Part 757

They in France of the best rank and station.

Shak.

7. (Eccl.) (a) The fast of the fourth and sixth days of the week, Wednesday and Friday, in memory of the council which condemned Christ, and of his passion. (b) (R. C. Ch.) A church in which the procession of the clergy halts on stated days to say stated prayers. Addis & Arnold. (c) One of the places at which ecclesiastical processions pause for the performance of an act of devotion; formerly, the tomb of a martyr, or some similarly consecrated spot; now, especially, one of those representations of the successive stages of our Lord's passion which are often placed round the naves of large churches and by the side of the way leading to sacred edifices or shrines, and which are visited in rotation, stated services being performed at each; -- called also Station of the cross. Fairholt.

Station bill. (Naut.) Same as Quarter bill, under Quarter. -- Station house. (a) The house serving for the headquarters of the police assigned to a certain district, and as a place of temporary confinement. (b) The house used as a shelter at a railway station. -- Station master, one who has charge of a station, esp. of a railway station. -- Station pointer (Surv.), an instrument for locating on a chart the position of a place from which the angles subtended by three distant objects, whose positions are known, have been observed. -- Station staff (Surv.), an instrument for taking angles in surveying. Craig.

Syn. -- Station, Depot. In the United States, a stopping place on a railway for passengers and freight is commonly called a depot: but to a considerable extent in official use, and in common speech, the more appropriate name, station, has been adopted.

Sta"tion (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stationed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Stationing.] To place; to set; to appoint or assign to the occupation of a post, place, or office; as, to station troops on the right of an army; to station a sentinel on a rampart; to station ships on the coasts of Africa.

He gained the brow of the hill, where the English phalanx was stationed.

Lyttelton.

Sta"tion*al (?), a. [L. stationalis: cf. F. stationnale (église).] Of or pertaining to a station. [R.]

Sta"tion*a*ri*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being stationary; fixity.

Sta"tion*a*ry (?), a. [L. stationarius: cf. F. stationnaire. Cf. Stationer.] 1. Not moving; not appearing to move; stable; fixed.

Charles Wesley, who is a more stationary man, does not believe the story.

Southey.

2. Not improving or getting worse; not growing wiser, greater, better, more excellent, or the contrary.

3. Appearing to be at rest, because moving in the line of vision; not progressive or retrograde, as a planet.

Stationary air (Physiol.), the air which under ordinary circumstances does not leave the lungs in respiration. -- Stationary engine. (a) A steam engine thet is permanently placed, in distinction from a portable engine, locomotive, marine engine, etc. Specifically: (b) A factory engine, in distinction from a blowing, pumping, or other kind of engine which is also permanently placed.

Sta"tion*a*ry (?), n.; pl. -ries (&?;). One who, or that which, is stationary, as a planet when apparently it has neither progressive nor retrograde motion. Holland.

Sta"tion*er (?), n. [Cf. Stationary, a.] 1. A bookseller or publisher; -- formerly so called from his occupying a stand, or station, in the market place or elsewhere. [Obs.] Dryden.

2. One who sells paper, pens, quills, inkstands, pencils, blank books, and other articles used in writing.

Sta"tion*er*y (?), n. The articles usually sold by stationers, as paper, pens, ink, quills, blank books, etc.

Sta"tion*er*y, a. Belonging to, or sold by, a stationer.

Sta"tism (?), n. [From State.] The art of governing a state; statecraft; policy. [Obs.]

The enemies of God . . . call our religion statism.

South.

Sta"tist (?), n. [From State.] 1. A statesman; a politician; one skilled in government. [Obs.]

Statists indeed, And lovers of their country.

Milton.

2. A statistician. Fawcett.