BACK, bak, _n._ the hinder part of the body in man, and the upper part in
beasts, extending from the neck and shoulders to the extremity of the
backbone: put for the whole body in speaking of clothes: the hinder part,
or the part opposite to the front side: the convex part of a book, opposite
to the opening of the leaves: the thick edge of a knife or the like: the
upright hind part of a chair: the surface of the sea, or of a river: the
keel and keelson of a ship: (_football_) one of the players stationed
behind the 'forwards,' the full back's duty being merely to guard the goal:
(_mining_) that side of an inclined mineral lode which is nearest the
surface of the ground--the _back_ of a level is the ground between it and
the level above.--_adv._ to the place from which one came: to a former
state or condition: behind: behind in time: in return: again.--_v.t._ to
get upon the back of: to help, as if standing at one's back: to force back:
to support one's opinion by a wager or bet--'to back a horse,' to bet money
on his winning in a race, 'to back the field,' to bet upon all the horses
in a field, against one in particular: to countersign a warrant, or indorse
a cheque or bill; to write or print at the back of, as a parliamentary
bill, or the like: to put or propel backward, or in the opposite direction,
by reversing the action, as of an engine or a boat--hence the phrases, TO
BACK THE OARS, TO BACK WATER.--_v.i._ to move or go back.--_n._ BACK'-BAND,
a broad strap or chain passing over the cart saddle, and serving to keep up
the shafts of a vehicle.--_v.t._ BACK'BITE, to speak evil of any one behind
his back or in his absence.--_ns._ BACK'BITER; BACK'BITING; BACK'-BOARD, a
board placed at the back of a cart, boat, &c.: a board fastened across the
back to straighten the figure; BACK'BOND (_Scots law_), a deed attaching a
qualification or condition to the terms of a conveyance or other
instrument--used when particular circumstances render it necessary to
express in a separate form the limitations or qualifications of a right;
BACK'BONE, the bone of the back, the vertebral column: the main support of
anything: mainstay: firmness, reliableness; BACK'-DOOR, a door in the back
part of a building: (_attrib._) unworthily secret: clandestine.--_adj._
BACKED, as in humpbacked.--_ns._ BACK'-END, the later part of a season: the
late autumn; BACK'ER, one who backs or supports another in a contest: one
who bets on a horse or the like; BACK'-FALL, a fall on the back in
wrestling--also figuratively: a lever in the coupler of an organ;
BACK'FRIEND (_obs._), a pretended friend: a backer, a friend who stands at
one's back; BACK'GROUND, ground at the back: a place of obscurity: the
space behind the principal figures of a picture; BACK'-HAIR, the long hair
at the back of a woman's head; BACK'-HAND, the hand turned backwards in
making a stroke: handwriting with the letters sloped backwards.--_adj._
BACK'-HAND'ED, with the hand turned backward (as of a blow):
indirect.--_ns._ BACK'-HAND'ER, a blow with the back of the hand: an extra
glass of wine out of turn, the bottle being passed back; BACK'ING, support
at the back: mounting of a horse: the action of putting back: a body of
helpers: anything used to form a back or line the back; BACK'ING-DOWN,
shirking; BACK'-LASH, the jarring reaction of a wheel in a machine when the
motion is not uniform; BACK'-LOG, a log at the back of a fire.--_adj._
BACK'MOST, farthest to the back.--_ns._ BACK'-PIECE, BACK'-PLATE, a piece
or plate of armour for the back; BACK'-SET, a setting back, reverse: an
eddy or counter-current; BACK'SIDE, the back or hinder side or part of
anything: the hinder part of an animal; BACK'-SIGHT, in surveying, a sight
taken backwards: the sight of a rifle nearer the stock; BACK'-SLANG, slang
in which every word is pronounced backwards.--_v.t._ BACKSLIDE', to slide
or fall back in faith or morals:--_pa.p._ backslid', or
backslid'den.--_ns._ BACKSLID'ER; BACKSLID'ING.--_n.pl._ BACK'STAIRS, back
or private stairs of a house.--_adj._ secret or underhand.--_n.pl._
BACK'STAYS, ropes or stays extending from the topmast-heads to the sides of
a ship, and slanting a little backward, to second the shrouds in supporting
the mast when strained by a weight of sail in a fresh wind: any stay or
support at the back.--_ns._ BACK'STITCH, a method of sewing in which, for
every new stitch, the needle enters behind, and comes out in front of, the
end of the previous one; BACK'SWORD, a sword with a back or with only one
edge: a stick with a basket-handle; BACKSWORD'MAN (_Shak._); BACK'-WASH, a
backward current.--_v.t._ to affect with back-wash: to clean the oil from
wool after combing.--_n._ BACK'WATER, water held back in a mill-stream or
river by the obstruction of a dam below--a pool or belt of water connected
with a river, but not in the line of its course or current: water thrown
back by the turning of a water-wheel: a backward current of water: the
swell of the sea formed by the paddles of a steamship.--_n.pl._ BACK'WOODS,
the forest or uncultivated part of a country beyond the cleared country, as
in North American BACKWOODS'MAN.--BACK! go back, turn back
(_imperatively_).--AT THE BACK OF (in U.S. often BACK OF), in support or
pursuit; ON, UPON THE BACK OF, weighing down as a burden.--TO AND BACK
(_Shak._), forward and backward.--TO BACK DOWN, to abandon one's opinion or
position; TO BACK OUT, to recede from an engagement or promise; TO BACK UP,
to give support to; TO BE ON ONE'S BACK, to have come to the end of one's
resources; TO BREAK THE BACK OF, to overburden, to complete the hardest
part of a task; TO CAST BEHIND THE BACK (_B._), to forgive; TO SET or PUT
UP THE BACK, to arouse to resentment; TO THE BACKBONE, thoroughly. [A.S.
