# Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/Bis Boom

fāte, fär; mē, hėr; mīne; mōte; mūte; mōōn; then.
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′-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.]
Bloom, blōōm, v.i. to put forth blossoms: to flower: to be in a state of beauty or vigour: to flourish: to give a bloom or warm tint to anything.—n. a blossom or flower: the opening of flowers: rosy colour: the prime or highest perfection of anything: the first freshness of beauty of anything: the flush or glow on the cheek—(Spens.) Blosme.—p.adj. Bloom′ing, bright, shining, flourishing: (slang) full-blown.—adjs. Bloom′less, without bloom; Bloom′y, flowery: flourishing. [Ice. blóm; cf. Goth. blôma, Ger. blume.]
Bloomer, blōōm′ėr, n. and adj. a dress for women, partly resembling men's dress, devised by Mrs Bloomer of New York about 1849, consisting of a jacket with close sleeves, a skirt falling a little below the knee, and a pair of Turkish trousers.
Bloomery, blōōm′ėr-i, n. the first forge through which iron passes after it has been melted from the ore, and where it is made into Blooms, or rough ingots, for hammering or drawing out.
Blore, blōr, n. a violent gust of wind. [Prob. related to Blare and Blow.]
Blosme. See Bloom.
Blossom, blos′om, n. a flower-bud, the flower that precedes fruit.—v.i. to put forth blossoms or flowers: to flourish and prosper.—n. Bloss′oming.—adj. Bloss′omy, covered with flowers, flowery. [A.S. blóstm, blóstma, from root of Bloom.]
Blot, blot, n. a spot or stain: an obliteration, as of something written: a stain in reputation.—v.t. to spot or stain: to obliterate or destroy: to disgrace: to dry writing with blotting-paper:—pr.p. blot′ting; pa.p. blot′ted.—n. and adj. Blot′tesque, a painting executed with heavy blot-like touches, a daub or (fig.) a vigorous descriptive sketch.—n. Blotting-pā′per, unsized paper, used for absorbing ink.—adj. Blot′ty. [Prob. Scand., as in Dan. plet, Ice. blettr, a spot.]
Blot, blot, n. a piece liable to be taken at backgammon: a weak place in anything. [Ety. obscure; Dut. bloot, naked.]
Blotch, bloch, n. a dark spot on the skin: a pustule.—v.t. to mark or cover with blotches.—adjs. Blotched, Blotch′y. [Prob. formed on Blot.]
Blouse, blowz, n. a loose sack-like outer garment, somewhat like the English smock-frock. [Fr.]
Blow, blō, n. a stroke or knock: a sudden misfortune or calamity.—At a blow, by a single action, suddenly; To come to blows, To exchange blows, to come to hostilities; Without striking a blow, without a struggle. [A.S. bléowan is doubtful, cog. with Dut. blouwen, to dress (beat) flax, Ger. blāuen, to beat hard. The noun appears in the 15th century without evidence of parentage.]
Blow, blō, v.i. to bloom or blossom:—pr.p. blōw′ing; pa.p. blōwn. [A.S. blówan; Ger. blühen. See Bloom, Blossom.]
Blow, blō, v.i. to produce a current of air: to move, as air or the wind.—v.t. to drive air upon or into: to drive by a current of air, as 'to blow away, down,' &c.: to sound, as a wind-instrument: to breathe hard or with difficulty: to spout, as whales: (prov.) to boast: to spread by report: to fan or kindle:—pa.t. blew (blōō); pa.p. blown (blōn).—ns. Blow′-ball, the downy head of a dandelion in seed; Blow′er, a metal plate put upon the upper part of a fireplace, so as to increase the draught through the fire: a machine for driving a blast of air, as into a furnace; Blow′-fly, or Flesh-fly, an insect of the order Diptera, and of the large family Muscidæ, to which the common house-fly and blue-bottle belong.—p.adj. Blown, out of breath, tired: swelled: stale, worthless.—n. Blow′pipe, a pipe through which a current of air is blown on a flame, to increase its heat: a kind of weapon much used by some of the Indian tribes of South America both in hunting and war, consisting of a long straight tube in which a small poisoned arrow is placed, and forcibly expelled by the breath.—adj. Blow′y.—To blow hot and cold, to be favourable and unfavourable by turns, to be irresolute; To blow off (steam, &c.), to allow to escape, to escape forcibly; To blow one's own trumpet, to sound one's own praises; To blow over, to pass away, to subside, as a danger or a scandal; To blow up, to shatter or destroy by explosion: to scold; To blow upon, to take the bloom, freshness, or the interest off anything, to bring into discredit: to inform upon. [A.S. bláwan; Ger. blähen, blasen; L. flare.]
Blowze, blowz, n. a ruddy, fat-faced wench.—adjs. Blowzed, Blowz′y, fat and ruddy, or flushed with exercise, dishevelled, slatternly. [Perh. related to root of Blush; or of cant origin.]
Blubber, blub′ėr, n. the fat of whales and other sea animals.—v.i. to weep effusively.—p.adj. Blubb′ered, of a face swollen with weeping. [M. E. blober, bluber; most likely onomatopœic]
Blucher, blōōch′ėr, n. a strong leather half-boot or high shoe, named from Marshal Blücher, the Prussian general at Waterloo.
