Part 398

Fus*ca"tion (?), n. [L. fuscare, fuscatum, to make dark, fr. fuscus dark.] A darkening; obscurity; obfuscation. [R.] Blount.

Fus"cin (?), n. [L. fuscus dark- colored, tawny.] (Physiol. Chem.) A brown, nitrogenous pigment contained in the retinal epithelium; a variety of melanin.

Fus"cine (?), n. (Chem.) A dark-colored substance obtained from empyreumatic animal oil. [R.]

Fus"cous (?), a. [L. fuscus.] Brown or grayish black; darkish.

Sad and fuscous colors, as black or brown, or deep purple and the like.

Burke.

Fuse (fz), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fused (fzd); p. pr. & vb. n. Fusing.] [L. fusus, p. p. of fundere to pour, melt, cast. See Foundo to cast, and cf. Futile.] 1. To liquefy by heat; to render fluid; to dissolve; to melt.

2. To unite or blend, as if melted together.

Whose fancy fuses old and new.

Tennyson.

Fuse, v. i. 1. To be reduced from a solid to a fluid state by heat; to be melted; to melt.

2. To be blended, as if melted together.

Fusing point, the degree of temperature at which a substance melts; the point of fusion.

Fuse, n. [For fusee, fusil. See 2d Fusil.] (Gunnery, Mining, etc.) A tube or casing filled with combustible matter, by means of which a charge of powder is ignited, as in blasting; -- called also fuzee. See Fuze.

Fuse hole, the hole in a shell prepared for the reception of the fuse. Farrow.

Fu*see" (?), n. [See 2d Fusil, and cf. Fuse, n.] 1. A flintlock gun. See 2d Fusil. [Obs.]

2. A fuse. See Fuse, n.

3. A kind of match for lighting a pipe or cigar.

Fu*see", n. [Etymol. uncertain.] The track of a buck. Ainsworth.

Fu*see", n. [F. fusÈe a spindleful, fusee, LL. fusata, fr. fusare to use a spindle, L. fusus spindle.] (a) The cone or conical wheel of a watch or clock, designed to equalize the power of the mainspring by having the chain from the barrel which contains the spring wind in a spiral groove on the surface of the cone in such a manner that the diameter of the cone at the point where the chain acts may correspond with the degree of tension of the spring. (b) A similar wheel used in other machinery.

Fu"sel (?), n., Fu"sel oil. [G. fusel bad liquor.] (Chem.) A hot, acrid, oily liquid, accompanying many alcoholic liquors (as potato whisky, corn whisky, etc.), as an undesirable ingredient, and consisting of several of the higher alcohols and compound ethers, but particularly of amyl alcohol; hence, specifically applied to amyl alcohol.

Fu"si*bil"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. fusibilitÈ.] The quality of being fusible.

Fu"si*ble (?), a. [F. fusible. See Fuse, v. t.] CapabIe of being melted or liquefied.

Fusible metal, any alloy of different metals capable of being easily fused, especially an alloy of five parts of bismuth, three of lead, and two of tin, which melts at a temperature below that of boiling water. Ure. -- Fusible plug (Steam Boiler), a piece of easily fusible alloy, placed in one of the sheets and intended to melt and blow off the steam in case of low water.

Fu"si*form (?), a. [L. fusus spindle + -form: cf. F. fusiforme.] Shaped like a spindle; tapering at each end; as, a fusiform root; a fusiform cell.

Fu"sil (?), a. [L. fusilis molten, fluid, fr. fundere, fusum, to pour, cast. See Fuse, v. t.] 1. Capable of being melted or rendered fluid by heat; fusible. [R.] "A kind of fusil marble" Woodward.

2. Running or flowing, as a liquid. [R.] "A fusil sea." J. Philips.

3. Formed by melting and pouring into a mold; cast; founded. [Obs.] Milton.