Castorin

Cas"to*rin (?), n. [From 1st Castor.] (Chem.) A white crystalline substance obtained from castoreum.

Castor oil

Cas"tor oil (?). A mild cathartic oil, expressed or extracted from the seeds of the Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi. When fresh the oil is inodorus and insipid. Castor-oil plant. Same as Palma Christi.

Castrametation

Cas`tra*me*ta"tion (?), n. [F. castramétation, fr. L. castra camp + metari to measure off, fr. meta limit.] (Mil.) The art or act of encamping; the making or laying out of a camp.

Castrate

Cas"trate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Castrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Castrating.] [L. castrarus, p; p. of castrare to castrate, asin to Skr. çastra knife.]

1. To deprive of the testicles; to emasculate; to geld; to alter.

2. To cut or take out; esp. to remove anything erroneous, or objectionable from, as the obscene parts of a writing; to expurgate.

My . . . correspondent . . . has sent me the following letter, which I have castrated in some places. Spectator.

Castration

Cas*tra"tion (?), n. [L. castratio; cf. F. castration.] The act of castrating.

Castrato

Cas*tra"to (?), n. [L., properly p. p. of castrare. See Castrate.] A male person castrated for the purpose of improving his voice for singing; an artificial, or male, soprano. Swift.

Castrel

Cas"trel (?), n. [Cf. F. crécerelle, cristel, OF. crecel, cercele. Cf. Kestrel.] (Zoöl.) See Kestrel.

Castrensial

Cas*tren"sial (?), a. [L. castrensis, fr. castra camp.] Belonging to a camp. Sir T. Browne.

Castrensian

Cas*tren"sian (?), a. Castrensial. [R.]

Cast steel

Cast" steel" (?). See Cast steel, under Steel.

Casual

Cas"u*al (?), a. [OE. casuel, F. casuel, fr. L. casualis, fr. casus fall, accident, fr. cadere to fall. See Case.]

1. Happening or coming to pass without design, and without being foreseen or expected; accidental; fortuitous; coming by chance.

Casual breaks, in the general system. W. Irving.

2. Coming without regularity; occasional; incidental; as, casual expenses.

A constant habit, rather than a casual gesture. Hawthorne.

Syn. -- Accidental; fortutious; incidental; occasional; contingent; unforeseen. See Accidental.

Casual

Cas"u*al, n. One who receives relief for a night in a parish to which he does not belong; a vagrant.

Casualism

Cas"u*al*ism (?), n. The doctrine that all things exist or are controlled by chance.

Casualist

Cas"u*al*ist, n. One who believes in casualism.

Casually

Cas"u*al*ly, adv. Without design; accidentally; fortuitously; by chance; occasionally.

Casualness

Cas"u*al*ness, n. The quality of being casual.

Casualty

Cas"u*al*ty (?), n.; pl. Casualties (#). [F. casualité, LL. casualitas.]

1. That which comes without design or without being foreseen; contingency.

Losses that befall them by mere casualty. Sir W. Raleigh.

2. Any injury of the body from accident; hence, death, or other misfortune, occasioned by an accident; as, an unhappy casualty.

3. pl. (Mil. & Naval) Numerical loss caused by death, wounds, discharge, or desertion. Casualty ward, A ward in a hospital devoted to the treatment of injuries received by accident. Syn. -- Accident; contingency; fortuity; misfortune.

Casuarina

Cas`u*a*ri"na (?), n. [NL., supposed to be named from the resemblance of the twigs to the feathers of the cassowary, of the genus Casuarius.] (Bot.) A genus of leafles trees or shrubs, with drooping branchlets of a rushlike appearance, mostly natives of Australia. Some of them are large, producing hard and heavy timber of excellent quality, called beefwood from its color.

Casuist

Cas"u*ist (?), n. [L. casus fall, case; cf. F. casuiste. See Casual.] One who is skilled in, or given to, casuistry.

The judment of any casuist or learned divine concerning the state of a man's soul, is not sufficient to give him confidence. South.

Casuist

Cas"u*ist, v. i. To play the casuist. Milton.

