water-feather 
water-feather, water-featherfoil (wa ' t6r- 
feTH"er, -feTH"<>r-foil), n. The featherfoil or 
water-violet Hottouiti, especially the British 
species H. paUtstris : so named from its finely 
dissected immersed leaves. 
water-fennel (wa'ter-fen'el), «. One of the 
water-dropn'orts, (Ennnthe PlieUandriiitii. 
water-fern (wa'ter-fern), H. 1. A fern of the 
genus OsmuiKia ; specifically, 0. rcgalis. — 2. A 
plant of the order MarsHcaceee. 
water-fight (wil'ter-fit), «. A naval battle. 
[Rare.J 
Cjesar . . . awaits at anchor the coniinfr of his whole 
fleet, mean wliile with his lejiatts and tribnns consultinK, 
and giving order to titt all thinjfs for what might happ'n 
In sneh a various and floating water-Jight as was to he ex- 
l>ected. Milton, Hist. Eng., ii. 
water-figwort (vra'ter-fig"wert), n. The com- 
mon Eiirojiciui figwort, Scrophxdaria nodosa. 
water-filter (wa'ter-fil'ter), 11. An appliance 
for filtering water; a filter — Water-filter nut. 
Same as Hearing-nnt. 
water-finder (wa'ter-fiii"der), «. One who 
practises rhabdomancy, or uses the divining- 
rod to discover water; a bletonist. 
water-fire (wa'ter-firj, n. [Tr. of a Tamil name.] 
A low weed, Berfiia animannioidc.s of the lilati- 
naeeie, found in rice-fields and marshy grounds 
in the tropical Old World. The name alludes 
to a supposed acridity. 
water-flag (wa'ter-flag), n. The yellow flag, 
Iris I'scudacorus. Also called yeUow iris and 
floiccr-de-Uice. 
water-flannel (wa'ter-flan"el), n. A felt-like 
substance composed of the matted filaments of 
some conferva or similar alga which multiplies 
in submerged meadows, and is deposited by the 
retiring waters. 
water-flaxseed (wa'ter-flaks"sed), 1). The 
larger duckweed, Lemim poli/rhiza: so called 
from the shape and minute size of the fronds. 
water-flea (wa'ter-fle), >i. One of numerous 
small or minute crustaceans which skip about 
in the water like fleas, as Vaphnia pulex ; any 
branchiopod. See Vaplmiidse, Cladoccra, Cy- 
dop.^. 
water-float (wa'ter-flot), n. A float placed in 
a boiler, cistern, etc., to control a valve. 
water-flood (wa'ter-flud), V. [< ME. watcrflod, 
< AS. icastcrflod; as water + flood.l A flood of 
water; an inundation. 
Let not the watn-Jlood overflow me, Ps. Ixix. 15. 
In the moneth of May, namely on the 2d day, came downe 
great water Jioods, l)y reason of sodaine showres of liaile 
and raine. Stnw, Annals, p. 768. 
water-flounder ( wa'ter-floun"der), w. The sand- 
fiounder. [Local, U. S.] 
waterflow (wa'ter-flo), n. A flow or current of 
water; tlie amount of water flowing. 
The work concludes with articles on the cost of hy- 
draulic power, and upon meters for measuring icaterjlow. 
Westminster Ret., CXXVIII, 247. 
water-flowing (wa'ter-fl6"ing), a. Flowing 
like water; streaming. [Rare.] 
My mercy dried their water-flowing tears. 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., iv. 8. 43. 
water-fly(wa'ter-fli),H. 1. Some winged aquatic 
insect ; specifically, a member of the family I'er- 
lidfe; a stone-fly. — 2. A source of petty annoy- 
ance; an insignificant but troublesome person 
or thing. [Rare.] 
How the poor world is pestered with such waterflies, 
diminutives of nature ! Shak., T. and C, v. 1. 38. 
water-foot (wa'ter-fiit), )(. One of the ambu- 
laeral pedicels of an echinoderm; a tube-foot. 
water-fowl (w;i'ter-foul), n. [< ME. ivatyr 
foul; < water + fotcll.'] 1. Same aa water- 
birds. — 2. In a restricted sense, swimming 
birds, especially those which, as the Aiiseres, 
are used tor food or for any reason engage the 
attention of sportsmen. 
water-foxt ( wa'ter-foks), n. The carp, Ciiprimis 
carpio: so called from its supposed cunning. 
/. Walton. Compare toater-sheej). 
water-frame (wil'ter-fram), n. The original 
Kpiuniug-frarae invented by Arkwright, which 
was driven by water-power"( whence the name). 
Otherwise called throstle and throstle-frame. 
