B
the second letter of our alphabet, called by the Phœniciansbeth, 'the house,' coresponding to Greekβετα, 'beta.'—Bin music is the seventh note of the scale of C major;BorB flat, a humorous euphemism for the domesticbug.
Baa, bä,n.the cry of a sheep.—v.i.to cry or bleat as a sheep.—n.Baa′ing. [From the sound.]
Baal, bā′al,n.the chief male deity of the Phœnician nations: a false god generally:—pl.Bā′alim.—ns.Bā′alism;Bā′alite. [Heb.]
Babble, bab′bl,v.i.to speak like a baby: to make a continuous murmuring sound like a brook, &c.: to make a babbling noise: to tell secrets.—v.t.to prate: to utter.—adjs.Bab′blative,Bab′bly.—ns.Bab′ble,Bab′blement,Bab′bling, idle senseless talk: prattle: confused murmur, as of a stream;Bab′bler, one who babbles. [Prob. imit., from the repeated syllableba; cf. Dut.babbelen, Ger.pappelen, Fr.babiller.]
Babe, bāb,Baby, bā′bi,n.an infant or child: a doll, puppet: the reflection of one's self in miniature seen in the pupil of another's eye.—ns.Bā′by-farm′er, one who takes in infants to nurse on payment;Bā′byhood.—adj.Bā′byish.—n.Bā′by-jump′er, a seat suspended from the ceiling of a room by elastic straps, to enable a baby to jump. [Prob. imitative. SeeBabble.]
Babel, bā′bel,n.a lofty structure: a confused combination of sounds: a scene of confusion.—ns.Bā′beldom,Bā′belism. [Heb.Babel, explained in Gen. xi. as confusion.]
Babiroussa,-russa, ba-bi-rōō′sa,n.a species of wild hog found in the East Indies, often called the horned or deer hog. [Malaybâbi, hog, andrûsa, deer.]
Baboo, bä′bōō,n.orig. the Hindu title corresponding to ourMr, but often applied disparagingly to a Hindu with a superficial English education, or adjectively as in 'baboo English,' which is more copious than correct, with long and learned words often most ingeniously misapplied.—ns.Ba′boodom,Ba′booism. [Hind.bābū.]
Baboon, ba-bōōn′,n.a species of large monkey, having a long face, dog-like tusks, large lips, and a short tail.—n.Baboon′ery.—adj.Baboon′ish. [Fr.babouin; remoter origin unknown.]
Babylonian, bab-i-lōn′i-an,adj.pertaining to Babylon: hence (fig.) huge, gigantic: Romish, popish (obs.from the identification with Rome of the scarlet woman of Rev. xvii.);Babel-like, confused in language.—AlsoBabylon′ish.
Baccalaureate, bak-ka-law′re-āt,n.the university degree of bachelor.—adj.Baccalau′rean[Low L.baccalaureus, corrupted from,baccalarius, with some imaginary reference tobacca lauri, the laurel berry. SeeBachelor.]
Baccarat,Baccara, bak-ar-ā′,n.a French game of cards played by any number of betters and a banker. [Fr.baccara.]
Baccate, bak′āt,adj.having berries: berry-like or pulpy.—adjs.Bacciferous(bak-sif′ėr-us), bearing berries;Bac′ciform, of the shape of a berry;Bacciv′orous, living on berries. [L.baccatus—bacca, a berry.]
Bacchanal, bak′a-nal,n.a worshipper of Bacchus: one who indulges in drunken revels: a dance or song in honour of Bacchus.—adj.relating to drunken revels—alsoBacchanā′lian.—ns.pl.Bacchanā′lia,Bac′chanals, originally feasts in honour of Bacchus: drunken revels.—n.Bacchanā′lianism.—n.andadj.Bacchant(bak′kant), a priest of Bacchus, the god of wine: a reveller: a drunkard.—n.Bacchante(bak-kant′,bak′kant,bak-kant′i),a priestess of Bacchus, the god of wine: a female bacchanal:—pl.Bacchant′es.—adj.Bacchic(bak′kik), relating to Bacchus: jovial: drunken. [L.Bacchanalis,Bacchus, Gr.Bacchos, the god of wine.]
Baccy,Bacco, abbreviations ofTobacco.
Bacharach, bak′ar-ak,n.an excellent wine named from Bacharach, a town on the Rhine.
Bachelor, bach′el-or,n.a young knight who followed the banner of another, as being too young to display his own: an unmarried man: one who has taken his first degree at a university.—ns.Bach′elorhood,Bach′elorship;Bach′elorism, habit of a bachelor;Bach′elor's-but′ton, the popular name of the double-flowered yellow or white varieties of buttercup.—Knight bachelor, title of one who has been knighted, but not attached to any special order. [O. Fr.bacheler. Ety. disputed; acc. to Brachet from Low L.baccalarius, a farm-servant, orig. a cowherd, frombacca, Low L. forvacca, a cow.]
