Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Scorpion \Scor"pi*on\, n. [F., fr. L. scorpio, scorpius, Gr. ?,
   perhaps akin to E. sharp.]
   1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of pulmonate
      arachnids of the order Scorpiones, having a suctorial
      mouth, large claw-bearing palpi, and a caudal sting.

   Note: Scorpions have a flattened body, and a long, slender
         post-abdomen formed of six movable segments, the last
         of which terminates in a curved venomous sting. The
         venom causes great pain, but is unattended either with
         redness or swelling, except in the axillary or inguinal
         glands, when an extremity is affected. It is seldom if
         ever destructive of life. Scorpions are found widely
         dispersed in the warm climates of both the Old and New
         Worlds.

   2. (Zo["o]l.) The pine or gray lizard ({Sceloporus
      undulatus}). [Local, U. S.]

   3. (Zo["o]l.) The scorpene.

   4. (Script.) A painful scourge.

            My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will
            chastise you with scorpions.          --1 Kings xii.
                                                  11.

   5. (Astron.) A sign and constellation. See {Scorpio}.

   6. (Antiq.) An ancient military engine for hurling stones and
      other missiles.

   {Book scorpion}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {Book}.

   {False scorpion}. (Zo["o]l.) See under {False}, and {Book
      scorpion}.

   {Scorpion bug}, or {Water scorpion} (Zo["o]l.) See {Nepa}.

   {Scorpion fly} (Zo["o]l.), a neuropterous insect of the genus
      {Panorpa}. See {Panorpid}.

   {Scorpion grass} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Myosotis}. {M.
      palustris} is the forget-me-not.

   {Scorpion senna} (Bot.), a yellow-flowered leguminous shrub
      ({Coronilla Emerus}) having a slender joined pod, like a
      scorpion's tail. The leaves are said to yield a dye like
      indigo, and to be used sometimes to adulterate senna.

   {Scorpion shell} (Zo["o]l.), any shell of the genus
      Pteroceras. See {Pteroceras}.

   {Scorpion spiders}. (Zo["o]l.), any one of the Pedipalpi.

   {Scorpion's tail} (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus
      {Scorpiurus}, herbs with a circinately coiled pod; -- also
      called {caterpillar}.

   {Scorpion's thorn} (Bot.), a thorny leguminous plant
      ({Genista Scorpius}) of Southern Europe.

   {The Scorpion's Heart} (Astron.), the star Antares in the
      constellation Scorpio.

False \False\, a. [Compar. {Falser}; superl. {Falsest}.] [L.
   falsus, p. p. of fallere to deceive; cf. OF. faus, fals, F.
   faux, and AS. fals fraud. See {Fail}, {Fall}.]
   1. Uttering falsehood; unveracious; given to deceit;
      dishnest; as, a false witness.

   2. Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance,
      vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous; perfidious; as, a false
      friend, lover, or subject; false to promises.

            I to myself was false, ere thou to me. --Milton.

   3. Not according with truth or reality; not true; fitted or
      likely to deceive or disappoint; as, a false statement.

   4. Not genuine or real; assumed or designed to deceive;
      counterfeit; hypocritical; as, false tears; false modesty;
      false colors; false jewelry.

            False face must hide what the false heart doth know.
                                                  --Shak.

   5. Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous; as,
      a false claim; a false conclusion; a false construction in
      grammar.

            Whose false foundation waves have swept away.
                                                  --Spenser.

   6. Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which
      are temporary or supplemental.

   7. (Mus.) Not in tune.

   {False arch} (Arch.), a member having the appearance of an
      arch, though not of arch construction.

   {False attic}, an architectural erection above the main
      cornice, concealing a roof, but not having windows or
      inclosing rooms.

   {False bearing}, any bearing which is not directly upon a
      vertical support; thus, the weight carried by a corbel has
      a false bearing.

   {False cadence}, an imperfect or interrupted cadence.

   {False conception} (Med.), an abnormal conception in which a
      mole, or misshapen fleshy mass, is produced instead of a
      properly organized fetus.

   {False croup} (Med.), a spasmodic affection of the larynx
      attended with the symptoms of membranous croup, but
      unassociated with the deposit of a fibrinous membrane.

   {False} {door or window} (Arch.), the representation of a
      door or window, inserted to complete a series of doors or
      windows or to give symmetry.

   {False fire}, a combustible carried by vessels of war,
      chiefly for signaling, but sometimes burned for the
      purpose of deceiving an enemy; also, a light on shore for
      decoying a vessel to destruction.

   {False galena}. See {Blende}.

   {False imprisonment} (Law), the arrest and imprisonment of a
      person without warrant or cause, or contrary to law; or
      the unlawful detaining of a person in custody.

   {False keel} (Naut.), the timber below the main keel, used to
      serve both as a protection and to increase the shio's
      lateral resistance.

   {False key}, a picklock.

   {False leg}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Proleg}.

   {False membrane} (Med.), the fibrinous deposit formed in
      croup and diphtheria, and resembling in appearance an
      animal membrane.

   {False papers} (Naut.), documents carried by a ship giving
      false representations respecting her cargo, destination,
      ect., for the purpose of deceiving.

   {False passage} (Surg.), an unnatural passage leading off
      from a natural canal, such as the urethra, and produced
      usually by the unskillful introduction of instruments.

   {False personation} (Law), the intentional false assumption
      of the name and personality of another.

   {False pretenses} (Law), false representations concerning
      past or present facts and events, for the purpose of
      defrauding another.

   {False rail} (Naut.), a thin piece of timber placed on top of
      the head rail to strengthen it.

   {False relation} (Mus.), a progression in harmony, in which a
      certain note in a chord appears in the next chord prefixed
      by a flat or sharp.

   {False return} (Law), an untrue return made to a process by
      the officer to whom it was delivered for execution.

   {False ribs} (Anat.), the asternal rebs, of which there are
      five pairs in man.

   {False roof} (Arch.), the space between the upper ceiling and
      the roof. --Oxford Gloss.

   {False token}, a false mark or other symbol, used for
      fraudulent purposes.

   {False scorpion} (Zo["o]l.), any arachnid of the genus
      {Chelifer}. See {Book scorpion}.

   {False tack} (Naut.), a coming up into the wind and filling
      away again on the same tack.

   {False vampire} (Zo["o]l.), the {Vampyrus spectrum} of South
      America, formerly erroneously supposed to have
      blood-sucking habits; -- called also {vampire}, and {ghost
      vampire}. The genuine blood-sucking bats belong to the
      genera {Desmodus} and {Diphylla}. See {Vampire}.

   {False window}. (Arch.) See {False door}, above.

   {False wing}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Alula}, and {Bastard wing},
      under {Bastard}.

   {False works} (Civil Engin.), construction works to
      facilitate the erection of the main work, as scaffolding,
      bridge centering, etc.

Source : WordNet®

false scorpion
     n : small nonvenomous arachnid resembling a tailless scorpion
         [syn: {pseudoscorpion}]