_bæc_, Sw. _bak_, Dan. _bag_.]
BACKARE, BACCARE, bak'[=a]re, _interj._ (_Shak._) back! stand back! [Perh.
for _back there!_]
BACKET, bak'et (_Scot._), _n._ a shallow wooden trough for carrying ashes,
coals, &c. [Fr. _baquet_, dim. of _bac_, back.]
BACKGAMMON, bak-gam'un, _n._ a game played by two persons on a board with
dice and fifteen men or pieces each. [M.E. _gamen_, play; and named from
the fact that the pieces are sometimes taken up and obliged to go
_back_--that is, re-enter at the table. Always called _Tables_ till the
17th century.]
BACKSHEESH, BACKSHISH, bak'sh[=e]sh, _n._ a gift or present of money in the
East, a gratuity or tip. [Pers.]
BACKWARD, bak'ward, _adv._ towards the back: on the back: towards the past:
from a better to a worse state: in a direction opposite to the normal--also
BACK'WARDS.--_adj._ BACK'WARD, keeping back: unwilling: slow: late: dull or
stupid.--_n._ the past portion of time.--_n._ BACK'WARDATION, percentage
paid by a seller of stock for keeping back its delivery till the following
account.--_adv._ BACK'WARDLY.--_n._ BACK'WARDNESS.--BACKWARD AND FORWARD,
to and fro.--TO RING BELLS BACKWARD, to ring them, beginning with the bass
bell, in order to give tidings of dismay. [BACK, and affix WARD, WARDS, in
the direction of.]
BACON, b[=a]'kn, _n._ swine's flesh salted or pickled and dried: (_Shak._)
a rustic, 'chaw-bacon.'--TO SAVE or SELL ONE'S BACON, i.e. one's own flesh
or body. [O. Fr. _bacon_, of Teut. origin; cf. Old High Ger. _bahho_,
_bacho_; Ger. _bache_.]
BACONIAN, bak-[=o]n'i-an, _adj._ pertaining to Lord Bacon (1561-1626), or
to his philosophy, which was inductive or based on experience.
BACTERIUM, bak-t[=e]'ri-um, _n._, BACTERIA, bak-t[=e]'ri-a, _n.pl._
Schizomycetes, extremely small, single-celled, fungoid plants, single or
grouped, reproducing rapidly by cross division or by the formation of
spores, almost always associated with the decomposition of albuminoid
substances, and regarded as the germs or active cause of many
diseases.--_ns._ BACTERIOL'OGIST; BACTERIOL'OGY, the scientific study of
bacteria. [Gr. _bakt[=e]rion_, dim. of _baktron_, stick, staff.]
BACULINE, bak'[=u]-l[=i]n, _adj._ pertaining to the stick or cane--in
flogging. [L. _baculum_.]
BACULITE, bak'[=u]-l[=i]t, _n._ a genus of fossil shells, allied to the
ammonites, having a shell of perfectly straight form, tapering to a point.
[L. _baculum_, a stick.]
BAD, bad, _adj._ ill or evil: wicked: hurtful: incorrect, faulty:
unfavourable: painful:--_comp._ WORSE; _superl._ WORST.--_adj._ BAD'DISH,
somewhat bad: not very good.--_adv._ BAD'LY.--_ns._ BAD'NESS.--BAD BLOOD,
angry feeling; BAD COIN, false coin; BAD DEBTS, debts that cannot be
recovered; BAD SHOT, a wrong guess.--TO GO BAD, to decay; TO GO TO THE BAD,
to go to ruin; TO THE BAD, to a bad condition: in deficit.--WITH BAD GRACE,
unwillingly. [Ety. very obscure. The M. E. _badde_ is referred by Zupitza
to A.S. _bæddel_, a hermaphrodite, _bædling_, an effeminate fellow.]
BADE, bad, _pa.t._ of BID.
BADGE, baj, _n._ a mark or sign by which a person or object is known or
distinguished. [M.E. _bage_--Low L. _bagia_, _bagea_, connected by Skeat
with Low L. _baga_, a golden ring, from L. _bacca_, _baca_, a berry, also
the link of a chain.]
