Webster's Dictionary, 1913
[ Formerly kilpe
; of unknown origin.] 1. The calcined ashes of seaweed, -- formerly much used in the manufacture of glass, now used in the manufacture of iodine. 2. (Botany) Any large blackish seaweed.
is the common kelp of Great Britain; Macrocystis pyrifera
and Nereocystis Lutkeana
are the great kelps of the Pacific Ocean. Kelp crab (Zoology)
, a California spider crab ( Epialtus productus ), found among seaweeds, which it resembles in color.
-- Kelp salmon (Zoology)
, a serranoid food fish ( Serranus clathratus ) of California. See Cabrilla .
Kelpfish noun (Zoology) A small California food fish ( Heterostichus rostratus ), living among kelp. The name is also applied to species of the genus Platyglossus .
Kelpie, Kelpy noun
; plural Kelpies
. [ Confer Gael. cailpeach
, a heifer, steer, colt, colpa
a cow or horse.] (Scotch Myth.) An imaginary spirit of the waters, horselike in form, vulgarly believed to warn, by preternatural noises and lights, those who are to be drowned. Jamieson.
Kelpware noun Same as Kelp , 2.
Kelson noun See Keelson . Sir W. Raleigh.
Kelt noun See Kilt , noun Jamieson.
Kelt noun [ Confer Icelandic kult quilt.] Cloth with the nap, generally of native black wool. [ Scot.] Jamieson.
Kelt noun A salmon after spawning. [ Scot.]
Kelt noun Same as Celt , one of Celtic race.
[ Confer Gael. & Ir. cealt
clothes, Gael. cealltair
spear, castle, cause, Prov. English kilter
tool, instrument. Confer Kilt
.] Regular order or proper condition.
[ Written also kilter
.] [ > Colloq.]
If the organs of prayer be out of kelter or out of tune, how can we pray? Barrow.
(kĕlt"ĭk) adjective & noun Same as Celtic , adjective & noun
(kĕm) transitive verb
[ imperfect & past participle Kembed
(kĕmd) or Kempt
(kĕmt; 215); present participle & verbal noun Kembing
.] [ Middle English kemben
, Anglo-Saxon cemban
, from camb
comb.] To comb.
His longe hair was kembed behind his back. Chaucer.
Kemelin (kĕm"e*lĭn) noun [ Confer Prov. English kemlin , kimlin , kimmel , a salting tub, any tub, kembing a brewing tub, German kumme bowl, basin, W. cwmman a tub, brewing tub.] A tub; a brewer's vessel. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.
Kemp (kĕmp), Kemp"ty noun Coarse, rough hair in wool or fur, injuring its quality.
Kempe (kĕm"p e ) adjective Rough; shaggy. [ Obsolete] " Kempe hairs." Chaucer.
Kemps (kĕmps) noun plural [ Etymol. uncertain.] (Botany) The long flower stems of the ribwort plantain ( Plantago Lanceolata ). Dr. Prior.
(kĕmt; 215), past participle of Kemb . B. Jonson.
Ken (kĕn) noun [ Perh. from kennel .] A house; esp., one which is a resort for thieves. [ Slang, Eng.]
Ken transitive verb
[ imperfect & past participle Kenned
(kĕnd); present participle & verbal noun Kenning
.] [ Middle English kennen
to teach, make known, know, Anglo-Saxon cennan
to make known, proclaim, or rather from the related Icelandic kenna
to know; akin to D. & German kennen
to know, Goth. kannjan
to make known; orig., a causative corresponding to Anglo-Saxon cunnan
to know, Goth. kunnan
. √45. See Can
to be able, Know
.] 1. To know; to understand; to take cognizance of.
[ Archaic or Scot.] 2. To recognize; to descry; to discern.
[ Archaic or Scot.] "We ken
them from afar." Addison
'T is he. I ken the manner of his gait. Shak.
Ken intransitive verb To look around. [ Obsolete] Burton.
Ken noun Cognizance; view; especially, reach of sight or knowledge.
"Beyond his ken
Above the reach and ken of a mortal apprehension. South.
It was relief to quit the ken Trench.
And the inquiring looks of men.
Kendal green, Kendal A cloth colored green by dye obtained from the woad-waxen, formerly used by Flemish weavers at Kendal , in Westmoreland, England. J. Smith (Dict. Econ. Plants).
How couldst thou know these men in Kendal green ? Shak.
