BIVIUMBiv"i*um, n. Etym: [L., a place with two ways. See Bivious.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One side of an echinoderm, including a pair of ambulacra, in distinction from the opposite side (trivium), which includes three ambulacra.
BIVOUAC Biv"ouac, n. Etym: [F. bivouac, bivac, prab. fr. G. beiwache, or beiwacht; bei by, near + wachen to watch, wache watch, guard. See By, and Watch.] (Mil.) (a) The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack. (b) An encampment for the night without tents or covering.
BIVOUAC Biv"ouac, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bivouacked (p. pr. & vb. n. Bivouacking.] (Mil.) (a) To watch at night or be on guard, as a whole army. (b) To encamp for the night without tents or covering.
BIWEEKLYBi"week`ly, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + weekly.]
Defn: Occurring or appearing once every two weeks; fortnightly.— n.
Defn: A publication issued every two weeks.— Bi"week"ly, adv.
BIWREYEBi*wreye", v. t.
Defn: To bewray; to reveal. [Obs.]
BIZANTINEBiz"an*tine.
Defn: See Byzantine.
BIZARRE Bi*zarre", a. Etym: [F. bizarre odd, fr. Sp. bizarro gallant, brave, liberal, prob. of Basque origin; cf. Basque bizarra beard, whence the meaning manly, brave.]
Defn: Odd in manner or appearance; fantastic; whimsical; extravagant; grotesque. C. Kingsley.
BIZETBi*zet", n. Etym: [Cf. Bezel.]
Defn: The upper faceted portion of a brilliant-cut diamond, which projects from the setting and occupies the zone between the girdle and the table. See Brilliant, n.
BLABBlab, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blabbed (p. pr. & vb. n. Blabbing.] Etym:[Cf. OE. blaberen, or Dan. blabbre, G. plappern, Gael. blabaran astammerer; prob. of imitative origin. Cf. also Blubber, v.]
Defn: To utter or tell unnecessarily, or in a thoughtless manner; topublish (secrets or trifles) without reserve or discretion. Udall.And yonder a vile physician blabbing The case of his patient.Tennyson.
BLABBlab, v. i.
Defn: To talk thoughtlessly or without discretion; to tattle; to telltales.She must burst or blab. Dryden.
BLABBlab, n. Etym: [OE. blabbe.]
Defn: One who blabs; a babbler; a telltale. "Avoided as a blab."Milton.For who will open himself to a blab or a babbler. Bacon.
BLABBERBlab"ber, n.
Defn: A tattler; a telltale.
BLACK Black, a. Etym: [OE. blak, AS. blæc; akin to Icel. blakkr dark, swarthy, Sw. bläck ink, Dan. blæk, OHG. blach, LG. & D. blaken to burn with a black smoke. Not akin to AS. blac, E. bleak pallid.
1. Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark color, the opposite of white; characterized by such a color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes. O night, with hue so black! Shak.
2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the heavens black with clouds. I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud. Shak.
3. Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness; destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked; cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible. "This day's black fate." "Black villainy." "Arise, black vengeance." "Black day." "Black despair." Shak.
4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen; foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.
Note: Black is often used in self-explaining compound words; as, black-eyed, black-faced, black-haired, black-visaged. Black act, the English statute 9 George I, which makes it a felony to appear armed in any park or warren, etc., or to hunt or steal deer, etc., with the face blackened or disguised. Subsequent acts inflicting heavy penalties for malicious injuries to cattle and machinery have been called black acts. — Black angel (Zoöl.), a fish of the West Indies and Florida (Holacanthus tricolor), with the head and tail yellow, and the middle of the body black. — Black antimony (Chem.), the black sulphide of antimony, Sb2S3, used in pyrotechnics, etc. — Black bear (Zoöl.), the common American bear (Ursus Americanus). — Black beast. See Bête noire. — Black beetle (Zoöl.), the common large cockroach (Blatta orientalis). — Black and blue, the dark color of a bruise in the flesh, which is accompanied with a mixture of blue. "To pinch the slatterns black and blue." Hudibras. — Black bonnet (Zoöl.), the black-headed bunting (Embriza Schoeniclus) of Europe. — Black canker, a disease in turnips and other crops, produced by a species of caterpillar. — Black cat (Zoöl.), the fisher, a quadruped of North America allied to the sable, but larger. See Fisher. — Black cattle, any bovine cattle reared for slaughter, in distinction from dairy cattle. [Eng.] — Black cherry. See under Cherry. — Black cockatoo (Zoöl.), the palm cockatoo. See Cockatoo. — Black copper. Same as Melaconite. — Black currant. (Bot.) See Currant. — Black diamond. (Min.) See Carbonado. — Black draught (Med.), a cathartic medicine, composed of senna and magnesia. — Black drop (Med.), vinegar of opium; a narcotic preparation consisting essentially of a solution of opium in vinegar. — Black earth, mold; earth of a dark color. Woodward. — Black flag, the flag of a pirate, often bearing in white a skull and crossbones; a signal of defiance. — Black flea (Zoöl.), a flea beetle (Haltica nemorum) injurious to turnips. — Black flux, a mixture of carbonate of potash and charcoal, obtained by deflagrating tartar with half its weight of niter. Brande & C. — Black fly. (Zoöl.) (a) In the United States, a small, venomous, two-winged fly of the genus Simulium of several species, exceedingly abundant and troublesome in the northern forests. The larvæ are aquatic. (b) A black plant louse, as the bean aphis (A. fabæ). — Black Forest Etym: [a translation of G. Schwarzwald], a forest in Baden and Würtemburg, in Germany; a part of the ancient Hercynian forest. — Black game, or Black grouse. (Zoöl.) See Blackcock, Grouse, and Heath grouse. — Black grass (Bot.), a grasslike rush of the species Juncus Gerardi, growing on salt marshes, and making good hay. — Black gum (Bot.), an American tree, the tupelo or pepperidge. See Tupelo. — Black Hamburg (grape) (Bot.), a sweet and juicy variety of dark purple or "black" grape. — Black horse (Zoöl.), a fish of the Mississippi valley (Cycleptus elongatus), of the sucker family; the Missouri sucker. — Black lemur (Zoöl.), the Lemurniger of Madagascar; the acoumbo of the natives. — Black list, a list of persons who are for some reason thought deserving of censure or punishment; — esp. a list of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, made for the protection of tradesmen or employers. See Blacklist, v. t. — Black manganese (Chem.), the black oxide of manganese, MnO2. — Black Maria, the close wagon in which prisoners are carried to or from jail. — Black martin (Zoöl.), the chimney swift. See Swift. — Black moss (Bot.), the common so-called long moss of the southern United States. See Tillandsia. — Black oak. See under Oak. — Black ocher. See Wad. — Black pigment, a very fine, light carbonaceous substance, or lampblack, prepared chiefly for the manufacture of printers' ink. It is obtained by burning common coal tar. — Black plate, sheet iron before it is tinned. Knight. — Black quarter, malignant anthrax with engorgement of a shoulder or quarter, etc., as of an ox. — Black rat (Zoöl.), one of the species of rats (Mus rattus), commonly infesting houses. — Black rent. See Blackmail, n., 3. — Black rust, a disease of wheat, in which a black, moist matter is deposited in the fissures of the grain. — Black sheep, one in a family or company who is unlike the rest, and makes trouble. — Black silver. (Min.) See under Silver. — Black and tan, black mixed or spotted with tan color or reddish brown; — used in describing certain breeds of dogs. — Black tea. See under Tea. — Black tin (Mining), tin ore (cassiterite), when dressed, stamped and washed, ready for smelting. It is in the form of a black powder, like fine sand. Knight. — Black walnut. See under Walnut. — Black warrior (Zoöl.), an American hawk (Buteo Harlani).
