spermule 
the nucleus xj>i>i-i,t"/-ii<Ti'*. 
spermulum(sper'iiin-lmni..; pl.spermula(-\$,). 
[XL.: see spermule.] A spennulc, sperm-cell, 
or spermatozoon. 
sperm-whale (sperm'hwal), n. [< sperm* + 
irliule 1 .] The spermaceti-whale or cachalot, 
I'liysctcr (or Cntoiloti) macrocephahtS, belonging 
x 
to the family Physeterida (which see for tecli- 
nical cliaracters; see also cut of skull under 
I'lii/seter). It is one of the largest of animals, exceeded 
in length only by the great rorqual or flnner, Balmiaptera 
itibbaldi ; it has teeth in the lower jaw, but none and no 
baleen in the upper ; and the enormous square head con- 
tains the valuable product spermaceti. This whale is also 
the source of the best whale-oil, and its chase is a very 
important industry in the warmer waters of all seas. See 
cachalot. Porpoise sperm-whale, a pygmy sperm- 
whale, or snub-nosed cachalot, of the family Physeterid/e 
and genus Kogia, as K. brevirogtris (K. floweri of Gill), of 
the Pacific and chiefly tropical seas, but sometimes occur- 
ring oft the coast of the United States. Sperm-whale 
5821 
spewer (spu'er), H. [< ,;>e> + -fr 1 .] One who 
or that, which spews. 
spewinesst (spii'i-nes), n. The state of being 
spewy, moist, or damp. 
The coldness and xprmnem of the soil. 
Hji. H/iailfii, Ilivrasplstes (1853), p. 561. (Latluiiii.) 
spewingt (spu'ing), a. Same as spciri/. 
The soil [in New England] for the general is a warm 
kind of Karth, there being little cold spnnny Land. 
S. Clarke, four Plantations in America (1070), p. w. 
(See also the quotation under amueatiun.] 
spewyt (spu'i), a. [< spew + -y 1 .] Wet; bog- 
gy; moist; damp. 
The lower valleys in wet winters are so rpfiry that they 
know not how to feed them. Mortimer, Husbandry. 
Speyside pine. See pine 1 . 
sp. gr. An abbreviation of specific gravity. 
sphacel (sfas'el), n. [< NL. sphacelus, q. v.] 
bame as 8j>lmcrlnx. 
sphacela (sfas'e-la), .; pL9fcmto(-16). [<Gr. 
ai/>aKeAof, gangrene.] In bot., in certain algoB, 
a hollow chamber of considerable size which is 
developed from the apical cell of -each branch. 
' with dark mucilaginous contents, 
turn. Also sphacele. 
Sphacelaria (sfas-e-la'ri-ii), . [NL., so called 
in allusion to the tips of "the branches, which 
sphaeridium 
Sphaeralcea(sie-rarse-ii). //. [M,. ,st. Hilaire. 
1 S J1). so i-allecl from the 'fruit, a round head of 
carpels; < Gr. oQaifia, a kill, spline, + li/Wn, a 
jihinl. M/ilrii Alan, related to the plant here 
defined.] A genus of polypetaloui plants, or 
(lie order Mtilrnreae, tribe Mttlrt'ir, and snlitrilie 
.\lnilili-ii-. It is characterized hy flowers earh wit li three 
bnottotti and fruit of numerous two-valved carpels na- 
ked within, each containing two or three n nifc.im 
There are about 25 species, nathe^ uf \\aiiuei parts of 
Amciiea, with 4 at the Cape of Good Hope. They are 
herbs or shrubs, in habit resembling the genus ilalm. 
The> usually bear anuli-il or lobed leaves, and short -j,. .li 
celled violet or reddish flowers single or clustered in the 
axils or forming a raceme or spike. They are known as 
fflobt: mallow, and several species are in cultivation for 
ornament under glass. They possess marked demulcent 
properties, especially S. citplatina, a decoction of which 
is used as a remedy in Brazil, and as a substitute for marsh- 
mallows. 
