BAWL, bawl, _v.i._ to shout or cry out loudly (with _at_, _against_).--_n._
a loud cry or shout.--_n._ BAWL'ER. [Perh. from Low L. _baulare_, to bark
like a dog; but cf. Ice. _baula_, to low like a cow, _baula_, a cow.]
BAWN, bawn, _n._ a fortification round a house: an enclosure for cattle.
[Ir. _bábhun_, enclosure.]
BAXTER. See BAKE.
BAY, b[=a], _adj._ reddish brown inclining to chestnut.--_n._ elliptical
for 'bay-horse.'--_n._ BAYARD (b[=a]'ard), a bay-horse: a name for any
horse generally, from 'Bayard,' the famous bay-coloured magic horse given
to Renaud by Charlemagne: a man recklessly blind to danger: a fellow bold
in his ignorance: a type of the knight, from _Bayard_ (1476-1524), 'the
knight without fear and without reproach.' [Fr. _bai_--L. _badius_,
chestnut-coloured.]
BAY, b[=a], _n._ an inlet of the sea with a wider opening than a gulf: an
inward bend of the shore. [Fr. _baie_--Low L. _baia_, a harbour.]
[Illustration]
BAY, b[=a], _n._ the space between two columns: (_Shak._) the space under
one house gable: any recess.--_n._ BAY'-WIN'DOW, any window forming a
recess.--_adj._ BAY'-WIN'DOWED. [O. Fr. _baée_--_baer_, to gape, be open;
prob. conn. with the foregoing word.]
BAY, b[=a], _n._ the laurel-tree: (_pl._) an honorary garland or crown of
victory, originally of laurel: literary renown.--_ns._ BAY'BERRY; BAY'-RUM,
an aromatic stimulant used for the skin and hair, and prepared by
distilling the leaves of the bay-berry (_Pimenta acris_) with rum, or
otherwise mixing the volatile oil of the leaves with alcohol. [O. Fr.
_baie_, a berry--L. _baca_.]
BAY, b[=a], _n._ barking, baying (esp. of a dog when in pursuit): the
combined cry of hounds in conflict with a hunted animal: used often of the
last stand of a hunted animal when it faces the hounds at close
quarters.--_v.i._ to bark (esp. of large dogs).--_v.t._ to bark at: to
utter by baying: to follow with barking: to bring to bay.--TO HOLD, KEEP AT
BAY, said of the hunted animal; TO STAND, BE, AT BAY, at close quarters.
[These senses show a confusion of two distinct words, according to Murray:
(1) to hold at bay = O. Fr. _tenir a bay_ = It. _tenere a bada_, _bay_,
_bada_, denoting the suspense indicated by the open mouth; (2) in the
phrase 'to stand at bay,' the word points to O. Fr. _abai_, barking,
_bayer_, to bark.]
BAY, BAYE, b[=a], _v.t._ (_Spens._) to bathe.
BAYADÈRE, b[=a]-ya-d[=e]r', _n._ a Hindu dancing-girl. [Fr.--Port.
_bailadeira_.]
BAYONET, b[=a]'on-et, _n._ a stabbing instrument of steel fixed to the
muzzle of a musket or rifle: military force: (_pl._) soldiers armed with
bayonets.--_v.t._ to stab with a bayonet. [Fr. _baïonnette_, perh. from
_Bayonne_, in France, where it was supposed to have been first made; others
derive from O. Fr. _bayon_, arrow.]
BAYOU, b[=a]'[=oo], _n._ name given to the marshy offshoots of lakes and
rivers, esp. in North America. [Perh. corrupted from Fr. _boyau_, gut.]
BAY-SALT, b[=a]'-sält, _n._ salt obtained by slow evaporation originally
from sea-water. [Prob. from BAY, an inlet, and SALT.]
BAZAAR, BAZAR, ba-zär', _n._ an Eastern marketplace or exchange: a fancy
fair in imitation of an Eastern bazaar. [Pers. _b[=a]z[=a]r_, a market.]
BDELLIUM, del'i-um, _n._ a kind of gum. [Gr. _bdellion_, used to translate,
but prob. unconnected with Heb. _b'd[=o]lakh_, Gen. ii. 12.]
