Sun spots
(Astron.),
dark spots that appear on the sun's disk, consisting commonly of a black central
portion with a surrounding border of lighter shade, and usually seen only by the telescope, but sometimes
by the naked eye. They are very changeable in their figure and dimensions, and vary in size from mere
apparent points to spaces of 50,000 miles in diameter. The term sun spots is often used to include
bright spaces (called faculæ) as well as dark spaces Called also solar spots. See Illustration in Appendix.
— Sun star (Zoöl.), any one of several species of starfishes belonging to Solaster, Crossaster, and
allied genera, having numerous rays. — Sun trout (Zoöl.), the squeteague. — Sun wheel. (Mach.)
See Sun and planet wheels, above. — Under the sun, in the world; on earth. "There is no new thing
under the sun." Eccl. i. 9.
Sun is often used in the formation of compound adjectives of obvious meaning; as, sun-bright, sun-
dried, sun-gilt, sunlike, sun-lit, sun- scorched, and the like.
Sun
(Sun), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sunned ; p. pr. & vb. n. Sunning.] To expose to the sun's rays; to
warm or dry in the sun; as, to sun cloth; to sun grain.
Then to sun thyself in open air.
Dryden. Sunbeam
(Sun"beam`) n. [AS. sunnebeam.] A beam or ray of the sun. "Evening sunbeams." Keble.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even
On a sunbeam.
Milton. Sunbird
(Sun"bird`) n. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of numerous species of small brilliantly colored birds of the
family Nectariniidæ, native of Africa, Southern Asia, the East Indies, and Australia. In external appearance
and habits they somewhat resemble humming birds, but they are true singing birds (b) The sun bittern.
Sunblink
(Sun"blink`) n. A glimpse or flash of the sun. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
Sunbonnet
(Sun"bon"net) n. A bonnet, generally made of some thin or light fabric, projecting beyond
the face, and commonly having a cape, — worn by women as a protection against the sun.