seine 
seine a t. A Middle English form of sain and of 
ni(pi . 
seine-boat (san'bot), . A boat specially de- 
signed or used for holding, carrying, or paying 
out a seine. 
seine-captain (san'kap"tan), . The overseer 
of a seine-gang. [U. S.] 
seine-crew (san'kro), . The crew of a seine- 
gang ; the men as distinguished from their gear. 
seine-engine (san'en'jin), . A steam-engine 
employed in hauling seines. [U. S.J 
seine-fisher (san'nsh"er), n. A seiner. 
seine-gang (san'gang), n. A body of men en- 
gaged in seining, together with their boats and 
other gear. Such a gang is a sailing-gang or a steamer- 
gang, as they may work from a sailing vessel or to a 
steamer. 
seine-ground (san'ground), . Same as nein- 
tno-ground, 
seine-hauler (san'ha"ler), n. A fisherman us- 
ing the seine : in distinction from (jitter or gitt- 
netter. 
seine-man (san'man), n. A seine-hauler; one 
of a seine-gang. 
seine-needle (san'ue"dl), w. A needle with 
which the meshes of a seine are netted: same 
as hanging-needle. 
Seiner (sa'ner), . [Early mod. E. also sayner; 
< seine 1 + -er 1 .] One who makes a business of 
seining ; also, a vessel attending seine-fishery : 
applied very generally to vessels engaged in 
purse-seining for menhaden and mackerel. 
Sayaen complayne with open mouth that these dro- 
uers worke much prejudice to the commonwealth of fisher- 
men, and reape thereby small gaine to themselves. 
R. Carew, Survey of Cornwall, fol. 32. 
seine-roller (san'ro'ler), . A rolling cylinder 
or drum over which a seine is hauled. 
seining (sa'ning), n. [Verbal n. of seine 1 , '. t.] 
The act, method, or industry of using the seine. 
seining-ground (sa'ning-ground), . The bot- 
tom of a river or lake over which a seine is 
hauled. Also seine-ground. 
seint't, " and 11. An obsolete form of saint 1 . 
seint' 2 t, w. [< ME. seint, seynt, saint, for "ceint, 
< OF. ceint, ceinct, < L. cinctus, cinctum, a girdle, 
< cingere, pp. cinctus, gird: see cincture.'} A 
girdle or belt. 
He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote, 
Girt with a seynt of silk, with barres smale. 
Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., 1. 329. 
seintuariet, A Middle English form of sanc- 
tuary. 
seip (sep), r. i. Same as seep. 
seirt, a. A variant of sere 2 . 
seirnsh, . See seerfislt. 
Seirospora (si-ro-spo'ra), n. [NL. (Harvey), < 
Gr. aeipa or oeip6v, a garment, T oiropd, a spore.] 
A former genus of florideous algee, now re- 
garded as a subgenns of the large genus Cal- 
Utliamnioii. S. Grijfithsiana, now Callithamnion seiro- 
spermum, is a beautiful little alga with capillary diwcious 
fronds, 2 to inches high, pyramidal in outline, with 
delicate, erect, dichotomo-multifid, corymbose branches. 
The American specimens are easily distinguished by the 
presence of the so-called seirospores. 
seirospore (si'ro-spor), n. [< NL. *seirosporum, 
< Gr. asipd, garment, -I- airopd, seed: seepore.] 
In tot., one of a special kind of non-sexual 
spores, or organs of propagation, occurring in 
certain florideous algee. They are branched monili- 
form rows of roundish or oval spores, resulting from the 
division of terminal cells of particular branches, or pro- 
duced on the main branches. 
seirosporic (si-ro-spor'ik), a. [< seirospore + 
-c.] In hot., possessing or characteristic of 
seirospores. 
seise, . *. An obsolete or archaic form of seize. 
seisin, . See seizin. 
seismal (sis'mal), a. [< Gr. aeia/i6s, an earth- 
quake aekiv, shake, toss), + -aZ.] Same as 
seismic. 
seismic (sis'mik), . [< Gr. o-EHTjuoc, an earth- 
quake, + -c.] Pertaining to or of the nature 
of an earthquake; relating to or connected 
with an earthquake, or with earthquakes in 
general. To a considerable extent, seismic takes the 
place of earthquake used as an adjective or in compound 
words. Thus seismic center is the equival ent of earthquake 
center, etc. Seismic area, the region or part of the 
earth's surface affected by the shock of an earthquake. 
