List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary

Biograph, bī′o-graf, n. a name sometimes applied to a form of the zoetrope contrived so as to exhibit the successive movements of a living body, thus simulating life. [Gr. bios, life, graphein, to write, describe.]

Biography, bī-og′raf-i, n. a written account or history of the life of an individual: the art of writing such accounts.—n. Biog′rapher, one who writes biography.—adjs. Biograph′ic, -al.—adv. Biograph′ically. [Gr. bios, life, graphein, to write.]

Biology, bī-ol′oj-i, n. the science that treats of life or of organised beings, which seeks to classify and generalise the multitude of phenomena presented by and peculiar to the living world.—adj. Biolog′ical.—adv. Biolog′ically.—n. Biolo′gist, one who studies biology. [Gr. bios, life, logos, a discourse.]

Biotaxy, bī′ō-tak-si, n. classification according to the sum of the morphological character. [Gr. bios, life, and Taxis.]

Biotic, bī-ot′ik, adj. pertaining to life. [Gr. bios, life.]

Biparous, bip′ar-us, adj. bearing two at a birth. [L. bis, twice, par-ĕre, to bring forth.]

Bipartite, bi′part-īt, or bī-pärt′īt, adj. divided into two like parts.—n. Biparti′tion, the act of dividing into two corresponding parts. [L. bi-, bis, twice, partitus, divided—part-īre, to divide.]

Biped, bī′ped, n. an animal with two feet.—adjs. Bī′ped, Bī′pedal, having two feet. [L. bipes—bi-, bis, twice, ped-em, foot.]

Bipennate, bī-pen′āt, Bipennated, bī-pen′āt-ed, adj. having two wings. [L. bi-, and Pennate.]

Bipennis, bī-pen′nis, n. an axe with two blades, one on each side of the handle, usually seen depicted in the hands of the Amazons. [L.—bis, twice, penna, wing.]

Bipetalous, bī-pet′al-us, adj. having two petals or flower-leaves. [L. bi-, twice, and Petal.]

Bipinnate, bī-pin′nāt, adj. doubly pinnate. [L. bi-, twice, and Pinnate.]

Biquadratic, bī-kwod-rat′ik, n. a quantity twice squared, or raised to the fourth power.—Biquadratic equation, an equation with one unknown quantity raised to the fourth power; Biquadratic root, the square root of the square root of a number. [L. bi- twice, and quadratus, squared.]

Biquintile, bī-kwin′til, n. (astron.) the aspect of planets when they are twice the fifth part (144 degrees) of a great circle from each other. [L. bi-, twice, quintus, the fifth.]

Birch, bėrch, n. a hardy forest-tree, with smooth, white bark and very durable wood: a rod for punishment, consisting of a birch twig or twigs.—adjs. Birch, Birch′en, made of birch. [A.S. berc, bierce; Ice. björk, Sans. bhūrja.]

Bird, bėrd, n. a general name for feathered animals.—v.i. to catch or snare birds.—ns. Bird′-bolt (Shak.), a short thick bolt or arrow with a blunted point, used for killing birds without piercing them; Bird′-cage, a cage or box made of wire and wood for holding birds; Bird′-call, an instrument used by fowlers to call or allure birds to them, by imitating their notes; Bird′-catch′er, one who catches birds: a fowler; Bird′-catch′ing, the art or practice of catching birds; Bird′-cher′ry, a bush bearing an astringent wild-fruit in drupes.—adj. Bird′-eyed, having eyes quick of sight, like those of a bird: quick-sighted.—ns. Bird′-fan′cier, one who has a fancy for rearing birds: one who keeps birds for sale; Bird′ing (Shak.), catching birds by means of hawks trained for the purpose; Bird′ing-piece, a fowling-piece; Bird′-lime, a sticky substance used for catching birds; Bird′-of-Par′adise, a kind of Eastern bird with splendid plumage; Bird's′-eye, a kind of tobacco; Bird's′-nest, the nest in which a bird lays her eggs and hatches her young; Bird′-spī′der, a species of large spiders which prey on small birds, found in Brazil.—adj. Bird′-wit′ted, flighty: incapable of sustained attention.—Bird's-eye view, a general view from above, as if by a bird on the wing, a representation of such, a general view or résumé of a subject; Bird's-foot trefoil, the popular name of several leguminous plants, having clusters of cylindrical pods resembling a bird's foot.—A little bird told me, I heard in a way I will not reveal. [A.S. brid, the young of a bird, a bird: either from root of Breed (bredan, to breed) or of Birth (beran, to bear).]

Bireme, bī′rēm, n. an ancient vessel with two rows of oars. [Fr.—L. biremis—bi-, twice, and remus, an oar.]

Biretta, bir-et′a, n. a square cap worn by clergy—by priests, black; bishops, purple; cardinals, red. [It. berretta—Low L. birretum, a cap.]

Birk, bėrk, n. Scotch and prov. Eng. for Birch.—adj. Birk′en (Scot.), birchen.

Birkie, birk′i, n. a strutting or swaggering fellow: a fellow generally.—adj. active. [Scot. A dubious connection with Scand. berkja, to bark, boast, has been suggested.]

Birl, birl, v.t. to spin anything round: to throw down a coin as one's share in a joint contribution.—v.i. to whirl round. [Scot., an onomatopœic word.]

Birle, birl, v.t. and v.i. (Scot.) to ply with drink: to carouse.—ns. Birl′er (Cumberland); Birl′ing, the act of drawing liquor. [A.S. byrelian, byrele, a cup-bearer, beran, to bear.]

