BAHADUR, ba-had'[=oo]r, _n._ a title of respect often added by natives to
the names of English officers in India. [Hind. _bahadur_, brave.]
BAIGNOIRE, b[=a]n'war, _n._ a box at the theatre on a level with the
stalls. [Orig. = 'bathing-box,' Fr. _baigner_, to bathe.]
BAIL, b[=a]l, _n._ one who procures the release of an accused person by
becoming guardian or security for his appearing in court: the security
given: (_Spens._) jurisdiction.--_v.t._ to set a person free by giving
security for him: to release on the security of another.--_adj._
BAIL'ABLE.--_ns._ BAIL'-BOND, a bond given by a prisoner and his surety
upon being bailed; BAIL'-DOCK, BALE'-DOCK, a room at the Old Bailey,
London, in which prisoners were kept during the trials; BAILEE', one to
whom goods are delivered in trust upon a contract; BAIL'ER, one who
delivers goods to another in trust; BAIL'MENT, a delivery of goods in
trust: the action of bailing a prisoner; BAILS'MAN, one who gives bail for
another.--TO ACCEPT, ADMIT TO, ALLOW BAIL, are all said of the magistrate;
the prisoner OFFERS, SURRENDERS TO HIS BAIL; the one who provides it GOES,
GIVES, or STANDS BAIL.--TO GIVE LEG BAIL, to be beholden to one's legs for
escape. [O. Fr. _bail_, jurisdiction--_baillier_, to control, deliver.
Primarily implying 'custody' or 'charge,' the word became associated with
Norm. Fr. _bailler_, to deliver--L. _bajulus_.]
BAIL, b[=a]l, _v.t._ (_rare_) to confine.--TO BAIL UP (_Australia_), to
secure a cow's head during milking: to disarm travellers so as to be able
to rob them without resistance. [Prob. conn. with the preceding word.]
BAIL, b[=a]l, _n._ palisades, barriers: a pole separating horses in an open
stable. [M. E.--O. Fr. _baile_, perh. from _baillier_, to enclose. Others
suggest a derivation from L. _baculum_, a stick.]
BAIL, b[=a]l, _n._ one of the cross pieces on the top of the wicket in
cricket.--_n._ BAIL'ER, a ball bowled so as to hit the bails. [Prob. conn.
with the preceding word.]
BAIL, b[=a]l, _v.t._ to clear (a boat) of water with bails or shallow
buckets.--_n._ a man or instrument for bailing water out of a ship, pit,
&c.--Also spelled BALE. [Fr. _baille_, a bucket, perh. from Low L.
_bacula_, dim. of _baca_.]
BAILEY, b[=a]l'i, _n._ the outer court of a feudal castle: either of the
two courts formed by the spaces between the circuits of walls, hence OUTER
and INNER BAILEY.--THE OLD BAILEY in London, the Central Criminal Court,
from the ancient _bailey_ between Lud Gate and New Gate. [Fr. _baille_,
from Low L. _ballium_.]
BAILIE, b[=a]l'i, _n._ a municipal officer in Scotland corresponding to an
English alderman: (_obs._) a sheriff's officer; but cf. Scotch
WAT'ER-BAIL'IES, constables employed to carry out the Tweed Fisheries Acts:
(_obs._) the chief magistrate of a Scottish barony or part of a county,
with functions like a sheriff's. [O. Fr. _bailli_, land-steward, officer of
justice. See BAILIFF.]
BAILIFF, b[=a]l'if, _n._ formerly any king's officer, e.g. sheriffs,
mayors, &c., but applied specially to the chief officer of a hundred, still
the title of the chief magistrate of various towns (e.g. High-bailiff of
Westminster, cf. Bailiff of Dover Castle, also the _bailly_ or first civil
officer of the Channel Islands: a sheriff's officer: an agent or
land-steward.--_n._ BAIL'IWICK, the jurisdiction of a bailiff. [O. Fr.
_baillif_--Low L. _bajulivus_--_bajalus_, carrier, administrator. See
BAIL.]
BAIRAM, b[=i]'ram, _n._ the name of two Mohammedan festivals--the _Lesser
Bairam_ lasting three days, after the feast of Ramadan, and the _Greater
Bairam_ seventy days later, lasting four days. [Pers.]
BAIRN, b[=a]rn, _n._ (_Scot._) a child.--_adj._ BAIRN'-LIKE.--_ns._
BAIRN'TEAM, BAIRN'TIME, brood of children. [A.S. _bearn_--_beran_, to
bear.]
BAISEMAIN, b[=a]z'mang, _n._ (_obs._) mostly in _pl._, compliment paid by
kissing the hand. [Fr. _baiser_, to kiss, and _main_, hand.]
BAIT, b[=a]t, _n._ food put on a hook to allure fish or make them bite: any
allurement or temptation: a refreshment taken on a journey, or the time
taken up by such.--_v.t._ to set food as a lure: to give refreshment on a
journey: to set dogs on a bear, badger, &c.: to worry, persecute,
harass.--_v.i._ to take refreshment on a journey. [M. E. _beyten_--Scand.
_beita_, to make to bite, causal of _bíta_, to bite.]
BAIZE, b[=a]z, _n._ a coarse woollen cloth with a long nap, used mainly for
coverings, linings, &c., but in some countries for clothing. [Fr. _baies_,
_pl._ of _bai_--L. _badius_, bay-coloured.]
BAJAN. See BEJAN.
