scilly

‖prop. n. [ NL., fr. L. oscillare to swing. ] (Bot.) A genus of dark green, or purplish black, filamentous, fresh-water algae, the threads of which have an automatic swaying or crawling motion. Called also Oscillatoria. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Oscillated p. pr. & vb. n. Oscillating ] [ L. oscillare to swing, fr. oscillum a swing, a little mask or puppet made to be hung from trees and swing in the wind, prob. orig., a little mouth, a dim. from os mouth. See Oral, and cf. Osculate. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To move backward and forward; to vibrate like a pendulum; to swing; to sway. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To vary or fluctuate between fixed limits; to act or move in a fickle or fluctuating manner; to change repeatedly, back and forth. [ 1913 Webster ]

The amount of superior families oscillates rather than changes, that is, it fluctuates within fixed limits. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That oscillates; vibrating; swinging. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Elec.) A current alternating in direction. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Oscillating engine, a steam engine whose cylinder oscillates on trunnions instead of being permanently fixed in a perpendicular or other direction. Weale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. oscillatio a swinging. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of oscillating; a swinging or moving backward and forward, like a pendulum; vibration. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fluctuation; variation; change back and forth. [ 1913 Webster ]

His mind oscillated, undoubtedly; but the extreme points of the oscillation were not very remote. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Axis of oscillation,
Center of oscillation. See under Axis, and Center. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to oscillate; vibratory. [ R. ] I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One that oscillates; specif.: (Electronics) Any device or circuit for producing electric oscillations, whether of current or voltage; esp., an apparatus for generating electric waves in a system of wireless telegraphy. Oscillators are essential components of radio transmission devices and digital computers, as well as many other types of electronic device. In computers the oscillator provides the voltage impulses which permit information bits to be transferred between parts of the computer in a defined sequence. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

2. (Mech.) An instrument for measuring rigidity by the torsional oscillations of a weighted wire. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. pl. [ NL. See Oscillatory. ] (Bot.) Same as Oscillaria. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. oscillatoire. See Oscillate. ] Moving, or characterized by motion, backward and forward like a pendulum; swinging; oscillating; vibratory; as, oscillatory motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. oscillare + -gram. ] (Elec.) An autographic record made by an oscillograph. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. oscillare to swing + -graph. ] (Elec.) An apparatus for recording or indicating alternating-current wave forms or other electrical oscillations, especially of voltages or currents; it usually consists of a galvanometer with strong field, in which the mass of the moving part is very small and frequency of vibration very high. -- Os`cil*lo*graph"ic a. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

n. 1. a device for making a record of the wave forms of fluctuating . [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. oscillare to swing + -meter. ] An instrument for measuring the angle through which a ship rolls or pitches at sea. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. oscillare to swing + -scope. ] An electronic measuring instrument which provides a visual representation of the time variation of electrical quantities, such as voltage or current. It may be used to measure the shape of a voltage pulse or the frequency of an oscillating voltage. It can also be used to measure properties of other physical variables, such as sound or light intensity, if they can be translated into electrical voltage or current. The common cathode-ray oscilloscope uses a cathode-ray tube to project a beam of electrons onto the interior of a nearly flat surface surface of the tube, which is coated with a material which fluoresces when struck by the moving electrons. The location of the beam of electrons on the target surface is controlled by electrodes surrounding the point of origin of the beam, which control the horizontal and vertical deflection. The degree of deflection from the vertical center can be made to represent the electrical variable to be measured. The cathode-ray oscilloscope is similar in many respects to the most common form of television tube. -- os*cil"lo*scop`ic, a.
Syn. -- scope, cathode-ray oscilloscope, CRO [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]

n. (Eccl. Hist.) A follower of Priscillian, bishop of Avila in Spain, in the fourth century, who mixed various elements of Gnosticism and Manicheism with Christianity. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ L., fr. scire licet you may know. ] To wit; namely; videlicet; -- often abbreviated to sc., or ss. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A glucoside extracted from squill (Scilla maritima) as a light porous substance. [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]