Casuistic, Casuistieal

Cas`u*is"tic (?), Cas`u*is"tie*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to casuists or casuistry.
Casuistry
Cas"u*ist*ry (?), a.
1. The science or doctrine of dealing with cases of conscience, of resolving questions of right or wrong in conduct, or determining the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what a man may do by rules and principles drawn from the Scriptures, from the laws of society or the church, or from equity and natural reason; the application of general moral rules to particular cases.
The consideration of these nice and puzzling question in the science of ethics has given rise, in modern times, to a particular department of it, distinguished by the title of casuistry. Stewart.

Casuistry in the science of cases (i.e., oblique deflections from the general rule). De Quincey.

2. Sophistical, equivocal, or false reasoning or teaching in regard to duties, obligations, and morals.
Casus
Ca"sus (?), n. [L.] An event; an occurrence; an occasion; a combination of circumstances; a case; an act of God. See the Note under Accident. Casus belli, an event or combination of events which is a cause war, or may be alleged as a justification of war. -- Casus fortuitus, an accident against which due prudence could not have provided. See Act of God, under Act. -- Casus omissus, a case not provided for by the statute.
Cat
Cat (?), n. [AS. cat; akin to D. & Dan. kat, Sw. kett, Icel. köttr, G. katze, kater, Ir. Cat, W. cath, Armor. kaz, LL. catus, Bisc. catua, NGr , , Russ. & Pol. cot, Turk. kedi, Ar. qitt; of unknown origin. CF. Ketten.]
1. (Zoöl.) An animal of various species of the genera Felis and Lynx. The domestic cat is Felis domestica. The European wild cat (Felis catus) is much larger than the domestic cat. In the United States the name wild cat is commonly applied to the bay lynx (Lynx rufus) See Wild cat, and Tiger cat. &hand; The domestic cat includes many varieties named from their place of origin or from some peculiarity; as, the Angora cat; the Maltese cat; the Manx cat. The word cat is also used to designate other animals, from some fancied resemblance; as, civet cat, fisher cat, catbird, catfish shark, sea cat.
2. (Naut.) (a) A strong vessel with a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and deep waist. It is employed in the coal and timber trade. (b) A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the cathead of a ship. Totten.
3. A double tripod (for holding a plate, etc.), having six feet, of which three rest on the ground, in whatever position in is placed.
4. An old game; (a) The game of tipcat and the implement with which it is played. See Tipcat. (c) A game of ball, called, according to the number of batters, one old cat, two old cat, etc.
5. A cat o' nine tails. See below. Angora cat, blind cat, See under Angora, Blind. -- Black cat the fisher. See under Black. -- Cat and dog, like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonius. I am sure we have lived a cat and dog life of it." Coleridge. -- Cat block (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to the cathead. -- Cat hook (Naut.), a strong hook attached to a cat block. -- Cat nap, a very short sleep. [Colloq.] -- Cat o' nine tails, an instrument of punishment consisting of nine pieces of knotted line or cord fastened to a handle; -- formerly used to flog offenders on the bare back. -- Cat's cradle, game played, esp. by children, with a string looped on the fingers so, as to resemble small cradle. The string is transferred from the fingers of one to those of another, at each transfer with a change of form. See Cratch, Cratch cradle. -- To let the cat out of the bag, to tell a secret, carelessly or willfully. [Colloq.] -- Bush cat, the serval. See Serval.
Cat
Cat (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. tted; p. pr. & vb. n. Catting.] (Naut.) To bring to the cathead; as, to cat an anchor. See Anchor. Totten.
Cata
Cat"a (?). [Gr. kata`.] The Latin and English form of a Greek preposition, used as a prefix to signify down, downward, under, against, contrary or opposed to, wholly, completely; as in cataclysm, catarrh. It sometimes drops the final vowel, as in catoptric; and is sometimes changed to cath, as in cathartic, catholic.
Catabaptist
Cat`a*bap"tist (?), n. [Pref. cata + aptist. See Baptist.] (Eccl.) One who opposes baptism, especially of infants. [Obs.] Featley.
Catabasion
Cat`a*ba"sion (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. .] A vault under altar of a Greek church.
Catabiotic
Cat`a*bi*ot"ic (?), a. Aee under Force.
Catacaustic
Cat`a*caus"tic (?), a. [Pref. cata + caustic.] (Physics) Relating to, or having the properties of, a caustic curve formed by reflection. See Caustic, a. Nichol.
Catacaustic
Cat`a*caus"tic, n. (Physics) A caustic curve formed by reflection of light. Nichol.
Catachresis
Cat`a*chre"sis (?), n. [L. fr. Gr. misuse, fr. to misuse; against + to use.] (Rhel.) A figure by which one word is wrongly put for another, or by which a word is wrested from its true signification; as, To take arms against a sea of troubles. " Shak. Her voice was but the shadow of a sound." Young.
Catachrestic, Catachrestical
Cat`a*chres"tic (?), Cat"a*chres"tic*al (?), a. Belonging to, or in the manner of, a catachresis; wrested from its natural sense or form; forced; far-fatched. -- Cat`a*chres"tic*al*ly, adv.
[A] catachrestical and improper way of speaking. Jer. Taylor.

