Part 110

Syn. -- Literature; art; knowledge. -- Science, Literature, Art. Science is literally knowledge, but more usually denotes a systematic and orderly arrangement of knowledge. In a more distinctive sense, science embraces those branches of knowledge of which the subject-matter is either ultimate principles, or facts as explained by principles or laws thus arranged in natural order. The term literature sometimes denotes all compositions not embraced under science, but usually confined to the belles-lettres. [See Literature.] Art is that which depends on practice and skill in performance. "In science, scimus ut sciamus; in art, scimus ut producamus. And, therefore, science and art may be said to be investigations of truth; but one, science, inquires for the sake of knowledge; the other, art, for the sake of production; and hence science is more concerned with the higher truths, art with the lower; and science never is engaged, as art is, in productive application. And the most perfect state of science, therefore, will be the most high and accurate inquiry; the perfection of art will be the most apt and efficient system of rules; art always throwing itself into the form of rules." Karslake.

Sci"ence, v. t. To cause to become versed in science; to make skilled; to instruct. [R.] Francis.

Sci"ent (?), a. [L. sciens, - entis, p. pr.] Knowing; skillful. [Obs.] Cockeram.

||Sci*en"ter (?), adv. [L.] (Law) Knowingly; willfully. Bouvier.

Sci*en"tial (?), a. [LL. scientialis, fr. L. scientia.] Pertaining to, or producing, science. [R.] Milton.

Sci`en*tif"ic (?), a. [F. scientifique; L. scientia science + facere to make.] 1. Of or pertaining to science; used in science; as, scientific principles; scientific apparatus; scientific observations.

2. Agreeing with, or depending on, the rules or principles of science; as, a scientific classification; a scientific arrangement of fossils.

3. Having a knowledge of science, or of a science; evincing science or systematic knowledge; as, a scientific chemist; a scientific reasoner; a scientific argument.

Bossuet is as scientific in the structure of his sentences.

Landor.

Scientific method, the method employed in exact science and consisting of: (a) Careful and abundant observation and experiment. (b) generalization of the results into formulated "Laws" and statements.

Sci`en*tif"ic*al (?), a. Scientific. Locke.

Sci`en*tif"ic*al*ly, adv. In a scientific manner; according to the rules or principles of science.

It is easier to believe than to be scientifically instructed.

Locke.

Sci"en*tist (?), n. One learned in science; a scientific investigator; one devoted to scientific study; a savant. [Recent]

Twenty years ago I ventured to propose one [a name for the class of men who give their lives to scientific study] which has been slowly finding its way to general adoption; and the word scientist, though scarcely euphonious, has gradually assumed its place in our vocabulary. B. A. Gould (Address, 1869).

Scil"i*cet (?), adv. [L., fr. scire licet you may know.] To wit; namely; videlicet; -- often abbreviated to sc., or ss.

Scil"la*in (?), n. (Chem.) A glucoside extracted from squill (Scilla) as a light porous substance.

Scil"li*tin (?), n. [Cf. F. scilitine.] (Chem.) A bitter principle extracted from the bulbs of the squill (Scilla), and probably consisting of a complex mixture of several substances.

{ Scim"i*ter , Scim"i*tar } (?), n. [F. cimeterre, cf. It. scimitarra, Sp. cimitarra; fr. Biscayan cimetarra with a sharp edge; or corrupted from Per. shimshr.] 1. A saber with a much curved blade having the edge on the convex side, -- in use among Mohammedans, esp., the Arabs and persians. [Written also cimeter, and scymetar.]

2. A long-handled billhook. See Billhook.

Scimiter pods (Bot.), the immense curved woody pods of a leguminous woody climbing plant (Entada scandens) growing in tropical India and America. They contain hard round flattish seeds two inches in diameter, which are made into boxes.

Scin"coid (?), a. [L. scincus a kind of lizard (fr. Gr. &?;) + -oid. Cf. Skink.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the family Scincidæ, or skinks. -- n. A scincoidian.

||Scin*coi"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A tribe of lizards including ||the skinks. See Skink.

Scin*coid"i*an (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of lizards of the family Scincidæ or tribe Scincoidea. The tongue is not extensile. The body and tail are covered with overlapping scales, and the toes are margined. See Illust. under Skink.

Scin"iph (?), n. [L. scinifes, cinifes, or ciniphes, pl., Gr. &?;.] Some kind of stinging or biting insect, as a flea, a gnat, a sandfly, or the like. Ex. viii. 17 (Douay version).

Scink (?), n. (Zoöl.) A skink.