Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (part 7 of 60)
2. To enrich; to benefit; to give in addition. [Obs.] And I will boot thee with what gift beside Thy modesty can beg. Shak.
BOOT Boot, n. Etym: [OE. bote, OF. bote, F. botte, LL. botta; of uncertain origin.]
1. A covering for the foot and lower part of the leg, ordinarily made of leather.
2. An instrument of torture for the leg, formerly used to extort confessions, particularly in Scotland. So he was put to the torture, which in Scotland they call the boots; for they put a pair of iron boots close on the leg, and drive wedges between them and the leg. Bp. Burnet.
3. A place at the side of a coach, where attendants rode; also, a low outside place before and behind the body of the coach. [Obs.]
4. A place for baggage at either end of an old-fashioned stagecoach.
5. An apron or cover (of leather or rubber cloth) for the driving seat of a vehicle, to protect from rain and mud.
6. (Plumbing)
Defn: The metal casing and flange fitted about a pipe where it passes through a roof. Boot catcher, the person at an inn whose business it was to pull off boots and clean them. [Obs.] Swift. -- Boot closer, one who, or that which, sews the uppers of boots. -- Boot crimp, a frame or device used by bootmakers for drawing and shaping the body of a boot. -- Boot hook, a hook with a handle, used for pulling on boots. -- Boots and saddles (Cavalry Tactics), the trumpet call which is the first signal for mounted drill. -- Sly boots. See Slyboots, in the Vocabulary.
BOOT Boot, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Booted; p. pr. & vb. n. Booting.]
1. To put boots on, esp. for riding. Coated and booted for it. B. Jonson.
2. To punish by kicking with a booted foot. [U. S.]
BOOT Boot, v. i.
Defn: To boot one's self; to put on one's boots.
BOOT Boot, n.
Defn: Booty; spoil. [Obs. or R.] Shak.
BOOTBLACK Boot"black` (, n.
Defn: One who blacks boots.
BOOTED Boot"ed, a.
1. Wearing boots, especially boots with long tops, as for riding; as, a booted squire.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having an undivided, horny, bootlike covering; -- said of the tarsus of some birds.
BOOTEE Boot*ee", n.
Defn: A half boot or short boot.
BOOTES; BOOETES Bo*ö"tes, n. Etym: [L. Bootes, Gr. herdsman, fr. , gen. , ox, cow.] (Astron.)
Defn: A northern constellation, containing the bright star Arcturus.
BOOTH Booth, n. Etym: [OE. bothe; cf. Icel. b, Dan. & Sw. bod, MHG. buode, G. bude, baude; from the same root as AS. b to dwell, E. boor, bower, be; cf. Bohem. bauda, Pol. buda, Russ. budka, Lith. buda, W. bwth, pl. bythod, Gael. buth, Ir. both.]
1. A house or shed built of boards, boughs, or other slight materials, for temporary occupation. Camden.
2. A covered stall or temporary structure in a fair or market, or at a polling place.
BOOTHALE Boot"hale`, v. t. & i. Etym: [Boot, for booty + hale.]
Defn: To forage for booty; to plunder. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
BOOTHOSE Boot"hose`, n.
1. Stocking hose, or spatterdashes, in lieu of boots. Shak.
2. Hose made to be worn with boots, as by travelers on horseback. Sir W. Scott.
BOOTHY Booth"y, n.
Defn: See Bothy.
BOOTIKIN Boot"i*kin, n. Etym: [Boot + -kin.]
1. A little boot, legging, or gaiter.
2. A covering for the foot or hand, worn as a cure for the gout. H. Walpole.
BOOTING Boot"ing, n.
Defn: Advantage; gain; gain by plunder; booty. [Obs.] Sir. J. Harrington.
BOOTING Boot"ing, n.
1. A kind of torture. See Boot, n., 2.
2. A kicking, as with a booted foot. [U. S.]
BOOTJACK Boot"jack` (, n.
Defn: A device for pulling off boots.
BOOTLESS Boot"less, a. Etym: [From Boot profit.]
Defn: Unavailing; unprofitable; useless; without advantage or success. Chaucer. I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers. Shak. -- Boot"less*ly, adv. -- Boot"less*ness, n.
BOOTLICK Boot"lick` (, n.
Defn: A toady. [Low, U. S.] Bartlett.
BOOTMAKER Boot"mak`er, n.
Defn: One who makes boots. -- Boot"mak`ing, n.
BOOTS Boots, n.
Defn: A servant at a hotel or elsewhere, who cleans and blacks the boots and shoes.
BOOTTOPPING Boot"top`ping, n.
1. (Naut.)
Defn: The act or process of daubing a vessel's bottom near the surface of the water with a mixture of tallow, sulphur, and resin, as a temporary protection against worms, after the slime, shells, etc., have been scraped off.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: Sheathing a vessel with planking over felt.
BOOTTREE Boot"tree`, n. Etym: [Boot + tree wood, timber.]
Defn: An instrument to stretch and widen the leg of a boot, consisting of two pieces, together shaped like a leg, between which, when put into the boot, a wedge is driven. The pretty boots trimly stretched on boottrees. Thackeray.
BOOTY Boo"ty, n. Etym: [Cf. Icel. b exchange, barter, Sw. byte barter, booty, Dan. bytte; akin to D. buit booty, G. beute, and fr. Icel. byta, Sw. byta, Dan. bytte, to distribute, exchange. The Scandinavian word was influenced in English by boot profit.]
Defn: That which is seized by violence or obtained by robbery, especially collective spoil taken in war; plunder; pillage. Milton. To play booty, to play dishonestly, with an intent to lose; to allow one's adversary to win at cards at first, in order to induce him to continue playing and victimize him afterwards. [Obs.] L'Estrange.
BOOZE Booze, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Boozed; p. pr. & vb. n. Boozing.] Etym: [D. buizen; akin to G. bausen, and perh. fr. D. buis tube, channel, bus box, jar.]
Defn: To drink greedily or immoderately, esp. alcoholic liquor; to tipple. [Written also bouse, and boose.] Landor. This is better than boozing in public houses. H. R. Haweis.
BOOZE Booze, n.
Defn: A carouse; a drinking. Sir W. Scott.
BOOZER Booz"er, n.
Defn: One who boozes; a toper; a guzzler of alcoholic liquors; a bouser.
BOOZY Booz"y, a.
Defn: A little intoxicated; fuddled; stupid with liquor; bousy. [Colloq.] C. Kingsley.
BOPEEP Bo*peep", n. Etym: [Bo + peep.]
Defn: The act of looking out suddenly, as from behind a screen, so as to startle some one (as by children in play), or of looking out and drawing suddenly back, as if frightened. I for sorrow sung, That such a king should play bopeep, And go the fools among. Shak.
BORABLE Bor"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being bored. [R.]
BORACHTE Bo*rach"te, n. Etym: [Sp. borracha a leather bottle for wine, borracho drunk, fr. borra a lamb.]
Defn: A large leather bottle for liquors, etc., made of the skin of a goat or other animal. Hence: A drunkard. [Obs.] You're an absolute borachio. Congreve.
BORACIC Bo*rac"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. boracique. See Borax.]
Defn: Pertaining to, or produced from, borax; containing boron; boric; as, boracic acid.
BORACITE Bo"ra*cite, n. (Min.)
Defn: A mineral of a white or gray color occurring massive and in isometric crystals; in composition it is a magnesium borate with magnesium chloride.
BORACOUS Bo"ra*cous, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Relating to, or obtained from, borax; containing borax.
BORAGE Bor"age, n. Etym: [OE. borage (cf. F. bourrache, It. borraggine, borrace, LL. borago, borrago, LGr. ), fr. LL. borra, F. bourre, hair of beasts, flock; so called from its hairy leaves.] (Bot.)
Defn: A mucilaginous plant of the genus Borago (B. officinalis), which is used, esp. in France, as a demulcent and diaphoretic.
BORAGEWORT Bor"age*wort`, n.
Defn: Plant of the Borage family.
BORAGINACEOUS Bo*rag`i*na"ceous, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a family of plants (Boraginaceæ) which includes the borage, heliotrope, beggar's lice, and many pestiferous plants.
BORAGINEOUS Bor`a*gin"e*ous, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Relating to the Borage tribe; boraginaceous.
BORAMEZ Bor"a*mez, n.
Defn: See Barometz.
BORATE Bo"rate, n. Etym: [From Boric.] (Chem.)
Defn: A salt formed by the combination of boric acid with a base or positive radical.
BORAX Bo"rax, n. Etym: [OE. boras, fr. F. borax, earlier spelt borras; cf. LL. borax, Sp. borraj; all fr. Ar. b, fr. Pers. b.]
Defn: A white or gray crystalline salt, with a slight alkaline taste, used as a flux, in soldering metals, making enamels, fixing colors on porcelain, and as a soap. It occurs native in certain mineral springs, and is made from the boric acid of hot springs in Tuscany. It was originally obtained from a lake in Thibet, and was sent to Europe under the name of tincal. Borax is a pyroborate or tetraborate of sodium, Na2B4O7.10H2O. Borax bead. (Chem.) See Bead, n., 3.
BORBORYGM Bor"bo*rygm, n. Etym: [F. borborygme, fr. Gr. , fr. to rumble in the bowels.] (Med.)
Defn: A rumbling or gurgling noise produced by wind in the bowels. Dunglison.
BORD Bord, n. Etym: [See Board, n.]
1. A board; a table. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. (Mining)
Defn: The face of coal parallel to the natural fissures.
BORD Bord, n.
Defn: See Bourd. [Obs.] Spenser.
BORDAGE Bord"age, n. Etym: [LL. bordagium.]
Defn: The base or servile tenure by which a bordar held his cottage.
BORDAR Bord"ar, n. Etym: [LL. bordarius, fr. borda a cottage; of uncertain origin.]
Defn: A villein who rendered menial service for his cottage; a cottier. The cottar, the bordar, and the laborer were bound to aid in the work of the home farm. J. R. Green.
BORDEAUX Bor*deaux", a.
Defn: Pertaining to Bordeaux in the south of France. -- n.
Defn: A claret wine from Bordeaux.
BORDEAUX MIXTURE Bor*deaux" mix"ture. (Hort.)
Defn: A fungicidal mixture composed of blue vitriol, lime, and water. The formula in common use is: blue vitriol, 6 lbs.; lime, 4 lbs.; water, 35 -- 50 gallons.
BORDEL; BORDELLO Bor"del, Bor*del"lo, n. Etym: [F. bordel, orig. a little hut, OF. borde hut, cabin, of German origin, and akin to E. board,n.See. Board, n.]
Defn: A brothel; a bawdyhouse; a house devoted to prostitution. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
BORDELAIS Bor`de*lais", a. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Bordeaux, in France, or to the district around Bordeaux.
BORDELLER Bor"del*ler, n.
Defn: A keeper or a frequenter of a brothel. [Obs.] Gower.
BORDER Bor"der, n. Etym: [OE. bordure, F. bordure, fr. border to border, fr. bord a border; of German origin; cf. MHG. borte border, trimming, G. borte trimming, ribbon; akin to E. board in sense 8. See Board, n., and cf. Bordure.]
1. The outer part or edge of anything, as of a garment, a garden, etc.; margin; verge; brink. Upon the borders of these solitudes. Bentham. In the borders of death. Barrow.
2. A boundary; a frontier of a state or of the settled part of a country; a frontier district.
3. A strip or stripe arranged along or near the edge of something, as an ornament or finish.
4. A narrow flower bed. Border land, land on the frontiers of two adjoining countries; debatable land; -- often used figuratively; as, the border land of science. -- The Border, The Borders, specifically, the frontier districts of Scotland and England which lie adjacent. -- Over the border, across the boundary line or frontier.
Syn. -- Edge; verge; brink; margin; brim; rim; boundary; confine.
BORDER Bor"der, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bordered; p. pr. & vb. n. Bordering.]
1. To touch at the edge or boundary; to be contiguous or adjacent; -- with on or upon as, Connecticut borders on Massachusetts.
2. To approach; to come near to; to verge. Wit which borders upon profaneness deserves to be branded as folly. Abp. Tillotson.
BORDER Bor"der, v. t.
1. To make a border for; to furnish with a border, as for ornament; as, to border a garment or a garden.
2. To be, or to have, contiguous to; to touch, or be touched, as by a border; to be, or to have, near the limits or boundary; as, the region borders a forest, or is bordered on the north by a forest. The country is bordered by a broad tract called the "hot region." Prescott. Shebah and Raamah . . . border the sea called the Persian gulf. Sir W. Raleigh.
3. To confine within bounds; to limit. [Obs.] That nature, which contemns its origin, Can not be bordered certain in itself. Shak.
BORDEREAU Bor`de*reau", n.; pl. Bordereaux (#). [F.]
Defn: A note or memorandum, esp. one containing an enumeration of documents.
BORDERER Bor"der*er, n.
Defn: One who dwells on a border, or at the extreme part or confines of a country, region, or tract of land; one who dwells near to a place or region. Borderers of the Caspian. Dyer.
BORDLAND Bord"land`, n. Etym: [Bordar (or perh. bord a board) + land.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: Either land held by a bordar, or the land which a lord kept for the maintenance of his board, or table. Spelman.
BORDLODE Bord"lode`, n. Etym: [Bordar (or perh. bord a board) + lode leading.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: The service formerly required of a tenant, to carry timber from the woods to the lord's house. Bailey. Mozley & W.
BORDMAN Bord"man, n. Etym: [Bordar (or perh. bord a board) + man.]
Defn: A bordar; a tenant in bordage.
BORDRAG; BORDRAGING Bord"rag, Bord"ra`ging, n. Etym: [Perh. from OE. bord, for border + raging. Cf. Bodrage.]
Defn: An incursion upon the borders of a country; a raid. [Obs.] Spenser.
BORD SERVICE Bord" serv`ice. Etym: [Bordar (or perh. bord a board) + service.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: Service due from a bordar; bordage.
BORDURE Bor"dure, n. Etym: [F. bordure. See Border, n.] (Her.)
Defn: A border one fifth the width of the shield, surrounding the field. It is usually plain, but may be charged.
BORE Bore, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bored; p. pr. & vb. n. Boring.] Etym: [OE. borien, AS. borian; akin to Icel. bora, Dan. bore, D. boren, OHG. por, G. bohren, L. forare, Gr. to plow, Zend bar. sq. root91.]
1. To perforate or penetrate, as a solid body, by turning an auger, gimlet, drill, or other instrument; to make a round hole in or through; to pierce; as, to bore a plank. I'll believe as soon this whole earth may be bored. Shak.
2. To form or enlarge by means of a boring instrument or apparatus; as, to bore a steam cylinder or a gun barrel; to bore a hole. Short but very powerful jaws, by means whereof the insect can bore, as with a centerbit, a cylindrical passage through the most solid wood. T. W. Harris.
3. To make (a passage) by laborious effort, as in boring; as, to bore one's way through a crowd; to force a narrow and difficult passage through. "What bustling crowds I bored." Gay.
4. To weary by tedious iteration or by dullness; to tire; to trouble; to vex; to annoy; to pester. He bores me with some trick. Shak. Used to come and bore me at rare intervals. Carlyle.
5. To befool; to trick. [Obs.] I am abused, betrayed; I am laughed at, scorned, Baffled and bored, it seems. Beau. & Fl.
BORE Bore, v. i.
1. To make a hole or perforation with, or as with, a boring instrument; to cut a circular hole by the rotary motion of a tool; as, to bore for water or oil (i. e., to sink a well by boring for water or oil); to bore with a gimlet; to bore into a tree (as insects).
2. To be pierced or penetrated by an instrument that cuts as it turns; as, this timber does not bore well, or is hard to bore.
3. To push forward in a certain direction with laborious effort. They take their flight . . . boring to the west. Dryden.
4. (Ma
Defn: To shoot out the nose or toss it in the air; Crabb.
BORE Bore, n.
1. A hole made by boring; a perforation.
2. The internal cylindrical cavity of a gun, cannon, pistol, or other firearm, or of a pipe or tube. The bores of wind instruments. Bacon. Love's counselor should fill the bores of hearing. Shak.
3. The size of a hole; the interior diameter of a tube or gun barrel; the caliber.
4. A tool for making a hole by boring, as an auger.
5. Caliber; importance. [Obs.] Yet are they much too light for the bore of the matter. Shak.
6. A person or thing that wearies by prolixity or dullness; a tiresome person or affair; any person or thing which causes ennui. It is as great a bore as to hear a poet read his own verses. Hawthorne.
BORE Bore, n. Etym: [Icel. bara wave: cf. G. empor upwards, OHG. bor height, burren to lift, perh. allied to AS. beran, E. 1st bear. sq. root92.] (Physical Geog.) (a) A tidal flood which regularly or occasionally rushes into certain rivers of peculiar configuration or location, in one or more waves which present a very abrupt front of considerable height, dangerous to shipping, as at the mouth of the Amazon, in South America, the Hoogly and Indus, in India, and the Tsien-tang, in China. (b) Less properly, a very high and rapid tidal flow, when not so abrupt, such as occurs at the Bay of Fundy and in the British Channel.
BORE Bore,
Defn: imp. of 1st & 2d Bear.
BOREAL Bo"re*al, a. Etym: [L. borealis: cf. F. boréal. See Boreas.]
Defn: Northern; pertaining to the north, or to the north wind; as, a boreal bird; a boreal blast. So from their own clear north in radiant streams, Bright over Europe bursts the boreal morn. Thomson.
BOREAS Bo"re*as, n. Etym: [L. boreas, Gr. .]
Defn: The north wind; -- usually a personification.
BORECOLE Bore"cole`, n. Etym: [Cf. D. boerenkool (lit.) husbandman's cabbage.]
Defn: A brassicaceous plant of many varieties, cultivated for its leaves, which are not formed into a compact head like the cabbage, but are loose, and are generally curled or wrinkled; kale.
BOREDOM Bore"dom, n.
1. The state of being bored, or pestered; a state of ennui. Dickens.
2. The realm of bores; bores, collectively.
BOREE Bo*ree", n.
Defn: Same as BourrÉ\'82. [Obs.] Swift.
BOREL Bor"el, n.
Defn: See Borrel.
BORELE Bor"e*le, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The smaller two-horned rhinoceros of South Africa (Atelodus bicornis).
BORER Bor"er, n.
1. One that bores; an instrument for boring.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) A marine, bivalve mollusk, of the genus Teredo and allies, which burrows in wood. See Teredo. (b) Any bivalve mollusk (Saxicava, Lithodomus, etc.) which bores into limestone and similar substances. (c) One of the larvæ of many species of insects, which penetrate trees, as the apple, peach, pine, etc. See Apple borer, under Apple. (d) The hagfish (Myxine).
BORIC Bo"ric, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or containing, boron. Boric acid, a white crystalline substance B(OH)3, easily obtained from its salts, and occurring in solution in the hot lagoons of Tuscany.
BORIDE Bo"ride, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A binary compound of boron with a more positive or basic element or radical; -- formerly called boruret.
BORING Bor"ing, n.
1. The act or process of one who, or that which, bores; as, the boring of cannon; the boring of piles and ship timbers by certain marine mollusks. One of the most important applications of boring is in the formation of artesian wells. Tomlinson.
2. A hole made by boring.
3. pl.
Defn: The chips or fragments made by boring. Boring bar, a revolving or stationary bar, carrying one or more cutting tools for dressing round holes. -- Boring tool (Metal Working), a cutting tool placed in a cutter head to dress round holes. Knight.
BORN Born, p. p. & a. Etym: [See Bear, v. t.]
1. Brought forth, as an animal; brought into life; introduced by birth. No one could be born into slavery in Mexico. Prescott.
2. Having from birth a certain character; by or from birth; by nature; innate; as, a born liar. "A born matchmaker." W. D. Howells. Born again (Theol.), regenerated; renewed; having received spiritual life. "Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God." John iii. 3. -- Born days, days since one was born; lifetime. [Colloq.]
BORNE Borne, p. p. of Bear.
Defn: Carried; conveyed; supported; defrayed. See Bear, v. t.
BORNEOL Bor"ne*ol, n. Etym: [Borneo + -ol.] (Chem.)
Defn: A rare variety of camphor, C10H17.OH, resembling ordinary camphor, from which it can be produced by reduction. It is said to occur in the camphor tree of Borneo and Sumatra (Dryobalanops camphora), but the natural borneol is rarely found in European or American commerce, being in great request by the Chinese. Called also Borneo camphor, Malay camphor, and camphol.
BORNITE Bor"nite, n. Etym: [Named after Von Born, a mineralogist.] (Min.)
Defn: A valuable ore of copper, containing copper, iron, and sulphur; -- also called purple copper ore (or erubescite), in allusion to the colors shown upon the slightly tarnished surface.
BOROFLUORIDE Bo`ro*flu"or*ide, n. Etym: [Boron + fluoride.] (Chem.)
Defn: A double fluoride of boron and hydrogen, or some other positive element, or radical; -- called also fluoboride, and formerly fluoborate.
BOROGLYCERIDE Bo"ro*glyc"er*ide, n. Etym: [Boron + glyceride.] (Chem.)
Defn: A compound of boric acid and glycerin, used as an antiseptic.
BORON Bo"ron, n. Etym: [See Borax.] (Chem.)
Defn: A nonmetallic element occurring abundantly in borax. It is reduced with difficulty to the free state, when it can be obtained in several different forms; viz., as a substance of a deep olive color, in a semimetallic form, and in colorless quadratic crystals similar to the diamond in hardness and other properties. It occurs in nature also in boracite, datolite, tourmaline, and some other minerals. Atomic weight 10.9. Symbol B.
BOROSILICATE Bo"ro*sil"i*cate, n. Etym: [Boron + silicate.] (Chem.)
Defn: A double salt of boric and silicic acids, as in the natural minerals tourmaline, datolite, etc.
BOROUGH Bor"ough, n. Etym: [OE. burgh, burw, boru, port, town, burrow, AS. burh, burg; akin to Icel., Sw., & Dan. borg, OS. & D. burg, OHG. puruc, purc, MHG. burc, G. burg, Goth. baúrgs; and from the root of AS. beorgan to hide, save, defend, G. bergen; or perh. from that of AS. beorg hill, mountain. Bury, v. t., and cf. Burrow, Burg, Bury, n., Burgess, Iceberg, Borrow, Harbor, Hauberk.]
1. In England, an incorporated town that is not a city; also, a town that sends members to parliament; in Scotland, a body corporate, consisting of the inhabitants of a certain district, erected by the sovereign, with a certain jurisdiction; in America, an incorporated town or village, as in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Burrill. Erskine.
2. The collective body of citizens or inhabitants of a borough; as, the borough voted to lay a tax. Close borough, or Pocket borough, a borough having the right of sending a member to Parliament, whose nomination is in the hands of a single person. -- Rotten borough, a name given to any borough which, at the time of the passage of the Reform Bill of 1832, contained but few voters, yet retained the privilege of sending a member to Parliament.
BOROUGH Bor"ough, n. Etym: [See Borrow.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) An association of men who gave pledges or sureties to the king for the good behavior of each other. (b) The pledge or surety thus given. Blackstone. Tomlins.
BOROUGH-ENGLISH Bor"ough-Eng"lish, n. (Eng. Law)
Defn: A custom, as in some ancient boroughs, by which lands and tenements descend to the youngest son, instead of the eldest; or, if the owner have no issue, to the youngest brother. Blackstone.
BOROUGHHEAD Bor"ough*head`, n.
Defn: See Headborough. [Obs.]
BOROUGHHOLDER Bor"ough*hold"er, n.
Defn: A headborough; a borsholder.
BOROUGHMASTER Bor"ough*mas"ter, n. Etym: [Cf. Burgomaster.]
Defn: The mayor, governor, or bailiff of a borough.
BOROUGHMONGER Bor"ough*mon"ger, n.
Defn: One who buys or sells the parliamentary seats of boroughs.
BOROUGHMONGERING; BOROUGHMONGERY Bor"ough*mon"ger*ing, Bor"ough*mon"ger*y, n.
Defn: The practices of a boroughmonger.
BORRACHO Bor*rach"o, n.
Defn: See Borachio. [Obs.]
BORRAGE; BORRAGINACEOUS Bor"rage, n., Bor*rag`i*na"ceous (, a., etc.
Defn: See Borage, n., etc.
BORREL Bor"rel, n. Etym: [OF. burel a kind of coarse woolen cloth, fr. F. bure drugget. See Bureau. Rustic and common people dressed in this cloth, which was prob. so called from its color.]
1. Coarse woolen cloth; hence, coarse clothing; a garment. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. A kind of light stuff, of silk and wool.
BORREL Bor"rel, a. Etym: [Prob. from Borrel, n.]
Defn: Ignorant, unlearned; belonging to the laity. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BORROW Bor"row, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Borrowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Borrowing.] Etym: [OE. borwen, AS. borgian, fr. borg, borh, pledge; akin to D. borg, G. borg; prob. fr. root of AS. beorgan to protect. Borough.]
1. To receive from another as a loan, with the implied or expressed intention of returning the identical article or its equivalent in kind; -- the opposite of lend.
2. (Arith.)
Defn: To take (one or more) from the next higher denomination in order to add it to the next lower; -- a term of subtraction when the figure of the subtrahend is larger than the corresponding one of the minuend.
3. To copy or imitate; to adopt; as, to borrow the style, manner, or opinions of another. Rites borrowed from the ancients. Macaulay. It is not hard for any man, who hath a Bible in his hands, to borrow good words and holy sayings in abundance; but to make them his own is a work of grace only from above. Milton.
4. To feign or counterfeit. "Borrowed hair." Spenser. The borrowed majesty of England. Shak.
5. To receive; to take; to derive. Any drop thou borrowedst from thy mother. Shak. To borrow trouble, to be needlessly troubled; to be overapprehensive.
BORROW Bor"row, n.
1. Something deposited as security; a pledge; a surety; a hostage. [Obs.] Ye may retain as borrows my two priests. Sir W. Scott.
2. The act of borrowing. [Obs.] Of your royal presence I'll adventure The borrow of a week. Shak.
BORROWER Bor"row*er, n.
Defn: One who borrows. Neither a borrower nor a lender be. Shak.
BORSHOLDER Bors"hold`er, n. Etym: [OE. borsolder; prob. fr. AS. borg, gen. borges, pledge + ealdor elder. See Borrow, and Elder, a.] (Eng. Law)
Defn: The head or chief of a tithing, or borough (see 2d Borough); the headborough; a parish constable. Spelman.
BORT Bort, n.
Defn: Imperfectly crystallized or coarse diamonds, or fragments made in cutting good diamonds which are reduced to powder and used in lapidary work.
BORURET Bo"ru*ret, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A boride. [Obs.]
BORWE Bor"we, n.
Defn: Pledge; borrow. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BOS Bos, n. Etym: [L., ox, cow.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of ruminant quadrupeds, including the wild and domestic cattle, distinguished by a stout body, hollow horns, and a large fold of skin hanging from the neck.
BOSA Bo"sa, n. Etym: [Ar. b, Pers. b: cf. F. bosan.]
Defn: A drink, used in the East. See Boza.
BOSCAGE Bos"cage, n. Etym: [OF. boscage grove, F. bocage, fr. LL. boscus, buscus, thicket, wood. See 1st Bush.]
1. A growth of trees or shrubs; underwood; a thicket; thick foliage; a wooded landscape.
2. (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: Food or sustenance for cattle, obtained from bushes and trees; also, a tax on wood.
BOSH Bosh, n. Etym: [Cf. G. posse joke, trifle; It. bozzo a rough stone, bozzetto a rough sketch, s-bozzo a rough draught, sketch.]
Defn: Figure; outline; show. [Obs.]
BOSH Bosh, n. Etym: [Turk.]
Defn: Empty talk; contemptible nonsense; trash; humbug. [Colloq.]
BOSH Bosh, n.; pl. Boshes. Etym: [Cf. G. böschung a slope.]
1. One of the sloping sides of the lower part of a blast furnace; also, one of the hollow iron or brick sides of the bed of a puddling or boiling furnace.
2. pl.
Defn: The lower part of a blast furnace, which slopes inward, or the widest space at the top of this part.
3. In forging and smelting, a trough in which tools and ingots are cooled.
BOSHBOK Bosh"bok, n. Etym: [D. bosch wood + bok buck.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A kind of antelope. See Bush buck.
BOSHVARK Bosh"vark, n. Etym: [D. bosch wood + varken pig.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The bush hog. See under Bush, a thicket.
BOSJESMAN Bos"jes*man, n.
Defn: ; pl. Bosjesmans. [D. boschjesman.]
Defn: See Bushman.
BOSK Bosk, n. Etym: [See Bosket.]
Defn: A thicket; a small wood. "Through bosk and dell." Sir W. Scott.
BOSKAGE Bos"kage, n.
Defn: Same as Boscage. Thridding the somber boskage of the wood. Tennyson.
BOSKET; BOSQUET Bos"ket, Bos"quet, n. Etym: [F. bosquet a little wood, dim. fr. LL. boscus. See Boscage, and cf. Bouquet.] (Gardening)
Defn: A grove; a thicket; shrubbery; an inclosure formed by branches of trees, regularly or irregularly disposed.
BOSKINESS Bosk"i*ness, n.
Defn: Boscage; also, the state or quality of being bosky.
BOSKY Bosk"y, a. Etym: [Cf. Bushy.]
1. Woody or bushy; covered with boscage or thickets. Milton.
2. Caused by boscage. Darkened over by long bosky shadows. H. James.
BOSOM Bos"om, n. Etym: [AS. b; akin to D. bozem, Fries. b, OHG. puosum, G. busen, and prob. E. bough.]
1. The breast of a human being; the part, between the arms, to which anything is pressed when embraced by them. You must prepare your bosom for his knife. Shak.
2. The breast, considered as the seat of the passions, affections, and operations of the mind; consciousness; se Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know Wherefore they do it. Shak. If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom. Job xxxi. 33.
3. Embrace; loving or affectionate inclosure; fold. Within the bosom of that church. Hooker.
4. Any thing or place resembling the breast; a supporting surface; an inner recess; the interior; as, the bosom of the earth. "The bosom of the ocean." Addison.
5. The part of the dress worn upon the breast; an article, or a portion of an article, of dress to be worn upon the breast; as, the bosom of a shirt; a linen bosom. He put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. Ex. iv. 6.
6. Inclination; desire. [Obs.] Shak.
7. A depression round the eye of a millstone. Knight.
BOSOM Bos"om, a.
1. Of or pertaining to the bosom.
2. Intimate; confidential; familiar; trusted; cherished; beloved; as, a bosom friend.
BOSOM Bos"om, v. t. [p. & p. p. Bosomed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bosoming.]
1. To inclose or carry in the bosom; to keep with care; to take to heart; to cherish. Bosom up my counsel, You'll find it wholesome. Shak.
2. To conceal; to hide from view; to embosom. To happy convents bosomed deep in vines. Pope.
BOSOMED Bos"omed, a.
Defn: Having, or resembling, bosom; kept in the bosom; hidden.
BOSOMY Bos"om*y, a.
Defn: Characterized by recesses or sheltered hollows.
BOSON Bo"son, n.
Defn: See Boatswain. [Obs.] Dryden.
BOSPORIAN Bos*po"ri*an, a. Etym: [L. Bosporus, G. , lit., ox-ford, the ox's or heifer's ford, on account of Io's passage here as a heifer; fr. ox, heifer + ford.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Thracian or the Cimmerian Bosporus. The Alans forced the Bosporian kings to pay them tribute and exterminated the Taurians. Tooke.
BOSPORUS Bos"po*rus, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A strait or narrow sea between two seas, or a lake and a seas; as, the Bosporus (formerly the Thracian Bosporus) or Strait of Constantinople, between the Black Sea and Sea of Marmora; the Cimmerian Bosporus, between the Black Sea and Sea of Azof. [Written also Bosphorus.]
BOSQUET Bos"quet, n.
Defn: See Bosket.
BOSS Boss, n.; pl. Bosses. Etym: [OE. boce, bose, boche, OF. boce, boche, bosse, F. bosse, of G. origin; cf. OHG. bozo tuft, bunch, OHG. bozan, MHG. bôzen, to beat. See Beat, and cf. Botch a swelling.]
1. Any protuberant part; a round, swelling part or body; a knoblike process; as, a boss of wood.
2. A protuberant ornament on any work, either of different material from that of the work or of the same, as upon a buckler or bridle; a stud; a knob; the central projection of a shield. See Umbilicus.
3. (Arch.)
Defn: A projecting ornament placed at the intersection of the ribs of ceilings, whether vaulted or flat, and in other situations.
4. Etym: [Cf. D. bus box, Dan. bösse.]
Defn: A wooden vessel for the mortar used in tiling or masonry, hung by a hook from the laths, or from the rounds of a ladder. Gwilt.
5. (Mech.) (a) The enlarged part of a shaft, on which a wheel is keyed, or at the end, where it is coupled to another. (b) A swage or die used for shaping metals.
6. A head or reservoir of water. [Obs.]
BOSS Boss, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bossed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bossing.] Etym: [OE. bocen, fr. OF. bocier. See the preceding word.]
Defn: To ornament with bosses; to stud.
BOSS Boss, n. Etym: [D. baas master.]
Defn: A master workman or superintendent; a director or manager; a political dictator. [Slang, U. S.]
BOSSAGE Boss"age, n. Etym: [F. bossage, fr. bosse. See Boss a stud.]
1. (Arch.)
Defn: A stone in a building, left rough and projecting, to be afterward carved into shape. Gwilt.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: Rustic work, consisting of stones which seem to advance beyond the level of the building, by reason of indentures or channels left in the joinings. Gwilt.
BOSSED Bossed, a.
Defn: Embossed; also, bossy.
BOSSET Bos"set, n. Etym: [Cf. Boss a stud.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A rudimental antler of a young male of the red deer.
BOSSISM Boss"ism, n.
Defn: The rule or practices of bosses, esp. political bosses. [Slang, U. S.]
BOSSY Boss"y, a.
Defn: Ornamented with bosses; studded.
BOSSY Bos"sy, n. Etym: [Dim. fr. Prov. E. boss in boss-calf, buss-calf, for boose-calf, prop., a calf kept in the stall. See 1st Boose.]
Defn: A cow or calf; -- familiarly so called. [U. S.]
BOSTON Bos"ton, n.
Defn: A game at cards, played by four persons, with two packs of fifty-two cards each; -- said to be so called from Boston, Massachusetts, and to have been invented by officers of the French army in America during the Revolutionary war.
BOSTRYX Bos"tryx, n. [NL.; irreg. fr. Gr. a curl.] (Bot.)
Defn: A form of cymose inflorescence with all the flowers on one side of the rachis, usually causing it to curl; -- called also a uniparous helicoid cyme.
BOSWELLIAN Bos*well"i*an, a.
Defn: Relating to, or characteristic of, Boswell, the biographer of Dr. Johnson.
BOSWELLISM Bos"well*ism, n.
Defn: The style of Boswell.
BOT Bot, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Bots.
BOTANIC; BOTANICAL Bo*tan"ic, Bo*tan"ic*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. botanique. See Botany.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to botany; relating to the study of plants; as, a botanical system, arrangement, textbook, expedition. -- Botan"ic*al*ly, adv. Botanic garden, a garden devoted to the culture of plants collected for the purpose of illustrating the science of botany. -- Botanic physician, a physician whose medicines consist chiefly of herbs and roots.
BOTANIST Bot"a*nist, n. Etym: [Cf. F. botaniste.]
Defn: One skilled in botany; one versed in the knowledge of plants.
BOTANIZE Bot"a*nize, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Botanized; p. pr. & vb. n. Botanizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. botaniser.]
Defn: To seek after plants for botanical investigation; to study plants.
BOTANIZE Bot"a*nize, v. t.
Defn: To explore for botanical purposes.
BOTANIZER Bot"a*ni`zer, n.
Defn: One who botanizes.
BOTANOLOGER Bot`a*nol"o*ger, n.
Defn: A botanist. [Obs.]
BOTANOLOGY Bot`a*nol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Botany + -logy: cf. F. botanologie.]
Defn: The science of botany. [Obs.] Bailey.
BOTANOMANCY Bot"a*no*man`cy, n. Etym: [Botany + -mancy: cf. F. botanomantie.]
Defn: An ancient species of divination by means of plants, esp. sage and fig leaves.
BOTANY Bot"a*ny, n.; pl. Botanies. Etym: [F. botanique, a. & n., fr. Gr. botanic, fr. herb, plant, fr. to feed, graze.]
1. The science which treats of the structure of plants, the functions of their parts, their places of growth, their classification, and the terms which are employed in their description and denomination. See Plant.
2. A book which treats of the science of botany.
Note: Botany is divided into various departments; as, Structural Botany, which investigates the structure and organic composition of plants; Physiological Botany, the study of their functions and life; and Systematic Botany, which has to do with their classification, description, nomenclature, etc.
BOTANY BAY Bot"a*ny Bay".
Defn: A harbor on the east coast of Australia, and an English convict settlement there; -- so called from the number of new plants found on its shore at its discovery by Cook in 1770.
Note: Hence, any place to which desperadoes resort. Botany Bay kino (Med.), an astringent, reddish substance consisting of the inspissated juice of several Australian species of Eucalyptus. -- Botany Bay resin (Med.), a resin of reddish yellow color, resembling gamboge, the product of different Australian species of Xanthorrhæa, esp. the grass three (X. hastilis.)
BOTARGO Bo*tar"go, n. Etym: [It. bottarga, bottarica; or Sp. botarga; a kind of large sausages, a sort of wide breeches: cf. F. boutargue.]
Defn: A sort of cake or sausage, made of the salted roes of the mullet, much used on the coast of the Mediterranean as an incentive to drink.
BOTCH Botch, n.; pl. Botches. Etym: [Same as Boss a stud. For senses 2 & 3 cf. D. botsen to beat, akin to E. beat.]
1. A swelling on the skin; a large ulcerous affection; a boil; an eruptive disease. [Obs. or Dial.] Botches and blains must all his flesh emboss. Milton.
2. A patch put on, or a part of a garment patched or mended in a clumsy manner.
3. Work done in a bungling manner; a clumsy performance; a piece of work, or a place in work, marred in the doing, or not properly finished; a bungle. To leave no rubs nor botches in the work. Shak.
BOTCH Botch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Botched; p. pr. & vb. n. Botching.] Etym: [See Botch, n.]
1. To mark with, or as with, botches. Young Hylas, botched with stains. Garth.
2. To repair; to mend; esp. to patch in a clumsy or imperfect manner, as a garment; -- sometimes with up. Sick bodies . . . to be kept and botched up for a time. Robynson (More's Utopia).
3. To put together unsuitably or unskillfully; to express or perform in a bungling manner; to spoil or mar, as by unskillful work. For treason botched in rhyme will be thy bane. Dryden.
BOTCHEDLY Botch"ed*ly, adv.
Defn: In a clumsy manner.
BOTCHER Botch"er, n.
1. One who mends or patches, esp. a tailor or cobbler. Shak.
2. A clumsy or careless workman; a bungler.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A young salmon; a grilse.
BOTCHERLY Botch"er*ly, a.
Defn: Bungling; awkward. [R.]
BOTCHERY Botch"er*y, n.
Defn: A botching, or that which is done by botching; clumsy or careless workmanship.
BOTCHY Botch"y, a.
Defn: Marked with botches; full of botches; poorly done. "This botchy business." Bp. Watson.
BOTE Bote, n. Etym: [Old form of boot; -- used in composition. See 1st Boot.] (Law) (a) Compensation; amends; satisfaction; expiation; as, man bote, a compensation or a man slain. (b) Payment of any kind. Bouvier. (c) A privilege or allowance of necessaries.
Note: This word is still used in composition as equivalent to the French estovers, supplies, necessaries; as, housebote, a sufficiency of wood to repair a house, or for fuel, sometimes called firebote; so plowbote, cartbote, wood for making or repairing instruments of husbandry; haybote or hedgebote, wood for hedges, fences, etc. These were privileges enjoyed by tenants under the feudal system. Burrill. Bouvier. Blackstone.
BOTELESS Bote"less, a.
Defn: Unavailing; in vain. See Bootless.
BOTFLY Bot"fly`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A dipterous insect of the family (Estridæ, of many different species, some of which are particularly troublesome to domestic animals, as the horse, ox, and sheep, on which they deposit their eggs. A common species is one of the botflies of the horse (Gastrophilus equi), the larvæ of which (bots) are taken into the stomach of the animal, where they live several months and pass through their larval states. In tropical America one species sometimes lives under the human skin, and another in the stomach. See Gadfly.
BOTH Both, a. or pron. Etym: [OE. bothe, ba, fr. Icel. ba; akin to Dan. baade, Sw. båda, Goth. baj, OHG. beid, b, G. & D. beide, also AS. begen, ba, b, Goth. bai, and Gr. , L. ambo, Lith. abà, OSlav. oba, Skr. ubha. sq. root310. Cf. Amb-.]
Defn: The one and the other; the two; the pair, without exception of either.
Note: It is generally used adjectively with nouns; as, both horses ran away; but with pronouns, and often with nous, it is used substantively, and followed by of.
Note: It frequently stands as a pronoun. She alone is heir to both of us. Shak. Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. Gen. xxi. 27. He will not bear the loss of his rank, because he can bear the loss of his estate; but he will bear both, because he is prepared for both. Bolingbroke.
Note: It is often used in apposition with nouns or pronouns. Thy weal and woe are both of them extremes. Shak. This said, they both betook them several ways. Milton.
Note: Both now always precedes any other attributive words; as, both their armies; both our eyes.
Note: Both of is used before pronouns in the objective case; as, both of us, them, whom, etc.; but before substantives its used is colloquial, both (without of) being the preferred form; as, both the brothers.
BOTH Both, conj.
Defn: As well; not only; equally.
Note: Both precedes the first of two coördinate words or phrases, and is followed by and before the other, both . . . and . . . ; as well the one as the other; not only this, but also that; equally the former and the latter. It is also sometimes followed by more than two coördinate words, connected by and expressed or understood. To judge both quick and dead. Milton. A masterpiece both for argument and style. Goldsmith. To whom bothe heven and erthe and see is sene. Chaucer. Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound. Goldsmith. He prayeth well who loveth well Both man and bird and beast. Coleridge.
BOTHER Both"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bothered (p. pr. & vb. n. Bothering.] Etym: [Cf. Ir. buaidhirt trouble, buaidhrim I vex.]
Defn: To annoy; to trouble; to worry; to perplex. See Pother.
Note: The imperative is sometimes used as an exclamation mildly imprecatory.
BOTHER Both"er, v. i.
Defn: To feel care or anxiety; to make or take trouble; to be troublesome. Without bothering about it. H. James.
BOTHER Both"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, bothers; state of perplexity or annoyance; embarrassment; worry; disturbance; petty trouble; as, to be in a bother.
BOTHERATION Both`er*a"tion, n.
Defn: The act of bothering, or state of being bothered; cause of trouble; perplexity; annoyance; vexation. [Colloq.]
BOTHERER Both"er*er, n.
Defn: One who bothers.
BOTHERSOME Both"er*some, a.
Defn: Vexatious; causing bother; causing trouble or perplexity; troublesome.
BOTH-HANDS Both"-hands`, n.
Defn: A factotum. [R.] He is his master's both-hands, I assure you. B. Jonson.
BOTHIE Both"ie, n.
Defn: Same as Bothy. [Scot.]
BOTHNIAN; BOTHNIC Both"ni*an, Both"nic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Bothnia, a country of northern Europe, or to a gulf of the same name which forms the northern part of the Baltic sea.
BOTHRENCHYMA Both*ren"chy*ma, n. Etym: [Gr. pit + something poured in. Formed like parenchyma.] (Bot.)
Defn: Dotted or pitted ducts or vessels forming the pores seen in many kinds of wood.
BOTHY; BOOTHY Both"y Booth"y n.; pl. -ies Etym: [Scottish. Cf. Booth.]
Defn: A wooden hut or humble cot, esp. a rude hut or barrack for unmarried farm servants; a shepherd's or hunter's hut; a booth. [Scot.]
BOTOCUDOS Bo`to*cu"dos, n. pl. Etym: [Pg. botoque stopple. So called because they wear a wooden plug in the pierced lower lip.]
Defn: A Brazilian tribe of Indians, noted for their use of poisons; - - also called Aymborés.
BO TREE Bo" tree`. (Bot.)
Defn: The peepul tree; esp., the very ancient tree standing at Anurajahpoora in Ceylon, grown from a slip of the tree under which Gautama is said to have received the heavenly light and so to have become Buddha. The sacred bo tree of the Buddhists (Ficus religiosa), which is planted close to every temple, and attracts almost as much veneration as the status of the god himself. . . . It differs from the banyan (Ficus Indica) by sending down no roots from its branches. Tennent.
BOTRYOGEN Bot"ry*o*gen, n. Etym: [Gr. cluster of grapes + -gen.] (Min.)
Defn: A hydrous sulphate of iron of a deep red color. It often occurs in botryoidal form.
BOTRYOID; BOTRYOIDAL Bot"ry*oid, Bot`ry*oid"al, a. Etym: [Gr. cluster of grapes + -oid.]
Defn: Having the form of a bunch of grapes; like a cluster of grapes, as a mineral presenting an aggregation of small spherical or spheroidal prominences.
BOTRYOLITE Bot"ry*o*lite, n. Etym: [Gr. cluster of grapes + -lite.] (Min.)
Defn: A variety of datolite, usually having a botryoidal structure.
BOTRYOSE Bot"ry*ose`, a. (Bot.) (a) Having the form of a cluster of grapes. (b) Of the racemose or acropetal type of inflorescence. Gray.
BOTS Bots, n. pl. Etym: [Cf. Gael. botus belly worm, boiteag maggot.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The larvæ of several species of botfly, especially those larvæ which infest the stomach, throat, or intestines of the horse, and are supposed to be the cause of various ailments. [Written also botts.]
Note: See Illust. of Botfly.
BOTTINE Bot*tine", n. Etym: [F. See Boot (for the foot.).]
1. A small boot; a lady's boot.
2. An appliance resembling a small boot furnished with straps, buckles, etc., used to correct or prevent distortions in the lower extremities of children. Dunglison.
BOTTLE Bot"tle, n. Etym: [OE. bote, botelle, OF. botel, bouteille, F. bouteille, fr. LL. buticula, dim. of butis, buttis, butta, flask. Cf. Butt a cask.]
1. A hollow vessel, usually of glass or earthenware (but formerly of leather), with a narrow neck or mouth, for holding liquids.
2. The contents of a bottle; as much as a bottle contains; as, to drink a bottle of wine.
3. Fig.: Intoxicating liquor; as, to drown one's reason in the bottle.
Note: Bottle is much used adjectively, or as the first part of a compound. Bottle ale, bottled ale. [Obs.] Shak. -- Bottle brush, a cylindrical brush for cleansing the interior of bottles. -- Bottle fish (Zoöl.), a kind of deep-sea eel (Saccopharynx ampullaceus), remarkable for its baglike gullet, which enables it to swallow fishes two or three times its won size. -- Bottle flower. (Bot.) Same as Bluebottle. -- Bottle glass, a coarse, green glass, used in the manufacture of bottles. Ure. -- Bottle gourd (Bot.), the common gourd or calabash (Lagenaria Vulgaris), whose shell is used for bottles, dippers, etc. -- Bottle grass (Bot.), a nutritious fodder grass (Setaria glauca and S. viridis); -- called also foxtail, and green foxtail. -- Bottle tit (Zoöl.), the European long-tailed titmouse; -- so called from the shape of its nest. -- Bottle tree (Bot.), an Australian tree (Sterculia rupestris), with a bottle-shaped, or greatly swollen, trunk. -- Feeding bottle, Nursing bottle, a bottle with a rubber nipple (generally with an intervening tubve), used in feeding infants.
BOTTLE Bot"tle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bottled p. pr. & vb. n. Bottling.]
Defn: To put into bottles; to inclose in, or as in, a bottle or bottles; to keep or restrain as in a bottle; as, to bottle wine or porter; to bottle up one's wrath.
BOTTLE Bot"tle, n. Etym: [OE. botel, OF. botel, dim. of F. botte; cf. OHG. bozo bunch. See Boss stud.]
Defn: A bundle, esp. of hay. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Chaucer. Shak.
BOTTLED Bot"tled, a.
1. Put into bottles; inclosed in bottles; pent up in, or as in, a bottle.
2. Having the shape of a bottle; protuberant. Shak.
BOTTLE GREEN Bot"tle green`
Defn: A dark shade of green, like that of bottle glass. -- Bot"tle-green`, a.
BOTTLEHEAD Bot"tle*head`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A cetacean allied to the grampus; -- called also bottle-nosed whale.
Note: There are several species so named, as the pilot whales, of the genus Globicephalus, and one or more species of Hyperoödon (H. bidens, etc.), found on the European coast. See Blackfish, 1.
BOTTLEHOLDER Bot"tle*hold`er, n.
1. One who attends a pugilist in a prize fight; -- so called from the bottle of water of which he has charge.
2. One who assists or supports another in a contest; an abettor; a backer. [Colloq.] Lord Palmerston considered himself the bottleholder of oppressed states. The London Times.
BOTTLE-NECK FRAME Bot"tle-neck` frame". (Automobiles)
Defn: An inswept frame. [Colloq.]
BOTTLE-NOSE Bot"tle-nose` (, n. (Zoöl.)
1. A cetacean of the Dolphin family, of several species, as Delphinus Tursio and Lagenorhyncus leucopleurus, of Europe.
2. The puffin.
BOTTLE-NOSED Bot"tle-nosed` (, a.
Defn: Having the nose bottleshaped, or large at the end. Dickens.
BOTTLER Bot"tler, n.
Defn: One who bottles wine, beer, soda water, etc.
BOTTLESCREW Bot"tle*screw` n.
Defn: A corkscrew. Swift.
BOTTLING Bot"tling n.
Defn: The act or the process of putting anything into bottles (as beer, mineral water, etc.) and corking the bottles.
BOTTOM Bot"tom, n. Etym: [OE. botum, botme, AS. botm; akin to OS. bodom, D. bodem, OHG. podam, G. boden, Icel. botn, Sw. botten, Dan. bund (for budn ), L. fundus (for fudnus), Gr.budhna (for bhudhna), and Ir. bonn sole of the foot, W. bon stem, base. Cf. 4th Found, Fund, n.]
1. The lowest part of anything; the foot; as, the bottom of a tree or well; the bottom of a hill, a lane, or a page. Or dive into the bottom of the deep. Shak.
2. The part of anything which is beneath the contents and supports them, as the part of a chair on which a person sits, the circular base or lower head of a cask or tub, or the plank floor of a ship's hold; the under surface. Barrels with the bottom knocked out. Macaulay. No two chairs were alike; such high backs and low backs and leather bottoms and worsted bottoms. W. Irving.
3. That upon which anything rests or is founded, in a literal or a figurative sense; foundation; groundwork.
4. The bed of a body of water, as of a river, lake, sea.
5. The fundament; the buttocks.
6. An abyss. [Obs.] Dryden.
7. Low land formed by alluvial deposits along a river; low-lying ground; a dale; a valley. "The bottoms and the high grounds." Stoddard.
8. (Naut.)
Defn: The part of a ship which is ordinarily under water; hence, the vessel itself; a ship. My ventures are not in one bottom trusted. Shak. Not to sell the teas, but to return them to London in the same bottoms in which they were shipped. Bancroft. Full bottom, a hull of such shape as permits carrying a large amount of merchandise.
9. Power of endurance; as, a horse of a good bottom.
10. Dregs or grounds; lees; sediment. Johnson. At bottom, At the bottom, at the foundation or basis; in reality. "He was at the bottom a good man." J. F. Cooper. -- To be at the bottom of, to be the cause or originator of; to be the source of. [Usually in an opprobrious sense.] J. H. Newman. He was at the bottom of many excellent counsels. Addison. -- To go to the bottom, to sink; esp. to be wrecked. -- To touch bottom, to reach the lowest point; to find something on which to rest.
BOTTOM Bot"tom, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the bottom; fundamental; lowest; under; as, bottom rock; the bottom board of a wagon box; bottom prices. Bottom glade, a low glade or open place; a valley; a dale. Milton. -Bottom grass, grass growing on bottom lands. -- Bottom land. See 1st Bottom, n., 7.
BOTTOM Bot"tom, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bottomed (p. pr. & vb. n. Bottoming.]
1. To found or build upon; to fix upon as a support; -- followed by on or upon. Action is supposed to be bottomed upon principle. Atterbury. Those false and deceiving grounds upon which many bottom their eternal state]. South.
2. To furnish with a bottom; as, to bottom a chair.
3. To reach or get to the bottom of. Smiles.
BOTTOM Bot"tom, v. i.
1. To rest, as upon an ultimate support; to be based or grounded; -- usually with on or upon. Find on what foundation any proposition bottoms. Locke.
2. To reach or impinge against the bottom, so as to impede free action, as when the point of a cog strikes the bottom of a space between two other cogs, or a piston the end of a cylinder.
BOTTOM Bot"tom, n. Etym: [OE. botme, perh. corrupt. for button. See Button.]
Defn: A ball or skein of thread; a cocoon. [Obs.] Silkworms finish their bottoms in . . . fifteen days. Mortimer.
BOTTOM Bot"tom, v. t.
Defn: To wind round something, as in making a ball of thread. [Obs.] As you unwind her love from him, Lest it should ravel and be good to none, You must provide to bottom it on me. Shak.
BOTTOMED Bot"tomed, a.
Defn: Having at the bottom, or as a bottom; resting upon a bottom; grounded; -- mostly, in composition; as, sharp-bottomed; well- bottomed.
BOTTOM FERMENTATION Bot"tom fer`men*ta"tion.
Defn: A slow alcoholic fermentation during which the yeast cells collect at the bottom of the fermenting liquid. It takes place at a temperature of 4º - 10º C. (39º - 50ºF.). It is used in making lager beer and wines of low alcohol content but fine bouquet.
BOTTOMLESS Bot"tom*less, a.
Defn: Without a bottom; hence, fathomless; baseless; as, a bottomless abyss. "Bottomless speculations." Burke.
BOTTOMRY Bot"tom*ry, n. Etym: [From 1st Bottom in sense 8: cf.D. bodemerij. Cf. Bummery.] (Mar.Law)
Defn: A contract in the nature of a mortgage, by which the owner of a ship, or the master as his agent, hypothecates and binds the ship (and sometimes the accruing freight) as security for the repayment of money advanced or lent for the use of the ship, if she terminates her voyage successfully. If the ship is lost by perils of the sea, the lender loses the money; but if the ship arrives safe, he is to receive the money lent, with the interest or premium stipulated, although it may, and usually does, exceed the legal rate of interest. See Hypothecation.
BOTTONY; BOTTONE Bot"ton*y, Bot"to*né, a. Etym: [F. boutonné, fr. boutonner to bud, button.] (Her.)
Defn: Having a bud or button, or a kind of trefoil, at the end; furnished with knobs or buttons. Cross bottony (Her.), a cross having each arm terminating in three rounded lobes, forming a sort of trefoil.
BOTTS Botts, n. pl. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Bots.
BOTULIFORM Bot"u*li*form`, a. Etym: [L. botulus sausage + -form.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having the shape of a sausage. Henslow.
BOUCHE Bouche, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Same as Bush, a lining.
BOUCHE Bouche, v. t.
Defn: Same as Bush, to line.
BOUCHE; BOUCH Bouche, Bouch, n. Etym: [F. bouche mouth, victuals.]
1. A mouth. [Obs.]
2. An allowance of meat and drink for the tables of inferior officers or servants in a nobleman's palace or at court. [Obs.]
BOUCHEES Bou`chées", n. pl. Etym: [F., morsels, mouthfuls, fr. bouche mouth.] (Cookery)
Defn: Small patties.
BOUCHERIZE Bou"cher*ize, v. t. [After Dr. Auguste Boucherie, a French chemist, who invented the process.]
Defn: To impregnate with a preservative solution of copper sulphate, as timber, railroad ties, etc.
BOUD Boud, n.
Defn: A weevil; a worm that breeds in malt, biscuit, etc. [Obs.] Tusser., n. Etym: [F., fr. bouder to pout, be sulky.]
Defn: A small room, esp. if pleasant, or elegantly furnished, to which a lady may retire to be alone, or to receive intimate friends; a lady's (or sometimes a gentleman's) private room. Cowper.
BOUDOIR Bou*doir", n. [F., fr. bouder to pout, be sulky.]
Defn: A small room, esp. if pleasant, or elegantly furnished, to which a lady may retire to be alone, or to receive intimate friends; a lady's (or sometimes a gentleman's) private room. Cowper.
BOUFFE Bouffe, n. Etym: [F., buffoon.]
Defn: Comic opera. See Opera Bouffe.
BOUGAINVILLAEA Bou`gain*vil*læ`a, n. Etym: [Named from Bougainville, the French navigator.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of plants of the order Nyctoginaceæ, from tropical South America, having the flowers surrounded by large bracts.
BOUGE Bouge, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bouged] Etym: [Variant of bulge. Cf. Bowge.]
1. To swell out. [Obs.]
2. To bilge. [Obs.] "Their ship bouged." Hakluyt.
BOUGE Bouge, v. t.
Defn: To stave in; to bilge. [Obs.] Holland.
BOUGE Bouge, n. Etym: [F. bouche mouth, victuals.]
Defn: Bouche (see Bouche, 2); food and drink; provisions. [Obs.] [They] made room for a bombardman that brought bouge for a country lady or two, that fainted . . . with fasting. B. Jonson .
BOUGET Bou"get, n. Etym: [Cf. F. bougette sack, bag. Cf. Budget.] (Her.)
Defn: A charge representing a leather vessel for carrying water; -- also called water bouget.
BOUGH Bough, n. Etym: [OE. bogh, AS. bog, boh, bough, shoulder; akin to Icel. bogr shoulder, bow of a ship, Sw. bog, Dan. bov, OHG. buog, G. bug, and to Gr.bahu (for bhaghu) arm. sq. root88, 251. Cf. Bow of a ship.]
1. An arm or branch of a tree, esp. a large arm or main branch.
2. A gallows. [Archaic] Spenser.
BOUGHT Bought, n. Etym: [Cf. Dan. bugt bend, turning, Icel. bug. Cf. Bight, Bout, and see Bow to bend.]
1. A flexure; a bend; a twist; a turn; a coil, as in a rope; as the boughts of a serpent. [Obs.] Spenser. The boughts of the fore legs. Sir T. Browne.
2. The part of a sling that contains the stone. [Obs.]
BOUGHT Bought,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Buy.
BOUGHT Bought, p. a.
Defn: Purchased; bribed.
BOUGHTEN Bought"en, a.
Defn: Purchased; not obtained or produced at home. Coleridge.
BOUGHTY Bought"y, a.
Defn: Bending. [Obs.] Sherwood.
BOUGIE Bou*gie" (, n. Etym: [F. bougie wax candle, bougie, fr. Bougie, Bugia, a town of North Africa, from which these candles were first imported into Europe.]
1. (Surg.)
Defn: A long, flexible instrument, that is
Note: introduced into the urethra, esophagus, etc., to remove obstructions, or for the other purposes. It was originally made of waxed linen rolled into cylindrical form.
2. (Pharm.)
