Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SHUT'TING, pp.

Closing; prohibiting entrance; confining.

SHUT'TLE, n. [from the root of shoot; Ice. skutul.]

An instrument used by weavers for shooting the thread of the woof in weaving from one side of the cloth to the other, between the threads of the warp.

SHUT'TLE-COCK, n. [shuttle and cock or cork.]

A cork stuck with feathers, used to be struck by a battledore in play; also, the play.

SHUT'TLE-CORK, n.

A cork stuck with feathers, used to be struck by a battledore in play; improperly pronounced shuttlecock.

SHY, a. [G. scheu, shy; scheuchen, to scare, and scheuen, to shun; D. schuw, shy; schuwen, to shun; Sw. skygg, shy, and sky, to shun; Dan. sky, shy, and skyer, to shun, to eschew. In Sp. esquivo is shy, and esquivar, to shun; It. schifo, shy, and schifare, to shun. The two last-mentioned languages have a labial for the last radical, but possibly the words may be of the same family. The G. scheuchen, to scare, is our shoo, a word used for scaring away fowls.]

1. Fearful of near approach; keeping at a distance through caution or timidity; shunning approach; as, a shy bird. She is represented in a shy retiring posture. – Addison.
2. Reserved; not familiar; coy; avoiding freedom of intercourse. What makes you so shy, my good friend? – Arbuthnot.
3. Cautious; wary; careful to avoid committing one's self or adopting measures. I am very shy of using corrosive liquors in the preparation of medicines. – Boyle.
4. Suspicious; jealous. Princes are by wisdom of state somewhat shy of their successors. – Wotton.

SHY'LY, adv.

In a shy or timid manner; not familiarly; with reserve.

SHY'NESS, n.

Fear of near approach or of familiarity; reserve; coyness.

SI-AL-O-GOGUE, n. [sial'ogog; Gr. σιαλον, saliva, and αγωγος, leading.]

A medicine that promotes the salivary discharge. – Encyc.

SIB, n.

A relation, in Saxon, but not in use in English.

SI-BE'RI-AN, a. [Russ. siver, north. Siberia is formed by annexing the Greek ia, country, from the Celtic, to siver, north.]

Pertaining to Siberia, a name given to a great and indefinite extent of territory in the north of Asia; as, a Siberian winter.

SIB'ER-ITE, n.

Red tourmalin. – Ure.

SIB'IL-ANT, a. [L. sibilo, to hiss, Fr. siffler; Russ. soplyu, sopyu, id.]

Hissing; making a hissing sound. S and z are called sibilant letters.

SIB'IL-ANT, n.

A letter that is uttered with a hissing of the voice; as s and z.

SIB-IL-A'TION, n.

A hissing sound. – Bacon.

SIB'YL, n. [from the L.]

In pagan antiquity, the Sibyls were certain women said to be endowed with a prophetic spirit. Their number is variously stated; but the opinion of Varro, who states them to have been ten, is generally adopted. They resided in various parts of Persia, Greece and Italy. It is pretended that they wrote certain prophecies on leaves in verse, which are called Sibylline verses, or Sibylline oracles. – Lempriere.

SIB'YL-LINE, a.

Pertaining to the Sibyls; uttered, written or composed by Sibyls.

SIB'YL-LINE-BOOKS, n.

Books or documents of prophecies in verse, supposed to contain the fate of the Roman empire.

SIC'A-MORE, n.

More usually written Sycamore, – which see.

SIC'CATE, v.t.

To dry. [Not in use.]

SIC-CA'TION, n.

The act or process of drying. [Not in use.]

SIC'CA-TIVE, a. [from L. sicco, to dry, Fr. secher, It. seccare, Sp. secar, W. syçu.]

Drying; causing to dry. – Encyc.

SIC'CA-TIVE, n.

That which promotes the process of drying.

SIC-CIF'IC, a.

Causing dryness.

SIC'CI-TY, n. [L. siccitas.]

Dryness; aridity; destitution of moisture; as, the siccity of the flesh or of the air.

SICE, n. [size; Fr. six.]

The number six at dice.