seven 
made the number of intelligence by Philolaus. The com- 
mon statement that seven implies perfection has no fur- 
ther foundation than that the cabalistic meanings of all 
odd numbers are modes of perfection. One IB the first, 
and was with the PythuKoreans the number of essence 
(ouai'a). Two involves otherness, and was the number of 
opinion, " because of its diversity." Throe involves medi- 
ation, and was the number of beginning, middle, and end. 
Four naturally suggests a square, and so equity, and was 
commonly considered the number of justice ; but it fur- 
ther carries the suggestion of system, and often has that 
signification. Five connects itself with the five fingers, 
used in counting, and thus is an ordinary synecdoche for 
a small group (' Five of you shall chase an hundred " 
Lev, xxvi. 8) ; but the Pythagoreans, for some unknown 
reason, made it the number of marriage. Six played an 
important part in the sexagesimal system of the Chalde- 
ans ; but its Pythagorean meaning is doubtfiil. In the 
Apocalypse 66ti is the number of the beast. Eight, being 
the first cube, would naturally suggest solidity ; but ac- 
cording to Dr. Wordsworth it is the dominical or resurrec- 
tion number. Nine, or three triads, was the number of 
the great gods of Egypt, and was considered efficient in 
all magical operations. Ten, for reasons connected with 
the history of the Pythagorean brotherhood, was consid- 
ered by them as the great number of power. To eleven no 
particular significance is attached. Twelve was important 
in the Chaldean division of the circle, and was the num- 
ber of the great gods. Thirteen, according to Dr. Mahan, 
is the number of schism. Seven was formerly used gener- 
ally and vaguely to indicate a large number. 
I can then thanke Sensuall Apetyte ; 
That is the best daunce without a pype 
That I saw this seven yere. 
Interlude of the Four Elements, n. d. (Halliwell. ) 
And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto 
thee, seven times seven years. Lev. xxv. 8. 
Teal's seven times salt 
Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye ! 
Shak., Hamlet, iv. 5. 164. 
Case of the seven bishops. See bishop. Seven- 
branched candlestick. See candlestick. Seven-day 
fever. See feveri. Seven great hymns. See hymn. 
Seven Psalms. See penitential pxaltm, under peniten- 
tial. Seven-shilling piece. See shitting. Seven wise 
men Of Greece. Same as the seven sages. Seven won- 
ders of the world. See wonder. The bodies seven. 
See body. The seven arts*. Same as the seven liberal 
sciences. 
Buy science vnder sonne, the seuene ars [var. arte] and 
alle. Piers Plowman (C), xiii. 93. 
The seven chief or principal virtues, faith, hope, 
charity, prudence, temperance, chastity, and fortitude. 
See cardinal and theolor/ical. The seven churches of 
Asia, the churches to which special epistles are addressed 
in the second and third chapters of the Book of Revela- 
tion. The seven deadly sins. See sini. The seven 
dolors of Mary. See dolors of the Virgin Mary, un- 
der dolor. The seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, wis- 
dom, understanding, counsel, ghostly strength or forti- 
tude, knowledge, godliness, and the fear of the Lord. 
The seven liberal sciences. See science. The seven 
rishis. Seerwnl The seven sages. See sagei. The 
seven sleepers (of Ephesus), seven Christian youths 
who are said to have concealed themselves in a cavern 
near Ephesus during the persecution under Decius (A. p. 
249-261) and to have fallen asleep there, not awaking till 
two or three hundred years later, when Christianity had 
become the religion of the empire. The seven stars, 
(at) The planets that is, the sun, the moon, Mercury, 
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. 
Oure sire [Lord] in his see aboue the seuene sterns 
Sawe the many mysscheuys that these men dede. 
Itichard the Redeless, iii. 362. 
(b\) The constellation Ursa Major. 
We that take purses go by the moon and the seven stars. 
Shak., 1 Hen. IV., i. 2. 16. 
The Seuen Starres, called Charles waine in the North. 
Minsheu, 1617. 
