Bartisan.
Bartisan, bär′ti-zan,n.a small overhanging turret projecting from an angle on the top of a tower. [Apparently an adaptation by Scott of Scot.bertisene, traceable to O. Fr.bretesche, a parapet of wood.]
Barton, bar′ton,n.a farm-yard. [A.S.bere-tún, yard,bere, barley, andtún, enclosure.]
Barycentric, bar-i-sen′trik,adj.pertaining to the centre of gravity. [Gr.barys, heavy,kentron, centre.]
Baryta, ba-rī′ta,Barytes,ba-rī′tēz,n.the earth present in the mineralswitheriteandheavy spar.—adj.Baryt′ic, of or containing baryta. [From Gr.barys, heavy.]
Barytone, bar′i-tōn,n.a deep-toned male voice between bass and tenor: a singer with such a voice: in Greek, applied to words not having an acute accent on the last syllable. [Through Fr. from Gr.barys, heavy, deep, andtonos, a tone.]
Basalt, bas-awlt′,n.a hard, dark-coloured rock of igneous origin.—adj.Basalt′ic. [L.basaltes, an African word.]
Basanite, bas′an-īt,n.a kind of quartz serviceable for testing the purity of the precious metals by the marks made. [Gr.basanos, touchstone.]
Basbleu.Same asBlue-stocking(q.v. underBlue).
Bascinet.Same asBasinet.
Bascule, bas′kūl,n.an apparatus of the lever kind, in which one end is raised while the other is depressed. [Fr.bas, down, andcul, the posteriors.]
Base, bās,n.that on which a thing rests: foot: bottom: foundation: support: the chief ingredient, as in dyeing and chemistry: the starting-point, in a race: the fixed goal across which the ball is struck in hockey, the fixed stations at base-ball: the point from which the operations of a campaign are conducted: a measured line serving as a basis for trigonometrical calculations: the surface on which a plane or solid figure stands: (chem.) a term applied to a compound body, generally consisting of a metal united with oxygen; (archit.) the foot or lower member of a pillar, on which the shaft rests: (her.) the lower portion of the shield—any figure placed on it is said to be 'in base:' a small portion of the base of a shield parted off by a horizontal line is sometimes called a base.—v.t.to found or place on a base:—pr.p.bās′ing;pa.p.based (bāst).—adjs.Bas′al,Bas′ilar, pertaining to or situated at the base, esp. of the skull;Base′less, without a base or foundation.—ns.Base′lessness;Base′ment, the base or lowest story of a building.—adj.Bas′en-wide(Spens.), widely extended.—n.Base′-plate, the foundation plate of a piece of heavy machinery.—n.pl.Bas′es, a kind of embroidered mantle which hung down from the middle to about the knees or lower, worn by knights on horseback: (Spens.) armour for the legs.—ns.Base′-string, the string of a musical instrument that gives the lowest note;Base′-vīol(same asBass-viol).—adj.Bas′ic(chem.), belonging to or of the nature of a base.—v.t.Bas′ify(chem.), to convert into a salifiable base:—pr.p.bās′ifying;pa.p.bās′ifīed. [Fr.—L.—Gr.basis—ba-, inbainein, to go.]
Base, bās,adj.low in place, value, estimation, or principle: mean: vile: worthless: debased: counterfeit: (law) servile, as opposed tofree: humble: (B.andShak.) lowly.—adj.Base′-born, illegitimate.—adv.Base′ly.—adj.Base′-mind′ed, of a low mind or spirit: mean.—n.Base′ness.—adj.Base′-spir′ited, mean-spirited. [Fr.bas—Low L.bassus, thick, fat, a vulgar Roman word, found also in nameBassus.]
Base, bās,v.t.a form ofAbase.
Base, bās,n.an old game played by two sides occupying contiguous spaces, calledbasesorhomes, off which any player is liable to be touched with the hand or struck by a ball by the enemy, and so attached to their sides. Forms of this game are known asPrisoner's BaseorBars, andRounders, and the national American game ofBase-ballis a development from it.
Base-ball, bās′-bawl,n.a game played with a bat and a ball, and run round bases, marking the circuit to be taken by each player of the inside after striking the ball. There are nine players on each side; the pitcher, of the one side, throws the ball; one of the other side tries to hit it as it passes him; and the runs to the bases are regulated according as the ball falls inside or outside certain lines, &c. A development from rounders, base-ball has been the American national game since 1865. [Coupled with cricket in Jane Austen'sNorthanger Abbey(written 1798).]
Basecourt, bās′kōrt,n.the outer court of a mansion, which contained the stable-yard and servants' accommodation, as distinguished from the principal quadrangle: an inferior court of justice. [Fr.basse-court.]
Basenet.Same asBasinet.
Bash, bash,v.t.to beat or smash in.—n.Bash. [Prob. Scand.]
Bashaw, ba-shaw′,n.a pasha: a haughty man—now usually writtenPashaorPacha(q.v.).—ns.Bashaw′ism,Bashaw′ship. [Turk.]
Bashful, bash′fōōl,adj.easily confused: modest: shy: wanting confidence.—v.i.Bash(Spens.), to be abashed.—adv.Bash′fully.—n.Bash′fulness.—adj.Bash′less, unashamed. [SeeAbash.]
Bashi-bazouk, bash′i-ba-zōōk′,n.a Turkish irregular trooper. They are mostly Asiatics, and are brutal plundering ruffians, capable, as in 1876 in Bulgaria, of the most devilish atrocities. [Turk.bashi-bozuq.]
Bashlyk, bash′lik,n.a kind of hood with long ends worn in Russia. [Russ.bashluikŭ, a Caucasian hood.]
Basil, baz′il,n.a mainly tropical or subtropical genus of Labiatæ, characterised by a pleasant aromatic smell and taste, and reckoned amongstsweet herbs.—Sweet basilis an Indian annual long cultivated in Europe for seasoning purposes. [O. Fr.basile—L.basilisca—Gr.basilikon, royal.]
Basil, baz′il,n.a sheepskin roughly tanned and undressed.
Basil.SeeBezel.
Basilica, baz-il′ik-a,n.among the Romans, a large oblong hall, with double colonnades and a semicircular apse at the end, used for judicial and commercial purposes—many of them were afterwards converted into Christian churches: a magnificent church built after the plan of the ancient basilica.—adj.Basil′ican. [L.basilica, Gr.basilikē(oikia, a house), belonging to a king, frombasileus, a king.]
Basilicon, baz-il′ik-on,n.a name given to various kinds of ointment as possessing sovereign virtues. [Gr.basilikon, royal.]
Basilisk, baz′il-isk,n.a fabulous creature, about a foot long, with a black-and-yellow skin and fiery red eyes, so named, according to Pliny, from the crest on the head like a crown—variously regarded as a kind of dragon or cockatrice: in modern zoology, a harmless crested lizard of tropical South America: an ancient brass cannon throwing a shot of about 200 lb. weight. [Gr.basiliskos, dim. ofbasileus, a king.]
Basin, bās′n,n.a wide open vessel or dish: any hollow place containing water, as a dock: the area drained by a river and its tributaries. [O. Fr.bacin—Low L.bachinus, perh. from the Celtic.]
