3. An inferior parish officer in England having a variety of duties, as the preservation of order in church service, the chastisement of petty offenders, etc.
BEADLERYBea"dle*ry, n.
Defn: Office or jurisdiction of a beadle.
BEADLESHIPBea"dle*ship, n.
Defn: The state of being, or the personality of, a beadle. A. Wood.
BEAD PROOFBead" proof`.
1. Among distillers, a certain degree of strength in alcoholic liquor, as formerly ascertained by the floating or sinking of glass globules of different specific gravities thrown into it; now ascertained by more accurate meters.
2. A degree of strength in alcoholic liquor as shown by beads or small bubbles remaining on its surface, or at the side of the glass, when shaken.
BEADROLLBead"roll`, n. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: A catalogue of persons, for the rest of whose souls a certain number of prayers are to be said or counted off on the beads of a chaplet; hence, a catalogue in general. On Fame's eternal beadroll worthy to be field. Spenser. It is quite startling, on going over the beadroll of English worthies, to find how few are directly represented in the male line. Quart. Rev.
BEADSMAN; BEDESMANBeads"man, Bedes"man, n.; pl. -men (.
Defn: A poor man, supported in a beadhouse, and required to pray forthe soul of its founder; an almsman.Whereby ye shall bind me to be your poor beadsman for ever untoAlmighty God. Fuller.
BEADSNAKEBead"snake`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small poisonous snake of North America (Elaps fulvius), banded with yellow, red, and black.
BEADSWOMAN; BEDESWOMANBeads"wom`an, Bedes"wom`an, n.; pl. -women (.
Defn: Fem. of Beadsman.
BEADWORKBead"work`, n.
Defn: Ornamental work in beads.
BEADYBead"y, a.
1. Resembling beads; small, round, and glistening. "Beady eyes." Thackeray.
2. Covered or ornamented with, or as with, beads.
3. Characterized by beads; as, beady liquor.
BEAGLEBea"gle, n. Etym: [OE. begele; perh. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. &Gael. beag small, little, W. bach. F. bigle is from English.]
1. A small hound, or hunting dog, twelve to fifteen inches high, used in hunting hares and other small game. See Illustration in Appendix.
2. Fig.: A spy or detective; a constable.
BEAK Beak, n. Etym: [OE. bek, F. bec, fr. Celtic; cf. Gael. & Ir. bac, bacc, hook, W. bach.]
Defn: 1. (Zoöl.) (a) The bill or nib of a bird, consisting of a horny sheath, covering the jaws. The form varied much according to the food and habits of the bird, and is largely used in the classification of birds. (b) A similar bill in other animals, as the turtles. (c) The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects, and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. (d) The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. (e) The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal.
2. Anything projecting or ending in a point, like a beak, as a promontory of land. Carew.
3. (Antiq.)
Defn: A beam, shod or armed at the end with a metal head or point, and projecting from the prow of an ancient galley, in order to pierce the vessel of an enemy; a beakhead.
4. (Naut.)
Defn: That part of a ship, before the forecastle, which is fastened to the stem, and supported by the main knee.
5. (Arch.)
Defn: A continuous slight projection ending in an arris or narrow fillet; that part of a drip from which the water is thrown off.
6. (Bot.)
Defn: Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant.
7. (Far.)
Defn: A toe clip. See Clip, n. (Far.).
8. A magistrate or policeman. [Slang, Eng.]
BEAKEDBeaked, a.
1. Having a beak or a beaklike point; beak-shaped. "Each beaked promontory." Milton.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: Furnished with a process or a mouth like a beak; rostrate. Beaked whale (Zoöl.), a cetacean of the genus Hyperoodon; the bottlehead whale.
BEAKERBeak"er, n. Etym: [OE. biker; akin to Icel. bikarr, Sw. bägare, Dan.baeger, G. becher, It. bicchiere; — all fr. LL. bicarium, prob. fr.Gr. wine jar, or perh. L. bacar wine vessel. Cf. Pitcher a jug.]
1. A large drinking cup, with a wide mouth, supported on a foot or standard.
2. An open-mouthed, thin glass vessel, having a projecting lip for pouring; — used for holding solutions requiring heat. Knight.
BEAKHEADBeak"head`, n.
1. (Arch.)
Defn: An ornament used in rich Norman doorways, resembling a head with a beak. Parker.
2. (Naut.) (a) A small platform at the fore part of the upper deck of a vessel, which contains the water closets of the crew. (b) (Antiq.) Same as Beak, 3.
BEAKIRONBeak"i*ron, n. Etym: [From Bickern.]
Defn: A bickern; a bench anvil with a long beak, adapted to reach the interior surface of sheet metal ware; the horn of an anvil.
BEALBeal (, n. Etym: [See Boil a tumor.] (Med.)
Defn: A small inflammatory tumor; a pustule. [Prov. Eng.]
BEALBeal, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bealed (; p. pr & vb. n. Bealing.]
Defn: To gather matter; to swell and come to a head, as a pimple.[Prov. Eng.]
BE-ALLBe"-all`, n.
Defn: The whole; all that is to be. [Poetic] Shak.
BEAM Beam, n. Etym: [AS. beám beam, post, tree, ray of light; akin to OFries. bam tree, OS. b, D. boom, OHG. boum, poum, G. baum, Icel. ba, Goth. bahms and Gr. a growth, to become, to be. Cf. L. radius staff, rod, spoke of a wheel, beam or ray, and G. strahl arrow, spoke of a wheel, ray or beam, flash of lightning. Be; cf. Boom a spar.]
1. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use.
2. One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building or ship. The beams of a vessel are strong pieces of timber stretching across from side to side to support the decks. Totten.
3. The width of a vessel; as, one vessel is said to have more beam than another.
4. The bar of a balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended. The doubtful beam long nods from side to side. Pope.
5. The principal stem or horn of a stag or other deer, which bears the antlers, or branches.
6. The pole of a carriage. [Poetic] Dryden.
7. A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving; also, the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven; one being called the fore beam, the other the back beam.
8. The straight part or shank of an anchor.
9. The main part of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it.
10. (Steam Engine)
Defn: A heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of the wheel shaft; — called also working beam or walking beam.
11. A ray or collection of parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body; as, a beam of light, or of heat. How far that little candle throws his beams ! Shak.
