Part 184

GRAIN, Fr. A word used in the repairing of damaged cannon.

Mettre un GRAIN a une piece, to fill up the touch-hole of a piece of ordnance, the heating it in such a manner, that the metal which is poured in may assimilate and mix. When it becomes cold, a fresh aperture is made or bored.

GRAIS, Fr. large stones resembling Scotch pebbles. They are used to pave the high-roads, and streets.

GRAM, the grey peas are called by this name in Hindustan, and is the common food of horses, for which purpose it is previously steept in water.

GRAMEN, grass, in botany.

GRAMINE, couronne gramine, Fr. a grass or gramineous crown, which was made among the Romans. See OBSIDIONAL.

GRANADE. False orthography. See GRENADE.

GRANADIER, false orthography. See GRENADIER.

GRAND. This word is frequently used both in French and English as a word of title or distinction; it means great. In French it also means large.

GRAND division. The battalion being told off by two companies to each division, is said to be told off in grand divisions; hence grand division firing is, when the battalion fires by 2 companies at the same time, and is commanded by 1 officer only.

GRAND maitre d’artillerie, Fr. grand master of the ordnance, &c. &c. &c.

GRAND soleil brillant, Fr. a sun exhibited in artificial fireworks. See GLOIRE.

GRAND Vizir. See VIZIR.

GRANITE, (granit, Fr.) a sort of hard stone which is variegated by spots and streaks, and is rather encrusted. It is very common in Egypt. There is a species of granite, that is of a white and violet color; and another which is green mixed with white. The most ordinary kind has grey and green spots scattered over a greyish white.

Columns 40 feet high have been seen in Egypt which consisted wholly of one piece of granite. The Egyptian Pyramids are made of that marble; such indeed is the quantity said to exist about the country, that some authors imagine the whole extent of its foundation to be a solid rock of granite. The French distinguish this sort of stone by calling it marbre granit and marbre granitelle. In natural history it is generally called granita, being a distinct genus of stones composed of separate and very large concretions rudely compacted together, of great hardness and capable of receiving a very fine and beautiful polish.

GRANOIR, Fr. a term used in the French artillery, to signify a sort of sieve, in which there are small round holes for moist powder to be passed through, in order to make the grains perfectly round.

GRAPE shot. See SHOT.

GRAPHOMETER, (graphometre, Fr.) among surveyors, an instrument for taking angles, and generally called a semi-circle. In mathematics it serves to measure heights and elevations, to raise plans, &c.

GRAPPLING. The French call it grapin, herisson, risson, or harpeau; it is a sort of small anchor, with four or five flukes or arms, commonly used to ride a boat.

GRAPPLING-irons, in the art of war, are composed of 4, 5, or 6 branches, bent round and pointed, with a ring at the root, to which is fastened a rope to hold by, when the grapple is thrown at any thing, in order to bring it near, so as to lay hold of it.

Fire GRAPPLING, an instrument which nearly resembles the above, only that it is fitted with strong barbs instead of flukes, and is fixed at the yard arms of a fire-ship to grapple her adversary, and set her on fire. The French call this instrument grapin de brulôt.

GRAS-bois, Fr. in carpentry, a term to signify any piece of wood which is too large to fit the place it was intended to fill, and which must necessarily be diminished. Hence the expression dêmaigrir, to thin.

GRASS, (gramen,) in botany a general name for most of the herbaceous plants used in feeding cattle.

GRASS plats, green walks which for the most part are made by laying turfs or green sods.

GRATICULER, Fr. to divide with a pencil on a sheet of paper, any design or drawing into small equal squares, in order to reduce the original sketch or picture, or to enlarge it by the same process. This word is derived from the Italian, graticola, a gridiron.

GRATIFICATION, Fr. In a general acceptation of the term, this word meant, among the French, certain rewards which generals gave to the troops, after a severe engagement, in testimony of their valor and good conduct. These rewards were distributed according to rank. This custom was prevalent in the most ancient times. According to Vegetius, all monies distributed by the Romans, as military gratifications or rewards, were deposited in the ensign or standard-bearer’s hands, to be occasionally given to the soldiers. Sometimes the generals gave directions, that a certain proportion should be sequestered or put apart. By degree, a fund was collected; and the temptations to desert lost their influence in the superior attachment which every soldier felt to his standard, whose bearer was the trustee of his little property, and to whom he was consequently bound by one of the most powerful ties of the human heart--self interest.

By gratification was likewise meant the accumulation of a certain sum, which was deposited for the specific purpose of burying a deceased soldier.

Gratification signified, among the French, in a more extended sense of the word, a public reward given to a body of soldiers on the recommendation of a general, for some signal act of bravery in the day of battle. When this happened the soldiers had a certain sum of money distributed amongst them, and the officers received annual pensions.