n. [ F. caponnière, fr. Sp. caponera, orig., a cage for fattening capons, hence, a place of refuge; cf. It. capponiera. See Capon. ] (Fort.) A work made across or in the ditch, to protect it from the enemy, or to serve as a covered passageway. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To castrate, as a fowl. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. cauponari, fr. caupo huckster, innkeeper. ] To sell wine or victuals. [ Obs. ] Warburfon. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Gr. &unr_;; ge`a, gh^, earth + &unr_; toilsome, fr. &unr_; labor: cf. F. géoponique. ] Pertaining to tillage of the earth, or agriculture. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. géoponique. ] The art or science of cultivating the earth; agriculture. Evelin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A salt of hyponitrous acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. hypo- + nitrous. ] (Chem.) Containing or derived from nitrogen having a lower valence than in nitrous compounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hyponitrous acid (Chem.), an unstable nitrogen acid, NOH, whose salts are produced by reduction of the nitrates, although the acid itself is not isolated in the free state except as a solution in water; -- called also nitrosylic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., Japanese, fr. Japonia Japan. ] (Bot.) A species of Camellia (Camellia Japonica), a native of Japan, bearing beautiful red or white flowers. Many other genera have species of the same name. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. japonisme, fr. Japon Japan. ] A quality, idiom, or peculiarity characteristic of the Japanese or their products, esp. in art. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ } a. Laplandish; Lappish. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. poignard (cf. It. pugnale, Sp. puñal), fr. L. pugio, -onis; probably akin to pugnus fist, or fr. pugnus fist, as held in the fist. See Pugnacious. ] A kind of dagger, -- usually a slender one with a triangular or square blade. [ 1913 Webster ]

She speaks poniards, and every word stabs. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Poniarded; p. pr. & vb. n. Poniarding. ] To pierce with a poniard; to stab. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ponere to place. ] The capability of being placed or located. [ Obs. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of conversion into soap; as, a saponifiable substance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. saponification. See Saponify. ] The act, process, or result, of soap making; conversion into soap; specifically (Chem.), the decomposition of fats and other ethereal salts by alkalies; as, the saponification of ethyl acetate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) That which saponifies; any reagent used to cause saponification. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Saponified p. pr. & vb. n. Saponifying ] [ L. sapo, -onis, soap + -fy: cf. F. saponifier. ] To convert into soap, as tallow or any fat; hence (Chem.), to subject to any similar process, as that which ethereal salts undergo in decomposition; as, to saponify ethyl acetate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. sapo, -onis soap: cf. F. saponine. ] (Chem.) A poisonous glucoside found in many plants, as in the root of soapwort (Saponaria officinalis), in the bark of soap bark (Quillaja saponaria), etc. It is extracted as a white amorphous powder, which produces a soapy lather in solution, and produces a local anaesthesia. It is used as a detergent and for emulsifying oils. Formerly called also struthiin, quillaiin, senegin, polygalic acid, etc. By extension, any one of a group of related bodies of which saponin proper is the type. [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]

n. [ Sw. saponit, fr. L. sapo, -onis, soap. ] (Min.) A hydrous silicate of magnesia and alumina. It occurs in soft, soapy, amorphous masses, filling veins in serpentine and cavities in trap rock. [ 1913 Webster ]