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4 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  Snail \Snail\ (sn[=a]l), n. [OE. snaile, AS. sn[ae]gel, snegel,
     sn[ae]gl; akin to G. schnecke, OHG. snecko, Dan. snegl, Icel.
     snigill.]
     1. (Zo["o]l.)
        (a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial
            air-breathing gastropods belonging to the genus Helix
            and many allied genera of the family Helicid[ae].
            They are abundant in nearly all parts of the world
            except the arctic regions, and feed almost entirely on
            vegetation; a land snail.
        (b) Any gastropod having a general resemblance to the true
            snails, including fresh-water and marine species. See
            Pond snail, under Pond, and Sea snail.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence, a drone; a slow-moving person or thing.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Mech.) A spiral cam, or a flat piece of metal of spirally
        curved outline, used for giving motion to, or changing the
        position of, another part, as the hammer tail of a
        striking clock.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A tortoise; in ancient warfare, a movable roof or shed to
        protect besiegers; a testudo. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              They had also all manner of gynes [engines] . . .
              that needful is [in] taking or sieging of castle or
              of city, as snails, that was naught else but hollow
              pavises and targets, under the which men, when they
              fought, were heled [protected], . . . as the snail
              is in his house; therefore they cleped them snails.
                                                    --Vegetius
                                                    (Trans.).
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. (Bot.) The pod of the sanil clover.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Ear snail, Edible snail, Pond snail, etc. See under
        Ear, Edible, etc.
  
     Snail borer (Zo["o]l.), a boring univalve mollusk; a drill.
        
  
     Snail clover (Bot.), a cloverlike plant ({Medicago
        scuttellata, also, M. Helix); -- so named from its
        pods, which resemble the shells of snails; -- called also
        snail trefoil, snail medic, and beehive.
  
     Snail flower (Bot.), a leguminous plant ({Phaseolus
        Caracalla) having the keel of the carolla spirally coiled
        like a snail shell.
  
     Snail shell (Zo["o]l.), the shell of snail.
  
     Snail trefoil. (Bot.) See Snail clover, above.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  Ear \Ear\, n. [AS. e['a]re; akin to OFries. ['a]re, ['a]r, OS.
     ?ra, D. oor, OHG. ?ra, G. ohr, Icel. eyra, Sw. ["o]ra, Dan.
     ["o]re, Goth. auso, L. auris, Lith. ausis, Russ. ukho, Gr. ?;
     cf. L. audire to hear, Gr. ?, Skr. av to favor, protect. Cf.
     Auricle, Orillon.]
     1. The organ of hearing; the external ear.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In man and the higher vertebrates, the organ of hearing
           is very complicated, and is divisible into three parts:
           the external ear, which includes the pinna or auricle
           and meatus or external opening; the middle ear, drum,
           or tympanum; and the internal ear, or labyrinth. The
           middle ear is a cavity connected by the Eustachian tube
           with the pharynx, separated from the opening of the
           external ear by the tympanic membrane, and containing a
           chain of three small bones, or ossicles, named malleus,
           incus, and stapes, which connect this membrane with the
           internal ear. The essential part of the internal ear
           where the fibers of the auditory nerve terminate, is
           the membranous labyrinth, a complicated system of sacs
           and tubes filled with a fluid (the endolymph), and
           lodged in a cavity, called the bony labyrinth, in the
           periotic bone. The membranous labyrinth does not
           completely fill the bony labyrinth, but is partially
           suspended in it in a fluid (the perilymph). The bony
           labyrinth consists of a central cavity, the vestibule,
           into which three semicircular canals and the canal of
           the cochlea (spirally coiled in mammals) open. The
           vestibular portion of the membranous labyrinth consists
           of two sacs, the utriculus and sacculus, connected by a
           narrow tube, into the former of which three membranous
           semicircular canals open, while the latter is connected
           with a membranous tube in the cochlea containing the
           organ of Corti. By the help of the external ear the
           sonorous vibrations of the air are concentrated upon
           the tympanic membrane and set it vibrating, the chain
           of bones in the middle ear transmits these vibrations
           to the internal ear, where they cause certain delicate
           structures in the organ of Corti, and other parts of
           the membranous labyrinth, to stimulate the fibers of
           the auditory nerve to transmit sonorous impulses to the
           brain.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power
        of discriminating between different tones; as, a nice ear
        for music; -- in the singular only.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Songs . . . not all ungrateful to thine ear.
                                                    --Tennyson.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. That which resembles in shape or position the ear of an
        animal; any prominence or projection on an object, --
        usually one for support or attachment; a lug; a handle;
        as, the ears of a tub, a skillet, or dish. The ears of a
        boat are outside kneepieces near the bow. See Illust. of
        Bell.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Arch.)
        (a) Same as Acroterium.
        (b) Same as Crossette.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     5. Privilege of being kindly heard; favor; attention.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Dionysius . . . would give no ear to his suit.
                                                    --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
                                                    --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     About the ears, in close proximity to; near at hand.
  
