Sequoia 
ped apex. The flowers are monoecious, terminal or axillary 
on young shoots, with their stales spirally set. The small 
anil involucrate staminate flower consists of an oblong col- 
umn of united stamens, bearing crowded ovate connective 
scales, each with three to five anthers. The compressed 
seed bears a thick spongy margin, and contains four to six 
seed-leaves. There are but two species, both California!!, 
and ranking among the most remarkable of trees, growing 
straight, tall, and columnar, with short densely spreading 
branches, soft red wood, and very thick fibrous and spongy 
bark. They bear acute, compressed, and keeled decurrent 
narrow leaves, which are alternate and spirally inserted, 
or spread in two ranks on the younger branches. Their 
small cones ripen in the second year. For S. sempervi- 
rens, discovered by Menzies about 1794, see redwood. The 
other species, S. gigantea, by some formerly separated as 
a genus, IFamngtonia (Winslow, 1854), and the Wellingto- 
nia of English gardens, is the mammoth tree or big tree of 
California. It is a less graceful tree, with shorter branches, 
pendulous branchlets, paler appressed leaves, its wood a 
duller red, with thin white sapwood.its bark near the ground 
1 to 2 feet thick, and its cones much larger (2 or 3 inches 
long). It forms a series of forests in Tulare county, Cali- 
fornia, isolated groves extending 240 miles northward, and 
It has been recently (November, 1890) reported from south- 
ern Oregon. The tallest tree now known, one of the Cala- 
veras grove, is 325 feet high ; one known as the Grizzly 
Giant, in the Mariposa grove, is 93 feet in circumference 
at the ground ; 1,200 rings were counted in a tree 11 feet 
in diameter. Both species were early classed under Taxo- 
<i inn, (which see), their nearest American living relative ; 
a closer ally, however, is Athrotaxis (Don, 1839), a genus 
of three Tasmanian trees distinguished by a cone with 
mucronateor umbonate scales ; their other living relatives 
are a few distant and mostly monotypic genera of Japan 
and China. (Compare Taxodinx.) A very large number 
of fossil species are known with certainty, showing that 
the genus was much more abundant in late Cretaceous and 
Tertiary time than at present. 
serf. An obsolete spelling of sear 1 , sere 2 , sir, 
nitre, seer*. 
ser. An abbreviation of the word series. See 
series, ., 10. 
sera (se'rji), .j pi. seree (-re). [L., < serarc, 
bind together, join, < serere, join, bind : see se- 
ries."] In Bom. antiq., & lock of any kind. See 
lock 1 . 
s6rac (sa-rak'), . [Swiss F. seme, serac (De 
Saussurb), prop, a kind of cheese put up in cu- 
bic or parallelepipedal lumps.] A name cur- 
rent in the Swiss Alps, and commonly used by 
writers in English on the glaciers of that re- 
gion, to designate the grand cuboidal or paral- 
lelepipedal masses into which the ne've' breaks 
in passing down a steep incline, in consequence 
of the intersection of the transverse and longi- 
tudinal crevasses to which the descent gives 
rise. 
seraglio (se-ral'yo), H. [Formerly also semil, 
= D. G. Dan. serail = Sw. seralj, < OF. serrail, 
sarrail, an inclosure, seraglio, a bolt, F. serai!, 
a seraglio, = Sp. serrallo = Pg. serralho, a se- 
raglio; < It. serragUo, an inclosure, a close, se- 
raglio, formerly also a padlock ; < ML. serracu- 
lum, found only in the sense of ' a faucet of a 
cask,' lit. a ' small bolt ' or ' bar,' equiv. to LL. 
seracula, a small bolt, dim. of L. sera, ML. 
also serra, a bar, bolt : see sera. The word se- 
raglio in def. 2 has been confused with Turk. 
Pers. saray, serai, a palace, court, seraglio : see 
serai.] If. An inclosure ; a place to which cer- 
tain persons are confined, or where they are re- 
stricted within prescribed bounds. 
I went to the Ghetto, where the Jews dwell as in a suburb 
by themselves. ... I passed by the piazza Judea. where 
their seraglio begins, for being inviron'd with walls, they 
are lock'd up every night. Evelyn, Diary, Jan. 15, 1645. 
