Part 94

Col`o*ra"do (?), a. [Sp., red.] 1. Reddish; -- often used in proper names of rivers or creeks. [Southwestern U. S.]

2. Medium in color and strength; -- said of cigars.

Col`or*im"e*try (?), n. [See Colorimeter.] 1. The quantitative determination of the depth of color of a substance.

2. A method of quantitative chemical analysis based upon the comparison of the depth of color of a solution with that of a standard liquid.

Colt pistol. (Firearms) A self-loading or semi-automatic pistol with removable magazine in the handle holding seven cartridges. The recoil extracts and ejects the empty cartridge case, and reloads ready for another shot. Called also Browning, ∧ Colt-Browning, pistol.

Colt revolver. (Firearms) A revolver made according to a system using a patented revolving cylinder, holding six cartridges, patented by Samuel Colt, an American inventor, in 1835. With various modifications, it has for many years been the standard for the United States army.

Co*lum"bus Day (?). The 12th day of October, on which day in 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered America, landing on one of the Bahama Islands (probably the one now commonly called Watling Island), and naming it "San Salvador"; -- called also Discovery Day. This day is made a legal holiday in many States of The United States.

Com*bus"tion cham`ber. (Mech.) (a) A space over, or in front of , a boiler furnace where the gases from the fire become more thoroughly mixed and burnt. (b) The clearance space in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine where the charge is compressed and ignited.

Come"-a*long`, n. A gripping device, as for stretching wire, etc., consisting of two jaws so attached to a ring that they are closed by pulling on the ring.

Co*meth"er (?), n. [Prob. dial. pron. of come hither, used in calling cows, etc.] [Dial. or Colloq., Brit.] 1. Matter; affair.

2. Friendly communication or association.

To put the, or one's, comether on, to exercise persuasion upon; to get under one's influence; to beguile; to wheedle.

How does ut come about, sorr, that whin a man has put the comether on wan woman he's sure bound to put ut on another?

Kipling.

||Co`mi*ti"va (?), n. [It.] A body of followers; -- applied to the lawless or brigand bands in Italy and Sicily.

Com`man*deer" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Commandeered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Commandeering.] [D. kommandeeren to command, in South Africa to commandeer, fr. F. commander to command. See Command.] 1. (Mil.) To compel to perform military service; to seize for military purposes; -- orig. used of the Boers.

2. To take arbitrary or forcible possession of. [Colloq.]

Com*man"do (?), n. [D. See Command, v. t.] In South Africa, a military body or command; also, sometimes, an expedition or raid; as, a commando of a hundred Boers.

The war bands, called commandos, have played a great part in the . . . military history of the country.

James Bryce.

Com"merce de*stroy"er. (Nav.) A very fast, unarmored, lightly armed vessel designed to capture or destroy merchant vessels of an enemy. Not being intended to fight, they may be improvised from fast passenger steamers.

Com*min"gler (?), n. One that commingles; specif., a device for noiseless heating of water by steam, in a vessel filled with a porous mass, as of pebbles.

Com*mis`sion*aire" (?), n. [F. commissionnaire. Cf. Commissioner.] 1. One intrusted with a commission, now only a small commission, as an errand; esp., an attendant or subordinate employee in a public office, hotel, or the like. The commissionaire familiar to European travelers performs miscellaneous services as a light porter, messenger, solicitor for hotels, etc.

2. One of a corps of pensioned soldiers, as in London, employed as doorkeepers, messengers, etc.

Com`mu*ta"tion tick"et. A ticket for transportation at a reduced rate in consideration of some special circumstance, as increase of travel; specif., a ticket for a certain number of, or for daily, trips between neighboring places at a reduced rate, such as are commonly used by those doing business in a city and living in a suburb. Commutation tickets are excepted from the prohibition against special rates contained in the Interstate Commerce Act of Feb. 4, 1887 (24 Stat. 379), and in 145 U. S. 263 it was held that party tickets were also excepted as being "obviously within the commuting principle."

Com"po (?), n.; pl. - pos (#). Short for Composition; -- used, esp. in England, colloq. in various trade applications; as : (a) A mortar made of sand and cement. (b) A carver's mixture of resin, whiting, and glue, used instead of plaster of Paris for ornamenting walls and cornices. (c) A composition for billiard balls. (d) A preparation of which printer's rollers are made. (e) A preparation used in currying leather. (f) Composition paid by a debtor.

||Com"pos men"tis (?). [L.] (Law) Sane in mind; being of sound mind, memory, and understanding.

Com"pos-men"tis, n. One who is compos mentis. [Colloq.]