Sphaeranthus (sfe-ran'thus), it. [NL. (Linnas- 
us, 1753), so called from the clustered heads of 
flowers ; < Gr. otjiaipa, a ball, + avttof , flower.] A 
genus of gamopetalous plants, of the order Com- 
positas, tribe Inuloideae, and svfotribePlucheineac. 
It Is characterized byflowers without pappus, the central 
ones bisexual, fertile or sterile, tubular and four- to five- 
cleft, the outer female and fertile, filiform and minute- 
ly two- to three-toothed, and by the aggregation of the 
small flower-heads into a dense solitary terminal spheri- 
cal or ovoid glomerule. There are about 10 species, na- 
whale, but to a different subfamily. (See Ziphmise.) The 
species are several, not well determined, and with confused 
synonymy. They are larger than any porpoises properly so 
called, though far inferior in size to the true sperm-whale. 
speront, [< It. sperone = OF. esperon, F. 
eperon, a spur, the beak of a ship: see spur.] 
The beak of a ship. 
Which barks are made after the maner of Fusts or Gal- 
liots, with a Speron and a couered poope. 
Hoktuyt's Voyages, II. 215. 
sperrt, i'. t. Sae as spar 1 . 
sperrablet, n. An obsolete form of sparable. 
sperrylite (sper'i-llt), n. [Named after F. L. 
Sperry, the discoverer.] A native arsenide of 
platinum, occurring in minute isometric crystals 
with pyrite and chalcopyrite at the Vermilion 
mine, near Sudbury in Ontario. It has a tin-white 
color, brilliant metallic luster, and a specific gravity of 
10.0. It is the only compound of platinum known to occur 
in nature. 
sperset (spers), v. t. and i . [An aphetic form of 
disperse, or var. of sparse.] To disperse. Spen- 
ser, Visions of Bellay, 1. 195. 
sperthet, A Middle English form of sparth. 
spertlet, i'. and n. An obsolete form of spurtle. 
spervert, spervyourt, n. Same as sparrer. 
spessartite, spessartine (spes'ar-tit, -tin), . 
[< Spessart, a mountainous region in Germany, 
north of the river Main.] A manganesian va- 
riety of garnet. 
spet, v. and re. An obsolete or dialectal variant 
Spetch(s P ech),. [Assibilatedformof^o/cl.] 
A piece of skin or hide used in making glue: 
spew (spu), v. [Formerly also spue; < ME. 
spewen, spuen, spiwen, < AS. spiwan (pret. spate, 
pp. spiwen) = OS. spiwan = OFries. spia = MD. 
spijen, spouwen, spuuwen, D. spuwen = OHG. 
spiwan, spian, MHG. spien, G. speien = Icel. 
spyjn = Sw. Dan. spy = Goth, speiwan, spew, 
= L. spuere = Gr. Kriietv, Doric ^IVTTCIV (for 
*<nrfev), spit, = OBulg. pKvati, pljuti = Bohem. 
pliti = Pol.pluc = Euss. plevati=IAth. spiauti 
= Lett, splaut (Slav. -\/plju < splj& < spu), spit. 
Hence ult. spit 2 .] I. intrans. 1 . To discharge 
the contents of the stomach ; vomit ; puke. 
Then he gan to spewe, and up he threwe 
;, gangrene.] A genus of alga?, typical of 
the family Sphacelariacese. They have olive-brown, 
branching, filamentous fronds, with corticating cells want- 
ing or confined to the base of the frond. The axis and 
branches are terminated by a large apical cell, from which, 
by transverse, longitudinal, and oblique divisions, a solid 
frond is formed whose external surface is composed of rec- 
tangular cells arranged in regular transverse bands. The 
unilocular and plurilocular sporangia are spherical or el- 
lipsoidal, borne on short pedicels ; reproduction is non-sex- 
ual, by means of propagula. The species are variable, and 
difficult of determination. There are two species along 
the New England coast. 
