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ratio of the first to the second, or of that of the second to thethird, or of that of the third to the fourth, as being compounded ofthree equal ratios. See Ratio.
TRIPOD, in antiquity, was a famed sacred seat or stool, sup-ported by three feet, whereon the priests and sybils were placedto render oracles. It was on the tripod that the gods were saidto inspire the Pythia with that divine fury and enthusiasm.where-with she was seized at the delivery other predictions.
TRIPOLI, a country of Africa , in Barbary; bounded on theN. by the Mediterranean; on the S. by the country of the Beri-beries; on the W, by Tunis , Biledulgerid, and a territory of theGadamis; and on the E. by Egypt . It is about Q25 miles alongthe sea-coast; but the breadth, is various. Some parts of it arepretty fruitful; but that towards Egypt is a sandy desert. It isgoverned by a dev, who is not absolute, for a Turkish bashaw re-sides here, who receives his authority from the grand seignior, andhas a power of controlling the dev,"and levying taxes on the peo-ple, The dey is elected' by the’soldiers, who depose him whenthey please.
Tripoli , the capital of the above republic, anciently calledTarabilis, and Trebilis. Eon. 13. 12, E. Eat. 32. 34. N.
Tripoli, or Tripolis, a town of Syria , on the Mediterranean,ttf the foot of mount Lebanon ; anciently called Tarabolus. Lon.35. 30.. E, Lat. 34. 20. N. .
Tripoli , in mineralogy, a species of the clay-genus, is of agreyish colour: it occurs massive, is soft and friable, feels meagre,and does not adhere to the tongue. It occurs in veins and beds infloetz rocks, and perhaps in alluvial land. Ii is found in beds inthe coal works of Thuringia : in Derbyshire it occurs in veins : inTripoli , whence its name is derived, it also forms veins. It isalso found in Russia, Westphalia, Flanders, Ilessia, Bohemia , andSwitzerland . When reduced to powder, it is employed for polish-jag metals, marbles, and other minerals, and likewise for polishingglass. Formerly it was supposed to be a volcanic production,which lias been long since disproved, and it appears to be an ex-tremely fine mixture of clay and sand.
TRIPPANE, in mineralogy, is of an apple-green, or greenishwhite. It occurs in mass, is moderately bard, and easily frangi-ble. Specific gravity is 3.21. Before the blow-pipe, it becomesyellow, and splits into thin plates, and then melts into a thin tran-sparent glass. It lias hitherto been found in Sweden, in veins ofquartz and mica.
'TRIPPING, ill heraldry, denotes the quick motion of all sortsof deer, and of some other creatures, represented with one foot asit were on a trot.
TRIPSACUM, in botany, a genus ot plants of the class mo-il cecia, and* order triandria ; natural order, Gramma. Male calyxglume four-flowered; corolla glume, membranaceous: female,calyx glume with perforated sinuses; corolla glume two-valved ;styles two ; seed one. There are two species, viz. i. dactyloules,and T. hennaphmditum.
TRIQUETROUS, among botanists, an epithet applied to a fiuitor leaf that lias three sides or faces all flat.
TRISECTiON, [tres and sectio, Eat.] a term chiefly used ingeometry, for the division ol an angle into three equal parts. I hetrisection of an angle, geometrically, is one of those grea -l pro-blems, whose solution has been so much sought for by mathema-ticians for 2000 years past; being, in this respect, on a footingwith the famous quadiature of the circle, and the dupltcatuie ot
the cube. _ . ,
TRISMUS, the locked-jaw. See Medicine.TRISPERMOUS, in botany, three-seeded.
TRISETOUS, in entomology, three-bristled, applied chief!)to the tail of insects, as in the ephemera.
TRISPAST, in mechanics, a machine with three pttllies, oi anassemblage of three pullies for the raising of great weights.
TRITCHINOPOLY, a town of Hmdoostan, in the Carna-ge, 136 miles S. E. of Seringapatam . Lon. 78. 45. E. Lat. 10.48. N.