Seismic center, or seismic focus, the point, line, or re- 
gion beneath the earth's surface where an earthquake- 
shock is started or originated. Seismic vertical the 
5470 
part of the earth's surface which is directly over or nearest 
to the seismic focus. Sometimes called the epicenter or 
epicentrum. 
seismical (sis'mi-kal), a. [< seismic + -al.~\ 
Same as /*/<>. 
seismogram (sis'mo-gram), w. [< Gr. <7fj//w. 
an earthquake, + i'pati[ia, that which is drawn 
or written: see r/ra-m 2 .] The record made by 
a seismograph or seismometer; the result of 
an earthquake-shock as exhibited on the in- 
stniment or instruments employed, these vary- 
ing in character and in the manner in which 
the elements of the shock are recorded. See 
seismometer. 
seismograph (sis'mo-graf), . [< Gr. aeiaft6(, 
an earthquake. + ypafeai, write.] Same as 
M-ixninmfter (which see). The more complicated 
forms of instruments contrived for the purpose of re- 
cording the phenomena of earthquakes are sometimes 
called seismographs, and sometimes seismometers. The 
name seismograph was first employed in reference to the 
elaborate seismometer contrived by Palmieri and used at 
his station on Mount Vesuvius. This was called by him 
a "sismografo,"and this name has generally been Eng- 
lished as seismograph, which is also the designation most 
generally applied by the members of the Seismological 
Society of Japan to the seismometers there contrived and 
used within the past few years. 
seismographer (sis-mog'ra-fer), . Same as 
xeisnioTiigixt. [Rare.] 
seismographic (sis-mo-graf 'ik), a. [< seismog- 
/d/>li-y + -ic.~\ Of or pertaining to seismogra- 
phy ; connected with or furnished by the seis- 
mograph: as, seismographic records, observa- 
tions, studies, etc. 
seismographical (sis-mo-graf'i-kal), a. [< seis- 
mograjiliic + -/.] Same as MiSMograpMc. 
seismography (sis-mog'ra-fi), n. ['< Gr. <rc<oyif, 
an earthquake, + -j pa^i'a, < ypatyeiv, write.] The 
study of earthquake phenomena, with the aid 
of seismographs, or instruments specially con- 
trived for recording the most important facts 
regarding the direction, duration, and force of 
these disturbances of the earth's crust. 
seismological (sis-mo-loj'i-kal), a. [< seismoJ- 
oy-y + -ic-al.~\ Relating to or connected with 
seismology, or the scientific investigation of 
the phenomena of earthquakes. 
The object of all seismoloffical investigation should be, 
primarily, to determine both the true direction and ve- 
locity of motion of the particles set in motion by the 
earthquake-wave. Oldham, Cachar Earthquake, p. 90. 
seismologically (sis-mo-loj'i-kal-i), adr. In a 
seismological aspect. 
seismologist (sis-mol'o-jist), w. [< seismolog-y 
+ -)'*.] A scientific investigator or student of 
earthquake phenomena; one who endeavors, 
by the aid of seismometric observations, to 
arrive at the more important facts connect- 
ed with the origin and distribution of earth- 
quakes. 
seismologue (sis'mo-log), n. [< Gr. ama/tof, an 
earthquake, + -Aoyof,< 'Atytiv, speak: see -oJogy.~\ 
A catalogue of earthquake observations ; a de- 
tailed account of earthquake phenomena. 
The labour of collecting and calculating further and 
future seismologuts will be in a great degree thrown away, 
unless the cultivators of science of all countries . . . shall 
unite in agreeing to some one uniform system of seismic 
observation. 
K. Mallet, in Trans. Brit. Ass. for Adv. of Sci., 1858, p. 1. 
seismology (sis-mol'o-ji), n. [< Gr. a?ia/i6f, an 
earthquake. + -/oyi'a,'< Acyeiv, speak : see -ok>gy.~\ 
The branch of science which has for its object 
the investigation of the causes and effects of 
earthquakes, and, in general, of all the condi- 
tions and circumstances of their occurrence. 
The objects and aims of Semnoloay are of the highest 
interest and importance to geology and terrestrial physics, 
.ft. Mallet, in Admiralty Manual of Scientific Enquiry (3d 
[ed.X p. 327. 
seismometer (sls-mom'e-ter), . [< Gr. oeiapof, 
an earthquake, + [lirpov, a measure : see meter 1 .'] 
An instrument by the aid of which the data are 
obtained for the scientific study of earthquake 
phenomena. The forms of instruments used for this 
purpose are varied, and more or less complicated, in ac- 
cordance with the wishes and means of the observer. A 
common bowl partly filled with a viscid fluid, like mo- 
lasses, which, on being thrown by the earthquake-wave 
against the side of the bowl, leaves a visible record of the 
event, is one of the simplest forms of seismometer which 
have been proposed, as giving a rude approximation to the 
direction of the horizontal element of the wave. Another 
simple form of seismometer consists of two sets of cylin- 
ders, each set numbering from six to twelve, and the in- 
dividual cylinders in each uniformly decreasing in size. 
