List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary

Beseem, be-sēm′, v.t. to be seemly or fit for: to become: to be fit for or worthy of: (Spens.) to become or appear.—ns. Beseem′ing, Beseem′ingness—adv. Beseem′ingly.

Beseen, be-sēn′, pa.p. of good appearance, comely: well furnished (with well).—Besee′ is quite obsolete.

Beset, be-set′, v.t. to surround or set round with anything (now only in pa.p.): to surround with hostile intentions, to besiege: to occupy so as to allow none to go out or in: to assail, perplex, endanger, as by temptations, obstacles, &c.:—pr.p. beset′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. beset′.—ns. Beset′ment; Beset′ter.—p.adj. Beset′ting, that besets, as in 'besetting sin.'

Beshadow, be-shad′ō, v.t. to cast a shadow over.

Beshame, be-shām′, v.t. to put to shame.

Beshine, be-shīn′, v.i. to light up.—p.adj. Beshone′.

Beshrew, be-shrōō′, v.t. to invoke evil upon, to curse—now only in such mild imprecations as 'beshrew me,' or 'thee'—prob. not imperative but elliptical, like '(I) thank you.' [Pfx. be-, and Shrew.]

Beside, be-sīd′, prep. and adv. by the side of, near: over and above (in this sense, now usually Besides′), distinct from: apart from, not falling within, as of a question, resolution, &c.—Beside the mark, away from the mark aimed at, irrelevant.—To be beside one's self, to be out of one's senses. [M. E. bi siden—A.S. be si'dan, by the side (dat.).]

Besides, be-sīdz′, prep. and adv. in addition, otherwise, aside: over and above, in addition to, away from. [Beside, with the s of the adv. gen.]

Besiege, be-sēj′, v.t. to lay siege to: to beset with armed forces: to throng round.—n. Besieg′er.—adv. Besieg′ingly (rare), urgently.

Besigh, be-sī′, v.t. to sigh over.

Besing, be-sing′, v.t. to celebrate in song.—p.adj. Besung′.

Besit, be-sit′, v.t. (obs.) to besiege: to sit well on, as clothes, to become.—p.adj. Besit′ting (Spens.), becoming.

Beslave, be-slāv′, v.t. to make a slave of: to call slave.

Beslaver, be-slāv′ėr, v.t. to slaver or slobber upon: to cover with fulsome flattery.

Beslobber, be-slob′ėr, v.t. to besmear with the spittle running from one's mouth: to cover with drivelling kisses: to flatter fulsomely.—v.t. Beslub′ber, to bedaub or besmear.

Besmear, be-smēr′, v.t. to smear over: to bedaub: to pollute.

Besmirch, be-smirch′, v.t. to soil, as with smoke or soot: to sully.—v.t. Besmutch′, to besmirch.

Besmut, be-smut′, v.t. to blacken with soot.—p.adj. Besmut′ted.

Besogno, Besonio. Same as Bezonian.

Besom, bē′zum, n. an implement for sweeping, a broom: any cleansing or purifying agent: (Scot.) a term of reproach for a woman.—ns. Bē′som-head, a blockhead; Bē′som-rid′er, a witch.—To jump the besom (see Broom). [A.S. besema, besma; a common Teut. word; Ger. besen, Dut. bezem.]

Besort, be-sort′, v.t. (obs., Shak.) to match with, befit, become.—n. suitable company.

Besot, be-sot′, v.t. to make sottish, dull, or stupid: to make a sot of: to cause to dote on: to infatuate (with):—pr.p. besot′ting; pa.p. besot′ted.—p.adj. Besot′ted, infatuated.—adv. Besot′tedly.—n. Besot′tedness.

Besought, be-sawt′, pa.t. and pa.p. of Beseech.

Besouled, be-sōld′, adj. endowed with a soul.

Bespangle, be-spang′gl, v.t. to adorn with spangles, or with anything sparkling or shining.

Bespate, be-spāt′, p.adj. spit upon.

Bespatter, be-spat′ėr, v.t. to spatter or sprinkle with dirt or anything moist: to defame.

Bespeak, be-spēk′, v.t. to speak for or engage beforehand: to stipulate or ask for: to betoken.—v.i. (obs.) to speak:—pa.t. bespōke′; pa.p. bespōke′ and bespōk′en.—n. an actor's benefit, so called because the actor's friends and patrons bespeak or choose the piece to be performed that night.

Bespeckle, be-spek′l, v.t. to mark with speckles or spots.

Bespectacled, be-spek′ta-kld, pa.p. having spectacles on.

Bespeed, be-spēd′, v.t. to help on.—p.adj. Besped′.

Bespice, be-spīs′, v.t. (Shak.) to season with spice: to drug or poison.

Bespoke, be-spōk′, Bespoken, be-spōk′n, pa.p. of Bespeak, ordered, as boots, clothes, &c.

Bespot, be-spot′, v.t. to cover with spots.—p.adj. Bespot′ted.—n. Bespot′tedness.

Bespout, be-spowt′, v.t. to spout over: to declaim pompously.

Bespread, be-spred′, v.t. to spread over: to cover:—pr.p. bespread′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. bespread′.

Besprent, be-sprent′, pa.p. sprinkled over: scattered. [A.S. besprengan. See Sprinkle.]

Besprinkle, be-spring′kl, v.t. to sprinkle over.

