semidiaphaneity 
semidiaphaneity (sem-i-dl"a-fa-ne'i-ti), n. 
Half-transparency; imperfect transparency. 
The transparency or semi-diaphaneity of the superflciiil 
corpuscles of bigger bodies may have an interest in the 
production of their colours. Boyle, On Colours. 
semidiaphanous (sem"i-di-af a-nus), a. Partly 
diaphanous; somewhat transparent. 
Another plate, finely variegated with a semidiaphanous 
grey. Woodward, On Fossils. 
semidiatessaron (sem-i-dl-a-tes'a-rou), n. In 
medieval music, a diminished fourth. 
semiditast, In medieval music, the reduction 
of the time-value of notes by one half. See 
iliminution, 3. 
semi-ditono (sem-i-di'ton), n. In medieval m - 
sic, a minor third. Diapason aeml-dltone. See di- 
apason. 
Semidiurna (sem'i-di-er'nft), . pi. [NL. 
(Stephens, 1829), < semi- + Diiirna, q. v.] In en- 
tom., a group of lepidopterous insects, corre- 
sponding to Latreille's Crepuscularia, and in- 
cluding the hawk-moths. 
semidiurnal (sem^i-di-er'nal), a. 1. Pertain- 
ing to or accomplished in' half a day (either 
twelve hours or six hours) ; continuing half a 
day. 2. In entom., partly diurnal; flying in 
twilight; crepuscular; specifically, of or per- 
taining to the Semidiurna Semidiurnal arc, in 
astron., the arc described by a heavenly body in half the 
time between its rising and setting. 
semi-dome (sem'i-dom), . Half a dome, es- 
pecially as formed by a vertical section; less 
Semi-dome, exterior. 
Apse of Suleimani Mosque. Constantinople (A. D. 1550). 
properly, any feature of form or construction 
more or less similar to half a dome. The term 
applies especially to such uuadrantal vaults as those 
Semi-dome, interior. 
Apse of Suleimani Mosque, Constantinople (A. D. 1550). 
which cover in the apse of most Italian medieval churches, 
and of many French and German Romanesque churches. 
See also cut under apse. 
One of the most beautiful features of French vaulting, 
almost entirely unknown in this country, is the great 
polygonal vault of the semi-dome of the chevet which as 
an architectural object few will be disinclined to admit 
is, with its walls of painted glass and its light construc- 
tive roof, a far more beautiful thing than the plain semi- 
dome of the basilican apse, notwithstanding its mosaics. 
J. Fertrusson, Hist. Arch., I. 573. 
There is an apse at each end of the building, . . . cov- 
ered with a semi-dome. 
C. H. Moore, Gothic Architecture, p. 171. 
semi-double (sem-i-dub'l), a. and . I. a. In 
hot., having the outermost stamens converted 
into petals, while the inner ones remain per- 
fect: said of a flower. 
II. . A festival on which half the antiphon 
is repeated before and the whole antiphon after 
the psalm. See double. 
semi-effigy (sem-i-ef 'i-ji), n. A portrait or other 
representation of a figure seen at half length 
only, as in certain tombs of the fifteenth and 
sixteenth centuries", monumental brasses, etc. 
semi-elliptical (sem'-'i-e-lip'ti-kal), a. Having 
the form of half an ellipse which is cut trans- 
versely; semioval. 
semi-fable (sem-i-fa'bl), n. A mixture of truth 
and fable; a narrative partly fabulous and 
partly true. De Quincey, [Bare.] 
semi-faience (sem"i-fa-yons'), n. In ceram., 
pottery having a transparent glaze instead of 
the opaque enamel of true faience. 
5484 
semifascia (sem-i-fash'i-a), n. In entom.. same 
as semi-band. 
semifibularis (sem-i-fib-u-la'ris), H. : pi. semi- 
lilmUtrcx (-rez). In uiiiit.. same as perniieim 
brevis. 
semi-figure (sem-i-fig'ur), . A partial human 
figure in ornamental design, as a head ami 
torso with or without arms, ending in scroll- 
work, leafage, or the like. 
semiflex (sem'i-fleks), r. t. To half -bend ; place 
in a position midway between extension and 
complete flexion, as a limb or joint. 
After the accident he could more than seini-Jtex the 
forearm. Lancet, No. 34i, p. 242. 
genuflexion (sem-i-flek'shon), H. The posture 
of a limb or joint half-way between extension 
and complete flexion. 
semi-floret (sem-i-flo'ret), n. In hot., same as 
semi-flosevle. 
semi-floscular (sem-i-flos'ku-lar), a. Same as 
Ki-mi-JtoscuJous. 
semi-floscule (sem-i-flos'kul), n. In bot., a 
floret or floscule with a strap-shaped corolla, 
as in the Composite. 
semi-flosculous, semi-flosculose (sem-i-flos'- 
ku-lus, -16s), a. [< semi- + L. flosculus, a little 
flower.] In hot., having the corolla split, flat- 
tened out, and turned to one side, as in the 
ligular flowers of composites. 
semi-fluid (sem-i-fl6'id), a. and n. I. a. Fluid, 
but excessively viscous. 