2. A walled palace; specifically, the chief or 
official palace of the Sultan of Turkey at Con- 
stantinople. It is of great size, and contains 
government buildings, mosques, etc., as well 
as the sultan's harem. 
On the 1st hill [of Stamboul], the most easterly, are 
situated the remains of the Seraglio, former palace of the 
Ottoman sultans. Encyc. Brit., VI. 304. 
3. A place for the seclusion of concubines; 
a harem ; hence, a place of licentious pleasure. 
We've here no gaudy feminities to show, 
As you have had in that great seraglio. 
W. Broome, To Mr. J. B. 
Back to their chambers, those long galleries 
In the seraglio, where the ladies lay 
Their delicate limbs. Byron, Don Juan, vi. 26. 
He [Clarendon] pined for the decorous tyranny of the 
old Whitehall, . . . and could scarcely reconcile himself 
to a court with a seraglio and without a Star-chamber. 
Macaulay, Sir W. Temple. 
serai (se-rii'i), n. [Formerly also serray, sar- 
ray, suray, xerauee, neraliee; = Turk, saray = 
Ar. stray, xttraija = Hind, serai, < Pers. sarai, 
a palace, court, seraglio. The word as used 
in E. is partly from Turk., Hind., or Pers., ac- 
cording to circumstances. Hence ult. incomp. 
fiirnriuifiiirii. ('f.fn-r<ii/li.] 1. In Eastern coun- 
tries, an inclosed place for the accommodation 
of travelers; a caravansary ; a khan; ucholtry. 
346 
5505 
The whole number of lodgers in and about the emi 
probably did not fall short of 500 persons. What an ad- 
mirable scene for eastern romance would such an inn as 
this afford ! 
Bp. Ueber, Journey through India (ed. 1829), III. 70. 
The Eumharsen Serai is the great four-square sink of 
humanity where the strings of camels and horses from the 
North load and unload. 
Rudyard Kipling, The Man who would be King. 
2. A seraglio, or place of seclusion for women. 
Not thus was Hassan wont to fly 
When Leila dwelt in his Serai. 
Byron, The Giaour. 
serailt (se-ral'), . [Also seraile; < OF. serail, 
F. serrail, serail, an inclosure, seraglio : see se- 
raglio.'] Same as seraglio. 
Of the most part of the Cloister (because it was neare the 
Seraile) they made a stable for Horses. 
Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 298. 
The purest monotheism, they discovered, was perfectly 
compatible with bigotry and ferocity, luxury and tyranny, 
serails and bowstrings. Kmgsley, Hypatia, xxxi. 
Serai (se'ral), n. [< L. serus,'la,te, + -a/.] In 
geoL, according to the nomenclature proposed 
by H. D. Rogers for the Paleozoic series in 
Pennsylvania, same as the Pottsville Conglomer- 
ate or Millstone-grit; No. XII. of the numerical 
designation of these rocks by the Pennsylvania 
Survey. 
seralbumin (ser-al-bu'min), n. [NL., < serum 
+ albumin.'] Serum-albumin; albumin of the 
blood: so called to distinguish it from ovalbu- 
min, or the albumin of the white of an egg, 
from which it somewhat differs in its chemical 
reaction. 
seralbuminous (ser-al-bu'mi-nus), a. [< seral- 
bumin + -ous.] Composed of or containing 
seralbumin. 
serang (se-rang'), i. [Anglo-Ind., < Pers. sa- 
rhang, commander, overseer.] In the East In- 
dies, the boatswain of a lascar crew ; also, the 
skipper of a small native vessel. 
scrape (se-ra'pe), . [< Mex. scrape.] A Mexi- 
can shawl or wrap for men, often of gay colors, 
worn by Spanish Americans. 
A very fancy serape hanging on a hook, with a ranchero's 
bit and lariat. J. W. Palmer, The New and the Old, p. 85. 
Serapeum, Serapeium (ser-a-pe'um), . [< LL. 
