Sowbug

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sow \Sow\, n. [OE. sowe, suwe, AS. sugu, akin to s[=u], D. zog,
     zeug, OHG. s[=u], G. sau, Icel. s[=y]r, Dan. so, Sw. sugga,
     so, L. sus. Gr. "y^s, sy^s, Zend. hu boar; probably from the
     root seen in Skr. s[=u] to beget, to bear; the animal being
     named in allusion to its fecundity. [root]294. Cf. {Hyena},
     {Soil} to stain, {Son}, {Swine}.]


     1. (Zool.) The female of swine, or of the hog kind.
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     2. (Zool.) A sow bug.
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     3. (Metal.)
        (a) A channel or runner which receives the rows of molds
            in the pig bed.
        (b) The bar of metal which remains in such a runner.
        (c) A mass of solidified metal in a furnace hearth; a
            salamander.
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     4. (Mil.) A kind of covered shed, formerly used by besiegers
        in filling up and passing the ditch of a besieged place,
        sapping and mining the wall, or the like. --Craig.
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     {Sow bread}. (Bot.) See {Cyclamen}.
  
     {Sow bug}, or {Sowbug} (Zool.), any one of numerous species
        of terrestrial {Isopoda} belonging to {Oniscus},
        {Porcellio}, and allied genera of the family {Oniscidae}.
        They feed chiefly on decaying vegetable substances.
  
     {Sow thistle} [AS. sugepistel] (Bot.), a composite plant
        ({Sonchus oleraceus}) said to be eaten by swine and some
        other animals.
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