KAFIR, kaf'ir, _n._ one of a native race of SE. Africa.--KAFIR BREAD, the pith of a South African plant; KAFIR CORN, Indian millet. [Ar., unbeliever.]
KAFTAN. Same as CAFTAN.
KAGO, kag'[=o], _n._ a Japanese basket with palanquin slung from a pole and carried by men.
KAIAK. Same as KAYAK.
KAIF, k[=i]f, _n._ undisturbed quiescence. [Ar.]
KAIL, k[=a]l, _n._ a ninepin. [Cf. Dut. and Ger. _kegel_.]
KAIL. See KALE.
KAIMAKAM, k[=i]-ma-kam', _n._ a lieutenant-colonel in the Turkish army: the administrator of a subdivision of a vilayet.
KAIN, k[=a]n, _n._ in old Scots law, rent paid in kind, e.g. in poultry, to a landlord.
KAINITE, k[=i]'n[=i]t, _n._ a hydrated compound of the chlorides and sulphates of magnesium and potassium, used as a fertiliser. [Gr. _kainos_, new.]
KAINOZOIC. Same as CAINOZOIC.
KAISER, k[=i]'z[.e]r, _n._ an emperor, esp. of Germany and Austria.--_n._ KAI'SERSHIP. [Ger.,--L. _Caesar_.]
KAKA, ka'ka, _n._ a New Zealand parrot.--_n._ KA'KAPO, a nocturnal flightless New Zealand parrot.
KAKEMONO, kak-e-m[=o]'n[=o], _n._ a Japanese wall-picture or decoration, painted on silk, gauze, or paper, and mounted on cylindrical rods.
KAKI, ka'k[=e], _n._ the persimmon of Japan, or Chinese date.
KAKISTOCRACY, kak-is-tok'r[=a]-si, _n._ government by the worst men in the state. [Gr. _kakistos_, superl. of _kakos_, bad, _kratia_, rule.]
KAKODYL. See CACODYL.
KALA, ka'la, _n._ time: destiny.--KaLA CHAKRA, the wheel of time. [Sans.]
KALAMDAN, kal'am-dan, _n._ a Persian writing-case, with compartments for ink, reed-pens, knife, &c.
KALAMKARI, kal-am-kar'i, _n._ a method of colouring and decorating by several dyeings or printings, also a chintz so treated. [Pers.]
KALE, KAIL, k[=a]l, _n._ a cabbage with open curled leaves, cabbage generally: broth of which kale is a chief ingredient.--_ns._ KAIL'YARD, a kitchen-garden; KALE'-RUNT, a cabbage-stem.--KAILYARD-SCHOOL, a group of writers of stories of humble Scotch country life--S. R. Crockett, Ian Maclaren, &c. [_Cole._]
KALEIDOPHONE, ka-l[=i]'do-f[=o]n, _n._ an instrument consisting of a rod or thin plate with a knob at the end, for showing the curves corresponding with the musical notes produced by the vibrations. [Gr. _kalos_, beautiful, _eidos_, form, _ph[=o]n[=e]_, sound.]
KALEIDOSCOPE, ka-l[=i]'do-sk[=o]p, _n._ an optical toy in which we see an endless variety of beautiful colours and forms.--_adj._ KALEIDOSCOP'IC.
[Gr. _kalos_, beautiful, _eidos_, form, _skopein_, to see.]
KALENDAR, KALENDS=CALENDAR, CALENDS.
KALEVALA, kal-e-va'la, _n._ the great Finnish epic, written in eight-syllabled trochaic verse (from which Longfellow's _Hiawatha_ is imitated), taken down from the lips of the peasantry and pieced together by Dr. Lonnrot of Helsingfors in 1835, in extended form (22,793 verses) in 1849. [Finnish, _kaleva_, a hero, _-la_, denoting place.]
KALI, kal'i, or k[=a]'l[=i], _n._ the prickly saltwort or glasswort.--_adj._ KALIG'ENOUS, producing alkalies.--_n._ K[=A]'LIUM, potassium.
KALI, ka'l[=e], _n._ a carpet with long nap, also the large carpet covering the centre of a Persian room.
KALI, ka'l[=e], _n._ a Hindu goddess, wife of Siva, the dark goddess of destruction--called also _Durga_.
KALIF, k[=a]'lif, _n._ Same as CALIF.
KALIYUGA, kal-i-y[=oo]'ga, _n._ in Hindu mythology, the present age of the world, the fourth, characterised by universal degeneracy.
KALMIA, kal'mi-a, _n._ a genus of North American evergreen shrubs, including the American mountain laurel. [From Peter _Kalm_, pupil of Linnaeus.]
KALMUCK, kal'muk, _n._ a member of a Mongolian race.--Also CAL'MUCK.
[Russ.]
KALOLOGY, kal-ol'o-ji, _n._ the science of beauty in itself considered.
[Gr. _kalos_, beautiful, _logia_, discourse.]
KALONG, ka-long', _n._ a general name of the large fruit-bats, flying foxes, &c.
KALOTYPE. Same as CALOTYPE.
KALPA, kal'pa, _n._ a day of Brahma, a period of 4320 million years.--Also CAL'PA. [Sans., 'formation.']
KALPIS, kal'pis, _n._ a three-handled water-vase. [Gr.]
KALSOMINE, an incorrect form of _calcimine_, which see under CALCIUM.
KALYPTRA, ka-lip'tra, _n._ a thin veil worn by Greek women over the hair.
KAM, kam, _adj._ (_Shak._) crooked.
KAMA, ka'ma, _n._ the god of love in the Puranas: impure desire.--Also CAMA, KA'MADEVA.
KAMERA, kam'[.e]-ra, _n._ a room. See CAMERA.
KAMES, k[=a]mz, _n.pl._ (_geol._) banks and ridges of gravel, sand, &c., associated with the glacial deposits of Scotland--the same as _sar_ (q.v.) and _eskar_.
KAMI, ka'mi, _n._ a Japanese term for a lord, for any of the national gods, demi-gods, or deified heroes, or any of their supposed descendants, as the mikados and the imperial family. [Japanese, 'superior.']
KAMICHI, kam'i-chi, _n._ the horned screamer.
KAMILA, KAMELA, ka-m[=e]'la, _n._ an East Indian orange dye-stuff yielded by a common Madras tree of the spurge family.
KAMIS, KAMEES, ka-m[=e]s', _n._ the long loose sleeved shirt worn by men in Mohammedan countries.
KAMPONG, kam-pong', _n._ an enclosed space. [Malay.]
KAMPTULICON, kamp-t[=u]'li-kon, _n._ a ground cork and caoutchouc floorcloth. [Gr. _kamptein_, to bend.]