Syn.— Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart;Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.
BLACKBlack, adv.
Defn: Sullenly; threateningly; maliciously; so as to produce blackness.
BLACKBlack, n.
1. That which is destitute of light or whiteness; the darkest color, or rather a destitution of all color; as, a cloth has a good black. Black is the badge of hell, The hue of dungeons, and the suit of night. Shak.
2. A black pigment or dye.
3. A negro; a person whose skin is of a black color, or shaded with black; esp. a member or descendant of certain African races.
4. A black garment or dress; as, she wears black; pl. (Obs.)
Defn: Mourning garments of a black color; funereal drapery.Friends weeping, and blacks, and obsequies, and the like show deathterrible. Bacon.That was the full time they used to wear blacks for the death oftheir fathers. Sir T. North.
5. The part of a thing which is distinguished from the rest by being black. The black or sight of the eye. Sir K. Digby.
6. A stain; a spot; a smooch. Defiling her white lawn of chastity with ugly blacks of lust. Rowley. Black and white, writing or print; as, I must have that statement in black and white. — Blue black, a pigment of a blue black color. — Ivory black, a fine kind of animal charcoal prepared by calcining ivory or bones. When ground it is the chief ingredient of the ink used in copperplate printing. — Berlin black. See under Berlin.
BLACKBlack, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blacked ; p. pr. & vb. n. Blacking.] Etym:[See Black, a., and cf. Blacken.]
1. To make black; to blacken; to soil; to sully. They have their teeth blacked, both men and women, for they say a dog hath his teeth white, therefore they will black theirs. Hakluyt. Sins which black thy soul. J. Fletcher.
2. To make black and shining, as boots or a stove, by applying blacking and then polishing with a brush.
BLACKAMOORBlack"a*moor, n. Etym: [Black + Moor.]
Defn: A negro or negress. Shak.
BLACK ARTBlack" art`.
Defn: The art practiced by conjurers and witches; necromancy; conjuration; magic.
Note: This name was given in the Middle Ages to necromancy, under the idea that the latter term was derived from niger black, instead of nekro`s, a dead person, and mantei`a, divination. Wright.
BLACK-A-VISEDBlack"-a-vised`, a.
Defn: Dark-visaged; swart.
BLACKBALLBlack"ball`, n.
1. A composition for blacking shoes, boots, etc.; also, one for taking impressions of engraved work.
2. A ball of black color, esp. one used as a negative in voting; — in this sense usually two words.
BLACKBALLBlack"ball`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackballed (; p. pr. & vb. n.Blackballing.]
1. To vote against, by putting a black ball into a ballot box; to reject or exclude, as by voting against with black balls; to ostracize. He was blackballed at two clubs in succession. Thackeray.
2. To blacken (leather, shoes, etc.) with blacking.
BLACKBANDBlack"band`, n. (Min.)
Defn: An earthy carbonate of iron containing considerable carbonaceous matter; — valuable as an iron ore.
BLACK BASSBlack" bass`. (Zoöl.)
1. An edible, fresh-water fish of the United States, of the genus Micropterus. the small-mouthed kind is M. dolomiei; the largemouthed is M. salmoides.
2. The sea bass. See Blackfish, 3.
BLACKBERRY Black"ber*ry, n. Etym: [OE. blakberye, AS. blæcerie; blæc black + berie berry.]
Defn: The fruit of several species of bramble (Rubus); also, the plant itself. Rubus fruticosus is the blackberry of England; R. villosus and R. Canadensis are the high blackberry and low blackberry of the United States. There are also other kinds.
BLACKBIRDBlack"bird, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: In England, a species of thrush (Turdus merula), a singing bird with a fin note; the merle. In America the name is given to several birds, as the Quiscalus versicolor, or crow blackbird; the Agelæus phoeniceus, or red-winged blackbird; the cowbird; the rusty grackle, etc. See Redwing.
BLACKBIRDERBlack"bird*er, n.
Defn: A slave ship; a slaver. [Colloq.] F. T. Bullen.
BLACKBIRDINGBlack"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]
BLACKBOARDBlack"board`, n.
Defn: A broad board painted black, or any black surface on which writing, drawing, or the working of mathematical problems can be done with chalk or crayons. It is much used in schools.
BLACK BOOKBlack" book`.
1. One of several books of a political character, published at different times and for different purposes; — so called either from the color of the binding, or from the character of the contents.
2. A book compiled in the twelfth century, containing a description of the court of exchequer of England, an official statement of the revenues of the crown, etc.
3. A book containing details of the enormities practiced in the English monasteries and religious houses, compiled by order of their visitors under Henry VIII., to hasten their dissolution.
4. A book of admiralty law, of the highest authority, compiled in the reign of Edw. III. Bouvier. Wharton.
5. A book kept for the purpose of registering the names of persons liable to censure or punishment, as in the English universities, or the English armies.