Cataclysm
Cat"a*clysm (?), n. [L. cataclysmos, Gr. , from to dash over, inundate; downward, against + to wash or dash or over: cf. F. cataclysme.]
1. An extensive overflow or sweeping flood of water; a deluge.
2. (Geol.) Any violent catastrophe, involving sudden and extensive changes of the earth's surface.
Cataclysmal, Cataclysmic
Cat`a*clys"mal (?), Cat"a*clys"mic (?), a. Of or pertaining to a cataclysm.
Cataclysmist
Cat`a*clys"mist (?), n. One who believes that the most important geological phenomena have been produced by cataclysms.
Catacomb
Cat"a*comb (?), n. [It. catacomba, fr. L. catacumba perh. from Gr. downward, down + cavity.] A cave, grotto, or subterraneous place of large extent used for the burial of the dead; -- commonly in the plural. &hand; The terms is supposed to have been applied originally to the tombs under the church of St. Sebastain in Rome. The most celebrated catacombs are those near Rome, on the Appian Way, supposed to have been the place or refuge and interment of the early Chrictians; those of Egypt, extending for a wide distance in the vicinity of Cairo; and those of Paris, in abandoned stone quarries, excavated under a large portion of the city.
Catacoustic
Cat`a*cous"tic (?), n. [Pref. cata _ acoustics: cf. F. caraconstique.] (Physics) That part of acoustics which treats of reflected sounds or echoes See Acoustics. Hutton.
Catadioptric, Catadioptrical
Cat`a*di*op"tric (?), Cat`a*di*op"tric*al (?), a. [Pref. cata + dioptric: cf. F. catadioptrique.] (Physics) Pertaining to, produced by, or involving, both the reflection and refraction of light; as, a catadioptric light. Hutton.
Catadioptrics
Cat`a*di*op"trics (?), n. The science which treats of catadioptric phenomena, or of the used of catadioptric instruments.
Catadrome
Cat"a*drome (?), n. [Gr. race course; down + course.]
1. A race course.
2. (Mach.) A machine for raising or lowering heavy weights.
Catadromous
Ca*tad"ro*mous (?), a. [Gr. down + a running.]
1. (Bot.) Having the lowest inferior segment of a pinna nearer the rachis than the lowest superior one; -- said of a mode of branching in ferns, and opposed to anadromous.
2. (Zoöl.) Living in fresh water, and going to the sea to spawn; -- opposed to anadromous, and of the eel.
Catafalco
Cat`a*fal"co (?), n. [It.] See Catafalque.
Catafalque
Cat"a*falque` (?), n. [F., fr. It. catafalco, scaffold, funeral canopy; of uncertain origin; cf. Sp. catafalso, cadahalso, cadalso, Pr. casafalc, OF. chafaut. Cf. Scaffold.] A temporary structure sometimes used in the funeral solemnities of eminent persons, for the public exhibition of the remains, or their conveyance to the place of burial.
Catagmatic
Cat`*ag*mat"ic (?), a. [Gr. fracture, fr. to break in places; down + to break' cf. F. catagmatique.] (Med.) Having the quality of consolidating broken bones.
Cataian
Ca*ta"ian (?), n. A native of Cathay or China; a foreigner; -- formerly a term of reproach. Shak.
Catalan
Cat"a*lan (?), a. Of or pertaining to Catalonia. -- n. A native or inbabitant of Catalonia; also, the language of Catalonia. Catalan furnace, Catalan forge (Metal.), a kind of furnace for producing wrought iron directly from the ore. It was formerly much used, esp. in Catalonia, and is still used in some parts of the United States and elsewhere.
Catalectic
Cat`a*lec"tic (?), a. [L. catalecticus, Gr. incomplete, fr. to leave off; down, wholly + to stop.]
1. (Pros.) Wanting a syllable at the end, or terminating in an imperfect foot; as, a catalectic verse.
2. (Photog. & Chem.) Incomplete; partial; not affecting the whole of a substance. Abney.
Catalepsy, Catalepsis
Cat"a*lep`sy (?), Cat`a*lep"sis (?), n. [NL. catalepsis, fr. Gr. a seizure, fr. to seize upon; down + to take, seize.] (Med.) A sudden suspension of sensation and volition, the body and limbs preserving the position that may be given them, while the action of the heart and lungs continues.
Cataleptic
Cat`a*lep"tic (?), a. [Gr. .] Pertaining to, or resembling, catalepsy; affected with catalepsy; as, a cataleptic fit.
Catallacta
Cat`al*lac"ta (?), n.; pl. [NL., fr. Gr. . See Catallactics.] (Zoöl.) A division of Protozoa, of which Magosphæra is the type. They exist both in a myxopod state, with branched pseudopodia, and in the form of ciliated bodies united in free, spherical colonies.
Catallactics
Cat`al*lac"tics (?) n. [Gr. to exchange; wholly + to change.] The science of exchanges, a branch of political economy.
Catalog
Cat"a*log (?), n. & v. Catalogue.
Catalogize
Cat"a*lo*gize (?), v. t. To insert in a catalogue; to register; to catalogue. [R.] Coles.
Catalogue
Cat"a*logue (?), n. [F., fr. catalogus, fr. Gr. a counting up, list, fr. to count up; down, completely + to say.] A list or enumeration of names, or articles arranged methodically, often in alphabetical order; as, a catalogue of the students of a college, or of books, or of the stars. Card catalogue, a catalogue, as of books, having each item entered on a separate card, and the cards arranged in cases by subjects, or authors, or alphabetically. -- Catalogue raisonné (?) [F.], a catalogue of books, etc., classed according to their subjects. Syn. -- List; roll; index; schedule; enumeration; inventory. See List.
Catalogue
Cat"a*logue, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Catalogued (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Cataloguing (?).] To make a list or catalogue; to insert in a catalogue.
Cataloguer
Cat"a*log`uer (?), n. A maker of catalogues; esp. one skilled in the making of catalogues.
Catalpa
Ca*tal"pa (?), n. [From the language of the Indians of Carolina, where Catesby discovered this tree in the year 1726.] (Bot.) A genus of American and East Indian trees, of which the best know species are the Catalpa bignonioides, a large, ornamental North American tree, with spotted white flowers and long cylindrical pods, and the C. speciosa, of the Mississipi valley; -- called also Indian bean.
Catalysis
Ca*tal"y*sis (?), n.; pl. Catalyse. (#) [ML., fr. Gr. dissolution, fr. to destroy, dissolve; down, wholly + to loose.]
1. Dissolution; degeneration; decay. [R.]
Sad catalysis and declension of piety. Evelyn.

