Chapter 6

2.One who maintains that Lord Bacon is the author of the works commonly attributed to Shakespeare.

Bac"te*rin (?),n.(Med.)A bacterial vaccine.

||Bac*te`ri*ol"y*sis (?),n.[NL.; fr. Gr. &?;, &?;, a staff + &?; a loosing.]1.Chemical decomposition brought about by bacteria without the addition of oxygen.

2.The destruction or dissolution of bacterial cells. -- Bac*te`ri*o*lyt"ic (#),a.

Bac*te`ri*os"co*py (?),n.[Gr. &?;, &?;, a staff + &?; to view.] Microscopic examination or investigation of bacteria. -- Bac*te`ri*o*scop"ic (#),a.-- *scop"ic*al*ly (#),adv.-- Bac*te`ri*os"co*pist (#),n.

||Ba`daud" (?),n.[F.] A person given to idle observation of everything, with wonder or astonishment; a credulous or gossipy idler.

A host of stories . . . dealing chiefly with the subject of his great wealth, an ever delightful topic to thebadaudsof Paris.

Pall Mall Mag.

Badg"er game. The method of blackmailing by decoying a person into a compromising situation and extorting money by threats of exposure. [Cant]

Badger State. Wisconsin; -- a nickname.

Ba*di"geon (b*dj"n),n.[F.] A cement or distemper paste (as of plaster and powdered freestone, or of sawdust and glue or lime) used by sculptors, builders, and workers in wood or stone, to fill holes, cover defects, etc.

||Bæ"tu*lus (?),n.; pl.Bætuli(#). [L., fr. Gr. bai`tylos a sacred meteorite.](Antiq.)A meteorite, or similar rude stone artificially shaped, held sacred or worshiped as of divine origin.

All the evidence goes to prove that these menhirs arebætuli, i. e., traditional and elementary images of the deity.

I. Gonino (Perrot & Chipiez).

Baff (bf),v. t. & i.[Scot., prob. imitative; cf. G.baff, interj. imitating the sound of a shot.] To strike; to beat; to make a baff. [Scot. or Golf]

Baff,n.A blow; stroke; thud; specif.(Golf), a stroke in which the sole of the club hits the ground and drives the ball aloft. [Scot. or Golf]

Baf"fle,n.1.(Engin.)(a)A deflector, as a plate or wall, so arranged across a furnace or boiler flue as to mingle the hot gases and deflect them against the substance to be heated.(b)A grating or plate across a channel or pipe conveying water, gas, or the like, by which the flow is rendered more uniform in different parts of the cross section of the stream; -- used in measuring the rate of flow, as by means of a weir.

2.(Coal Mining)A lever for operating the throttle valve of a winding engine. [Local, U. S.]

Baff"y (bf"),n.[See Baff,v. t.](Golf)A short wooden club having a deeply concave face, seldom used.

{ ||Ba*ha"dur ||Ba*hau"dur } (?),n.[Written alsobahawder.] [Hind.bahdurhero, champion.] A title of respect or honor given to European officers in East Indian state papers, and colloquially, and among the natives, to distinguished officials and other important personages.

Ba*hai" (b*h"),n.; pl. Bahais (-hz). A member of the sect of the Babis consisting of the adherents of Baha (Mirza Husain Ali, entitled "Baha 'u 'llah," or, "the Splendor of God"), the elder half brother of Mirza Yahya of Nur, who succeeded the Bab as the head of the Babists. Baha in 1863 declared himself the supreme prophet of the sect, and became its recognized head. There are upwards of 20,000 Bahais in the United States.

Ba*ha"ism (?),n.The religious tenets or practices of the Bahais.

||Bai`gnoire" (?),n.[Written alsobaignoir.] [F., lit., bath tub.] A box of the lowest tier in a theater.Du Maurier.

Bai"ly's beads (?).(Astron.)A row of bright spots observed in connection with total eclipses of the sun. Just before and after a total eclipse, the slender, unobscured crescent of the sun's disk appears momentarily like a row of bright spots resembling a string of beads. The phenomenon (first fully described by Francis Baily, 1774 -- 1844) is thought to be an effect of irradiation, and of inequalities of the moon's edge.

Bai*ram" (?),n.[Turk.baïrm.] Either of two Mohammedan festivals, of which one (theLesser Bairam) is held at the close of the fast called Ramadan, and the other (theGreater Bairam) seventy days after the fast.

Bal"a*ta (?),n.[Sp., prob. fr. native name.]1.A West Indian sapotaceous tree (Bumelia retusa).

2.The bully tree (Minusops globosa); also, its milky juice (balata gum), which when dried constitutes an elastic gum calledchicle, orchicle gum.

||Ba`la`yeuse" (?),n.[F., lit., a female sweeper.] A protecting ruffle or frill, as of silk or lace, sewed close to the lower edge of a skirt on the inside.

Ball,n.(Baseball)A pitched ball, not struck at by the batsman, which fails to pass over the home base at a height not greater than the batsman's shoulder nor less than his knee.

Bal"lis*tite (?),n.[See Ballista.](Chem.)A smokeless powder containing equal parts of soluble nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin.

Bal"lot*age (?),n.[F.ballottage.] In France, a second ballot taken after an indecisive first ballot to decide between two or several candidates.

Bal*op"ti*con (?),n.[Gr. &?; to throw +stereopticon.] See Projector, below.

||Bam*bi"no (?),n.;It. pl.-ni(#). [It.] A child or baby; specif., a representation in art of the infant Christ.

Ba*na"na so*lu"tion. A solution used as a vehicle in applying bronze pigments. In addition to acetote, benzine, and a little pyroxylin, it contains amyl acetate, which gives it the odor of bananas.

||Ban*cal" (?),n.; pl.- cales(#). [Sp., fr.banca,banco, bench. Cf. Bench.] An ornamental covering, as of carpet or leather, for a bench or form.

Ban*deau" (?),n.; pl.- deaux(#). [F.] A narrow band or fillet, as for the hair, part of a headdress, etc.

||Ban`de*ril"la (?),n.[Sp., dim. ofbanderabanner. See Banner, and cf. Banderole.] A barbed dart carrying a banderole which the banderillero thrusts into the neck or shoulder of the bull in a bullfight.

||Ban`de*ril*le"ro (?),n.[Sp.] One who thrusts in the banderillas in bullfighting.W. D. Howells.

Ban`jo*rine" (?),n.[Frombanjorebanjo. See Banjo.](Music.)A kind of banjo, with a short neck, tuned a fourth higher than the common banjo; -- popularly so called.

Bank,n.A group or series of objects arranged near together; as, abankof electric lamps, etc.

Bank,n.(Aëronautics)The lateral inclination of an aëroplane as it rounds a curve; as, abankof 45° is easy; abankof 90° is dangerous.