Bludgeon, blud′jun, n. a short stick with a heavy end to strike with. [First in 18th century; origin very obscure; from a cant word conn. with Blood.]
Blue, blōō, n. the colour of the sky when unclouded—hence the sea, the sky, as in 'a bolt from the blue:' one of the seven primary colours.—adj. of the colour blue: learned, pedantic: indecent or obscene, as in blue stories.—ns. Blue′-beard, a monster who murders a series of wives in Perrault's famous conte, before he is himself cut off: one who is 'unfortunate' with his wives after the fashion of Henry VIII.; Blue′bell, a plant that bears blue bell-shaped flowers; Blue′-bird, a small American bird akin to the warblers; Blue′-black, black with a tinge of blue; Blue′-book, the name popularly applied to the reports and other papers printed by parliament, because usually stitched up in blue paper wrappers; Blue′-bot′tle, a common name for the Blue Cornflower: a familiar name for a policeman or beadle; Blue′-cap, a fish of the salmon kind with blue spots on its head: the blue titmouse: (Shak.) a Scotchman, from his blue bonnet; Blue′-eye, a beautiful little bird in New South Wales, one or the honey-eaters; Blue′-fish, a fish of the family Scomberidæ, abundant on the east coast of North America.—n.pl. Blue′-gowns, the name commonly given to a former class of privileged mendicants in Scotland—called also the King's Bedesmen.—ns. Blue′-grass, a permanent grass found in Europe and North America; Blue′-gum, a kind of Eucalyptus; Blue′-jack′et, a seaman in the navy, as distinguished from a marine; Blue′-jay, a common North American bird of the
jay family; Blue′ness; Blue′-nose, a nickname for a Nova Scotian; Blue′-pē′ter, a blue flag with white square in the centre, used in the navy as a signal for sailing; Blue′pill, a mercurial pill, used as a purgative in cases of torpid or inflamed liver; Blue′-stock′ing, a name given to learned ladies who display their acquirements in a pedantic manner, to the neglect of womanly graces—about 1750 Mrs Montague and others began to substitute literary conversation for cards, and the name implying a disregard for the conventional costume of polite society was suggested by the blue stockings of Benjamin Stillingfleet—the French bas bleu is a translation; Blue′-stone, blue copperas, sulphate of copper; Blue′-throat, or Blue′-breast, a beautiful and melodious bird, nearly allied to the nightingale; Blue′-wing, a kind of duck, either a sub-genus of Anas, or a special genus Cyanopterus—the best-known species, the Common or Lunate Blue-wing, the Blue-winged Teal of the United States.—adj. Blū′ish, slightly blue.—Blue blood, aristocratic blood—the sangre azul of the Spanish hidalgoes; Blue bonnet, a round flat cap of blue woollen, much worn in Scotland: a blue-bonneted Scotch peasant or soldier; Blue-bottle fly, the meat-fly or blow-fly; Blue-coat boy, a scholar of Christ's Hospital—also (from the blue coat having formerly been the usual dress of servants) a servant, beadle, soldier; Blue devil, an evil demon: (pl.) deep despondency, the apparitions seen in delirium tremens; Blue funk (slang), great terror; Blue ribbon, a term applied to any great prize, as the Derby stakes—from the blue ribbon worn by Knights of the Garter: the badge assumed by the so-called Blue Ribbon Army introduced from America in 1878; Blue water, the deep sea, as opposed to port or a narrow channel.—Light blue, and Dark blue, the distinctive colours in their athletic contests of Eton and Cambridge, and of Harrow and Oxford respectively; The Blues, the Royal Horse Guards; The blues (for blue devils), a colloquial expression for depression of spirits.—To be a blue, to be chosen to represent Oxford or Cambridge at an inter-university contest in cricket, football, rowing, or athletics; An old blue, one once so chosen.—To drink till all's blue, until everything around one looks blue; To look blue, to be down-spirited.—True blue, faithful to the principles of the political party wearing blue as its colour, in many places identified with Conservative. [M. E. blew—O. Fr. bleu, of Teut. origin; as also Scand. blá, which gave M. E. bla, blo, and modern blae.]
Bluff, bluf, adj. blustering: rough and hearty in manners: outspoken: steep.—n. a high steep bank overlooking the sea or a river: the act of bluffing at cards, as in poker—hence any kind of boastful swagger intended to impose upon another: (slang) an excuse.—adjs. Bluff′-bowed, having broad and flat bows, as a ship; Bluff′-head′ed, applied to a ship having her stem too straight up.—adv. Bluff′ly.—n. Bluff′ness. [Prob. Dut.]
Blunder, blun′der, v.i. to make a gross mistake, to flounder about: to utter thoughtlessly.—n. a gross mistake.—p.adj. Blun′dering, apt to make gross mistakes: apt to stumble.—To blunder away, to throw away some opportunity or advantage. [M. E. blondren; prob. conn. with Bland; perh. from Ice. blunda, to doze.]
Blunderbuss, blun′dėr-bus, n. a short hand-gun with a wide bore. [Corr. of Dut. donderbus—donder, thunder, bus, a box, barrel of a gun, a gun; Ger. donnerbüchse.]