See cut in next column. 
water-fright (wa'tcr-frit), n. Hydrophobia. 
water-fringe (wii'ter-frinj), «. See Limnan- 
theiinim. 
water-furrow (wji'ter-tur'T)), >i. [< ME. waler- 
foroire. wiih rfoorc; < water + furrow.] In oi/ri., 
a deei) furrow njade for conducting water from 
ground and keeping it dry: an open drain. 
Water/orowi', in londe. Elicns, sulcus. 
Froiiipf. Part'.. }t. r)lS. 
6842 
Water-gage. 
tt. upper cock com- 
municating with steam- 
space : a', lower cock 
communicating with 
water-space ; ff, glass; 
f, water-line. 
Arkwright's Water-frame. 
water-furrow (wa'ter-fur"6), V. t. [< water- 
furrow, n.] To plow or open water-furrows in ; 
drain by means of water-furrows. 
Seed husbandly sowen, water-furrow thy grouml, 
That rain when it Cometh may run away round. 
Tuiser, October's Husbandry, st. 7. 
water-gage (wa'ter-gaj), n. 1. Any device for 
indicating the height of water in a reservoir, 
tank, boiler, or other vessel. 
The most common form is a glass 
tube placed on the front of a boiler, 
and connected at the top with a pipe 
opening into the steam-space above 
the water and below with a pipe open- 
ing into the water in tile boiler. The 
water and steam illl the tube and in- 
dicate the height of the water in the 
boiler. See gage-cock. Also called 
water-indicator. 
2. A wall or bank to restrain 
or hold back water. 
water-gall (wa'ter-gal), n. 
[Also dial, water-gcal, water- 
f/ull; = G. wasser-galle, a cav- 
ity in the earth made by a 
torrent, a bog, quagmire, < 
wasser, water, -I- galle, seen 
also in G. rcejen-yalle, an im- 
perfect rainbow, end or frag- 
ment of a rainbow, an oxeye, 
water-gall, weather-gall, ap- 
par. in orig. like Icel. (jalli, a 
defect, flaw, hence a barren spot: see ffflW^.] 
1. A cavity made in the earth by a torrent of 
water. Imp. Diet. — 2. An appearance in the 
sky regarded as presaging the approach of 
rain; a rainbow-colored spot; an imperfectly 
formed or a secondary rainbow. Also called 
weather-gall. 
And round about her tear-distained eye 
Blue circles streani'd, like rainbows in the sky; 
These water-galU in her dim element 
Foretell new storms. Stiak., Lucrece, 1. 1688. 
Their reason is but a low, obscure, and imperfect shadow 
thereof, as the water-gall is of the rain-bow. 
Sir M. Hale, Orig. of JIankind, p. 60. 
I am told a second rainbow above the first is called in 
the Isle of Wight a watergeal. 
Halliwell (under water-dogn). 
water-gangt (wa'ter-gang), n. A trench or 
course for conveying a stream of water; a mill- 
race. Jamieson. [Obsolete or Scotch.] 
water-gap (wa'ter-gap), n. See gap, 2. 
water-gas (wa'ter-gas), II. A gas, non-luminous 
in its pure form, derived in part from the de- 
composition of steam. The apparatus for making it 
consists of a furnace for anthracite coal or other fuel, con- 
nected at the top with a tower filled with loose brick and 
called a regenerator. The products of combustion pass 
through the regenerator, and raise it to a white heat. 
Steam is tlicu admitted below the furnace, and, passing 
upward through the flre and through the regenerator, is 
decomposed. While the steam is passing the funiace, 
either coal reduced to dust or crude naphtha is allowed to 
fall through the ascending steam over the flre. Compli- 
cated chemical reactions take place, the result being the 
formation of quantities of fixed gas. There are^also 
other methods closely allied to this. By one process the 
non-luminous gas is aftt>rward enriched by the addition 
of a hydrocarbon, as petroleum or naphtha. AVater-gas is 
commonly thus treated, and used as an illuminating gas; 
but it is also used, in its non-luminous form, as a heating 
gas for cooking and other purposes. 
water-gate (wa't6r-gat), n. [ME. Watergate; 
< water + gate^.'] 1. Agateway through which 
water passes, or a gate by which it may be ex- 
cluded or confined; a flood-gate. 
Fro lieven, oute of the watirgatix. 
The reyny stonne telle doiui algatis. 
Gower, Couf. Amant., iii. 
2. A gate by which access is gaineii to a river, 
fountain, well, or other body or sujiply of water. 
water-hammer 
And at the fountain gate . . . they went up by the 
stairs of the city of Bavid, at the going up of the wall, 
above the house of David, even unto the loater gate east- 
ward. Neh. xii. 37. 
