from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Snail \Snail\ (sn[=a]l), n. [OE. snaile, AS. sn[ae]gel, snegel,
sn[ae]gl; akin to G. schnecke, OHG. snecko, Dan. snegl, Icel.
snigill.]
1. (Zool.)
(a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial
air-breathing gastropods belonging to the genus Helix
and many allied genera of the family {Helicidae}. They
are abundant in nearly all parts of the world except
the arctic regions, and feed almost entirely on
vegetation; a land snail.
(b) Any gastropod having a general resemblance to the true
snails, including fresh-water and marine species. See
{Pond snail}, under {Pond}, and {Sea snail}.
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2. Hence, a drone; a slow-moving person or thing.
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3. (Mech.) A spiral cam, or a flat piece of metal of spirally
curved outline, used for giving motion to, or changing the
position of, another part, as the hammer tail of a
striking clock.
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4. A tortoise; in ancient warfare, a movable roof or shed to
protect besiegers; a testudo. [Obs.]
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They had also all manner of gynes [engines] . . .
that needful is [in] taking or sieging of castle or
of city, as snails, that was naught else but hollow
pavises and targets, under the which men, when they
fought, were heled [protected], . . . as the snail
is in his house; therefore they cleped them snails.
--Vegetius
(Trans.).
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5. (Bot.) The pod of the sanil clover.
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{Ear snail}, {Edible snail}, {Pond snail}, etc. See under
{Ear}, {Edible}, etc.
{Snail borer} (Zool.), a boring univalve mollusk; a drill.
{Snail clover} (Bot.), a cloverlike plant ({Medicago
scuttellata}, also, {Medicago Helix}); -- so named from
its pods, which resemble the shells of snails; -- called
also {snail trefoil}, {snail medic}, and {beehive}.
{Snail flower} (Bot.), a leguminous plant ({Phaseolus
Caracalla}) having the keel of the carolla spirally coiled
like a snail shell.
{Snail shell} (Zool.), the shell of snail.
{Snail trefoil}. (Bot.) See {Snail clover}, above.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Ear \Ear\ ([=e]r), n. [AS. e['a]re; akin to OFries. ['a]re,
['a]r, OS. [=o]ra, D. oor, OHG. [=o]ra, G. ohr, Icel. eyra,
Sw. ["o]ra, Dan. ["o]re, Goth. auso, L. auris, Lith. ausis,
Russ. ukho, Gr. o'y^s; cf. L. audire to hear, Gr. 'ai`ein,
Skr. av to favor, protect. Cf. {Auricle}, {Orillon}.]
1. The organ of hearing; the external ear.
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Note: In man and the higher vertebrates, the organ of hearing
is very complicated, and is divisible into three parts:
the external ear, which includes the pinna or auricle
and meatus or external opening; the middle ear, drum,
or tympanum; and the internal ear, or labyrinth. The
middle ear is a cavity connected by the Eustachian tube
with the pharynx, separated from the opening of the
external ear by the tympanic membrane, and containing a
chain of three small bones, or ossicles, named malleus,
incus, and stapes, which connect this membrane with the
internal ear. The essential part of the internal ear
where the fibers of the auditory nerve terminate, is
the membranous labyrinth, a complicated system of sacs
and tubes filled with a fluid (the endolymph), and
lodged in a cavity, called the bony labyrinth, in the
periotic bone. The membranous labyrinth does not
completely fill the bony labyrinth, but is partially
suspended in it in a fluid (the perilymph). The bony
labyrinth consists of a central cavity, the vestibule,
into which three semicircular canals and the canal of
the cochlea (spirally coiled in mammals) open. The
vestibular portion of the membranous labyrinth consists
of two sacs, the utriculus and sacculus, connected by a
narrow tube, into the former of which three membranous
semicircular canals open, while the latter is connected
with a membranous tube in the cochlea containing the
organ of Corti. By the help of the external ear the
sonorous vibrations of the air are concentrated upon
the tympanic membrane and set it vibrating, the chain
of bones in the middle ear transmits these vibrations
to the internal ear, where they cause certain delicate
structures in the organ of Corti, and other parts of
the membranous labyrinth, to stimulate the fibers of
the auditory nerve to transmit sonorous impulses to the
brain.
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2. The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power
of discriminating between different tones; as, a nice ear
for music; -- in the singular only.
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Songs . . . not all ungrateful to thine ear.
--Tennyson.
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3. That which resembles in shape or position the ear of an
animal; any prominence or projection on an object, --
usually one for support or attachment; a lug; a handle;
as, the ears of a tub, a skillet, or dish. The ears of a
boat are outside kneepieces near the bow. See Illust. of
{Bell}.
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4. (Arch.)
(a) Same as {Acroterium}.
(b) Same as {Crossette}.
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5. Privilege of being kindly heard; favor; attention.
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Dionysius . . . would give no ear to his suit.
--Bacon.
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Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
--Shak.
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{About the ears}, in close proximity to; near at hand.
{By the ears}, in close contest; as, to set by the ears; to
fall together by the ears; to be by the ears.
{Button ear} (in dogs), an ear which falls forward and
completely hides the inside.
{Ear finger}, the little finger.
{Ear of Dionysius}, a kind of ear trumpet with a flexible
tube; -- named from the Sicilian tyrant, who constructed a
device to overhear the prisoners in his dungeons.
{Ear sand} (Anat.), otoliths. See {Otolith}.
{Ear snail} (Zo["o]l.), any snail of the genus {Auricula} and
allied genera.
{Ear stones} (Anat.), otoliths. See {Otolith}.
{Ear trumpet}, an instrument to aid in hearing. It consists
of a tube broad at the outer end, and narrowing to a
slender extremity which enters the ear, thus collecting
and intensifying sounds so as to assist the hearing of a
partially deaf person.
{Ear vesicle} (Zo["o]l.), a simple auditory organ, occurring
in many worms, mollusks, etc. It consists of a small sac
containing a fluid and one or more solid concretions or
otocysts.
{Rose ear} (in dogs), an ear which folds backward and shows
part of the inside.
{To give ear to}, to listen to; to heed, as advice or one
advising. "Give ear unto my song." --Goldsmith.
{To have one's ear}, to be listened to with favor.
{Up to the ears}, deeply submerged; almost overwhelmed; as,
to be in trouble up to one's ears. [Colloq.]
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