| spattling-poppy | <botany> A kind of catchfly (Silene inflata) which is sometimes frothy from the action of captured insects. Origin: Prov. E. Spattle to spit + E. Poppy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| spatula | A flat blade, like a knife blade but without a sharp edge, used in pharmacy for spreading plasters and ointments and as an aid to mixing ingredients with a mortar and pestle. Origin: L. Dim. Of spatha, a broad, flat wooden instrument, fr. G. Spathe (05 Mar 2000) |
| spatula needle | A minute needle with a flat (non-cutting) concave surface, used by eye surgeons. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spatulate | 1. Shaped like a spatula. 2. To manipulate or mix with a spatula. 3. To incise the cut end of a tubular structure longitudinally and splay it open, to allow creation of an elliptical anastomosis of greater circumference than would be possible with conventional transverse or oblique (bevelled) end-to-end anastomoses. Synonym: spatulated. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spatulated | 1. Shaped like a spatula. 2. To manipulate or mix with a spatula. 3. To incise the cut end of a tubular structure longitudinally and splay it open, to allow creation of an elliptical anastomosis of greater circumference than would be possible with conventional transverse or oblique (bevelled) end-to-end anastomoses. Synonym: spatulated. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spatulation | Manipulation of material with a spatula. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Spatz, Hugo | <person> German neurologist and psychiatrist, 1888-1969. See: Hallervorden-Spatz disease, Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spavin | <veterinary> A disease of horses characterised by a bony swelling developed on the hock as the result of inflammation of the bones; also, the swelling itself. The resulting lameness is due to the inflammation, and not the bony tumour as popularly supposed. Bog spavin, a soft swelling produced by distention of the capsular ligament of the hock; called also blood spavin. Bone spavin, spavin attended with exostosis; ordinary spavin. Origin: OE. Spaveyne, OF. Esparvain, F. Eparvin; akin to OF. Espervier a sparrow hawk, F. Epervier, fr. OHG. Sparwari (G. Sperber), fr. OHG. Sparo sparrow, because this disease makes the horse raise the infirm leg in the manner of a sparrow hawk or sparrow. See Sparrow. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| spavined | Affected with spavin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| spawl | A splinter or fragment, as of wood or stone. See Spall. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| spawn | 1. To produce or deposit (eggs), as fishes or frogs do. 2. To bring forth; to generate; used in contempt. "One edition [of books] spawneth another." (Fuller) Origin: OE. Spanen, OF. Espandre, properly, to shed, spread, L. Expandere to spread out. See Expand. 1. To deposit eggs, as fish or frogs do. 2. To issue, as offspring; used contemptuously. 1. The ova, or eggs, of fishes, oysters, and other aquatic animals. 2. Any product or offspring; used contemptuously. 3. <botany> The buds or branches produced from underground stems. 4. <botany> The white fibrous matter forming the matrix from which fungi. <zoology> Spawn eater, a small American cyprinoid fish (Notropis Hudsonius) allied to the dace. See: Spawn. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| spawner | 1. <zoology> A mature female fish. "The barbel, for the preservation or their seed, both the spawner and the milter, cover their spawn with sand." (Walton) 2. Whatever produces spawn of any kind. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| spawner-recruit model | Biological model that relates the number of recruits or mature spawners in one generation to the number of spawners in the previous generation. (09 Oct 1997) |
| spawning gravel | Sorted, clean gravel patches of a size appropriate for the needs of resident or anadromous fish. (05 Dec 1998) |
| spay | To remove or extirpate the ovaries of, as a sow or a bitch; to castrate (a female animal). Origin: Cf. Armor. Spac'hein, spaza to geld, W. Dyspaddu to geld, L. Spado a eunuch, Gr. <zoology> The male of the red deer in his third year; a spade. Origin: Cf. Spade a spay, Spay. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |