Bocage.SeeBoscage.
Bode, bōd,v.t.to portend or prophesy.—v.i.to be an omen: to foreshow.—adj.Bode′ful, boding, ominous.—n.Bode′ment, an omen, presentiment.—pr.p.Bod′ing, presaging.—n.an omen or portent. [A.S.bodian, to announce—bod, a message; allied toBid.]
Bode, bōd (Spens.). Same asAbode.
Bodega, bo-dē′ga,n.a wine-shop. [Sp.]
Bodge, boj,v.i.to make bad work, to fail.—n.Bodg′er, a botcher, a pedlar. [A form ofBotch.]
Bodice, bod′is,n.a woman's outer garment covering the waist and bust: the close-fitting waist or body of a woman's gown.
Bodikin, bod′i-kin,n.a form of an oath, ''Od's bodikins' = God's little body.
Bodkin, bod′kin,n.a small dagger: a small instrument for pricking holes or for dressing the hair: a large blunt needle.—To sit, orride,bodkin, to be wedged in tight between two others. [Prob. conn. with W.bidog, a dagger.]
Bodle, bod′l,n.a Scotch copper coin, equal to about one-sixth of an English penny, the smallest coin. [Said to be named from a mint-master, oneBothwell.]
Bodrages, bod′rā-jiz,n.pl.(Spens.) a hostile attack, a raid. [Ir.buaidhreadh, a disturbance.]
Body, bod′i,n.the whole frame of a man or lower animal: the main part of an animal, as distinguished from the limbs: the main or middle part of anything: matter, as opposed to spirit: substance or substantial quality: a mass: a person: a number of persons united by some common tie.—v.t.to give form to: to embody:—pr.p.bod′ying;pa.p.bod′ied.—adj.Bod′iless, without a body: incorporeal.—adv.Bod′ily, relating to the body, esp. as opposed to the mind.—ns.Bod′y-col′our, a term applied to paints to express their degree of consistence, substance, and tingeing power;Bod′y-cur′er(Shak.), a doctor;Bod′yguard, a guard to protect the person, esp. of the sovereign;Bod′y-pol′itic, the collective body of the people in its political capacity;Bod′yserv′ant, a personal attendant;Bod′y-snatch′er, one who secretly disinters the bodies of the dead for the purposes of dissection. [A.S.bodig, of dubious origin.]
Bœotian, be-ō′shyan,adj.pertaining toBœotiain Greece, noted for the dullness of its inhabitants—hence stupid, dull.
Boer, bōōr,n.a Dutch colonist at the Cape engaged in agriculture. [Dut.boer. SeeBoor.]
Bog, bog,n.soft ground: a marsh or quagmire.—v.t.to sink or to entangle.—n.Bog′-butt′er, a mineral substance, resembling butter, found in Irish bogs.—adj.Bogg′y.—ns.Bog′let,Bog′land;Bog′-moss, a genus of moss plants;Bog′-oak, trunks of oak embedded in bogs and preserved from decay—of a deep black colour, often used for making ornaments;Bog′-ore, a kind of iron ore found in boggy land;Bog′-spav′in, a lesion of the hock-joint of the horse, consisting in distension of the capsule enclosing the joint, usually arising suddenly from a sprain in action;Bog′-trot′ter, one who lives in a boggy country, hence an Irishman. [Ir.bogach; Gael.bog, soft.]
Boggard,Boggart. SeeBogle.
Boggle, bog′l,v.i.to stop or hesitate as if at a bogle: to start with fright: to make difficulties about a thing: to equivocate.—n.a scruple, objection: a bungle.—n.Bogg′ler, one who boggles: a doubter: (Shak.) one who starts from the right path. [SeeBogle.]
Bogie,Bogey, bōg′i,n.a low truck on four wheels, so constructed as to turn easily, a trolly: a revolving under-carriage, as in a locomotive engine. [Ety. unknown; perh. conn. withBogy, a fiend.]
Bogle, bōg′l,n.a spectre or goblin: a scarecrow: a bugbear, or source of terror—alsoBogg′le.—Bogg′ardis a common form in the North country. [Scot.bogle, a ghost; W.bwg, a goblin. SeeBug.]
Bogus, bō′gus,adj.counterfeit, spurious. [An American cant word, of very doubtful origin—it may possibly be ult. related toBogy.]
Bogy,Bogey, bōg′i,n.a goblin: a bugbear or special object of dread, the devil.—n.Bog′yism. [A form ofBoggleandBoggard.]
Bohea, bo-hē′,n.the lowest quality of black tea: tea generally. [Chin.]
Bohemian, bo-hē′mi-an,n.andadj.applied to persons of loose or irregular habits: an artist or man of letters, or indeed any one, who sets social conventionalities aside.—n.Bohē′mianism. [Fr.bohémien, a gipsy, from the belief that these wanderers came fromBohemia.]
Boiar.Same asBoyar.
Boil, boil,v.i.to bubble up from the action of heat: to be hot: to be excited or agitated.—v.t.to heat to a boiling state: to cook or dress by boiling.—ns.Boil′er, one who boils: that in which anything is boiled: a vessel in which steam, usually for a steam-engine, is generated: a vessel for heating water for baths, &c.;Boil′ing, the bubbling up of any liquid by the application of heat: the act of dressing food by boiling water.—adj.bubbling: swelling with heat or passion.—n.Boil′ing-point, the temperature at which liquids begin to boil under heat.—To boil down, to reduce in bulk by boiling, to extract the substance of, to epitomise;To boil over, to bubble over the sides of the containing vessel, to break out into unrestrained indignation. [O. Fr.boillir—L.bullīre—bulla, a bubble.]
Boil, boil,n.an inflamed swelling or tumour. [A.S.býl; Ger.beule.]
Boisterous, bois′tėr-us,adj.wild: noisy: turbulent: stormy.—adv.Bois′terously.—n.Bois′terousness. [M. E.boistous, approximating, but not in sense, to the O. Fr.boisteus, whence modernboiteux, lame. The Celtic words throw no light upon its origin.]
Bolas, bō′las,n.missiles used by the South Americangauchos, consisting of balls or stones strung together, swung round the head and hurled, usually so as to entangle the legs of an animal running. [Sp.]
Bold, bōld,adj.daring or courageous: forward or impudent: presumptuous: executed with spirit: striking to the sight, well marked: steep or abrupt.—v.t.Bold′en(obs.), to make bold.—adj.Bold′faced, impudent.—adv.Bold′ly.—n.Bold′ness.—To make bold, to take the liberty, to make free. [A.S.bald; Old High Ger.bald, Ice.ballr.]
Bole, bōl,n.the round stem or body of a tree. [Scand.bolr; Ger.bohle, a plank.]