TRITICUM, Wheat ; in botany, a genus of plants of the=V>ss triandria, and order digynia; natural order, Gramina. Calyxbivalve, solitary, generally containing three florets ; corolla bi-Va lve, one valve being bluntisli, the other acute. 1 here are 19species. For the cultivation of wheat, see Husbandry.TR1TOMA, in natural history, a genus of insects of the order
Coleoptera . Antenna; elavate, the club perfoliate; lip emargi-nate ; anterior feelers hatchet-shaped ;.shells as long as the body.There are ten species.
TRITON, in the mythology, a sea-god, the son of Neptuneand Amphitrite : lie could calm the ocean in the greatest storms.
Triton, in zoology, a genus belonging to the order of vermesmollusra. Body oblong; tongue spiral; tentacula, six on eachside, the hindmost ones having claws like a crab. There is butone species, found in holes of rocks about the shore.
TRITONES, a numerous tribe of inferior sea-deities, whodragged Neptune’s chariot. They were half men half fishes.
TRITURATION, in pharmacy, the act of reducing a solidbody into a subtle powder ; called also levigation, and pulveriza-tion.
TRIVENTO, a town of Naples, 15 miles N. of Bogano, 11N. of Molise , and 62 E. of Naples. Lon 15. 37. E. Lat. 40.50. N.
TRIVIAL NAME, in botany, zoology, &c. is that by whichthe species of a plant or animal is distinguished.from every otherspecies.
TR1UMFETTA, in botany, a genus of plants, in the class-dodecandria and order monogynia; natural order, Columniferae.Calyx five-leaved; corolla five-petaled ; capsule hipsid, opening,in four parts. There are eleven species.
TRIUMPH, in Roman antiquity, was a public and solemnhonour conferred by the Romans on a victorious general by allow-ing him a magnificent procession through the city.
TRIUMVIR, one of three persons who govern absolutely, andwith equal authority, in a state. It is chiefly applied to the Ro- ■man government, Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus , were the firsttriumvirs who divided the government among them.
TRIX1S, in botany, a genus of the syngenesia polygamia ne-cessaria class and order. Natural order, Composite Oppositi-foliae. Corollets of the ray trifid ; .seeds hairy at the tip, without :any down ; receptacle chaffy. There are three species, all nativesof the West Indies .
TROARN, or TROUARD, a town of France , in the depart-ment of Calvados, and province of Normandy , on the Dive; sixmiles E. of Caen , and 15 W. of Lifieux.
TROAS, a country of Phrygia in Asia Minor , of which Troywas the capital. When Troas is taken for the whole kingdom ofPriam, it may be said to contain Mysia and Phrygia Minor; butif only applied to that part of the country where 1 roy was situated,.its extent is confined within very narrow limits. Troas was an-ciently called Dardania. See Troja.
TROCAR, [ trocar , corrupted from irois quart, French, ] achiruraical instrument. See Surgery.
TROCH7EUS, in prosody, a foot consisting of a long andshort syllable.
TROCHAIC VERSE, in Latin prosody, a species of verse,consisting of eight feet, chiefly trochah, alternating with tribrachys,dactylus, spondxus, anapaistus, and proceleusmaticus.
TROCHANTERS, two processes of the thigh-,
bone, called rotator major and minor, in which the tendons of.many muscles terminate. See Anatomy..
TROCHE, in pharmacy, a sort of medicine made of glutinoussubstances into little, cakes, and afterwards exsiccated. SeePharmacy.
TROCHEE, [ trochccus, Lat. a foot used in Latin
poetry, consisting of a long and short syllable, asjustus.
TfiOCHILICS, [irgox^R'v a wheel,] the science of ro-
tatory motion. See M echanics.
TROCHILUS, the Humming-Bird, a genus of birds of theorder pic*. Rostrum subulate, filiform, longer than the head, theapex tubular; upper mandible sheaths the lower; tongue filiform,tubulous, the two threads coalescing ; feet slender, tit for walking ;tail has ten feathers. There are 65 species, none of which are na-tives of Britain . They are all remarkable for the beauty of theircolours, and most of them for the smallness of their sise, though-some of them are eight or nine inches long. They are dividedinto two families, viz, those with crooked bills, and those withstraight bills.
T. Colibri, or Minimus, the Least Humming Bird, is ex-ceeded, both in weight and dimensions, by several species of
bees.