12. Fig.: A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort. Mercy with her genial beam. Keble.
13. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk; — called also beam feather. Abaft the beam (Naut.), in an arc of the horizon between a line that crosses the ship at right angles, or in the direction of her beams, and that point of the compass toward which her stern is directed. — Beam center (Mach.), the fulcrum or pin on which the working beam of an engine vibrates. — Beam compass, an instrument consisting of a rod or beam, having sliding sockets that carry steel or pencil points; — used for drawing or describing large circles. — Beam engine, a steam engine having a working beam to transmit power, in distinction from one which has its piston rod attached directly to the crank of the wheel shaft. — Before the beam (Naut.), in an arc of the horizon included between a line that crosses the ship at right angles and that point of the compass toward which the ship steers. — On the beam , in a line with the beams, or at right angled with the keel. — On the weather beam, on the side of a ship which faces the wind. — To be on her beam ends, to incline, as a vessel, so much on one side that her beams approach a vertical position.
BEAMBeam, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beamed (p. pr. & vb. n. Beaming.]
Defn: To send forth; to emit; — followed ordinarily by forth; as, to beam forth light.
BEAMBeam, v. i.
Defn: To emit beams of light.He beamed, the daystar of the rising age. Trumbull.
BEAMBIRDBeam"bird`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small European flycatcher (Muscicapa gricola), so called because it often nests on a beam in a building.
BEAMEDBeamed, a.
Defn: Furnished with beams, as the head of a stag.Tost his beamed frontlet to the sky. Sir W. Scott.
BEAMFULBeam"ful, a.
Defn: Beamy; radiant.
BEAMILYBeam"i*ly, adv.
Defn: In a beaming manner.
BEAMINESSBeam"i*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being beamy.
BEAMINGBeam"ing, a.
Defn: Emitting beams; radiant.
BEAMINGLYBeam"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a beaming manner; radiantly.
BEAMLESSBeam"less, a.
1. Not having a beam.
2. Not emitting light.
BEAMLETBeam"let, n.
Defn: A small beam of light.
BEAM TREEBeam" tree`. Etym: [AS. beám a tree. See Beam.] (Bot.)
Defn: A tree (Pyrus aria) related to the apple.
BEAMYBeam"y, a.
1. Emitting beams of light; radiant; shining. "Beamy gold." Tickell.
2. Resembling a beam in size and weight; massy. His double-biting ax, and beamy spear. Dryden.
3. Having horns, or antlers. Beamy stags in toils engage. Dryden.
BEANBean, n. Etym: [OE. bene, AS.beán; akin to D. boon, G. bohne, OHG. p,Icel. baun, Dan. bönne, Sw. böna, and perh. to Russ. bob, L. faba.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A name given to the seed of certain leguminous herbs, chiefly of the genera Faba, Phaseolus, and Dolichos; also, to the herbs.
Note: The origin and classification of many kinds are still doubtful. Among true beans are: the black-eyed bean and China bean, included in Dolichos Sinensis; black Egyptian bean or hyacinth bean, D. Lablab; the common haricot beans, kidney beans, string beans, and pole beans, all included in Phaseolus vulgaris; the lower bush bean, Ph. vulgaris, variety nanus; Lima bean, Ph. lunatus; Spanish bean and scarlet runner, Ph. maltiflorus; Windsor bean, the common bean of England, Faba vulgaris. As an article of food beans are classed with vegetables.
2. The popular name of other vegetable seeds or fruits, more or lessresembling true beans. Bean aphis (Zoöl.), a plant louse (Aphis fabæ)which infests the bean plant.— Bean fly (Zoöl.), a fly found on bean flowers.— Bean goose (Zoöl.), a species of goose (Anser segetum).— Bean weevil (Zoöl.), a small weevil that in the larval statedestroys beans. The American species in Bruchus fabæ.— Florida bean (Bot.), the seed of Mucuna urens, a West Indianplant. The seeds are washed up on the Florida shore, and are oftenpolished and made into ornaments.— Ignatius bean, or St. Ignatius's bean (Bot.), a species ofStrychnos.— Navy bean, the common dried white bean of commerce; probably socalled because an important article of food in the navy.— Pea bean, a very small and highly esteemed variety of the ediblewhite bean; — so called from its size.— Sacred bean. See under Sacred.— Screw bean. See under Screw.— Sea bean. (a) Same as Florida bean. (b) A red bean of unknownspecies used for ornament.— Tonquin bean, or Tonka bean, the fragrant seed of Dipteryxodorata, a leguminous tree.— Vanilla bean. See under Vanilla.
BEAN CAPERBean" ca`per. (Bot.)
Defn: A deciduous plant of warm climates, generally with fleshy leaves and flowers of a yellow or whitish yellow color, of the genus Zygophyllum.
BEAN TREFOILBean" tre"foil. (Bot.)
Defn: A leguminous shrub of southern Europe, with trifoliate leaves(Anagyris foetida).
BEAR Bear, v. t. [imp. Bore (formerly Bare (); p. p. Born, Borne (p. pr. & vb. n. Bearing.] Etym: [OE. beren, AS. beran, beoran, to bear, carry, produce; akin to D. baren to bring forth, G. gebären, Goth. baíran to bear or carry, Icel. bera, Sw. bära, Dan. bære, OHG. beran, peran, L. ferre to bear, carry, produce, Gr. , OSlav brati to take, carry, OIr. berim I bear, Skr. bh to bear. sq. root92. Cf. Fertile.]
1. To support or sustain; to hold up.
2. To support and remove or carry; to convey. I 'll bear your logs the while. Shak.
3. To conduct; to bring; — said of persons. [Obs.] Bear them to my house. Shak.
4. To possess and use, as power; to exercise. Every man should bear rule in his own house. Esther i. 22.
5. To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a mark), as, the tablet bears this inscription.
6. To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name.
7. To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to entertain; to harbor Dryden. The ancient grudge I bear him. Shak.
8. To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer. Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne. Pope. I cannot bear The murmur of this lake to hear. Shelley. My punishment is greater than I can bear. Gen. iv. 13.
9. To gain or win. [Obs.] Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. Bacon. She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of friends and bribing of the judge. Latimer.
10. To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense,responsibility, etc.He shall bear their iniquities. Is. liii. 11.Somewhat that will bear your charges. Dryden.
