DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 Mus·sel n.
 1. Zool. Any one of many species of marine bivalve shells of the genus Mytilus, and related genera, of the family Mytidae.  The common mussel (Mytilus edulis; see Illust. under Byssus), and the larger, or horse, mussel (Modiola modiolus), inhabiting the shores both of Europe and America, are edible. The former is extensively used as food in Europe.
 2. Zool. Any one of numerous species of Unio, and related fresh-water genera; -- called also river mussel. See Naiad, and Unio.
 Mussel digger Zool., the grayback whale. See Gray whale, under Gray.
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 Gray a. [Compar. Grayer superl. Grayest.]  [Written also grey.]
 1. any color of neutral hue between white and black; white mixed with black, as the color of pepper and salt, or of ashes, or of hair whitened by age; sometimes, a dark mixed color; as, the soft gray eye of a dove.
    These gray and dun colors may be also produced by mixing whites and blacks.   --Sir I. Newton.
 2. Gray-haired; gray-headed; of a gray color; hoary.
 3. Old; mature; as, gray experience. -- Ames.
 Gray antimony Min., stibnite.
 Gray buck Zool., the chickara.
 Gray cobalt Min., smaltite.
 Gray copper  Min., tetrahedrite.
 Gray duck Zool., the gadwall; also applied to the female mallard.
 Gray falcon Zool. the peregrine falcon.
 Gray Friar. See Franciscan, and Friar.
 Gray hen Zool., the female of the blackcock or black grouse. See Heath grouse.
 Gray mill or Gray millet Bot., a name of several plants of the genus Lithospermum; gromwell.
 Gray mullet Zool. any one of the numerous species of the genus Mugil, or family Mugilidæ, found both in the Old World and America; as the European species (Mugilidæ capito, and Mugilidæ auratus), the American striped mullet (Mugilidæ albula), and the white or silver mullet (Mugilidæ Braziliensis). See Mullet.
 Gray owl Zool.,  the European tawny or brown owl (Syrnium aluco). The great gray owl (Ulula cinerea) inhabits arctic America.
 Gray parrot Zool., an African parrot (Psittacus erithacus), very commonly domesticated, and noted for its aptness in learning to talk.  Also called jako.
 Gray pike. Zool. See Sauger.
 Gray snapper Zool., a Florida fish; the sea lawyer. See Snapper.
 Gray snipe Zool., the dowitcher in winter plumage.
 Gray whale Zool., a rather large and swift whale of the northern Pacific (Eschrichtius robustus, formerly Rhachianectes glaucus), having short jaws and no dorsal fin.  It grows to a length of 50 feet (someimes 60 feet).  It was formerly taken in large numbers in the bays of California, and is now rare; -- called also grayback, devilfish, and hardhead.  It lives up to 50 or 60 years and adults weigh from 20 to 40 tons.

 Gray whale Zool., a rather large and swift baleen whale of the northern Pacific (Eschrichtius robustus, formerly Rhachianectes glaucus), having short jaws and no dorsal fin; -- called also grayback, devilfish, and hardhead.  It grows to a length of 50 feet (sometimes 60 feet).  It was formerly taken in large numbers in the bays of California, and is now rare.  It lives up to 50 or 60 years and adults weigh from 20 to 40 tons.
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 Hard·head n.
 1. Clash or collision of heads in contest.
 2. Zool. (a) The menhaden. See Menhaden. [Local, U. S.] (b) Block's gurnard (Trigla gurnardus) of Europe. (c) A California salmon; the steelhead. (d) The gray whale. See Gray whale, under Gray. (e) A coarse American commercial sponge (Spongia dura).
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 gray whale
      n : medium-sized grayish-black whale of the northern Pacific
          [syn: devilfish, Eschrichtius gibbosus, Eschrichtius
          robustus]