Cinnamon, sin′a-mon, n. the spicy bark of a laurel in Ceylon: the tree.—adj. cinnamon-coloured.—adjs. Cinnam′ic, Cinnamon′ic, obtained from, or consisting of, cinnamon.—n. Cinn′amon-stone, a kind of stone found in Ceylon, of a cinnamon or reddish-brown colour, sometimes cut for jewellery. [L. cinnamomum—Heb. kinnamon.]
Cinque, singk, n. the number five as on dice.—ns. Cinque′-cen′to (It., 'five hundred'), a phrase sometimes applied, in treating of architecture and art, to the Renaissance period, which began about 1500; Cinque′-foil (her.), a common bearing representing a flower with five petals borne full-faced and without a stalk: (bot.) species of plants of the genus Potentilla: the five-bladed clover; Cinque′-pace (Shak.), a kind of dance, the pace or movement of which is characterised by five beats.—n.pl. Cinque′-ports, the five ancient ports on the south of England lying opposite to France—Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, Romney, and Hastings.—adj. Cinque′-spot′ted (Shak.), having five spots. [Fr.]
Cipher, sī′fėr, n. (arith.) the character 0: any of the nine figures: anything of little value, whether persons or things: a nonentity: an interweaving of the initials of a name: a secret kind of writing.—v.i. to work at arithmetic: to write in cipher: of an organ-pipe, to sound independent of the organ: (Shak.) to decipher.—ns. Cī′phering; Cī′pher-key, a key to a cipher or piece of secret writing. [O. Fr. cifre, Fr. chiffre—Ar. sifr, empty.]
Cipolin, sip′ō-lin, n. a granular limestone containing mica.—Also Cipollino (chē-pol-lē′nō). [It.,—cipolla, an onion.]
Cippus, sip′us, n. the stocks: a monumental pillar. [L. cippus, a post.]
Circa, sir′ka, prep. and adv. about, around. [L.]
Circassian, sėr-kash′yan, adj. belonging to Circassia, a district of Russia, on the north of Mount Caucasus: a kind of light cashmere of silk and mohair—generally Circassienne′ (Fr. fem.).
Circean, sėr-sē′an, adj. relating to the beautiful sorceress Circe, who transformed the companions of Ulysses into swine by a magic beverage: infatuating and degrading.—Also Circæ′an.
Circensian, sir-sen′shi-an, adj. relating to the Circus Maximus in Rome, where the games and contests were held.—Also Circen′sial (obs.). [L. circensis—circus.]