sell 
fled for delivery, the original purchaser being required to 
make good the difference between the contract price and 
the price actually received. To sell short. See short. 
sell 1 (sel), n. ['< se// 1 , P.] An imposition; a 
cheat ; a deception ; a trick played at another's 
expense. [Slang.] 
In a little note-book which at that time I carried about 
with me, the celebrated city of Angers is denominated a 
sell. 11. James, Jr., Little Tour, p. 90. 
sell' 2 (sel), n. [< ME. selle, < OF. selle, sele, F. 
wile = Pr. sella, xetha, cella = Sp. silla = Pg. It. 
sella, < L. sella, a seat, chair, stool, saddle, for 
*sedla, < sede re, sit : see sit. Cf. saddle.'] 1. A 
seat, especially an elevated or dignified one ; a 
place of honor and dignity. 
The tyrant proud frown'd from his lofty sell. 
Fairfax, tr. of Tasso's Godfrey of Boulogne, iv. 7. 
Where many a yeoman bold and free 
Kevell'd as merrily and well 
As those that sat in lordly selle. 
Scott, L. of L. M., vL 8. 
2. A saddle. 
Hir Belle it was of reele bone. 
Thomas of Ersseldoune (Child's Ballads, I. 99). 
What mightie warriour that mote bee 
That rode in golden sell with single spere. 
Spenser, F. Q., II. iii. 12. 
[Some commentators on Shakspere think that the passage 
in Macbeth, i. 7. 27, 
I have no spur 
To prick the sides of my intent, but only 
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself 
And falls on the other, 
should read, "Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps its sell. "] 
[Obsolete or archaic in both uses.] 
sell 3 t> n- An obsolete variant of sill 1 . 
sell 4 t, A Middle English form of cell. 
sell 5 (sel)> A Scotch form of self. 
Ill hae tools ready, and we'll gang quietly about our job 
oui" twa sells, and uaebody the wiser for 't. 
Scott, Antiquary, xxiv. 
sella (sel'a), n.; pi. sellee (-e). [NL., < L. sella, 
a seat: see sell 2 .] In anat., the pituitary fossa 
(which see, under fossa 1 ) : more fully called 
sella turcica, sella equina, and sella sphenoidalis. 
sellable (sel'a-bl), a. [< sell* + -able.] That 
can be sold; salable. Cotgrave. 
sellablyt(sel'a-bli),fl*7. [< sellable + -ly 2 .] By 
sale. Cotgrave. [Bare.] 
sellaite (sel'a-it), re. [Named after Quintino 
Sella, an Italian statesman and mineralogist 
( 1827- 84) .] Magnesium fluoride, a rare mineral 
occurring in tetragonal crystals with anhydrite 
and sulphur near Moutiers, in the department 
of Savoie, France. 
sellanders, sellenders (sel'an-derz, -en-derz), 
n. [Also sallenders and solander; < F. solan- 
dre, sellanders ; origin uncertain.] An eczem- 
atous eruption in the horse, occupying the re- 
gion of the tarsus. 
Sellary 1 t, An obsolete form of celery. 
Pray ask Mr. Synge whether his fenocchio be grown ; it 
is now fit to eat here, and we eat it like settary, either with 
or without oil. Swift, To Dr. Sheridan, July 1, 1727. 
Sellary 2 t, [< L- sellarius, < sellaria, a room 
furnished with chairs, a sitting-room, drawing- 
room, < sella, a seat, chair: see sell 2 .] A lewd 
person. [Rare.] 
Ravished hence, like captives, and, in sight 
Of their most grieved parents, dealt away 
Unto his spintries, sellaries, and slaves. 
B. Jonson, Sejanus, iv. 5. 
Belief. An obsolete or Middle English form of 
sei, sell 2 , silft, cell. 
sellenders, n. See sellanders. 
seller 1 (sel'er), n. [< ME. seller, sellere, siller, 
sullar, sullere (= Icel. seljari = Sw. siiljare = Dan. 
seelger); <selfi + -er 1 .] If. One who gives; a 
giver ; a furnisher. 