Blunt, blunt, adj. having a dull edge or point; rough, outspoken, dull.—v.t. to dull the edge or point: to weaken.—n. (slang) money.—adj. Blunt′ish.—adv. Bluntly.—n. Blunt′ness.—adj. Blunt′-wit′ted (Shak.) dull, stupid. [Orig. sleepy, dull; prob. conn. with Ice. blunda, to doze; perh. akin to Blind.]
Blur, blur, n. a blot, stain, or spot.—v.t. to blot, stain, obscure, or blemish (with out, over):—pr.p. blur′ring; pa.p. blurred. [A variety of Blear.]
Blurt, blurt, v.t. to utter suddenly or unadvisedly (with out).—n. an abrupt outburst.—p.adj. Blurt′ing, impulsively frank. [From sound. Cf. Blirt.]
Blush, blush, n. a red glow on the face caused by shame, modesty, &c.: any reddish colour: sudden appearance.—v.i. to show shame or confusion by growing red in the face: to grow red.—n. Blush′et (Ben Jonson), a young, modest girl.—adj. Blush′ful, full of blushes: modest—n. Blush′ing, the act of turning red: the appearance of colour upon the cheek.—p.adj. showing blushes: modest.—adv. Blush′ingly.—At the first blush, at the first glance.—To put to the blush, to cause to blush. [Prob. Scand.; cog. with A.S. blysa, a blaze. See Blaze, Blowze.]
Bluster, blus′tėr, v.i. to make a noise like a blast of wind: to bully or swagger.—n. a blast or roaring as of the wind: bullying or boasting language: a storm of anger.—n. Blus′tering, a noisy blowing as of a blast: swaggering: noisy pretension.—adj. stormy: tumultuous: boastful.—adv. Blus′teringly.—adjs. Blus′terous (Shak.) noisy: boastful; Blus′tery, stormy: (Carlyle) swaggering. [An augmentative of Blast.]
Bo, bō, interj. a word used to frighten children.—To say bo to a goose, to open the mouth, to say even a word.
Boa, bō′a, n. a genus of serpents which includes the largest species of serpents (the Boa-Constric′tor), which kill their prey by constriction or pressure: a long serpent-like coil of fur, feathers, or the like, worn round the neck by ladies. [Perh. conn. with L. bos, an ox.]
Boad. Same as Abode, pa.p. of Abide: also the same as Bode.
Boanerges, bo-an-erj′es, n. a noisy preacher or shouting orator. ['Sons of thunder'—Mark, iii. 17.]
Boar, bōr, n. the male of swine, or its flesh.—adj. Boar′ish, swinish: brutal.—n. Boar′-spear, a spear used in boar-hunting. [A.S. bár; Dut. beer; Ger. bär.]
Board, bōrd, n. a broad and thin strip of timber: a table to put food on: food: a table round which persons meet for some kind of business: any council or authorised body of men, as a 'school-board:' the deck of a ship: (pl.) the stage: a kind of thick stiff paper, as in pasteboard, Bristol-board, esp. that used in the binding of books.—v.t. to cover with boards: to supply with food at fixed terms: to enter a ship: to attack.—v.i. to receive food or take meals.—ns. Board′er, one who receives board (food): one who boards a ship; Board′ing, the act of covering with boards: the covering itself: act of boarding a ship; Board′ing-house, a house where boarders are kept; Board′ing-pike, a pike used in boarding a ship, or in defending it when attacked; Board′ing-school, a school in which board is given as well as instruction; Board′-school, a school under control of a school-board, as elected by the Elementary Education Act of 1870.—n.pl. Board′-wā′ges, wages allowed to servants to keep themselves in food.—Above board, openly.—By the board, over the board or side of a ship—hence, To go by the board, to be lost or destroyed.—To sweep the board, to take all the cards. [A.S. bord, a board, the side of a ship; Ice. borð, the side of a ship: conn. either with Bear or with Broad.]
Boast, bōst, v.i. to talk vaingloriously: to brag (with of),—v.t. to brag of: speak proudly or confidently of, esp. justifiably: to magnify or exalt one's self.—n. an expression of pride: a brag: the cause of boasting.—adj. Boast′ful, given to brag.—adv. Boast′fully.—ns. Boast′fulness, Boast′ing, ostentatious display: vaunting.—adj. Boast′less, without boasting; simple, unostentatious. [M. E. bost, of doubtful origin; apparently W. bostio, Gael. bòsd, a bragging, are borrowed.]
Boat, bōt, n. a small open vessel usually moved by oars: a small ship: a vessel like a boat in shape, as a 'sauce-boat.'—v.i. to sail about in a boat.—ns. Boat′-hook, an iron hook fixed to a pole used for pulling or pushing off a boat; Boat′-house, a house or shed for a boat: Boat′ing, the art or practice of sailing in boats; Boat′man, a man who has charge of a boat: a rower.—In the same boat, in the same circumstances.—To have an oar in another's boat, to meddle with the affairs of others. [A.S. bát; Dut. boot; Fr. bateau.]
Boatswain, bōt′swān (colloq. bō′sn), n. a petty officer on board ship who looks after the boats, rigging, &c., and calls the seamen to duty with a whistle. [Boat, and swain, Scand. sveinn, a boy.]
