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

  Scale \Scale\, n. [Cf. AS. scealu, scalu, a shell, parings; akin
     to D. schaal, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. & Sw. skal a shell,
     Dan. ski[ae]l a fish scale, Goth. skalja tile, and E. shale,
     shell, and perhaps also to scale of a balance; but perhaps
     rather fr. OF. escale, escaile, F. ['e]caille scale of a
     fish, and ['e]cale shell of beans, pease, eggs, nuts, of
     German origin, and akin to Goth. skalja, G. schale. See
     Shale.]
     1. (Anat.) One of the small, thin, membranous, bony or horny
        pieces which form the covering of many fishes and
        reptiles, and some mammals, belonging to the dermal part
        of the skeleton, or dermoskeleton. See Cycloid,
        Ctenoid, and Ganoid.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Fish that, with their fins and shining scales,
              Glide under the green wave.           --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence, any layer or leaf of metal or other material,
        resembling in size and thinness the scale of a fish; as, a
        scale of iron, of bone, etc.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zo["o]l.) One of the small scalelike structures covering
        parts of some invertebrates, as those on the wings of
        Lepidoptera and on the body of Thysanura; the elytra of
        certain annelids. See Lepidoptera.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Zo["o]l.) A scale insect. (See below.)
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. (Bot.) A small appendage like a rudimentary leaf,
        resembling the scales of a fish in form, and often in
        arrangement; as, the scale of a bud, of a pine cone, and
        the like. The name is also given to the chaff on the stems
        of ferns.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a
        pocketknife. See Illust. of Pocketknife.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     7. An incrustation deposit on the inside of a vessel in which
        water is heated, as a steam boiler.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     8. (Metal.) The thin oxide which forms on the surface of iron
        forgings. It consists essentially of the magnetic oxide,
        Fe3O4. Also, a similar coating upon other metals.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Covering scale (Zo["o]l.), a hydrophyllium.
  
     Ganoid scale. (Zo["o]l.) See under Ganoid.
  
     Scale armor (Mil.), armor made of small metallic scales
        overlapping, and fastened upon leather or cloth.
  
     Scale beetle (Zo["o]l.), the tiger beetle.
  
     Scale carp (Zo["o]l.), a carp having normal scales.
  
     Scale insect (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
        small hemipterous insects belonging to the family
        Coccid[ae], in which the females, when adult, become
        more or less scalelike in form. They are found upon the
        leaves and twigs of various trees and shrubs, and often do
        great damage to fruit trees. See Orange scale,under
        Orange.
  
     Scale moss (Bot.), any leafy-stemmed moss of the order
        Hepatic[ae]; -- so called from the small imbricated
        scalelike leaves of most of the species. See Hepatica,
        2, and Jungermannia.
        [1913 Webster]

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

  Moss \Moss\ (m[o^]s; 115), n. [OE. mos; akin to AS. me['o]s, D.
     mos, G. moos, OHG. mos, mios, Icel. mosi, Dan. mos, Sw.
     mossa, Russ. mokh', L. muscus. Cf. Muscoid.]
     1. (Bot.) A cryptogamous plant of a cellular structure, with
        distinct stem and simple leaves. The fruit is a small
        capsule usually opening by an apical lid, and so
        discharging the spores. There are many species,
        collectively termed Musci, growing on the earth, on rocks,
        and trunks of trees, etc., and a few in running water.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The term moss is also popularly applied to many other
           small cryptogamic plants, particularly lichens, species
           of which are called tree moss, rock moss, coral moss,
           etc. Fir moss and club moss are of the genus
           Lycopodium. See Club moss, under Club, and
           Lycopodium.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A bog; a morass; a place containing peat; as, the mosses
        of the Scottish border.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Moss is used with participles in the composition of
           words which need no special explanation; as,
           moss-capped, moss-clad, moss-covered, moss-grown, etc.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     Black moss. See under Black, and Tillandsia.
  
     Bog moss. See Sphagnum.
  
     Feather moss, any moss branched in a feathery manner, esp.
        several species of the genus Hypnum.
  