Bole, bōl,n.an earthy mineral resembling clay in structure, and consisting essentially of silica, alumina, red oxide of iron, and water; the bole of Lemnos,Lemnian Earth, is red in colour, and was once used as a tonic and astringent medicine. [Gr.bōlos, a clod.]
Bole, bōl,n.a recess in a wall: an opening to admit light and air. [Scot.; origin unknown.]
Bolero, bo-lā′ro, orbo-lē′ro,n.Spanish national dance: also the air to which it is danced. [Sp.]
Boletus, bol-ē′tus,n.a genus of fungi, having a pore-like surface occupying the place of gills. [Gr.bōlitēs, mushroom.]
Bolide, bol′īd,n.a large meteor or fireball. [Fr.—L.bolid-em,bolis—Gr.bolis,ballein, to throw.]
Bolin, an obsolete form ofBowline.
Boll, bōl,n.one of the round heads or seed-vessels of flax, poppy, &c.: a pod or capsule.—p.adjs.Bolled(bōld), swollen, podded;Bollen(bōln), swollen (Shak.). [A form ofBowl; A.S.bolla.]
Boll, bōl,n.a measure of capacity for grain, &c., used in Scotland and the north of England—in Scotland = 6 imperial bushels; in England, varying from 2 to 6 bushels: also a measure of weight, containing, for flour, 140 lb. [Scot.bow; prob. a Scand. word; cf. Ice.bolli.]
Bollandist, bol′an-dist,n.one of the Jesuit writers who continued theActa Sanctorum(q.v.), begun by JohnBolland(1596-1665).
Bollard, bol′ard,n.a post on a wharf to which vessels are secured: a thick piece of wood on the forepart of a whale-boat, round which the line is turned when a whale is harpooned. [Prob.Bole.]
Bologna, bol-ōn′ya,adj.from a town of Italy, which gives its name to Bologna phial, Bologna phosphorus, and Bologna or 'Polony' sausages.—adj.Bologn′ese.
Bolometer, bō-lom′e-tėr,n.an instrument for measuring minute amounts of radiant heat. [Gr.bolē, ray (ballein, to throw),metron, a measure.]
Bolster, bōl′stėr,n.a long round pillow or cushion: a pad: anything resembling it in form or use, esp. any piece of mechanism affording a support against pressure.—v.t.to support with a bolster: to hold up.—p.adj.Bol′stered, supported: swelled out.—n.Bol′stering, a propping up or supporting. [A.S.bolster; from root ofBowl.]
Bolt, bōlt,n.a bar or pin used to fasten a door, &c.: an arrow: a thunderbolt, as in 'a bolt from the blue.'—v.t.to fasten with a bolt: to throw or utter precipitately: to expel suddenly: to swallow hastily.—v.i.to rush away (like a bolt from a bow): to start up: (U.S.) to break away from one's political party.—ns.Bolt′-head, the head of a bolt: a chemical flask;Bolt′-rope, a rope sewed all round the edge of a sail to prevent it from tearing;Bolt′sprit(same asBowsprit).—adv.Bolt′-up′right, upright and straight as a bolt or arrow.—n.Bolt′-up′rightness. [A.S.bolt; Old High Ger.bolz.]
Bolt, bōlt,v.t.(better spelling,Boult), to sift, to separate the bran from, as flour: to examine by sifting: to sift through coarse cloth.—ns.Bolt′er, a sieve: a machine for separating bran from flour;Bolt′ing, the process by which anything is bolted or sifted;Bolt′ing-hutch, a hutch or large box into which flour falls when it is bolted. [O. Fr.bulter, orbuleter=bureter, frombure—Low L.burra, a coarse reddish-brown cloth—Gr.pyrros, reddish.]
Bolus, bō′lus,n.a rounded mass of anything: a large pill. [L.bolus—Gr.bōlos, a lump.]
Bomb, bom, or bum,n.a hollow projectile, usually of cast-iron, fired from a mortar, filled with gunpowder and fitted with a time-fuse: any similar missile or case of explosives, as a dynamite bomb.—n.Bom′bard, an engine or great gun for throwing bombs: (Shak.) a barrel or large vessel for holding liquor.—v.t.Bombard′, to attack with bombs.—ns.Bombardier′, the lowest non-commissioned officer in the British artillery, formerly a man employed about the mortars and howitzers;Bombard′ment;Bombar′don, a deep-toned brass instrument, with a tube likened to a bombard.—adj.Bomb′-proof, proof or secure against the force of bombs.—ns.Bomb′-shell(same asBomb);Bomb′-vess′el,Bomb′-ketch, a vessel for carrying the mortars used in bombarding from the sea.—Bombardier beetle, a name given to several species of beetles, which discharge an acrid volatile fluid with explosive force from the abdomen. [Fr.bombe—L.bombus—Gr.bombos, a humming sound—an imitative word.]
Bombasine,Bombazine, bom′-,bum-ba-zēn′,n.a twilled or corded fabric of silk and worsted, or of cotton and worsted.—n.Bom′bax, a genus of silk-cotton trees, native to tropical America. [Fr.bombasin—Low L.bombasinum—Gr.bombyx, silk.]
Bombast, bom′-,bum′bast,n.inflated or high-sounding language: originally cotton or any soft material used for stuffing garments.—adj.Bombas′tic, high-sounding: inflated. [Low L.bombax, cotton—Gr.bombyx, silk.]
Bombax.SeeBombasine.
Bombay-duck, bom-bā′-duk,n.a fish of the family Scopelidæ, nearly allied to the salmon and trout family, which is salted, dried, and eaten as a relish.
Bombyx, bom′biks,n.the silkworm. [Gr.]
Bon, bong,adj.good—French, occurring in some English but not Anglicised phrases, asBon accord, good-will, agreement;Bon mot, a jest or smart saying;Bon ton, good style, the fashionable world;Bon vivant, one who lives well or luxuriously.
Bona fide, bō′nafīd′ā,adv.andadj.in good faith, with sincerity, genuine. [L.]
Bonanza, bon-an′za,n.a term common in the Pacific States for a rich mass of gold: any mine of wealth or stroke of luck. [Sp.]
Bonapartism, bō′na-pärt-izm,n.attachment to the dynasty of NapoleonBonaparte, Emperor of the French.—n.Bō′napartist.
Bona-roba, bō′na-rō′ba,n.(Shak.) a showy wanton, a courtesan. [It.buona roba, lit. a fine gown.]
Bonbon, bong′bong,n.a sweetmeat.—n.Bonbon′iere, a fancy box for holding such. [Fr., 'very good'—bon, good.]