BE, b[=e], _v.i._ to live: to exist: to have a certain state or
quality:--_pr.p._ b[=e]'ing; _pa.p._ been.--_n._ BE'-ALL (_Shak._), the
whole being. [A.S. _béon_; Ger. _bin_; Gael. _bi_, to exist; W. _byw_, to
live; Gr. _phu-ein_, L. _fui_, _fio_, Sans. _bhu_, to be, orig. meaning to
grow.]
BEACH, b[=e]ch, _n._ the shore of the sea or of a lake, esp. when sandy or
pebbly: the strand.--_v.t._ to haul a boat up on the beach.--_n._
BEACH'-COMB'ER, a long rolling wave: a drunken loafer about the wharfs in
Pacific seaports: a settler on a Pacific island who maintains himself by
pearl-fishery, and often by less reputable means.--_adjs._ BEACHED, having
a beach, driven on a beach; BEACH'Y, pebbly. [Orig. a prov. Eng. word for
shingle. The derivation from Ice. _bakki_, bank, is untenable.]
BEACON, b[=e]'kn, _n._ a fire on an eminence used as a sign of danger: a
hill on which such could be lighted: anything that warns of danger, esp. an
erection of stone, wood, or iron often bearing a light, and marking rocks
or shoals in rivers or navigable channels.--_v.t._ to act as a beacon to:
to light up: to mark by means of beacons.--_n._ FLOAT'ING-BEA'CON, a
light-ship. [A.S. _béacn_, a beacon, a sign.]
BEAD, b[=e]d, _n._ a little ball pierced for stringing, a series of which
forms the _rosary_ or _paternoster_, used in counting the prayers recited:
any small ball of glass, amber, &c. strung in a series to form a necklace:
a bead-like drop: the small knob of metal forming the front-sight of a
gun--whence the Americanism, TO DRAW A BEAD UPON = to take aim at:
(_archit._) a narrow moulding with semicircular section.--_v.t._ to furnish
with beads.--_v.i._ to form a bead or beads.--_adj._ BEAD'ED, furnished
with beads.--_ns._ BEAD'-HOUSE, a house for poor people who were required
to pray for the soul of the founder: an almshouse; BEAD'ING, a moulding in
imitation of beads.--_adj._ BEAD'-PROOF, of such proof or strength as to
carry beads or bubbles when shaken, as alcoholic liquors.--_ns._
BEAD'-ROLL, in pre-Reformation times, a roll or list of the dead to be
prayed for, hence a list of names, a long series: a rosary; BEADS'MAN,
BEDES'MAN, one employed to pray for others, or one endowed to do so:
(_Scot._) a public alms-man or licensed beggar:--_fem._
BEADS'WOMAN.--_adj._ BEAD'Y, bead-like, small and bright (of eyes): covered
with beads or bubbles.--TO SAY, TELL, COUNT ONE'S BEADS, to offer a prayer.
[A.S. _bed_, _gebed_, a prayer, from _biddan_, to pray. See BID.]
BEADLE, b[=e]d'l, _n._ a mace-bearer (esp. of the '_bedels_' or
'_bedells_,' official attendants of the Oxford and Cambridge
vice-chancellors): a petty officer of a church, college, parish, &c.: a
parish officer with the power of punishing petty offenders: in Scotland,
used of the 'church-officer' attending on the clergyman: (_obs._) a
messenger or crier of a court.--_ns._ BEAD'LEDOM, BEAD'LEHOOD, stupid
officiousness; BEAD'LESHIP, BED'ELSHIP, the office of beadle or bedel.
[A.S. _bydel_--_béodan_, to proclaim, to bid.]
BEADMAN. Same as BEADSMAN (q.v. under BEAD).
BEAGLE, b[=e]'gl, _n._ a small hound tracking by scent, formerly much used
in hunting hares, but now superseded by the harrier: a spy: a bailiff: a
small kind of shark.--The beagle was often followed by men on foot, hence
FOOT'-BEA'GLE. [Ety. unknown. The Fr. _bigle_ is borrowed from English. Dr
Murray suggests Fr. _bégueule_, from _béer_, to gape, and _gueule_,
throat.]
BEAK, b[=e]k, _n._ the bill of a bird: anything pointed or projecting: the
nose: in the ancient galley, a pointed iron fastened to the prow for
piercing the enemy's vessel: (_slang_) a magistrate.--_adj._ BEAKED
(b[=e]kt). [O. Fr. _bec_--Low L. _beccus_, of Celt. (Gaulish) origin.]