     By the ears, in close contest; as, to set by the ears; to
        fall together by the ears; to be by the ears.
  
     Button ear (in dogs), an ear which falls forward and
        completely hides the inside.
  
     Ear finger, the little finger.
  
     Ear of Dionysius, a kind of ear trumpet with a flexible
        tube; -- named from the Sicilian tyrant, who constructed a
        device to overhear the prisoners in his dungeons.
  
     Ear sand (Anat.), otoliths. See Otolith.
  
     Ear snail (Zo["o]l.), any snail of the genus Auricula and
        allied genera.
  
     Ear stones (Anat.), otoliths. See Otolith.
  
     Ear trumpet, an instrument to aid in hearing. It consists
        of a tube broad at the outer end, and narrowing to a
        slender extremity which enters the ear, thus collecting
        and intensifying sounds so as to assist the hearing of a
        partially deaf person.
  
     Ear vesicle (Zo["o]l.), a simple auditory organ, occurring
        in many worms, mollusks, etc. It consists of a small sac
        containing a fluid and one or more solid concretions or
        otocysts.
  
     Rose ear (in dogs), an ear which folds backward and shows
        part of the inside.
  
     To give ear to, to listen to; to heed, as advice or one
        advising. ``Give ear unto my song.'' --Goldsmith.
  
     To have one's ear, to be listened to with favor.
  
     Up to the ears, deeply submerged; almost overwhelmed; as,
        to be in trouble up to one's ears. [Colloq.]
        [1913 Webster]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  Snail \Snail\ (sn[=a]l), n. [OE. snaile, AS. sn[ae]gel, snegel,
     sn[ae]gl; akin to G. schnecke, OHG. snecko, Dan. snegl, Icel.
     snigill.]
     1. (Zo["o]l.)
        (a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial
            air-breathing gastropods belonging to the genus Helix
            and many allied genera of the family Helicid[ae].
            They are abundant in nearly all parts of the world
            except the arctic regions, and feed almost entirely on
            vegetation; a land snail.
        (b) Any gastropod having a general resemblance to the true
            snails, including fresh-water and marine species. See
            Pond snail, under Pond, and Sea snail.
  
     2. Hence, a drone; a slow-moving person or thing.
  
     3. (Mech.) A spiral cam, or a flat piece of metal of spirally
        curved outline, used for giving motion to, or changing the
        position of, another part, as the hammer tail of a
        striking clock.
  
     4. A tortoise; in ancient warfare, a movable roof or shed to
        protect besiegers; a testudo. [Obs.]
  
              They had also all manner of gynes [engines] . . .
              that needful is [in] taking or sieging of castle or
              of city, as snails, that was naught else but hollow
              pavises and targets, under the which men, when they
              fought, were heled [protected], . . . as the snail
              is in his house; therefore they cleped them snails.
                                                    --Vegetius
                                                    (Trans.).
  
     5. (Bot.) The pod of the sanil clover.
  
     Ear snail, Edible snail, Pond snail, etc. See under
        Ear, Edible, etc.
  
     Snail borer (Zo["o]l.), a boring univalve mollusk; a drill.
        
  
     Snail clover (Bot.), a cloverlike plant ({Medicago
        scuttellata, also, M. Helix); -- so named from its
        pods, which resemble the shells of snails; -- called also
        snail trefoil, snail medic, and beehive.
  
     Snail flower (Bot.), a leguminous plant ({Phaseolus
        Caracalla) having the keel of the carolla spirally coiled
        like a snail shell.
  
     Snail shell (Zo["o]l.), the shell of snail.
  
