imp. of Break.
(n.) A fern of the genus Pteris, esp. the P. aquilina, common in
almost all countries. It has solitary stems dividing into three
principal branches. Less properly: Any fern.
(n.) A thicket; a place overgrown with shrubs and brambles, with
undergrowth and ferns, or with canes.
(v. t.) An instrument or machine to break or bruise the woody
part of flax or hemp so that it may be separated from the fiber.
(v. t.) An extended handle by means of which a number of men can
unite in working a pump, as in a fire engine.
(v. t.) A baker's kneading though.
(v. t.) A sharp bit or snaffle.
(v. t.) A frame for confining a refractory horse while the smith
is shoeing him; also, an inclosure to restrain cattle, horses, etc.
(v. t.) That part of a carriage, as of a movable battery, or
engine, which enables it to turn.
(v. t.) An ancient engine of war analogous to the crossbow and
ballista.
(v. t.) A large, heavy harrow for breaking clods after plowing; a
drag.
(v. t.) A piece of mechanism for retarding or stopping motion by
friction, as of a carriage or railway car, by the pressure of rubbers
against the wheels, or of clogs or ratchets against the track or
roadway, or of a pivoted lever against a wheel or drum in a machine.
(v. t.) An apparatus for testing the power of a steam engine, or
other motor, by weighing the amount of friction that the motor will
overcome; a friction brake.
(v. t.) A cart or carriage without a body, used in breaking in
horses.
(v. t.) An ancient instrument of torture.
of Break