(a) English bond; (b) Flemish bond.
Bond, bond,n.that which binds, a band: link of connection or union: a writing of obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract: any constraining or any cementing force: in building, the connection of one stone or brick with another, made by lapping the one over the other as the work is carried up, as inEnglish bond,Flemish bond, &c.: (pl.) imprisonment, captivity.—adj.bound: in a state of servitude.—v.t.to put imported goods in the customs' warehouses till the duties on them are paid—henceBonded storesorwarehouses,To take out of bond, &c.—p.adj.Bond′ed, secured by bond, as duties.—ns.Bond′er, a binding stone or brick;Bond′-hold′er, a person who holds bonds of a private person or public company;Bond′ing, that arrangement by which goods remain in the customs' warehouses till the duties are paid;Bond′maid,Bond′woman,Bonds′woman, a woman-slave;Bond′man, a man-slave;Bond′manship;Bond′serv′ant, a slave;Bond′-serv′ice, the condition of a bond-servant: slavery;Bond′-slave, a slave;Bonds′man, a bondman or slave: a surety;Bond′-stone, a stone which reaches a considerable distance into or entirely through a wall for the purpose of binding it together;Bond′-tim′ber, timber built into a wall as it is carried up for the purpose of binding it together in a longitudinal direction.—Bonded debt, the debt of a corporation represented by the bonds it has issued, as contrasted with itsfloatingdebt. [A variant ofband—A.S.bindan, to bind.]
Bondage, bond′āj,n.state of being bound: captivity: slavery.—n.Bond′ager, a female outworker in the Border and North country, whom thehindor married cottar was bound to provide for the farm-work. [O. Fr.; Low L.bondagium, a kind of tenure. Acc. to Skeat, this is from A.S.bonda, a boor, a householder, from Ice.bóndi=búandi, a tiller, a husbandman,búa, to till, cog. with A.S.búan.]
Bone, bōn,n.a hard substance forming the skeleton of mammalian animals: a piece of the skeleton of an animal: (pl.) the bones collectively: mortal remains: pieces of bone held between the fingers of the hand and rattled together to keep time to music: dice, as made of bone, ivory, &c.—v.t.to take the bones out of, as meat: to seize, to steal.—ns.Bone′-ache(Shak.), aching or pain in the bones;Bone′-ash,Bone′-earth, the remains when bones are burnt in an open furnace;Bone′-black, the remains when bones are heated in a close vessel.—adj.Boned—used in composition, as high-boned: having bones: having the bones removed.—ns.Bone′-dust, ground or pulverised bones, used in agriculture;Bone′-lace, lace woven with bobbins, which were frequently made of bone.—adj.Bone′less, wanting bones.—ns.Bone′-set′ter, one who treats broken bones without being a duly qualified surgeon;Bone′-shāk′er, a name familiarly given to the earlier forms of bicycle before india-rubber tires;Bone′-spav′in, a bony excrescence or hard swelling on the inside of the hock of a horse.—adj.Bon′y, full of, or consisting of, bones.—A bone of contention, something that causes strife;A bone to pick, something to occupy one, a difficulty, a grievance, controversy, dispute.—To make no bones of, to have no scruples in regard to something;To the bone, to the inmost part. [A.S.bán, Ger.bein.]
Bonfire, bon′fīr,n.a large fire in the open air on occasions of public rejoicing, &c.—originally a fire in which bones were burnt. [Not Fr.bon, good, andFire.]
Bongrace, bon′grās,n.a shade from the sun once worn by women on the front of the bonnet: a broad-brimmed hat or bonnet. [Fr.]
Bonhomie, bon′o-mē,n.easy good-nature. [Fr.;bon homme, a good fellow.]
Boniface, bon′i-fās,n.a generic name for an innkeeper, like 'mine host' or 'landlord'—from the heartyBonifaceof Farquhar'sBeaux' Stratagem.
Boning, bōn′ing,n.the act of estimating straightness by looking along a series of poles, as inboning-rodortelescope.
Bonito, bo-nēto,n.a name given to several fishes of the mackerel family—the Stripe-bellied Tunny of the tropical parts of the Atlantic and Pacific; the Mediterranean Bonito; the Plain Bonito. [Sp.]
Bonne, bon,n.a French nursemaid. [Fr.;fem.ofbon, good.]
Bonne-bouche, bon-bōōsh,n.a delicious morsel. [Fr.]
Bonnet, bon′et,n.a covering for the head worn by women, without a brim, tied on by strings, and now letting the whole face be seen, although formerly a bonnet (esp. aPoke′-bonn′et) covered the sides of the face: a soft cap: the velvet cap within a coronet: (fort.) a small work before the salient or flanked angle of the ravelin: (naut.) an additional part laced to the foot of jibs, or other fore-and-aft sails, to gather more wind: a wire-covering over a chimney-top: a decoy or pretended player or bidder at a gaming-table or an auction, the accomplice of a thimble-rigger or other petty swindler.—v.t.to put a bonnet on: to crush a man's hat over his eyes.—adj.andp.adj.Bonn′eted.—ns.Bonn′et-piece, a gold coin of James V. of Scotland, on which the king wears a bonnet instead of a crown;Bonn′et-rouge, the red cap of liberty of the French Revolution, shaped like a nightcap.—Bonnet laird, a Scotch name for a petty landowner who wore a bonnet, not the hat of the gentry.—Balmoral bonnet, a flat cap resembling the Scotch (Lowland) bonnet;Glengarry bonnet, rising to a point in front, with ribbons hanging down behind;Scotch bonnet, of a broad, round, flat shape, of dark-blue colour, with a tuft on the top, the fabric thick-milled woollen, without seam or lining—like the Basquebéret. [O. Fr.—Low L.bonnetum, orig. the name of a stuff.]
Bonny, bon′i,adj.beautiful: handsome: gay: plump: pleasant-looking: as a general term expressing appreciation = considerable, &c., often ironically: cheerful: (Shak.) stout, strong.—adv.Bonn′ily, beautifully: gaily.—n.Bonn′iness, handsomeness: gaiety. [Fr.bon,bonne—L.bonus.]
Bonspiel, bon′spēl,n.a great curling-match. [Dr Murray suggests an assumed Dut.bondspel, frombond=verbond, 'covenant, alliance, compact,' and;spel, play; the word having entered Scotch as a whole,spiel,spel, having never been in common use for 'play.']
Bonus, bōn′us,n.a premium beyond the usual interest for a loan: an extra dividend to shareholders: an extra gratuity paid to workmen: a douceur or bribe. [L.bonus, good.]
Bonze, bon′ze,n.a Buddhist priest. [Jap.bonzóorbonzi, a priest.]