Defn: A long slender rod consisting of gelatin or some other substance that melts at the temperature of the body. It is impregnated with medicine, and designed for introduction into urethra, etc.
BOUGIE DECIMALE Bou*gie" dé`ci`male". [F., lit., decimal candle.]
Defn: A photometric standard used in France, having the value of one twentieth of the Violle platinum standard, or slightly less than a British standard candle. Called also decimal candle.
BOUILLI Bou`illi" (, n. Etym: [F., fr. bouillir to boil.] (Cookery)
Defn: Boiled or stewed meat; beef boiled with vegetables in water from which its gravy is to be made; beef from which bouillon or soup has been made.
BOUILLON Bou`illon" (, n. Etym: [F., fr. bouillir to boil.]
1. A nutritious liquid food made by boiling beef, or other meat, in water; a clear soup or broth.
2. (Far.)
Defn: An excrescence on a horse's frush or frog.
BOUK Bouk, n. Etym: [AS. bücbauch, Icel. bü body.]
1. The body. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. Bulk; volume. [Scot.]
BOUL Boul, n.
Defn: A curved handle. Sir W. Scott.
BOULANGERITE Bou*lan"ger*ite, n. Etym: [From Boulanger, a French mineralogist.] (Min.)
Defn: A mineral of a bluish gray color and metallic luster, usually in plumose masses, also compact. It is sulphide of antimony and lead.
BOULANGISM Bou*lan"gism, n. [F. boulangisme.]
Defn: The spirit or principles of a French political movement identified with Gen. Georges Boulanger (d. 1891), whose militarism and advocacy of revenge on Germany attracted to him a miscellaneous party of monarchists and Republican malcontents. -- Bou*lan"gist (#), n.
BOULDER Boul"der, n.
Defn: Same as Bowlder.
BOULDERY Boul"der*y, a.
Defn: Characterized by bowlders.
BOULE; BOULEWORK Boule, Boule"work`, n.
Defn: Same as Buhl, Buhlwork.
BOULEVARD Bou"le*vard`, n. Etym: [F. boulevard, boulevart, fr. G. bollwerk. See Bulwark.]
1. Originally, a bulwark or rampart of fortification or fortified town.
2. A public walk or street occupying the site of demolished fortifications. Hence: A broad avenue in or around a city.
BOULEVARDIER Boule`var`dier", n. [F.]
Defn: A frequenter of a city boulevard, esp. in Paris. F. Harrison.
BOULEVERSEMENT Boule`verse`ment", n. Etym: [F., fr. bouleverser to overthrow.]
Defn: Complete overthrow; disorder; a turning upside down.
BOULT Boult, n.
Defn: Corrupted form Bolt.
BOULT Boult (bolt), n.
Defn: Corrupted form Bolt.
BOULTEL; BOULTIN Boul"tel, Boul"tin, n. (Arch.) (a) A molding, the convexity of which is one fourth of a circle, being a member just below the abacus in the Tuscan and Roman Doric capital; a torus; an ovolo. (b) One of the shafts of a clustered column. [Written also bowtel, boltel, boultell, etc.]
BOULTER Boul"ter, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.]
Defn: A long, stout fishing line to which many hooks are attached.
BOUN Boun, a. Etym: [See Bound ready.]
Defn: Ready; prepared; destined; tending. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BOUN Boun, v. t.
Defn: To make or get ready. Sir W. Scott.
BOUNCE Bounce, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bounced; p. pr. & vb. n. Bouncing.] Etym: [OE. bunsen; cf. D. bonzen to strike, bounce, bons blow, LG. bunsen to knock; all prob. of imitative origin.]
1. To strike or thump, so as to rebound, or to make a sudden noise; a knock loudly. Another bounces as hard as he can knock. Swift. Against his bosom bounced his heaving heart. Dryden.
2. To leap or spring suddenly or unceremoniously; to bound; as, she bounced into the room. Out bounced the mastiff. Swift. Bounced off his arm+chair. Thackeray.
3. To boast; to talk big; to bluster. [Obs.]
BOUNCE Bounce, v. t.
1. To drive against anything suddenly and violently; to bump; to thump. Swift.
2. To cause to bound or rebound; sometimes, to toss.
3. To eject violently, as from a room; to discharge unceremoniously, as from employment. [Collog. U. S.]
4. To bully; to scold. [Collog.] J. Fletcher.
BOUNCE Bounce, n.
1. A sudden leap or bound; a rebound.
2. A heavy, sudden, and often noisy, blow or thump. The bounce burst open the door. Dryden.
3. An explosion, or the noise of one. [Obs.]
4. Bluster; brag; untruthful boasting; audacious exaggeration; an impudent lie; a bouncer. Johnson. De Quincey.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A dogfish of Europe (Scyllium catulus).
BOUNCE Bounce, adv.
Defn: With a sudden leap; suddenly. This impudent puppy comes bounce in upon me. Bickerstaff.
BOUNCER Boun"cer, n.
1. One who bounces; a large, heavy person who makes much noise in moving.
2. A boaster; a bully. [Collog.] Johnson.
3. A bold lie; also, a liar. [Collog.] Marryat.
4. Something big; a good stout example of the kind. The stone must be a bouncer. De Quincey.
BOUNCING Boun"cing, a.
1. Stout; plump and healthy; lusty; buxom. Many tall and bouncing young ladies. Thackeray.
2. Excessive; big. "A bouncing reckoning." B. & Fl. Bouncing Bet (Bot.), the common soapwort (Saponaria officinalis). Harper's Mag.
BOUNCINGLY Boun"cing*ly, adv.
Defn: With a bounce.
BOUND Bound, n. Etym: [OE. bounde, bunne, OF. bonne, bonde, bodne, F. borne, fr. LL. bodina, bodena, bonna; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. Arm. bonn boundary, limit, and boden, bod, a tuft or cluster of trees, by which a boundary or limit could be marked. Cf. Bourne.]
Defn: The external or limiting line, either real or imaginary, of any object or space; that which limits or restrains, or within which something is limited or restrained; limit; confine; extent; boundary. He hath compassed the waters with bounds. Job xxvi. 10. On earth's remotest bounds. Campbell. And mete the bounds of hate and love. Tennyson. To keep within bounds, not to exceed or pass beyond assigned limits; to act with propriety or discretion.
Syn. -- See Boundary.
BOUND Bound, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bounded; p. pr. & vb. n. Bounding.]
1. To limit; to terminate; to fix the furthest point of extension of; -- said of natural or of moral objects; to lie along, or form, a boundary of; to inclose; to circumscribe; to restrain; to confine. Where full measure only bounds excess. Milton. Phlegethon . . . Whose fiery flood the burning empire bounds. Dryden.
2. To name the boundaries of; as, to bound France.
BOUND Bound, v. i. Etym: [F. bondir to leap, OF. bondir, bundir, to leap, resound, fr. L. bombitare to buzz, hum, fr. bombus a humming, buzzing. See Bomb.]
1. To move with a sudden spring or leap, or with a succession of springs or leaps; as the beast bounded from his den; the herd bounded across the plain. Before his lord the ready spaniel bounds. Pope. And the waves bound beneath me as a steed That knows his rider. Byron.
2. To rebound, as an elastic ball.
BOUND Bound, v. t.
1. To make to bound or leap; as, to bound a horse. [R.] Shak.
2. To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; as, to bound a ball on the floor. [Collog.]
BOUND Bound, n.
1. A leap; an elastic spring; a jump. A bound of graceful hardihood. Wordsworth.
2. Rebound; as, the bound of a ball. Johnson.
3. (Dancing)
Defn: Spring from one foot to the other.
BOUND Bound,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Bind.
BOUND Bound, p. p. & a.
1. Restrained by a hand, rope, chain, fetters, or the like.
2. Inclosed in a binding or cover; as, a bound volume.
3. Under legal or moral restraint or obligation.
4. Constrained or compelled; destined; certain; -- followed by the infinitive; as, he is bound to succeed; he is bound to fail.
5. Resolved; as, I am bound to do it. [Collog. U. S.]
6. Constipated; costive.
Note: Used also in composition; as, icebound, windbound, hidebound, etc. Bound bailiff (Eng. Law), a sheriff's officer who serves writs, makes arrests, etc. The sheriff being answerable for the bailiff's misdemeanors, the bailiff is usually under bond for the faithful discharge of his trust. -- Bound up in, entirely devoted to; inseparable from.
BOUND Bound, a. Etym: [Past p. of OE. bounen to prepare, fr. boun ready, prepared, fr. Icel. bü, p. p. of büaboor and bower. See Bond, a., and cf. Busk, v.]
Defn: Ready or intending to go; on the way toward; going; -- with to or for, or with an adverb of motion; as, a ship is bound to Cadiz, or for Cadiz. "The mariner bound homeward." Cowper.
BOUNDARY Bound"a*ry, n.; pl. Boundaries ( Etym: [From Bound a limit; cf. LL. bonnarium piece of land with fixed limits.]
Defn: That which indicates or fixes a limit or extent, or marks a bound, as of a territory; a bounding or separating line; a real or imaginary limit. But still his native country lies Beyond the boundaries of the skies. N. Cotton. That bright and tranquil stream, the boundary of Louth and Meath. Macaulay. Sensation and reflection are the boundaries of our thoughts. Locke.
Syn. -- Limit; bound; border; term; termination; barrier; verge; confines; precinct. Bound, Boundary. Boundary, in its original and strictest sense, is a visible object or mark indicating a limit. Bound is the limit itself. But in ordinary usage the two words are made interchangeable.
BOUNDEN Bound"en, p.p & a. Etym: [Old. p. p. of bind.]
1. Bound; fastened by bonds. [Obs.]
2. Under obligation; bound by some favor rendered; obliged; beholden. This holy word, that teacheth us truly our bounden duty toward our Lord God in every point. Ridley.
3. Made obligatory; imposed as a duty; binding. I am much bounden to your majesty. Shak.
BOUNDER Bound"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, limits; a boundary. Sir T. Herbert.
BOUNDING Bound"ing, a.
Defn: Moving with a bound or bounds. The bounding pulse, the languid limb. Montgomery.
BOUNDLESS Bound"less, a.
Defn: Without bounds or confines; illimitable; vast; unlimited. "The boundless sky." Bryant. "The boundless ocean." Dryden. "Boundless rapacity." "Boundless prospect of gain." Macaulay.
Syn. -- Unlimited; unconfined; immeasurable; illimitable; infinite. -- Bound"less*ly, adv. -- Bound"less*ness, n.
BOUNTEOUS Boun"te*ous, a. Etym: [OE. bountevous, fr. bounte bounty.]
Defn: Liberal in charity; disposed to give freely; generously liberal; munificent; beneficent; free in bestowing gifts; as, bounteous production. But O, thou bounteous Giver of all good. Cowper. -- Boun"te*ous*ly, adv. -- Boun"te*ous*ness, n.
BOUNTIFUL Boun"ti*ful, a.
1. Free in giving; liberal in bestowing gifts and favors. God, the bountiful Author of our being. Locke.
2. Plentiful; abundant; as, a bountiful supply of food.
Syn. -- Liberal; munificent; generous; bounteous. -- Boun"ti*ful*ly, adv. -- Boun"ti*ful*ness, n.
BOUNTIHEAD; BOUNTYHOOD Boun"ti*head, Boun"ty*hood, n.
Defn: Goodness; generosity. [Obs.] Spenser.
BOUNTY Boun"ty, n.; pl. Bounties. Etym: [OE. bounte goodness, kindness, F. bonté, fr. L. bonitas, fr. bonus good, for older duonus; cf. Skr. duvas honor, respect.]
1. Goodness, kindness; virtue; worth. [Obs.] Nature set in her at once beauty with bounty. Gower.
2. Liberality in bestowing gifts or favors; gracious or liberal giving; generosity; munificence. My bounty is as boundless as the sea. Shak.
3. That which is given generously or liberally. "Thy morning bounties." Cowper.
4. A premium offered or given to induce men to enlist into the public service; or to encourage any branch of industry, as husbandry or manufactures. Bounty jumper, one who, during the latter part of the Civil War, enlisted in the United States service, and deserted as soon as possible after receiving the bounty. [Collog.] -- Queen Anne's bounty (Eng. Hist.), a provision made in Queen Anne's reign for augmenting poor clerical livings.
Syn. -- Munificence; generosity; beneficence.
BOUQUET Bou*quet", n. Etym: [F. bouquet bunch, bunch of flowers, trees, feathers, for bousquet, bosquet, thicket, a little wood, dim. of LL. boscus. See Bush thicket, and cf. Bosket, Busket.]
1. A nosegay; a bunch of flowers.
2. A perfume; an aroma; as, the bouquet of wine.
BOUQUETIN Bou`que*tin", n. Etym: [F.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The ibex.
BOUR Bour, n. Etym: [See Bower a chamber.]
Defn: A chamber or a cottage. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BOURBON Bour"bon, n. Etym: [From the castle and seigniory of Bourbon in central France.]
1. A member of a family which has occupied several European thrones, and whose descendants still claim the throne of France.
2. A politician who is behind the age; a ruler or politician who neither forgets nor learns anything; an obstinate conservative.
BOURBONISM Bour"bon*ism, n.
Defn: The principles of those adhering to the house of Bourbon; obstinate conservatism.
BOURBONIST Bour"bon*ist, n.
Defn: One who adheres to the house of Bourbon; a legitimist.
BOURBON WHISKY Bour"bon whis"ky.
Defn: See under Whisky.
BOURD Bourd, n. Etym: [F. bourde fib, lie, OF. borde, bourde, jest, joke.]
Defn: A jest. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BOURD Bourd, v. i.
Defn: To jest. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BOURDER Bourd"er, n.
Defn: A jester. [Obs.]
BOURDON Bour"don, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. burdo mule, esp. one used for carrying litters. Cf. Sp. muleta a young she mule; also, crutch, prop.]
Defn: A pilgrim's staff.
BOURDON Bour"don`, n. Etym: [F. See Burden a refrain.] (Mus.) (a) A drone bass, as in a bagpipe, or a hurdy-gurdy. See Burden (of a song.) (b) A kind of organ stop.
BOURGEOIS Bour*geois", n. Etym: [From a French type founder named Bourgeois, or fr. F. bourgeois of the middle class; hence applied to an intermediate size of type between brevier and long primer: cf. G. bourgeois, borgis. Cf. Burgess.] (Print.)
Defn: A size of type between long primer and brevier. See Type.
Note: This line is printed in bourgeois type.
BOURGEOIS Bour*geois", n. Etym: [F., fr. bourg town; of German origin. See Burgess.]
Defn: A man of middle rank in society; one of the shopkeeping class. [France.] a.
Defn: Characteristic of the middle class, as in France.
BOURGEOISIE Bour*geoi*sie", n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: The French middle class, particularly such as are concerned in, or dependent on, trade.
BOURGEON Bour"geon, v. i. Etym: [OE. burjoun a bud, burjounen to bud, F. bourgeon a bud, bourgeonner to bud; cf. OHG. burjan to raise.]
Defn: To sprout; to put forth buds; to shoot forth, as a branch. Gayly to bourgeon and broadly to grow. Sir W. Scott.
BOURI Bou"ri, n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A mullet (Mugil capito) found in the rivers of Southern Europe and in Africa.
BOURN; BOURNE Bourn, Bourne, n. Etym: [OE. burne, borne, AS. burna; akin to OS. brunno spring, G. born, brunnen, OHG. prunno, Goth. brunna, Icel. brunnr, and perh. to Gr. burn, v., because the source of a stream seems to issue forth bubbling and boiling from the earth. Cf. Torrent, and see Burn, v.]
Defn: A stream or rivulet; a burn. My little boat can safely pass this perilous bourn. Spenser.
BOURN; BOURNE Bourn, Bourne, n. Etym: [F. borne. See Bound a limit.]
Defn: A bound; a boundary; a limit. Hence: Point aimed at; goal. Where the land slopes to its watery bourn. Cowper. The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveler returns. Shak. Sole bourn, sole wish, sole object of my song. Wordsworth. To make the doctrine . . . their intellectual bourne. Tyndall.
BOURNLESS Bourn"less, a.
Defn: Without a bourn or limit.
BOURNONITE Bour"non*ite, n. Etym: [Named after Count Bournon, a minerologist.] (Min.)
Defn: A mineral of a steel-gray to black color and metallic luster, occurring crystallized, often in twin crystals shaped like cogwheels (wheel ore), also massive. It is a sulphide of antimony, lead, and copper.
BOURNOUS Bour*nous", n.
Defn: See Burnoose.
BOURREE Bour*rée, n. Etym: [F.] (Mus.)
Defn: An old French dance tune in common time.
BOURSE Bourse, n. Etym: [F. bourse purse, exchange, LL. bursa, fr. Gr.Purse, Burse.]
Defn: An exchange, or place where merchants, bankers, etc., meet for business at certain hours; esp., the Stock Exchange of Paris.
BOUSE Bouse, v. i.
Defn: To drink immoderately; to carouse; to booze. See Booze.
BOUSE Bouse, n.
Defn: Drink, esp. alcoholic drink; also, a carouse; a booze. "A good bouse of liquor." Carlyle.
BOUSER Bous"er, n.
Defn: A toper; a boozer.
BOUSTROPHEDON Bou`stro*phe"don, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: An ancient mode of writing, in alternate directions, one line from left to right, and the next from right to left (as fields are plowed), as in early Greek and Hittite.
BOUSTROPHEDONIC Bou*stroph`e*don"ic, a.
Defn: Relating to the boustrophedon mode of writing.
BOUSTROPHIC Bou*stroph"ic, a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Boustrophedonic.
BOUSY Bousy, a.
Defn: Drunken; sotted; boozy. In his cups the bousy poet songs. Dryden.
BOUT Bout, n. Etym: [A different spelling and application of bought bend.]
1. As much of an action as is performed at one time; a going and returning, as of workmen in reaping, mowing, etc.; a turn; a round. In notes with many a winding bout Of linked sweetness long drawn out. Milton. The prince . . . has taken me in his train, so that I am in no danger of starving for this bout. Goldsmith.
2. A conflict; contest; attempt; trial; a set-to at anything; as, a fencing bout; a drinking bout. The gentleman will, for his honor's sake, have one bout with you; he can not by the duello avoid it. Shak.
BOUTADE Bou*tade", n. Etym: [F., fr. bouter to thrust. See Butt.]
Defn: An outbreak; a caprice; a whim. [Obs.]
BOUTEFEU Boute"feu, n. Etym: [F.; bouter to thrust, put + feu fire.]
Defn: An incendiary; an inciter of quarrels. [Obs.] Animated by . . . John à Chamber, a very boutefeu, . . . they entered into open rebellion. Bacon.
BOUTONNIERE Bou`ton`nière", n. Etym: [F., buttonhole.]
Defn: A bouquet worn in a buttonhole.
BOUTS-RIMES Bouts`-ri*més", n. pl. Etym: [F. bout end + rimé rhymed.]
Defn: Words that rhyme, proposed as the ends of verses, to be filled out by the ingenuity of the person to whom they are offered.
BOVATE Bo"vate, n. Etym: [LL. bovata, fr. bos, bovis, ox.] (O.Eng.Law.)
Defn: An oxgang, or as much land as an ox can plow in a year; an ancient measure of land, of indefinite quantity, but usually estimated at fifteen acres.
BOVEY COAL Bo"vey coal`. (Min.)
Defn: A kind of mineral coal, or brown lignite, burning with a weak flame, and generally a disagreeable odor; -- found at Bovey Tracey, Devonshire, England. It is of geological age of the oölite, and not of the true coal era.
BOVID Bo"vid, a. Etym: [L. bos, bovis, ox, cow.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Relating to that tribe of ruminant mammals of which the genus Bos is the type.
BOVIFORM Bo"vi*form, a. Etym: [L. bos, bovis, ox + -form.]
Defn: Resembling an ox in form; ox-shaped. [R.]
BOVINE Bo"vine, a. Etym: [LL. bovinus, fr.L. bos, bovis, ox, cow: cf. F. bovine. See Cow.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: of or pertaining to the genus Bos; relating to, or resembling, the ox or cow; oxlike; as, the bovine genus; a bovine antelope.
2. Having qualities characteristic of oxen or cows; sluggish and patient; dull; as, a bovine temperament. The bovine gaze of gaping rustics. W. Black.
BOW Bow (bou), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bowing.] Etym: [OE. bowen, bogen, bugen, AS. bugan (generally v.i.); akin to D. buigen, OHG. biogan, G. biegen, beugen, Icel. boginn bent, beygja to bend, Sw. böja, Dan. böie, bugne, Coth. biugan; also to L. fugere to flee, Gr. bhuj to bend. sq. root88. Cf. Fugitive.]
1. To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved. We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness. Milton. The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny. Prescott.
2. To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline. Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion. Bacon. Not to bow and bias their opinions. Fuller.
3. To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension. They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 2 Kings ii. 15.
4. To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,; Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave. Shak.
5. To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.
BOW Bow (bou), v. i.
1. To bend; to curve. [Obs.]
2. To stop. [Archaic] They stoop, they bow down together. Is. xlvi. 2
3. To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; -- often with down. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. Ps. xcv. 6.
4. To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow. Admired, adored by all circling crowd, For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they bowed. Dryden.
BOW Bow (bou), n.
Defn: An inclination of the head, or a bending of the body, in token of reverence, respect, civility, or submission; an obeisance; as, a bow of deep humility.
BOW Bow (bo), n. Etym: [OE. bowe, boge, AS. boga, fr. AS. bü to bend; akin to D. boog, G. bogen, Icel. bogi. See Bow, v. t.]
1. Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow. I do set my bow in the cloud. Gen. ix. 13.
2. A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which an arrow is propelled.
3. An ornamental knot, with projecting lops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.
4. The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
5. (Mus.)
Defn: An appliance consisting of an elastic rod, with a number of horse hairs stretched from end to end of it, used in playing on a stringed instrument.
6. An acrograph.
7. (Mech. & Manuf.)
Defn: Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging the hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
8. (Naut.)
Defn: A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
9. (Saddlery) sing. or pl.
Defn: Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree. Bow bearer (O. Eng. Law), an under officer of the forest who looked after trespassers. -- Bow drill, a drill worked by a bow and string. -- Bow instrument (Mus.), any stringed instrument from which the tones are produced by the bow. -- Bow window (Arch.) See Bay window. -- To draw a long bow, to lie; to exaggerate. [Colloq.]
BOW Bow (bo), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bowing.]
Defn: To play (music) with a bow. -- v. i.
Defn: To manage the bow.
BOW Bow (bo), n. Etym: [Icel. bogr shoulder, bow of a ship. See Bough.]
1. (Naut.)
Defn: The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar. Bow chaser (Naut.), a gun in the bow for firing while chasing another vessel. Totten. - Bow piece, a piece of ordnance carried at the bow of a ship. -- On the bow (Naut.), on that part of the horizon within 45º on either side of the line ahead. Totten.
BOWABLE Bow"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being bowed or bent; flexible; easily influenced; yielding. [Obs.]
BOWBELL Bow"bell`, n.
Defn: One born within hearing distance of Bow-bells; a cockney. Halliwell.
BOW-BELLS Bow"-bells`, n. pl.
Defn: The bells of Bow Church in London; cockneydom. People born within the sound of Bow-bells are usually called cockneys. Murray's Handbook of London.
BOWBENT Bow"bent`, a.
Defn: Bent, like a bow. Milton.
BOW-COMPASS Bow"-com`pass, n.; pl. Bow-compasses (.
1. An arcograph.
2. A small pair of compasses, one leg of which carries a pencil, or a pen, for drawing circles. Its legs are often connected by a bow- shaped spring, instead of by a joint.
3. A pair of compasses, with a bow or arched plate riveted to one of the legs, and passing through the other.
BOWDLERIZE Bowd"ler*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bowdlerized; p. pr. & vb. n. Bowdlerizing.] [After Dr. Thomas Bowdler, an English physician, who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare in 1818.]
Defn: To expurgate, as a book, by omitting or modifying the parts considered offensive.
It is a grave defect in the splendid tale of Tom Jones . . . that a Bowlderized version of it would be hardly intelligible as a tale. F. Harrison.
-- Bowd`ler*i*za"tion (#), n. --Bowd"ler*ism (#), n.
BOWEL Bow"el, n. Etym: [OE. bouel, bouele, OF. boel, boele, F. boyau, fr. L. botellus a small sausage, in LL. also intestine, dim. of L. botulus sausage.]
1. One of the intestines of an animal; an entrail, especially of man; a gut; -- generally used in the plural. He burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. Acts i. 18.
2. pl.
Defn: Hence, figuratively: The interior part of anything; as, the bowels of the earth. His soldiers . . . cried out amain, And rushed into the bowels of the battle. Shak.
3. pl.
Defn: The seat of pity or kindness. Hence: Tenderness; compassion. "Thou thing of no bowels." Shak. Bloody Bonner, that corpulent tyrant, full (as one said) of guts, and empty of bowels. Fuller.
4. pl.
Defn: Offspring. [Obs.] Shak.
BOWEL Bow"el, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Boweled or Bowelled; p. pr.& vb. n. Boweling or Bowelling.]
Defn: To take out the bowels of; to eviscerate; to disembowel.
BOWELED Bow"eled, a. [Written also bowelled.]
Defn: Having bowels; hollow. "The boweled cavern." Thomson.
BOWELLESS Bow"el*less, a.
Defn: Without pity. Sir T. Browne.
BOWENITE Bow"en*ite, n. Etym: [From G.T.Bowen, who analyzed it in 1822.] (Min.)
Defn: A hard, compact variety of serpentine found in Rhode Island. It is of a light green color and resembles jade.
BOWER Bo"wer, n. Etym: [From Bow, v. & n.]
1. One who bows or bends.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: An anchor carried at the bow of a ship.
3. A muscle that bends a limb, esp. the arm. [Obs.] His rawbone arms, whose mighty brawned bowers Were wont to rive steel plates and helmets hew. Spenser. Best bower, Small bower. See the Note under Anchor.
BOWER Bow"er, n. Etym: [G. bauer a peasant. So called from the figure sometimes used for the knave in cards. See Boor.]
Defn: One of the two highest cards in the pack commonly used in the game of euchre. Right bower, the knave of the trump suit, the highest card (except the "Joker") in the game. -- Left bower, the knave of the other suit of the same color as the trump, being the next to the right bower in value. -- Best bower or Joker, in some forms of euchre and some other games, an extra card sometimes added to the pack, which takes precedence of all others as the highest card.
BOWER Bow"er, n. Etym: [OE. bour, bur, room, dwelling, AS. bur, fr. the root of AS. buan to dwell; akin to Icel. bur chamber, storehouse, Sw. bur cage, Dan. buur, OHG. pur room, G. bauer cage, bauer a peasant. *97] Cf.Boor, Byre.]
1. Anciently, a chamber; a lodging room; esp., a lady's private apartment. Give me my lute in bed now as I lie, And lock the doors of mine unlucky bower. Gascoigne.
2. A rustic cottage or abode; poetically, an attractive abode or retreat. Shenstone. B. Johnson.
3. A shelter or covered place in a garden, made with boughs of trees or vines, etc., twined together; an arbor; a shady recess.
BOWER Bow"er, v. t.
Defn: To embower; to inclose. Shak.
BOWER Bow"er, v. i.
Defn: To lodge. [Obs.] Spenser.
BOWER Bow"er, n. Etym: [From Bough, cf. Brancher.] (Falconry)
Defn: A young hawk, when it begins to leave the nest. [Obs.]
BOWER-BARFF PROCESS Bow"er-Barff" proc`ess . (Metal.)
Defn: A certain process for producing upon articles of iron or steel an adherent coating of the magnetic oxide of iron (which is not liable to corrosion by air, moisture, or ordinary acids). This is accomplished by producing, by oxidation at about 1600º F. in a closed space, a coating containing more or less of the ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and the subsequent change of this in a reduced atmosphere to the magnetic oxide (Fe2O4).
BOWER BIRD Bow"er bird`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An Australian bird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus or holosericeus), allied to the starling, which constructs singular bowers or playhouses of twigs and decorates them with brightcolored objects; the satin bird.
Note: The name is also applied to other related birds of the same region, having similar habits; as, the spotted bower bird (Chalmydodera maculata), and the regent bird (Sericulus melinus).
BOWERY Bow"er*y, a.
Defn: Shading, like a bower; full of bowers. A bowery maze that shades the purple streams. Trumbull.
BOWERY Bow"er*y, n.; pl. Boweries Etym: [D. bouwerij.]
Defn: A farm or plantation with its buildings. [U.S.Hist.] The emigrants [in New York] were scattered on boweries or plantations; and seeing the evils of this mode of living widely apart, they were advised, in 1643 and 1646, by the Dutch authorities, to gather into "villages, towns, and hamlets, as the English were in the habit of doing." Bancroft.
BOWERY Bow"er*y, a.
Defn: Characteristic of the street called the Bowery, in New York city; swaggering; flashy.
BOWESS Bow"ess, n. (Falconry)
Defn: Same as Bower. [Obs.]
BOWFIN Bow"fin`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A voracious ganoid fish (Amia calva) found in the fresh waters of the United States; the mudfish; -- called also Johnny Grindle, and dogfish.
BOWGE Bowge, v. i.
Defn: To swell out. See Bouge. [Obs.]
BOWGE Bowge, v. t.
Defn: To cause to leak. [Obs.] See Bouge.
BOWGRACE Bow"grace`, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A frame or fender of rope or junk, laid out at the sides or bows of a vessel to secure it from injury by floating ice.
BOW HAND Bow" hand`.
1. (Archery)
Defn: The hand that holds the bow, i. e., the left hand. Surely he shoots wide on the bow hand. Spenser.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: The hand that draws the bow, i. e., the right hand.
BOWHEAD Bow"head`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The great Arctic or Greenland whale. (Balæna mysticetus). See Baleen, and Whale.
BOWIE KNIFE Bow"ie knife`.
Defn: A knife with a strong blade from ten to fifteen inches long, and double-edged near the point; -- used as a hunting knife, and formerly as a weapon in the southwestern part of the United States. It was named from its inventor, Colonel James Bowie. Also, by extension, any large sheath knife.
BOWING Bow"ing, n. (Mus.)
1. The act or art of managing the bow in playing on stringed instruments. Bowing constitutes a principal part of the art of the violinist, the violist, etc. J. W. Moore.
2. In hatmaking, the act or process of separating and distributing the fur or hair by means of a bow, to prepare it for felting.
BOWINGLY Bow"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a bending manner.
BOWKNOT Bow"knot`, n.
Defn: A knot in which a portion of the string is drawn through in the form of a loop or bow, so as to be readily untied.
BOWL Bowl, n. Etym: [OE. bolle, AS. bolla; akin to Icel. bolli, Dan. bolle, G. bolle, and perh. to E. boil a tumor. Cf. Boll.]
1. A concave vessel of various forms (often approximately hemisherical), to hold liquids, etc. Brought them food in bowls of basswood. Longfellow.
2. Specifically, a drinking vessel for wine or other spirituous liquors; hence, convival drinking.
3. The contents of a full bowl; what a bowl will hold.
4. The bollow part of a thing; as, the bowl of a spoon.
BOWL Bowl, n. Etym: [F. boule, fr. L. bulla bubble, stud. Cf. Bull an edict, Bill a writing.]
1. A ball of wood or other material used for rolling on a level surface in play; a ball of hard wood having one side heavier than the other, so as to give it a bias when rolled.
2. pl.
Defn: An ancient game, popular in Great Britain, played with biased balls on a level plat of greensward. Like an uninstructed bowler, . . . who thinks to attain the jack by delivering his bowl straightforward upon it. Sir W. Scott.
3. pl.
Defn: The game of tenpins or bowling. [U.S.]
BOWL Bowl, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bowled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bowling.]
1. To roll, as a bowl or cricket ball. Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel, And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven. Shak.
2. To roll or carry smoothly on, or as on, wheels; as, we were bowled rapidly along the road.
3. To pelt or strike with anything rolled. Alas, I had rather be set quick i' the earth, And bowled to death with turnipsShak. To bowl (a player) out, in cricket, to put out a striker by knocking down a bail or a stump in bowling.
BOWL Bowl, v. i.
1. To play with bowls.
2. To roll a ball on a plane, as at cricket, bowls, etc.
3. To move rapidly, smoothly, and like a ball; as, the carriage bowled along.
BOWLDER; BOULDER Bowl"der, Boul"der, n. Etym: [Cf. Sw. bullra to roar, rattle, Dan. buldre, dial. Sw. bullersteen larger kind of pebbles; perh. akin to E. bellow.]
1. A large stone, worn smooth or rounded by the action of water; a large pebble.
2. (Geol.)
Defn: A mass of any rock, whether rounded or not, that has been transported by natural agencies from its native bed. See Drift. Bowlder clay, the unstratified clay deposit of the Glacial or Drift epoch, often containing large numbers of bowlders. -- Bowlder wall, a wall constructed of large stones or bowlders.
BOWLDERY Bowl"der*y, a.
Defn: Characterized by bowlders.
BOWLEG Bow"leg`, n.
Defn: A crooked leg. Jer. Taylor.
BOW-LEGGED Bow"-legged`, a.
Defn: Having crooked legs, esp. with the knees bent outward. Johnson.
BOWLER Bowl"er, n.
Defn: One who plays at bowls, or who rolls the ball in cricket or any other game.
BOWLESS Bow"less, a.
Defn: Destitute of a bow.
BOWLINE Bow"line, n. Etym: [Cf. D. boelijn, Icel. böglïnabovline; properly the line attached to the shoulder or side of the sail. See Bow (of a ship), and Line.] (Naut.)
Defn: A rope fastened near the middle of the leech or perpendicular edge of the square sails, by subordinate ropes, called bridles, and used to keep the weather edge of the sail tight forward, when the ship is closehauled. Bowline bridles, the ropes by which the bowline is fastened to the leech of the sail. -- Bowline knot. See Illust. under Knot. -- On a bowline, close-hauled or sailing close to the wind; -- said of a ship.
BOWLING Bowl"ing, n.
Defn: The act of playing at or rolling bowls, or of rolling the ball at cricket; the game of bowls or of tenpins. Bowling alley, a covered place for playing at bowls or tenpins. -- Bowling green, a level piece of greensward or smooth ground for bowling, as the small park in lower Broadway, New York, where the Dutch of New Amsterdam played this game.
BOWLS Bowls, n. pl.
Defn: See Bowl, a ball, a game.
BOWMAN Bow"man, n.; pl. Bowmen (.
Defn: A man who uses a bow; an archer. The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. Jer. iv. 29. Bowman's root. (Bot.) See Indian physic, under Indian.
BOWMAN Bow"man, n. (Naut.)
Defn: The man who rows the foremost oar in a boat; the bow oar.
BOWNE Bowne, v. t. Etym: [See Boun.]
Defn: To make ready; to prepare; to dress. [Obs.] We will all bowne ourselves for the banquet. Sir W. Scott.
BOW NET Bow" net`
Defn: .
1. A trap for lobsters, being a wickerwork cylinder with a funnel- shaped entrance at one end.
2. A net for catching birds. J. H. Walsh.
BOW OAR Bow" oar`
Defn: .
1. The oar used by the bowman.
2. One who rows at the bow of a boat.
BOW-PEN Bow"-pen`, n.
Defn: Bow-compasses carrying a drawing pen. See Bow-compass.
BOW-PENCIL Bow"-pen`cil, n.
Defn: Bow-compasses, one leg of which carries a pencil.
BOW-SAW Bow"-saw`, n.
Defn: A saw with a thin or narrow blade set in a strong frame.
BOWSE Bowse, v. i. Etym: [See Booze, and Bouse.]
1. To carouse; to bouse; to booze. De Quincey.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: To pull or haul; as, to bowse upon a tack; to bowse away, i. e., to pull all together.
BOWSE Bowse, n.
Defn: A carouse; a drinking bout; a booze.
BOWSHOT Bow"shot`, n.
Defn: The distance traversed by an arrow shot from a bow.
BOWSPRIT Bow"sprit`, n. Etym: [Bow + sprit; akin to D.boegspriet; boeg bow of a ship + spriet, E. sprit, also Sw. bogspröt, G. bugspriet.] (Naut.)
Defn: A large boom or spar, which projects over the stem of a ship or other vessel, to carry sail forward.
BOWSSEN Bows"sen, v. t.
Defn: To drench; to soak; especially, to immerse (in water believed to have curative properties). [Obs.] There were many bowssening places, for curing of mad men. . . . If there appeared small amendment he was bowssened again and again. Carew.
BOWSTRING Bow"string`, n.
1. The string of a bow.
2. A string used by the Turks for strangling offenders. Bowstring bridge, a bridge formed of an arch of timber or iron, often braced, the thrust of which is resisted by a tie forming a chord of the arch. -- Bowstring girder, an arched beam strengthened by a tie connecting its two ends. -- Bowstring hemp (Bot.), the tenacious fiber of the Sanseviera Zeylanica, growing in India and Africa, from which bowstrings are made. Balfour.
BOWSTRING Bow"string`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bowstringed ( or Bowstrung (; p. pr. & vb. n. Bowstringing.]
Defn: To strangle with a bowstring.
BOWSTRINGED Bow"stringed`, p.a.
1. Furnished with bowstring.
2. Put to death with a bowstring; strangled.
BOWTEL Bow"tel, n.
Defn: See Boultel.
BOWWOW Bow"wow`, n.
Defn: An onomatopoetic name for a dog or its bark. -- a.
Defn: Onomatopoetic; as, the bowwow theory of language; a bowwow word. [Jocose.]
BOWYER Bow"yer, n. Etym: [From Bow, like lawyer from law.]
1. An archer; one who uses bow.
2. One who makes or sells bows.
BOX Box, n. Etym: [As. box, L. buxus, fr. Gr. Box a case.] (Bot.)
Defn: A tree or shrub, flourishing in different parts of the world. The common box (Buxus sempervirens) has two varieties, one of which, the dwaft box (B.suffruticosa), is much used for borders in gardens. The wood of the tree varieties, being very hard and smooth, is extensively used in the arts, as by turners, engravers, mathematical instrument makers, etc. Box elder, the ash-leaved maple (Negundo aceroides), of North America. -- Box holly, the butcher's broom (Russus aculeatus). -- Box thorn, a shrub (Lycium barbarum). -- Box tree, the tree variety of the common box.
BOX Box, n.; pl. Boxes ( Etym: [As. box a small case or vessel with a cover; akin to OHG. buhsa box, G. büchse; fr. L. buxus boxwood, anything made of boxwood. See Pyx, and cf. Box a tree, Bushel.]
1. A receptacle or case of any firm material and of various shapes.
2. The quantity that a box contain.
3. A space with a few seats partitioned off in a theater, or other place of public amusement. Laughed at by the pit, box, galleries, nay, stage. Dorset. The boxes and the pit are sovereign judges. Dryden.
4. A chest or any receptacle for the deposit of money; as, a poor box; a contribution box. Yet since his neighbors give, the churl unlocks, Damning the poor, his tripple-bolted box. J. Warton.
5. A small country house. "A shooting box." Wilson. Tight boxes neatly sashed. Cowper.
6. A boxlike shed for shelter; as, a sentry box.
7. (Mach) (a) An axle box, journal box, journal bearing, or bushing. (b) A chamber or section of tube in which a valve works; the bucket of a lifting pump.
8. The driver's seat on a carriage or coach.
9. A present in a box; a present; esp. a Christmas box or gift. "A Christmas box." Dickens.
10. (Baseball)
Defn: The square in which the pitcher stands.
11. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A Mediterranean food fish; the bogue.
Note: Box is much used adjectively or in composition; as box lid, box maker, box circle, etc.; also with modifying substantives; as money box, letter box, bandbox, hatbox or hat box, snuff box or snuffbox. Box beam (Arch.), a beam made of metal plates so as to have the form of a long box. -- Box car (Railroads), a freight car covered with a roof and inclosed on the sides to protect its contents. -- Box chronometer, a ship's chronometer, mounted in gimbals, to preserve its proper position. -- Box coat, a thick overcoat for driving; sometimes with a heavy cape to carry off the rain. -- Box coupling, a metal collar uniting the ends of shafts or other parts in machinery. -- Box crab (Zoöl.), a crab of the genus Calappa, which, when at rest with the legs retracted, resembles a box. -- Box drain (Arch.), a drain constructed with upright sides, and with flat top and bottom. -- Box girder (Arch.), a box beam. -- Box groove (Metal Working), a closed groove between two rolls, formed by a collar on one roll fitting between collars on another. R. W. Raymond. -- Box metal, an alloy of copper and tin, or of zinc, lead, and antimony, for the bearings of journals, etc. -- Box plait, a plait that doubles both to the rigth and the left. -- Box turtle or Box tortoise (Zoöl.), a land tortoise or turtle of the genera Cistudo and Emys; -- so named because it can withdraw entirely within its shell, which can be closed by hinged joints in the lower shell. Also, humorously, an exceedingly reticent person. Emerson. -- In a box, in a perplexity or an embarrassing position; in difficulty. (Colloq.) -- In the wrong box, out of one's place; out of one's element; awkwardly situated. (Colloq.) Ridley (1554)
BOX Box, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Boxed (p. pr. & vb. n. Boxing.]
1. To inclose in a box.
2. To furnish with boxes, as a wheel.
3. (Arch.)
Defn: To inclose with boarding, lathing, etc., so as to bring to a required form. To box a tree, to make an incision or hole in a tree for the purpose of procuring the sap. -- To box off, to divide into tight compartments. -- To box up. (a) To put into a box in order to save; as, he had boxed up twelve score pounds. (b) To confine; as, to be boxed up in narrow quarters.
BOX Box, n. Etym: [Cf.Dan. baske to slap, bask slap, blow. Cf. Pash.]
Defn: A blow on the head or ear with the hand. A good-humored box on the ear. W. Irving.
BOX Box, v. i.
Defn: To fight with the fist; to combat with, or as with, the hand or fist; to spar.
BOX Box, v. t.
Defn: To strike with the hand or fist, especially to strike on the ear, or on the side of the head.
BOX Box, v. t. Etym: [Cf.Sp. boxar, now spelt bojar.]
Defn: To boxhaul. To box off (Naut.), to turn the head of a vessel either way by bracing the headyards aback. -- To box the compass (Naut.), to name the thirty-two points of the compass in their order.
BOXBERRY Box"ber`ry, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The wintergreern. (Gaultheria procumbens). [Local, U.S.]
BOXEN Box"en, a.
Defn: Made of boxwood; pertaining to, or resembling, the box (Buxus). [R.] The faded hue of sapless boxen leaves. Dryden.
BOXER Box"er, n.
Defn: One who packs boxes.
BOXER Box"er, n.
Defn: One who boxes; a pugilist.
BOXFISH Box"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The trunkfish.
BOXHAUL Box"haul`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Boxhauled.] (Naut.)
Defn: To put (a vessel) on the other tack by veering her short round on her heel; -- so called from the circumstance of bracing the head yards abox (i. e., sharp aback, on the wind). Totten.
BOXHAULING Box"haul`ing, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A method of going from one tack to another. See Boxhaul.
BOXING Box"ing, n.
1. The act of inclosing (anything) in a box, as for storage or transportation.
2. Material used in making boxes or casings.
3. Any boxlike inclosure or recess; a casing.
4. (Arch.)
Defn: The external case of thin material used to bring any member to a required form.
BOXING Box"ing, n.
Defn: The act of fighting with the fist; a combat with the fist; sparring. Blackstone. Boxing glove, a large padded mitten or glove used in sparring for exercise or amusement.
BOXING DAY Box"ing day`.
Defn: The first week day after Christmas, a legal holiday on which Christmas boxes are given to postmen, errand boys, employees, etc. The night of this day is boxing night. [Eng.]
BOX-IRON Box"-i`ron, n.
Defn: A hollow smoothing iron containing a heater within.
BOXKEEPER Box"keep`er, n.
Defn: An attendant at a theater who has charge of the boxes.
BOX KITE Box kite.
Defn: A kite, invented by Lawrence Hargrave, of Sydney, Australia, which consist of two light rectangular boxes, or cells open on two sides, and fastened together horizontally. Called also Hargrave, or cellular, kite.
BOX TAIL Box tail. (Aëronautics)
Defn: In a flying machine, a tail or rudder, usually fixed, resembling a box kite.
BOXTHORN Box"thorn`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of the genus Lycium, esp. Lycium barbarum.
BOXWOOD Box"wood`, n.
Defn: The wood of the box (Buxus).
BOY Boy, n. Etym: [Cf. D. boef, Fries. boi, boy; akin to G. bube, Icel. bofi rouge.]
Defn: A male child, from birth to the age of puberty; a lad; hence, a son. My only boy fell by the side of great Dundee. Sir W. Scott.
Note: Boy is often used as a term of comradeship, as in college, or in the army or navy. In the plural used colloquially of members of an assosiaton, fraternity, or party. Boy bishop, a boy (usually a chorister) elected bishop, in old Christian sports, and invested with robes and other insignia. He practiced a kind of mimicry of the ceremonies in which the bishop usually officiated. The Old Boy, the Devil. [Slang] -- Yellow boys, guineas. [Slang, Eng.] -- Boy's love, a popular English name of Southernwood (Artemisia abrotonum);) -- called also lad's love. -- Boy's play, childish amusements; anything trifling.
BOY Boy, v. t.
Defn: To act as a boy; -- in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage. I shall see Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness. Shak.
BOYAR; BOYARD Bo*yar", Bo*yard", n. Etym: [Russ. boiárin'.]
Defn: A member of a Russian aristocratic order abolished by Peter the Great. Also, one of a privileged class in Roumania.
Note: English writers sometimes call Russian landed proprietors boyars.
BOYAU Boy"au, n.; pl. Boyaux or Boyaus. Etym: [F. boyau gut, a long and narrow place, and (of trenches) a branch. See Bowel.] (Fort.)
Defn: A winding or zigzag trench forming a path or communication from one siegework to another, to a magazine, etc.
BOYCOTT Boy"cott`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Boycotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Boycotting.] Etym: [From Captain Boycott, a land agent in Mayo, Ireland, so treated in 1880.]
Defn: To combine against (a landlord, tradesman, employer, or other person), to withhold social or business relations from him, and to deter others from holding such relations; to subject to a boycott.
BOYCOTT Boy"cott, n.
Defn: The process, fact, or pressure of boycotting; a combining to withhold or prevent dealing or social intercourse with a tradesman, employer, etc.; social and business interdiction for the purpose of coercion.
BOYCOTTER Boy"cott`er, n.
Defn: A participant in boycotting.
BOYCOTTISM Boy"cott*ism, n.
Defn: Methods of boycotters.
BOYDEKIN Boy"de*kin, n.
Defn: A dagger; a bodkin. [Obs.]
BOYER Boy"er, n. Etym: [D. boeijer; -- so called because these vessels were employed for laying the boeijen, or buoys: cf. F. boyer. See Buoy.] (Naut.)
Defn: A Flemish sloop with a castle at each end. Sir W. Raleigh.
BOYHOOD Boy"hood, n. Etym: [Boy + -hood.]
Defn: The state of being a boy; the time during which one is a boy. Hood.
BOYISH Boy"ish, a.
Defn: Resembling a boy in a manners or opinions; belonging to a boy; childish; trifling; puerile. A boyish, odd conceit. Baillie.
BOYISHLY Boy"ish*ly, adv.
Defn: In a boyish manner; like a boy.
BOYISHNESS Boy"ish*ness, n.
Defn: The manners or behavior of a boy.
BOYISM Boy"ism, n.
1. Boyhood. [Obs.] T. Warton.
2. The nature of a boy; childishness. Dryden.
BOYLE'S LAW Boyle's" law`.
Defn: See under Law.
BOY SCOUT Boy scout.
Defn: Orig., a member of the "Boy Scouts," an organization of boys founded in 1908, by Sir R. S. S. Baden-Powell, to promote good citizenship by creating in them a spirit of civic duty and of usefulness to others, by stimulating their interest in wholesome mental, moral, industrial, and physical activities, etc. Hence, a member of any of the other similar organizations, which are now worldwide. In "The Boy Scouts of America" the local councils are generally under a scout commissioner, under whose supervision are scout masters, each in charge of a troop of two or more patrols of eight scouts each, who are of three classes, tenderfoot, second-class scout, and first-class scout.
BOZA Bo"za, n. Etym: [See Bosa.]
Defn: An acidulated fermented drink of the Arabs and Egyptians, made from millet seed and various astringent substances; also, an intoxicating beverage made from hemp seed, darnel meal, and water. [Written also bosa, bozah, bouza.]
BRABANTINE Bra*bant"ine, a.
Defn: Pertaining to Brabant, an ancient province of the Netherlands.
BRABBLE Brab"ble, v. i. Etym: [D. brabbelen to talk confusedly. Blab, Babble.]
Defn: To clamor; to contest noisily. [R.]
BRABBLE Brab"ble, n.
Defn: A broil; a noisy contest; a wrangle. This petty brabble will undo us all. Shak.
BRABBLEMENT Brab"ble*ment, n.
Defn: A brabble. [R.] Holland.
BRABBLER Brab"bler, n.
Defn: A clamorous, quarrelsome, noisy fellow; a wrangler. [R] Shak.
BRACCATE Brac"cate, a.Etym: [L. bracatus wearing breeches, fr. bracae breeches.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Furnished with feathers which conceal the feet.
BRACE Brace, n. Etym: [OF. brace, brasse, the two arms, embrace, fathom, F. brasse fathom, fr. L. bracchia the arms (stretched out), pl. of bracchium arm; cf. Gr.
1. That which holds anything tightly or supports it firmly; a bandage or a prop.
2. A cord, ligament, or rod, for producing or maintaining tension, as a cord on the side of a drum. The little bones of the ear drum do in straining and relaxing it as the braces of the war drum do in that. Derham.
3. The state of being braced or tight; tension. The laxness of the tympanum, when it has lost its brace or tension. Holder.
4. (Arch. & Engin.)
Defn: A piece of material used to transmit, or change the direction of, weight or pressure; any one of the pieces, in a frame or truss, which divide the structure into triangular parts. It may act as a tie, or as a strut, and serves to prevent distortion of the structure, and transverse strains in its members. A boiler brace is a diagonal stay, connecting the head with the shell.
5. (Print.)
Defn: A vertical curved line connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus, boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves.
6. (Naut.)
Defn: A rope reeved through a block at the end of a yard, by which the yard is moved horizontally; also, a rudder gudgeon.
7. (Mech.)
Defn: A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.
8. A pair; a couple; as, a brace of ducks; now rarely applied to persons, except familiarly or with some contempt. "A brace of greyhounds." Shak. He is said to have shot . . . fifty brace of pheasants. Addison. A brace of brethren, both bishops, both eminent for learning and religion, now appeared in the church. Fuller. But you, my brace of lords. Shak.
9. pl.
Defn: Straps or bands to sustain trousers; suspenders. I embroidered for you a beautiful pair of braces. Thackeray.
10. Harness; warlike preparation. [Obs.] For that it stands not in such warlike brace. Shak.
11. Armor for the arm; vantbrace.
12. (Mining)
Defn: The mouth of a shaft. [Cornwall] Angle brace. See under Angle.
BRACE Brace, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Braced; p. pr. & vb. n. Bracing.]
1. To furnish with braces; to support; to prop; as, to brace a beam in a building.
2. To draw tight; to tighten; to put in a state of tension; to strain; to strengthen; as, to brace the nerves. And welcome war to brace her drums. Campbell.
3. To bind or tie closely; to fasten tightly. The women of China, by bracing and binding them from their infancy, have very little feet. Locke. Some who spurs had first braced on. Sir W. Scott.
4. To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly; as, he braced himself against the crowd. A sturdy lance in his right hand he braced. Fairfax.
5. (Naut.)
Defn: To move around by means of braces; as, to brace the yards. To brace about (Naut.), to turn (a yard) round for the contrary tack. -- To brace a yard (Naut.), to move it horizontally by means of a brace. -- To brace in (Naut.), to turn (a yard) by hauling in the weather brace. -- To brace one's self, to call up one's energies. "He braced himself for an effort which he was little able to make." J. D. Forbes. - To brace to (Naut.), to turn (a yard) by checking or easing off the lee brace, and hauling in the weather one, to assist in tacking. -- To brace up (Naut.), to bring (a yard) nearer the direction of the keel by hauling in the lee brace. -- To brace up sharp (Naut.), to turn (a yard) as far forward as the rigging will permit.
BRACE Brace, v. i.
Defn: To get tone or vigor; to rouse one's energies; -with up. [Colloq.]
BRACELET Brace"let, n. Etym: [F. bracelet, dim. of OF. bracel armlet, prop. little arm, dim. of bras arm, fr. L. bracchium. See Brace,n.]
1. An ornamental band or ring, for the wrist or the arm; in modern times, an ornament encircling the wrist, worn by women or girls.
2. A piece of defensive armor for the arm. Johnson.
BRACER Bra"cer, n.
1. That which braces, binds, or makes firm; a band or bandage.
2. A covering to protect the arm of the bowman from the vibration of the string; also, a brassart. Chaucer.
3. A medicine, as an astringent or a tonic, which gives tension or tone to any part of the body. Johnson.
BRACH Brach, n. Etym: [OE. brache a kind of scenting hound or setting dog, OF. brache, braque, fr. OHG. braccho, G. bracke; possibly akin to E. fragrant, fr. L. fragrare to smell.]
Defn: A bitch of the hound kind. Shak.
BRACHELYTRA Brach*el"y*tra, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. ( (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of beetles having short elytra, as the rove beetles.
BRACHIA Brach"i*a, n. pl.
Defn: See Brachium.
BRACHIAL Brach"i*al or (, a. Etym: [L. brachialis (bracch-), from bracchium (bracch-) arm: cf. F. brachial.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining or belonging to the arm; as, the brachial artery; the brachial nerve.
2. Of the nature of an arm; resembling an arm.
BRACHIATA Brach`i*a"ta, n. pl. Etym: [See Brachiate.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of the Crinoidea, including those furnished with long jointed arms. See Crinoidea.
BRACHIATE Brach"i*ate, a. Etym: [L. brachiatus (bracch-) with boughs or branches like arms, from brackium (bracch-) arm.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having branches in pairs, decussated, all nearly horizontal, and each pair at right angles with the next, as in the maple and lilac.
BRACHIOGANOID Brach`i*og"a*noid, n.
Defn: One of the Brachioganoidei.
BRACHIOGANOIDEI Brach`i*o*ga*noid"e*i, n. pl.Etym: [NL., from L. brachium (bracch-) arm + NL. ganoidei.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An order of ganoid fishes of which the bichir of Africa is a living example. See Crossopterygii.
BRACHIOLARIA Brach`i*o*la"ri*a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. brachiolum (bracch-), dim. of brachium (bracch-) arm.]
Defn: (Zoöl.) A peculiar early larval stage of certain starfishes, having a bilateral structure, and swimming by means of bands of vibrating cilia.
BRACHIOPOD Brach"i*o*pod, n. Etym: [Cf.F. brachiopode.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Brachiopoda, or its shell.
BRACHIOPODA Brach`i*op"o*da, n. Etym: [NL., from Gr. -poda.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A class of Molluscoidea having a symmetrical bivalve shell, often attached by a fleshy peduncle.
Note: Within the shell is a pair of "arms," often long and spirally coiled, bearing rows of ciliated tentacles by which a current of water is made to flow into the mantle cavity, bringing the microscopic food to the mouth between the bases of the arms. The shell is both opened and closed by special muscles. They form two orders; Lyopoma, in which the shell is thin, and without a distinct hinge, as in Lingula; and Arthropoma, in which the firm calcareous shell has a regular hinge, as in Rhynchonella. See Arthropomata.
BRACHIUM Brach"i*um, n.; pl. Bracchia (. Etym: [L. brachium or bracchium, arm.] (Anat.)
Defn: The upper arm; the segment of the fore limb between the shoulder and the elbow.
BRACHMAN Brach"man, n. Etym: [L. Brachmanae, pl., Gr.
Defn: See Brahman. [Obs.]
BRACHYCATALECTIC Brach`y*cat`a*lec"tic, n. Etym: [Gr. (Gr.& Last. Pros.)
Defn: A verse wanting two syllables at its termination.
BRACHYCEPHALIC; BRACHYCEPHALOUS Brach`y*ce*phal"ic, Brach`y*ceph"a*lous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Anat.)
Defn: Having the skull short in proportion to its breadth; shortheaded; -- in distinction from dolichocephalic.
BRACHYCEPHALY; BRACHYCEPHALISM Brach`y*ceph"a*ly, Brach`y*ceph"a*lism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. Brachycéphalie] . (Anat.)
Defn: The state or condition of being brachycephalic; shortness of head.
BRACHYCERAL Bra*chyc"er*al, a. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having short antennæ, as certain insects.
BRACHYDIAGONAL Brach`y*di*ag"o*nal, a. Etym: [Gr. diagonal.]
Defn: Pertaining to the shorter diagonal, as of a rhombic prism. Brachydiagonal axis, the shorter lateral axis of an orthorhombic crystal.
BRACHYDIAGONAL Brach`y*di*ag"o*nal, n.
Defn: The shorter of the diagonals in a rhombic prism.
BRACHYDOME Brach`y*dome, n. Etym: [Gr. dome.] (Crystallog.)
Defn: A dome parallel to the shorter lateral axis. See Dome.
BRACHYGRAPHER Bra*chyg"ra*pher, n.
Defn: A writer in short hand; a stenographer. He asked the brachygrapher whether he wrote the notes of the sermon. Gayton.
BRACHYGRAPHY Bra*chyg"ra*phy, n. Etym: [Gr. -graphy: cf. F. brachygraphie.]
Defn: Stenograhy. B. Jonson.
BRACHYLOGY Bra*chyl"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. brachylogie.] (Rhet.)
Defn: Conciseness of expression; brevity.
BRACHYPINACOID Brach`y*pin"a*coid, n. Etym: [Gr. pinacoid.] (Crytallog.)
Defn: A plane of an orthorhombic crystal which is parallel both to the vertical axis and to the shorter lateral (brachydiagonal) axis.
BRACHYPTERA Bra*chyp"te*ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of Coleoptera having short wings; the rove beetles.
BRACHYPTERES Bra*chyp"te*res, n.pl. Etym: [NL. See Brachyptera. ] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of birds, including auks, divers, and penguins.
BRACHYPTEROUS Bra*chyp"ter*ous, a. Etym: [Gr. brachyptère.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having short wings.
BRACHYSTOCHRONE Bra*chys"to*chrone, n. Etym: [Incorrect for brachistochrone, fr. Gr. brachistochrone. ] (Math.)
Defn: A curve, in which a body, starting from a given point, and descending solely by the force of gravity, will reach another given point in a shorter time than it could by any other path. This curve of quickest descent, as it is sometimes called, is, in a vacuum, the same as the cycloid.
BRACHYTYPOUS Brach"y*ty`pous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Min.)
Defn: Of a short form.
BRACHYURA Brach`y*u"ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of decapod Crustacea, including the common crabs, characterized by a small and short abdomen, which is bent up beneath the large cephalo-thorax. [Also spelt Brachyoura.] See Crab, and Illustration in Appendix.
BRACHYURAL; BRACHYUROUS Brach`y*u"ral, Brach`y*u"rous, a. Etym: [Cf. F. brachyure.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Brachyura.