2. (Chem.) (a) A process by which reaction occurs in the presence of certain agents which were formerly believed to exert an influence by mere contact. It is now believed that such reactions are attended with the formation of an intermediate compound or compounds, so that by alternate composition and decomposition the agent is apparenty left unchanged; as, the catalysis of making ether from alcohol by means of sulphuric acid; or catalysis in the action of soluble ferments (as diastase, or ptyalin) on starch. (b) The catalytic force.
Catalytic
Cat`a*ly"tic (?), a. Relating to, or causing, catalysis. The catalytic power is ill understood." Ure. Catalytic force, that form of chemical energy formerly supposed to determine catalysis.
Catalytic
Cat`a*lyt"ic, n. (Chem.) An agent employed in catalysis, as platinum black, aluminium chloride, etc.
Catamaran
Cat`a*ma*ran", n. [The native East Indian name.]
1. A kind of raft or float, consisting of two or more logs or pieces of wood lashed together, and moved by paddles or sail; -- used as a surf boat and for other purposes on the coasts of the East and West Indies and South America. Modified forms are much used in the lumber regions of North America, and at life-saving stations.
2. Any vessel with twin hulls, whether propelled by sails or by steam; esp., one of a class of double-hulled pleasure boats remarkable for speed.
3. A kind of fire raft or torpedo bat.
The incendiary rafts prepared by Sir Sidney Smith for destroying the French flotilla at Boulogne, 1804, were called catamarans. Knight.