(c) The Pleiades. To be frightened out of one's seven 
senses. SMMWI. 
II. n. 1 . The number greater by one than 
six; a group of things amounting to this num- 
ber. 
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens. 
Gen. vii. 2. 
Of every beast and bird, and insect small, 
Came sevens and pairs. Milton, !'. I... xi. 736. 
Of all numbers, there is no one which has exercised in 
this way a wider influence, no one which has commanded 
in a higher degree the esteem and reverence of mankind, 
than the number Seven. J. Uadley, Essays, p. 32S. 
2. The symbol representing this number, as 7, 
or VII, or vii. 3. pi. In Eng. hymnology, a spe- 
cies of trochaic meter having seven syllables to 
the line, and properly four lines to the stanza. 
Sevens double (7s, D.) has eight lines, and other varieties 
are marked by the number of lines, as 7s, 61, or 7s, 31. 
Sevens and fives is a trochaic meter having three lines of 
seven syllables with one of five. Sevens and sixes is a 
meter, usually of eight lines, in which trochaic lines of 
seven syllables alternate with iambic lines of six syl- 
lables. Other varieties occur. See meter*, 3. 
4. A playing-card with seven spots or pips on it. 
At sixes and sevens. See six. Cannon of sevent. 
See cannon. The Seven, the Pleiades. To Set on 
sevent. (a) To set in order. 
Maria. The fader of heven, God omnypotent, 
That sett alle on seven, his son has he sent. 
Towneley Mysteries (Surtees' Soc.), p. 118. 
(6) To set in confusion. 
Thus he settez on seven? with his sekyre knyghttez ; . . . 
And thus at the joyenyge the geauntez are dystroyede. 
Morte Arthure (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2131. 
5531 
seveneyes (sev'n-iz), . Same as sereitholes. 
sevenfold (sev'n-fold), a. [< ME. seovenfald, 
sefenfald, seovevald, seovevoM, sevefeald, < AS. 
seofon-feald = OFries. savnfalil = D. zeven^voud, 
zeven-voudig = MLG. sevenralt, scvenvolt, seven- 
valdich, sevenvoldich = OHG. sibenfaltig, MHG. 
siben-vult, sibenvaltic, G. sicbenfdltig =: Icel. 
sjiinj'uldr = Sw. sjufaldig = Dan. syv-fold; as 
seven + -fold.] 1. Having seven plies, folds, 
or thicknesses. 
He said, and, rising, high above the field 
Whiii'd the long lance against the sev'nfold shield. 
Pope, Iliad, vii. 2%. 
2. Repeated seven times; multiplied seven 
times ; increased to seven times the size or 
amount. 
The light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of 
seven days. Isa. xxx. 20. 
3. Consisting of seven ; having seven parts. 
A high and stately Tragedy, shutting up and intermin- 
gling her solemn Scenes and Acts with a sevenfold Chorus 
of halleluja's and harping symphonies. 
Milton, Church-Government, ii., Int. 
From Heaven itself though sevenfold Nilus flows. 
Pope, Windsor Forest, 1. 359. 
sevenfold (sev'n-fold), adv. 1. Seven times as 
much or often ; in the proportion of seven to 
one. 
Whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on 
him sevenfold. Gen. iv. 15. 
2. In seven coils or folds. [Rare.] 
Till that great sea-snake under the sea ... 
Would slowly trail himself sevenfold 
Round the hall where I sate. 
Tennyson, The Mermaid. 
seven-foldedt, Same as sevenfold. 
The upper marge 
Of his sevenfolded shield away it tooke. 
Spenser, F. Q.,11. v. 6. 
seven-gilled (sev'n-gild), a. Having seven gill- 
slits on each side: specifically noting a cow- 
shark or seveugills. 
sevengills (sev'n-gilz), n. A shark of the ge- 
nus Heptanchus or Notidanus; a cow-shark. 