[ See Channel
.] The water course of a street; a little canal or channel; a gutter; also, a puddle. Bp. Hall.
[ Middle English kenel
, (assumed) Old French kenil
, French chenil
, Late Latin canile
, from Latin canis
a dog. Confer Canine
.] 1. A house for a dog or for dogs, or for a pack of hounds.
A dog sure, if he could speak, had wit enough to describe his kennel . Sir P. Sidney. 2. A pack of hounds, or a collection of dogs. Shak. 3. The hole of a fox or other beast; a haunt.
Kennel intransitive verb
[ imperfect & past participle Kenneled
; present participle & verbal noun Kennelling
.] To lie or lodge; to dwell, as a dog or a fox.
The dog kenneled in a hollow tree. L'Estrange.
Kennel transitive verb To put or keep in a kennel. Thomson.
[ See Ken
, transitive verb
] 1. Range of sight.
[ Obsolete] Bacon. 2. The limit of vision at sea, being a distance of about twenty miles.
[ French quine
five winning numbers, from Latin quini
five each, quinque
five. See Five
.] A gambling game, a variety of the game of lotto, played with balls or knobs, numbered, and cards also numbered.
[ U. S.]
Kenogenesis noun [ Greek ... new + English genesis .] (Biol.) Modified evolution, in which nonprimitive characters make their appearance in consequence of a secondary adaptation of the embryo to the peculiar conditions of its environment; -- distinguished from palingenesis . [ Written also cænogenesis .]
Kenogenetic adjective (Biol.) Of or pertaining to kenogenesis; as, kenogenetic processes. -- Ken`o*ge*net"ic*al*ly adverb
Kenspeckle adjective Having so marked an appearance as easily to be recognized. [ Scot.]
Kent bugle [ Probably named after a Duke of Kent .] (Mus.) A curved bugle, having six finger keys or stops, by means of which the performer can play upon every key in the musical scale; -- called also keyed bugle , and key bugle . Moore.
[ From Quintal
.] (Com.) A hundred weight; a quintal.
[ Old French cant
edge, corner, Dutch kant
. See Cant
edge, angle.] (Nautical) Pigs of iron used for ballast.
[ Written also kintlidge
Kentucky noun One of the United States. Kentucky blue grass (Botany)
, a valuable pasture and meadow grass ( Poa pratensis ), found in both Europe and America. See under Blue grass .
-- Kentucky coffee tree (Botany)
, a tall North American tree ( Gymnocladus Canadensis ) with bipinnate leaves. It produces large woody pods containing a few seeds which have been used as a substitute for coffee. The timber is very valuable.
Kephalin (kĕf"ȧ*lĭn) noun [ Greek kefalh` the head.] (Physiol. Chem.) One of a group of nitrogenous phosphorized principles, supposed by Thudichum to exist in brain tissue.
Kepi noun [ French képi , of G. origin.] A military cap having a close-fitting band, a round flat top sloping toward the front, and a visor. As originally worn by the French in Algeria about 1830 it was tall and stiff with a straight visor. It is now lower, has a curved visor, and is frequently soft.
Kept imperfect & past participle of Keep . Kept mistress
, a concubine; a woman supported by a man as his paramour.
[ Hung., from képviselö
representative + ház
house.] (Hungary) See Legislature .
Keramic adjective Same as Ceramic .
Keramographic adjective [ Greek ke`ramos tile + graph + ic .] Suitable to be written upon; capable of being written upon, as a slate; -- said especially of a certain kind of globe. Scudamore.
Kerana noun (Mus.) A kind of long trumpet, used among the Persians. Moore (Encyc. of Music).
Kerasin noun (Physiol. Chem.) A nitrogenous substance free from phosphorus, supposed to be present in the brain; a body closely related to cerebrin.
Kerasine adjective [ Greek ke`ras horn.] Resembling horn; horny; corneous.
Keratin noun [ Greek ke`ras , -atos , horn.] (Physiol. Chem.) A nitrogenous substance, or mixture of substances, containing sulphur in a loose state of combination, and forming the chemical basis of epidermal tissues, such as horn, hair, feathers, and the like. It is an insoluble substance, and, unlike elastin, is not dissolved even by gastric or pancreatic juice. By decomposition with sulphuric acid it yields leucin and tyrosin, as does albumin. Called also epidermose .
Keratitis noun [ New Latin , from Greek ke`ras , -atos , horn + -itis .] (Medicine) Inflammation of the cornea.