6. Any book which treats of necromancy.
BLACK-BROWEDBlack"-browed`, a.
Defn: Having black eyebrows. Hence: Gloomy; dismal; threatening; forbidding. Shak. Dryden.
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERBlack*bur"ni*an war"bler. Etym: [Named from Mrs. Blackburn, anEnglish lady.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A beautiful warbler of the United States (Dendroica Blackburniæ). The male is strongly marked with orange, yellow, and black on the head and neck, and has an orange-yellow breast.
BLACKCAPBlack"cap`, n.
1. (Zoöl.) (a) A small European song bird (Sylvia atricapilla), with a black crown; the mock nightingale. (b) An American titmouse (Parus atricapillus); the chickadee.
2. (Cookery)
Defn: An apple roasted till black, to be served in a dish of boiled custard.
3. The black raspberry.
BLACKCOATBlack"coat`, n.
Defn: A clergyman; — familiarly so called, as a soldier is sometimes called a redcoat or a bluecoat.
BLACKCOCKBlack"cock`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The male of the European black grouse (Tetrao tetrix, Linn.); - - so called by sportsmen. The female is called gray hen. See Heath grouse.
BLACK DEATHBlack" death`.
Defn: A pestilence which ravaged Europe and Asia in the fourteenth century.
BLACKENBlack"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackened; p. pr. & vb. n. Blackening.]Etym: [See Black, a., and cf. Black, v. t. ]
1. To make or render black. While the long funerals blacken all the way. Pope
2. To make dark; to darken; to cloud. "Blackened the whole heavens." South.
3. To defame; to sully, as reputation; to make infamous; as, vice blackens the character.
Syn. — To denigrate; defame; vilify; slander; calumniate; traduce; malign; asperse.
BLACKENBlack"en, v. i.
Defn: To grow black or dark.
BLACKENERBlack"en*er, n.
Defn: One who blackens.
BLACK-EYEDBlack"-eyed`, a.
Defn: Having black eyes. Dryden.
BLACK-EYED SUSANBlack"-eyed` Su"san. (Bot.)(a) The coneflower, or yellow daisy (Rudbeckia hirta).(b) The bladder ketmie.
BLACK-FACEDBlack"-faced`, a.
Defn: Having a black, dark, or gloomy face or aspect.
BLACKFEETBlack"feet`, n. pl. (Ethn.)
Defn: A tribe of North American Indians formerly inhabiting the country from the upper Missouri River to the Saskatchewan, but now much reduced in numbers.
BLACKFINBlack"fin`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Bluefin.
BLACKFISHBlack"fish, n.
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small kind of whale, of the genus Globicephalus, of several species. The most common is G. melas. Also sometimes applied to other whales of larger size.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The tautog of New England (Tautoga).
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The black sea bass (Centropristis atrarius) of the Atlantic coast. It is excellent food fish; — locally called also black Harry.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish of southern Europe (Centrolophus pompilus) of theMackerel family.
5. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The female salmon in the spawning season.
Note: The name is locally applied to other fishes.
BLACK FLAGSBlack Flags.
Defn: 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.
BLACKFOOTBlack"foot`, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Blackfeet; as, a Blackfoot Indian.— n.
Defn: A Blackfoot Indian.
BLACK FRIARBlack" fri`ar. (Eccl.)
Defn: A friar of the Dominican order; — called also predicant and preaching friar; in France, Jacobin. Also, sometimes, a Benedictine.
BLACK FRIDAYBlack Friday.
Defn: 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.
BLACKGUARDBlack"guard, n. Etym: [Black + guard.]
1. The scullions and lower menials of a court, or of a nobleman's household, who, in a removal from one residence to another, had charge of the kitchen utensils, and being smutted by them, were jocularly called the "black guard"; also, the servants and hangers-on of an army. [Obs.] A lousy slave, that . . . rode with the black guard in the duke's carriage, 'mongst spits and dripping pans. Webster (1612).
2. The criminals and vagrants or vagabonds of a town or community, collectively. [Obs.]
3. A person of stained or low character, esp. one who uses scurrilous language, or treats others with foul abuse; a scoundrel; a rough. A man whose manners and sentiments are decidedly below those of his class deserves to be called a blackguard. Macaulay.
4. A vagrant; a bootblack; a gamin. [Obs.]
BLACKGUARDBlack"guard`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackguarded; p. pr. & vb. n.Blackguarding.]
Defn: To revile or abuse in scurrilous language. Southey.
BLACKGUARDBlack"guard, a.
Defn: Scurrilous; abusive; low; worthless; vicious; as, blackguard language.
BLACKGUARDISMBlack"guard*ism, n.
Defn: The conduct or language of a blackguard; rufflanism.
BLACKGUARDLYBlack"guard*ly, adv. & a.
Defn: In the manner of or resembling a blackguard; abusive; scurrilous; ruffianly.
BLACK HAMBURGBlack Ham"burg.
Defn: A sweet and juicy variety of European grape, of a dark purplish black color, much grown under glass in northern latitudes.
BLACK HANDBlack Hand. [A trans. of Sp. mano negra.]
1.
Defn: 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.]
BLACKHEADBlack"head`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The scaup duck.
BLACKHEARTBlack"heart`, n.
Defn: A heart-shaped cherry with a very dark-colored skin.
BLACK-HEARTEDBlack"-heart`ed, a.
Defn: Having a wicked, malignant disposition; morally bad.
BLACK HOLEBlack" hole`.
Defn: A dungeon or dark cell in a prison; a military lock-up or guardroom; — now commonly with allusion to the cell (the Black Hole) in a fort at Calcutta, into which 146 English prisoners were thrust by the nabob Suraja Dowla on the night of June 20, 17656, and in which 123 of the prisoners died before morning from lack of air. A discipline of unlimited autocracy, upheld by rods, and ferules, and the black hole. H. Spencer.
BLACKINGBlack"ing, n.
1. Any preparation for making things black; esp. one for giving a black luster to boots and shoes, or to stoves.
2. The act or process of making black.
BLACKISHBlack"ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat black.
BLACK-JACKBlack"-jack`, n.
1. (Min.)
Defn: A name given by English miners to sphalerite, or zinc blende; - - called also false galena. See Blende.