Basinet.
Basinet, bas′i-net,n.a light globular headpiece worn alone with a visor, or with the great helm resting on the shoulders, worn over it.—AlsoBas′net.
Basis, bās′is,n.the foundation, or that on which a thing rests: the pedestal of a column: the groundwork or first principle:—pl.Bas′es. [SeeBase(1).]
Bask, bask,v.i.to lie in the warmth or sunshine. [Scand.badask, to bathe.]
Basket, bas′ket,n.a vessel made of plaited twigs, rushes, or other flexible materials.—ns.Bas′ketful, as much as fills a basket;Bas′ket-hilt, the hilt of a sword with a covering wrought like basket-work to defend the hand from injury;Bas′ket-mak′er;Bas′ket-work, any structure of interlaced twigs or the like. [Prob. the L.bascauda; the W.basgedis apparently borrowed from the English.]
Basque, bask,adj.relating to theBasques, or their wonderful language, with its extreme variability of dialects—the only example of a consistently incorporating language.—n.a native of the Basque provinces: the distinctive language of the Basques: a kind of short-skirted jacket worn by women, a continuation of the bodice a little below the waist.—adj.Basqued(baskt), furnished with a basque.—n.Basq′uine, an outer petticoat worn by Basque and Spanish women. [Fr.Basque—Low L.Vasco, an inhabitant ofVasconia, whenceGascony. The Basques themselves call their tongueEskuara,Euscara, whence the Fr.Euscarien.]
Bas-relief, bä-re-lēf′,Bass-relief,bas′re-lēf′,n.(sculp.) figures which do not stand far out from the ground on which they are formed—also used in the Italian formBass′o-rilie′vo. [SeeBase, low, andRelief.]
Bass, bās,n.the low or grave part in music.—adj.low, deep, grave.—v.t.to sound in a deep tone.—ns.Bass′-horn, a musical wind-instrument, a modification of the bassoon, much lower and deeper in its tones;Thor′ough-bass, the theory of harmony. [SeeBase, low.]
Bass.Same asBast.
Bass,Basse, bas,n.a marine fish allied to the perch. [A.S.bærs; cf. Ger.bars, the perch.]
Bassa, bas′sa,n.Same asBashaw.
Basset, bas′et,n.a short-legged dog used in unearthing foxes and badgers: an old Venetian game at cards, resembling faro, widely popular in the 18th century: (geol.) the outcrop or emergence of mineral strata at the surface.—v.i.to incline upward so as to appear at the surface, to crop up.—n.Bas′set-horn(It.corno di bassetto), the richest and softest of all wind-instruments, similar to a clarionet in tone and fingering, but with a twice-bent wooden tube, having a compass of two and a half octaves. [Fr.bas, low.]
Bassinet,Bassinette, bas′si-net,n.a kind of basket with a hood in which an infant is placed as in a cradle: a similarly shaped perambulator. [Fr. dim. ofbasin, a basin.]
Basso, bas′so,n.the same asBass(1): also a bass singer.
Bassoon, bas-ōōn′,n.(It.fagotto) a musical wind-instrument filling an important place in the modern orchestra, of the reed species, made of maple-wood or plane-tree, its compass from B flat below the bass stave to C in the treble.—TheDouble bassoon(It.contrafagotto) sounds an octave lower.—n.Bassoon′ist. [It.bassone, augmentative ofbasso, low, from root ofBase.]
Bass-viol, bās′-vī′ol,n.a musical instrument with four strings, used for playing the bass in concerted music; the violoncello. [SeeBass, low, andViol.]
Bast, bast,n.the inner bark of the lime-tree: matting made of it. [A.S.bæst; Dut., Dan., Ger.bast.]
Bastard, bas′tard,n.a child born of parents not married.—adj.born out of wedlock: not genuine: resembling, but not identical with, the species bearing the name: of abnormal shape or size: false.—n.Bas′tard-bar, a popular but inaccurate name for the baton-sinister in heraldry.—v.t.Bas′tardise, to prove to be a bastard.—adv.Bas′tardly(obs.).—ns.Bas′tard-wing, three, four, or five feathers springing from the side of the wing of a bird near the point, attached to a bony process which is the homologue of the thumb in some mammalia;Bas′tardy,Bas′tardism, the state of being a bastard.—Bastard title, an abbreviated title of a book on an otherwise blank page preceding the full title-page;Bastard types, types cast with an extra deep bevel to obviate the use of leads, as Longprimer face on Pica body. [Fr.bâtard; O. Fr.fils de bast, son of the pack-saddle,bast(bât) being a coarse saddle for beasts of burden.]
Baste, bāst,v.t.to beat with a stick. [Prob. conn. with Ice.beysta, Dan.böste, to beat.]
Baste, bāst,v.t.to drop fat or butter over meat while roasting to keep it from burning and to improve the flavour. [Ety. unknown.]
Baste, bāst,v.t.to sew slightly or with long stitches. [O. Fr.bastír, from Old High Ger.bestan, to sew.]
Bastille, bast-ēl′,n.an old fortress in Paris long used as a stale prison, and demolished by a revolutionary mob in July 1789: any prison regarded as a symbol of tyranny. [Fr.—O. Fr.bastir(Fr.bâtir), to build.]
Bastinado, bast-in-ād′o,v.t.to beat with a baton or stick, esp. on the soles of the feet (a form of punishment in the East):—pr.p.bastinād′ingorbastinād′oing;pa.p.bastinād′edorbastinād′oed.—ns.Bastinade′,Bastinād′o. [Sp.bastonada, Fr.bastonnade—baston,bâton. SeeBaton.]
Bastion, bast′yun,n.a kind of tower at the angles of a fortification.—adj.Bast′ioned. [Fr.—O. Fr.bastir, to build.]
Bat, bat,n.a heavy stick: a flat club for striking the ball in cricket, a club for base-balls, a batsman: the clown's sword in a pantomime: a piece of brick: (slang) rate of speed, style.—v.i.to use the bat in cricket:—pr.p.bat′ting;pa.p.bat′ted.—ns.Bat′ter,Bats′man, one who wields the bat at cricket, &c.;Bat′ting, the management of a bat in playing games: cotton fibre prepared in sheets. [Perh. from A.S.bat(a doubtful form), prob. Celt.bat, staff.]
Bat, bat,n.an animal with a body like a mouse, but which flies on wings attached mainly to its fore-feet, but extending along its sides to the hind-feet. [M. E.bakke, apparently from Scand.; cf. Dan.aftenbakke, evening-bat.]
Batable, bāt′a-bl,adj.debatable, disputable. [A contr. ofDebatable.]
Batata, ba-tä′ta,n.a plant with tuberous roots, the sweet potato. [Sp.batata, potato.]
Batavian, ba-tā′vi-an,adj.pertaining to the ancientBataviin the Low Countries, or to the modern Dutch, their descendants.
Batch, bach,n.the quantity of bread baked or of anything made or got ready at one time: a set. [FromBake.]
Bate.Same asAbate.
Bate, bāt,n.(Spens.) strife, contention.—adj.Bate′-breed′ing(Shak.). [Abbrev. ofDebate.]