11. To render or give; to bring forward. "Your testimony bear" Dryden.
12. To carry on, or maintain; to have. "The credit of bearing a part in the conversation." Locke.
13. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change. In all criminal cases the most favorable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly bear. Swift.
14. To manage, wield, or direct. "Thus must thou thy body bear." Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison Shak.
15. To afford; to be to ; to supply with. bear him company. Pope.
16. To bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples; to bear children; to bear interest. Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore. Dryden.
Note: In the passive form of this verb, the best modern usage restricts the past participle born to the sense of brought forth, while borne is used in the other senses of the word. In the active form, borne alone is used as the past participle. To bear down. (a) To force into a lower place; to carry down; to depress or sink. "His nose, . . . large as were the others, bore them down into insignificance." Marryat. (b) To overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an enemy. — To bear a hand. (a) To help; to give assistance. (b) (Naut.) To make haste; to be quick. — To bear in hand, to keep (one) up in expectation, usually by promises never to be realized; to amuse by false pretenses; to delude. [Obs.] "How you were borne in hand, how crossed." Shak. — To bear in mind, to remember. — To bear off. (a) To restrain; to keep from approach. (b) (Naut.) To remove to a distance; to keep clear from rubbing against anything; as, to bear off a blow; to bear off a boat. (c) To gain; to carry off, as a prize. — To bear one hard, to owe one a grudge. [Obs.] "Cæsar doth bear me hard." Shak. — To bear out. (a) To maintain and support to the end; to defend to the last. "Company only can bear a man out in an ill thing." South. (b) To corroborate; to confirm. — To bear up, to support; to keep from falling or sinking. "Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings." Addison.
Syn. — To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer; endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.
BEARBear, v. i.
1. To produce, as fruit; to be fruitful, in opposition to barrenness. This age to blossom, and the next to bear. Dryden.
2. To suffer, as in carrying a burden. But man is born to bear. Pope.
3. To endure with patience; to be patient. I can not, can not bear. Dryden.
4. To press; — with on or upon, or against. These men bear hard on the suspected party. Addison.
5. To take effect; to have influence or force; as, to bring matters to bear.
6. To relate or refer; — with on or upon; as, how does this bear on the question
7. To have a certain meaning, intent, or effect. Her sentence bore that she should stand a certain time upon the platform. Hawthorne.
8. To be situated, as to the point of compass, with respect to something else; as, the land bears N. by E. To bear against, to approach for attack or seizure; as, a lion bears against his prey. [Obs.] — To bear away (Naut.), to change the course of a ship, and make her run before the wind. — To bear back, to retreat. "Bearing back from the blows of their sable antagonist." Sir W. Scott. — To bear down upon (Naut.), to approach from the windward side; as, the fleet bore down upon the enemy. — To bear in with (Naut.), to run or tend toward; as, a ship bears in with the land. — To bear off (Naut.), to steer away, as from land. — To bear up. (a) To be supported; to have fortitude; to be firm; not to sink; as, to bear up under afflictions. (b) (Naut.) To put the helm up (or to windward) and so put the ship before the wind; to bear away. Hamersly. — To bear upon (Mil.), to be pointed or situated so as to affect; to be pointed directly against, or so as to hit (the object); as, to bring or plant guns so as to bear upon a fort or a ship; the artillery bore upon the center. — To bear up to, to tend or move toward; as, to bear up to one another. — To bear with, to endure; to be indulgent to; to forbear to resent, oppose, or punish.
BEARBear, n.
Defn: A bier. [Obs.] Spenser.
BEARBear, n. Etym: [OE. bere, AS. bera; akin to D. beer, OHG. bero, pero,G. bär, Icel. & Sw. björn, and possibly to L. fera wild beast, Gr.beast, Skr. bhalla bear.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of the genus Ursus, and of the closely allied genera. Bears are plantigrade Carnivora, but they live largely on fruit and insects.
Note: The European brown bear (U. arctos), the white polar bear (U. maritimus), the grizzly bear (U. horribilis), the American black bear, and its variety the cinnamon bear (U. Americanus), the Syrian bear (Ursus Syriacus), and the sloth bear, are among the notable species.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An animal which has some resemblance to a bear in form or habits, but no real affinity; as, the woolly bear; ant bear; water bear; sea bear.
3. (Astron.)
Defn: One of two constellations in the northern hemisphere, called respectively the Great Bear and the Lesser Bear, or Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
4. Metaphorically: A brutal, coarse, or morose person.
5. (Stock Exchange)
Defn: A person who sells stocks or securities for future delivery in expectation of a fall in the market.
Note: The bears and bulls of the Stock Exchange, whose interest it is, the one to depress, and the other to raise, stocks, are said to be so called in allusion to the bear's habit of pulling down, and the bull's of tossing up.
6. (Mach.)
Defn: A portable punching machine.
7. (Naut.)
Defn: A block covered with coarse matting; — used to scour the deck. Australian bear. (Zoöl.) See Koala. — Bear baiting, the sport of baiting bears with dogs. — Bear caterpillar (Zoöl.), the hairy larva of a moth, esp. of the genus Euprepia. — Bear garden. (a) A place where bears are kept for diversion or fighting. (b) Any place where riotous conduct is common or permitted. M. Arnold. — Bear leader, one who leads about a performing bear for money; hence, a facetious term for one who takes charge of a young man on his travels.
BEARBear, v. t. (Stock Exchange)
Defn: To endeavor to depress the price of, or prices in; as, to bear a railroad stock; to bear the market.
BEAR; BEREBear, Bere, n. Etym: [AS. bere. See Barley.] (Bot.)
Defn: Barley; the six-rowed barley or the four-rowed barley, commonly the former (Hord. vulgare). [Obs. except in North of Eng. and Scot.]
BEARABLEBear"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being borne or endured; tolerable.— Bear"a*bly, adv.
BEARBERRYBear"ber*ry, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A trailing plant of the heath family (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), having leaves which are tonic and astringent, and glossy red berries of which bears are said to be fond.
BEARBINDBear"bind`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis).
BEARDBeard, n. Etym: [OE. berd, AS. beard; akin to Fries. berd, D. baard,G. bart, Lith. barzda, OSlav. brada, Pol. broda, Russ. boroda, L.barba, W. barf. Cf. 1st Barb.]
