Part 705

||Cul"men (k?l"m?n), n. [L., fr. cellere (in comp.) to impel; cf. celsus pushed upward, lofty.] 1. Top; summit; acme. R. North.

2. (Zo÷l.) The dorsal ridge of a bird's bill.

Cul*mif"er*ous (k?l-m?f"?r-?s), a. [L. culmus stalk or stem + -ferous: cf. F. culmifŔre.] Having jointed stems or culms.

Cul*mif"er*ous (kŭl*m&ibreve;f"&etilde;r*ŭs), a.[2d culm + -ferous.] (Min.) Containing, or abounding in, culm or glance coal.

Cul"mi*nal (kŭl"m&ibreve;*nal), a. Pertaining to a culmen.

Cul"mi*nant (-nant), a. Being vertical, or at the highest point of altitude; hence, predominant. [R.]

Cul"mi*nate (kŭl"m&ibreve;*nāt), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Culminated (-nā`t&eucr;d); p. pr. & vb. n. Culminating (-nā`t&ibreve;ng.] [L. cuimen top or ridge. See Column.] 1. To reach its highest point of altitude; to come to the meridian; to be vertical or directly overhead.

As when his beams at noon Culminate from the equator. Milton.

2. To reach the highest point, as of rank, size, power, numbers, etc.

The reptile race culminated in the secondary era. Dana.

The house of Burgundy was rapidly culminating. Motley.

Cul"mi*nate (kŭl"m&ibreve;*n&asl;t), a. Growing upward, as distinguished from a lateral growth; -- applied to the growth of corals. Dana.

Cul"mi*na"tion (kŭl`m?-n?"sh?n), n. [Cf. F. culmination] 1. The attainment of the highest point of altitude reached by a heavenly body; passage across the meridian; transit.

2. Attainment or arrival at the highest pitch of glory, power, etc.

||Cul"pa (kŭl"p&adot;), n. [L.] (Law) Negligence or fault, as distinguishable from dolus (deceit, fraud), which implies intent, culpa being imputable to defect of intellect, dolus to defect of heart. Wharton.

Cul`pa*bil"i*ty (k?l`p?-b?l`?-t?), n.; pl. Culpabilities (-t&?;z). [Cf. F. culpabilitÚ.] The state of being culpable.

Cul"pa*ble (k?l"p?-b'l), a. [OE. culpable, coulpable, coupable, F. coupable, formerly also coupable, formerly also coulpable, culpable, fr. L. culpabilis, fr. culpare to blame, fr. culpa fault.]

1. Deserving censure; worthy of blame; faulty; immoral; criminal. State Trials (1413).

If he acts according to the best reason he hath, he is not culpable, though he be mistaken in his measures. Sharp.

2. Guilty; as, culpable of a crime. [Obs.] Spenser.

-- Cul"pa*ble*ness, n. -- Cul"pa*bly, adv.

Cul"pa*to*ry (-t?-r?), a. Expressing blame; censuring; reprehensory; inculpating.

Adjectives . . . commonly used by Latian authors in a culpatory sense. Walpole.

Culpe (kŭlp), n. [F. coulpe, fr.L. culpa.] Blameworthiness. [Obs.]

Banished out of the realme . . . without culpe. E. Hall.

Cul"pon (kŭl"p&obreve;n), n. [See Coupon.] A shred; a fragment; a strip of wood. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Cul"prit (kŭl"pr&ibreve;t), n. [Prob. corrupted for culpate, fr. Law Latin culpatus the accused, p. p. of L. culpare to blame. See Culpable.] 1. One accused of, or arraigned for, a crime, as before a judge.

An author is in the condition of a culprit; the public are his judges. Prior.