See cut under Hexanchus. 
sevenholes (sev'n-holz), re. The river-lamprey : 
so called from the branchial apertures of each 
side. Also seveneyes. [Local, Eng.] 
sevennight (sev'u-nit or -nit), . [< ME.**eie- 
nilit, seveniht, sovenyht, < AS. seofon niht: see 
seven and night. Cf. contr. se'nnight.] The pe- 
riod of seven days and nights; a week, or the 
time from one day of the week to the next day 
of the same denomination preceding or follow- 
ing. See sennight. 
Thilke day that she was sevennight old. 
Chaucer, Nun's Priest's Tale, 1. 6S. 
Having given this public notice of my court, I must fur- 
ther add that I intend to open it on this day seven-night, 
being Monday the twentieth instant. 
Addison, Tatler, No. 250. 
seven-point (sev'n-point), a. Related to seven 
points: as, the seven-point circle. See circle. 
seven-shooter (sev'n-sho"ter), n. A revolver, 
or other form of firearm, having seven cham- 
bers or barrels. [Colloq.] 
seven-shooting (sev'n-sh6"ting), a. Discharg- 
ing from seven chambers or barrels; firing 
seven shots without reloading: as, a seven- 
shooting rifle. [Colloq.] 
sevensome (sev'n-sum), a. [< seven + some. 
See some.] Consisting of seven things or parts ; 
about seven. [Prov. Eng. or Scotch.] 
Thair was bot sevensum of thame all. 
Wyf of Auchtirmuchty (Child's Ballads, VIII. 118). 
sevensomeness(8ev'n-sum-nes), n. Thequality 
of being sevensome ; arrangement or gradation 
by sevens. North British Rev. [Rare.] 
seven-spotted (sev'n-spot'ed), a. Having seven 
spots : as, the seven-spotted ladybird, Coccinella 
scptenpunctnta. 
seventeen (sev'n-ten'), a. and n. [< ME. seiien- 
tene, sewintine, < AS. seofon-tyne = OS. sivontein 
= OFries. siuguntine = D. zeventien = MLG. 
seventein = MHG. siben-zehen, G. siebzehn = 
Icel. sjantjdn, santjan, seytjan = Sw. sjutton 
= Dan. sytten = L. septendecim = Gr. vra(Kai)- 
SCKO = Skt. septadaca ; as seven + ten : see ten 
and -teen.'] I. a. One more than sixteen or 
less than eighteen, being the sum of seven and 
ten: a cardinal numeral Seventeen-day fever. 
See/earl. Seventeen-year locust. Seelocusti,3, and 
cut under Cicadidse. 
II. n. 1. The number greater by one than 
sixteen; the sum of ten and seven. 2. A 
symbol representing this number, as 17, or 
XVII, or xvii. 
seventeenth (sev'n-tenth'), a. and n. [With 
restored n in the last syllable, < ME. *seventethe, 
seven-thirty 
sereutithe, < AS. seofon-tedtha = OFries. siugun- 
tinda = D. zeven-tiende = MHG. siben-zelwnde, 
G. siebzehnte = loel.seytjdi/ili. miii-tjaitdi, sjait- 
tj/iiidi = Sw. sjuttonde = Dan. syttende ; as 
mi-eitteen + -tlft.] I. a. 1. One next in order 
after the sixteenth ; one coming after sixteen 
of the same class : an ordinal numeral : as, the 
seventeenth day of the month. 2. Constitut- 
ing or being one of seventeen equal parts into 
which a thing may be divided. 
II. n. 1. The next in order after the six- 
teenth; the seventh after the tenth. 2. The 
quotient of unity divided by seventeen; one 
of seventeen equal parts of a whole. 3. In 
music, the melodic or harmonic interval of two 
octaves and a third; or an organ-stop giving 
tones at such an interval from the normal pitch 
of the digitals ; a tierce. 
seventh (sev'nth), a. and n. [< ME. sevenths, 
seuend, sevctide, sefende, with restored n, for ear- 
lier sevethe, seovethe, seofethe, sefthe, < AS. seofo- 
tha = OS. sibhondo = OFries. sigunda = D. ze- 
vende = MLG. sevende = OHG. sibunto, MHG. 