BRACHYURAN Brach`y*u"ran, n.
Defn: One of the Brachyura.
BRACING Bra"cing, a.
Defn: Imparting strength or tone; strengthening; invigorating; as, a bracing north wind.
BRACING Bra"cing, n.
1. The act of strengthening, supporting, or propping, with a brace or braces; the state of being braced.
2. (Engin.)
Defn: Any system of braces; braces, collectively; as, the bracing of a truss.
BRACK Brack, n. Etym: [Cf.D. braak, Dan. bræk, a breaking, Sw. & Isel. brak a crackling, creaking. Cf. Breach.]
Defn: An opening caused by the parting of any solid body; a crack or breach; a flaw. Stain or brack in her sweet reputation. J. Fletcher.
BRACK Brack, n. Etym: [D. brak, adj., salt; cf. LG. wrak refuse, G. brack.]
Defn: Salt or brackish water. [Obs.] Drayton.
BRACKEN Brack"en, n. Etym: [OE. braken, AS. bracce. See 2d Brake, n.]
Defn: A brake or fern. Sir W. Scott.
BRACKET Brack"et, n. Etym: [Cf.OF. braguette codpiece, F. brayette, Sp. bragueta, also a projecting mold in architecture; dim. fr.L. bracae breeches; cf. also, OF. bracon beam, prop, support; of unknown origin. Cf. Breeches.]
1. (Arch.)
Defn: An architectural member, plain or ornamental, projecting from a wall or pier, to support weight falling outside of the same; also, a decorative feature seeming to discharge such an office.
Note: This is the more general word. See Brace, Cantalever, Console, Corbel, Strut.
2. (Engin. & Mech.)
Defn: A piece or combination of pieces, usually triangular in general shape, projecting from, or fastened to, a wall, or other surface, to support heavy bodies or to strengthen angles.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: A shot, crooked timber, resembling a knee, used as a support.
4. (Mil.)
Defn: The cheek or side of an ordnance carriage.
5. (Print.)
Defn: One of two characters [], used to inclose a reference, explanation, or note, or a part to be excluded from a sentence, to indicate an interpolation, to rectify a mistake, or to supply an omission, and for certain other purposes; -- called also crotchet.
6. A gas fixture or lamp holder projecting from the face of a wall, column, or the like. Bracket light, a gas fixture or a lamp attached to a wall, column, etc.
BRACKET Brack"et, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bracketed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bracketing]
Defn: To place within brackets; to connect by brackets; to furnish with brackets.
BRACKETING Brack"et*ing, n. (Arch.)
Defn: A series or group of brackets; brackets, collectively.
BRACKISH Brack"ish, a. Etym: [See Brack salt water.]
Defn: Saltish, or salt in a moderate degree, as water in saline soil. Springs in deserts found seem sweet, all brackish though they be. Byron.
BRACKISHNESS Brack"ish*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being brackish, or somewhat salt.
BRACKY Brack"y, a.
Defn: Brackish. Drayton.
BRACT Bract, n. Etym: [See Bractea.] (Bot.) (a) A leaf, usually smaller than the true leaves of a plant, from the axil of which a flower stalk arises. (b) Any modified leaf, or scale, on a flower stalk or at the base of a flower.
Note: Bracts are often inconspicuous, but sometimes large and showy, or highly colored, as in many cactaceous plants. The spathes of aroid plants are conspicuous forms of bracts.
BRACTEA Brac"te*a, n. Etym: [L., a thin plate of metal or wood, gold foil.] (Bot.)
Defn: A bract.
BRACTEAL Brac"te*al, a. Etym: [Cf.F. bractéal.]
Defn: Having the nature or appearance of a bract.
BRACTEATE Brac"te*ate, a. Etym: [Cf.L. bracteatus covered with gold plate.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having a bract or bracts.
BRACTED Bract"ed, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Furnished with bracts.
BRACTEOLATE Brac"te*o*late, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Furnished with bracteoles or bractlets.
BRACTEOLE Brac"te*ole, n. Etym: [L. bracteola, dim. of bractea. See Bractea.] (Bot.)
Defn: Same as Bractlet.
BRACTLESS Bract"less, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Destitute of bracts.
BRACTLET Bract"let, n. Etym: [Bract + -let] (Bot.)
Defn: A bract on the stalk of a single flower, which is itself on a main stalk that support several flowers. Gray.
BRAD Brad, n. Etym: [Cf.OE. brod, Dan. braad prick, sting, brodde ice spur, frost nail, Sw. brodd frost nail, Icel. broddr any pointed piece of iron or stell; akin to AS. brord point, spire of grass, and perh. to E. bristle. See Bristle, n.]
Defn: A thin nail, usually small, with a slight projection at the top on one side instead of a head; also, a small wire nail, with a flat circular head; sometimes, a small, tapering, square-bodied finishing nail, with a countersunk head.
BRAD AWL Brad" awl`.
Defn: A straight awl with chisel edge, used to make holes for brads, etc. Weale.
BRADOON Bra*doon", n.
Defn: Same as Bridoon.
BRAE Brae, n. Etym: [See Bray a hill.]
Defn: A hillside; a slope; a bank; a hill. [Scot.] Burns.
BRAG Brag, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bragged; p. pr. & vb. n. Bragging.] Etym: [OE. braggen to resound, blow, boast (cf. F. braguer to lead a merry life, flaunt, boast, OF. brague merriment), from Icel. braka to creak, brak noise, fr. the same root as E. break; properly then, to make a noise, boast. 95.]
Defn: To talk about one's self, or things pertaining to one's self, in a manner intended to excite admiration, envy, or wonder; to talk boastfully; to boast; -- often followed by of; as, to brag of one's exploits, courage, or money, or of the great things one intends to do. Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Brags of his substance, not of ornament. Shak.
Syn. -- To swagger; boast; vapor; bluster; vaunt; flourish; talk big.
BRAG Brag, v. t.
Defn: To boast of. [Obs.] Shak.
BRAG Brag, n.
1. A boast or boasting; bragging; ostentatious pretense or self glorification. Cæsar . . . made not here his brag Of "came," and "saw," and "overcame." Shak.
2. The thing which is boasted of. Beauty is Nature's brag. Milton.
3. A game at cards similar to bluff. Chesterfield.
BRAG Brag, a. Etym: [See Brag, v. i.]
Defn: Brisk; full of spirits; boasting; pretentious; conceited. [Arhaic] A brag young fellow. B. Jonson.
BRAG Brag, adv.
Defn: Proudly; boastfully. [Obs.] Fuller.
BRAGGADOCIO Brag`ga*do"cio, n. Etym: [From Braggadocchio, a boastful character in Spenser's "Faërie Queene."]
1. A braggart; a boaster; a swaggerer. Dryden.
2. Empty boasting; mere brag; pretension.
BRAGGARDISM Brag"gard*ism, n. Etym: [See Braggart.]
Defn: Boastfulness; act of bragging. Shak.
BRAGGART Brag"gart, n. Etym: [OF. bragard flaunting, vain, bragging. See Brag, v. i.]
Defn: A boaster. O, I could play the woman with mine eyes, And braggart with my tongue. Shak.
BRAGGART Brag"gart, a.
Defn: Boastful. -- Brag"gart*ly, adv.
BRAGGER Brag"ger, n.
Defn: One who brags; a boaster.
BRAGGET Brag"get, n. Etym: [OE. braket, bragot, fr. W. bragawd, bragod, fr. brag malt.]
Defn: A liquor made of ale and honey fermented, with spices, etc. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
BRAGGINGLY Brag"ging`ly, adv.
Defn: Boastingly.
BRAGLESS Brag"less, a.
Defn: Without bragging. [R.] Shak.
BRAGLY Brag"ly, adv.
Defn: In a manner to be bragged of; finely; proudly. [Obs.] Spenser.
BRAHMA Brah"ma, n. Etym: [See Brahman.]
1. (Hindoo Myth.)
Defn: The One First Cause; also, one of the triad of Hindoo gods. The triad consists of Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver, and Siva, the Destroyer.
Note: According to the Hindoo religious books, Brahma (with the final a short), or Brahm, is the Divine Essence, the One First Cause, the All in All, while the personal gods, Brahmá (with the final a long), Vishnu, and Siva, are emanations or manifestations of Brahma the Divine Essence.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A valuable variety of large, domestic fowl, peculiar in having the comb divided lengthwise into three parts, and the legs well feathered. There are two breeds, the dark or penciled, and the light; -- called also Brahmapootra.
BRAHMAN; BRAHMIN Brah"man, Brah"min, n.; pl. Brahmans, Brahmins. Etym: [Skr. Brahmana (cf. Brahman worship, holiness; the God Brahma, also Brahman): cf. F. Brahmane, Brachmane, Bramine, L. Brachmanae, -manes, -mani, pl., Gr.
Defn: A person of the highest or sacerdotal caste among the Hindoos. Brahman bull (Zoöl.), the male of a variety of the zebu, or Indian ox, considered sacred by the Hindoos.
BRAHMANESS Brah"man*ess, n.
Defn: A Brahmani.
BRAHMANI Brah"man*i, n. Etym: [Fem. of Brahman.]
Defn: Any Brahman woman. [Written also Brahmanee.]
BRAHMANIC; BRAHMANICAL; BRAHMAN-ICAL; BRAHMINIC; BRAHMINICAL; BRAHMIN-ICAL Brah*man"ic, -ic*al , Brah*min"ic (, *ic*al (, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Brahmans or to their doctrines and worship.
BRAHMANISM; BRAHMINISM Brah"man*ism, Brah"min*ism, n.
Defn: The religion or system of doctrines of the Brahmans; the religion of Brahma.
BRAHMANIST; BRAHMINIST Brah"man*ist, Brah"min*ist, n.
Defn: An adherent of the religion of the Brahmans.
BRAHMOISM Brah"mo*ism, n.
Defn: The religious system of Brahmo-somaj. Balfour.
BRAHMO-SOMAJ Brah`mo-so*maj", n. Etym: [Bengalese, a wor
Defn: A modern reforming theistic sect among the Hindos. [Written also Brahma-samaj.]
BRAID Braid, v. t. [imp. &. p. p. Braided; p. pr. & vb. n. Braiding.] Etym: [OE. braiden, breiden, to pull, reach, braid, AS. bregdan to move to and fro, to weave; akin. to Icel. breg, D. breiden to knit, OS. bregdan to weave, OHG. brettan to brandish. Cf. Broid.]
1. To weave, interlace, or entwine together, as three or more strands or threads; to form into a braid; to plait. Braid your locks with rosy twine. Milton.
2. To mingle, or to bring to a uniformly soft consistence, by beating, rubbing, or straining, as in some culinary operations.
3. To reproach. [Obs.] See Upbraid. Shak.
BRAID Braid, n.
1. A plait, band, or narrow fabric formed by intertwining or weaving together different strands. A braid of hair composed of two different colors twined together. Scott.
2. A narrow fabric, as of wool, silk, or linen, used for binding, trimming, or ornamenting dresses, etc.
BRAID Braid, n. Etym: [Cf.Icel. breg to move quickly.]
1. A quick motion; a start. [Obs.] Sackville.
2. A fancy; freak; caprice. [Obs.] R. Hyrde.
BRAID Braid v. i.
Defn: To start; to awake. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BRAID Braid, a. Etym: [AS. bræd, bred, deceit; akin to Icel. brag trick, AS. bredan, bregdan, to braid, knit, (hence) to knit a net, to draw into a net, i.e., to deceive. See Braid, v. t.]
Defn: Deceitful. [Obs.] Since Frenchmen are so braid, Marry that will, I live and die a maid. Shak.
BRAIDING Braid"ing, n.
1. The act of making or using braids.
2. Braids, collectively; trimming. A gentleman enveloped in mustachios, whiskers, fur collars, and braiding. Thackeray.
BRAIL Brail, n. Etym: [OE. brayle furling rope, OF. braiol a band placed around the breeches, fr.F. braies, pl., breeches, fr.L. braca, bracae, breeches, a Gallic word; cf. Arm. bragez. Cf. Breeches.]
1. (Falconry)
Defn: A thong of soft leather to bind up a hawk's wing.
2. pl. (Naut.)
Defn: Ropes passing through pulleys, and used to haul in or up the leeches, bottoms, or corners of sails, preparatory to furling.
3. A stock at each end of a seine to keep it stretched.
BRAIL Brail, v. t. (Naut.)
Defn: To haul up by the brails; -- used with up; as, to brail up a sail.
BRAILLE Braille, n.
Defn: A system of printing or writing for the blind in which the characters are represented by tangible points or dots. It was invented by Louis Braille, a French teacher of the blind.
BRAIN Brain, n. Etym: [OE. brain, brein, AS. bragen, brægen; akin to LG. brägen, bregen, D. brein, and perh. to Gr. 95.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: The whitish mass of soft matter (the center of the nervous system, and the seat of consciousness and volition) which is inclosed in the cartilaginous or bony cranium of vertebrate animals. It is simply the anterior termination of the spinal cord, and is developed from three embryonic vesicles, whose cavities are connected with the central canal of the cord; the cavities of the vesicles become the central cavities, or ventricles, and the walls thicken unequally and become the three segments, the fore-, mid-, and hind-brain.
Note: In the brain of man the cerebral lobes, or largest part of the forebrain, are enormously developed so as to overhang the cerebellum, the great lobe of the hindbrain, and completely cover the lobes of the midbrain. The surface of the cerebrum is divided into irregular ridges, or convolutions, separated by grooves (the so-called fissures and sulci), and the two hemispheres are connected at the bottom of the longitudinal fissure by a great transverse band of nervous matter, the corpus callosum, while the two halves of the cerebellum are connected on the under side of the brain by the bridge, or pons Varolii.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The anterior or cephalic ganglion in insects and other invertebrates.
3. The organ or seat of intellect; hence, the understanding. " My brain is too dull." Sir W. Scott.
Note: In this sense, often used in the plural.
4. The affections; fancy; imagination. [R.] Shak. To have on the brain, to have constantly in one's thoughts, as a sort of monomania. [Low] Brain box or case, the bony on cartilaginous case inclosing the brain. -- Brain coral, Brain stone coral (Zoöl), a massive reef-building coral having the surface covered by ridges separated by furrows so as to resemble somewhat the surface of the brain, esp. such corals of the genera Mæandrina and Diploria. -- Brain fag (Med.), brain weariness. See Cerebropathy. -- Brain fever (Med.), fever in which the brain is specially affected; any acute cerebral affection attended by fever. -- Brain sand, calcareous matter found in the pineal gland.
BRAIN Brain, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brained; p. pr. & vb. n. Braining.]
1. To dash out the brains of; to kill by beating out the brains. Hence, Fig.: To destroy; to put an end to; to defeat. There thou mayst brain him. Shak. It was the swift celerity of the death . . . That brained my purpose. Shak.
2. To conceive; to understand. [Obs.] brain not. Shak.
BRAINED Brained, p.a.
Defn: Supplied with brains. If th' other two be brained like us. Shak.
BRAINISH Brain"ish, a.
Defn: Hot-headed; furious. [R.] Shak.
BRAINLESS Brain"less, a.
Defn: Without understanding; silly; thougthless; witless. -- Brain"less*ness, n.
BRAINPAN Brain"pan`, n. Etym: [Brain + pan.]
Defn: The bones which inclose the brain; the skull; the cranium.
BRAINSICK Brain"sick`, a.
Defn: Disordered in the understanding; giddy; thoughtless. -- Brain"sick*ness, n.
BRAINSICKLY Brain"sick`ly, adv.
Defn: In a brainsick manner.
BRAINY Brain"y, a.
Defn: Having an active or vigorous mind. [Colloq.]
BRAISE; BRAIZE Braise, Braize, n. Etym: [So called from its iridescent colors.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A European marine fish (Pagrus vulgaris) allied to the American scup; the becker. The name is sometimes applied to the related species. [Also written brazier.]
BRAISE; BRAIZE Braise, Braize, n. Etym: [F.]
1. Charcoal powder; breeze.
2. (Cookery)
Defn: Braised meat.
BRAISE Braise, v. t. Etym: [F. braiser, fr. braise coals.] (Cookery)
Defn: To stew or broil in a covered kettle or pan. A braising kettle has a deep cover which holds coals; consequently the cooking is done from above, as well as below. Mrs. Henderson.
BRAISER Brais"er, n.
Defn: A kettle or pan for braising.
BRAIT Brait, n. Etym: [Cf.W. braith variegated, Ir. breath, breagh, fine, comely.]
Defn: A rough diamond.
BRAIZE Braize, n.
Defn: See Braise.
BRAKE Brake, imp.
Defn: of Break. [Arhaic] Tennyson.
BRAKE Brake, n. Etym: [OE. brake fern; cf. AS. bracce fern, LG. brake willow bush, Da. bregne fern, G. brach fallow; prob. orig. the growth on rough, broken ground, fr. the root of E. break. See Break, v. t., cf. Bracken, and 2d Brake, n.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A fern of the genus Pteris, esp. the P. aquilina, common in almost all countries. It has solitary stems dividing into three principal branches. Less properly: Any fern.
2. A thicket; a place overgrown with shrubs and brambles, with undergrowth and ferns, or with canes. Rounds rising hillocks, brakes obscure and rough, To shelter thee from tempest and from rain. Shak. He stayed not for brake, and he stopped not for stone. Sir W. Scott. Cane brake, a thicket of canes. See Canebrake.
BRAKE Brake, n. Etym: [OE. brake; cf. LG. brake an instrument for breaking flax, G. breche, fr. the root of E. break. See Break, v. t., and cf. Breach.]
1. An instrument or machine to break or bruise the woody part of flax or hemp so that it may be separated from the fiber.
2. An extended handle by means of which a number of men can unite in working a pump, as in a fire engine.
3. A baker's kneading though. Johnson.
4. A sharp bit or snaffle. Pampered jades . . . which need nor break nor bit. Gascoigne.
5. A frame for confining a refractory horse while the smith is shoeing him; also, an inclosure to restrain cattle, horses, etc. A horse . . . which Philip had bought . . . and because of his fierceness kept him within a brake of iron bars. J. Brende.
6. That part of a carriage, as of a movable battery, or engine, which enables it to turn.
7. (Mil.)
Defn: An ancient engine of war analogous to the crossbow and ballista.
8. (Agric.)
Defn: A large, heavy harrow for breaking clods after plowing; a drag.
9. A piece of mechanism for retarding or stopping motion by friction, as of a carriage or railway car, by the pressure of rubbers against the wheels, or of clogs or ratchets against the track or roadway, or of a pivoted lever against a wheel or drum in a machine.
10. (Engin.)
Defn: An apparatus for testing the power of a steam engine, or other motor, by weighing the amount of friction that the motor will overcome; a friction brake.
11. A cart or carriage without a body, used in breaking in horses.
12. An ancient instrument of torture. Holinshed. Air brake. See Air brake, in the Vocabulary. -- Brake beam or Brake bar, the beam that connects the brake blocks of opposite wheels. -- Brake block. (a) The part of a brake holding the brake shoe. (b) A brake shoe. -- Brake shoe or Brake rubber, the part of a brake against which the wheel rubs. -- Brake wheel, a wheel on the platform or top of a car by which brakes are operated. -- Continuous brake . See under Continuous.
BRAKEMAN Brake"man, n.; pl. Brakemen (.
1. (Railroads)
Defn: A man in charge of a brake or brakes.
2. (Mining)
Defn: The man in charge of the winding (or hoisting) engine for a mine.
BRAKY Brak"y, a.
Defn: Full of brakes; abounding with brambles, shrubs, or ferns; rough; thorny. In the woods and braky glens. W. Browne.
BRAMA Bra"ma, n.
Defn: See Brahma.
BRAMAH PRESS Bra"mah press`.
Defn: A hydrostatic press of immense power, invented by Joseph Bramah of London. See under Hydrostatic.
BRAMBLE Bram"ble, n. Etym: [OE. brembil, AS.brbramal), fr. the same root as E. broom, As. br. See Broom.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Any plant of the genus Rubus, including the raspberry and blackberry. Hence: Any rough, prickly shrub. The thorny brambles, and embracing bushes. Shak.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The brambling or bramble finch.
BRAMBLE BUSH Bram"ble bush`. (Bot.)
Defn: The bramble, or a collection of brambles growing together. He jumped into a bramble bush And scratched out both his eyes. Mother Goose.
BRAMBLED Bram"bled, a.
Defn: Overgrown with brambles. Forlorn she sits upon the brambled floor. T. Warton.
BRAMBLE NET Bram"ble net`.
Defn: A net to catch birds.
BRAMBLING Bram"bling, n. Etym: [OE. bramline. See Bramble, n.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The European mountain finch (Fringilla montifringilla); -- called also bramble finch and bramble.
BRAMBLY Bram"bly, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, resembling, or full of, brambles. "In brambly wildernesses." Tennyson.
BRAME Brame, n. Etym: [Cf. Breme.]
Defn: Sharp passion; vexation. [Obs.] Heart-burning brame. Spenser.
BRAMIN; BRAMINIC Bra"min, Bra*min"ic
Defn: , etc. See Brahman, Brachmanic, etc.
BRAN Bran, n. Etym: [OE. bren, bran, OF. bren, F. bran, from Celtic; cf. Armor. brenn, Ir. bran, bran, chaff.]
1. The broken coat of the seed of wheat, rye, or other cereal grain, separated from the flour or meal by sifting or bolting; the coarse, chaffy part of ground grain.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The European carrion crow.
BRANCARD Bran"card, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A litter on which a person may be carried. [Obs.] Coigrave.
BRANCH Branch, n.; pl. Branches (. Etym: [OE. braunche, F. branche, fr. LL. branca claw of a bird or beast of prey; cf. Armor. brank branch, bough.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A shoot or secondary stem growing from the main stem, or from a principal limb or bough of a tree or other plant.
2. Any division extending like a branch; any arm or part connected with the main body of thing; ramification; as, the branch of an antler; the branch of a chandelier; a branch of a river; a branch of a railway. Most of the branches , or streams, were dried up. W. Irving.
3. Any member or part of a body or system; a distinct article; a section or subdivision; a department. "Branches of knowledge." Prescott. It is a branch and parcel of mine oath. Shak.
4. (Geom.)
Defn: One of the portions of a curve that extends outwards to an indefinitely great distance; as, the branches of an hyperbola.
5. A line of family descent, in distinction from some other line or lines from the same stock; any descendant in such a line; as, the English branch of a family. His father, a younger branch of the ancient stock. Carew.
6. (Naut.)
Defn: A warrant or commission given to a pilot, authorizing him to pilot vessels in certain waters. Branches of a bridle, two pieces of bent iron, which bear the bit, the cross chains, and the curb. -- Branch herring. See Alewife. -- Root and branch , totally, wholly.
Syn. -- Bough; limb; shoot; offshoot; twig; sprig.
BRANCH Branch, a.
Defn: Diverging from, or tributary to, a main stock, line, way, theme, etc.; as, a branch vein; a branch road or line; a branch topic; a branch store.
BRANCH Branch, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Branched; p. pr. & vb. n. Branching.]
1. To shoot or spread in branches; to separate into branches; to ramify.
2. To divide into separate parts or subdivision. To branch off, to form a branch or a separate part; to diverge. -- To branch out, to speak diffusively; to extend one's discourse to other topics than the main one; also, to enlarge the scope of one's business, etc. To branch out into a long disputation. Spectator.
BRANCH Branch, v. t.
1. To divide as into branches; to make subordinate division in.
2. To adorn with needlework representing branches, flowers, or twigs. The train whereof loose far behind her strayed, Branched with gold and pearl, most richly wrought. Spenser.
BRANCHER Branch"er, n.
1. That which shoots forth branches; one who shows growth in various directions.
2. (Falconry)
Defn: A young hawk when it begins to leave the nest and take to the branches.
BRANCHERY Branch"er*y, n.
Defn: A system of branches.
BRANCHIA Bran"chi*a, n.; pl. Branchiæ. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Anat.)
Defn: A gill; a respiratory organ for breathing the air contained in water, such as many aquatic and semiaquatic animals have.
BRANCHIAL Bran"chi*al, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to branchiæ or gills. Branchial arches, the bony or cartilaginous arches which support the gills on each side of the throat of fishes and amphibians. See Illustration in Appendix. -- Branchial clefts, the openings between the branchial arches through which water passes.
BRANCHIATE Bran"chi*ate, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Furnished with branchiæ; as, branchiate segments.
BRANCHIFEROUS Bran*chif"er*ous, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Having gills; branchiate; as, branchiferous gastropods.
BRANCHINESS Branch"i*ness, n.
Defn: Fullness of branches.
BRANCHING Branch"ing, a.
Defn: Furnished with branches; shooting our branches; extending in a branch or branches. Shaded with branching palm. Milton.
BRANCHING Branch"ing, n.
Defn: The act or state of separation into branches; division into branches; a division or branch. The sciences, with their numerous branchings. L. Watts.
BRANCHIOGASTROPODA Bran`chi*o*gas*trop"o*da, n. pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. gastropoda.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Those Gastropoda that breathe by branchiæ, including the Prosobranchiata and Opisthobranchiata.
BRANCHIOMERISM Bran`chi*om"er*ism, n. Etym: [Gr. -mere.] (Anat.)
Defn: The state of being made up of branchiate segments. R. Wiedersheim.
BRANCHIOPOD Bran"chi*o*pod, n.
Defn: One of the Branchiopoda.
BRANCHIOPODA Bran"chi*o*poda, n. pl. Etym: [Gr. -poda: cf. F. branchiopode.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An order of Entomostraca; -- so named from the feet of branchiopods having been supposed to perform the function of gills. It includes the fresh-water genera Branchipus, Apus, and Limnadia, and the genus Artemia found in salt lakes. It is also called Phyllopoda. See Phyllopoda, Cladocera. It is sometimes used in a broader sense.
BRANCHIOSTEGAL Bran`chi*os"te*gal, a. Etym: [Gr. branchiostège.] (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining to the membrane covering the gills of fishes. -- n. (Anat.)
Defn: A branchiostegal ray. See Illustration of Branchial arches in Appendix.
Note: This term was formerly applied to a group of fishes having boneless branchiæ. But the arrangement was artificial, and has been rejected.
BRANCHIOSTEGE Bran`chi*os"tege, (Anat.)
Defn: The branchiostegal membrane. See Illustration in Appendix.
BRANCHIOSTEGOUS Bran`chi*os"te*gous, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Branchiostegal.
BRANCHIOSTOMA Bran`chi*os"to*ma, n. Etym: [NL., fr., Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lancelet. See Amphioxus.
BRANCHIURA Bran"chi*u"ra, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr., Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A group of Entomostraca, with suctorial mouths, including species parasitic on fishes, as the carp lice (Argulus).
BRANCHLESS Branch"less, a.
Defn: Destitude of branches or shoots; without any valuable product; barren; naked.
BRANCHLET Branch"let, n. Etym: [Branch + -let.]
Defn: A little branch; a twig.
BRANCH PILOT Branch" pi`lot.
Defn: A pilot who has a branch or commission, as from Trinity House, England, for special navigation.
BRANCHY Branch"y, a.
Defn: Full of branches; having wide-spreading branches; consisting of branches. Beneath thy branchy bowers of thickest gloom. J. Scott.
BRAND Brand, n. Etym: [OE. brand, brond, AS. brand brond brand, sword, from byrnan, beornan, to burn; akin to D., Dan., Sw., & G. brand brand, Icel. brandr a brand, blade of a sword. sq. root32. See Burn, v. t., and cf. Brandish.]
1. A burning piece of wood; or a stick or piece of wood partly burnt, whether burning or after the fire is extinct. Snatching a live brand from a wigwam, Mason threw it on a matted roof. Palfrey.
2. A sword, so called from its glittering or flashing brightness. [Poetic] Tennyson. Paradise, so late their happy seat, Waved over by that flaming brand. Milton.
3. A mark made by burning with a hot iron, as upon a cask, to designate the quality, manufacturer, etc., of the contents, or upon an animal, to designate ownership; -- also, a mark for a similar purpose made in any other way, as with a stencil. Hence, figurately: Quality; kind; grade; as, a good brand of flour.
4. A mark put upon criminals with a hot iron. Hence: Any mark of infamy or vice; a stigma. The brand of private vice. Channing.
5. An instrument to brand with; a branding iron.
6. (Bot.)
Defn: Any minute fungus which produces a burnt appearance in plants. The brands are of many species and several genera of the order Pucciniæi.
BRAND Brand, v.t [imp. & p. p. Branded; p. pr. & vb. n. Branding.].
1. To burn a distinctive mark into or upon with a hot iron, to indicate quality, ownership, etc., or to mark as infamous (as a convict).
2. To put an actual distinctive mark upon in any other way, as with a stencil, to show quality of contents, name of manufacture, etc.
3. Fig.: To fix a mark of infamy, or a stigma, upon. The Inquisition branded its victims with infamy. Prescott. There were the enormities, branded and condemned by the first and most natural verdict of common humanity. South.
4. To mark or impress indelibly, as with a hot iron. As if it were branded on my mind. Geo. Eliot. Brand"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, brands; a branding iron.
2. A gridiron. [Scot.]
BRANDENBURG Bran"den*burg, n. [So named after Brandenburg, a province and a town of Prussia.]
Defn: A kind of decoration for the breast of a coat, sometimes only a frog with a loop, but in some military uniforms enlarged into a broad horizontal stripe.
He wore a coat . . . trimmed with Brandenburgs. Smollett.
BRANDER Brand"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, brands; a branding iron.
2. A gridiron. [Scot.]
BRAND GOOSE Brand" goose`. Etym: [Prob. fr. 1st brand + goose: cf. Sw. brandgås. Cf. Brant.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of wild goose (Branta bernicla) usually called in America brant. See Brant.
BRANDIED Bran"died, a.
Defn: Mingled with brandy; made stronger by the addition of brandy; flavored or treated with brandy; as, brandied peaches.
BRANDING IRON Brand"ing i`*ron.
Defn: An iron to brand with.
BRAND IRON Brand" i`ron.
1. A branding iron.
2. A trivet to set a pot on. Huloet.
3. The horizontal bar of an andiron.
BRANDISH Bran"dish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brandished; p. pr. & vb. n. Brandishing.] Etym: [OE. braundisen, F. brandir, fr. brand a sword, fr. OHG. brant brand. See Brand, n.]
1. To move or wave, as a weapon; to raise and move in various directions; to shake or flourish. The quivering lance which he brandished bright. Drake.
2. To play with; to flourish; as, to brandish syllogisms.
BRANDISH Bran"dish, n.
Defn: A flourish, as with a weapon, whip, etc. "Brandishes of the fan." Tailer.
BRANDISHER Bran"dish*er, n.
Defn: One who brandishes.
BRANDLE Bran"dle, v. t. & i. Etym: [F. brandiller.]
Defn: To shake; to totter. [Obs.]
BRANDLING; BRANDLIN Brand"ling, Brand"lin, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Branlin, fish and worm.
BRAND-NEW Brand"-new", a. Etym: [See Brand, and cf. Brannew.]
Defn: Quite new; bright as if fresh from the forge.
BRAND SPORE Brand" spore`. (Bot.)
Defn: One of several spores growing in a series or chain, and produced by one of the fungi called brand.
BRANDY Bran"dy, n.; pl. Brandies. Etym: [From older brandywine, brandwine, fr. D. brandewijn, fr. p. p. of branden to burn, distill + wijn wine, akin to G. branntwein. See Brand.]
Defn: A strong alcoholic liquor distilled from wine. The name is also given to spirit distilled from other liquors, and in the United States to that distilled from cider and peaches. In northern Europe, it is also applied to a spirit obtained from grain. Brandy fruit, fruit preserved in brandy and sugar.
BRANDYWINE Bran"dy*wine`, n.
Defn: Brandy. [Obs.] Wiseman.
BRANGLE Bran"gle, n. Etym: [Prov. E. brangled confused, entangled, Scot. brangle to shake, menace; probably a variant of wrangle, confused with brawl.]
Defn: A wrangle; a squabble; a noisy contest or dispute. [R.] A brangle between him and his neighbor. Swift.
BRANGLE Bran"gle, v.i [imp. & p. p. Brangled; p. pr. & vb. n. Brangling.]
Defn: To wrangle; to dispute contentiously; to squabble. [R.]
BRANGLEMENT Bran"gle*ment, n.
Defn: Wrangle; brangle. [Obs.]
BRANGLER Bran"gler, n.
Defn: A quarrelsome person.
BRANGLING Bran"gling, n.
Defn: A quarrel. [R.] Whitlock.
BRANK Brank, n. Etym: [Prov. of Celtic origin; cf. L. brance, brace, the Gallic name of a particularly white kind of corn.]
Defn: Buckwheat. [Local, Eng.] Halliwell.
BRANK; BRANKS Brank, Branks, n. Etym: [Cf. Gael. brangus, brangas, a sort of pillory, Ir. brancas halter, or D. pranger fetter.]
1. A sort of bridle with wooden side pieces. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] Jamieson.
2. A scolding bridle, an instrument formerly used for correcting scolding women. It was an iron frame surrounding the head and having a triangular piece entering the mouth of the scold.
BRANK Brank, v. i.
1. To hold up and toss the head; -- applied to horses as spurning the bit. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
2. To prance; to caper. [Scot.] Jamieson.
BRANKURSINE Brank"ur*sine, n. Etym: [F. branc-ursine, branch-ursine, fr. LL. branca claw + L. ursinus belonging to a bear (fr. ursus bear), i .e., bear's claw, because its leaves resemble the claws of a bear. Cf. Branch.] (Bot.)
Defn: Bear's-breech, or Acanthus.
BRANLIN Bran"lin, n. Etym: [Scot. branlie fr. brand.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A young salmon or parr, in the stage in which it has transverse black bands, as if burned by a gridiron.
BRANLIN Bran"lin, n. Etym: [See Brand.]
Defn: A small red worm or larva, used as bait for small fresh-water fish; -- so called from its red color.
BRAN-NEW Bran"-new", a.
Defn: See Brand-new.
BRANNY Bran"ny, a.
Defn: Having the appearance of bran; consisting of or containing bran. Wiseman.
BRANSLE Bran"sle, n. Etym: [See Brawl a dance.]
Defn: A brawl or dance. [Obs.] Spenser.
BRANT Brant, n. Etym: [Cf.Brand goose, Brent, Brenicle.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of wild goose (Branta bernicla) -- called also brent and brand goose. The name is also applied to other related species.
BRANT Brant, a. Etym: [See Brent.]
Defn: Steep. [Prov. Eng.]
BRANTAIL Bran"tail`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The European redstart; -- so called from the red color of its tail.
BRANT-FOX Brant"-fox`, n. Etym: [For brand-fox; cf. G. brandfuchs, Sw. bradräf. So called from its yellowish brown and somewhat black color. See Brand.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A kind of fox found in Sweden (Vulpes alopex), smaller than the common fox (V. vulgaris), but probably a variety of it.
BRANULAR Bran"u*lar, a.
Defn: Relating to the brain; cerebral. I. Taylor.
BRASEN Bra"sen, a.
Defn: Same as Brazen.
BRASH Brash, a. Etym: [Cf. Gael. bras or G. barsch harsh, sharp, tart, impetuous, D. barsch, Sw. & Dan. barsk.]
Defn: Hasty in temper; impetuous. Grose.
BRASH Brash, a. Etym: [Cf. Amer. bresk, brusk, fragile, brittle.]
Defn: Brittle, as wood or vegetables. [Colloq., U. S.] Bartlett.
BRASH Brash, n. Etym: [See Brash brittle.]
1. A rash or eruption; a sudden or transient fit of sickness.
2. Refuse boughs of trees; also, the clippings of hedges. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.
3. (Geol.)
Defn: Broken and angular fragments of rocks underlying alluvial deposits. Lyell.
4. Broken fragments of ice. Kane. Water brash (Med.), an affection characterized by a spasmodic pain or hot sensation in the stomach with a rising of watery liquid into the mouth; pyrosis. -- Weaning brash (Med.), a severe form of diarrhea which sometimes attacks children just weaned.
BRASHY Brash"y, a.
1. Resembling, or of the nature of, brash, or broken fragments; broken; crumbly.
Our progress was not at all impeded by the few soft, brashy floes that we encountered. F. T. Bullen.
2. Showery; characterized by brashes, or showers.
BRASIER; BRAZIER Bra"sier, Bra"zier, n. Etym: [OE. brasiere, F. braise live coals. See Brass.]
Defn: An artificer who works in brass. Franklin.
BRASIER; BRAZIER Bra"sier, Bra"zier, n. Etym: [F. brasier, braisíer, fr. braise live coals. See Brass.]
Defn: A pan for holding burning coals.
BRASILIN; BRASILEIN Bras"i*lin, Bras"i*lein, n. [Cf. F. brésiline. See 2d Brazil.] (Chem.)
Defn: A substance, C16H14O5, extracted from brazilwood as a yellow crystalline powder which is white when pure. It is colored intensely red by alkalies on exposure to the air, being oxidized to bra*sil"e*in, C16H12O5, to which brazilwood owes its dyeing properties.
BRASQUE Brasque, n. [F.] (Metal.)
Defn: A paste made by mixing powdered charcoal, coal, or coke with clay, molasses, tar, or other suitable substance. It is used for lining hearths, crucibles, etc. Called also steep.
BRASS Brass, n.; pl. Brasses. Etym: [OE. bras, bres, AS. bræs; akin to Icel. bras cement, solder, brasa to harden by fire, and to E. braze, brazen. Cf. 1st & 2d Braze.]
1. An alloy (usually yellow) of copper and zinc, in variable proportion, but often containing two parts of copper to one part of zinc. It sometimes contains tin, and rarely other metals.
2. (Mach.)
Defn: A journal bearing, so called because frequently made of brass. A brass is often lined with a softer metal, when the latter is generally called a white metal lining. See Axle box, Journal Box, and Bearing.
3. Coin made of copper, brass, or bronze. [Obs.] Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey. Matt. x. 9.
4. Impudence; a brazen face. [Colloq.]
5. pl.
Defn: Utensils, ornaments, or other articles of brass. The very scullion who cleans the brasses. Hopkinson.
6. A brass plate engraved with a figure or device. Specifically, one used as a memorial to the dead, and generally having the portrait, coat of arms, etc.
7. pl. (Mining)
Defn: Lumps of pyrites or sulphuret of iron, the color of which is near to that of brass.
Note: The word brass as used in Sculpture language is a translation for copper or some kind of bronze.
Note: Brass is often used adjectively or in self-explaining compounds; as, brass button, brass kettle, brass founder, brass foundry or brassfoundry. Brass band (Mus.), a band of musicians who play upon wind instruments made of brass, as trumpets, cornets, etc. -- Brass foil, Brass leaf, brass made into very thin sheets; -- called also Dutch gold.
BRASSAGE Bras"sage, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A sum formerly levied to pay the expense of coinage; -- now called seigniorage.
BRASSART Bras"sart, n. Etym: [F. brassard, fr. bras arm. See Brace, n.]
Defn: Armor for the arm; -- generally used for the whole arm from the shoulder to the wrist, and consisting, in the 15th and 16th centuries, of many parts.
BRASSE Brasse, n. Etym: [Perh. a transposition of barse; but cf. LG. brasse the bream, G. brassen Cf. Bream.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A spotted European fish of the genus Lucioperca, resembling a perch.
BRASSETS Bras"sets, n.
Defn: See Brassart.
BRASSICA Bras"si*ca, n. Etym: [L., cabbage.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of plants embracing several species ad varieties differing much in appearance and qualities: such as the common cabbage (B. oleracea), broccoli, cauliflowers, etc.; the wild turnip (B. campestris); the common turnip (B. rapa); the rape of coleseed (B. napus), etc.
BRASSICACEOUS Bras`si*ca"ceous, a. Etym: [L. brassica cabbage.] (Bot.)
Defn: Related to, or resembling, the cabbage, or plants of the Cabbage family.
BRASSIERE Bras`sière", n. [F.]
Defn: A form of woman's underwaist stiffened with whalebones, or the like, and worn to support the breasts.
BRASSINESS Brass"i*ness, n.
Defn: The state, conditions, or quality of being brassy. [Colloq.]
BRASS-VISAGED Brass"-vis"aged, a.
Defn: Impudent; bold.
BRASSY Brass"y, a.
1. Of or pertaining to brass; having the nature, appearance, or hardness, of brass.
2. Impudent; impudently bold. [Colloq.]
BRAST Brast, v. t. & i. Etym: [See Burst.]
Defn: To burst. [Obs.] And both his yën braste out of his face. Chaucer. Dreadfull furies which their chains have brast. Spenser.
BRAT Brat, n. Etym: [OE. bratt coarse garnment, AS. bratt cloak, fr. the Celtic; cf. W. brat clout, rag, Gael. brat cloak, apron, raf, Ir. brat cloak; properly then, a child's bib or clout; hence, a child.]
1. A coarse garnment or cloak; also, coarse clothing, in general. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. A coarse kind of apron for keeping the clothes clean; a bib. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Wright.
3. A child; an offspring; -- formerly used in a good sense, but now usually in a contemptuous sense. "This brat is none of mine." Shak. "A beggar's brat." Swift. O Israel! O household of the Lord! O Abraham's brats! O brood of blessed seed! Gascoigne.
4. The young of an animal. [Obs.] L'Estrange.
BRAT Brat, n. (Mining)
Defn: A thin bed of coal mixed with pyrites or carbonate of lime.
BRATSCHE Brat"sche, n. Etym: [G., fr. It. viola da braccio viola held on the arm.]
Defn: The tenor viola, or viola.
BRATTICE Brat"tice, n. Etym: [See Brettice.] (Mining) (a) A wall of separation in a shaft or gallery used for ventilation. (b) Planking to support a roof or wall.
BRATTISHING Brat"tish*ing, n.
1. See Brattice, n.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: Carved openwork, as of a shrine, battlement, or parapet.
BRAUNITE Braun"ite, n. (Min.)
Defn: A native oxide of manganese, of dark brownish black color. It was named from a Mr. Braun of Gotha.
BRAVADE Bra*vade" (, n.
Defn: Bravado. [Obs.] Fanshawe.
BRAVADO Bra*va"do, n., pl. Bravadoes. Etym: [Sp. bravada, bravata, boast, brag: cf. F. bravade. See Brave.]
Defn: Boastful and threatening behavior; a boastful menace. In spite of our host's bravado. Irving.
BRAVE Brave, a. [Compar. Braver; superl. Bravest.] Etym: [F. brave, It. or Sp. bravo, (orig.) fierce, wild, savage, prob. from. L. barbarus. See Barbarous, and cf. Bravo.]
1. Bold; courageous; daring; intrepid; -- opposed to cowardly; as, a brave man; a brave act.
2. Having any sort of superiority or excellence; -- especially such as in conspicuous. [Obs. or Archaic as applied to material things.] Iron is a brave commodity where wood aboundeth. Bacon. It being a brave day, I walked to Whitehall. Pepys.
3. Making a fine show or display. [Archaic] Wear my dagger with the braver grace. Shak. For I have gold, and therefore will be brave. In silks I'll rattle it of every color. Robert Greene. Frog and lizard in holiday coats And turtle brave in his golden spots. Emerson.
Syn. -- Courageous; gallant; daring; valiant; valorous; bold; heroic; intrepid; fearless; dauntless; magnanimous; high-spirited; stout- hearted. See Gallant.
BRAVE Brave, n.
1. A brave person; one who is daring. The star-spangled banner, O,long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. F. S. Key.
2. Specifically, an Indian warrior.
3. A man daring beyond discretion; a bully. Hot braves like thee may fight. Dryden.
4. A challenge; a defiance; bravado. [Obs.] Demetrius, thou dost overween in all; And so in this, to bear me down with braves. Shak.
BRAVE Brave, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Braved; p. pr. & vb. n. Braving.]
1. To encounter with courage and fortitude; to set at defiance; to defy; to dare. These I can brave, but those I can not bear. Dryden.
2. To adorn; to make fine or showy. [Obs.] Thou [a tailor whom Grunio was browbeating] hast braved meny men; brave not me; I'll neither be faced or braved. Shak.
BRAVELY Brave"ly, adv.
1. In a brave manner; courageously; gallantly; valiantly; splendidly; nobly.
2. Finely; gaudily; gayly; showily. And [she] decked herself bravely to allure the eyes of all men that should see her. Judith. x. 4.
3. Well; thrivingly; prosperously. [Colloq.]
BRAVENESS Brave"ness, n.
Defn: The quality of state or being brave.
BRAVERY Brav"er*y, n. Etym: [Cf. F. braverie.]
1. The quality of being brave; fearless; intrepidity. Remember, sir, my liege, . . . The natural bravery of your isle. Shak.
2. The act of braving; defiance; bravado. [Obs.] Reform, then, without bravery or scandal of former times and persons.
3. Splendor; magnificence; showy appearance; ostentation; fine dress. With scarfs and fans and double change of bravery. Shak. Like a stately ship . . . With all her bravery on, and tackle trim. Milton.
4. A showy person; a fine gentleman; a beau. [Obs.] A man that is the bravery of his age. Beau. & Fl.
Syn. -- Courage; heroism; interpidity; gallantry; valor; fearlessness; dauntlessness; hardihood; manfulness. See Courage, and Heroism.
BRAVING Brav"ing, n.
Defn: A bravado; a boast. With so proud a strain Of threats and bravings. Chapman.
BRAVINGLY Brav"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a defiant manner.
BRAVO Bra"vo, n.; pl. Bravoes. Etym: [I. See Brave, a.]
Defn: A daring villain; a bandit; one who sets law at defiance; a professional assassin or murderer. Safe from detection, seize the unwary prey. And stab, like bravoes, all who come this way. Churchill.
BRAVO Bra"vo, interj. Etym: [It. See Brave.]
Defn: Well done! excellent! an exclamation expressive of applause.
BRAVURA Bra*vu"ra, n. Etym: [It., (properly) bravery, spirit, from bravo. See Brave.] (Mus.)
Defn: A florid, brilliant style of music, written for effect, to show the range and flexibility of a singer's voice, or the technical force and skill of a performer; virtuoso music. Aria di bravura ( Etym: [It.], a florid air demanding brilliant execution.
BRAW Braw, a. [See Brave, a.] [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
1. Well-dressed; handsome; smart; brave; -- used of persons or their clothing, etc.; as, a braw lad. "A braw new gown." Burns.
2. Good; fine. "A braw night." Sir W. Scott.
BRAWL Brawl, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Brawled; p. pr. & vb. n. Brawling.] Etym: [OE. braulen to quarrel, boast, brallen to cry, make a noise; cf. LG. brallen to brag, MHG. prulen, G. prahlen, F. brailler to cry, shout, Pr. brailar, braillar, W. bragal to vociferate, brag, Armor. bragal to romp, to strut, W. broliaw to brag, brawl boast.
1. To quarrel noisily and outrageously. Let a man that is a man consider that he is a fool that brawleth openly with his wife. Golden Boke.
2. To complain loudly; to scold.
3. To make a loud confused noise, as the water of a rapid stream running over stones. Where the brook brawls along the painful road. Wordsworth.
Syn. -- To wrangle; squabble; contend.
BRAWL Brawl, n.
Defn: A noisy quarrel; loud, angry contention; a wrangle; a tumult; as, a drunken brawl. His sports were hindered by the brawls. Shak .
Syn. -- Noise; quarrel; uproar; row; tumult.
BRAWLER Brawl"er, n.
Defn: One that brawls; wrangler. Common brawler (Law), one who disturbs a neighborhood by brawling (and is therefore indictable at common law as a nuisance). Wharton.
BRAWLING Brawl"ing, a.
1. Quarreling; quarrelsome; noisy. She is an irksome brawling scold. Shak.
2. Making a loud confused noise. See Brawl, v. i., 3. A brawling stream. J. S. Shairp.
BRAWLINGLY Brawl"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a brawling manner.
BRAWN Brawn, n. Etym: [OF. braon fleshy part, muscle, fr. HG. br flesh, G. braten roast meat; akin to Icel. br flesh, food of beasts, AS. brbr to roast, G. braten, and possibly to E. breed.]
1. A muscle; flesh. [Obs.] Formed well of brawns and of bones. Chaucer.
2. Full, strong muscles, esp. of the arm or leg, muscular strength; a protuberant muscular part of the body; sometimes, the arm. Brawn without brains is thine. Dryden. It was ordained that murderers should be brent on the brawn of the left hand. E. Hall. And in my vantbrace put this withered brawn. Shak.
3. The flesh of a boar; also, the salted and prepared flesh of a boar. The best age for the boar is from two to five years, at which time it is best to geld him, or sell him for brawn. Mortimer.
4. A boar. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
BRAWNED Brawned, a.
Defn: Brawny; strong; muscular. [Obs.] Spenser.
BRAWNER Brawn"er, n.
Defn: A boor killed for the table.
BRAWNINESS Brawn"i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being brawny.
BRAWNY Brawn"y, a.
Defn: Having large, strong muscles; muscular; fleshy; strong. "Brawny limbs." W. Irving.
Syn. -- Muscular; fleshy; strong; bulky; sinewy; athletic; stalwart; powerful; robust.
BRAXY Brax"y, n. Etym: [Cf. AS. breac rheum, broc sickness, Ir. bracha corruption. Jamieson.]
1. A disease of sheep. The term is variously applied in different localities. [Scot.]
2. A diseased sheep, or its mutton.
BRAY Bray, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Braying.] Etym: [OE. brayen, OF. breier, F. broyer to pound, grind, fr. OHG. brehhan to break. See Break.]
Defn: To pound, beat, rub, or grind small or fine. Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar, . . . yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Prov. xxvii. 22.
BRAY Bray, v. i. Etym: [OE brayen, F. braire to bray, OF. braire to cry, fr. LL. bragire to whinny; perh. fr. the Celtic and akin to E. break; or perh. of imitative origin.]
1. To utter a loud, harsh cry, as an ass. Laugh, and they Return it louder than an ass can bray. Dryden.
2. To make a harsh, grating, or discordant noise. Heard ye the din of battle bray Gray.
BRAY Bray, v. t.
Defn: To make or utter with a loud, discordant, or harsh and grating sound. Arms on armor clashing, brayed Horrible discord. MIlton. And varying notes the war pipes brayed. Sir W. Scott.
BRAY Bray, n.
Defn: The harsh cry of an ass; also, any harsh, grating, or discordant sound. The bray and roar of multitudinous London. Jerrold.
BRAY Bray, n. Etym: [OE. braye, brey, brew, eyebrow, brow of a hill, hill, bank, Scot. bra, brae, bray, fr. AS. br eyebrow, influenced by the allied Icel. br eyebrow, bank, also akin to AS. brBrow.]
Defn: A bank; the slope of a hill; a hill. See Brae, which is now the usual spelling. [North of Eng. & Scot.] Fairfax.
BRAYER Bray"er, n.
Defn: An implement for braying and spreading ink in hand printing.
BRAYER Bray"er, n.
Defn: One that brays like an ass. Pope.
BRAYING Bray"ing, a.
Defn: Making a harsh noise; blaring. "Braying trumpets." Shak.
BRAZE Braze, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Brazed; p. pr & vb. n. Brazing.] Etym: [F. braser to solder, fr. Icel. brasa to harden by fire. Cf. Brass.]
1. To solder with hard solder, esp. with an alloy of copper and zinc; as, to braze the seams of a copper pipe.
2. To harden. "Now I am brazes to it." Shak.
BRAZE Braze, v. t. Etym: [AS. bræsian, fr. bræs brass. See Brass.]
Defn: To cover or ornament with brass. Chapman.
BRAZEN Bra"zen, a.Etym: [OE. brasen, AS. bræsen. See Brass.]
1. Pertaining to, made of, or resembling, brass.
2. Sounding harsh and loud, like resounding brass.
3. Impudent; immodest; shameless; having a front like brass; as, a brazen countenance. Brazen age. (a) (Myth.) The age of war and lawlessness which succeeded the silver age. (b) (Archæol.) See under Bronze. -- Brazen sea (Jewish Antiq.), a large laver of brass, placed in Solomon's temple for the use of the priests.
BRAZEN Bra"zen, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brazened; p. pr. & vb. n. Brazening.]
Defn: To carry through impudently or shamelessly; as, to brazen the matter through. Sabina brazened it out before Mrs. Wygram, but inwardly she was resolved to be a good deal more circumspect. W. Black.
BRAZEN-BROWED Bra"zen-browed`, a.
Defn: Shamelessly impudent. Sir T. Browne.
BRAZENFACE Bra"zen*face`, n.
Defn: An impudent of shameless person. "Well said, brazenface; hold it out." Shak.
BRAZENFACED Bra"zen*faced`, a.
Defn: Impudent; shameless.
BRAZENLY Bra"zen*ly, adv.
Defn: In a bold, impudent manner.
BRAZENNESS Bra"zen*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being brazen. Johnson.
BRAZIER Bra"zier, n.
Defn: Same as Brasier.
BRAZILETTO Braz`i*let"to, n. Etym: [Cf. Pg. & Sp. brasilete, It. brasiletto.]
Defn: See Brazil wood.
BRAZILIAN Bra*zil"ian, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Brasil. -- n.
Defn: A native or an inhabitant of Brazil. Brazilian pebble. See Pebble, n., 2.
BRAZILIN Braz"i*lin, n. Etym: [Cf. F. brésiline. See Brazil.] (Chem.)
Defn: A substance contained in both Brazil wood and Sapan wood, from which it is extracted as a yellow crystalline substance which is white when pure. It is colored intensely red by alkalies. [Written also brezilin.]
BRAZIL NUT Bra*zil" nut`. (Bot.)
Defn: An oily, three-sided nut, the seed of the Bertholletia excelsa; the cream nut.
Note: From eighteen to twenty-four of the seed or "nuts" grow in a hard and nearly globular shell.
BRAZIL WOOD Bra*zil" wood`. Etym: [OE. brasil, LL. brasile (cf. Pg. & Sp. brasil, Pr. bresil, Pr. bresil); perh. from Sp. or Pg. brasa a live coal (cf. Braze, Brasier); or Ar. vars plant for dyeing red or yellow. This name was given to the wood from its color; and it is said that King Emanuel, of Portugal, gave the name Brazil to the country in South America on account of its producing this wood.]
1. The wood of the oriental Cæsalpinia Sapan; -- so called before the discovery of America.
2. A very heavy wood of a reddish color, imported from Brazil and other tropical countries, for cabinet-work, and for dyeing. The best is the heartwood of Cæsalpinia echinata, a leguminous tree; but other trees also yield it. An interior sort comes from Jamaica, the timber of C. Braziliensis and C. crista. This is often distinguished as Braziletto , but the better kind is also frequently so named.
BREACH Breach, n. Etym: [OE. breke, breche, AS. brice, gebrice, gebrece (in comp.), fr. brecan to break; akin to Dan. bræk, MHG. breche, gap, breach. See Break, and cf. Brake (the instrument), Brack a break] .
1. The act of breaking, in a figurative sense.
2. Specifically: A breaking or infraction of a law, or of any obligation or tie; violation; non-fulfillment; as, a breach of contract; a breach of promise.
3. A gap or opening made made by breaking or battering, as in a wall or fortification; the space between the parts of a solid body rent by violence; a break; a rupture. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. Shak.
4. A breaking of waters, as over a vessel; the waters themselves; surge; surf. The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. 2 Sam. v. 20 A clear breach implies that the waves roll over the vessel without breaking. -- A clean breach implies that everything on deck is swept away. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
5. A breaking up of amicable relations; rupture. There's fallen between him and my lord An unkind breach. Shak.
6. A bruise; a wound. Breach for breach, eye for eye. Lev. xxiv. 20
7. (Med.)
Defn: A hernia; a rupture.
8. A breaking out upon; an assault. The Lord had made a breach upon Uzza. 1. Chron. xiii. 11 Breach of falth, a breaking, or a failure to keep, an expressed or implied promise; a betrayal of confidence or trust. -- Breach of peace, disorderly conduct, disturbing the public peace. -- Breach of privilege, an act or default in violation of the privilege or either house of Parliament, of Congress, or of a State legislature, as, for instance, by false swearing before a committee. Mozley. Abbott. - Breach of promise, violation of one's plighted word, esp. of a promise to marry. -- Breach of trust, violation of one's duty or faith in a matter entrusted to one.
Syn. -- Rent; cleft; chasm; rift; aperture; gap; break; disruption; fracture; rupture; infraction; infringement; violation; quarrel; dispute; contention; difference; misunderstanding.
BREACH Breach, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Breached ( ; p. pr. & vb. n. Breaching.]
Defn: To make a breach or opening in; as, to breach the walls of a city.
BREACH Breach, v. i.
Defn: To break the water, as by leaping out; -- said of a whale.
BREACHY Breach"y, a.
Defn: Apt to break fences or to break out of pasture; unruly; as, breachy cattle.
BREAD Bread, v. t. Etym: [AS. brædan to make broad, to spread. See Broad, a.]
Defn: To spread. [Obs.] Ray.
BREAD Bread, n. Etym: [AS. breád; akin to OFries. brad, OS. br, D. brood, G. brod, brot, Icel. brau, Sw. & Dan. bröd. The root is probably that of E. brew. Brew.]
1. An article of food made from flour or meal by moistening, kneading, and baking.
Note: Raised bread is made with yeast, salt, and sometimes a little butter or lard, and is mixed with warm milk or water to form the dough, which, after kneading, is given time to rise before baking. -- Cream of tartar bread is raised by the action of an alkaline carbonate or bicarbonate (as saleratus or ammonium bicarbonate) and cream of tartar (acid tartrate of potassium) or some acid. -- Unleavened bread is usually mixed with water and salt only. Aërated bread. See under Aërated. Bread and butter (fig.), means of living. -- Brown bread, Indian bread, Graham bread, Rye and Indian bread. See Brown bread, under Brown. -- Bread tree. See Breadfruit.
2. Food; sustenance; support of life, in general. Give us this day our daily bread. Matt. vi. 11
BREAD Bread, v. t. (Cookery)
Defn: To cover with bread crumbs, preparatory to cooking; as, breaded cutlets.
BREADBASKET Bread"bas`ket, n.
Defn: The stomach. [Humorous] S. Foote.
BREADCORN Bread"corn`.
Defn: Corn of grain of which bread is made, as wheat, rye, etc.
BREADED Bread"ed, a.
Defn: Braided [Obs.] Spenser.
BREADEN Bread"en, a.
Defn: Made of bread. [R.]
BREADFRUIT Bread"fruit`, n. (Bot.)
1. The fruit of a tree (Artocarpus incisa) found in the islands of the Pacific, esp. the South Sea islands. It is of a roundish form, from four to six or seven inches in diameter, and, when baked, somewhat resembles bread, and is eaten as food, whence the name.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: The tree itself, which is one of considerable size, with large, lobed leaves. Cloth is made from the bark, and the timber is used for many purposes. Called also breadfruit tree and bread tree.
BREADLESS Bread"less, a.
Defn: Without bread; destitude of food. Plump peers and breadless bards alike are dull. P. Whitehead.
BREADROOT Bread`root", n. (Bot.)
Defn: The root of a leguminous plant (Psoralea esculenta), found near the Rocky Mountains. It is usually oval in form, and abounds in farinaceous matter, affording sweet and palatable food.
Note: It is the Pomme blanche of Canadian voyageurs.
BREADSTUFF Bread"stuff, n.
