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3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Night \Night\, n. [OE. night, niht, AS neaht, niht; akin to D. nacht, OS & OHG. naht, G. nacht, Icel. n?tt, Sw natt, Dan. nat, Goth. nachts, Lith. naktis Russ. noche, W. nos, Ir nochd L. nox, noctis, gr ?, ?, Skr. nakta, nakti. [root] 265. Cf {Equinox}, {Nocturnal}.] 1. That part of the natural day when the sun is beneath the horizon, or the time from sunset to sunrise; esp., the time between dusk and dawn, when there is no light of the sun, but only moonlight, starlight, or artificial light. And God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night. --Gen. i. 5. 2. Hence: a Darkness; obscurity; concealment. Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night. --Pope. b Intellectual and moral darkness; ignorance. c A state of affliction; adversity; as a dreary night of sorrow. d The period after the close of life; death. She closed her eyes in everlasting night. --Dryden. e A lifeless or unenlivened period, as when nature seems to sleep. ``Sad winter's night''. --Spenser. Note: Night is sometimes used esp. with participles, in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as night-blooming, night-born, night-warbling, etc {Night by night}, {Night after night}, nightly; many nights. So help me God, as I have watched the night, Ay night by night, in studying good for England. --Shak. {Night bird}. (Zo["o]l.) a The moor hen ({Gallinula chloropus}). b The Manx shearwater ({Puffinus Anglorum}). {Night blindness}. (Med.) See {Hemeralopia}. {Night cart}, a cart used to remove the contents of privies by night. {Night churr}, (Zo["o]l.), the nightjar. {Night crow}, a bird that cries in the night. {Night dog}, a dog that hunts in the night, -- used by poachers. {Night fire}. a Fire burning in the night. b Ignis fatuus; Will-o'-the-wisp; Jask-with-a-lantern. {Night flyer} (Zo["o]l.), any creature that flies in the night, as some birds and insects. {night glass}, a spyglass constructed to concentrate a large amount of light, so as see objects distinctly at night. --Totten. {Night green}, iodine green. {Night hag}, a witch supposed to wander in the night. {Night hawk} (Zo["o]l.), an American bird ({Chordeiles Virginianus}), allied to the goatsucker. It hunts the insects on which it feeds toward evening, on the wing, and often diving down perpendicularly, produces a loud whirring sound, like that of a spinning wheel. Also sometimes applied to the European goatsuckers. It is called also {bull bat}. {Night heron} ({Zo["o]l}.), any one of several species of herons of the genus {Nycticorax}, found in various parts of the world. The best known species is {Nycticorax griseus}, or {N. nycticorax}, of Europe, and the American variety (var. n[ae]vius). The yellow-crowned night heron ({Nycticorax violaceus}) inhabits the Southern States. Called also {qua-bird}, and {squawk}. {Night house}, a public house, or inn, which is open at night. {Night key}, a key for unfastening a night latch. {Night latch}, a kind of latch for a door, which is operated from the outside by a key. {Night monkey} (Zo["o]l.), an owl monkey. {night moth} (Zo["o]l.), any one of the noctuids. {Night parrot} (Zo["o]l.), the kakapo. {Night piece}, a painting representing some night scene, as a moonlight effect, or the like {Night rail}, a loose robe, or garment, worn either as a nightgown, or over the dress at night, or in sickness. [Obs.] {Night raven} (Zo["o]l.), a bird of ill omen that cries in the night; esp., the bittern. {Night rule}. a A tumult, or frolic, in the night; -- as if a corruption, of night revel. [Obs.] b Such conduct as generally rules or prevails, at night. What night rule now about this haunted grove? --Shak. {Night sight}. (Med.) See {Nyctolopia}. {Night snap}, a night thief. [Cant] --Beau. & Fl {Night soil}, human excrement; -- so called because in cities it is collected by night and carried away for manure. {Night spell}, a charm against accidents at night. {Night swallow} (Zo["o]l.), the nightjar. {Night walk}, a walk in the evening or night. {Night walker}. a One who walks in his sleep; a somnambulist; a noctambulist. b One who roves about in the night for evil purposes; specifically, a prostitute who walks the streets. {Night walking}. a Walking in one's sleep; somnambulism; noctambulism. b Walking the streets at night with evil designs. {Night warbler} (Zo["o]l.), the sedge warbler ({Acrocephalus phragmitis}); -- called also {night singer}. [prov. Eng.] {Night watch}. a A period in the night, as distinguished by the change of watch. b A watch, or guard, to aford protection in the night. {Night watcher}, one who watches in the night; especially, one who watches with evil designs. {Night witch}. Same as {Night hag}, above. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Oyster \Oys"ter\, n. [OF. oistre, F. hu[^i]tre, L. ostrea, ostreum Gr 'o`streon; prob. akin to 'ostre`on bone, the oyster being so named from its shell. Cf {Osseous}, {Ostracize}.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any marine bivalve mollusk of the genus Ostrea. They are usually found adhering to rocks or other fixed objects in shallow water along the seacoasts, or in brackish water in the mouth of rivers. The common European oyster ({Ostrea edulis}), and the American oyster ({Ostrea Virginiana}), are the most important species. 2. A name popularly given to the delicate morsel contained in a small cavity of the bone on each side of the lower part of the back of a fowl. {Fresh-water oyster} (Zo["o]l.), any species of the genus {Etheria}, and allied genera, found in rivers of Africa and South America. They are irregular in form and attach themselves to rocks like oysters, but they have a pearly interior, and are allied to the fresh-water mussels. {Oyster bed}, a breeding place for oysters; a place in a tidal river or other water on or near the seashore, where oysters are deposited to grow and fatten for market. See 1st {Scalp}, n. {Oyster catcher} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of wading birds of the genus {H[ae]matopus}, which frequent seashores and feed upon shellfish. The European species ({H. ostralegus}), the common American species ({H. palliatus}), and the California, or black, oyster catcher ({H. Bachmani}) are the best known {Oyster crab} (Zo["o]l.) a small crab ({Pinnotheres ostreum}) which lives as a commensal in the gill cavity of the oyster. {Oyster dredge}, a rake or small dragnet of bringing up oyster from the bottom of the sea. {Oyster fish}. ({Zo["o]l}.) a The tautog. b The toadfish. {Oyster plant}. (Bot.) a A plant of the genus {Tragopogon} ({T. porrifolius}), the root of which when cooked, somewhat resembles the oyster in taste; salsify; -- called also {vegetable oyster}. b A plant found on the seacoast of Northern Europe, America and Asia ({Mertensia maritima}), the fresh leaves of which have a strong flavor of oysters. {Oyster plover}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Oyster catcher}, above. {Oyster shell} (Zo["o]l.), the shell of an oyster. {Oyster wench}, {Oyster wife}, {Oyster women}, a women who deals in oysters. {Pearl oyster}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {Pearl}. {Thorny oyster} (Zo["o]l.), any spiny marine shell of the genus {Spondylus}. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Quail \Quail\, n. [OF. quaille F. caille, LL quaquila qualia qualea of Dutch or German origin; cf D. kwakkel kwartel OHG. wahtala G. wachtel.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any gallinaceous bird belonging to {Coturnix} and several allied genera of the Old World, especially the common European quail ({C. communis}), the rain quail ({C. Coromandelica}) of India, the stubble quail ({C. pectoralis}), and the Australian swamp quail ({Synoicus australis}). 2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several American partridges belonging to {Colinus}, {Callipepla}, and allied genera, especially the bobwhite (called {Virginia quail}, and {Maryland quail}), and the California quail ({Calipepla Californica}). 3. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of Turnix and allied genera, native of the Old World, as the Australian painted quail ({Turnix varius}). See {Turnix}. 4. A prostitute; -- so called because the quail was thought to be a very amorous bird.[Obs.] --Shak. {Bustard quail} (Zo["o]l.), a small Asiatic quail-like bird of the genus Turnix, as {T. taigoor}, a black-breasted species, and the hill bustard quail ({T. ocellatus}). See {Turnix}. {Button quail} (Zo["o]l.), one of several small Asiatic species of Turnix, as {T. Sykesii}, which is said to be the smallest game bird of India. {Mountain quail}. See under {Mountain}. {Quail call}, a call or pipe for alluring quails into a net or within range. {Quail dove} {(Zo["o]l.)}, any one of several American ground pigeons belonging to {Geotrygon} and allied genera. {Quail hawk} (Zo["o]l.), the New Zealand sparrow hawk ({Hieracidea Nov[ae]-Hollandi[ae]}). {Quail pipe}. See {Quail call}, above. {Quail snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the dowitcher, or red-breasted snipe; -- called also {robin snipe}, and {brown snipe}. {Sea quail} (Zo["o]l.), the turnstone. [Local, U. S.]
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