     Florida moss, Long moss, or Spanish moss. See
        Tillandsia.
  
     Iceland moss, a lichen. See Iceland Moss.
  
     Irish moss, a seaweed. See Carrageen.
  
     Moss agate (Min.), a variety of agate, containing brown,
        black, or green mosslike or dendritic markings, due in
        part to oxide of manganese. Called also Mocha stone.
  
     Moss animal (Zo["o]l.), a bryozoan.
  
     Moss berry (Bot.), the small cranberry ({Vaccinium
        Oxycoccus).
  
     Moss campion (Bot.), a kind of mosslike catchfly ({Silene
        acaulis), with mostly purplish flowers, found on the
        highest mountains of Europe and America, and within the
        Arctic circle.
  
     Moss land, land produced accumulation of aquatic plants,
        forming peat bogs of more or less consistency, as the
        water is grained off or retained in its pores.
  
     Moss pink (Bot.), a plant of the genus Phlox ({Phlox
        subulata), growing in patches on dry rocky hills in the
        Middle United States, and often cultivated for its
        handsome flowers. --Gray.
  
     Moss rose (Bot.), a variety of rose having a mosslike
        growth on the stalk and calyx. It is said to be derived
        from the Provence rose.
  
     Moss rush (Bot.), a rush of the genus Juncus ({Juncus
        squarrosus).
  
     Scale moss. See Hepatica.
        [1913 Webster]

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

  Hepatica \He*pat"i*ca\, n.; pl. Hepatic[ae]. [NL. See
     Hepatic. So called in allusion to the shape of the lobed
     leaves or fronds.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Bot.) A genus of pretty spring flowers closely related to
        Anemone; squirrel cup.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (bot.) Any plant, usually procumbent and mosslike, of the
        cryptogamous class Hepatic[ae]; -- called also scale
        moss and liverwort. See Hepatic[ae], in the
        Supplement.
        [1913 Webster]

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

  Moss \Moss\, n. [OE. mos; akin to AS. me['o]s, D. mos, G. moos,
     OHG. mos, mios, Icel. mosi, Dan. mos, Sw. mossa, Russ. mokh',
     L. muscus. Cf. Muscoid.]
     1. (Bot.) A cryptogamous plant of a cellular structure, with
        distinct stem and simple leaves. The fruit is a small
        capsule usually opening by an apical lid, and so
        discharging the spores. There are many species,
        collectively termed Musci, growing on the earth, on rocks,
        and trunks of trees, etc., and a few in running water.
  
     Note: The term moss is also popularly applied to many other
           small cryptogamic plants, particularly lichens, species
           of which are called tree moss, rock moss, coral moss,
           etc. Fir moss and club moss are of the genus
           Lycopodium. See Club moss, under Club, and
           Lycopodium.
  
     2. A bog; a morass; a place containing peat; as, the mosses
        of the Scottish border.
  
     Note: Moss is used with participles in the composition of
           words which need no special explanation; as,
           moss-capped, moss-clad, moss-covered, moss-grown, etc.
  
     Black moss. See under Black, and Tillandsia.
  
     Bog moss. See Sphagnum.
  
     Feather moss, any moss branched in a feathery manner, esp.
        several species of the genus Hypnum.
  
     Florida moss, Long moss, or Spanish moss. See
        Tillandsia.
  
     Iceland moss, a lichen. See Iceland Moss.
  
     Irish moss, a seaweed. See Carrageen.
  
     Moss agate (Min.), a variety of agate, containing brown,
        black, or green mosslike or dendritic markings, due in
        part to oxide of manganese. Called also Mocha stone.
  
     Moss animal (Zo["o]l.), a bryozoan.
  
     Moss berry (Bot.), the small cranberry ({Vaccinium
        Oxycoccus).
  
     Moss campion (Bot.), a kind of mosslike catchfly ({Silene
        acaulis), with mostly purplish flowers, found on the
        highest mountains of Europe and America, and within the
        Arctic circle.
  
     Moss land, land produced accumulation of aquatic plants,
        forming peat bogs of more or less consistency, as the
        water is grained off or retained in its pores.
  
