*tau*

pos>a. [ p. p. of OE. bitechen, AS. bet&aemacr_;can, to assign, deliver. See Teach. ] Delivered; committed in trust. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. boy^s ox + ke`ntayros centaur. ] 1. A fabulous monster, half ox, half man. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ It. bucentoro. ] The state barge of Venice, used by the doge in the ceremony of espousing the Adriatic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. centaurus, Gr. Ke`ntayros. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Class. Myth.) A fabulous being, represented as half man and half horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) A constellation in the southern heavens between Hydra and the Southern Cross. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. [ NL. See Centaury. ] (Bot.) A large genus of composite plants, related to the thistles and including the cornflower or bluebottle (Centaurea Cyanus) and the star thistle (Centaurea Calcitrapa). [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A genus of low-growing herbs mostly of the northern hemisphere having flowers with protruding spirally twisted anthers.
Syn. -- genus Centaurium. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; centaur + &unr_; battle. ] (Ancient Art) A fight in which centaurs take part, -- a common theme for relief sculpture, as in the Parthenon metopes. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a conspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere near the Southern Cross.
Syn. -- Centaur, The Centaur. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. centaureum and centauria, Gr. kentay`rion, kentay`reion, and kentayri`h, fr. the Centaur Chiron. ] (Bot.) A gentianaceous plant not fully identified. The name is usually given to the Erytheræa Centaurium and the Chlora perfoliata of Europe, but is also extended to the whole genus Sabbatia, and even to the unrelated Centaurea. [ 1913 Webster ]

a meeting, usually held in the summer outdoors or under a temporary tent, providing public lectures combined with entertainment such as concerts and plays. It originated in the village of Chautauqua, N. Y., in 1874, and was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Also, a meeting similar to this. [ PJC ]

(of education) The system of home study established in connection with the summer schools assembled at Chautauqua, N. Y., by the Methodist Episcopal bishop, J. H. Vincent. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. hippocentaurus, Gr. &unr_;; "i`ppos horse + &unr_; centaur.] (Myth.) Same as Centaur. [1913 Webster]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Instaurated p. pr. & vb. n. Instaurating ] [ L. instauratus, p. p. of instaurare to renew. See 1st In-, and Store. ] To renew or renovate. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. instauratio: cf. F. instauration. ] Restoration after decay, lapse, or dilapidation; renewal; repair; renovation; renaissance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some great catastrophe or . . . instauration. T. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. instaurateur. ] One who renews or restores to a former condition. [ R. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Instaurate. ] To renew or renovate; to instaurate. [ Obs. ] Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The India civet (Viverra zibetha). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. Minotaurus, Gr. Minw`tayros; Mi`nos, the husband of Pasiphae + tay^ros a bull, the Minotaur being the offspring of Pasiphae and a bull: cf. F. minotaure. ] (Class. Myth.) A fabled monster, half man and half bull, confined in the labyrinth constructed by Daedalus in Crete. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Misteach. ] Wrongly taught; as, a mistaught youth. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. petaurista a ropedancer, Gr. petayristh`s, fr. petayri`zein to dance on a rope, fr. pe`tayron a pole, a stage for ropedancers: cf. F. pétauriste. ] (Zool.) Any flying marsupial of the genera Petaurus, Phalangista, Acrobata, and allied genera. See Flying mouse, under Flying, and Phalangister. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A genus of very large Asiatic flying squirrels.
Syn. -- genus Petaurista. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

prop. n. A natural family of Old World flying squirrels.
Syn. -- subfamily Petauristidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F., fr. restaurer. See Restore. ] An eating house. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. restauratus, p. p. of restaurare. See Restore. ] To restore. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] The keeper of an eating house or a restaurant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. restauratio: cf. F. restauration. ] Restoration. [ Obs. ] Cower. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Taught by one's own efforts. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ etc. } See Stanch, Stanchly, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. stayro`s a cross + -lite. ] (Min.) A mineral of a brown to black color occurring in prismatic crystals, often twinned so as to form groups resembling a cross. It is a silicate of alumina and iron, and is generally found imbedded in mica schist. Called also granatite, and grenatite. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Min.) Of or pertaining to staurolite; resembling or containing staurolite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. stayro`s a cross + -scope. ] (Crystallog.) An optical instrument used in determining the position of the planes of light-vibration in sections of crystals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. staurotide, from Gr. stayrwto`s cruciform (from Gr. stayro`s a cross) + e'i^dos form. ] (Min.) Staurolite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From the native name. ] (Zool.) A South American tinamou (Crypturus tataupa). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. tay^. ] The nineteenth letter (Τ, τ) of the Greek alphabet, equivalent to English t. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Gr. tay^ the letter τ (English T). ] (Zool.) The common American toadfish; -- so called from a marking resembling the Greek letter tau (τ). [ 1913 Webster ]

Tau cross. See Illust. 6, of Cross. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Taut. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. & p. p. of Teach. [ AS. imp. t&aemacr_;hte, p. p. get&aemacr_;ht. ] See Teach. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. OF. tant so great, F. tant so much, L. tantus of such size, so great, so much. ] (Naut.) Very high or tall; as, a ship with taunt masts. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Taunted; p. pr. & vb. n. Taunting. ] [ Earlier, to tease; probably fr. OF. tanter to tempt, to try, for tenter. See Tempt. ] To reproach with severe or insulting words; to revile; to upbraid; to jeer at; to flout. [ 1913 Webster ]

When I had at my pleasure taunted her. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To deride; ridicule; mock; jeer; flout; revile. See Deride. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Upbraiding language; bitter or sarcastic reproach; insulting invective. [ 1913 Webster ]

With scoffs, and scorns, and contemelious taunts. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

With sacrilegious taunt and impious jest. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who taunts. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. from Taunt, v. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every kind of insolent and taunting reflection. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a taunting manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who taunts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. Taurus. ] The constellation Taurus. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. tauricornis; taurus a bull + cornu a horn. ] (Zool.) Having horns like those of a bull. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Taurus + 1st -id. ] (Astron.) Any of a group of meteors appearing November 20-23; -- so called because they appear to radiate from a point in Taurus. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ See Toreador. ] A bullfighter; a toreador. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. tauriformis; taurus a bull + -form: cf. F. tauriforme. ] Having the form of a bull. [ 1913 Webster ]