n. 1. (Bot.) The English cow parsnip (Heracleum sphondylium) Dr. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. a widely cultivated southern European acanthus (Acanthus mollis) with whitish purple-veined flowers. See Acanthus, n., 1.
Syn. -- bear's breech, bear's-breech, bear's breeches, sea holly. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖ [ F., lit., a sea spade. ] (Zool.) The trepang. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. b&unr_;cen. ] Consisting, or made, of the wood or bark of the beech; belonging to the beech. “Plain beechen vessels.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who beseeches. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. dressed in trousers.
Syn. -- pantalooned, trousered. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. pl. [ OE. brech, brek, AS. brēk, pl. of brōc breech, breeches; akin to Icel. brōk breeches, ODan. brog, D. broek, G. bruch; cf. L. bracae, braccae, which is of Celtic origin. Cf. Brail. ] 1. A garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs; smallclothes. [ 1913 Webster ]

His jacket was red, and his breeches were blue. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Trousers; pantaloons. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Breeches buoy, in the life-saving service, a pair of canvas breeches depending from an annular or beltlike life buoy which is usually of cork. This contrivance, inclosing the person to be rescued, is hung by short ropes from a block which runs upon the hawser stretched from the ship to the shore, and is drawn to land by hauling lines. --
Breeches pipe, a forked pipe forming two branches united at one end. --
Knee breeches, breeches coming to the knee, and buckled or fastened there; smallclothes. --
To wear the breeches, to usurp the authority of the husband; -- said of a wife. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. calèche. ] See Calash. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Gr. &unr_;. See Catechise. ] Relating to or consisting in, asking questions and receiving answers, according to the ancient manner of teaching. [ 1913 Webster ]

Socrates introduced a catechetical method of arguing. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a catechetical manner; by question and answer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The science or practice of instructing by questions and answers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The astringent fruit of a species of wild cherry (Prunus Virginiana); also, the bush or tree which bears such fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ F. cléché. ] (Her.) Charged with another bearing of the same figure, and of the color of the field, so large that only a narrow border of the first bearing remains visible; -- said of any heraldic bearing. Compare Voided. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] 1. A public nursery, where the young children of poor women are cared for during the day, while their mothers are at work. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. a day-care center for young children. [ PJC ]

3. a three-dimensional model of the scene described in the Bible at the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable at Bethlehem, with Mary and Joseph near a manger in which a model of the infant Christ child is lain, and usually including figures of animals, shepherds, and the three wise men; -- also called a Nativity scene. The figures in the scene are typically made as individual statues or figurines. Smaller models are displayed in homes and other indoor locations during the Christmans season, and larger models, often life-size, may be displayed out of doors. [ PJC ]

4. (Biol.) a nest where the young of several animals are cared for in a communal fashion. [ PJC ]

n. (Bot.), a delicate perennial spring-flowering herb (Dicentra cucullaria) of eastern U.S., having peculiar double-spurred white flowers. See Illust. of Dicentra
Syn. -- Dicentra cucullaria. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

a. or a. pron. Each. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. échelle ladder, fr. L. scala. ] 1. (Mil.) An arrangement of a body of troops when its divisions are drawn up in parallel lines each to the right or the left of the one in advance of it, like the steps of a ladder in position for climbing. Also used adjectively; as, echelon distance. Upton (Tactics). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naval) An arrangement of a fleet in a wedge or V form. Encyc. Dict. [ 1913 Webster ]

Echelon lens (Optics), a large lens constructed in several parts or layers, extending in a succession of annular rings beyond the central lens; -- used in lighthouses. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. (Mil.) To place in echelon; to station divisions of troops in echelon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To take position in echelon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Change direction to the left, echelon by battalion from the right. Upton (Tactics). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a natural family of fishes having a sucking disk on the head for clinging to other fishes and to ships.
Syn. -- family Echeneididae, family Echeneidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. the type genus of the Echeneididae; they are typical remoras.
Syn. -- genus Echeneis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ F. flèche, prop., an arrow. ] (Fort.) A simple fieldwork, consisting of two faces forming a salient angle pointing outward and open at the gorge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Bot.) The large nutlike seed of a species of Aesculus (Aesculus Hippocastanum), formerly ground, and fed to horses, whence the name. The seed is not considered edible by humans. [ wns=2 ] [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Bot.) The tree itself (Aesculus hippocastanum), which was brought from Constantinople in the beginning of the sixteenth century, and is now common in the temperate zones of both hemispheres; it has palmate leaves and large clusters of white to red flowers followed by brown shiny inedible seeds. The native American species is also called buckeye and conker. [ wns=1 ] [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The business of a farrier; especially, the art of curing the diseases of horses. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. & v. [ Obs. ] See Knowledge. [ 1913 Webster ]

We consider and knowleche that we have offended. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See water buck, under 3d Buck. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. lechur, lechour, OF. lecheor, lecheur, gormand, glutton, libertine, parasite, fr. lechier to lick, F. lécher; of Teutonic origin. See Lick. ] A man given to lewdness; one addicted, in an excessive degree, to the indulgence of sexual desire, or to illicit sexual relations with women; also called letch and lech. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Lechered p. pr. & vb. n. Lechering. ] To practice lewdness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Lecher, n. Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a lecher; addicted to lewdness; excessively lustful; -- used mostly of men; also, lust-provoking. “A lecherous thing is wine.” Chaucer. -- Lech"er*ous*ly, adv. -- Lech"er*ous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an inclination to excessive indulgence in sexual activity; habitually developing a strong sexual arousal.
Syn. -- lust, lustfulness, itch. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. lecherie, OF. lecherie. See Lecher. ] 1. Free indulgence of lust; excessive indulgence in sexual relations; -- used mostly of men. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Selfish pleasure; delight. [ Obs. ] Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp. Cf. Lebeccio. ] (Meteor.) A dry sirocco of Spain. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

[ So named from the Ogeechee River in Georgia. ] (Bot.) (a) The acid, olive-shaped, drupaceous fruit of a species of tupelo (Nyssa capitata) which grows in swamps in Georgia and Florida. (b) The tree which bears this fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. through Canadian F. fr. Amer. Indian. ] A kind of rawhide consisting of hide, esp. of the buffalo, which has been soaked in crude wood-ash lye to remove the hairs, and then dried. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ F. requêté, fr. requêter to hunt anew. See Request. ] (Sporting) A strain given on the horn to call back the hounds when they have lost track of the game. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To blow the recheat. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ F. ] Sought out with care; choice. Hence: of rare quality, elegance, or attractiveness; peculiar and refined in kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. (Zool.) The picarian birds, as distinguished from the singing birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. To seek. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Gael. spreidh cattle. ] Movables of an inferior description; especially, such as have been collected by depredation. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Wreak. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]