Defn: Grain, flour, or meal of which bread is made.
BREADTH Breadth, n. Etym: [OE. brede, breede, whence later bredette, AS. brbrad broad. See Broad, a.]
1. Distance from side to side of any surface or thing; measure across, or at right angles to the length; width.
2. (Fine Arts) The quality of having the colors and shadows broad and massive, and the arrangement of objects such as to avoid to great multiplicity of details, producing an impression of largeness and simple grandeur; -- called also breadth of effect. Breadth of coloring is a prominent character in the painting of all great masters. Weale.
BREADTHLESS Breadth"less, a.
Defn: Without breadth.
BREADTHWAYS Breadth"ways, ads.
Defn: Breadthwise. Whewell.
BREADTHWISE Breadth"wise, ads.
Defn: In the direction of the breadth.
BREADWINNER Bread"win`ner, n.
Defn: The member of a family whose labor supplies the food of the family; one who works for his living. H. Spencer.
BREAK Break, v. t. [imp. broke, (Obs. Brake); p. p. Broken (, (Obs. Broke); p. pr. & vb. n. Breaking.] Etym: [OE. breken, AS. brecan; akin to OS. brekan, D. breken, OHG. brehhan, G. brechen, Icel.braka to creak, Sw. braka, bräkka to crack, Dan. brække to break, Goth. brikan to break, L. frangere. Cf. Bray to pound, Breach, Fragile.]
1. To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock. Shak.
2. To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods.
3. To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate. Katharine, break thy mind to me. Shak.
4. To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise. Out, out, hyena! these are thy wonted arts . . . To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray. Milton
5. To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to break one's journey. Go, release them, Ariel; My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore. Shak.
6. To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set.
7. To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares.
8. To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments. The victim broke in pieces the musical instruments with which he had solaced the hours of captivity. Prescott.
9. To exchange for other money or currency of smaller denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill.
10. To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as, to break flax.
11. To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind. An old man, broken with the storms of state. Shak.
12. To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a fall or blow. I'll rather leap down first, and break your fall. Dryden.
13. To impart, as news or information; to broach; -- with to, and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as, to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose cautiously to a friend.
14. To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle. "To break a colt." Spenser. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute Shak.
15. To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to ruin. With arts like these rich Matho, when he speaks, Attracts all fees, and little lawyers breaks. Dryden.
16. To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss. I see a great officer broken. Swift.
Note: With prepositions or adverbs: --To break down. (a) To crush; to overwhelm; as, to break down one's strength; to break down opposition. (b) To remove, or open a way through, by breaking; as, to break down a door or wall. -- To break in. (a) To force in; as, to break in a door. (b) To train; to discipline; as, a horse well broken in. -- To break of, to rid of; to cause to abandon; as, to break one of a habit. -- To break off. (a) To separate by breaking; as, to break off a twig. (b) To stop suddenly; to abandon. "Break off thy sins by righteousness." Dan. iv. 27. -- To break open, to open by breaking. "Open the door, or I will break it open." Shak. -- To break out, to take or force out by breaking; as, to break out a pane of glass. -- To break out a cargo, to unstow a cargo, so as to unload it easily. -- To break through. (a) To make an opening through, as, as by violence or the force of gravity; to pass violently through; as, to break through the enemy's lines; to break through the ice. (b) To disregard; as, to break through the ceremony. -- To break up. (a) To separate into parts; to plow (new or fallow ground). "Break up this capon." Shak. "Break up your fallow ground." Jer. iv. 3. (b) To dissolve; to put an end to. "Break up the court." Shak. -- To break (one) all up, to unsettle or disconcert completely; to upset. [Colloq.]
Note: With an immediate object: -To break the back. (a) To dislocate the backbone; hence, to disable totally. (b) To get through the worst part of; as, to break the back of a difficult undertaking. -- To break bulk, to destroy the entirety of a load by removing a portion of it; to begin to unload; also, to transfer in detail, as from boats to cars. -- To break cover, to burst forth from a protecting concealment, as game when hunted. -- To break a deer or stag, to cut it up and apportion the parts among those entitled to a share. -- To break fast, to partake of food after abstinence. See Breakfast. -- To break ground. (a) To open the earth as for planting; to commence excavation, as for building, siege operations, and the like; as, to break ground for a foundation, a canal, or a railroad. (b) Fig.: To begin to execute any plan. (c) (Naut.) To release the anchor from the bottom. -- To break the heart, to crush or overwhelm (one) with grief. -- To break a house (Law), to remove or set aside with violence and a felonious intent any part of a house or of the fastenings provided to secure it. -- To break the ice, to get through first difficulties; to overcome obstacles and make a beginning; to introduce a subject. -- To break jail, to escape from confinement in jail, usually by forcible means. -- To break a jest, to utter a jest. "Patroclus . . . the livelong day break scurril jests." Shak. -- To break joints, to lay or arrange bricks, shingles, etc., so that the joints in one course shall not coincide with those in the preceding course. -- To break a lance, to engage in a tilt or contest. -- To break the neck, to dislocate the joints of the neck. -- To break no squares, to create no trouble. [Obs.] -- To break a path, road, etc., to open a way through obstacles by force or labor. -- To break upon a wheel, to execute or torture, as a criminal by stretching him upon a wheel, and breaking his limbs with an iron bar; -- a mode of punishment formerly employed in some countries. -- To break wind, to give vent to wind from the anus.
Syn. -- To dispart; rend; tear; shatter; batter; violate; infringe; demolish; destroy; burst; dislocate.
BREAK Break, v. i.
1. To come apart or divide into two or more pieces, usually with suddenness and violence; to part; to burst asunder.
2. To open spontaneously, or by pressure from within, as a bubble, a tumor, a seed vessel, a bag. Else the bottle break, and the wine runneth out. Math. ix. 17.
3. To burst forth; to make its way; to come to view; to appear; to dawn. The day begins to break, and night is fied. Shak. And from the turf a fountain broke, and gurgled at our feet. Wordswoorth.
4. To burst forth violently, as a storm. The clouds are still above; and, while I speak, A second deluge o'er our head may break. Shak.
5. To open up. to be scattered; t be dissipated; as, the clouds are breaking. At length the darkness begins to break. Macawlay.
6. To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength. See how the dean begins to break; Poor gentleman . Swift.
7. To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief; as, my heart is breaking.
8. To fall in business; to become bankrupt. He that puts all upon adventures doth oftentimes break, and come to poverty. Bacn.
9. To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait; as, to break into a run or gallop.
10. To fail in musical quality; as, a singer's voice breaks when it is strained beyond its compass and a tone or note is not completed, but degenerates into an unmusical sound instead. Also, to change in tone, as a boy's voice at puberty.
11. To fall out; to terminate friendship. To break upon the score of danger or expense is to be mean and narrow-spirited. Collier.
Note: With prepositions or adverbs: -To break away, to disengage one's self abruptly; to come or go away against resistance. Fear me not, man; I will not break away. Shak. To break down. (a) To come down by breaking; as, the coach broke down. (b) To fail in any undertaking. He had broken down almost at the outset. Thackeray. -- To break forth, to issue; to come out suddenly, as sound, light, etc. "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning." Isa. lviii. 8;
Note: often with into in expressing or giving vent to one's feelings. "Break forth into singing, ye mountains." Isa. xliv. 23. To break from, to go away from abruptly. This radiant from the circling crowd he broke. Dryden. -- To break into, to enter by breaking; as, a house. -- To break in upon, to enter or approach violently or unexpectedly. "This, this is he; softly awhile; let us not break in upon him." Milton. -- To break loose. (a) To extricate one's self forcibly. "Who would not, finding way, break loose from hell" Milton. (b) To cast off restraint, as of morals or propriety. -- To break off. (a) To become separated by rupture, or with suddenness and violence. (b) To desist or cease suddenly. "Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so." Shak. -- To break off from, to desist from; to abandon, as a habit. -- To break out. (a) To burst forth; to escape from restraint; to appear suddenly, as a fire or an epidemic. "For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and stream in the desert." Isa. xxxv. 6 (b) To show itself in cutaneous eruptions; -- said of a disease. (c) To have a rash or eruption on the akin; -- said of a patient. -- To break over, to overflow; to go beyond limits. -- To break up. (a) To become separated into parts or fragments; as, the ice break up in the rivers; the wreck will break up in the next storm. (b) To disperse. "The company breaks up." I. Watts. -- To break upon, to discover itself suddenly to; to dawn upon. -- To break with. (a) To fall out; to sever one's relations with; to part friendship. "It can not be the Volsces dare break with us." Shak. "If she did not intend to marry Clive, she should have broken with him altogether." Thackeray. (b) To come to an explanation; to enter into conference; to speak. [Obs.] "I will break with her and with her father." Shak.
BREAK Break, n. Etym: [See Break, v. t., and cf. Brake (the instrument), Breach, Brack a crack.]
1. An opening made by fracture or disruption.
2. An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship. Specifically: (a) (Arch.) A projection or recess from the face of a displacement in the circuit, interrupting the electrical current.
3. An interruption; a pause; as, a break in friendship; a break in the conversation.
4. An interruption in continuity in writing or printing, as where there is an omission, an unfilled line, etc. All modern trash is Set forth with numerous breaks and dashes. Swift.
5. The first appearing, as of light in the morning; the dawn; as, the break of day; the break of dawn.
6. A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind.
7. A device for checking motion, or for measuring friction. See Brake, n. 9 & 10.
8. (Teleg.)
Defn: See Commutator.
BREAKABLE Break"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being broken.
BREAKAGE Break"age, n.
1. The act of breaking; a break; a breaking; also, articles broken.
2. An allowance or compensation for things broken accidentally, as in transportation or use.
BREAKAWAY Break"a*way`, n. [Break + away] [Australasia]
1.
Defn: A wild rush of sheep, cattle, horses, or camels (especially at the smell or the sight of water); a stampede.
2. An animal that breaks away from a herd.
BREAKBONE FEVER Break"bone` fe`ver. (Med.)
Defn: See Dengue.
BREAK-CIRCUIT Break"-cir`cuit, n. (Elec.)
Defn: A key or other device for breaking an electrical circuit.
BREAKDOWN Break"down`, n.
1. The act or result of breaking down, as of a carriage; downfall.
2. (a) A noisy, rapid, shuffling dance engaged in competitively by a number of persons or pairs in succession, as among the colored people of the Southern United States, and so called, perhaps, because the exercise is continued until most of those who take part in it break down. (b) Any rude, noisy dance performed by shuffling the feet, usually by one person at a time. [U.S.] Don't clear out when the quadrilles are over, for we are going to have a breakdown to wind up with. New Eng. Tales.
BREAKER Break"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, breaks. I'll be no breaker of the law. Shak.
2. Specifically: A machine for breaking rocks, or for breaking coal at the mines; also, the building in which such a machine is placed.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: A small water cask. Totten.
4. A wave breaking into foam against the shore, or against a sand bank, or a rock or reef near the surface. The breakers were right beneath her bows. Longfellow.
BREAKFAST Break"fast, n. Etym: [Break + fast.]
1. The first meal in the day, or that which is eaten at the first meal. A sorry breakfast for my lord protector. Shak.
2. A meal after fasting, or food in general. The wolves will get a breakfast by my death. Dryden.
BREAKFAST Break"fast, v. i. [imp. & p. p. breakfasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Breakfasting.]
Defn: To break one's fast in the morning; too eat the first meal in the day. First, sir, I read, and then I breakfast. Prior.
BREAKFAST Break"fast, v. t.
Defn: To furnish with breakfast. Milton.
BREAKMAN Break"man, n.
Defn: See Brakeman.
BREAKNECK Break"neck`, n.
1. A fall that breaks the neck.
2. A steep place endangering the neck.
BREAKNECK Break"neck`, a.
Defn: Producing danger of a broken neck; as, breakneck speed.
BREAK-UP Break"-up`, n.
Defn: Disruption; a separation and dispersion of the parts or members; as, a break-up of an assembly or dinner party; a break-up of the government.
BREAKWATER Break"wa`ter, n.
Defn: Any structure or contrivance, as a mole, or a wall at the mouth of a harbor, to break the force of waves, and afford protection from their violence.
BREAM Bream, n. Etym: [OE. breme, brem, F. brême, OF. bresme, of German origin; cf. OHG. brahsema, brahsina, OLG. bressemo, G. brassen. Cf. Brasse.]
1. (Zoöl)
Defn: A European fresh-water cyprinoid fish of the genus Abramis, little valued as food. Several species are known.
2. (Zoöl)
Defn: An American fresh-water fish, of various species of Pomotis and allied genera, which are also called sunfishes and pondfishes. See Pondfish.
3. (Zoöl)
Defn: A marine sparoid fish of the genus Pagellus, and allied genera. See Sea Bream.
BREAM Bream, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Breamed; p. pr. & vb. n. Breaming.] Etym: [Cf. Broom, and G. ein schiff brennen.] (Naut.)
Defn: To clean, as a ship's bottom of adherent shells, seaweed, etc., by the application of fire and scraping.
BREAST Breast, n. Etym: [OE. brest, breost, As. breóst; akin to Icel. brj, Sw. bröst, Dan. bryst, Goth. brusts, OS. briost, D. borst, G. brust.]
1. The fore part of the body, between the neck and the belly; the chest; as, the breast of a man or of a horse.
2. Either one of the protuberant glands, situated on the front of the chest or thorax in the female of man and of some other mammalia, in which milk is secreted for the nourishment of the young; a mammma; a teat. My brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother. Cant. viii. 1.
3. Anything resembling the human breast, or bosom; the front or forward part of anything; as, a chimney breast; a plow breast; the breast of a hill. Mountains on whose barren breast The laboring clouds do often rest. Milton.
4. (Mining) (a) The face of a coal working. (b) The front of a furnace.
5. The seat of consciousness; the repository of thought and self- consciousness, or of secrets; the seat of the affections and passions; the heart. He has a loyal breast. Shak.
6. The power of singing; a musical voice; -- so called, probably, from the connection of the voice with the lungs, which lie within the breast. [Obs.] By my troth, the fool has an excellent breast. Shak. Breast drill, a portable drilling machine, provided with a breastplate, for forcing the drill against the work. -- Breast pang. See Angina pectoris, under Angina. -- To make a clean breast, to disclose the secrets which weigh upon one; to make full confession.
BREAST Breast, v. t. [imp. & p. p.Breasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Breasted.]
Defn: To meet, with the breast; to struggle with or oppose manfully; as, to breast the storm or waves. The court breasted the popular current by sustaining the demurrer. Wirt. To breast up a hedge, to cut the face of it on one side so as to lay bare the principal upright stems of the plants.
BREASTBAND Breast"band`, n.
Defn: A band for the breast. Specifically: (Naut.) A band of canvas, or a rope, fastened at both ends to the rigging, to support the man who heaves the lead in sounding.
BREASTBEAM Breast"beam`, n. (Mach.)
Defn: The front transverse beam of a locomotive.
BREASTBONE Breast"bone`, n.
Defn: The bone of the breast; the sternum.
BREAST-DEEP Breast"-deep`, a.
Defn: Deep as from the breast to the feet; as high as the breast. See him breast-deep in earth, and famish him. Shak.
BREASTED Breast"ed, a.
Defn: Having a breast; -- used in composition with qualifying words, in either a literal or a metaphorical sense; as, a single-breasted coat. The close minister is buttoned up, and the brave officer open- breasted, on these occasions. Spectator.
BREASTFAST Breast"fast`, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A large rope to fasten the midship part of a ship to a wharf, or to another vessel.
BREASTHEIGHT Breast"height`, n.
Defn: The interior slope of a fortification, against which the garnison lean in firing.
BREAST-HIGH Breast"-high`, a.
Defn: High as the breast.
BREASTHOOK Breast"hook`, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A thick piece of timber in the form of a knee, placed across the stem of a ship to strengthen the fore part and unite the bows on each side. Totten.
BREASTING Breast"ing, n. (Mach.)
Defn: The curved channel in which a breast wheel turns. It is closely adapted to the curve of the wheel through about a quarter of its circumference, and prevents the escape of the water until it has spent its force upon the wheel. See Breast wheel.
BREASTKNOT Breast"knot`, n.
Defn: A pin worn of the breast for a fastening, or for ornament; a brooch.
BREASTPIN Breast"pin` (brest"pin`), n.
Defn: A pin worn on the breast for a fastening, or for ornament; a brooch.
BREASTPLATE Breast"plate`, n.
1. A plate of metal covering the breast as defensive armor. Before his old rusty breastplate could be scoured, and his cracked headpiece mended. Swift.
2. A piece against which the workman presses his breast in operating a breast drill, or other similar tool.
3. A strap that runs across a horse's breast. Ash.
4. (Jewish Antiq.)
Defn: A part of the vestment of the high priest, worn upon the front of the ephod. It was a double piece of richly embroidered stuff, a span square, set with twelve precious stones, on which were engraved the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. See Ephod.
BREASTPLOW; BREASTPLOUGH Breast"plow`, Breast"plough`, n.
Defn: A kind of plow, driven by the breast of the workman; -- used to cut or pare turf.
BREASTRAIL Breast"rail`, n.
Defn: The upper rail of any parapet of ordinary height, as of a balcony; the railing of a quarter-deck, etc.
BREASTROPE Breast"rope`, n.
Defn: See Breastband.
BREASTSUMMER Breast"sum`mer, n. (Arch.)
Defn: A summer or girder extending across a building flush with, and supporting, the upper part of a front or external wall; a long lintel; a girder; -- used principally above shop windows. [Written also brestsummer and bressummer.]
BREASTWHEEL Breast"wheel`, n.
Defn: A water wheel, on which the stream of water strikes neither so high as in the overshot wheel, nor so low as in the undershot, but generally at about half the height of the wheel, being kept in contact with it by the breasting. The water acts on the float boards partly by impulse, partly by its weight.
BREASTWORK Breast"work`, n.
1. (Fort.)
Defn: A defensive work of moderate height, hastily thrown up, of earth or other material.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: A railing on the quarter-deck and forecastle.
BREATH Breath, n. Etym: [OE. breth, breeth, AS. br odor, scent, breath; cf. OHG. bradam steam, vapor, breath, G. brodem, and possibly E. Brawn, and Breed.]
1. The air inhaled and exhaled in respiration, air which, in the process of respiration, has parted with oxygen and has received carbonic acid, aqueous vapor, warmth, etc. Melted as breath into the wind. Shak.
2. The act of breathing naturally or freely; the power or capacity to breathe freely; as, I am out of breath.
3. The power of respiration, and hence, life. Hood. Thou takest away their breath, they die. Ps. civ. 29.
4. Time to breathe; respite; pause. Give me some breath, some little pause. Shak.
5. A single respiration, or the time of making it; a single act; an instant. He smiles and he frowns in a breath. Dryden.
6. Fig.: That which gives or strengthens life. The earthquake voice of victory, To thee the breath of life. Byron.
7. A single word; the slightest effort; a triffle. A breath can make them, as a breath has made. Goldsmith.
8. A very slight breeze; air in gentle motion. Calm and unruffled as a summer's sea, when not a breath of wind flies o'er its surface. Addison.
9. Fragrance; exhalation; odor; perfume. Tennison. The breath of flowers. Bacon.
10. Gentle exercise, causing a quicker respiration. An after dinner's breath. Shak. Out of breath, breathless, exhausted; breathing with difficulty. -- Under one's breath, in low tones.
BREATHABLE Breath"a*ble, a.
Defn: Such as can be breathed.
BREATHABLENESS Breath"a*ble*ness, n.
Defn: State of being breathable.
BREATHE Breathe, v. i. [imp. & p. p Breathed; p. pr. & vb. n. Breathing.] Etym: [From Breath.]
1. To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live. "I am in health, I breathe." Shak. Breathes there a man with soul so dead Sir W. Scott.
2. To take breath; to rest from action. Well! breathe awhile, and then to it again! Shak.
3. To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to exhale; to emanate; to blow gently. The air breathes upon us here most sweetly. Shak. There breathes a living fragrance from the shore. Byron.
BREATHE Breathe, v. t.
1. To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to respire. To view the light of heaven, and breathe the vital air. Dryden.
2. To inject by breathing; to infuse; -- with into. Able to breathe life into a stone. Shak. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Gen. ii. 7.
3. To emit or utter by the breath; to utter softly; to whisper; as, to breathe a vow. He softly breathed thy name. Dryden. Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse, A mother's curse, on her revolting son. Shak.
4. To exhale; to emit, as breath; as, the flowers breathe odors or perfumes.
5. To express; to manifest; to give forth. Others articles breathe the same severe spirit. Milner.
6. To act upon by the breath; to cause to sound by breathing. "They breathe the flute." Prior.
7. To promote free respiration in; to exercise. And every man should beat thee. I think thou wast created for men to breathe themselves upon thee. Shak.
8. To suffer to take breath, or recover the natural breathing; to rest; as, to breathe a horse. A moment breathed his panting steed. Sir W. Scott.
9. To put out of breath; to exhaust. Mr. Tulkinghorn arrives in his turret room, a little breathed by the journey up. Dickens.
10. (Phonetics)
Defn: To utter without vocality, as the nonvocal consonants. The same sound may be pronounces either breathed, voiced, or whispered. H. Sweet. Breathed elements, being already voiceless, remain unchanged
Note: [in whispering]. H. Sweet. To breathe again, to take breath; to feel a sense of relief, as from danger, responsibility, or press of business. -- To breathe one's last, to die; to expire. -- To breathe a vein, to open a vein; to let blood. Dryden.
BREATHER Breath"er, n.
1. One who breathes. Hence: (a) One who lives.(b) One who utters. (c) One who animates or inspires.
2. That which puts one out of breath, as violent exercise. [Colloq.]
BREATHFUL Breath"ful, a.
Defn: Full of breath; full of odor; fragrant. [Obs.]
BREATHING Breath"ing, n.
1. Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air. Subject to a difficulty of breathing. Melmoth.
2. Air in gentle motion.
3. Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration; as, the breathings of the Spirit.
4. Aspiration; secret prayer. "Earnest desires and breathings after that blessed state." Tillotson.
5. Exercising; promotion of respiration. Here is a lady that wants breathing too; And I have heard, you knights of Tyre Are excellent in making ladies trip. Shak.
6. Utterance; communication or publicity by words. I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose. Shak.
7. Breathing place; vent. Dryden.
8. Stop; pause; delay. You shake the head at so long a breathing. Shak.
9. Also, in a wider sense, the sound caused by the friction of the outgoing breath in the throat, mouth, etc., when the glottis is wide open; aspiration; the sound expressed by the letter h.
10. (Gr. Gram.)
Defn: A mark to indicate aspiration or its absence. See Rough breathing, Smooth breathing, below. Breathing place. (a) A pause. "That cæsura, or breathing place, in the midst of the verse." Sir P. Sidney. (b) A vent. -- Breathing time, pause; relaxation. Bp. Hall. -- Breathing while, time sufficient for drawing breath; a short time. Shak. -- Rough breathing (spiritus asper) (. See 2d Asper, n. -- Smooth breathing (spiritus lenis), a mark (') indicating the absence of the sound of h, as in 'ie`nai (ienai).
BREATHLESS Breath"less, a.
1. Spent with labor or violent action; out of breath.
2. Not breathing; holding the breath, on account of fear, expectation, or intense interest; attended with a holding of the breath; as, breathless attention. But breathless, as we grow when feeling most. Byron.
3. Dead; as, a breathless body.
BREATHLESSLY Breath"less*ly, adv.
Defn: In a breathless manner.
BREATHLESSNESS Breath"less*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being breathless or out of breath.
BRECCIA Brec"cia, n. Etym: [It., breach, pebble, fragments of stone, fr. F. brèche; of German origin. See Breach.] (Geol.)
Defn: A rock composed of angular fragments either of the same mineral or of different minerals, etc., united by a cement, and commonly presenting a variety of colors. Bone breccia, a breccia containing bones, usually fragmentary. -- Coin breccia, a breccia containing coins.
BRECCIATED Brec"ci*a`ted, a.
Defn: Consisting of angular fragments cemented together; resembling breccia in appearance. The brecciated appearance of many specimens [of meteorites]. H. A. Newton.
BRED Bred,
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Breed. Bred out, degenerated. "The strain of man's bred out into baboon and monkey." Shak. -- Bred to arms. See under Arms. -- Well bred. (a) Of a good family; having a good pedigree. "A gentleman well bred and of good name." Shak. [Obs., except as applied to domestic animals.] (b) Well brought up, as shown in having good manners; cultivated; refined; polite.
BREDE; BREEDE Brede, or Breede, n.
Defn: Breadth. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BREDE Brede, n. Etym: [See Braid woven cord.]
Defn: A braid. [R.] Half lapped in glowing gauze and golden brede. Tennyson.
BREECH Breech, n. Etym: [See Breeches.]
1. The lower part of the body behind; the buttocks.
2. Breeches. [Obs.] Shak.
3. The hinder part of anything; esp., the part of a cannon, or other firearm, behind the chamber.
4. (Naut.)
Defn: The external angle of knee timber, the inside of which is called the throat.
BREECH Breech, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Breeched; p. pr. & vb. n. Breeching.]
1. To put into, or clothe with, breeches. A great man . . . anxious to know whether the blacksmith's youngest boy was breeched. Macaulay.
2. To cover as with breeches. [Poetic] Their daggers unmannerly breeched with gore. Shak.
3. To fit or furnish with a breech; as, to breech a gun.
4. To whip on the breech. [Obs.] Had not a courteous serving man conveyed me away, whilst he went to fetch whips, I think, in my conscience, he would have breeched me. Old Play.
5. To fasten with breeching.
BREECH ACTION Breech action.
Defn: The breech mechanism in breech-loading small arms and certain special guns, as automatic and machine guns; --used frequently in referring to the method by which the movable barrels of breech- loading shotguns are locked, unlocked, or rotated to loading position.
BREECHBLOCK Breech"block, n.
Defn: The movable piece which closes the breech of a breech-loading firearm, and resists the backward force of the discharge. It is withdrawn for the insertion of a cartridge, and closed again before the gun is fired.
BREECHCLOTH Breech"cloth`, n.
Defn: A cloth worn around the breech.
BREECHES Breech"es, n. pl. Etym: [OE. brech, brek, AS. brek, pl. of broc breech, breeches; akin to Icel. brok breeches, ODan. brog, D. broek, G. bruch; cf. L. bracae, braccae, which is of Celtic origin. Cf. Brail.]
1. A garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs; smallclothes. His jacket was red, and his breeches were blue. Coleridge.
2. Trousers; pantaloons. [Colloq.] Breeches buoy, in the life-saving service, a pair of canvas breeches depending from an annular or beltlike life buoy which is usually of cork. This contrivance, inclosing the person to be rescued, is hung by short ropes from a block which runs upon the hawser stretched from the ship to the shore, and is drawn to land by hauling lines. -- Breeches pipe, a forked pipe forming two branches united at one end. -- Knee breeches, breeches coming to the knee, and buckled or fastened there; smallclothes. -- To wear the breeches, to usurp the authority of the husband; -- said of a wife. [Colloq.]
BREECHING Breech"ing, n.
1. A whipping on the breech, or the act of whipping on the breech. I view the prince with Aristarchus' eyes, Whose looks were as a breeching to a boy. Marlowe.
2. That part of a harness which passes round the breech of a horse, enabling him to hold back a vehicle.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: A strong rope rove through the cascabel of a cannon and secured to ringbolts in the ship's side, to limit the recoil of the gun when it is discharged.
4. The sheet iron casing at the end of boilers to convey the smoke from the flues to the smokestack.
BREECHLOADER Breech"load`er, n.
Defn: A firearm which receives its load at the breech. For cavalry, the revolver and breechloader will supersede the saber. Rep. Sec. War (1860).
BREECH-LOADING Breech"-load`ing, a.
Defn: Receiving the charge at the breech instead of at the muzzle.
BREECH PIN; BREECH SCREW Breech" pin`, Breech" screw`.
Defn: A strong iron or steel plug screwed into the breech of a musket or other firearm, to close the bottom of the bore.
BREECH SIGHT Breech" sight`.
Defn: A device attached to the breech of a firearm, to guide the eye, in conjunction with the front sight, in taking aim.
BREED Breed, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bred; p. pr. & vb. n. Breeding.] Etym: [OE. breden, AS. bredan to nourish, cherish, keep warm, from brod brood; akin to D. broeden to brood, OHG. bruoten, G. brüten. See Brood.]
1. To produce as offspring; to bring forth; to bear; to procreate; to generate; to beget; to hatch. Yet every mother breeds not sons alike. Shak. If the sun breed maggots in a dead dog. Shak.
2. To take care of in infancy, and through the age of youth; to bring up; to nurse and foster. To bring thee forth with pain, with care to breed. Dryden. Born and bred on the verge of the wilderness. Everett.
3. To educate; to instruct; to form by education; to train; -- sometimes followed by up. But no care was taken to breed him a Protestant. Bp. Burnet. His farm may not remove his children too far from him, or the trade he breeds them up in. Locke.
4. To engender; to cause; to occasion; to originate; to produce; as, to breed a storm; to breed disease. Lest the place And my quaint habits breed astonishment. Milton.
5. To give birth to; to be the native place of; as, a pond breeds fish; a northern country breeds stout men.
6. To raise, as any kind of stock.
7. To produce or obtain by any natural process. [Obs.] Children would breed their teeth with less danger. Locke.
Syn. -- To engender; generate; beget; produce; hatch; originate; bring up; nourish; train; instruct.
BREED Breed, v. i.
1. To bear and nourish young; to reproduce or multiply itself; to be pregnant. That they breed abundantly in the earth. Gen. viii. 17. The mother had never bred before. Carpenter. Ant. Is your gold and silver ewes and rams Shy. I can not tell. I make it breed as fast. Shak.
2. To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated, or to grow, as young before birth.
3. To have birth; to be produced or multiplied. Heavens rain grace On that which breeds between them. Shak.
4. To raise a breed; to get progeny. The kind of animal which you wish to breed from. Gardner. To breed in and in, to breed from animals of the same stock that are closely related.
BREED Breed, n.
1. A race or variety of men or other animals (or of plants), perpetuating its special or distinctive characteristics by inheritance. Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed. Shak. Greyhounds of the best breed. Carpenter.
2. Class; sort; kind; -- of men, things, or qualities. Are these the breed of wits so wondered at Shak. This courtesy is not of the right breed. Shak.
3. A number produced at once; a brood. [Obs.]
Note: Breed is usually applied to domestic animals; species or variety to wild animals and to plants; and race to men.
BREEDBATE Breed"bate, n.
Defn: One who breeds or originates quarrels. [Obs.] "No telltale nor no breedbate." Shak.
BREEDER Breed"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, breeds, produces, brings up, etc. She was a great breeder. Dr. A. Carlyle. Italy and Rome have been the best breeders of worthy men. Ascham.
2. A cause. "The breeder of my sorrow." Shak.
BREEDING Breed"ing, n.
1. The act or process of generating or bearing.
2. The raising or improving of any kind of domestic animals; as, farmers should pay attention to breeding.
3. Nurture; education; formation of manners. She had her breeding at my father's charge. Shak.
4. Deportment or behavior in the external offices and decorums of social life; manners; knowledge of, or training in, the ceremonies, or polite observances of society. Delicacy of breeding, or that polite deference and respect which civility obliges us either to express or counterfeit towards the persons with whom we converse. Hume.
5. Descent; pedigree; extraction. [Obs.] Honest gentlemen, I know not your breeding. Shak. Close breeding, In and in breeding, breeding from a male and female from the same parentage. -- Cross breeding, breeding from a male and female of different lineage. -- Good breeding, politeness; genteel deportment.
Syn. -- Education; instruction; nurture; training; manners. See Education.
BREEZE; BREEZE FLY Breeze, Breeze" fly` (, n. Etym: [OE. brese, AS. briósa; perh. akin to OHG. brimissa, G. breme, bremse, D. brems, which are akin to G. brummen to growl, buzz, grumble, L. fremere to murmur; cf. G. brausen, Sw. brusa, Dan. bruse, to roar, rush.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fly of various species, of the family Tabanidæ, noted for buzzing about animals, and tormenting them by sucking their blood; -- called also horsefly, and gadfly. They are among the largest of two- winged or dipterous insects. The name is also given to different species of botflies. [Written also breese and brize.]
BREEZE Breeze, n. Etym: [F. brise; akin to It. brezza breeze, Sp. briza, brisa, a breeze from northeast, Pg. briza northeast wind; of uncertain origin; cf. F. bise, Pr. bisa, OHG. bisa, north wind, Arm. biz northeast wind.]
1. A light, gentle wind; a fresh, soft-blowing wind. Into a gradual calm the breezes sink. Wordsworth.
2. An excited or ruffed state of feeling; a flurry of excitement; a disturbance; a quarrel; as, the discovery produced a breeze. [Colloq.] Land breeze, a wind blowing from the land, generally at night. -- Sea breeze, a breeze or wind blowing, generally in the daytime, from the sea.
BREEZE Breeze, n. Etym: [F. braise cinders, live coals. See Brasier.]
1. Refuse left in the process of making coke or burning charcoal.
2. (Brickmaking)
Defn: Refuse coal, coal ashes, and cinders, used in the burning of bricks.
BREEZE Breeze, v. i.
Defn: To blow gently. [R.] J. Barlow. To breeze up (Naut.), to blow with increasing freshness.
BREEZELESS Breeze"less, a.
Defn: Motionless; destitute of breezes. A stagnant, breezeless air becalms my soul. Shenstone.
BREEZINESS Breez"i*ness, n.
Defn: State of being breezy.
BREEZY Breez"y, a.
1. Characterized by, or having, breezes; airy. "A breezy day in May." Coleridge. 'Mid lawns and shades by breezy rivulets fanned. Wordsworth.
2. Fresh; brisk; full of life. [Colloq.]
BREGMA Breg"ma, n. Etym: [Gr. bregma.] (Anat.)
Defn: The point of junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures of the skull.
BREGMATIC Breg*mat"ic, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining to the bregma.
BREHON Bre"hon, n. Etym: [Ir. breitheamh judge.]
Defn: An ancient Irish or Scotch judge. Brehon laws, the ancient Irish laws, -- unwritten, like the common law of England. They were abolished by statute of Edward III.
BRELAN Bre*lan", n. [F.] (Card Playing) (a) A French gambling game somewhat like poker. (b) In French games, a pair royal, or triplet.
BRELAN CARRE Bre*lan" car`re". [F. carré square.] (Card Playing)
Defn: In French games, a double pair royal.
BRELAN FAVORI Bre*lan" fa`vo`ri". [F. favori favorite.] (Card Playing)
Defn: In French games, a pair royal composed of 2 cards in the hand and the card turned.
BRELOQUE Bre*loque", n. [F.]
Defn: A seal or charm for a watch chain. "His chains and breloques." Thackeray.
BREME Breme, a. Etym: [OE. breme, brime, fierce, impetuous, glorious, AS. breme, br, famous. Cf. Brim, a.]
1. Fierce; sharp; severe; cruel. [Obs.] Spenser. From the septentrion cold, in the breme freezing air. Drayton.
2. Famous; renowned; well known. Wright. [Written also brim and brimme.]
BREN; BRENNE Bren, Bren"ne, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Brent (p. pr. & vb. n. Brenning.] Etym: [See Burn.]
Defn: To burn. [Obs.] Chaucer. Consuming fire brent his shearing house or stall. W. Browne.
BREN Bren, n.
Defn: Bran. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BRENNAGE Bren"nage, n. Etym: [OF. brenage; cf. LL. brennagium, brenagium. See Bran.] (Old Eng. Law)
Defn: A tribute which tenants paid to their lord, in lieu of bran, which they were obliged to furnish for his hounds.
BRENNINGLY Bren"ning*ly, adv.
Defn: Burningly; ardently. [Obs.]
BRENT; BRANT Brent, Brant, a. Etym: [AS. brant; akin to Dan. brat, Icel. brattr, steep.]
1. Steep; high. [Obs.] Grapes grow on the brant rocks so wonderfully that ye will marvel how any man dare climb up to them. Ascham.
2. Smooth; unwrinkled. [Scot.] Your bonnie brow was brent. Burns.
BRENT Brent, imp. & p.p.
Defn: of Bren. Burnt. [Obs.]
BRENT Brent, n. Etym: [Cf. Brant.]
Defn: A brant. See Brant.
BREQUET CHAIN Breq"uet chain`.
Defn: A watch-guard.
BRERE Brere, n.
Defn: A brier. [Archaic] Chaucer.
BREST Brest, 3d sing.pr.
Defn: for Bursteth. [Obs.]
BREST; BREAST Brest, Breast, n. (Arch.)
Defn: A torus. [Obs.]
BRESTE Bres"te, v. t. & i. [imp. Brast; p. p. Brusten, Borsten, Bursten.]
Defn: To burst. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BRESTSUMMER Brest"sum`mer, n.
Defn: See Breastsummer.
BRET Bret, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Birt.
BRETFUL Bret"ful, a. Etym: [OE. also brerdful, fr. brerd top, brim, AS. brerd.]
Defn: Brimful. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BRETHREN Breth"ren, n.;
Defn: pl. of Brother.
Note: This form of the plural is used, for the most part, in solemn address, and in speaking of religious sects or fraternities, or their members.
BRETON Bret"on, a. Etym: [F. breton.]
Defn: Of or relating to Brittany, or Bretagne, in France. -- n.
Defn: A native or inhabitant of Brittany, or Bretagne, in France; also, the ancient language of Brittany; Armorican.
BRETT Brett, n.
Defn: Same as Britzska.
BRETTICE Bret"tice, n.; pl. Brettices. Etym: [OE. bretasce, bretage, parapet, OF. bretesche wooden tower, F. bretèche, LL. breteschia, bertresca, prob. fr. OHG. bret, G. brett board; akin to E. board. See Board, n., and cf. Bartizan.]
Defn: The wooden boarding used in supporting the roofs and walls of coal mines. See Brattice.
BRETWALDA Bret"wal*da, n. Etym: [AS. Bretwalda, br, a powerful ruler.] (Eng. Hist.)
Defn: The official title applied to that one of the Anglo-Saxon chieftains who was chosen by the other chiefs to lead them in their warfare against the British tribes. Brande & C.
BRETZEL Bret"zel, n. Etym: [G.]
Defn: See Pretzel.
BREVE Breve, n. Etym: [It. & (in sense 2) LL. breve, fr. L. brevis short. See Brief.]
1. (Mus.)
Defn: A note or character of time, equivalent to two semibreves or four minims. When dotted, it is equal to three semibreves. It was formerly of a square figure (as thus: Moore.
2. (Law)
Defn: Any writ or precept under seal, issued out of any court.
3. (Print.)
Defn: A curved mark [˘] used commonly to indicate the short quantity of a vowel.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The great ant thrush of Sumatra (Pitta gigas), which has a very short tail.
BREVET Bre*vet", n. Etym: [F. brevet, LL. brevetum, fr. L. brevis short. See Brief.]
1. A warrant from the government, granting a privilege, title, or dignity. [French usage].
2. (Mil.)
Defn: A commission giving an officer higher rank than that for which he receives pay; an honorary promotion of an officer.
Note: In the United States army, rank by brevet is conferred, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for "gallant actions or meritorious services." A brevet rank gives no right of command in the particular corps to which the officer brevetted belongs, and can be exercised only by special assignment of the President, or on court martial, and detachments composed of different corps, with pay of the brevet rank when on such duty.
BREVET Bre*vet", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brevetted (; p. pr. & vb. n. Brevetting.] (Mil.)
Defn: To confer rank upon by brevet.
BREVET Bre*vet", a. (Mil.)
Defn: Taking or conferring rank by brevet; as, a brevet colonel; a brevet commission.
BREVETCY Bre*vet"cy, n.; pl. Brevetcies (. (Mil.)
Defn: The rank or condition of a brevet officer.
BREVIARY Bre"vi*a*ry, n.; pl. Breviaries (. Etym: [F. bréviarie, L. breviarium summary, abridgment, neut. noun fr. breviarius abridged, fr. brevis short. See Brief, and cf. Brevier.]
1. An abridgment; a compend; an epitome; a brief account or summary. A book entitled the abridgment or breviary of those roots that are to be cut up or gathered. Holland.
2. A book containing the daily public or canonical prayers of the Roman Catholic or of the Greek Church for the seven canonical hours, namely, matins and lauds, the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours, vespers, and compline; -- distinguished from the missal.
BREVIATE Bre"vi*ate, n. Etym: [L. breviatus, p.p. of breviare to shorten, brevis short.]
1. A short compend; a summary; a brief statement. I omit in this breviate to rehearse. Hakluyt. The same little breviates of infidelity have . . . been published and dispersed with great activity. Bp. Porteus.
2. A lawyer's brief. [R.] Hudibras.
BREVIATE Bre"vi*ate, v. t.
Defn: To abbreviate. [Obs.]
BREVIATURE Bre"vi*a*ture, n.
Defn: An abbreviature; an abbreviation. [Obs.] Johnson.
BREVIER Bre*vier", n. Etym: [Prob. from being originally used in printing a breviary. See Breviary.] (Print.)
Defn: A size of type between bourgeous and minion.
Note: This line is printed in brevier type.
BREVILOQUENCE Bre*vil"o*quence, n. Etym: [L. breviloquentia.]
Defn: A brief and pertinent mode of speaking. [R.]
BREVIPED Brev"i*ped, a. Etym: [L. brevis short + pes, pedis, foot: cf. F. brévipède.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having short legs. -- n.
Defn: A breviped bird.
BREVIPEN Brev"i*pen, n. Etym: [L. brevis short + penna wing: cf. F. brévipenne.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A brevipennate bird.
BREVIPENNATE Brev`i*pen"nate, a. Etym: [L. brevis short + E. pennate.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Short-winged; -- applied to birds which can not fly, owing to their short wings, as the ostrich, cassowary, and emu.
BREVIROSTRAL; BREVIROSTRATE Brev`i*ros"tral, Brev`i*ros"trate, a. Etym: [L. brevis short + E. rostral, rostrate.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Short-billed; having a short beak.
BREVITY Brev"i*ty, n.; pl. Brevities. Etym: [L. brevitas, fr. brevis short: cf. F. brièvité. See Brief.]
1. Shortness of duration; briefness of time; as, the brevity of human life.
2. Contraction into few words; conciseness. Brevity is the soul of wit. Shak. This argument is stated by St. John with his usual elegant brevity and simplicity. Bp. Porteus.
Syn. -- Shortness; conciseness; succinctness; terseness.
BREW Brew, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brewed; p. pr. & vb. n. Brewing.] Etym: [OE. brewen, AS. breówan; akin to D. brouwen, OHG. priuwan, MHG. briuwen, br, G. brauen, Icel. brugga, Sw. brygga, Dan. brygge, and perh. to L. defrutum must boiled down, Gr. to prepare by heat. sq. root93. Cf. Broth, Bread.]
1. To boil or seethe; to cook. [Obs.]
2. To prepare, as beer or other liquor, from malt and hops, or from other materials, by steeping, boiling, and fermentation. "She brews good ale." Shak.
3. To prepare by steeping and mingling; to concoct. Go, brew me a pottle of sack finely. Shak.
4. To foment or prepare, as by brewing; to contrive; to plot; to concoct; to hatch; as, to brew mischief. Hence with thy brewed enchantments, foul deceiver! Milton.
BREW Brew, v. i.
1. To attend to the business, or go through the processes, of brewing or making beer. I wash, wring, brew, bake, scour. Shak.
2. To be in a state of preparation; to be mixing, forming, or gathering; as, a storm brews in the west. There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest. Shak.
BREW Brew, n.
Defn: The mixture formed by brewing; that which is brewed. Bacon.
BREWAGE Brew"age, n.
Defn: Malt liquor; drink brewed. "Some well-spiced brewage." Milton. A rich brewage, made of the best Spanish wine. Macaulay.
BREWER Brew"er, n.
Defn: One who brews; one whose occupation is to prepare malt liquors.
BREWERY Brew"er*y, n.
Defn: A brewhouse; the building and apparatus where brewing is carried on.
BREWHOUSE Brew"house`, n.
Defn: A house or building appropriated to brewing; a brewery.
BREWING Brew"ing, n.
1. The act or process of preparing liquors which are brewed, as beer and ale.
2. The quantity brewed at once. A brewing of new beer, set by old beer. Bacon.
3. A mixing together. I am not able to avouch anything for certainty, such a brewing and sophistication of them they make. Holland.
4. (Naut.)
Defn: A gathering or forming of a storm or squall, indicated by thick, dark clouds.
BREWIS Brew"is, n. Etym: [OE. brewis, brouwys, browesse, brewet, OF. brouet, -s being the OF. ending of the nom. sing. and acc. pl.; dim. of OHG. brod. sq. root93. See Broth, and cf. Brose.]
1. Broth or pottage. [Obs.] Let them of their Bonner's "beef" and "broth" make what brewis they please for their credulous guests. Bp. Hall.
2. Bread soaked in broth, drippings of roast meat, milk, or water and butter.
BREWSTERITE Brews"ter*ite, n. Etym: [Named after Sir David Brewster.]
Defn: A rare zeolitic mineral occurring in white monoclinic crystals with pearly luster. It is a hydrous silicate of aluminia, baryta, and strontia.
BREZILIN Brez"i*lin, n.
Defn: See Brazilin.
BRIAR Bri"ar, n.
Defn: Same as Brier.
BRIAREAN Bri*a"re*an, a. Etym: [L. Briareius, fr. Briareus a mythological hundred-handed giant, Gr.
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, Briareus, a giant fabled to have a hundred hands; hence, hundred-handed or many-handed.
BRIBABLE Brib"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being bribed. A more bribable class of electors. S. Edwards.
BRIBE Bribe, n. Etym: [F. bribe a lump of bread, scraps, leavings of meals (that are generally given to a beggar), LL. briba scrap of bread; cf. OF. briber, brifer, to eat gluttonously, to beg, and OHG. bilibi food.]
1. A gift begged; a present. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. A price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct of a judge, witness, voter, or other person in a position of trust. Undue reward for anything against justice is a bribe. Hobart.
3. That which seduces; seduction; allurement. Not the bribes of sordid wealth can seduce to leave these everAkenside.
BRIBE Bribe, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bribed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bribing.]
1. To rob or steal. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To give or promise a reward or consideration to (a judge, juror, legislator, voter, or other person in a position of trust) with a view to prevent the judgment or corrupt the conduct; to induce or influence by a bribe; to give a bribe to. Neither is he worthy who bribes a man to vote against his conscience. F. W. Robertson.
3. To gain by a bribe; of induce as by a bribe.
BRIBE Bribe, v. i.
1. To commit robbery or theft. [Obs.]
2. To give a bribe to a person; to pervert the judgment or corrupt the action of a person in a position of trust, by some gift or promise. An attempt to bribe, though unsuccessful, has been holden to be criminal, and the offender may be indicted. Bouvier. The bard may supplicate, but cannot bribe. Goldsmith.
BRIBELESS Bribe"less, a.
Defn: Incapable of being bribed; free from bribes. From thence to heaven's bribeless hall. Sir W. Raleigh.
BRIBER Brib"er, n.
1. A thief. [Obs.] Lydgate.
2. One who bribes, or pays for corrupt practices.
3. That which bribes; a bribe. His service . . . were a sufficient briber for his life. Shak.
BRIBERY Brib"er*y, n.; pl. Briberies. Etym: [OE. brybery rascality, OF. briberie. See Bribe, n.]
1. Robbery; extortion. [Obs.]
2. The act or practice of giving or taking bribes; the act of influencing the official or political action of another by corrupt inducements. Bribery oath, an oath taken by a person that he has not been bribed as to voting. [Eng.]
BRIC-A BRAC; BRIC-A-BRAC; BRIC A BRAC Bric"-a brac`, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Miscellaneous curiosities and works of decorative art, considered collectively. A piece of bric-a-brac, any curious or antique article of virtu, as a piece of antiquated furniture or metal work, or an odd knickknack.
BRICK Brick, n. Etym: [OE. brik, F. brique; of Ger. origin; cf. AS. brice a breaking, fragment, Prov. E. brique piece, brique de pain, equiv. to AS. hlafes brice, fr. the root of E. break. See Break.]
1. A block or clay tempered with water, sand, etc., molded into a regular form, usually rectangular, and sun-dried, or burnt in a kiln, or in a heap or stack called a clamp. The Assyrians appear to have made much less use of bricks baked in the furnace than the Babylonians. Layard.
2. Bricks, collectively, as designating that kind of material; as, a load of brick; a thousand of brick. Some of Palladio's finest examples are of brick. Weale.
3. Any oblong rectangular mass; as, a brick of maple sugar; a penny brick (of bread).
4. A good fellow; a merry person; as, you 're a brick. [Slang] "He 's a dear little brick." Thackeray. To have a brick in one's hat, to be drunk. [Slang]
Note: Brick is used adjectively or in combination; as, brick wall; brick clay; brick color; brick red. Brick clay, clay suitable for, or used in making, bricks. -- Brick dust, dust of pounded or broken bricks. -- Brick earth, clay or earth suitable for, or used in making, bricks. -- Brick loaf, a loaf of bread somewhat resembling a brick in shape. -- Brick nogging (Arch.), rough brickwork used to fill in the spaces between the uprights of a wooden partition; brick filling. -- Brick tea, tea leaves and young shoots, or refuse tea, steamed or mixed with fat, etc., and pressed into the form of bricks. It is used in Northern and Central Asia. S. W. Williams. -- Brick trimmer (Arch.), a brick arch under a hearth, usually within the thickness of a wooden floor, to guard against accidents by fire. -- Brick trowel. See Trowel. -- Brick works, a place where bricks are made. -- Bath brick. See under Bath, a city. -- Pressed brick, bricks which, before burning, have been subjected to pressure, to free them from the imperfections of shape and texture which are common in molded bricks.
BRICK Brick, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bricked; p. pr. & vb. n. Bricking.]
1. To lay or pave with bricks; to surround, line, or construct with bricks.
2. To imitate or counterfeit a brick wall on, as by smearing plaster with red ocher, making the joints with an edge tool, and pointing them. To brick up, to fill up, inclose, or line, with brick.
BRICKBAT Brick"bat`, n.
Defn: A piece or fragment of a brick. See Bat, 4. Bacon.
BRICKFIELDER Brick"field`er, n. [Australia]
1.
Defn: Orig., at Sydney, a cold and violent south or southwest wind, rising suddenly, and regularly preceded by a hot wind from the north; -- now usually called southerly buster. It blew across the Brickfields, formerly so called, a district of Sydney, and carried clouds of dust into the city.
2. By confusion, a midsummer hot wind from the north.
BRICKKILN Brick"kiln`, n.
Defn: A kiln, or furnace, in which bricks are baked or burnt; or a pile of green bricks, laid loose, with arches underneath to receive the wood or fuel for burning them.
BRICKLAYER Brick"lay`er, n. Etym: [Brick + lay.]
Defn: One whose pccupation is to build with bricks. Bricklayer's itch. See under Itch.
BRICKLAYING Brick"lay`ing, n.
Defn: The art of building with bricks, or of uniting them by cement or mortar into various forms; the act or occupation of laying bricks.
BRICKLE Bric"kle, a. Etym: [OE. brekil, brokel, bruchel, fr. AS. brecan, E. break. Cf. Brittle.]
Defn: Brittle; easily broken. [Obs. or Prov.] Spenser. As stubborn steel excels the brickle glass. Turbervile.
BRICKLENESS Bric"kle*ness, n.
Defn: Brittleness. [Obs.]
BRICKMAKER Brick"mak`er, n.
Defn: One whose occupation is to make bricks. -- Brick"mak*ing, n.
BRICKWORK Brick"work`, n.
1. Anything made of bricks. Niches in brickwork form the most difficult part of the bricklayer's art. Tomlinson.
2. The act of building with or laying bricks.
BRICKY Brick"y, a.
Defn: Full of bricks; formed of bricks; resembling bricks or brick dust. [R.] Spenser.
BRICKYARD Brick"yard`, n.
Defn: A place where bricks are made, especially an inclosed place.
BRICOLE Bri*cole", n. Etym: [F.] (Mil.)
Defn: A kind of traces with hooks and rings, with which men drag and maneuver guns where horses can not be used.
BRID Brid, n.
Defn: A bird. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BRIDAL Brid"al, a. Etym: [From Bride. Cf. Bridal, n.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a bride, or to wedding; nuptial; as, bridal ornaments; a bridal outfit; a bridal chamber.
BRIDAL Brid"al, n. Etym: [OE. bridale, brudale, AS. br brideale, bridal feast. See Bride, and Ale, 2.]
Defn: A nuptia; festival or ceremony; a marriage. Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright, The bridal of the earth and sky. Herbert.
BRIDALTY Brid"al*ty, n.
Defn: Celebration of the nuptial feast. [Obs.] "In honor of this bridalty." B. Jonson.
BRIDE Bride, n. Etym: [OE. bride, brid, brude, brud, burd, AS. br; akin to OFries. breid, OSax. br, D. bruid, OHG. pr, br, G. braut, Icel. br, Sw. & Dan. brud, Goth. br33s; cf. Armor. pried spouse, W. priawd a married person.]
1. A woman newly married, or about to be married. Has by his own experience tried How much the wife is dearer than the bride. Lyttleton. I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. Rev. xxi. 9.
2. Fig.: An object ardently loved. Bride of the sea, the city of Venice.
BRIDE Bride, v. t.
Defn: To make a bride of. [Obs.]
BRIDE-ALE Bride"-ale`, n. Etym: [See Bridal.]
Defn: A rustic wedding feast; a bridal. See Ale. The man that 's bid to bride-ale, if he ha' cake, And drink enough, he need not fear his stake. B. Jonson.
BRIDEBED Bride"bed`, n.
Defn: The marriage bed. [Poetic]
BRIDECAKE Bride"cake`, n.
Defn: Rich or highly ornamented cake, to be distributed to the guests at a wedding, or sent to friends after the wedding.
BRIDECHAMBER Bride"cham`ber, n.
Defn: The nuptial appartment. Matt. ix. 15.
BRIDEGROOM Bride"groom`, n. Etym: [OE. bridegome, brudgume, AS. br (akin to OS. br, D. bruidegom, bruigom, OHG. pr, MHG. briutegome, G. bräutigam); AS. br bride + guma man, akin to Goth. guma, Icel. gumi, OHG. gomo, L. homo; the insertion of r being caused by confusion with groom. See Bride, and cf. Groom, Homage.]
Defn: A man newly married, or just about to be married.
BRIDEKNOT Bride"knot`, n.
Defn: A knot of ribbons worn by a guest at a wedding; a wedding favor. [Obs.]
BRIDEMAID; BRIDEMAN Bride"maid`, n., Bride"man (, n.
Defn: See Bridesmaid, Bridesman.
BRIDESMAID Brides"maid`, n.
Defn: A female friend who attends on a bride at her wedding.
BRIDESMAN Brides"man, n.; pl. Bridesmen (.
Defn: A male friend who attends upon a bridegroom and bride at their marriage; the "best man." Sir W. Scott.
BRIDESTAKE Bride"stake`, n.
Defn: A stake or post set in the ground, for guests at a wedding to dance round. Divide the broad bridecake Round about the bridestake. B. Jonson.
BRIDEWELL Bride"well, n.
Defn: A house of correction for the confinement of disorderly persons; -- so called from a hospital built in 1553 near St. Bride's (or Bridget's) well, in London, which was subsequently a penal workhouse.
BRIDGE Bridge, n. Etym: [OE. brig, brigge, brug, brugge, AS. brycg, bricg; akin to Fries. bregge, D. brug, OHG. bruccu, G. brücke, Icel. bryggja pier, bridge, Sw. brygga, Dan. brygge, and prob. Icel. br bridge, Sw. & Dan. bro bridge, pavement, and possibly to E. brow.]
1. A structure, usually of wood, stone, brick, or iron, erected over a river or other water course, or over a chasm, railroad, etc., to make a passageway from one bank to the other.
2. Anything supported at the ends, which serves to keep some other thing from resting upon the object spanned, as in engraving, watchmaking, etc., or which forms a platform or staging over which something passes or is conveyed.
3. (Mus.)
Defn: The small arch or bar at right angles to the strings of a violin, guitar, etc., serving of raise them and transmit their vibrations to the body of the instrument.
4. (Elec.)
Defn: A device to measure the resistance of a wire or other conductor forming part of an electric circuit.
5. A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; -- usually called a bridge wall. Aqueduct bridge. See Aqueduct. -- Asses' bridge, Bascule bridge, Bateau bridge. See under Ass, Bascule, Bateau. -- Bridge of a steamer (Naut.), a narrow platform across the deck, above the rail, for the convenience of the officer in charge of the ship; in paddlewheel vessels it connects the paddle boxes. -- Bridge of the nose, the upper, bony part of the nose. -- Cantalever bridge. See under Cantalever. -- Draw bridge. See Drawbridge. -- Flying bridge, a temporary bridge suspended or floating, as for the passage of armies; also, a floating structure connected by a cable with an anchor or pier up stream, and made to pass from bank to bank by the action of the current or other means. -- Girder bridge or Truss bridge, a bridge formed by girders, or by trusses resting upon abutments or piers. -- Lattice bridge, a bridge formed by lattice girders. -- Pontoon bridge, Ponton bridge. See under Pontoon. -- Skew bridge, a bridge built obliquely from bank to bank, as sometimes required in railway engineering. -- Suspension bridge. See under Suspension. -- Trestle bridge, a bridge formed of a series of short, simple girders resting on trestles. -- Tubular bridge, a bridge in the form of a hollow trunk or rectangular tube, with cellular walls made of iron plates riveted together, as the Britannia bridge over the Menai Strait, and the Victoria bridge at Montreal. -- Wheatstone's bridge (Elec.), a device for the measurement of resistances, so called because the balance between the resistances to be measured is indicated by the absence of a current in a certain wire forming a bridge or connection between two points of the apparatus; -- invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone.
BRIDGE Bridge, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bridged (; p. pr. & vb. n. Bridging.]
1. To build a bridge or bridges on or over; as, to bridge a river. Their simple engineering bridged with felled trees the streams which could not be forded. Palfrey.
2. To open or make a passage, as by a bridge. Xerxes . . . over Hellespont Bridging his way, Europe with Asia joined. Milton.
3. To find a way of getting over, as a difficulty; -- generally with over.
BRIDGEBOARD Bridge"board`, n.
1. (Arch.)
Defn: A notched board to which the treads and risers of the steps of wooden stairs are fastened.
2. A board or plank used as a bridge.
BRIDGEHEAD Bridge"head`, n.
Defn: A fortification commanding the extremity of a bridge nearest the enemy, to insure the preservation and usefulness of the bridge, and prevent the enemy from crossing; a tête-de-pont.
BRIDGEING; BRIDGING Bridge"ing, Bridg"ing, n. (Arch.)
Defn: The system of bracing used between floor or other timbers to distribute the weight. Bridging joist. Same as Binding joist.
BRIDGELESS Bridge"less, a.
Defn: Having no bridge; not bridged.
BRIDGEPOT Bridge"pot`, n. (Mining)
Defn: The adjustable socket, or step, of a millstone spindle. Knight.
