{ r }, a. Shaped like a bat's wing; as, a bat's-wing burner. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Meteor.) A scale of wind force devised by Sir F. Beaufort, R. N., in 1805, in which the force is indicated by numbers from 0 to 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The full scale is as follows: -- 0, calm; 1, light air; 2, light breeze; 3, gentle breeze; 4, moderate breeze; 5, fresh breeze; 6, strong breeze; 7, moderate gale; 8, fresh gale; 9, strong gale; 10, whole gale; 11, storm; 12, hurricane. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

[ From Dr. Bright of London, who first described it. ] (Med.) An affection of the kidneys, usually inflammatory in character, and distinguished by the occurrence of albumin and renal casts in the urine. Several varieties of Bright's disease are now recognized, differing in the part of the kidney involved, and in the intensity and course of the morbid process. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ After N. L. S. Carnot, French physicist. ] (Thermodynamics) An ideal heat-engine cycle in which the working fluid goes through the following four successive operations: (1) Isothermal expansion to a desired point; (2) adiabatic expansion to a desired point; (3) isothermal compression to such a point that (4) adiabatic compression brings it back to its initial state. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Min.) A variety of quartz or chalcedony, exhibiting opalescent reflections from within, like the eye of a cat. The name is given to other gems affording like effects, esp. the chrysoberyl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A plant (Nepeta Glechoma) of the same genus with catnip; ground ivy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Naut.) (a) A light transitory air which ruffles the surface of the water during a calm, or the ripples made by such a puff of air. (b) A particular hitch or turn in the bight of a rope, into which a tackle may be hooked. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A dupe; a tool; one who, or that which, is used by another as an instrument to a accomplish his purposes. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In this sense the term refers to the fable of the monkey using the cat's paw to draw the roasting chestnuts out of the fire. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Timothy, Cat-tail, Cirrus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a retail shop where medicine and other articles are sold; a drugstore. [ British ]
Syn. -- drugstore, apothecary's shop, chemist's shop, dispensary, pharmacy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Bot.) One of several prickly or thorny shrubs found in Palestine, especially the Paliurus aculeatus, Zizyphus Spina-Christi, and Zizyphus vulgaris. The last bears the fruit called jujube, and may be considered to have been the most readily obtainable for the Crown of Thorns. [ 1913 Webster ]

See under Colt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Condorcet's method is one of several pairwise methods, which are great methods for electing people in single-seat elections (president, governor, mayor, etc.). Condorcet's method is named after the 18th century election theorist who invented it. Unlike most methods which make you choose the lesser of two evils, Condorcet's method and other pairwise methods let you rank the candidates in the order in which you would see them elected. The way the votes are tallied is by computing the results of separate pairwise elections between all of the candidates, and the winner is the one that wins a majority in all of the pairwise elections.
The best result of this is that if there is Candidate A on one extreme who pulls 40% of the vote, Candidate B in the middle who only pulls 20% of the vote, and Candidate C on the other extreme who pulls 40% of the vote, Candidate B will get elected as a compromise. Why? Because in a two-way contest between A and B, B would win with 60% of the vote, and in a two-way contest between B and C, B would also win with 60% of the vote. (Note that if B is a loony billionaire, he might not be able to win separate pairwise elections against anyone, and this would be reflected with Condorcet's method.)
Condorcet's method lets voters mark their sincere wishes for who they would like to win the election, without having to consider strategy ("I'd vote for Candidate B, but I'm afraid of wasting my vote."). It's really just a logical extension of majority rule when more than two choices are involved. Other pairwise methods, such as Copeland's method and Smith's method, have other desirable characteristics. The best of the pairwise methods is something that is quite debatable.
Wait, I've heard of this before...
You may have. However, there are many methods other methods similar to this one (though in my opinion, inferior), so don't be so sure. In order to be fair, here are a couple of those other methods:
* Majority preference voting (MPV) -- related to PV. Like PV, the voter simply ranks candidates in an order of preference (e. 1. Perot 2. Clinton 3. Bush). The candidate with the least number of first place votes is eliminated, and their votes are "transferred" to their 2nd choice until a candidate has a majority. It is frequently advocated and is better than our current system, but still has some nasty properties (like possibly knocking compromise candidates out of the running early). MPV is actually in use in Australia, among other places. Also known as Hare's Method.
* Approval -- Voters are allowed to vote for all candidates they approve. For example, Bush-Yes Perot-No Clinton-Yes. The candidate with the highest number of "yes" votes wins. For a more complete explanation, see here.
Rob Lanphier (from https://web.archive.org/web/20050722235546/http://www.eskimo.com/~robla/politics/condorcet.html). [ PJC ]