Serapeum, < Gr. St/aawdov, Sapaireiov, a temple 
of Serapis, < "Lepamc, Sapamf, L. Serapis, Sera- 
pis : see Serapis.] A temple of Serapis ; espe- 
cially, the great Egyptian sanctuary near Mem- 
phis, where the series of Apis bulls were buried. 
This sanctuary is distinct from the Greek temple and cult 
of Serapis, which were attached to it by the Ptolemies. 
See Serapis. 
The Serapeum was at the same time a sanatory institu- 
tion. C. 0. Miiller, Manual of Archajol. (trans.), 260. 
seraph (ser'af), .: pi. seraphs, but sometimes 
the Hebrew"plural seraphim is used (formerly 
also serapMnis"). [= D. Sw. Dan. seraf = Gr. 
seraph; < Heb. seraphim, pi., seraphs (Isa. vi. 2) 
(for Rom. forms, see seraphin; LL. seraphim, 
seraphin, pi., LGr. aepafei/j, pi.), < sarapli, burn. 
From the etym. of the name, seraphs have usu- 
ally been regarded as 'burning' or 'flaming' 
angels, consisting of or like fire, and associated 
with the ideas of light, ardor, arid purity ; but 
some authorities suppose the seraphim, 'ser- 
aphs,' of Isa. vi. 2 to be of mythical origin, 
orig. denoting serpent forms' though this does 
not agree with the description in the passage, 
which indicates a shape in the main human), 
and identify them with the seraphim, 'burning 
serpents,' of Num. xxi. 6. Cf. seraphin.] One 
of the celestial beings described in Isaiah vi. 
1-6 as surrounding the throne of Jehovah, in 
angelology the seraphs are regarded as the highest order 
of angels (see celestial hierarchy, under hierarchy), and as 
having a twofold office, that of celebrating Jehovah's holi- 
ness and power, and serving as messengers and ministers 
between heaven and earth. See the etymology. 
Above it [the throne of God] stood the seraphims; each 
one had six wings ; with twain he covered his face, and 
with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 
Isa. vi. 2. 
Tothee, Cherubim and Seraphim[\n the English Book, 
Cherubin and Seraphin] continually do cry. 
Book of Common Prayer, Te Deum. 
The flaming seraph [Abdiel], fearless, though alone. 
Milton, P. L., v. 875. 
As full, as perfect, in vile man that mourns 
As the rapt seraph that adores and burns. 
Pope, Essay on Man, i. 277. 
Order of the Seraphim, a Swedish order which was 
founded in the fourteenth century, or less probably in the 
thirteenth century, but which remained dormant for many 
years, until in 1748 it was reorganized as a most limited and 
exclusive order. The Swedish members must have been 
members first of the Order of the Polar Star or of that of 
the Sword, and on obtaining the Seraphim they become 
commanders in the other order. The badge is an eight- 
pointed cross of white enamel, with winged angelic heads 
Serapias 
of red enamel between the arms. Every arm of the cross 
is charged with a patriarchal cross in gold, and the cen- 
ter is a medallion of blue enamel, bearing the implements 
of the Passion, the letters I. H. S., and three crowns. 
The collar consists of alternate winged angelic heads of 
gold and patriarchal crosses in red enamel. 
seraphic (se-raf'ik), a. and n. [< F. scraphique 
= Sp. serafivo = Pg. xi'i'ii/iliii-n = It. serafico, < 
LL. *scniphien.'t, < LGr. oepa<j>iK6<;, pertaining to 
seraphs, < oepatyci/i, LL. seraphim, seraphs: see 
wrtipli.] I. a. 1. Pertaining to a seraph or 
seraphs; angelic; celestial: as, seraphic tro- 
phies; seraphic harmonies. 
The great seraphic lords and cherubim 
In close recess and secret conclave sat. 
Milton, P. L., i. 794. 
Pierces the keen seraphic flame 
From orb to orb, from veil to veil. 
Tennyson, In Memoriam, xxx. 
2. Worthy of a seraph ; superhuman; pure; re- 
fined from grossness. 