Bate, bāt,n.diminution (dial., esp. in combination).
Bate, bāt,v.i.(Shak.) to beat the wings impatiently: (obs.) to be impatient. [O. E.batre—Low L.batĕre.]
Bateau, bä-to′,n.a light river-boat, esp. those used on Canadian rivers. [Fr.—O. Fr.batel, boat.]
Bateless, bāt′les,adj.(Shak.) that cannot be bated or blunted.
Batfowling, bat′fowl-ing,n.the catching birds at night when at roost. [Bat, club, andFowl.]
Bath, bäth,n.water for plunging the body into: a bathing: a house for bathing: a place for undergoing medical treatment by means of bathing: (phot.) a solution in which plates are plunged:—pl.Baths(bäthz).—ns.Bath′-brick, a preparation of siliceous silt, manufactured at Bridgwater in the form of bricks, and used in cleaning knives;Bath′chair, a large wheeled chair for invalids;Bath′house;Bath′man;Bath′room;Bath′-stone, a building stone quarried at Bath;Bath′woman;Blood′-bath, a massacre.—Bath Guide, a poem of the 18th century, often taken as a type of 'Society' verse.—Order of the Bath, an English order of knighthood, so named from the bath before installation (including three classes—military and civil knights grand-cross, G.C.B.; knights commanders, K.C.B.; and companions, C.B.). [A.S.bæth, cog. with Ger.bad.]
Bath, bäth,n.the largest Jewish liquid measure, containing about six gallons. [Heb.]
Bathe, bāth,v.t.to wash as in a bath: to wash or moisten with any liquid: to moisten, suffuse, encompass.—v.i.to take a bath.—n.the act of taking a bath.—ns.Bath′ing-box, a box for bathers to undress and dress in;Bath′ing-machine′, a small carriage in which a bather may be carried out into water conveniently deep for bathing. [A.S.bathian; Old High Ger.badôn,bathôn(Ger.baden).]
Bathometer, bath-om′et-ėr,n.an instrument for ascertaining depth. [Gr.bathos, depth,metron, measure.]
Bathorse, baw′hors,n.a packhorse carrying the baggage of an officer. [Fr.bât, a pack-saddle.]
Bathos, bā′thos,n.a ludicrous descent from the elevated to the mean in writing or speech.—adj.Bathet′ic, irregularly formed on the analogy ofpathos,pathetic. [Gr.bathos, depth, frombathys, deep.]
Bathybius, bath-ib′i-us,n.name given to a supposed low form of life at the bottom of some parts of the deep sea. [Formed from Gr.bathys, deep, andbios, life.]
Bathymetry, bath-im′et-ri,n.the science of measuring the depth of seas and lakes. [Gr.bathys, deep,metria, measurement.]
Bating, bāt′ing,prep.abating, excepting.
Batiste, ba-tēst′,n.usual French name for cambric: applied in commerce to a fine texture of linen and cotton. [Littré derives fromBaptiste, the original maker; others from its use in wiping the heads of children after baptism.]
Batlet, bat′let,n.a wooden mallet used by laundresses for beating clothes. [Dim. ofBat.]
Batman, bat′man,baw′man,n.a man who has charge of a bathorse. [SeeBathorse.]
Baton-sinister.
Baton, bat′on,Batoon,ba-toon′,n.a staff or truncheon, esp. of a policeman: a marshal's staff.—v.t.to strike with a baton.—n.Bat′on-sin′ister, a well-known heraldic indication of illegitimacy, improperly calledBar-sinister, a diminutive of a bend-sinister, not extending to the sides of the shield, so as to resemble a marshal's baton laid diagonally over the family arms from left to right. [Fr.bâton—Low L.basto, a stick; of unknown origin.]
Batrachia, ba-trā′ki-a,n.pl.the order of reptiles which includes the frogs.—adj.andn.Batrā′chian. [From Gr.batrachos, a frog.]
Batswing, bats′wing,n.a kind of gas-burner, with a slit at the top which causes the flame to take the shape of a bat's wing.
Batta, bat′ta,n.an allowance to officers in the British Indian army in addition to their ordinary pay: subsistence money. [Hind.]
Battailant, bat′tāl-ant,adj.(Spens.) fighting.—adj.Bat′tailous(arch.), war-like. [Fr.bataillant, pr.p. ofbatailler, to fight. SeeBattle.]
Battalia, bat-tāl′ya,n.the order of battle: the main body of an army in array. [It.battaglia. Doublet ofBattle.]
Battalia pie, bat-tāl′ya pī, titbits in a pie: articles like pin-cushions, embroidered by nuns in convents with scenes from the Bible. [Corrupted from Fr.béatilles, dim. formed from L.beatus.]
Battalion, bat-al′yun,n.a body of soldiers consisting of several companies: a body of men drawn up in battle-array. [Fr.; from root ofBattle.]
Battels, bat′lz,n.pl.an Oxford term signifying accounts for provisions received from college kitchens and butteries: applied generally to the whole of the sums for tuition, &c., charged in college accounts.—v.i.Bat′till,Bat′tel(Spens.), to fatten. [Late L.batilli, perh. conn. withBattle, to feed.]
Batten, bat′n,v.i.to grow fat: to live in luxury.—v.t.(obs.) to fatten. [Ice.batna, to grow better—bati, advantage; cf. Dut.baten, to avail.]
Batten, bat′n,n.a piece of board: a ledge, clamp: in ships, a strip of wood used to fasten down the hatches.—n.Bat′tening, battens forming a structure. [Same asBaton.]
Batter, bat′er,v.t.to beat with successive blows: to wear with beating or by use: to attack with artillery.—n.ingredients beaten along with some liquid into a paste: paste for sticking.—ns.Bat′tering-charge, the full charge of powder for a cannon;Bat′tering-ram, an ancient engine for battering down walls, consisting of a large beam with an iron head like that of a ram. [O. Fr.batre(Fr.battre), from the root ofBat.]
Batter, bat′ėr,n.the inclination of a wall from the perpendicular.—v.i.to slope backward from the perpendicular. [Perh. from Fr.battre, to beat down.]
Battery, bat′ėr-i,n.(Shak.) a wound: a number of cannon with their equipment: the place on which cannon are mounted: the men and horses attending one battery, constituting the unit in the artillery: an instrument used in electric and galvanic experiments: (law) an assault by beating or wounding: apparatus for preparing or serving meals.—Cross batteries, two batteries commanding the same spot from different directions;Floating battery(seeFloat);Masked battery, a battery in action out of the enemy's view;To change one's battery, to alter the direction of attacking.
Battle, bat′l,n.a contest between opposing armies: a fight or encounter: (arch.) a body of troops in battle array, esp. in phrase 'main battle.'—v.i.to contend in fight: to maintain, champion (withagainst,with).—ns.Bat′tle-axe,-ax, a kind of axe once used in battle;Bat′tle-cry, a war-shout;Bat′tlefield, the place on which a battle is fought;Bat′tle-piece, a passage, or a painting, describing a battle.—adj.Bat′tle-scarred, scarred in battle.—ns.Bat′tleship, a war-ship of the first class;Pitched′-bat′tle, a battle fought on chosen ground.—Battle royal, a general mêlée—Half the battle, said of anything which ensures success.—Line of battle, troops in array for battle;Line-of-battle ship, a ship strong enough to form one of the line.—To join,do battle, to fight. [Fr.bataille—battre, to beat. SeeBatter.]
