Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

CUP ( *99 ) CUR
CULMINATION, in aftronomy, the paflage of any
heavenly body over the meridian, or its greateft alti¬
tude for that day.
CULMORE, a town of Ireland, in the county of Lon¬
donderry, and province of Ulfter, about five miles
north of Londonderry : W. long. 70 40', and N. lat
CULMUS. See Culm.
CULPRIT, a formal reply of a proper officer in court,
in behalf of the king, after a criminal has pleaded not
guilty, affirming him to be guilty, without which the
iffiue to be tried is not joined.
The term culprit is a contradtion of the Latin cul-
pqbilis, and the French priji; importing that he is
ready to prove the criminal guilty.
CULROSS, a parliament town of Scotland, fituated on
the river Forth, about twenty-three miles north-weft
of Edinburgh : W. long. 30 34', and N. lat. 56° 8'.
CULVERIN, -in the military art, a large cannon, or
piece of artillery; for the kinds, weight, and propor¬
tions of which, fee Cannon.
CULVERTAILED, among ffiip-wrights, fignifies the
faftening, or letting, of one timber into another, fo
that they cannot flip out, as the catlings into the beams
of a ffiip.
CUMBERLAND, one of the moft northerly counties
of England, feparated from Scotland by the frith and
river of Solway.' It gives the title of duke to his royal
highnefs William duke of Cumberland, tic.
CUMINOIDES, in botany. SeeLapoECiA.
CUMINUM, in botany, a genus of the pentandria di-
gynia clafs. The fruit is oval and ftriated; it has
four umbellulae, and tRe involucrum confifts of four
fegments. There is but one fpecies, a native of E-
gypt. The feeds are carminative and ftomachic.
CUNEIFORM, in general, an appellation given to
whatever refembles a wedge.
Cuneiform bone, in ^natomy. See Vol. I. p. 180.
CUNEUS, the wedge, in mechanics. See Mecha-
CUNICULUS, in zoology. See Lepus.
CUNILA, in botany, a genus of the diandria monogynia
clafs; of which there are three fpecies, none of them
natives of Britain.
CUNNINGHAM, one-of the four bailiwicks of Scot¬
land, and one of the three into which the (hire of Aire
is fubdivided. It lies north-eaft of Kyle. Its chief
town is Irwin.
CUP, among botanifts, the fame with calyx. See Ca¬
lyx.
CUPANIA, in botany, a genus of the pentandria mo¬
nogynia clafs. The calix confifts of three leaves ; the
ftylus is trifid ; the capfule has three valves ; and the
feeds are fix. There is but one fpecies, a native of
America.
CUPOLA, in archite&ure, a fpherical vault; or the
round top of the dome of a church, in form of a cup
inverted.
CUPPEL, or Coppel, inchemiftry. See Coppel.
CUPPING, in furgery, the operation of applying cup-
Vol. II. No. 42. 3
ping-glafles for the difcharge of blood, and other hu¬
mours, by the Ikin. See Surgery.
CUPRESSUS, the Cypress-tree, a genus of the
monoecia monodelphia clafs. The calix of the male
is a fcale of the amentum ; it has no corolla ; and the
antl^erce have no filaments : The calix of the female is
a ftrobilus, and the fquama contains a Angle flower ;
it has no corolla ; the ftylus is a concave point; and
the nut is angular. The fpecies are four, none of'
them natives of Britain.
CUPRUM, or Copper. See Chemistry, Vol. II.
p. 80.
CURASSOW, or Curacao, one of the lefler Antille
iflands, fubjedt to the Dutch, and fituated in 68° 30'
W. long, and 120 go' N. lat.
CURATE, properly figniiies the parfon or vicar of a
pariffij who has the charge or cure of the pariffioners
fouls. See Cure.
Cu rate, alfo fignifies a perfon fubftituted by the in¬
cumbent, to ferve his cure in his ftead.
CURATOR, among civilians, a perfon regularly ap¬
pointed to manage the affairs of minors, or perfons
mad, deaf, dumb, tic- See Law.
CURB, in the menage, a chain of iron, made faft to
the upper part of the branches of the bridle, in a hole
called the eye, and running over the horfe’s beard.
It confifts of thefe three parts; the hook, fixed to the
eye of the branch; the chain of SS’s, or links; and
the two rings, or mailes. Large curbs, provided they
be round, are always moft gentle: but care is to be
taken, that it reft in its proper place, a little above
the beard, otherwife the bit-mouth will no have the
effedt that may be expected from it.
Engliffi watering bits have no curbs; the Turkiffi
bits, called genettes, have a ring that ferves inftead
of a curb. See Genettes.
CURCULIO, in zoology, a genus of infedts belonging
to the order of coleoptera. The feelers are fubclava-
ted, and reft upon the fnout, which is prominent and
horny. There are no lefs than ninety-five fpecies,
principally diftinguiffied by their colour.
CURCUMA, or Turmeric, in botany, a genus of
the monandria monogynia clafs. It has four barren
ftamina, and only the fifth is fertile. There are two
fpecies, both natives of India. See Vol. I. p. 633.
CURDISTAN, a province of Perfia, having Turcoma-
nia, or Armenia, on the north, and Eyraca-Arabic,
or Chaldea, on the fouth.
CURDLING, the coagulating any fluid body, efpecially
milk.
It is faid, that at Florence they curdle their milk
for the making of cheefe with artichoke-flowers, in¬
ftead of the rennet ufed among us for that purpofe.
CURFEW, or Courfew, a fignal given in cities ta¬
ken in war, tic. to the inhabitants to go to bed.
Pafquin fays, it was fo called, as being intended to
advertife the people to fecure themfelves from the
robberies and debaucheries of the night.
The moft: eminent curfew in England was that efta-
blifhed by William the Conqueror, who appointed,
4 G under