Bacillus, ba-sil′us,n.properly the name of a distinct genus of Schizomycetes, but popularly used in the same sense asBacterium:—pl.Bacil′lī.—adjs.Bacil′lar,Bacil′lary, of the shape or nature of a bacillus, consisting of little rods.—n.Bacil′licide, that which destroys bacilli.—adj.Bacil′liform. [Low L.bacillus, dim. ofbaculus, a rod.]
Back, bak,n.a brewer's or dyer's tub or trough. [Dut.bak.]
Back, bak,n.the hinder part of the body in man, and the upper part in beasts, extending from the neck and shoulders to the extremity of the backbone: put for the whole body in speaking of clothes: the hinder part, or the part opposite to the front side: the convex part of a book, opposite to the opening of the leaves: the thick edge of a knife or the like: the upright hind part of a chair: the surface of the sea, or of a river: the keel and keelson of a ship: (football) one of the players stationed behind the 'forwards,' the full back's duty being merely to guard the goal: (mining) that side of an inclined mineral lode which is nearest the surface of the ground—thebackof a level is the ground between it and the level above.—adv.to the place from which one came: to a former state or condition: behind: behind in time: in return: again.—v.t.to get upon the back of: to help, as if standing at one's back: to force back: to support one's opinion by a wager or bet—'to back a horse,' to bet money on his winning in a race, 'to back the field,' to bet upon all the horses in a field, against one in particular: to countersign a warrant, or indorse a cheque or bill; to write or print at the back of, as a parliamentary bill, or the like: to put or propel backward, or in the opposite direction, by reversing the action, as of an engine or a boat—hence the phrases,To back the oars,To back water.—v.i.to move or go back.—n.Back′-band, a broad strap or chain passing over the cart saddle, and serving to keep up the shafts of a vehicle.—v.t.Back′bite, to speak evil of any one behind his back or in his absence.—ns.Back′biter;Back′biting;Back′-board, a board placed at the back of a cart, boat, &c.: a board fastened across the back to straighten the figure;Back′bond(Scots law), a deed attaching a qualification or condition to the terms of a conveyance or other instrument—used when particular circumstances render it necessary to express in a separate form the limitations or qualifications of a right;Back′bone, the bone of the back, the vertebral column: the main support of anything: mainstay: firmness, reliableness;Back′-door, a door in the back part of a building: (attrib.) unworthily secret: clandestine.—adj.Backed, as in humpbacked.—ns.Back′-end, the later part of a season: the late autumn;Back′er, one who backs or supports another in a contest: one who bets on a horse or the like;Back′-fall, a fall on the back in wrestling—also figuratively: a lever in the coupler of an organ;Back′friend(obs.), a pretended friend: a backer, a friend who stands at one's back;Back′ground, ground at the back: a place of obscurity: the space behind the principal figures of a picture;Back′-hair, the long hair at the back of a woman's head;Back′-hand, the hand turned backwards in making a stroke: handwriting with the letters sloped backwards.—adj.Back′-hand′ed, with the hand turned backward (as of a blow): indirect.—ns.Back′-hand′er, a blow with the back of the hand: an extra glass of wine out of turn, the bottle being passed back;Back′ing, support at the back: mounting of a horse: the action of putting back: a body of helpers: anything used to form a back or line the back;Back′ing-down, shirking;Back′-lash, the jarring reaction of a wheel in a machine when the motion is not uniform;Back′-log, a log at the back of a fire.—adj.Back′most, farthest to the back.—ns.Back′-piece,Back′-plate, a piece or plate of armour for the back;Back′-set, a setting back, reverse: an eddy or counter-current;Back′side, the back or hinder side or part of anything: the hinder part of an animal;Back′-sight, in surveying, a sight taken backwards: the sight of a rifle nearer the stock;Back′-slang, slang in which every word is pronounced backwards.—v.t.Backslide′, to slide or fall back in faith or morals:—pa.p.backslid′, orbackslid′den.—ns.Backslid′er;Backslid′ing.—n.pl.Back′stairs, back or private stairs of a house.—adj.secret or underhand.—n.pl.Back′stays, ropes or stays extending from the topmast-heads to the sides of a ship, and slanting a little backward, to second the shrouds in supporting the mast when strained by a weight of sail in a fresh wind: any stay or support at the back.—ns.Back′stitch, a method of sewing in which, for every new stitch, the needle enters behind, and comes out in front of, the end of the previous one;Back′sword, a sword with a back or with only one edge: a stick with a basket-handle;Backsword′man(Shak.);Back′-wash, a backward current.—v.t.to affect with back-wash: to clean the oil from wool after combing.—n.Back′water, water held back in a mill-stream or river by the obstruction of a dam below—a pool or belt of water connected with a river, but not in the line of its course or current: water thrown back by the turning of a water-wheel: a backward current of water: the swell of the sea formed by the paddles of a steamship.—n.pl.Back′woods, the forest or uncultivated part of a country beyond the cleared country, as in North AmericanBackwoods′man.—Back!go back, turn back (imperatively).—At the back of(in U.S. oftenBack of), in support or pursuit;On,Upon the back of, weighing down as a burden.—To and back(Shak.), forward and backward.—To back down, to abandon one's opinion or position;To back out, to recede from an engagement or promise;To back up, to give support to;To be on one's back, to have come to the end of one's resources;To break the back of, to overburden, to complete the hardest part of a task;To cast behind the back(B.), to forgive;To setorput up the back, to arouse to resentment;To the backbone, thoroughly. [A.S.bæc, Sw.bak, Dan.bag.]
