sexagene 
Astronomers, for speed ami more commodious calcula- 
tion, have devised a peculiar manner of ordering numbers 
:ibout their circular motions, by texagenes and sexagesms, 
by signs, degrees, minutes, etc. 
Dee, Preface to Euclid (1570). 
Sexagesima (sek-sa-jes'i-mii), H. [Earlier in 
E. form, ME. sexaffesym. < OF. sexagesime, F. sex- 
agesime = Sp. Sexagesima = Pg. Sexagesima = 
It. sesagesima; < ML. sexagesima, sc. dies, the 
sixtieth day, fern, of L. sexagesimals, earlier sex- 
agensimus, sexagensumus, sixtieth, for *sexii</ni- 
timus, ordinal of sexaginta, sixty: see sexage- 
nary, sixty.] The second Sunday before Lent. 
See Septuagesima. 
sexagesimal (sek-sa-jes'i-mal), a. and n. [< L. 
sexagesimus, sixtieth (see Sexagesima), + -al.] 
I. a. Sixtieth ; pertaining to the number sixty. 
Sexagesimal or sexagenary arithmetic, a method 
of computation by sixties, as that which is used in divid- 
ing minutes into seconds. It took its origin in Baby- 
ion. Sexagesimal fractions, or sexagesimals, frac- 
tions whose denominators proceed in the ratio of sixty : 
as, Ar. iiAno nfc- Tnese fractions are also called astro- 
nomical fractions, because formerly there were no others 
used in astronomical calculations. They are still retained 
in the division of the circle and of the hour. The circle 
is first divided into six sexagenes, the sexagene into sixty 
degrees, the degree into sixty minutes, the minute into 
sixty seconds, and so on. The hour is divided like the 
degree ; and in old writers the radius of a circle in the 
same manner. 
II. n. A sexagesimal fraction. See I. 
sexagesimally (sek-sa-jes'i-mal-i), adv. By six- 
ties. 
:,:>:!<; 
six years, or happening once in six years. / 
Diet 
sexennially (sek-sen'i-al-i), adr. Once in 
fears, 
i), a. [< L. sex, six, + fndere, 
separate: see bite.] Inbot., 
xfid calyx or nectary. 
[< L. sex, six, + E. . 
or flower with 
art, 
feftr 
<* , 
six leaves.- 2. 
Sexfoil. Clearstory window of St. Leu d'Esserent, France. 
So the talent of the 80 grain system was sexayenmally 
divided for the mina which was afterwards adopted by So- 
lon. Encyc. Brit,, XXIV. 489. 
sexagesm (sek'sa-jesm), n. 
sixtieth: see Sexagesima.'] 
any unit. See sexagene. 
etc., a figure of six lobes or foliations, similar 
in character to the cinquefoil. Also sisefoil (in 
heraldry). 
sexhindmant (seks-tund'man), n. [ML. or ME. 
reflex of AS. sixhi/nde-man, < six, syx, siex, six, 
+ liund, hundred, + man, man.] In early Eng. 
hist., one of the middle thanes, who were as- 
_ sessed at 600 shillings. 
sixtiethVart of sexiant (sek'si-ant), . A function whose van- 
ishing shows that six screws are reciprocal to 
[< L. sexagesimus, 
A sixti 
sexangle (sek'sang-gl), . [< L. sexaiKjulus, 
six-cornered, hexagonal, < sex, six, + angiilus, 
angle.] In geoni., a figure having six angles, 
and consequently six sides; a hexagon. 
sexangled (sek'sang-gld), a. [As sexangle + 
-etf 2 .] Same as sexangular. 
sexangular (sek-sang'gu-lar), a. [< L. sexan- 
gulus, hexagonal (see sexanglc), + -ar s .] Hav- 
ing six angles ; hexagonal. 
sexangularly (sek-sang'gu-lar-li), adv. With 
six angles; hexagonally. 
sexation (sek-sa'shon), n. [< sex 1 + -ation.] 