Bank,v. i.(Aëronautics)To tilt sidewise in rounding a curve; -- said of a flying machine, an aërocurve, or the like.

Bank discount. A sum equal to the interest at a given rate on the principal (face) of a bill or note from the time of discounting until it becomes due.

Ban*quette" (?),n.A bench or seat for passengers on the top of a diligence or other public vehicle.

My brother-in-law . . . took refuge in thebanquette.

Mrs. Howe.

{ Bans"shee, Ban"shie (?) },n.[Gael.bean-shithfairy; Gael. & Ir.beanwoman + Gael.sithfairy.](Celtic Folklore)A supernatural being supposed to warn a family of the approaching death of one of its members, by wailing or singing in a mournful voice.

Ban"tu (?),n.A member of one of the great family of Negroid tribes occupying equatorial and southern Africa. These tribes include, as important divisions, the Kafirs, Damaras, Bechuanas, and many tribes whose names begin withAba- ,Ama-,Ba-,Ma-,Wa-, variants of the Bantu plural personal prefixAba-, as inBa-ntu, orAba-ntu, itself a combination of this prefix with the syllable-ntu, a person. -- Ban"tu,a.

||Ban"zai" (?),interj.[Jap.banzai,banzei, ten thousand years, forever.] Lit., May you live ten thousand years; -- used in salutation of the emperor and as a battle cry. [Japan]

Ba*ra"ca (?),n.An international, interdenominational organization of Bible classes of young men; -- so named in allusion to the Hebrew wordBerachah(Meaningblessing) occurring in2 Chron. xx. 26and1 Chron. xii.

Bar"ad (?),n.[Gr. &?; weight.](Physics)The pressure of one dyne per square centimeter; -- used as a unit of pressure.

{ Bar`æs*the`si*om"e*ter, Bar`es*the`si*om"e*ter (?) },n.[Gr. &?; weight +æsthesiometer.](Physiol.)An instrument for determining the delicacy of the sense of pressure. -- Bar`æs*the`si*o*met"ric, Bar`es*the`si*o*met"ric (#),a.

Bar`a*the"a (?),n.A soft fabric with a kind of basket weave and a diapered pattern.

Bar"ber,n.(Meteor.)A storm accompanied by driving ice spicules formed from sea water, esp. one occurring on the Gulf of St. Lawrence; -- so named from the cutting ice spicules. [Canada]

{ Bar`bi`zon",orBar`bi`son", school (?) }.(Painting)A French school of the middle of the 19th century centering in the village of Barbizon near the forest of Fontainebleau. Its members went straight to nature in disregard of academic tradition, treating their subjects faithfully and with poetic feeling for color, light, and atmosphere. It is exemplified, esp. in landscapes, by Corot, Rousseau, Daubigny, Jules Dupré, and Diaz. Associated with them are certain painters of animals, as Troyon and Jaque, and of peasant life, as Millet and Jules Breton.

||Bar*di"glio (?),n.[It.] An Italian marble of which the principal varieties occur in the neighborhood of Carrara and in Corsica. It commonly shows a dark gray or bluish ground traversed by veins.

Barn"burn`er (?),n.[So called in allusion to the fable of the man who burned his barn in order to rid it of rats.] A member of the radical section of the Democratic party in New York, about the middle of the 19th century, which was hostile to extension of slavery, public debts, corporate privileges, etc., and supported Van Buren against Cass for president in 1848; -- opposed toHunker. [Political Cant, U. S.]

Barn"storm`er (?),n.[Barn+storm, v.] An itinerant theatrical player who plays in barns when a theatre is lacking; hence, an inferior actor, or one who plays in the country away from the larger cities. -- Barn"storm`ing,n.[Theatrical Cant]

Bar`o*cy`clon*om"e*ter (?),n.[Gr. &?; weight +cyclone+-meter.](Meteorol.)An aneroid barometer for use with accompanying graphic diagrams and printed directions designed to aid mariners to interpret the indications of the barometer so as to determine the existence of a violent storm at a distance of several hundred miles.

Bar"o*gram (?),n.[Gr. &?; weight +-gram.](Meteor.)A tracing, usually made by the barograph, showing graphically the variations of atmospheric pressure for a given time.

||Ba*rong" (?),n.[Native name.] A kind of cutting weapon with a thick back and thin razorlike edge, used by the Moros of the Philippine Islands.

Ba*roque" (?),a.Irregular in form; -- said esp. of a pearl.

Bar`o*ther"mo*graph (?),n.[Gr. &?; weight +thermograph.] An instrument for recording both pressure and temperature, as of the atmosphere.

Bar`ra*cu"da (?),n.[Native name.] Any of several voracious pikelike marine fishes allied to the gray mullets, constituting the genusSphyrænaand familySphyrænidæ. The great barracuda (S. barracuda) of the West Indies, Florida, etc., is often six feet or more long, and as dangerous as a shark. In Cuba its flesh is reputed to be poisonous.S. Argenteaof the Pacific coast andS. sphyrænaof Europe are smaller species, and are used as food.

Bar`ra*mun"di (?),n.[Written alsobarramunda.] [Native name.](Zoöl.)(a)A remarkable Australian fresh-water ganoid fish of the genus Ceratodus.(b)An Australian river fish (Osteoglossum Leichhardtii).

Bar"rel proc"ess.(Metal.)A process of extracting gold or silver by treating the ore in a revolving barrel, or drum, with mercury, chlorine, cyanide solution, or other reagent.

Bar"ret*ter (?),n.[OF.bareterto exchange. Cf. Barter.](Wireless Teleg.)A thermal cymoscope which operates by increased resistance when subjected to the influence of electric waves. The original form consisted of an extremely fine platinum wire loop attached to terminals and inclosed in a small glass or silver bulb. In a later variety, called theliquid barretter, wire is replace by a column of liquid in a very fine capillary tube.

||Bar"ri*o (?),n.; pl.Barrios(#). [Sp.] In Spain and countries colonized by Spain, a village, ward, or district outside a town or city to whose jurisdiction it belongs.

Bar"y*sphere (?),n.[Gr. &?; heavy +sphere.](Geol.)The heavy interior portion of the earth, within the lithosphere.

Bash (?),v. t.[imp. & p. p.Bashed;p. pr. & vb. n.Bashing.] [Perh. of imitative origin; or cf. Dan.basketo strike,baska blow, Sw.basato beat,basa beating.] To strike heavily; to beat; to crush. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]Hall Caine.

Bashher open with a rock.

Kipling.

Ba"sic proc"ess.(Iron Metal.)A Bessemer or open-hearth steel-making process in which a lining that is basic, or not siliceous, is used, and additions of basic material are made to the molten charge during treatment. Opposed toacid process, above. Called alsoThomas process.