Boo,Booh, bōō,interj.a sound expressive of disapprobation or contempt.—v.i.to utter 'boo!' to hoot.—v.t.Boo′-hoo′, to weep noisily.
Booby, bōō′bi,n.a silly or stupid fellow: a sea-bird, of the gannet tribe, remarkable for its apparent stupidity in allowing itself to be knocked down with a stick.—adjs.Boo′by,Boo′byish, like a booby: stupid.—ns.Boo′byism;Boo′by-trap, a rude form of practical joke among boys, by which something is made to fall upon some one entering a door, or the like. [Sp.bobo, a dolt: may prob. be cog. with Ger.bube.]
Boodle, bōōd′l,n.a crowd, pack—'the whole boodle:' stock-in-trade, capital. [May be conn. with Dut.boedel.]
Boodle, bōōd′l,n.(slang) a stupid noodle.
Boody, bōōd′i,v.i.to sulk or mope. [Fr.bouder, to pout.]
Book, book,n.a collection of sheets of paper bound together, either printed, written on, or blank: a literary composition: a division of a volume or subject: the Bible: a betting-book, or record of bets made with different people: (fig.) any source of instruction: the libretto of an opera, &c.: (pl.) formal accounts of transactions, as minutes of meetings, records kept of his business by a merchant.—v.t.to write in a book.—ns.Book′-account′, an account of debt or credit in a book;Book′binder, one who binds books;Book′binding, the art or practice of binding or putting the boards on books;Book′-case, a case with shelves for books;Book′-club, an association of persons who buy new books for circulation among themselves;Book′-debt, a debt for articles charged by the seller in his book-account.—adj.Book′ful, full of information gathered from books.—ns.Book′-hold′er, one who holds the book of the play and prompts the actor in the theatre;Book′-hunt′er, one who rejoices in discoveringrarebooks;Book′ing-of′fice, an office where names are booked or tickets are taken.—adj.Book′ish, fond of books: acquainted only with books.—ns.Book′ishness;Book′-keep′ing, the art of keeping accounts in a regular and systematic manner;Book′-land, land taken from thefolclandor common land, and granted bybócor written charter to a private owner;Book′-learn′ing, learning got from books, as opposed to practical knowledge.—adj.Book′less, without books, unlearned.—ns.Book′let, a small book;Book′-mak′er, one who makes up books from the writings of others, a compiler: one who makes a system of bets in such a way that the gains must exceed the losses, entering them in a memorandum book;Book′-mak′ing, the art or practice of compiling books from the writings of others: compilation: systematic betting;Book′-man, a scholar, student;Book′-mark, something placed in a book to mark a particular page or passage;Book′-mate(Shak.), a mate or companion in the study of books: a schoolfellow;Book′-mus′lin, muslin used in bookbinding;Book′-oath(Shak.), an oath made on the Book or Bible;Book′plate, a label usually pasted inside the cover of a book, bearing the owner's name, crest, coat-of-arms, or peculiar device;Book′-post, the department in the Post-office for the transmission of books;Book′seller, one who sells books;Book′selling;Book′shelf, a shelf on which books are placed;Book′shop, a shop where books are sold;Book′-stall, a stall or stand, generally in the open air, where books are sold;Book′-stand, a book-stall: a stand or support for holding up a book when reading;Book′-trade, the trade of dealing in books;Book′worm, a worm or mite that eats holes in books: a hard reader: one who reads without discrimination or profit.—To be upon the books, to have one's name in an official list;To bring to book, to bring to account;To take a leaf out of another's book, to follow the example of some one;To talk like a book, to talk pedantically, or in a preternaturally well-informed manner. [A.S.bóc, a book, the beech; Ger.buche, the beech,buch, a book, because the Teutons first wrote on beechen boards.]
Boom, bōōm,n.a pole by which a sail is stretched: a chain or bar stretched across a harbour. [Dut.boom, a beam, a tree.]
Boom, bōōm,v.i.to make a hollow sound or roar: to go on with a rush, to become suddenly prosperous.—v.t.to push anything into sudden prominence:—pa.p.boomed (bōōmd);pr.p.boom′ing.—n.a hollow roar, as of the sea, the cry of the bittern, &c.: a sudden increase of activity in business, or the like—often the direct consequence of puffing advertisements or less legitimate intrigues.—p.adj.Boom′ing, rushing with violence. [From a Low Ger. root found in A.S.byme, a trumpet, Dut.bommen, to drum; likeBomb, of imit. origin.]
Boomerang--different forms.
Boomerang, bōōm′e-rang,n.a hard-wood missile used by the natives of Australia, shaped like the segment of a circle, and so balanced that when thrown to a distance it returns towards the thrower. [Australian.]
Boon, bōōn,n.a petition: a gift or favour. [Ice.bôn, a prayer; A.S.ben.]
Boon, bōōn,adj.gay, merry, or kind. [Fr.bon—L.bonus, good.]
Boor, bōōr,n.a countryman, a peasant: a Dutch colonist in South Africa: a coarse or awkward person.—adj.Boor′ish, like a boor: awkward or rude.—adv.Boor′ishly.—n.Boor′ishness. [Dut.boer; Ger.bauer. The A.S.gebúr, a farmer, may explain the East Anglianbor, neighbour, as a form of address.]
Boord, an obsolete form ofBoard.
Boose. SeeBouse.
Boot, bōōt,n.a covering for the foot and lower part of the leg generally made of leather: an infamous instrument of judicial torture, in which the legs were forced into a strong case and wedges driven in until bone, muscle, and marrow were crushed together—alsoBoot′ikin: a box or receptacle in a coach.—v.t.to put on boots.—n.Boot′-clos′er, one who closes the upper leathers of boots.—pa.p.Boot′ed, having boots on, equipped for riding.—ns.Boot′-hook, an instrument for pulling on long boots;Boot′hose(Shak.), hose or stockings used in place of boots;Boot′-jack, an instrument for taking off boots;Boot′lace, a lace for fastening boots;Boot′-last,Boot′-tree, the last or wooden mould on which boots or shoes are made or stretched to keep their shape.—adj.Boot′less, without boots: referring also, as in Tennyson's metaphorical use, 'wedded to a bootless calf,' to the ancient custom at a marriage by proxy of the quasi bridegroom putting one unbooted leg into the bride's bed.—n.Boots, the servant at an inn who cleans the boots, runs messages, &c.—in combination, as Lazyboots, Slyboots.—Boot and saddle(a corr. of Fr.bouteselle, place saddle), the signal to cavalry to mount.—Like old boots(slang), vigorously, heartily.—Six feet in his boots, quite six feet high.—To die in his boots, to be cut off in the midst of health, as by the rope;To have one's heart in one's boots, to be in a state of extreme terror. [O. Fr.bote(mod.botte)—Low L.botta,bota, of dubious origin.]
