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■S E M 
SEMIDIA'PHANOUS, adj. Half transparent; imper¬ 
fectly transparent.—Another plate, finely variegated with a 
semidiaphanous grey or sky, yellow and brown. Wood¬ 
ward. 
SE'MIFLORET, s. Among florists, an half flourish, 
which is tubulous at the beginning like a floret, and after¬ 
wards expanded' in the form of a tongue. Bailey. 
SEMIFLOSCULOUS, a 1 term used to express the flowers 
of a certain class of .plants, of which the dandelion, hawk- 
weed, and the like, are kinds. * 
SEMIFLU'ID, adj. Imperfectly fluid. , , 
SEMIGALLIA, a duchy in the north-west of European 
Russia, forming the eastern part of Courland, Its length is 
about 110 miles, its breadth in-general less than - 20, -It is 
separated by the Dwina from the part of Russia, situated to 
the north j on the other sides it is bounded by -Courland. 
Mittau is the capital... See Courland. 
SEMI-JUDAIZERS, a sect of Socinians, consisting of 
the disciples and friends of Francis Davides, superintendant 
of the Socinian churches in Transylvania; who, in conse¬ 
quence of his adherence to the opinions he had adopted, 
was thrown into prison by Christopher Bathori, prince of 
Transylvania, where he died, in the year 1579, in an ad¬ 
vanced age. 
SEMILE, o,r Semilov, a small town in the north of 
Bohemia, on (he Iser; 56 miles north-east of Prague. Po¬ 
pulation' 900. 
SEMILU'NAR, or Semilu'nary, adj. [ semilunaive, 
Fr.] Resembling in form a half moon.—This bay is of a 
semilunary form. . Sir T. Herbert. —The eyes are guarded 
with a semilunar ridge., Grew. 
SEMILUNAR, or. Semilunaris, in Anatomy, an epithet 
applied, in consequence of their figure, to various parts of 
the body. 
SEMIMEMBRANOSUS, a muscle of the thigh. See 
Anatomy. 
SEMI-METALS, a term formerly applied to those metals 
not possessing ductility or malleability. In a mechanical 
point of view, thi^ is doubtless a distinction, but the chemical 
properties of this numerous class of bodies are so undefined, 
as to render it obsolete. 
SE'MINAE,, adj. [seminal, French 3 seminis, Latin.] 
Belonging to seed; contained in the seed; radical.—Had pur 
senses never presented us with those obvious seminal prin¬ 
ciples of apparent generations, we should never have sus¬ 
pected that a plant or animal would have proceeded from 
such unlikely materials. Qlanville. 
SE'MINAL, s. Seminal state. Not in use. —The semi- 
nals of other iniquities. Brown. , 
SEMINA'LITY, s. The nature of seed.—The power of 
being produced.—In the seeds of wheat there lieth obscurely 
the scminality of darnel. Brown. 
SEMINARA, a small town of Italy, in the south of 
Naples, in Calabria Ultra, with 1800 inhabitants. Here is 
an abbey belonging to the united Greek church. In 1783, 
the town suffered dreadfully from an earthquake ; 12 miles 
south-south-west of Rossano, and 17 north-north-east of 
Reggio. Lat. 38. 26. N. long. 16. 18. E. 
SE'MINARIST, s. A Romish priest educated in a se¬ 
minary. Seminarists now come from Rome to pervert 
souls. Sheldon. 
To SE’M.INARIZE, v. a. To sow or plant. Not in use. 
SE'MINARY, s. [seminaire, Fr., sembiarium, from 
semino, Lat.] The ground where any thing is sown to be 
afterwards transplanted; seed plot.—Some, at the first trans¬ 
planting trees out of their seminarj.es,, cut them off about an 
inch from the ground, and plant them like quickset. Mor¬ 
timer. —'The place or original stock whence any thing is 
brought.—This stratum is expanded, serving for a common 
integument, and being the seminary or promptuary that 
furmsheth forth matter forthe formation and increment of ani¬ 
mal and vegetable bodies. Woodward. —Seminal state.—The 
hand of God, who first created the earth, hath wisely con¬ 
trived them in their proper seminaries, and where they best 
§ E M 
maintain the intention of their species. Brown.^— Principle 5 
causality.—Nothing subministrates apter matter to be con¬ 
verted into pestilent seminaries, sooner than steams of nasty 
folks and beggars. Harvey. —'Breeding-place3- place of 
education, from whence scholars are transplanted into life.— 
It was the seat of the greatest monarchy, and the seminary 
of the greatest men» of the world, whilst it was heathen. 