4. A quarrelsome woman; a scold. [Colloq.]
Catamenia
Cat`a*me"nia (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. .] (Med.) The monthly courses of women; menstrual discharges; menses.
Catamenial
Cat`a*me"ni*al (?), a. [Gr. monthly; down, back, again + month.] Pertaining to the catamenia, or menstrual discharges.
Catamite
Cat"a*mite (?), n. [L. Catamitus, an old form of Ganymedes Ganymede, Gr. .] A boy kept for unnatural purposes.
Catamount
Cat"a*mount (?), n. [Cat + mount; cf. Sp. gato mentes mountain cat.] (Zoöl.) The cougar. Applied also, in some parts of the United States, to the lynx.
Catanadromous
Cat"a*nad`ro*mous (?), a. [Gr. down + up + a running, course.] (Zoöl.) Ascending and descending fresh streams from and to the sea, as the salmon; anadromous. [R.]
Catapasm
Cat"a*pasm (?), n. [Gr. , fr. to besprinkle; down, wholly + to strew, or sprinkle.] (Med.) A compound medicinal powder, used by the ancients to sprinkle on ulcers, to absorb perspiration, etc. Dunglison.
Catapeltic
Cat`a*pel"tic (?), a. Of or pertaining to a catapult.
Catapetalous
Cat`a*pet"al*ous (?), a. [Pref. cata + petalous.] (Bot.) Having the petals held together by stamens, which grow to their bases, as in the mallow.
Cataphonic
Cat`a*phon"ic (?), a. Of or relating to cataphonics; catacoustic.
Cataphonics
Cat`a*phon"ics (?), n. [Pref. cata + phonic: cf. F. cataphonique.] (Physics) That branch of acoustics which treats of reflested sounds; catacoustics.
Cataphract
Cat"a*phract (?), n. [L. cataphractes, Gr. , fr. covered, fr. to cover; down, wholly + to inclose.]
1. (Mil. Antiq.) Defensive armor used for the whole body and often for the horse, also, esp. the linked mail or scale armor of some eastern nations.
2. A horseman covered with a cataphract.
Archers and slingers, cataphracts, and spears. Milton.

3. (Zoöl.) The armor or plate covering some fishes.
Cataphracted
Cat"a*phract`ed (?), a. (Zoöl.) Covered with a cataphract, or armor of plates, scales, etc.; or with that which corresponds to this, as horny or bony plates, hard, callous skin, etc.
Cataphractic
Cat`a*phrac"tic (?), a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a cataphract.
Cataphysical
Cat`a*phys"ic*al, a. [Pref. cata + physical.] Unnatural; contrary to nature. [R.]
Some artists . . . have given to Sir Walter Scott a pile of forehead which is unpleassing and cataphysical. De Quincey.