Birlinn, bir′lin, n. a chief's barge in the Western Isles. [Gael.]

Birminghamise, bir′ming-ham-īz, v.t. to make up artificially. [See Brummagem.]

Birostrate, bī-ros′trāt, adj. having a double beak. [L. bi-, twice, and rostratus, beaked—rostrum, a beak.]

Birr, bir, n. impetus: a violent push: stress in pronunciation: any sharp whirring sound. [Scot.; Ice. byrr, a favouring wind.]

Birse, birs, n. bristle.—adj. Birs′y.—To lick the birse, to draw a hog's bristle through the mouth—part of the ceremony of citizenship in Selkirk; To set up one's birse, to rouse the wrath of, from the habit of animals bristling up when enraged. [Scot.; A.S. byrst.]

Birsle, birs′l, v.t. to scorch, to toast. [Scot.]

Birth, bėrth, n. a ship's station at anchor. [Same as Berth.]

Birth, bėrth, n. the act of bearing or bringing forth: the offspring born: dignity of family: origin.—n. Birth′day, the day on which one is born, or the anniversary of that day.—adj. relating to the day of one's birth.—ns. Birth′day-book, a book in diary form, in which the birthdays of one's friends are entered in their autographs; Birth′dom (Shak.), birthright; Birth′-mark, a peculiar mark on one's body at birth; Birth′night, the night on which one is born, or the anniversary of that night; Birth′place, the place of one's birth; Birth′right, the right or privilege to which one is entitled by birth: native rights.—adj. Birth′-strang′led (Shak.), strangled in birth.—n. Birth′-wort, a genus of perennial plants, formerly used medicinally in cases of difficult parturition. [M. E. birÞe, prob. Scand.; cf. Goth, ga-baurÞs, Ger. ge-burt.]

Bis, bis, adv. twice: (mus.) a direction that a passage is to be repeated [L.].—n. Bīseg′ment, a segment of a line or figure cut into two equal parts.—adjs. Bīser′rate (bot.), doubly serrate; Bīsex′ual, of both sexes: (bot.) applied to flowers which contain both stamens and pistils within the same envelope.

Biscayan, bis′kā-an, adj. and n. of or pertaining to the Basque province of Biscay in Spain, or its people: Basque generally: a long heavy musket, or the bullet fired by such.

Biscuit, bis′kit, n. hard dry bread in small cakes: a kind of unglazed earthenware. [O. Fr. bescoit (mod. biscuit)—L. bis, twice, coquĕre, coctum, to cook or bake.]

Bise, bēz, n. a cold north or north-east wind prevalent at certain seasons in Switzerland and neighbouring parts of France and Italy. [Fr.]

Bisect, bī-sekt′, v.t. to cut into two equal parts.—n. Bisec′tion. [L. bi, twice, and secāre, sectum, to cut.]

Biserial, bī-sē′ri-al, adj. arranged in two series or rows. [L. bi-, and Series.]

Bishop, bish′op, n. in the Western and Eastern Churches, and in the Anglican communion, a clergyman consecrated for the spiritual direction of a diocese, under an archbishop, and over the priests or presbyters and deacons: a spiritual overseer in the early Christian Church, whether of a local church or of a number of churches—the terms bishop [Gr. episcopos] and presbyter [Gr. presbyteros] are used interchangeably in the New Testament for the officers who direct the discipline and administer the affairs of a single congregation—the differentiation in function and dignity is, however, well marked by the end of the 2d century: one of the pieces or men in chess, from the upper part being carved into the shape of a bishop's mitre (formerly the archer): a wholesome hot drink compounded of red wine (claret, Burgundy, &c.) poured warm or cold upon ripe bitter oranges, sugared and spiced to taste.—v.t. (jocularly) to play the bishop, to confirm: to supply with bishops: to let milk or the like burn while cooking.—ns. Bish′opess, a she-bishop, a bishop's wife; Bish′opric, the office and jurisdiction of a bishop: a diocese—also Bish′opdom.—Bishop in partibus (see Partibus). [A.S. biscop—L. episcopus—Gr. episcopos, an overseer—epi, upon, skop-ein, to view.]

Bisk. See Bisque (1).

Bismar, bis′mar, n. a kind of steelyard still used in Orkney. [Dan. bismer.]

Bismillah, bis-mil′a, interj. in the name of Allah or God—a common Mohammedan exclamation. [Ar.]

Bismuth, biz′muth, n. a brittle metal of a reddish-white colour used in the arts and in medicine. [Ger. bismuth, wissmuth; origin unknown.]

Bison, bī′son, or bis′on, n. a large wild animal like the bull, found in Lithuania, the Caucasus, &c., with shaggy hair and a fatty hump on its shoulders.—The American 'buffalo' is also a bison. [From L. pl. bisontes, prob. of Teut. origin; cf. Old High Ger. wisunt, A.S. wesend.]

Bisque, bisk, n. a rich soup made of meat or fish slowly stewed and seasoned, crayfish soup.—Also Bisk. [Fr.]

Bisque, bisk, n. pottery that has undergone the first firing before being glazed. [See Biscuit.]

Bisque, bisk, n. a term at tennis for the odds given by one player to another, in allowing him to score one point once during the set—a means of equalising a strong and a weak player. [Fr.]

Bissextile, bis-sext′il, n. leap-year.—adj. containing the Bissext (L. bissextus), or extra day which the Julian calendar inserts in leap-year—the sixth before the kalends of March, 24th February. [L. bis, twice, and sextus, sixth.]