Bob, bob, v.i. to move quickly up and down, to dangle: to fish with a bob.—v.t. to move in a short, jerking manner:—pr.p. bob′bing; pa.p. bobbed.—n. a short jerking motion: a slight blow: anything that moves with a bob or swing: a pendant: a knot of hair, as in Bob′-wig, one with the ends turned up into short curls: a bunch of lobworms, used in catching eels: any small roundish body: the refrain or burden of a song: a term in bell-ringing—a Bob minor is rung upon six bells; a Bob major on eight; a Bob royal on ten; a Bob maximus on twelve.—adj. Bob′bish, in good spirits.—n. Bob′ble, the movement of water in commotion. [Perh. Celt., Gael. baban, babag.]
Bob, bob, n. (slang) a shilling. [Hardly the O. Fr. bobe = 1½d.]
Bob, bob, Bobby, bob′i, n. a shortened familiar form of Robert: a familiar name for a policeman—from Sir Robert Peel, Home Secretary at the passing of the Metropolitan Police Act of 1828.—n. Light′-bob, a soldier of the light infantry.
Bobadil, bob′a-dil, n. a swaggering boaster, from Ben Jonson's Every Man in his Humour.
Bobbery, bob′er-i, n. a noisy row. [Hindi bāp re! O father!—Col. Yule.]
Bobbin, bob′in, n. a small piece of wood on which thread is wound.—n. Bobb′inet, a kind of fine netted lace made by machines. [Fr. bobine, prob. Celt.; cf. Gael. baban, a tassel.]
Bobolink, bob′ō-lingk, n. a North American singing bird, found in the northern states in spring and summer. [At first Bob Lincoln, from the note of the bird.]
Bobstays, bob′stāz, n.pl. (naut.) ropes or stays used to confine the bowsprit downward to the stem or cutwater, and counteract the strain of the foremast-stays.
Bobtail, bob′tāl, n. a short or cut tail: a word applied in contempt to the rabble, as in 'tag-rag and bobtail.'—adj. Bob′tailed, with tail cut short.
Bocage. See Boscage.
Bode, bōd, v.t. to portend or prophesy.—v.i. to be an omen: to foreshow.—adj. Bode′ful, boding, ominous.—n. Bode′ment, an omen, presentiment.—pr.p. Bod′ing, presaging.—n. an omen or portent. [A.S. bodian, to announce—bod, a message; allied to Bid.]
Bode, bōd (Spens.). Same as Abode.
Bodega, bo-dē′ga, n. a wine-shop. [Sp.]
Bodge, boj, v.i. to make bad work, to fail.—n. Bodg′er, a botcher, a pedlar. [A form of Botch.]
Bodice, bod′is, n. a woman's outer garment covering the waist and bust: the close-fitting waist or body of a woman's gown.
Bodikin, bod′i-kin, n. a form of an oath, Od's bodikins = God's little body.
Bodkin, bod′kin, n. a small dagger: a small instrument for pricking holes or for dressing the hair: a large blunt needle.—To sit, or ride, bodkin, to be wedged in tight between two others. [Prob. conn. with W. bidog, a dagger.]
Bodle, bod′l, n. a Scotch copper coin, equal to about one-sixth of an English penny, the smallest coin. [Said to be named from a mint-master, one Bothwell.]
Bodrages, bod′rā-jiz, n.pl. (Spens.) a hostile attack, a raid. [Ir. buaidhreadh, a disturbance.]
Body, bod′i, n. the whole frame of a man or lower animal: the main part of an animal, as distinguished from the limbs: the main or middle part of anything: matter, as opposed to spirit: substance or substantial quality: a mass: a person: a number of persons united by some common tie.—v.t. to give form to: to embody:—pr.p. bod′ying; pa.p. bod′ied.—adj. Bod′iless, without a body: incorporeal.—adv. Bod′ily, relating to the body, esp. as opposed to the mind.—ns. Bod′y-col′our, a term applied to paints to express their degree of consistence, substance, and tingeing power; Bod′y-cur′er (Shak.), a doctor; Bod′yguard, a guard to protect the person, esp. of the sovereign; Bod′y-pol′itic, the collective body of the people in its political capacity; Bod′y serv′ant, a personal attendant; Bod′y-snatch′er, one who secretly disinters the bodies of the dead for the purposes of dissection. [A.S. bodig, of dubious origin.]
Bœotian, be-ō′shyan, adj. pertaining to Bœotia in Greece, noted for the dullness of its inhabitants—hence stupid, dull.
Boer, bōōr, n. a Dutch colonist at the Cape engaged in agriculture. [Dut. boer. See Boor.]
Bog, bog, n. soft ground: a marsh or quagmire.—v.t. to sink or to entangle.—n. Bog′-butt′er, a mineral substance, resembling butter, found in Irish bogs.—adj. Bogg′y.—ns. Bog′let, Bog′land; Bog′-moss, a genus of moss plants; Bog′-oak, trunks of oak embedded in bogs and preserved from decay—of a deep black colour, often used for making ornaments; Bog′-ore, a kind of iron ore found in boggy land; Bog′-spav′in, a lesion of the hock-joint of the horse, consisting in distension of the capsule enclosing the joint, usually arising suddenly from a sprain in action; Bog′-trot′ter, one who lives in a boggy country, hence an Irishman. [Ir. bogach; Gael. bog, soft.]