Backare,Baccare, bak′āre,interj.(Shak.) back! stand back! [Perh. forback there!]
Backet, bak′et (Scot.),n.a shallow wooden trough for carrying ashes, coals, &c. [Fr.baquet, dim. ofbac, back.]
Backgammon, bak-gam′un,n.a game played by two persons on a board with dice and fifteen men or pieces each. [M.E.gamen, play; and named from the fact that the pieces are sometimes taken up and obliged to goback—that is, re-enter at the table. Always calledTablestill the 17th century.]
Backsheesh,Backshish,bak′shēsh,n.a gift or present of money in the East, a gratuity or tip. [Pers.]
Backward, bak′ward,adv.towards the back: on the back: towards the past: from a better to a worse state: in a direction opposite to the normal—alsoBack′wards.—adj.Back′ward, keeping back: unwilling: slow: late: dull or stupid.—n.the past portion of time.—n.Back′wardation, percentage paid by a seller of stock for keeping back its delivery till the following account.—adv.Back′wardly.—n.Back′wardness.—Backward and forward, to and fro.—To ring bells backward, to ring them, beginning with the bass bell, in order to give tidings of dismay. [Back, and affixWard,Wards, in the direction of.]
Bacon, bā′kn,n.swine's flesh salted or pickled and dried: (Shak.) a rustic, 'chaw-bacon.'—To saveorsell one's bacon, i.e. one's own flesh or body. [O. Fr.bacon, of Teut. origin; cf. Old High Ger.bahho,bacho; Ger.bache.]
Baconian, bak-ōn′i-an,adj.pertaining to Lord Bacon (1561-1626), or to his philosophy, which was inductive or based on experience.
Bacterium, bak-tē′ri-um,n.,Bacteria, bak-tē′ri-a,n.pl.Schizomycetes, extremely small, single-celled, fungoid plants, single or grouped, reproducing rapidly by cross division or by the formation of spores, almost always associated with the decomposition of albuminoid substances, and regarded as the germs or active cause of many diseases.—ns.Bacteriol′ogist;Bacteriol′ogy, the scientific study of bacteria. [Gr.baktērion, dim. ofbaktron, stick, staff.]
Baculine, bak′ū-līn,adj.pertaining to the stick or cane—in flogging. [L.baculum.]
Baculite, bak′ū-līt,n.a genus of fossil shells, allied to the ammonites, having a shell of perfectly straight form, tapering to a point. [L.baculum, a stick.]
Bad, bad,adj.ill or evil: wicked: hurtful: incorrect, faulty: unfavourable: painful:—comp.Worse;superl.Worst.—adj.Bad′dish, somewhat bad: not very good.—adv.Bad′ly.—ns.Bad′ness.—Bad blood, angry feeling;Bad coin, false coin;Bad debts, debts that cannot be recovered;Bad shot, a wrong guess.—To go bad, to decay;To go to the bad, to go to ruin;To the bad, to a bad condition: in deficit.—With bad grace, unwillingly. [Ety. very obscure. The M. E.baddeis referred by Zupitza to A.S.bæddel, a hermaphrodite,bædling, an effeminate fellow.]
Bade, bad,pa.t.ofBid.
Badge, baj,n.a mark or sign by which a person or object is known or distinguished. [M.E.bage—Low L.bagia,bagea, connected by Skeat with Low L.baga, a golden ring, from L.bacca,baca, a berry, also the link of a chain.]