Bessemer, bes′ėm-ėr, adj. derived from the name of the inventor, Sir H. Bessemer, applied to steel for rails, tires, ship-plates, &c., prepared by the Bessemer process.

Best, best, adj. (serves as superl. of Good) good in the highest degree: first: highest: most excellent.—n. one's utmost endeavour: the highest perfection.—adv. (superl. of Well) in the highest degree: in the best manner.—v.t. (coll.) to get the better of.—Best man and Best maid, the groomsman and bridesmaid at a wedding.—At the best, or At best, in the best possible way, at most after every allowance is made; For the best, with the best intentions; I were best = it were best for me.—To have the best of it, to gain the advantage in a contest; To make the best of one's way, to go by the best possible road; To put one's best foot foremost, to do the best, or to make the best show, one can. [A.S. betst, betest. See Better.]

Bestain, be-stān′, v.t. to stain all over.

Bestead, be-sted′, v.t. to help, relieve: to be of use to, to avail.—v.i. to profit, be advantageous.

Bestead, Bested, be-sted′, p.adj. set about (with): beset (with by, of foes; with, of dangers, &c.): situated—usually with ill, hard, &c.

Bestial, best′i-al, adj. like a beast: rude: brutally sensual.—n. (Scot.) a collective name for cattle.—v.t. Best′ialise, to make like a beast.—ns. Best′ialism, irrationality; Bestial′ity, beastliness: disgusting vice. [L. bestialis. See Beast.]

Bestiary, best′i-ar-i, n. the name given to a class of books of great popularity in the Middle Ages, describing all the animals of creation, real or fabled, generally illustrated by drawings, and allegorised for edification. [Low L. bestiarium, a menagerie.]

Bestick, be-stik′, v.t. to stick over, as with sharp points.

Bestill, be-stil′, v.t. to make quiet, to hush.

Bestir, be-stėr′, v.t. to put into lively action: arouse into activity: (refl.) to rouse one's self—p.adj. Bestir′ring.

Bestorm, be-storm′, v.t. to assail with storms or tumult.

Bestow, be-stō′, v.t. to stow, place, or put by: to give or confer: to accommodate with quarters: to apply (with on and upon): (refl., Shak.) to acquit one's self.—ns. Bestow′al, act of bestowing: disposal; Bestow′er; Bestow′ment.

Bestraddle, be-strad′dl, v.t. to bestride.

Bestraught, be-strawt′, adj. (obs.) distraught: distracted: mad. [Formed with pfx. be-, on the analogy of distraught—L. dis-tractus.]

Bestreak, be-strēk′, v.t. to overspread with streaks.

Bestrew, be-strōō′, v.t. to strew or scatter loosely over:—pa.p. bestrewed′, bestrōwn′, bestrewn′ (with).

Bestride, be-strīd′, v.t. to stride over: to sit or stand across: to defend, protect, from the sense of standing over a fallen man to defend him:—pa.t. bestrid′, bestrōde′; pa.p. bestrid′, bestrid′den.

Bestuck, be-stuk′, pa.t. and pa.p. of Bestick, to stick about, adorn: to transfix.

Bestud, be-stud′, v.t. to adorn as with studs, as the sky with stars.

Bet, bet, n. a wager: something staked to be lost or won on the result of a doubtful issue, as a horse-race, or the like.—v.t. and v.i. to lay or stake, as a bet:—pr.p. bet′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. bet or bet′ted.—ns. Bet′ter, one who bets—also Bet′tor; Bet′ting, act of betting or proposing a wager.—An even bet, an equal chance.—You bet, in American slang, certainly. [Prob. shortened from the noun Abet.]

Betake, be-tāk′, v.t. to take one's self to, to go (with self): to apply or have recourse:—pa.t. betook′; pa.p. betāk′en.

Beteem, be-tēm′, v.t. (Shak.) to grant, to suffer, to allow. [Most prob. from pfx. be-, and Teem.]

Betel, bē′tl, n. the betel-nut, or nut of the areca palm, with lime and the leaves of the Betel-Pepper, chewed by the Malays as a stimulant. [Through Port. from Malay vettila.]

Bethankit, be-thank′it, Scotch for 'God be thanked.'

Bethel, beth′el, n. a hallowed spot, a name applied by some Methodists to their places of worship: an old ship fitted up in a port as a place of worship for sailors. [Heb. Bēth-ēl, house of God.]

Bethink, be-thingk′, v.t. to think on or call to mind: to recollect (generally followed by a reflective pronoun and of): to propose to one's self.—v.i. to consider:—pa.t. and pa.p. bethought (be-thawt′). [A.S. bithencan; cf. Ger. bedenken. See Think.]

Bethrall, be-thrawl′, v.t. (Spens.) to enslave.

Bethumb, be-thum′, v.t. to mark with the thumbs:—pa.p. bethumbed′.

Bethump, be-thump′, v.t. to thump or beat soundly.

Bethwack, be-thwak′, v.t. to thrash soundly.

Betide, be-tīd′, v.i. to happen to, to befall—in third person, and often impersonally, with dative object, now little used save in phrase, 'woe betide!': (rare) to betoken:—pa.p. (Shak.) Betid′. [See Tide.]

Betime, be-tīm′, v.i. (Shak.) to betide.