1. The hair that grows on the chin, lips, and adjacent parts of the human face, chiefly of male adults.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) The long hairs about the face in animals, as in the goat. (b) The cluster of small feathers at the base of the beak in some birds (c) The appendages to the jaw in some Cetacea, and to the mouth or jaws of some fishes. (d) The byssus of certain shellfish, as the muscle. (e) The gills of some bivalves, as the oyster. (f) In insects, the hairs of the labial palpi of moths and butterflies.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: Long or stiff hairs on a plant; the awn; as, the beard of grain.
4. A barb or sharp point of an arrow or other instrument, projecting backward to prevent the head from being easily drawn out.
5. That part of the under side of a horse's lower jaw which is above the chin, and bears the curb of a bridle.
6. (Print.)
Defn: That part of a type which is between the shoulder of the shank and the face.
7. An imposition; a trick. [Obs.] Chaucer. Beard grass (Bot.), a coarse, perennial grass of different species of the genus Andropogon. — To one's beard, to one's face; in open defiance.
BEARDBeard, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bearded; p. pr. & vb. n. Bearding.]
1. To take by the beard; to seize, pluck, or pull the beard of (a man), in anger or contempt.
2. To oppose to the gills; to set at defiance. No admiral, bearded by three corrupt and dissolute minions of the palace, dared to do more than mutter something about a court martial. Macaulay.
3. To deprive of the gills; — used only of oysters and similar shellfish.
BEARDEDBeard"ed, a.
Defn: Having a beard. "Bearded fellow." Shak. "Bearded grain."Dryden. Bearded vulture, Bearded eagle. (Zoöl.) See Lammergeir.— Bearded tortoise. (Zoöl.) See Matamata.
BEARDIEBeard"ie, n. Etym: [From Beard, n.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The bearded loach (Nemachilus barbatus) of Europe. [Scot.]
BEARDLESSBeard"less, a.
1. Without a beard. Hence: Not having arrived at puberty or manhood; youthful.
2. Destitute of an awn; as, beardless wheat.
BEARDLESSNESSBeard"less*ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being destitute of beard.
BEARERBear"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, bears, sustains, or carries. "Bearers of burdens." 2 Chron. ii. 18. "The bearer of unhappy news." Dryden.
2. Specifically: One who assists in carrying a body to the grave; a pallbearer. Milton.
3. A palanquin carrier; also, a house servant. [India]
4. A tree or plant yielding fruit; as, a good bearer.
5. (Com.)
Defn: One who holds a check, note, draft, or other order for the payment of money; as, pay to bearer.
6. (Print.)
Defn: A strip of reglet or other furniture to bear off the impression from a blank page; also, a type or type-high piece of metal interspersed in blank parts to support the plate when it is shaved.
BEARHERDBear"herd`, n.
Defn: A man who tends a bear.
BEARHOUNDBear"hound`, n.
Defn: A hound for baiting or hunting bears. Car
BEARINGBear"ing, n.
1. The manner in which one bears or conducts one's self; mien; behavior; carriage. I know him by his bearing. Shak.
2. Patient endurance; suffering without complaint.
3. The situation of one object, with respect to another, such situation being supposed to have a connection with the object, or influence upon it, or to be influenced by it; hence, relation; connection. But of this frame, the bearings and the ties, The strong connections, nice dependencies. Pope.
4. Purport; meaning; intended significance; aspect.
5. The act, power, or time of producing or giving birth; as, a tree in full bearing; a tree past bearing. [His mother] in travail of his bearing. R. of Gloucester.
6. (Arch.) (a) That part of any member of a building which rests upon its supports; as, a lintel or beam may have four inches of bearing upon the wall. (b) The portion of a support on which anything rests. (c) Improperly, the unsupported span; as, the beam has twenty feet of bearing between its supports.
7. (Mach.) (a) The part of an axle or shaft in contact with its support, collar, or boxing; the journal. (b) The part of the support on which a journal rests and rotates.
8. (Her.)
Defn: Any single emblem or charge in an escutcheon or coat of arms —commonly in the pl.A carriage covered with armorial bearings. Thackeray.
9. (Naut.) (a) The situation of a distant object, with regard to a ship's position, as on the bow, on the lee quarter, etc.; the direction or point of the compass in which an object is seen; as, the bearing of the cape was W. N. W. (b) pl.
Defn: The widest part of a vessel below the plank-sheer. (c) pl.
Defn: The line of flotation of a vessel when properly trimmed with cargo or ballast. Ball bearings. See under Ball. — To bring one to his bearings, to bring one to his senses. — To lose one's bearings, to become bewildered. — To take bearings, to ascertain by the compass the position of an object; to ascertain the relation of one object or place to another; to ascertain one's position by reference to landmarks or to the compass; hence (Fig.), to ascertain the condition of things when one is in trouble or perplexity.
Syn. — Deportment; gesture; mien; behavior; manner; carriage; demeanor; port; conduct; direction; relation; tendency; influence.
BEARING CLOTHBear"ing cloth`.
Defn: A cloth with which a child is covered when carried to be baptized. Shak.
BEARING REINBear"ing rein`.
Defn: A short rein looped over the check hook or the hames to keep the horse's head up; — called in the United States a checkrein.
BEARING RINGBear"ing ring`.
Defn: In a balloon, the braced wooden ring attached to the suspension ropes at the bottom, functionally analogous to the keel of a ship.
BEARISHBear"ish, a.
Defn: Partaking of the qualities of a bear; resembling a bear in temper or manners. Harris.
BEARISHNESSBear"ish*ness, n.
Defn: Behavior like that of a bear.
BEARNBearn, n.
Defn: See Bairn. [Obs.]
BEAR'S-BREECH Bear's"-breech`, n. (Bot.) (a) See Acanthus, n., 1. (b) The English cow parsnip (Heracleum sphondylium) Dr. Prior.
BEAR'S-EARBear's-ear`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A kind of primrose (Primula auricula), so called from the shape of the leaf.
BEAR'S-FOOTBear's"-foot`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A species of hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), with digitate leaves. It has an offensive smell and acrid taste, and is a powerful emetic, cathartic, and anthelmintic.
BEARSKINBear"skin`, n.
