Part 802

Lu"cent (?), a. [L. lucens, p. pr. of lucere to shine, fr. lux, lucis, light.] Shining; bright; resplendent. " The sun's lucent orb." Milton.

Lu"cern (?), n. [Etymology uncertain.] [Obs.]

1. A sort of hunting dog; -- perhaps from Lucerne, in Switzerland.

My lucerns, too, or dogs inured to hunt Beasts of most rapine.

Chapman.

2. An animal whose fur was formerly much in request (by some supposed to be the lynx). [Written also lusern and luzern.]

The polecat, mastern, and the richskinned lucern I know to chase.

Beau. & Fl.

Lu"cern, n. [F. luzerne.] (Bot.) A leguminous plant (Medicago sativa), having bluish purple cloverlike flowers, cultivated for fodder; -- called also alfalfa. [Written also lucerne.]

Lu"cern, n. [L. lucerna.] A lamp. [Obs.] Lydgate.

Lu*cer"nal (?), a. [L. lucerna a lamp.] Of or pertaining to a lamp.

Lucernal microscope, a form of the microscope in which the object is illuminated by means of a lamp, and its image is thrown upon a plate of ground glass connected with the instrument, or on a screen independent of it.

||Lu`cer*na"ri*a (?), n. [NL., fr. L. lucerna a lamp.] (Zoöl.) A genus ||of acalephs, having a bell-shaped body with eight groups of short ||tentacles around the margin. It attaches itself by a sucker at the ||base of the pedicel. || Lu`cer*na"ri*an (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Lucernarida. - - n. One of the Lucernarida.

||Lu`cer*nar"i*da (?), n. pl. [NL. See Lucernaria.] (Zoöl.) (a) A ||division of acalephs, including Lucernaria and allied genera; -- ||called also Calycozoa. (b) A more extensive group of acalephs, ||including both the true Lucernarida and the Discophora. || Lu"cerne (?), n. (Bot.) See Lucern, the plant.

Lu"cid (?), a. [L. lucidus, fr. lux, lucis, light. See Light, n.] 1. Shining; bright; resplendent; as, the lucid orbs of heaven.

Lucid, like a glowworm.

Sir I. Newton.

A court compact of lucid marbles.

Tennyson.

2. Clear; transparent. " Lucid streams." Milton.

3. Presenting a clear view; easily understood; clear.

A lucid and interesting abstract of the debate.

Macaulay.

4. Bright with the radiance of intellect; not darkened or confused by delirium or madness; marked by the regular operations of reason; as, a lucid interval.

Syn. -- Luminous; bright; clear; transparent; sane; reasonable. See Luminous.

Lu*cid"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. lucidité. See Lucid.] The quality or state of being lucid.

Lu"cid*ly (?), adv. In a lucid manner.

Lu"cid*ness, n. The quality of being lucid; lucidity.