Battle, bat′l,adj.(dial.) nourishing.—v.t.(obs.) to feed. [Most prob. from Ice.bati, improvement. SeeBatten.]
Battledoor,Battledore,bat′l-dōr,n.a light bat for striking a ball or shuttlecock.—Not to know a B from a battledoor, to be thoroughly ignorant. [Sp.batidor, a beater, a washing-beetle; but this is doubtful.]
Battlement, bat′l-ment,n.a wall or parapet on the top of a building with openings or embrasures, originally used only on fortifications: the towering roof of heaven,—adj.Bat′tlemented, fortified with battlements—alsopa.p.Bat′tled(poet.).
Battology, bat-ol′o-ji,n.repetition in speech or writing.—adj.Battolog′ical. [Gr.battos, a person who repeated himself, andlegein, to speak.]
Battue, bat-tōō′,n.a method of hunting in which the woods are beaten and the game driven from cover into some place for the convenience of the shooters: any indiscriminate slaughter. [Fr.—battre, to beat.]
Jester's Bauble.
Bauble, baw′bl,n.a trifling piece of finery: a child's plaything: a stick surmounted by a head with ass's ears, and forming the mock emblem of the court-jester: a piece of childish foolery: (Shak.) a foolish person.—adj.Bau′bling(obs.), trifling. [O. Fr.babel, prob. from the root seen in L.babulus, a babbler.]
Baudekin, bawd′i-kin,Bawdkin,bawd′kin. Same asBaldachin.
Baudric, bawd′rik. Same asBaldrick.
Baudrons, bawd′runs,n.Scotch name for the cat. [Perh. of Celt. origin; cf. Ir.beadrac, frolicsome, Gael.beadrach, a frolicsome girl.]
Bauk,Baulk. Same asBalk.
Bausond, bawz′ond,adj.(obs.) having white spots, esp. on the forehead, or a white stripe down the face.—adj.Baus′on-faced(Scott), with a face like a badger. [O. Fr.bausant(It.balzano), black and white spotted. Further ety. dub.]
Bauxite, bō′zīt,n.a clay found at LesBaux, near Arles, yielding alumina.—AlsoBeau′xite.
Bavardage, bav-ar-dāj′,n.chattering. [Fr.bavard, garrulous—bave, drivel.]
Bavin, bav′in,n.a fagot of brushwood.—Bavin wits(Shak.), wits that blaze and die like bavins. [O. Fr.baffe, a fagot; but this is doubtful.]
Bawbee, baw-bē′,n.a halfpenny: originally a Scotch coin of base silver equivalent to six Scotch pennies. [Ety. dub., but very prob. derived from a 16th-cent. Scotch mint-master, the laird ofSillebawby; others identify with 'baby.']
Bawble.Same asBauble.
Bawcock, baw′kok,n.(Shak.) a fine fellow. [From Fr.beau, fine, andcoq, a cock.]
Bawd, bawd,n.a procurer or procuress of women for lewd purposes—fem.only since about 1700.—n.Bawd′ry.—adj.Bawd′y, obscene, unchaste, filthy.—n.Bawd′y-house, a brothel. [Perh. abbrev. fromBawd′strot, a word for a pander, now obsolete, derived from O. Fr.baldestrot—bald, gay, and perh. the Teut. root found instrut.]
Bawd, bawd,n.(Shak.) a hare. [Perh. a contr. ofBaudrons.]
Bawl, bawl,v.i.to shout or cry out loudly (withat,against).—n.a loud cry or shout.—n.Bawl′er. [Perh. from Low L.baulare, to bark like a dog; but cf. Ice.baula, to low like a cow,baula, a cow.]
Bawn, bawn,n.a fortification round a house: an enclosure for cattle. [Ir.bábhun, enclosure.]
Baxter.SeeBake.
Bay, bā,adj.reddish brown inclining to chestnut.—n.elliptical for 'bay-horse.'—n.Bayard(bā′ard), a bay-horse: a name for any horse generally, from 'Bayard,' the famous bay-coloured magic horse given to Renaud by Charlemagne: a man recklessly blind to danger: a fellow bold in his ignorance: a type of the knight, fromBayard(1476-1524), 'the knight without fear and without reproach.' [Fr.bai—L.badius, chestnut-coloured.]
Bay, bā,n.an inlet of the sea with a wider opening than a gulf: an inward bend of the shore. [Fr.baie—Low L.baia, a harbour.]
Bay-window: Cowdray House, Sussex (Parker).
Bay, bā,n.the space between two columns: (Shak.) the space under one house gable: any recess.—n.Bay′-win′dow, any window forming a recess.—adj.Bay′-win′dowed. [O. Fr.baée—baer, to gape, be open; prob. conn. with the foregoing word.]
Bay, bā,n.the laurel-tree: (pl.) an honorary garland or crown of victory, originally of laurel: literary renown.—ns.Bay′berry;Bay′-rum, an aromatic stimulant used for the skin and hair, and prepared by distilling the leaves of the bay-berry (Pimenta acris) with rum, or otherwise mixing the volatile oil of the leaves with alcohol. [O. Fr.baie, a berry—L.baca.]
Bay, bā,n.barking, baying (esp. of a dog when in pursuit): the combined cry of hounds in conflict with a hunted animal: used often of the last stand of a hunted animal when it faces the hounds at close quarters.—v.i.to bark (esp. of large dogs).—v.t.to bark at: to utter by baying: to follow with barking: to bring to bay.—To hold,keep at bay, said of the hunted animal;To stand,be,at bay, at close quarters. [These senses show a confusion of two distinct words, according to Murray: (1) to hold at bay = O. Fr.tenir a bay= It.tenere a bada,bay,bada, denoting the suspense indicated by the open mouth; (2) in the phrase 'to stand at bay,' the word points to O. Fr.abai, barking,bayer, to bark.]
Bay,Baye, bā,v.t.(Spens.) to bathe.
Bayadère, bā-ya-dēr′,n.a Hindu dancing-girl. [Fr.—Port.bailadeira.]
Bayonet, bā′on-et,n.a stabbing instrument of steel fixed to the muzzle of a musket or rifle: military force: (pl.) soldiers armed with bayonets.—v.t.to stab with a bayonet. [Fr.baïonnette, perh. fromBayonne, in France, where it was supposed to have been first made; others derive from O. Fr.bayon, arrow.]
Bayou, bā′ōō,n.name given to the marshy offshoots of lakes and rivers, esp. in North America. [Perh. corrupted from Fr.boyau, gut.]
Bay-salt, bā′-sält,n.salt obtained by slow evaporation originally from sea-water. [Prob. fromBay, an inlet, andSalt.]
Bazaar,Bazar, ba-zär′,n.an Eastern marketplace or exchange: a fancy fair in imitation of an Eastern bazaar. [Pers.bāzār, a market.]