It is not honest, it may not avaunce, 
For to delen with no such poraille, 
But al with riche and sellers of vitaille. 
Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., 1. 248. 
2. One who sells; a vender. 
To things of sale a seller's praise belongs. 
5Ao*.,L. L. L., iv. 3. 240. 
Seller's option, in Exchange transactions, the option 
which a seller has, or has reserved to himself, of deliver- 
ing the thing sold at any time within a certain number 
of days specified : usually abbreviated to g. o. (as s. o. 3, 
for a three-days' option). See buyer's option, under buyer. 
seller 2 !, . [< OF. sellier, F. sellier = Sp. sillero 
= Pg. selleiro = It. settajo, < ML. sellarius, a sad- 
dler, < L. sella, a saddle: see sell 2 .] A saddler. 
York P/I/I/X. 
seller 3 t (sel'er), n. [Earlymod.E. also scllar (?); 
< ME. selcr, saler, celere, < OF. "selere, saliere, 
saUiere, F. saliere = Pr. saliera, saleira = It. sa- 
liera, a vessel for salt, < L. salaria, fern, of 
salarius, of salt, < sal, salt: see salft, salary!, 
salary 2 , and cf. salt-cellar.] A small vessel for 
5481 
holding salt : now only in composition salt-sel- 
ler, misspelled salt-cell <tr. 
The saltc also touche nat in his salere 
Withe nukyns mete, but lay it honestly 
On youre Trenchoure, for that is curtesy. 
Babees Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 7. 
seller 4 !, An obsolete spelling of cellar^, 1. 
Then straight into the seller hee'l them bring ; 
"lis sweetest drinking at the verry spring. 
Times' Whistle (E. E. T. S.X p. 80. 
selliform (sel'i-form), a. [< L. sella, a saddle, 
+ forma, form.] In hot., zool., and anat., sad- 
dle-shaped. 
sellok (sel'ok), n. A variant of sillock. 
sellyt, " anil ii. [ME., also selli, sellich, sillich, 
sullich, settle, < AS. sellie, sillic, syllic, orig. *seld- 
llc, wonderful, strange, rare, excellent, = OS. 
seldlik, wonderful, rare, = Goth, sildaleiks, won- 
derful ; as seld + -ly l . See seld.] I. a. Won- 
derful; admirable; rare. Layamon. 
II. )(. A wonder ; marvel, 
sellyt, adv. [ME., also selliclie, < AS. sellice, sil- 
lice, wonderfully, < settle, sillic, wonderful : see 
selly, a.] Wonderfully. 
Sikurly I telle the here 
Thou shal hit bye ful selly dere. 
Cursor Mundi. (Halliwett.) 
Selninger sandpiper. See sandpiper. 
selort, '* Same as cehire. 
selthet, [ME., < AS. gesxltli, happiness, < ge- 
+ siel, happy: see seel 1 .] Blessedness. 
seltzogene (selt'so-jen), . [< F. selzogene; as 
Seltz(er), Sellers (see Selters water, underwater), 
+ -gen.] Same as gazogene. 
seluret, See celure. 
selvage, selvedge (sel'vaj, -vej), n. [Early 
mod. E. also selvidge, selvege; < ME. selvage, < MD. 
selfegge, selfegglie (Kilian), D. zclfegg (Sewel) = 
MLG. self-egge, svlf-egge, selvage, < self, sulf, ex- 
treme, extremity (Kilian), appar. a particular 
use of self, D. zelf, same, self, + cage, edge : see 
self and edgel. Cf. MD. self-ende, MLG. selfende, 
sulf-ende (ends = E. end), MD. self-kant, D. zelf- 
Tcant = LG. self-kant (kant = E. cant 1 ), selvage, 
similarly formed.] 1. The edge of a web or 
textile fabric so finished that it does not allow 
of raveling out the weft. 
