Part 856

||Strep`i*to"res (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. strepitus clamor.] (Zoöl.) A ||division of birds, including the clamatorial and picarian birds, ||which do not have well developed singing organs.

{ Strep*sip"ter (?), Strep*sip"ter*an (?) }, n. (Zoöl.) One of the Strepsiptera.

||Strep*sip"te*ra (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a turning (fr. &?; to ||twist) + &?; a wing.] (Zoöl.) A group of small insects having the ||anterior wings rudimentary, and in the form of short and slender ||twisted appendages, while the posterior ones are large and ||membranous. They are parasitic in the larval state on bees, wasps, ||and the like; -- called also Rhipiptera. See Illust. under Rhipipter.

Strep*sip"ter*ous (?), a. [See Strepsiptera.] (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to Strepsiptera.

||Strep`so*rhi"na (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; a turning + &?;, &?;, ||the nose.] (Zoöl.) Same as Lemuroidea.

Strep"so*rhine (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having twisted nostrils; -- said of the lemurs. -- n. (Zoöl.) One of the Strepsorhina; a lemur. See Illust. under Monkey.

||Strep`to*bac*te"ri*a (?), n. pl.; sing. Streptobracterium (&?;). ||[NL., fr. Gr. &?; pliant, bent + E. & NL. bacteria.] (Biol.) A so- ||called variety of bacterium, consisting in reality of several ||bacteria linked together in the form of a chain.

||Strep`to*coc"cus (?), n.; pl. Streptococci (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; ||pliant, curved + &?; a grain, seed.] (Biol.) A long or short chain of ||micrococci, more or less curved.

||Strep`to*neu"ra (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; curved + &?; a sinew.] ||(Zoöl.) An extensive division of gastropod Mollusca in which the loop ||or visceral nerves is twisted, and the sexes separate. It is nearly ||to equivalent to Prosobranchiata.

||Strep"to*thrix (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; pliant, bent + &?; a hair.] ||(Biol.) A genus of bacilli occurring of the form of long, smooth and ||apparently branched threads, either straight or twisted.

Stress (?), n. [Abbrev. fr. distress; or cf. OF. estrecier to press, pinch, (assumed) LL. strictiare, fr. L. strictus. See Distress.] 1. Distress. [Obs.]

Sad hersal of his heavy stress.

Spenser.

2. Pressure, strain; -- used chiefly of immaterial things; except in mechanics; hence, urgency; importance; weight; significance.

The faculties of the mind are improved by exercise, yet they must not be put to a stress beyond their strength.

Locke.

A body may as well lay too little as too much stress upon a dream.

L'Estrange.

3. (Mech. & Physics) The force, or combination of forces, which produces a strain; force exerted in any direction or manner between contiguous bodies, or parts of bodies, and taking specific names according to its direction, or mode of action, as thrust or pressure, pull or tension, shear or tangential stress. Rankine.

Stress is the mutual action between portions of matter.

Clerk Maxwell.

4. (Pron.) Force of utterance expended upon words or syllables. Stress is in English the chief element in accent and is one of the most important in emphasis. See Guide to pronunciation, §§ 31-35.

5. (Scots Law) Distress; the act of distraining; also, the thing distrained.

Stress of voice, unusual exertion of the voice. -- Stress of weather, constraint imposed by continued bad weather; as, to be driven back to port by stress of weather. -- To lay stress upon, to attach great importance to; to emphasize. "Consider how great a stress is laid upon this duty." Atterbury. -- To put stress upon, or To put to a stress, to strain.

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Stress (?), v. t. 1. To press; to urge; to distress; to put to difficulties. [R.] Spenser.

2. To subject to stress, pressure, or strain.

Stress"ful (?), a. Having much stress. Rush.