Betimes, be-tīmz′, adv. in good time: early: seasonably: speedily. [Pfx. be-, and Time, with adv. gen. -s; like besides from beside.]

Betitle, be-tī′tl, v.t. to give a name to.

Betoil, be-toil′, v.t. to weary with toil.

Betoken, be-tō′kn, v.t. to show by a sign: to foreshow. [See Token.]

Betony, bet′on-i, n. a common British labiate plant growing in woods, of great repute in ancient and medieval medicine, used to dye wool yellow. [Fr.—L. betonica, vettonica.]

Betook, be-took′, pa.t. of Betake.

Betossed, be-tost′, pa.p. (Shak.) agitated.

Betray, be-trā′, v.t. to give up treacherously: to disclose in breach of trust: to let go basely or weakly: to deceive the innocent and trustful, to seduce: to discover or show: to show signs of.—ns. Betray′al, act of betraying; Betray′er, a traitor, the seducer of a trustful girl. [Pfx. be-, and O. Fr. traïr (Fr. trahir)—L. tradĕre, to deliver up.]

Betrim, be-trim′, v.t. to trim or set in order, to deck, to dress.

Betrodden, be-trod′n, pa.t. and pa.p. of Betread′, to tread over or walk upon.

Betroth, be-troth′, v.t. to contract or promise in order to marriage: to affiance: (obs.) to pledge one's self to any cause.—ns. Betroth′al, Betroth′ment, an agreement or contract with a view to marriage. [Pfx. be-, and Troth or Truth.]

Better, bet′ėr, adj. (serves as comp. of Good) good in a greater degree: preferable: improved: more suitable: larger: kinder: stronger in health.—adv. (comp. of Well) well in a greater degree: more fully or completely: over or more than: with greater advantage: (pl.) superiors.—v.t. to make better (also reflexively, to better one's self), to improve: to benefit: also with intransitive sense, to grow better.—p.adjs. Bet′tered, improved, amended; Bet′tering, improving.—ns. Bet′tering, Bet′terment, Bet′terness.—adj. Bet′termost.—Better half, a jocose term for a wife, once applied seriously to either wife or husband, and even the soul as opposed to the body.—I had better = I should hold it better to—the original construction having been a dative pronoun.—To be better off, to be in superior circumstances; To be better than one's self, to do more than one had promised; To get the better of, to gain the advantage over. [A.S. bet (adv.), betera, better; Goth. batiza, Ger. besser. Prob. cog. with Boot.]

Betty, bet′ti, n. a man who troubles himself with the women's work in a household: a slang name for a burglar's jemmy or jenny. [Betty, Bet, familiar abbrev. of Elizabeth.]

Betumbled, be-tum′bld, adj. (Shak.) tumbled or disordered.

Betutor, be-tū′tor, v.t. to tutor or instruct.

Between, be-twēn′, Betwixt, be-twikst′, prep. in the middle of two, of space, time, or degree: in the middle or intermediate space, to defend or separate: expressing reciprocal relation from one to another: by the joint action of two or more persons.—ns. Between′-decks, the space between any two decks of a ship; Between′ity (rare), state of being between.—prep. Between′-whiles, at intervals.—Between ourselves, in confidence; Betwixt and between, in a middling position.—To go between, to act as a mediator. [A.S. betwéonum betweónan—be, and twegen, twa, two, twain.]

Bevel, bev′el, n. a slant or inclination of a surface: an instrument opening like a pair of compasses, and adjustable for measuring angles.—adj. having the form of a bevel: slanting.—v.t. to form with a bevel or slant:—pr.p. bev′elling; pa.p. bev′elled.—ns. Bev′el-gear, Bev′el-wheels (mech.), wheels working on each other in different planes, the cogs of the wheels being bevelled or at oblique angles to the shafts.—p.adj. Bev′elled, cut to an oblique angle, sloped off. [Fr. biveau, an instrument for measuring angles; orig. unknown.]

Bever, an obsolete form of Beaver.

Beverage, bev′ėr-āj, n. drink: a mixture of cider and water: any agreeable liquor for drinking.—n. Be′ver, a small repast between meals: (obs.) a time for drinking.—v.i. to take such a repast. [O. Fr. bevrage (Fr. breuvage), beivre—L. bibere, to drink.]

Bevy, bev′i, n. a brood or flock of birds, esp. of quails: a company, esp. of ladies. [M. E. bevey, prob. the same as O. Fr. bevee, buvee, drink, It. bevuta, a draught; the transference of sense being perh. from a drink or a drinking-bout to a drinking-party.]

Bewail, be-wāl′, v.t. to lament: to mourn loudly over (esp. the dead).—v.i. to utter lamentations.—adjs. Bewail′able, Bewail′ing. [See Wail.]

Beware, be-wār′, v.i. to be on one's guard: to be suspicious of danger: to take care (with of; with clause—lest, that, not, how). [From the words be and ware run together. See Wary.]

Beweep, be-wēp′, v.t. to weep over, to lament.—p.adj. Bewept′, disfigured by weeping.

Beweltered, be-wel′tėrd, p.adj. besmeared by weltering in blood. [Pfx. be-, and Welter.]

Bewet, be-wet′, v.t. (Shak.) to wet or moisten.

Bewig, be-wig′, to cover with a wig.—p.adj. Bewigged′.