II. . An excessively viscous fluid. 
semifluidic (sem'i-flij-id'ik), a. Same as semi- 
fluid. 
semi-formed (sem'i-fdrmd), . Half-formed; 
imperfectly formed: as, a semi-formed crys- 
tal. 
semi-frater (sem-i-fra'ter), n. [ML., < L. 
semi-, half, + J "rater, brother: see j rater."] In 
monasticism, a secular benefactor of a reli- 
gious house who for his services is regarded 
as connected with its order or fraternity, and 
has a share in its intercessory prayers and 
masses. 
semi-fused (sem'i-fuzd), a. Half-melted. 
By grinding the semi-fused mass and treating it with 
water. Ure, Diet, IV. 599. 
semigeometer (sem'i-je-om'e-ter), n. A moth 
or caterpillar of the section Semigeometree. 
Semigeometrae(sem*'i-je-om'e-tre), .pl. [NL. 
(Hiibner, 1816), < L. semi-, half, + NL. Geome- 
trse, q. v.] In entom., a section of noctuid moths 
resembling the Geometridfe in general appear- 
ance. 
semigeometrid (sem'i-je-om'e-trid), a. and . 
I. a. Of or pertaining to the Senrigeometrx. 
II. . A member of the Semigeometree ; a 
semigeometer ; a semilooper. 
seniiglobose (sem-i-glo'bos), a. Having the 
shape of half a sphere: applied especially to 
the eggs of certain insects. 
semiglobularly (sem-i-glob'u-18,r-li), adv. So 
as to form a half -sphere : as, a surface semi- 
globularly expanded. 
semi-god (sem'i-god), n. [Tr. L. semideus, < 
semi-, half, + deus, god.] A demigod. [Bare.] 
Yonder souls, set far within the shade. 
That in Elysian bowers the blessed seats do keep, 
That for their living good now semi-gods are made. 
B. Jonton, Golden Age Restored. 
semiheterocercal (sem-i-het*e-ro-ser'kal), a. 
Partly heterocercal. Smithsonian Report, 1880, 
p. 371. 
semihoral (sem-i-ho'ral), a. Half-hourly. 
semi-independent (sem-i-in-de-peu'dent), a. 
Not fully independent; half or partly depen- 
dent. 
semi-infinite (sem-i-in'fi-nit), a. Limited at 
one end and extending to infinity away from it. 
Semi-Infinite quantity. See quantity. 
semi-ligneous (sem-i-hg'ne-us), a. Half or par- 
tially ligneous or woody : in botany noting a 
stem which is woody at the base and herba- 
ceous at the top, as in common rue, sage, and 
thyme. 
semi-liquid (sem-i-lik'wid), a. Half-liquid; 
semi-fluid. 
semi-liquidity (sem"i-li-kwid'i-ti),M. The state 
of being semi-liquid; partial liquidity. 
semiloglcal (sem-i-loj'i-kal), a. Pertaining to 
the expression of ordinary or idiomatic lan- 
guage in strict logical form Semilogical fal- 
lacy. See fallacy. 
semilooper (sem-i-16"per), n. A semigeometer. 
semilor (sem'i-16r), n. Same as siatilor. 
semilucent (sem-i-lu'sent), . Half-trans- 
parent. 
semimembranous 
'Twas Sleep slow journeying witli hu;i<l on pillow, . . . 
His litter of Minx-tli vutilucciit mist 
Diversely tinged with rose and amethyst. 
Keats, Endymion, iv. 
semilunar (sem-i-lu'nar), . and . [< F. gciiii- 
liniiiirc = Sp. Pg. semilunar = It. semitmiare, < 
NL. *nemilunarig, < L. semi-, half, + luiia, moon: 
see lunar.'] I. a. Besembling a half-moon in 
form; half-moon shaped; loosely, manat.,biit., 
and zool., crescentie in shape; crescentif orm ; 
meniscoid; concavo-convex: noting several 
structures, without much regard for precision 
in the implied meaning. 
The eyes are guarded with a semilttiiar ridge. N. Grew. 
Semilunar aortic valves, the three pocket-like valves 
at the origin of the aorta. The free margin is strength- 
ened by a fibrous band, and is thickened at a middle 
point called the corpus Arantii. The valves are attached 
by their convex borders to the arterial wall at its point of 
junction with the ventricle. Semilunar bone, the sec- 
ond bone of the proximal row of the carpus, in man a small, 
irregularly cubic bone articulating with the radius, sca- 
phoid, cuneiform, magnum, and unciform. Also called 
lunare,intennedium,wv\ ox IOIKI,-,', *, i/iilunare.or lunatum. 
