spermaceti

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“
The next operation was to boil the spermaceti, and to stow it away in casks.

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Definitions (7)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. noun A white, waxy substance consisting of various esters of fatty acids, obtained from the head of the sperm whale or another cetacean and used for making candles, ointments, and cosmetics.

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Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • We can furnish to France (because we have heretofore furnished to England) of whale-oil and spermaceti, of furs and peltry, of ships and naval stores, and of potash, to the amount of fifteen millions of livres; and the quantities will admit of increase. —  Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies
  • The best candles were made from spermaceti -- far better than tallow or beeswax. —  Latest Articles
  • [377] He had brought with him a piece of spermaceti, a portion of which he presented to us. —  Journal of Jasper Danckaerts, 1679-1680
  • 222. A CURE FOR A HARD DRY COUGH Take of each one table-spoonful--spermaceti grated, honey, and peppermint water; mix all together with the yolks of two eggs in a gallipot. —  A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes
  • To each 100 parts of the compound one-twentieth to one-tenth part of ozokerite and the same quantity of spermaceti are added The entire mixture is then again heated to 252 degrees Fahrenheit and one-fifteenth to one-twelfth part of sulphur is added. —  Scientific American Supplement, No. 1157, March 5, 1898
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Medieval Latin spermacētī : Late Latin sperma, semen; see sperm1 + Latin cētī, genitive of cētus, whale; see Cetus.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Formerly or dial. also, in corrupt forms, parmaceti, parmacety, parmacetty, parmacity, parmacitty, etc.; from French spermaceti = Spanish espermaceti = Portuguese espermacete = Italian spermaceti, from New Latin spermaceti, literally ‘whale's seed’ the substance having been regarded as the spawn of the whale; from Latin sperma, seed, + ceti, genitive of cetus, from Greek κῆτος, whale: see Cete.
 

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/spərməˈsɛti/
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