Bewilder, be-wil′dėr, v.t. to perplex or lead astray.—p.adj. Bewil′dered, lost, confused in mind, trackless.—adj. Bewil′dering.—adv. Bewil′deringly.—n. Bewil′derment, confusion, mental confusion: perplexity. [Pfx. be-, and prov. Eng. wildern, a wilderness.]

Bewitch, be-wich′, v.t. to affect by witchcraft (mostly malignantly): to fascinate or charm.—ns. Bewitch′ery, Bewitch′ment.—adj. Bewitch′ing, charming, enchanting.—adv. Bewitch′ingly.

Bewray, be-rā′, v.t. (B.) to accuse: to point out: to betray or divulge unintentionally. [M. E. bewreien, be-, and A.S. wrégan, to accuse.]

Bey, bā, n. a Turkish governor of a town or province. [Turk. beg, pronounced bā, a governor.]

Beyond, be-yond′, prep. on the farther side of: farther onward than: out of reach of: past in time: above, superior to.—Beyond measure, excessively; Beyond seas, abroad; The back of beyond (De Quincey, &c.), a humorous phrase for any place a great way off; To be beyond one, to pass his comprehension; To go beyond, to surpass: to circumvent: (B., Shak.) to overreach. [A.S. begeondan—pfx. be-, and geond, across, beyond. See Yon.]

Bezant, be-zant′, or bez′ant, n. a gold coin, first struck at Byzantium or Constantinople: (her.) a small circle or, like a gold coin.

Bezel, bez′l, n. the part of the setting of a precious stone which encloses it: the oblique side or face of a cut gem: the grooved flange or rim in which a watch-glass is set: the slope at the edge of a chisel or plane (usually Bas′il). [From an O. Fr. word represented by mod. Fr. biseau; its ult. origin uncertain.]

Bezique, be-zēk′, n. a game at cards for two, three, or four persons, played with two to four packs, from which cards with from two to six pips have been removed. The name Bezique itself is applied to the combination of the knave of diamonds and queen of spades. [Fr. besigue, of obscure origin.]

Bezoar, bē′zōr, n. a stony concretion found in the stomachs of goats, antelopes, llamas, chamois, &c., formerly esteemed an antidote to all poisons. [Through Sp. bezaar and Ar. bāzahr, from Pers. pād-zahr, counter-poison, zahr, poison.]

Bezonian, be-zō′ni-an, n. (Shak.) a beggar, a low fellow. [It. bisogno; Sp. bisoño, Fr. bisogne.]

Bezzle, bez′l, v.i. (obs.) to drink hard: to squander:—pr.p. bezz′ling; pa.p. bezz′led. [O. Fr. besiler. See Embezzle.]

Bhang, bang, n. the native name for the Indian preparation of hemp which is smoked or swallowed for its narcotic and intoxicating qualities—in Arabic known as hashish. [See Assassin. Hind. bhāng; Pers. bang; Sans. bhangā.]

Bias, bī′as, n. a bulge or greater weight on one side of a bowl (in the game of bowling), making it slope or turn to one side: a slant or leaning to one side: a one-sided inclination of the mind, prejudice: any special influence that sways the mind.—v.t. to cause to turn to one side: to prejudice or prepossess:—pa.p. bī′ased or bī′assed.—ns. Bī′as-draw′ing (Shak.), a turn awry; Bī′asing, a bias or inclination to one side. [Fr. biais, of dubious origin; Diez suggests L. bifax, bifacem, two-faced.]

Biaxal, bī-aks′al, adj. having two optic axes.—Also Biaxial. [L. bi-, and Axial.]

Bib, bib, n. a cloth put under an infant's chin: a similar article of dress for adults, worn over the breast or above the apron.—v.t. and v.i. to drink, to tipple.—adj. Bībā′cious.—ns. Bibā′tion, tippling; Bib′ber, a tippler: chiefly used in composition as (B.) wine-bibber. [M. E. bibben, most prob. from L. bib-ĕre, to drink.]

Bib, bib, n. a fish of the same genus as the cod and haddock, also called the Pout.

Bibble-babble, bib′bl-bab′bl, n. (Shak.) idle talk. [Reduplication of Babble.]

Bible, bī′bl, n. the sacred writings of the Christian Church, consisting of the Old and New Testaments.—adj. Bib′lical, of or relating to the Bible: scriptural.—adv. Bib′lically.—ns. Bib′licism, biblical doctrine, learning, or literature; Bib′licist, Bīb′list, one versed in biblical learning: one who makes Scripture the sole rule of faith. [Fr.—Low L. biblia, fem. sing., earlier neut. pl., from Gr. ta biblia, lit. 'the books,' esp. the canonical books of Scripture, biblion, a book, dim. of biblos, papyrus, paper.]

Bibliography, bib-li-og′raf-i, n. the description or knowledge of books, in regard to their authors, subjects, editions, and history.—n. Bibliog′rapher, one versed in bibliography or the history of books.—adj. Bibliograph′ic. [Gr. biblion, a book, graphia, description.]

Bibliolatry, bib-li-ol′at-ri, n. superstitious reverence for the Bible.—ns. Bibliol′atrist, Bibliol′ater, one given to bibliolatry. [Gr. biblion, a book, latreia, worship.]

Bibliology, bib-li-ol′ō-ji, n. an account of books: biblical literature, or theology. [Gr. biblion, a book, logos, discourse.]