1. The skin of a bear.
2. A coarse, shaggy, woolen cloth for overcoats.
3. A cap made of bearskin, esp. one worn by soldiers.
BEAR'S-PAWBear's"-paw`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large bivalve shell of the East Indies (Hippopus maculatus), often used as an ornament.
BEAR STATEBear State.
Defn: Arkansas; — a nickname, from the many bears once inhabiting its forests.
BEAR-TRAP DAMBear"-trap` dam. (Engin.)
Defn: 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.
BEARWARDBear"ward`, n. Etym: [Bear + ward a keeper.]
Defn: A keeper of bears. See Bearherd. [R.] Shak.
BEASTBeast, n. Etym: [OE. best, beste, OF. beste, F. bête, fr. L. bestia.]
1. Any living creature; an animal; — including man, insects, etc. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. Any four-footed animal, that may be used for labor, food, or sport; as, a beast of burden. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast. Prov. xii. 10.
3. As opposed to man: Any irrational animal.
4. Fig.: A coarse, brutal, filthy, or degraded fellow.
5. A game at cards similar to loo. [Obs.] Wright.
6. A penalty at beast, omber, etc. Hence: To be beasted, to be beaten at beast, omber, etc. Beast royal, the lion. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Syn. — Beast, Brute. When we use these words in a figurative sense, as applicable to human beings, we think of beasts as mere animals governed by animal appetite; and of brutes as being destitute of reason or moral feeling, and governed by unrestrained passion. Hence we speak of beastly appetites; beastly indulgences, etc.; and of brutal manners; brutal inhumanity; brutal ferocity. So, also, we say of a drunkard, that he first made himself a beast, and then treated his family like a brute.
BEASTHOODBeast"hood, n.
Defn: State or nature of a beast.
BEASTINGSBeast"ings, n. pl.
Defn: See Biestings.
BEASTLIHEADBeast"li*head, n. Etym: [Beastly + -head state.]
Defn: Beastliness. [Obs.] Spenser.
BEASTLIKEBeast"like", a.
Defn: Like a beast.
BEASTLINESSBeast"li*ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being beastly.
BEASTLYBeast"ly, a.
1. Pertaining to, or having the form, nature, or habits of, a beast. Beastly divinities and droves of gods. Prior.
2. Characterizing the nature of a beast; contrary to the nature and dignity of man; brutal; filthy. The beastly vice of drinking to excess. Swift.
3. Abominable; as, beastly weather. [Colloq. Eng.]
Syn.— Bestial; brutish; irrational; sensual; degrading.
BEATBeat, v. t. [imp. Beat; p. p. Beat, Beaten (; p. pr. & vb. n.Beating.] Etym: [OE. beaten, beten, AS. beátan; akin to Icel. bauta,OHG. b. Cf. 1st Butt, Button.]
1. To strike repeatedly; to lay repeated blows upon; as, to beat one's breast; to beat iron so as to shape it; to beat grain, in order to force out the seeds; to beat eggs and sugar; to beat a drum. Thou shalt beat some of it [spices] very small. Ex. xxx. 36. They did beat the gold into thin plates. Ex. xxxix. 3.
2. To punish by blows; to thrash.
3. To scour or range over in hunting, accompanied with the noise made by striking bushes, etc., for the purpose of rousing game. To beat the woods, and rouse the bounding prey. Prior.
4. To dash against, or strike, as with water or wind. A frozen continent . . . beat with perpetual storms. Milton.
5. To tread, as a path. Pass awful gulfs, and beat my painful way. Blackmore.
6. To overcome in a battle, contest, strife, race, game, etc.; to vanquish or conquer; to surpass. He beat them in a bloody battle. Prescott. For loveliness, it would be hard to beat that. M. Arnold.
7. To cheat; to chouse; to swindle; to defraud; — often with out. [Colloq.]
8. To exercise severely; to perplex; to trouble. Why should any one . . . beat his head about the Latin grammar who does not intend to be a critic Locke.
9. (Mil.)
Defn: To give the signal for, by beat of drum; to sound by beat of drum; as, to beat an alarm, a charge, a parley, a retreat; to beat the general, the reveille, the tattoo. See Alarm, Charge, Parley, etc. To beat down, to haggle with (any one) to secure a lower price; to force down. [Colloq.] — To beat into, to teach or instill, by repetition. — To beat off, to repel or drive back. — To beat out, to extend by hammering. — To beat out of a thing, to cause to relinquish it, or give it up. "Nor can anything beat their posterity out of it to this day." South. — To beat the dust. (Man.) (a) To take in too little ground with the fore legs, as a horse. (b) To perform curvets too precipitately or too low. — To beat the hoof, to walk; to go on foot. — To beat the wing, to flutter; to move with fluttering agitation. — To beat time, to measure or regulate time in music by the motion of the hand or foot. — To beat up, to attack suddenly; to alarm or disturb; as, to beat up an enemy's quarters.
Syn. — To strike; pound; bang; buffet; maul; drub; thump; baste; thwack; thrash; pommel; cudgel; belabor; conquer; defeat; vanquish; overcome.
BEATBeat, v. i.
1. To strike repeatedly; to inflict repeated blaows; to knock vigorously or loudly. The men of the city . . . beat at the door. Judges. xix. 22.
2. To move with pulsation or throbbing. A thousand hearts beat happily. Byron.
3. To come or act with violence; to dash or fall with force; to strike anything, as, rain, wind, and waves do. Sees rolling tempests vainly beat below. Dryden. They [winds] beat at the crazy casement. Longfellow. The sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wisbed in himself to die. Jonah iv. 8. Public envy seemeth to beat chiefly upon ministers. Bacon.
4. To be in agitation or doubt. [Poetic] To still my beating mind. Shak .
5. (Naut.)
Defn: To make progress against the wind, by sailing in a zigzag line or traverse.
6. To make a sound when struck; as, the drums beat.
7. (Mil.)
Defn: To make a succession of strokes on a drum; as, the drummers beat to call soldiers to their quarters.
8. (Acoustics & Mus.)
Defn: To sound with more or less rapid alternations of greater and less intensity, so as to produce a pulsating effect; — said of instruments, tones, or vibrations, not perfectly in unison. A beating wind (Naut.), a wind which necessitates tacking in order to make progress. — To beat about, to try to find; to search by various means or ways. Addison. — To beat about the bush, to approach a subject circuitously. — To beat up and down (Hunting), to run first one way and then another; — said of a stag. — To beat up for recruits, to go diligently about in order to get helpers or participators in an enterprise.
