DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 Nos·toc prop. n.  Bot. A genus of algae. The plants are composed of moniliform cells imbedded in a gelatinous substance.
 Note: ☞ Nostoc commune is found on the ground, and is ordinarily not seen; but after a rain it swells up into a conspicuous jellylike mass, which was formerly supposed to have fallen from the sky, whence the popular names, fallen star and star jelly. Also called witches' butter.
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 Witch, n.
 1. One who practices the black art, or magic; one regarded as possessing supernatural or magical power by compact with an evil spirit, esp. with the Devil; a sorcerer or sorceress; -- now applied chiefly or only to women, but formerly used of men as well.
    There was a man in that city whose name was Simon, a witch.   --Wyclif (Acts viii. 9).
    He can not abide the old woman of Brentford; he swears she's a witch.   --Shak.
 2. An ugly old woman; a hag.
 3. One who exercises more than common power of attraction; a charming or bewitching person; also, one given to mischief; -- said especially of a woman or child.  [Colloq.]
 4. Geom. A certain curve of the third order, described by Maria Agnesi under the name versiera.
 5. Zool. The stormy petrel.
 Witch balls, a name applied to the interwoven rolling masses of the stems of herbs, which are driven by the winds over the steppes of Tartary.  Cf. Tumbleweed. --Maunder (Treas. of Bot.)
 Witches' besoms Bot., tufted and distorted branches of the silver fir, caused by the attack of some fungus. --Maunder (Treas. of Bot.)
 Witches' butter Bot., a name of several gelatinous cryptogamous plants, as Nostoc commune, and Exidia glandulosa.  See Nostoc.
 Witch grass Bot., a kind of grass (Panicum capillare) with minute spikelets on long, slender pedicels forming a light, open panicle.
 Witch meal Bot., vegetable sulphur.  See under Vegetable.
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 witches' butter
      n : a yellow jelly fungus [syn: Tremella lutescens]