Bisson, bis′son, adj. (Shak.) blind, blinding. [A.S. bísene, blind.]

Bistort, bis′tort, n. a perennial plant with astringent properties (Polygonum bistorta), so named from its twisted roots, called also Snakeweed and Adder's Wort. [Fr.—L. bistorta; bis, twice, torta, twisted.]

Bistoury, bis′tōōr-i, n. a narrow surgical knife for making incisions, having a straight, convex, or concave edge. [Fr.]

Bistre, Bister, bis′tėr, n. a pigment of a warm brown colour made from the soot of wood, esp. beechwood.—adj. Bis′tred. [Fr. bistré; origin unknown.]

Bisulcate, bī-sul′kāt, adj. (zool.) cloven-footed. [L. bi-, twice, sulcus, a furrow.]

Bisulphate, bī-sul′fāt, n. a salt of sulphuric acid, in which one-half of the hydrogen of the acid is replaced by a metal. [L. bi-, twice, and Sulphate.]

Bit, bit, n. a bite, a morsel: a small piece: the smallest degree: a small tool for boring (see Brace): the part of the bridle which the horse holds in his mouth (see Bridle)—hence, To take the bit in his teeth, to be beyond restraint.—v.t. to put the bit in the mouth; to curb or restrain:—pr.p. bit′ting; pa.p. bit′ted.—Bit by bit, piecemeal, gradually. [From Bite.]

Bitch, bich, n. the female of the dog, wolf, and fox. [A.S. bicce; Ice. bikkja.]

Bite, bīt, v.t. to seize or tear with the teeth: to sting or pain: to wound by reproach: to deceive, or take in—now only passive:—pa.t. bit; pa.p. bit or bit′ten.—n. a grasp by the teeth: a nibble at the bait by a fish: something bitten off: a mouthful.—v.t. Bite′-in, to eat out the lines of an etching with acid: to repress.—n. Bit′er, one who bites: a fish apt to take the bait: a cheat.—n. and adj. Bit′ing.—To bite the dust, to fall, to die; To bite the thumb, to express defiance by putting the thumbnail into the mouth and knocking it against the teeth. [A.S. bítan; Goth. beitan, Ice. bita, Ger. beissen.]

Bitt, bit, v.t. (naut.) to fasten round the Bitts (q.v.).

Bittacle. Same as Binnacle.

Bitter, bit′ėr, adj. biting or acrid to the taste: sharp: painful.—n. any substance having a bitter taste.—adj. Bitt′erish.—adv. Bitt′erly.—n. Bitt′erness.—n.pl. Bitt′ers, a liquid prepared from bitter herbs or roots, and used as a stomachic.—n. Bitt′er-sweet, the Woody Nightshade, a slender, climbing hedge-plant, having red poisonous berries, said to be named from its root, when chewed, having first a bitter, then a sweet taste: (Shak.) an apple that has a compound taste of sweet and bitter: a mixture of sweet and bitter. [A.S. bítan, to bite.]

Bitter (Spens.), used for Bittern.

Bittern, bit′ėrn, n. a bird of the heron family, said to have been named from the resemblance of its voice to the lowing of a bull. [M. E. bittour—Fr.—Low L. butorius (bos, taurus).]

Bittern, bit′ėrn, n. an oily liquid remaining in salt-works after the crystallisation of the salt, and used in the manufacture of Epsom salts.

Bittor, Bittour, bit′tur, n. (Dryden) the bird Bittern.

Bitts, bits, n. a frame in the forepart of a ship round which the cables are passed when the vessel rides at anchor.

Bitumen, bi-tū′men, or bit′yu-men, n. a name applied to various inflammable mineral substances, as naphtha, petroleum, asphaltum.—v.t. Bitū′minate, to mix with or make into bitumen—also Bitū′minise.—adjs. Bitū′minous, Bitūmed′ (Shak.), impregnated with bitumen. [L.]

Bivalve, bī′valv, n. an animal having a shell in two valves or parts, like the oyster: a seed-vessel of like kind.—adj. having two valves.—adj. Bivalv′ular. [L. bi-, twice, valva, a valve.]

Bivious, biv′i-us, adj. leading two, or different, ways. [L. bivius—bi-, twice, via, a way.]

Bivouac, biv′ōō-ak, n. the resting at night of soldiers in the open air, instead of under cover in camp.—v.i. to pass the night in the open air:—pr.p. biv′ouacking; pa.p. biv′ouacked. [Fr.—Ger. beiwacht, to watch beside—bei by, wachen, to watch.]

Bi-weekly, bī′-wēk′li, adj. properly, occurring once in two weeks, but usually twice in every week. [L. bi-, twice, and Week.]

Bizarre, bi-zär′, adj. odd: fantastic: extravagant.—n. Bizar′rerie. [Fr.—Sp. bizarro, high-spirited; acc. to Littré, adapted from Basque bizarre, the beard.]

Bizcacha. See Viscacha.

Blab, blab, v.i. to talk much: to tell tales.—v.t. to tell what ought to be kept secret (with out, forth):—pr.p. blab′bing; pa.p. blabbed.—n. an open-mouthed person, a tattler: tattling.—n. Blab′ber, one who blabs. [M. E. blabbe, a chatterer, also Blabber, to babble, with which cf. Norse blabbra, Ger. plappern.]