Basic slag. A by-product from the manufacture of steel by the basic process, used as a fertilizer. It is rich in lime and contains 14 to 20 per cent of phosphoric acid. Called alsoThomas slag,phosphatic slag, andodorless phosphate.

Basic steel. Steel produced by the basic process.

||Ba*sid`i*o*my*ce"tes (?),n. pl.[NL., fr. NL. & E.basidium+ Gr. &?;, &?;, fungus.](Bot.)A large subdivision of fungi coördinate with theAscomycetes, characterized by having the spores borne on a basidium. It embraces those fungi best known to the public, such as mushrooms, toadstools, etc.

Bas"ket ball`. A game, usually played indoors, in which two parties of players contest with each other to toss a large inflated ball into opposite goals resembling baskets.

Bas"set horn`.(Mus.)The corno di bassetto.

Ba*su"tos (?),n. pl.;sing.Basuto(&?;).(Ethnol.)A warlike South African people of the Bantu stock, divided into many tribes, subject to the English. They formerly practiced cannibalism, but have now adopted many European customs.

||Bat (?),n.[Siamese.] Same as Tical,n., 1.

Bat,v. t. & i.1.To bate or flutter, as a hawk. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

2.To wink. [Local, U. S. & Prov Eng.]

Bat,n.1.In badminton, tennis, and similar games, a racket.

2.A stroke; a sharp blow. [Colloq. or Slang]

3.A stroke of work. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

4.Rate of motion; speed. [Colloq.] "A vast host of fowl . . . making at fullbatfor the North Sea."Pall Mall Mag.

5.A spree; a jollification. [Slang, U. S.]

6.Manner; rate; condition; state of health. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

Bath`y*graph"ic (?),a.[Gr. &?; deep +graphic.] Descriptive of the ocean depth; as, abathygraphicchart.

Bat*tal"ion (?),n.(Mil.)An infantry command of two or more companies, which is the tactical unit of the infantry, or the smallest command which is self- supporting upon the battlefield, and also the unit in which the strength of the infantry of an army is expressed.

In the United States army, since April 29, 1898, abattalionconsists of four companies, and three battalions form a regiment. The term is also applied to two or more batteries of artillery combined into a single command.

Bat"tle range`.(Mil.)The range within which the fire of small arms is very destructive. With the magazine rifle, this is six hundred yards.

Battle ship.(Nav.)An armor-plated man-of-war built of steel and heavily armed, generally having from ten thousand to fifteen thousand tons displacement, and intended to be fit to meet the heaviest ships in line of battle.

Bau`mé" (?),a.Designating or conforming to either of the scales used by the French chemist Antoine Baumé in the graduation of his hydrometers; of or relating to Baumé's scales or hydrometers. There are two Baumé hydrometers. One, which is used with liquids heavier than water, sinks to 0° in pure water, and to 15° in a 15 per cent salt solution; the other, for liquids lighter than water, sinks to 0° in a 10 per cent salt solution and to 10° in pure water. In both cases the graduation, based on the distance between these fundamental points, is continued along the stem as far as desired. Since all the degrees on a Baumé scale are thus equal in length, while those on a specific-gravity scale grow smaller as the density increases, there is no simple relation between degrees Bé. and Sp. gr. However, readings on Baumés scale may be approximately reduced to specific gravities by the following formulæ (xin each case being the reading on Baumé's scale) :(a)for liquids heavier than water, sp. gr. = 144 ÷ (144 -x);(b)for liquids lighter than water, sp. gr. = 144 ÷ (134 +x).

||Ba`var`dage" (?),n.[F.] Much talking; prattle; chatter.Byron.

Ba*ya"mo (?),n.(Meteor.)A violent thunder squall occurring on the south coast of Cuba, esp. near Bayamo. The gusts, calledbayamo winds, are modified foehn winds.

Ba`yeux" tap"es*try (?). A piece of linen about 1 ft. 8 in. wide by 213 ft. long, covered with embroidery representing the incidents of William the Conqueror's expedition to England, preserved in the town museum of Bayeux in Normandy. It is probably of the 11th century, and is attributed by tradition to Matilda, the Conqueror's wife.

Bay"man (?),n.(Nav.)In the United States navy, a sick-bay nurse; -- now officially designated ashospital apprentice.

Bay"ou State` (?). Mississippi; -- a nickname, from its numerous bayous.

Bay State. Massachusetts, which had been called the Colony of Massachusetts Bay; -- a nickname.

Beach comber. [Written alsobeach-comber.](Naut.)A vagrant seaman, usually of low character, who loiters about seaports, particularly on the shores and islands of the Pacific Ocean.

I was fortunate enough, however, to forgather with a Scotchman who was abeach-comber.

F. T. Bullen.

Bear"ing ring`. In a balloon, the braced wooden ring attached to the suspension ropes at the bottom, functionally analogous to the keel of a ship.

Bear State. Arkansas; -- a nickname, from the many bears once inhabiting its forests.

Bear"-trap` dam.(Engin.)A kind of movable dam, in one form consisting of two leaves resting against each other at the top when raised and folding down one over the other when lowered, for deepening shallow parts in a river.

Beat,n.1.One that beats, or surpasses, another or others; as, thebeatof him. [Colloq.]

2.The act of one that beats a person or thing; as:(a)(Newspaper Cant)The act of obtaining and publishing a piece of news by a newspaper before its competitors; also, the news itself; a scoop.

It's abeaton the whole country.

Scribner's Mag.

(b)(Hunting)The act of scouring, or ranging over, a tract of land to rouse or drive out game; also, those so engaged, collectively. "Driven out in the course of abeat."Encyc. of Sport.

Bears coming out of holes in the rocks at the last moment, when thebeatis close to them.

Encyc. of Sport.

(c)(Fencing)A smart tap on the adversary's blade.

Beau"fort's scale` (?).(Meteor.)A scale of wind force devised by Sir F.Beaufort, R. N., in 1805, in which the force is indicated by numbers from 0 to 12.

The full scale is as follows: -- 0, calm; 1, light air; 2, light breeze; 3, gentle breeze; 4, moderate breeze; 5, fresh breeze; 6, strong breeze; 7, moderate gale; 8, fresh gale; 9, strong gale; 10, whole gale; 11, storm; 12, hurricane.

Beau`mon"ta*gue (?),n.A cement used in making joints, filling cracks, etc. For iron, the principal constituents are iron borings and sal ammoniac; for wood, white lead or litharge, whiting, and linseed oil.

Bea"ver State. Oregon; -- a nickname.

Be*bee"ru (?),n.[Written alsobibiru.] [Native name.](Bot.)A tropical South American tree (Nectandra Rodiœi), the bark of which yields the alkaloid bebeerine, and the wood of which is known as green heart.

||Be"bung (?),n.[G., lit., a trembling.](Music)A tremolo effect, such as that produced on the piano by vibratory repetition of a note with sustained use of the pedal.

