swum 
swum (swuin). Preterit and past participle of 
.VIC/H/I, xiritit-. 
BWUng (swung). 1'rotorit anil past participle of 
siring. 
swymbelt, . Sco ^inmb/i. 
swypes, ". Sci- xu-i/n.-. 
swyre, . Seo xin;r, -j. 
syalite (si'a-lit), n. [< Malay xyalittt.'] A plant. 
Dilleniii x/i<-i-iin<ii. Scr Ihlli-iiiu. 
syama (syil'inji). . [E. Lid.] Aii Indian kite, 
the baza, a;ti lophotes. 
sybt, ami n. An old spoiling of sib. 
Sybarite (sib'a-rit), n. [= P. Sybarite, < L. 
Sfbarita. < Ur. "EvjiapiriK, an inhabitant of Syb- 
aris, < 2J vte/wf, L. Sybarin, a city of Magna Gne- 
cia (southern Italy), on a river of tne same 
name.] An inhabitant of Sybaris, an Achnan 
colony in Lueania, founded 720 B. c., and de- 
stroyed by the Crotoniates 510 B. c. ; hence, a 
person devoted to luxury and pleasure, Sybaris 
being proverbial for its luxury. 
Our power of encountering weather varies with the ob- 
ject of our hardihood; wu are very Scythians when plea- 
sure is concerned, and Sybarite* when the hell numinous 
us to church. Sydney Smith, In Lady Holland, III. 
sybaritic (sib-a-rit'ik), a. [= F. Sybaritiquc, 
< L. tiy/tariticus, < Gr. Su/Sapm/cof, pertaining 
to Sybaris, < Sv/Japirr/f, an inhabitant of Syba- 
ris: see tiybarite.'] Of or pertaining to Sybaris 
or its inhabitants; hence, luxurious; devoted 
to pleasure. 
I hope you will dine with me on a single dish, to atone 
to philosophy for the sybaritic dinners of Prior Park. 
Warburton, To Abp. Kurd, Jan. 30, 17B9. 
sybaritical (sib-a-rit'i-kal), a. [< sybaritic + 
-?.] Same as sybaritic" 
Ch. If yoa will have me, I'll make a Sybaritual Ap- 
pointment, that you may have Time enough to provide 
afore Hand. 
I'f. What Appointment is that? 
ch. The Sybarites invited their Guests against the next 
Year, that they might both have Time to be prepar'd. 
S. Bailey, tr. of Colloquies of Erasmus, I. 112. 
sybaritism (sib'a-ri-tizm), n. [= F. Sybari- 
tisme; < Sybarite + -ism.] The practices of 
Sybarites ; voluptuous effeminacy ; devotion to 
pleasure. Imp. Diet. 
sybilt, sybillt, Erroneous spellings of sibyl. 
sybo (si bo), n. ; pi. syboes (-boz). [A corrupt 
form of cibol, < F. ciboule, an onion : see cibot.] 
Same as cibol, 2. [Scotch.] 
sybotic (si-bot'ik), a. [< Or. mfiurinof, of or for 
a swineherd. < (m/Sdir^f, avfidrr/f, a swineherd, < 
o%, swine, 4- Bua/ceiv, feed, tend.] Pertaining 
to a swineherd or to the keeping of swine. 
He was twitted with his sybotic tendencies. 
Daily Telegraph, Dec. 4, 1876. (Encyc. Diet.) 
sybotism (si'bo-tizm), n. [< Gr. avflurt/f, a 
swineherd (see 'sybotic), + -ism.'] The tending 
of swine ; swmeherdship. 
sycamine* (sik'a-min), . [< L. sycaminus, < 
Gr. avKd/ttvof, the mulberry-tree.] The black 
mulberry, Moras nigra. 