sibende, G. siebente = Icel. sjaundi = Sw. sjunde 
= Dan. syvende = Goth, "sibunda = Skt. septa- 
tha, seventh ; as seven + -tlfi. The L. Septimus, 
Gr. efiSofiOf, seventh, have a diff. suffix, the same 
as that in "L.jtrimiis (AS.forma), first: see prime, 
former 1 .'] I. a. 1. Last in order of a series of 
seven ; preceded by six of the same kind ; next 
in order after that which is sixth : an ordinal 
numeral. 2. Constituting or being one of seven 
equal parts into which a whole maybe divided: 
as, the seventh part Seventh-day, the name used 
by the Society of Friends for Saturday, the seventh day 
of the week. To be in the seventh heaven. See 
heaven, 3. 
II. re. 1. One next in order after the sixth. 
2. The quotient of unity divided by seven; 
one of seven equal parts into which a whole is di- 
vided. 3. In music : (a) A tone on the seventh 
degree above or below a given tone ; the next 
tone to the octave. (6) The interval between 
any tone and atone on the seventh degree above 
or below it. (c) The harmonic combination of 
two tones at the interval thus defined, (d) In 
a scale, the seventh tone from the bottom; the 
leading-tone : solmizated si, or, in the tonic 
sol-fa system, ti. The typical interval of the seventh 
is that between the first and the seventh tones of a major 
scale, which is acoustically represented by the ratio 8 : 15. 
Such a seventh is called major. A seventh a half-step 
shorter is called minor; and one two half-steps shorter is 
called diminished. All kinds of sevenths are classed as 
dissonances, the minor seventh being the most beautiful 
and the most useful of dissonant intervals. The seventh 
produced by taking two octaves downward from the sixth 
harmonic of the given tone is sometimes called the natu- 
ral seventh; it is sometimes used in vocal music, and 
on instruments, like the violin, whose intonation is not 
fixed. 
4. In early Eng. law, a seventh of the rents of 
the year, or of movables, or both, granted or 
levied by way of tax chord of the diminished 
seventh, in music, a chord of four tones, consisting in 
its typical form of the seventh, second, fourth, and sixth 
tones of a minor scale, and made up, therefore, of three 
minor thirds superposed. It is usually regarded as a 
chord of the ninth with the root omitted. Several differ- 
ent resolutions of it are possible. Such a chord on a key- 
board instrument like the pianoforte is capable of four 
enharmonic interpretations, so that it is possible to mod- 
ulate immediately from it into any one of the keys of the 
keyboard. Thus, in 
the key of G minor, 
the typical chord of 
the diminished sev- 
enth is (a), which on 
the keyboard is iden- 
tical with either (6) 
in the key of Bb mi- 
nor, or (c) in that of 
CJ minor, or (d) in that of E minor. Chord of the 
seventh, in music, a chord of four tones, comprising a 
root with its third, fifth, and seventh ; a seventh-chord 
or sept-chord. The most important seventh-chord is 
that whose root is the dominant of the key ; it is often 
called the chord of the dominant seventh. The resolution 
of seventh-chords is highly important to the close and 
satisfactory structure of a composition : usually the sev- 
euth itself progresses downward. See chord, 4. Essen- 
tial seventh. See essential. 
seventh-chord (sev'nth-kord), n. In music, 
same as chord of the seventh (which see, under 
seventh and chord, 4). Also sept-chord. 
Seventh-day (sev'nth-da), a. Pertaining to, 
occurring upon, or observing in some special 
manner the seventh day of the week, the Sab- 
bath of the Jews Seventh-day Adventists. See 
Adventint. Seventh-day Baptists. See Baptist. 
seven-thirty (sev'n-ther'ti), a. and n. I. a. 
Bearing interest at 7.30 per cent.: used of cer- 
tain notes issued by the United States Govern- 
ment. See II. 
II. n. pi. The popular name for certain 
notes issued by the government of the United 
