Testone Tes·tone" noun [ Confer Portuguese
testão ,
tostão . See
Testoon .]
A silver coin of Portugal, worth about sixpence sterling, or about eleven cents. Homans.
Testoon Tes·toon" noun [ Italian
testone . See
Tester a coin.]
An Italian silver coin. The testoon of Rome is worth 1s. 3d. sterling, or about thirty cents. Homans.
Testudinal Tes·tu"di·nal adjective [ See
Testudo .]
(Zoology) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a tortoise.
Testudinarious Tes·tu`di·na"ri·ous adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to the shell of a tortoise; resembling a tortoise shell; having the color or markings of a tortoise shell.
Testudinata Tes·tu`di·na"ta noun plural [ Nl. See
Testudo .]
(Zoology) An order of reptiles which includes the turtles and tortoises. The body is covered by a shell consisting of an upper or dorsal shell, called the carapace , and a lower or ventral shell, called the plastron , each of which consists of several plates.
Testudinate, Testudinated Tes·tu"di·nate, Tes·tu"di·na`ted adjective [ Latin
testudinatus , from
testudo ,
- inis , a tortoise, an arch or vault.]
Resembling a tortoise shell in appearance or structure; roofed; arched; vaulted.
Testudineous Tes`tu·din"e·ous adjective [ Latin
testudineus .]
Resembling the shell of a tortoise.
Testudo Tes·tu"do noun ;
plural Testudines . [ Latin , from
testa the shell of shellfish, or of testaceous animals.]
1. (Zoology) A genus of tortoises which formerly included a large number of diverse forms, but is now restricted to certain terrestrial species, such as the European land tortoise ( Testudo Græca ) and the gopher of the Southern United States. 2. (Rom. Antiq.) A cover or screen which a body of troops formed with their shields or targets, by holding them over their heads when standing close to each other. This cover resembled the back of a tortoise, and served to shelter the men from darts, stones, and other missiles. A similar defense was sometimes formed of boards, and moved on wheels. 3. (Mus.) A kind of musical instrument. a species of lyre; -- so called in allusion to the lyre of Mercury, fabled to have been made of the shell of a tortoise.
Testy Tes"ty adjective [
Compar. Testier ;
superl. Testiest .] [ Old French
testu obstinate, headstrong, French
têtu , from Old French
teste the head, French
tête . See
Test a cupel.]
Fretful; peevish; petulant; easily irritated. Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch
Under your testy humor?
Shak. I was displeased with myself; I was testy .
Latimer.
Tetanic Te·tan"ic adjective [ Confer Latin
tetanicus suffering from tetanus, Greek ..., French
tétanique .]
1. (Physiol.) Of or pertaining to tetanus; having the character of tetanus; as, a tetanic state; tetanic contraction. This condition of muscle, this fusion of a number of simple spasms into an apparently smooth, continuous effort, is known as tetanus, or tetanic contraction.
Foster. 2. (Physiol. & Med.) Producing, or tending to produce, tetanus, or tonic contraction of the muscles; as, a tetanic remedy. See Tetanic , noun
Tetanic Te·tan"ic noun (Physiol. & Med.) A substance (notably nux vomica, strychnine, and brucine) which, either as a remedy or a poison, acts primarily on the spinal cord, and which, when taken in comparatively large quantity, produces tetanic spasms or convulsions.
Tetanin Tet"a·nin noun (Physiol. Chem.) A poisonous base (ptomaine) formed in meat broth through the agency of a peculiar microbe from the wound of a person who has died of tetanus; -- so called because it produces tetanus as one of its prominent effects.
Tetanization Tet`a·ni·za"tion noun (Physiol.) The production or condition of tetanus.
Tetanize Tet"a·nize transitive verb (Physiol.) To throw, as a muscle, into a state of permanent contraction; to cause tetanus in. See Tetanus , noun , 2.
Tetanoid Tet"a·noid adjective [
Tetanus +
- oid .]
(Med. & Physiol.) Resembling tetanus.
Tetanomotor Tet`a·no·mo"tor noun (Physiol.) An instrument from tetanizing a muscle by irritating its nerve by successive mechanical shocks.
Tetanus Tet"a·nus noun [ Latin , from Greek ..., from ... stretched, ... to stretch.]
1. (Medicine) A painful and usually fatal disease, resulting generally from a wound, and having as its principal symptom persistent spasm of the voluntary muscles. When the muscles of the lower jaw are affected, it is called locked-jaw , or lickjaw , and it takes various names from the various incurvations of the body resulting from the spasm. 2. (Physiol.) That condition of a muscle in which it is in a state of continued vibratory contraction, as when stimulated by a series of induction shocks.
Tetany Tet"a·ny noun (Medicine) A morbid condition resembling tetanus, but distinguished from it by being less severe and having intermittent spasms.
Tetard Te·tard" noun (Zoology) A gobioid fish ( Eleotris gyrinus ) of the Southern United States; -- called also sleeper .
Tetartohedral Te·tar`to·he"dral adjective [ Greek ... fourth + ... base.]
(Crystallog.) Having one fourth the number of planes which are requisite to complete symmetry. --
Te*tar`to*he"dral*ly ,
adverb
Tetartohedrism Te·tar`to·he"drism noun (Crystallog.) The property of being tetartohedral.
Tetaug Te·taug" noun (Zoology) See Tautog . [ R.]
Tetchiness Tetch"i·ness noun See Techiness .
Tetchy Tetch"y adjective See Techy . Shak.
Tête Tête noun [ French, the head. See
Tester a covering.]