Bec"chi's test (?). [After E.Becchi, Italian chemist.](Chem.)A qualitative test for cottonseed oil, based on the fact this oil imparts a maroon color to an alcoholic solution of silver nitrate.

Bech`u*a"nas (?),n. pl.A division of the Bantus, dwelling between the Orange and Zambezi rivers, supposed to be the most ancient Bantu population of South Africa. They are divided into totemic clans; they are intelligent and progressive.

Beck's scale (?). A hydrometer scale on which the zero point corresponds to sp. gr. 1.00, and the 30°-point to sp. gr. 0.85. From these points the scale is extended both ways, all the degrees being of equal length.

Becque`rel" rays" (?).(Physics)Radiations first observed by the French physicist Henri Becquerel, in working with uranium and its compounds. They consist of a mixture of alpha, beta, and gamma rays.

{ Be*cui"ba (?),n., Be*cui"ba nut` (?) }. [Native name.](Bot.)The nut of the Brazilian treeMyristica Bicuhyba, which yields a medicinal balsam used for rheumatism.

Beg"ohm` (?),n.(Elec.)A unit of resistance equal to one billion ohms, or one thousand megohms.

||Be*ju"co (?),n.[Sp., a reed or woody vine.] Any climbing woody vine of the tropics with the habit of a liane; in the Philippines, esp. any of various species ofCalamus, the cane or rattan palm.

Bel (?),n.[Hind., fr. Skr.bilva.] A thorny rutaceous tree (Ægle marmelos) of India, and its aromatic, orange-like fruit; -- called alsoBengal quince,golden apple,wood apple. The fruit is used medicinally, and the rind yields a perfume and a yellow dye.

Bel"gi*an (?),a.Of or pertaining to Belgium.

Belgian block. A nearly cubical block of some tough stone, esp. granite, used as a material for street pavements. Its usual diameter is 5 to 7 inches.

Bel"lar*mine (?),n.A stoneware jug of a pattern originated in the neighborhood of Cologne, Germany, in the 16th century. It has a bearded face or mask supposed to represent Cardinal Bellarmine, a leader in the Roman Catholic Counter Reformation, following the Reformation; -- called alsograybeard,longbeard.

Bel*leek" ware (?). A porcelainlike kind of decorative pottery with a high gloss, which is sometimes iridescent. A very fine kind is made at Belleek in Ireland.

Bell process.(Iron Metal.)The process of washing molten pig iron by adding iron oxide, proposed by I. Lowthian Bell of England about 1875.

Bell's palsy. Paralysis of the facial nerve, producing distortion of one side of the face.

Bell system of control.(Aëronautics)See Cloche.

Bench mark.(Leveling)Any permanent mark to which other levels may be referred. Specif. : A horizontal mark at the water's edge with reference to which the height of tides and floods may be measured.

Benefit society. A society or association formed for mutual insurance, as among tradesmen or in labor unions, to provide for relief in sickness, old age, and for the expenses of burial. Usually calledfriendly societyin Great Britain.

||Ben"thos (?),n.[NL., fr. Gr. &?; depth of the sea.] The bottom of the sea, esp. of the deep oceans; hence(Bot. & Zoöl.), the fauna and flora of the sea bottom; -- opposed toplankton.

{ Ben`zo*naph"thol (?),n.Also Ben`zo*naph"tol }. [Benzoin +naphthol.](Chem.)A white crystalline powder used as an intestinal antiseptic; beta-naphthol benzoate.

Ben"zo*sol (?),n.(Pharm.)Guaiacol benzoate, used as an intestinal antiseptic and as a substitute for creosote in phthisis. It is a colorless crystalline pewder.

||Ber`ceuse" (?),n.[F.](Mus.)A vocal or instrumental composition of a soft tranquil character, having a lulling effect; a cradle song.

Ber`e*ni"ce's Hair` (?). [See Berenice's, Locks, in Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.](Astron.)SeeComa Berenices, under Coma.

||Berg"schrund` (?),n.[G., lit., mountain gap.](Phys. Geog.)The crevasse or series of crevasses, usually deep and often broad, frequently occurring near the head of a mountain glacier, about where the névé field joins the valley portion of the glacier.

||Berg"stock` (?),n.[G., lit., mountain stick.] A long pole with a spike at the end, used in climbing mountains; an alpenstock.

Be"ring Sea Controversy (?). A controversy (1886 -- 93) between Great Britain and the United States as to the right of Canadians not licensed by the United States to carry on seal fishing in the Bering Sea, over which the United States claimed jurisdiction as a mare clausum. A court of arbitration, meeting in Paris in 1893, decided against the claim of the United States, but established regulations for the preservation of the fur seal.

Ber*mu"da lil"y.(Bot.)The large white lily (Lilium longiflorum eximium, syn.L. Harrisii) which is extensively cultivated in Bermuda.

Ber*seem" (?),n.[Ar.bershmclover.] An Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) extensively cultivated as a forage plant and soil- renewing crop in the alkaline soils of the Nile valley, and now introduced into the southwestern United States. It is more succulent than other clovers or than alfalfa. Called alsoEgyptian clover.

Ber`til`lon" sys"tem (?). [After AlphonseBertillon, French anthropologist.] A system for the identification of persons by a physical description based upon anthropometric measurements, notes of markings, deformities, color, impression of thumb lines, etc.

Bes"ti*a*ry (?),n.[LL.bestiarium, fr. L.bestiariuspert. to beasts, fr.bestiabeast: cf. F.bestiaire.] A treatise on beasts; esp., one of the moralizing or allegorical beast tales written in the Middle Ages.

Abestiary. . . in itself one of the numerous mediæval renderings of the fantastic mystical zoölogy.

Saintsbury.

Be"ta (?),n.[Gr. bh^ta.] The second letter of the Greek alphabet, B, β. See B, and cf. etymology of Alphabet.Beta(B, β) is used variously for classifying, as:(a)(Astron.)To designate some bright star, usually the second brightest, of a constellation, as, β Aurigæ.(b)(Chem.)To distinguish one of two or more isomers; also, to indicate the position of substituting atoms or groups in certain compounds; as, β-naphthol. With acids, it commonly indicates that the substituent is in union with the carbon atom next to that to which the carboxyl group is attached.

{ Be"ta*cism (?), ||Be`ta*cis"mus (?) },n.Excessive or extended use of thebsound in speech, due to conversion of other sounds into it, as through inability to distinguish them fromb, or because of difficulty in pronouncing them.

Be"ta rays (?).(Physics)Penetrating rays readily deflected by a magnetic or electric field, emitted by radioactive substances, as radium. They consist of negatively charged particles or electrons, apparently the same in kind as those of the cathode rays, but having much higher velocities (about 35,000 to 180,000 miles per second).

||Bez`po*pov"tsy (?),n.[Russ.;bezwithout +popovtsy, a derivative ofpoppriest.] A Russian sect. See Raskolnik.