BRIDGETREE Bridge"tree`, n. Etym: [Bridge + tree a beam.] (Mining)
Defn: The beam which supports the spindle socket of the runner in a grinding mill. Knight.
BRIDGE-WARD Bridge"-ward`, n.
1. A bridge keeper; a warden or a guard for a bridge. [Obs.] Sir W. Scott.
2. The principal ward of a key. Knight.
BRIDGEY Bridge"y, a.
Defn: Full of bridges. [R.] Sherwood.
BRIDLE Bri"dle, n. Etym: [OE. bridel, AS. bridel; akin to OHG. britil, brittil, D. breidel, and possibly to E. braid. Cf. Bridoon.]
1. The head gear with which a horse is governed and restrained, consisting of a headstall, a bit, and reins, with other appendages.
2. A restraint; a curb; a check. I. Watts.
3. (Gun.)
Defn: The piece in the interior of a gun lock, which holds in place the timbler, sear, etc.
4. (Naut.) (a) A span of rope, line, or chain made fast as both ends, so that another rope, line, or chain may be attached to its middle. (b) A mooring hawser. Bowline bridle. See under Bowline. -- Branches of a bridle. See under Branch. -- Bridle cable (Naut.), a cable which is bent to a bridle. See 4, above. -- Bridle hand, the hand which holds the bridle in riding; the left hand. -- Bridle path, Bridle way, a path or way for saddle horses and pack horses, as distinguished from a road for vehicles. -- Bridle port (Naut.), a porthole or opening in the bow through which hawsers, mooring or bridle cables, etc., are passed. -- Bridle rein, a rein attached to the bit. -- Bridle road. (a) Same as Bridle path. Lowell. (b) A road in a pleasure park reserved for horseback exercise. -- Bridle track, a bridle path. -- Scolding bridle. See Branks, 2.
Syn. -- A check; restrain.
BRIDLE Bri"dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bridled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bridling.]
1. To put a bridle upon; to equip with a bridle; as, to bridle a horse. He bridled her mouth with a silkweed twist. Drake.
2. To restrain, guide, or govern, with, or as with, a bridle; to check, curb, or control; as, to bridle the passions; to bridle a muse. Addison. Savoy and Nice, the keys of Italy, and the citadel in her hands to bridle Switzerland, are in that consolidation. Burke.
Syn. -- To check; restrain; curb; govern; control; repress; master; subdue.
BRIDLE Bri"dle, v. i.
Defn: To hold up the head, and draw in the chin, as an expression of pride, scorn, or resentment; to assume a lofty manner; -- usually with up. "His bridling neck." Wordsworth. By her bridling up I perceived she expected to be treated hereafter not as Jenny Distaff, but Mrs. Tranquillus. Tatler.
BRIDLE IRON Bri"dle i`ron. (Arch.)
Defn: A strong flat bar of iron, so bent as to support, as in a stirrup, one end of a floor timber, etc., where no sufficient bearing can be had; -- called also stirrup and hanger.
BRIDLER Bri"dler, n.
Defn: One who bridles; one who restrains and governs, as with a bridle. Milton.
BRIDOON Bri*doon", n. Etym: [F. bridon, from bride; of German origin. See Bridle, n.] (Mil.)
Defn: The snaffle and rein of a military bridle, which acts independently of the bit, at the pleasure of the rider. It is used in connection with a curb bit, which has its own rein. Campbell.
BRIE CHEESE Brie" cheese".
Defn: A kind of soft French cream cheese; -- so called from the district in France where it is made; --called also fromage de Brie.
BRIEF Brief, a. Etym: [OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr. barh to tear. Cf. Breve.]
1. Short in duration. How brief the life of man. Shak.
2. Concise; terse; succinct. The brief style is that which expresseth much in little. B. Jonson.
3. Rife; common; prevalent. [Prov. Eng.] In brief. See under Brief, n.
Syn. -- Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious; condensed; terse; curt; transistory; short-lived.
BRIEF Brief, adv.
1. Briefly. [Obs. or Poetic] Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. Milton.
2. Soon; quickly. [Obs.] Shak.
BRIEF Brief, n. Etym: [See Brief, a., and cf. Breve.]
1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words. Bear this sealed brief, With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. Shak. And she told me In a sweet, verbal brief. Shak.
2. An epitome. Each woman is a brief of womankind. Overbury.
3. (Law)
Defn: An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument. It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief. Sir J. Stephen.
Note: In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in the United States, counsel generally make up their own briefs.
4. (Law)
Defn: A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2.
5. (Scots Law)
Defn: A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence.
6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose. [Eng.] Apostolical brief, a letter of the pope written on fine parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the secretary of briefs, dated "a die Nativitatis," i. e., "from the day of the Nativity," and sealed with the ring of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its parchment, written character, date, and seal. See Bull. -- Brief of title, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds and other papers constituting the chain of title to any real estate. -- In brief, in a few words; in short; briefly. "Open the matter in brief." Shak.
BRIEF Brief, v. t.
Defn: To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings.
BRIEFLESS Brief"less, a.
Defn: Having no brief; without clients; as, a briefless barrister.
BRIEFLY Brief"ly, adv.
Defn: Concisely; in few words.
BRIEFMAN Brief"man, n.
1. One who makes a brief.
2. A copier of a manuscript.
BRIEFNESS Brief"ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being brief; brevity; conciseness in discourse or writing.
BRIER; BRIAR Bri"er, Bri"ar, n. Etym: [OE. brere, brer, AS. brer, brær; cf. Ir. briar prickle, thorn, brier, pin, Gael. preas bush, brier, W. prys, prysg.]
1. A plant with a slender woody stem bearing stout prickles; especially, species of Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax.
2. Fig.: Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings. The thorns and briers of reproof. Cowper. Brier root, the root of the southern Smilax laurifolia and S. Walleri; -- used for tobacco pipes. -- Cat brier, Green brier, several species of Smilax (S. rotundifolia, etc.) -- Sweet brier (Rosa rubiginosa). See Sweetbrier. -- Yellow brier, the Rosa Eglantina.
BRIERED Bri"ered, a.
Defn: Set with briers. Chatterton.
BRIERY Bri"er*y, a.
Defn: Full of briers; thorny.
BRIERY Bri"er*y, n.
Defn: A place where briers grow. Huloet.
BRIG Brig, n.
Defn: A bridge. [Scot.] Burns.
BRIG Brig, n. Etym: [Shortened from Brigantine.] (Naut.)
Defn: A two-masted, square-rigged vessel. Hermaphrodite brig, a two- masted vessel square-rigged forward and schooner-rigged aft. See Illustration in Appendix.
BRIGADE Bri*gade", n. Etym: [F. brigade, fr. It. brigata troop, crew, brigade, originally, a contending troop, fr. briga trouble, quarrel. See Brigand.]
1. (Mil.)
Defn: A body of troops, whether cavalry, artillery, infantry, or mixed, consisting of two or more regiments, under the command of a brigadier general.
Note: Two or more brigades constitute a division, commanded by a major general; two or more divisions constitute an army corps, or corps d'armée. [U.S.]
2. Any body of persons organized for acting or marching together under authority; as, a fire brigade. Brigade inspector, an officer whose duty is to inspect troops in companies before they are mustered into service. -- Brigade major, an officer who may be attached to a brigade to assist the brigadier in his duties.
BRIGADE Bri*gade", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brigaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Brigading.] (Mil.)
Defn: To form into a brigade, or into brigades.
BRIGADIER GENERAL Brig`a*dier" gen"er*al. Etym: [F. brigadier, fr. brigade.] (Mil.)
Defn: An officer in rank next above a colonel, and below a major general. He commands a brigade, and is sometimes called, by a shortening of his title, simple a brigadier.
BRIGAND Brig"and, n. Etym: [F. brigand, OF. brigant light-armed soldier, fr. LL. brigans light-armed soldier (cf. It. brigante.) fr. brigare to strive, contend, fr. briga quarrel; prob. of German origin, and akin to E. break; cf. Goth. brikan to break, brakja strife. Cf. Brigue.]
1. A light-armed, irregular foot soldier. [Obs.]
2. A lawless fellow who lives by plunder; one of a band of robbers; especially, one of a gang living in mountain retreats; a highwayman; a freebooter. Giving them not a little the air of brigands or banditti. Jeffery.
BRIGANDAGE Brig"and*age, n. Etym: [F. brigandage.]
Defn: Life and practice of brigands; highway robbery; plunder.
BRIGANDINE Brig"an*dine, n. Etym: [F. brigandine (cf. It. brigantina), fr. OF. brigant. See Brigand.]
Defn: A coast of armor for the body, consisting of scales or plates, sometimes overlapping each other, generally of metal, and sewed to linen or other material. It was worn in the Middle Ages. [Written also brigantine.] Jer. xlvi. 4. Then put on all thy gorgeous arms, thy helmet, And brigandine of brass. Milton.
BRIGANDISH Brig"and*ish, a.
Defn: Like a brigand or freebooter; robberlike.
BRIGANDISM Brig"and*ism, n.
Defn: Brigandage.
BRIGANTINE Brig"an*tine, n. Etym: [F. brigantin, fr. It. brigantino, originally, a practical vessel. See Brigand, and cf. Brig]
1. A practical vessel. [Obs.]
2. A two-masted, square-rigged vessel, differing from a brig in that she does not carry a square mainsail.
3. See Brigandine.
BRIGGE Brig"ge, n.
Defn: A bridge. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BRIGHT Bright, v. i.
Defn: See Brite, v. i.
BRIGHT Bright, a. Etym: [OE. briht, AS. beorht, briht; akin to OS. berht, OHG. beraht, Icel. bjartr, Goth. baírhts. sq. root94.]
1. Radiating or reflecting light; shedding or having much light; shining; luminous; not dark. The sun was bright o'erhead. Longfellow. The earth was dark, but the heavens were bright. Drake. The public places were as bright as at noonday. Macaulay.
2. Transmitting light; clear; transparent. From the brightest wines He 'd turn abhorrent. Thomson.
3. Having qualities that render conspicuous or attractive, or that affect the mind as light does the eye; resplendent with charms; as, bright beauty. Bright as an angel new-dropped from the sky. Parnell.
4. Having a clear, quick intellect; intelligent.
5. Sparkling with wit; lively; vivacious; shedding cheerfulness and joy around; cheerful; cheery. Be bright and jovial among your guests. Shak.
6. Illustrious; glorious. In the brightest annals of a female reign. Cotton.
7. Manifest to the mind, as light is to the eyes; clear; evident; plain. That he may with more ease, with brighter evidence, and with surer success, draw the bearner on. I. Watts.
8. Of brilliant color; of lively hue or appearance. Here the bright crocus and blue violet grew. Pope.
Note: Bright is used in composition in the sense of brilliant, clear, sunny, etc.; as, bright-eyed, bright-haired, bright-hued.
Syn. -- Shining; splending; luminous; lustrous; brilliant; resplendent; effulgent; refulgent; radiant; sparkling; glittering; lucid; beamy; clear; transparent; illustrious; witty; clear; vivacious; sunny.
BRIGHT Bright, n.
Defn: Splendor; brightness. [Poetic] Dark with excessive bright thy skirts appear. Milton.
BRIGHT Bright, adv.
Defn: Brightly. Chaucer. I say it is the moon that shines so bright. Shak.
BRIGHTEN Bright"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brightened; p. pr. & vb. n. Brightening.]
Note: [From Bright, a.]
1. To make bright or brighter; to make to shine; to increase the luster of; to give a brighter hue to.
2. To make illustrious, or more distinguished; to add luster or splendor to. The present queen would brighten her character, if she would exert her authority to instill virtues into her people. Swift.
3. To improve or relieve by dispelling gloom or removing that which obscures and darkens; to shed light upon; to make cheerful; as, to brighten one's prospects. An ecstasy, which mothers only feel, Plays round my heart and brightens all my sorrow. Philips.
4. To make acute or witty; to enliven. Johnson.
BRIGHTEN Bright"en, v. i. Etym: [AS. beorhtan.]
Defn: To grow bright, or more bright; to become less dark or gloomy; to clear up; to become bright or cheerful. And night shall brighten into day. N. Cotton. And, all his prospects brightening to the last, His heaven commences ere world be past. Goldsmith.
BRIGHT-HARNESSED Bright"-har`nessed, a.
Defn: Having glittering armor. [Poetic] Milton.
BRIGHTLY Bright"ly, adv.
1. Brilliantly; splendidly; with luster; as, brightly shining armor.
2. With lively intelligence; intelligently. Looking brightly into the mother's face. Hawthorne.
BRIGHTNESS Bright"ness, n. Etym: [AS. beorhines. See Bright.]
1. The quality or state of being bright; splendor; luster; brilliancy; clearness. A sudden brightness in his face appear. Crabbe.
2. Acuteness (of the faculties); sharpness 9wit. The brightness of his parts . . . distinguished him. Prior.
Syn. -- Splendor; luster; radiance; resplendence; brilliancy; effulgence; glory; clearness.
BRIGHT'S DISEASE Bright's" dis*ease". Etym: [From Dr. Bright of London, who first described it.] (Med.)
Defn: An affection of the kidneys, usually inflammatory in character, and distinguished by the occurrence of albumin and renal casts in the urine. Several varieties of Bright's disease are now recognized, differing in the part of the kidney involved, and in the intensity and course of the morbid process.
BRIGHTSOME Bright"some, a.
Defn: Bright; clear; luminous; brilliant. [R.] Marlowe.
BRIGOSE Bri*gose", a. Etym: [LL. brigosus, It. brigoso. See Brigue, n.]
Defn: Contentious; quarrelsome. [Obs.] Puller.
BRIGUE Brigue, n. Etym: [F. brigue, fr. LL. briga quarrel. See Brigand.]
Defn: A cabal, intrigue, faction, contention, strife, or quarrel. [Obs.] Chesterfield.
BRIGUE Brigue, v. i. Etym: [F. briguer. See Brigue, n.]
Defn: To contend for; to canvass; to solicit. [Obs.] Bp. Hurd.
BRIKE Brike, n. Etym: [AS. brice.]
Defn: A breach; ruin; downfall; peril. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BRILL Brill, n. Etym: [Cf. Corn. brilli mackerel, fr. brith streaked, speckled.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish allied to the turbot (Rhombus levis), much esteemed in England for food; -- called also bret, pearl, prill. See Bret.
BRILLANTE Bril*lan"te, adv. Etym: [It. See Brilliant, a.] (Mus.)
Defn: In a gay, showy, and sparkling style.
BRILLIANCE Bril"liance, n.
Defn: Brilliancy. Tennyson.
BRILLIANCY Bril"lian*cy, n. Etym: [See Brilliant.]
Defn: The quality of being brilliant; splendor; glitter; great brighness, whether in a literal or figurative sense. With many readers brilliancy of style passes for affluence of thought. Longfellow.
BRILLIANT Bril"liant, a. Etym: [F. brillant, p. pr. of briller to shine or sparkle (cf. Pr. & Sp. brillar, It. brillare), fr. L. beryllus a precious stone of sea-green color, Prov. It. brill. See Beryl.]
1. Sparkling with luster; glittering; very bright; as, a brilliant star.
2. Distinguished by qualities which excite admiration; splended; shining; as, brilliant talents. Washington was more solicitous to avoid fatal mistakes than to perform brilliant exploits. Fisher Ames.
Syn. -- See Shining.
BRILLIANT Bril"liant, n. Etym: [F. brillant. See Brilliant, a.]
1. A diamond or other gem of the finest cut, formed into faces and facets, so as to reflect and refract the light, by which it is rendered nore brilliant. It has at the middle, or top, a principal face, called the table, which is surrounded by a number of sloping facets forming a bizet; below, it has a small face or collet, parallel to the table, connected with the gridle by a pavilion of elongated facets. It is thus distinguished from the rose diamond, which is entirely covered with facets on the surface, and is flat below. This snuffbox -- on the hinge see brilliants shine. Pope.
2. (Print.)
Defn: The small size of type used in England printing.
Note: This line is printed in the type called Brilliant.
3. A kind of kotton goods, figured on the weaving.
BRILLIANTINE Bril"lian*tine, n. [F. brillantine. See lst Brilliant.]
1. An oily composition used to make the hair glossy.
2. A dress fabric having a glossy finish on both sides, resembling alpaca but of superior quality.
BRILLIANTLY Bril"liant*ly, adv.
Defn: In a brilliant manner.
BRILLIANTNESS Bril"liant*ness, n.
Defn: Brilliancy; splendor; glitter.
BRILLS Brills, n. pl. Etym: [CF. G. brille spectacles, D. bril, fr. L. berillus. See Brilliant.]
Defn: The hair on the eyelids of a horse. Bailey.
BRIM Brim, n. Etym: [OE. brim, brimme, AS. brymme edge, border; akin to Icel. barmr, Sw. bräm, Dan. bræmme, G. brame, bräme. Possibly the same word as AS. brim surge, sea, and properly meaning, the line of surf at the border of the sea, and akin to L. fremere to roar, murmur. Cf. Breeze a fly.]
1. The rim, border, or upper sdge of a cup, dish, or any hollow vessel used for holding anything. Saw I that insect on this goblet's brim I would remove it with an anxious pity. Coleridge.
2. The edge or margin, as of a fountain, or of the water contained in it; the brink; border. The feet of the priest that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water. Josh. iii. 15.
3. The rim of a hat. Wordsworth.
BRIM Brim, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Brimmed; p. pr. & vb. n. Brimming.]
Defn: To be full to the brim. "The brimming stream." Milton. To brim over (literally or figuratively), to be so full that some of the contents flows over the brim; as, cup brimming over with wine; a man brimming over with fun.
BRIM Brim, v. t.
Defn: To fill to the brim, upper edge, or top. Arrange the board and brim the glass. Tennyson.
BRIM Brim, a.
Defn: Fierce; sharp; cold. See Breme. [Obs.]
BRIMFUL Brim"ful, a.
Defn: Full to the brim; completely full; ready to overflow. "Her brimful eyes." Dryden.
BRIMLESS Brim"less, a.
Defn: Having no brim; as, brimless caps.
BRIMMED Brimmed, a.
1. Having a brim; -- usually in composition. "Broad-brimmed hat." Spectator.
2. Full to, or level with, the brim. Milton.
BRIMMER Brim"mer, n.
Defn: A brimful bowl; a bumper.
BRIMMING Brim"ming, a.
Defn: Full to the brim; overflowing.
BRIMSTONE Brim"stone, n. Etym: [OE. brimston, bremston, bernston, brenston; cf. Icel. brennistein. See Burn, v. t., and Stone.]
Defn: Sulphur; See Sulphur.
BRIMSTONE Brim"stone, a.
Defn: Made of, or pertaining to, brimstone; as, brimstone matches. From his brimstone bed at break of day A-walking the devil has gone. Coleridge.
BRIMSTONY Brim"sto`ny, a.
Defn: Containing or resembling brimstone; sulphurous. B. Jonson.
BRIN Brin, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: One of the radiating sticks of a fan. The outermost are larger and longer, and are called panaches. Knight.
BRINDED Brin"ded, a. Etym: [Cf. Icel. bröndottr brindled, fr. brandr brand; and OE. bernen, brinnen, to burn. See Brand, Burn.]
Defn: Of a gray or tawny color with streaks of darker hue; streaked; brindled. "Three brinded cows," Dryden. "The brinded cat." Shak.
BRINDLE Brin"dle, n. Etym: [See Brindled.]
1. The state of being brindled.
2. A brindled color; also, that which is brindled.
BRINDLE Brin"dle, a.
Defn: Brindled.
BRINDLED Brin"dled, a. Etym: [A dim. form of brinded.]
Defn: Having dark streaks or spots on a gray or tawny ground; brinded. "With a brindled lion played." Churchill.
BRINE Brine, n. Etym: [AS. bryne a burning, salt liquor, brine, fr. brinnan, brynnan, to burn. See Burn.]
1. Water saturated or strongly inpregnated with salt; pickle; hence, any strong saline solution; also, the saline residue or strong mother liquor resulting from the evaporation of natural or artificial waters.
2. The ocean; the water of an ocean, sea, or salt lake. Not long beneath the whelming brine . . . he lay. Cowper.
3. Tears; -- so called from their saltness. What a deal of brine Hath washed thy sallow cheecks for Rosaline! Shak. Brine fly (Zoöl.), a fly of the genus Ephydra, the larvæ of which live in artificial brines and in salt lakes. -- Brine gauge, an instrument for measuring the saltness of a liquid. -- Brine pan, a pit or pan of salt water, where salt is formed by cristallization. -- Brine pit, a salt spring or well, from which water is taken to be boiled or evaporated for making salt. -- Brine pump (Marine Engin.), a pump for changing the water in the boilers, so as to clear them of the brine which collects at the bottom. -- Brine shrimp, Brine worm (Zoöl.), a phyllopod crustacean of the genus Artemia, inhabiting the strong brines of salt works and natural salt lakes. See Artemia. -- Brine spring, a spring of salt water. -- Leach brine (Saltmaking), brine which drops from granulated salt in drying, and is preserved to be boiled again.
BRINE Brine, v. t.
1. To steep or saturate in brine.
2. To sprinkle with salt or brine; as, to brine hay.
BRING Bring, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brought; p. pr. & vb. n. Bringing.] Etym: [OE. bringen, AS. bringan; akin to OS. brengian, D. brengen, Fries. brenga, OHG. bringan, G. bringen, Goth. briggan.]
1. To convey to the place where the speaker is or is to be; to bear from a more distant to a nearer place; to fetch. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread. 1 Kings xvii. 11. To France shall we convey you safe, And bring you back. Shak.
2. To cause the accession or obtaining of; to procure; to make to come; to produce; to draw to. There is nothing will bring you more honor . . . than to do what right in justice you may. Bacon.
3. To convey; to move; to carry or conduct. In distillation, the water . . . brings over with it some part of the oil of vitriol. Sir I. Newton.
4. To persuade; to induce; to draw; to lead; to guide. It seems so preposterous a thing . . . that they do not easily bring themselves to it. Locke. The nature of the things . . . would not suffer him to think otherwise, how, or whensoever, he is brought to reflect on them. Locke.
5. To produce in exchange; to sell for; to fetch; as, what does coal bring per ton To bring about, to bring to pass; to effect; to accomplish. -- To bring back. (a) To recall. (b) To restore, as something borrowed, to its owner. -- To bring by the lee (Naut.), to incline so rapidly to leeward of the course, when a ship sails large, as to bring the lee side suddenly to the windward, any by laying the sails aback, expose her to danger of upsetting. -- To bring down. (a) To cause to come down. (b) To humble or abase; as, to bring down high looks. -- To bring down the house, to cause tremendous applause. [Colloq.] -- To bring forth. (a) To produce, as young fruit. (b) To bring to light; to make manifest. -- To bring forward (a) To exhibit; to introduce; to produce to view. (b) To hasten; to promote; to forward. (c) To propose; to adduce; as, to bring forward arguments. -- To bring home. (a) To bring to one's house. (b) To prove conclusively; as, to bring home a charge of treason. (c) To cause one to feel or appreciate by personal experience. (d) (Naut.) To lift of its place, as an anchor. -- To bring in. (a) To fetch from without; to import. (b) To introduce, as a bill in a deliberative assembly. (c) To return or repot to, or lay before, a court or other body; to render; as, to bring in a verdict or a report. (d) To take to an appointed place of deposit or collection; as, to bring in provisions or money for a specified object. (e) To produce, as income. (f) To induce to join. -- To bring off, to bear or convey away; to clear from condemnation; to cause to escape. -- To bring on. (a) To cause to begin. (b) To originate or cause to exist; as, to bring on a disease. -- To bring one on one's way, to accompany, guide, or attend one. -- To bring out, to expose; to detect; to bring to light from concealment. -- To bring over. (a) To fetch or bear across. (b) To convert by persuasion or other means; to cause to change sides or an opinion. -- To bring to. (a) To resuscitate; to bring back to consciousness or life, as a fainting person. (b) (Naut.) To check the course of, as of a ship, by dropping the anchor, or by counterbracing the sails so as to keep her nearly stationary (she is then said to lie to). (c) To cause (a vessel) to lie to, as by firing across her course. (d) To apply a rope to the capstan. -- To bring to light, to disclose; to discover; to make clear; to reveal. -- To bring a sail to (Naut.), to bend it to the yard. -- To bring to pass, to accomplish to effect. "Trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." Ps. xxxvii. 5. -- To bring under, to subdue; to restrain; to reduce to obedience. -- To bring up. (a) To carry upward; to nurse; to rear; to educate. (b) To cause to stop suddenly. (c)
Note: [v. i. by dropping the reflexive pronoun] To stop suddenly; to come to a standstill. [Colloq.] -- To bring up (any one) with a round turn, to cause (any one) to stop abruptly. [Colloq.] -- To be brought to bed. See under Bed.
Syn. -- To fetch; bear; carry; convey; transport; import; procure; produce; cause; adduce; induce.
BRINGER Bring"er, n.
Defn: One who brings. Yet the first bringer of unwelcome news Hath but a losing office. Shak. Bringer in, one who, or that which, introduces.
BRININESS Brin"i*ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being briny; saltness; brinishness.
BRINISH Brin"ish, a.
Defn: Like brine; somewhat salt; saltish. "Brinish tears." Shak.
BRINISHNESS Brin"ish*ness, n.
Defn: State or quality of being brinish.
BRINJAREE Brin"ja*ree`, n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A rough-haired East Indian variety of the greyhound.
BRINK Brink, n. Etym: [Dan. brink edge, verge; akin to Sw. brink declivity, hill, Icel. brekka; cf. LG. brink a grassy hill, W. bryn hill, bryncyn hillock.]
Defn: The edge, margin, or border of a steep place, as of a precipice; a bank or edge, as of a river or pit; a verge; a border; as, the brink of a chasm. Also Fig. "The brink of vice." Bp. Porteus. "The brink of ruin." Burke. The plashy brink of weedy lake. Bryant.
BRINY Brin"y, a. Etym: [From Brine.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to brine, or to the sea; partaking of the nature of brine; salt; as, a briny taste; the briny flood.
BRIOCHE Bri`oche", n. [F.]
1. A light cake made with flour, butter, yeast, and eggs.
2. A knitted foot cushion.
BRIOLETTE Bri`o*lette", n. [F.]
Defn: An oval or pearshaped diamond having its entire surface cut in triangular facets.
BRIONY Bri"o*ny, n.
Defn: See Bryony. Tennyson.
BRIQUETTE Bri*quette", n. [Also briquet.] [F., dim. of brique brick.]
1. A block of compacted coal dust, or peat, etc., for fuel.
2. A block of artificial stone in the form of a brick, used for paving; also, a molded sample of solidified cement or mortar for use as a test piece for showing the strength of the material.
BRISK Brisk, a. Etym: [Cf. W. brysg, fr. brys haste, Gael. briosg quick, lively, Ir. broisg a start, leap, jerk.]
1. Full of liveliness and activity; characterized by quickness of motion or action; lively; spirited; quick. Cheerily, boys; be brick awhile. Shak. Brick toil alternating with ready ease. Wordworth.
2. Full of spirit of life; effervescas, brick cider.
Syn. -- Active; lively; agile; alert; nimble; quick; sprightly; vivacious; gay; spirited; animated.
BRISK Brisk, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Bricked; p. pr. & vb. n. Bricking.]
Defn: To make or become lively; to enliven; to animate; to take, or cause to take, an erect or bold attitude; -- usually with up.
BRISKET Bris"ket, n. Etym: [OE. bruskette, OF. bruschet, F. bréchet, brichet; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. brysced the breast of a slain animal, brisket, Corn. vrys breast, Armor. brusk, bruched, the front of the chest, Gael. brisgein the cartilaginous part of a bone.]
Defn: That part of the breast of an animal which extends from the fore legs back beneath the ribs; also applied to the fore part of a horse, from the shoulders to the bottom of the chest.
Note: [See Illust. of Beef.]
BRISKLY Brisk"ly, adv.
Defn: In a brisk manner; nimbly.
BRISKNESS Brisk"ness, n.
Defn: Liveliness; vigor in action; quickness; gayety; vivacity; effervescence.
BRISTLE Bris"tle, n. Etym: [OE. bristel, brustel, AS. bristl, byrst; akin to D. borstel, OHG. burst, G. borste, Icel. burst, Sw. borst, and to Skr. bh edge, point, and prob, L. fastigium extremity, Gr. brush, burr, perh. to brad. sq. root96.]
1. A short, stiff, coarse hair, as on the back of swine.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A stiff, sharp, roundish hair. Gray.
BRISTLE Bris"tle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bristled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bristling.]
1. To erect the bristles of; to cause to stand up, as the bristles of an angry hog; -- sometimes with up. Now for the bare-picked bone of majesty Doth dogged war bristle his angry crest. Shak. Boy, bristle thy courage up. Shak.
2. To fix a bristle to; as, to bristle a thread.
BRISTLE Bris"tle, v. i.
1. To rise or stand erect, like bristles. His hair did bristle upon his head. Sir W. Scott.
2. To appear as if covered with bristles; to have standing, thick and erect, like bristles. The hill of La Haye Sainte bristling with ten thousand bayonets. Thackeray. Ports bristling with thousands of masts. Macaulay.
3. To show deflance or indignation. To bristle up, to show anger or deflance.
BRISTLE-POINTED Bris"tle-point`ed, a. (Bot.)
Defn: Terminating in a very fine, sharp point, as some leaves.
BRISTLE-SHAPED Bris"tle-shaped`, a.
Defn: Resembling a bristle in form; as, a bristle-shaped leaf.
BRISTLETAIL Bris"tle*tail`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An insect of the genera Lepisma, Campodea, etc., belonging to the Thysanura.
BRISTLINESS Bris"tli*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of having bristles.
BRISTLY Bris"tly, a.
Defn: THick set with bristles, or with hairs resembling bristles; rough. The leaves of the black mulberry are somewhat bristly. Bacon.
BRISTOL Bris"tol, n.
Defn: A seaport city in the west of England. Bristol board, a kind of fine pasteboard, made with a smooth but usually unglazed surface. -- Bristol brick, a brick of siliceous matter used for polishing cultery; -- originally manufactured at Bristol. -- Bristol stone, rock crystal, or brilliant crystals of quartz, found in the mountain limestone near Bristol, and used in making ornaments, vases, etc. When polished, it is called Bristol diamond.
BRISURE Bri*sure", n. Etym: [F.]
1. (Fort.)
Defn: Any part of a rampart or parapet which deviates from the general direction.
2. (Her.)
Defn: A mark of cadency or difference.
BRIT; BRITT Brit, Britt, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The young of the common herring; also, a small species of herring; the sprat. (b) The minute marine animals (chiefly Entomostraca) upon which the right whales feed.
BRITANNIA Bri*tan"ni*a, n. Etym: [From L. Britannia Great Britain.]
Defn: A white-metal alloy of tin, antimony, bismuth, copper, etc. It somewhat resembles silver, and isused for table ware. Called also Britannia metal.
BRITANNIC Bri*tan"nic, a. Etym: [L. Britannicus, fr. Britannia Great Britain.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Great Britain; British; as, her Britannic Majesty.
BRITE; BRIGHT Brite, Bright, v. t.
Defn: To be or become overripe, as wheat, barley, or hops. [Prov. Eng.]
BRITICISM Brit"i*cism, n.
Defn: A word, phrase, or idiom peculiar to Great Britain; any manner of using a word or words that is peculiar to Great Britain.
BRITISH Brit"ish, a. Etym: [AS. Brittisc, Bryttisc.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to Great Britain or to its inhabitants; -- sometimes restrict to the original inhabitants. British gum, a brownish substance, very soluble in cold water, formed by heating dry starch at a temperature of about 600° Fahr. It corresponds, in its properties, to dextrin, and is used, in solution, as a substitute for gum in stiffering goods. -- British lion, the national emblem of Great Britain. -- British seas, the four seas which surround Great Britain.
BRITISH Brit"ish, n. pl.
Defn: People of Great Britain.
BRITISHER Brit"ish*er, n.
Defn: An Englishman; a subject or inhabitant of Great Britain, esp. one in the British military or naval service. [Now used jocosely]
BRITON Brit"on, a. Etym: [AS. bryten Britain.]
Defn: British. [Obs.] Spenser. -- n.
Defn: A native of Great Britain.
BRITTLE Brit"tle, a. Etym: [OE. britel, brutel, AS. bryttian to dispense, fr. breótan to break; akin to Icel. brytja, Sw. bryta, Dan. bryde. Cf. Brickle.]
Defn: Easily broken; apt to break; fragile; not tough or tenacious. Farewell, thou pretty, brittle piece Of fine-cut crystal. Cotton. Brittle silver ore, the mineral stephanite.
BRITTLELY Brit"tle*ly, adv.
Defn: In a brittle manner. Sherwood.
BRITTLENESS Brit"tle*ness, n.
Defn: Aptness to break; fragility.
BRITTLE STAR Brit"tle star`.
Defn: Any species of ophiuran starfishes. See Ophiuroidea.
BRITZSKA Britz"ska, n. Etym: [Russ. britshka; cf. Pol. bryczka, dim. of bryka freight wagon.]
Defn: A long carriage, with a calash top, so constructed as to give space for reclining at night, when used on a journey.
BRIZE Brize, n.
Defn: The breeze fly. See Breeze. Shak.
BROACH Broach, n. Etym: [OE. broche, F. broche, fr. LL. brocca; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. proc thrust, stab, Gael. brog awl. Cf. Brooch.]
1. A spit. [Obs.] He turned a broach that had worn a crown. Bacon.
2. An awl; a bodkin; also, a wooden rod or pin, sharpened at each end, used by thatchers. [Prov. Eng.] Forby.
3. (Mech.) (a) A tool of steel, generally tapering, and of a polygonal form, with from four to eight cutting edges, for smoothing or enlarging holes in metal; sometimes made smooth or without edges, as for burnishing pivot holes in watches; a reamer. The broach for gun barrels is commonly square and without taper. (b) A straight tool with file teeth, made of steel, to be pressed through irregular holes in metal that cannot be dressed by revolving tools; a drift.
4. (Masonry)
Defn: A broad chisel for stonecutting.
5. (Arch.)
Defn: A spire rising from a tower. [Local, Eng.]
6. A clasp for fastening a garment. See Brooch.
7. A spitlike start, on the head of a young stag.
8. The stick from which candle wicks are suspended for dipping. Knight.
9. The pin in a lock which enters the barrel of the key.
BROACH Broach, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Broached; p. pr. & vb. n. Broaching.] Etym: [F. brocher, fr. broche. See Broach, n.]
1. To spit; to pierce as with a spit. I'll broach the tadpole on my rapier's point. Shak.
2. To tap; to pierce, as a cask, in order to draw the liquor. Hence: To let out; to shed, as blood. Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast. Shak.
3. To open for the first time, as stores. You shall want neither weapons, victuals, nor aid; I will open the old armories, I will broach my store, and will bring forth my stores. Knolles.
4. To make public; to utter; to publish first; to put forth; to introduce as a topic of conversation. Those very opinions themselves had broached. Swift.
5. To cause to begin or break out. [Obs.] Shak.
6. (Masonry)
Defn: To shape roughly, as a block of stone, by chiseling with a coarse tool. [Scot. & North of Eng.]
7. To enlarge or dress (a hole), by using a broach. To broach to (Naut.), to incline suddenly to windward, so as to lay the sails aback, and expose the vessel to the danger of oversetting.
BROACHER Broach"er, n.
1. A spit; a broach. On five sharp broachers ranked, the roast they turned. Dryden.
2. One who broaches, opens, or utters; a first publisher or promoter. Some such broacher of heresy. Atterbury.
BROAD Broad, a. [Compar. Broader; superl. Broadest.] Etym: [OE. brod, brad, AS. brad; akin to OS. bred, D. breed, G. breit, Icel. brei, Sw. & Dan. bred, Goth. braids. Cf. Breadth.]
1. Wide; extend in breadth, or from side to side; -- opposed to narrow; as, a broad street, a broad table; an inch broad.
2. Extending far and wide; extensive; vast; as, the broad expanse of ocean.
3. Extended, in the sense of diffused; open; clear; full. "Broad and open day." Bp. Porteus.
4. Fig.: Having a large measure of any thing or quality; not limited; not restrained; -- applied to any subject, and retaining the literal idea more or less clearly, the precise meaning depending largely on the substantive. A broad mixture of falsehood. Locke.
Note: Hence: -
5. Comprehensive; liberal; enlarged. The words in the Constitution are broad enough to include the case. D. Daggett. In a broad, statesmanlike, and masterly way. E. Everett.
6. Plain; evident; as, a broad hint.
7. Free; unrestrained; unconfined. As broad and general as the casing air. Shak.
8. (Fine Arts)
Defn: Characterized by breadth. See Breadth.
9. Cross; coarse; indelicate; as, a broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humor.
10. Strongly marked; as, a broad Scotch accent.
Note: Broad is often used in compounds to signify wide, large, etc.; as, broad-chested, broad-shouldered, broad-spreading, broad-winged. Broad acres. See under Acre. -- Broad arrow, originally a pheon. See Pheon, and Broad arrow under Arrow. -- As broad as long, having the length equal to the breadth; hence, the same one way as another; coming to the same result by different ways or processes. It is as broad as long, whether they rise to others, or bring others down to them. L'Estrange. Broad pennant. See under Pennant.
Syn. -- Wide; large; ample; expanded; spacious; roomy; extensive; vast; comprehensive; liberal.
BROAD Broad, n.
1. The broad part of anything; as, the broad of an oar.
2. The spread of a river into a sheet of water; a flooded fen. [Local, Eng.] Southey.
3. A lathe tool for turning down the insides and bottoms of cylinders. Knight.
BROADAX; BROADAXE Broad"ax` Broad"axe`, n.
1. An ancient military weapon; a battle-ax.
2. An ax with a broad edge, for hewing timber.
BROADBILL Broad"bill`, n.
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A wild duck (Aythya, or Fuligula, marila), which appears in large numbers on the eastern coast of the United States, in autumn; - - called also bluebill, blackhead, raft duck, and scaup duck. See Scaup duck.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The shoveler. See Shoveler.
BROADBRIM Broad"brim`, n.
1. A hat with a very broad brim, like those worn by men of the society of Friends.
2. A member of the society of Friends; a Quaker. [Sportive]
BROAD-BRIMMED Broad"-brimmed`, a.
Defn: Having a broad brim. A broad-brimmed flat silver plate. Tatler.
BROADCAST Broad"cast`, n. (Agric.)
Defn: A casting or throwing seed in all directions, as from the hand in sowing.
BROADCAST Broad"cast`, a.
1. Cast or dispersed in all directions, as seed from the hand in sowing; widely diffused.
2. Scattering in all directions (as a method of sowing); -- opposed to planting in hills, or rows.
BROADCAST Broad"cast`, adv.
Defn: So as to scatter or be scattered in all directions; so as to spread widely, as seed from the hand in sowing, or news from the press.
BROAD CHURCH Broad" Church`. (Eccl.)
Defn: A portion of the Church of England, consisting of persons who claim to hold a position, in respect to doctrine and fellowship, intermediate between the High Church party and the Low Church, or evangelical, party. The term has been applied to otherbodies of men holding liberal or comprehensive views of Christian doctrine and fellowship. Side by side with these various shades of High and Low Church, another party of a different character has always existed in the Church of England. It is called by different names: Moderate, Catholic, or Broad Church, by its friends; Latitudinarian or Indifferent, by its enemies. Its distinctive character is the desire of comprehension. Its watch words are charity and toleration. Conybeare.
BROADCLOTH Broad"cloth, n.
Defn: A fine smooth-faced woolen cloth for men's garments, usually of double width (i.e., a yard and a half); -- so called in distinction from woolens three quarters of a yard wide.
BROADEN Broad"en, v. t. [p. & p. p. Broadened (; p. pr. & vb.n. Broadening (.] Etym: [From Broad, a.]
Defn: To grow broad; to become broader or wider. The broadening sun appears. Wordsworth.
BROADEN Broad"en, v. t.
Defn: To make broad or broader; to render more broad or comprehensive.
BROAD GAUGE Broad" gauge`. (Railroad)
Defn: A wider distance between the rails than the "standard" gauge of four feet eight inches and a half. See Gauge.
BROAD-HORNED Broad"-horned`, a.
Defn: Having horns spreading widely.
BROADISH Broad"ish, a.
Defn: Rather broad; moderately broad.
BROADLEAF Broad"leaf`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A tree (Terminalia latifolia) of Jamaica, the wood of which is used for boards, scantling, shingles, etc; -- sometimes called the almond tree, from the shape of its fruit.
BROAD-LEAVED; BROAD-LEAFED Broad"-leaved`, Broad"-leafed`, a.
Defn: Having broad, or relatively broad, leaves. Keats.
BROADLY Broad"ly, adv.
Defn: In a broad manner.
BROADMOUTH Broad"mouth`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Eurylaimidæ, a family of East Indian passerine birds.
BROADNESS Broad"ness, n. Etym: [AS. bradnes.]
Defn: The condition or quality of being broad; breadth; coarseness; grossness.
BROADPIECE Broad"piece`, n.
Defn: An old English gold coin, broader than a guinea, as a Carolus or Jacobus.
BROAD SEAL Broad" seal`.
Defn: The great seal of England; the public seal of a country or state.
BROADSEAL Broad"seal`, v. t.
Defn: To stamp with the broad seal; to make sure; to guarantee or warrant. [Obs.] Thy presence broadseals our delights for pure. B. Jonson.
BROADSIDE Broad"side`, n.
1. (Naut.)
Defn: The side of a ship above the water line, from the bow to the quarter.
2. A discharge of or from all the guns on one side of a ship, at the same time.
3. A volley of abuse or denunciation. [Colloq.]
4. (Print.)
Defn: A sheet of paper containing one large page, or printed on one side only; -- called also broadsheet.
BROADSPREAD Broad"spread`, a.
Defn: Widespread.
BROADSPREADING Broad"spread`ing, a.
Defn: Spreading widely.
BROADSWORD Broad"sword`, n.
Defn: A sword with a broad blade and a cutting edge; a claymore. I heard the broadsword's deadly clang. Sir W. Scott.
BROADWISE Broad"wise`, adv.
Defn: Breadthwise. [Archaic]
BROB Brob, n. Etym: [Cf. Gael. brog, E. brog, n.] (Carp.)
Defn: A peculiar brad-shaped spike, to be driven alongside the end of an abutting timber to prevent its slipping.
BROBDINGNAGIAN Brob`ding*nag"i*an, a. Etym: [From Brobdingnag, a country of giants in "Gulliver's Travels."]
Defn: Colossal' of extraordinary height; gigantic. -- n.
Defn: A giant. [Spelt often Brobdignagian.]
BROCADE Bro*cade", n. Etym: [Sp. brocado (cf. It. broccato, F. brocart), fr. LL. brocare *prick, to figure (textile fabrics), to emboss (linen), to stitch. See Broach.]
Defn: Silk stuff, woven with gold and silver threads, or ornamented with raised flowers, foliage, etc.; -- also applied to other stuffs thus wrought and enriched. A gala suit of faded brocade. W. Irving.
BROCADED Bro*cad"ed, a.
1. Woven or worked, as brocade, with gold and silver, or with raised flowers, etc. Brocaded flowers o'er the gay mantua shine. Gay.
2. Dressed in brocade.
BROCAGE Bro"cage, n.
Defn: See Brokkerage.
BROCARD Broc"ard, n. Etym: [Perh. fr. Brocardica, Brocardicorum opus, a collection of ecclesiastical canons by Burkhard, Bishop of Worms, called, by the Italians and French, Brocard.]
Defn: An elementary principle or maximum; a short, proverbial rule, in law, ethics, or metaphysics. The legal brocard, "Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus," is a rule not more applicable to other witness than to consciousness. Sir W. Hamilton.
BROCATEL Bro"ca*tel, n. Etym: [F. brocatelle, fr. It. brocatello: cf. Sp. brocatel. See Brocade.]
1. A kind of coarse brocade, or figured fabric, used chiefly for tapestry, linings for carriages, etc.
2. A marble, clouded and veined with white, gray, yellow, and red, in which the yellow usually prevails. It is also called Siena marble, from its locality.
BROCATELLO Bro`ca*tel"lo, n.
Defn: Same as Brocatel.
BROCCOLI Broc"co*li, n. Etym: [It. broccoli, pl. of broccolo sprout, cabbage sprout, dim. of brocco splinter. See Broach, n.] (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of the Cabbage species (Brassica oleracea) of many varieties, resembling the cauliflower. The "curd," or flowering head, is the part used for food.
BROCHANTITE Broch"an*tite, n. Etym: [From Brochant de Villiers, a French mineralogist.] (Min.)
Defn: A basic sulphate of copper, occurring in emerald-green crystals.
BROCHE Bro`ché", a. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Woven with a figure; as, broché goods.
BROCHE Broche, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: See Broach, n.
BROCHETTE Bro`chette" (bro`shet"), n. [F., dim. of broche. See Broach, n.] (Cookery)
Defn: A small spit or skewer.
-- En bro`chette" (än) [F.], on a brochette; skewered.
BROCHURE Bro*chure", n. Etym: [F., fr. brocher to stitch. See Broach, v. t.]
Defn: A printed and stitched book containing only a few leaves; a pamphlet.
BROCK Brock, n. Etym: [AS. broc, fr. W. broch; akin to Ir. & Gael. broc, Corn. & Armor. broch; cf. Ir. & Gael. breac speckled.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A badger. Or with pretense of chasing thence the brock. B. Jonson.
BROCK Brock, n. Etym: [See Brocket.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A brocket. Bailey.
BROCKEN SPECTER; BROCKEN SPECTRE Brock"en spec"ter or Brock"en spec"tre. [Trans. of G. Brockengespenst.]
Defn: A mountain specter (which see), esp. that observed on the Brocken, in the Harz Mountains.
BROCKET Brock"et, n. Etym: [OE. broket, F. broquart fallow deer a year old, fr. the same root as E. broach, meaning point (hence tine of a horn).]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A male red deer two years old; -- sometimes called brock.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small South American deer, of several species (Coassus superciliaris, C. rufus, and C. auritus).
BROCKISH Brock"ish, a.
Defn: Beastly; brutal. [Obs.] Bale.
BRODEKIN Brode"kin, n. Etym: [F. brodequin, OE. brossequin, fr. OD. broseken, brosekin, dim. of broos buskin, prob. fr. LL. byrsa leather, Gr. Buskin.]
Defn: A buskin or half-boot. [Written also brodequin.] [Obs.]
BROG Brog, n. Etym: [Gael. Cf. Brob.]
Defn: A pointed instrument, as a joiner's awl, a brad awl, a needle, or a small ship stick.
BROG Brog, v. t.
Defn: To prod with a pointed instrument, as a lance; also, to broggle. [Scot. & Prov.] Sir W. Scott.
BROGAN Bro"gan, n.
Defn: A stout, coarse shoe; a brogue.
BROGGLE Brog"gle, v. i. Etym: [Dim. of Prov. E. brog to broggle. Cf. Brog, n.]
Defn: To sniggle, or fish with a brog. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.
BROGUE Brogue, n. Etym: [Ir. & Gael. brog shoe, hoof.]
1. A stout, coarse shoe; a brogan.
Note: In the Highlands of Scotland, the ancient brogue was made of horsehide or deerskin, untanned or tenned with the hair on, gathered round the ankle with a thong. The name was afterward given to any shoe worn as a part of the Highland costume. Clouted brogues, patched brogues; also, brogues studded with nails. See under Clout, v. t.
2. A dialectic pronunciation; esp. the Irish manner of pronouncing English. Or take, Hibernis, thy still ranker brogue. Lloyd.
BROGUES Brogues, n. pl. Etym: [Cf. Breeches.]
Defn: Breeches. [Obs.] Shenstone.
BROID Broid, v. t.
Defn: To braid. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BROIDER Broid"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Broidered.] Etym: [OE. broiden, brouden, F. broder, confused with E. braid; F. broder is either the same word as border to border (see Border), or perh. of Celtic origin; cf. W. brathu to sting, stab, Ir. & Gael. brod goad, prickle, OE. brod a goad; and also Icel. broddr a spike, a sting, AS. brord a point.]
Defn: To embroider. [Archaic] They shall make a broidered coat. Ex. xxviii. 4.
BROIDERER Broid"er*er, n.
Defn: One who embroiders. [Archaic]
BROIDERY Broid"er*y, n.
Defn: Embroidery. [Archaic] The golden broidery tender Milkah wove. Tickell.
BROIL Broil, n. Etym: [F. brouiller to disorder, from LL. brogilus, broilus, brolium, thicket, wood, park; of uncertain origin; cf. W. brog a swelling out, OHG. proil marsh, G. brühl, MHG. brogen to rise. The meaning tumult, confusion, comes apparently from tangled undergrowth, thicket, and this possibly from the meaning to grow, rise, sprout.]
Defn: A tumult; a noisy quarrel; a disturbance; a brawl; contention; discord, either between individuals or in the state. I will own that there is a haughtiness and fierceness in human nature which will which will cause innumerable broils, place men in what situation you please. Burke.
Syn. -- Contention; fray; affray; tumult; altercation; dissension; discord; contest; conflict; brawl; uproar.
BROIL Broil, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Broiled; p. pr. & vb. n. Broiling.] Etym: [OE. broilen, OF. bruillir, fr. bruir to broil, burn; of Ger. origin; cf. MHG. brüejen, G. brühen, to scald, akin to E. brood.]
1. To cook by direct exposure to heat over a fire, esp. upon a gridiron over coals.
2. To subject to great (commonly direct) heat.
BROIL Broil, v. i.
Defn: To be subjected to the action of heat, as meat over the fire; to be greatly heated, or to be made uncomfortable with heat. The planets and comets had been broiling in the sun. Cheyne.
BROILER Broil"er, n.
Defn: One who excites broils; one who engages in or promotes noisy quarrels. What doth he but turn broiler, . . . make new libels against the church Hammond.
BROILER Broil"er, n.
1. One who broils, or cooks by broiling.
2. A gridiron or other utensil used in broiling.
3. A chicken or other bird fit for broiling. [Colloq.]
BROILING Broil"ing, a.
Defn: Excessively hot; as, a broiling sun. -- n.
Defn: The act of causing anything to broil.
BROKAGE Bro"kage, n.
Defn: See Brokerage.
BROKE Broke, v. i. Etym: [See Broker, and cf. Brook.]
1. To transact business for another. [R.] Brome.
2. To act as procurer in love matters; to pimp. [Obs.] We do want a certain necessary woman to broke between them, Cupid said. Fanshawe. And brokes with all that can in such a suit Corrupt the tender honor of a maid. Shak.
BROKE Broke (brok),
Defn: imp. & p. p. of Break.
BROKEN Bro"ken (bro"k'n), a. Etym: [From Break, v. t.]
1. Separated into parts or pieces by violence; divided into fragments; as, a broken chain or rope; a broken dish.
2. Disconnected; not continuous; also, rough; uneven; as, a broken surface.
3. Fractured; cracked; disunited; sundered; strained; apart; as, a broken reed; broken friendship.
4. Made infirm or weak, by disease, age, or hardships. The one being who remembered him as he been before his mind was broken. G. Eliot. The broken soldier, kindly bade to stay, Sat by his fire, and talked the night away. Goldsmith.
5. Subdued; humbled; contrite. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. Ps. li. 17.
6. Subjugated; trained for use, as a horse.
7. Crushed and ruined as by something that destroys hope; blighted. "Her broken love and life." G. Eliot.
8. Not carried into effect; not adhered to; violated; as, a broken promise, vow, or contract; a broken law.
9. Ruined financially; incapable of redeeming promises made, or of paying debts incurred; as, a broken bank; a broken tradesman.
10. Imperfectly spoken, as by a foreigner; as, broken English; imperfectly spoken on account of emotion; as, to say a few broken words at parting. Amidst the broken words and loud weeping of those grave senators. Macaulay. Broken ground. (a) (Mil.) Rough or uneven ground; as, the troops were retarded in their advance by broken ground. (b) Ground recently opened with the plow. -- Broken line (Geom.), the straight lines which join a number of given points taken in some specified order. -- Broken meat, fragments of meat or other food. -- Broken number, a fraction. -- Broken weather, unsettled weather.
BROKEN-BACKED Bro"ken-backed`, a.
1. Having a broken back; as, a broken-backed chair.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: Hogged; so weakened in the frame as to droop at each end; -- said of a ship. Totten.
BROKEN-BELLIED Bro"ken-bel`lied, a.
Defn: Having a ruptured belly. [R.]
BROKEN BREAST Bro"ken breast`.
Defn: Abscess of the mammary gland.
BROKEN-HEARTED Bro"ken-heart`ed, a.
Defn: Having the spirits depressed or crushed by grief or despair. She left her husband almost broken-hearted. Macaulay.
Syn. -- Disconsolable; heart-broken; inconsolable; comfortless; woe- begone; forlorn.
BROKENLY Bro"ken*ly, adv.
Defn: In a broken, interrupted manner; in a broken state; in broken language. The pagans worship God . . . as it were brokenly and by piecemeal. Cudworth.
BROKENNESS Bro"ken*ness, n.
1. The state or quality of being broken; unevenness. Macaulay.
2. Contrition; as, brokenness of heart.
BROKEN WIND Bro"ken wind`. (Far.)
Defn: The heaves.
BROKEN-WINDED Bro"ken-wind`ed, a. (Far.)
Defn: Having short breath or disordered respiration, as a horse.
BROKER Bro"ker, n. Etym: [OE. brocour, from a word akin to broken, bruken, to use, enjoy, possess, digest, fr. AS. br to use, enjoy; cf. Fries. broker, F. brocanteur. See Brook, v. t.]
1. One who transacts business for another; an agent.
2. (Law)
Defn: An agent employed to effect bargains and contracts, as a middleman or negotiator, between other persons, for a compensation commonly called brokerage. He takes no possession, as broker, of the subject matter of the negotiation. He generally contracts in the names of those who employ him, and not in his own. Story.
3. A dealer in money, notes, bills of exchange, etc.
4. A dealer in secondhand goods. [Eng.]
5. A pimp or procurer. [Obs.] Shak. Bill broker, one who buys and sells notes and bills of exchange. -- Curbstone broker or Street broker, an operator in stocks (not a member of the Stock Exchange) who executes orders by running from office to office, or by transactions on the street. [U.S.] -- Exchange broker, one who buys and sells uncurrent money, and deals in exchanges relating to money. -- Insurance broker, one who is agent in procuring insurance on vessels, or against fire. -- Pawn broker. See Pawnbroker. -- Real estate broker, one who buys and sells lands, and negotiates loans, etc., upon mortgage. -- Ship broker, one who acts as agent in buying and selling ships, procuring freight, etc. -- Stock broker. See Stockbroker.
BROKERAGE Bro"ker*age, n.
1. The business or employment of a broker. Burke.
2. The fee, reward, or commission, given or changed for transacting business as a broker.
BROKERLY Bro"ker*ly, a.
Defn: Mean; servile. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
BROKERY Bro"ker*y, n.
Defn: The business of a broker. [Obs.] And with extorting, cozening, forfeiting, And tricks belonging unto brokery. Marlowe.
BROKING Bro"king, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a broker or brokers, or to brokerage. [Obs.] Redeem from broking pawn the blemished crown. Shak.
BROMA Bro"ma, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr.
1. (Med.)
Defn: Aliment; food. Dunglison.
2. A light form of prepared cocoa (or cacao), or the drink made from it.
BROMAL Bro"mal, n. Etym: [Bromine + aldehyde.] (Chem.)
Defn: An oily, colorless fluid, CBr
BROMALIN Bro"ma*lin, n. [From Bromine.] (Pharm.)
Defn: A colorless or white crystalline compound, (CH2)6N4C2H5Br, used as a sedative in epilepsy.
BROMANIL Brom`an"il, n. [Bromine + aniline.] (Chem.)
Defn: A substance analogous to chloranil but containing bromine in place of chlorine.
BROMATE Bro"mate, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A salt of bromic acid.
BROMATE Bro"mate, v.t. (Med.)
Defn: To combine or impregnate with bromine; as, bromated camphor.
BROMATOLOGIST Bro`ma*tol"o*gist, n.
Defn: One versed in the science of foods.
BROMATOLOGY Bro`ma*tol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy.]
Defn: The science of aliments. Dunglison.
BROME Brome, n. Etym: [F.] (Chem.)
Defn: See Bromine.
BROME GRASS Brome" grass`. Etym: [L. bromos a kind of oats, Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus (Bromus) of grasses, one species of which is the chess or cheat.
BROMELIACEOUS Bro*me`li*a"ceous, a. Etym: [Named after Olaf Bromel, a Swedish botanist.] (Bot.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, a family of endogenous and mostly epiphytic or saxicolous plants of which the genera Tillandsia and Billbergia are examples. The pineapple, though terrestrial, is also of this family.
BROMIC Bro"mic, a. (Chem.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or containing, bromine; -- said of those compounds of bromine in which this element has a valence of five, or the next to its highest; as, bromic acid.
BROMIDE Bro"mide, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A compound of bromine with a positive radical.
BROMIDE PAPER; BROMID PAPER Bromide paper or Bromid paper. (Photog.)
Defn: A sensitized paper coated with gelatin impregnated with bromide of silver, used in contact printing and in enlarging.
BROMIDIOM Bro*mid"i*om, n. [Bromide + idiom.]
Defn: A conventional comment or saying, such as those characteristic of bromides. [Slang]
BROMINATE Bro"mi*nate, v. t.
Defn: See Bromate, v. t.
BROMINE Bro"mine, n. Etym: [Gr. Brome.] (Chem.)
Defn: One of the elements, related in its chemical qualities to chlorine and iodine. Atomic weight 79.8. Symbol Br. It is a deep reddish brown liquid of a very disagreeable odor, emitting a brownish vapor at the ordinary temperature. In combination it is found in minute quantities in sea water, and in many saline springs. It occurs also in the mineral bromyrite.
BROMISM Bro"mism, n. (Med.)
Defn: A diseased condition produced by the excessive use of bromine or one of its compounds. It is characterized by mental dullness and muscular weakness.
BROMIZE Bro"mize, v. t. (Photog.)
Defn: To prepare or treat with bromine; as, to bromize a silvered plate.
BROMLIFE Brom"life, n. Etym: [From Bromley Hill, near Alston, Cumberland, England.] (Min.)
Defn: A carbonate of baryta and lime, intermediate between witherite and strontianite; -- called also alstonite.
BROMOFORM Bro"mo*form, n. Etym: [Bromine + formyl.] (Chem.)
Defn: A colorless liquid, CHBr3, having an agreeable odor and sweetish taste. It is produced by the simultaneous action of bromine and caustic potash upon wood spirit, alcohol, or acetone, as also by certain other reactions. In composition it is the same as chloroform, with the substitution of bromine for chlorine. It is somewhat similar to chloroform in its effects. Watts.
BROMOGELATIN Bro`mo*gel"a*tin, a. [Bromine + gelatin.] (Photog.)
Defn: Designating or pertaining to, a process of preparing dry plates with an emulsion of bromides and silver nitrate in gelatin.
BROMOIODISM Bro`mo*i"o*dism, n. [Bromine + iodine + -ism.] (Med.)
Defn: Poisoning induced by large doses of bromine and iodine or of their compounds.
BROMOIODIZED Bro`mo*i"o*dized, a. (Photog.)
