Adjacent Words

Haliastur Indus definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Kite Kite, n. [OE. kyte, AS. c?ta; cf. W. cud, cut.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any raptorial bird of the subfamily Milvin[ae], of which many species are known. They have long wings, adapted for soaring, and usually a forked tail. Note: The European species are Milvus ictinus and M. govinda; the sacred or Brahmany kite of India is Haliastur Indus; the American fork-tailed kite is the Nauclerus furcatus. 2. Fig. : One who is rapacious. Detested kite, thou liest. --Shak. 3. A light frame of wood or other material covered with paper or cloth, for flying in the air at the end of a string. 4. (Naut.) A lofty sail, carried only when the wind is light. 5. (Geom.) A quadrilateral, one of whose diagonals is an axis of symmetry. --Henrici. 6. Fictitious commercial paper used for raising money or to sustain credit, as a check which represents no deposit in bank, or a bill of exchange not sanctioned by sale of goods; an accommodation check or bill. [Cant] 7. (Zo["o]l.) The brill. [Prov. Eng. ] Flying kites. (Naut.) See under Flying. Kite falcon (Zo["o]l.), an African falcon of the genus Avicida, having some resemblance to a kite.