Cataplasm
Cat"a*plasm (?), n. [L. cataplasma, Gr. , fr. to spread over; down, wholly + to form, mold.] (Med.) A soft and moist substance applied externally to some part of the body; a poultice. Dunglison.
Catapuce
Cat"a*puce (?), n. [F.] (Bot.) Spurge. [Obs.]
Catapult
Cat"a*pult (?), n. [L. catapulta, Gr. , prob. from down + to shake, hurl.]
1. (Mil. Antiq.) An engine somewhat resembling a massive crossbow, used by the ancient Greeks and Romans for throwing stones, arrows, spears, etc.
2. A forked stick with elasti band for throwing small stones, etc.
Cataract
Cat"a*ract (?), n. [L. cataracta, catarracles, a waterfall, Gr. , , fr. to break down; in the passive, to fall or rush down (of tumors) to burst; down + to break.]
1. A great fall of water over a precipice; a large waterfall.
2. (Surg.) An opacity of the crystalline lens, or of its capsule, which prevents the passage of the rays of light and impairs or destroys the sight.
3. (Mach.) A kind of hydraulic brake for regulating the action of pumping engines and other machines; -- sometimes called dashpot.
Cataractous
Cat`a*rac"tous (?), a. Of the nature of a cataract in the eye; affected with cataract.
Catarrh
Ca*tarrh" (?), n. [L. catarrhus, Gr. , , a running down, rheum, fr. ; down + to flow. See Stream.] (Med.) An inflammatory affection of any mucous membrane, in which there are congestion, swelling, and an altertion in the quantity and quality of mucus secreted; as catarrh of the stomach; catarrh of the bladder. &hand; In America, the term catarrh is applied especially to a chronic inflammation of, and hypersecretion fron, the membranes of the nose or air passages; in England, to an acute influenza, resulting a cold, and attended with cough, thirst, lassitude, and watery eyes; also, to the cold itself.
Catarrhal
Ca*tarrh"al (?), a. Pertaining to, produced by, or attending, catarrh; of the nature of catarrh.
Catarrhine
Cat"ar*rhine (?), n. [Gr. with hanging or curved nose; + , nose.] (Zoöl.) One of the Catarrhina, a division of Quadrumana, including the Old World monkeys and apes which have the nostrils close together and turned downward. See Monkey.
Catarrhous
Ca*tarrh"ous (?), a. Catarrhal. [R.]
Catastaltic
Cat`a*stal"tic (?), a. [Gr. , fr. to check; down, wholy + to set.] (Med.) Checking evacutions through astringent or styptic qualities.
Catastasis
Ca*tas"ta*sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. , fr. to set; down + to place.]
1. (Rhet.) That part of a speech, usually the exordium, in which the orator sets forth the subject matter to be discussed.
2. (Med.) The state, or condition of anything; constitution; habit of body.
Catasterism
Ca*tas"ter*ism (?), n. [Gr. , fr. to place among the stars.] A placing among the stars; a catalogue of stars.
The catasterisms of Eratosthenes. Whewell.

Catastrophe
Ca*tas"tro*phe (?), n. [L. catastropha, Gr. , fr. to turn up and down, to overturn; down + to turn.]
1. An event producing a subversion of the order or system of things; a final event, usually of a calamitous or disastrous nature; hence, sudden calamity; great misfortune.
The strange catastrophe of affairs now at London. Bp. Buret.

The most horrible and portentous catastrophe that nature ever yet saw. Woodward.