BEATBeat, n.
1. A stroke; a blow.He, with a careless beat, Struck out the mute creation at a heat.Dryden.
2. A recurring stroke; a throb; a pulsation; as, a beat of the heart; the beat of the pulse.
3. (Mus.) (a) The rise or fall of the hand or foot, marking the divisions of time; a division of the measure so marked. In the rhythm of music the beat is the unit. (b) A transient grace note, struck immediately before the one it is intended to ornament.
4. (Acoustics & Mus.)
Defn: A sudden swelling or reënforcement of a sound, recurring at regular intervals, and produced by the interference of sound waves of slightly different periods of vibrations; applied also, by analogy, to other kinds of wave motions; the pulsation or throbbing produced by the vibrating together of two tones not quite in unison. See Beat, v. i., 8.
5. A round or course which is frequently gone over; as, a watchman's beat.
6. A place of habitual or frequent resort.
7. A cheat or swindler of the lowest grade; — often emphasized by dead; as, a dead beat. [Low] Beat of drum (Mil.), a succession of strokes varied, in different ways, for particular purposes, as to regulate a march, to call soldiers to their arms or quarters, to direct an attack, or retreat, etc. — Beat of a watch, or clock, the stroke or sound made by the action of the escapement. A clock is in beat or out of beat, according as the strokes is at equal or unequal intervals.
BEATBeat, a.
Defn: Weary; tired; fatigued; exhausted. [Colloq.]Quite beat, and very much vexed and disappointed. Dickens.
BEATENBeat"en, a.
1. Made smooth by beating or treading; worn by use. "A broad and beaten way." Milton. "Beaten gold." Shak.
2. Vanquished; conquered; baffled.
3. Exhausted; tired out.
4. Become common or trite; as, a beaten phrase. [Obs.]
5. Tried; practiced. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.
BEATERBeat"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, beats.
2. A person who beats up game for the hunters. Black.
BEATHBeath, v. t. Etym: [AS. be to foment.]
Defn: To bathe; also, to dry or heat, as unseasoned wood. [Obs.]Spenser.
BEATIFIC; BEATIFICAL Be`a*tif"ic, Be`a*tif"ic*al, a. Etym: [Cf. F. béatifique, L. beatificus. See Beatify.]
Defn: Having the power to impart or complete blissful enjoyment; blissful. "The beatific vision." South. — Be`a*tif"ic*al*ly, adv.
BEATIFICATEBe`a*tif"i*cate, v. t.
Defn: To beatify. [Obs.] Fuller.
BEATIFICATIONBe*at`i*fi*ca"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. béatification.]
Defn: The act of beatifying, or the state of being beatified; esp., in the R. C. Church, the act or process of ascertaining and declaring that a deceased person is one of "the blessed," or has attained the second degree of sanctity, — usually a stage in the process of canonization. "The beatification of his spirit." Jer. Taylor.
BEATIFYBe*at"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beatified (p. pr. & vb. n.Beatifying.] Etym: [L. beatificare; beatus happy (fr. beare to bless,akin to bonus good) + facere to make: cf. F. béatifier. See Bounty.]
1. To pronounce or regard as happy, or supremely blessed, or as conferring happiness. The common conceits and phrases that beatify wealth. Barrow.
2. To make happy; to bless with the completion of celestial enjoyment. "Beatified spirits." Dryden.
3. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: To ascertain and declare, by a public process and decree, that a deceased person is one of "the blessed" and is to be reverenced as such, though not canonized.
BEATINGBeat"ing, n.
1. The act of striking or giving blows; punishment or chastisement by blows.
2. Pulsation; throbbing; as, the beating of the heart.
3. (Acoustics & Mus.)
Defn: Pulsative sounds. See Beat, n.
4. (Naut.)
Defn: The process of sailing against the wind by tacks in zigzag direction.
BEATITUDEBe*at"i*tude, n. Etym: [L. beatitudo: cf. F. béatitude. See Beatify.]
1. Felicity of the highest kind; consummate bliss.
2. Any one of the nine declarations (called the Beatitudes), made in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. v. 3-12), with regard to the blessedness of those who are distinguished by certain specified virtues.
3. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: Beatification. Milman.
Syn.— Blessedness; felicity; happiness.
BEAU Beau, n.; pl. F. Beaux (E. pron. b), E. Beaus. Etym: [F., a fop, fr. beau fine, beautiful, fr. L. bellus pretty, fine, for bonulus, dim. of bonus good. See Bounty, and cf. Belle, Beauty.]
1. A man who takes great care to dress in the latest fashion; a dandy.
2. A man who escorts, or pays attentions to, a lady; an escort; a lover.
BEAUCATCHERBeau"catch`er, n.
Defn: A small flat curl worn on the temple by women. [Humorous]
BEAUFETBeau"fet, n. Etym: [See Buffet.]
Defn: A niche, cupboard, or sideboard for plate, china, glass, etc.;a buffet.A beaufet . . . filled with gold and silver vessels. Prescott.
BEAUFINBeau"fin, n.
Defn: See Biffin. Wright.
BEAUFORT'S SCALEBeau"fort's scale`. (Meteor.)
Defn: 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 IDEALBeau" i*de"al. Etym: [F. beau beautiful + idéal ideal.]
Defn: A conception or image of consummate beauty, moral or physical, formed in the mind, free from all the deformities, defects, and blemishes seen in actual existence; an ideal or faultless standard or model.
BEAUISHBeau"ish, n.
Defn: Like a beau; characteristic of a beau; foppish; fine. "A beauish young spark." Byrom.
BEAU MONDEBeau` monde". Etym: [F. beau fine + monde world.]
Defn: The fashionable world; people of fashion and gayety. Prior.
BEAUMONTAGUEBeau`mon"ta*gue, n.
Defn: 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.
BEAUPEREBeau"pere`, n. Etym: [F. beau pére; beau fair + pére father.]
1. A father. [Obs.] Wyclif.
2. A companion. [Obs.] Spenser.
BEAUSEANTBeau`se`ant", n. Etym: [F. beaucéant.]
Defn: The black and white standard of the Knights Templars.
BEAUSHIPBeau"ship, n.