If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say 
unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, 
and be thou planted in the sea. Luke xvii, 0. 
sycamore (sik'a-mor), n. [The spelling with a 
is erroneous, being due to confusion with syca- 
mine; formerly and prop, sycamore, sicoinore, 
< ME. sycamore, sygamour, < OF. sycamore, F. 
sycamore = 8p. sicomoro = Pg. sycomoro, sico- 
moro = It. sicomoro = G. sycamore, < L. syco- 
morus, ML. also sicomorus, sicomerus, < Gr. OVKO- 
f, the mulberry-tree, < aiiKov, a fig, + ft6pm>, 
v, the black mulberry : see more*, morel, m ul- 
btrry.'] 1. The sycamore-fig, Ficus Sycomorits, 
i, Branch with Leaves of Sycamore (f-tfut Sycomarus) ; a, the fruits. 
growing in the lowlands of Syria, Egypt, and 
elsewhere. It is a spreading tree, 80 or 40 feet high, 
with leaves somewhat like those of the mulberry, and 
fruit borne in clusters on the trunk and main branches. 
0121 
The fruit Is sweetish and edible, though needing an in- 
cision at the end to make it ripen properly, and forms a 
considerable article of fcl with the poorer cln8e. The 
wood Is coarse-grained and inferior, but was mail'- int.. 
durable mummy cases. The tree Is good for simile, and 
is still cultivated for that use In Egypt. .Sometimes called 
Egyptian sycamore or Pharaoh's Jty. 
2. lalBglaiHl, the sycamore-maple, .liv/ /'.-' 
ilo-iiltitiniiix, the plane-two f tlio Scotch. From 
its dense shade, It was chosen In the sacred dramas of the 
middle ages to represent the sycamore (Luke xlx. 4) Into 
which Zaccheiu climbed (Prior). See iiiaplti. 
Ther laugh I Colic tregetour 
r l Hi a table of lyyamour 
I'leyc an uncouthc thynge to telle. 
Chaucer, House of Fame, L 1278. 
Sycamore wilde a certayne is to take 
And bolle It so, not with to greet affray. 
1'aUailiwi, Huabondrie (E. E. T. S.), p. 185. 
And thou, with all thy breadth and height 
Of foliage, towering lycaman. 
Tcnuywm, In MemorUm, Ixxxix. 
3. In the United States, the buttouwood, Plata- 
HW occidentnlia, or any of the plane-trees. See 
lil a ne-tree, 1. 4. In New South Wales, Ster- 
ntlia litridu. -False sycamore. See Melia.- White 
sycamore, one of the Australian nutmegs, Cryptocarya 
obotata, a large tree with UKful soft white wood. 
sycamore-disease (nik'a-mor-di-zez'), . A 
disease of the svcamore (plane-tree) produced 
by a fungus, Gueottporium nervisequum, which 
causes the leaves to turn brown and withered, 
as if scorched by fire. 
sycamore-fig (sik'a-mor-fig), . See sycamore, 1. 
sycamore-maple (sik'a-mor-ma'pl), . See 
sycamore, 2. 
sycamore-moth (sik'a-mor-mdth), M. A Brit- 
ish noctuid moth, Acronycta aceris, whose larva 
feeds on the sycamore-maple. 
syce, n. See sice%. 
sycee (si-se'), and . [A corruption of Chi- 
nese si szt, fine silk: so called because when 
pure it is capable of being drawn out under 
the application of heat into threads as 'fine 
as silk. ] Properly, an epithet meaning ' pure,' 
applied to the uncoined lumps of silver used 
by the Chinese as money, but frequently used 
by itself, in the sense of 'fine (uncoined) sil- 
ver.' See sycee-silver. 
sycee-silver (si-se'sil'ver), n. [< sycee + sil- 
ver.'} The fine (uncoined) lumps of silver used 
by the Chinese as money, the Hang (or ounce) 
being the unit of reckoning in weighing it out. 
