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Thus, as eight companies of equal num-bers would form a perfect square, tenmake an oblong.

Perfect Square a square whose sidesare equal and at right angles.

The perfect square, in the formationof troops, seems best calculated for mi-litary movements and arrangements.Battalions, for instance, which are com-posed of eight companies, with one hun-dred rank and file in each, are equal toevery species of disposition. It is uponthis principle, we presume, that theTrench have distributed their infantry.British regiments, on the contrary, con-sist of ten companies, and are so com-posed that no square of this kind can beformed. This is manifestly a defect inour system. It is indeed remedied bvthe grenadier and light infantry compa-nies being occasionally detached, or castinto separate battalions ; so that the re-maining companies, by being told off, arebrought to eight equal parts. Tacticianswill perhaps agree with us, that itwould be better to have seven compa-nies flanked by a subdivided one ofgrenadiers, the whole being so equalizedas to produce eight equal parts. In thiscase, the light companies should heformed into separate bodies of chasseurs,or riflemen, after the manner of theFrench .

Shakespeare uses the word square, tosignify squadron ; but it is now obsolete.

Square root, in geometry. The squareroot of any number is that which multi-plied by itself], produces the square; thus4 is the square root of 16.

Square number , in arithmetic, iswhen another number, called its root,can be found, which multiplied by itself,produces the square; thus 16 is thesquare number of 4, and 9 the squareof 3.

Square , an instrument of brass, orwood, having one side*perpendicular, orat right angles to the other, sometimesmade with a joint to fold for the pocket;and sometimes with a back to use on adrawing board, to guide the square.

SQUARING, in mathematics, signi-fies the making of a square, equal to acircle. Thus the quadrature, or squariugof the circle, is the finding a square equalto the area of a circle.

SQUELETTE, Fr. literally means askeleton. It is used by the Trench, asby us, to signify the remnant, or in-complete state of a regiment, viz. Le

0 ) s T A

squelette d'un regiment, the skeleton of aregiment.

Squelette , Fr. likewise means theskeleton state of a ship, or a ship uponthe stocks, which has only her ribs andfirst timbers laid in. So that squelette,among the French , will apply either tothe first organization, or arrangement ofthe parts belonging to a work, or esta-blishment, before it is completed, or tothe remnant of such a work, or establish-ment, after it has been completed. Inthe first sense, the word cadre, frame,outline, Sec. bears the construction ofsquelette, among the French , as cadre d’uncorps. When the expedition into Rri-tanny was planned, there were severalcadres of this description. They con-sisted of French noblemen and gentlemenwho were to organize the Chouans, andto receive appointments according totheir respective ranks, See. &c. Carcass,in building, signifies the same thing.

SQUIRE. An attendant on a warriorwas formerly so called. See Armigf.r.

STABLE, a convenience well knownfor the comfortable reception of a horse.

A stable should be in good air, and uponhard, linn, and dry ground. It ought, ifpossible, to be built upon an ascent, thatthe urine, foul water, or any other mois-ture may be conveyed away by means oftrenches, or sinks, cut for that purpose.

Brick is better for building stablesthan stone; the latter being liable tosweat in wet weather, and the moisturecauses rheums and catarrhs.

In some stables, (in those for instance,at Woolwich,) a hollow, or cavity witha grating over it, is made in every stall,into which the urine runs; but we hum-bly conceive, that this drain is highlyprejudicial to the horse’s eyes ; as thesaline particles must collect, especiallyin summer.

Stable horse, Ind. that part of Tip-poo Sultaun’s cavalry, which was bestarmed, accoutered, and most regularlydisciplined.

STADIUM , ( stadion , Fr.) an ancientGreek long measure, containing 125 geo-metrical paces, or 625 Roman feet, cor-responding to our furlong.—This word isformed from the Greek term, which sig-nifies station. It is said, that Hercules,after running that distance at one breath,stood still. The Greeks measured alltheir distances by stadia. * The Romans \had, likewise, their stadia, derived fromthe Greek, by which they measured dis-