2. Caramel or burnt sugar, used to color wines, spirits, ground coffee, etc.
3. A large leather vessel for beer, etc. [Obs.]
4. (Bot.)
Defn: The Quercus nigra, or barren oak.
5. The ensign of a pirate.
BLACK LEADBlack` lead".
Defn: Plumbago; graphite.It leaves a blackish mark somewhat like lead. See Graphite.
BLACKLEADBlack`lead", v. t.
Defn: To coat or to polish with black lead.
BLACKLEGBlack"leg`, n.
1. A notorious gambler. [Colloq.]
2. A disease among calves and sheep, characterized by a settling of gelatinous matter in the legs, and sometimes in the neck. [Eng.]
BLACK LETTERBlack" let`ter.
Defn: The old English or Gothic letter, in which the Early English manuscripts were written, and the first English books were printed. It was conspicuous for its blackness. See Type.
BLACK-LETTERBlack"-let`ter, a.
1. Written or printed in black letter; as, a black-letter manuscript or book.
2. Given to the study of books in black letter; that is, of old books; out of date. Kemble, a black-letter man! J. Boaden.
3. Of or pertaining to the days in the calendar not marked with red letters as saints' days. Hence: Unlucky; inauspicious.
BLACKLISTBlack"list`, v. t.
Defn: To put in a black list as deserving of suspicion, censure, or punishment; esp. to put in a list of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, — as tradesmen and employers do for mutual protection; as, to blacklist a workman who has been discharged. See Black list, under Black, a. If you blacklist us, we will boycott you. John Swinton.
BLACKLYBlack"ly, adv.
Defn: In a black manner; darkly, in color; gloomily; threateningly; atrociously. "Deeds so blackly grim and horrid." Feltham.
BLACKMAILBlack"mail`, n. Etym: [Black + mail a piece of money.]
1. A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to certain men who were allied to robbers, or moss troopers, to be by them protected from pillage. Sir W. Scott.
2. Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation; also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.
3. (Eng. Law)
Defn: Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to "white rent", which paid in silver. To levy blackmail, to extort money by threats, as of injury to one's reputation.
BLACKMAILBlack"mail`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blackmailed; p. pr. & vb. n.Blackmailing.]
Defn: To extort money from by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation, distress of mind, etc.; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud. [U. S.]
BLACKMAILERBlack"mail`er, n.
Defn: One who extorts, or endeavors to extort, money, by black mailing.
BLACKMAILINGBlack"mail`ing, n.
Defn: The act or practice of extorting money by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation.
BLACK MONDAYBlack" Mon`day.
1. Easter Monday, so called from the severity of that day in 1360, which was so unusual that many of Edward III.'s soldiers, then before Paris, died from the cold. Stow. Then it was not for nothing that may nose fell a bleeding on Black Monday last. Shak.
2. The first Monday after the holidays; — so called by English schoolboys. Halliwell.
BLACK MONKBlack" monk`.
Defn: A Benedictine monk.
BLACKMOORBlack"moor, n.
Defn: See Blackamoor.
BLACK-MOUTHEDBlack"-mouthed`, a.
Defn: Using foul or scurrilous language; slanderous.
BLACKNESSBlack"ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being black; black color; atrociousness or enormity in wickedness. They're darker now than blackness. Donne.
BLACKPOLLBlack"poll`, n. Etym: [Black + poll head.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A warbler of the United States (Dendroica striata).
BLACK PUDDINGBlack" pud"ding.
Defn: A kind of sausage made of blood, suet, etc., thickened withmeal.And fat black puddings, — proper food, For warriors that delight inblood. Hudibras.
BLACK ROD Black" Rod`. (a) the usher to the Chapter of the Garter, so called from the black rod which he carries. He is of the king's chamber, and also usher to the House of Lords. [Eng.] (b) An usher in the legislature of British colonies. Cowell. Committed to the custody of the Black Rod. Macaulay.
BLACKROOTBlack"root`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: See Colicroot.
BLACKSBlacks, n. pl.
1. The name of a kind of in used in copperplate printing, prepared from the charred husks of the grape, and residue of the wine press.
2. Soot flying in the air. [Eng.]
3. Black garments, etc. See Black, n., 4.
BLACKSALTERBlack"salt`er, n.
Defn: One who,makes crude potash, or black salts.
BLACK SALTSBlack" salts`.
Defn: Crude potash. De Colange.
BLACKSMITH Black"smith`, n. Etym: [Black (in allusion to the color of the metal) + smith. Cf. Whitesmith.]
1. A smith who works in iron with a forge, and makes iron utensils, horseshoes, etc. The blacksmith may forge what he pleases. Howell.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish of the Pacific coast (Chromis, or Heliastes, punctipinnis), of a blackish color.
BLACK SNAKE; BLACKSNAKEBlack" snake` or Black"snake, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A snake of a black color, of which two species are common in the United States, the Bascanium constrictor, or racer, sometimes six feet long, and the Scotophis Alleghaniensis, seven or eight feet long.
Note: The name is also applied to various other black serpents, asNatrix atra of Jamaica.
BLACK SPANISHBlack Spanish.
Defn: 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.
BLACKSTRAPBlack"strap`, n.
1. A mixture of spirituous liquor (usually rum) and molasses. No blackstrap to-night; switchel, or ginger pop. Judd.
2. Bad port wine; any commo wine of the Mediterranean; — so called by sailors.
BLACKTAILBlack"tail`, n. Etym: [Black + tail.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish; the ruff or pope.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The black-tailed deer (Cervus or Cariacus Columbianus) ofCalifornia and Oregon; also, the mule deer of the Rocky Mountains.See Mule deer.
BLACKTHORN Black"thorn`, n. (Bot.) (a) A spreading thorny shrub or small tree (Prunus spinosa), with blackish bark, and bearing little black plums, which are called sloes; the sloe. (b) A species of Cratægus or hawthorn (C. tomentosa). Both are used for hedges.
BLACK VOMITBlack" vom"it. (Med.)
Defn: A copious vomiting of dark-colored matter; or the substance so discharged; — one of the most fatal symptoms in yellow fever.
BLACK WASH; BLACKWASHBlack" wash` or Black"wash, n.
1. (Med.)
Defn: A lotion made by mixing calomel and lime water.
