Squad, skwod, n. a small body of men assembled for drill, any small group or company of men.—n. Squad′ron, a body of cavalry, consisting of two troops, or 120 to 200 men: a body of soldiers drawn up in a square: any regularly ranked body, or a group: section of a fleet, commanded by a flag-officer.—p.adj. Squad′roned, formed into squadrons.—Awkward squad, a body of recruits not yet competent in drill, &c. [O. Fr. esquadre—It. squadra, and L. exquadrāre, to make square.]
Squaddy, skwad′i, adj. squabby.
Squail, skwāl, n. a disc or counter used in the game of squails: (pl.) a parlour-game in which small discs are snapped from the edge of the table to a centre mark called the process: the game of ninepins.—v.i. to throw a stick, &c., at any object.—v.t. to pelt with sticks, &c.—n. Squail′er, a throwing-stick. [A variant of kail.]
Squalid, skwol′id, adj. filthy, foul.—n. Squalid′ity, the state of being squalid: filthiness.—adv. Squal′idly.—ns. Squal′idness; Squal′or, state of being squalid: dirtiness: filthiness. [L. squalidus—squalēre, to be stiff; akin to Gr. skellein, to dry.]
Squall, skwawl, v.i. to cry out violently.—n. a loud cry or scream: a violent gust of wind.—n. Squall′er.—adj. Squall′y, abounding or disturbed with squalls or gusts of wind: gusty, blustering: threatening a squall.—White squall, a tropical whirlwind, coming on without warning other than a small white cloud. [Scand., Sw. sqvala, to gush out.]
Squally, skwawl′i, adj. irregularly woven: having bare patches, of a field of corn, &c. [Prob. the same as scally. Cf. Scall.]
Squaloid, skwā′loid, adj. resembling a Squā′lus or shark.—n. Squā′lid, one of the Squalidæ, a family of sharks.—adj. Squā′liform, having the form of a shark. [L. squalus, a shark.]
Squama, skwā′ma, n. a scale: the bractea of a deciduous spike, any scaly bracted leaf:—pl. Squā′mæ.—n.pl. Squāmā′ta, a division of reptiles, including lizards and serpents.—adjs. Squā′mate, Squā′mous, Squamā′ceous, Squā′mose, covered with, or consisting of, scales: scaly.—ns. Squāme, a scale or squama; Squāmel′la, a small scale.—adjs. Squāmif′erous, Squāmig′erous, bearing squamæ or scales; Squā′miform, Squā′moid, like a scale.—ns. Squāmō′sal, the squamous portion of the temporal bone; Squam′ula, a very small scale—also Squam′ule.—adjs. Squam′ulate, Squam′uliform. [L. squamosus—squama, a scale.]
Squander, skwon′dėr, v.t. to spend lavishly or wastefully: to waste money or powers.—n. Squan′derer.—adv. Squan′deringly, in a squandering manner, by squandering. [Skeat explains as a nasalised form of Lowland Scotch squatter, to splash water about, prov. Eng. swatter, to throw water about. These are frequentatives from Dan. sqvatte, to splash, spurt, squander; Sw. sqvätta, to squirt, Ice. skvetta, to squirt out water.]
Square, skwār; adj. having four equal sides and angles: forming a right angle: having a straight front or an outline formed by straight lines: exact suitable, fitting: true, that does equal justice, fair, honest: even, leaving no balance, settled, as accounts: directly opposed, complete, unequivocal: solid, full, satisfying.—n. that which is square: a square figure: a four-sided space enclosed by houses: a square body of troops: the length of the side of any figure squared: an instrument for measuring right angles: (arith.) the product of a quantity multiplied by itself: due proportion, order, honesty, equity, fairness.—v.t. to form like a square: to form with four equal sides and angles: (arith.) to multiply by itself: to reduce to any given measure or standard, to adjust, regulate: (naut.) to place at right angles with the mast or keel.—v.i. to suit, fit: to accord or agree: to take an attitude of offence and defence, as a boxer.—adj. Square′-built, of a square build or shape.—adv. Square′ly, in a square form or manner.—ns. Square′-meas′ure,