Bdellium, del′i-um,n.a kind of gum. [Gr.bdellion, used to translate, but prob. unconnected with Heb.b'dōlakh, Gen. ii. 12.]
Be, bē,v.i.to live: to exist: to have a certain state or quality:—pr.p.bē′ing;pa.p.been.—n.Be′-all(Shak.), the whole being. [A.S.béon; Ger.bin; Gael.bi, to exist; W.byw, to live; Gr.phu-ein, L.fui,fio, Sans.bhu, to be, orig. meaning to grow.]
Beach, bēch,n.the shore of the sea or of a lake, esp. when sandy or pebbly: the strand.—v.t.to haul a boat up on the beach.—n.Beach′-comb′er, a long rolling wave: a drunken loafer about the wharfs in Pacific seaports: a settler on a Pacific island who maintains himself by pearl-fishery, and often by less reputable means.—adjs.Beached, having a beach, driven on a beach;Beach′y, pebbly. [Orig. a prov. Eng. word for shingle. The derivation from Ice.bakki, bank, is untenable.]
Beacon, bē′kn,n.a fire on an eminence used as a sign of danger: a hill on which such could be lighted: anything that warns of danger, esp. an erection of stone, wood, or iron often bearing a light, and marking rocks or shoals in rivers or navigable channels.—v.t.to act as a beacon to: to light up: to mark by means of beacons.—n.Float′ing-bea′con, a light-ship. [A.S.béacn, a beacon, a sign.]
Bead, bēd,n.a little ball pierced for stringing, a series of which forms therosaryorpaternoster, used in counting the prayers recited: any small ball of glass, amber, &c. strung in a series to form a necklace: a bead-like drop: the small knob of metal forming the front-sight of a gun—whence the Americanism,To draw a bead upon= to take aim at: (archit.) a narrow moulding with semicircular section.—v.t.to furnish with beads.—v.i.to form a bead or beads.—adj.Bead′ed, furnished with beads.—ns.Bead′-house, a house for poor people who were required to pray for the soul of the founder: an almshouse;Bead′ing, a moulding in imitation of beads.—adj.Bead′-proof, of such proof or strength as to carry beads or bubbles when shaken, as alcoholic liquors.—ns.Bead′-roll, in pre-Reformation times, a roll or list of the dead to be prayed for, hence a list of names, a long series: a rosary;Beads′man,Bedes′man, one employed to pray for others, or one endowed to do so: (Scot.) a public alms-man or licensed beggar:—fem.Beads′woman.—adj.Bead′y, bead-like, small and bright (of eyes): covered with beads or bubbles.—To say,tell,count one's beads, to offer a prayer. [A.S.bed,gebed, a prayer, frombiddan, to pray. SeeBid.]
Beadle, bēd′l,n.a mace-bearer (esp. of the 'bedels' or 'bedells,' official attendants of the Oxford and Cambridge vice-chancellors): a petty officer of a church, college, parish, &c.: a parish officer with the power of punishing petty offenders: in Scotland, used of the 'church-officer' attending on the clergyman: (obs.) a messenger or crier of a court.—ns.Bead′ledom,Bead′lehood, stupid officiousness;Bead′leship,Bed′elship, the office of beadle or bedel. [A.S.bydel—béodan, to proclaim, to bid.]
Beadman.Same asBeadsman(q.v. underBead).
Beagle, bē′gl,n.a small hound tracking by scent, formerly much used in hunting hares, but now superseded by the harrier: a spy: a bailiff: a small kind of shark.—The beagle was often followed by men on foot, henceFoot′-bea′gle. [Ety. unknown. The Fr.bigleis borrowed from English. Dr Murray suggests Fr.bégueule, frombéer, to gape, andgueule, throat.]
Beak, bēk,n.the bill of a bird: anything pointed or projecting: the nose: in the ancient galley, a pointed iron fastened to the prow for piercing the enemy's vessel: (slang) a magistrate.—adj.Beaked(bēkt). [O. Fr.bec—Low L.beccus, of Celt. (Gaulish) origin.]
Beaker, bēk′ėr,n.a large drinking-bowl or cup, or its contents: a glass vessel marked for measuring liquids, with a beak or pointed mouth, used by chemists. [Scand.bikarr(Scot.bicker), prob. from Low L.bicarium, acc. to Diez from Gr.bikos, a drinking-bowl.]
Beam, bēm,n.a large and straight piece of timber or iron forming one of the main supports against lateral pressure of a building, ship, &c.: (fig.) from the figure of the mote and the beam—Matt. vii. 3: any of the transverse pieces of framing extending across a ship's hull, the greatest width of a ship or boat: the part of a balance from which the scales hang: the pole of a carriage: a cylinder of wood in a loom: a ray of light.—v.t.to send forth light: to shine.—n.Beam′-en′gine, a steam-engine which has a beam connecting the piston-rod with the crank of the wheel-shaft, as distinguished from one that has its piston-rod directly attached to the crank.—adv.Beam′ily.—n.Beam′iness.—adjs.Beam′less, without beams: emitting no rays of light;Beam′y, shining.—A beam sea, one rolling against the ship's side.—Before the beam, the bearing of any object when seen more in advance thanonthe beam;Abaft the beam, the reverse.—LeeorWeather beam, the side away fromortowards the wind.—On her beam ends, a phrase applied to the position of a ship when so much inclined to one side that the beams become nearly vertical.—On the starboard beam, applied to any distant point out at sea, at right angles to the keel, and on the starboard or right-hand (as viewed from the stern) side of the ship;On the port beamsimilarly applies to the left hand. [A.S.béam, a tree, stock of a tree, a ray of light; Ger.baum, a tree; Gr.phyma, a growth—phy-ein, to grow.]
Bean, bēn,n.the name of several kinds of leguminous plants and their seeds: applied also to the seeds of some other plants, from their bean-like form, as the Calabar bean, &c.—ns.Bean′-feast, an annual dinner given by employers to their hands, perhaps from there having been served on such occasionsbeansor aBean′-goose, a species of goose said to be so called from its fondness for devouring new-sown beans;Bean′-king, the king of the festivities on Twelfth Night, chosen on his finding a bean hidden in the Twelfth Cake. [A.S.béan; Ger.bohne, W.ffäen; L.faba.]
Bear, bār,v.t.to carry or support: to endure: to admit of: to be entitled to: to afford: to import: to manage: to behave or conduct one's self: to bring forth or produce.—v.i.to suffer: to be patient: to have reference to: to press (withonorupon): to be situated:—pr.p.bear′ing;pa.t.bōre;pa.p.bōrne (but thepa.p.when used to mean 'brought forth' isborn).—adj.Bear′able, that may be borne or endured.—n.Bear′ableness.—adv.Bear′ably.—ns.Bear′er, one who or that which bears, esp. one who assists in carrying a body to the grave: a carrier or messenger;Bear′ing, behaviour: situation of one object with regard to another: relation: that which is borne upon an escutcheon: (mach.) the part of a shaft or axle in contact with its supports;Bear′ing-cloth, the mantle or cloth in which a child was carried to the font;Bear′ing-rein, the fixed rein between the bit and the saddle, by which a horse's head is held up in driving and its neck made to arch.—Bear hard(Shak.), to press or urge;Bear in hand(Shak.), to keep in expectation, to flatter one's hopes;To bear a hand, to give assistance;To bear away, to sail away;To bear down(withuponortowards), to sail with the wind;To bear out, to corroborate;To bear up, to keep up one's courage;To bear up for(a place), to sail towards;To bear with, to make allowance for;To be borne in(upon the)mind, to be forcibly impressed upon it;To bring to bear, to bring into operation (withagainst,upon);To lose one's bearings, to become uncertain as to one's position. [A.S.beran; Goth.bairan, L.ferre, Gr.pher-ein, Sans.bhri.]