2. A wash that blackens, as opposed to whitewash; hence, figuratively, calumny. To remove as far as he can the modern layers of black wash, and let the man himself, fair or foul, be seen. C. Kingsley.
BLACKWATER STATEBlack"wa`ter State.
Defn: 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.
BLACKWOODBlack"wood, n.
Defn: A name given to several dark-colored timbers. The East Indian black wood is from the tree Dalbergia latifolia. Balfour.
BLACKWORKBlack"work`, n.
Defn: Work wrought by blacksmiths; — so called in distinction from that wrought by whitesmiths. Knight.
BLADDER Blad"der, n. Etym: [OE. bladder, bleddre, AS. bl, bl; akin to Icel. bla, SW. bläddra, Dan. blære, D. blaar, OHG. blatara the bladder in the body of animals, G. blatter blister, bustule; all fr. the same root as AS. blawan, E. blow, to puff. See Blow to puff.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: A bag or sac in animals, which serves as the receptacle of some fluid; as, the urinary bladder; the gall bladder; — applied especially to the urinary bladder, either within the animal, or when taken out and inflated with air.
2. Any vesicle or blister, especially if filled with air, or a thin, watery fluid.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: A distended, membranaceous pericarp.
4. Anything inflated, empty, or unsound. "To swim with bladders of philosophy." Rochester. Bladder nut, or Bladder tree (Bot.), a genus of plants (Staphylea) with bladderlike seed pods. — Bladder pod (Bot.), a genus of low herbs (Vesicaria) with inflated seed pods. — Bladdor senna (Bot.), a genus of shrubs (Colutea), with membranaceous, inflated pods. — Bladder worm (Zoöl.), the larva of any species of tapeworm (Tænia), found in the flesh or other parts of animals. See Measle, Cysticercus. — Bladder wrack (Bot.), the common black rock weed of the seacoast (Fucus nodosus and F. vesiculosus) — called also bladder tangle. See Wrack.
BLADDERBlad"der, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bladdered; p. pr. & vb. n. Bladdering.]
1. To swell out like a bladder with air; to inflate. [Obs.] G. Fletcher.
2. To put up in bladders; as, bladdered lard.
BLADDERWORTBlad"der*wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus (Utricularia) of aquatic or marshy plants, which usually bear numerous vesicles in the divisions of the leaves. These serve as traps for minute animals. See Ascidium.
BLADDERYBlad"der*y, a.
Defn: Having bladders; also, resembling a bladder.
BLADE Blade, n. Etym: [OE. blade, blad, AS. blæd leaf; akin to OS., D., Dan., & Sw. blad, Icel. bla, OHG. blat, G. blatt, and perh. to L. folium, Gr. . The root is prob. the same as that of AS. bl, E. blow, to blossom. See Blow to blossom, and cf. Foil leaf of metal.]
1. Properly, the leaf, or flat part of the leaf, of any plant, especially of gramineous plants. The term is sometimes applied to the spire of grasses. The crimson dulse . . . with its waving blade. Percival. First the blade, then ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark iv. 28.
2. The cutting part of an instrument; as, the blade of a knife or a sword.
3. The broad part of an oar; also, one of the projecting arms of a screw propeller.
4. The scapula or shoulder blade.
5. pl. (Arch.)
Defn: The principal rafters of a roof. Weale.
6. pl. (Com.)
Defn: The four large shell plates on the sides, and the five large ones of the middle, of the carapace of the sea turtle, which yield the best tortoise shell. De Colange.
7. A sharp-witted, dashing, wild, or reckless, fellow; — a word of somewhat indefinite meaning. He saw a turnkey in a trice Fetter a troublesome blade. Coleridge.
BLADEBlade, v. t.
Defn: To furnish with a blade.
BLADEBlade, v. i.
Defn: To put forth or have a blade. As sweet a plant, as fair a flower, is faded As ever in the Muses' garden bladed. P. Fletcher.
BLADEBONEBlade"bone`, n.
Defn: The scapula. See Blade, 4.
BLADEDBlad"ed, a.
1. Having a blade or blades; as a two-bladed knife. Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass. Shak.
2. Divested of blades; as, bladed corn.
3. (Min.)
Defn: Composed of long and narrow plates, shaped like the blade of a knife.
BLADEFISHBlade"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A long, thin, marine fish of Europe (Trichiurus lepturus); the ribbon fish.
BLADESMITHBlade"smith`, n.
Defn: A sword cutler. [Obs.]
BLADYBlad"y, a.
Defn: Consisting of blades. [R.] "Blady grass." Drayton.
BLAEBlæ, a. Etym: [See Blue.]
Defn: Dark blue or bluish gray; lead-colored. [Scot.]
BLAEBERRY Blæ"ber*ry, n. Etym: [Blæ + berry; akin to Icel blaber, Sw. bl, D. blaabær. Cf. Blueberry.]
Defn: The bilberry. [North of Eng. & Scot.]
BLAGUEBlague, n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Mendacious boasting; falcefood; humbug.
BLAIN Blain, n. Etym: [OE. blein, bleyn, AS. bl; akin to Dan. blegn, D. blein; perh. fr. the same root as E. bladder. See Bladder.]
1. An inflammatory swelling or sore; a bulla, pustule, or blister. Blotches and blains must all his flesh emboss. Milton.
2. (Far.)
Defn: A bladder growing on the root of the tongue of a horse, against the windpipe, and stopping the breath.
BLAMABLEBlam"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. blâmable.]
Defn: Deserving of censure; faulty; culpable; reprehensible;censurable; blameworthy.— Blam"a*ble*ness, n.— Blam"a*bly (, adv.
BLAME Blame, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blamed; p. pr. & vb. n. Blaming.] Etym: [OE. blamen, F. blâr, OF. blasmer, fr. L. blasphemare to blaspheme, LL. also to blame, fr. Gr. to speak ill to slander, to blaspheme, fr. evil speaking, perh, for ; injury (fr. to injure) + a saying, fr. to say. Cf. Blaspheme, and see Fame.]
1. To censure; to express disapprobation of; to find fault with; to reproach. We have none to blame but ourselves. Tillotson.
2. To bring reproach upon; to blemish. [Obs.] She . . . blamed her noble blood. Spenser. To blame, to be blamed, or deserving blame; in fault; as, the conductor was to blame for the accident. You were to blame, I must be plain with you. Shak.
