Part 272

Wres"tling (?), n. Act of one who wrestles; specif., the sport consisting of the hand-to-hand combat between two unarmed contestants who seek to throw each other. The various styles of wrestling differ in their definition of a fall and in the governing rules. In Greco-Roman wrestling, tripping and taking hold of the legs are forbidden, and a fall is gained (that is, the bout is won), by the contestant who pins both his opponent's shoulders to the ground. In catch-as-catch-can wrestling, all holds are permitted except such as may be barred by mutual consent, and a fall is defined as in Greco-Roman style. Lancashire style wrestling is essentially the same as catch-as-catch- can. In Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling the contestants stand chest to chest, grasping each other around the body. The one first losing his hold, or touching the ground with any part of his body except his feet, loses the bout. If both fall to the ground at the same time, it is a dogfall, and must be wrestled over. In the Cornwall and Devon wrestling, the wrestlers complete in strong loose linen jackets, catching hold of the jacket, or anywhere above the waist. Two shoulders and one hip, or two hips and one shoulder, must touch the ground to constitute a fall, and if a man is thrown otherwise than on his back the contestants get upon their feet and the bout recommences.

Wrig"gle, n. Act of wriggling; a short or quick writhing motion or contortion.

{ Wyn, Wynn (?), n. Also Wen (?) }. [AS. wn.] One of the runes (&?;) adopted into the Anglo-Saxon, or Old English, alphabet. It had the value of modern English w, and was replaced from about a. d. 1280 at first by uu, later by w.

{ Xan"thine (?), n. Also Xan"thin }. [Gr. xanqo`s yellow.] (Physiol. Chem.) A white microcrystalline nitrogenous compound, C5H4O2N4, present in muscle tissue, in the liver, spleen, pancreas, and other organs, and also in urine (in small quantities) and some urinary calculi, and in the juices of certain plants; -- so called because it leaves a yellow residue when evaporated to dryness with nitric acid. Xanthine is closely related to uric acid.

Xan"tho*chroid (?), a. [See under Xanthrochroic, -oid.] (Ethnol.) Having a yellowish or fair complexion. -- n. A person having xanthochroid traits.

Xan*thoch"ro*ism (?), n. Abnormal coloration of feathers in which yellow replaces the normal color, as in certain parrots. It is commonly due to lack of the dark pigment which with yellow forms green.

Xan*thom"a*tous (?), a. (Med.) Of or pertaining to xanthoma.

Xan`tho*mel"a*nous (?), a. [Pref. xantho- + Gr. &?;, &?;, black.] (Ethnol.) Of or pertaining to the lighter division of the Melanochroi, or those races having an olive or yellow complexion and black hair.

Xen"on (?), n. [Gr. &?;, neut. of &?; strange.] (Chem.) A very heavy, inert gaseous element occurring in the atmosphere in the proportion of one volume is about 20 millions. It was discovered by Ramsay and Travers in 1898. It can be condensed to a liquid boiling at -109° C., and to a solid which volatilizes without melting. Symbol Xe or X; atomic weight 130.2.

XP (?). [Belongs here in appearance only.] The first two letters of the Greek word XRISTOS, Christ; -- an abbreviation used with the letters separate or, oftener, in a monogram, often inclosed in a circle, as a symbol or emblem of Christ. It use as an emblem was introduced by Constantine the Great, whence it is known as the Constantinian symbol, or monogram. See Labarum.

{ X rays, or X"-rays` (?) }, n. pl. The Röntgen rays; -- so called by their discoverer because of their enigmatical character.

X"-ray" tube. (Physics) A vacuum tube suitable for producing Röntgen rays.

Xy"lan (?), n. (Chem.) A gummy substance of the pentosan class, present in woody tissue, and yielding xylose on hydrolysis; wood gum.

Xy*lol"o*gy (?), n. [Pref. xylo- + -logy.] The branch of dendrology treating of the gross and minute structure of wood.

Xy"lose (?), n. [Pref. xylo- + -ose.] (Chem.) An unfermentable sugar of the pentose class, C5H10O5, formed by the hydrolysis of xylan; wood sugar.

Xy*lot"o*mist (?), n. One versed or engaged in xylotomy.

Xy*lot"o*mous (?), a. [Pref. xylo- + root of Gr. &?; to cut.] (Zoöl.) Capable of boring or cutting wood; -- said of many insects.

Xy*lot"o*my (?), n. [Pref. xylo- + -tomy.] Art of preparing sections (transverse, tangential, or radial) of wood, esp. by means of a microtome, for microscopic examination.

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Ya"hoo (?), n. 1. One of a race of filthy brutes in Swift's "Gulliver's Travels." See in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.

2. Hence, any brutish or vicious character.

3. A raw countryman; a lout; a greenhorn. [U. S.]

{ Yah"weh (?), Yah"we, n. Also Jah"veh (?), Jah"ve, etc. } A modern transliteration of the Hebrew word translated Jehovah in the Bible; -- used by some critics to discriminate the tribal god of the ancient Hebrews from the Christian Jehovah. Yahweh or Yahwe is the spelling now generally adopted by scholars.

{ Yah"wism (?), n. Also Jah"vism (?) }. 1. The religion or worship of Yahweh (Jehovah), or the system of doctrines, etc., connected with it.

2. Use of Yahweh as a name of God.

Yah"wist (?), n. Also Jah"vist (&?;), Jah"wist, older Je*ho"vist. The author of the passages of the Old Testament, esp. those of the Hexateuch, in which God is styled Yahweh, or Jehovah; the author of the Yahwistic, or Jehovistic, Prophetic Document (J); also, the document itself.

Ya*kut" (?), n. The Turkish language of the Yakuts, a Mongolian people of northeastern Siberia, which is lingua franca over much of eastern Siberia.

Yam, n. (Bot.) Any one of several cultural varieties of the sweet potato. [U. S.]