Boggard, Boggart. See Bogle.
Boggle, bog′l, v.i. to stop or hesitate as if at a bogle: to start with fright: to make difficulties about a thing: to equivocate.—n. a scruple, objection: a bungle.—n. Bogg′ler, one who boggles: a doubter: (Shak.) one who starts from the right path. [See Bogle.]
Bogie, Bogey, bōg′i, n. a low truck on four wheels, so constructed as to turn easily, a trolly: a revolving under-carriage, as in a locomotive engine. [Ety. unknown; perh. conn. with Bogy, a fiend.]
Bogle, bōg′l, n. a spectre or goblin: a scarecrow: a bugbear, or source of terror—also Bogg′le.—Bogg′ard is a common form in the North country. [Scot. bogle, a ghost; W. bwg, a goblin. See Bug.]
Bogus, bō′gus, adj. counterfeit, spurious. [An American cant word, of very doubtful origin—it may possibly be ult. related to Bogy.]
Bogy, Bogey, bōg′i, n. a goblin: a bugbear or special object of dread, the devil.—n. Bog′yism. [A form of Boggle and Boggard.]
Bohea, bo-hē′, n. the lowest quality of black tea: tea generally. [Chin.]
Bohemian, bo-hē′mi-an, n. and adj. applied to persons of loose or irregular habits: an artist or man of letters, or indeed any one, who sets social conventionalities aside.—n. Bohē′mianism. [Fr. bohémien, a gipsy, from the belief that these wanderers came from Bohemia.]
Boiar. Same as Boyar.
Boil, boil, v.i. to bubble up from the action of heat: to be hot: to be excited or agitated.—v.t. to heat to a boiling state: to cook or dress by boiling.—ns. Boil′er, one who boils: that in which anything is boiled: a vessel in which steam, usually for a steam-engine, is generated: a vessel for heating water for baths, &c.; Boil′ing, the bubbling up of any liquid by the application of heat: the act of dressing food by boiling water.—adj. bubbling: swelling with heat or passion.—n. Boil′ing-point, the temperature at which liquids begin to boil under heat.—To boil down, to reduce in bulk by boiling, to extract the substance of, to epitomise; To boil over, to bubble over the sides of the containing vessel, to break out into unrestrained indignation. [O. Fr. boillir—L. bullīre—bulla, a bubble.]
Boil, boil, n. an inflamed swelling or tumour. [A.S. býl; Ger. beule.]
Boisterous, bois′tėr-us, adj. wild: noisy: turbulent: stormy.—adv. Bois′terously.—n. Bois′terousness. [M. E. boistous, approximating, but not in sense, to the O. Fr. boisteus, whence modern boiteux, lame. The Celtic words throw no light upon its origin.]
Bolas, bō′las, n. missiles used by the South American gauchos, consisting of balls or stones strung together, swung round the head and hurled, usually so as to entangle the legs of an animal running. [Sp.]
Bold, bōld, adj. daring or courageous: forward or impudent: presumptuous: executed with spirit: striking to the sight, well marked: steep or abrupt.—v.t. Bold′en (obs.), to make bold.—adj. Bold′faced, impudent.—adv. Bold′ly.—n. Bold′ness.—To make bold, to take the liberty, to make free. [A.S. bald; Old High Ger. bald, Ice. ballr.]
Bole, bōl, n. the round stem or body of a tree. [Scand. bolr; Ger. bohle, a plank.]
Bole, bōl, n. an earthy mineral resembling clay in structure, and consisting essentially of silica, alumina, red oxide of iron, and water; the bole of Lemnos, Lemnian Earth, is red in colour, and was once used as a tonic and astringent medicine. [Gr. bōlos, a clod.]
Bole, bōl, n. a recess in a wall: an opening to admit light and air. [Scot.; origin unknown.]
Bolero, bo-lā′ro, or bo-lē′ro, n. Spanish national dance: also the air to which it is danced. [Sp.]
Boletus, bol-ē′tus, n. a genus of fungi, having a pore-like surface occupying the place of gills. [Gr. bōlitēs, mushroom.]
Bolide, bol′īd, n. a large meteor or fireball. [Fr.—L. bolid-em, bolis—Gr. bolis, ballein, to throw.]
Bolin, an obsolete form of Bowline.
Boll, bōl, n. one of the round heads or seed-vessels of flax, poppy, &c.: a pod or capsule.—p.adjs. Bolled (bōld), swollen, podded; Bollen (bōln), swollen (Shak.). [A form of Bowl; A.S. bolla.]
Boll, bōl, n. a measure of capacity for grain, &c., used in Scotland and the north of England—in Scotland = 6 imperial bushels; in England, varying from 2 to 6 bushels: also a measure of weight, containing, for flour, 140 lb. [Scot. bow; prob. a Scand. word; cf. Ice. bolli.]
Bollandist, bol′an-dist, n. one of the Jesuit writers who continued the Acta Sanctorum (q.v.), begun by John Bolland (1596-1665).
Bollard, bol′ard, n. a post on a wharf to which vessels are secured: a thick piece of wood on the forepart of a whale-boat, round which the line is turned when a whale is harpooned. [Prob. Bole.]
Bologna, bol-ōn′ya, adj. from a town of Italy, which gives its name to Bologna phial, Bologna phosphorus, and Bologna or 'Polony' sausages.—adj. Bologn′ese.
