n. A material used for grinding, as emery, sand, powdered glass, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. an expressway in an Italian-speaking country. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖ [ Sp. ] Holy bark; the bark of the California buckthorn (Rhamnus Purshianus), used as a mild cathartic or laxative; -- called also cascara. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. L. citus swift (p. p. of cire, ciere, to move) + gradi to walk. See Cite. ] (Zool.) A suborder of Arachnoidea, including the European tarantula and the wolf spiders (Lycosidae) and their allies, which capture their prey by rapidly running and jumping. See Wolf spider. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a resident of the state of Colorado. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Pref. contra- + dance: cf. F. contrdance. Cf. Country-dance. ] A dance in which the partners are arranged face to face, or in opposite lines. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. degradatio, from degradare: cf. F. dégradation. See Degrade. ] 1. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society; diminution; as, the degradation of a peer, a knight, a general, or a bishop. [ 1913 Webster ]

He saw many removes and degradations in all the other offices of which he had been possessed. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement. [ 1913 Webster ]

The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Deplorable is the degradation of our nature. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is sensible of the degradation of his state. Blair. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration. [ 1913 Webster ]

The development and degradation of the alphabetic forms can be traced. I. Taylor (The Alphabet). [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Geol.) A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Biol.) The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration. [ 1913 Webster ]

The degradation of the species man is observed in some of its varieties. Dana. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Physiol.) Arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole. [ 1913 Webster ]

Degradation of energy, or
Dissipation of energy (Physics), the transformation of energy into some form in which it is less available for doing work.

Syn. -- Abasement; debasement; reduction; decline. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Scots Law) Degradation; a stripping of titles and honors. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Michael Faraday, the English electrician. ] (Elec.) the quantity of electric charge that, passed though an ionic solution, will cause electrolysis of one equivalent of ions; it is equal to about 96, 490 coulombs. The number of univalent metal ions (such as silver in a silver nitrate solution) which would be deposited as free metal by such a current is Avogadro's number, 6.023 x 1023. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ See Grade. ] 1. To grade or arrange (parts in a whole, colors in painting, etc.), so that they shall harmonize. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Chem.) To bring to a certain strength or grade of concentration; as, to gradate a saline solution. [ 1913 Webster ]

n., [ L. gradatio: cf. F. gradation. See Grade. ] 1. The act of progressing by regular steps or orderly arrangement; the state of being graded or arranged in ranks; as, the gradation of castes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act or process of bringing to a certain grade. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any degree or relative position in an order or series. [ 1913 Webster ]

The several gradations of the intelligent universe. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Fine Arts) A gradual passing from one tint to another or from a darker to a lighter shade, as in painting or drawing. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mus.) A diatonic ascending or descending succession of chords. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To form with gradations. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. By regular steps or gradations; of or pertaining to gradation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Grade. ] 1. Proceeding step by step, or by gradations; gradual. [ 1913 Webster ]

Could we have seen [ Macbeth's ] crimes darkening on their progress . . . could this gradatory apostasy have been shown us. A. Seward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Suitable for walking; -- said of the limbs of an animal when adapted for walking on land. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. LL. gradatarium. ] (Arch.) A series of steps from a cloister into a church. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ n.; pl. Paradactyla [ NL. See Para-, and Dactyl. ] (Zool.) The side of a toe or finger. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. pinna a feather + gradi to walk, move. ] (Zool.) Same as Pinnipedia. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. ] (Zool.) A subdivision of Carnivora having plantigrade feet. It includes the bears, raccoons, and allied species. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ acronym from RAdio Detection And Ranging. ] 1. An electronic device designed to detect objects at a distance, and determine their distance from the device, by transmitting a pulse of radio waves and measuring the time required for the echo of the pulse to return to the emitting device; as, the radar showed a plane approaching rapidly. For more information of radar, see the article What is Radar?. [ acronym ] [ PJC ]

2. The method of detecting objects, finding their distance, or determining their speed, by use of a radar{ 1 } device; as, modern radar can detect objects as small as raindrops. [ PJC ]

n. [ F. rétrogradation or L. retrogradatio. See Retrograde. ] 1. The act of retrograding, or moving backward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being retrograde; decline. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Saltigrade. ] (Zool.) A tribe of spiders including those which lie in wait and leap upon their prey; the leaping spiders; called also Salticidae. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of degrading one's self, or the state of being so degraded. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A small California surf fish (Micrometrus aggregatus); -- called also shiner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A valuable kind of wood obtained on the shores of the Demerara River in South America, much used for timbers, rails, naves and fellies of wheels, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Tardigrade, a. ] 1. (Zool.) A tribe of edentates comprising the sloths. They are noted for the slowness of their movements when on the ground. See Sloth, 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) An order of minute aquatic arachnids; -- called also bear animalcules, sloth animalcules, and water bears. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. tétradactyle. ] (Zool.) Tetradactylous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; te`tra- (see Tetra-) + &unr_; finger, toe. ] (Zool.) Having, or characterized by, four digits to the foot or hand. [ 1913 Webster ]