Dictionary: C – CAB'IN

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C,

the third letter in the English alphabet, and the second articulation or consonant, is a palatal, nearly corresponding in sound with the Greek κ, kappa, and with the Hebrew כ, caph. It bears a middle place in pronunciation, between the aspirate ה, and the palatal ג. It is a Roman character, borrowed from the Gr. κ, or from the oriental כ, which was used in languages written from right to left, and when inverted and the corners rounded, becomes C. In the old Etruscan, it was written Ɔ, with the corners rounded, but not inverted; in Arcadian, C, as now written. That its sound in Latin was the same, or nearly the same, as that of kappa, may be known from the fact, that the Greeks, while the Latin was a living language, wrote kappa for the Roman C. Perhaps the same character may be the basis of the Arabic ح. As an abbreviature, C. stands for Caius, Carolus, Cæsar, condemno, &c., and CC. for consulibus. As a numeral, C. stands for 100; CC. for 200; &c. In music, C after the clef, is the mark of common time. – Encyc. In English, C has two sounds, or rather it represents two very different articulations of the organs; one close, like K, which occurs before a, o and u; the other, a sibilant, precisely like s, which occurs before e, i and y. The former is distinguished in this vocabulary by C, which may be called ke. In Russ., C is precisely the English s, as it was in the old Greek alphabet. C before k, is mute; as in brick, sick.

CAB, n.1 [Heb. Ch. קב kab.]

An Oriental dry measure, being the sixth part of a seah or satum, and the eighteenth of an ephah; containing two pints and five sixths English and American corn measure.

CAB, n.2

A covered carriage with two or four wheels.

CA-BAL', n. [Fr. cabale, a club, society or combination; It. cabala, knowledge of secret things; Sp. cabala, secret science; cabal, perfect, just, exact; Heb. קבל kabal, to take, receive, accept; Ch. to cry out, to bawl; also to take or receive; also to be dark, to obscure; Syr. to accuse, oppose, or censure, to cavil; Eth. to accept, to pour out; Sam. to accept, and to darken; Ar. to admit or accept, as agreeable; to come; to be surety, to give bail. See Class Bl. This word seems to include the significations of several biliteral roots. Qu. W. cafael, to get or obtain; or gavaelu, to hold. The primary sense of the root seems to be, to catch or seize by rushing on, or in general, to press, to drive; hence the sense of collection, combination and accusation.]

  1. A number of persons united in some close design; usually to promote their private views in church or state by intrigue. A junto. It is sometimes synonymous with faction, but a cabal usually consists of fewer men than a party, and the word generally implies close union and secret intrigues. This name was given to the ministry of Charles II., Clifford, Ashley, Buckingham, Arlington, and Lauderdale, the initials of whose names compose the word.
  2. Intrigue; secret artifices of a few men united in a close design. – Dryden.

CA-BAL', or CAB'A-LA, n. [See the preceding word. It is from the sense of reception.]

Tradition, or a mysterious kind of science among Jewish rabbins, pretended to have been delivered to the ancient Jews by revelation, and transmitted by oral tradition; serving for the interpretation of difficult passages of Scripture. This science consists chiefly in understanding the combination of certain letters, words and numbers, which are alledged to be significant. Every letter, word, number and accent of the law is supposed to contain a mystery, and the cabalists pretend even to foretell future events by the study of this science. – Encyc. Buck.

CA-BAL', v.i.

To unite in a small party to promote private views by intrigue; to intrigue; to unite in secret artifices to effect some design. – Dryden.

CAB'A-LISM, n.

The secret science of the cabalists.

CAB'A-LIST, n.

  1. A Jewish doctor who professes the study of the cabala, or the mysteries of Jewish traditions.
  2. In French commerce, a factor or agent. – Encyc.

CAB-A-LIST'IC, or CAB-A-LIST'IC-AL, a.

Pertaining to the cabala, or mysterious science of Jewish traditions; containing an occult meaning.

CAB-A-LIST'IC-AL-LY, adv.

In the manner of the cabalists. – Herbert.