A kind of wig; false hair.
Tête-Ã -tête Tête`-Ã -tête" (tāt`ȧ*tāt")
noun [ French, head to head. See
Tester a covering,
Test a cupel.]
1. Private conversation; familiar interview or conference of two persons. 2. A short sofa intended to accomodate two persons.
Tête-Ã -tête Tête`-Ã -tête" adjective Private; confidential; familiar. She avoided tête-Ã -tête walks with him.
C. Kingsley.
Tête-Ã -tête Tête`-Ã -tête" adverb Face to face; privately or confidentially; familiarly. Prior.
Tête-de-pont Tête`-de-pont" (tāt`d
e *pôN")
noun ;
plural Têtes-de-pont . [ French, head of a bridge.]
(Mil.) A work thrown up at the end of a bridge nearest the enemy, for covering the communications across a river; a bridgehead.
Tetel Te·tel" noun (Zoology) A large African antelope ( Alcelaphus tora ). It has widely divergent, strongly ringed horns.
Tether Teth"er noun [ Formerly
tedder , Middle English
tedir ; akin to LG.
tider ,
tier , Icelandic
tjō...r , Danish
töir . √64.]
A long rope or chain by which an animal is fastened, as to a stake, so that it can range or feed only within certain limits.
Tether Teth"er transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Tethered ;
present participle & verbal noun Tethering .]
To confine, as an animal, with a long rope or chain, as for feeding within certain limits. And by a slender cord was tethered to a stone.
Wordsworth.
Tether-ball Teth"er-ball` noun A game played with rackets and a ball suspended by a string from an upright pole, the object of each side being to wrap the string around the pole by striking the ball in a direction opposite to the other.
Tethydan Te·thy"dan noun [ See
Tethys .]
(Zoology) A tunicate.
Tethyodea Te`thy·o"de·a noun plural [ New Latin , from
Tethys + Greek ... form.]
(Zoology) A division of Tunicata including the common attached ascidians, both simple and compound. Called also Tethioidea .
Tethys Te"thys noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... an oyster, or ... a kind of ascidian.]
(Zoology) A genus of a large naked mollusks having a very large, broad, fringed cephalic disk, and branched dorsal gills. Some of the species become a foot long and are brilliantly colored.
Tetra- Tet"ra- [ Greek te`tra- , from te`sares , te`ttares , four. See Four .] 1. A combining form or prefix signifying four , as in tetra basic, tetra petalous. 2. (Chemistry) A combining form (also used adjectively) denoting four proportional or combining parts of the substance or ingredient denoted by the term to which it is prefixed, as in tetra -chloride, tetr oxide.
Tetrabasic Tet`ra·bas"ic adjective [
Tetra- +
basic .]
(Chemistry) Capable of neutralizing four molecules of a monacid base; having four hydrogen atoms capable of replacement by bases; quadribasic; -- said of certain acids; thus, normal silicic acid, Si(OH) 4 , is a tetrabasic acid.
Tetraboric Tet`ra·bor"ic adjective [
Tetra- +
boric .]
(Chemistry) Same as Pyroboric .
Tetrabranchiata Tet`ra·bran`chi·a"ta noun plural [ New Latin See
Tetra- , and
Branchia .]
(Zoology) An order of Cephalopoda having four gills. Among living species it includes only the pearly nautilus. Numerous genera and species are found in the fossil state, such as Ammonites, Baculites, Orthoceras, etc.
Tetrabranchiate Tet`ra·bran`chi·ate adjective [
Tetra +
branchiate .]
(Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Tetrabranchiata. --
noun One of the Tetrabranchiata.
Tetracarpel Tet`ra·car"pel adjective [
Tetra- +
carpellary .]
(Botany) Composed of four carpels.
Tetrachord Tet"ra·chord noun [ Latin
tetrachordon , Greek ..., from ... four-stringed;
te`tra- (see
Tetra- ) + ... a chord: confer French
tétrachorde .]
(Anc. Mus.) A scale series of four sounds, of which the extremes, or first and last, constituted a fourth. These extremes were immutable; the two middle sounds were changeable.
Tetrachotomous Tet`ra·chot"o·mous adjective [ Greek
te`tracha in four parts +
te`mnein to cut.]
(Botany) Having a division by fours; separated into four parts or series, or into series of fours.
Tetracid Tet·rac"id adjective [
Tetra +
acid .]
(Chemistry) Capable of neutralizing four molecules of a monobasic acid; having four hydrogen atoms capable of replacement ba acids or acid atoms; -- said of certain bases; thus, erythrine, C 4 H 6 (OH) 4 , is a tetracid alcohol.
Tetracoccous Tet`ra·coc"cous adjective [ See
Tetra- , and
Coccus .]
(Botany) Having four cocci, or carpels.
Tetracolon Tet`ra·co"lon noun [ Greek ... with four members;
te`tra- (see
Tetra- ) + ... limb, member.]
(Pros.) A stanza or division in lyric poetry, consisting of four verses or lines. Crabb.
Tetracoralla Te`tra·co·ral"la noun plural [ New Latin See
Tetra- , and
Corallum .]
(Paleon.) Same as Rugosa .
Tetractinellid Te·trac`ti·nel"lid noun (Zoology) Any species of sponge of the division Tetractinellida. Also used adjectively.
Tetractinellida Te·trac`ti·nel"li·da noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek
te`tra- tetra- + ..., ..., ray, spoke.]
(Zoology) A division of Spongiæ in which the spicules are siliceous and have four branches diverging at right angles. Called also Tetractinellinæ .
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