See dotchin, lianff, and tael. The lumps are of all 
sizes and shapes, from the merest fragment or clipping 
to the form of ingot called a shoe, because of 1U supposed 
resemblance to a Chinese shoe, but It Is more like a boat 
These "shoes " usually weigh about SO llang, but smaller 
Ingots of that shape are also found. The smaller ingots 
called tings are hemispherical, and average about live or 
six ounces in weight. 
sychnocarpous (sik-no-kar'pus), a. [< Gr. 
<n>xv6f, many, frequent, -I- (taprof, fruit.] In 
hot., having the power of bearing fruit many 
times without perishing. 
Sycite (si'sit), n. [< Gr. ovuryd fig-like, < OVKOV, 
a fig.] A nodule of flint or a pebble which re- 
sembles a fig. 
sycock (si'kok), n. [< sy- (origin obscure) + 
cocfc 1 .] The mistlethrush, Turdus viscivorus. 
See cut under mistlethrush. [Prov. Eng.] 
sycomore (sik'o-mor), n. A better but no longer 
used spelling of sycamore, retained in modern 
copies of the authorized version of the Bible. 
Sycon (si'kon), n. [NL., < Gr. aimov, a fig.] 
I. The typical genus of Syconidx. Also Sy- 
cum. 2. [/. c. ; pi. sycons (si'konz) or sycouex 
(si-ko'uez).] A sponge of this genus. 
Syconaria (si-ko-na'ri-ft), n. pi. [NL., < Sycon 
+ -aria.] In Sollas's classification, a tribe of 
heterocoalous calcareous sponges, embracing 
both recent and fossil forms, whose flagellated 
chambers are either radial tubes or cylindrical 
sacs. The families Syconidte, Syllci'bidir, and 
TeichoneUMte are assigned to this tribe. 
syconarian (si-ko-na'ri-an), a. [< Syconaria 
+ -a.] Of or pertaining to the Syconaria. 
syconate (si'ko-nat), a. [< sycon + -atel.] 
Having the character of, or pertaining to, a sy- 
con or the Sycones. Encyc. Brit., XXLT. 421. 
Sycones (si-ko'nez), . p'l. [NL., pi. of Sycon, 
q. v.] One of the divisions of the Calcisponaiie 
or chalk-sponges, represented by forms which 
are essentially compound Ascones. See this 
word and Leucones. 
syconi, . Plural of syconug. 
syconla. " Plural of syconiiun. 
Syconidae (si-kon'i-de), n. pi. [NL., < Sycon 
+ -irf.] A family of chalk-sponges, typified 
by the genus Sycon. In Sollas's classification they 
are defined as syconarian sponges whose radial chambers 
open directly into the paragastric cavity, and are divided 
sycophant 
into three subfamilies. The best-known example Is the 
genus (JraHtia. 
syconium (si-ko'ni-um), n.; pi. sycoina (-'At. 
[NL., < <ir. HI-MI; a (ig. ] In Imt., a fleshy hol- 
low receptacle, containing numerous flowers 
which develop together into a multiple fruit. 
as in the fig. Also called /i ///"'"'"''"''. 
syconus ( si-ko'iius), H. ; pi. ttyconi(-m). [XL., 
< (ir. aiknt; a fig.] In hot., same as .,//<<<(<. 
Sycophaga (si-kof'a-gtt), . [NL. (Wostwood, 
1840), < dr. ai'Kotpa-yof, fig-eating, < ovum; a fig, + 
Qa-yeiv, eat.] A genus of hymenopterous in- 
sects, of the family C/MZ/VididfB, which feed upon 
the fig and indirectly promote impregnation of 
the female flowers. 
sycophancy (sik'o-fan-si), n. ; pi. sycophancies 
(-siz). [< L. sycopliantia, suciyihantiu, < Gr. 
vria, the conduct of a sycophant, < OVKO- 
, a sycophant : see sycophant.'] The char- 
acter or characteristics of a sycophant ; hence, 
mean tale-bearing; obsequious flattery; ser- 
vility. 
It was hard to hold that s-at [that of the publican] with- 
out oppresnioii, u Ithout exaction. One that best knew It 
branded It with polling and tycophancy. 