Bibliomancy, bib′li-ō-man-si, n. divination by selecting passages of the Bible at hazard, and drawing from them indications concerning future events. [Gr. biblion, a book, manteia, divination.]

Bibliomania, bib-li-ō-mān′i-a, n. a mania for possessing rare and curious books.—n. Bibliomān′iac, one who has a mania for possessing rare and curious books.—adj. Bibliomanī′acal. [Gr. biblion, a book, and Mania.]

Bibliophile, bib′li-ō-fīl, n. a lover of books, esp. a collector of rare books. [Fr.—Gr. biblion, a book, philos, friend.]

Bibliopole, bib′li-ō-pōl, n. a bookseller.—Also Bibliop′olist. [Gr. biblion, a book, pōleein, to sell.]

Bibulous, bib′ū-lus, adj. drinking or sucking in: spongy. [L. bibulus—bib-ĕre, to drink.]

Bicameral, bī-kam′ėr-al, adj. having two chambers. [L. bi-, twice, and camera, chamber.]

Bicarbonate, bī-kär′bon-āt, n. a carbonate or salt having two equivalents of carbonic acid to one equivalent of base. [L. bi-, twice, and Carbonate.]

Bice, bīs, n. a pale blue or green paint. [Fr. bis.]

Bicentenary, bī-sen′te-na-ri, Bicentennial, bī-sen-ten′ni-al, adj. pertaining to the two hundredth.—n. the two hundredth anniversary.

Bicephalous, bī-sef′al-us, adj. double-headed. [L. bis, twice, and Gr. kēphalē, head.]

Biceps, bī′seps, n. the muscle in front of the arm between the shoulder and elbow. [L. biceps, two-headed—bis, twice, and caput, head.]

Bichromate, bī-krō′māt, adj. having two parts of chromic acid to one of other ingredients. [L. bis, twice, and Chromate.]

Bicipital, bī-sip′it-al, adj. (anat.) having two heads or origins.—Earlier form Bicip′itous.

Bicker, bik′ėr, v.i. to contend in a petty way: to quiver: to move quickly and tremulously, as running water.—n. a fight, a quarrel: a clattering noise: a short run.—n. Bick′erment (Spens.), bickering, strife. [Acc. to Skeat, bicker = pick-er, or peck-er, to peck repeatedly with the beak.]

Bicker, bik′ėr, n. a bowl for holding liquor, esp. of wood: a vessel made of wooden staves for holding porridge. [Scot. form of Beaker.]

Biconcave, bī-kon′kāv, adj. concave on both sides. [L. bi-, twice, and Concave.]

Biconvex, bī-kon′veks, adj. convex on both sides. [L. bi-, twice, and Convex.]

Bicorporate, bī-kor′por-āt, adj. (her.) double-bodied, as the head of a lion to which two bodies are attached. [L. bis, twice, and Corporate.]

Bicuspid, bī-kus′pid, adj. having two cusps: a pre-molar tooth. [L. bi-, twice, and Cusp.]

Bicycle, bī′si-kl, n. a cycle or velocipede with two wheels furnished with rubber tires, arranged one before the other, impelled by pedals, and steered by transverse handles affixed to the front wheel—also Bike (colloq.).—n. Bī′cyclist. [Formed from L. bi-, bis, twice, and Gr. kyklos, a circle.]

Bid, bid, v.t. to offer: to propose: to proclaim, as the banns of marriage: to invite: to command: to make an offer, and to increase the amount offered for a thing—at an auction:—pr.p. bid′ding; pa.t. bid or bade; pa.p. bid, bid′den.—n. an offer of a price.—ns. Bid′der, one who bids or offers a price; Bid′ding, offer: invitation: command; Bid′ding-pray′er, a form of prayer directed to be used before all sermons, lectures, and homilies preached apart from the daily service or holy communion—as university sermons, so called because in it the preacher is directed to bid or exhort the people to pray for certain specified objects.—To bid fair, to seem likely. [A.S. béodan; Goth. biudan, Ger. bieten, to offer.]

Bid, bid, v.t. to ask for: (nearly obs.): to pray. [A.S. biddan; Goth. bidjan; Ger. bitten; the connection with Bid, to command, is dub. See Bead.]

Bide, bīd, v.t. and v.i. same as Abide, to wait for.—n. Bid′ing (Shak.), residence, habitation. [A.S. bídan; Goth. beidan.]

Bidentate, bī-dent′āt, adj. having two teeth.—Also Bident′al. [L. bi-; twice, dens, dentis, a tooth.]

Bield, bēld, n. (Wordsworth) shelter: protection. [Scot.; conn. with Bold.]

Biennial, bī-en′yal, adj. lasting two years: happening once in two years.—n. a plant that lasts two years.—adv. Bienn′ially. [L. biennalis—bi-, twice, and annus, a year.]

Bier, bēr, n. a carriage or frame of wood for bearing the dead to the grave. [A.S. bǽr; Ger. bahre, L. fer-etrum. From root of verb Bear.]

Biestings. Same as Beestings.

Bifacial, bī-fā′shyal, adj. having two like faces or opposite surfaces. [L. bi-, twice, and Facial.]

Biffins, bif′inz, n. apples slowly dried in bakers' ovens and flattened into cakes—prepared in great quantities in Norfolk. [Said to be properly beefins, because like raw beef.]