Bolometer, bō-lom′e-tėr, n. an instrument for measuring minute amounts of radiant heat. [Gr. bolē, ray (ballein, to throw), metron, a measure.]
Bolster, bōl′stėr, n. a long round pillow or cushion: a pad: anything resembling it in form or use, esp. any piece of mechanism affording a support against pressure.—v.t. to support with a bolster: to hold up.—p.adj. Bol′stered, supported: swelled out.—n. Bol′stering, a propping up or supporting. [A.S. bolster; from root of Bowl.]
Bolt, bōlt, n. a bar or pin used to fasten a door, &c.: an arrow: a thunderbolt, as in 'a bolt from the blue.'—v.t. to fasten with a bolt: to throw or utter precipitately: to expel suddenly: to swallow hastily.—v.i. to rush away (like a bolt from a bow): to start up: (U.S.) to break away from one's political party.—ns. Bolt′-head, the head of a bolt: a chemical flask; Bolt′-rope, a rope sewed all round the edge of a sail to prevent it from tearing; Bolt′sprit (same as Bowsprit).—adv. Bolt′-up′right, upright and straight as a bolt or arrow.—n. Bolt′-up′rightness. [A.S. bolt; Old High Ger. bolz.]
Bolt, bōlt, v.t. (better spelling, Boult), to sift, to separate the bran from, as flour: to examine by sifting: to sift through coarse cloth.—ns. Bolt′er, a sieve: a machine for separating bran from flour; Bolt′ing, the process by which anything is bolted or sifted; Bolt′ing-hutch, a hutch or large box into which flour falls when it is bolted. [O. Fr. bulter, or buleter = bureter, from bure—Low L. burra, a coarse reddish-brown cloth—Gr. pyrros, reddish.]
Bolus, bō′lus, n. a rounded mass of anything: a large pill. [L. bolus—Gr. bōlos, a lump.]
Bomb, bom, or bum, n. a hollow projectile, usually of cast-iron, fired from a mortar, filled with gunpowder and fitted with a time-fuse: any similar missile or case of explosives, as a dynamite bomb.—n. Bom′bard, an engine or great gun for throwing bombs: (Shak.) a barrel or large vessel for holding liquor.—v.t. Bombard′, to attack with bombs.—ns. Bombardier′, the lowest non-commissioned officer in the British artillery, formerly a man employed about the mortars and howitzers; Bombard′ment; Bombar′don, a deep-toned brass instrument, with a tube likened to a bombard.—adj. Bomb′-proof, proof or secure against the force of bombs.—ns. Bomb′-shell (same as Bomb); Bomb′-vess′el, Bomb′-ketch, a vessel for carrying the mortars used in bombarding from the sea.—Bombardier beetle, a name given to several species of beetles, which discharge an acrid volatile fluid with explosive force from the abdomen. [Fr. bombe—L. bombus—Gr. bombos, a humming sound—an imitative word.]
Bombasine, Bombazine, bom′-, bum-ba-zēn′, n. a twilled or corded fabric of silk and worsted, or of cotton and worsted.—n. Bom′bax, a genus of silk-cotton trees, native to tropical America. [Fr. bombasin—Low L. bombasinum—Gr. bombyx, silk.]
Bombast, bom′-, bum′bast, n. inflated or high-sounding language: originally cotton or any soft material used for stuffing garments.—adj. Bombas′tic, high-sounding: inflated. [Low L. bombax, cotton—Gr. bombyx, silk.]
Bombax. See Bombasine.
Bombay-duck, bom-bā′-duk, n. a fish of the family Scopelidæ, nearly allied to the salmon and trout family, which is salted, dried, and eaten as a relish.
Bombyx, bom′biks, n. the silkworm. [Gr.]
Bon, bong, adj. good—French, occurring in some English but not Anglicised phrases, as Bon accord, good-will, agreement; Bon mot, a jest or smart saying; Bon ton, good style, the fashionable world; Bon vivant, one who lives well or luxuriously.
Bona fide, bō′na fīd′ā, adv. and adj. in good faith, with sincerity, genuine. [L.]
Bonanza, bon-an′za, n. a term common in the Pacific States for a rich mass of gold: any mine of wealth or stroke of luck. [Sp.]
Bonapartism, bō′na-pärt-izm, n. attachment to the dynasty of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French.—n. Bō′napartist.
Bona-roba, bō′na-rō′ba, n. (Shak.) a showy wanton, a courtesan. [It. buona roba, lit. a fine gown.]
Bonbon, bong′bong, n. a sweetmeat.—n. Bonbon′iere, a fancy box for holding such. [Fr., 'very good'—bon, good.]