Boot, bōōt,v.t.to profit or advantage.—n.advantage: profit: any reparation or compensation paid, like theman-boteof old English law: (Shak.) booty.—adj.Boot′less, without boot or profit: useless.—adv.Boot′lessly.—n.Boot′lessness.—To boot, in addition;To make boot of(Shak.), to make profit of. [A.S.bót, compensation, amends, whencebetan, to amend, to makeBetter.]
Bootes, bo-ō′tez,n.a northern constellation beside the Great Bear, containing the bright star Arcturus. [Gr.; an ox-driver.]
Booth, bōōth,n.a hut or temporary erection formed of slight materials: a covered stall at a fair or market. [Ice.buð, Ger.bude.]
Booty, bōōt′i,n.spoil taken in war or by force: plunder, a prize.—To play booty, to join with others in order to cheat one player, to play a game with intention to lose. [Ice.býti, share—býta, to divide.]
Booze.SeeBouse.
Bo-peep, bo-pēp′,n.a simple play among children in which one peeps from behind something and cries 'Bo.'
Bora, bō′ra,n.a strong north-east wind in the upper Adriatic. [Diez explains the word as a Venetian variant of It.borea—L.boreas; acc. to others, Slav.; cf. Servianbura.]
Borachio, bor-ach′i-o,n.a Spanish wine-bottle of leather: a drunken fellow. [Sp.borracha.]
Borage, bur′āj,n.a plant of the genus Borago, formerly in great repute as a cordial. [Low L.borago.]
Borax, bō′raks,n.a mineral salt used for soldering, as a flux in metallurgy, in enamelling and glazing, as a mordant in dyeing, as a substitute for soap, and also in medicine.—adj.Borac′ic, of or relating to borax.—ns.Bor′acite, a mineral composed of boracic acid and carbonate of magnesia;Bō′rate, a salt of boracic acid.—Boracic acid, an acid obtained by dissolving borax, and also found native in mineral springs in Italy. [Through Fr. and Low L.borax,borac-em, from Ar.bûraq.]
Bordar, bord′ar,n.a villein who held his hut at his lord's pleasure. [Low L.bordarius; of Teut. origin. SeeBoard.]
Bordeaux, bor-dō′,n.claret, wine ofBordeaux, a great city in the south-west of France.
Bordel, bor′del,n.a house for prostitution. [O. Fr.bordel, a cabin—Low L.borda.]
Border, bord′ėr,n.the edge or margin of anything: the march or boundary of a country, esp. that between England and Scotland: a flower-bed in a garden: a piece of ornamental edging or trimming round a garment, &c.—v.i.to resemble (withon): to be adjacent (withupon,with).—v.t.to make or adorn with a border: to bound.—ns.Bord′erer, one who dwells on the border of a country;Bord′er-land.—adj.Bord′erless. [O. Fr.bordure; from root ofBoard.]
Bord-raging.SeeBodraging.
Bordure, bor′dūr,n.(her.) a border surrounding a shield, generally said to occupy one-fifth of the field. [Border.]
Bore, bōr,v.t.to pierce so as to form a hole; to weary or annoy.—n.a hole made by boring: the size of the cavity of a gun; a person or thing that wearies (not from the foregoing, according to Dr Murray, who says both verb and noun arose after 1750).—ns.Bor′er, the person or thing that bores: a genus of sea-worms that pierce wood; a name common to many insects that pierce wood;Bor′ing, the act of making a hole in anything: a hole made by boring: (pl.) the chips produced by boring. [A.S.borian, to bore; cf. Ger.bohren; allied to L.for-āre, to bore, Gr.pharynx, the gullet.]
Bore, bōr, did bear,pa.t.ofBear.
Bore, bōr,n.a tidal flood which rushes with great violence up the estuaries of certain rivers, also calledEagre. [Ice.bára, a wave or swell.]
Boreas, bō′re-as,n.the north wind.—adj.Bō′real. [L. and Gr.]
Boric.Same asBoracic(q.v. underBorax).
Born, bawrn,—pa.p.ofBear, to bring forth.—Born again, having received new spiritual life or regeneration through Christ.—Born in, orwith, inherited by birth;Born of, sprung from.—A born fool, one whose folly is from his birth—also in compounds, asEnglish-born,eldest-born,base-born,gently-born,well-born, &c.—In one's born days, in one's life-time.
Borne, bōrn,pa.p.ofBear, to carry.
Borné, bor′nā,adj.limited, narrow-minded. [Fr. pa.p. ofborner, to limit.]
Boron, bō′ron,n.a simple non-metallic element present in borax and boracic acid, obtained in crystals which resemble diamonds. [SeeBorax.]
Borough, bur′ō,n.a town with a corporation and special privileges granted by royal charter; a town that sends representatives to parliament.—ns.Bor′ough-English, a custom in some ancient English boroughs, by which estates descend to the youngest son or the youngest brother;Bor′oughmonger, one who buys or sells the patronage of boroughs;Bor′ough-reeve, the chief municipal official in some unincorporated English towns prior to 1835.—CloseorPocket borough, a borough the representation of which was in the nomination of some person—common before 1832;County borough, a borough of above 50,000 inhabitants, constituted by the Local Government Act of 1888;Rotten borough, one which still returned members to parliament although the constituency had disappeared—all abolished in 1832.—The Scotch terms are grouped underBurgh. [A.S.burg,burh, a city, frombeorgan; Ger.bergen, to protect.]
Borrel, bor′el,adj.(Spens.) rustic, clownish. [O. Fr.burel, coarse cloth worn by peasantry.]
Borrow, bor′ō,v.t.to obtain on loan or trust: to adopt from a foreign source: to derive one's authority from another (withfrom,of).—p.adj.Borr′owed, taken on loan, counterfeit, assumed.—n.Borr′ower.—Borrowing days, the last three days of March (O.S.), supposed in Scotch folklore to have been borrowed by March from April, and to be especially stormy. [A.S.borgian—borg,borh, a pledge, security.]
Borstall, bor′stal,n.a way up a hill, still used in the district of the Downs. [A.S.beorh, a hill, andstigel, a stile.]
Bort, bort,n.diamond-dust. [Fr.]
Borzoi, bor′zoi,n.a breed of dogs of great grace and beauty, in shape like a gigantic greyhound, though covered with a soft coat about the length of a deerhound's. [Russ.]
Boscage, bosk′āj,n.thick foliage: woodland. [Fr.boscage,bocage—Low L.boscus(hence Fr.bois), conn. with Ger.busch, Eng.Bush.]