Badger, baj′ėr,n.a burrowing, nocturnal, hibernating animal about the size of a fox, eagerly hunted by dogs.—v.t.to pursue with eagerness, as dogs hunt the badger: to pester or worry.—ns.Badg′er-bait′ing, the sport of setting dogs to draw out a badger from its hole;Badg′er-dog, a long-bodied and short-legged dog used in drawing the badger—the Ger.dachshund.—adj.Badg′er-legged, having legs of unequal length, as the badger was vulgarly supposed to have.—adv.Badg′erly, like a badger: grayish-haired, elderly.—To overdraw one's badger, to overdraw one's banking account. [Prob. fromBadgeand suffix-ard, in reference to the white mark borne like a badge on its forehead. Derivations connecting the word with O. Fr.blaier, thus meaning 'little corn hoarder,' in allusion to a popular notion about the animal's habits, seem to be erroneous.]
Badinage, bad′in-äzh,n.light playful talk: banter. [Fr.badinage—badin, playful or bantering.]
Badminton, bad′min-ton,n.a cooling summer drink compounded of claret, sugar, and soda-water: a predecessor of lawn-tennis, played with shuttlecocks. [FromBadmintonin Gloucester, a seat of the Duke of Beaufort.]
Baff, bäf,v.t.(golf) to strike the ground with a club in playing, and so to send the ball up in the air.
Baffle, baf′fl,v.t.to check or make ineffectual: (obs.) to cheat, hoodwink, bewilder, bring to nought: (obs.) to disgrace publicly.—ns.Baf′fle(obs.), confusion, check;Baf′fler, a bewilderer, confounder.—To baffle out of(obs.), to juggle out of anything. [Prob. Scotch and connected withbauchle; but cf. Fr.beffler, from O. Fr.befe, mockery. Paul Meyer suggests a derivation from Prov.baf, interj. of disdain.]
Baft, baft,n.a coarse fabric, originally Oriental, now manufactured in and shipped from England. [Pers.baft, woven.]
Baft, baft,n.adv.andprep.behind, in the rear (mostlynaut.). [A.S.beæftan, frombe, by, andæftan, behind.]
Bag, bag,n.a sack, pouch: specially the silken pouch to contain the back-hair of the wig: a measure of quantity for produce: a game-bag, i.e. the quantity of fish or game secured: an udder: (vulg.inpl.) trousers.—v.i.to bulge, swell out: (naut.) to drop away from the right course.—v.t.to cram full: to put into a bag, specially of game, hence to kill game, to seize, steal:—pr.p.bag′ging;pa.p.bagged.—ns.Bag′ging, cloth or material for bags;Bag′git, a salmon that has just spawned.—adj.Bag′gy, loose like a bag: inflated, verbose.—ns.Bag′man, a familiar name for a commercial traveller;Bag′-wig, an 18th-cent. wig, the back-hair of which was enclosed in an ornamental bag.—Bag and baggage, originally a military expression, hence the phrase, 'to march out with bag and baggage,' i.e. with all belongings saved: to make an honourable retreat: now used in the sense of 'to clear out completely.'—Bag of bones, an emaciated living being.—In the bottom of the bag, remaining as a last resource;The whole bag of tricks, every expedient;To give one the bag to hold, to engage any one and meanwhile disappear;To let the cat out of the bag, to disclose the secret. [M. E.bagge, perh. Scand.; not Celtic, as Diez suggests.]
Bagasse, ba-gas′,n.refuse in sugar-making. [Fr.; Sp.bagazo, husks of grapes or olives after pressing.]
Bagatelle, bag-a-tel′,n.a trifle: a piece of music in a light style: a game played on a board (7 feet long and 21 inches broad) with nine balls and a cue, the object being to put the balls down into as many numbered holes at the farther semicircular end of the board. [Fr.—It.bagatella, a conjurer's trick, a trifle.]
Baggage, bag′āj,n.the tents, provisions, and other necessaries of an army: (U.S.) traveller's luggage; a worthless woman: a saucy woman. [O. Fr.bagage—baguer, to bind up, from which we may infer all the meanings, without reference to Fr.bagasse, It.bagáscia, a strumpet.]
Bagnio, ban′yō,n.a bath, esp. one with hot baths: an Oriental place of detention: a stew or house of ill-fame. [It.bagno—L.balneum, a bath.]
Highland Bagpipe.
Bagpipe, bag′pīp,n.a musical wind-instrument, consisting of a leathern bag fitted with pipes. The Highland bagpipe has five pipes:a, the mouthpiece, to keep the bag filled with air;b, the chanter, having a reed and finger-holes to produce the melody; andc, three drones with reeds, tuned to act as a bass to the chanter: (pl.) an inflated, senseless talker.—n.Bag′piper.