Defn: The state of being a beau; the personality of a beau. [Jocular]Dryden.
BEAUTEOUSBeau"te*ous, a.
Defn: Full of beauty; beautiful; very handsome. [Mostly poetic] —Beau"te*ous*ly, adv. —
Defn: Beau"te*ous*ness, n.
BEAUTIEDBeau"tied, p. a.
Defn: Beautiful; embellished. [Poetic] Shak.
BEAUTIFIERBeau"ti*fi`er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, beautifies or makes beautiful.
BEAUTIFULBeau"ti*ful, a.
Defn: Having the qualities which constitute beauty; pleasing to thesight or the mind.A circle is more beautiful than a square; a square is more beautifulthan a parallelogram. Lord Kames.
Syn.— Handsome; elegant; lovely; fair; charming; graceful; pretty;delightful. See Fine.— Beau"ti*ful*ly, adv.— Beau"ti*ful*ness, n.
BEAUTIFYBeau"ti*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beautified (p. pr. & vb. n.Beautifying.] Etym: [Beauty + -fy.]
Defn: To make or render beautiful; to add beauty to; to adorn; to deck; to grace; to embellish. The arts that beautify and polish life. Burke.
Syn.— To adorn; grace; ornament; deck; decorate.
BEAUTIFYBeau"ti*fy, v. i.
Defn: To become beautiful; to advance in beauty. Addison.
BEAUTILESSBeau"ti*less, a.
Defn: Destitute of beauty. Hammond.
BEAUTY Beau"ty, n.; pl. Beauties. Etym: [OE. beaute, beute, OF. beauté, biauté, Pr. beltat, F. beauté, fr. an assumed LL. bellitas, from L. bellus pretty. See Beau.]
1. An assemblage or graces or properties pleasing to the eye, the ear, the intellect, the æsthetic faculty, or the moral sense. Beauty consists of a certain composition of color and figure, causing delight in the beholder. Locke. The production of beauty by a multiplicity of symmetrical parts uniting in a consistent whole. Wordsworth. The old definition of beauty, in the Roman school, was, "multitude in unity;" and there is no doubt that such is the principle of beauty. Coleridge.
2. A particular grace, feature, ornament, or excellence; anything beautiful; as, the beauties of nature.
3. A beautiful person, esp. a beautiful woman. All the admired beauties of Verona. Shak.
4. Prevailing style or taste; rage; fashion. [Obs.] She stained her hair yellow, which was then the beauty. Jer. Taylor. Beauty spot, a patch or spot placed on the face with intent to heighten beauty by contrast.
BEAUXBeaux, n.,
Defn: pl. of Beau.
BEAUXITEBeaux"ite, n. (Min.)
Defn: See Bauxite.
BEAVER Bea"ver, n. Etym: [OE. bever, AS. beofer, befer; akin to D. bever, OHG. bibar, G. biber, Sw. bäfver, Dan. bæver, Lith. bebru, Russ. bobr', Gael. beabhar, Corn. befer, L. fiber, and Skr. babhrus large ichneumon; also as an adj., brown, the animal being probably named from its color. Brown.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An amphibious rodent, of the genus Castor.
Note: It has palmated hind feet, and a broad, flat tail. It is remarkable for its ingenuity in constructing its valued for its fur, and for the material called castor, obtained from two small bags in the groin of the animal. The European species is Castor fiber, and the American is generally considered a variety of this, although sometimes called Castor Canadensis.
2. The fur of the beaver.
3. A hat, formerly made of the fur of the beaver, but now usually of silk. A brown beaver slouched over his eyes. Prescott.
4. Beaver cloth, a heavy felted woolen cloth, used chiefly for making overcoats. Beaver rat (Zoöl.), an aquatic ratlike quadruped of Tasmania (Hydromys chrysogaster). — Beaver skin, the furry skin of the beaver. — Bank beaver. See under 1st Bank.
BEAVER Bea"ver, n. Etym: [OE. baviere, bauier, beavoir, bever; fr. F. bavière, fr. bave slaver, drivel, foam, OF., prattle, drivel, perh. orig. an imitative word. Bavière, according to Cotgrave, is the bib put before a (slavering) child.]
Defn: That piece of armor which protected the lower part of the face, whether forming a part of the helmet or fixed to the breastplate. It was so constructed (with joints or otherwise) that the wearer could raise or lower it to eat and drink.
BEAVEREDBea"vered, a.
Defn: Covered with, or wearing, a beaver or hat. "His beavered brow."Pope.
BEAVER STATEBea"ver State.
Defn: Oregon; — a nickname.
BEAVERTEENBea"ver*teen, n.
Defn: A kind of fustian made of coarse twilled cotton, shorn after dyeing. Simmonds.
BEBEERINE; BEBIRINEBe*bee"rine, or Be*bi"rine, n. (Chem.)
Defn: An alkaloid got from the bark of the bebeeru, or green heart ofGuiana (Nectandra Rodioei). It is a tonic, antiperiodic, andfebrifuge, and is used in medicine as a substitute for quinine.[Written also bibirine.]
BEBEERUBe*bee"ru, n. [Written also bibiru.] [Native name.] (Bot.)
Defn: A tropical South American tree (Nectandra Rodioi), the bark of which yields the alkaloid bebeerine, and the wood of which is known as green heart.
BEBLEEDBe*bleed", v. t.
Defn: To make bloody; to stain with blood. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BEBLOOD; BEBLOODYBe*blood", Be*blood"y, v. t.
Defn: To make bloody; to stain with blood. [Obs.] Sheldon.
BEBLOTBe*blot", v. t.
Defn: To blot; to stain. Chaucer.
BEBLUBBERBe*blub"ber, v. t.
Defn: To make swollen and disfigured or sullied by weeping; as, her eyes or cheeks were beblubbered.
BEBUNGBe"bung, n. [G., lit., a trembling.] (Music)
Defn: A tremolo effect, such as that produced on the piano by vibratory repetition of a note with sustained use of the pedal.
BECALMBe*calm", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Becalmed (p. pr. & vb. n. Becalming.]
1. To render calm or quiet; to calm; to still; to appease. Soft whispering airs . . . becalm the mind. Philips.
2. To keep from motion, or stop the progress of, by the stilling of the wind; as, the fleet was becalmed.
BECAMEBe*came", imp.