Bosh, bosh,n.used also asinterj.nonsense, foolish talk or opinions. [Turk.bosh, worthless, frequent in Morier's popular novelAyesha(1834).]
Bosky, bosk′i,adj.woody or bushy: shady.—ns.Bosk′et,Bosk(Tennyson), a thicket.
Bosom, bōōz′um,n.the breast of a human being, or the part of the dress which covers it: (fig.) the seat of the passions and feelings: the heart: embrace, enclosure, as within the arms: any close or secret receptacle.—adj.(in composition) confidential: intimate.—v.t.to enclose in the bosom.—Abraham's bosom, the abode of the blessed dead.—To take to one's bosom, to marry: to make an intimate friend of. [A.S.bósm; Ger.busen.]
Boson, bō′sn,n.a corruption ofBoatswain.
Boss.
Boss, bos,n.a knob or stud: a raised ornament.—v.t.to ornament with bosses.—adj.Boss′y, having bosses.—p.adj.Bossed, embossed. [O. Fr.boce(Fr.bosse), from Old Ger.bôzan, to beat.]
Boss, bos,n.the chief or leader: the master, manager, or foreman: the person who pulls the wires in political intrigues.—adj.chief: excellent.—v.t.to manage or control.—To boss the show, to be supreme director of an enterprise. [Amer.; from the New York Dutchbaas, master; cog. with Ger.base, a cousin.]
Bostangi, bos-tan′ji,n.a Turkish guard of the palace. [Turk.]
Boston, bost′on,n.a game at cards, somewhat similar to whist. [FromBostonin Mass., U.S.]
Boswellian, bos-wel′li-an,adj.after the manner ofBoswell, the famous biographer of Samuel Johnson.—v.i.Bos′wellise, to write after the manner of Boswell—full of an absolute admiration for one's hero and interest in him descending to the smallest particulars.—n.Bos′wellism.
Bot.SeeBots.
Botany, bot′an-i,n.the science of plants.—adj.Botan′ic.—adv.Botan′ically.—v.i.Bot′anise, to seek for and collect plants for study.—ns.Bot′anist, one skilled in botany;Bot′anomancy, divination by means of plants, esp. the leaves of the sage and fig.—Botany Bay, a famous convict settlement in New South Wales, near to what is now Sydney: convict settlements generally. [Gr.botanē, herb, plant—bosk-ein, to feed, L.vescor, I feed myself; perh. cog. with A.S.woed.]
Botargo, bot-ar′go,n.a relish made of mullet or tunny roe. [It.—Ar.]
Botch, boch,n.a swelling on the skin: a clumsy patch: ill-finished work.—v.t.to patch or mend clumsily: to put together unsuitably or unskilfully.—ns.Botch′er, one who botches;Botch′work,Botch′ery.—adj.Botch′y, marked with or full of botches. [From root ofBoss.]
Botfly.SeeBots.
Both, bōth,adj.andpron.the two: the one and the other.—conj.as well: on the one side. [Ice.bathi, Ger.beide; A.S.bâ; cf. L.am-bo, Gr.am-phō, Sans.ubha, orig.ambha.]
Bother,both′ėr,v.t.to perplex or tease.—ns.Both′er;Botherā′tion.—adj.Both′ersome. [Murray notes that the word first appeared in the writings of Irish-born men, as Dr Sheridan, Swift, and Sterne. Perh. from Ir.buaidhirt, trouble.]
Bothy,Bothie, both′i,n.a humble cottage or hut: a temporary house for men engaged in some common work, esp. the barely furnished quarters provided for farm-servants, generally unmarried men, in the eastern and north-eastern counties of Scotland.—TheBothy systemis apparently economical, but is detrimental to health and to morality.
Botoné,Bottony, bot′un-i,adj.(her.) having buds or knobs at the extremity, applied to a cross having each arm terminated in three buds, like trefoil. [O. Fr. SeeButton.]
Bo-tree, bō′-trē,n.the name given in Ceylon to the Pipal or Peepul of India (Ficus religiosa), held sacred by the Buddhists, and planted close by every temple. [Singh.bo, from Palibodhi, perfect knowledge.]
Bots,Botts, botz,n.the larvæ of the botfly found in the flesh and in the intestines of animals.—n.Bot′fly, a family of dipterous insects, resembling the blue-bottle fly, which deposit their eggs on cattle. [Ety. unknown; hardly conn. withBite.]
Bottine, bot′ēn,n.a high boot, a half-boot. [Fr., dim. ofbotte, a boot.]
Bottle, bot′l,n.a bundle of hay.—To look for a needle in a bottle of hay, to engage in a hopeless search.[O. Fr.botel.]
Bottle, bot′l,n.a hollow vessel for holding liquids: the contents of such a vessel: the habit of drinking.—v.t.to enclose in bottles.—n.Bott′le-chart, one which purports to show the track of sealed bottles thrown from ships into the sea.—p.adj.Bott′led, enclosed in bottles: shaped or protuberant like a bottle: kept in restraint.—ns.Bott′le-glass, a coarse green glass used in the making of bottles;Bott′le-gourd, orFalse Calabash, a climbing, musky-scented Indian annual, whose fruit is shaped like a bottle, an urn, or a club.—adjs.Bott′le-green, dark green in colour, like bottle-glass.—Bott′le-head,Bott′le-nosed, having a rounded prominent head, with a short snout, as a certain genus of whale.—ns.Bott′le-hold′er, one who attends upon a boxer at a prize-fight, a backer or supporter generally;Bott′le-imp, an imp supposed to be confined in a bottle;Bott′le-wash′er, one whose business it is to wash out the bottles, a factotum generally.—A three-bottle man, one who could drink three bottles without losing his decorum.—To bottle off, to draw from the cask and put into bottles;To bottle up(one's wrath, &c.), to keep enclosed as in a bottle;To bring up on the bottle, to rear an infant artificially rather than by the breast;To pass the bottle, to make the drink go round;To pass the bottle of smoke, to acquiesce in some falsehood, to make pretence. [O. Fr.bouteille, dim. ofbotte, a vessel for liquids—Low L.butis, a vessel.]