Black, blak, adj. of the darkest colour: without colour: obscure: dismal: sullen: horrible: dusky: foul, dirty: malignant: dark-haired, wearing dark armour or clothes.—n. black colour: absence of colour: a negro: mourning: the dark smut which attacks wheat: a speck of black on the face, a sooty particle in the air: black clothes, esp. dress trousers.—v.t. to make black: to soil or stain: to draw in black.—n. Black′amoor, a black Moor: a negro.—adjs. Black′-and-tan, having black hair on the back, and tan or yellowish-brown elsewhere, esp. of a terrier; Black′-a-vised, of dark complexion (probably originally black-à-vis).—v.t. Black′ball, to reject in voting by putting a black ball into a ballot-box.—ns. Black′balling, the act of so rejecting a candidate; Black′-band, iron ore containing enough of coal to calcine it; Black′-bee′tle, a cockroach; Black′berry, the berry of the bramble; Black′bird, a species of thrush of a black colour: a current name for a negro or Polynesian kidnapped for labour; Black′birding, the kidnapping of such; Black′board, a board painted black, used in schools for writing, forming figures, &c.—adjs. Black′-bod′ing, of evil omen; Black′-browed, having black eyebrows: sullen.—ns. Black′-cap, a bird, a species of warbler, so called from its black crown: (cook.) an apple roasted until it is black, and served up in a custard: the full-dress cap put on by English judges when about to pronounce sentence of death; Black′-catt′le, oxen, bulls, and cows; Black′-chalk, a variety of clay-slate of a bluish-black colour, used for drawing, and also for making black paint; Black′cock, a species of grouse, common in the north of England and in Scotland; Black′-curr′ant, a garden shrub with black fruit used in making preserves; Black′-death, a name given to the plague of the 14th century from the black spots which appeared on the skin; Black′-draught, the popular name for a purgative medicine consisting chiefly of senna and Epsom salts; Black′-drop, a liquid preparation of opium, vinegar, and sugar.—v.t. Black′en, to make black: to defame.—adj. Black′faced, having a black face: dismal.—ns. Black′-flag, the flag of a pirate, or that hoisted at the execution of a criminal—from its colour; Black′-friar, a friar of the Dominican order, so called from his black mantle (over a white woollen habit): (pl.) the region in a city, as London, where their convent stood; Blackguard (blag′ärd), originally applied to the lowest menials about a court, who took charge of the pots, kettles, &c.: a low, ill-conducted fellow.—adj. low: scurrilous.—v.t. to treat as a blackguard; v.i. to play the blackguard.—n. Black′guardism.—adv. Black′guardly.—ns. Black′-heart′edness; Black′-hole, formerly the name for the punishment-cell in a barrack: the memorable black-hole in the Fort-William barracks at Calcutta, into which, in in 1756, as many as 146 Europeans were thrust over night, of whom only 23 were found surviving in the morning; Black′ing, a substance used for blacking leather, &c.—adj. Black′ish.—ns. Black′-jack, a vessel for holding drink, originally made of leather: (naut.) the flag of a pirate; Black′-lead, a black mineral (plumbago, not lead) used in making pencils, blacking grates, &c.; Black′leg, a low, gambling fellow: a turf-swindler: a term applied by strikers to men willing to work for the wages against which themselves have struck—also Black′-neb; Black′-let′ter, the old English (also called Gothic) letter (Black-letter); Black′-list, a list of defaulters; Black′-Marī′a, the closely covered, usually black-painted van in which prisoners are conveyed between the court and the prison; Black′-Mon′day, Easter Monday, so called on account of the sufferings experienced by the army of Edward III. from the severity of the weather on that day in 1360; Black′-monk, a monk of the order of St Benedict, from his garments; Black′ness; Black′-pudd′ing, a blood-pudding (q.v.).; Black′-rod, the usher of the chapter of the Garter and of the House of Lords, so called from the black wand tipped with a golden lion which he carries; Black′-sheep, a disreputable member of a family or group; Black′smith, a smith who works in iron, as opposed to a Whitesmith, or one who works in tin; Black′thorn, a species of dark-coloured thorn: the sloe: a stick made from its stem.—adjs. Black′-tressed, having black tresses; Black-visaged (blak′-viz′ājd), having a black visage or appearance.—n. Black′-wash, a lotion of calomel and lime-water: anything that blackens.—Black and blue, with the livid colour of a bruise in the flesh; Black book, an official book bound in black, a book recording the names of persons deserving punishment; Black eye, an eye of which the iris is dark—a point of beauty: a discoloration around the eye due to a blow or fall; Black fellow, a native in Australia.—In black and white, in writing or in print: in art, in no colours but black and white.—To be black in the face, to have the face purple through strangulation, passion, or effort; To be in any one's black books, to have incurred any one's displeasure; To black out, to obliterate with black. [A.S. blac, blæc, black.]

Black-art, blak′-ärt, n. necromancy: magic. [Acc. to Trench, a translation of the Low L. nigromantia, substituted erroneously for the Gr. necromanteia (see Necromancy), as if the first syllable had been L. niger, black.]

Blackmail, blak′māl, n. rent or tribute formerly paid to robbers for protection: hush-money extorted under threat of exposure or denunciation, esp. of a baseless charge.—v.t. to extort money from a person by this expedient. [Black and A.S. mal, tribute, toll.]

Blad, blad, n. a fragment of anything, a good lump. [Scot.]

Bladder, blad′ėr, n. a thin bag distended with liquid or air: the receptacle for the urine.—adjs. Bladd′ered, Bladd′ery, swollen like a bladder.—n. Bladd′erwort, a genus of slender aquatic plants, the leaves floating. [A.S. blǽdre—blawan; Old Ger. blahan, blajan, to blow; Ger. blase, bladder—blasen, to blow; cf. L. flat-us, breath.]