Sexual generation ; "genesis by means of oppo- 
site sexes. See generation. 
sexcentenary (sek-sen'te-na-ri), a. and n. [< 
L. sex, six, + E. centenary.] I. a. Relating to 
or consisting of six hundred, especially six hun- 
dred years ; made up of or proceeding by groups 
of six hundred. 
Bernoulli's Sexcentenary Table. 
Philosophical Mag., XXV. 2d p. of cover. 
Oxford was represented at the sexcentenary festival of 
the University of Montpellier. 
The Academy, May 31, 1890, p. 371. 
II. n.j pi. sexcentenaries (-riz). 1. That which 
consists of or comprehends six hundred (com- 
monly the space of six hundred years). 2. A 
six-hundredth anniversary. 
sexdigitate (seks-dij'i-tat), a. [< L. sex, six, 
+ digitm, finger: see digitate.] Having six 
fingers or toes on one or both hands or feet, as 
an anomaly of occasional occurrence in man ; 
six-fingered or six-toed. See cut under poly- 
dactylism. Also sedigitated. 
sexdigitism (seks-dij'i-tizm), w. [< L. sex, six, 
+ digitus, a finger, + -4sm.] The possession 
of six fingers or toes on one or both hands or 
feet ; the state of being sexdigitate. It is a par- 
ticular case of the more comprehensive term 
polydactylism. 
sexdigitist(seks-dij'i-tist), n. [As sexdigit(isni) 
+ -ist.] A six-fingered or six-toed person; 
one who or that which exhibits or is character- 
ized by sexdigitism. 
sexed (sekst), a. [< sex 1 + -e<J 2 .] 1. Having 
sex; sexual; not being sexless or neuter. 2. 
Having certain qualities of either sex. 
Stay, Sophocles, with this tie up my sight ; 
Let not soft nature so transform'd be 
(And lose her gentle sex'd humanitie) 
To make me see my Lord bleed. 
Beau, and Fl., Four Plays in One. 
Shamelesse double sex'd hermaphrodites, 
Virago roaring girles. 
John Taylor, Works (1630). (Fares.) 
sexennial (sek-sen'i-al), a. [Cf. F. sexennal; 
< L. sexennium (> It. "sessennio = Sp. sexenio = 
Pg. sexennio), a period of six years, < sex, six, 
s, year: see six and annals.] Lasting 
(sek'si-fid), a. Same as sexfid. 
sexillion (sek-sil'yon), n. Same as sextillion. 
sexisyllabic (sek'sl'-si-lab'ik), a. [< L. sex, six, 
+ sifllaba, syllable, + -4c.] Having six sylla- 
bles. 
The octosyllabic with alternate eexuyilabic or other 
rhythms. Emerson, Letters and Social Aims, p. 41. 
sexisyllable (sek'si-sil-a-bl). n. [< L. sex, six, 
+ syllaba, syllable: see'syllable.] A word hav- 
ing six syllables. 
sexivalent (sek-siv'a-lent), a. [< L. sex, six, 
sextant 
or divided (whether for ornament or in con- 
struction) into six parts, as a vault, an arch- 
head, or any other structure, etc. 
The arrangement and forms of the piers [of Senlis cathe- 
drall indicate that the original vaults were sexpartite. 
C. II. Moore, Gothic Architecture, p. 38. 
sexradiate (seks-ra'di-at), a. [< L. sex, six, + 
i-iiiliiiK, a ray: see radiate.] Having six rays, 
as a sponge-spicule. 
Growth in three directions along three rectangular axes 
produces the primitive nexradiatc spicule of the Hexacti- 
nellida. Encyc. Brit., XXII. 416. 
sext, sexte (sekst), . [< F. sexte = Sp. Pg. 
sexto = It. scsta, < ML. sexta, sc. liora, the sixth 
hour, fern, of L. sextus, sixth (= E. sixth), < sex, 
six: see six, sixth. Cf. sieqta, from the same 
source.] 1. In the Roman Catholic and Greek 
churches, in religious houses, and as a devo- 
tional office in the Anglican Church, the office 
of the sixth hour, originally and properly said 
at midday. See canonical hours, under canoni- 
cal. 2. "in music: (a) The interval of a sixth. 
