*cage*

‖n. [ F. ] (Arch.) The roughest and cheapest sort of rubblework, in masonry. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. boscage grove, F. bocage, fr. LL. boscus, buscus, thicket, wood. See 1st Bush. ] 1. A growth of trees or shrubs; underwood; a thicket; thick foliage; a wooded landscape. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (O. Eng. Law) Food or sustenance for cattle, obtained from bushes and trees; also, a tax on wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Brokkerage. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. cage, fr. L. cavea cavity, cage, fr. cavus hollow. Cf. Cave, n., Cajole, Gabion. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A box or inclosure, wholly or partly of openwork, in wood or metal, used for confining birds or other animals. [ 1913 Webster ]

In his cage, like parrot fine and gay. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A place of confinement for malefactors Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage. Lovelace. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Carp.) An outer framework of timber, inclosing something within it; as, the cage of a staircase. Gwilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mach.) (a) A skeleton frame to limit the motion of a loose piece, as a ball valve. (b) A wirework strainer, used in connection with pumps and pipes. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The box, bucket, or inclosed platform of a lift or elevator; a cagelike structure moving in a shaft. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mining) The drum on which the rope is wound in a hoisting whim. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Baseball) The catcher's wire mask. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Caged p. pr. & vb. n. Caging. ] To confine in, or as in, a cage; to shut up or confine. “Caged and starved to death.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Confined in, or as in, a cage; like a cage or prison. “The caged cloister.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cage + -ling ] A bird confined in a cage; esp. a young bird. [ Poetic ] Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. carrucagium (OF. charuage.), fr. LL. carruca plow, fr. L. carruca coach. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Old Eng. Law.) A tax on every plow or plowland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of plowing. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To uncage. [ R. ] Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Encaged p. pr. & vb. n. Engaging. ] [ Pref. en- + cage: cf. F. encager. ] To confine in a cage; to coop up. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Incaged p. pr. & vb. n. Incaging ] [ Cf. Encage. ] To confine in, or as in, a cage; to coop up. [ Written also encage. ] “Incaged birds.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Confinement in, or as in, cage. [ Obs. ] Shelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. piccadium, fr. F. piquer to prick. ] (O. Eng. Law) Money paid at fairs for leave to break ground for booths. Ainsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.[ From Soc; cf. LL. socagium. ] (O.Eng. Law) A tenure of lands and tenements by a certain or determinate service; a tenure distinct from chivalry or knight's service, in which the obligations were uncertain. The service must be certain, in order to be denominated socage, as to hold by fealty and twenty shillings rent. [ Written also soccage. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Socage is of two kinds; free socage, where the services are not only certain, but honorable; and villein socage, where the services, though certain, are of a baser nature. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (O. Eng. Law) A tennant by socage; a socman. [ 1913 Webster ]