BADGER, baj'[.e]r, _n._ a burrowing, nocturnal, hibernating animal about
the size of a fox, eagerly hunted by dogs.--_v.t._ to pursue with
eagerness, as dogs hunt the badger: to pester or worry.--_ns._
BADG'ER-BAIT'ING, the sport of setting dogs to draw out a badger from its
hole; BADG'ER-DOG, a long-bodied and short-legged dog used in drawing the
badger--the Ger. _dachshund_.--_adj._ BADG'ER-LEGGED, having legs of
unequal length, as the badger was vulgarly supposed to have.--_adv._
BADG'ERLY, like a badger: grayish-haired, elderly.--TO OVERDRAW ONE'S
BADGER, to overdraw one's banking account. [Prob. from BADGE and suffix
-ARD, in reference to the white mark borne like a badge on its forehead.
Derivations connecting the word with O. Fr. _blaier_, thus meaning 'little
corn hoarder,' in allusion to a popular notion about the animal's habits,
seem to be erroneous.]
BADINAGE, bad'in-äzh, _n._ light playful talk: banter. [Fr.
_badinage_--_badin_, playful or bantering.]
BADMINTON, bad'min-ton, _n._ a cooling summer drink compounded of claret,
sugar, and soda-water: a predecessor of lawn-tennis, played with
shuttlecocks. [From _Badminton_ in Gloucester, a seat of the Duke of
Beaufort.]
BAFF, bäf, _v.t._ (_golf_) to strike the ground with a club in playing, and
so to send the ball up in the air.
BAFFLE, baf'fl, _v.t._ to check or make ineffectual: (_obs._) to cheat,
hoodwink, bewilder, bring to nought: (_obs._) to disgrace publicly.--_ns._
BAF'FLE (_obs._), confusion, check; BAF'FLER, a bewilderer, confounder.--TO
BAFFLE OUT OF (_obs._), to juggle out of anything. [Prob. Scotch and
connected with _bauchle_; but cf. Fr. _beffler_, from O. Fr. _befe_,
mockery. Paul Meyer suggests a derivation from Prov. _baf_, interj. of
disdain.]
BAFT, baft, _n._ a coarse fabric, originally Oriental, now manufactured in
and shipped from England. [Pers. _baft_, woven.]
BAFT, baft, _n._ _adv._ and _prep._ behind, in the rear (mostly _naut._).
[A.S. _beæftan_, from _be_, by, and _æftan_, behind.]
BAG, bag, _n._ a sack, pouch: specially the silken pouch to contain the
back-hair of the wig: a measure of quantity for produce: a game-bag, i.e.
the quantity of fish or game secured: an udder: (_vulg._ in _pl._)
trousers.--_v.i._ to bulge, swell out: (_naut._) to drop away from the
right course.--_v.t._ to cram full: to put into a bag, specially of game,
hence to kill game, to seize, steal:--_pr.p._ bag'ging; _pa.p._
bagged.--_ns._ BAG'GING, cloth or material for bags; BAG'GIT, a salmon that
has just spawned.--_adj._ BAG'GY, loose like a bag: inflated,
verbose.--_ns._ BAG'MAN, a familiar name for a commercial traveller;
BAG'-WIG, an 18th-cent. wig, the back-hair of which was enclosed in an
ornamental bag.--BAG AND BAGGAGE, originally a military expression, hence
the phrase, 'to march out with bag and baggage,' i.e. with all belongings
saved: to make an honourable retreat: now used in the sense of 'to clear
out completely.'--BAG OF BONES, an emaciated living being.--IN THE BOTTOM
OF THE BAG, remaining as a last resource; THE WHOLE BAG OF TRICKS, every
expedient; TO GIVE ONE THE BAG TO HOLD, to engage any one and meanwhile
disappear; TO LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG, to disclose the secret. [M. E.
_bagge_, perh. Scand.; not Celtic, as Diez suggests.]
BAGASSE, ba-gas', _n._ refuse in sugar-making. [Fr.; Sp. _bagazo_, husks of
grapes or olives after pressing.]
BAGATELLE, bag-a-tel', _n._ a trifle: a piece of music in a light style: a
game played on a board (7 feet long and 21 inches broad) with nine balls
and a cue, the object being to put the balls down into as many numbered
holes at the farther semicircular end of the board. [Fr.--It. _bagatella_,
a conjurer's trick, a trifle.]
BAGGAGE, bag'[=a]j, _n._ the tents, provisions, and other necessaries of an
army: (_U.S._) traveller's luggage; a worthless woman: a saucy woman. [O.
Fr. _bagage_--_baguer_, to bind up, from which we may infer all the
meanings, without reference to Fr. _bagasse_, It. _bagáscia_, a strumpet.]
BAGNIO, ban'y[=o], _n._ a bath, esp. one with hot baths: an Oriental place
of detention: a stew or house of ill-fame. [It. _bagno_--L. _balneum_, a
bath.]
[Illustration]
BAGPIPE, bag'p[=i]p, _n._ a musical wind-instrument, consisting of a
leathern bag fitted with pipes. The Highland bagpipe has five pipes: _a_,
the mouthpiece, to keep the bag filled with air; _b_, the chanter, having a
reed and finger-holes to produce the melody; and _c_, three drones with
reeds, tuned to act as a bass to the chanter: (_pl._) an inflated,
senseless talker.--_n._ BAG'PIPER.