Bear, an obsolete form ofBier.
Bear, bār,n.a heavy quadruped of the order Carnivora, with long shaggy hair and hooked claws: any rude, rough, or ill-bred fellow: one who sells stocks for delivery at a future date, anticipating a fall in price so that he may buy first at an advantage—opp. toBull: the old phrase 'a bearskin jobber' suggests an origin in the common proverb, 'to sell the bearskin before one has caught the bear' (henceTo bear, to speculate for a fall): (astron.) the name of two constellations, the Great and the Little Bear.—ns.Bear′-ber′ry, a trailing plant of the heath family, a species of the Arbutus;Bear′bine, a species of convolvulus, closely allied to the bindweed;Bear′-gar′den, an enclosure where bears are kept; a rude, turbulent assembly.—adj.Bear′ish, like a bear.—ns.Bear′ishness;Bear′-lead′er, a person who leads about a bear for exhibition: the tutor or governor of a youth at the university or on travel;Bear's′-breech, a common name for plants of the genus Acanthus;Bear's′-ear, a common English name for the auricula;Bear's′-foot, a species of hellebore;Bear′skin, the skin of a bear: a shaggy woollen cloth for overcoats: the high fur cap worn by the Guards in England;Bear′-ward, a warden or keeper of bears. [A.S.bera; Ger.bär; cf. L.fera, a wild beast, akin to Gr.thēr, Æolianphēr.]
Bear, bēr,n.barley, applied in Scotland to the now little grown varietyHordeum hexastichon. [A.S.bere.]
Beard, bērd,n.the hair that grows on the chin and adjacent parts of a grown man's face: the tuft on the lower jaw of a goat, seal, &c.: the barbel of the cod, loach, &c.; prickles on the ears of corn: the barb of an arrow: the gills of oysters, &c.—v.t.to take by the beard: to oppose to the face.—adj.Beard′ed, having a beard: prickly: barbed.—n.Beard′-grass, a kind of bearded grass.—adj.Beard′less. [A.S.; W.barf, Ger.bart, Russ.boroda, L.barba.]
Beast, bēst,n.an irrational animal, as opposed to man: a four-footed animal: a brutal person: the Beast, Antichrist in the Revelation—dim.Beast′ies.—n.pl.Beast′-fā′bles, stories in which animals play human parts—a widely-spread primitive form of literature, often surviving in more or less developed forms in the more advanced civilisations.—ns.Beast′hood;Beast′lihead(Spens.), the state or nature of a beast, beastliness;Beast′liness.—adj.Beast′ly, like a beast in actions or behaviour: coarse: obscene: (colloq.) vile, disagreeable. [O. Fr.beste(Fr.bête)—L.bestia.]
Beastings.Same asBiestings.
Beat, bēt,v.t.to strike repeatedly: to break or bruise: to strike, as bushes, in order to rouse game: to thrash: to overcome: to be too difficult for: to spread flat and thin by beating with a tool, as gold by a gold-beater—alsoTo beat out.—v.i.to give strokes repeatedly: to throb: to dash, as a flood or storm:—pr.p.beat′ing;pa.t.beat;pa.p.beat′en.—n.a recurrent stroke: a stroke recurring at intervals, or its sound, as of a watch or the pulse: a round or course, as a policeman'sbeat: a place of resort.—adj.weary: fatigued.—adj.Beat′en, made smooth or hard by beating or treading: trite: worn by use.—ns.Beat′er, one that beats or strikes: one who rouses or beats up game: a crushing instrument;Beat′ing, the act of striking: chastisement by blows: regular pulsation or throbbing: rousing of game: exercising the brain.—Beaten work, metal shaped by being hammered on an anvil or block of the necessary shape.—Dead beat, completely exhausted.—To beat about the bush, to approach a subject in an indirect way;To beat a retreat, to retreat, originally to beat the drum as a signal for retreat;To beat off, to drive back;To beat out, to work out fully, to make gold or silver leaf out of solid metal;To beat the air, to fight to no purpose, or against an imaginary enemy;To beat the bounds, to trace out the boundaries of a parish in a periodic survey or perambulation, certain natural objects in the line of journey being formally struck with a rod, and sometimes also the boys whipped to make them remember;To beat the brains, to puzzle one's brains about something;To beat the tattoo(mil.), to sound the drum for evening roll-call;To beat up, to alarm by a sudden attack: to disturb: to pay an untimeous visit to any one—also in 'to beat up for recruits,' to go about a town to enlist men. [A.S.béatan, pa.t.béot.]
Beath, bēth,v.t.(Spens.) to bathe. [A.S.bethian, to foment.]
Beatify, bē-at′i-fī,v.t.to make blessed or happy: to declare to be in the enjoyment of eternal happiness in heaven.—adjs.Beatif′ic,-al, making supremely happy.—adv.Beatif′ically.—n.Beatificā′tion, act of beatifying: (R.C. Church) a declaration by the Pope that a person is blessed in heaven, authorising a certain definite form of public reverence payable to him—the first step to canonisation.—Beatific vision, a glimpse of the glory of heaven, esp. that which first bursts upon the disembodied soul. [L.beatus, blessed, andfacĕre, to make.]
Beatitude, bē-at′i-tūd,n.heavenly happiness, or happiness of the highest kind: (pl.) sayings of Christ in Matt. v., declaring the possessors of certain virtues to be blessed. [L.beatitudo—beatus, blessed.]
Beau, bō,n.a man attentive to dress or fashion: a fop or dandy: a lover:—pl.Beaux(bōz):—fem.Belle.—n.Beau′-idē′al, ideal excellence, or an imaginary standard of perfection: the person in which such is realised.—adj.Beau′ish.—ns.Beau′-monde, the gay or fashionable world;Beaupere′(Spens.), a term of courtesy for 'father,' esp. of ecclesiastical persons: a companion. [Fr.beau,bel—L.bellus, fine, gay, as if for abenulus, dim. ofbenus=bonus, good.]
Beaujolais, bō-zhō-lā,n.a kind of red wine produced in South-eastern France. [FromBeaujolais, a subdivision of the old province of Lyonnais.]
Beaune, bōn,n.a red wine of Burgundy. [From the town ofBeaune.]