     Snail trefoil. (Bot.) See Snail clover, above.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  Ear \Ear\, n. [AS. e['a]re; akin to OFries. ['a]re, ['a]r, OS.
     ?ra, D. oor, OHG. ?ra, G. ohr, Icel. eyra, Sw. ["o]ra, Dan.
     ["o]re, Goth. auso, L. auris, Lith. ausis, Russ. ukho, Gr. ?;
     cf. L. audire to hear, Gr. ?, Skr. av to favor, protect. Cf.
     Auricle, Orillon.]
     1. The organ of hearing; the external ear.
  
     Note: In man and the higher vertebrates, the organ of hearing
           is very complicated, and is divisible into three parts:
           the external ear, which includes the pinna or auricle
           and meatus or external opening; the middle ear, drum,
           or tympanum; and the internal ear, or labyrinth. The
           middle ear is a cavity connected by the Eustachian tube
           with the pharynx, separated from the opening of the
           external ear by the tympanic membrane, and containing a
           chain of three small bones, or ossicles, named malleus,
           incus, and stapes, which connect this membrane with the
           internal ear. The essential part of the internal ear
           where the fibers of the auditory nerve terminate, is
           the membranous labyrinth, a complicated system of sacs
           and tubes filled with a fluid (the endolymph), and
           lodged in a cavity, called the bony labyrinth, in the
           periotic bone. The membranous labyrinth does not
           completely fill the bony labyrinth, but is partially
           suspended in it in a fluid (the perilymph). The bony
           labyrinth consists of a central cavity, the vestibule,
           into which three semicircular canals and the canal of
           the cochlea (spirally coiled in mammals) open. The
           vestibular portion of the membranous labyrinth consists
           of two sacs, the utriculus and sacculus, connected by a
           narrow tube, into the former of which three membranous
           semicircular canals open, while the latter is connected
           with a membranous tube in the cochlea containing the
           organ of Corti. By the help of the external ear the
           sonorous vibrations of the air are concentrated upon
           the tympanic membrane and set it vibrating, the chain
           of bones in the middle ear transmits these vibrations
           to the internal ear, where they cause certain delicate
           structures in the organ of Corti, and other parts of
           the membranous labyrinth, to stimulate the fibers of
           the auditory nerve to transmit sonorous impulses to the
           brain.
  
     2. The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power
        of discriminating between different tones; as, a nice ear
        for music; -- in the singular only.
  
              Songs . . . not all ungrateful to thine ear.
                                                    --Tennyson.
  
     3. That which resembles in shape or position the ear of an
        animal; any prominence or projection on an object, --
        usually one for support or attachment; a lug; a handle;
        as, the ears of a tub, a skillet, or dish. The ears of a
        boat are outside kneepieces near the bow. See Illust. of
        Bell.
  
     4. (Arch.)
        (a) Same as Acroterium.
        (b) Same as Crossette.
  
     5. Privilege of being kindly heard; favor; attention.
  
              Dionysius . . . would give no ear to his suit.
                                                    --Bacon.
  
              Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
                                                    --Shak.
  
     About the ears, in close proximity to; near at hand.
  
     By the ears, in close contest; as, to set by the ears; to
        fall together by the ears; to be by the ears.
  
     Button ear (in dogs), an ear which falls forward and
        completely hides the inside.
  
     Ear finger, the little finger.
  
     Ear of Dionysius, a kind of ear trumpet with a flexible
        tube; -- named from the Sicilian tyrant, who constructed a
        device to overhear the prisoners in his dungeons.
  
     Ear sand (Anat.), otoliths. See Otolith.
  
     Ear snail (Zo["o]l.), any snail of the genus Auricula and
        allied genera.
  
     Ear stones (Anat.), otoliths. See Otolith.
  
     Ear trumpet, an instrument to aid in hearing. It consists
        of a tube broad at the outer end, and narrowing to a
        slender extremity which enters the ear, thus collecting
        and intensifying sounds so as to assist the hearing of a
        partially deaf person.
  
     Ear vesicle (Zo["o]l.), a simple auditory organ, occurring
        in many worms, mollusks, etc. It consists of a small sac
        containing a fluid and one or more solid concretions or
        otocysts.
  
     Rose ear (in dogs), an ear which folds backward and shows
        part of the inside.
  
     To give ear to, to listen to; to heed, as advice or one
        advising. ``Give ear unto my song.'' --Goldsmith.
  
     To have one's ear, to be listened to with favor.
  
     Up to the ears, deeply submerged; almost overwhelmed; as,
        to be in trouble up to one's ears. [Colloq.]

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