Defn: Treated with bromides and iodides.
BROMOL Bro"mol, n. [Abbr. fr. tribromophenol.] (Pharm.)
Defn: A crystalline substance (chemically, tribromophenol, C6H2Br3OH), used as an antiseptic and disinfectant.
BROMPICRIN Brom*pi"crin, n. Etym: [G. brompikrin; brom bromine + pikrinsäure picric acid.] (Chem.)
Defn: A pungent colorless explosive liquid, CNO2Br3, analogous to and resembling chlorpicrin. [Spelt also brompikrin.]
BROMURET Brom"u*ret, n.
Defn: See Bromide. [Obs.]
BROMYRITE Brom"y*rite, n. Etym: [Bromine + Gr. (Min.)
Defn: Silver bromide, a rare mineral; -- called also bromargyrite.
BRONCHI Bron"chi, n. pl. (Anat.)
Defn: See Bronchus.
BRONCHIA Bron"chi*a, n. pl. Etym: [L. , pl. Cf. Bronchus.] (Anat.)
Defn: The bronchial tubes which arise from the branching of the trachea, esp. the subdivision of the bronchi. Dunglison.
BRONCHIAL Bron"chi*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. bronchial. See Bronchia.] (Anat.)
Defn: Belonging to the bronchi and their ramifications in the lungs. Bronchial arteries, branches of the descending aorta, accompanying the bronchia in all their ramifications. -- Bronchial cells, the air cells terminating the bronchia. -- Bronchial glands, glands whose functions are unknown, seated along the bronchia. -- Bronchial membrane, the mucous membrane lining the bronchia. -- Bronchial tube, the bronchi, or the bronchia.
BRONCHIC Bron"chic, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Bronchial.
BRONCHIOLE Bron"chi*ole, n. (Anat.)
Defn: A minute bronchial tube.
BRONCHITIC Bron*chit"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to bronchitis; as, bronchitic inflammation.
BRONCHITIS Bron*chi"tis, n. Etym: [Bronchus + -itis.] (Med.)
Defn: Inflammation, acute or chronic, of the bronchial tubes or any part of them.
BRONCHO Bron"cho, n. Etym: [Sp. bronco rough, wild.]
Defn: A native or a Mexican horse of small size. [Western U.S.]
BRONCHOCELE Bron"cho*cele, n. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)
Defn: See Goiter.
BRONCHOPHONY Bron*choph"o*ny, n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: A modification of the voice sounds, by which they are intensified and heightened in pitch; -- observed in auscultation of the chest in certain cases of intro-thoracic disease.
BRONCHO-PNEUMONIA Bron`cho-pneu*mo"ni*a, n. Etym: [Bronchus + pneumonia.] (Med.)
Defn: Inflammation of the bronchi and lungs; catarrhal pneumonia.
BRONCHOTOME Bron"cho*tome, n. Etym: [Gr. (Surg.)
Defn: An instrument for cutting into the bronchial tubes.
BRONCHOTOMY Bron*chot"o*my, n. (Surg.)
Defn: An incision into the windpipe or larynx, including the operations of tracheotomy and laryngotomy.
BRONCHUS Bron"chus, n.; pl. Bronchi (. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. Bronchia.] (Anat.)
Defn: One of the subdivisions of the trachea or windpipe; esp. one of the two primary divisions.
BRONCO Bron"co, n.
Defn: Same as Broncho.
BROND Brond, n. Etym: [See Brand.]
Defn: A sword. [Obs.]
BRONTOGRAPH Bron"to*graph, n. [Gr. thunder + -graph.] (Meteor.) (a) A tracing or chart showing the phenomena attendant on thunderstorms. (b) An instrument for making such tracings, as a recording brontometer.
BRONTOLITE; BRONTOLITH Bron"to*lite, Bron"to*lith, n. Etym: [Gr. -lite, -lith.]
Defn: An aërolite. [R.]
BRONTOLOGY Bron*tol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy.]
Defn: A treatise upon thunder.
BRONTOMETER Bron*tom"e*ter, n. [Gr. thunder + -meter.] (Meteor.)
Defn: An instrument for noting or recording phenomena attendant on thunderstorms.
BRONTOSAURUS Bron`to*sau"rus, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: A genus of American jurassic dinosaurs. A length of sixty feet is believed to have been attained by these reptiles.
BRONTOTHERIUM Bron`to*the"ri*um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: A genus of large extinct mammals from the miocene strata of western North America. They were allied to the rhinoceros, but the skull bears a pair of powerful horn cores in front of the orbits, and the fore feet were four-toed. See Illustration in Appendix.
BRONTOZOUM Bron`to*zo"um, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Paleon.)
Defn: An extinct animal of large size, known from its three-toed footprints in Mesozoic sandstone.
Note: The tracks made by these reptiles are found eighteen inches in length, and were formerly referred to gigantic birds; but the discovery of large bipedal three-toed dinosaurs has suggested that they were made by those reptiles.
BRONZE Bronze, n. Etym: [F. bronze, fr. It. bronzo brown, fr. OHG. br, G. braun. See Brown, a.]
1. An alloy of copper and tin, to which small proportions of other metals, especially zinc, are sometimes added. It is hard and sonorous, and is used for statues, bells, cannon, etc., the proportions of the ingredients being varied to suit the particular purposes. The varieties containing the higher proportions of tin are brittle, as in bell metal and speculum metal.
2. A statue, bust, etc., cast in bronze. A print, a bronze, a flower, a root. Prior.
3. A yellowish or reddish brown, the color of bronze; also, a pigment or powder for imitating bronze.
4. Boldness; impudence; "brass." Imbrowned with native bronze, lo! Henley stands. Pope. Aluminium bronze. See under Aluminium. -- Bronze age, an age of the world which followed the stone age, and was characterized by the use of implements and ornaments of copper or bronze. -- Bronze powder, a metallic powder, used with size or in combination with painting, to give the appearance of bronze, gold, or other metal, to any surface. -- Phosphor bronze and Silicious or Silicium bronze are made by adding phosphorus and silicon respectively to ordinary bronze, and are characterized by great tenacity.
BRONZE Bronze, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bronzed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bronzing.] Etym: [Cf. F. bronzer. See Bronze, n.]
1. To give an appearance of bronze to, by a coating of bronze powder, or by other means; to make of the color of bronze; as, to bronze plaster casts; to bronze coins or medals. The tall bronzed black-eyed stranger. W. Black.
2. To make hard or unfeeling; to brazen. The lawer who bronzes his bosom instead of his forehead. Sir W. Scott. Bronzed skin disease. (Pathol.) See Addison's disease.
BRONZE STEEL Bronze steel.
Defn: A hard tough alloy of tin, copper, and iron, which can be used for guns.
BRONZEWING Bronze"wing`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An Australian pigeon of the genus Phaps, of several species; -- so called from its bronze plumage.
BRONZINE Bronz"ine, n.
Defn: A metal so prepared as to have the appearance of bronze. -- a.
Defn: Made of bronzine; resembling bronze; bronzelike.
BRONZING Bronz"ing, n.
1. The act or art of communicating to articles in metal, wood, clay, plaster, etc., the appearance of bronze by means of bronze powders, or imitative painting, or by chemical processes. Tomlinson.
2. A material for bronzing.
BRONZIST Bronz"ist, n.
Defn: One who makes, imitates, collects, or deals in, bronzes.
BRONZITE Bronz"ite, n. Etym: [Cf. F. bronzite.] (Min.)
Defn: A variety of enstatite, often having a bronzelike luster. It is a silicate of magnesia and iron, of the pyroxene family.
BRONZY Bronz"y, a.
Defn: Like bronze.
BROOCH Brooch, n. Etym: [See Broach, n.]
1. An ornament, in various forms, with a tongue, pin, or loop for attaching it to a garment; now worn at the breast by women; a breastpin. Formerly worn by men on the hat. Honor 's a good brooch to wear in a man's hat. B. Jonson.
2. (Paint.)
Defn: A painting all of one color, as a sepia painting, or an India painting.
BROOCH Brooch, v. t. Etym: [imp. & p. p. Brooched (.]
Defn: To adorn as with a brooch. [R.]
BROOD Brood, n. Etym: [OE. brod, AS. brod; akin to D. broed, OHG. bruot, G. brut, and also to G. brühe broth, MHG. brüeje, and perh. to E. brawn, breath. Cf. Breed, v. t.]
1. The young birds hatched at one time; a hatch; as, a brood of chicken. As a hen doth gather her brood under her wings. Luke xiii. 34. A hen followed by a brood of ducks. Spectator.
2. The young from the same dam, whether produced at the same time or not; young children of the same mother, especially if nearly of the same age; offspring; progeny; as, a woman with a brood of children. The lion roars and gluts his tawny brood. Wordsworth.
3. That which is bred or produced; breed; species. Flocks of the airy brood, (Cranes, geese or long-necked swans). Chapman.
4. (Mining)
Defn: Heavy waste in tin and copper ores. To sit on brood, to ponder. [Poetic] Shak.
BROOD Brood, a.
1. Sitting or inclined to sit on eggs.
2. Kept for breeding from; as, a brood mare; brood stock; having young; as, a brood sow.
BROOD Brood, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Brooded; p. pr. & vb. n. Brooding.]
1. To sit on and cover eggs, as a fowl, for the purpose of warming them and hatching the young; or to sit over and cover young, as a hen her chickens, in order to warm and protect them; hence, to sit quietly, as if brooding. Birds of calm sir brooding on the charmed wave. Milton.
2. To have the mind dwell continuously or moodily on a subject; to think long and anxiously; to be in a state of gloomy, serious thought; -- usually followed by over or on; as, to brood over misfortunes. Brooding on unprofitable gold. Dryden. Brooding over all these matters, the mother felt like one who has evoked a spirit. Hawthorne. When with downcast eyes we muse and brood. Tennyson.
BROOD Brood, v. t.
1. To sit over, cover, and cherish; as, a hen broods her chickens.
2. To cherish with care. [R.]
3. To think anxiously or moodily upon. You'll sit and brood your sorrows on a throne. Dryden.
BROODY Brood"y, a.
Defn: Inclined to brood. Ray.
BROOK Brook, n. Etym: [OE. brok, broke, brook, AS. broc; akin to D. broek, LG. brok, marshy ground, OHG. pruoh, G. bruch marsh; prob. fr. the root of E. break, so as that it signifies water breaking through the earth, a spring or brook, as well as a marsh. See Break, v. t.]
Defn: A natural stream of water smaller than a river or creek. The Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water. Deut. viii. 7. Empires itself, as doth an inland brook Into the main of waters. Shak.
BROOK Brook, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brooked; p. pr. & vb. n. Brooking.] Etym: [OE. broken, bruken, to use, enjoy, digest, AS. br; akin to D. gebruiken to use, OHG. pr, G. brauchen, gebrauchen, Icel. br, Goth. br, and L. frui, to enjoy. Cf. Fruit, Broker.]
1. To use; to enjoy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To bear; to endure; to put up with; to tolerate; as, young men can not brook restraint. Spenser. Shall we, who could not brook one lord, Crouch to the wicked ten Macaulay.
3. To deserve; to earn. [Obs.] Sir J. Hawkins.
BROOKITE Brook"ite, n. Etym: [Named from the English mineralogist, H.J.Brooke.] (Min.)
Defn: A mineral consisting of titanic oxide, and hence identical with rutile and octahedrite in composition, but crystallizing in the orthorhombic system.
BROOKLET Brook"let, n.
Defn: A small brook.
BROOKLIME Brook"lime`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Veronica Beccabunga), with flowers, usually blue, in axillary racemes. The American species is V. Americana. [Formerly written broklempe or broklympe.]
BROOK MINT Brook" mint`. (Bot.)
Defn: See Water mint.
BROOKSIDE Brook"side`, n.
Defn: The bank of a brook.
BROOKWEED Brook"weed`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A small white-flowered herb (Samolus Valerandi) found usually in wet places; water pimpernel.
BROOM Broom, n. Etym: [OE. brom, brome, AS. brom; akin to LG. bram, D. brem, OHG. bramo broom, thornbrombeere blackberry. Cf. Bramble, n.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant having twigs suitable for making brooms to sweep with when bound together; esp., the Cytisus scoparius of Western Europe, which is a low shrub with long, straight, green, angular branches, mintue leaves, and large yellow flowers. No gypsy cowered o'er fires of furze and broom. Wordsworth.
2. An implement for sweeping floors, etc., commonly made of the panicles or tops of broom corn, bound together or attached to a long wooden handle; -- so called because originally made of the twigs of the broom. Butcher's broom, a plant (Ruscus aculeatus) of the Smilax family, used by butchers for brooms to sweep their blocks; -- called also knee holly. See Cladophyll. -- Dyer's broom, a species of mignonette (Reseda luteola), used for dyeing yellow; dyer's weed; dyer's rocket. -- Spanish broom. See under Spanish.
BROOM Broom, v. t. (Naut.)
Defn: See Bream.
BROOM CORN Broom" corn`. (Bot.)
Defn: A variety of Sorghum vulgare, having a joined stem, like maize, rising to the height of eight or ten feet, and bearing its seeds on a panicle with long branches, of which brooms are made.
BROOM RAPE Broom" rape`. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus (Orobanche) of parasitic plants of Europe and Asia. They are destitute of chlorophyll, have scales instead of leaves, and spiked flowers, and grow attached to the roots of other plants, as furze, clover, flax, wild carrot, etc. The name is sometimes applied to other plants related to this genus, as Aphyllon uniflorumand A. Ludovicianum.
BROOMSTAFF Broom"staff`, n.
Defn: A broomstick. [Obs.] Shak.
BROOMSTICK Broom"stick`, n.
Defn: A stick used as a handle of a broom.
BROOMY Broom"y, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to broom; overgrowing with broom; resembling broom or a broom. If land grow mossy or broomy. Mortimer.
BROSE Brose, n. Etym: [CF. Gael. brothas. Cf. Brewis, Broth.]
Defn: Pottage made by pouring some boiling liquid on meal (esp. oatmeal), and stirring it. It is called beef brose, water brose, etc., according to the name of the liquid (beef broth, hot water, etc.) used. [Scot.]
BROTEL Brot"el, a.
Defn: Brittle. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BROTELNESS Brot"el*ness, n.
Defn: Brittleness. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BROTH Broth, n. Etym: [AS. bro; akin to OHG. brod, brot; cf. Ir. broth, Gael. brot. *93. Cf. Brewis, Brew.]
Defn: Liquid in which flesh (and sometimes other substances, as barley or rice) has been boiled; thin or simple soup. I am sure by your unprejudiced discourses that you love broth better than soup. Addison.
BROTHEL Broth"el, n. Etym: [OE. brothel, brodel, brethel, a prostitute, a worthless fellow, fr. AS. beró to ruin, destroy; cf. AS. breótan to break, and E. brittle. The term brothel house was confused with bordel brothel. CF. Bordel.]
Defn: A house of lewdness or ill fame; a house frequented by prostitutes; a bawdyhouse.
BROTHELER Broth"el*er, n.
Defn: One who frequents brothels.
BROTHELRY Broth"el*ry, n.
Defn: Lewdness; obscenity; a brothel. B. Jonson.
BROTHER Broth"er, n.; pl. Brothers or Brethren. See Brethren. Etym: [OE. brother, AS. bro; akin to OS. brothar, D. broeder, OHG. pruodar, G. bruder, Icel. bro, Sw. & Dan. broder, Goth. bro, Ir. brathair, W. brawd, pl. brodyr, Lith. brolis, Lett. brahlis, Russ. brat', Pol. & Serv. brat, OSlav. brat, L. frater, Skr. bhrat, Zend. bratar brother, Gr. Brothers; in the solemn style, Brethren, OE. pl. brether, bretheren, AS. dat. sing. bre, nom. pl. bro, bro. sq. root258. Cf. Frair, Fraternal.]
1. A male person who has the same father and mother with another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter case he is more definitely called a half brother, or brother of the half blood. Two of us in the churchyard lie, My sister and my brother. Wordsworth.
2. One related or closely united to another by some common tie or interest, as of rank, profession, membership in a society, toil, suffering, etc.; -- used among judges, clergymen, monks, physicians, lawers, professors of religion, etc. "A brother of your order." Shak. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother. Shak.
3. One who, or that which, resembles another in distinctive qualities or traits of character. He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. Prov. xviii. 9. That April morn Of this the very brother. Wordsworth.
Note: In Scripture, the term brother is applied to a kinsman by blood more remote than a son of the same parents, as in the case of Abraham and Lot, Jacob and Laban. In a more general sense, brother or brethren is used for fellow-man or fellow-men. For of whom such massacre Make they but of their brethren, men of men Milton. Brother Jonathan, a humorous designation for the people of the United States collectively. The phrase is said to have originated from Washington's referring to the patriotic Jonathan Trumbull, governor of Connecticut, as "Brother Jonathan." -- Blood brother. See under Blood.
BROTHER Broth"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brothered.]
Defn: To make a brother of; to call or treat as a brother; to admit to a brotherhood. Sir W. Scott.
BROTHER GERMAN Broth"er ger"man. (Law)
Defn: A brother by both the father's and mother's side, in contradistinction to a uterine brother, one by the mother only. Bouvier.
BROTHERHOOD Broth"er*hood, n. Etym: [Brother + -hood.]
1. The state of being brothers or a brother.
2. An association for any purpose, as a society of monks; a fraternity.
3. The whole body of persons engaged in the same business, -- especially those of the same profession; as, the legal or medical brotherhood.
4. Persons, and, poetically, things, of a like kind. A brotherhood of venerable trees. Wordsworth.
Syn. -- Fraternity; association; fellowship; sodality.
BROTHER-IN-LAW Broth"er-in-law`, n.; pl. Brothers-in-law (.
Defn: The brother of one's husband or wife; also, the husband of one's sister; sometimes, the husband of one's wife's sister.
BROTHERLINESS Broth"er*li*ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being brotherly.
BROTHERLY Broth"er*ly, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to brothers; such as is natural for brothers; becoming to brothers; kind; affectionate; as, brotherly love.
Syn. -- Fraternal; kind; affectionate; tender.
BROTHERLY Broth"er*ly, adv.
Defn: Like a brother; affectionately; kindly. "I speak but brotherly of him." Shak.
BROUDED Broud"ed, p.a.
Defn: Braided; broidered. [Obs.] Alle his clothes brouded up and down. Chaucer.
BROUGHAM Brough"am, n.
Defn: A light, close carriage, with seats inside for two or four, and the fore wheels so arranged as to turn short.
BROW Brow, n. Etym: [OE. browe, bruwe, AS. br; akin to AS. br, breáw, eyelid, OFries. bre, D. braauw, Icel. bra, br, OHG. prawa, G. braue, OSlav. br, Russ. brove, Ir. brai, Ir. & Gael. abhra, Armor. abrant, Gr. bhr. Cf. Bray a bank, Bridge.]
1. The prominent ridge over the eye, with the hair that covers it, forming an arch above the orbit. And his arched brow, pulled o'er his eyes, With solemn proof proclaims him wise. Churchill.
2. The hair that covers the brow (ridge over the eyes); the eyebrow. 'T is not your inky brows, your brack silk hair. Shak.
3. The forehead; as, a feverish brow. Beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow. Shak.
4. The general air of the countenance. To whom thus Satan with contemptuous brow. Milton. He told them with a masterly brow. Milton.
5. The edge or projecting upper aprt of a steep place; as, the brow of a precipice; the brow of a hill. To bend the brow, To knit the brows, to frown; to scowl.
BROW Brow, v. t.
Defn: To bound to limit; to be at, or form, the edge of. [R.] Tending my flocks hard by i' the hilly crofts That brow this bottom glade. Milton.
BROWBEAT Brow"beat`, v. t. [imp. Browbeat; p. p. Browbeaten; p. pr. & vb. n. Browbeating.]
Defn: To depress or bear down with haughty, stern looks, or with arrogant speech and dogmatic assertions; to abash or disconcert by impudent or abusive words or looks; to bully; as, to browbeat witnesses. My grandfather was not a man to be browbeaten. W. Irving.
BROWBEATING Brow"beat`ing, n.
Defn: The act of bearing down, abashing, or disconcerting, with stern looks, suspercilious manners, or confident assertions. The imperious browbeating and scorn of great men. L'Estrange.
BROWBOUND Brow"bound`, a.
Defn: Crowned; having the head encircled as with a diadem. Shak.
BROWDYNG Browd"yng, n.
Defn: Embroidery. [Obs.] Of goldsmithrye, of browdying, and of steel. Chaucer.
BROWED Browed, a.
Defn: Having (such) a brow; -- used in composition; as, dark-browed, stern-browed.
BROWLESS Brow"less, a.
Defn: Without shame. L. Addison.
BROWN Brown, a. [Compar. Browner; superl. Brownest.] Etym: [OE. brun, broun, AS. br; akin to D. bruin, OHG. br, Icel. br, Sw. brun, Dan. bruun, G. braun, Lith. brunas, Skr. babhru. *93, 253. Cf. Bruin, Beaver, Burnish, Brunette.]
Defn: Of a dark color, of various shades between black and red or yellow. Cheeks brown as the oak leaves. Longfellow. Brown Bess, the old regulation flintlock smoothbore musket, with bronzed barrel, formerly used in the British army. -- Brown bread (a) Dark colored bread; esp. a kind made of unbolted wheat flour, sometimes called in the United States Graham bread. "He would mouth with a beggar though she smelt brown bread and garlic." Shak. (b) Dark colored bread made of rye meal and Indian meal, or of wheat and rye or Indian; rye and Indian bread. [U.S.] -- Brown coal, wood coal. See Lignite. -- Brown hematite or Brown iron ore (Min.), the hydrous iron oxide, limonite, which has a brown streak. See Limonite. -- Brown holland. See under Holland. -- Brown paper, dark colored paper, esp. coarse wrapping paper, made of unbleached materials. -- Brown spar (Min.), a ferruginous variety of dolomite, in part identical with ankerite. -- Brown stone. See Brownstone. -- Brown stout, a strong kind of proter or malt liquor. -- Brown study, a state of mental abstraction or serious reverie. W. Irving.
BROWN Brown, n.
Defn: A dark color inclining to red or yellow, resulting from the mixture of red and black, or of red, black, and yellow; a tawny, dusky hue.
BROWN Brown, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Browned; p. pr. & vb. n. Browning.]
1. To make brown or dusky. A trembling twilight o'er welkin moves,Browns the dim void and darkens deep the groves. Barlow.
2. To make brown by scorching slightly; as, to brown meat or flour.
3. To give a bright brown color to, as to gun barrels, by forming a thin coat of oxide on their surface. Ure.
BROWN Brown, v. i.
Defn: To become brown.
BROWNBACK Brown"back`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The dowitcher or red-breasted snipe. See Dowitcher.
BROWN BILL Brown" bill`. Etym: [Brown + bill cutting tool.]
Defn: A bill or halberd of the 16th and 17th centuries. See 4th Bill. Many time, but for a sallet, my brainpan had been cleft with a brown bill. Shak.
Note: The black, or as it is sometimes called, the brown bill, was a kind of halberd, the cutting part hooked like a woodman's bill, from the back of which projected a spike, and another from the head. Grose.
BROWNIAN Brown"i*an, a.
Defn: Pertaining to Dr. Robert Brown, who first demonstrated (about 1827) the commonness of the motion described below. Brownian movement, the peculiar, rapid, vibratory movement exhibited by the microscopic particles of substances when suspended in water or other fluids.
BROWNIE Brown"ie, n. Etym: [So called from its supposed tawny or swarthy color.]
Defn: An imaginary good-natured spirit, who was supposed often to perform important services around the house by night, such as thrashing, churning, sweeping. [Scot.]
BROWNING Brown"ing, n.
1. The act or operation of giving a brown color, as to gun barrels, etc.
2. (Masonry)
Defn: A smooth coat of brown mortar, usually the second coat, and the preparation for the finishing coat of plaster.
BROWNISH Brown"ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat brown.
BROWNISM Brown"ism, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: The views or teachings of Robert Brown of the Brownists. Milton.
BROWNISM Brown"ism, n. (Med.)
Defn: The doctrines of the Brunonian system of medicine. See Brunonian.
BROWNIST Brown"ist, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: A follower of Robert Brown, of England, in the 16th century, who taught that every church is complete and independent in itself when organized, and consists of members meeting in one place, having full power to elect and depose its officers.
BROWNIST Brown"ist, n. (Med.)
Defn: One who advocates the Brunonian system of medicine.
BROWNNESS Brown"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being brown. Now like I brown (O lovely brown thy hair); Only in brownness beauty dwelleth there. Drayton.
BROWN RACE Brown race.
Defn: The Malay or Polynesian race; -- loosely so called.
BROWNSTONE Brown"stone`, n.
Defn: A dark variety of sandstone, much used for building purposes.
BROWN THRUSH Brown" thrush". (Zoöl.)
Defn: A common American singing bird (Harporhynchus rufus), allied to the mocking bird; -- also called brown thrasher.
BROWNWORT Brown"wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A species of figwort or Scrophularia (S. vernalis), and other species of the same genus, mostly perennials with inconspicuous coarse flowers.
BROWNY Brown"y, a.
Defn: Brown or, somewhat brown. "Browny locks." Shak.
BROWPOST Brow"post`, n. (Carp.)
Defn: A beam that goes across a building.
BROWSE Browse, n. Etym: [OF. brost, broust, sprout, shoot, F. brout browse, browsewood, prob. fr. OHG. burst, G. borste, bristle; cf. also Armor. brousta to browse. See Bristle, n., Brush, n.]
Defn: The tender branches or twigs of trees and shrubs, fit for the food of cattle and other animals; green food. Spenser. Sheep, goats, and oxen, and the nobler steed, On browse, and corn, and flowery meadows feed. Dryden.
BROWSE Browse, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Browsed; p. pr. & vb. n. Browsing.] Etym: [For broust, OF. brouster, bruster, F. brouter. See Browse, n., and cf. Brut.]
1. To eat or nibble off, as the tender branches of trees, shrubs, etc.; -- said of cattle, sheep, deer, and some other animals. Yes, like the stag, when snow the plasture sheets, The barks of trees thou browsedst. Shak.
2. To feed on, as pasture; to pasture on; to graze. Fields . . . browsed by deep-uddered kine. Tennyson.
BROWSE Browse, v. i.
1. To feed on the tender branches or shoots of shrubs or trees, as do cattle, sheep, and deer.
2. To pasture; to feed; to nibble. Shak.
BROWSER Brows"er, n.
Defn: An animal that browses.
BROWSEWOOD Browse"wood`, n.
Defn: Srubs and bushes upon which animals browse.
BROWSING Brows"ing, n.
Defn: Browse; also, a place abounding with shrubs where animals may browse. Browsings for the deer. Howell.
BROWSPOT Brow"spot`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A rounded organ between the eyes of the frog; the interocular gland.
BRUANG Bru*ang", n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The Malayan sun bear.
BRUCINE Bru"cine, n. Etym: [Cf. F. brucine, fr. James Bruce, a Scottish traveler.] (Chem.)
Defn: A poweful vegetable alkaloid, found, associated with strychnine, in the seeds of different species of Strychnos, especially in the Nux vomica. It is less powerful than strychnine. Called also brucia and brucina.
BRUCITE Bru"cite, n. Etym: [Named after Dr. A.Bruce of New York.] (Min.) (a) A white, pearly mineral, occurring thin and foliated, like talc, and also fibrous; a native magnesium hydrate. (b) The mineral chondrodite. [R.]
BRUCKELED Bruck"eled, a.
Defn: Wet and dirty; begrimed. [Obs. or Dial.] Herrick.
BRUH Bruh, n. (Zoöl.) Etym: [Native name.]
Defn: The rhesus monkey. See Rhesus.
BRUIN Bru"in, n. Etym: [D. bruin brown. In the epic poem of "Reynard the Fox" the bear is so called from his color. See Brown, a.]
Defn: A bear; -- so called in popular tales and fables.
BRUISE Bruise, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bruised; p. pr. & vb. n. Bruising.] Etym: [OE. brusen, brisen, brosen, bresen, AS. br or fr. OF. bruiser, bruisier, bruser, to break, shiver, perh. from OHG. brochison. Cf. Break, v. t.]
1. To injure, as by a blow or collision, without laceration; to contuse; as, to bruise one's finger with a hammer; to bruise the bark of a tree with a stone; to bruise an apple by letting it fall.
2. To break; as in a mortar; to bray, as minerals, roots, etc.; to crush. Nor bruise her flowerets with the armed hoofs. Shak.
Syn. -- To pulverize; bray; triturate; pound; contuse.
BRUISE Bruise, v. i.
Defn: To fight with the fists; to box. Bruising was considered a fine, manly, old English custom. Thackeray.
BRUISE Bruise, n.
Defn: An injury to the flesh of animals, or to plants, fruit, etc., with a blunt or heavy instrument, or by collision with some other body; a contusion; as, a bruise on the head; bruises on fruit. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises. Isa. i. 6.
BRUISER Bruis"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, bruises.
2. A boxer; a pugilist. R. Browning. Like a new bruiser on Broughtonic aand, Amid the lists our hero takes his stand. T. Warton.
3. A concave tool used in grinding lenses or the speculums of telescopes. Knight.
BRUISEWORT Bruise"wort`, n.
Defn: A plant supposed to heal bruises, as the true daisy, the soapwort, and the comfrey.
BRUIT Bruit, n. Etym: [OE. bruit, brut, noise, bruit, F. bruit, fr. LL. brugitus; cf. L. rugire to roar; perh. influenced by the source of E. bray to make a harsh noise, Armor. brud bruit.]
1. Report; rumor; fame. The bruit thereof will bring you many friends. Shak.
2. [French pron. (Med.)
Defn: An abnormal sound of several kinds, heard on auscultation.
BRUIT Bruit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bruited; p. pr. & vb. n. Bruiting.]
Defn: To report; to noise abroad. I find thou art no less than fame hath bruited. Shak.
BRUMAIRE Bru`maire", n. Etym: [F., fr. L. bruma winter.]
Defn: The second month of the calendar adopted by the first French republic. It began thirty days after the autumnal equinox. See Vendemiaire.
BRUMAL Bru"mal, a. Etym: [L. brumalis, fr. bruma winter: cf. F. brumal.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to winter. "The brumal solstice." Sir T. Browne.
BRUME Brume, n. Etym: [F. brume winter season, mist, L. bruma winter.]
Defn: Mist; fog; vapors. "The drifting brume." Longfellow.
BRUMMAGEM Brum"ma*gem, a. Etym: [Birmingham (formerly Bromwycham), Eng., "the great mart and manufactory of gilt toys, cheap jewelry," etc.]
Defn: Counterfeit; gaudy but worthless; sham. [Slang] "These Brummagem gentry." Lady D. Hardy.
BRUMOUS Bru"mous, a.
Defn: Foggy; misty.
BRUN Brun, n. Etym: [See Broun a brook.]
Defn: Same as Brun, a brook. [Scot.]
BRUNETTE Bru*nette", n. Etym: [F. brunet, brunette, brownish, dim. of brun, brune, brown, fr. OHG. br. See Brown, a.]
Defn: A girl or woman with a somewhat brown or dark complexion. -- a.
Defn: Having a dark tint.
BRUNION Brun"ion, n. Etym: [F. brugnon (cf. It. brugna, prugna), fr. L. prunum. See Prune, n.]
Defn: A nectarine.
BRUNONIAN Bru*no"ni*an, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or invented by, Brown; -- a term applied to a system of medicine promulgated in the 18th century by John Brown, of Scotland, the fundamental doctrine of which was, that life is a state of excitation produced by the normal action of external agents upon the body, and that disease consists in excess or deficiency of excitation.
BRUNSWICK BLACK Bruns"wick black`.
Defn: See Japan black.
BRUNSWICK GREEN Bruns"wick green`. Etym: [G. Braunschweiger grün, first made at Brunswick, in Germany.]
Defn: An oxychloride of copper, used as a green pigment; also, a carbonate of copper similarly employed.
BRUNT Brunt, n. Etym: [OE. brunt, bront, fr. Icel. bruna to rush; cf. Icel. brenna to burn. Cf. Burn, v. t.]
1. The heat, or utmost violence, of an onset; the strength or greatest fury of any contention; as, the brunt of a battle.
2. The force of a blow; shock; collision. "And heavy brunt of cannon ball." Hudibras. It is instantly and irrecoverably scattered by our first brunt with some real affair of common life. I. Taylor.
BRUSH Brush, n. Etym: [OE. brusche, OF. broche, broce, brosse, brushwood, F. brosse brush, LL. brustia, bruscia, fr. OHG. brusta, brust, bristle, G. borste bristle, bürste brush. See Bristle, n., and cf. Browse.]
1. An instrument composed of bristles, or other like material, set in a suitable back or handle, as of wood, bone, or ivory, and used for various purposes, as in removing dust from clothes, laying on colors, etc. Brushes have different shapes and names according to their use; as, clothes brush, paint brush, tooth brush, etc.
2. The bushy tail of a fox.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A tuft of hair on the mandibles.
4. Branches of trees lopped off; brushwood.
5. A thicket of shrubs or small trees; the shrubs and small trees in a wood; underbrush.
6. (Elec.)
Defn: A bundle of flexible wires or thin plates of metal, used to conduct an electrical current to or from the commutator of a dynamo, electric motor, or similar apparatus.
7. The act of brushing; as, to give one's clothes a brush; a rubbing or grazing with a quick motion; a light touch; as, we got a brush from the wheel as it passed. [As leaves] have with one winter's brush Fell from their boughts. Shak.
8. A skirmish; a slight encounter; a shock or collision; as, to have a brush with an enemy. Let grow thy sinews till their knots be strong, And tempt not yet the brushes of the war. Shak.
9. A short contest, or trial, of speed. Let us enjoy a brush across the country. Cornhill Mag. Electrical brush, a form of the electric discharge characterized by a brushlike appearance of luminous rays diverging from an electrified body.
BRUSH Brush, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brushed; p. pr. & vb. n. Brushing.] Etym: [OE. bruschen; cf. F. brosser. See Brush, n.]
1. To apply a brush to, according to its particular use; to rub, smooth, clean, paint, etc., with a brush. "A' brushes his hat o' mornings." Shak.
2. To touch in passing, or to pass lightly over, as with a brush. Some spread their sailes, some with strong oars sweep The waters smooth, and brush the buxom wave. Fairfax. Brushed with the kiss of rustling wings. Milton.
3. To remove or gather by brushing, or by an act like that of brushing, or by passing lightly over, as wind; -- commonly with off. As wicked dew as e'er my mother brushed With raven's feather from unwholesome fen. Shak. And from the boughts brush off the evil dew. Milton. To brush aside, to remove from one's way, as with a brush. -- To brush away, to remove, as with a brush or brushing motion. -- To brush up, to paint, or make clean or bright with a brush; to cleanse or improve; to renew. You have commissioned me to paint your shop, and I have done my best to brush you up like your neighbors. Pope.
BRUSH Brush, v. i.
Defn: To move nimbly in haste; to move so lightly as scarcely to be perceived; as, to brush by. Snatching his hat, he brushed off like the wind. Goldsmith.
BRUSHER Brush"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, brushes.
BRUSHINESS Brush"i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of resembling a brush; brushlike condition; shagginess. Dr. H. More.
BRUSHING Brush"ing, a.
1. Constructed or used to brush with; as a brushing machine.
2. Brisk; light; as, a brushing gallop.
BRUSHITE Brush"ite, n. Etym: [From George J.Brush, an American mineralogist.] (Min.)
Defn: A white or gray crystalline mineral consisting of the acid phosphate of calcium.
BRUSH TURKEY Brush" tur`key. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large, edible, gregarious bird of Australia (Talegalla Lathami) of the family Megapodidæ. Also applied to several allied species of New Guinea.
Note: The brush turkeys live in the "brush," and construct a common nest by collecting a large heap of decaying vegetable matter, which generates heat sufficient to hatch the numerous eggs (sometimes half a bushel) deposited in it by the females of the flock.
BRUSH WHEEL Brush" wheel`.
1. A wheel without teeth, used to turn a similar one by the friction of bristles or something brushlike or soft attached to the circumference.
2. A circular revolving brush used by turners, lapidaries, silversmiths, etc., for polishing.
BRUSHWOOD Brush"wood, n.
1. Brush; a thicket or coppice of small trees and shrubs.
2. Small branches of trees cut off.
BRUSHY Brush"y, a.
Defn: Resembling a brush; shaggy; rough.
BRUSK Brusk, a.
Defn: Same as Brusque.
BRUSQUE Brusque, a. Etym: [F. brusque, from It. brusco brusque, tart, sour, perh. fr. L. (vitis) labrusca wild (vine); or cf. OHG. bruttisc grim, fr. brutti terror.]
Defn: Rough and prompt in manner; blunt; abrupt; hluff; as, a brusque man; a brusque style.
BRUSQUENESS Brusque"ness, n.
Defn: Quality of being brusque; roughness joined with promptness; blutness. Brit. Quar.
BRUSSELS Brus"sels, n.
Defn: A city of Belgium, giving its name to a kind of carpet, a kind of lace, etc. Brussels carpet, a kind of carpet made of worsted yarn fixed in a foundation web of strong linen thread. The worsted, which alone shows on the upper surface in drawn up in loops to form the pattern. -- Brussels ground, a name given to the handmade ground of real Brussels lace. It is very costly because of the extreme fineness of the threads. -- Brussels lace, an expensive kind of lace of several varieties, originally made in Brussels; as, Brussels point, Brussels ground, Brussels wire ground. -- Brussels net, an imitation of Brussels ground, made by machinery. -- Brussels point. See Point lace. -- Brussels sprouts (Bot.), a plant of the Cabbage family, which produces, in the axils of the upright stem, numerous small green heads, or "sprouts," each a cabbage in miniature, of one or two inches in diameter; the thousand-headed cabbage. -- Brussels wire ground, a ground for lace, made of silk, with meshes partly straight and partly arched.
BRUSTLE Brus"tle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Brustled; p. pr. & vb. n. Brustling.] Etym: [OE. brustlien and brastlien, AS. brastlian, fr. berstan to burst, akin to G. prasseln to crackle. See Burst, v. i.]
1. To crackle; to rustle, as a silk garment. [Obs.] Gower.
2. To make a show of fireceness or defiance; to bristle. [Obs.] To brustle up, to bristle up. [Obs.] Otway.
BRUSTLE Brus"tle, n.
Defn: A bristle. [Obs. or Prov.] Chaucer.
BRUT Brut, v. i. Etym: [F. brouter, OF. brouster. See Browse, n.]
Defn: To browse. [Obs.] Evelyn.
BRUT Brut, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Birt.
BRUTA Bru"ta, n. Etym: [NL., neuter pl., fr. L. brutus heavy, stupid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Edentata.
BRUTAL Bru"tal, a. Etym: [Cf. F. brutal. See Brute, a.]
1. Of or pertaining to a brute; as, brutal nature. "Above the rest of brutal kind." Milton.
2. Like a brute; savage; cruel; inhuman; brutish; unfeeling; merciless; gross; as, brutal manners. "Brutal intemperance." Macaulay.
BRUTALISM Bru"tal*ism, n.
Defn: Brutish quality; brutality.
BRUTALITY Bru*tal"i*ty, n.; pl. Brutalities. Etym: [Cf. F. brutalité.]
1. The quality of being brutal; inhumanity; savageness; pitilessness.
2. An inhuman act. The . . . brutalities exercised in war. Brougham.
BRUTALIZATION Bru`tal*i*za"tion, n.
Defn: The act or process of making brutal; state of being brutalized.
BRUTALIZE Bru"tal*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brutalized; p. pr. & vb. n. Brutalizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. brutaliser.]
Defn: To make brutal; beasty; unfeeling; or inhuman.
BRUTALIZE Bru"tal*ize, v. i.
Defn: To become brutal, inhuman, barbarous, or coarse and beasty. [R.] He mixed . . . with his countrymen, brutalized with them in their habits and manners. Addison.
BRUTALLY Bru"tal*ly, adv.
Defn: In a brutal manner; cruelly.
BRUTE Brute, a. Etym: [F. brut, nasc., brute, fem., raw, rough, rude, brutish, L. brutus stupid, irrational: cf. It. & Sp. bruto.]
1. Not having sensation; senseless; inanimate; unconscious; without intelligence or volition; as, the brute earth; the brute powers of nature.
2. Not possessing reason, irrational; unthinking; as, a brute beast; the brute creation. A creature . . . not prone And brute as other creatures, but endued With sanctity of reason. Milton.
3. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of, a brute beast. Hence: Brutal; cruel; fierce; ferocious; savage; pitiless; as, brute violence. Macaulay. The influence of capital and mere brute labor. Playfair.
4. Having the physical powers predominating over the mental; coarse; unpolished; unintelligent. A great brute farmer from Liddesdale. Sir W. Scott.
5. Rough; uncivilized; unfeeling. [R.]
BRUTE Brute, n.
1. An animal destitute of human reason; any animal not human; esp. a quadruped; a beast. Brutes may be considered as either aëral, terrestrial, aquatic, or amphibious. Locke.
2. A brutal person; a savage in heart or manners; as unfeeling or coarse person. An ill-natured brute of a husband. Franklin.
Syn. -- See Beast.
BRUTE Brute, v. t. Etym: [For bruit.]
Defn: To report; to bruit. [Obs.]
BRUTELY Brute"ly, adv.
Defn: In a rude or violent manner.
BRUTENESS Brute"ness, n.
1. Brutality. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. Insensibility. "The bruteness of nature." Emerson.
BRUTIFY Bru"ti*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brutified; p. pr. & vb. n. Brutifying.] Etym: [Brute + -fy: cf. F. brutifier.]
Defn: To make like a brute; to make senseless, stupid, or unfeeling; to brutalize. Any man not quite brutified and void of sense. Barrow.
BRUTING Bru"ting, n.
Defn: Browsing. [Obs.] Evelyn.
BRUTISH Bru"tish, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, a brute or brutes; of a cruel, gross, and stupid nature; coarse; unfeeling; unintelligent. O, let all provocation Take every brutish shape it can devise. Leigh Hunt. Man may . . . render himself brutish, but it is in vain that he would seek to take the rank and density of the brute. I. Taylor.
Syn. -- Insensible; stupid; unfeeling; savage; cruel; brutal; barbarous; inhuman; ferocious; gross; carnal; sensual; bestial. -- Bru"tish*ly, adv. -- Bru"tish*ness, n.
BRUTISM Bru"tism, n.
Defn: The nature or characteristic qualities or actions of a brute; extreme stupidity, or beastly vulgarity.
BRYOLOGICAL Bry*o*log"i*cal, a.
Defn: Relating to bryology; as, bryological studies.
BRYOLOGIST Bry*ol"o*gist, n.
Defn: One versed in bryology.
BRYOLOGY Bry*ol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. -logy.]
Defn: That part of botany which relates to mosses.
BRYONIN Bry"o*nin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A bitter principle obtained from the root of the bryony (Bryonia alba and B. dioica). It is a white, or slightly colored, substance, and is emetic and cathartic.
BRYONY Bry"o*ny, n. Etym: [L. bryonia, Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: The common name of several cucurbitaceous plants of the genus Bryonia. The root of B. alba (rough or white bryony) and of B. dioica is a strong, irritating cathartic. Black bryony, a plant (Tamus communis) so named from its dark glossy leaves and black root; black bindweed.
BRYOPHYTA Bry*oph"y*ta, n. pl.
Defn: See Cryptogamia.
BRYOZOA Bry`o*zo"a, n. pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A class of Molluscoidea, including minute animals which by budding form compound colonies; -- called also Polyzoa.
Note: They are often coralike in form and appearance, each small cell containing an individual zooid. Other species grow in delicate, flexible, branched forms, resembling moss, whence the name. Some are found in fresh water, but most are marine. The three principal divisions are Ectoprocta, Entoprocta, and Pterobranchia. See Cyclostoma, Chilostoma, and Phylactolema.
BRYOZOAN Bry`o*zo"an, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Bryozoa. -- n.
Defn: One of the Bryozoa.
BRYOZOUM Bry`o*zo"um, n. Etym: [NL. See Bryozoa.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An individual zooid of a bryozoan coralline, of which there may be two or more kinds in a single colony. The zooecia usually have a wreath of tentacles around the mouth, and a well developed stomach and intestinal canal; but these parts are lacking in the other zooids (Avicularia, Ooecia, etc.).
BUANSUAH Bu`an*su"ah, n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The wild dog of northern India (Cuon primævus), supposed by some to be an ancestral species of the domestic dog.
BUAT Bu"at, n. Etym: [Scot., of uncertain origin.]
Defn: A lantern; also, the moon. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
BUB Bub, n.
Defn: Strong malt liquor. [Cant] Prior.
BUB Bub, n. Etym: [Cf. 2d Bubby.]
Defn: A young brother; a little boy; -- a familiar term of address of a small boy.
BUB Bub, v. t. Etym: [Abbrev. from Bubble.]
Defn: To throw out in bubbles; to bubble. [Obs.] Sackville.
BUBALE Bu"ba*le, n. Etym: [Cf. F. bubale. See Buffalo, n.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large antelope (Alcelaphus bubalis) of Egypt and the Desert of Sahara, supposed by some to be the fallow deer of the Bible.
BUBALINE Bu"ba*line, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Resembling a buffalo. Bubaline antelope (Zoöl.), the bubale.
BUBBLE Bub"ble, n. Etym: [Cf. D. bobbel, Dan. boble, Sw. bubbla. Cf. Blob, n.]
1. A thin film of liquid inflated with air or gas; as, a soap bubble; bubbles on the surface of a river. Beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow, Like bubbles in a late disturbed stream. Shak.
2. A small quantity of air or gas within a liquid body; as, bubbles rising in champagne or aërated waters.
3. A globule of air, or globular vacuum, in a transparent solid; as, bubbles in window glass, or in a lens.
4. A small, hollow, floating bead or globe, formerly used for testing the strength of spirits.
5. The globule of air in the spirit tube of a level.
6. Anything that wants firmness or solidity; that which is more specious than real; a false show; a cheat or fraud; a delusive scheme; an empty project; a dishonest speculation; as, the South Sea bubble. Then a soldier . . . Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. Shak.
7. A person deceived by an empty project; a gull. [Obs.] "Ganny's a cheat, and I'm a bubble." Prior.
BUBBLE Bub"ble, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bubbled (; p. pr. & vb. n. Bubbling (.] Etym: [Cf. D. bobbelen, Dan. boble. See Bubble, n.]
1. To rise in bubbles, as liquids when boiling or agitated; to contain bubbles. The milk that bubbled in the pail. Tennyson.
2. To run with a gurdling noise, as if forming bubbles; as, a bubbling stream. Pope.
3. To sing with a gurgling or warbling sound. At mine ear Bubbled the nightingale and heeded not. Tennyson.
BUBBLER Bub"bler, v. t.
Defn: To cheat; to deceive. She has bubbled him out of his youth. Addison. The great Locke, who was seldom outwitted by false sounds, was nevertheless bubbled here. Sterne.
BUBBLER Bub"bler, n.
1. One who cheats. All the Jews, jobbers, bubblers, subscribers, projectors, etc. Pope.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish of the Ohio river; -- so called from the noise it makes.
BUBBLE SHELL Bub"ble shell`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A marine univalve shell of the genus Bulla and allied genera, belonging to the Tectibranchiata.
BUBBLING JOCK Bub"bling Jock` (Zoöl.)
Defn: The male wild turkey, the gobbler; -- so called in allusion to its notes.
BUBBLY Bub"bly, a.
Defn: Abounding in bubbles; bubbling. Nash.
BUBBY Bub"by (bûb"by), n. Etym: [Cf. Prov. G. bübbi, or It. poppa, Pr. popa, OF. poupe, a woman's breast.]
Defn: A woman's breast. [Low]
BUBBY Bub"by, n. Etym: [A corruption of brother.]
Defn: Bub; -- a term of familiar or affectionate address to a small boy.
BUBO Bu"bo, n.; pl. Buboes (. Etym: [LL. bubo the groin, a swelling in the groin, Gr. (Med.)
Defn: An inflammation, with enlargement, of a limphatic gland, esp. in the groin, as in syphilis.
BUBONIC Bu*bon"ic, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a bubo or buboes; characterized by buboes.
BUBONOCELE Bu*bon"o*cele, n. Etym: [Gr. bubonocèle.] (Med.)
Defn: An inguinal hernia; esp. that incomplete variety in which the hernial pouch descends only as far as the groin, forming a swelling there like a bubo.
BUBUKLE Bu"bu*kle, n.
Defn: A red pimple. [R.] Shak.
BUCCAL Buc"cal, a. Etym: [L. bucca cheek: cf. F. buccal.] (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the mouth or cheeks.
BUCCAN Buc"can, n. [F. boucan. See Buccaneer.]
1.
Defn: A wooden frame or grid for roasting, smoking, or drying meat over fire.
2. A place where meat is smoked.
3. Buccaned meat.
BUCCAN Buc"can, v. t. [F. boucaner. See Buccaneer.]
Defn: To expose (meat) in strips to fire and smoke upon a buccan.
BUCCANEER Buc`ca*neer", n. Etym: [F. boucanier, fr. boucaner to smoke or broil meat and fish, to hunt wild beasts for their skins, boucan a smoking place for meat or fish, gridiron for smoking: a word of American origin.]
Defn: A robber upon the sea; a pirate; -- a term applied especially to the piratical adventurers who made depredations on the Spaniards in America in the 17th and 18th centuries. [Written also bucanier.]
Note: Primarily, one who dries and smokes flesh or fish after the manner of the Indians. The name was first given to the French settlers in Hayti or Hispaniola, whose business was to hunt wild cattle and swine.
BUCCANEER Buc`ca*neer", v. i.
Defn: To act the part of a buccaneer; to live as a piratical adventurer or sea robber.
BUCCANEERISH Buc`ca*neer"ish, a.
Defn: Like a buccaneer; piratical.
BUCCINAL Buc"ci*nal, a. Etym: [L. bucina a crooked horn or trumpet.]
Defn: Shaped or sounding like a trumpet; trumpetlike.
BUCCINATOR Buc`ci*na"tor, n. Etym: [L., a trumpeter, fr. bucinare to sound the trumpet.] (Anat.)
Defn: A muscle of the cheek; -- so called from its use in blowing wind instruments.
BUCCINOID Buc"ci*noid, a. Etym: [Buccinum + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Resembling the genus Buccinum, or pertaining to the Buccinidæ, a family of marine univalve shells. See Whelk, and Prosobranchiata.
BUCCINUM Buc"ci*num, n. Etym: [L., a trumpet, a trumpet shell.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of large univalve mollusks abundant in the arctic seas. It includes the common whelk (B. undatum).
BUCENTAUR Bu*cen"taur, n. Etym: [Gr.
1. A fabulous monster, half ox, half man.
2. Etym: [It. bucentoro.]
Defn: The state barge of Venice, used by the doge in the ceremony of espousing the Adriatic.
BUCEPHALUS Bu*ceph"a*lus, n. [L., fr. Gr. , lit., ox-headed; ox + head.]
1.
Defn: The celebrated war horse of Alexander the Great.
2. Hence, any riding horse. [Jocose] Sir W. Scott.
BUCEROS Bu"ce*ros, n. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of large perching birds; the hornbills.
BUCHOLZITE Buch"ol*zite, n. Etym: [So called from Bucholz, a German chemist.] (Min.)
Defn: Same as Fibrolite.
BUCHU Bu"chu, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A South African shrub (Barosma) with small leaves that are dotted with oil dlands; also, the leaves themselves, which are used in medicine for diseases of the urinary organs, etc. Several species furnish the leaves.
BUCK Buck, n. Etym: [Akin to LG. büke, Dan. byg, Sw. byk, G. bauche: cf. It. bucato, Prov. Sp. bugada, F. buée.]
1. Lye or suds in which cloth is soaked in the operation of bleaching, or in which clothes are washed.
2. The cloth or clothes soaked or washed. [Obs.] Shak.
BUCK Buck, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bucked; p. pr. & vb. n. Bucking.] Etym: [OE. bouken; akin to LG. büken, Dan. byge, Sw. byka, G. bauchen, beuchen; cf. OF. buer. Cf. the preceding noun.]
1. To soak, steep, or boil, in lye or suds; -- a process in bleaching.
2. To wash (clothes) in lye or suds, or, in later usage, by beating them on stones in running water.
3. (Mining)
Defn: To break up or pulverize, as ores.
BUCK Buck, n. Etym: [OE. buk, bucke, AS. bucca, bua, he-goat; akin to D. bok, OHG. pocch, G. bock, Ir. boc, W. bwch, Corn. byk; cf. Zend b, Skr. bukka. *256. Cf. Butcher, n.]
1. The male of deer, especially fallow deer and antelopes, or of goats, sheep, hares, and rabbits.
Note: A male fallow deer is called a fawn in his first year; a pricket in his second; a sorel in his third; a sore in his fourth; a buck of the first head in his fifth; and a great buck in his sixth. The female of the fallow deer is termed a doe. The male of the red deer is termed a stag or hart and not a buck, and the female is called a hind. Brande & C.
2. A gay, dashing young fellow; a fop; a dandy. The leading bucks of the day. Thackeray.
3. A male Indian or negro. [Colloq. U.S.]
Note: The word buck is much used in composition for the names of antelopes; as, bush buck, spring buck. Blue buck. See under Blue. -- Water buck, a South African variety of antelope (Kobus ellipsiprymnus). See Illust. of Antelope.
BUCK Buck, v. i.
1. To copulate, as bucks and does.
2. To spring with quick plunging leaps, descending with the fore legs rigid and the head held as low down as possible; -- said of a vicious horse or mule.
BUCK Buck, v. t.
1. (Mil.)
Defn: To subject to a mode of punishment which consists in tying the wrists together, passing the arms over the bent knees, and putting a stick across the arms and in the angle formed by the knees.
2. To throw by bucking. See Buck, v. i., 2. The brute that he was riding had nearly bucked him out of the saddle. W. E. Norris.
BUCK Buck, n.
Defn: A frame on which firewood is sawed; a sawhorse; a sawbuck. Buck saw, a saw set in a frame and used for sawing wood on a sawhorse.
BUCK Buck, n. Etym: [See Beech, n.]
Defn: The beech tree. [Scot.] Buck mast, the mast or fruit of the beech tree. Johnson.
BUCK-BASKET Buck"-bas`ket, n. Etym: [See 1st Buck.]
Defn: A basket in which clothes are carried to the wash. Shak.
BUCK BEAN Buck" bean`. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Menyanthes trifoliata) which grows in moist and boggy places, having racems of white or reddish flowers and intensely bitter leaves, sometimes used in medicine; marsh trefoil; -- called also bog bean.
BUCKBOARD Buck"board`, n.
Defn: A four-wheeled vehicle, having a long elastic board or frame resting on the bolsters or axletrees, and a seat or seats placed transversely upon it; -- called also buck wagon.
BUCKER Buck"er, n. (Mining)
1. One who bucks ore.
2. A broad-headed hammer used in bucking ore.
BUCKER Buck"er, n.
Defn: A horse or mule that bucks.
BUCKET Buck"et, n. Etym: [OE. boket; cf. AS. buc pitcher, or Corn. buket tub.]
1. A vessel for drawing up water from a well, or for catching, holding, or carrying water, sap, or other liquids. The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, The moss-covered bucket, which hung in the well. Wordsworth.
2. A vessel (as a tub or scoop) for hoisting and conveying coal, ore, grain, etc.
3. (Mach.)
Defn: One of the receptacles on the rim of a water wheel into which the water rushes, causing the wheel to revolve; also, a float of a paddle wheel.
4. The valved piston of a lifting pump. Fire bucket, a bucket for carrying water to put out fires. -- To kick the bucket, to die. [Low]
BUCKET SHOP Buck"et shop`.
Defn: An office or a place where facilities are given for betting small sums on current prices of stocks, petroleum, etc. [Slang, U.S.]
BUCKETY Buck"et*y, n. Etym: [A corruption of buckwheat.]
Defn: Paste used by weavers to dress their webs. Buchanan.
BUCKEYE Buck"eye`, n.
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A name given to several American trees and shrubs of the same genus (Æsculus) as the horse chestnut. The Ohio buckeye, or Fetid buckeye, is Æsculus glabra. -- Red buckeye is Æ. Pavia. -- Small buckeye is Æ. paviflora. -- Sweet buckeye, or Yellow buckeye, is Æ. flava.
2. A cant name for a native in Ohio. [U.S.] Buckeye State, Ohio; -- so called because buckeye trees abound there.
BUCK-EYED Buck"-eyed`, a.
Defn: Having bad or speckled eyes. "A buck-eyed horse." James White.
BUCK FEVER Buck fever.
Defn: Intense excitement at the sight of deer or other game, such as often unnerves a novice in hunting. [Colloq.]
BUCKHOUND Buck"hound`, n.
Defn: A hound for hunting deer. Master of the buckhounds, an officer in the royal household. [Eng.]
BUCKIE Buck"ie, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large spiral marine shell, esp. the common whelk. See Buccinum. [Scot.] Deil's buckie, a perverse, refractory youngster. [Slang]
BUCKING Buck"ing, n.
1. The act or process of soaking or boiling cloth in an alkaline liquid in the operation of bleaching; also, the liquid used. Tomlinson.
2. A washing.
3. The process of breaking up or pulverizing ores. Bucking iron (Mining), a broad-faced hammer, used in bucking or breaking up ores. -- Bucking kier (Manuf.), a large circular boiler, or kier, used in bleaching. -- Bucking stool, a washing block.
BUCKISH Buck"ish, a.
Defn: Dandified; foppish.
BUCKLE Buc"kle, n. Etym: [OE. bocle buckle, boss of a shield, OF. bocle, F. boucle, boss of a shield, ring, fr. L. buccula a little cheek or mouth, dim. of bucca cheek; this boss or knob resembling a cheek.]
1. A device, usually of metal, consisting of a frame with one more movable tongues or catches, used for fastening things together, as parts of dress or harness, by means of a strap passing through the frame and pierced by the tongue.
2. A distortion bulge, bend, or kink, as in a saw blade or a plate of sheet metal. Knight.
3. A curl of hair, esp. a kind of crisp curl formerly worn; also, the state of being curled. Earlocks in tight buckles on each side of a lantern face. W. Irving. Lets his wig lie in buckle for a whole half year. Addison.
4. A contorted expression, as of the face. [R.] 'Gainst nature armed by gravity, His features too in buckle see. Churchill.
BUCKLE Buc"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buckled; p. pr. & vb. n. Buckling.] Etym: [OE. boclen, F. boucler. See Buckle, n.]
1. To fasten or confine with a buckle or buckles; as, to buckle a harness.
2. To bend; to cause to kink, or to become distorted.
3. To prepare for action; to apply with vigor and earnestness; -- generally used reflexively. Cartwright buckled himself to the employment. Fuller.
4. To join in marriage. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
BUCKLE Buc"kle, v. i.
1. To bend permanently; to become distorted; to bow; to curl; to kink. Buckled with the heat of the fire like parchment. Pepys.
