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Mountain flax

Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Mountain \Moun"tain\, a.
   1. Of or pertaining to a mountain or mountains; growing or
      living on a mountain; found on or peculiar to mountains;
      among mountains; as, a mountain torrent; mountain pines;
      mountain goats; mountain air; mountain howitzer.

   2. Like a mountain; mountainous; vast; very great.

            The high, the mountain majesty of worth. --Byron.

   {Mountain antelope} (Zo["o]l.), the goral.

   {Mountain ash} (Bot.), an ornamental tree, the {Pyrus
      (Sorbus) Americana}, producing beautiful bunches of red
      berries. Its leaves are pinnate, and its flowers white,
      growing in fragrant clusters. The European species is the
      {P. aucuparia}, or rowan tree.

   {Mountain barometer}, a portable barometer, adapted for safe
      transportation, used in measuring the heights of
      mountains.

   {Mountain beaver} (Zo["o]l.), the sewellel.

   {Mountain blue} (Min.), blue carbonate of copper; azurite.

   {Mountain cat} (Zo["o]l.), the catamount. See {Catamount}.

   {Mountain chain}, a series of contiguous mountain ranges,
      generally in parallel or consecutive lines or curves.

   {Mountain cock} (Zo["o]l.), capercailzie. See {Capercailzie}.
      

   {Mountain cork} (Min.), a variety of asbestus, resembling
      cork in its texture.

   {Mountain crystal}. See under {Crystal}.

   {Mountain damson} (Bot.), a large tree of the genus
      {Simaruba} ({S. amarga}) growing in the West Indies, which
      affords a bitter tonic and astringent, sometimes used in
      medicine.

   {Mountain dew}, Scotch whisky, so called because often
      illicitly distilled among the mountains. [Humorous]

   {Mountain ebony} (Bot.), a small leguminous tree ({Bauhinia
      variegata}) of the East and West Indies; -- so called
      because of its dark wood. The bark is used medicinally and
      in tanning.

   {Mountain flax} (Min.), a variety of asbestus, having very
      fine fibers; amianthus. See {Amianthus}.

   {Mountain fringe} (Bot.), climbing fumitory. See under
      {Fumitory}.

   {Mountain goat}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Mazama}.

   {Mountain green}. (Min.)
      (a) Green malachite, or carbonate of copper.
      (b) See {Green earth}, under {Green}, a.

   {Mountain holly} (Bot.), a branching shrub ({Nemopanthes
      Canadensis}), having smooth oblong leaves and red berries.
      It is found in the Northern United States.

   {Mountain laurel} (Bot.), an American shrub ({Kalmia
      latifolia}) with glossy evergreen leaves and showy
      clusters of rose-colored or white flowers. The foliage is
      poisonous. Called also {American laurel}, {ivy bush}, and
      {calico bush}. See {Kalmia}.

   {Mountain leather} (Min.), a variety of asbestus, resembling
      leather in its texture.

   {Mountain licorice} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Trifolium}
      ({T. Alpinum}).

   {Mountain limestone} (Geol.), a series of marine limestone
      strata below the coal measures, and above the old red
      standstone of Great Britain. See Chart of {Geology}.

   {Mountain linnet} (Zo["o]l.), the twite.

   {Mountain magpie}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) The yaffle, or green woodpecker.
      (b) The European gray shrike.

   {Mountain mahogany} (Bot.) See under {Mahogany}.

   {Mountain meal} (Min.), a light powdery variety of calcite,
      occurring as an efflorescence.

   {Mountain milk} (Min.), a soft spongy variety of carbonate of
      lime.

   {Mountain mint}. (Bot.) See {Mint}.

   {Mountain ousel} (Zo["o]l.), the ring ousel; -- called also
      {mountain thrush} and {mountain colley}. See {Ousel}.

   {Mountain pride}, or {Mountain green} (Bot.), a tree of
      Jamaica ({Spathelia simplex}), which has an unbranched
      palmlike stem, and a terminal cluster of large, pinnate
      leaves.

   {Mountain quail} (Zo["o]l.), the plumed partridge ({Oreortyx
      pictus}) of California. It has two long, slender,
      plumelike feathers on the head. The throat and sides are
      chestnut; the belly is brown with transverse bars of black
      and white; the neck and breast are dark gray.

   {Mountain range}, a series of mountains closely related in
      position and direction.

   {Mountain rice}. (Bot.)
      (a) An upland variety of rice, grown without irrigation,
          in some parts of Asia, Europe, and the United States.
      (b) An American genus of grasses ({Oryzopsis}).

   {Mountain rose} (Bot.), a species of rose with solitary
      flowers, growing in the mountains of Europe ({Rosa
      alpina}).

   {Mountain soap} (Min.), a soft earthy mineral, of a brownish
      color, used in crayon painting; saxonite.

   {Mountain sorrel} (Bot.), a low perennial plant ({Oxyria
      digyna} with rounded kidney-form leaves, and small
      greenish flowers, found in the White Mountains of New
      Hampshire, and in high northern latitudes. --Gray.

   {Mountain sparrow} (Zo["o]l.), the European tree sparrow.

   {Mountain spinach}. (Bot.) See {Orach}.

   {Mountain tobacco} (Bot.), a composite plant ({Arnica
      montana}) of Europe; called also {leopard's bane}.

   {Mountain witch} (Zo["o]l.), a ground pigeon of Jamaica, of
      the genus {Geotrygon}.

Flax \Flax\, n. [AS. fleax; akin to D. vlas, OHG. flahs, G.
   flachs, and prob. to flechten to braid, plait,m twist, L.
   plectere to weave, plicare to fold, Gr. ? to weave, plait.
   See {Ply}.]
   1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus {Linum}, esp. the {L.
      usitatissimum}, which has a single, slender stalk, about a
      foot and a half high, with blue flowers. The fiber of the
      bark is used for making thread and cloth, called linen,
      cambric, lawn, lace, etc. Linseed oil is expressed from
      the seed.

   2. The skin or fibrous part of the flax plant, when broken
      and cleaned by hatcheling or combing.

   {Earth flax} (Min.), amianthus.

   {Flax brake}, a machine for removing the woody portion of
      flax from the fibrous.

   {Flax comb}, a hatchel, hackle, or heckle.

   {Flax cotton}, the fiber of flax, reduced by steeping in
      bicarbinate of soda and acidulated liquids, and prepared
      for bleaching and spinning like cotton. --Knight.

   {Flax dresser}, one who breaks and swingles flax, or prepares
      it for the spinner.

   {Flax mill}, a mill or factory where flax is spun or linen
      manufactured.

   {Flax puller}, a machine for pulling flax plants in the
      field.

   {Flax wench}.
      (a) A woman who spins flax. [Obs.]
      (b) A prostitute. [Obs.] --Shak.

   {Mountain flax} (Min.), amianthus.

   {New Zealand flax} (Bot.) See {Flax-plant}.
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