Part 701

The eagle took the tortoise up into the air, and dropped him down, squab, upon a rock.

L'Estrange.

Squab, v. i. To fall plump; to strike at one dash, or with a heavy stroke. [Obs.]

Squa*bash" (?), v. t. To crush; to quash; to squash. [Colloq. or Slang, Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Squab"bish (?), a. Thick; fat; heavy.

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Squab"ble (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Squabbled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Squabbling (?).] [Cf. dial. Sw. skvabbel a dispute, skvappa to chide.] 1. To contend for superiority in an unseemly maner; to scuffle; to struggle; to wrangle; to quarrel.

2. To debate peevishly; to dispute.

The sense of these propositions is very plain, though logicians might squabble a whole day whether they should rank them under negative or affirmative.

I. Watts.

Syn. -- To dispute; contend; scuffle; wrangle; quarrel; struggle.

Squab"ble, v. t. (Print.) To disarrange, so that the letters or lines stand awry or are mixed and need careful readjustment; -- said of type that has been set up.

Squab"ble, n. A scuffle; a wrangle; a brawl.

Squab"bler (?), n. One who squabbles; a contentious person; a brawler.

Squab"by (?), a. Short and thick; suqabbish.

Squab"-chick` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A young chicken before it is fully fledged. [Prov. Eng.]

Squac"co (?), n.; pl. Squaccos (&?;). (Zoöl.) A heron (Ardea comata) found in Asia, Northern Africa, and Southern Europe.

Squad (?), n. [F. escouade, fr. Sp. escuadra, or It. squadra, (assumed) LL. exquadrare to square; L. ex + quadra a square. See Square.] 1. (Mil.) A small party of men assembled for drill, inspection, or other purposes.

2. Hence, any small party.

Squad, n. Sloppy mud. [Prov. Eng.] Tennyson.

Squad"ron (?), n. [F. escadron, formerly also esquadron, or It. squadrone. See Squad.] 1. Primarily, a square; hence, a square body of troops; a body of troops drawn up in a square. [R.]

Those half-rounding quards Just met, and, closing, stood in squadron joined.

Milton.

2. (Mil.) A body of cavarly comparising two companies or troops, and averging from one hundred and twenty to two hundred men.

3. (Naut.) A detachment of vessels employed on any particular service or station, under the command of the senior officer; as, the North Atlantic Squadron. Totten.

Flying squadron, a squadron of observation or practice, that cruises rapidly about from place to place. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

Squad"roned (?), a. Formed into squadrons, or squares. [R.] Milton.

Squail (?), v. i. To throw sticls at cocks; to throw anything about awkwardly or irregularly. [Prov. Eng.] Southey.