These are placed on end, one set at right angles to the 
other, on plates resting on a hard horizontal floor, sur- 
rounded by a bed of dry sand, in which the cylinders when 
overthrown will rest, exactly in the position originally 
given by the shock. This instrument is theoretically ca- 
pable of giving the velocity of the horizontal component of 
the shock, its surface-direction in azimuth, or the direc- 
f h k. 
Seisnra 
tion of the horizontal component of the seismic wave, 
and also the direction of translation of the wave. In prac- 
tice, however, the results given by this simple and inex- 
pensive apparatus have not been found satisfactory. The 
seismometer now most generally used in large observa- 
tories, or those where accurate work is expected, involves 
Zbllner's horizontal pendulum, the use of which was 
proposed many years ago, but which was put into the 
present practical form by Messrs. Ewing and Gray. The 
groupof instruments constituting the seismometer of Prof. 
J. A. Ewing is arranged to give a complete record of every 
particular of the earthquake movement, by resolving it into 
three rectangular components one vertical and two hor- 
izontal and registering these by three distinct pointers 
on a sheet of smoked glass which is made to revolve uni- 
formly by clockwork, the clock being started by an ar- 
rangement similar to that of the Palmieri seismoscope. 
To this is added another clock which gives the date of the 
shock and the interval which has elapsed since it took 
place. Another and simpler form of seismometer de- 
signed by Mr. Ewing, and called the "duplex-pendulum 
seismograph," does not show the vertical element of the 
disturbance, nor exhibit anything of the relation of time 
to displacement ; but it is in other respects satisfactory in 
its performance. Of this latter form, fifteen sets were in 
use in Japan in 1880, and others were being made for other 
countries. Compare seismograph, and see cut under aeis- 
moitcope. 
Instruments which will in this way measure or write 
down the earth's motions are called seismometers or seis- 
mographs. Milne, Earthquakes, p. 13. 
seismometric (sls-mo-met'rik), a. [< seismome- 
tr-y + -)c.] Of or pertaining to seismometry 
or the seismometer ; used in or made, produced, 
or observed by means of a seismometer: as, 
seismometric instruments; seismometric obser- 
vations. 
seismometrical (sis-mo-met'ri-kal), . [< seis- 
mometric + -nl.'] Same as seismometric. 
seismometry ( sis-mom'e-tri), n. [< Gr. oeiafdf, 
an earthquake, + -fierpia, < /icrpeiv, measure.] 
The theory and use of 
the seismometer; more 
generally, the scientific 
study of earthquake 
phenomena by the aid 
of observations made 
either with or without 
the use of seismometric 
instruments. 
seismoscope (sis ' mo- 
skop), . [< Gr. aeiafidf, 
an earthquake, + moTrriv, 
view.] A name of the 
simpler form of seis- 
mometer. It is generally so 
arranged that the exact mo- 
ment of passage is noted by 
stopping a clock, either by 
direct mechanical means or 
by the use of an electric cur- 
rent. The epoch may also be 
registered on a revolving cyl- 
inder or other similar device. __ w __ 
The essential part of a seismo- gravity; *,pointon which upper 
Scope Usually Consists Of a sids 0( loop rests ; r. long needle 
delicately suspended or bal- E^? ^SLcffi^S?? 
anced mass, the configuration binding-post ; /, long ami of 
of which is readily disturbed lever pivoted at t; g, point 
on the passage Of the seismic "here end of lever rests on end 
waye F of needle; h, mercury-cup. 
To construct an instrument which at the time of an earth- 
quake shall move and leave a record of its motion, there 
is but little difficulty. Contrivances of this kind are called 
seismoscopes. Milne, Earthquakes, p. 13. 
seismoscopic (sis-mp-skop'ik), a. [< seismo- 
scope + -ic.~\ Relating to or furnished by the 
seismoscope: as, seismoscopic data, observa- 
tions, etc. 
Seison (si'son), . [NL. (Grube, 1859), < Gr. 
aeietv (in comp. <TEJ-), shake : cf . oeiauv, an earth- 
en vessel for shaking beans in.] A remarkable 
genus of parasitic leech-like rotifers. S. neba- 
liie is a wheel-animalcule which is parasitic 
upon the crustaceans of the genus Neoalia. 
seistt. A Middle English form of sayest, second 
person singular indicative present of sayl. 
Seisura (si-su'ra), n. [NL. (Vigors and Hors- 
field, 1826), 
more prop. Sisu- 
ra (Strickland, 
1841),<Gr. aeietv 
(in comp. aeia-), 
shake, + mtpa, 
tail. Cf. Sein- 
.] A notable 
genus of Aus- 
tralian Musci- 
capidte or fly- 
catchers. The 
best-known species 
is S. inquieta, S 
inches long, slate- 
colored with glossy- 
black head and 
white under parts. 
Among its English 
Restless Hycatcher (Xrfsnra mqmrt\. book-names are vol- 
Seismoscope. 
a, heavy mass supported by 
loop at point near center of 