Bifidate, bif′id-āt, adj. (bot.) cleft in two.—Also Bif′id. [L. bifidus—bi-, bis, twice, and findĕre, perf. fidi, to cleave or split.]

Biflorate, bī-flō′rāt, adj. bearing two flowers. [L. bi-, twice, and flos, floris, a flower.]

Bifold, bī′fōld, adj. twofold: (Shak.) of two kinds. [L. bi-, twice, and Fold.]

Bifoliate, bī-fō′li-āt, adj. having two leaves. [L. bi-, twice, and Foliate.]

Biform, bī′form, adj. having two forms. [L. bi-, twice, and Form.]

Bifurcate, bī-fur′kāt, Bifurcated, bī-fur′kāt-ed, adj. two-forked; having two prongs or branches.—n. Bifurcā′tion, a forking or division into two branches. [L. bifurcus—bi-, bis, twice, furca, a fork.]

Big, big, adj. large or great: pregnant: great in air, mien, or spirit: loud: pompous, esp. 'to talk big,' 'look big.'—adjs. Big-bell′ied, having a big belly; pregnant (with); Big′gish, rather big.—ns. Big′ness, bulk, size; Big′wig (colloq.), a leading man, a person of some importance. [M. E. big; origin very obscure—Skeat suggests that it is bilg, the l being dropped, and compares Ice. belgja, to puff out.]

Big, big, v.t. (Scot.) to build, to pile up.—n. Big′gin, anything built, a house. [Sc. byggja; A.S. búian.]

Bigamy, big′am-i, n. the crime of having two wives or two husbands at once.—n. Big′amist, one who has committed bigamy. [Fr.—L. bi-, bis, twice, and Gr. gamos, marriage.]

Bigg, big, n. a kind of barley. [Scand.; Ice. bygg, Dan. byg.]

Biggin, big′in, n. a child's cap or hood. [Fr. béguin, from the cap worn by the Beguines, a religious society of women in France.]

Bight, bīt, n. a bend of the shore, or small bay: a bend or coil of a rope. [A.S. byht; cf. Dan. and Sw. bugt, Dut. bocht; from būgan, to bow.]

Bignonia, big-nō′ni-a, n. a genus of tropical plants with trumpet-shaped flowers, named from the Abbé Bignon, Louis XIV.'s librarian.

Bigot, big′ot, n. one blindly and obstinately devoted to a particular creed or party.—adj. Big′oted, having the qualities of a bigot.—n. Big′otry, blind or excessive zeal, esp. in religious matters. [O. Fr.; of dub. origin; variously conn. with Visigoth, they being Arians, while the Franks were orthodox; with Sp. bigote, a moustache; with Beguine (q.v.); and by Wace with a worthless legend that the Norman Rollo, in refusing to kiss the foot of Charles the Simple, said, 'Ne se, bi got.']

Bijou, be-zhōō′, n. a trinket: a jewel: a little box:—pl. Bijoux (be-zhōō′).—n. Bijou′try, jewellery: small articles of virtu. [Fr.]

Bike, bīk, n. a nest of wasps, wild bees, &c.: a swarm of people. [Scot.; ety. dub.]

Bike. See Bicycle.

Bilabiate, bī-lā′bi-āt, adj. having two lips, as some corollas. [L. bi-, twice, and Labiate.]

Bilander, bī′land-ėr, n. a two-masted hoy, having her mainsail bent to the whole length of her yard, hanging fore and aft, and inclined to the horizontal at an angle of about 45º.—Also By′lander. [Dut. bijlander.]

Bilateral, bī-lat′ėr-al, adj. having two sides.—adv. Bilat′erally. [L. bi-, twice, and Lateral.]

Bilberry, bil′ber-i, n. called also Whortleberry, a shrub and its berries, which are dark blue. [Cf. Dan. böllebær; Scot. blaeberry; Ger. blaubeere.]

Bilbo, bil′bō, n. a rapier or sword:—pl. Bilboes (bil′bōz), fetters. [From Bilbao, in Spain.]

Bile, bīl, n. a thick bitter fluid secreted by the liver—yellow in man and carnivorous animals, green in vegetable feeders: (fig.) ill-humour.—n. Bile′-duct, the duct which conveys the bile from the liver and the gall-bladder to the small intestine.—adjs. Bil′iary, belonging to or conveying bile; Bil′ious, pertaining to or affected by bile.—adv. Bil′iously. [Fr.—L. bilis.]

Bilge, bilj, n. the bulging part of a cask: the broadest part of a ship's bottom.—v.i. to spring a leak by a fracture in the bilge, as a ship.—ns. Bilge′-pump; Bilge′-wat′er.—adj. Bilg′y, having the appearance and disagreeable smell of bilge-water. [Most prob. conn. with Bulge.]

Bilharzia, bil′här-zi-a, n. a human parasitic flat worm in the fluke or Trematode order, with differentiated sexes. [From the helminthologist, Theodor Bilharz.]

Bilingual, bī-ling′wal, adj. of or containing two tongues or languages.—Also Bilin′guar. [L. bilinguis—bi-, twice, lingua, tongue.]

Biliteral, bī-lit′ėr-al, adj. consisting of two letters. [L. bi-, twice, and litera, a letter.]

Bilk, bilk, v.t. to elude; to cheat. [Perh. a dim. of Balk; at first a term in cribbage.]