Bah, bä,interj.an exclamation of disgust or contempt. [Fr.]
Bahadur, ba-had′ōōr,n.a title of respect often added by natives to the names of English officers in India. [Hind.bahadur, brave.]
Baignoire, bān′war,n.a box at the theatre on a level with the stalls. [Orig. = 'bathing-box,' Fr.baigner, to bathe.]
Bail, bāl,n.one who procures the release of an accused person by becoming guardian or security for his appearing in court: the security given: (Spens.) jurisdiction.—v.t.to set a person free by giving security for him: to release on the security of another.—adj.Bail′able.—ns.Bail′-bond, a bond given by a prisoner and his surety upon being bailed;Bail′-dock,Bale′-dock, a room at the Old Bailey, London, in which prisoners were kept during the trials;Bailee′, one to whom goods are delivered in trust upon a contract;Bail′er, one who delivers goods to another in trust;Bail′ment, a delivery of goods in trust: the action of bailing a prisoner;Bails′man, one who gives bail for another.—To accept,admit to,allow bail, are all said of the magistrate; the prisoneroffers,surrenders to his bail; the one who provides itgoes,gives, orstands bail.—To give leg bail, to be beholden to one's legs for escape. [O. Fr.bail, jurisdiction—baillier, to control, deliver. Primarily implying 'custody' or 'charge,' the word became associated with Norm. Fr.bailler, to deliver—L.bajulus.]
Bail, bāl,v.t.(rare) to confine.—To bail up(Australia), to secure a cow's head during milking: to disarm travellers so as to be able to rob them without resistance. [Prob. conn. with the preceding word.]
Bail, bāl,n.palisades, barriers: a pole separating horses in an open stable. [M. E.—O. Fr.baile, perh. frombaillier, to enclose. Others suggest a derivation from L.baculum, a stick.]
Bail, bāl,n.one of the cross pieces on the top of the wicket in cricket.—n.Bail′er, a ball bowled so as to hit the bails. [Prob. conn. with the preceding word.]
Bail, bāl,v.t.to clear (a boat) of water with bails or shallow buckets.—n.a man or instrument for bailing water out of a ship, pit, &c.—Also spelledBale. [Fr.baille, a bucket, perh. from Low L.bacula, dim. ofbaca.]
Bailey, bāl′i,n.the outer court of a feudal castle: either of the two courts formed by the spaces between the circuits of walls, henceOuterandInner Bailey.—The Old Baileyin London, the Central Criminal Court, from the ancientbaileybetween Lud Gate and New Gate. [Fr.baille, from Low L.ballium.]
Bailie, bāl′i,n.a municipal officer in Scotland corresponding to an English alderman: (obs.) a sheriff's officer; but cf. ScotchWat′er-bail′ies, constables employed to carry out the Tweed Fisheries Acts: (obs.) the chief magistrate of a Scottish barony or part of a county, with functions like a sheriff's. [O. Fr.bailli, land-steward, officer of justice. SeeBailiff.]
Bailiff, bāl′if,n.formerly any king's officer, e.g. sheriffs, mayors, &c., but applied specially to the chief officer of a hundred, still the title of the chief magistrate of various towns (e.g. High-bailiff of Westminster, cf. Bailiff of Dover Castle, also thebaillyor first civil officer of the Channel Islands: a sheriff's officer: an agent or land-steward.—n.Bail′iwick, the jurisdiction of a bailiff. [O. Fr.baillif—Low L.bajulivus—bajalus, carrier, administrator. SeeBail.]
Bairam, bī′ram,n.the name of two Mohammedan festivals—theLesser Bairamlasting three days, after the feast of Ramadan, and theGreater Bairamseventy days later, lasting four days. [Pers.]
Bairn, bārn,n.(Scot.) a child.—adj.Bairn′-like.—ns.Bairn′team,Bairn′time, brood of children. [A.S.bearn—beran, to bear.]
Baisemain, bāz′mang,n.(obs.) mostly inpl., compliment paid by kissing the hand. [Fr.baiser, to kiss, andmain, hand.]
Bait, bāt,n.food put on a hook to allure fish or make them bite: any allurement or temptation: a refreshment taken on a journey, or the time taken up by such.—v.t.to set food as a lure: to give refreshment on a journey: to set dogs on a bear, badger, &c.: to worry, persecute, harass.—v.i.to take refreshment on a journey. [M. E.beyten—Scand.beita, to make to bite, causal ofbíta, to bite.]
Baize, bāz,n.a coarse woollen cloth with a long nap, used mainly for coverings, linings, &c., but in some countries for clothing. [Fr.baies,pl.ofbai—L.badius, bay-coloured.]