{ Bhees"ty, Bhees"tie (?) },n.[Written alsobhistee,bhisti, etc.] [Per.bihishtlit., heavenly.] A water carrier, as to a household or a regiment. [India]

{ Bhis"tee (?), Bhis"ti (?) },n.Same as Bheesty. [India]

Bi*an"nu*al (?),a.[Pref.bi-+annual.] Occurring twice a year; half-yearly; semiannual.

||Bi`be*lot" (?),n.[F.] A small decorative object without practical utility.

Her pictures, her furniture, and herbibelots.

M. Crawford.

{ Bick"ford fuse or fuze,orBickford match (?) }. A fuse used in blasting, consisting of a long cylinder of explosive material inclosed in a varnished wrapping of rope or hose. It burns from 2 to 4 feet a minute.

{ Bi*dar"kee (?), Bi*dar"ka (?) },n.[Russ.baidarka, dim. Cf. Baidar.] A portable boat made of skins stretched on a frame. [Alaska]The Century.

Bie"la's com"et (?).(Astron.)A periodic coment, discovered by Biela in 1826, which revolves around the sun in 6.6 years. The November meteors (Andromedes or Bielids) move in its orbit, and may be fragments of the comet.

Bie"lid (?),n.(Astron.)See Andromede.

Bi*fo"cal (?),a.[Pref.bi-+ focal.] Having two foci, as some spectacle lenses.

Big Bend State. Tennessee; -- a nickname.

Bil"la*bong` (?),n.[Native name.] In Australia, a blind channel leading out from a river; -- sometimes called ananabranch. This is the sense of the word as used in the Public Works Department; but the term has also been locally applied to mere back-waters forming stagnant pools and to certain water channels arising from a source.

Bil"let,n.Quarters or place to which one is assigned, as by a billet or ticket; berth; position. Also used fig. [Colloq.]

The men who cling to easybilletsashore.

Harper's Mag.

His shafts of satire fly straight to theirbillet, and there they rankle.

Pall Mall Mag.

{ Bil"ly*cock (?),n.,orBil"ly*cock hat` (?) }. [Perh. frombully+cock; that is, cocked like the hats of the bullies.] A round, low-crowned felt hat; a wideawake. "The undignifiedbillycocksand pantaloons of the West."B. H. Chamberlain.

Little acquiesced, and Ransome disguised him in a beard, and a loose set of clothes, and abillicock hat.

Charles Reade.

Bi"me*tal"lic,a.Composed of two different metals; formed of two parts, each of a different metal; as,bimetallicwire;bimetallicthermometer, etc.

Bi"mo*lec"u*lar (?),a.[Pref.bi-+molecular.](Chem.)Pertaining to, or formed from, two molecules; as, abimolecularreaction (a reaction between two molecules).

||Bin*bash"i (?),n.[Turk., prop., chief of a thousand;binthousand +bashhead.](Mil.)A major in the Turkish army.

Bind"ing post`.(Elec.)A metallic post attached to electrical apparatus for convenience in making connections.

Bind"ing screw`. A set screw used to bind parts together, esp. one for making a connection in an electrical circuit.

{ Bi`o*dy*nam"ic (?), Bi`o*dy*nam"ic*al (?) },a.}(Biol.)Of or pertaining to biodynamics, or the doctrine of vital forces or energy.

Bi`o*dy*nam"ics (?),n.The branch of biology which treats of the active vital phenomena of organisms; -- opposed tobiostatics.

Bi`o*ge*og"ra*phy (?),n.[Gr. bi`os life + E.geography.] The branch of biology which deals with the geographical distribution of animals and plants. It includes both zoögeography and phytogeography. - - Bi`o*ge`o*graph"ic (#),a.-- Bi`o*ge`o*graph"ic*al*ly (#),adv.

Bi"o*graph (?),n.[Gr. bi`os life +-graph.]1.An animated picture machine for screen projection; a cinematograph.

2.[Cf. Biography.] A biographical sketch. [Rare]

Bi`o*pho"to*phone (?),n.[Gr. bi`os life +photo+ fwnh` sound, voice.] An instrument combining a cinematograph and a phonograph so that the moving figures on the screen are accompanied by the appropriate sounds.

Bi`o*plas"tic (?),a.(Biol.)Bioplasmic.

{ Bi`o*psy"chic (?), Bi`o*psy"chic*al (?) },a.} [Gr. bi`os life +psychic,-cal.] Pertaining to psychical phenomena in their relation to the living organism or to the general phenomena of life.

Bi"o*scope (?),n.[Gr. bi`os life +-scope.]1.A view of life; that which gives such a view.

Bagman'sBioscope: Various Views of Men and Manners. [Book Title.]

W. Bayley (1824).

2.An animated picture machine for screen projection; a cinematograph (which see).

Bi"plane (?),n.[Pref.bi-+plane.](Aëronautics)An aëroplane with two main supporting surfaces one above the other.

Bi"plane,a.(Aëronautics)Having, or consisting of, two superposed planes, aërocurves, or the like; of or pertaining to a biplane; as, abiplanerudder.

Bi"prism (?),n.[Pref.bi-+prism.]1.A prism whose refracting angle is very nearly 180 degrees.

2.A combination of two short rectangular glass prisms cemented together at their diagonal faces so as to form a cube; -- called alsooptical cube. It is used in one form of photometer.

Bird"man (?),n.An aviator; airman. [Colloq.]

Bird"wom`an (?),n.An airwoman; an aviatress. [Colloq.]

{ Bis"ka*ra boil`, Bis"ka*ra but"ton }. [Named after the townBiskara, in Algeria.](Med.)Same asAleppo boil.

Bis"sell truck (?). A truck for railroad rolling stock, consisting of two ordinary axle boxes sliding in guides attached to a triangular frame; -- called alsopony truck.

Bit,n.In the British West Indies, a fourpenny piece, or groat.

{ Bi"to (?),n., Bi"to tree` }. [Etym. uncertain.](Bot.)A small scrubby tree (Balanites Ægyptiaca) growing in dry regions of tropical Africa and Asia.

The hard yellowish white wood is made into plows in Abyssinia; the bark is used in Farther India to stupefy fish; the ripe fruit is edible, when green it is an anthelmintic; the fermented juice is used as a beverage; the seeds yield a medicinal oil calledzachun. The African name of the tree ishajilij.

Bi*tu"men proc"ess.(Photog.)Any process in which advantage is taken of the fact that prepared bitumen is rendered insoluble by exposure to light, as in photolithography.

Black"bird,n.1.Among slavers and pirates, a negro or Polynesian. [Cant]

2.A native of any of the islands near Queensland; -- called alsoKanaka. [Australia]

Black"bird*er (?),n.A slave ship; a slaver. [Colloq.]F. T. Bullen.

