n. [ Coal + 2d sack. ] (Astron.) Any one of the spaces in the Milky Way which are very black, owing to the nearly complete absence of stars; esp., the large space near the Southern Cross sometimes called the Black Magellanic Cloud. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Russ. kozak', kazak': cf. Turk. kazāk. ] One of a warlike, pastoral people, skillful as horsemen, inhabiting different parts of the Russian empire and furnishing valuable contingents of irregular cavalry to its armies, those of Little Russia and those of the Don forming the principal divisions. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Mil.) An outpost consisting of four men, forming one of a single line of posts substituted for the more formal line of sentinels and line of pickets. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disacknowledged p. pr. & vb. n. Disacknowledging. ] To refuse to acknowledge; to deny; to disown. [ Obs. ] South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. G. dudelsack. ] The Scotch bagpipe. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A traveler's handbag. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A term of reproach, implying that one is fit to be hanged. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. havresac, G. habersack, sack for oats. See 2d Haver, and Sack a bag. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A bag for oats or oatmeal. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A bag or case, usually of stout cloth, in which a soldier carries his rations when on a march; -- distinguished from knapsack. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A gunner's case or bag used to carry cartridges from the ammunition chest to the piece in loading. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a loosely woven coarse fabric of cotton or linen, used in clothing.
Syn. -- hopsack. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Ethnol.) Same as Cossack. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ D. knapzak; knappen to eat + zak a bag. See Knap, v. t., and Sack. ] A case of canvas, leather, nylon, or other sturdy fabric, fitted with straps, for carrying on the back the food, clothing, or other supplies for a soldier or a traveler; as, to hike up the mountain with lunch in a knapsack. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

And each one fills his knapsack or his scrip
With some rare thing that on the field is found. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Gr. nhkto`s swimming + E. sac, sack. ] (Zool.) The cavity of a nectocalyx. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To make a thorough search. [ 1913 Webster ]

To ransack in the tas [ heap ] of bodies dead. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of ransacking, or state of being ransacked; pillage. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Even your father's house
Shall not be free from ransack. J. Webster. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Ransacked p. pr. & vb. n. Ransacking. ] [ OE. ransaken, Icel. rannsaka to explore, examine; rann a house (akin to Goth. razn house, AS. ræsn plank, beam) + the root of sækja to seek, akin to E. seek. See Seek, and cf. Rest repose. ] 1. To search thoroughly; to search every place or part of; as, to ransack a house. [ 1913 Webster ]

To ransack every corner of their . . . hearts. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To plunder; to pillage completely. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their vow is made
To ransack Troy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To violate; to ravish; to defiour. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Rich spoil of ransacked chastity. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. sak, sek, AS. sacc, saecc, L. saccus, Gr. sa`kkos from Heb. sak; cf. F. sac, from the Latin. Cf. Sac, Satchel, Sack to plunder. ] 1. A bag for holding and carrying goods of any kind; a receptacle made of some kind of pliable material, as cloth, leather, and the like; a large pouch. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A measure of varying capacity, according to local usage and the substance. The American sack of salt is 215 pounds; the sack of wheat, two bushels. McElrath. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. [ Perhaps a different word. ] Originally, a loosely hanging garment for women, worn like a cloak about the shoulders, and serving as a decorative appendage to the gown; now, an outer garment with sleeves, worn by women; as, a dressing sack. [ Written also sacque. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A sack coat; a kind of coat worn by men, and extending from top to bottom without a cross seam. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Biol.) See 2d Sac, 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

Sack bearer (Zool.). See Basket worm, under Basket. --
Sack tree (Bot.), an East Indian tree (Antiaris saccidora) which is cut into lengths, and made into sacks by turning the bark inside out, and leaving a slice of the wood for a bottom. --
To give the sack to or
get the sack, to discharge, or be discharged, from employment; to jilt, or be jilted. [ Slang ] --
To hit the sack, to go to bed. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. [ OE. seck, F. sec dry (cf. Sp. seco, It. secco), from L. siccus dry, harsh; perhaps akin to Gr. 'ischno`s, Skr. sikata sand, Ir. sesc dry, W. hysp. Cf. Desiccate. ] A name formerly given to various dry Spanish wines. “Sherris sack.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sack posset, a posset made of sack, and some other ingredients. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To put in a sack; to bag; as, to sack corn. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bolsters sacked in cloth, blue and crimson. L. Wallace. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bear or carry in a sack upon the back or the shoulders. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. sac plunder, pillage, originally, a pack, packet, booty packed up, fr. L. saccus. See Sack a bag. ] The pillage or plunder, as of a town or city; the storm and plunder of a town; devastation; ravage. [ 1913 Webster ]

The town was stormed, and delivered up to sack, -- by which phrase is to be understood the perpetration of all those outrages which the ruthless code of war allowed, in that age, on the persons and property of the defenseless inhabitants, without regard to sex or age. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Sacked p. pr. & vb. n. Sacking. ] [ See Sack pillage. ] To plunder or pillage, as a town or city; to devastate; to ravage. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Romans lay under the apprehensions of seeing their city sacked by a barbarous enemy. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of taking by storm and pillaging; sack. [ R. ] H. Roscoe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. saquebute, OF. saqueboute a sackbut, earlier, a sort of hook attached to the end of a lance used by foot soldiers to unhorse cavalrymen; prop. meaning, pull and push; fr. saquier, sachier, to pull, draw (perhaps originally, to put into a bag or take out from a bag; see Sack a bag) + bouter to push (see Butt to thrust). The name was given to the musical instrument from its being lengthened and shortened. ] (Mus.) A brass wind instrument, like a bass trumpet, so contrived that it can be lengthened or shortened according to the tone required; -- said to be the same as the trombone. [ Written also sagbut. ] Moore (Encyc. of Music). [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The sackbut of the Scriptures is supposed to have been a stringed instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Linen or cotton cloth such as sacks are made of; coarse cloth; anciently, a cloth or garment worn in mourning, distress, mortification, or penitence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. 2 Sam. iii. 31. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thus with sackcloth I invest my woe. Sandys. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Clothed in sackcloth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who sacks; one who takes part in the storm and pillage of a town. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Bent on plunder. [ Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Sackfuls As much as a sack will hold. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. saeccing, from saecc sack, bag. ] Stout, coarse cloth of which sacks, bags, etc., are made. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. sacleás; sacu contention + leás loose, free from. ] Quiet; peaceable; harmless; innocent. [ Obs. or Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Having a peculiar pouch developed near the front edge of the wing; -- said of certain bats of the genus Saccopteryx. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Sw. snappsäck, G. schnappsack. ] A knapsack. [ Obs. ] South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A sack or bag of wool; specifically, the seat of the lord chancellor of England in the House of Lords, being a large, square sack of wool resembling a divan in form. [ 1913 Webster ]