Up. ll'itl, Coutemplatluns, Matthew Called. 
The sycophancy of A. Philips had prejudiced Mr. Addl- 
son against Pope. 
Warburton, Note on Pope's Fourth Pastoral. (Latham.) 
The affronta which his poverty emboldened stupid and 
low-minded men to offer him [Johnson] would have broken 
a mean spirit Into sycophancy, but made him rude even to 
ferocity. Uacaulay, Johnson. 
sycophant (sik'6-fant), . and . [Formerly 
also sicophant; (. P. sycophante = Sp. sicofante 
= It. sicofanta, < L. sycopltanla, sucophanta, 
ML. also sicophanta, sicophantus, sicophans, < 
Gr. (mux^&vTrK, an informer, a slanderer, a trick- 
ster, appar. < avuov , a fig, + faivetv, show, declare. 
The name would thus mean lit. 'fig-shower,' of 
which the historical origin is unknown, (a) 
According to ancient writers, it originally ap- 
plied to ' one who informed on another for tne 
exporting of figs from Attica' (which is said to 
have been forbidden); or (6) to 'one who in- 
formed on another for plundering sacred fig- 
trees'; (c) a third explanation makes it orig. 
'one who brings figs (hidden in the foliage) 
to light by shaking the tree,' hence 'one who 
makes rich men yield tribute by means of false 
accusations.' All these explanations are doubt- 
less inventions, (rf) The real explanation ap- 
pears to lie in some obscene use of ovum, fig, this 
word, and the L. ficus, fig, with its Bom. forms, 
being found in various expressions of an ob- 
scene or abusive nature. This origin, whatever 
its particular nature, would explain the fact, 
otherwise scarcely explicable, that the original 
application of the term is without record.] I. 
. If. A tale-bearer or informer in general. 
The poor man that hath naught to lose is not afraid of 
the sycophant or promoter. 
Holland, tr. of Plutarch's Morals, p. 261. (Trench.) 
This ordinance is in the first table of Solon's lawes, and 
therefore we may not altogether discredit those which say 
they did forbid in the old time that men should carry figs 
out of the conntrey of Attica, and that from thence it came 
that these pick-thanks, which bewray and accuse them 
that transported figs, were called sycophants. 
North, tr. of Plutarch, p. 77. 
The laws of Draco . . . punished it [theft] with death ; 
. . . Solon afterwards changed the penalty to a pecuniary 
mulct. And so the Attic bws In general continued, ex- 
cept that once, in a time of dearth, it was made capital to 
break into a garden and steal figs; but this law, and the 
informers against the offence, grew o odious that from 
them all malicious informers were styled sycophants: a 
name which we have much perverted from its original 
meaning. Blaclrstone, Com., IV. xvtL 
2. A parasite; a mean flatterer; especially, a 
flatterer of princes and great men. 
Such not esteem desert, but sensual vaunts 
Of parasites and fawning sycophants. 
Ford, Fame's Memorial. 
= Syn. 2. Paratite, Sycophant (tee parasite), fawner, toady, 
toad eater, flunkey. 
H. a. Parasitical; servile; obsequious; syco- 
phantic. 
The Protector, Oliver, now affecting kingship, is peti- 
tion'd to take the title on him by all his new-made syeo- 
phant lords, etc. Evelyn, Diary, March 25, 1067. 
sycophant (sik'o-fant), r. [< sycophant, H.] I. 
trans. If. To give information about, or tell 
tales of, in order to gain favor; calumniate. 
He makes it his business to tamper with his reader by 
tycophanting and misnaming the work of his enemy. 
Milton, Apology for Smectymnuus. 
2. To plav the sycophant toward ; flatter mean- 
ly and officiously. Imp. Diet. 
II. n(ran. To play the sycophant. [Bare.] 
His tycophantiny arts being detected, that game Is not 
to be played a second time. Qorernmcnt of the Tongue. 
