n. [ L. capris goat + mulgere to milk. ] a widely distributed natural family of nocturnally active birds including the
The family . . . is alternately known as the nightjars (derived from the "churring" sounds of several species -- "jarring" the night air), or goatsuckers, a nonsense name that should be discontinued as it has its origin in the preposterous myth that the birds sucked the milk of nanny goats until they were dry. Terence Michael Short (Wild Birds of the Americas)
n. an order of birds including the goatsuckers (
n. the type genus of the
‖n. [ LL. See Primrose. ] (Bot.) The genus of plants including the primrose (Primula vera). [ 1913 Webster ]
a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to an order of herbaceous plants (
‖ [ L., first cause of motion. ] (Astron.) In the Ptolemaic system, the outermost of the revolving concentric spheres constituting the universe, the motion of which was supposed to carry with it all the inclosed spheres with their planets in a daily revolution from east to west. See
The motions of the greatest persons in a government ought to be, as the motions of the planets, under primum mobile. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖n. [ L., the first. ] One of the bishops of the Episcopal Church of Scotland, who presides at the meetings of the bishops, and has certain privileges but no metropolitan authority. Internat. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]