BLAME Blame, n. Etym: [OE. blame, fr. F. blâme, OF. blasme, fr. blâmer, OF. blasmer, to blame. See Blame, v.]
1. An expression of disapprobation fir something deemed to be wrong; imputation of fault; censure. Let me bear the blame forever. Gen. xiiii. 9.
2. That which is deserving of censure or disapprobation; culpability; fault; crime; sin. Holy and without blame before him in love. Eph. i. 4.
3. Hurt; injury. [Obs.] Spenser.
Syn. — Censure; reprehension; condemnation; reproach; fault; sin; crime; wrongdoing.
BLAMEFULBlame"ful, a.
1. Faulty; meriting blame. Shak.
2. Attributing blame or fault; implying or conveying censure;faultfinding; censorious. Chaucer.— Blame"ful*ly, adv.— Blame"ful*ness, n.
BLAMELESSBlame"less, a.
Defn: Free from blame; without fault; innocent; guiltless; —sometimes followed by of.A bishop then must be blameless. 1 Tim. iii. 2.Blameless still of arts that polish to deprave. Mallet.We will be blameless of this thine oath. Josh. ii. 17.
Syn. — Irreproachable; sinless; unblemished; inculpable. — Blameless, Spotless, Faultless, Stainless. We speak of a thing as blameless when it is free from blame, or the just imputation of fault; as, a blameless life or character. The others are stronger. We speak of a thing as faultless, stainless, or spotless, only when we mean that it is absolutely without fault or blemish; as, a spotless or stainless reputation; a faultless course of conduct. The last three words apply only to the general character, while blameless may be used in reverence to particular points; as, in this transaction he was wholly blameless. We also apply faultless to personal appearance; as, a faultless figure; which can not be done in respect to any of the other words.
BLAMELESSLYBlame"less*ly, adv.
Defn: In a blameless manner.
BLAMELESSNESSBlame"less*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being blameless; innocence.
BLAMERBlam"er, n.
Defn: One who blames. Wyclif.
BLAMEWORTHYBlame"wor`thy, a.
Defn: Deserving blame; culpable; reprehensible.— Blame"wor`thi*ness, n.
BLANCBlanc, n. [F., white.]
1. A white cosmetic.
2. A white sauce of fat, broth, and vegetables, used esp. for braised meat.
BLANCARDBlan"card, n. Etym: [F., fr. blanc white.]
Defn: A kind of linen cloth made in Normandy, the thread of which is partly blanches before it is woven.
BLANCHBlanch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blanched; p. pr. & vb. n. Blanching.]Etym: [OE. blanchen, blaunchen, F. blanchir, fr. blanc white. SeeBlank, a.]
1. To take the color out of, and make white; to bleach; as, to blanch linen; age has blanched his hair.
2. (Gardening)
Defn: To bleach by excluding the light, as the stalks or leaves of plants, by earthing them up or tying them together.
3. (Confectionery & Cookery) (a) To make white by removing the skin of, as by scalding; as, to blanch almonds. (b) To whiten, as the surface of meat, by plunging into boiling water and afterwards into cold, so as to harden the surface and retain the juices.
4. To give a white luster to (silver, before stamping, in the process of coining.).
5. To cover (sheet iron) with a coating of tin.
6. Fig.: To whiten; to give a favorable appearance to; to whitewash; to palliate. Blanch over the blackest and most absurd things. Tillotson.
Syn. — To Blanch, Whiten. To whiten is the generic term, denoting, to render white; as, to whiten the walls of a room. Usually (though not of necessity) this is supposed to be done by placing some white coloring matter in or upon the surface of the object in question. To blanch is to whiten by the removal of coloring matter; as, to blanch linen. So the cheek is blanched by fear, i. e., by the withdrawal of the blood, which leaves it white.
BLANCHBlanch, v. i.
Defn: To grow or become white; as, his cheek blanched with fear; the rose blanches in the sun. [Bones] blanching on the grass. Tennyson.
BLANCHBlanch, v. t. Etym: [See Blench.]
1. To avoid, as from fear; to evade; to leave unnoticed. [Obs.] Ifs and ands to qualify the words of treason, whereby every man might express his malice and blanch his danger. Bacon. I suppose you will not blanch Paris in your way. Reliq. Wot.
2. To cause to turn aside or back; as, to blanch a deer.
BLANCHBlanch, v. i.
Defn: To use evasion. [Obs.]Books will speak plain, when counselors blanch. Bacon.
BLANCHBlanch, n. (Mining)
Defn: Ore, not in masses, but mixed with other minerals.
BLANCHARD LATHEBlan"chard lathe. [After Thomas Blanchard, American inventor.](Mach.)
Defn: 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.
BLANCHERBlanch"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, blanches or whitens; esp., one who anneals and cleanses money; also, a chemical preparation for this purpose.
BLANCHERBlanch"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, frightens away or turns aside. [Obs.]And Gynecia, a blancher, which kept the dearest deer from her. Sir P.Sidney.And so even now hath he divers blanchers belonging to the market, tolet and stop the light of the gospel. Latimer.
BLANCH HOLDINGBlanch" hold`ing. (Scots Law)
Defn: A mode of tenure by the payment of a small duty in white rent (silver) or otherwise.
BLANCHIMETERBlanch*im"e*ter, n. Etym: [1st blanch + -meter.]
Defn: An instrument for measuring the bleaching power of chloride of lime and potash; a chlorometer. Ure.
BLANCMANGE Blanc*mange", n. Etym: [F. blancmanger, lit. white food; blanc white + manger to eat.] (Cookery)
Defn: A preparation for desserts, etc., made from isinglass, sea moss, cornstarch, or other gelatinous or starchy substance, with mild, usually sweetened and flavored, and shaped in a mold.
BLANCMANGERBlanc*man"ger, n. Etym: [F. See Blancmange.]
Defn: A sort of fricassee with white sauce, variously made of capon, fish, etc. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BLANDBland, a. Etym: [L. blandus, of unknown origin.]
1. Mild; soft; gentle; smooth and soothing in manner; suave; as, a bland temper; bland persuasion; a bland sycophant. "Exhilarating vapor bland." Milton.
2. Having soft and soothing qualities; not drastic or irritating; not stimulating; as, a bland oil; a bland diet.
BLANDATIONBlan*da"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. L. blanditia, blandities, fr. blandus.See Bland.]