Tho ouer nape schalle dowbulle be layde, 
To tho vttur syde the seluage brade ; 
Tho ouer seluage he schalle replye, 
As towelle hit were fayrest in hye. 
Babees Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 321. 
I end with the prayer after my text, which is like a rich 
garment, that hath facing, guards, and seleage of its own. 
Ret. S. Ward, Sermons, p. 112. 
The trees have ample room to expand on the water side, 
and each sends forth its most vigorous branch in that di- 
rection. There Nature has woven a natural selvage. 
Thoreau, Walden, p. 202. 
2. That part of a web at either edge which is 
not finished like the surface of the cloth, and 
which is meant to be torn away when the ma- 
terial is made up, or for use in making the seam. 
See list*, 2. 3. In mining, the part of a vein 
or lode adjacent to the walls on each side, and 
generally consisting of flucan or gouge. It is 
usually formed in part by the decomposition of the rock 
adjacent to the vein, and in part by the washing in of 
clayey material to fill any vacancy which may occur along 
the walls of the fissure. See vein. 
4. The edge-plate of a lock, through which the 
bolt shoots. 5. Same as selvagee. 
selvage, selvedge (sel'vaj, -vej), v. To hem. 
Minsfieu. 
selvaged, selvedged (sel'vajd, -vejd), a. [< 
selvage, selvedge, + -ed%.] Having a selvage. 
selvagee (sel-va-je'), . [< selvage + -ee (here 
appar. a mere extension).] Naut., an untwist- 
ed skein of rope-yarn marled together and used 
for any purpose where a strong and pliant strap 
is required. Also selvage. See cut under nip- 
peri, 8. 
selvet, a. An obsolete variant of self. 
selvedge, selvedged. See selvage, selvaged. 
selvert, >* A Middle English form of silver. 
selves, n. Plural of self. 
selyt, a. See seely, silly. 
selynesst, n. See seeliness, silliness. 
semseologyt, n. See semiology. 
semantron (se-man'tron), n. ; pi. seinantra 
(-tra). [< Gr.' ar/ftavrpov, a seal, signet, MGr. 
a semantron, < arifiaivuv, show by a sign, give 
a signal, MGr. strike the semantron, < arjfui, 
a mark, sign: see sematic.] In the Gr. Ch., a 
long bar or piece of wood or metal struck with 
a mallet, and used instead of a bell to summon 
worshipers to service. The use of semantra seems 
older than that of church-bells, and they have continued 
in use in Mohammedan countries, as in these the ringing 
of bells is usually forbidden. The mallet with which the 
large semantron is struck is also called a semantron (a 
Railway Semaphore. 
ft, lever, which operates 
both b, blade, and c, lan- 
Same as sema- 
By 
semblable 
hatid-semantron, xt-ipoo-rj^ai-Tpoi'). The iron semantra are 
called h(t</i<>xider(t. (Sec htujioxideron.) A wooden seman- 
tron is called the wood or the holy wood (TO iepop iiAor). 
Also haifionemanlron, semanterion. 
semantUS (se-man'tus), n. [NL., < Gr. citjiavrlif, 
marked, emphatic, < aeuaivtiv, mark: see seman- 
tron.'] In anc. pros. See trochee semantus, un- 
der trochee. 
semaphore (sem'a-for), n. [= F. semaphore ; ir- 
reg. < Gr. of//M, a sign, + -0o- . 
pof, < <pepeiv = E. fctari.] A 
mechanical device for dis- 
playing signals by means of 
which information is con- 
veyed to a distant point. 
The word is now confined almost 
entirely to apparatus used on rail- 
ways employing the block system. 