Sphacelariaceae (sfas-e-la-ri-a'se-e), . pi. 
[NL., < Sphacelaria + -acese.] A family of 
algaa, typified by the genus Sphacelaria. They 
are olive-brown seaweeds with branching polysiphonous 
fronds, the branches of which terminate in a peculiar large 
apical cell. Also Sphacelarieee. 
sphacelate (sfas'e-lat), a. [< sphacelus + -ate 1 .] 
1. Inpatliol., dead; necrosed. 2. In bot., de- 
cayed, withered, or dead. 
sphacelate (sfas'e-lat), D.; pret. and pp. sphace- 
lated, ppr. sphacelating. [< sphacelus + -ate 2 .] 
I. intrans. To become necrosed. 
H. trans. To affect with sphacelus or necro- 
sis. 
The floor of the existing wound was of course formed by 
sphacelated hepatic tissue. Lancet, 1890, II. 425. 
sphacelated (sfas'e-la-ted), a. [< sphacelate + 
-ed 2 .] Same as sphacelate. 
sphacelation (sfas-e-la'shon), n. [< sphacelate 
+ -ion.] Necrosis ; the process of becoming or 
making gangrenous; mortification. 
sphacele (sfas'el), n. [< NL. sphacela.] In bot., 
same as sphacela. 
Sphacelia (sfa-se'li-a), n. [NL., < Gr. o^fceAof, 
gangrene.] A' former genus of fungi, now known 
to be the conidial stage or form of Claviceps, 
the ergot. It constitutes the first stage of the ergot, 
and consists of a growth of mycelium destroying and re- 
placing the ovary of the host, taking approximately the 
form of the latter. It produces conidial spores upon the 
tips of basidia which radiate from the surface of the hyphal 
mass. Seeerijoti, 2. Also Sphacelium. 
Sphacelism (sfas'e-lizm), n. [< sphacel(u#) + 
-ism.] Same as sphacelismus. 
sphacelismus (sfas-e-lis'mus), re. [NL., < Gr. 
a<jtaKEAtO[6(;, gangrene, { aQaKefa^eiv, be gan- 
grened or blighted, ^ otf>dK/iO^, gangrene: see 
sphacelus.] Necrosis. 
(sfa-se'li-um), u. [NL. : 
by the pink flower-clusters. The 
leaves are alternate, toothed, and decurrent on the stem. 
S. Mrltix is known as the East Indian globe thistle; S. 
nwllis is a common Indian weed of dry cultivated land, 
clothed everywhere with soft glandular hairs which give 
off a powerful honey-like odor. 
sphaeraphides (sfe-raf 'i-dez), n. pi. [< Gr. 
aiftaipa, a ball, + pa^'r, a needle.] In bot., the 
more or less spherical masses of crystals or 
raphides occurring in the cells of many plants. 
Also called sphere-crystals. 
sphaeret, An obsolete form of sphere. 
sphaerenchyma (sfe-reng'ki-mii),n. [NL.,irreg. 
< Gr. man/Hi, a ball, + iyxyiia, an infusion : see 
parenchyma.] Spherical or spheroidal cellular 
tissue, such as is found in the pulp of fruits: 
a modification of parenchyma. Treas. of Bot. 
Sphaeria (sfe'ri-a), n. [NL., < Gr. atiaipa, a 
ball : see sphere.] A genus of pyrenomycetous 
fungi, giving name to the family Sphasriacete. 
The perithecia are black, carbonaceous or membrana- 
ceous, pierced at the apex, usually superficial or erum- 
pent. The species are very numerous, among them be- 
ing S. morbosa, the destructive black-knot of plum- and 
cherry-trees. See black-knot, 2. 
Sphaeriaceae (sfe-ri-a'se-e),n.j>Z. [NL. (Fries, 
1825), < Sphaeria + -aceee.] A family of pyre- 
nomycetous fungi, typified by the genus Sphx- 
ria. 