BAKE, b[=a]k, _v.t._ to dry, harden, or cook by the heat of the sun or of
fire: to prepare bread or other food in an oven: to harden as by
frost.--_v.i._ to work as a baker: to become firm through heat.--_pa.p._
baked (b[=a]kt); _pr.p._ b[=a]k'ing.--_ns._ BAKE'HOUSE, a house or place
used for baking in; BAKE'MEAT (_B._), pastry, pies.--_pa.p._ BAK'EN =
_baked_.--_ns._ BAK'ER, one who bakes bread, &c.--(_obs._) BAX'TER;
BAK'ERY, a bakehouse; BAKE'STONE, a flat stone or plate of iron on which
cakes are baked in the oven; BAK'ING, the process by which bread is baked:
the quantity baked at one time. [A.S. _bacan_; cog. with Ger. _backen_, to
bake, Gr. _phog-ein_, to roast.]
BAKSHEESH. See BACKSHEESH.
BALAAM, b[=a]'lam, _n._ a prophet who strives to mislead, like Balaam in
Numb. xxii.-xxiv.: unimportant paragraphs kept in readiness to fill up a
newspaper.--_ns._ B[=A]'LAAM-BOX, or -BAS'KET, a place in which paragraphs
such as the foregoing are kept in readiness; B[=A]'LAAMITE.--_adj._
B[=A]LAAMIT'ICAL.
BALANCE, bal'ans, _n._ an instrument for weighing, usually formed of two
dishes or scales hanging from a beam supported in the middle: act of
weighing two things: equality or just proportion of weight or power, as the
balance of power: the sum required to make the two sides of an account
equal, hence the surplus, or the sum due on an account: what is needed to
produce equilibrium, a counterpoise: (_watchmaking_) a contrivance which
regulates the speed of a clock or watch.--_v.t._ to weigh in a balance: to
counterpoise: to compare: to settle, as an account, to examine and test
accounts in book-keeping, to make the debtor and creditor sides of an
account agree.--_v.i._ to have equal weight or power, &c.: to hesitate or
fluctuate.--_p.adj._ BAL'ANCED, poised so as to preserve equilibrium: well
arranged, stable.--_ns._ BAL'ANCER, an acrobat; BAL'ANCE-SHEET, a sheet of
paper showing a summary and balance of accounts; BAL'ANCE-WHEEL, a wheel in
a watch or chronometer which regulates the beat or rate. [Fr.--L. _bilanx_,
having two scales--_bis_, double, _lanx_, _lancis_, a dish or scale.]
BALANUS. See ACORN-SHELL.
BALAS, bal'as, _n._ a variety of the spinel ruby. [O. Fr. _balais_ (It.
_balascio_)--Low L. _balascus_--Pers. _Badakhsh[=a]n_, a place near
Samarcand where they are found.]
BALATA, bal'a-ta, _n._ the gum of the bullet or bully tree of South
America, used as a substitute for gutta-percha in insulating
telegraph-wires.
BALBUTIENT, bal-b[=u]'shi-ent, _adj._ stammering. [L.
_balbutiens_--_balb[=u]t[=i]re_, to stutter.]
BALCONY, balk'on-i (18th c., bal-k[=o]'ni), _n._ a stage or platform
projecting from the wall of a building within or without, supported by
pillars or consoles, and surrounded with a balustrade or railing: in
theatres, usually the gallery immediately above the dress circle.--_n._
BAL'CONETTE, a miniature balcony.--_adj._ BAL'CONIED. [It.
_balc[=o]ne_--_balco_, of Teut. origin; Old High Ger. _balcho_ (Ger.
_balken_), Eng. BALK.]
BALD, bawld, _adj._ without hair (feathers, &c.) on the head (or on other
parts of the body): bare, unadorned, destitute of literary grace: paltry,
trivial: undisguised.--_ns._ BALD'-COOT, popular name for the coot, from
its pure white wide frontal plate: a monk--also BALD'ICOOT; BALD'-EA'GLE, a
common but inaccurate name for the American white-headed eagle, used as the
national emblem.--_adj._ BALD'-FACED, having white on the face, as a
horse.--_n._ BALD'HEAD, a person bald on the head.--_adjs._ BALD'-HEADED;
BALD'ISH, somewhat bald.--_adv._ BALD'LY.--_ns._ BALD'NESS; BALD'PATE, one
destitute of hair: a kind of wild-duck.--_adjs._ BALD'PATE, BALD'PATED,
destitute of hair. [Orig. 'shining,' 'white,' Ir. and Gael. _bàl_, 'white'
spot; but perh. conn. with _ball_ in the sense of 'rounded,' whence
'smooth,' 'hairless.']
BALDACHIN, bal'da-kin, _n._ silk brocade: a canopy, either supported on
pillars, or fastened to the wall, over a throne, pulpit, or altar, &c.: in
R.C. processions, a canopy borne over the priest who carries the Host. [It.
_baldacchino_, Fr. _baldaquin_, a canopy, from It. _Baldacco_, Bagdad,
whence was brought the stuff of which they were made.]
BALDERDASH, bawl'd[.e]r-dash, _n._ idle senseless talk: anything jumbled
together without judgment: obscene language or writing. [Ety. dub.; but cf.
the prov. Eng. _balder_, to use coarse language, Dut. _balderen_, to roar.
Some adduce Welsh _baldorrdus_--_baldordd_, idle noisy talk.]
BALDMONEY, bawld'mun-i, _n._ popular name for several kinds of Gentian.
[Ety. quite unknown.]
BALDRICK, bawld'rik, _n._ a warrior's belt or shoulder-sash: (_Spens._) the
zodiac, being regarded as a gem-studded belt. [O. Fr. _baldrei_ (Mid. High
Ger. _balderich_, girdle)--Low L. _baldringus_, perh. from L. _balteus_.]
BALE, b[=a]l, _n._ a bundle, or package of goods: (_obs._) the set of dice
for any special game.--_v.t._ to make into bales. [M. E. _bale_, perh. from
O. Fr. _bale_--Old High Ger. _balla_, _palla_, ball. See BALL.]