CAB'AL-IZE, v.i.

To use the manner or language of the cabalists. [Not much used.]

CA-BAL'LER, n.

One who unites with others in close designs to effect an object by intrigue; one who cabals.

CAB'AL-LINE, a. [L. caballinus, from caballus, a horse; Russ. kobila, kobiela, a mare; Ir. capall; Fr. cheval, a horse; cavale, a mare; It. cavallo; Sp. caballo.]

Pertaining to a horse; as, caballine aloes, so called from its being given to horses as a purge. – Encyc.

CA-BAL'LING, ppr.

Uniting in a cabal; intriguing in a small party.

CAB'A-RET', n. [Fr. allied probably to cabin.]

A tavern; a house where liquors are retailed. – Bramhall.

CAB'BAGE, n. [It. cappuccio; Corn. kavatsh; Ir. gabaisde, gabaiste. This word is probably from the root of caput, a head; It. capuccio, a head; Sp. cabeza; Fr. caboche, a head. Hence D. kabuis-kool, head-cole, or headed-cole. In Fr. choux-cabus, is cabbage-headed, or cabbage-head. See Cap, Cope.]

The popular name of a genus of plants, called in botany Brassica, of several species; some of which are cultivated for food. The leaves are large and fleshy, the pods long and slender, and the seeds globular. The kinds most cultivated are the common cabbage, called with us the drum-head, the Savoy, the broccoli, the cauliflower, the sugar-loaf, and the cole-wort. Dog's cabbage, a name given to the Thelygonum cynocrambe. – Fam. of Plants. Sea-cabbage. The sea-beach kale, or sea-colewort, a genus of plants, called Crambe. They are herbaceous esculents, with perennial roots, producing large leaves like those of cabbage, spreading on the ground. – Encyc.

CAB'BAGE, v.i.

To form a head in growing; as, a plant cabbages. – Johnson.

CAB'BAGE, v.t. [D. kabassen, to steal; kabas, a hand basket; Old Fr. cabasser.]

To purloin or embezzle, as pieces of cloth, after cutting out a garment. – Arbuthnot.

CAB'BAG-ED, pp.

Purloined, as cloth by him who cuts out a garment.

CAB'BAGE-NET, n.

A small net to boil cabbage in. – Shenstone.

CAB'BAGE-TREE, n.

The cabbage-palm, a species of Areca, the oleracea, a native of warm climates. This tree grows with a straight stem to the highth of 170 or 200 feet. Its branches grow in a circular manner, and the lowermost ones spread horizontally with great regularity. The fibers of the leaves are used for making cordage and nets. On the top grows a substance called cabbage, lying in thin, snow-white, brittle flakes, in taste resembling an almond, but sweeter. This is boiled and eaten with flesh, like other vegetables. When this is cut out, the tree is destroyed. – Encyc.

CAB'BAGE-WORM, n.

An insect. – Johnson.

CAB'BAG-ING, ppr.

Purloining, as pieces of cloth.

CAB'I-AI, n.

An animal of South America resembling a hog, living on the margins of lakes and rivers, and feeding on fish. It is a species of Cavy, called also thick-nosed tapir. – Dict. of Nat. Hist. Encyc.

CAB'IN, n. [Fr. cabane, a cabin, a cottage; caban, a cloke; It. capanna, a cottage; Sp. and Port. cabana, a hut or cottage; Ir. caban; W. caban, from cab, a hut, cot, or booth made in the form of a cone, with rods set in the ground and tied at the top; Gr. καπανη, from καπη, a stable or inclosed place.]

  1. A small room; an inclosed place. – Spenser.
  2. A cottage; a hut or small house. – Swift.
  3. A tent; a shed; any covered place for a temporary residence. – Fairfax.
  4. An apartment in a ship for officers and passengers. In large ships there are several cabins, the principal of which is occupied by the commander. In small vessels, there is one cabin in the stern for the accommodation of the officers and passengers. The bed-places in ships are also called cabins. – Encyc. Mar. Dict.