Black"bird*ing,n.1.The kidnaping of negroes or Polynesians to be sold as slaves.

2.The act or practice of collecting natives of the islands near Queensland for service on the Queensland sugar plantations. [Australia]

Black"-eyed` Su"san.(Bot.)(a)The coneflower, or yellow daisy (Rudbeckia hirta).(b)The bladder ketmie.

Black Flags. An organization composed originally of Chinese rebels that had been driven into Tonkin by the suppression of the Taiping rebellion, but later increased by bands of pirates and adventurers. It took a prominent part in fighting the French during their hostilities with Anam, 1873-85.

Black Friday. Any Friday on which a public disaster has occurred, as: In England, December 6, 1745, when the news of the landing of the Pretender reached London, or May 11, 1866, when a financial panic commenced. In the United States, September 24, 1869, and September 18, 1873, on which financial panics began.

Black Ham"burg (?). A sweet and juicy variety of European grape, of a dark purplish black color, much grown under glass in northern latitudes.

Black Hand. [A trans. of Sp.mano negra.]1.A Spanish anarchistic society, many of the members of which were imprisoned in 1883.

2.A lawless or blackmailing secret society, esp. among Italians. [U. S.]

Black Spanish. One of an old and well-known Mediterranean breed of domestic fowls with glossy black plumage, blue legs and feet, bright red comb and wattles, and white face. They are remarkable as egg layers.

Black"wa`ter State. Nebraska; -- a nickname alluding to the dark color of the water of its rivers, due to the presence of a black vegetable mold in the soil.

Blade,n.The flat part of the tongue immediately behind the tip, or point.

"Lowerblade" implies, of course, the lower instead of the upper surface of the tongue.

H. Sweet.

||Blanc (?),n.[F., white.]1.A white cosmetic.

2.A white sauce of fat, broth, and vegetables, used esp. for braised meat.

Blan"chard lathe (?). [After ThomasBlanchard, American inventor.](Mach.)A kind of wood-turning lathe for making noncircular and irregular forms, as felloes, gun stocks, lasts, spokes, etc., after a given pattern. The pattern and work rotate on parallel spindles in the same direction with the same speed, and the work is shaped by a rapidly rotating cutter whose position is varied by the pattern acting as a cam upon a follower wheel traversing slowly along the pattern.

Blan"ket clause`.(Law)A clause, as in a blanket mortgage or policy, that includes a group or class of things, rather than a number mentioned individually and having the burden, loss, or the like, apportioned among them.

{ Blanket mortgage or policy }. One that covers a group or class of things or properties instead of one or more things mentioned individually, as where a mortgage secures various debts as a group, or subjects a group or class of different pieces of property to one general lien.

Blanket stitch. A buttonhole stitch worked wide apart on the edge of material, as blankets, too thick to hem.

Blast lamp. A lamp provided with some arrangement for intensifying combustion by means of a blast.

Blath"er (bl"r),v. i. & t.[imp. & p. p.Blathered (?);p. pr. & vb. n.Blathering.] [Written alsoblether.] [Icel.blaðra. Cf. Blatherskite.] To talk foolishly, or nonsensically.G. Eliot.

Blath"er,n.[Written alsoblether.] Voluble, foolish, or nonsensical talk; -- often in thepl.Hall Caine.

Blaz"er (?),n.1.Anything that blazes or glows, as with heat or flame.

2.A light jacket, usually of wool or silk and of a bright color, for wear at tennis, cricket, or other sport.

3.The dish used when cooking directly over the flame of a chafing-dish lamp, or the coals of a brasier.

||Bleph`a*ri"tis (?),n.[NL., fr. Gr. &?; eyelid +-ilis.](Med.)Inflammation of the eyelids. -- Bleph`a*rit"ic (#),a.

Blet (?),v. i.[imp. & p. p.Bletted (?);p. pr. & vb. n.Bletting.] To decay internally when overripe; -- said of fruit.

Blind reader. A post-office clerk whose duty is to decipher obscure addresses.

Block,n.1.In Australia, one of the large lots into which public land, when opened to settlers, is divided by the government surveyors.

2.(Cricket)(a)The position of a player or bat when guarding the wicket.(b)A block hole.(c)The popping crease. [R.]

Back blocks, Australian pastoral country which is remote from the seacoast or from a river.

Block chain.(Mach.)A chain in which the alternate links are broad blocks connected by thin side links pivoted to the ends of the blocks, used with sprocket wheels to transmit power, as in a bicycle.

Block signal.(Railroads)One of the danger signals or safety signals which guide the movement of trains in a block system. The signal is often so coupled with a switch that act of opening or closing the switch operates the signal also.

Block system.(Railroads)A system by which the track is divided into short sections, as of three or four miles, and trains are so run by the guidance of electric, or combined electric and pneumatic, signals that no train enters a section or block until the preceding train has left it, as inabsolute blocking, or that a train may be allowed to follow another into a block as long as it proceeds with excessive caution, as inpermissive blocking.

Blol"ly (?),n.(Bot.)(a)A shrub or small tree of southern Florida and the West Indies (Pisonia obtusata) with smooth oval leaves and a hard, 10-ribbed fruit.(b)The rubiaceous shrubChicocca racemosa, of the same region.

Blue-grass State. The Sate of Kentucky; -- a nickname alluding to the blue-grass region, where fine horses are bred.

Blue Hen State. The State of Delaware; -- a popular sobriquet. It is said, though the story lacks proof, to have taken its origin from the insistence of a Delaware Revolutionary captain, named Caldwell, that no cock could be truly game unless the mother was a blue hen, whenceBlue Hen's Chickenscame to be a nickname for the people of Delaware.

Blue"nose` (?),n.A Nova Scotian; also, a Nova Scotian ship (called also Blue"nos`er (&?;)); a Nova Scotian potato, etc.

Blue"-sky"law`. A law enacted to provide for the regulation and supervision of investment companies in order to protect the public against companies that do not intend to do a fair and honest business and that offer investments that do not promise a fair return; -- so called because the promises made by some investment companies are as boundless or alluring as the blue sky, or, perhaps, because designed to clear away the clouds and fogs from the simple investor's horizon. [Colloq.]

Blue"y (?),n.[From Blue,a.] [Australasia]1.A bushman's blanket; -- named from its color.

We had to wring ourblueys.

Lawson.

2.A bushman's bundle; a swag; -- so called because a blanket is sometimes used as the outside covering.

Bod veal. Veal too immature to be suitable for food.

{ Bo"dhi*sat (?), ||Bo`dhi*satt"va, ||Bo`dhi*satt"wa (?) },n.[Skr.bdhisattva(perh. through Palibdhisatt); fr.bdhiknowledge, enlightenment +sattvabeing, essence.](Buddhism)One who has reached the highest degree of saintship, so that in his next incarnation he will be a Buddha, or savior of the world. -- Bo"dhi*sat`ship,n.