See semilunare. Semilunar cartilage. See cartilage, 
and cut under knee-joint. Semilunar cavity, in anal., 
the sigmoid cavity at the lower end of the radius. See 
sirrmoid. Semilunar fascia, a strong, flat, aponeurotic 
band which passes downward and inward from the inner 
side of the lower part of the biceps tendon to blend with 
the deep fascia of the forearm. Also called biapilal fascia 
(which see, under bicipital). See cutunder7nerfMm. Semi- 
lunar fibrocartllage. Same as semilunar cartilage. 
Semilunar fold of the eye, the plica semilunaris or ru- 
dimentary third eyelid of man and many other mammals. 
Semilunar fold of Douglas [James Douglas, Scot- 
tish physician and anatomist (1875 -1741)]. (a) The lower 
concave border of the posterior layer of the sheath of the 
rectus muscle, lying about midway between the umbilicus 
and pubis. (b) Same as rectocesical fold (which see, under 
rectovesicat). Semilunar folds of the peritoneum, 
the recto-uterine folds. See cut under peritoneum. 
Semilunar fossa or depression, in urtrith., one of a pair 
of large cresccntic cavities on top of the skull, one over 
each orbit, lodging a supraorbital gland whose secretion 
is conducted into the nasal cavity. It is very commonly 
present in water-birds, as loons for example. Semi- 
lunar ganglion. See ijanglvm. Semilunar lobes of 
the cerebellum, the superior posterior and inferior pos- 
terior lobes. - Semilunar membrane, in anrith. See 
membrane. Semilunar notch, in anal. : (a) The inter- 
clavicular notch, (b) The suprascapular notch. Semi- 
lunar pulmonary valve, one of three pocket- like valves 
which guard the opening of the pulmonary artery into 
the right ventricle of the heart. They are very like the 
aortic valves of the same name (see above). =Syn. Semi- 
lunar, Sigmoid. In anatomy, formerly (as still sometimes) 
these words described the same crescentlc figure, for the 
reason that a later form of the Greek letter sigma, :, was 
like a C. The two forms are distinguished in structures 
later named. Compare sigmoid (cavity of the ulna) with 
sigmoid (flexure of the rectum), under sigmoid, a. 
H. n. The semilunar or lunar bone of the 
wrist. See semilunare. 
semilunare (sem*i-lu-na're), n.; pi. aemihinaria 
(-ri-a). [NL. : see semilunar.'] The semilunar 
bone of the wrist ; the second bone of the proxi- 
mal row of carpals, between the scaphoid and 
the cuneiform : so called from its concavo-con- 
vex shape in the human wrist. More fully 
called os semilunare. Also lunare and lunatum. 
See scapholunare, and cuts under Artiodactyla, 
hand, Perissodactyla, pisiform, and scapliolu- 
nar. 
semilunary (sem-i-lu'na-ri), a. [As semilunar 
+ -#.] Same as semilunar. [Bare.] 
The Soldania Bay is of a semi-lunary forme. 
Sir T. Herbert, Travels in Africa (ed. 1638X p. 13. 
semilunate (sem-i-lu'nat), a. [< NL. "semi- 
luna, half-moon, + -ate 1 (cf. lunate).'] Same as 
MMHMOT. 
semimalignant (sem"i-ma-lig'nant), a. Some- 
what but not very malignant : said of tumors. 
semimature (sem^i-ma-tur'), a. [ME. semy ma- 
ture, < LL. semimaturus, half-ripe, < semi-, half, 
+ mat urns, ripe.] Half -ripe. 
Semymature also me may hem glene, 
And daies V in salt water hem lene. 
Palladium, Husbondrie (E. E. T. S.\ p. 123. 
semimembranose (sem-i-mem'bra-nog), a. 
Same as teaUmembrinUMlt. 
semimembranosus (sem-i-mem-bra-no'sus), .; 
pi. semimembranoxi (-si). [NL. (sc. nntsculiis): 
see semintembranoitx.] A long muscle of the 
back of the thigh, or postfemoral region, aris- 
ing from the ischial tuberosity, and inserted 
chiefly into the back part of the inner tuber- 
osity of the tibia: so called from its semimem- 
branous character in man, retained in few other 
animals. Its tendon forms one of the inner hamstrings, 
and also expands to enter into the formation of the pos- 
terior ligament of the knee-joint. Its action flexes the 
leg upon the thigh. Also called membranosus and uchio- 
poplititibialis. 
semimembranous(sem-i-mem'bra-nus), a. In 
aunt., partly membranous ; intersected by sev- 
eral broad, flat tendinous intervals, as the semi- 
membranosus. 
