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meerschaummore about meerschaum

meerschaum


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Meerschaum  \Meer"schaum\,  n.  [G.,  lit.,  sea  foam;  meer  sea  + 
  schaum  foam;  but  it  perh.  is  a  corruption  of  the  Tartaric 
  name  myrsen  Cf  {Mere}  a  lake,  and  {Scum}.] 
  1.  (Min.)  A  fine  white  claylike  mineral,  soft,  and  light 
  enough  when  in  dry  masses  to  float  in  water.  It  is  a 
  hydrous  silicate  of  magnesia,  and  is  obtained  chiefly  in 
  Asia  Minor.  It  is  manufacturd  into  tobacco  pipes,  cigar 
  holders,  etc  Also  called  {sepiolite}. 
 
  2.  A  tobacco  pipe  made  of  this  mineral. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  meerschaum 
  n  1:  a  white  clayey  mineral  [syn:  {sepiolite}] 
  2:  a  pipe  having  a  bowl  made  of  meerschaum 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  MEERSCHAUM,  n.  (Literally,  seafoam  and  by  many  erroneously  supposed 
  to  be  made  of  it.)  A  fine  white  clay,  which  for  convenience  in 
  coloring  it  brown  is  made  into  tobacco  pipes  and  smoked  by  the  workmen 
  engaged  in  that  industry.  The  purpose  of  coloring  it  has  not  been 
  disclosed  by  the  manufacturers. 
 
  There  was  a  youth  (you've  heard  before 
  This  woeful  tale,  may  be), 
  Who  bought  a  meerschaum  pipe  and  swore 
  That  color  it  would  he! 
 
  He  shut  himself  from  the  world  away 
  Nor  any  soul  he  saw. 
  He  smoke  by  night,  he  smoked  by  day 
  As  hard  as  he  could  draw. 
 
  His  dog  died  moaning  in  the  wrath 
  Of  winds  that  blew  aloof; 
  The  weeds  were  in  the  gravel  path, 
  The  owl  was  on  the  roof. 
 
  "He's  gone  afar,  he'll  come  no  more," 
  The  neighbors  sadly  say 
  And  so  they  batter  in  the  door 
  To  take  his  goods  away 
 
  Dead,  pipe  in  mouth,  the  youngster  lay, 
  Nut-brown  in  face  and  limb. 
  "That  pipe's  a  lovely  white,"  they  say 
  "But  it  has  colored  him!" 
 
  The  moral  there's  small  need  to  sing  -- 
  'Tis  plain  as  day  to  you: 
  Don't  play  your  game  on  any  thing 
  That  is  a  gamester  too 
  Martin  Bulstrode 
 
 




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