Silo, sī′lō, n. a pit for packing and storing green crops for fodder in the state known as ensilage.—v.t. to preserve in a silo. [Sp.,—L. sirus—Gr. siros, a pit.]
Silpha, sil′fa, n. a genus of clavicorn beetles, the carrion-beetles. [Gr. silphē, a beetle.]
Silphium, sil′fi-um, n. a genus of American composites with resinous juice—prairie-dock, cup-plant, rosin-weed: an umbelliferous plant whose juice the ancient Greeks used—the Latin laserpitium.
Silphology, sil-fol′ō-ji, n. the science of larval forms. [Gr. silphē, a beetle, logia—legein, to say.]
Silt, silt, n. that which is left by straining: sediment: the sand, &c., left by water.—v.t. to fill with sediment (with up).—v.i. to percolate through pores: to become filled up.—adj. Silt′y, full of, or resembling, silt. [Prov. Eng. sile, allied to Low Ger. sielen, Sw. sila, to let water off, to strain.]
Silurian, si-lū′ri-an, adj. belonging to Siluria, the country of the Silures, the ancient inhabitants of the south-eastern part of South Wales: applied by Murchison in 1835 to a series of rocks well developed in the country of the Silures, a subdivision of the Palæozoic, containing hardly any vertebrates and land plants.—adjs. Silū′ridan, Silū′rine, Silū′roid.—ns. Silū′rist, a Silurian, a name applied to the poet Henry Vaughan (1621-95); Silū′rus, Silūre′, the typical genus of Siluridæ, a family of physostomous fishes—the cat-fishes, &c.
Silvan, sil′van, adj. pertaining to woods, woody: inhabiting woods.—ns. Sil′va, Syl′va, the forest-trees collectively of any region. [Fr.,—L. silva.]
Silver, sil′vėr, n. a soft white metal, capable of a high polish: money made of silver: anything having the appearance of silver.—adj. made of silver: resembling silver: white: bright: precious: gentle: having a soft and clear tone: of high rank, but still second to the highest.—v.t. to cover with silver: to make like silver: to make smooth and bright: to make silvery.—v.i. to become silvery.—ns. Sil′ver-bath (phot.), a solution of silver-nitrate for sensitising collodion-plates for printing; Sil′ver-beat′er, one who beats out silver into thin foil.—adjs. Sil′ver-black, black silvered over with white; Sil′ver-bright (Shak.), as bright as silver; Sil′ver-bus′kined, having buskins adorned with silver.—ns. Sil′ver-fir, a coniferous tree of the genus Abies, whose leaves show two silvery lines on the under side; Sil′ver-fish, a name given to the atherine, to artificially bred gold-fish, the sand-smelt, the tarpon: any species of Lepisma, a thysanurous insect—also Bristletail, Walking-fish, Silver-moth, Shiner, &c.; Sil′ver-fox, a species of fox found in northern regions, having a rich and valuable fur; Sil′ver-glance, native silver sulphide; Sil′ver-grain, the medullary rays in timber.—adjs. Sil′ver-gray, having a gray or bluish-gray colour; Sil′ver-haired, having white or lustrous gray hair; Sil′ver-head′ed, having a silver head: with white hair.—ns. Sil′veriness, the state of being silvery; Sil′vering, the operation of covering with silver: the silver so used.—v.t. Sil′verise, to coat or cover with silver:—pr.p. sil′verīsing; pa.p. sil′verīsed.—ns. Sil′verite, one who opposes the demonetisation of silver; Sil′ver-leaf, silver beaten into thin leaves; Sil′verling (B.), a small silver coin.—adv. Sil′verly (Shak.), with the appearance of silver.—adjs. Sil′vern, made of silver; Sil′ver-plā′ted, plated with silver.—n. Sil′ver-print′ing, the production of photographic prints by the use of a sensitising salt of silver.—adj. Sil′ver-shaft′ed, carrying silver arrows, as Diana.—ns. Sil′versmith, a smith who works in silver; Sil′ver-stick, an officer of the royal palace—from his silvered wand.—adjs. Sil′ver-tongued, plausible, eloquent; Sil′ver-voiced (Shak.), having a clear, sweet voice like the sound of a silver musical instrument; Sil′ver-white (Shak.), white like silver; Sil′very, covered with silver: resembling silver: white: clear, soft, mellow. [A.S. silfer, seolfor; Ice. silfr, Ger. silber.]
Simar, Simarre, si-mär′, n. a woman's robe: a scarf. [Fr. simarre—O. Fr. chamarre—Sp. chamarra, a sheep-skin coat, prob. Basque.]
Simarubaceæ, sim-a-rōō-bā′sē-ē, n.pl. a natural order of tropical trees and shrubs—bitter, used in dysentery, &c.—including quassia, bitterwood, and ailanto.—adj. Simarubā′ceous.