Bod"y,n.(Aëronautics)The central, longitudinal framework of a flying machine, to which are attached the planes or aërocurves, passenger accommodations, controlling and propelling apparatus, fuel tanks, etc.

Bo"gey (?),n.; pl.Bogeys(#). [Alsobogie.]1.A goblin; a bugbear.

I have become a sort ofbogey-- a kill- joy.

Wm. Black.

2.(Golf)A given score or number of strokes, for each hole, against which players compete; -- said to be so called because assumed to be the score of an imaginary first-rate player called Colonel Bogey.

Bo"gie en"gine.(Railroads)A switching engine the running gear and driving gear of which are on a bogie, or truck.

Boil"er,n.A sunken reef; esp., a coral reef on which the sea breaks heavily.

||Bo*le"ro (?),n.A kind of small outer jacket, with or without sleeves, worn by women.

||Bo"lo (?),n.[Sp.] A kind of large knife resembling a machete. [Phil. Islands]

||Bol"sa (?),n.[Sp., lit., purse. See Bourse.] An exchange for the transaction of business. [Sp. Amer. & Phil. Islands]

||Bo`na*ci" (?),n.[Amer. Sp.bonasí, prob. from native name.](Zoöl.)(a)A large grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) of Florida and the West Indies, valuable as a food fish; -- called alsoaguajiand, in Florida,black grouper.(b)Also, any one of several other similar fishes.

||Bo"na fi"des (b"n f"dz). [L.] Good faith; honesty; freedom from fraud or deception.

||Bon`bon`nière" (?),n.; pl.-nières(#). [F.] A small fancy box or dish for bonbons.

Bond,n.1.(Elec.)A heavy copper wire or rod connecting adjacent rails of an electric railway track when used as a part of the electric circuit.

2.League; association; confederacy. [South Africa]

The AfricanderBond, a league or association appealing to African, but practically to Boer, patriotism.

James Bryce.

Bon"go (b"g),n.Either of two large antelopes (Boöcercus eurycercusof West Africa, andB. isaaciof East Africa) of a reddish or chestnut-brown color with narrow white stripes on the body. Their flesh is especially esteemed as food.

Bon"naz (?),n.A kind of embroidery made with a complicated sewing machine, said to have been originally invented by a Frenchman of the name of Bonnaz. The work is done either in freehand or by following a perforated design.

Bon"net,n.(Automobiles)The metal cover or shield over the motor.

||Bon`net" rouge" (?). [F.] The red cap adopted by the extremists in the French Revolution, which became a sign of patriotism at that epoch; hence, a revolutionist; a Red Republican.

Boost"er (?),n.(Elec.)An instrument for regulating the electro-motive force in an alternating- current circuit; -- so called because used to "boost", or raise, the pressure in the circuit.

Bor*deaux" mix"ture.(Hort.)A fungicidal mixture composed of blue vitriol, lime, and water. The formula in common use is: blue vitriol, 6 lbs.; lime, 4 lbs.; water, 35 -- 50 gallons.

||Bor`de*reau" (?),n.; pl.Bordereaux(#). [F.] A note or memorandum, esp. one containing an enumeration of documents.

Bo"re*al,a.(Biogeography)Designating or pertaining to a terrestrial division consisting of the northern and mountainous parts of both the Old and the New World; -- equivalent to theHolarctic regionexclusive of the Transition, Sonoran, and corresponding areas. The term is used by American authors and applied by them chiefly to the Nearctic subregion. TheBorealregion includes approximately all of North and Central America in which the mean temperature of the hottest season does not exceed 18° C. (= 64.4° F.). Its subdivisions are the Arctic zone andBoreal zone, the latter including the area between the Arctic and Transition zones.

||Bos"tryx (?),n.[NL.; irreg. fr. Gr. &?; a curl.](Bot.)A form of cymose inflorescence with all the flowers on one side of the rachis, usually causing it to curl; -- called also auniparous helicoid cyme.

Bos*well"i*an (?),a.Relating to, or characteristic of, Dr. Johnson's biographer, James Boswell, whose hero worship made his narrative a faithful but often uncritical record of details. -- Bos"well*ize (#),v. i.&t.-- Bos"weel*ism (#).n.

Bot"tle-neck` frame".(Automobiles)An inswept frame. [Colloq.]

Bot"tom fer`men*ta"tion. A slow alcoholic fermentation during which the yeast cells collect at the bottom of the fermenting liquid. It takes place at a temperature of 4° - 10° C. (39° - 50°F.). It is used in making lager beer and wines of low alcohol content but fine bouquet.

Bou"cher*ize (?),v. t.[After Dr. AugusteBoucherie, a French chemist, who invented the process.] To impregnate with a preservative solution of copper sulphate, as timber, railroad ties, etc.

||Bou*gie" dé`ci`male" (?). [F., lit., decimal candle.] A photometric standard used in France, having the value of one twentieth of the Violle platinum standard, or slightly less than a British standard candle. Called alsodecimal candle.

Bou*lan"gism (?),n.[F.boulangisme.] The spirit or principles of a French political movement identified with Gen. Georges Boulanger (d. 1891), whose militarism and advocacy of revenge on Germany attracted to him a miscellaneous party of monarchists and Republican malcontents. - - Bou*lan"gist (#),n.

Bou"le (?),n.[Gr. &?;.]1.(Gr. Antiq.)A legislative council of elders or chiefs; a senate. Thebouleof Homeric times was an aristocratic body of princes and leaders, merely advisory to the king. The Athenianbouleof Solon's time was an elective senate of 400, acting as a check on the popularecclesia, for which it examined and prepared bills for discussion. It later increased to 500, chosen by lot, and extended its functions to embrace certain matters of administration and oversight.

2.Legislature of modern Greece. See Legislature.

||Boule`var`dier" (?),n.[F.] A frequenter of a city boulevard, esp. in Paris.F. Harrison.

Bowd"ler*ize (?),v. t.[imp. & p. p.Bowdlerized (?);p. pr. & vb. n.Bowdlerizing (?).] [After Dr. ThomasBowdler, an English physician, who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare in 1818.] To expurgate, as a book, by omitting or modifying the parts considered offensive.

It is a grave defect in the splendid tale of Tom Jones . . . that aBowlderizedversion of it would be hardly intelligible as a tale.

F. Harrison.

-- Bowd`ler*i*za"tion (#),n.-- Bowd"ler*ism (#),n.

Bow"er-Barff" proc`ess .(Metal.)A certain process for producing upon articles of iron or steel an adherent coating of the magnetic oxide of iron (which is not liable to corrosion by air, moisture, or ordinary acids). This is accomplished by producing, by oxidation at about 1600° F. in a closed space, a coating containing more or less of the ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and the subsequent change of this in a reduced atmosphere to the magnetic oxide (Fe2O4).