(6) In organ-building, a mixture-stop of two 
ranks separated by a sixth that is, consisting 
of a twelfth and a seventeenth. 
sextactic (seks-tak'tik), a. [< L. sex, six, -f tac- 
tus, touch : see tact.] Pertaining to a six-pointic 
contact Sextactic points on a curve, points at 
which a conic can be drawn having slx-pointic contact with 
the curve. 
sextain (geks'tan), n. [< F. "sextain = It. ses- 
tano, < ML. as if "sextanus, < L. sextus, sixth, 
< sex, six : see six. Cf. scstina.] A stanza of 
six lines. 
sextan (seks'tan), a. [< ML. "sextanus, < L. 
sextus, sixth. "Cf. sextain.] Recurring every 
sixth day Sextan fever. See/ewri. 
sextans (seks'tanz), n. [L., a sixth part, < sex, 
six: see sextant.] 1. A bronze coin of the an- 
cient Roman republic, in value one sixth of the 
as. (Seeas*.) Theobverse type is the head of Mercury; 
the reverse type, the prow of a vessel, and two pellets ( ) 
as the mark of value. 
2. [cap.] In astron., a constellation introduced 
by Hevelius in 1690. It represents the instrument 
used by Tycho Brahe in l"ranienborg (island of Hven, 
Sweden), but it is placed between Leo and Hydra, two 
animals of a fiery nature according to the astrologers, to 
commemorate the burning of his own instruments and 
papers in 1679. The brightest star of the constellation is of 
" ' ' " Also called Urania Sextans, and Sextant. 
+ ' 
coming exchanged 
Also sexvalent. 
sexless (seks'les), a. 
or as if having, no sex; 
to gender. 
Uttered only by the pure lips of sexless priests. 
Kinysley, Hypatia, xviii. (Dames.) 
sexlessness (seks'les-nes), . The condition or 
character of being without sex ; absence of sex. 
sexlocular (seks-lok'u-lar), a. [< L. sex, six, 
+ loculus, & cell : see locular.] Six-celled ; hav- 
ing six cells, loculi, or compartments. 
sexly (seks'li), a. [< sex 1 + -ly 1 .] Belonging 
to or characteristic of sex, especially of the 
female sex. [Rare.] 
Should I ascribe any of these things to my sexly weak- 
nesses, I were not worthy to live. 
Queen Elizabeth. 
sixth, < sex, six. Cf. quadrant.] 1. In math., 
the sixth part of a circle. Hence 2. An im- 
portant instrument of navigation and survey- 
sexpartite (seks'par-tit), a. [< L. sex, six, + 
partitas, divided: see partite.] Consisting of 
Sexpartite Vaulting.- Nave of Bourges Cathedral, France. 
ing, for measuring the angular distance of 
two stars or other objects, or the altitude of a 
star above the horizon, the two images being 
brought into coincidence by reflection from the 
transmitting horizon-glass, lettered 6 in the 
figure. The frame of a sextant Is generally made of 
brass, the arc h being graduated upon a slip of silver. The 
handle a is of wood. The mirrors b and c are of plate- 
glass, silvered. The horizon-glass 6 is, however, only half 
silvered, so that rays from the horizon or other direct ob- 
ject may enter the telescope e. This telescope is carried 
in the ring d, and is capable of being adjusted, once for 
all, by a linear motion perpendicular to the plane of the 
sextant, so as to receive proper proportions of light from 
the silvered and unsilvered parts of the horizon-glass. 
The figure does not show the colored glass shades which 
may be interposed behind the horizon-glass and between 
this and the index-glass c, upon which the light from one 
of the objects is first received, in order to make the con- 
tact of the images more distinct. This index-glass is at- 
tached to themovalile arm/. The movable arm is clamped 
by the screw i, and is furnished with a tangent screw j. 
The arc is read by means of a vernier earned by the arm, 