Bottom, bot′um,n.the lowest part of anything: that on which anything rests or is founded: the sitting part of the human body: the foot of a page, &c.: low land, as in a valley: the keel of a ship, hence the vessel itself: the fundamental character of anything, as physical stamina, financial resources, &c.: the portion of a wig hanging down over the shoulder, as in 'full-bottom'—full-bottomed wig: (Shak.) a ball of thread.—v.t.to found or rest upon: (Shak.) to wind round or upon.—adj.Bott′omed.—ns.Bott′om-glade, a glade or open space in a bottom or valley;Bott′om-grass(Shak.) grass growing on bottom lands.—adj.Bott′omless.—n.Bott′omry, a contract by which money is borrowed on the security of a ship or bottom.—Bottomless pit—hell.—At bottom, in reality.—From the bottom of the heart, from the very heart.—To be at the bottom of, to be the real origin of;To stand on one's own bottom, to be independent of;To touch bottom, to reach the lowest point. [A.S.botm; Ger.boden; conn. with L.fundus, bottom, Gael.bonn, the sole.]
Bottony. SeeBotoné.
Boudoir, bōōd′war,n.a lady's private room. [Fr.—bouder, to pout, to be sulky.]
Bouffant, boof′ang,adj.puffed out, in dressmaking. [Fr.]
Bouffe. SeeOpera-bouffe.
Bougainvillæa, bōōg-ān-vil-ē′a,n.a neotropical genus of Nyctaginaceæ, frequently trained over trellises or under the roofs of greenhouses, their triplets of flowers almost concealed by rosy or purple bracts. [From the first French circumnavigator of the globe, Louis Antoine deBougainville(1729-1811).]
Bough, bow,n.a branch of a tree: the gallows. [A.S.bóg,bóh, an arm, the shoulder (Ger.bug, the shoulder, the bow of a ship)—A.S.bugan, to bend.]
Bought, bawt,pa.t.andpa.p.ofBuy.—Bought′enin an archaic form.
Bought, bowt,n.a bight or bend: (Spens.) a twist or coil: the bend of a sling in which the stone is placed. [SeeBight.]
Bougie, bōō′zhi,n.an instrument made of elastic, gum, wax, or metal, for distending contracted mucous canals, as the gullet, bowels, or urethra. [Fr. a 'wax candle,' because the instrument was orig. made of waxed linen, fromBougiein Algeria.]
Bouillabaisse, bōō-lya-bās′,n.a Provençal kind of fish chowder, familiar through Thackeray's appreciative ballad. [Fr.]
Bouilli, bōō′-yē,n.boiled or stewed meat.—n.Bouillon(bōō-yong), soup. [Fr. SeeBoil.]
Boulder, bōld′ėr,n.a large stone rounded by the action of water: (geol.) a mass of rock transported by natural agencies from its native bed.—adj.containing boulders.—n.Bould′er-clay(seeTill, 4). [Acc. to Wedgwood, from Swed.bullra, Dan.buldre, to roar like thunder, as large pebbles do.]
Boulevard, bōōl′e-vär,n.a broad walk or promenade bordered with trees, originally applied to those formed upon the demolished fortifications of a town.—n.Boul′evardier, a frequenter of the boulevards. [Fr.—Ger.bollwerk. SeeBulwark.]
Bouleversement, bōōl-vers-mang,n.an overturning. [Fr.]
Boult, bōlt,v.t.(Spens.). Same asBolt(2).
Boun,Bowne, bown,v.t.(usedrefl.) to prepare one's self, to have recourse to.—v.i.to prepare, dress: to set out, to go to a place—(Spens.)Bound. [Boun, earlier form ofbound—revived by Scott.]
Bounce, bowns,v.i.to jump or spring suddenly: to bound like a ball, to throw one's self about: (obs.) to beat: to burst into or out of a room, &c.: to boast, to exaggerate.—n.a heavy, sudden blow: a leap or spring: a boast: a bold lie.—adv.andinterj.expressing sudden movement.—n.Bounc′er, one who bounces: something big: a bully: a liar.—adj.Bounc′ing, large and heavy: lusty: swaggering. [Dut.bonzen, to strike, frombons, a blow.]
Bound, bownd,pa.t.andpa.p.ofBind, confined, bandaged: intimately connected with—'bound up in:' of books, having a cover of, as 'bound in morocco,' &c. (within): under obligation or necessity to, as 'bound to win.'—n.Bound′-bail′iff, a sheriff's officer, so called from his bond given to the sheriff for the discharge of his duty.
Bound, bownd,n.a limit or boundary: the limit of anything, as patience—'to break bounds,' to go beyond what is reasonable or allowable: (pl.) a border-land, land generally within certain understood limits, the district.—v.t.to set bounds to: to limit, restrain, or surround.—n.Bound′ary, a visible limit: border: termination.—p.adj.Bound′ed, restricted, cramped.—n.Bound′er, a boisterous or overbearing person.—adj.Bound′less, having no limit: vast.—n.Bound′lessness. [O. Fr.bonne—Low L.bodina, of doubtful origin; cf. Bret.bonn, a boundary.]
Bound, bownd,v.i.to spring or leap.—n.a spring or leap.—p.adj.Bound′ing, moving forward with a bound: leaping.—By leaps and bounds, by startlingly rapid stages. [Fr.bondir, to spring, in O. Fr. to resound—L.bombitāre. SeeBoom, the sound.]
Bound, bownd,adj.ready to go—as in 'outward bound,' &c. [Ice.búinn, pa.p ofbúa, to prepare.]
Bounden, bownd′n,adj.binding: required: obligatory. [FromBind.]
Bounty, bown′ti,n.liberality in bestowing gifts: the gift bestowed: money offered as an inducement to enter the army, or as a premium to encourage any branch of industry.—adjs.Boun′teous,Boun′tiful, liberal in giving: generous.—advs.Boun′teously,Boun′tifully.—ns.Boun′teousness,Boun′tifulness;Boun′tihood.—Lady Bountiful, a character in Farquhar'sBeaux' Stratagem, now used for the great lady of any district. [O. Fr.bontet(bonté), goodness—L.bonitatem—bonus—good.]
Bouquet, bōōk′ā,n.a bunch of flowers: a nosegay: the perfume exhaled by wine. [Fr.bosquet, dim. ofbois, a wood—It.bosco. SeeBoscage,Bush.]
Bourasque, bōō-rask′,n.a tempest. [Fr.bourrasque; It.borasco, a storm.]
Bourbonist, bōōr′bun-ist,n.an adherent of theBourbons, the old French royal dynasty.
Bourd, bōōrd,n.(Spens.) a jest, sport.—n.Bourd′er(obs.), a jester. [O. Fr.bourde, origin unknown.]
Bourdon, bōōr′dun,n.the refrain of a song: a bass stop in an organ or harmonium. [SeeBurden.]
Bourdon, bōōr′dun,n.(obs.) a pilgrim's staff: a club. [Fr.—Low L.burdon-em, a mule.]
Bourg, burg,n.Same asBurgh,Borough.
Bourgeois, bur-jois′,n.a kind of printing type, larger than brevier and smaller than longprimer. [Fr.—perh. from the name of the typefounder.]