Bacon.- —A Romish priest educated in a seminary 3 a semi¬ 
narist.—O’ my conscience, a seminary l he kisses the 
stocks. ■ B. Jonson■ 
SE'MINARY, adj. [seminaire, Fr.] Seminal 3 belonging 
to seed. —Seminary vessels, both preparatory and ejacula¬ 
tory. Smith. 
SEMINATION, s. [from semino, Lat.] The act of 
sowing. 
SE'MINED, adj. [semino, Lat.] Thick-covered as with 
seeds.—Her garments blue, and semined with stars. B. 
Jonson. 
SEMINi'FICAL, or Semini'fic, adj. [seme,n and facio, 
Lat.] Productive of seed.—We are made to believe, that in 
the fourteenth year males are seminijical and pubescent; but 
he that shall inquire into the generality, will rather adhere 
unto Aristotle. Brown. 
SEMINIFICA'TION, s. Seminijication is the propaga¬ 
tion from the seed or seminal parts. Hale , 
SEMINGTON, a hamlet of England, in Wiltshire; 3 
miles north-east of Trowbridge. 
SEMINOLES, a division of the Creek nation of Indians 
who inhabit the flat level country on the rivers Appalachi- 
cola and Flint. 
SEMIOPA'COUS, adj. [semi and opacus, Lat.] Half 
dark.— Semiopacous bodies are such as, looked upon in an 
ordinary light, and not held betwixt it and the eye, are not 
wont to be discriminated fronF'tfie rest of opacous bodies. 
Boyle. 
SELMIO'RDINATE, s. [In conic sections.] A line drawn 
at right angles to and bissected by the axis, and reaching 
from one side of the section to another; the half of which is 
properly the semiordinate, but is now called the ordinate. 
Harris. 
SEMIPALATN01, a fortress of Asiatic Russia, in the 
southern part of the government of Tomsk, built with a 
view of protecting.the trade there carried on with, the Cal- 
mucs and Bucharians, It was built first in 1718 ; but as the 
current of the Irtysch, on whose banks it was situated, oon- 
timially carried away the adjacent ground,, it was succes¬ 
sively removed to. different spots, and is now in its fourth 
position; but the river is here so shallow, and so obstructed 
with islets, that it has been found impossible to make a pas¬ 
sage to the fort. The rendezvous, therefore, made for the 
purpose of trade with the Kirghisian and Bucharian cara¬ 
vans, has been fixed about ten miles below, where a smaller 
fort has been erected for the purpose. The principal fortress 
forms a square, composed of wooden ramparts, and sur¬ 
rounded by a ditch. There are two villages, one above, and 
the other below, both palisaded like the fort, and contain¬ 
ing about 200 houses. The most profitable trade carried on 
here, is with the Kirghises, who give their horses and cattle 
at a very cheap rate, for mere toys and trifles. It is also 
frequented by traders from Taschkent and Little Bucharia, 
who bring chiefly cotton goods of inferior quality. The 
name of Semipalatnoi, which signifies the Seven Palaces, is 
derived from some ruins situated in the neighbourhood, 
which are, however, unworthy of such an appellation, and 
evidently of Bucharian origin, Lat. 50. 29. 45. N. long. 
80. 10. E. a •. 
SEMI-PARABOLA. See Conic Sections. 
SEMIPE'DAL, adj. Containing half a foot. 
SEMI-PELAGIANS, a name anciently given to such as 
retained some tincture of Pelagianism. 
The leading principles of the Semi-pelagians were the five 
following. 1. That God did not dispense his grace to one 
more than another in consequence of predestination, i. e. an 
eternal and absolute decree, but was willing to save all men, 
. if 
