Cufic to Cultural
Cufic
(Cu"fic) a. [So called from the town of Cufa, in the province of Bagdad.] Of or pertaining to the
older characters of the Arabic language. [Written also Kufic.]
Cuinage
(Cuin"age) n.[Corrupted fr. coinage.] The stamping of pigs of tin, by the proper officer, with
the arms of the duchy of Cornwall.
Cuirass
(Cui*rass") (kwe*ras", or kwe"ras; 277), n.; pl. Cuirasses [F. cuirasse, orig., a breastplate of
leather, for OF. cuirée, cuirie influenced by It. corazza, or Sp. coraza, fr. an assumed LL. coriacea,
fr. L. coriaceus, adj., of leather, fr. corium leather, hide; akin to Gr. cho`rion intestinal membrane,
OSlav. skora hide, Lith. skura hide, leather. Cf. Coriaceous.]
1. (a) A piece of defensive armor, covering the body from the neck to the girdle. (b) The breastplate
taken by itself.
The cuirass covered the body before and behind. It consisted of two parts, a breast- and backpiece of
iron fastened together by means of straps and buckles or other like contrivances. It was originally, as
the name imports, made of leather, but afterward of metal. Grose.
2. (Zoöl) An armor of bony plates, somewhat resembling a cuirass.
Cuirassed
(Cui*rassed") (kwe*rast" or kwe"rast), a.
1. Wearing a cuirass.
2. (Zoöl) Having a covering of bony plates, resembling a cuirass; — said of certain fishes.
Cuirassier
(Cui`ras*sier") n. [F. cuirassier. See Curass.] A soldier armed with a cuirass. Milton.
Cuish
(Cuish) n. [F. cuisse thigh, fr. L. coxa hip: cf. F. cuissard, OF, cuissot, armor for the thigh,
cuish. Cf. Hough.] Defensive armor for the thighs. [ Written also cuisse, and quish.]
Cuisine
(||Cui`sine") n. [F., fr. L. coquina kitchen, fr. coquere to cook. See Kitchen.]
1. The kitchen or cooking department.
2. Manner or style of cooking.
Culasse
(||Cu`lasse") n. [F., fr. cul back.] The lower faceted portion of a brilliant- cut diamond.
Culdee
(Cul*dee") n. [ Prob. fr. Gael. cuilteach; cf. Ir. ceilede.] One of a class of anchorites who
lived in various parts of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
The pure Culdees
Were Albyn's earliest priests of God.
Campbell.
Cul-de-sac
(||Cul`-de-sac") n.; pl. Culs-de-sac [ F., lit., bottom of a bag.]
1. A passage with only one outlet, as a street closed at one end; a blind alley; hence, a trap.
2. (Mil.) a position in which an army finds itself with no way of exit but to the front.
3. (Anat.) Any bag-shaped or tubular cavity, vessel, or organ, open only at one end.
Culerage
(Cul"er*age) n. (Bot.) See Culrage.
Culex
(||Cu"lex) n. [L., a gnat.] (Zoöl.) A genus of dipterous insects, including the gnat and mosquito.
Culiciform
(Cu*lic"i*form) a. [L. culex a gnat + -form:cf. F. culiciforme.] (Zoöl.) Gnat- shaped.