Bajan. SeeBejan.
Bake, bāk,v.t.to dry, harden, or cook by the heat of the sun or of fire: to prepare bread or other food in an oven: to harden as by frost.—v.i.to work as a baker: to become firm through heat.—pa.p.baked (bākt);pr.p.bāk′ing.—ns.Bake′house, a house or place used for baking in;Bake′meat(B.), pastry, pies.—pa.p.Bak′en=baked.—ns.Bak′er, one who bakes bread, &c.—(obs.)Bax′ter;Bak′ery, a bakehouse;Bake′stone, a flat stone or plate of iron on which cakes are baked in the oven;Bak′ing, the process by which bread is baked: the quantity baked at one time. [A.S.bacan; cog. with Ger.backen, to bake, Gr.phog-ein, to roast.]
Baksheesh. SeeBacksheesh.
Balaam, bā′lam,n.a prophet who strives to mislead, like Balaam in Numb. xxii.-xxiv.: unimportant paragraphs kept in readiness to fill up a newspaper.—ns.Bā′laam-box, or-bas′ket, a place in which paragraphs such as the foregoing are kept in readiness;Bā′laamite.—adj.Bālaamit′ical.
Balance, bal′ans,n.an instrument for weighing, usually formed of two dishes or scales hanging from a beam supported in the middle: act of weighing two things: equality or just proportion of weight or power, as the balance of power: the sum required to make the two sides of an account equal, hence the surplus, or the sum due on an account: what is needed to produce equilibrium, a counterpoise: (watchmaking) a contrivance which regulates the speed of a clock or watch.—v.t.to weigh in a balance: to counterpoise: to compare: to settle, as an account, to examine and test accounts in book-keeping, to make the debtor and creditor sides of an account agree.—v.i.to have equal weight or power, &c.: to hesitate or fluctuate.—p.adj.Bal′anced, poised so as to preserve equilibrium: well arranged, stable.—ns.Bal′ancer, an acrobat;Bal′ance-sheet, a sheet of paper showing a summary and balance of accounts;Bal′ance-wheel, a wheel in a watch or chronometer which regulates the beat or rate. [Fr.—L.bilanx, having two scales—bis, double,lanx,lancis, a dish or scale.]
Balanus. SeeAcorn-shell.
Balas, bal′as,n.a variety of the spinel ruby. [O. Fr.balais(It.balascio)—Low L.balascus—Pers.Badakhshān, a place near Samarcand where they are found.]
Balata, bal′a-ta,n.the gum of the bullet or bully tree of South America, used as a substitute for gutta-percha in insulating telegraph-wires.
Balbutient, bal-bū′shi-ent,adj.stammering. [L.balbutiens—balbūtīre, to stutter.]
Balcony, balk′on-i (18th c.,bal-kō′ni),n.a stage or platform projecting from the wall of a building within or without, supported by pillars or consoles, and surrounded with a balustrade or railing: in theatres, usually the gallery immediately above the dress circle.—n.Bal′conette, a miniature balcony.—adj.Bal′conied. [It.balcōne—balco, of Teut. origin; Old High Ger.balcho(Ger.balken), Eng.Balk.]
Bald, bawld,adj.without hair (feathers, &c.) on the head (or on other parts of the body): bare, unadorned, destitute of literary grace: paltry, trivial: undisguised.—ns.Bald′-coot, popular name for the coot, from its pure white wide frontal plate: a monk—alsoBald′icoot;Bald′-ea′gle, a common but inaccurate name for the American white-headed eagle, used as the national emblem.—adj.Bald′-faced, having white on the face, as a horse.—n.Bald′head, a person bald on the head.—adjs.Bald′-headed;Bald′ish, somewhat bald.—adv.Bald′ly.—ns.Bald′ness;Bald′pate, one destitute of hair: a kind of wild-duck.—adjs.Bald′pate,Bald′pated, destitute of hair. [Orig. 'shining,' 'white,' Ir. and Gael.bàl, 'white' spot; but perh. conn. withballin the sense of 'rounded,' whence 'smooth,' 'hairless.']
Baldachin, bal′da-kin,n.silk brocade: a canopy, either supported on pillars, or fastened to the wall, over a throne, pulpit, or altar, &c.: in R.C. processions, a canopy borne over the priest who carries the Host. [It.baldacchino, Fr.baldaquin, a canopy, from It.Baldacco, Bagdad, whence was brought the stuff of which they were made.]
Balderdash, bawl′dėr-dash,n.idle senseless talk: anything jumbled together without judgment: obscene language or writing. [Ety. dub.; but cf. the prov. Eng.balder, to use coarse language, Dut.balderen, to roar. Some adduce Welshbaldorrdus—baldordd, idle noisy talk.]