2. To bend out of a true vertical plane, as a wall.
3. To yield; to give way; to cease opposing. [Obs.] The Dutch, as high as they seem, do begin to buckle. Pepys.
4. To enter upon some labor or contest; to join in close fight; to struggle; to contend. The bishop was as able and ready to buckle with the Lord Protector as he was with him. Latimer. In single combat thou shalt buckle with me. Shak. To buckle to, to bend to; to engage with zeal. To make our sturdy humor buckle thereto. Barrow. Before buckling to my winter's work. J. D. Forbes.
BUCKLER Buc"kler, n. Etym: [OE. bocler, OF. bocler, F. bouclier, a shield with a boss, from OF. bocle, boucle, boss. See Buckle, n.]
1. A kind of shield, of various shapes and sizes, worn on one of the arms (usually the left) for protecting the front of the body.
Note: In the sword and buckler play of the Middle Ages in England, the buckler was a small shield, used, not to cover the body, but to stop or parry blows.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) One of the large, bony, external plates found on many ganoid fishes. (b) The anterior segment of the shell of trilobites.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: A block of wood or plate of iron made to fit a hawse hole, or the circular opening in a half-port, to prevent water from entering when the vessel pitches. Blind buckler (Naut.), a solid buckler. -- Buckler mustard (Bot.), a genus of plants (Biscutella) with small bright yellow flowers. The seed vessel on bursting resembles two bucklers or shields. -- Buckler thorn, a plant with seed vessels shaped like a buckler. See Christ's thorn. -- Riding buckler (Naut.), a buckler with a hole for the passage of a cable.
BUCKLER Buc"kler, v. t.
Defn: To shield; to defend. [Obs.] Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right, Now buckler falsehood with a pedigree Shak.
BUCKLER-HEADED Buc"kler-head`ed, a.
Defn: Having a head like a buckler.
BUCKLING Buc"kling, a.
Defn: Wavy; curling, as hair. Latham.
BUCKRA Buck"ra, n. Etym: [In the language of the Calabar coast, buckra means "demon, a powerful and superior being." J.L.Wilson.]
Defn: A white man; -- a term used by negroes of the African coast, West Indies, etc.
BUCKRA Buck"ra, a.
Defn: White; white man's; strong; good; as, buckra yam, a white yam.
BUCKRAM Buck"ram, n. Etym: [OE. bokeram, bougeren, OF. boqueran, F. bougran, MHG. buckeram, LL. buchiranus, boquerannus, fr. MHG. boc, G. bock, goat (as being made of goat's hair), or fr. F. bouracan, by transposing the letter r. See Buck, Barracan.]
1. A coarse cloth of linen or hemp, stiffened with size or glue, used in garments to keep them in the form intended, and for wrappers to cover merchandise.
Note: Buckram was formerly a very different material from that now known by the name. It was used for wearing apparel, etc. Beck (Draper's Dict. ).
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant. See Ramson. Dr. Prior.
BUCKRAM Buck"ram, a.
1. Made of buckram; as, a buckram suit.
2. Stiff; precise. "Buckram dames." Brooke.
BUCKRAM Buck"ram, v. t.
Defn: To strengthen with buckram; to make stiff. Cowper.
BUCK'S-HORN Buck's"-horn`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant with leaves branched somewhat like a buck's horn (Plantago Coronopus); also, Lobelia coronopifolia.
BUCKSHOT Buck"shot`, n.
Defn: A coarse leaden shot, larger than swan shot, used in hunting deer and large game.
BUCKSKIN Buck"skin`, n.
1. The skin of a buck.
2. A soft strong leather, usually yellowish or grayish in color, made of deerskin.
3. A person clothed in buckskin, particularly an American soldier of the Revolutionary war. Cornwallis fought as lang's he dought, An' did the buckskins claw, man. Burns.
4. pl.
Defn: Breeches made of buckskin. I have alluded to his buckskin. Thackeray.
BUCKSTALL Buck"stall`, n.
Defn: A toil or net to take deer.
BUCKTHORN Buck"thorn`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus (Rhamnus) of shrubs or trees. The shorter branches of some species terminate in long spines or thorns. See Rhamnus. Sea buckthorn, a plant of the genus Hippophaë.
BUCKTOOTH Buck"tooth`, n.
Defn: Any tooth that juts out. When he laughed, two white buckteeth protruded. Thackeray.
BUCKWHEAT Buck"wheat`, n. Etym: [Buck a beech tree + wheat; akin to D. boekweit, G. buchweizen.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Fagopyrum esculentum) of the Polygonum family, the seed of which is used for food.
2. The triangular seed used, when ground, for griddle cakes, etc.
BUCOLIC Bu*col"ic, a. Etym: [L. bucolicus, Gr. kal to drive: cf. F. bucolique. See Cow the animal.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the life and occupation of a shepherd; pastoral; rustic.
BUCOLIC Bu*col"ic, n. Etym: [L. Bucolicôn poëma.]
Defn: A pastoral poem, representing rural affairs, and the life, manners, and occupation of shepherds; as, the Bucolics of Theocritus and Virgil. Dryden.
BUCOLICAL Bu*col"ic*al, a.
Defn: Bucolic.
BUCRANIUM Bu*cra"ni*um, n.; pl. L. Bucrania. Etym: [L., fr. Gr.
Defn: A sculptured ornament, representing an ox skull adorned with wreaths, etc.
BUD Bud, n. Etym: [OE. budde; cf. D. bot, G. butze, butz, the core of a fruit, bud, LG. butte in hagebutte, hainbutte, a hip of the dog-rose, or OF. boton, F. bouton, bud, button, OF. boter to bud, push; all akin to E. beat. See Button.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A small protuberance on the stem or branches of a plant, containing the rudiments of future leaves, flowers, or stems; an undeveloped branch or flower.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: A small protuberance on certain low forms of animals and vegetables which develops into a new organism, either free or attached. See Hydra. Bud moth (Zoöl.), a lepidopterous insect of several species, which destroys the buds of fruit trees; esp. Tmetocera ocellana and Eccopsis malana on the apple tree.
BUD Bud, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Budded; p. pr. & vb. n. Budding.]
1. To put forth or produce buds, as a plant; to grow, as a bud does, into a flower or shoot.
2. To begin to grow, or to issue from a stock in the manner of a bud, as a horn.
3. To be like a bud in respect to youth and freshness, or growth and promise; as, a budding virgin. Shak.
Syn. -- To sprout; germinate; blossom.
BUD Bud, v. t.
Defn: To graft, as a plant with another or into another, by inserting a bud from the one into an opening in the bark of the other, in order to raise, upon the budded stock, fruit different from that which it would naturally bear. The apricot and the nectarine may be, and usually are, budded upon the peach; the plum and the peach are budded on each other. Farm. Dict.
BUDDHA Bud"dha, n. Etym: [Skr. buddha wise, sage, fr. budh to know.]
Defn: The title of an incarnation of self-abnegation, virtue, and wisdom, or a deified religious teacher of the Buddhists, esp. Gautama Siddartha or Sakya Sinha (or Muni), the founder of Buddhism.
BUDDHISM Bud"dhism, n.
Defn: The religion based upon the doctrine originally taught by the Hindoo sage Gautama Siddartha, surnamed Buddha, "the awakened or enlightened," in the sixth century b.c., and adopted as a religion by the greater part of the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Asia and the Indian Islands. Buddha's teaching is believed to have been atheistic; yet it was characterized by elevated humanity and morality. It presents release from existence (a beatific enfranchisement, Nirvâna) as the greatest good. Buddhists believe in transmigration of souls through all phases and forms of life. Their number was estimated in 1881 at 470,000,000.
BUDDHIST Bud"dhist, n.
Defn: One who accepts the teachings of Buddhism.
BUDDHIST Bud"dhist, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Buddha, Buddhism, or the Buddhists.
BUDDHISTIC Bud*dhis"tic, a.
Defn: Same as Buddhist, a.
BUDDING Bud"ding, n.
1. The act or process of producing buds.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: A process of asexual reproduction, in which a new organism or cell is formed by a protrusion of a portion of the animal or vegetable organism, the bud thus formed sometimes remaining attached to the parent stalk or cell, at other times becoming free; gemmation. See Hydroidea.
3. The act or process of ingrafting one kind of plant upon another stock by inserting a bud under the bark.
BUDDLE Bud"dle, n. Etym: [Prov. E., to cleanse ore, also a vessel for this purpose; cf. G. butteln to shake.] (Mining)
Defn: An apparatus, especially an inclined trough or vat, in which stamped ore is concentrated by subjecting it to the action of rynning water so as to wash out the lighter and less valuable portions.
BUDDLE Bud"dle, v. i. (Mining)
Defn: To wash ore in a buddle.
BUDE BURNER Bude" burn`er. Etym: [See Bude light.]
Defn: A burner consisting of two or more concentric Argand burners (the inner rising above the outer) and a central tube by which oxygen gas or common air is supplied.
BUDE LIGHT Bude" light`. Etym: [From Bude, in Cornwall, the residence of Sir G.Gurney, the inventor.]
Defn: A light in which high illuminating power is obtained by introducing a jet of oxygen gas or of common air into the center of a flame fed with coal gas or with oil.
BUDGE Budge, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Budged; p. pr. & vb. n. Budging.] Etym: [F. bouger to stir, move (akin to Pr. bojar, bolegar, to stir, move, It. bulicare to boil, bubble), fr. L. bullire. See Boil, v. i.]
Defn: To move off; to stir; to walk away. I'll not budge an inch, boy. Shak. The mouse ne'er shunned the cat as they did budge From rascals worse than they. Shak.
BUDGE Budge, a. Etym: [See Budge, v.]
Defn: Brisk; stirring; jocund. [Obs.] South.
BUDGE Budge, n. Etym: [OE. bouge bag, OF. boge, bouge, fr. L. bulga a leathern bag or knapsack; a Gallic word; cf. OIr. bolc, Gael. bolg. Cf. Budge, n.]
Defn: A kind of fur prepared from lambskin dressed with the wool on; -- used formerly as an edging and ornament, esp. of scholastic habits.
BUDGE Budge, a.
1. Lined with budge; hence, scholastic. "Budge gowns." Milton.
2. Austere or stiff, like scholastics. Those budge doctors of the stoic fur. Milton. Budge bachelor, one of a company of men clothed in long gowns lined with budge, who formerly accompanied the lord mayor of London in his inaugural procession. -- Budge barrel (Mil.), a small copper-hooped barrel with only one head, the other end being closed by a piece of leather, which is drawn together with strings like a purse. It is used for carrying powder from the magazine to the battery, in siege or seacoast service.
BUDGENESS Budge"ness, n.
Defn: Sternness; severity. [Obs.] A Sara for goodness, a great Bellona for budgeness. Stanyhurst.
BUDGER Budg"er, n.
Defn: One who budges. Shak.
BUDGEROW budg"e*row, n. Etym: [Hindi bajra.]
Defn: A large and commodious, but generally cumbrous and sluggish boat, used for journeys on the Ganges.
BUDGET Budg"et, n. Etym: [OE. bogett, bouget, F. bougette bag, wallet, dim. of OF. boge, bouge, leather bag. See Budge, n., and cf. Bouget.]
1. A bag or sack with its contents; hence, a stock or store; an accumulation; as, a budget of inventions.
2. The annual financial statement which the British chancellor of the exchequer makes in the House of Commons. It comprehends a general view of the finances of the country, with the proposed plan of taxation for the ensuing year. The term is sometimes applied to a similar statement in other countries. To open the budget, to lay before a legislative body the financial estimates and plans of the executive government.
BUDGY Budg"y, a. Etym: [From Budge, n.]
Defn: Consisting of fur. [Obs.]
BUDLET Bud"let, n. Etym: [Bud + -let.]
Defn: A little bud springing from a parent bud. We have a criterion to distinguish one bud from another, or the parent bud from the numerous budlets which are its offspring. E. Darwin.
BUFF Buff, n. Etym: [OE. buff, buffe, buff, buffalo, F. buffle buffalo. See Buffalo.]
1. A sort of leather, prepared from the skin of the buffalo, dressed with oil, like chamois; also, the skins of oxen, elks, and other animals, dressed in like manner. "A suit of buff." Shak.
2. The color to buff; a light yellow, shading toward pink, gray, or brown. A visage rough, Deformed, unfeatured, and a skin of buff. Dryden.
3. A military coat, made of buff leather. Shak.
4. (Med.)
Defn: The grayish viscid substance constituting the buffy coat. See Buffy coat, under Buffy, a.
5. (Mech.)
Defn: A wheel covered with buff leather, and used in polishing cutlery, spoons, etc.
6. The bare skin; as, to strip to the buff. [Colloq.] To be in buff is equivalent to being naked. Wright.
BUFF Buff, a.
1. Made of buff leather. Goldsmith.
2. Of the color of buff. Buff coat, a close, military outer garment, with short sleeves, and laced tightly over the chest, made of buffalo skin, or other thick and elastic material, worn by soldiers in the 17th century as a defensive covering. -- Buff jerkin, originally, a leather waistcoat; afterward, one of cloth of a buff color. [Obs.] Nares. -- Buff stick (Mech.), a strip of wood covered with buff leather, used in polishing.
BUFF Buff, v. t.
Defn: To polish with a buff. See Buff, n., 5.
BUFF Buff, v. t. Etym: [OF. bufer to cuff, buffet. See Buffet a blow.]
Defn: To strike. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
BUFF Buff, n. Etym: [See Buffet.]
Defn: A buffet; a blow; -- obsolete except in the phrase "Blindman's buff." Nathless so sore a buff to him it lent That made him reel. Spenser.
BUFF Buff, a. Etym: [Of uncertain etymol.]
Defn: Firm; sturdy. And for the good old cause stood buff, 'Gainst many a bitter kick and cuff. Hudibras.
BUFFA Buf"fa, n. fem. (Mus.) Etym: [It. See Buffoon.]
Defn: The comic actress in an opera. -- a.
Defn: Comic, farcical. Aria buffa, a droll or comic air. -- Opera buffa, a comic opera. See Opera bouffe.
BUFFALO Buf"fa*lo, n.; pl. Buffaloes (. Etym: [Sp. bufalo (cf. It. bufalo, F. buffle), fr. L. bubalus, bufalus, a kind of African stag or gazelle; also, the buffalo or wild ox, fr. Gr. Cow the animal, and cf. Buff the color, and Bubale.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of the genus Bos or Bubalus (B. bubalus), originally from India, but now found in most of the warmer countries of the eastern continent. It is larger and less docile than the common ox, and is fond of marshy places and rivers.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A very large and savage species of the same genus (B. Caffer) found in South Africa; -- called also Cape buffalo.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of wild ox.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The bison of North America.
5. A buffalo robe. See Buffalo robe, below.
6. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The buffalo fish. See Buffalo fish, below. Buffalo berry (Bot.), a shrub of the Upper Missouri (Sherherdia argentea) with acid edible red berries. -- Buffalo bird (Zoöl.), an African bird of the genus Buphaga, of two species. These birds perch upon buffaloes and cattle, in search of parasites. -- Buffalo bug, the carpet beetle. See under Carpet. -- Buffalo chips, dry dung of the buffalo, or bison, used for fuel. [U.S.] -- Buffalo clover (Bot.), a kind of clover (Trifolium reflexum and T.soloniferum) found in the ancient grazing grounds of the American bison. -- Buffalo cod (Zoöl.), a large, edible, marine fish (Ophiodon elongatus) of the northern Pacific coast; -- called also blue cod, and cultus cod. -- Buffalo fish (Zoöl.), one of several large fresh-water fishes of the family Catostomidæ, of the Mississippi valley. The red-mouthed or brown (Ictiobus bubalus), the big-mouthed or black (Bubalichthys urus), and the small-mouthed (B. altus), are among the more important species used as food. -- Buffalo fly, or Buffalo gnat (Zoöl.), a small dipterous insect of the genus Simulium, allied to the black fly of the North. It is often extremely abundant in the lower part of the Mississippi valley and does great injury to domestic animals, often killing large numbers of cattle and horses. In Europe the Columbatz fly is a species with similar habits. -- Buffalo grass (Bot.), a species of short, sweet grass (Buchloë dactyloides), from two to four inches high, covering the prairies on which the buffaloes, or bisons, feed. [U.S.] -- Buffalo nut (Bot.), the oily and drupelike fruit of an American shrub (Pyrularia oleifera); also, the shrub itself; oilnut. -- Buffalo robe, the skin of the bison of North America, prepared with the hair on; -- much used as a lap robe in sleighs.
BUFFEL DUCK Buf"fel duck. Etym: [See Buffalo.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small duck (Charitonetta albeola); the spirit duck, or butterball. The head of the male is covered with numerous elongated feathers, and thus appears large. Called also bufflehead.
BUFFER Buff"er, n. Etym: [Prop a striker. See Buffet a blow.]
1. (Mech.) (a) An elastic apparatus or fender, for deadening the jar caused by the collision of bodies; as, a buffer at the end of a railroad car. (b) A pad or cushion forming the end of a fender, which recieves the blow; -- sometimes called buffing apparatus.
2. One who polishes with a buff.
3. A wheel for buffing; a buff.
4. A good-humored, slow-witted fellow; -- usually said of an elderly man. [Colloq.] Dickens.
BUFFERHEAD Buff"er*head`, n.
Defn: The head of a buffer, which recieves the concussion, in railroad carriages.
BUFFET Buf*fet", n. Etym: [F. buffet, LL. bufetum; of uncertain origin; perh. fr. the same source as E. buffet a blow, the root meaning to puff, hence (cf. puffed up) the idea of ostentation or display.]
1. A cupboard or set of shelves, either movable or fixed at one side of a room, for the display of plate, china, etc., a sideboard. Not when a gilt buffet's reflected pride Turns you from sound philosophy aside. Pope.
2. A counter for refreshments; a restaurant at a railroad station, or place of public gathering.
BUFFET Buf"fet, n. Etym: [OE. buffet, boffet, OF. buffet a slap in the face, a pair of bellows, fr. buffe blow, cf. F. bouffer to blow, puff; prob. akin to E. puff. For the meaning slap, blow, cf. F. soufflet a slap, souffler to blow. See Puff, v. i., and cf. Buffet sidebroad, Buffoon]
1. A blow with the hand; a slap on the face; a cuff. When on his cheek a buffet fell. Sir W. Scott.
2. A blow from any source, or that which affects like a blow, as the violence of winds or waves; a stroke; an adverse action; an affliction; a trial; adversity. Those planks of tough and hardy oak that used for yeas to brave the buffets of the Bay of Biscay. Burke. Fortune's buffets and rewards. Shak.
3. A small stool; a stool for a buffet or counter. Go fetch us a light buffet. Townely Myst.
BUFFET Buf"fet, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buffeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Buffeting.] Etym: [OE. buffeten, OF. buffeter. See the preceding noun.]
1. To strike with the hand or fist; to box; to beat; to cuff; to slap. They spit in his face and buffeted him. Matt. xxvi. 67.
2. To affect as with blows; to strike repeatedly; to strive with or contend against; as, to buffet the billows. The sudden hurricane in thunder roars, Buffets the bark, and whirls it from the shores. Broome. You are lucky fellows who can live in a dreamland of your own, instead of being buffeted about the world. W. Black.
3. Etym: [Cf. Buffer.]
Defn: To deaden the sound of (bells) by muffling the clapper.
BUFFET Buf"fet, v. i.
1. To exercise or play at boxing; to strike; to smite; to strive; to contend. If I might buffet for my love, or bound my horse for her favors, I could lay on like a butcher. Shak.
2. To make one's way by blows or struggling. Strove to buffet to land in vain. Tennyson.
BUFFETER Buf"fet*er, n.
Defn: One who buffets; a boxer. Jonson.
BUFFETING Buf"fet*ing, n.
1. A striking with the hand.
2. A succession of blows; continued violence, as of winds or waves; afflictions; adversity. He seems to have been a plant of slow growth, but . . . fitted to endure the buffeting on the rudest storm. Wirt.
BUFFIN Buf"fin, n. Etym: [So called from resembling buff
Defn: A sort of coarse stuff; as, buffin gowns. [Obs.]
BUFFING APPARATUS Buff"ing ap`pa*ra"tus.
Defn: See Buffer, 1.
BUFFLE Buf"fle, n. Etym: [OE., from F. buffle. See Buffalo.]
Defn: The buffalo. [Obs.] Sir T. Herbert.
BUFFLE Buf"fle, v. i.
Defn: To puzzle; to be at a loss. [Obs.] Swift.
BUFFLEHEAD Buf"fle*head`, n. Etym: [Buffle + head.]
1. One who has a large head; a heavy, stupid fellow. [Obs.] What makes you stare so, bufflehead Plautus (trans. 1694).
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The buffel duck. See Buffel duck.
BUFFLE-HEADED Buf"fle-head`ed, a.
Defn: Having a large head, like a buffalo; dull; stupid; blundering. [Obs.] So fell this buffle-headed giant. Gayton.
BUFFO Buf"fo, n.masc. Etym: [It. See Buffoon.] (Mus.)
Defn: The comic actor in an opera.
BUFFOON Buf*foon", n. Etym: [F. bouffon (cf. It. buffone, buffo, buffa, puff of wind, vanity, nonsense, trick), fr. bouffer to puff out, because the buffoons puffed out their cheeks for the amusement of the spectators. See Buffet a blow.]
Defn: A man who makes a practice of amusing others by low tricks, antic gestures, etc.; a droll; a mimic; a harlequin; a clown; a merry-andrew.
BUFFOON Buf*foon", a.
Defn: Characteristic of, or like, a buffoon. "Buffoon stories." Macaulay. To divert the audience with buffoon postures and antic dances. Melmoth.
BUFFOON Buf*foon", v. i.
Defn: To act the part of a buffoon. [R.]
BUFFOON Buf*foon", v. t.
Defn: To treat with buffoonery. Glanvill.
BUFFOONERY Buf*foon"er*y, n.; pl. Buffooneries. Etym: [F. bouffonnerie.]
Defn: The arts and practices of a buffoon, as low jests, ridiculous pranks, vulgar tricks and postures. Nor that it will ever constitute a wit to conclude a tart piece of buffoonery with a "What makes you blush" Spectator.
BUFFOONISH Buf*foon"ish, a.
Defn: Like a buffoon; consisting in low jests or gestures. Blair.
BUFFOONISM Buf*foon"ism, n.
Defn: The practices of a buffoon; buffoonery.
BUFFOONLY Buf*foon"ly, a.
Defn: Low; vulgar. [R.] Apish tricks and buffoonly discourse. Goodman.
BUFFY Buff"y, a. (Med.)
Defn: Resembling, or characterized by, buff. Buffy coat, the coagulated plasma of blood when the red corpuscles have so settled out that the coagulum appears nearly colorless. This is common in diseased conditions where the corpuscles run together more rapidly and in denser masses than usual. Huxley.
BUFO Bu"fo, n. Etym: [L. bufo a toad.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of Amphibia including various species of toads.
BUFONITE Bu"fon*ite, n. Etym: [L. bufo toad: cf. F. bufonite.] (Paleon.)
Defn: An old name for a fossil consisting of the petrified teeth and palatal bones of fishes belonging to the family of Pycnodonts (thick teeth), whose remains occur in the oölite and chalk formations; toadstone; -- so named from a notion that it was originally formed in the head of a toad.
BUG Bug, n. Etym: [OE. bugge, fr. W. bwg, bwgan, hobgoblin, scarecrow, bugbear. Cf. Bogey, Boggle.]
1. A bugbear; anything which terrifies. [Obs.] Sir, spare your threats: The bug which you would fright me with I seek. Shak.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A general name applied to various insects belonging to the Hemiptera; as, the squash bug; the chinch bug, etc.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An insect of the genus Cimex, especially the bedbug (C. lectularius). See Bedbug.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of various species of Coleoptera; as, the ladybug; potato bug, etc.; loosely, any beetle.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of certain kinds of Crustacea; as, the sow bug; pill bug; bait bug; salve bug, etc.
Note: According to present popular usage in England, and among housekeepers in America, bug, when not joined with some qualifying word, is used specifically for bedbug. As a general term it is used very loosely in America, and was formerly used still more loosely in England. "God's rare workmanship in the ant, the poorest bug that creeps." Rogers (Naaman). "This bug with gilded wings." Pope. Bait bug. See under Bait. -- Bug word, swaggering or threatening language. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
BUGABOO; BUGBEAR Bug`a*boo", Bug"bear`, n. Etym: [See Bug.]
Defn: Something frightful, as a specter; anything imaginary that causes needless fright; something used to excite needless fear; also, something really dangerous, used to frighten children, etc. "Bugaboos to fright ye." Lloyd. But, to the world no bugbear is so great As want of figure and a small estate. Pope. The bugaboo of the liberals is the church pray. S. B. Griffin. The great bugaboo of the birds is the owl. J. Burroughs.
Syn. -- Hobgoblin; goblin; specter; ogre; scarecrow.
BUGBANE Bug"bane`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A perennial white-flowered herb of the order Ranunculaceæ and genus Cimiciguga; bugwort. There are several species.
BUGBEAR Bug"bear`, n.
Defn: Same as Bugaboo. -- a.
Defn: Causing needless fright. Locke.
BUGBEAR Bug"bear`, v. t.
Defn: To alarm with idle phantoms.
BUGFISH Bug"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The menhaden. [U.S.]
BUGGER Bug"ger, n. Etym: [F. bougre, fr. LL. Bulgarus, a Bulgarian, and also a heretic; because the inhabitants of Bulgaria were infected with heresy. Those guilty of the crime of buggery were called heretics, because in the eyes of their adversaries there was nothing more heinous than heresy, and it was therefore thought that the origin of such a vice could only be owing to heretics.]
1. One guilty of buggery or unnatural vice; a sodomite.
2. A wretch; -- sometimes used humorously or in playful disparagement. [Low]
BUGGERY Bug"ger*y, n. Etym: [OF. bougrerie, bogrerie, heresy. See Bugger.]
Defn: Unnatural sexual intercourse; sodomy.
BUGGINESS Bug"gi*ness, n. Etym: [From Buggy, a.]
Defn: The state of being infested with bugs.
BUGGY Bug"gy, a. Etym: [From Bug.]
Defn: Infested or abounding with bugs.
BUGGY Bug"gy, n.; pl. Buggies.
1. A light one horse two-wheeled vehicle. [Eng.] Villebeck prevailed upon Flora to drive with him to the race in a buggy. Beaconsfield.
2. A light, four-wheeled vehicle, usually with one seat, and with or without a calash top. [U.S.] Buggy cultivator, a cultivator with a seat for the driver. -- Buggy plow, a plow, or set of plows, having a seat for the driver; -- called also sulky plow.
BUGLE Bu"gle, n. Etym: [OE. bugle buffalo, buffalo's horn, OF. bugle, fr. L. buculus a young bullock, steer, dim. of bos ox. See Cow the animal.]
Defn: A sort of wild ox; a buffalo. E. Phillips.
BUGLE Bu"gle, n. Etym: [See Bugle a wild ox.]
1. A horn used by hunters.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: A copper instrument of the horn quality of tone, shorter and more conical that the trumpet, sometimes keyed; formerly much used in military bands, very rarely in the orchestra; now superseded by the cornet; -- called also the Kent bugle.
BUGLE Bu"gle, n. Etym: [LL. bugulus a woman's ornament: cf. G. bügel a bent piece of metal or wood, fr. the same root as G. biegen to bend, E. bow to bend.]
Defn: An elingated glass bead, of various colors, though commonly black.
BUGLE Bu"gle, a. Etym: [From Bugle a bead.]
Defn: Jet black. "Bugle eyeballs." Shak.
BUGLE Bu"gle, n. Etym: [F. bugle; cf. It. bugola, L. bugillo.] (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of the genus Ajuga of the Mint family, a native of the Old World. Yellow bugle, the Ajuga chamæpitys.
BUGLED Bu"gled, a.
Defn: Ornamented with bugles.
BUGLE HORN Bu"gle horn`.
1. A bugle. One blast upon his bugle horn Were worth a thousand men. Sir W. Scott.
2. A drinking vessel made of horn. [Obs.] And drinketh of his bugle horn the wine. Chaucer.
BUGLER Bu"gler, n.
Defn: One who plays on a bugle.
BUGLEWEED Bu"gle*weed`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of the Mint family and genus Lycopus; esp. L. Virginicus, which has mild narcotic and astringent properties, and is sometimes used as a remedy for hemorrhage.
BUGLOSS Bu"gloss, n.; pl. Buglosses. Etym: [F. buglosse, L. buglossa, buglossus, fr. Gr. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant of the genus Anchusa, and especially the A. officinalis, sometimes called alkanet; oxtongue. Small wild bugloss, the Asperugo procumbens and the Lycopsis arvensis. -- Viper's bugloss, a species of Echium.
BUGWORT Bug"wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: Bugbane.
BUHL; BUHLWORK Buhl, Buhl"work, n. Etym: [From A.Ch.Boule, a French carver in wood.]
Defn: Decorative woodwork in which tortoise shell, yellow metal, white metal, etc., are inlaid, forming scrolls, cartouches, etc. [Written also boule, boulework.]
BUHLBUHL Buhl"buhl, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Bulbul.
BUHRSTONE Buhr"stone`, n. Etym: [OE. bur a whetstone for scythes.] (Min.)
Defn: A cellular, flinty rock, used for mill stones. [Written also burrstone.]
BUILD Build, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Built; p. pr. & vb. n. Building. The regular imp. & p. p. Builded is antiquated.] Etym: [OE. bulden, bilden, AS. byldan to build, fr. bold house; cf. Icel. bol farm, abode, Dan. bol small farm, OSw. bol, böle, house, dwelling, fr. root of Icel. b to dwell; akin to E. be, bower, boor. sq. root97.]
1. To erect or construct, as an edifice or fabric of any kind; to form by uniting materials into a regular structure; to fabricate; to make; to raise. Nor aught availed him now To have built in heaven high towers. Milton.
2. To raise or place on a foundation; to form, establish, or produce by using appropriate means. Who builds his hopes in air of your good looks. Shak.
3. To increase and strengthen; to increase the power and stability of; to settle, or establish, and preserve; -- frequently with up; as, to build up one's constitution. I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up. Acts xx. 32.
Syn. -- To erect; construct; raise; found; frame.
BUILD Build, v. i.
1. To exercise the art, or practice the business, of building.
2. To rest or depend, as on a foundation; to ground one's self or one's hopes or opinions upon something deemed reliable; to rely; as, to build on the opinions or advice of others.
BUILD Build, n.
Defn: Form or mode of construction; general figure; make; as, the build of a ship.
BUILDER Build"er, n.
Defn: One who builds; one whose occupation is to build, as a carpenter, a shipwright, or a mason. In the practice of civil architecture, the builder comes between the architect who designs the work and the artisans who execute it. Eng. Cyc.
BUILDING Build"ing, n.
1. The act of constructing, erecting, or establishing. Hence it is that the building of our Sion rises no faster. Bp. Hall.
2. The art of constructing edifices, or the practice of civil architecture. The execution of works of architecture necessarily includes building; but building is frequently employed when the result is not architectural. Hosking.
3. That which is built; a fabric or edifice constructed, as a house, a church, etc. Thy sumptuous buildings and thy wife's attire Have cost a mass of public treasury. Shak.
BUILT Built, n.
Defn: Shape; build; form of structure; as, the built of a ship. [Obs.] Dryden.
BUILT Built, a.
Defn: Formed; shaped; constructed; made; -- often used in composition and preceded by the word denoting the form; as, frigate-built, clipper-built, etc. Like the generality of Genoese countrywomen, strongly built. Landor.
BUKE MUSLIN Buke" mus"lin.
Defn: See Book muslin.
BUKSHISH Buk"shish, n.
Defn: See Backsheesh.
BULAU Bu"lau, n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An East Indian insectivorous mammal (Gymnura Rafflesii), somewhat like a rat in appearance, but allied to the hedgehog.
BULB Bulb, n. Etym: [L. bulbus, Gr. bulbe.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A spheroidal body growing from a plant either above or below the ground (usually below), which is strictly a bud, consisting of a cluster of partially developed leaves, and producing, as it grows, a stem above, and roots below, as in the onion, tulip, etc. It differs from a corm in not being solid.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: A name given to some parts that resemble in shape certain bulbous roots; as, the bulb of the aorta. Bulb of the eye, the eyeball. -- Bulb of a hair, the "root," or part whence the hair originates. -- Bulb of the spinal cord, the medulla oblongata, often called simply bulb. -- Bulb of a tooth, the vascular and nervous papilla contained in the cavity of the tooth.
3. An expansion or protuberance on a stem or tube, as the bulb of a thermometer, which may be of any form, as spherical, cylindrical, curved, etc. Tomlinson.
BULB Bulb, v. i.
Defn: To take the shape of a bulb; to swell.
BULBACEOUS Bul*ba"ceous, a. Etym: [L. bulbaceus. See Bulb, n.]
Defn: Bulbous. Jonson.
BULBAR Bulb"ar, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to bulb; especially, in medicine, pertaining to the bulb of the spinal cord, or medulla oblongata; as, bulbar paralysis.
BULBED Bulbed, a.
Defn: Having a bulb; round-headed.
BULBEL Bulb"el, n. Etym: [Dim., fr. bulb, n.] (Bot.)
Defn: A separable bulb formed on some flowering plants.
BULBIFEROUS Bul*bif"er*ous, a. Etym: [Bulb,n.+ -ferous: cf. F. bulbifère.] (Bot.)
Defn: Producing bulbs.
BULBIL Bulb"il, n. [Dim. fr. bulb.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A small or secondary bulb; hence, now almost exclusively: An aërial bulb or deciduous bud, produced in the leaf axils, as in the tiger lily, or relpacing the flowers, as in some onions, and capable, when separated, of propagating the plant; -- called also bulblet and brood bud.
2. (Anat.) A small hollow bulb, such as an enlargement in a small vessel or tube.
BULBLET Bulb"let, n. Etym: [Bulb,n.+ -let.] (Bot.)
Defn: A small bulb, either produced on a larger bulb, or on some aërial part of a plant, as in the axils of leaves in the tiger lily, or replacing the flowers in some kinds of onion.
BULBOSE Bul*bose", a.
Defn: Bulbous.
BULBO-TUBER Bul"bo-tu`ber, n. Etym: [Bulb,n.+ tuber.] (Bot.)
Defn: A corm.
BULBOUS Bulb"ous, a. Etym: [L. bulbosus: cf. F. bulbeux. See Bulb, n.]
Defn: Having or containing bulbs, or a bulb; growing from bulbs; bulblike in shape or structure.
BULBUL Bul"bul, n. Etym: [Per.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The Persian nightingale (Pycnonotus jocosus). The name is also applied to several other Asiatic singing birds, of the family Timaliidæ. The green bulbuls belong to the Chloropsis and allied genera. [Written also buhlbuhl.]
BULBULE Bul"bule, n. Etym: [L. bulbulus, dim. of bulbus. See Bulb, n.]
Defn: A small bulb; a bulblet.
BULCHIN Bul"chin, n. Etym: [Dim. of bull.]
Defn: A little bull.
BULGE Bulge, n. Etym: [OE. bulge a swelling; cf. AS. belgan to swell, OSw. bulgja, Icel. bolginn swollen, OHG. belgan to swell, G. bulge leathern sack, Skr. b to be large, strong; the root meaning to swell. Cf. Bilge, Belly, Billow, Bouge, n.]
1. The bilge or protuberant part of a cask.
2. A swelling, protuberant part; a bending outward, esp. when caused by pressure; as, a bulge in a wall.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: The bilge of a vessel. See Bilge, 2. Bulge ways. (Naut.) See Bilge ways.
BULGE Bulge, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bulged (; p. pr. & vb.n. Bulging.]
1. To swell or jut out; to bend outward, as a wall when it yields to pressure; to be protuberant; as, the wall bulges.
2. To bilge, as a ship; to founder. And scattered navies bulge on distant shores. Broome.
BULGER Bul"ger, n. [From Bulge.] (Golf)
Defn: A driver or a brassy with a convex face.
BULGY Bul"gy, a.
Defn: Bulged; bulging; bending, or tending to bend, outward. [Colloq.]
BULIMIA; BULIMY Bu*lim"i*a, Bu"li*my, n. Etym: [NL. bulimia, fr. Gr. boulimie.] (Med.)
Defn: A disease in which there is a perpetual and insatiable appetite for food; a diseased and voracious appetite.
BULIMUS Bu*li"mus, n. Etym: [L. bulimus hunger. See Bulimy.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of land snails having an elongated spiral shell, often of large size. The species are numerous ingabundant in tropical America.
BULK Bulk, n. Etym: [OE. bulke, bolke, heap; cf. Dan. bulk lump, clod, OSw. bolk crowd, mass, Icel. b to be bulky. Cf. Boll, n., Bile a boil, Bulge, n.]
1. Magnitude of material substance; dimensions; mass; size; as, an ox or ship of great bulk. Against these forces there were prepared near one hundred ships; not so great of bulk indeed, but of a more nimble motion, and more serviceable. Bacon.
2. The main mass or body; the largest or principal portion; the majority; as, the bulk of a debt. The bulk of the people must labor, Burke told them, "to obtain what by labor can be obtained." J. Morley.
3. (Naut.)
Defn: The cargo of a vessel when stowed.
4. The body. [Obs.] Shak. My liver leaped within my bulk. Turbervile. Barrel bulk. See under Barrel. -- To break bulk (Naut.), to begin to unload or more the cargo. -- In bulk, in a mass; loose; not inclosed in separate packages or divided into separate parts; in such shape that any desired quantity may be taken or sold. -- Laden in bulk, Stowed in bulk, having the cargo loose in the hold or not inclosed in boxes, bales, or casks. -- Sale by bulk, a sale of goods as they are, without weight or measure.
Syn. -- Size; magnitude; dimension; volume; bigness; largeness; massiveness.
BULK Bulk, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bulked; p. pr. & vb. n. Bulking.]
Defn: To appear or seem to be, as to bulk or extent; to swell. The fame of Warburton possibly bulked larger for the moment. Leslie Stephen.
BULK Bulk, n. Etym: [Icel. balkr a beam, partition. Cf. Balk, n. & v.]
Defn: A projecting part of a building. [Obs.] Here, stand behind this bulk. Shak.
BULKER Bulk"er, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A person employed to ascertain the bulk or size of goods, in order to fix the amount of freight or dues payable on them.
BULKHEAD Bulk"head`, n. Etym: [See Bulk part of a building.]
1. (Naut.)
Defn: A partition in a vessel, to separate apartments on the same deck.
2. A structure of wood or stone, to resist the pressure of earth or water; a partition wall or structure, as in a mine; the limiting wall along a water front. Bulked line, a line beyond which a wharf must not project; -- usually, the harbor line.
BULKINESS Bulk"i*ness, n.
Defn: Greatness in bulk; size.
BULKY Bulk"y, a.
Defn: Of great bulk or dimensions; of great size; large; thick; massive; as, bulky volumes. A bulky digest of the revenue laws. Hawthorne.
BULL Bull, n. Etym: [OE. bule, bul, bole; akin to D. bul, G. bulle, Icel. boli, Lith. bullus, Lett. bollis, Russ. vol'; prob. fr. the root of AS. bellan, E. bellow.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The male of any species of cattle (Bovidæ); hence, the male of any large quadruped, as the elephant; also, the male of the whale.
Note: The wild bull of the Old Testament is thought to be the oryx, a large species of antelope.
2. One who, or that which, resembles a bull in character or action. Ps. xxii. 12.
3. (Astron.) (a) Taurus, the second of the twelve signs of the zodiac. (b) A constellation of the zodiac between Aries and Gemini. It contains the Pleiades. At last from Aries rolls the bounteous sun, And the bright Bull receives him. Thomson.
4. (Stock Exchange)
Defn: One who operates in expectation of a rise in the price of stocks, or in order to effect such a rise. See 4th Bear, n., 5. Bull baiting, the practice of baiting bulls, or rendering them furious, as by setting dogs to attack them. -- John Bull, a humorous name for the English, collectively; also, an Englishman. "Good-looking young John Bull." W. D.Howells. -- To take the bull by the horns, to grapple with a difficulty instead of avoiding it.
BULL Bull, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a bull; resembling a bull; male; large; fierce. Bull bat (Zoöl.), the night hawk; -- so called from the loud noise it makes while feeding on the wing, in the evening. -- Bull calf. (a) A stupid fellow. -- Bull mackerel (Zoöl.), the chub mackerel. -- Bull pump (Mining), a direct single-acting pumping engine, in which the steam cylinder is placed above the pump. -- Bull snake (Zoöl.), the pine snake of the United States. -- Bull stag, a castrated bull. See Stag. -- Bull wheel, a wheel, or drum, on which a rope is wound for lifting heavy articles, as logs, the tools in well boring, etc.
BULL Bull, v. i.
Defn: To be in heat; to manifest sexual desire as cows do. [Colloq.]
BULL Bull, v. t. (Stock Exchange)
Defn: To endeavor to raise the market price of; as, to bull railroad bonds; to bull stocks; to bull Lake Shore; to endeavor to raise prices in; as, to bull the market. See 1st Bull, n., 4.
BULL Bull, n. Etym: [OE. bulle, fr. L. bulla bubble, stud, knob, LL., a seal or stamp: cf. F. bulle. Cf. Bull a writing, Bowl a ball, Boil, v. i.]
1. A seal. See Bulla.
2. A letter, edict, or respect, of the pope, written in Gothic characters on rough parchment, sealed with a bulla, and dated "a die Incarnationis," i. e., "from the day of the Incarnation." See Apostolical brief, under Brief. A fresh bull of Leo's had declared how inflexible the court of Rome was in the point of abuses. Atterbury.
3. A grotesque blunder in language; an apparent congruity, but real incongruity, of ideas, contained in a form of expression; so called, perhaps, from the apparent incongruity between the dictatorial nature of the pope's bulls and his professions of humility. And whereas the papist boasts himself to be a Roman Catholic, it is a mere contradiction, one of the pope's bulls, as if he should say universal particular; a Catholic schimatic. Milton. The Golden Bull, an edict or imperial constitution made by the emperor Charles IV. (1356), containing what became the fundamental law of the German empire; -- so called from its golden seal.
Syn. -- See Blunder.
BULLA Bul"la, n.; pl. Bullæ (. Etym: [L. bulla bubble. See Bull an edict.]
1. (Med.)
Defn: A bleb; a vesicle, or an elevation of the cuticle, containing a transparent watery fluid.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: The ovoid prominence below the opening of the ear in the skulls of many animals; as, the tympanic or auditory bulla.
3. A leaden seal for a document; esp. the round leaden seal attached to the papal bulls, which has on one side a representation of St. Peter and St. Paul, and on the other the name of the pope who uses it.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A genus of marine shells. See Bubble shell.
BULLACE Bul"lace, n. Etym: [OE. bolas, bolace, OF. beloce; of Celtic origin; cf. Arm. bolos, polos, Gael. bulaistear.] (Bot.) (a) A small European plum (Prunus communis, var. insitita). See Plum. (b) The bully tree.
BULLANTIC Bul*lan"tic, a. Etym: [See Bull an edict.]
Defn: Pertaining to, or used in, papal bulls. Fry. Bullantic letters, Gothic letters used in papal bulls.
BULLARY Bul"la*ry, n. Etym: [LL. bullarium: cf. F. bullairie. See Bull an edict.]
Defn: A collection of papal bulls.
BULLARY Bul"la*ry, n.; pl. Bullaries. Etym: [Cf. Boilary.]
Defn: A place for boiling or preparating salt; a boilery. Crabb. And certain salt fats or bullaries. Bills in Chancery.
BULLATE Bul"late, a. Etym: [L. bullatus, fr. bulla bubble.] (Biol.)
Defn: Appearing as if blistered; inflated; puckered. Bullate leaf (Bot.), a leaf, the membranous part of which rises between the veins puckered elevations convex on one side and concave on the other.
BULLBEGGAR Bull"beg`gar, n.
Defn: Something used or suggested to produce terror, as in children or persons of weak mind; a bugbear. And being an ill-looked fellow, he has a pension from the church wardens for being bullbeggar to all the forward children in the parish. Mountfort (1691).
BULL BRIER Bull" bri`er. (Bot.)
Defn: A species of Smilax (S. Pseudo-China) growing from New Jersey to the Gulf of Mexico, which has very large tuberous and farinaceous rootstocks, formerly used by the Indians for a sort of bread, and by the negroes as an ingredient in making beer; -- called also bamboo brier and China brier.
BULLCOMBER Bull"comb*er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A scaraboid beetle; esp. the Typhæus vulgaris of Europe.
BULLDOG Bull"dog`, n.
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A variety of dog, of remarkable ferocity, courage, and tenacity of grip; -- so named, probably, from being formerly employed in baiting bulls.
2. (Metal.)
Defn: A refractory material used as a furnace lining, obtained by calcining the cinder or slag from the puddling furnace of a rolling mill.
BULLDOG Bull"dog`, a.
Defn: Characteristic of, or like, a bulldog; stubborn; as, bulldog courage; bulldog tenacity. Bulldog bat (zo'94l.), a bat of the genus Nyctinomus; -- so called from the shape of its face.
BULLDOZE Bull"doze`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bulldozed; p. pr. & vb.n. Bulldozing.]
Defn: To intimidate; to restrain or coerce by intimidation or violence; -- used originally of the intimidation of negro voters, in Louisiana. [Slang, U.S.]
BULLDOZER Bull"do`zer, n.
Defn: One who bulldozes. [Slang]
BULLED Bulled, a. Etym: [Cf. Boln.]
Defn: Swollen. [Obs.]
BULLEN-BULLEN Bul"len-bul"len, n. Etym: [Native Australian name, from its cry.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The lyre bird.
BULLEN-NAIL Bul"len-nail`, n. Etym: [Bull large, having a large head + nail.]
Defn: A nail with a round head and short shank, tinned and lacquered.
BULLET Bul"let, n. Etym: [F. boulet, dim. of boule ball. See Bull an edict, and cf. Boulet.]
1. A small ball.
2. A missile, usually of lead, and round or elongated in form, to be discharged from a rifle, musket, pistol, or other small firearm.
3. A cannon ball. [Obs.] A ship before Greenwich . . . shot off her ordnance, one piece being charged with a bullet of stone. Stow.
4. The fetlock of a horse.
Note: [See Illust. under Horse.]
BULLETIN Bul"le*tin, n. Etym: [F. bulletin, fr. It. bullettino, dim. of bulletta, dim. of bulla, bolla, an edict of the pope, from L. bulla bubble. See Bull an edict.]
1. A brief statement of facts respecting some passing event, as military operations or the health of some distinguished personage, issued by authority for the information of the public.
2. Any public notice or announcement, especially of news recently received.
3. A periodical publication, especially one containing the proceeding of a society. Bulletin board, a board on which announcements are put, particularly at newsrooms, newspaper offices, etc.
BULLET-PROOF Bul"let-proof`, a.
Defn: Capable of resisting the force of a bullet. Bullet tree. See Bully tree. -- Bullet wood, the wood of the bullet tree.
BULLFACED Bull"faced`, a.
Defn: Having a large face.
BULLFEAST Bull"feast`, n.
Defn: See Bullfight. [Obs.]
BULLFIGHT; BULLFIGHTING Bull"fight`, Bull"fight`ing, n.
Defn: A barbarous sport, of great antiquity, in which men torment, and fight with, a bull or bulls in an arena, for public amusement, -- still popular in Spain. -- Bull"fight`er (, n.
BULLFINCH Bull"finch`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bird of the genus Pyrrhula and other related genera, especially the P. vulgaris or rubicilla, a bird of Europe allied to the grosbeak, having the breast, cheeks, and neck, red.
Note: As a cage bird it is highly valued for its remarkable power of learning to whistle correctly various musical airs. Crimson-fronted bullfinch. (Zoöl.) See Burion. -- Pine bullfinch, the pine finch.
BULLFIST; BULLFICE Bull"fist, Bull"fice, n. Etym: [Cf. G. bofist, AS. wulfes fist puffball, E. fizz, foist.] (Bot.)
Defn: A kind of fungus. See Puffball.
BULL FLY; BULLFLY Bull" fly` or Bull"fly`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any large fly troublesome to cattle, as the gadflies and breeze flies.
BULLFROG Bull"frog`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A very large species of frog (Rana Catesbiana), found in North America; -- so named from its loud bellowing in spring.
BULLHEAD Bull"head`, n.
1. (Zoöl.) (a) A fresh-water fish of many species, of the genus Uranidea, esp. U. gobio of Europe, and U. Richardsoni of the United States; -- called also miller's thumb. (b) In America, several species of Amiurus; -- called also catfish, horned pout, and bullpout. (c) A marine fish of the genus Cottus; the sculpin.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) The black-bellied plover (Squatarola helvetica); -- called also beetlehead. (b) The golden plover.
3. A stupid fellow; a lubber. [Colloq.] Jonson.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small black water insect. E. Phillips. Bullhead whiting (Zoöl.), the kingfish of Florida (Menticirrus alburnus).
BULLHEADED Bull"head`ed, a.
Defn: Having a head like that of a bull. Fig.: Headstrong; obstinate; dogged.
BULLION Bul"lion, n. Etym: [Cf. OE. bullyon a hook used for fastening the dress, a button, stud, an embossed ornament of various kinds, e.g., on the cover of a book, on bridles or poitrels, for purses, for breeches and doublets, LL. bullio the swelling of boiling water, a mass of gold or silver, fr. L. bulla boss, stud, bubble (see Bull an edict), or perh. corrupted fr. billon base coin, LL. billio bullion. Cf. Billon, Billet a stick.]
1. Uncoined gold or silver in the mass.
Note: Properly, the precious metals are called bullion, when smelted and not perfectly refined, or when refined, but in bars, ingots or in any form uncoined, as in plate. The word is often often used to denote gold and silver, both coined and uncoined, when reckoned by weight and in mass, including especially foreign, or uncurrent, coin.
2. Base or uncurrent coin. [Obs.] And those which eld's strict doom did disallow, And damm for bullion, go for current now. Sylvester.
3. Showy metallic ornament, as of gold, silver, or copper, on bridles, saddles, etc. [Obs.] The clasps and bullions were worth a thousand pound. Skelton.
4. Heavy twisted fringe, made of fine gold or silver wire and used for epaulets; also, any heavy twisted fringe whose cords are prominent.
BULLIONIST Bul"lion*ist, n.
Defn: An advocate for a metallic currency, or a paper currency always convertible into gold.
BULLIRAG Bul"li*rag, v. t. Etym: [Cf. bully,n.& v., and rag to scold, rail. Cf. Ballarag.]
Defn: To intimidate by bullying; to rally contemptuously; to badger. [Low]
BULLISH Bull"ish, a.
Defn: Partaking of the nature of a bull, or a blunder. Let me inform you, a toothless satire is as improper as a toothed sleek stone, and as bullish. Milton.
BULLIST Bull"ist, n. Etym: [F. bulliste. See Bull an edict.]
Defn: A writer or drawer up of papal bulls. [R.] Harmar.
BULLITION Bul*li"tion, n. Etym: [L. bullire, bullitum, to boil. See Boil, v. i.]
Defn: The action of boiling; boiling. [Obs.] See Ebullition. Bacon.
BULL MOOSE Bull Moose. (U. S. Politics) (a) A follower of Theodore Roosevelt in the presidential campaign of 1912; -- a sense said to have originated from a remark made by Roosevelt on a certain occasion that he felt "like a bull moose." [Cant] (b) The figure of a bull moose used as the party symbol of the Progressive party in the presidential campaign of 1912. -- Bull Mooser. [Cant]
BULL-NECKED Bull"-necked`, a.
Defn: Having a short and thick neck like that of a bull. Sir W. Scott.
BULLOCK Bul"lock, n. Etym: [AS. bulluc a young bull. See Bull.]
1. A young bull, or any male of the ox kind. Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old. Judges vi. 25.
2. An ox, steer, or stag.
BULLOCK Bul"lock, v. t.
Defn: To bully. [Obs.] She shan't think to bullock and domineer over me. Foote.
BULLOCK'S-EYE Bul"lock's-eye`, n.
Defn: See Bull's-eye, 3.
BULLON Bul"lon, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A West Indian fish (Scarus Croicensis).
BULLPOUT Bull"pout`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Bullhead, 1 (b).
BULL-ROARER Bull"-roar`er, n.
Defn: A contrivance consisting of a slat of wood tied to the end of a thong or string, with which the slat is whirled so as to cause an intermittent roaring noise. It is used as a toy, and among some races in certain religious rites.
BULL'S-EYE Bull's"-eye`, n.
1. (Naut.)
Defn: A small circular or oval wooden block without sheaves, having a groove around it and a hole through it, used for connecting rigging.
2. A small round cloud, with a ruddy center, supposed by sailors to portend a storm.
3. A small thick disk of glass inserted in a deck, roof, floor, ship's side, etc., to let in light.
4. A circular or oval opening for air or light.
5. A lantern, with a thick glass lens on one side for concentrating the light on any object; also, the lens itself. Dickens.
6. (Astron.)
Defn: Aldebaran, a bright star in the eye of Taurus or the Bull.
7. (Archery & Gun.)
Defn: The center of a target.
8. A thick knob or protuberance left on glass by the end of the pipe through which it was blown.
9. A small and thick old-fashioned watch. [Colloq.]
BULL'S-NOSE Bull's"-nose`, n. (Arch.)
Defn: An external angle when obtuse or rounded.
BULL TERRIER Bull" ter"ri*er. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A breed of dogs obtained by crossing the bulldog and the terrier.
BULL TROUT Bull" trout`. (Zoöl.) (a) In England, a large salmon trout of several species, as Salmo trutta and S. Cambricus, which ascend rivers; -- called also sea trout. (b) Salvelinus malma of California and Oregon; -- called also Dolly Varden trout and red-spotted trout. (c) The huso or salmon of the Danube.
BULLWEED Bull"weed`, n. Etym: [Bole a stem + weed.] (Bot.)
Defn: Knapweed. Prior.
BULLWORT Bull"wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: See Bishop's-weed.
BULLY Bul"ly, n.; pl. Bullies (. Etym: [Cf. LG. bullerjaan, bullerbäk, bullerbrook, a blusterer, D. bulderaar a bluster, bulderen to bluster; prob. of imitative origin; or cf. MHG. buole lover, G. buhle.]
1. A noisy, blustering fellow, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome; an insolent, tyrannical fellow. Bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in. Palmerston.
2. A brisk, dashing fellow. [Slang Obs.] Shak.
BULLY Bul"ly, a.
1. Jovial and blustering; dashing. [Slang] "Bless thee, bully doctor." Shak.
2. Fine; excellent; as, a bully horse. [Slang, U.S.]
BULLY Bul"ly, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bullied; p. pr. & vb. n. Bullying.]
Defn: To intimidate with threats and by an overbearing, swaggering demeanor; to act the part of a bully toward. For the last fortnight there have been prodigious shoals of volunteers gone over to bully the French, upon hearing the peace was just signing. Tatler.
Syn. -- To bluster; swagger; hector; domineer.
BULLY Bul"ly, v. i.
Defn: To act as a bully.
BULLY; BULLY BEEF Bul"ly, n., Bul"ly beef`. [F. bouilli boiled meat, fr. bouillir to boil. See Boil, v. The word bouilli was formerly commonly used on the labels of canned beef.]
Defn: Pickled or canned beef.
BULLYRAG Bul"ly*rag, v. t.
Defn: Same as Bullirag.
BULLYROCK Bul"ly*rock`, n.
Defn: A bully. [Slang Obs.] Shak.
BULLY TREE Bul"ly tree`. (Bot.)
Defn: The name of several West Indian trees of the order Sapotaceæ, as Dipholis nigra and species of Sapota and Mimusops. Most of them yield a substance closely resembling gutta-percha.
BULRUSH Bul"rush`, n. Etym: [OE. bulrysche, bolroysche; of uncertain origin, perh. fr. bole stem + rush.] (Bot.)
Defn: A kind of large rush, growing in wet land or in water.
Note: The name bulrush is applied in England especially to the cat- tail (Typha latifolia and T. angustifolia) and to the lake club-rush (Scirpus lacustris); in America, to the Juncus effusus, and also to species of Scirpus or club-rush.
BULSE Bulse, n.
Defn: A purse or bag in which to carry or measure diamonds, etc. [India] Macaulay.
BULTEL Bul"tel, n. Etym: [LL. bultellus. See Bolt to sift.]
Defn: A bolter or bolting cloth; also, bran. [Obs.]
BULTI Bul"ti, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Bolty.
BULTONG Bul"tong, n.
Defn: Biltong.
BULTOW Bul"tow`, n.
Defn: A trawl; a boulter; the mod
BULWARK Bul"wark, n. Etym: [Akin to D. bolwerk, G. bollwerk, Sw. bolwerk, Dan. bolvärk, bulvärk, rampart; akin to G. bohle plank, and werk work, defense. See Bole stem, and Work, n., and cf. Boulevard.]
1. (Fort.)
Defn: A rampart; a fortification; a bastion or outwork.
2. That which secures against an enemy, or defends from attack; any means of defense or protection. The royal navy of England hath ever been its greatest defense, . . . the floating bulwark of our island. Blackstone.
3. pl. (Naut.)
Defn: The sides of a ship above the upper deck.
Syn. -- See Rampart.
BULWARK Bul"wark, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bulwarked (; p. pr. & vb.n. Bulwarking.]
Defn: To fortify with, or as with, a rampart or wall; to secure by fortification; to protect. Of some proud city, bulwarked round and armed With rising towers. Glover.
BUM Bum, n. Etym: [Contr. fr. bottom in this sense.]
Defn: The buttock. [Low] Shak.
BUM Bum, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bummed (; p. pr. & vb.n. Bumming ( Etym: [See Boom, v. i., to roar.]
Defn: To make murmuring or humming sound. Jamieson.
BUM Bum, n.
Defn: A humming noise. Halliwell.
BUMBAILIFF Bum"bail"iff, n. Etym: [A corruption of bound bailiff.] [Low, Eng.]
Defn: See Bound bailiff, under Bound, a.
BUMBARD Bum"bard.
Defn: See Bombard. [Obs.]
BUMBARGE Bum"barge`, n.
Defn: See Bumboat. Carlyle.
BUMBAST Bum"bast.
Defn: See Bombast. [Obs.]
BUMBELO Bum"be*lo, n.; pl. Bumbeloes. Etym: [It. bombola.]
Defn: A glass used in subliming camphor. [Spelled also bombolo and bumbolo.]
BUMBLE Bum"ble, n. Etym: [See Bump to boom.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The bittern. [Local, Eng.]
BUMBLE Bum"ble, v. i.
Defn: To make a hollow or humming noise, like that of a bumblebee; to cry as a bittern. As a bittern bumbleth in the mire. Chaucer.
BUMBLEBEE Bum"ble*bee`, n. Etym: [OE. bumblen to make a humming noise (dim. of bum, v.i.) + bee. Cf. Humblebee.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large bee of the genus Bombus, sometimes called humblebee; -- so named from its sound.
Note: There are many species. All gather honey, and store it in the empty cocoons after the young have come out.
BUMBLEPUPPY Bum"ble*pup`py, n. [Origin unknown; cf. Bumble, n.]
1.
Defn: The old game of nineholes.
2. (Card Playing) Whist played in an unscientific way.
BUMBOAT Bum"boat`, n. Etym: [From bum the buttocks, on account of its clumsy form; or fr. D. bun a box for holding fish in a boat.] (Naut.)