2. The final event in a romance or a dramatic piece; a denouement, as a death in a tragedy, or a marriage in a comedy.
3. (Geol.) A violent and widely extended change in the surface of the earth, as, an elevation or subsidence of some part of it, effected by internal causes. Whewell.
Catastrophic
Cat`a*stroph"ic (?), a. Of a pertaining to a catastrophe. B. Powell.
Catastrophism
Ca*tas"tro*phism (?), n. (Geol.) The doctrine that the geological changes in the earth's crust have been caused by the sudden action of violent physical causes; -- opposed to the doctrine of uniformism.
Catastrophist
Ca*tas"tro*phist (?), n. (Geol.) One who holds the theory or catastrophism.
Catawba
Ca*taw"ba (?), n.
1. A well known light red variety of American grape.
2. A light-colored, sprightly American wine from the Catawba grape.
Catawbas
Ca*taw"bas (?), n. pl.; sing. Catawba. (Ethnol.) An appalachian tribe of Indians which originally inhabited the regions near the Catawba river and the head waters of the Santee.
Catbird
Cat"bird (?), n. (Zoöl.) An American bird (Galeoscoptes Carolinensis), allied to the mocking bird, and like it capable of imitating the notes of other birds, but less perfectly. Its note resembles at times the mewing of a cat.
Catboat
Cat"boat` (?), n. (Naut.) A small sailboat, with a single mast placed as far forward as possible, carring a sail extended by a graff and long boom. See Illustration in Appendix.
Catcall
Cat"call` (?), n. A sound like the cry of a cat, such as is made in playhouses to express dissatisfaction with a play; also, a small shrill instrument for making such a noise.
Upon the rising of the curtain. I was very much surprised with the great consort of catcalls which was exhibited. Addison.

Catch
Catch (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Caught (?) ∨ Catched (); p. pr. & vb. n. Catching. Catched is rarely used.] [OE. cacchen, OF. cachier, dialectic form of chacier to hunt, F. chasser, fr. (assumend) LL. captiare, for L. capture, V. intens. of capere to take, catch. See Capacious, and cf. Chase, Case a box.]
1. To lay hold on; to seize, especially with the hand; to grasp (anything) in motion, with the effect of holding; as, to catch a ball.
2. To seize after pursuing; to arrest; as, to catch a thief. They pursued . . . and caught him." Judg. i. 6.
3. To take captive, as in a snare or net, or on a hook; as, to catch a bird or fish.
4. Hence: To insnare; to entangle. To catch him in his words". Mark xii. 13.
5. To seize with the senses or the mind; to apprehend; as, to catch a melody. Fiery thoughts . . . whereof I catch the issue." Tennyson.
6. To communicate to; to fasten upon; as, the fire caught the adjoining building.
7. To engage and attach; to please; to charm.
The soothing arts that catch the fair. Dryden.

8. To get possession of; to attain.
Torment myself to catch the English throne. Shak.

9. To take or receive; esp. to take by sympathy, contagion, infection, or exposure; as, to catch the spirit of an occasion; to catch the measles or smallpox; to catch cold; the house caught fire.
10. To come upon unexpectedly or by surprise; to find; as, to catch one in the act of stealing.
11. To reach in time; to come up with; as, to catch a train. To catch fire, to become inflamed or ignited. -- to catch it to get a scolding or beating; to suffer punishment. [Colloq.] -- To catch one's eye, to interrupt captiously while speaking. [Colloq.] You catch me up so very short." Dickens. -- To catch up, to snatch; to take up suddenly.
Catch
Catch (?), v. i.
1. To attain possession. [Obs.]
Have is have, however men do catch. Shak.

2. To be held or impeded by entanglement or a light obstruction; as, a kite catches in a tree; a door catches so as not to open.
3. To take hold; as, the bolt does not catch.
4. To spread by, or as by, infecting; to communicate.
Does the sedition catch from man to man? Addison.
To catch at, to attempt to seize; to be egger to get or use. [To] catch at all opportunities of subverting the state." Addison. -- To catch up with, to come up with; to overtake.
Catch
Catch, n.
1. Act of seizing; a grasp. Sir P. Sidney.
2. That by which anything is caught or temporarily fastened; as, the catch of a gate.
3. The posture of seizing; a state of preparation to lay hold of, or of watching he opportunity to seize; as, to lie on the catch. [Archaic] Addison.
The common and the canon law . . . lie at catch, and wait advantages one againt another. T. Fuller.

4. That which is caught or taken; profit; gain; especially, the whole quantity caught or taken at one time; as, a good catch of fish.
Hector shall have a great catch if he knock out either of your brains. Shak.

5. Something desirable to be caught, esp. a husband or wife in matrimony. [Colloq.] Marryat.
6. pl. Passing opportunities seized; snatches.
It has been writ by catches with many intervals. Locke.