Beauty, bū′ti,n.a pleasing combination of qualities in a person or object: a particular grace or excellence: a beautiful person, esp. a woman, also applied collectively to the beautiful women of a special place: (pl.) beautiful passages or extracts from the poets.—v.t.(Shak.) to make beautiful.—adj.Beau′teous, full of beauty: fair: handsome.—adv.Beau′teously.—ns.Beau′teousness;Beau′tifier, one who or that which beautifies or makes beautiful.—adj.Beau′tiful, fair: with qualities that give delight to the senses, esp. the eye and ear, or which awaken admiration in the mind.—adv.Beau′tifully.—v.t.Beau′tify, to make beautiful: to grace: to adorn.—v.i.(rare) to become beautiful, or more beautiful.—ns.Beau′ty-sleep, the sleep before midnight, considered the most refreshing;Beau′ty-spot, a patch placed on the face to heighten or draw attention to a woman's beauty; a foil, or anything that emphasises beauty by contrast. [O. Fr.biaute(Fr.beauté)—Low L.bellitat-em—L.bellus.]
Beauxite.SeeBauxite.
Beaver, bēv′ėr,n.an amphibious rodent quadruped valuable for its fur: the fur of the beaver: a hat made of the beaver's fur: a hat: a glove of beaver fur.—adj.Beav′erish(Carlyle), like a beaver, merely instinctive.—n.Beav′ery, a place where beavers are kept. [A.S.befer,beofor; Dut.bever, Ger.biber, Gael,beabhar, L.fiber.]
Beaver, bēv′ėr,n.in medieval armour, the covering for the lower part of the face, the visor being that for the upper part—later the movable beaver was confounded with the visor.—adj.Beav′ered. [So called from a fancied likeness to a child's bib. O. Fr.bavière, frombave, slaver.]
Bebeeru, bē-bē′rōō,n.the native name of the green-heart tree of Guiana.—n.Bebeerine(bē-bē′rin), an alkaloid yielded by it, and used as a substitute for quinine.
Beblubbered, be-blub′ėrd,p.adj.disfigured by weeping [Pfx.be-, andBlubber.]
Becall, be-kawl′,v.t.to call names, miscall.
Becalm, be-käm′,v.t.to make calm, still, or quiet.—p.adj.Becalmed′, motionless from want of wind. [Pfx.be-, andCalm.]
Became, be-kām′,pa.t.ofBecome.
Because, be-kawz′,adv.andconj.because of: for the reason that: on account of: for (followed byof). [Prep.by, andCause.]
Beccafico, bek-a-fē′ko,n.a small bird of the family of Sylviadæ or Warblers, considered a delicacy by the Italians:—pl.Beccafi′coes. [It., frombeccareto peck, andfico, a fig.]
Bechance, be-chans′,v.t.to happen by chance: to befall—adv.by chance: accidentally. [A.S.be-, by, andChance.]
Becharm, be-chärm′,v.t.to charm: to enchant.
Bêche-de-mer, bāsh′-dė-mār,n.the trepang or sea-slug, a species of Holothuria, much esteemed in China as a food delicacy. [Fr.]
Beck, bek,n.(Spens.). Same asBeak.
Beck, bek,n.a brook. [Ice.bekkr; Ger.bach.]
Beck, bek,n.a sign with the finger or head: a nod: (Scot.) a gesture of salutation.—v.i.to make such a sign.—v.t.to call by a nod.—At one's beck, subject to one's will. [A contr. ofBeckon.]
Becket, bek′et,n.(naut.) a loop of rope having a knot at one end and an eye at the other: a large hook, or a wooden bracket used to keep loose tackle or spars in a convenient place. [Prob. Dut.bogt,bocht, a 'bend' of rope.]
Beckon, bek′n,v.t.to nod or make a sign to. [A.S.bíecnan—béacn, a sign. SeeBeacon.]
Becloud, be-klowd′,v.t.to obscure by clouds: to dim.
Become, be-kum′,v.i.to pass from one state to another: to come to be: to be the fate or end of (followed byof).—v.t.to suit or befit, to grace or adorn fittingly (withdat.object):—pa.t.becāme′;pa.p.become′.—adj.Becom′ing, suitable to: graceful.—adv.Becom′ingly.—n.Becom′ingness. [A.S.becuman. SeeCome.]
Becurl, be-kurl′,v.t.to curl.
Bed, bed,n.a couch or place to sleep on: a plot in a garden: a place in which anything rests, in carpentry, architecture, &c.: conjugal union, the marriage-bed, matrimonial rights and duties: the channel of a river: (geol.) a layer or stratum.—v.t.to place in bed, as a couple after a wedding: to provide a bed, or to make a bed, for: to sow or plant: to lay in layers.—v.i.to cohabit or use the same bed with another:—pr.p.bed′ding;pa.p.bed′ded.—ns.Bed′chamber(seeBed′room);Bed′ding, a collective name for the mattress, bed-clothes, &c., also litter for cattle.—adj.Bed′fast, confined to bed.—ns.Bed′fellow, a sharer of the same bed;Bed′maker, the name at Cambridge and elsewhere for those who make the beds and sweep the rooms in college;Bed′-of-hon′our, the grave of a soldier who has fallen in battle;Bed′-of-jus′tice(Fr.lit. de justice), the king's throne in the Parlement of Paris, also a sitting at which the king was present, chiefly for the registration of his own decrees;Bed′plate(mech.), the foundation plate of an engine, lathe, &c.;Bed′post, a post forming an angle of a bedstead, often in former days high enough to support a canopy;Bed′presser(Shak.), a heavy, lazy fellow.—adjs.Bed′rid,Bed′ridden, confined to bed by age or sickness: worn out.—ns.Bed′right(Shak.), the privilege of the marriage-bed;Bed′rock, the solid rock underneath superficial formations;Bed′room, a room in which there is a bed: a sleeping apartment—Bedchamberwas the earlier form.—n.pl.Bed′-sores, painful ulcers that often arise in a long confinement to bed, esp. over the bony prominences of the body—the lower parts of the spine, the haunch bones, the heel, and the elbow.—ns.Bed′-staff, a staff or stick formerly used about a bed, in old times a handy weapon, whence perhaps the phrase, 'in the twinkling of a bed-staff;'Bed′stead, a frame for supporting a bed;Bed′straw, the name applied to a genus of the Rubiaceæ, of which eleven species are found in England, the most familiar our Lady's Bedstraw, or Yellow Bedstraw (Galium verum), sometimes called Cheese Rennet from its property of curdling milk;Bed′swerver(Shak.), one who is false to his marriage vow;Bed′tick, the case in which feathers, hair, chaff, &c. are put for bedding.—adv.Bed′ward, in the direction of bed: towards bedtime.—n.Bed′work(Shak.), work easily performed, as if done in bed.—Bed and board, food and lodging: full connubial relations;Bed of down, orroses, any easy or comfortable place.—Lords of the Bedchamber, twelve officers in the British royal household who wait in turn upon the sovereign's person; in the reign of a queen the office is performed by ladies.—To be brought to bed, to be confined in child-birth (withof);To keep one's bed, to remain in bed;To lie in the bed one has made, to have to accept the consequences of one's own conduct;To make a bed, to put a bed in order after it has been used. [A.S.bed; Ger.bett, Ice.bedr.]
Bedabble, be-dab′l,v.t.to dabble or wet. [Pfx.be-, andDabble.]
Bedad, be-dad′,interj.an Irish minced oath, frombegad= by God.
Bedaggle, be-dag′l,v.t.to soil by dragging along the wet ground.