Bourgeoisie, bōōrzh′waw-zē,n.the middle class of citizens, esp. traders. [From Fr.bourgeois, a citizen, often taken as a typical word for the mercantile middle class—used also adjectively, like such in manners or ways of thinking.]
Bourgeon, bur′jun,v.i.to put forth sprouts or buds: to grow. [Fr.bourgeon, a bud, shoot.]
Bourignian, bōōr-in′yan,adj.of or pertaining to AntoinetteBourignon(1616-80), a religious visionary who made religion consist in inward emotion, not in knowledge or practice.—Bourign′ianismwas strong in Scotland about the beginning of the 18th century, and ministers at ordination renounced it down till 1889.
Bourlaw.SeeByrlaw.
Bourn,Bourne, bōrn, or bōōrn,n.a boundary, a limit, or goal: (Keats) domain. [Fr.borne, a limit. SeeBound(2).]
Bourn,Bourne. SeeBurn(1).
Bourse, bōōrs,n.an exchange where merchants meet for business. [Fr.bourse. SeePurse.]
Bourtree, bōōr′trē,n.the elder-tree—alsoBoun′tree.—n.Bour′tree-gun, a pop-gun made of a piece of its wood by taking out the pith. [Scot.; ety. unknown.]
Bouse,Booze,Boose, bōōz,v.i.to drink deeply.—n.a drinking bout.—adj.Bous′ing, drinking.—n.Bous′ingken, a low drinking-shop.—adj.Bous′y, inclined to bouse: drunken. [Dut.buysen, to drink deeply—buis, a tube or flask; allied toBox.]
Boustrophedon, bow-strof-ē′don,adj.andadv.written ploughwise, alternately from right to left and from left to right—a form of alphabetic writing intermediate between the oldest Greek inscriptions (from right to left, as in Semitic scripts) and the more convenient method of left to right (from 7th century). [Gr.;bou-strophos, ox-turning.]
Bout, bowt,n.a turn, trial, or round: an attempt: a contest or trial—a fencing bout, or a continued fit of drinking. [Doublet ofBight; from root ofBow, to bend.]
Boutade, bōō-tad′,n.a sudden outburst. [Fr.;bouter, to thrust.]
Bouts-rimés, bōō-rē-mā′,n.pl.rhyming words given out by some one of a party as the endings of a stanza, the others having to fill up the lines as best they may. [Fr.]
Bovine, bō′vīn,adj.pertaining to cattle. [L.bos,bovis, Gr.bous, an ox or cow.]
Bovril, bov′ril,n.a registered trade-mark applied to a special meat extract. [Coined from Gr.bous,bovis, an ox, andvril, the electric fluid represented as the one common origin of the forces in matter, in Lytton's novelThe Coming Race, 1871.]
Bow, bow,v.i.to bend the body in saluting a person, acknowledging a compliment, &c.: to submit.—v.t.to bend or incline downwards, to crush down (withdown,to,inorout,upordown).—n.a bending of the body in saluting a person.—adj.Bow′-backed, crook-backed.—A bowing acquaintance, a slight acquaintance.—To make one's bow, to retire ceremoniously, to leave the stage. [A.S.búgan, to bend; akin to L.fug-ĕre, to flee, to yield.]
Bow, bō,n.a piece of elastic wood or other material for shooting arrows, bent by means of a string stretched between its two ends: anything of a bent or curved shape, as the rainbow: the instrument by which the strings of a violin are sounded: a ring of metal forming a handle: a knot composed of one or of two loops and two ends (single bow,double bow), a looped knot of ribbons, a necktie or the like, so tied.—adj.Bow′bent(Milton), bent like a bow.—n.Bow′-boy, a boy archer: (Shak.) Cupid.—n.pl.Bow′-com′passes, compasses, one leg of which slides on a bow or curved plate of metal to steady its motion: a small pair of compasses for describing circles with ink or pencil.—adj.Bowed.—ns.Bow′-hand, in archery, the left hand, the one by which the bow is held: (mus.) the right hand, the one that draws the bow;Bow′-leg, a leg crooked like a bow.—adj.Bow′-legged, having crooked legs.—ns.Bow′line, a rope from the weather side of the square sails (to which it is fastened bybridles) to the larboard or starboard bow, to keep the sail close to the wind;Bow′man, an archer;Bow′shot, the distance to which an arrow can be shot from a bow;Bow′string, the string by which a bow is drawn: a string with which the Turks strangled offenders;Bow′-win′dow, a bent or semicircular window.—adj.Bow′-win′dowed(slang), pot-bellied.—n.Bow′yer(obs.), a bowman: a maker of bows.—Bowline knot, a simple but secure knot, used in fastening the bowline bridles to the cringles.—On the bow hand, wide of the mark.—To draw the long bow, to make extravagant statements;To have two(or more)strings to one's bow, to have other alternatives. [A.S.boga; cog. with Ger.bogen.]
Bow, bow,n.the general name for the stem and forepart of a ship, or that which cuts the water—often used inpl., the ship being considered to have starboard and port bows, meeting at the stem.—ns.Bow′er,Bow′er-anch′or, an anchor at the bow or forepart of a ship—usually two, thebest-bowerand thesmall-bower;Bow′-oar, the oar nearest the bow.—A bold, orbluff,bow, a broad bow;A lean bow, a narrow one.—On the bow, within 45° of the point right ahead.
Bowdlerise, bowd′lėr-īz,v.t.to expurgate a book or writing, to remove indelicate words or phrases, esp. to do so unnecessarily.—ns.Bowdlerisā′tion;Bowd′leriser;Bowd′lerism. [From Dr T.Bowdler(1754-1825), who published an expurgated Shakespeare in ten volumes in 1818.]
Bowels, bow′elz,n.pl.the interior parts of the body, the entrails, the intestines: the interior part of anything: (fig.) the heart, pity, tenderness (the emotions being supposed to be seated in the bowels—B.andShak.).—v.t.Bow′el, to take out the bowels. [O. Fr.boel—L.botellus, a sausage, also an intestine.]
Bower, bow′ėr,n.a shady enclosure or recess in a garden, an arbour: an inner apartment, esp. the private room of a lady, a boudoir.—n.Bow′er-bird, an Australian bird of the Starling family, remarkable for its habit of making bower-like erections ornamented with gay feathers, shells, &c.—adj.Bow′ery, containing bowers: shady. [A.S.búr, a chamber; Scot,byre—root A.S.búan, to dwell.]
Bower, bow′ėr,n.the name in euchre for the two highest cards, the knave of trumps, and the other knave of the same colour, therightandleftbower respectively. [Ger.bauer, peasant.]