7. A slight remembrance; a trace.
We retain a catch of those pretty stories. Glanvill.

8. (Mus.) A humorous canon or round, so contrived that the singers catch up each other's words.
Catchable
Catch"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being caught. [R.]
Catch-basin
Catch"-ba`sin (?), n. A cistern or vault at the point where a street gutter discharges into a sewer, to oatch bulky matters which would not pass readly throught the sewer. Knight.
Catchdrain
Catch"drain` (?), n. A dich or drain along the side of a hill to catch the surface water; also, a ditch at the side of a canal to catch the surplus water.
Catcher
Catch"er (?), n.
1. One who, or that which, catches.
2. (Baseball) The player who stands behind the batsman to catch the ball.
Catchfly
Catch"fly (?), n. (Bot.) A plant with the joints of the stem, and sometimes other parts, covered with a viscid secretion to which small insects adhere. The species of Silene are examples of the catchfly.
Catching
Catch"ing a.
1. Infections; contagious.
2. Captavating; alluring.
Catching
Catch"ing, n. The act of seizing or taking hold of Catching bargain (Law), a bargain made with an heir expectant for the purchase of his expectancy at an inadequate price. Bouvier.
Catch-meadow
Catch"-mead`ow (?), n. meadow irrigated by water from a spring or rivulet on the side of hill.
Catchment
Catch"ment (?), n. A surface of ground on which water may be caught and collected into a reservoir.
Catchpenny
Catch"pen*ny (?), a. Made or contrived for getting small sums of money from the ignorant or unwary; as, a catchpenny book; a catchpenny show. -- n. Some worthless catchpenny thing.
Catchpoll
Catch"poll` (?), n. [OF. chacepol, chacipol.] A bailiff's assistant.
Catchup, Catsup
Catch"up (?), Cat"sup (?), n. [Probably of East Indian origin, because it was originally a kind of East Indian pickles.] A table sauce made from mushrooms, tomatoes, walnuts, etc. [Written also ketchup.]
Catchwater
Catch"wa`ter (?), n. A ditch or drain for catching water. See Catchdrain.
Catchweed
Catch"weed` (?), n. (Bot.) See Cleavers.
Catchweight
Catch"weight` (?), adv. (Horseracing) Without any additional weight; without being handicapped; as, to ride catchweight.
Catchword
Catch"word` (?), n.
1. Among theatrical performers, the last word of the preceding speaker, which reminds one that he is to speak next; cue.
2. (Print.) The first word of any page of a book after the first, inserted at the right hand bottom corner of the preceding page for the assistance of the reader. It is seldom used in modern printing.
3. A word or phrase caught up and repeated for effect; as, the catchword of a political party, etc.
Catchwork
Catch"work` (?), n. A work or artificial watercourse for throwing water on lands that lie on the slopes of hills; a catchdrain.
Cate
Cate (?), n. Food. [Obs.] See Cates.
Catechetic, Catechetical
Cat`e*chet"ic (?), Cat`e*chet"ic*al (?), a. [Gr. . See Catechise.] Relating to or consisting in, asking questions and receiving answers, according to the ancient manner of teaching.
Socrates introduced a catechetical method of arguing. Addison.

Catechetically
Cat`e*chet"ic*al*ly, adv. In a catechetical manner; by question and answer.
Catechetics
Cat`e*chet"ics (?), n. The science or practice of instructing by questions and answers.
Catechin
Cat"e*chin (?), n. (Chem.) One of the tannic acids, extracted from catechu as a white, crystaline substance; -- called also catechuic acid, and catechuin.
Catechisation
Cat`e*chi*sa"tion (?), n. [LL. catechizatio.] The act of catechising.
Catechise
Cat"e*chise (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Catechised (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Catechising.] [L. catechizare, Gr. , equiv. to to resound, sound a thing into one's ears, impress it upon one by word of mouth; + to sound, a sound.]
1. To instruct by asking questions, receiving answeres, and offering explanations and corrections, -- esp. in regard to points of religious faith.
2. To question or interrogate; to examine or try by questions; -- sometimes with a view to reproof, by eliciting from a person answers which condemn his own conduct. Swift.