1.
[syn: sensitive plant, Mimosa sensitiva]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Sensitive \Sen"si*tive\, a. [F. sensitif. See Sense.]
1. Having sense of feeling; possessing or exhibiting the
capacity of receiving impressions from external objects;
as, a sensitive soul.
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2. Having quick and acute sensibility, either to the action
of external objects, or to impressions upon the mind and
feelings; highly susceptible; easily and acutely affected.
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She was too sensitive to abuse and calumny.
--Macaulay.
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3.
(a) (Mech.) Having a capacity of being easily affected or
moved; as, a sensitive thermometer; sensitive scales.
(b) (Chem. & Photog.) Readily affected or changed by
certain appropriate agents; as, silver chloride or
bromide, when in contact with certain organic
substances, is extremely sensitive to actinic rays.
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4. Serving to affect the sense; sensible. [R.]
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A sensitive love of some sensitive objects.
--Hammond.
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5. Of or pertaining to sensation; depending on sensation; as,
sensitive motions; sensitive muscular motions excited by
irritation. --E. Darwin.
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Sensitive fern (Bot.), an American fern (Onoclea
sensibilis), the leaves of which, when plucked, show a
slight tendency to fold together.
Sensitive flame (Physics), a gas flame so arranged that
under a suitable adjustment of pressure it is exceedingly
sensitive to sounds, being caused to roar, flare, or
become suddenly shortened or extinguished, by slight
sounds of the proper pitch.
Sensitive joint vetch (Bot.), an annual leguminous herb
(Aeschynomene hispida), with sensitive foliage.
Sensitive paper, paper prepared for photographic purpose by
being rendered sensitive to the effect of light.
Sensitive plant. (Bot.)
(a) A leguminous plant (Mimosa pudica, or Mimosa
sensitiva, and other allied species), the leaves of
which close at the slightest touch.
(b) Any plant showing motions after irritation, as the
sensitive brier (Schrankia) of the Southern States,
two common American species of Cassia (Cassia
nictitans, and Cassia Chamaecrista), a kind of
sorrel (Oxalis sensitiva), etc.
[1913 Webster] -- Sen"si*tive*ly, adv. --
Sen"si*tive*ness, n.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Humble \Hum"ble\ (h[u^]m"b'l; 277), a. [Compar. Humbler
(h[u^]m"bl[~e]r); superl. Humblest (h[u^]m"bl[e^]st).] [F.,
fr. L. humilis on the ground, low, fr. humus the earth,
ground. See Homage, and cf. Chameleon, Humiliate.]
1. Near the ground; not high or lofty.
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Thy humble nest built on the ground. --Cowley.
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2. Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming;
modest; as, a humble cottage. Used to describe objects.
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3. Thinking lowly of one's self; claiming little for one's
self; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; thinking one's
self ill-deserving or unworthy, when judged by the demands
of God; lowly; weak; modest. Used to describe people.
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God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
humble. --Jas. iv. 6.
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She should be humble who would please. --Prior.
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Without a humble imitation of the divine Author of
our . . . religion we can never hope to be a happy
nation. --Washington.
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Humble plant (Bot.), a species of sensitive plant, of the
genus Mimosa (Mimosa sensitiva).
To eat humble pie, to endure mortification; to submit or
apologize abjectly; to yield passively to insult or
humiliation; -- a phrase derived from a pie made of the
entrails or humbles of a deer, which was formerly served
to servants and retainers at a hunting feast. See
Humbles. --Halliwell. --Thackeray.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Mimosa \Mi*mo"sa\ (?; 277), n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? imitator. Cf.
Mime.] (Bot.)
A genus of leguminous plants, containing many species, and
including the sensitive plants (Mimosa sensitiva, and
Mimosa pudica).
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Note: The term mimosa is also applied in commerce to several
kinds bark imported from Australia, and used in
tanning; -- called also wattle bark. --Tomlinson.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Mimosa sensitiva
n 1: semi-climbing prickly evergreen shrub of tropical America
having compound leaves sensitive to light and touch [syn:
sensitive plant, Mimosa sensitiva]