Bond, bond, n. that which binds, a band: link of connection or union: a writing of obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract: any constraining or any cementing force: in building, the connection of one stone or brick with another, made by lapping the one over the other as the work is carried up, as in English bond, Flemish bond, &c.: (pl.) imprisonment, captivity.—adj. bound: in a state of servitude.—v.t. to put imported goods in the customs' warehouses till the duties on them are paid—hence Bonded stores or warehouses, To take out of bond, &c.—p.adj. Bond′ed, secured by bond, as duties.—ns. Bond′er, a binding stone or brick; Bond′-hold′er, a person who holds bonds of a private person or public company; Bond′ing, that arrangement by which goods remain in the customs' warehouses till the duties are paid; Bond′maid, Bond′woman, Bonds′woman, a woman-slave; Bond′man, a man-slave; Bond′manship; Bond′serv′ant, a slave; Bond′-serv′ice, the condition of a bond-servant: slavery; Bond′-slave, a slave; Bonds′man, a bondman or slave: a surety; Bond′-stone, a stone which reaches a considerable distance into or entirely through a wall for the purpose of binding it together; Bond′-tim′ber, timber built into a wall as it is carried up for the purpose of binding it together in a longitudinal direction.—Bonded debt, the debt of a corporation represented by the bonds it has issued, as contrasted with its floating debt. [A variant of band—A.S. bindan, to bind.]
Bondage, bond′āj, n. state of being bound: captivity: slavery.—n. Bond′ager, a female outworker in the Border and North country, whom the hind or married cottar was bound to provide for the farm-work. [O. Fr.; Low L. bondagium, a kind of tenure. Acc. to Skeat, this is from A.S. bonda, a boor, a householder, from Ice. bóndi = búandi, a tiller, a husbandman, búa, to till, cog. with A.S. búan.]
Bone, bōn, n. a hard substance forming the skeleton of mammalian animals: a piece of the skeleton of an animal: (pl.) the bones collectively: mortal remains: pieces of bone held between the fingers of the hand and rattled together to keep time to music: dice, as made of bone, ivory, &c.—v.t. to take the bones out of, as meat: to seize, to steal.—ns. Bone′-ache (Shak.), aching or pain in the bones; Bone′-ash, Bone′-earth, the remains when bones are burnt in an open furnace; Bone′-black, the remains when bones are heated in a close vessel.—adj. Boned—used in composition, as high-boned: having bones: having the bones removed.—ns. Bone′-dust, ground or pulverised bones, used in agriculture; Bone′-lace, lace woven with bobbins, which were frequently made of bone.—adj. Bone′less, wanting bones.—ns. Bone′-set′ter, one who treats broken bones without being a duly qualified surgeon; Bone′-shāk′er, a name familiarly given to the earlier forms of bicycle before india-rubber tires; Bone′-spav′in, a bony excrescence or hard swelling on the inside of the hock of a horse.—adj. Bon′y, full of, or consisting of, bones.—A bone of contention, something that causes strife; A bone to pick, something to occupy one, a difficulty, a grievance, controversy, dispute.—To make no bones of, to have no scruples in regard to something; To the bone, to the inmost part. [A.S. bán, Ger. bein.]
Bonfire, bon′fīr, n. a large fire in the open air on occasions of public rejoicing, &c.—originally a fire in which bones were burnt. [Not Fr. bon, good, and Fire.]
Bongrace, bon′grās, n. a shade from the sun once worn by women on the front of the bonnet: a broad-brimmed hat or bonnet. [Fr.]
Bonhomie, bon′o-mē, n. easy good-nature. [Fr.; bon homme, a good fellow.]
Boniface, bon′i-fās, n. a generic name for an innkeeper, like 'mine host' or 'landlord'—from the hearty Boniface of Farquhar's Beaux' Stratagem.
Boning, bōn′ing, n. the act of estimating straightness by looking along a series of poles, as in boning-rod or telescope.
Bonito, bo-nēto, n. a name given to several fishes of the mackerel family—the Stripe-bellied Tunny of the tropical parts of the Atlantic and Pacific; the Mediterranean Bonito; the Plain Bonito. [Sp.]
Bonne, bon, n. a French nursemaid. [Fr.; fem. of bon, good.]
Bonne-bouche, bon-bōōsh, n. a delicious morsel. [Fr.]
Bonnet, bon′et, n. a covering for the head worn by women, without a brim, tied on by strings, and now letting the whole face be seen, although formerly a bonnet (esp. a Poke′-bonn′et) covered the sides of the face: a soft cap: the velvet cap within a coronet: (fort.) a small work before the salient or flanked angle of the ravelin: (naut.) an additional part laced to the foot of jibs, or other fore-and-aft sails, to gather more wind: a wire-covering over a chimney-top: a decoy or pretended player or bidder at a gaming-table or an auction, the accomplice of a thimble-rigger or other petty swindler.—v.t. to put a bonnet on: to crush a man's hat over his eyes.—adj. and p.adj. Bonn′eted.—ns. Bonn′et-piece, a gold coin of James V. of Scotland, on which the king wears a bonnet instead of a crown; Bonn′et-rouge, the red cap of liberty of the French Revolution, shaped like a nightcap.—Bonnet laird, a Scotch name for a petty landowner who wore a bonnet, not the hat of the gentry.—Balmoral bonnet, a flat cap resembling the Scotch (Lowland) bonnet; Glengarry bonnet, rising to a point in front, with ribbons hanging down behind; Scotch bonnet, of a broad, round, flat shape, of dark-blue colour, with a tuft on the top, the fabric thick-milled woollen, without seam or lining—like the Basque béret. [O. Fr.—Low L. bonnetum, orig. the name of a stuff.]
