ciss

Perhaps ultimately derived in some way from Vulgar Latin *cisellum (from *caesellum, from caedō), whence e.g. French cission, ciseau and other words with senses related to cutting and separating, or perhaps from the same root as scission (“division, separating”) (Latin scissus, scindō), or even a conflation of the two as in scissor, whence sciss (“cut with scissors”).

• IPA^(key): /sɪs/
• Rhymes: -ɪs

ciss (third-person singular simple present cisses, present participle cissing, simple past and past participle cissed)

1. (of paint, varnish, or oil) To retract (from a uniform film applied to a damp, oily or nonabsorbent surface) and clump up into small droplets, or form craters.
   • 1873, Ernest Spon, Workshop Receipts, for the Use of Manufacturers, Mechanics, and Scientific Amateurs by Ernest Spon, page 83:

     Varnish is very apt to ciss on old work, if the second coat is not applied as soon as ever the first coat is hard enough to bear varnishing.

   • 1898, Walter Pearce, Painting and Decorating, page 156:

     Varnish frequently cisses upon oil paint.

   • 1920, Robert Selby Morrell, Armand Waele, Rubber, Resins, Paints and Varnishes, page 198:

     "Cissing."—This term, which would appear to be peculiar to the paint and varnish craft, represents the phenomenon occurring when oil is applied to a damp surface or vice versa, and consists in the contraction or retression of the film applied to separate drops of lesser surface. […] The manifestation of the “cissing” would appear to be about simultaneous with the period of evaporation of the bulk of the volatile thinner . The cause of “cissing” on an unflatted varnished surface is to be found as before stated in the high interfacial tension […]

   • 1952, Maurice Robert Mills, An Introduction to Drying Oil Technology, page 10:

     There is some doubt as to the exact fatty acid composition, but the unquestionably high linolenic acid content and the fact that it is somewhat more reactive than linseed oil places it in the linolenic group. The raw oil tends to “ciss” when applied as a thin film, forming droplets as thought the surface were greasy.

   • 2006, Nigel Clegg, How to Paint Your Boat: Painting, Varnishing, Antifouling, Sheridan House, Inc., →ISBN, page 24:

     The use of silicone anti-cissing agents in particular demands extreme caution, for while small amounts can help to prevent cissing, excessive use will actually promote it. Moreover, any subsequent coats are even more likely to ciss, and their ...

• scis, SICs, SSCI, sics, SCSI, CSIs, s-cis, CSIS

• Ciss (alternative capitalization)

ciss m (definite singular cissen, indefinite plural cissar, definite plural cissane)

1. (music) C-sharp

• ciss-moll m

• IPA^(key): /sɪsː/
• Rhymes: -ɪsː
• Homophone: cis

ciss n

1. (music) C-sharp; the note C♯

• cess