Blade, blād, n. the leaf or flat part of grass or corn: the cutting part of a knife, sword, &c.: the flat part of an oar: a dashing fellow.—n. Blade′bone, the flat bone at the back of the shoulder: the scapula.—adj. Blad′ed. [A.S. blæd; Ice. blad, Ger. blatt.]

Blae, blā, adj. blackish or blue in colour: livid: bleak.—n. Blae′berry, Scotch name for the bilberry or whortleberry. [M. E. blo, bloo—Scand. blá.]

Blague, blag, n. blustering humbug. [Fr.]

Blain, blān, n. a boil or blister. [A.S. blegen, a blister, prob. from blawan, to blow.]

Blame, blām, v.t. to find fault with: to censure.—n. imputation of a fault: crime: censure.—adj. Blam′able, deserving of blame: faulty.—n. Blam′ableness.—adv. Blam′ably.—adj. Blame′ful, meriting blame: criminal.—adv. Blame′fully.—n. Blame′fullness.—adj. Blameless, without blame: guiltless: innocent.—adv. Blame′lessly.—ns. Blame′lessness; Blame′worthiness, quality of being worthy of blame: blamableness.—adj. Blame′worthy, worthy of blame: culpable. [Fr. blâmer, blasmer—Gr. blasphēme-ein, to speak ill. See Blaspheme.]

Blanch, blansh, v.t. to whiten.—v.i. to grow white. [Fr. blanchir—blanc, white. See Blank.]

Blanc-mange, bla-mawngzh′, n. a white jelly prepared with milk. [Fr. blanc, white, manger, food.]

Bland, bland, adj. smooth: gentle: mild.—adv. Blandly.—n. Bland′ness. [L. blandus, perh.—mla(n)dus—Eng. mild.]

Bland, bland, n. an Orcadian name for butter-milk and water. [Scand. blanda.]

Blandish, bland′ish, v.t. to flatter and coax, to cajole.—n. Bland′ishment, act of expressing fondness: flattery: winning expressions or actions. [Fr. blandir, blandiss-, from L. blandīri.]

Blank, blangk, adj. without writing or marks, as in white paper: empty, empty of results: vacant, confused: (poetry) not having rhyme.—n. a paper without writing: a lottery-ticket having no mark, and therefore valueless: an empty space, a void, or vacancy: (archery) the white mark in the centre of a target at which an arrow is aimed, hence the object or aim of anything: a form of document having blank spaces afterwards to be filled in.—v.t. to make pale: (Milton) to confuse.—n. Blank′-cart′ridge, a cartridge without a bullet.—p.adj. Blanked, a minced form of damned, from the usual form of printing d——d.—adv. Blank′ly.—ns. Blank′ness; Blank′-verse, verse without rhyme, esp. the heroic verse of five feet. [Fr. blanc, from root of Ger. blinken, to glitter—Old High Ger. blichen, Gr. phlegein, to shine.]

Blanket, blangk′et, n. a white woollen covering for beds: a covering for horses, &c.—v.t. to cover with a blanket: to toss in a blanket.—n. Blank′eting, cloth for blankets: the punishment of being tossed in a blanket. [Fr. blanchet, dim. of blanc, from its null white colour,]

Blare, blār, v.i. to roar, to sound loudly, as a trumpet.—n. roar, noise. [M. E. blaren, orig. blasen, from A.S. blæsan, to blow. See Blast.]

Blarney, blar′ni, n. pleasing flattery or cajoling talk.—v.t. to beguile with such. [Blarney Castle, near Cork, where there is a stone difficult to reach, he who kisses which ever after possesses the gift of blarney.]

Blasé, bla-zā, adj. fatigued with pleasures, used up. [Fr. blaser.]

Blash, blash, n. watery stuff.—adj. Blash′y. [Scot.]

Blaspheme, blas-fēm′, v.t. and v.i. to speak impiously of, as of God: to curse and swear.—n. Blasphem′er.—adj. Blas′phemous, containing blasphemy: impious.—adv. Blas′phemously.—n. Blas′phemy, profane speaking: contempt or indignity offered to God. [Gr. blasphēme-ein—blaptein, to hurt, phēmi to speak. See Blame.]

Blast, blast, n. a blowing or gust of wind: a forcible stream of air: sound of a wind instrument; an explosion of gunpowder: anything pernicious.—v.t. to strike with some pernicious influence, to blight: to affect with sudden violence or calamity: to rend asunder with gunpowder.—adj. Blast′ed, blighted: cursed, damned.—ns. Blast′-fur′nace, a smelting furnace into which hot air is blown; Blast′-hole, a hole in the bottom of a pump through which water enters; Blast′ing, the separating of masses of stone by means of an explosive substance; Blast′ing-gel′atine, a powerful explosive made of gun-cotton and nitro-glycerine; Blast′ment, withering or shrivelling up caused by blasting; Blast′-pipe, a pipe in a steam-engine, to convey the waste-steam up the chimney. [A.S. blǽst; cf. Ice. beása; Ger. blasen.]

Blastoderm, blas′to-derm, n. an embryological term applied to the layer or layers of cells arising from the germinal disc, or the portion of a partially segmenting egg which undergoes division. [Gr. blasto-, blastos, a sprout, derma, dermat-, skin.]

Blatant, blāt′ant, adj. noisy, clamorous, loud.—adv. Blat′antly. [Prob. a coinage of Spenser.]