Defn: Flattery. [Obs.]
BLANDILOQUENCE Blan*dil"o*quence, n. Etym: [L. blandiloquentia; blandus mild + loqui to speak.]
Defn: Mild, flattering speech.
BLANDILOQUOUS; BLANDILOQUIOUSBlan*dil"o*quous, Blan*di*lo"qui*ous, a.
Defn: Fair-spoken; flattering.
BLANDISEBlan"dise, v. i. Etym: [Same word as Blandish.]
Defn: To blandish any one. [Obs.] Chaucer.
BLANDISHBlan"dish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blandished; p. pr. & vb. n.Blandishing.] Etym: [OE. blaundisen, F. blandir, fr. L. blandiri, fr.blandus mild, flattering.]
1. To flatter with kind words or affectionate actions; to caress; to cajole.
2. To make agreeable and enticing. Mustering all her wiles, With blandished parleys. Milton.
BLANDISHERBlan"dish*er, n.
Defn: One who uses blandishments.
BLANDISHMENTBlan"dish*ment, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. blandissement.]
Defn: The act of blandishing; a word or act expressive of affection or kindness, and tending to win the heart; soft words and artful caresses; cajolery; allurement. Cowering low with blandishment. Milton. Attacked by royal smiles, by female blandishments. Macaulay.
BLANDLYBland"ly, adv.
Defn: In a bland manner; mildly; suavely.
BLANDNESSBland"ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being bland.
BLANK Blank, a. Etym: [OE. blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, fr. F. blanc, fem. blanche, fr. OHG. blanch shining, bright, white, G. blank; akin to E. blink, cf. also AS. blanc white. Blink, and cf. 1st Blanch.]
1. Of a white or pale color; without color. To the blank moon Her office they prescribed. Milton.
2. Free from writing, printing, or marks; having an empty space to be filled in with some special writing; — said of checks, official documents, etc.; as, blank paper; a blank check; a blank ballot.
3. Utterly confounded or discomfited. Adam . . . astonied stood, and blank. Milton.
4. Empty; void; without result; fruitless; as, a blank space; a blank day.
5. Lacking characteristics which give variety; as, a blank desert; a blank wall; destitute of interests, affections, hopes, etc.; as, to live a blank existence; destitute of sensations; as, blank unconsciousness.
6. Lacking animation and intelligence, or their associated characteristics, as expression of face, look, etc.; expressionless; vacant. "Blank and horror-stricken faces." C. Kingsley. The blank . . . glance of a half returned consciousness. G. Eliot.
7. Absolute; downright; unmixed; as, blank terror. Blank bar (Law), a plea put in to oblige the plaintiff in an action of trespass to assign the certain place where the trespass was committed; — called also common bar. — Blank cartridge, a cartridge containing no ball. — Blank deed. See Deed. — Blank door, or Blank window (Arch.), a depression in a wall of the size of a door or window, either for symmetrical effect, or for the more convenient insertion of a door or window at a future time, should it be needed. — Blank indorsement (Law), an indorsement which omits the name of the person in whose favor it is made; it is usually made by simply writing the name of the indorser on the back of the bill. — Blank line (Print.), a vacant space of the breadth of a line, on a printed page; a line of quadrats. — Blank tire (Mech.), a tire without a flange. — Blank tooling. See Blind tooling, under Blind. — Blank verse. See under Verse. — Blank wall, a wall in which there is no opening; a dead wall.
BLANKBlank, n.
1. Any void space; a void space on paper, or in any written instrument; an interval void of consciousness, action, result, etc; a void. I can not write a paper full, I used to do; and yet I will not forgive a blank of half an inch from you. Swift. From this time there ensues a long blank in the history of French legislation. Hallam. I was ill. I can't tell how long — it was a blank. G. Eliot.
2. A lot by which nothing is gained; a ticket in a lottery on which no prize is indicated. In Fortune's lottery lies A heap of blanks, like this, for one small prize. Dryden.
3. A paper unwritten; a paper without marks or characters a blank ballot; — especially, a paper on which are to be inserted designated items of information, for which spaces are left vacant; a bland form. The freemen signified their approbation by an inscribed vote, and their dissent by a blank. Palfrey.
4. A paper containing the substance of a legal instrument, as a deed, release, writ, or execution, with spaces left to be filled with names, date, descriptions, etc.
5. The point aimed at in a target, marked with a white spot; hence, the object to which anything is directed. Let me still remain The true blank of thine eye. Shak.
6. Aim; shot; range. [Obs.] I have stood . . . within the blank of his displeasure For my free speech. Shak.
7. A kind of base silver money, first coined in England by Henry V., and worth about 8 pence; also, a French coin of the seventeenth century, worth about 4 pence. Nares.
8. (Mech.)
Defn: A piece of metal prepared to be made into something by a further operation, as a coin, screw, nuts.
9. (Dominoes)
Defn: A piece or division of a piece, without spots; as, the "double blank"; the "six blank." In blank, with an essential portion to be supplied by another; as, to make out a check in blank.
BLANKBlank, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blanked; p. pr. & vb. n. Blanking.] Etym:[Cf. 3d Blanch.]
1. To make void; to annul. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. To blanch; to make blank; to damp the spirits of; to dispirit or confuse. [Obs.] Each opposite that blanks the face of joy. Shak.
BLANKET Blan"ket, n. Etym: [F. blanchet, OF. also blanket, a woolen waistcoat or shirt, the blanket of a printing press; prop. white woolen stuff, dim. of blanc white; blanquette a kind of white pear, fr. blanc white. See Blank, a.]
1. A heavy, loosely woven fabric, usually of wool, and having a nap, used in bed clothing; also, a similar fabric used as a robe; or any fabric used as a cover for a horse.
2. (Print.)
Defn: A piece of rubber, felt, or woolen cloth, used in the tympan to make it soft and elastic.
3. A streak or layer of blubber in whales.
Note: The use of blankets formerly as curtains in theaters explains the following figure of Shakespeare. Nares. Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark To cry, "Hold, hold!" Shak. Blanket sheet, a newspaper of folio size. — A wet blanket, anything which damps, chills, dispirits, or discour
BLANKETBlan"ket, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blanketed; p. pr. & vb. n. Blanketing.]