Sphaeriacei (sfe-ri-a'se-1), n. pi. [NL. , < Sphasria 
T -acei.] Same as Sphxriacea?. 
sphaeriaceous (sfe-ri-a'shius), a. [< Sphaeria 
+ -accous.] In bot., resembling or belonging 
to the genus Sph&ria or the Sphazriaceas. 
2. In gun., to run at the mouth : said of a gun 
which bends at the chase, or whose muzzle 
droops, from too quick firing. 
II. trans. 1. To vomit; puke up or out; eject 
from or as if from the stomach. 
So then because thou art lukewarm ... I will spue 
thee out of my mouth. Eev. iii. 10. 
2. To eject as if by retching or heaving; send 
or cast forth from within; drive by internal 
force or effort : often used figuratively. 
That the land spite not you out also, when ye defile it, 
as it spued out the nations that were before you. 
Lev. xviii. 28. 
To live, for me, Jane, is to stand on a crater-crust which 
may crack and spew fire any day. 
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, xx. 
To spew oakum, said of the seams of a ship when the 
oakum starts out from between the planks. 
sea-urchin. 
(sfe-ri-di'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < 
H -idas.] The Sphasridiinas as a 
coleopterous insects. Also 
Sphasridiadai, Sphseridida, Sphasridides, Sphseri- 
diites, Sphasridiota, Spheridiites. 
Sphaeridiinae (sfe-rid-i-i'ne), .. pi. [NL. (Le 
Conte, 1883, as ilphaeridinii), < Sphairidium + 
-inae.] A subfamily of the water-beetle family 
Hydrophilidai, remarkable from the fact that 
its forms are all terrestrial. They are small, oval, 
convex, or hemispherical beetles which live in the excre- 
ment of herbivorous mammals. They are usually black 
in color, with the elytra frequently spotted or margined 
'.of, gangrene: see sphacehis.] A genus of 
pyrenpmycetous fungi, containing the very de- 
structive species (S. Ampelinum) known as an- 
thracnose. It first appears on the shoots, leaves, and 
berries of grape-vines as minute brown spots which are a 
little depressed in the middle and have a slightly raised 
darker-colored rim. These spots soon increase in size and 
elongate longitudinally. On the fruit the spots retain a 
more or less regularly rounded outline, and have a well- 
defined band of bright vermilion between the dark border 
and the central portion. Finally, under the action of the 
disease, the berries dry up, leaving nothing, apparently, 
but the skin and seeds. Washing the vines with a strong 
solution of sulphate of iron before the appearance of the 
leaves has been found effective in destroying or checking 
the disease. See anthracnose. 
Sphacelus (sfas'e-lus), n. [NL., < Gr. a$d/cefaf, 
gangrene, mortification, caries, also a spasm, 
convulsion.] 1. Necrosis. 2. A necrosed mass 
of tissue. 
sphaeridium (sfe-rid'i-um),. [NL., < Gr. o<t>at- 
piiwv, dim. of aifalpa, a ball, sphere : see sphere.] 
1. PI. sphasridia (-a). In echinoderms, one of 
the numerous minute spheroidal bodies, rarely 
more than one hundredth of an inch long, which 
are found in nearly all sea-urchins upon the 
ambulacral plates, especially those nearest the 
mouth. Each contains a dense glassy calcareous skele- 
ton, and is articulated by a short pedicel, like a spine, to 
one of the tubercles. The spheeridia are supposed to be 
olfactory or auditory sense-organs. 
In some genera, these sphteridia, towhich Loven ascribes 
a sensory function (probably auditory), are sunk in fossa? 
of the plate to which they are attached. 
Huxley, Anat. Invert., p. 490. 
2. [cap.] [NL. (Fabricius, 1795).] The typi- 
cal genus of the Sphasridiinai, comprising mainly 
African species distinguished _by the elongate 