The blade is a day signal, the lan- 
tern is used at night. A vertical 
position of the blade or a white 
light exhibited by the lantern in- 
dicates safety ; a horizontal posi- 
tion of the blade or a red light indi- 
cates danger; an intermediate po- 
sition of the blade or a green light 
demands a cautious approach with 
lessened speed. 
semaphore-plant (sem'a- 
for-plant), n. The tele- 
graph-plant, Desmodium gy- 
rans. 
semaphoric (sem-a-for'ik), 
a. [' semaphore + ^ic.] Re- 
lating to a semaphore or to 
semaphores ; telegraphic. 
semaphorical (sem-a-for'i- ter - 
kal), a. [< semaphoric + -al.'] 
phoric. 
semaphorically (sem-a-for'i-kal-i), adv. 
means of a semaphore. 
semaphorist (sem'a-for-ist), n. [< semaphore 
+ -ist.] One who has charge of a semaphore. 
semasiological (se-ma"si-o-loj'i-kal), a. Per- 
taining to semasiology or meaning. Athenseum, 
No. 3284, p. 450. 
semasiology (se-ma-si-ol'o-ji), re. [< Gr. aq/ia- 
aia, the signification of a word (< aq/jatvetv, show 
by a sign, signify: see semantron), + -Twyia, < 
teyeiv, speak: see -ology.] The science of the 
development and connections of the meanings 
of words; the department of significance in 
philology. 
Semasiology in all its various aspects does not offer 
much that is as regular even as the phonetic life of 
words ; so much more worthy of attention are the paral- 
lelisms in the development of meanings, which repeat 
themselves oftentimes in most varied surroundings, in- 
viting even to a search for a psychological cause for this 
persistence. Amer. Jour. Philol., VII. 100. 
semasphere (sem'a-sfer), . [Irreg. < Gr. af/ua, 
a sign, + aiftai/ia, a ball.] An aerostatic sig- 
naling apparatus, consisting of a powerful elec- 
tric light attached to a balloon which is stead- 
ied by kites or parachutes, and secured by 
ropes. The latter may also serve as conductors. 
sematic (se-mat'ik), o. [< Gr. aijfta, a sign, 
mark, token.] Significant; indicative, as of 
danger ; serving as a sign or warning ; ominous ; 
monitory ; repugnatorial. 
The second great use of colour is to act as a warning or 
signal (sematic colour), repelling enemies by the indica- 
tion of some unpleasant or dangerous quality. 
Nature, XLII. 557. 
sematology (sem-a-tol'o-ji), n. [< Gr. arjfia(T-), 
a sign, + -/toyi'a, ^ Aeyeiv, say, speak : see -olo- 
gy.] The science of signs, particularly of ver- 
bal signs, in the operations of thinking and rea- 
soning; the science of language as expressed 
by signs. 
For the proper understanding of Hebrew a knowledge 
of the related tongues is indispensable ; and in every com- 
prehensive Hebrew dictionary all the new facts that can 
be gained from any of them to illustrate Hebrew phonol- 
ogy etymology, or sematology must be accurately and ju- 
diciously presented. Amer. Jour. Philol. , IV. 343. 
sematrope (sem'a-trop), re. [< Gr. af/fta, a mark, 
sign, + -Tpo7rof,"< rptmtv, turn.] Milit., an 
adaptation of the heliotrope to the purpose of 
transmitting military signals in the day-time 
by means of the number and the grouping of 
the flashes. 
semawet, A Middle English form of sea-mew. 
semblablet (sem'bla-bl), a. and n. [< ME. sem- 
blable, < OF. (and F.) semblable (= Pr. sembla- 
ble, semlable = lt. sembiabile, semblabile, sembra- 
bile), like, resembling, < sembler, be like, re- 
semble: see semble, v.] I. a. Like; similar; 
resembling. 
I woot wel that my lord can moore than I ; 
What that he seith I holde it ferine and stable; 
I seye the same or elles thyng semblable. 
Chaucer, Merchant's Tale, 1. 256. 
