Part 172

7. A location or compartment.

In his bosom! In what chapter of his bosom? Shak.

Chapter head, or Chapter heading, that which stands at the head of a chapter, as a title. -- Chapter house, a house or room where a chapter meets, esp. a cathedral chapter. -- The chapter of accidents, chance. Marryat.

Chap"ter (?), v. t. 1. To divide into chapters, as a book. Fuller.

2. To correct; to bring to book, i. e., to demand chapter and verse. [Obs.] Dryden.

Chap"trel (?), n. [See Chapiter.] (Arch.) An impost. [Obs.]

{ Char, Charr (?), } n. [Ir. cear, Gael. ceara, lit., red, blood-colored, fr. cear blood. So named from its red belly.] (Zo÷l.) One of the several species of fishes of the genus Salvelinus, allied to the spotted trout and salmon, inhabiting deep lakes in mountainous regions in Europe. In the United States, the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is sometimes called a char.

Char, n. [F.] A car; a chariot. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Char (?), n. [OE. cherr, char a turning, time, work, AS. cerr, cyrr, turn, occasion, business, fr. cerran, cyrran, to turn; akin to OS. kŰrian, OHG. chŰran, G. kehren. Cf. Chore, Ajar.] Work done by the day; a single job, or task; a chore. [Written also chare.] [Eng.]

When thou hast done this chare, I give thee leave To play till doomsday. Shak.

{ Char, Chare, } v. t. [See 3d Char.] 1. To perform; to do; to finish. [Obs.] Nores.

Thet char is chared, as the good wife said when she had hanged her husband. Old Proverb.

2. To work or hew, as stone. Oxf. Gloss.

{ Char, Chare, } v. i. To work by the day, without being a regularly hired servant; to do small jobs.

Char (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Charred (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Charring.] [Prob. the same word as char to perform (see Char, n.), the modern use coming from charcoal, prop. coal- turned, turned to coal.] 1. To reduce to coal or carbon by exposure to heat; to reduce to charcoal; to burn to a cinder.

2. To burn slightly or partially; as, to char wood.

||Cha"ra (?), n. [NL., of uncertain origin.] (Bot.) A genus of flowerless plants, having articulated stems and whorled branches. They flourish in wet places.

||Char`-a-bancs" (?), n.; pl. Chars-a-banc (#). [F.] A long, light, open vehicle, with benches or seats running lengthwise.

Char"act (?), n. A distinctive mark; a character; a letter or sign. [Obs.] See Character.

In all his dressings, characts, titles, forms. Shak.

Char"ac*ter (?), n. [L., an instrument for marking, character, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to make sharp, to cut into furrows, to engrave: cf. F. caractŔre.]

1. A distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol.

It were much to be wished that there were throughout the world but one sort of character for each letter to express it to the eye. Holder.

2. Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the peculiar form of letters used by a particular person or people; as, an inscription in the Runic character.

You know the character to be your brother's? Shak.

3. The peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others; the stamp impressed by nature, education, or habit; that which a person or thing really is; nature; disposition.

The character or that dominion. Milton.

Know well each Ancient's proper character; His fable, subject, scope in every page; Religion, Country, genius of his Age. Pope.