heterocysts are scattered here 
and there in the trichome without particular relation to 
the branches. There are more than 20 American species. 
Scytonemaceae (si"to-ne-ma'sf-e), n. pi. [NL. , 
< Scytonema + -acese.~\ An order of fresh-water 
algre, of the class Cyanophycese, typified by the 
genus Scytonema. They much resemble the Rimlari 
acese in consisting of branched filaments, inclosed, either 
singly or in numbers, in a mucilaginous sheath, but differ 
from that family in exhibiting no differentiation of the 
- two extremities. The ordinary mode of propagation is 
by means of resting-spores or hormogones, but they also 
multiply by the individual filaments escaping from their 
sheath and investing themselves with a new mucilaginous 
envelop. It is divided into 2 suborders, the Scytonemese 
and Siro&iphonex. 
scytonematoid (si-to-nem'a-toid), a. [< Scyto- 
nema(t-) + -aid.'] In bo t.',' resembling or be- 
longing to the genus Scytonema or to the order 
Scytonemaceee. Also scytonemoid, sci/tonematous. 
scytonematous (si-to-nem'a-tus), a. [< Scyto- 
nema(t-) + -oiis.] In bot.,"s&me as sci/tonema- 
toid. 
Scytonemeae (si-to-ue'me-e), . pi. [NL., < 
Scytonema + -ess.'] A suborder of fresh-water 
algee, of the class Cyanophyceee and order Scyto- 
nciniiccee, typified by the genus Scytonema. 
scytonemin (sl-to-ne'min), n. [< Scytonema + 
-('-.] In bot., a yellow or dark-brown coloring 
matter found in scytonematoid alg. 
scytonemoid (si-to-ne'moid), a. [< Scytoiii'iiu/ 
+ -oi'rf.] In bot., same as scytonematoid. 
Scytosiphon (si-to-si'fon), n. [NL. (Thuret), 
< Gr. aniiTof, skin, tide, -r- o'upuv, a tube.] A genus 
of marine algre, of the class Plteroitporex, typical 
of the order Scytosiphonacree. Tl]e fronds are sim- 
ple, cylindrical, usually constricted at intervals, hollow, 
the cortex of small colored cells ; paraphyses single-celled, 
nblnng-obovate, interspersed among the sporangia. S. 
lomuttafiw, found nearly all over the world, is common 
on stones between tide-marks along the New England 
coast. 
Scytosiphonaceae (si-to-si-fo-na'se-e), n. /</. 
[NL.,< SeytosipltOH + -d<-fse..~\ ' An order of ma- 
i-inc alga 1 , typified by the genus Srytnsi/ih<>. 
Tlie fronds are unbranching, either incnibranuctMjus or 
tubular ; plurilocular sporangia in short lilaments, densely 
covering the whole under surface of the fronds ; unilocular 
sporangia not perfectly known. 
Seytosiphoneae (sl-to-si-fon'c-e), n. pi. [NL., 
< Scytosiphon + -ex.~\ Same' as Scytosipliiiim- 
cese. 
sdaint, r. t. [Early mod. E. also sdayn, sdeit/ni: 
sdeign, sdein; < It. sdegnare, disdain, etc.: see 
disdain and deign.'] Same as dindtiin. 
Yet durst she not disclose her fancies wound, 
Ne to himselfe, for doubt of being sdayned. 
Spenser, V. Q., V. v. 44. 
sdaint, [< stitlin, v. Cf. disdain, .] Same 
as 
So she departed full of griefe and sdaint. 
Spenser, f. Q., V. v. 61. 
Sdainfult, . [Also sdaignefutt, sdeinful ; < sdnin 
+ -ful. Cf. disdainful] Same as disdainful. 
She shrieks and turnes away her 'sdeiynqful eyes 
From his sweet face. 
Fairfax, tr. of Tasso's Godfrey of Boulogne, xx. 128. 
sdaynt, r. See sdain. 
'sdeath (sdeth), interj. [An abbr. of Godfs death. 
Cf. 'sblood, sounds, etc.] An exclamation, gen- 
erally expressive of impatience. 
Sdeath! 
The rabble should have first unroof'd the city. 