Defn: of Become.
BECARDBec"ard, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A South American bird of the flycatcher family. (Tityra inquisetor).
BECAUSEBe*cause", conj. Etym: [OE. bycause; by + cause.]
1. By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that. Milton.
2. In order that; that. [Obs.] And the multitude rebuked them because they should hold their peace. Matt. xx. 31. Because of, by reason of, on account of. [Prep. phrase.] Because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Eph. v. 6.
Syn, — Because, For, Since, As, Inasmuch As. These particles are used, in certain connections, to assign the reason of a thing, or that "on account of" which it is or takes place. Because (by cause) is the strongest and most emphatic; as, I hid myself because I was afraid. For is not quite so strong; as, in Shakespeare, "I hate him, for he is a Christian." Since is less formal and more incidental than because; as, I will do it since you request me. It more commonly begins a sentence; as, Since your decision is made, I will say no more. As is still more incidental than since, and points to some existing fact by way of assigning a reason. Thus we say, as I knew him to be out of town, I did not call. Inasmuch as seems to carry with it a kind of qualification which does not belong to the rest. Thus, if we say, I am ready to accept your proposal, inasmuch as I believe it is the best you can offer, we mean, it is only with this understanding that we can accept it.
BECCABUNGABec`ca*bun"ga, n. Etym: [NL. (cf. It. beccabunga, G. bachbunge), fr.G. bach brook + bunge, OHG. bungo, bulb. See Beck a brook.]
Defn: See Brooklime.
BECCAFICO Bec`ca*fi"co, n.; pl. Beccaficos (. Etym: [It., fr. beccare to peck + fico fig.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small bird. (Silvia hortensis), which is highly prized by the Italians for the delicacy of its flesh in the autumn, when it has fed on figs, grapes, etc.
BECCHI'S TESTBec"chi's test. [After E. Becchi, Italian chemist.] (Chem.)
Defn: A qualitative test for cottonseed oil, based on the fact this oil imparts a maroon color to an alcoholic solution of silver nitrate.
BECHAMELBech"a*mel, n. Etym: [F. béchamel, named from its inventor, Louis deBéchamel.] (Cookery)
Defn: A rich, white sauce, prepared with butter and cream.
BECHANCEBe*chance", adv. Etym: [Pref. be- for by + chance.]
Defn: By chance; by accident. [Obs.] Grafton.
BECHANCEBe*chance", v. t. & i.
Defn: To befall; to chance; to happen to.God knows what hath bechanced them. Shak.
BECHARMBe*charm", v. t.
Defn: To charm; to captivate.
BECHE DE MERBêche` de mer". Etym: [F., lit., a sea spade.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The trepang.
BECHIC Be"chic, a. Etym: [L. bechicus, adj., for a cough, Gr. , fr. cough: cf. F. béchique.] (Med.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or relieving, a cough. Thomas. — n.
Defn: A medicine for relieving coughs. Quincy.
BECHUANASBech`u*a"nas, n. pl.
Defn: A division of the Bantus, dwelling between the Orange andZambezi rivers, supposed to be the most ancient Bantu population ofSouth Africa. They are divided into totemic clans; they areintelligent and progressive.
BECKBeck, n.
Defn: See Beak. [Obs.] Spenser.
BECK Beck, n. Etym: [OE. bek, AS. becc; akin to Icel. bekkr brook, OHG. pah, G. bach.]
Defn: A small brook.The brooks, the becks, the rills. Drayton.
BECKBeck, n.
Defn: A vat. See Back.
BECKBeck, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Becked (; p. pr. & vb. n. Becking.] Etym:[Contr. of beckon.]
Defn: To nod, or make a sign with the head or hand. [Archaic]Drayton.
BECKBeck, v. t.
Defn: To notify or call by a nod, or a motion of the head or hand; to intimate a command to. [Archaic] When gold and silver becks me to come on. Shak.
BECKBeck, n.
Defn: A significant nod, or motion of the head or hand, esp. as acall or command.They have troops of soldiers at their beck. Shak.
BECKERBeck"er, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A European fish (Pagellus centrodontus); the sea bream or braise.
BECKETBeck"et, n. Etym: [Cf. D. bek beak, and E. beak.]
1. (Naut.)
Defn: A small grommet, or a ring or loop of rope
2. A spade for digging turf. [Prov. Eng.] Wright.
BECKONBeck"on, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beckoned (p. pr. & vb. n. Beckoning.]
Defn: To make a significant sign to; hence, to summon, as by a motionof the hand.His distant friends, he beckons near. Dryden.It beckons you to go away with it. Shak.
BECKONBeck"on, n.
Defn: A sign made without words; a beck. "At the first beckon."Bolingbroke.
BECK'S SCALEBeck's scale.
Defn: A hydrometer scale on which the zero point corresponds to sp. gr. 1.00, and the 30º-point to sp. gr. 0.85. From these points the scale is extended both ways, all the degrees being of equal length.
BECLAPBe*clap, v. t. Etym: [OE. biclappen.]
Defn: To catch; to grasp; to insnare. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BECLIP Be*clip", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beclipped ( Etym: [AS. beclyppan; pref. be + clyppan to embrace.]
Defn: To embrace; to surround. [Obs.] Wyclif.
BECLOUDBe*cloud", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beclouded; p. pr. & vb. n.Beclouding.]
Defn: To cause obscurity or dimness to; to dim; to cloud.If thou becloud the sunshine of thine eye. Quarles.
BECOME Be*come", v. i. [imp. Became; p. p. Become; p. pr. & vb. n. Becoming.] Etym: [OE. bicumen, becumen, AS. becuman to come to, to happen; akin to D. bekomen, OHG.a piquëman, Goth. biquiman to come upon, G. bekommen to get, suit. See Be-, and Come.]
1. To pass from one state to another; to enter into some state or condition, by a change from another state, or by assuming or receiving new properties or qualities, additional matter, or a new character. The Lord God . . . breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Gen. ii. 7. That error now which is become my crime. Milton.
2. To come; to get. [Obs.] But, madam, where is Warwick then become! Shak. To become of, to be the present state or place of; to be the fate of; to be the end of; to be the final or subsequent condition of. What is then become of so huge a multitude Sir W. Raleigh.
BECOMEBe*come", v. t.