Bill, bil, n. a kind of concave battle-axe with a long wooden handle: a kind of hatchet with a long blade and wooden handle in the same line with it, often with a hooked point, used in cutting thorn hedges or in pruning.—ns. Bill′hook, a bill or hatchet having a hooked or curved point; Bill′man, a soldier armed with a bill. [A.S. bil; Ger. bille.]

Bill, bil, n. the beak of a bird, or anything like it, applied even to a sharp promontory, as Portland Bill: the point of the fluke of an anchor—hence Bill′-board, n., used to protect the planking from being injured by the bill when the anchor is weighed.—v.i. to join bills as doves: to caress fondly.—adj. Billed. [A.S. bile, most prob. the same word as the preceding.]

Bill, bil, n. an account of money: a draft of a proposed law: a written engagement to pay a sum of money at a fixed date: a placard or advertisement: any written statement of particulars: in the criminal law of England, the formal name of a written accusation of serious crime preferred before a grand-jury.—n. Bill′-book, a book used in commerce in which an entry is made of all bills accepted and received.—n.pl. Bill′-brok′ers, persons who, being skilled in the money-market, the state of mercantile and personal credit, and the rates of exchange, engage, either on their own account or that of their employers, in the purchase and sale of foreign and inland bills of exchange and promissory notes: the business of Bill′-discount′ers, or discount-brokers, again, consists in discounting or advancing the amount of bills of exchange and notes which have some time to run before they come due, on the faith of the credit of the parties to the bill.—n. Bill′-cham′ber, a department of the Court of Session in Scotland which deals with summary business—so called because formerly both summonses and diligence or execution were for the most part commenced by a writ called a bill; Bill′-stick′er, one who sticks or posts up bills or placards.—Bill of adventure, a writing by a merchant stating that goods shipped by him, and in his name, are the property of another, whose adventure or chance the transaction is—the shipping merchant, on the other hand, undertaking to account to the adventurer for the produce; Bill of complaint, the name given in the English Court of Chancery, prior to the Judicature Act of 1873, to the formal statement of the facts and prayer for relief submitted by a plaintiff to the court; Bill of costs, an account stating in detail the charges and disbursements of an attorney or solicitor in the conduct of his client's business; Bill of exceptions, a statement of objections, by way of appeal, against the decision of a judge who is trying a case with a jury in the Court of Session; Bill of exchange, a document purporting to be an instrument of pecuniary obligation for value received, and which is employed for the purpose of settling a debt in a manner convenient to the parties concerned; Bill of fare, in a hotel, the list of dishes or articles of food; Bill of health, an official certificate of the state of health on board ship before sailing; Bill of lading, a paper signed by the master of a ship, by which he makes himself responsible for the safe delivery of the goods specified therein; Bill of mortality, an official account of the births and deaths occurring in a certain district within a given time; Bill of sale, in English law, a formal deed assigning personal property, the usual mode of transferring ships, and valuable as mercantile securities over stock-in-trade, furniture, &c.; Bill of sight, an entry of imported goods of which the merchant does not know the quantity or the quality; Bill of store, a license from the customs authorities to reimport British goods formerly exported; Bill of victualling, a list of necessary stores shipped from the bonded warehouse, or for drawback on board vessels proceeding on oversea voyages. [Through Low L. billa, from L. bulla, anything round, a knob, a seal appended to a charter, hence a document bearing a seal, &c. See Bull, an edict.]

Billet, bil′et, n. a little note or paper: a ticket assigning quarters to soldiers.—v.t. to quarter or lodge, as soldiers. [Fr.; dim. of Bill.]

Billet, bil′et, n. a small log of wood used as fuel: (archit.) an ornament in Norman architecture resembling billets of wood.—n. Bill′et-head, a billet or round piece of wood fixed in the bow or stern of a whale-boat, round which the harpoon-line is turned when the whale is struck. [Fr. billette—bille, the young stock of a tree, prob. of Celt. orig., perh. allied to Bole, the trunk of a tree.]

Billet-doux, bil-e-dōō′, n. a sweet note: a love-letter. [Fr. billet, a letter, doux, sweet.]

Billiards, bil′yardz, n. a game played with a cue or mace and balls on a table having pockets at the sides and corners.—adj. Bill′iard.—n. Bill′iard-mark′er, a person who marks the points made by the players. [Fr. billard—bille, a ball.]

Billingsgate, bil′ingz-gāt, n. foul and abusive language like that once familiar to the ear at Billingsgate (the great fish-market of London).

Billion, bil′yun, n. a million or thousand thousand of millions (1,000,000,000,000); or, according to the French method of numeration, one thousand millions (1,000,000,000). [L. bi-, twice, and Million.]

Billon, bil′on, n. base metal: esp. an alloy of silver with copper, tin, or the like. [Fr., from same root as Billet.]

Billow, bil′ō, n. a great wave of the sea swelled by the wind: (poet.) a wave, the sea.—v.i. to roll in large waves.—adjs. Bill′owed, Bill′owy. [Scand.; Ice. bylgja; Sw. bölja, Dan. bölge, a wave. See Bilge, Bulge.]

Billy, Billie, bil′i, n. a comrade, a companion-in-arms: an Australian bushman's boiling-pan or tea-pot:—pl. Bill′ies.—n. Bill′y-goat, a he-goat. [Prob. from Bill, a familiar abbrev. of William.]

