Reference  |  Webster's Dictionary  |  S  |  Shearbill to Sheep-faced

S — Shearbill to Sheep-faced (Part 6 of 6)

— Sheep's bit (Bot.), a European herb (Jasione montana) having much the appearance of scabious. — Sheep pox (Med.), a contagious disease of sheep, characterixed by the development of vesicles or pocks upon the skin. — Sheep scabious. (Bot.) Same as Sheep's bit. — Sheep shears, shears in which the blades form the two ends of a steel bow, by the elasticity of which they open as often as pressed together by the hand in cutting; — so called because used to cut off the wool of sheep. — Sheep sorrel. (Bot.), a prerennial herb (Rumex Acetosella) growing naturally on poor, dry, gravelly soil. Its leaves have a pleasant acid taste like sorrel. — Sheep's-wool (Zoöl.), the highest grade of Florida commercial sponges — Sheep tick (Zoöl.), a wingless parasitic insect (Melophagus ovinus) belonging to the Diptera. It fixes its proboscis in the skin of the sheep and sucks the blood, leaving a swelling. Called also sheep pest, and sheep louse. — Sheep walk, a pasture for sheep; a sheep run. — Wild sheep. (Zoöl.) See Argali, Mouflon, and Oörial.

Sheepback
(Sheep"back`) n. (Geol.) A rounded knoll of rock resembling the back of a sheep. — produced by glacial action. Called also roche moutonnée; — usually in the plural.

Sheepberry
(Sheep"ber`ry) n. (Bot.) The edible fruit of a small North American tree of the genus Viburnum having white flowers in flat cymes; also, the tree itself. Called also nannyberry.

Sheepbite
(Sheep"bite`) v. i. To bite or nibble like a sheep; hence, to practice petty thefts. [Obs.] Shak.

Sheepbiter
(Sheep"bit`er) n. One who practices petty thefts. [Obs.] Shak.

There are political sheepbiters as well as pastoral; betrayers of public trusts as well as of private.
L'Estrange.

Sheepcot
(Sheep"cot` Sheep"cote`) n. A small inclosure for sheep; a pen; a fold.

Sheep-faced
(Sheep"-faced`) a. Over-bashful; sheepish.