More than one of these 7 encyclopedias carries each of the following subjects — but every one of them treats it in a sentence or two and then moves on. They are gathered here so the different accounts can sit side by side.
Sepoy
Aiton's Encyclopedia: a native Hindu enrolled in the British East Indian army. Owing to the effect of a torrid climate on European troops, the Indian government has found it advisable, from the date of first occupation, to employ natives as soldiers. The Sepoy is more active, temperate, and enduring than the British soldier, but is not his equal in battle. About 150,000 Sepoys wear the British uniform. In 1857-8 the Sepoys, enraged to find that a new cartridge required the touching of grease--an act abhorrent to their Mohammedan faith--rose in the "Sepoy Mutiny." See Black Hole; Havelock ; Lucknow ; Bagpipe
Collier's New Encyclopedia: a slight alteration of the ordinary word used for centuries by the natives of India for a soldier in general, but confined by Anglo-Indians to the Hindu and Mohammedan troops, especially to those in British pay.
Covered by Aiton's Encyclopedia and Collier's New Encyclopedia
Seven Weeks' War
Collier's New Encyclopedia: the great conflict in 1866 for German supremacy on one side between Prussia and Italy and Austria on the other, in which the allies were victorious.
Aiton's Encyclopedia: . See Prussia
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia
Shagreen
Aiton's Encyclopedia: a kind of leather produced originally by oriental people from the hide of the horse, camel, or particularly of the ass. Sometimes the skin of the shark, sea-otter, or seal was substituted. In tanning the seeds of a species of goose-foot are embedded in the soft skin. The skin is then shaved and soaked. The pits in which the seeds lay swell up into relief, giving a peculiar granular appearance. The finished leather is dyed a rich green by a compound of sal-ammoniac and copper filings. Shagreen makes a luxurious binding for books and is used for expensive upholstering. The name is Turkish, meaning the back of a horse. See Leather Shah Jehan (1592-1666), a Mogul emperor. He founded Delhi and built magnificently at Agra. See Taj Mahal
Collier's New Encyclopedia: a species of leather, or rather parchment, prepared without tanning, from the skins of horses, asses, and camels. Shagreen is also made of the skins of otters, seals, sharks, etc. It was formerly much used for cases for spectacles, instruments, watches, etc.
Covered by Aiton's Encyclopedia and Collier's New Encyclopedia
Sharon
Collier's New Encyclopedia: a borough of Pennsylvania, in Mercer co. It is on the Shenango river, and on the Pennsylvania, the Lake Shore, and Michigan Southern, the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie, and the Erie railroads. It is the center of an important steel and iron industry, and has rolling mills, furnaces, boiler shops, ordnance works, and manufactures of explosives, nails, chains, stoves, and lumber products. It has also important coal mining interests. Pop. (1910) 15,270; (1920) 21,747.
Aiton's Encyclopedia: in sacred geography, a plain in Palestine extending along the coast from Joppa to Carmel. The plain of Sharon was noted for fertility. The celebrated rose of Sharon, or Syrian hibiscus, still grows, a much branched shrub, five to six feet high. The flowers resemble those of the common garden hollyhock. See Hollyhock
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia
Sheik
Collier's New Encyclopedia: or SHEIKH (Arabian), an elder, a chief, the head of a Bedouin family of importance with its retainers, or of a clan or tribe. When war exists, the sheiks of a region confederate together and choose one of their number as a sheik or chief. The position of Abraham with his allies, Abner and Eshcol of Mamre, much resembled that of an Arab sheik with his confederates (Gen. xiv. 13, 14). When a traveler passes through the territories of a sheik he pays for guidance and safe conduct.
Aiton's Encyclopedia: the chieftain of an Arab tribe or village. The word is Arabic signifying an old man, an elder. A traveler desiring to transact business of any sort with Arabs does so through their sheik. Among the Mohammedans generally the term is one of respect. The venerable grand mufti of Constantinople, the highest authority in matters of sacred law in the Turkish Empire, is called Sheik ul Islam.
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia
Shekel
Collier's New Encyclopedia: in Hebrew weights, the fundamental weight in the Hebrew scale. It is believed to have weighed 8.78 drachms avoirdupois, 10 pennyweights troy. Half a shekel was called a bekah, which was divided into ten gerahs. Three thousand shekels constituted a talent. In Hebrew money, a coin believed to have been worth 54.74 cents, but money was then , perhaps , 10 times as valuable as now. Shekels of the Maccabee period still exist. In shekels of three years, struck under Simon Maccabæus, the obverse has a vase , over which are the Hebrew letters aleph, shin with a beth, and shin with a gimel; the reverse, a twig with three buds and an inscription, Jerusalem Kedushah, Hakedushah (Jerusalem the Holy). The character is the Samaritan. Other socalled shekels in the square Hebrew letters are considered forgeries . or
Aiton's Encyclopedia: shekl, the Hebrew name of a weight and coin used first in Babylonia. The shekels of Babylonia, Assyria, Phoenicia, and Palestine varied considerably. The shekel of the Jews contained from 212 to 220 grains of silver, equivalent, speaking roughly, to a silver half dollar.
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia
Sheol
Collier's New Encyclopedia: in Jewish belief, the place of the dead, from a Hebrew work meaning a cave. In the Authorized Version of the Bible it is translated by the words, hell, grave, or pit. In the Revised Version the word "sheol" is generally left untranslated in the text, while "grave" is put in the margin. For instance, in Ps. ix. 17, "The wicked shall be turned into hell" (Authorized Version), becomes, "The wicked shall return to sheol" (Revised Version). See HELL.
Aiton's Encyclopedia: in Hebrew writings, the place of departed spirits. The corresponding Greek term is Hades. In the King James Bible the Hebrew Sheol is translated grave, pit, and hell.
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia
Sherry
Collier's New Encyclopedia: a favorite Spanish wine, prepared from small white grapes grown in the province of Andalusia, those which furnish the better qualities being_cultivated in the vineyards of Xeres. In the manufacture of sherry the grapes are not gathered till they are quite ripe, and the fermentation is continued till nearly all the sugar has been converted into alcohol. Sherries may be divided into natural, containing from 20 to 26 per cent. of proof spirit, and fortified , containing from 30 to 40 per cent. Sherry is used in many of the wines of the pharmacopeia, as Vinum ferri, etc. an ancient
Aiton's Encyclopedia: a strong white wine from the south of Spain. The name is a corruption of Xeres the chief town of shipment. See Wine
Covered by Collier's New Encyclopedia and Aiton's Encyclopedia