perspective shell

2 definitions found

perspective shell - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Solarium \So*la"ri*um\, n.; pl. Solaria. [L. See Solar, n.]
     1. An apartment freely exposed to the sun; anciently, an
        apartment or inclosure on the roof of a house; in modern
        times, an apartment in a hospital, used as a resort for
        convalescents.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) Any one of several species of handsome marine
        spiral shells of the genus Solarium and allied genera.
        The shell is conical, and usually has a large, deep
        umbilicus exposing the upper whorls. Called also
        perspective shell.
        [1913 Webster]

  Perspective \Per*spec"tive\ (p[~e]r*sp[e^]k"t[i^]v), a. [L.
     perspicere, perspectum, to look through; per + spicere,
     specere, to look: cf. F. perspectif; or from E. perspective,
     n. See Spy, n.]
     1. Of or pertaining to the science of vision; optical. [Obs.]
        --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Pertaining to the art, or in accordance with the laws, of
        perspective.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Perspective plane, the plane or surface on which the
        objects are delineated, or the picture drawn; the plane of
        projection; -- distinguished from the ground plane,
        which is that on which the objects are represented as
        standing. When this plane is oblique to the principal face
        of the object, the perspective is called oblique  perspective
        ; when parallel to that face, parallel  perspective
        .
  
     Perspective shell (Zool.), any shell of the genus
        Solarium and allied genera. See Solarium.
        [1913 Webster]