Blate, blāt, adj. bashful, timidly awkward. [Scot.; A.S. blát, pale.]

Blatter, blat′tėr, v.i. to talk overmuch, to prate.—v.i. to hurry or rush noisily.—n. a clatter of words, sound of rapid motion. [L. blaterāre.]

Blawort, blä′wort, n. the harebell: the corn blue-bottle.—Also Blē′wart. [Scot. Blae, and wort, herb.]

Blay, blā, n. the fish bleak.—Also Bley. [See Bleak, a fish.]

Blaze, blāz, n. a rush of light or of flame: a bursting out or active display: a white spot on the face of a horse or ox: a mark made on a tree by cutting off a strip of bark to mark a track or a boundary.—v.i. to burn with a flame: to throw out light.—n. Blaz′er, a cricket or golf jacket of bright colour.—Blazes, from the fires of hell, in imprecations like To blazes; also Like blazes = with fury.—To blaze a tree, to make a white mark by cutting off a piece of the bark. [A.S. blæse, a torch, from root of Blow.]

Blaze, blāz, Blazon, blā′zn, v.t. to proclaim, to spread abroad.—n. Blaz′er (Spens.), one who spreads abroad or proclaims. [Same as Blare; Blazon is the M. E. blasen, with the n retained.]

Blazon, blā′zn, v.t. to make public: to display: to draw or to explain in proper terms the figures, &c., in armorial bearings.—n. the science or rules of coats-of-arms.—ns. Blaz′oner, one who blazons: a herald: a slanderer; Blaz′onry, the art of drawing or of deciphering coats-of-arms: heraldry. [Fr. blason, a coat-of-arms, from root of Blaze.]

Bleach, blēch, v.t. to make pale or white: to whiten, as textile fabrics.—v.i. to grow white.—ns. Bleach′er, one who bleaches, or that which bleaches; Bleach′ery, a place for bleaching; Bleach′-field, a place for bleaching cloth: a bleacher's office or works; Bleach′ing, the process of whitening or decolourising cloth; Bleach′ing-green, a green for bleaching clothes on; Bleach′ing-pow′der, chloride of lime. [A.S. blǽcan, from root of Bleak.]

Bleak, blēk, adj. colourless: dull and cheerless: cold, unsheltered.—adv. Bleak′ly.—n. Bleak′ness. [A.S. blæc, blâc, pale, shining; a different word from blac (without accent), black. The root is blican, to shine.]

Bleak, blēk, n. a small white river-fish.

Blear, blēr, adj. (as in Blear-eyed, blēr′-īd) sore or inflamed: dim or blurred with inflammation. [Low Ger. bleer-oged, 'blear-eyed.']

Bleat, blēt, v.i. to cry as a sheep.—n. the cry of a sheep, any similar cry, even of the human voice.—n. Bleat′ing, the cry of a sheep. [A.S. blǽtan; L. balāre, Gr. blēchē, a bleating; root bla-; formed from the sound.]

Bleb, bleb, n. a transparent blister of the cuticle: a bubble, as in water. [See Bulb.]

Bled, bled, pa.t. and pa.p. of Bleed.

Blee, blē, n. (Mrs Browning) complexion, colour. [A.S. bléo.]

Bleed, blēd, v.i. to lose blood: to die by slaughter: to issue forth or drop as blood: to have money extorted from one: to feel great pity for, as in the phrase, 'the heart bleeds:' to be as red as blood.—v.t. to draw blood from, esp. surgically: to extort sums of money from:—pa.t. and pa.p. bled.—n. Bleed′ing, a discharge of blood: the operation of letting blood.—adj. full of compassion: emitting sap: terribly weakened by war: (Shak.) bloody. [A.S. blédan. See Blood.]

Blemish, blem′ish, n. a stain or defect: reproach.—v.t. to mark with any deformity: to tarnish: to defame.—n. Blem′ishment (Spens.), the state of being blemished, disgrace. [O. Fr. blesmir, blemir, pr.p. blemissant, to stain, of dubious origin. Prof. Skeat thinks it Scand., Ice. blâman, livid colour—blâr, Blue.]

Blench, blensh, v.i. to shrink or start back: to flinch. [From root of Blink.]

Blench, blensh, adj. or adv. based on the payment of a nominal yearly duty.—Also Blanch. [See Blank.]

Blend, blend, v.t. to mix together: to confound.—v.i. to be mingled or mixed:—pa.p. blend′ed and blent.—n. a mixture:—n. Blend′ing, the act of mingling: the process by which the fusion of paints is effected. [A.S. blandan.]

Blende, blend, n. native sulphuret of zinc. [Ger. blenden, to dazzle, from the lustre of the crystals.]

Blenheim, blen′em, n. a kind of spaniel named from the Duke of Marlborough's house.

Blennorrhœa, blen-no-rē′a, n. discharge of mucus. [Gr. blennos, mucus.]

Blenny, blen′ni, n. a genus of acanthopterygious fishes, covered with mucus or slimy matter. [Gr. blennos, mucus.]

Blent, blent, (obs.) pa.p. of Blend—mixed: mingled: (Spens.) blinded, obscured.