Shak., Cor.,i. 1. 221. 
sdeignt, Sdeint, f. See sdain. 
S6 1 t, f. An obsolete form of see 1 . 
se 2 t, . An obsolete form of sea 1 . 
SO 3 (se),pron. [L. se,acc.andabl. (with *M(,gen., 
sibi, dat.) of the reft, pron., = Goth. s'A- = G. sich 
= Icel. s-ik, dat. set; etc. (see sere 2 ).] A Latin 
reflexive pronoun, occurring in some phrases 
used in English, as in per se (compare amper- 
sand), in se, se defendendo. 
se 4 (sa), prep. [It., if, < L. si, if.] In music, if : 
occurring in some directive phrases, as se bi- 
sogna, if it is necessary. 
se-. [= F.se-, se- = 8p. Pg. It. se-, < L. se-, also 
sed-, without, apart, away, prob. 'by oneself,' 
orig. "sviad, abl. of the reft. pron. se, oneself (> 
swiix, one's own), = Skt. sva. one's own self: see 
.se 3 .] A Latin prefix, meaning 'apart,' 'away,' 
occurring in many English words, as in secede, 
secure, segregate, seclude, select, secret, seduce, 
separate, serer, etc. , and in the form serf- in sedi- 
tion. 
Se. In chem., the symbol of selenium. 
8. E. An abbreviation of southeast or south- 
eastern. 
sea 1 (se), n. [Formerly also sec,se; < ME. see, 
se, earlier .,_< AS. see (fern., in some forms 
masc.: gen. see, s&we, seo, f., sievs, sees, m., dat. 
**, f. and m. ; pi. see, f., sees, m., dat. seem, sxmn, 
szeivum, f. and m.), the sea, water (as opposed 
to air or to land), a sea, a lake (glossed by L. 
mare, eequor, pontus, pelagus, marmor), = OS. 
seo, sen, se (ace. seo, se, dat. sewa, seice), m., = 
OFries. se = MD. see, D. zee = MLG. se, LG. see 
= OHG. seo, seu, se, MHG. se, m. and f., sea, 
lake, G. see, f., the sea, m., a lake, = Icel. sser 
= Sw. sjo = Dan. so = Goth, saitcs, m., sea, 
lake, also swamp-laud, also in comp. marisaiics 
(marei = E. mere 1 ), a lake. Some compare the 
word with L. seevtts, wild, cruel, or with Gr. aio/toj-, 
movable; but there is no evidence to show that 
the name orig. implied ' raging water ' or ' mov- 
ing water.'] 1. The salt waters that cover the 
greater part of the earth's surface; the ocean. 
[The wordseffl in compound words always has the meaning 
of 'ocean.' In this sense, with a hyphen, the word is the 
first element of numerous names, especially of animals and 
plants, the more noteworthy of which are entered in the 
following columns.] 
The thridde day thei rode forth to the Kochell, and ther 
entred the see. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), UL 419. 
"Here is a royal belt," she cried, 
"That I have found in the green sea. " 
Kemp Owyne (Child's Ballads, I. 144). 
The sun 's a thief, and with his great attraction 
Hobs the vast sea. Shak., T. of A., iv. 3. 440. 
2. A great body of salt water ; a more or less 
distinctly limited or landlocked part of the 
ocean having considerable dimensions. Such 
seas are frequently limited or separated from each other 
by linear groups of islands ; this is especially the case on 
the Pacific coast of Asia, and in the East Indies, where 
there are more seas in this sense than anywhere else. 
Smaller areas thus more or less completely inclosed by 
land are known as bays, yulfs, sounds, etc. Thus, we speak 
of the Mediterranean Sea and, as a smaller division of this, 
the Adriatic Sea; but of the Gulf of Taranto, and the 
Bay of Naples. The namesea is not now usually given to 
entirely landlocked sheets of water such use being either 
traditional, as in the Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, or excep- 
tional, as in the <';isi>i:m Sea, Sea of Aral. Sea, bay, and 
ra^are more or less synonymous ,mns. Thus, the Ara- 
bian Sen and the Ray of Bengal do not dilter essentially in 