Bedarken, be-dark′n,v.t.to cover with darkness.
Bedash, be-dash′,v.t.to bespatter with water.
Bedaub, be-dawb′,v.t.to daub over or smear with any dirty matter.
Bedazzle, be-daz′l,v.t.to dazzle or overpower by any strong light.—pa.p.Bedaz′zled,Bedazed′, stupefied, besotted.—n.Bedaz′zlement.
Bede.Same asBead, a prayer.
Bedeafen, be-def′n,v.t.to make deaf: to stun.
Bedeck, be-dek′,v.t.to deck or ornament.
Bedeguar, bed′e-gar,n.a soft spongy gall found on the branches of some species of roses, esp. the sweet-brier, called also the sweet-brier sponge. [Through Fr. from Pers. and Ar.bādā-war, lit. 'wind-brought.']
Bedel, bē′dl,Bedell, be-del′, archaic forms ofBeadle(q.v.), still used at Oxford and Cambridge.
Bedesman.Same asBeadsman(q.v. underBead).
Bedevil, be-dev′il,v.t.to throw into confusion: to 'play the devil' with: to torment: to treat with devilish malignity.—pass.to be possessed of a devil, to be devil-rid.—n.Bedev′ilment.
Bedew, be-dū′,v.t.to moisten gently, as with dew.
Bedight, be-dīt′,adj.(poet.) adorned. [Pfx.be-, andDight.]
Bedim, be-dim′,v.t.to make dim or dark.—pa.p.Bedimmed′.
Bedizen, be-dīz′n,v.t.to dress gaudily.—adj.Bediz′ened.—n.Bediz′enment.
Bedlam, bed′lam,n.an asylum for lunatics: a madhouse: a place of uproar.—adj.fit for a madhouse.—ns.Bed′lamism, anything characteristic of madness;Bed′lamite, a madman. [Corrupted fromBethlehem(St Mary of Bethlehem), the name of a priory in London, afterwards converted into a madhouse.]
Bedouin, bed′ōō-in,n.the name given to those Arabs who live in tents and lead a nomadic life. [Fr.—Ar.bādāwin, dwellers in the desert.]
Bedraggle, be-drag′l,v.t.to soil by dragging in the wet or dirt—most common, thep.adj.Bedrag′gled. [SeeDraggle.]
Bedral, bed′ral,n.a beadle.—AlsoBed′eral. [A Scand. form ofBeadle.]
Bedrench, be-drensh′,v.t.to drench or wet thoroughly.
Bedrop, be-drop′,v.t.to drop upon.—pa.p.Bedropt′, sprinkled as with drops: strewn.
Beduck, be-duk′,v.t.to duck or plunge under water.
Beduin, a form ofBedouin.
Bedung, be-dung′,v.t.to manure: to befoul with dung.
Bedust, be-dust′,v.t.to cover with dust.
Bedwarf, be-dwawrf′,v.t.to make dwarfish.
Bedye, be-dī′,v.t.(Spens.) to dye or stain.
Bee, bē,n.a four-winged insect that makes honey: (U.S.) a gathering of persons to unite their labour for the benefit of one individual or family, or for some joint amusement or exercise, as 'a quilting bee,' 'a husking bee,' 'a spelling bee' (from the bee's habit of combined labour).—Compound words areBee′-flow′er,Bee′-gar′den,Bee′-house,Bee′-mas′ter.—ns.Bee′-bread, the pollen of flowers collected by bees as food for their young;Bee′-eat′er, a brightly-plumaged family of birds nearly allied to the kingfisher, which feeds on bees;Bee′-glue, the soft glutinous matter by which bees fix their combs to the hive;Bee′hive, a case or box in which bees are kept, of straw-work, wood, &c.—ScotchBee-skep.—adj.shaped like a beehive, dome-shaped.—ns.Bee′-line, the most direct road from one point to another, like the honey-laden bee's way home to the hive;Bee′-moth, a species of moth whose larvæ are very destructive to young bees;Bees′wax, the wax secreted by bees, and used by them in constructing their cells.—v.t.to polish with beeswax.—n.Bees′wing, a filmy crust of tartar formed in port and some other wines after long keeping.—adj.Bees′winged, so old as to show beeswing.—A bee in one's bonnet, a whimsical or crazy fancy on some point. [A. S.béo; Ger.biene.]
Beech, bēch,n.a common forest tree with smooth silvery-looking bark and small edible nuts.—adj.Beech′en.—ns.Beech′-mast, the mast or nuts of the beech-tree, which yield a valuable oil;Beech′-oil, oil expressed from the nuts of the beech-tree. [A.S.bóece,béce; Ger.buche, L.fagus, Gr.phēgos—from root ofphag-ein, to eat.]
Beef, bēf,n.the flesh of an ox or cow:—pl.Beeves, used in original sense, oxen.—adj.consisting of beef.—ns.Beef′-eat′er(bēf′-ēt′ėr), a popular name for a yeoman of the sovereign's guard, also of the warders of the Tower of London [the obvious ety. is the right one, there being no such form asbuffetier, connected withbuffet, a sideboard, as often stated];Beef′iness;Beef′steak, a thick slice of beef for broiling or frying;Beef′tea, a stimulating rather than nutritious food for invalids, being the juice of beef strained off, after simmering chopped beef in water.—adjs.Beef′-wit′ted,Beef′-brained, dull or heavy in wits: stupid.—n.Beef′-wood, an Australian wood, of reddish colour, used in cabinetwork.—adj.Beef′y, like beef, fleshy, stolid. [O. Fr.boef(Fr.bœuf)—L.bos,bovis; cf. Gr.bous, Gael.bò, Sans.go, A.S.cú.]
Beelzebub, bē-el′ze-bub,n.the name under which the Philistines at Ekron worshipped their godBaalorBel: (New Test.) the prince of the evil spirits. [Heb.ba'al z'būb, fly-lord.]
Been, bēn,pa.p.ofBe.
Beenah, bē′na,n.a primitive form of marriage (the name taken from Ceylon) in which the man goes to live with his wife's family—he is an unimportant person in the family, and the children are not counted his, but belong to the family and kindred of the wife.
Beer, bēr,n.an alcoholic beverage made by fermentation from malted barley flavoured with hops. It was anciently distinguished from ale by being hopped; nowbeeris the generic name of malt liquor, including ale and porter.—ns.Beer′-en′gine,Beer′-pump, a machine for drawing beer up from the casks to the bar;Beer′-house, a house where beer or malt liquors are sold;Beer′iness;Beer′-mon′ey, money given to soldiers in the British army, in lieu of beer and spirits.—adj.Beer′y, of or affected by beer.—Beer and skittles, a phrase used vaguely for Bohemian pleasures, from a simple form supposed to be a rustic ideal.—Bitter beer= pale ale, a highly hopped beer made from the very finest selected malt and hops;MildorSweetale being of greater gravity or strength, and comparatively lightly hopped;Black beer, a kind of beer made at Danzig, black and syrupy;Small beer, weak beer, hence trifling things, as in the familiar phrase, 'to think no small beer of one's self.' [A.S.béor; Ger. and Dut.bier, Ice.bjorr.]