|
drying oil
drying oil any of several natural oils which, when exposed to the air, oxidize to form a tough, elastic film. The common drying oils are cottonseed oil (see cotton ), corn oil, soybean oil, tung oil , and linseed oil ; the first three oils mentioned are more properly called semidrying oils. Lins...
Read more
|
|
amontillado
amontillado , dry sherry noted for its delicate bouquet, resembling the wine of Montilla, Spain, from which it derives its name. A blend of pale, dry sherries of the palma type, it assumes in aging a darker color.
...
Read more
|
|
|
raisin
raisin dried fruit of certain varieties of grapevines bearing grapes with a high content of sugar and solid flesh. Although the fruit is sometimes artificially dehydrated, it is usually sun-dried. The culture of grapes for the production of raisins is limited to regions with a long, hot growing s...
Read more
|
|
dry rot
dry rot fungus disease that attacks both softwood and hardwood timber. Destruction of the cellulose causes discoloration and eventual crumbling of the wood. This frequently results in the collapse of wooden structures such as house flooring, mine shafts, and ship hulls. Because the fungi require mo...
Read more
|
|
|
plow
plow or plough, agricultural implement used to cut furrows in and turn up the soil, preparing it for planting. The plow is generally considered the most important tillage tool. Its beginnings in the Bronze Age were associated with the domestication of draft animals and the increasing demand for...
Read more
|
|
|
calendula
calendula , any species of the genus Calendula, Old World plants of the family Asteraceae ( aster family). The common calendula ( C. officinalis ), an annual with yellow to deep orange flower heads produced through a long blooming season, was a popular garden flower in Shakespeare's time—hi...
Read more
|
|
|
apricot
apricot [Arabic from Lat.,=early ripe], tree, Prunus armeniaca, and its fruit, of the plum genus of the family Rosaceae ( rose family), native to temperate Asia and long cultivated in Armenia. The fruit is used raw, canned, preserved, and dried. California is the chief place of cultivation in th...
Read more
|
|
|
thirst
thirst sensation indicating the body's need for water. Dry or salty food and dry, dusty air may induce such a sensation by depleting moisture in the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. Relief through ingestion of water is only temporary, however, if thirst results from a generalized depletion...
Read more
|
|
|
St.-John's-wort
St.-John's-wort any species of the large and widespread herbaceous or shrubby genus Hypericum of the family Hypericaceae (St.-John's-wort family), usually found in moist, open places and often having bright yellow flowers and dotted leaves. A St.-John's-wort is said to have been associated with t...
Read more
|
|
vacuum cleaner
vacuum cleaner mechanical device using a draft of air to remove dust, loose dirt, or other particulate matter from dry surfaces. It is especially useful on highly textured surfaces, such as carpets and upholstery, that are difficult to clean by wiping or brushing. Usually, an electrically powered f...
Read more
|
