Water pitcher Wa"ter pitch"er 1. A pitcher for water. 2. (Botany) One of a family of plants having pitcher-shaped leaves. The sidesaddle flower ( Sarracenia purpurea ) is the type.
Water plant Wa"ter plant` A plant that grows in water; an aquatic plant.
Water plantain Wa"ter plan"tain (Botany) A kind of plant with acrid leaves. See under 2d Plantain .
Water plate Wa"ter plate` A plate heated by hot water contained in a double bottom or jacket. Knight.
Water poa Wa"ter po"a (Botany) Meadow reed grass. See under Reed .
Water pocket Water pocket A water hole in the bed of an intermittent stream, esp. the bowl at the foot of a cliff over which the stream leaps when in the flood stage. [ Western U. S.]
Water poise Wa"ter poise` A hydrometer.
Water pore Wa"ter pore` 1. (Zoology) A pore by which the water tubes of various invertebrates open externally. 2. (Botany) One of certain minute pores in the leaves of some plants. They are without true guardian cells, but in other respects closely resemble ordinary stomata. Goodale.
Water power Wa"ter pow"er 1. The power of water employed to move machinery, etc. 2. A fall of water which may be used to drive machinery; a site for a water mill; a water privilege.
Water pox Wa"ter pox` (Medicine) A variety of chicken pox, or varicella. Dunglison.
Water privilege Wa"ter priv"i·lege The advantage of using water as a mechanical power; also, the place where water is, or may be, so used. See under Privilege .
Water purslane Wa"ter purs"lane (Botany) See under Purslane .
Water qualm Wa"ter qualm` (Medicine) See Water brash , under Brash .
Water rabbit Wa"ter rab"bit (Zoology) See Water hare .
Water radish Wa"ter rad"ish (Botany) A coarse yellow-flowered plant ( Nasturtium amphibium ) related to the water cress and to the horse-radish.
Water rail Wa"ter rail` (Zoology) Any one of numerous species of rails of the genus Rallus , as the common European species ( Rallus aquaticus ). See Illust. of Rail .
Water ram Wa"ter ram` An hydraulic ram.
Water rat Wa"ter rat` 1. (Zoology) (a) The water vole. See under Vole . (b) The muskrat. (c) The beaver rat. See under Beaver . 2. A thief on the water; a pirate.
Water rate Wa"ter rate` A rate or tax for a supply of water.
Water rattle, Water rattler Wa"ter rat"tle, Wa"ter rat"tler (Zoology) The diamond rattlesnake ( Crotalus adamanteus ); -- so called from its preference for damp places near water.
Water rice Wa"ter rice" Indian rice. See under Rice .
Water rocket Wa"ter rock"et 1. (Botany) A cruciferous plant ( Nasturtium sylvestre ) with small yellow flowers. 2. A kind of firework to be discharged in the water.
Water sail Wa"ter sail` (Nautical) A small sail sometimes set under a studding sail or under a driver boom, and reaching nearly to the water.
Water sapphire Wa"ter sap"phire [ Equiv. to French saphir d'eau .] (Min.) A deep blue variety of iolite, sometimes used as a gem; -- called also saphir d'eau .
Water scorpion Wa"ter scor"pi·on (Zoology) See Nepa .
Water screw Wa"ter screw` A screw propeller.
Water shield Wa"ter shield` (Botany) An aquatic American plant ( Brasenia peltata ) having floating oval leaves, and the covered with a clear jelly.
Water shrew Wa"ter shrew` (Zoology) Any one of several species of shrews having fringed feet and capable of swimming actively. The two common European species ( Crossopus fodiens , and C. ciliatus ) are the best known. The most common American water shrew, or marsh shrew ( Neosorex palustris ), is rarely seen, owing to its nocturnal habits.
Water snail Wa"ter snail` 1. (Zoology) Any aquatic pulmonate gastropod belonging to Planorbis , Limnæa , and allied genera; a pond snail. 2. (Mech.) The Archimedean screw. [ R.]
Water snake Wa"ter snake` (Zoology) (a) A common North American colubrine snake ( Tropidonotus sipedon ) which lives chiefly in the water. (b) Any species of snakes of the family Homalopsidæ , all of which are aquatic in their habits.
Water soldier Wa"ter sol`dier (Botany) An aquatic European plant ( Stratiotes aloides ) with bayonet-shaped leaves.
Water souchy Wa"ter souch`y (Cookery) A dish consisting of small fish stewed and served in a little water. [ Written also water souchet .] See Zoutch .
Water spaniel Wa"ter span"iel A curly-haired breed of spaniels, naturally very fond of the water.
Water sparrow Wa"ter spar"row (Zoology) (a) The reed warbler. [ Prov. Eng.] (b) The reed bunting. [ Prov. Eng.]
Water speedwell Wa"ter speed"well (Botany) A kind of speedwell ( Veronica Anagallis ) found in wet places in Europe and America.
Water spider Wa"ter spi"der (Zoology) (a) An aquatic European spider ( Argyoneta aquatica ) which constructs its web beneath the surface of the water on water plants. It lives in a bell-shaped structure of silk, open beneath like a diving bell, and filled with air which the spider carries down in the form of small bubbles attached one at a time to the spinnerets and hind feet. Called also diving spider . (b) A water mite. (c) Any spider that habitually lives on or about the water, especially the large American species ( Dolomedes lanceolatus ) which runs rapidly on the surface of water; -- called also raft spider .
Water spinner Wa"ter spin`ner (Zoology) The water spider.
Water sprite Wa"ter sprite` A sprite, or spirit, imagined as inhabiting the water. J. R. Drake.
Water star grass Wa"ter star" grass` (Botany) An aquatic plant ( Schollera graminea ) with grassy leaves, and yellow star-shaped blossoms.
Water starwort Wa"ter star"wort` See under Starwort .
Water supply Wa"ter sup·ply" A supply of water; specifically, water collected, as in reservoirs, and conveyed, as by pipes, for use in a city, mill, or the like.
Water tabby Wa"ter tab"by A kind of waved or watered tabby. See Tabby , noun , 1.
Water table Wa"ter ta"ble (Architecture) A molding, or other projection, in the wall of a building, to throw off the water, -- generally used in the United States for the first table above the surface of the ground (see Table , noun , 9), that is, for the table at the top of the foundation and the beginning of the upper wall.
Water table Water table (Hydraulic Engin.) The upper limit of the portion of the ground wholly saturated with water. The water table may be within a few inches of the surface or many feet below it.
Water telescope Water telescope 1. (Optics) A telescope in which the medium between the objective and the eye piece is water instead of air, used in some experiments in aberration. 2. A telescope devised for looking into a body of water.
Water tender Water tender (Nav.) In the United States navy, a first-class petty officer in charge in a fireroom. He "tends" water to the boilers, sees that fires are properly cleaned and stoked, etc. There is also a rating of chief water tender , who is a chief petty officer.
Water thermometer Wa"ter ther·mom"e·ter (Physics) A thermometer filled with water instead of mercury, for ascertaining the precise temperature at which water attains its maximum density. This is about 39° Fahr., or 4° Centigrade; and from that point down to 32° Fahr., or 0° Centigrade, or the freezing point, it expands.
Water thief Wa"ter thief` A pirate. [ R.] Shak.
Water thrush Wa"ter thrush` (Zoology) (a) A North American bird of the genus Seiurus , belonging to the Warbler family, especially the common species ( S. Noveboracensis ). (b) The European water ousel. (b) The pied wagtail.
Water thyme Wa"ter thyme` (Botany) See Anacharis .
Use the search box below if you want to search in Websters only, use the search box at the right to search all of Enyclo.