Baldmoney, bawld′mun-i,n.popular name for several kinds of Gentian. [Ety. quite unknown.]
Baldrick, bawld′rik,n.a warrior's belt or shoulder-sash: (Spens.) the zodiac, being regarded as a gem-studded belt. [O. Fr.baldrei(Mid. High Ger.balderich, girdle)—Low L.baldringus, perh. from L.balteus.]
Bale, bāl,n.a bundle, or package of goods: (obs.) the set of dice for any special game.—v.t.to make into bales. [M. E.bale, perh. from O. Fr.bale—Old High Ger.balla,palla, ball. SeeBall.]
Bale, bāl,v.t.to throw out water [SeeBail.]
Bale, bāl,n.evil, injury, mischief: misery: woe.—adj.Bale′ful, full of misery, destructive: full of sorrow, sad.—adv.Bale′fully.—n.Bale′fulness.—Bliss and baleare often alliteratively opposed; alsoBoot and bale. [A.S.bealu; Old High Ger.balo; Ice.böl.]
Bale, bāl,n.(arch.—Morris) a fire, funeral pyre: (Scot.) a beacon-fire.—n.Bale′-fire, a blazing fire: a beacon-fire: a bonfire. Spenser confounds withBale, woe. [A.S.bæl; Scand.bál; cog. with Gr.phalos, bright. SeeBeltane.]
Baleen, bā-lēn′,n.the whalebone of commerce. [Fr.—L.balæna, whale.]
Balistraria.
Balistraria, bal-is-trār′i-a,n.an aperture or loophole in the wall of a fortification through which crossbowmen might discharge their bolts.—n.Bal′ister(obs.), name for an arbalester or crossbowman, also an arbalest or crossbow itself. [Low L.ballistrarius,balistra, a variant form ofballista, a crossbow.]
Balk,Baulk, bawk,n.a ridge left unploughed, intentionally or through carelessness: (obs.) an omission: squared timber: a tie-beam of a house, stretching from wall to wall, esp. when laid so as to form a loft, 'the balks:' (obs.) the beam of a balance: the rope by which fishing-nets are fastened together: a hindrance or disappointment.—v.t.to ignore, pass over: refuse: avoid: let slip: to check, disappoint, or elude: to meet arguments with objections.—v.i.to swerve, pull up: (Spens.) lie out of the way.—n.Balk′-line, in billiards, a line drawn across the table 28½ inches from the face of the bottom cushion—a ball is said to be in balk when within this space. [A.S.balca, ridge; Old High Ger.balcho.]
Ball, bawl,n.anything round: any celestial body, esp. the 'globe:' the golden orb borne with the sceptre as the emblem of sovereignty: a globular body to play with in tennis, football, golf, billiards, &c.: any rounded protuberant part of the body: a bullet, or any missile thrown from an engine of war: a rounded mass of anything: a throw or delivery of the ball at cricket: a well-known game played with a ball.—v.i.to gather itself into a ball, become clogged.—ns.Ball′-cart′ridge, a cartridge containing both powder and ball [BallandCartridge];Ball′-cock, the stopcock of a cistern, attached to one end of a lever, at the other end of which is a hollow metal ball which rises and falls with theBall-flower.water, thus regulating the supply;Ball′-flow′er, an ornament of the decorated style of Gothic architecture, resembling a ball placed in a circular flower.—adj.Ball′-proof, proof against balls discharged from firearms.—Ball and socket, a joint formed of a ball partly enclosed in a cup, thus insuring great strength;Ball of the eye, the eye within the lids and socket.—No ball, a ball unfairly bowled.—Three goldenorbrass balls, the sign of a pawnbroker.—To have the ball at one's feet, to have a thing in one's power;To keep the ball uporrolling, to keep from flagging;To take up the ball, to take one's turn in anything.—Wide ball, one out of the batsman's reach. [M. E.bal, Scand.böllr; cog. with Old High Ger.ballo,pallo.]
Ball, bawl,n.an entertainment of dancing.—n.Ball′room.—To open the ball, to begin the dancing, to begin operations. [O. Fr.bal,baller, to dance—Low L.ballare, referred by some to Gr.ballizein.]
Ballad, bal′lad,n.a simple spirited narrative poem in short stanzas of two or four lines, in which a story is told in straightforward verse, often with great elaborateness and detail in incident, but always with graphic simplicity and force—a sort of minor epic: a simple song, usually of a romantic or sentimental nature, in two or more verses, each sung to the same melody, as in the so-called Ballad Concerts: any popular song, often scurrilous.—ns.Bal′ladist, a writer or singer of ballads;Bal′lad-monger, a dealer in ballads. [Fr.ballade, fromballare, to dance, being orig. a song sung to the rhythmic movement of a dancing chorus—a dramatic poem sung or acted in the dance, of which a shadow survives in the ring-songs of our children.]