     Moss pink (Bot.), a plant of the genus Phlox ({P.
        subulata), growing in patches on dry rocky hills in the
        Middle United States, and often cultivated for its
        handsome flowers. --Gray.
  
     Moss rose (Bot.), a variety of rose having a mosslike
        growth on the stalk and calyx. It is said to be derived
        from the Provence rose.
  
     Moss rush (Bot.), a rush of the genus Juncus ({J.
        squarrosus).
  
     Scale moss. See Hepatica.

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

  Scale \Scale\, n. [Cf. AS. scealu, scalu, a shell, parings; akin
     to D. schaal, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. & Sw. skal a shell,
     Dan. ski[ae]l a fish scale, Goth. skalja tile, and E. shale,
     shell, and perhaps also to scale of a balance; but perhaps
     rather fr. OF. escale, escaile, F. ['e]caille scale of a
     fish, and ['e]cale shell of beans, pease, eggs, nuts, of
     German origin, and akin to Goth. skalja, G. schale. See
     Shale.]
     1. (Anat.) One of the small, thin, membranous, bony or horny
        pieces which form the covering of many fishes and
        reptiles, and some mammals, belonging to the dermal part
        of the skeleton, or dermoskeleton. See Cycloid,
        Ctenoid, and Ganoid.
  
              Fish that, with their fins and shining scales, Glide
              under the green wave.                 --Milton.
  
     2. Hence, any layer or leaf of metal or other material,
        resembling in size and thinness the scale of a fish; as, a
        scale of iron, of bone, etc.
  
     3. (Zo["o]l.) One of the small scalelike structures covering
        parts of some invertebrates, as those on the wings of
        Lepidoptera and on the body of Thysanura; the elytra of
        certain annelids. See Lepidoptera.
  
     4. (Zo["o]l.) A scale insect. (See below.)
  
     5. (Bot.) A small appendage like a rudimentary leaf,
        resembling the scales of a fish in form, and often in
        arrangement; as, the scale of a bud, of a pine cone, and
        the like. The name is also given to the chaff on the stems
        of ferns.
  
     6. The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a
        pocketknife. See Illust. of Pocketknife.
  
     7. An incrustation deposit on the inside of a vessel in which
        water is heated, as a steam boiler.
  
     8. (Metal.) The thin oxide which forms on the surface of iron
        forgings. It consists essentially of the magnetic oxide,
        Fe3O4. Also, a similar coating upon other metals.
  
     Covering scale (Zo["o]l.), a hydrophyllium.
  
     Ganoid scale. (Zo["o]l.) See under Ganoid.
  
     Scale armor (Mil.), armor made of small metallic scales
        overlapping, and fastened upon leather or cloth.
  
     Scale beetle (Zo["o]l.), the tiger beetle.
  
     Scale carp (Zo["o]l.), a carp having normal scales.
  
     Scale insect (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
        small hemipterous insects belonging to the family
        Coccid[ae], in which the females, when adult, become
        more or less scalelike in form. They are found upon the
        leaves and twigs of various trees and shrubs, and often do
        great damage to fruit trees. See Orange scale,under
        Orange.
  
     Scale moss (Bot.), any leafy-stemmed moss of the order
        Hepatic[ae]; -- so called from the small imbricated
        scalelike leaves of most of the species. See Hepatica,
        2, and Jungermannia.

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

  Hepatica \He*pat"i*ca\, n.; pl. Hepatic[ae]. [NL. See
     Hepatic. So called in allusion to the shape of the lobed
     leaves or fronds.]
     1. (Bot.) A genus of pretty spring flowers closely related to
        Anemone; squirrel cup.
  
     2. (bot.) Any plant, usually procumbent and mosslike, of the
        cryptogamous class Hepatic[ae]; -- called also scale
        moss and liverwort. See Hepatic[ae], in the
        Supplement.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 :   [ wn ]

  scale moss
       n : mosslike liverwort with tiny scalelike leaves; usually
           epiphytic [syn: leafy liverwort]

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