Defn: A clumsy boat, used for conveying provisions, fruit, etc., for sale, to vessels lying in port or off shore.
BUMKIN Bum"kin, n. Etym: [Boom a beam + -kin. See Bumpkin.] (Naut.)
Defn: A projecting beam or boom; as: (a) One projecting from each bow of a vessel, to haul the fore tack to, called a tack bumpkin. (b) Onr from each quarter, for the main-brace blocks, and called brace bumpkin. (c) A small outrigger over the stern of a boat, to extend the mizzen. [Written also boomkin.]
BUMMALO Bum"ma*lo, n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small marine Asiatic fish (Saurus ophidon) used in India as a relish; -- called also Bombay duck.
BUMMER Bum"mer, n.
Defn: An idle, worthless fellow, who is without any visible means of support; a dissipated sponger. [Slang, U.S.]
BUMMERY Bum"me*ry, n.
Defn: See Bottomery. [Obs.] There was a scivener of Wapping brought to hearing for relief against a bummery bond. R. North.
BUMP Bump, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bumped; p. pr. & vb. n. Bumping.] Etym: [Cf. W. pwmp round mass, pwmpiaw to thump, bang, and E. bum, v.i., boom to roar.]
Defn: To strike, as with or against anything large or solid; to thump; as, to bump the head against a wall.
BUMP Bump, v. i.
Defn: To come in violent contact with something; to thump. "Bumping and jumping." Southey.
BUMP Bump, n. Etym: [From Bump to strike, to thump.]
1. A thump; a heavy blow.
2. A swelling or prominence, resulting from a bump or blow; a protuberance. It had upon its brow A bump as big as a young cockerel's stone. Shak.
3. (Phren.)
Defn: One of the protuberances on the cranium which are associated with distinct faculties or affections of the mind; as, the bump of "veneration;" the bump of "acquisitiveness." [Colloq.]
4. The act of striking the stern of the boat in advance with the prow of the boat following. [Eng.]
BUMP Bump, v. i. Etym: [See Boom to roar.]
Defn: To make a loud, heavy, or hollow noise, as the bittern; to boom. As a bittern bumps within a reed. Dryden.
BUMP Bump, n.
Defn: The noise made by the bittern.
BUMPER Bum"per, n. Etym: [A corruption of bumbard, bombard, a large drinking vessel.]
1. A cup or glass filled to the brim, or till the liquor runs over, particularly in drinking a health or toast. He frothed his bumpers to the brim. Tennyson.
2. A covered house at a theater, etc., in honor of some favorite performer. [Cant]
BUMPER Bump"er, n.
1. That which bumps or causes a bump.
2. Anything which resists or deadens a bump or shock; a buffer.
BUMPKIN Bump"kin, n. Etym: [The same word as bumkin, which Cotgrave defines thus: "Bumkin, Fr. chicambault, the luffe-block, a long and thick piece of wood, whereunto the fore-sayle and sprit-sayle are fastened, when a ship goes by the winde." Hence, a clumsy man may easily have been compared to such a block of wood; cf. OD. boomken a little tree. See Boom a pole.]
Defn: An awkward, heavy country fellow; a clown; a country lout. "Bashful country bumpkins." W. Irving.
BUMPTIOUS Bump"tious, a.
Defn: Self-conceited; forward; pushing. [Colloq.] Halliwell.
BUMPTIOUSNESS Bump"tious*ness, n.
Defn: Conceitedness. [Colloq.]
BUN; BUNN Bun, Bunn, n. Etym: [Scot. bun, bunn, OE. bunne, bonne; fr. Celtic; cf. Ir. bunna, Gael. bonnach, or OF. bugne tumor, Prov. F. bugne a kind of pancake; akin to OHG. bungo bulb, MHG. bunge, Prov. E. bung heap, cluster, bunny a small swelling.]
Defn: A slightly sweetened raised cake or bisquit with a glazing of sugar and milk on the top crust.
BUNCH Bunch, n. Etym: [Akin to OSw. & Dan. bunke heap, Icel. bunki heap, pile, bunga tumor, protuberance; cf. W. pwng cluster. Cf. Bunk.]
1. A protuberance; a hunch; a knob or lump; a hump. They will carry . . . their treasures upon the bunches of camels. Isa. xxx. 6.
2. A collection, cluster, or tuft, properly of things of the same kind, growing or fastened together; as, a bunch of grapes; a bunch of keys.
3. (Mining)
Defn: A small isolated mass of ore, as distinguished from a continuous vein. Page.
BUNCH Bunch, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Buncheder (p. pr. & vb.n. Bunchinger.]
Defn: To swell out into a bunch or protuberance; to be protuberant or round. Bunching out into a large round knob at one end. Woodward.
BUNCH Bunch, v. t.
Defn: To form into a bunch or bunches.
BUNCH-BACKED Bunch"-backed`, a.
Defn: Having a bunch on the back; crooked. "Bunch-backed toad." Shak.
BUNCHBERRY Bunch"ber`ry, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The dwarf cornel (Cornus Canadensis), which bears a dense cluster of bright red, edible berries.
BUNCH GRASS Bunch" grass`. (Bot.)
Defn: A grass growing in bunches and affording pasture. In California, Atropis tenuifolia, Festuca scabrella, and several kinds of Stipa are favorite bunch grasses. In Utah, Eriocoma cuspidata is a good bunch grass.
BUNCHINESS Bunch"i*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or condition of being bunchy; knobbiness.
BUNCHY Bunch"y, a.
1. Swelling out in bunches. An unshapen, bunchy spear, with bark unpiled. Phaer.
2. Growing in bunches, or resembling a bunch; having tufts; as, the bird's bunchy tail.
3. (Mining)
Defn: Yielding irregularly; sometimes rich, sometimes poor; as, a bunchy mine. Page.
BUNCOMBE; BUNKUM Bun"combe, Bun"kum, n. Etym: [Buncombe a country of North Carolina.]
Defn: Speech-making for the gratification of constituents, or to gain public applause; flattering talk for a selfish purpose; anything said for mere show. [Cant or Slang, U.S.] All that flourish about right of search was bunkum -- all that brag about hanging your Canada sheriff was bunkum . . . slavery speeches are all bunkum. Haliburton. To speak for Buncombe, to speak for mere show, or popularly.
Note: "The phrase originated near the close of the debate on the famous 'Missouri Question,' in the 16th Congress. It was then used by Felix Walker -- a naïve old mountaineer, who resided at Waynesville, in Haywood, the most western country of North Carolina, near the border of the adjacent country of Buncombe, which formed part of his district. The old man rose to speak, while the house was impatiently calling for the 'Question,' and several members gathered round him, begging him to desist. He preserved, however, for a while, declaring that the people of his district expected it, and that he was bound to 'make a speech for Buncombe.'" W. Darlington.
BUND Bund, n. Etym: [G.]
Defn: League; confederacy; esp. the confederation of German states.
BUND Bund, n. Etym: [Hindi band.]
Defn: An embankment against inundation. [India] S. Wells Williams.
BUNDER Bun"der, n. Etym: [Pers. bandar a landing place, pier.]
Defn: A boat or raft used in the East Indies in the landing of passengers and goods.
BUNDESRATH Bun"des*rath`, n. Etym: [G., from bund (akin to E. bond) confederacy + rath council, prob. akin to E. read.]
Defn: The federal council of the German Empire. In the Bundesrath and the Reichstag are vested the legislative functions. The federal council of Switzerland is also so called.
Note: The Bundesrath of the German empire is presided over by a chancellor, and is composed of sixty-two members, who represent the different states of the empire, being appointed for each session by their respective governments. By this united congress, the highest tribunal of Switzerland, -- the Bundesrath -- is chosen, and the head of this is a president. J. P. Peters (Trans. Müller's Pol. Hist. ).
BUNDES-VERSAMMLUNG Bun"des-Ver*samm"lung, n. [G.; bund confederacy + versammlung assembly.]
Defn: See Legislature, Switzerland.
BUNDLE Bun"dle, n. Etym: [OE. bundel, AS. byndel; akin to D. bondel, bundel, G. bündel, dim. of bund bundle, fr. the root of E. bind. See Bind.]
Defn: A number of things bound together, as by a cord or envelope, into a mass or package convenient for handling or conveyance; a loose package; a roll; as, a bundle of straw or of paper; a bundle of old clothes. The fable of the rods, which, when united in a bundle, no strength could bend. Goldsmith. Bundle pillar (Arch.), a column or pier, with others of small dimensions attached to it. Weale.
BUNDLE Bun"dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bundled (p. pr. & vb.n. Bundling (.]
1. To tie or bind in a bundle or roll.
2. To send off abruptly or without ceremony. They unmercifully bundled me and my gallant second into our own hackney coach. T. Hook. To bundle off, to send off in a hurry, or without ceremony. -- To bundle one's self up, to wrap one's self up warmly or cumbrously.
BUNDLE Bun"dle, v. i.
1. To prepare for departure; to set off in a hurry or without ceremony.
2. To sleep on the same bed without undressing; -- applied to the custom of a man and woman, especially lovers, thus sleeping. Bartlett. Van Corlear stopped occasionally in the villages to eat pumpkin pies, dance at country frolics, and bundle with the Yankee lasses. W. Irving.
BUNDOBUST Bun"do*bust, n. [Hind. & Per. bando-bast tying and binding.]
Defn: System; discipline. [India]
He has more bundobust than most men. Kipling.
BUNG Bung, n. Etym: [Cf. W. bwng orfice, bunghole, Ir. buinne tap, spout, OGael. buine.]
1. The large stopper of the orifice in the bilge of a cask.
2. The orifice in the bilge of a cask through which it is filled; bunghole.
3. A sharper or pickpocket. [Obs. & Low] You filthy bung, away. Shak.
BUNG Bung, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bunged; p. pr. & vb. n. Bunging.]
Defn: To stop, as the orifice in the bilge of a cask, with a bung; to close; -- with up. To bung up, to use up, as by bruising or over exertion; to exhaust or incapacitate for action. [Low] He had bunged up his mouth that he should not have spoken these three years. Shelton (Trans. Don Quixote).
BUNGALOW Bun"ga*low, n. Etym: [Bengalee bangla]
Defn: A thatched or tiled house or cottage, of a single story, usually surrounded by a veranda. [India]
BUNGARUM Bun"ga*rum, n. Etym: [Bungar, the native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A venomous snake of India, of the genus Bungarus, allied to the cobras, but without a hood.
BUNGHOLE Bung"hole`, n.
Defn: See Bung, n., 2. Shak.
BUNGLE Bun"gle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bungled (; p. pr. & vb. n. Bungling.] Etym: [Prob. a diminutive from, akin to bang; cf. Prov. G. bungen to beat, bang, OSw. bunga. See Bang.]
Defn: To act or work in a clumsy, awkward manner.
BUNGLE Bun"gle, v. t.
Defn: To make or mend clumsily; to manage awkwardly; to botch; -- sometimes with up. I always had an idea that it would be bungled. Byron.
BUNGLE Bun"gle, n.
Defn: A clumsy or awkward performance; a botch; a gross blunder. Those errors and bungles which are committed. Cudworth.
BUNGLER Bun"gler, n.
Defn: A clumsy, awkward workman; one who bungles. If to be a dunce or a bungler in any profession be shameful, how much more ignominious and infamous to a scholar to be such! Barrow.
BUNGLING Bun"gling, a.
Defn: Unskillful; awkward; clumsy; as, a bungling workman. Swift. They make but bungling work. Dryden.
BUNGLINGLY Bun"gling*ly, adv.
Defn: Clumsily; awkwardly.
BUNGO Bun"go, n. (Naut.)
Defn: A kind of canoe used in Central and South America; also, a kind of boat used in the Southern United States. Bartlett.
BUNION Bun"ion, n. (Med.)
Defn: Same as Bunyon.
BUNK Bunk, n. Etym: [Cf. OSw. bunke heap, also boaring, flooring. Cf. Bunch.]
1. A wooden case or box, which serves for a seat in the daytime and for a bed at night. [U.S.]
2. One of a series of berths or bed places in tiers.
3. A piece of wood placed on a lumberman's sled to sustain the end of heavy timbers. [Local, U.S.]
BUNK Bunk, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bunked; p. pr. & vb. n. Bunking.]
Defn: To go to bed in a bunk; -- sometimes with in. [Colloq. U.S.] Bartlett.
BUNKER Bun"ker, n. Etym: [Scot. bunker, bunkart, a bench, or low chest, serving for a seat. Cf. Bunk, Bank, Bench.]
1. A sort of chest or box, as in a window, the lid of which serves for a seat. [Scot.] Jamieson.
2. A large bin or similar receptacle; as, a coal bunker.
BUNKO Bun"ko, n. Etym: [Sf. Sp. banco bank, banca a sort of game at cards. Cf. Bank (in the commercial sense).]
Defn: A kind of swindling game or scheme, by means of cards or by a sham lottery. [Written also bunco.] Bunko steerer, a person employed as a decoy in bunko. [Slang, U.S.]
BUNKUM Bun"kum, n.
Defn: See Buncombe.
BUNN Bunn, n.
Defn: See Bun.
BUNNIAN Bun"nian, n.
Defn: See Bunyon.
BUNNY Bun"ny, n. (Mining)
Defn: A great collection of ore without any vein coming into it or going out from it.
BUNNY Bun"ny, n.
Defn: A pet name for a rabbit or a squirrel.
BUNODONTA; BUNODONTS Bu`no*don"ta, Bu"no*donts, n. pl. Etym: [NL. bunodonta, fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A division of the herbivorous mammals including the hogs and hippopotami; -- so called because the teeth are tuberculated.
BUNSEN CELL Bun"sen cell. (Elec.)
Defn: A zinc-carbon cell in which the zinc (amalgamated) is surrounded by dilute sulphuric acid, and the carbon by nitric acid or a chromic acid mixture, the two plates being separated by a porous cup.
BUNSEN'S BATTERY; BUNSEN'S BURNER Bun"sen's bat"ter*y, Bun"sen's burn`er.
Defn: See under Battery, and Burner.
BUNT Bunt, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A fungus (Ustilago foetida) which affects the ear of cereals, filling the grains with a fetid dust; -- also called pepperbrand.
BUNT Bunt, n. Etym: [Cf. Sw. bunt bundle, Dan. bundt, G. bund, E. bundle.] (Naut.)
Defn: The middle part, cavity, or belly of a sail; the part of a furled sail which is at the center of the yard. Totten.
BUNT Bunt, v. i. (Naut.)
Defn: To swell out; as, the sail bunts.
BUNT Bunt, v. t. & i.
Defn: To strike or push with the horns or head; to butt; as, the ram bunted the boy.
BUNTER Bun"ter, n.
Defn: A woman who picks up rags in the streets; hence, a low, vulgar woman. [Cant] Her . . . daughters, like bunters in stuff gowns. Goldsmith.
BUNTING Bun"ting, n. Etym: [Scot. buntlin, corn-buntlin, OE. bunting, buntyle; of unknown origin.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bird of the genus Emberiza, or of an allied genus, related to the finches and sparrows (family Fringillidæ).
Note: Among European species are the common or corn bunting (Emberiza miliaria); the ortolan (E. hortulana); the cirl (E. cirlus); and the black-headed (Granitivora melanocephala). American species are the bay-winged or grass (Poöcætes or Pooecetes gramineus); the black- throated (Spiza Americana); the towhee bunting or chewink (Pipilo); the snow bunting (Plectrophanax nivalis); the rice bunting or bobolink, and others. See Ortolan, Chewick, Snow bunting, Lark bunting.
BUNTING; BUNTINE Bun"ting, Bun"tine, n. Etym: [Prov. E. bunting sifting flour, OE. bonten to sift, hence prob. the material used for that purpose.]
Defn: A thin woolen stuff, used chiefly for flags, colors, and ships' signals.
BUNTLINE Bunt"line, n. Etym: [2d bunt + line.] (Naut.)
Defn: One of the ropes toggled to the footrope of a sail, used to haul up to the yard the body of the sail when taking it in. Totten.
BUNYON; BUNION Bun"yon, Bun"ion, n. Etym: [Cf. Prov. E. bunny a small swelling, fr. OF. bugne, It. bugna, bugnone. See Bun.] (Med.)
Defn: An enlargement and inflammation of a small membranous sac (one of the bursæ muscosæ), usually occurring on the first joint of the great toe.
BUOY Buoy, n. Etym: [D. boei buoy, fetter, fr. OF. boie, buie, chain, fetter, F. bouée a buoy, from L. boia. "Boiae genus vinculorum tam ferreae quam ligneae." Festus. So called because chained to its place.] (Naut.)
Defn: A float; esp. a floating object moored to the bottom, to mark a channel or to point out the position of something beneath the water, as an anchor, shoal, rock, etc. Anchor buoy, a buoy attached to, or marking the position of, an anchor. -- Bell buoy, a large buoy on which a bell is mounted, to be rung by the motion of the waves. -- Breeches buoy. See under Breeches. -- Cable buoy, an empty cask employed to buoy up the cable in rocky anchorage. -- Can buoy, a hollow buoy made of sheet or boiler iron, usually conical or pear-shaped. -- Life buoy, a float intended to support persons who have fallen into the water, until a boat can be dispatched to save them. -- Nut or Nun buoy, a buoy large in the middle, and tapering nearly to a point at each end. -- To stream the buoy, to let the anchor buoy fall by the ship's side into the water, before letting go the anchor. -- Whistling buoy, a buoy fitted with a whistle that is blown by the action of the waves.
BUOY Buoy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buoyed; p. pr. & vb. n. Buoying.]
1. To keep from sinking in a fluid, as in water or air; to keep afloat; -- with up.
2. To support or sustain; to preserve from sinking into ruin or despondency. Those old prejudices, which buoy up the ponderous mass of his nobility, wealth, and title. Burke.
3. To fix buoys to; to mark by a buoy or by buoys; as, to buoy an anchor; to buoy or buoy off a channel. Not one rock near the surface was discovered which was not buoyed by this floating weed. Darwin.
BUOY Buoy, v. i.
Defn: To float; to rise like a buoy. "Rising merit will buoy up at last." Pope.
BUOYAGE Buoy"age, n.
Defn: Buoys, taken collectively; a series of buoys, as for the guidance of vessels into or out of port; the providing of buoys.
BUOYANCE Buoy"ance, n.
Defn: Buoyancy. [R.]
BUOYANCY Buoy"an*cy, n.; pl. Buoyancies (.
1. The property of floating on the surface of a liquid, or in a fluid, as in the atmosphere; specific lightness, which is inversely as the weight compared with that of an equal volume of water.
2. (Physics)
Defn: The upward pressure exerted upon a floating body by a fluid, which is equal to the weight of the body; hence, also, the weight of a floating body, as measured by the volume of fluid displaced. Such are buoyancies or displacements of the different classes of her majesty's ships. Eng. Cyc.
3. Cheerfulness; vivacity; liveliness; sprightliness; -- the opposite of Ant: heaviness; as, buoyancy of spirits.
BUOYANT Buoy"ant, a. Etym: [From Buoy, v. t. & i.]
1. Having the quality of rising or floating in a fluid; tending to rise or float; as, iron is buoyant in mercury. "Buoyant on the flood." Pope.
2. Bearing up, as a fluid; sustaining another body by being specifically heavier. The water under me was buoyant. Dryden.
3. Light-hearted; vivacious; cheerful; as, a buoyant disposition; buoyant spirits. -- Buoy"ant*ly, adv.
BUPRESTIDAN Bu*pres"ti*dan, n. Etym: [L. buprestis, Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of a tribe of beetles, of the genus Buprestis and allied genera, usually with brilliant metallic colors. The larvæ are usually bores in timber, or beneath bark, and are often very destructive to trees.
BUR; BURR Bur, Burr, n. Etym: [OE. burre burdock; cf. Dan. borre, OSw. borra, burdock, thistle; perh. akin to E. bristle (burr- for burz-), or perh. to F. bourre hair, wool, stuff; also, according to Cotgrave, "the downe, or hairie coat, wherewith divers herbes, fruits, and flowers, are covered," fr. L. burrae trifles, LL. reburrus rough.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: Any rough or prickly envelope of the seeds of plants, whether a pericarp, a persistent calyx, or an involucre, as of the chestnut and burdock. Also, any weed which bears burs. Amongst rude burs and thistles. Milton. Bur and brake and brier. Tennyson.
2. The thin ridge left by a tool in cutting or shaping metal. See Burr, n., 2.
3. A ring of iron on a lance or spear. See Burr, n., 4.
4. The lobe of the ear. See Burr, n., 5.
5. The sweetbread.
6. A clinker; a partially vitrified brick.
7. (Mech.) (a) A small circular saw. (b) A triangular chisel. (c) A drill with a serrated head larger than the shank; -- used by dentists.
8. Etym: [Cf. Gael. borr, borra, a knob, bunch.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The round knob of an antler next to a deer's head. [Commonly written burr.] Bur oak (Bot.), a useful and ornamental species of oak (Quercus macrocarpa) with ovoid acorns inclosed in deep cups imbricated with pointed scales. It grows in the Middle and Western United States, and its wood is tough, close-grained, and durable. -- Bur reed (Bot.), a plant of the genus Sparganium, having long ribbonlike leaves.
BURBOLT Bur"bolt`, n.
Defn: A birdbolt. [Obs.] Ford.
BURBOT Bur"bot, n. Etym: [F. barbote, fr. barbe beard. See 1st Barb.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fresh-water fish of the genus Lota, having on the nose two very small barbels, and a larger one on the chin. [Written also burbolt.]
Note: The fish is also called an eelpout or ling, and is allied to the codfish. The Lota vulgaris is a common European species. An American species (L. maculosa) is found in New England, the Great Lakes, and farther north.
BURDELAIS Bur`de*lais", n. Etym: [F. bourdelais, prob. fr. bordelais. See Bordelais.]
Defn: A sort of grape. Jonson.
BURDEN Bur"den, n. [Written also burthen.] Etym: [OE. burden, burthen, birthen, birden, AS. byredhen; akin to Icel. byredhi, Dan. byrde, Sw. börda, G. bürde, OHG. burdi, Goth. baúr, fr. the root of E. bear, AS. beran, Goth. bairan. *92. See 1st Bear.]
1. That which is borne or carried; a load. Plants with goodly burden bowing. Shak.
2. That which is borne with labor or difficulty; that which is grievous, wearisome, or oppressive. Deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone, To all my friends a burden grown. Swift.
3. The capacity of a vessel, or the weight of cargo that she will carry; as, a ship of a hundred tons burden.
4. (Mining)
Defn: The tops or heads of stream-work which lie over the stream of tin.
5. (Metal.)
Defn: The proportion of ore and flux to fuel, in the charge of a blast furnace. Raymond.
6. A fixed quantity of certain commodities; as, a burden of gad steel, 120 pounds.
7. A birth. [Obs. & R.] Shak. Beast of burden, an animal employed in carrying burdens. -- Burden of proof Etym: [L. onus probandi] (Law), the duty of proving a particular position in a court of law, a failure in the performance of which duty calls for judgment against the party on whom the duty is imposed.
Syn. -- Burden, Load. A burden is, in the literal sense, a weight to be borne; a load is something laid upon us to be carried. Hence, when used figuratively, there is usually a difference between the two words. Our burdens may be of such a nature that we feel bound to bear them cheerfully or without complaint. They may arise from the nature of our situation; they may be allotments of Providence; they may be the consequences of our errors. What is upon us, as a load, we commonly carry with greater reluctance or sense of oppression. Men often find the charge of their own families to be a burden; but if to this be added a load of care for others, the pressure is usually serve and irksome.
BURDEN Bur"den, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burdened; p. pr. & vb. n. Burdening.]
1. To encumber with weight (literal or figurative); to lay a heavy load upon; to load. I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened. 2 Cor. viii. 13.
2. To oppress with anything grievous or trying; to overload; as, to burden a nation with taxes. My burdened heart would break. Shak.
3. To impose, as a load or burden; to lay or place as a burden (something heavy or objectionable). [R.] It is absurd to burden this act on Cromwell. Coleridge.
Syn. -- To load; encumber; overload; oppress.
BURDEN Bur"den, n. Etym: [OE. burdoun the bass in music, F. bourdon; cf. LL. burdo drone, a long organ pipe, a staff, a mule. Prob. of imitative origin. Cf. Bourdon.]
1. The verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of each stanza; the chorus; refrain. Hence: That which is often repeated or which is dwelt upon; the main topic; as, the burden of a prayer. I would sing my song without a burden. Shak.
2. The drone of a bagpipe. Ruddiman.
BURDEN Bur"den, n. Etym: [See Burdon.]
Defn: A club. [Obs.] Spenser.
BURDENER Bur"den*er, n.
Defn: One who loads; a oppressor.
BURDENOUS Bur"den*ous, a.
Defn: Burdensome. [Obs.] "Burdenous taxations." Shak.
BURDENSOME Bur"den*some, a.
Defn: Grievous to be borne; causing uneasiness or fatigue; oppressive. The debt immense of endless gratitude So burdensome. Milton.
Syn. -- Heavy; weighty; cumbersome; onerous; grievous; oppressive; troublesome. -- Bur"den*some*ly, adv. -- Bur"den*some*ness, n.
BURDOCK Bur"dock, n. Etym: [Bur + dock the plant.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of coarse biennial herbs (Lappa), bearing small burs which adhere tenaciously to clothes, or to the fur or wool of animals.
Note: The common burdock is the Lappa officinalis.
BURDON Bur"don, n. Etym: [See Bourdon.]
Defn: A pilgrim's staff. [Written also burden.] Rom. of R.
BUREAU Bu"reau, n.; pl. E. Bureaus, F. Bureaux. Etym: [F. bureau a writing table, desk, office, OF., drugget, with which a writing table was often covered, equiv. to F. bure, and fr. OF. buire dark brown, the stuff being named from its color, fr. L. burrus red, fr. Gr. Fire, n., and cf. Borel, n.]
1. Originally, a desk or writing table with drawers for papers. Swift.
2. The place where such a bureau is used; an office where business requiring writing is transacted.
3. Hence: A department of public business requiring a force of clerks; the body of officials in a department who labor under the direction of a chief.
Note: On the continent of Europe, the highest departments, in most countries, have the name of bureaux; as, the Bureau of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In England and America, the term is confined to inferior and subordinate departments; as, the "Pension Bureau," a subdepartment of the Department of the Interior. [Obs.] In Spanish, bureo denotes a court of justice for the trial of persons belonging to the king's household.
4. A chest of drawers for clothes, especially when made as an ornamental piece of furniture. [U.S.] Bureau system. See Bureaucracy. -- Bureau Veritas, an institution, in the interest of maritime underwriters, for the survey and rating of vessels all over the world. It was founded in Belgium in 1828, removed to Paris in 1830, and reëstablished in Brussels in 1870.
BUREAUCRACY Bu*reau"cra*cy, n. Etym: [Bureau + Gr. bureaucratie.]
1. A system of carrying on the business of government by means of departments or bureaus, each under the control of a chief, in contradiction to a system in which the officers of government have an associated authority and responsibility; also, government conducted on this system.
2. Government officials, collectively.
BUREAUCRAT Bu*reau"crat, n.
Defn: An official of a bureau; esp. an official confirmed in a narrow and arbitrary routine. C. Kingsley.
BUREAUCRATIC; BUREAUCRATICAL Bu`reau*crat"ic, Bu`reau*crat"ic*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. bureaucratique.]
Defn: Of, relating to, or resembling, a bureaucracy.
BUREAUCRATIST Bu*reau"cra*tist, n.
Defn: An advocate for , or supporter of, bureaucracy.
BUREL Bur"el, n. & a.
Defn: Same as Borrel.
BURETTE Bu*rette", n. Etym: [F., can, cruet, dim. of buire flagon.] (Chem.)
Defn: An apparatus for delivering measured quantities of liquid or for measuring the quantity of liquid or gas received or discharged. It consists essentially of a graduated glass tube, usually furnished with a small aperture and stopcock.
BUR FISH Bur" fish`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A spinose, plectognath fish of the Allantic coast of the United States (esp. Chilo mycterus geometricus) having the power of distending its body with water or air, so as to resemble a chestnut bur; -- called also ball fish, balloon fish, and swellfish.
BURG Burg, n. Etym: [AS. burh, burg, cf. LL. burgus. See 1st Borough.]
1. A fortified town. [Obs.]
2. A borough. [Eng.] See 1st Borough.
BURGAGE Burg"age, n. Etym: [From Burg: cf. F. bourgage, LL. burgagium.] (Eng. Law)
Defn: A tenure by which houses or lands are held of the king or other lord of a borough or city; at a certain yearly rent, or by services relating to trade or handicraft. Burrill.
BURGALL Bur"gall, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small marine fish; -- also called cunner.
BURGAMOT Bur"ga*mot, n.
Defn: See Bergamot.
BURGANET Bur"ga*net, n.
Defn: See Burgonet.
BURGEE Bur"gee, n.
1. A kind of small coat.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: A swallow-tailed flag; a distinguishing pen
BURGEOIS Bur*geois", n. (Print.)
Defn: See 1st Bourgeous.
BURGEOIS Bur*geois", n.
Defn: A burgess; a citizen. See 2d Bourgeois. [R.] Addison.
BURGEON Bur"geon, v. i.
Defn: To bud. See Bourgeon.
BURGESS Bur"gess, n. Etym: [OE. burgeis, OF. burgeis, fr. burcfortified town, town, F. bourg village, fr. LL. burgus fort, city; from the German; cf. MHG. burc, G. burg. See 1st Borough, and cf. 2d Bourgeois.]
1. An inhabitant of a borough or walled town, or one who possesses a tenement therein; a citizen or freeman of a borough. Blackstone.
Note: "A burgess of a borough corresponds with a citizen of a city." Burrill.
2. One who represents a borough in Parliament.
3. A magistrate of a borough.
4. An inhabitant of a Scotch burgh qualified to vote for municipal officers.
Note: Before the Revolution, the representatives in the popular branch of the legislature of Virginia were called burgesses; they are now called delegates. Burgess oath. See Burgher, 2.
BURGESS-SHIP Bur"gess-ship, n.
Defn: The state of privilege of a burgess. South.
BURGGRAVE Burg"grave, n. Etym: [G. burggraf; burg fortress + graf count: cf. D. burggraaf, F. burgrave. See Margrave.] (Gremany)
Defn: Originally, one appointed to the command of a burg (fortress or castle); but the title afterward became hereditary, with a domain attached.
BURGH Burgh, n. Etym: [OE. See Burg.]
Defn: A borough or incorporated town, especially, one in Scotland. See Borough.
BURGHAL Burgh"al, a.
Defn: Belonging of a burgh.
BURGHBOTE Burgh"bote`, n. Etym: [Burgh + bote.] (Old Law)
Defn: A contribution toward the building or repairing of castles or walls for the defense of a city or town.
BURGHBRECH Burgh"brech`, n. Etym: [Burgh + F. brèche, equiv. to E. breach.] (AS. Law)
Defn: The offense of violating the pledge given by every inhabitant of a tithing to keep the peace; breach of the peace. Burrill.
BURGHER Burgh"er, n. Etym: [From burgh; akin to D. burger, G. bürger, Dan. borger, Sw. borgare. See Burgh.]
1. A freeman of a burgh or borough, entitled to enjoy the privileges of the place; any inhabitant of a borough.
2. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: A member of that party, among the Scotch seceders, which asserted the lawfulness of the burgess oath (in which burgesses profess "the true religion professed within the realm"), the opposite party being called antiburghers.
Note: These parties arose among the Presbyterians of Scotland, in 1747, and in 1820 reunited under the name of the "United Associate Synod of the Secession Church."
BURGHERMASTER Burgh"er*mas`ter, n.
Defn: See Burgomaster.
BURGHERSHIP Burgh"er*ship, n.
Defn: The state or privileges of a burgher.
BURGHMASTER Burgh"mas`ter, n.
1. A burgomaster.
2. (Mining)
Defn: An officer who directs and lays out the meres or boundaries for the workmen; -- called also bailiff, and barmaster. [Eng.]
BURGHMOTE Burgh"mote`, n. (AS. Law) Etym: [Burgh + mote meeting.]
Defn: A court or meeting of a burgh or borough; a borough court held three times yearly.
BURGLAR Bur"glar, n. Etym: [OE. burg town, F. bourg, fr. LL. burgus (of German origin) + OF. lere thief, fr. L. latro. See Borough, and Larceny.] (Law)
Defn: One guilty of the crime of burglary. Burglar alarm, a device for giving alarm if a door or window is opened from without.
BURGLARER Bur"glar*er, n.
Defn: A burglar. [Obs.]
BURGLARIOUS Bur*gla"ri*ous, a.
Defn: Pertaining to burglary; constituting the crime of burglary. To come down a chimney is held a burglarious entry. Blackstone.
BURGLARIOUSLY Bur*gla"ri*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: With an intent to commit burglary; in the manner of a burglar. Blackstone.
BURGLARY Bur"gla*ry, n.; pl. Burglaries (. Etym: [Fr. Burglar; cf. LL. burglaria.] (Law)
Defn: Breaking and entering the dwelling house of another, in the nighttime, with intent to commit a felony therein, whether the felonious purpose be accomplished or not. Wharton. Burrill.
Note: By statute law in some of the United States, burglary includes the breaking with felonious intent into a house by day as well as by night, and into other buildings than dwelling houses. Various degrees of the crime are established.
BURGOMASTER Bur"go*mas`ter, n. Etym: [D. burgemeester; burg borough + meester master; akin to G. burgemeister, bürgermeister. See 1st Borough, and Master.]
1. A chief magistrate of a municipal town in Holland, Flanders, and Germany, corresponding to mayor in England and the United States; a burghmaster.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An aquatic bird, the glaucous gull (Larus glaucus), common in arctic regions.
BURGONET Bur"go*net, n. Etym: [F. bouruignotte, because the Burgundians, F. Bouruignons, first used it.]
Defn: A kind of helmet. [Written also burganet.] Shak.
BURGOO Bur"goo, n. Etym: [Prov. E. burgood yeast, perh. fr. W. burym yeast + cawl cabbage, gruel.]
Defn: A kind of oatmeal pudding, or thick gruel, used by seamen. [Written also burgout.]
BURGRASS Bur"grass`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: Grass of the genus Cenchrus, growing in sand, and having burs for fruit.
BURGRAVE Bur"grave, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: See Burggrave.
BURGUNDY Bur"gun*dy, n.
1. An old province of France (in the eastern central part).
2. A richly flavored wine, mostly red, made in Burgundy, France. Burgundy pitch, a resinous substance prepared from the exudation of the Norway spruce (Abies excelsa) by melting in hot water and straining through cloth. The genuine Burgundy pitch, supposed to have been first prepared in Burgundy, is rare, but there are many imitations. It has a yellowish brown color, is translucent and hard, but viscous. It is used in medicinal plasters.
BURH Burh, n.
Defn: See Burg. [Obs.]
BURHEL; BURRHEL Bur"hel, Burr"hel, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The wild Himalayan, or blue, sheep (Ovis burrhel).
BURIAL Bur"i*al, n. Etym: [OE. buriel, buriels, grave, tomb, AS. byrgels, fr. byrgan to bury, and akin to OS. burgisli sepulcher.]
1. A grave; a tomb; a place of sepulture. [Obs.] The erthe schook, and stoones weren cloven, and biriels weren opened. Wycliff [Matt. xxvii. 51, 52].
2. The act of burying; depositing a dead body in the earth, in a tomb or vault, or in the water, usually with attendant ceremonies; sepulture; interment. "To give a public burial." Shak. Now to glorious burial slowly borne. Tennyson. Burial case, a form of coffin, usually of iron, made to close air- tight, for the preservation of a dead body. -- Burial ground, a piece of ground selected and set apart for a place of buriials, and consecrated to such use by religious ceremonies. -- Burial place, any place where burials are made. -- Burial service. (a) The religious service performed at the interment of the dead; a funeral service. (b) That portion of a liturgy which is read at an interment; as, the English burial service.
Syn. -- Sepulture; interment; inhumation.
BURIER Bur"i*er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, buries. Till the buriers have buried it. Ezek. xxxix. 15. And darkness be the burier of the dead. Shak.
BURIN Bu"rin, n. Etym: [F. burin, cf. It. burino, bulino; prob. from OHG. bora borer, boron to bore, G. bohren. See 1st Bore.]
1. The cutting tool of an engraver on metal, used in line engraving. It is made of tempered steel, one end being ground off obliquely so as to produce a sharp point, and the other end inserted in a handle; a graver; also, the similarly shaped tool used by workers in marble.
2. The manner or style of execution of an engraver; as, a soft burin; a brilliant burin.
BURINIST Bu"rin*ist, n.
Defn: One who works with the burin. For. Quart. Rev.
BURION Bu"ri*on, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The red-breasted house sparrow of California (Carpodacus frontalis); -- called also crimson-fronted bullfinch. [Written also burrion.]
BURKE Burke, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burkeder, p. pr. & vb.n. Burkinger.] Etym: [From one Burke of Edinburgh, who committed the crime in 1829.]
1. To murder by suffocation, or so as to produce few marks of violence, for the purpose of obtaining a body to be sold for dissection.
2. To dispose of quietly or indirectly; to suppress; to smother; to shelve; as, to burke a parliamentary question. The court could not burke an inquiry, supported by such a mass of a affidavits. C. Reade.
BURKISM Burk"ism, n.
Defn: The practice of killing persons for the purpose of selling their bodies for dissection.
BURL Burl, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burled (; p. pr. & vb. n. Burling.] Etym: [OE. burle stuffing, or a knot in cloth; cf. F. bourlet, bourrelet, OF. bourel, a wreath or a roll of cloth, linen, or leather, stuffed with flocks, etc., dim. of bourre. *92. See Bur.]
Defn: To dress or finish up (cloth); to pick knots, burs, loose threads, etc., from, as in finishing cloth. Burling iron, a peculiar kind of nippers or tweezers used in burling woolen cloth.
BURL Burl, n.
1. A knot or lump in thread or cloth.
2. An overgrown knot, or an excrescence, on a tree; also, veneer made from such excrescences.
BURLAP Bur"lap, n.
Defn: A coarse fabric, made of jute or hemp, used for bagging; also, a finer variety of similar material, used for curtains, etc. [Written also burlaps.]
BURLER Burl"er, n.
Defn: One who burls or dresses cloth.
BURLESQUE Bur*lesque", a. Etym: [F. burlesque, fr. It. burlesco, fr. burla jest, mockery, perh. for burrula, dim. of L. burrae trifles. See Bur.]
Defn: Tending to excite laughter or contempt by extravagant images, or by a contrast between the subject and the manner of treating it, as when a trifling subject is treated with mock gravity; jocular; ironical. It is a dispute among the critics, whether burlesque poetry runs best in heroic verse, like that of the Dispensary, or in doggerel, like that of Hudibras. Addison.
BURLESQUE Bur*lesque", n.
1. Ludicrous representation; exaggerated parody; grotesque satire. Burlesque is therefore of two kinds; the first represents mean persons in the accouterments of heroes, the other describes great persons acting and speaking like the basest among the people. Addison.
2. An ironical or satirical composition intended to excite laughter, or to ridicule anything. The dull burlesque appeared with impudence, And pleased by novelty in spite of sense. Dryden.
3. A ludicrous imitation; a caricature; a travesty; a gross perversion. Who is it that admires, and from the heart is attached to, national representative assemblies, but must turn with horror and disgust from such a profane burlesque and abominable perversion of that sacred institute Burke.
Syn. -- Mockery; farce; travesty; mimicry.
BURLESQUE Bur*lesque", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burlesqued; p. pr. & vb. n. Burlesquing.]
Defn: To ridicule, or to make ludicrous by grotesque representation in action or in language. They burlesqued the prophet Jeremiah's words, and turned the expression he used into ridicule. Stillingfleet.
BURLESQUE Bur*lesque", v. i.
Defn: To employ burlesque.
BURLESQUER Bur*les"quer, n.
Defn: One who burlesques.
BURLETTA Bur*let"ta, n. Etym: [It., dim. of burla mockery. See Burlesque, a.] (Mus.)
Defn: A comic operetta; a music farce. Byron.
BURLINESS Bur"li*ness, n.
Defn: Quality of being burly.
BURLY Bur"ly, a. Etym: [OE. burlich strong, excellent; perh. orig. fit for a lady's bower, hence handsome, manly, stout. Cf. Bower.]
1. Having a large, strong, or gross body; stout; lusty; -- now used chiefly of human beings, but formerly of animals, in the sense of stately or beautiful, and of inanimate things that were huge and bulky. "Burly sacks." Drayton. In his latter days, with overliberal diet, [he was] somewhat corpulent and burly. Sir T. More. Burly and big, and studious of his ease. Cowper.
2. Coarse and rough; boisterous. It was the orator's own burly way of nonsense. Cowley.
BURMAN Bur"man, n.; pl. Burmans (. Etym: ["The softened modern M'yan-ma, M'yan-ma [native name] is the source of the European corruption Burma." Balfour.], (Ethnol.)
Defn: A member of the Burman family, one of the four great families Burmah; also, sometimes, any inhabitant of Burmah; a Burmese. -- a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Burmans or to Burmah.
BUR MARIGOLD Bur" mar"i*gold.
Defn: See Beggar's ticks.
BURMESE Bur`mese", a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Burmah, or its inhabitants. -- n. sing. & pl.
Defn: A native or the natives of Burmah. Also (sing.), the language of the Burmans.
BURN Burn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burned (Burnt (p. pr. & vb. n. Burning.] Etym: [OE. bernen, brennen, v.t., early confused with beornen, birnen, v.i., AS. bærnan, bernan, v.t., birnan, v.i.; akin to OS. brinnan, OFries. barna, berna, OHG. brinnan, brennan, G. brennen, OD. bernen, D. branden, Dan. brænde, Sw. bränna, brinna, Icel. brenna, Goth. brinnan, brannjan (in comp.), and possibly to E. fervent.]
1. To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn up wood. "We'll burn his body in the holy place." Shak.
2. To injure by fire or heat; to change destructively some property or properties of, by undue exposure to fire or heat; to scorch; to scald; to blister; to singe; to char; to sear; as, to burn steel in forging; to burn one's face in the sun; the sun burns the grass.
3. To perfect or improve by fire or heat; to submit to the action of fire or heat for some economic purpose; to destroy or change some property or properties of, by exposure to fire or heat in due degree for obtaining a desired residuum, product, or effect; to bake; as, to burn clay in making bricks or pottery; to burn wood so as to produce charcoal; to burn limestone for the lime.
4. To make or produce, as an effect or result, by the application of fire or heat; as, to burn a hole; to burn charcoal; to burn letters into a block.
5. To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does; as, to burn the mouth with pepper. This tyrant fever burns me up. Shak. This dry sorrow burns up all my tears. Dryden. When the cold north wind bloweth, . . . it devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the Ecclus. xliii. 20, 21.
6. (Surg.)
Defn: To apply a cautery to; to cauterize.
7. (Chem.)
Defn: To cause to combine with oxygen or other active agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize; as, a man burns a certain amount of carbon at each respiration; to burn iron in oxygen. To burn, To burn together, as two surfaces of metal (Engin.), to fuse and unite them by pouring over them a quantity of the same metal in a liquid state. -- To burn a bowl (Game of Bowls), to displace it accidentally, the bowl so displaced being said to be burned. -- To burn daylight, to light candles before it is dark; to waste time; to perform superfluous actions. Shak. -- To burn one's fingers, to get one's self into unexpected trouble, as by interfering the concerns of others, speculation, etc. -- To burn out, to destroy or obliterate by burning. "Must you with hot irons burn out mine eyes" Shak. -- To be burned out, to suffer loss by fire, as the burning of one's house, store, or shop, with the contents. -- To burn up, To burn down, to burn entirely.
BURN Burn, v. i.
1. To be of fire; to flame. "The mount burned with fire." Deut. ix. 15.
2. To suffer from, or be scorched by, an excess of heat. Your meat doth burn, quoth I. Shak.
3. To have a condition, quality, appearance, sensation, or emotion, as if on fire or excessively heated; to act or rage with destructive violence; to be in a state of lively emotion or strong desire; as, the face burns; to burn with fever. Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way Luke xxiv. 32. The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne, Burned on the water. Shak. Burning with high hope. Byron. The groan still deepens, and the combat burns. Pope. The parching air Burns frore, and cold performs the effect of fire. Milton.
4. (Chem.)
Defn: To combine energetically, with evolution of heat; as, copper burns in chlorine.
5. In certain games, to approach near to a concealed object which is sought. [Colloq.] To burn out, to burn till the fuel is exhausted. -- To burn up, To burn down, to be entirely consumed.
BURN Burn, n.
1. A hurt, injury, or effect caused by fire or excessive or intense heat.
2. The operation or result of burning or baking, as in brickmaking; as, they have a good burn.
3. A disease in vegetables. See Brand, n., 6.
BURN Burn, n. Etym: [See 1st Bourn.]
Defn: A small stream. [Scot.]
BURNABLE Burn"a*ble, a.
Defn: Combustible. Cotgrave.
BURNED Burned, p. p. & a.
Defn: See Burnt.
BURNED Burned, p. p.
Defn: Burnished. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BURNER Burn"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, burns or sets fire to anything.
2. The part of a lamp, gas fixture, etc., where the flame is produced. Bunsen's burner (Chem.), a kind of burner, invented by Professor Bunsen of Heidelberg, consisting of a straight tube, four or five inches in length, having small holes for the entrance of air at the bottom. Illuminating gas being also admitted at the bottom, a mixture of gas and air is formed which burns at the top with a feebly luminous but intensely hot flame. -- Argand burner, Rose burner, etc. See under Argand, Rose, etc.
BURNET Bur"net, n. Etym: [OE. burnet burnet; also, brownish (the plant perh. being named from its color), fr. F. brunet, dim. of brun brown; cf. OF. brunete a sort of flower. See Brunette.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of perennial herbs (Poterium); especially, P.Sanguisorba, the common, or garden, burnet. Burnet moth (Zoöl.), in England, a handsome moth (Zygæna filipendula), with crimson spots on the wings. -- Burnet saxifrage. (Bot.) See Saxifrage. -- Canadian burnet, a marsh plant (Poterium Canadensis). -- Great burnet, Wild burnet, Poterium (or Sanguisorba) oficinalis.
BURNETTIZE Bur"nett*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burnettized (; p. pr. & vb. n. Burnettizing.] (Manuf.)
Defn: To subject (wood, fabrics, etc.) to a process of saturation in a solution of chloride of zinc, to prevent decay; -- a process invented by Sir William Burnett.
BURNIE Burn"ie, n. Etym: [See 4th Burn.]
Defn: A small brook. [Scot.] Burns.
BURNIEBEE Bur"nie*bee`, n.
Defn: The ladybird. [Prov. Eng.]
BURNING Burn"ing, a.
1. That burns; being on fire; excessively hot; fiery.
2. Consuming; intense; inflaming; exciting; vehement; powerful; as, burning zeal. Like a young hound upon a burning scent. Dryden. Burning bush (Bot.), an ornamental shrub (Euonymus atropurpureus), bearing a crimson berry.
BURNING Burn"ing, n.
Defn: The act of consuming by fire or heat, or of subjecting to the effect of fire or heat; the state of being on fire or excessively heated. Burning fluid, any volatile illuminating oil, as the lighter petroleums (naphtha, benzine), or oil of turpentine (camphine), but esp. a mixture of the latter with alcohol. -- Burning glass, a conxex lens of considerable size, used for producing an intense heat by converging the sun's rays to a focus. -- Burning house (Metal.), the furnace in which tin ores are calcined, to sublime the sulphur and arsenic from the pyrites. Weale. -- Burning mirror, a concave mirror, or a combination of plane mirrors, used for the same purpose as a burning glass.
Syn. -- Combustion; fire; conflagration; flame; blaze.
BURNISH Bur"nish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Burnished; p. pr. & vb. n. Burnishing.] Etym: [OE. burnischen, burnissen, burnen, OF. burnir, brunir, to make brown, polish, F. brunir, fr. F. brun brown, fr. OHG. br; cf. MHG. briunen to make brown, polish. See Brown, a.]
Defn: To cause to shine; to make smooth and bright; to polish; specifically, to polish by rubbing with something hard and smooth; as, to burnish brass or paper. The frame of burnished steel, that east a glare From far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air. Dryden. Now the village windows blaze, Burnished by the setting sun. Cunningham. Burnishing machine, a machine for smoothing and polishing by compression, as in making paper collars.
BURNISH Bur"nish, v. i.
Defn: To shine forth; to brighten; to become smooth and glossy, as from swelling or filling out; hence, to grow large. A slender poet must have time to grow, And spread and burnish as his brothers do. Dryden. My thoughts began to burnish, sprout, and swell. Herbert.
BURNISH Bur"nish, n.
Defn: The effect of burnishing; gloss; brightness; luster. Crashaw.
BURNISHER Bur"nish*er, n.
1. One who burnishes.
2. A tool with a hard, smooth, rounded end or surface, as of steel, ivory, or agate, used in smoothing or polishing by rubbing. It has a variety of forms adapted to special uses.
BURNOOSE; BURNOUS Bur"noose, Bur"nous, n. Etym: [Ar. burnus a kind of high-crowned cap: cf. F. bournous, burnous, Sp. al-bornoz, a sort of upper garment, with a hood attached.]
1. A cloaklike garment and hood woven in one piece, worn by Arabs.
2. A combination cloak and hood worn by women. [Variously written bournous, bernouse, bornous, etc.]
BURNSTICKLE Burn"stic`kle, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus).
BURNT Burnt, p. p. & a.
Defn: Consumed with, or as with, fire; scorched or dried, as with fire or heat; baked or hardened in the fire or the sun. Burnt ear, a black, powdery fungus which destroys grain. See Smut. -- Burnt offering, something offered and burnt on an altar, as an atonement for sin; a sacrifice. The offerings of the Jews were a clean animal, as an ox, a calf, a goat, or a sheep; or some vegetable substance, as bread, or ears of wheat or barley. Called also burnt sacrifice. [2 Sam. xxiv. 22.]
BURR Burr, n. Etym: [See Bur.] (Bot.)
1. A prickly seed vessel. See Bur, 1.
2. The thin edge or ridge left by a tool in cutting or shaping metal, as in turning, engraving, pressing, etc.; also, the rough neck left on a bullet in casting. The graver, in plowing furrows in the surface of the copper, raises corresponding ridges or burrs. Tomlinson.
3. A thin flat piece of metal, formed from a sheet by punching; a small washer put on the end of a rivet before it is swaged down.
4. A broad iron ring on a tilting lance just below the gripe, to prevent the hand from slipping.
5. The lobe or lap of the ear.
6. Etym: [Probably of imitative origin.]
Defn: A guttural pronounciation of the letter r, produced by trilling the extremity of the soft palate against the back part of the tongue; rotacism; -- often called the Newcastle, Northumberland, or Tweedside, burr.
7. The knot at the bottom of an antler. See Bur, n., 8.
BURR Burr, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Burred; p. pr. & vb. n. Burring.]
Defn: To speak with burr; to make a hoarse or guttural murmur. Mrs. Browning.
BURREL Bur"rel, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. burel reddish (cf. Borel, n.), or F. beurré butter pear, fr. beurre butter. Cf. Butter.]
Defn: A sort of pear, called also the red butter pear, from its smooth, delicious, soft pulp.
BURREL Bur"rel, n.
Defn: Same as Borrel.
BURREL FLY Bur"rel fly`. Etym: [From its reddish color. See 1st Burrel.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The botfly or gadfly of cattle (Hypoderma bovis). See Gadfly.
BURREL SHOT Bur"rel shot`. Etym: [Either from annoying the enemy like a burrel fly, or, less probably, fr. F. bourreler to sting, torture.] (Gun.)
Defn: A mixture of shot, nails, stones, pieces of old iron, etc., fired from a cannon at short range, in an emergency. [R.]
BURRING MACHINE Burr"ing ma*chine".
Defn: A machine for cleansing wool of burs, seeds, and other substances.
BURR MILLSTONE Burr" mill"stone`.
Defn: See Buhrstone.
BURRO Bur"ro, n. Etym: [Sp., an ass.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A donkey. [Southern U.S.]
BURROCK Bur"rock, n. Etym: [Perh. from AS. burg, burh, hill + -ock.]
Defn: A small weir or dam in a river to direct the stream to gaps where fish traps are placed. Knight.
BURROW Bur"row, n. Etym: [See 1st Borough.]
1. An incorporated town. See 1st Borough.
2. A shelter; esp. a hole in the ground made by certain animals, as rabbits, for shelter and habitation.
3. (Mining)
Defn: A heap or heaps of rubbish or refuse.
4. A mound. See 3d Barrow, and Camp, n., 5.
BURROW Bur"row, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Burrowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Burrowing.]
1. To excavate a hole to lodge in, as in the earth; to lodge in a hole excavated in the earth, as conies or rabbits.
2. To lodge, or take refuge, in any deep or concealed place; to hide. Sir, this vermin of court reporters, when they are forced into day upon one point, are sure to burrow in another. Burke. Burrowing owl (Zoöl.), a small owl of the western part of North America (Speotyto cunicularia), which lives in holes, often in company with the prairie dog.
BURROWER Bur"row*er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, burrows; an animal that makes a hole under ground and lives in it.
BURRSTONE Burr"stone`, n.
Defn: See Buhrstone.
BURRY Burr"y, a.
Defn: Abounding in burs, or containing burs; resembling burs; as, burry wool.
BURSA Bur"sa, n.; pl. Bursæ (. Etym: [L. See Burse.] (Anat.)
Defn: Any sac or saclike cavity; especially, one of the synovial sacs, or small spaces, often lined with synovial membrane, interposed between tendons and bony prominences.
BURSAL Bur"sal, a. (Anat.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a bursa or to bursæ.
BURSAR Bur"sar, n. Etym: [LL. bursarius, fr. bursa purse. See Burse, and cf. Purser.]
1. A treasurer, or cash keeper; a purser; as, the bursar of a college, or of a monastery.
2. A student to whom a stipend or bursary is paid for his complete or partial support.
BURSARSHIP Bur"sar*ship, n.
Defn: The office of a bursar.
BURSARY Bur"sa*ry, n.; pl. -ries. Etym: [LL. bursaria. See Bursar.]
1. The treasury of a college or monastery.
2. A scholarship or charitable foundation in a university, as in scotland; a sum given to enable a student to pursue his studies. "No woman of rank or fortune but would have a bursary in her gift." Southey.
BURSCH Bursch, n.; pl. Burschen. Etym: [G., ultimately fr. LL. bursa. See Burse.]
Defn: A youth; especially, a student in a german university.
BURSCHENSCHAFT Bur"schen*schaft`, n.; pl. -schaften (#). [G.]
Defn: In Germany, any of various associations of university students formed (the original one at Jena in 1815) to support liberal ideas, or the organization formed by the affiliation of the local bodies. The organization was suppressed by the government in 1819, but was secretly revived, and is now openly maintained as a social organization, the restrictive laws having been repealed prior to 1849. -- Bur"schen*schaft`ler (#), -schaf`ter (#), n.
BURSE Burse, n. Etym: [LL. bursa, or F. bourse. See Bourse, and cf. Bursch, Purse.]
1. A purse; also, a vesicle; a pod; a hull. [Obs.] Holland.
2. A fund or foundation for the maintenance of needy scholars in their studies; also, the sum given to the beneficiaries. [Scot.]
3. (Eccl.)
Defn: An ornamental case of hold the corporal when not in use. Shipley.
4. An exchange, for merchants and bankers, in the cities of continental Europe. Same as Bourse.
5. A kind of bazaar. [Obs.] She says she went to the burse for patterns. Old Play.
BURSICULATE Bur*sic"u*late, a. Etym: [See Burse.] (Bot.)
Defn: Bursiform.
BURSIFORM Bur"si*form, a. Etym: [LL. bursa purse + -form.]
Defn: Shaped like a purse.
BURSITIS Bur*si"tis, n. Etym: [NL., fr. E. bursa + -itis.] (Med.)
Defn: Inflammation of a bursa.
BURST Burst, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Burst; p. pr. & vb. n. Bursting. The past participle bursten is obsolete.] Etym: [OE. bersten, bresten, AS. berstan (pers. sing. berste, imp. sing. bærst, imp. pl. burston, p.p. borsten); akin to D. bersten, G. bersten, OHG. brestan, OS. brestan, Icel. bresta, Sw. brista, Dan. briste. Cf. Brast, Break.]
1. To fly apart or in pieces; of break open; to yield to force or pressure, especially to a sudden and violent exertion of force, or to pressure from within; to explode; as, the boiler had burst; the buds will burst in spring. From the egg that soon Bursting with kindly rupture, forth disclosed Their callow young. Milton.
Note: Often used figuratively, as of the heart, in reference to a surcharge of passion, grief, desire, etc. No, no, my heart will burst, an if I speak: And I will speak, that so my heart may burst. Shak.
2. To exert force or pressure by which something is made suddenly to give way; to break through obstacles or limitations; hence, to appear suddenly and unexpecedly or unaccountably, or to depart in such manner; -- usually with some qualifying adverb or preposition, as forth, out, away, into, upon, through, etc. Tears, such as angels weep, burst forth. Milton. And now you burst (ah cruel!) from my arms. Pope. A resolved villain Whose bowels suddenly burst out. Shak. We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea. Coleridge. To burst upon him like an earthquake. Goldsmith.
BURST Burst, v. t.
1. To break or rend by violence, as by an overcharge or by strain or pressure, esp. from within; to force open suddenly; as, to burst a cannon; to burst a blood vessel; to burst open the doors. My breast I'll burst with straining of my courage. Shak.
2. To break. [Obs.] You will not pay for the glasses you have burst Shak. He burst his lance against the sand below. Fairfax (Tasso).
3. To produce as an effect of bursting; as, to burst a hole through the wall. Bursting charge. See under Charge.
BURST Burst, n.
1. A sudden breaking forth; a violent rending; an explosion; as, a burst of thunder; a burst of applause; a burst of passion; a burst of inspiration. Bursts of fox-hunting melody. W. Irving.
2. Any brief, violent evertion or effort; a spurt; as, a burst of speed.
3. A sudden opening, as of landscape; a stretch; an expanse. [R.] "A fine burst of country." Jane Austen.
4. A rupture of hernia; a breach.
BURSTEN Burst"en,
Defn: p. p. of Burst, v. i. [Obs.]
BURSTER Burst"er, n.
Defn: One that bursts.
BURSTWORT Burst"wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A plant (Herniaria glabra) supposed to be valuable for the cure of hernia or rupture.
BURT Burt, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Birt. [Prov. Eng.]
BURTHEN Bur"then, n. & v. t.
Defn: See Burden. [Archaic]
BURTON Bur"ton, n. Etym: [Cf. OE. & Prov. E. bort to press or indent anything.] (Naut.)
Defn: A peculiar tackle, formed of two or more blocks, or pulleys, the weight being suspended of a hook block in the bight of the running part.
BURY Bur"y, n. Etym: [See 1st Borough.]
1. A borough; a manor; as, the Bury of St. Edmond's; --
Note: used as a termination of names of places; as, Canterbury, Shrewsbury.
2. A manor house; a castle. [Prov. Eng.] To this very day, the chief house of a manor, or the lord's seat, is called bury, in some parts of England. Miege.