a. [ L. Alcaïcus, Gr. &unr_;. ] Pertaining to Alcæus, a lyric poet of Mitylene, about 6000 b. c. -- n. A kind of verse, so called from Alcæus. One variety consists of five feet, a spondee or iambic, an iambic, a long syllable, and two dactyls. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ /mhw>, n. [ Sp. alcaide, fr. Ar. al-qāīd governor, fr. qāda to lead, govern. ] 1. A commander of a castle or fortress among the Spaniards, Portuguese, and Moors. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The warden, or keeper of a jail. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a chemical substance obtainable as a white crystalline ester (H2N.C6H4.CO.O.C2H5) used as a local anesthetic. Chemically, it is 4-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester.
Syn. -- ethyl p-aminobenzoate. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a white crystalline ester (C18H30N2O2) that is applied to mucous membranes as a topical anesthetic. Chemically it is 3-(di-n-butylamino)-1-propanol 4-aminobenzoate (H2N.C6H4.CO.O.(CH2)3N(C4H9)2). It is usually used as the sulfate salt.
Syn. -- butacaine sulfate. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Chem.) The essential principle of cacao; -- now called theobromine. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Turk. ] The governor of a sanjak or district in Turkey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Cayman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Geol.) See Cenozic. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. Turk. qāīq boat. ] (Naut.) A light skiff or rowboat used on the Bosporus; also, a Levantine vessel of larger size. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Ir. ceard a tinker. ] A traveling tinker; also a tramp or sturdy beggar. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gael. carn, gen. cairn, a heap: cf. Ir. & W. carn. ] 1. A rounded or conical heap of stones erected by early inhabitants of the British Isles, apparently as a sepulchral monument. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now here let us place the gray stone of her cairn. Campbell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A pile of stones heaped up as a landmark, or to arrest attention, as in surveying, or in leaving traces of an exploring party, etc. C. Kingsley. Kane. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. piled up, like a cairn. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

[ Gael. carn a cairn + gorm azure. ] (Min.) A smoky yellow or brown variety of rock crystal, or crystallized quartz, found especially, in the mountain of Cairngorm, in Scotland.
Syn. -- smoky quartz. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of Egypt. It is the largest city in Africa. Population (2000) = 7, 010, 000.
Syn. -- El Qahira, Egyptian capital, capital of Egypt. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. [ F., fr. caisse, case, chest. See 1st Case. ] 1. (Mil.) (a) A chest to hold ammunition. (b) A four-wheeled carriage for conveying ammunition, consisting of two parts, a body and a limber. In light field batteries there is one caisson to each piece, having two ammunition boxes on the body, and one on the limber. Farrow. (c) A chest filled with explosive materials, to be laid in the way of an enemy and exploded on his approach. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (a) A water-tight box, of timber or iron within which work is carried on in building foundations or structures below the water level. (b) A hollow floating box, usually of iron, which serves to close the entrances of docks and basins. (c) A structure, usually with an air chamber, placed beneath a vessel to lift or float it. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Arch.) A sunk panel of ceilings or soffits. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pneumatic caisson (Engin.), a caisson, closed at the top but open at the bottom, and resting upon the ground under water. The pressure of air forced into the caisson keeps the water out. Men and materials are admitted to the interior through an air lock. See Lock. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Med.) A disease frequently induced by remaining for some time in an atmosphere of high pressure, as in caissons, diving bells, etc. It is characterized by neuralgic pains and paralytic symptoms. It is caused by the release of bubbles of gas, usually nitrogen, from bodily fluids into the blood and tissues, when a person, having been in an environment with high air pressure, moves to a lower pressure environment too rapidly for the excess dissolved gases to be released through normal breathing. It may be fatal, but can be reversed or alleviated by returning the affected person to a high air pressure, and then gradually decreasing the pressure to allow the gases to be released from the body fluids. It is a danger well known to divers. It is also called the bends and decompression sickness. It can be prevented in divers by a slow return to normal pressure, or by using a breathing mixture of oxygen combined with a gas having low solubility in water, such as helium. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

a. [ OE. caitif, cheitif, captive, miserable, OF. caitif, chaitif, captive, mean, wretched, F. chétif, fr. L. captivus captive, fr. capere to take, akin to E. heave. See Heave, and cf. Captive. ] 1. Captive; wretched; unfortunate. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Base; wicked and mean; cowardly; despicable. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arnold had sped his caitiff flight. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A captive; a prisoner. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Avarice doth tyrannize over her caitiff and slave. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A wretched or unfortunate man. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A mean, despicable person; one whose character meanness and wickedness meet. [ 1913 Webster ]

The deep-felt conviction of men that slavery breaks down the moral character . . . speaks out with . . . distinctness in the change of meaning which caitiff has undergone signifying as it now does, one of a base, abject disposition, while there was a time when it had nothing of this in it. Trench. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or } n. [ Gael, capulcoile. ] (Zool.) A species of black Old World grouse (Tetrao uragallus) of large size and fine flavor, found in northern Europe and formerly in Scotland; -- called also cock of the woods and horse of the wood. [ Written also capercaillie, capercaili. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A powerful narcotic alkaloid, C17H21NO4, obtained from the leaves of coca. It is a bitter, white, crystalline substance, and is remarkable for producing local insensibility to pain. It is classified as addictive and is not available in the U. S. without a prescription, but is nevertheless one of the most widespread illegal drugs of abuse. It is used in several forms, including small pellets of free base, called crack. Most of the cacaine illegally used in the U.S. is imported. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. (Med.) A morbid condition produced by the habitual and excessive use of cocaine. -- Co*ca"in*ist, n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

v. t. To treat or anæsthetize with cocaine. -- Co*ca`in*i*za"tion n. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; seasonable, opportune; e'y^ well, good + &unr_; season. ] (Min.) A metallic mineral, a selenide of copper and silver; -- so called by Berzelius on account of its being found soon after the discovery of the metal selenium. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A dress crepe; similar to Canton crepe.
Syn. -- crepe marocain. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A program controlled by the United States government to provide health care for the needy. It is funded by contributions from the salaries of workers, and is therefore a form of health insurance. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

‖n. [ F. Cf. Rock a stone. ] (Art) (a) Artificial rockwork made of rough stones and cement, as for gardens. (b) The rococo system of scroll ornament, based in part on the forms of shells and water-worn rocks. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Pertaining to, or like, the Sadducees; as, Sadducaic reasonings. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pg. sapucaya. ] (Bot.) A Brazilian tree. See Lecythis, and Monkey-pot. [ Written also sapucaya. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Sapucaia nut (Bot.), the seed of the sapucaia; -- called also paradise nut. [ 1913 Webster ]