Bless, bles, v.t. to invoke a blessing upon: to make joyous, happy, or prosperous: to consecrate by some religious rite, to cross one's self: to extol as holy, to pronounce happy, to invoke the divine favour upon: to wish happiness to: to praise or glorify:—pa.p. blessed (blest), or blest.—adj. Bless′ed, happy: prosperous: happy in heaven, beatified.—adv. Bless′edly.—ns. Bless′edness; Bless′ing, a wish or prayer for happiness or success: any means or cause of happiness: (B.) a gift or present: a form of invoking the favour of God at a meal.—adv. Bless′ingly.—Single blessedness, the celibate life, the unmarried state generally. [A.S. blétsian, to bless, prob. from blót, sacrifice; the word taken as—benedicĕre.]

Bless, bles, v.t. (Spens.) to brandish. [Blaze(?).]

Blest, blest, pa.p. of Bless.

Blether, bleth′er, v.i. to talk garrulous nonsense.—n. fluent, garrulous nonsense—also Blath′er.—p.adj. Bleth′ering, over-talkative.—ns. Bleth′erskate, Blath′erskite (Amer.), a blustering, noisy, talkative fellow. [M. E. blather, of Scand. origin, Ice. blaðra, to talk foolishly, blaðr, nonsense.]

Blew, blōō, pa.t. of Blow.

Blewits, blū′its, n. a kind of mushroom. [Fr. Blue.]

Blight, blīt, n. a disease in plants, which blasts or withers them: anything that injures or destroys.—v.t. to affect with blight: to blast: to frustrate.—p.adj. Blight′ing, withering, blasting. [Dr Murray notes that it first appears in literature in the 17th century; prob. orig. of Scand. origin; cf. Ice. blettr, a stain; perh. related to Bleach, Bleak.]

Blin, blin, v.t. (Spens.) to cease.—n. cessation: stoppage. [A.S. blinnan, to cease, pfx. be-, and linnan, to cease.]

Blind, blīnd, adj. without sight: dark: ignorant or undiscerning: without an opening.—n. something to mislead: a window-screen: a shade.—v.t. to make blind; to darken, obscure, or deceive; to dazzle.—pa.p. blīnd′ed; pr.p. blīnd′ing.—ns. Blind′age (mil.) a temporary wooden screen faced with earth as a protection against splinters of shell and the like; Blind′-coal, non-bituminous coal.—adj. Blind′ed, deprived of sight: without intellectual discernment.—n. Blind′er, one who or that which blinds; (pl.) a horse's blinkers.—adj. Blind′fold, having the eyes bandaged, so as not to see: thoughtless: reckless.—v.t. to cover the eyes: to mislead.—adj. Blind′ing, tending to make blind.—pr.p. making blind.—adv. Blind′ly.—ns. Blind′ness, want of sight, ignorance, folly; Blind′-side, the side on which a person is blind to danger: weak point; Blind′worm, a small reptile, like a snake, having eyes so small as to be supposed blind.—Blind-man's buff, a game in which one of the party is blindfolded and tries to catch the others. [A.S. blind; Ice. blindr.]

Blink, blingk, v.i. to glance, twinkle, or wink: to see obscurely, or with the eyes half-closed: to shine unsteadily.—v.t. to shut out of sight: to avoid or evade.—n. a glimpse, glance, or wink: a momentary gleam of light, a spark.—n. Blink′ard, one who blinks or has bad eyes.—p.adj. Blinked, affected with blinking.—n.pl. Blink′ers, pieces of leather fastened to the cheek-pieces of a horse's head-stall in driving to prevent him seeing in any direction except straightforward. [M. E. a variant of blenk, prob. the same as Blench (q.v.).]

Blirt, blirt, n. (Scot.) a fit of crying.—v.i. to burst into tears. [Prob. the same as Blurt.]

Bliss, blis, n. the highest happiness: the special happiness of heaven, heaven.—adj. Bliss′ful.—adv. Bliss′fully.—n. Bliss′fulness.—adj. Bliss′less, without bliss. [A.S. blíðs, blíðe, Blithe.]

Blist, blist, pa.t. (Spens.) wounded: struck. [From Fr. blesser, to wound.]

Blister, blis′tėr, n. a thin bubble or bladder on the skin, containing watery matter: a pustule: a plaster applied to raise a blister.—v.t. to raise a blister.—ns. Blis′ter-bee′tle, Blis′ter-fly, the cantharis, or Spanish fly, used for blistering; Blis′ter-plas′ter, a plaster made of Spanish flies used to raise a blister; Blis′ter-steel, Blis′tered-steel, steel blistered in the process of manufacture, used for making tools, &c.—adj. Blis′tery. [M. E.; most prob. O. Fr. blestre, conn. with Old Norse blástr, blása, to blow; Ger. blase.]

Blithe, blīth, adj. happy: gay; sprightly.—adv. Blithe′ly.—n. Blithe′ness.—adj. Blithe′some, joyous.—adv. Blithe′somely.—n. Blithe′someness. [A.S. blíðe, joyful. See Bliss.]

Blive, blīv, adv. (Spens.). Same as Belive.

Blizzard, bliz′ard, n. a blinding storm of wind and snow, a snow-squall.—adjs. Blizz′ardly, Blizz′ardous. [A modern coinage—most prob. onomatopœic, on the analogy of blow, blast, &c.]

Bloat, blōt, v.t. to swell or puff out: to dry by smoke (applied to fish).—v.i. to swell or dilate: to grow turgid.—p.adj. Bloat′ed.—n. Bloat′er, a herring partially dried in smoke, esp. at Yarmouth. [Scand., as in Sw. blöt, soft.]

Blob, blob, n. a drop of liquid: anything soft and round, like a gooseberry: a round spot. [Imit.]