Billyboy, bil′i-boi, n. a bluff-bowed one-masted trading-vessel. [Prob. conn. with Bilander.]

Billycock, bil′i-kok, n. a man's low-crowned felt hat. [From bully-cocked, i.e. cocked like the bullies.]

Bilobed, bī′lōbd, Bilobular, bī-lob′ū-lar, adj. having two lobes. [L. bi-, twice, and lobe, a Lobule.]

Bilocation, bī-lok-ā′shun, n. the power of being in two places at the same time. [Coined from bi-, twice, and Location.]

Bilocular, bī-lok′ū-lar, adj. divided into two cells. [L. bi-, twice, and L. loculus, dim. of locus, place.]

Bimana, bīm′an-a, or bim′an-a, n. a term used by Blumenbach, Cuvier, &c., to describe the human species in contrast to other mammals—now rarely used, men and monkeys being now zoologically united in the old Linnæan order—Primates.—adj. Bī′manous.

Bimensal, bī-mens′al, adj. happening once in two months: bimonthly.—adj. Bimes′trial, of two months' duration. [L. bi-, and mensis, a month.]

Bimetallism, bī-met′al-izm, n. the name given to a monetary system in which gold and silver are on precisely the same footing as regards mintage and legal tender.—adj. Bimetal′lic, adapted to that standard.—n. and adj. Bimet′allist. [A recent coinage, from Gr. bi-, double, and Metal.]

Bimonthly, bī-munth′li, adj. once in two months; also twice a month. [L. bi-, two, and Month.]

Bin, bin, n. a place for storing corn, wine. [A.S. binn, a manger.]

Bin, bin, (Shak.) used for Be and Been.

Binary, bī′nar-i, adj. composed of two: twofold.—adjs. Bī′nate, growing in pairs: double; Binaur′al, having two ears: needing the use of both ears.—Binary scale (math.), the scale of notation whose radix or base is 2 (instead of 10); Binary theory (chem.), that which assumes all salts to contain merely two substances, either both simple, or one simple and the other a compound playing the part of a simple body. [L. binarius—bini, two by two—bis, twice.]

Bind, bīnd, v.t. to tie or fasten together with a band (with to, upon): to encircle round (with about, with): to sew a border on: to tie up or bandage a limb, or the like: to fasten together (the leaves of a book) and put a cover on: to lay under obligation to answer a charge: to oblige by oath or promise to or from an action: to restrain, to make fast any one—also of disease, a magic spell, a passion, &c.: to hold or cement firmly: to render hard.—v.i. to produce constipation:—pa.t. and pa.p. bound.—n. a stalk of hops, so called from its twining or binding itself round a pole or tree: the indurated clay of coal-mines: (mus.) the tie for grouping notes together.—ns. Bind′er, one who binds, as books or sheaves: an attachment to a reaping-machine for tying the bundles of grain cut and thrown off, a reaping-machine provided with such; Bind′ery (U.S.), a bookbinder's establishment.—adj. Bind′ing, restraining: obligatory.—n. the act of binding: anything that binds: the covering of a book.—ns. Bind′weed, the convolvulus, a genus of plants, so called from their twining or binding; Bine, the slender stem of a climbing plant.—I dare or will be bound, I will be responsible for the statement. [A.S. bindan; cog. with Ger. binden, Sans. bandh.]

Binervate, bī-nėrv′āt, adj. (bot.) applied to leaves that have two ribs or nerves: (entom.) having the wings supported by two nerves. [L. bi-, bis, twice, and Nerve.]

Bing, bing, n. a heap or pile, often applied like Bin. [Scand.]

Bingo, bing′ō, n. a familiar name for brandy. [Prob. B, and stingo.]

Bink, bingk, n. a Scotch form of Bench.

Binnacle, bin′a-kl, n. (naut.) the box in which on shipboard the compass is kept. [Formerly bittacle—Port. bitácola—L. habitaculum, a dwelling-place—habit-āre, to dwell.]

Binocle, bin′o-kl, n. a telescope through which an object can be viewed with both eyes at the same time.—adj. Binoc′ular, having two eyes: suitable for two eyes.—adv. Binoc′ularly. [L. bini, two by two, oculus, an eye.]

Binomial, bī-nōm′i-al, adj. and n. (alg.) a quantity consisting of two terms or parts, as a+b.—Binomial theorem, a series of analytical formulæ by which any power of a binomial can be expressed and developed. [L. bi-, bis, twice, and nomen, a name, a term.]

Binturong, bin′tū-rong, n. the native name for an Indian prehensile-tailed carnivore, akin to the civet.

Bio-, bī′ō, a prefix from Gr. bios, life, used in many scientific words to express having organic life.—adj. Biobibliograph′ical, dealing with the life and writings of any one.—n. Bī′oblast, a formative cell, a minute mass of bioplasm or protoplasm about to become a definite cell.—adj. Biodynam′ical.—ns. Biodynam′ics, that part of biology which deals with vital force; Biogenesis (-jen′e-sis), the process of natural generation of life from life, as opposed to spontaneous generation, or abiogenesis.—adj. Biogenet′ic.—ns. Biog′enist; Biog′eny; Biomag′netism, animal magnetism; Biom′etry, the measurement or calculation of the probable duration of life; Bī′oplasm, the germinal matter of all living beings.