As they reached the water-gate, the rain had ceased for 
a time, and a gleam of sunlight shone upon the river, and 
rested on the Queen's barge as it approached. 
J. Ii. Stiortliouse, John Inglesant, iv. 
3. A water-plug or valve. E. H. Knight. 
water-gavel (wa'ter-gav'el), n. In Eng. law, 
a rent paid for fishing or any other benefit 
derived from a river. 
water-germander (wa'ter-jer-man'der), n. A 
plant, Teiierium Scordium. 
water-glider (wa'ter-gil"der), H. One who 
practises the art of water-gilding. 
water-gilding (wa'ter-gil'ding), n. Same as 
wasli-gilding. 
water-gillyflower (wa'ter-jil'i-flou-«r), n. The 
water-violet, Hottonia palustris. 
water-gladiole (wa'ter-glad'''i-61), n. See flow- 
ering rush (under rush^). 
water-glass ( wa'tfer-glas), n. 1 . A water-clock 
or clepsydra. 
Full time of defence measured by the water-glagg. 
Grote, Hist Greece, ii. 72. 
2. An instrument for making observations be- 
neath the surface of water, consisting of a tube 
with a glass bottom ; a water-telescope. 
With a water-glass over the side, you look down on the 
bright array of flshes, whose every movement you cau 
note. Fortnightly Rev., N. S., XXXIX. 180. 
3. Same as soluble gUiss (which see, under 
glas,-i). 
Water-glass painting may be explained . . . very briefly. 
It is simply water colour on dry jdaster, fixed afterwards 
with a solution of fiint applied to it in spray as the solu- 
tion of gum-lac is applied to a charcoal drawing. 
Uamerton, Graphic Arts, p. 236. 
water-gluet (wa'ter-glo), n. Waterproof glue. 
The strings [of bows) being made of verie good hempe, 
with a kinde of waterglewe to resist wet and nioysture. 
Sir J. Smyth, quoted in Ellis's Lit. Letters, p. 54. 
water-god (wa'ter-god), n. In myth., a deity 
that presides over the waters, or over some 
particular body, stream, or fountain of water. 
water-grampus (wa't^r-gram'pus), n. Same 
as grampus, 4. 
water-grass (wa'ter-gras), n. 1. The manna- 
grass, Glyceria fluitans. [Fishermen's name.] 
— 2. A very succulent gi-ass, Paspahim Iscvc. 
[Southern U. S.] —3. The water-cress, Xastvr- 
tium officinale. [Ireland.] — 4. Species of -Egwi- 
setum. — 5. The velvet-grass, Holcns. Britten 
and Holland. [Prov. Eng.] 
water-gruel (wa'ter-gro'el), n. Gruel made 
of water and meal, flour, etc., and eaten with- 
out milk; thin or weak gruel. 
I could eat water-gnel with thee a month for this jert, 
my dear rogue. B. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, ii. 1. 
Was ever Tartar fierce or cruel 
Ipon the Strength of Water-Gruel f 
Prior, Alma, iii. 
water-guard (wa'ter-gard), n. A river or har- 
bor police ; customs officers detailed to watch 
ships in order to prevent smuggling or other 
violations of law. 
water-gull (wa'tfer-gul), n. A dialectal form 
of water-gall. 
water-gum (wa'ter-gum), n. A small tree of 
New South Wales, Tristania neriifolio. the tim- 
ber of which is close-grained and elastic, and 
valuable for boat-building. 
water-gut (wa'ter-gut), H. An alga of the genus 
Viva, natural order Vlracese. The most general 
form, U. etiteromorpha, var. intestinalis, occurs in fresh as 
well as salt water, r. enteromorpha, var. compressa, being 
the more common on tidal rocks. When floating in the 
water these plants very much resemble the intestines of 
an .animal (whence the name). 
water-hairgrass ( wa'ter-}iar"gi-as), n. A grass, 
t'dtabrosa uqiiatiea, growing in shallow wat^r, 
widely in the north temperate zone, having 
a panicle with many half-whorls of slender 
branches. Also water-whortgrass. 
water-hammer (wa'ter-hani'er), «. 1. The 
concussion of a moving volume of water in a 
pipe or passage, caused by sudden stoppage of 
flow, as by the abrupt closing of a faucet. — 2. 
The noise, resembljng a blow of a hammer, 
caused by the presence of water in a steam- 
pipe when live steam is passed through it. — 
3. A philosophical toy consisting of a hermeti- 
cally sealed tube from which the air has been 
exhausted and which contains some water, it 
is so called because the water strikes against the tube 
with a noise similar to that of a hammer, there being no 
air to impede its motion. 
4. A metal hammer heated in a flame or in boil- 
ing water. Tapping the skin with this hammer for a 