Block, blok, n. an unshaped mass of wood or stone, &c.: the wood on which criminals were wont to be beheaded: (mech.) a pulley together with its framework; a piece of wood on which something is formed: a connected group of houses: an obstruction: a blockhead.—v.t. to enclose or shut up: to obstruct: to shape or sketch out roughly.—n. Blockade′, the blocking up of a place by surrounding it with troops or by ships.—v.t. to block up by troops or ships.—ns. Block′-head, one with a head like a block, a stupid fellow; Block′-house, a small temporary fort generally made of logs.—adj. Block′ish, like a block: stupid: dull.—ns. Block′-print′ing, printing of Block′-books, from engraved wooden blocks or pages; Block′-ship, a war-ship, inefficient for service in action on account of age, but useful in defence of ports; Block′-sys′tem, a system of working trains in which no train is allowed on to a section of line so long as any other train is on that section; Block′-tin, tin in the form of blocks or ingots. [Widely spread, but acc. to Skeat, of Celt. origin, Gael. ploc, Old Ir. blog, a fragment. See Plug.]

Bloke, blōk, n. a fellow, a man familiarly. [Ety. quite unknown—at any rate not Gipsy.]

Bloncket, blongk′et, adj. (Spens.) gray. [Fr. blanchet, whitish, dim. of blanc, white.]

Blonde, blond, n. a person of fair complexion with light hair and blue eyes—opp. to Brunette.—adj. of a fair complexion: fair. [Fr.]

Blond-lace, blond′-lās, n. lace made of silk, so called from its colour.

Blont, blont, adj. (Spens.). Same as Blunt.

Blood, blud, n. the red fluid in the arteries and veins of men and animals: descent, of human beings, good birth: relationship, kindred: elliptically for a blood-horse, one of good pedigree: a rake or swaggering dandy about town: the blood-royal, as in 'princes of blood:' temperament: bloodshed or murder: the juice of anything, esp. if red: the supposed seat of passion—hence temper, anger, as in the phrase, 'his blood is up,' &c.: the sensual nature of man.—interj. 's blood—God's blood.—adjs. Blood′-bespot′ted (Shak.), spotted with blood; Blood′-bolt′ered (Shak.), sprinkled with blood as from a bolter or sieve; Blood′-bought, bought at the expense of blood or life; Blood′-froz′en (Spens.), having the blood frozen or chilled.—ns. Blood′guilt′iness, the guilt of shedding blood, as in murder; Blood′heat, heat of the same degree as that of the human blood (about 98° Fahr.); Blood′-horse, a horse of the purest and most highly prized blood, origin, or stock.—adj. Blood′-hot, as hot or warm as blood.—n. Blood′hound, a large hound formerly employed in tracing human beings: a blood-thirsty person.—adv. Blood′ily.—adj. Blood′less, without blood, dead: without the shedding of blood: (Shak.) without spirit or activity.—ns. Blood′-let′ting, the act of letting blood, or bleeding by opening a vein; Blood′-mon′ey, money earned by laying or supporting a capital charge against any one, esp. if the charge be false or made by an accomplice; Blood′-pois′oning, a name popularly, but loosely, used of pyæmia and allied diseases; Blood′-pud′ding, a pudding made with blood and other materials; Blood′-relā′tion, one related by blood or marriage; Blood′-sac′rifice (Shak.), a sacrifice made with bloodshed; Blood′shed, the shedding of blood: slaughter.—adjs. Blood′shot (of the eye), red or inflamed with blood; Blood′-sized, sized or smeared with blood.—n. Blood′-spav′in, a disease of horses consisting of the swelling of a vein on the inside of the hock, from a checking of the blood.—adj. Blood′-stained, stained with blood: guilty of murder.—ns. Blood′-stone, a dark-green variety of quartz, variegated with blood-like spots of red jasper, the heliotrope; a brown ore of iron, hematite; Blood′-suck′er, an animal that sucks blood, esp. a leech: an extortioner, one who sponges upon another.—adj. Blood′-suck′ing (Shak.), that sucks or draws blood.—ns. Blood′-tax, conscription or universal military service, as drawing from the nation a certain number of lives or recruits annually; Blood′-thirst′iness, thirst or desire for shedding blood.—adj. Blood′-thirst′y, having a thirst or desire to shed blood.—ns. Blood′-ves′sel, a vessel in which blood circulates, a vein or artery; Blood′-worm, a small red earthworm used by anglers.—adj. Blood′y, of the nature of blood: stained with blood: murderous, cruel: vulgarly, as an adj. emphasising anger or the like: as an adv. employed as a mere intensive—most prob. from the habits of the 'bloods' about the beginning of the 18th century (Etheredge, 'bloody-drunk').—v.t. to make bloody.—n. Blood′y-bones, a phrase, together with Rawhead, applied to a children's bugbear.—adjs. Blood′y-eyed; Blood′y-faced.—ns. Blood′y-flux, dysentery, in which the discharges from the bowels are mixed with blood; Blood′y-hand (her.), the armorial device of Ulster, hence of baronets.—adj. Blood′y-mind′ed.—ns. Blood′y-mind′edness; Blood′y-sweat, a sweat accompanied with the discharge of blood.—Avenger of blood, the next-of-kin to a murdered man, whose duty it was to avenge his death—the Hebrew Goël.—Eating of blood, prohibited under the Old Testament dispensation, Jews still killing their own butcher-meat.—In blood, in full vigour; In hot or cold blood, under or free from excitement or sudden passion. [A.S. blód—root blówan, to bloom; cog. with Old. Fris. blód, Ger. blut.]