Ballade, ba-lad′,n.a poem of one or more terns or triplets of seven or eight lined stanzas, each ending with the same line as refrain, and usually an envoy: now frequently used of any poem in stanzas of equal length.—Ballade royal, stanzas of seven or eight lines of ten syllables—called alsoRimeorRhythm royal. [An earlier spelling ofBallad.]
Balladine, bal′a-dēn,n.a female public dancer. [Fr.]
Ballast, bal′last,n.heavy matter employed to give a ship sufficient immersion in the water, to insure her safe sailing with spread canvas, when her cargo and equipment are too light: that which renders anything steady.—v.t.to load with ballast: to make or keep steady: (Shak.) load.—n.Bal′last-heav′er. [Probably the Old Sw.barlast—bar, bare, andlast, load, the mere load.]
Ballerina, bal-ler-ēn′a,n.a female dancer:—pl.Ballerine(bal-ler-in′),Ballerin′as. [It.]
Ballet, bal′lā,n.a theatrical exhibition composed of dancing, posturing, and pantomimic action: (obs.) a dance. [Fr.; dim. ofbal, a dance.]
Ballista,Balista, bal-lis′ta,n.a Roman military engine in the form of a crossbow, which, like thecatapultaand theonager, propelled large and heavy missiles, chiefly through the reaction of a tightly twisted rope, or else by a violent movement of levers.—adj.Ballis′tic, projectile.—ns.Ballis′tic-pen′dulum, an instrument for ascertaining the velocity of military projectiles;Ballis′tite, an improved kind of gunpowder. [L.—Gr.ballein, to throw.]
Ballium, bal′li-um,n.the Low L. form ofBailey.
Balloon, bal-lōōn′,n.an inflated air-tight envelope of paper or silk, constructed to float in the air and carry a considerable weight when filled with heated air or light gas: anything inflated, empty: (obs.) a game played with a large inflated ball.—v.i.to ascend in a balloon: to puff out like a balloon.—n.Balloon′ist, an aeronaut. [It.ballone, augmentative ofballa, ball.]
Ballot, bal′ut,n.a little ball or ticket used in voting: a method of secret voting by putting a ball or ticket into an urn or box.—v.i.to vote by ballot: to select by secret voting (withfor): draw lots for:—pr.p.bal′loting;pa.p.bal′loted.—ns.Bal′lotage, in France, the second ballot to decide which of two candidates has come nearest to the legal majority;Bal′lot-box, a box to receive balls or tickets when voting by ballot. [It.ballotta, dim. ofballa, ball. SeeBall.]
Balm, bäm,n.an aromatic substance: a fragrant and healing ointment: aromatic fragrance: anything that heals or soothes pain: a tree yielding balm: name of some fragrant garden herbs.—v.t.(arch.) to embalm: (Shak.) to anoint with fragrant oil: (arch.) to soothe.—n.Balm′iness.—adj.Balm′y, fragrant: mild and soothing: bearing balm.—Balm, orBalsam,of Gilead, the resin of the treeBalsamodendron Gileadense, formerly esteemed as an antiseptic, the name originating in the belief that this is the substance mentioned in the Bible as found in Gilead, and called in the English translation 'balm.' [O. Fr.basme—L.balsamum. SeeBalsam.]
Balm-cricket, bäm′-krik′et,n.(Tennyson) a cicada. [Ger.baum, a tree, andCricket.]
Balmoral, bal-mor′al,n.a kind of Scotch cap: a figured woollen petticoat: a kind of boot lacing in front.
Balneology, bal-ne-ol′o-ji,n.the scientific study of bathing and of mineral springs. [L.balneum, bath.]
Balsam, bawl′sam,n.the common name of a genus of succulent herbaceous plants: a resinous oily substance generally supposed to be derived from a species of Balsamodendron, early famous in the East for its fragrance and medicinal virtues: (fig.) any healing agent.—v.t.to heal: (rare) embalm.—adjs.Balsam′ic,Bal′samous, having the qualities of balsam: soothing;Balsamif′erous, producing balsam;Bal′samy, fragrant.—Canada balsam, a kind of turpentine obtained from the Balm of Gilead fir. [L.balsamum—Gr.balsamon; prob. of Semitic origin.]
Baltimore, bal′tim-ōr,n.a finch-like perching bird of the starling family, very common in North America, called alsoBaltimore oriole,Fire-bird, &c. [From LordBaltimore, whose livery was orange and black—its colour.]