Bowl"er (?),n.[From 2d Bowl.] A derby hat. [Eng.]

Box"er,n.A member of a powerful Chinese organization which committed numerous outrages on Europeans and Christian converts in the uprising against foreigners in 1900. Various names, as "League of United Patriots" and "Great Knife [or Sword] Society," have been given as the Chinese name of the organization; why the members were calledBoxersis uncertain.

Box"ing day`. The first week day after Christmas, a legal holiday on which Christmas boxes are given to postmen, errand boys, employees, etc. The night of this day isboxing night. [Eng.]

Box kite. A kite, invented by Lawrence Hargrave, of Sydney, Australia, which consist of two light rectangular boxes, or cells open on two sides, and fastened together horizontally. Called alsoHargrave, or cellular, kite.

Box tail.(Aëronautics)In a flying machine, a tail or rudder, usually fixed, resembling a box kite.

Boy,n.In various countries, a male servant, laborer, or slave of a native or inferior race; also, any man of such a race.

He reverted again and again to the labor difficulty, and spoke of importingboysfrom Capetown.

Frances Macnab.

Boy scout. Orig., a member of the "Boy Scouts," an organization of boys founded in 1908, by Sir R. S. S. Baden-Powell, to promote good citizenship by creating in them a spirit of civic duty and of usefulness to others, by stimulating their interest in wholesome mental, moral, industrial, and physical activities, etc. Hence, a member of any of the other similar organizations, which are now worldwide. In "The Boy Scouts of America" the local councils are generally under a scout commissioner, under whose supervision are scout masters, each in charge of a troop of two or more patrols of eight scouts each, who are of three classes,tenderfoot,second-class scout, andfirst-class scout.

Brack"et,n.(Gunnery)A figure determined by firing a projectile beyond a target and another short of it, as a basis for ascertaining the proper elevation of the piece; -- only used in the phrase,to establish a bracket. After the bracket is established shots are fired with intermediate elevations until the exact range is obtained. In the United States navy it is calledfork.

Brack"et,v. t.(Gunnery)To shoot so as to establish a bracket for (an object).

||Braille (?),n.A system of printing or writing for the blind in which the characters are represented by tangible points or dots. It was invented by Louis Braille, a French teacher of the blind.

Bran"den*burg (?),n.[So named afterBrandenburg, a province and a town of Prussia.] A kind of decoration for the breast of a coat, sometimes only a frog with a loop, but in some military uniforms enlarged into a broad horizontal stripe.

He wore a coat . . . trimmed withBrandenburgs.

Smollett.

Brash"y (?),a.1.Resembling, or of the nature of, brash, or broken fragments; broken; crumbly.

Our progress was not at all impeded by the few soft,brashyfloes that we encountered.

F. T. Bullen.

2.Showery; characterized by brashes, or showers.

Bras"i*lin (?),n.[Cf. F.brésiline. See 2d Brazil.](Chem.)A substance, C16H14O5, extracted from brazilwood as a yellow crystalline powder which is white when pure. It is colored intensely red by alkalies on exposure to the air, being oxidized to bra*sil"e*in (&?;), C16H12O5, to which brazilwood owes its dyeing properties.

Brasque (?),n.[F.](Metal.)A paste made by mixing powdered charcoal, coal, or coke with clay, molasses, tar, or other suitable substance. It is used for lining hearths, crucibles, etc. Called alsosteep.

Bras`sière" (?),n.[F.] A form of woman's underwaist stiffened with whalebones, or the like, and worn to support the breasts.

Brass"y (?),n.[Written alsobrassieandbrassey.](Golf)A wooden club soled with brass.

Braw (?),a.[See Brave,a.] [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]1.Well-dressed; handsome; smart; brave; -- used of persons or their clothing, etc.; as, abrawlad. "Abrawnew gown."Burns.

2.Good; fine. "Abrawnight."Sir W. Scott.

Break"a*way` (?),n.[Break+away] [Australasia]1.A wild rush of sheep, cattle, horses, or camels (especially at the smell or the sight of water); a stampede.

2.An animal that breaks away from a herd.

Breech action. The breech mechanism in breech-loading small arms and certain special guns, as automatic and machine guns; -- used frequently in referring to the method by which the movable barrels of breech-loading shotguns are locked, unlocked, or rotated to loading position.

||Bre*lan" (?),n.[F.](Card Playing)(a)A French gambling game somewhat like poker.(b)In French games, a pair royal, or triplet.

||Bre*lan" car`re" (?). [F.carrésquare.](Card Playing)In French games, a double pair royal.

||Bre*lan" fa`vo`ri" (?). [F.favorifavorite.](Card Playing)In French games, a pair royal composed of 2 cards in the hand and the card turned.

Bre*loque" (?),n.[F.] A seal or charm for a watch chain. "His chains andbreloques."Thackeray.

Brick"field`er (?),n.[Australia]1.Orig., at Sydney, a cold and violent south or southwest wind, rising suddenly, and regularly preceded by a hot wind from the north; -- now usually calledsoutherly buster. It blew across theBrickfields, formerly so called, a district of Sydney, and carried clouds of dust into the city.

2.By confusion, a midsummer hot wind from the north.

||Bri*cole" (?),n.1.An ancient kind of military catapult.

2.In court tennis, the rebound of a ball from a wall of the court; also, the side stroke or play by which the ball is driven against the wall; hence, fig., indirect action or stroke.

3.(Billiards)A shot in which the cue ball is driven first against the cushion.

Bridge,n.A card game resembling whist. The trump, if any, is determined by the dealer or his partner, the value of each trick taken over six being: for "no trumps" 12, hearts 8, diamonds 6, clubs 4, spades 2. The opponents of the dealer can, after the trump is declared, double the value of the tricks, in which case the dealer or his partner can redouble, and so on. The dealer plays his partner's hand as a dummy. The side which first reaches or exceeds 30 points scored for tricks wins agame; the side which first wins two games wins arubber. The total score for any side is the sum of the points scored for tricks, for rubbers (each of which counts 100), for honors (which follow a special schedule of value), and forslam,little slam, andchicane.

Brie" cheese" (?). A kind of soft French cream cheese; -- so called from the district in France where it is made; -- called alsofromage de Brie.

Brig (?),n.[Origin unknown.](Nav.)On a United States man-of-war, the prison or place of confinement for offenders.

Bril"lian*tine (?),n.[F.brillantine. See lst Brilliant.]1.An oily composition used to make the hair glossy.

2.A dress fabric having a glossy finish on both sides, resembling alpaca but of superior quality.

||Bri`oche" (?),n.[F.]1.A light cake made with flour, butter, yeast, and eggs.

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