Salmon \Salm"on\ (s[a^]m"[u^]n), n.; pl. Salmons (-[u^]nz) or
(collectively) Salmon. [OE. saumoun, salmon, F. saumon, fr.
L. salmo, salmonis, perhaps from salire to leap. Cf. Sally,
v.]
1. (Zool.) Any one of several species of fishes of the genus
Salmo and allied genera. The common salmon (Salmo
salar) of Northern Europe and Eastern North America, and
the California salmon, or quinnat, are the most important
species. They are extensively preserved for food. See
Quinnat.
[1913 Webster]
[1913 Webster]
Note: The salmons ascend rivers and penetrate to their head
streams to spawn. They are remarkably strong fishes,
and will even leap over considerable falls which lie in
the way of their progress. The common salmon has been
known to grow to the weight of seventy-five pounds;
more generally it is from fifteen to twenty-five
pounds. Young salmon are called parr, peal, smolt, and
grilse. Among the true salmons are:
Black salmon, or Lake salmon, the namaycush.
Dog salmon, a salmon of Western North America
(Oncorhynchus keta).
Humpbacked salmon, a Pacific-coast salmon (Oncorhynchus
gorbuscha).
King salmon, the quinnat.
Landlocked salmon, a variety of the common salmon (var.
Sebago), long confined in certain lakes in consequence of
obstructions that prevented it from returning to the sea.
This last is called also dwarf salmon.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Among fishes of other families which are locally and
erroneously called salmon are: the pike perch, called
jack salmon; the spotted, or southern, squeteague;
the cabrilla, called kelp salmon; young pollock,
called sea salmon; and the California yellowtail.
[1913 Webster]
2. A reddish yellow or orange color, like the flesh of the
salmon.
[1913 Webster]
Salmon berry (Bot.), a large red raspberry growing from
Alaska to California, the fruit of the Rubus Nutkanus.
Salmon killer (Zool.), a stickleback (Gasterosteus
cataphractus) of Western North America and Northern Asia.
Salmon ladder, Salmon stair. See Fish ladder, under
Fish.
Salmon peel, a young salmon.
Salmon pipe, a certain device for catching salmon. --Crabb.
Salmon trout. (Zool.)
(a) The European sea trout (Salmo trutta). It resembles
the salmon, but is smaller, and has smaller and more
numerous scales.
(b) The American namaycush.
(c) A name that is also applied locally to the adult black
spotted trout (Salmo purpuratus), and to the steel
head and other large trout of the Pacific coast.
[1913 Webster]
|
King \King\, n. [AS. cyng, cyning; akin to OS. kuning, D.
koning, OHG. kuning, G. k["o]nig, Icel. konungr, Sw. konung,
Dan. konge; formed with a patronymic ending, and fr. the root
of E. kin; cf. Icel. konr a man of noble birth. [root]44. See
Kin.]
1. A chief ruler; a sovereign; one invested with supreme
authority over a nation, country, or tribe, usually by
hereditary succession; a monarch; a prince. "Ay, every
inch a king." --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are
rebels from principle. --Burke.
[1913 Webster]
There was a State without king or nobles. --R.
Choate.
[1913 Webster]
But yonder comes the powerful King of Day,
Rejoicing in the east --Thomson.
[1913 Webster]
2. One who, or that which, holds a supreme position or rank;
a chief among competitors; as, a railroad king; a money
king; the king of the lobby; the king of beasts.
[1913 Webster]
3. A playing card having the picture of a king[1]; as, the
king of diamonds.
[1913 Webster]
4. The chief piece in the game of chess.
[1913 Webster]
5. A crowned man in the game of draughts.
[1913 Webster]
6. pl. The title of two historical books in the Old
Testament.
[1913 Webster]
Note: King is often used adjectively, or in combination, to
denote pre["e]minence or superiority in some
particular; as, kingbird; king crow; king vulture.
[1913 Webster]
Apostolic king. See Apostolic.
King-at-arms, or King-of-arms, the chief heraldic officer
of a country. In England the king-at-arms was formerly of
great authority. His business is to direct the heralds,
preside at their chapters, and have the jurisdiction of
armory. There are three principal kings-at-arms, viz.,
Garter, Clarencieux, and Norroy. The latter (literally
north roy or north king) officiates north of the Trent.
