Part 6903

<i>Chaucer.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A drink composed of sirup of sarsaparilla or other flavoring extract, and water. It is sometimes charged with carbonic acid gas.</def> <mark>[U. S.]</mark>

<h1>Mead</h1> <Xpage=904>

<hw>Mead</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>m<?/d</ets>. See <er>Meadow</er>.]</ety> <def>A meadow.</def>

<blockquote>A <b>mede</b> All full of freshe flowers, white and reede. <i>Chaucer.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>To fertile vales and dewy <b>meads</b> My weary, wandering steps he leads. <i>Addison.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Meadow</h1> <Xpage=904>

<hw>Mead"ow</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[AS. <ets>meady</ets>; akin to <ets>m<?/d</ets>, and to G. <ets>matte</ets>; prob. also to E. <ets>mow</ets>. See <er>Mow</er> to cut (grass), and cf. 2d <er>Mead</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A tract of low or level land producing grass which is mown for hay; any field on which grass is grown for hay.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Low land covered with coarse grass or rank herbage near rives and in marshy places by the sea; <as>as, the salt <ex>meadows</ex> near Newark Bay</as>.</def>

<h1>Meadow</h1> <Xpage=904>

<hw>Mead"ow</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Of or pertaining to a meadow; of the nature of a meadow; produced, growing, or living in, a meadow.</def> "Fat <i>meadow</i> ground."

<i>Milton.</i>

<note>&hand; For many names of plants compounded with <i>meadow</i>, see the particular word in the Vocabulary.</note>

<cs><col>Meadow beauty</col>. <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <cd>Same as <er>Deergrass</er>.</cd> -- <col>Meadow foxtail</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>a valuable pasture grass (<spn>Alopecurus pratensis</spn>) resembling timothy, but with softer spikes.</cd> -- <col>Meadow grass</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>a name given to several grasses of the genus <spn>Poa</spn>, common in meadows, and of great value for nay and for pasture. See <er>Grass</er>.</cd> -- <col>Meadow hay</col>, <cd>a coarse grass, or true sedge, growing in uncultivated swamp or river meadow; -- used as fodder or bedding for cattle, packing for ice, etc.</cd> <mark>[Local, U. S.]</mark> -- <col>Meadow hen</col>. <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <cd>The American bittern</cd>. See <er>Stake-driver</er>. <sd>(b)</sd> <cd>The American coot (<spn>Fulica</spn>).</cd> <sd>(c)</sd> <cd>The clapper rail.</cd> -- <col>Meadow lark</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>any species of <spn>Sturnella</spn>, a genus of American birds allied to the starlings. The common species (<spn>S. magna</spn>) has a yellow breast with a black crescent.</cd> -- <col>Meadow mouse</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>any mouse of the genus <spn>Arvicola</spn>, as the common American species <spn>A. riparia</spn>; -- called also <altname>field mouse</altname>, and <altname>field vole</altname>.</cd> -- <col>Meadow mussel</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>an American ribbed mussel (<spn>Modiola plicatula</spn>), very abundant in salt marshes.</cd> -- <col>Meadow ore</col> <fld>(Min.)</fld>, <cd>bog-iron ore , a kind of limonite.</cd> -- <col>Meadow parsnip</col>. <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <cd>See under <er>Parsnip</er>.</cd> -- <col>Meadow pink</col>. <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <cd>See under <er>Pink</er>.</cd> -- <col>Meadow pipit</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>a small singing bird of the genus <spn>Anthus</spn>, as <spn>A. pratensis</spn>, of Europe.</cd> -- <col>Meadow rue</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>a delicate early plant, of the genus <spn>Thalictrum</spn>, having compound leaves and numerous white flowers. There are many species.</cd> -- <col>Meadow saffron</col>. <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <cd>See under <er>Saffron</er>.</cd> -- <col>Meadow sage</col>. <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <cd>See under <er>Sage</er>.</cd> -- <col>Meadow saxifrage</col> <fld>(Bot.)</fld>, <cd>an umbelliferous plant of Europe (<spn>Silaus pratensis</spn>), somewhat resembling fennel.</cd> -- <col>Meadow snipe</col> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld>, <cd>the common or jack snipe.</cd></cs>

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<h1>Meadowsweet, Meadowwort</h1> <Xpage=905>

<hw><hw>Mead"ow*sweet`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <hw>Mead"ow*wort`</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>,<hw> <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Bot.)</fld> <def>The name of several plants of the genus <spn>Spir\'91a</spn>, especially the white- or pink-flowered <spn>S. salicifolia</spn>, a low European and American shrub, and the herbaceous <spn>S. Ulmaria</spn>, which has fragrant white flowers in compound cymes.</def>

<h1>Meadowy</h1> <Xpage=905>

<hw>Mead"ow*y</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Of or pertaining to meadows; resembling, or consisting of, meadow.</def>

<h1>Meager, Meagre</h1> <Xpage=905>

<hw><hw>Mea"ger</hw>, <hw>Mea"gre</hw><hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>merge</ets>, F. <ets>maigre</ets>, L. <ets>macer</ets>; akin to D. & G. <ets>mager</ets>, Icel. <ets>magr</ets>, and prob. to Gr. <?/ long. Cf. <er>Emaciate</er>, <er>Maigre</er>.]</ety>

<p><b>1.</b> <def>Destitue of, or having little, flesh; lean.</def>

<blockquote><b>Meager</b> were his looks; Sharp misery had worn him to the bones. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Destitute of richness, fertility, strength, or the like; defective in quantity, or poor in quality; poor; barren; scanty in ideas; wanting strength of diction or affluence of imagery.</def> "<i>Meager</i> soil."

<i>Dryden.</i>

<blockquote>Of secular habits and <b>meager</b> religious belief. <i>I. Taylor.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>His education had been but <b>meager</b>. <i>Motley.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <fld>(Min.)</fld> <def>Dry and harsh to the touch, as chalk.</def>