n. (Bot.), A weedy European annual with yellow flowers, of the genus Tragopogon; -- so named from the long silky beard of the seeds. One species is the salsify or oyster plant; it is naturalized in US.
Syn. -- meadow salsify, shepherd's clock, Tragopogon pratensis. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

(Bot.) Melilot or sweet clover. See Melilot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) An Asiatic species of Cacalia (Cacalia Kleinia), used medicinally in India. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) (a) A common British fern (Scolopendrium vulgare), rare in America. (b) A West Indian fern, the Polypodium Phyllitidis of Linnaeus. It is also found in Florida. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Ease of heart; peace or tranquillity of mind or feeling. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) A species of violet (Viola tricolor), a common and long cultivated European herb from which most common garden pansies are derived; -- called also pansy. [ wns=1 ]
Syn. -- wild pansy, Johnny-jump-up, heartsease, love-in-idleness, pink of my John, Viola tricolor. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

3. (Bot.) A violet of the Pacific coast of North America (Viola ocellata) having white petals tinged with yellow and deep violet. [ wns=2 ]
Syn. -- two-eyed violet, heartsease, Viola ocellata. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. (Bot.) A common Old World viola (Viola arvensis) with creamy often violet-tinged flowers. [ wns=3 ]
Syn. -- field pansy, heartsease, Viola arvensis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A tune played on the horn very early in the morning to call out the hunters; hence, any arousing sound or call. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Time plays the hunt's-up to thy sleepy head. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Feudal Law) The fee of a knight; specif., the amount of land the holding of which imposed the obligation of knight service, being sometimes a hide{ 1 }(b) or less, sometimes six or more hides. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

lso pos>n. 1. (Feud. Law) The military service by rendering which a knight held his lands.

2. (Eng. Feud. Law) A tenure of lands held by knights on condition of performing military service. See Chivalry, n., 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

By far the greater part of England [ in the 13th century ] is held of the king by knight's service. . . . In order to understand this tenure we must form the conception of a unit of military service. That unit seems to be the service of one knight or fully armed horseman (servitium unius militis) to be done to the king in his army for forty days in the year, if it be called for. . . . The limit of forty days seems to have existed rather in theory than practice. Pollock & Mait. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. Service such as a knight can or should render; hence, good or valuable service. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

[ After F. A. Nobert, German manufacturer in Pomerania. ] Fine lines ruled on glass in a series of groups of different closeness of line, and used to test the power of a microscope. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ So called from the resemblance of its curved superior petal to a parrot's bill. ] (Bot.) The glory pea. See under Glory. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Hydraul.) A bent tube used to determine the velocity of running water, by placing the curved end under water, and observing the height to which the fluid rises in the tube; a kind of current meter. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Med.) Caries of the vertebræ, frequently resulting in curvature of the spine and paralysis of the lower extremities; -- so named from Percival Pott, an English surgeon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pott's fracture, a fracture of the lower end of the fibula, with displacement of the tibia. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Anat.) A ligament, of fascia, extending, in most mammals, from the ventral side of the ilium to near the symphysis of the pubic bones. [ 1913 Webster ]

A kind of glass drop with a long tail, made by dropping melted glass into water. It is remarkable for bursting into fragments when the surface is scratched or the tail broken; -- so called from Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I., by whom they were first brought to England. Called also Rupert's ball, and glass tear. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ From Dr. Vallet of Paris. ] (Med.) Pills containing sulphate of iron and carbonate of sodium, mixed with saccharine matter; -- called also Vallet's mass. [ 1913 Webster ]