The Collaborative International Dictionary
German \Ger"man\, a. [L. Germanus. See German, n.] Of or pertaining to Germany.
German Baptists. See Dunker.
German bit, a wood-boring tool, having a long elliptical pod and a scew point.
German carp (Zo["o]l.), the crucian carp.
German millet (Bot.), a kind of millet ( Setaria Italica, var.), whose seed is sometimes used for food.
German paste, a prepared food for caged birds.
German process (Metal.), the process of reducing copper ore
in a blast furnace, after roasting, if necessary.
--Raymond.
German sarsaparilla, a substitute for sarsaparilla extract.
German sausage, a polony, or gut stuffed with meat partly cooked.
German silver (Chem.), a silver-white alloy, hard and tough, but malleable and ductile, and quite permanent in the air. It contains nickel, copper, and zinc in varying proportions, and was originally made from old copper slag at Henneberg. A small amount of iron is sometimes added to make it whiter and harder. It is essentially identical with the Chinese alloy packfong. It was formerly much used for tableware, knife handles, frames, cases, bearings of machinery, etc., but is now largely superseded by other white alloys.
German steel (Metal.), a metal made from bog iron ore in a forge, with charcoal for fuel.
German text (Typog.), a character resembling modern German type, used in English printing for ornamental headings, etc., as in the words,
Note: This line is German Text.
German tinder. See Amadou.
Crucian carp \Cru"cian carp`\ (-shan k?rp`). [Cf. Sw. karussa, G. karausche, F. carousse, -assin, corassin, LL. coracinus, Gr. ????? a sort of fish.] (Zo["o]l.) A kind of European carp ( Carasius vulgaris), inferior to the common carp; -- called also German carp.
Note: The gibel or Prussian carp is now generally considered a variety of the crucian carp, or perhaps a hybrid between it and the common carp.