_Nankeen_, or _Nankin_, a light cotton cloth, originally brought from Nankin, in China, whence its name.
_Nash_, (Richard,) commonly called _Beau Nash_, or King of Bath, a celebrated leader of the fashions in England. He was born at Swansea, in South Wales, October 8, 1674, and died in the city of Bath, (England,) February 3, 1761.
_Natural History_, the history of animals, plants, and minerals.
_Natural Philosophy_, the science which treats of the powers of Nature, the properties of natural bodies, and their action one upon another. It is sometimes called _physics_.
_New-milch cow_, a cow which has recently calved.
_Newton_, (Sir Isaac,) an eminent English philosopher and mathematician, who was born on Christmas day, 1642, and died March 20, 1727. He was much distinguished for his very important discoveries in Optics and other branches of Natural Philosophy. See the first volume of 'Pursuit of Knowledge under Difficulties,' forming the fourteenth volume of 'THE SCHOOL LIBRARY,' Larger Series.
_Non-bearers_, plants which bear no flowers nor fruit.
_Northern States_, those of the United States situated in the Northern and Eastern part of the Country.
_Ordinary_, see _Physician in Ordinary_.
_Oil of Vitriol_, (sulphuric acid, or vitriolic acid,) an acid composed of oxygen and sulphur.
_Orleans_, (Elizabeth Charlotte de Baviere,) _Duchess of_, second wife of Philippe, the brother of Louis XIV., was born at Heidelberg, May 26, 1652, and died at the palace of St. Cloud, in Paris, December 8, 1722.
She was author of several works; among which were, Memoirs, and Anecdotes, of the Court of Louis XIV.
_Ottoman_, a kind of hassock, or thick mat, for kneeling upon; so called, from being used by the Ottomans or Turks.
_Oxalic acid_, a vegetable acid, which exists in sorrel.
_Oxide_, a compound (which is not acid) of a substance with oxygen; for example, oxide of iron, or rust of metals.
_Oxidize_, to combine oxygen with a body without producing acidity.
_Oxygen_, vital air, a simple and very important substance, which exists in the atmosphere, and supports the breathing of animals and the burning of combustibles. It was called oxygen, from two Greek words, signifying to produce acid, from its power of giving acidity to many compounds in which it predominates.
_Oxygenized_, combined with oxygen.
_Pancreas_, a gland within the abdomen, just below and behind the stomach, and providing a fluid to assist digestion. In animals, it is called the sweet-bread. _Pancreatic_, belonging to the pancreas.
_Parterre_, a level division of ground, a flower garden.
_Pearlash_, the common name for impure carbonate of potash, which, in a purer form, is called _Sal aeratus_.
_Peristaltic_, worm-like.
_Philosophy_, see _Intellectual_, _Moral_, and _Natural_.
_Physician in Ordinary to the Queen_, the Physician who attends the Queen in ordinary cases of illness.
_Pistil_, that part of a flower, generally in the centre, composed of the germ, style, and stigma, which receives the pollen or fertilizing dust of the stamens.
_Pitt, William_, a celebrated English statesman, son of the Earl of Chatham. He was born, May 28, 1759, and at the age of twenty-three, was made Chancellor of the Exchequer, and soon afterward, Prime Minister. He died, January 23, 1806.
_Political Economy_, the science which treats of the general causes affecting the production, distribution, and consumption, of articles of exchangeable value, in reference to their effects upon national wealth and welfare.
_Pollen_, the fertilizing dust of flowers, produced by the stamens, and falling upon the pistils, in order to render a flower capable of producing fruit or seed.
_Potter's clay_, the clay used in making articles of pottery.
_Prairie_, a French word, signifying _meadow_. In the United States, it is applied to the remarkable natural meadows, or plains, which are found in the Western States. In some of these vast and nearly level plains, the traveller may wander for days, without meeting with wood or water, and see no object rising above the plane of the horizon. They are very fertile.
_Prime Minister_, the person appointed by the ruler of a nation to have the chief direction and management of the public affairs.
_Process_, a protuberance, or projecting part of a bone.
_Pulmonary_, belonging to, or affecting, the lungs. _Pulmonary artery_, an artery which passes through the lungs, being divided into several branches, which form a beautiful network over the air-vessels, and finally empty themselves into the left auricle of the heart.
_Puritans_, a sect, which professed to follow the pure word of God, in opposition to traditions, human constitutions, and other authorities. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, part of the Protestants were desirous of introducing a simpler, and, as they considered it, a _purer_, form of church government and worship, than that established by law; from which circumstance, they were called _Puritans_. In process of time, this party increased in numbers, and openly broke off from the Church, laying aside the English liturgy, and adopting a service-book published at Geneva, by the disciples of Calvin. They were treated with great rigor by the Government, and many of them left the kingdom and settled in Holland. Finding themselves not so eligibly situated in that Country, as they had expected to be, a portion of them embarked for America, and were the first settlers of New England.
_Quixotic_, absurd, romantic, ridiculous; from _Don Quixote_, the hero of a celebrated fictitious work, written by Cervantes, a distinguished Spanish writer, and intended to reform the tastes and opinions of his countrymen.
_Reeking_, smoking, emitting vapor.
_Residuum_, the remainder, or part which remains.
_Routine_, a round, or course of engagements, business, pleasure, &c.
To _Run_ a seam, to lay the two edges of a seam together, and pass the threaded needle out and in, with small stitches, a few threads below the edge, and on a line with it.
To _Run_ a stocking, to pass a thread of yarn, with a needle, straight along each row of the stocking, as far as is desired, taking up one loop and missing two or three, until the row is completed, so as to double the thickness at the part which is run.
_Sabbatical year_, every seventh year, among the Jews, which was a year of rest for the land, when it was to be left without culture. In this year, all debts were to be remitted, and slaves set at liberty. See Exodus xxi. 2, xxiii. 10, Leviticus xxv. 2, 3, &c., Deuteronomy xv. 12, and other similar passages.
_Sal aeratus_, see _Pearlash_.
_Sal ammoniac_, a salt, called also muriate of ammonia, which derives its name from a district in Libya, Egypt, where there was a temple of Jupiter Ammon, and where this salt was found.
_Scotch Highlanders_, inhabitants of the Highlands of Scotland.
_Selvedge_, the edge of cloth, a border. Improperly written _selvage_.
_Service-book_, a book prescribing the order of public services in a church or congregation.
_Sharps_, see _Blunts_.
_Shorts_, the coarser part of wheat bran.
_Shrubbery_, a plantation of shrubs.
_Siberia_, a large country in the extreme northern part of Asia, having the Frozen Ocean on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the east, and forming a part of the Russian empire. The northern part is extremely cold, almost uncultivated, and contains but few inhabitants. It furnishes fine skins, and some of the most valuable furs in the world.
It also contains rich mines of iron and copper, and several kinds of precious stones.