King auk (Zool.), the little auk or sea dove.
King bird of paradise. (Zool.), See Bird of paradise.
King card, in whist, the best unplayed card of each suit;
thus, if the ace and king of a suit have been played, the
queen is the king card of the suit.
King Cole, a legendary king of Britain, who is said to have
reigned in the third century.
King conch (Zool.), a large and handsome univalve shell
(Cassis cameo), found in the West Indies. It is used for
making cameos. See Helmet shell, under Helmet.
King Cotton, a popular personification of the great staple
production of the southern United States.
King crab. (Zool.)
(a) The limulus or horseshoe crab. See Limulus.
(b) The large European spider crab or thornback (Maia
squinado).
(c) A large crab of the northern Pacific (Paralithodes
camtshatica), especially abundant on the coasts of
Alaska and Japan, and popular as a food; called also
Alaskan king crab.
King crow. (Zool.)
(a) A black drongo shrike (Buchanga atra) of India; --
so called because, while breeding, they attack and
drive away hawks, crows, and other large birds.
(b) The Dicrurus macrocercus of India, a crested bird
with a long, forked tail. Its color is black, with
green and blue reflections. Called also devil bird.
King duck (Zool.), a large and handsome eider duck
(Somateria spectabilis), inhabiting the arctic regions
of both continents.
King eagle (Zool.), an eagle (Aquila heliaca) found in
Asia and Southeastern Europe. It is about as large as the
golden eagle. Some writers believe it to be the imperial
eagle of Rome.
King hake (Zool.), an American hake (Phycis regius),
found in deep water along the Atlantic coast.
King monkey (Zool.), an African monkey (Colobus
polycomus), inhabiting Sierra Leone.
King mullet (Zool.), a West Indian red mullet (Upeneus
maculatus); -- so called on account of its great beauty.
Called also goldfish.
King of terrors, death.
King parrakeet (Zool.), a handsome Australian parrakeet
(Platycercys scapulatus), often kept in a cage. Its
prevailing color is bright red, with the back and wings
bright green, the rump blue, and tail black.
King penguin (Zool.), any large species of penguin of the
genus Aptenodytes; esp., Aptenodytes longirostris, of
the Falkland Islands and Kerguelen Land, and Aptenodytes
Patagonica, of Patagonia.
King rail (Zool.), a small American rail (Rallus
elegans), living in fresh-water marshes. The upper parts
are fulvous brown, striped with black; the breast is deep
cinnamon color.
King salmon (Zool.), the quinnat. See Quinnat.
King's counsel, or Queen's counsel (Eng. Law), barristers
learned in the law, who have been called within the bar,
and selected to be the king's or queen's counsel. They
answer in some measure to the advocates of the revenue
(advocati fisci) among the Romans. They can not be
employed against the crown without special license.
--Wharton's Law Dict.
King's cushion, a temporary seat made by two persons
crossing their hands. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
The king's English, correct or current language of good
speakers; pure English. --Shak.
King's evidence or Queen's evidence, testimony in favor
of the Crown by a witness who confesses his guilt as an
accomplice. See under Evidence. [Eng.]
King's evil, scrofula; -- so called because formerly
supposed to be healed by the touch of a king.
King snake (Zool.), a large, nearly black, harmless snake
(Ophiobolus getulus) of the Southern United States; --
so called because it kills and eats other kinds of snakes,
including even the rattlesnake.
King's spear (Bot.), the white asphodel (Asphodelus
albus).
King's yellow, a yellow pigment, consisting essentially of
sulphide and oxide of arsenic; -- called also yellow
orpiment.
King tody (Zool.), a small fly-catching bird (Eurylaimus
serilophus) of tropical America. The head is adorned with
a large, spreading, fan-shaped crest, which is bright red,
edged with black.
King vulture (Zool.), a large species of vulture
(Sarcorhamphus papa), ranging from Mexico to Paraguay,
The general color is white. The wings and tail are black,
and the naked carunculated head and the neck are
briliantly colored with scarlet, yellow, orange, and blue.
So called because it drives away other vultures while
feeding.
King wood, a wood from Brazil, called also violet wood,
beautifully streaked in violet tints, used in turning and
small cabinetwork. The tree is probably a species of
Dalbergia. See Jacaranda.
[1913 Webster]
|