{ Bick"ford fuse or fuze, or Bickford match (?) }. A fuse used in blasting, consisting of a long cylinder of explosive material inclosed in a varnished wrapping of rope or hose. It burns from 2 to 4 feet a minute.
{ Bi*dar"kee (?), Bi*dar"ka (?) }, n. [Russ. baidarka, dim. Cf. Baidar.] A portable boat made of skins stretched on a frame. [Alaska] The Century.
Bie"la's com"et (?). (Astron.) A periodic coment, discovered by Biela in 1826, which revolves around the sun in 6.6 years. The November meteors (Andromedes or Bielids) move in its orbit, and may be fragments of the comet.
Bie"lid (?), n. (Astron.) See Andromede.
Bi*fo"cal (?), a. [Pref. bi-+ focal.] Having two foci, as some spectacle lenses.
Big Bend State. Tennessee; -- a nickname.
Bil"la*bong` (?), n. [Native name.] In Australia, a blind channel leading out from a river; -- sometimes called an anabranch. This is the sense of the word as used in the Public Works Department; but the term has also been locally applied to mere back-waters forming stagnant pools and to certain water channels arising from a source.
Bil"let, n. Quarters or place to which one is assigned, as by a billet or ticket; berth; position. Also used fig. [Colloq.]
The men who cling to easy billets ashore.
Harper's Mag.
His shafts of satire fly straight to their billet, and there they rankle.
Pall Mall Mag.
{ Bil"ly*cock (?), n., or Bil"ly*cock hat` (?) }. [Perh. from bully + cock; that is, cocked like the hats of the bullies.] A round, low-crowned felt hat; a wideawake. "The undignified billycocks and pantaloons of the West." B. H. Chamberlain.
Little acquiesced, and Ransome disguised him in a beard, and a loose set of clothes, and a billicock hat.
Charles Reade.
Bi"me*tal"lic, a. Composed of two different metals; formed of two parts, each of a different metal; as, bimetallic wire; bimetallic thermometer, etc.
Bi"mo*lec"u*lar (?), a. [Pref. bi- + molecular.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or formed from, two molecules; as, a bimolecular reaction (a reaction between two molecules).
||Bin*bash"i (?), n. [Turk., prop., chief of a thousand; bin thousand + bash head.] (Mil.) A major in the Turkish army.
Bind"ing post`. (Elec.) A metallic post attached to electrical apparatus for convenience in making connections.
Bind"ing screw`. A set screw used to bind parts together, esp. one for making a connection in an electrical circuit.
{ Bi`o*dy*nam"ic (?), Bi`o*dy*nam"ic*al (?) }, a.} (Biol.) Of or pertaining to biodynamics, or the doctrine of vital forces or energy.
Bi`o*dy*nam"ics (?), n. The branch of biology which treats of the active vital phenomena of organisms; -- opposed to biostatics.
Bi`o*ge*og"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. bi`os life + E. geography.] The branch of biology which deals with the geographical distribution of animals and plants. It includes both zoögeography and phytogeography. - - Bi`o*ge`o*graph"ic (#), a. -- Bi`o*ge`o*graph"ic*al*ly (#), adv.
Bi"o*graph (?), n. [Gr. bi`os life + -graph.] 1. An animated picture machine for screen projection; a cinematograph.