Lloyd tells me that, three or 400 yeares ago, Chymistrey 
was in a greater perfection much than now. The proces 
was then more seraphique and universall. Now they looke 
only after medicines. Aubrey, Lives, Saint Dunstan. 
Whether he at last descends 
To act with less seraphic ends . . . 
Must never to mankind be told. 
Sivift, Cadenus and Vanessa, 
Seraphic intellect and force 
To seize and throw the doubts of man. 
Tennyson, In Memoriam, cix. 
He has learned not only that art ... is alluring, but 
that, when used as a means of expressing what cannot 
otherwise be quite revealed, it becomes seraphic. 
Stedman, Viet. Poets, p. 160. 
Seraphic hymn, the Sanctus. (See Isa, vi. 3.) 
II. n. A zealot; an enthusiastic sectary: in 
allusion to the burning zeal of such persons. 
[Rare.] 
I could never yet esteem these vapouring Seraphiclts, 
these new Gnosticks, to be other than a kind of Gypsy- 
Christians, or a race of circulators, Tumblers, and Taylers 
in the Church. Bp. Gauden, Tears of the Church, p. 200. 
serapliical (se-raf'i-kal), a. [< seraphic + -al.] 
Same as seraphic. 
An thou wert in heaven, I would not pray to thee, for 
fear of disturbing thy seraphical devotion. 
Shirley, Grateful Servant, ii. 1. 
Love is curious of little things, desiring to be of angeli- 
cal purity, of perfect innocence, and seraphical fervour. 
Jer. Taylor. 
seraphically (se-raf'i-kal-i), adv. In the man- 
ner of a seraph ; with exalted and burning love 
or zeal. 
seraphicalness (se-raf'i-kal-nes), w. The state 
or character of being seraphic. Bailey. [Rare.] 
serapbicismt (se-raf'i-sizm), n. [< seraphic + 
-ism.] The character of being seraphic. Cvd- 
worth . 
seraphim, seraphims (ser'a-fim, -fimz), n. 
Plural of seraph. 
seraphim (ser'a-fim), . [<. seraphim, p\., used 
as sing.] 1. In entom., the geometrid moth 
Lobophora halterata, or L. hexaptera : an Eng- 
lish collectors' name. The small seraphim is L. 
sexalisata. 2. A fossil crustacean of the genus 
Pterygotus, as /'. anglicus: said to be so called 
by Scotch quarrymen, from some fancied re- 
semblance of the creatures to their notion of 
seraphs. 
seraphim-moth (ser'a-fim-moth), w. Same as 
seraphim, 1. 
seraphint (ser'a-fin), . [< OF. seraphin, F. 
seraphin = Pr. seraphin = Sp. sera fin = Pg. sera- 
phim = It. serafino, a seraph ; dim . in form, but 
orig. an adaptation as a singular of the LL. 
seraphim, pi. : see seraph.] A seraph. 
Those eternall burning Seraphim 
Which from their faces dart out fierie light. 
Spenser, Hymn of Heavenly Beauty, 1. 94. 
seraphina (ser-a-fe'na), w. [NL. : see sera- 
phine.] Same as seraphine. 
Seraphine (ser'a-fen), H. [< seraph + -ine.] A 
musical instrument essentially similar to the 
harmonium, of which it was the precursor. It 
was invented in 1833 by John Green. See 
reed-organ . 
seraphot, [Appar. an erroneous form of 
wi-//'.] Same as serif. 
Coinage of the early Saxon period, when the serapho of 
the letters were formed by a triangular punch: thus, an 
E was formed of a straight line witli three such triangles 
before it, more or less elongated according to the slope of 
the blow in the die. FairhoU. 
Serapias (se-ra'pi-as),H. [NL. (Linnaeus, 1737), 
< L. Serapis, an Egyptian god : see Serapis.] A 
genus of orchids, of the tribe Ophrydeie, type of 
the subtribe Serapiese. It resembles the genus Or- 
chis in habit and structure, but is distinguished by flowers 
with a prolonged anther-connective, and a spurless lip with 
the middle lobe usually tongue-shaped and appendaged 
at the base with a glandular lamina. The four or five spe- 
cies are natives of the Mediterranean region, one extend- 