Bonny, bon′i, adj. beautiful: handsome: gay: plump: pleasant-looking: as a general term expressing appreciation = considerable, &c., often ironically: cheerful: (Shak.) stout, strong.—adv. Bonn′ily, beautifully: gaily.—n. Bonn′iness, handsomeness: gaiety. [Fr. bon, bonne—L. bonus.]
Bonspiel, bon′spēl, n. a great curling-match. [Dr Murray suggests an assumed Dut. bondspel, from bond = verbond, 'covenant, alliance, compact,' and; spel, play; the word having entered Scotch as a whole, spiel, spel, having never been in common use for 'play.']
Bonus, bōn′us, n. a premium beyond the usual interest for a loan: an extra dividend to shareholders: an extra gratuity paid to workmen: a douceur or bribe. [L. bonus, good.]
Bonze, bon′ze, n. a Buddhist priest. [Jap. bonzó or bonzi, a priest.]
Boo, Booh, bōō, interj. a sound expressive of disapprobation or contempt.—v.i. to utter 'boo!' to hoot.—v.t. Boo′-hoo′, to weep noisily.
Booby, bōō′bi, n. a silly or stupid fellow: a sea-bird, of the gannet tribe, remarkable for its apparent stupidity in allowing itself to be knocked down with a stick.—adjs. Boo′by, Boo′byish, like a booby: stupid.—ns. Boo′byism; Boo′by-trap, a rude form of practical joke among boys, by which something is made to fall upon some one entering a door, or the like. [Sp. bobo, a dolt: may prob. be cog. with Ger. bube.]
Boodle, bōōd′l, n. a crowd, pack—'the whole boodle:' stock-in-trade, capital. [May be conn. with Dut. boedel.]
Boodle, bōōd′l, n. (slang) a stupid noodle.
Boody, bōōd′i, v.i. to sulk or mope. [Fr. bouder, to pout.]
Book, book, n. a collection of sheets of paper bound together, either printed, written on, or blank: a literary composition: a division of a volume or subject: the Bible: a betting-book, or record of bets made with different people: (fig.) any source of instruction: the libretto of an opera, &c.: (pl.) formal accounts of transactions, as minutes of meetings, records kept of his business by a merchant.—v.t. to write in a book.—ns. Book′-account′, an account of debt or credit in a book; Book′binder, one who binds books; Book′binding, the art or practice of binding or putting the boards on books; Book′-case, a case with shelves for books; Book′-club, an association of persons who buy new books for circulation among themselves; Book′-debt, a debt for articles charged by the seller in his book-account.—adj. Book′ful, full of information gathered from books.—ns. Book′-hold′er, one who holds the book of the play and prompts the actor in the theatre; Book′-hunt′er, one who rejoices in discovering rare books; Book′ing-of′fice, an office where names are booked or tickets are taken.—adj. Book′ish, fond of books: acquainted only with books.—ns. Book′ishness; Book′-keep′ing, the art of keeping accounts in a regular and systematic manner; Book′-land, land taken from the folcland or common land, and granted by bóc or written charter to a private owner; Book′-learn′ing, learning got from books, as opposed to practical knowledge.—adj. Book′less, without books, unlearned.—ns. Book′let, a small book; Book′-mak′er, one who makes up books from the writings of others, a compiler: one who makes a system of bets in such a way that the gains must exceed the losses, entering them in a memorandum book; Book′-mak′ing, the art or practice of compiling books from the writings of others: compilation: systematic betting; Book′-man, a scholar, student; Book′-mark, something placed in a book to mark a particular page or passage; Book′-mate (Shak.), a mate or companion in the study of books: a schoolfellow; Book′-mus′lin, muslin used in bookbinding; Book′-oath (Shak.), an oath made on the Book or Bible; Book′plate, a label usually pasted inside the cover of a book, bearing the owner's name, crest, coat-of-arms, or peculiar device; Book′-post, the department in the Post-office for the transmission of books; Book′seller, one who sells books; Book′selling; Book′shelf, a shelf on which books are placed; Book′shop, a shop where books are sold; Book′-stall, a stall or stand, generally in the open air, where books are sold; Book′-stand, a book-stall: a stand or support for holding up a book when reading; Book′-trade, the trade of dealing in books; Book′worm, a worm or mite that eats holes in books: a hard reader: one who reads without discrimination or profit.—To be upon the books, to have one's name in an official list; To bring to book, to bring to account; To take a leaf out of another's book, to follow the example of some one; To talk like a book, to talk pedantically, or in a preternaturally well-informed manner. [A.S. bóc, a book, the beech; Ger. buche, the beech, buch, a book, because the Teutons first wrote on beechen boards.]
Boom, bōōm, n. a pole by which a sail is stretched: a chain or bar stretched across a harbour. [Dut. boom, a beam, a tree.]
Boom, bōōm, v.i. to make a hollow sound or roar: to go on with a rush, to become suddenly prosperous.—v.t. to push anything into sudden prominence:—pa.p. boomed (bōōmd); pr.p. boom′ing.—n. a hollow roar, as of the sea, the cry of the bittern, &c.: a sudden increase of activity in business, or the like—often the direct consequence of puffing advertisements or less legitimate intrigues.—p.adj. Boom′ing, rushing with violence. [From a Low Ger. root found in A.S. byme, a trumpet, Dut. bommen, to drum; like Bomb, of imit. origin.]