1. To cover with a blanket. I'll . . . blanket my loins. Shak.
2. To toss in a blanket by way of punishment. We'll have our men blanket 'em i' the hall. B. Jonson.
3. To take the wind out of the sails of (another vessel) by sailing to windward of her. Blanket cattle. See Belted cattle, under Belted.
BLANKET CLAUSEBlan"ket clause`. (Law)
Defn: 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.
BLANKETINGBlan"ket*ing, n.
1. Cloth for blankets.
2. The act or punishment of tossing in a blanket. That affair of the blanketing happened to thee for the fault thou wast guilty of. Smollett.
BLANKET MORTGAGE; BLANKET POLICYBlan"ket mortgage or Blan"ket policy .
Defn: 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 STITCHBlanket stitch.
Defn: A buttonhole stitch worked wide apart on the edge of material, as blankets, too thick to hem.
BLANKLYBlank"ly, adv.
1. In a blank manner; without expression; vacuously; as, to stare blankly. G. Eliot.
2. Directly; flatly; point blank. De Quincey.
BLANKNESSBlank"ness, n.
Defn: The state of being blank.
BLANQUETTEBlan*quette", n. Etym: [F. blanquette, from blanc white.] (Cookery)
Defn: A white fricassee.
BLANQUILLOBlan*quil"lo, n. Etym: [Sp. blanquillo whitish.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large fish of Florida and the W. Indies (Caulolatilus chrysops). It is red, marked with yellow.
BLAREBlare, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Blared; p. pr. & vb. n. Blaring.] Etym:[OE. blaren, bloren, to cry, woop; cf. G. plärren to bleat, D. blarento bleat, cry, weep. Prob. an imitative word, but cf. also E. blast.Cf. Blore.]
Defn: To sound loudly and somewhat harshly. "The trumpet blared."Tennyson.
BLAREBlare, v. t.
Defn: To cause to sound like the blare of a trumpet; to proclaimloudly.To blare its own interpretation. Tennyson.
BLAREBlare, n.
Defn: The harsh noise of a trumpet; a loud and somewhat harsh noise,like the blast of a trumpet; a roar or bellowing.With blare of bugle, clamor of men. Tennyson.His ears are stunned with the thunder's blare. J. R. Drake.
BLARNEYBlar"ney, n. Etym: [Blarney, a village and castle near Cork.]
Defn: Smooth, wheedling talk; flattery. [Colloq.] Blarney stone, a stone in Blarney castle, Ireland, said to make those who kiss it proficient in the use of blarney.
BLARNEYBlar"ney, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blarneyed; p. pr. & vb. n. Blarneying.]
Defn: To influence by blarney; to wheedle with smooth talk; to make or accomplish by blarney. "Blarneyed the landlord." Irving. Had blarneyed his way from Long Island. S. G. Goodrich.
BLASEBla*sé", a. Etym: [F., p. p. of blaser.]
Defn: Having the sensibilities deadened by excess or frequency of enjoyment; sated or surfeited with pleasure; used up.
BLASPHEMEBlas*pheme", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blasphemed; p. pr. & vb. n.Blaspheming.] Etym: [OE. blasfem, L. blasphemare, fr. Gr. : cf. F.blasphémer. See Blame, v.]
1. To speak of, or address, with impious irreverence; to revile impiously (anything sacred); as, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. So Dagon shall be magnified, and God, Besides whom is no god, compared with idols, Disglorified, blasphemed, and had in scorn. Milton. How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge thyself on all those who thus continually blaspheme thy great and all-glorious name Dr. W. Beveridge.
2. Figuratively, of persons and things not religiously sacred, but held in high honor: To calumniate; to revile; to abuse. You do blaspheme the good in mocking me. Shak. Those who from our labors heap their board, Blaspheme their feeder and forget their lord. Pope.
BLASPHEMEBlas*pheme", v. i.
Defn: To utter blasphemy. He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness. Mark iii. 29.
BLASPHEMERBlas*phem"er, n.
Defn: One who blasphemes. And each blasphemer quite escape the rod, Because the insult's not on man, but God Pope.
BLASPHEMOUSBlas"phe*mous, a. Etym: [L. blasphemus, Gr. .]
Defn: Speaking or writing blasphemy; uttering or exhibiting anything impiously irreverent; profane; as, a blasphemous person; containing blasphemy; as, a blasphemous book; a blasphemous caricature. "Blasphemous publications." Porteus. Nor from the Holy One of Heaven Refrained his tongue blasphemous. Milton.
Note: Formerly this word was accented on the second syllable, as in the above example.
BLASPHEMOUSLYBlas"phe*mous*ly, adv.
Defn: In a blasphemous manner.
BLASPHEMYBlas"phe*my, n. Etym: [L. blasphemia, Gr. : cf. OF. blasphemie.]
1. An indignity offered to God in words, writing, or signs; impiously irreverent words or signs addressed to, or used in reference to, God; speaking evil of God; also, the act of claiming the attributes or prerogatives of deity.
Note: When used generally in statutes or at common law, blasphemy is the use of irreverent words or signs in reference to the Supreme Being in such a way as to produce scandal or provoke violence.
2. Figuratively, of things held in high honor: Calumny; abuse; vilification. Punished for his blasphemy against learning. Bacon.
-BLAST -blast. Etym: [Gr. sprout, shoot.]
Defn: A suffix or terminal formative, used principally in biological terms, and signifying growth, formation; as, bioblast, epiblast, mesoblast, etc.
BLAST Blast, n. Etym: [AS. bl a puff of wind, a blowing; akin to Icel. blastr, OHG. blast, and fr. a verb akin to Icel. blasa to blow, OHG. blâsan, Goth. bl (in comp.); all prob. from the same root as E. blow. See Blow to eject air.]
1. A violent gust of wind. And see where surly Winter passes off, Far to the north, and calls his ruffian blasts; His blasts obey, and quit the howling hill. Thomson.
2. A forcible stream of air from an orifice, as from a bellows, the mouth, etc. Hence: The continuous blowing to which one charge of ore or metal is subjected in a furnace; as, to melt so many tons of iron at a blast.
Note: The terms hot blast and cold blast are employed to designate whether the current is heated or not heated before entering the furnace. A blast furnace is said to be in blast while it is in operation, and out of blast when not in use.