BEAKER, b[=e]k'[.e]r, _n._ a large drinking-bowl or cup, or its contents: a
glass vessel marked for measuring liquids, with a beak or pointed mouth,
used by chemists. [Scand. _bikarr_ (Scot. _bicker_), prob. from Low L.
_bicarium_, acc. to Diez from Gr. _bikos_, a drinking-bowl.]
BEAM, b[=e]m, _n._ a large and straight piece of timber or iron forming one
of the main supports against lateral pressure of a building, ship, &c.:
(_fig._) from the figure of the mote and the beam--Matt. vii. 3: any of the
transverse pieces of framing extending across a ship's hull, the greatest
width of a ship or boat: the part of a balance from which the scales hang:
the pole of a carriage: a cylinder of wood in a loom: a ray of
light.--_v.t._ to send forth light: to shine.--_n._ BEAM'-EN'GINE, a
steam-engine which has a beam connecting the piston-rod with the crank of
the wheel-shaft, as distinguished from one that has its piston-rod directly
attached to the crank.--_adv._ BEAM'ILY.--_n._ BEAM'INESS.--_adjs._
BEAM'LESS, without beams: emitting no rays of light; BEAM'Y, shining.--A
BEAM SEA, one rolling against the ship's side.--BEFORE THE BEAM, the
bearing of any object when seen more in advance than _on_ the beam; ABAFT
THE BEAM, the reverse.--LEE or WEATHER BEAM, the side away from _or_
towards the wind.--ON HER BEAM ENDS, a phrase applied to the position of a
ship when so much inclined to one side that the beams become nearly
vertical.--ON THE STARBOARD BEAM, applied to any distant point out at sea,
at right angles to the keel, and on the starboard or right-hand (as viewed
from the stern) side of the ship; ON THE PORT BEAM similarly applies to the
left hand. [A.S. _béam_, a tree, stock of a tree, a ray of light; Ger.
_baum_, a tree; Gr. _phyma_, a growth--_phy-ein_, to grow.]
BEAN, b[=e]n, _n._ the name of several kinds of leguminous plants and their
seeds: applied also to the seeds of some other plants, from their bean-like
form, as the Calabar bean, &c.--_ns._ BEAN'-FEAST, an annual dinner given
by employers to their hands, perhaps from there having been served on such
occasions _beans_ or a BEAN'-GOOSE, a species of goose said to be so called
from its fondness for devouring new-sown beans; BEAN'-KING, the king of the
festivities on Twelfth Night, chosen on his finding a bean hidden in the
Twelfth Cake. [A.S. _béan_; Ger. _bohne_, W. _ffäen_; L. _faba_.]
BEAR, b[=a]r, _v.t._ to carry or support: to endure: to admit of: to be
entitled to: to afford: to import: to manage: to behave or conduct one's
self: to bring forth or produce.--_v.i._ to suffer: to be patient: to have
reference to: to press (with _on_ or _upon_): to be situated:--_pr.p._
bear'ing; _pa.t._ b[=o]re; _pa.p._ b[=o]rne (but the _pa.p._ when used to
mean 'brought forth' is _born_).--_adj._ BEAR'ABLE, that may be borne or
endured.--_n._ BEAR'ABLENESS.--_adv._ BEAR'ABLY.--_ns._ BEAR'ER, one who or
that which bears, esp. one who assists in carrying a body to the grave: a
carrier or messenger; BEAR'ING, behaviour: situation of one object with
regard to another: relation: that which is borne upon an escutcheon:
(_mach._) the part of a shaft or axle in contact with its supports;
BEAR'ING-CLOTH, the mantle or cloth in which a child was carried to the
font; BEAR'ING-REIN, the fixed rein between the bit and the saddle, by
which a horse's head is held up in driving and its neck made to arch.--BEAR
HARD (_Shak._), to press or urge; BEAR IN HAND (_Shak._), to keep in
expectation, to flatter one's hopes; TO BEAR A HAND, to give assistance; TO
BEAR AWAY, to sail away; TO BEAR DOWN (with _upon_ or _towards_), to sail
with the wind; TO BEAR OUT, to corroborate; TO BEAR UP, to keep up one's
courage; TO BEAR UP FOR (_a place_), to sail towards; TO BEAR WITH, to make
allowance for; TO BE BORNE IN (upon the) MIND, to be forcibly impressed
upon it; TO BRING TO BEAR, to bring into operation (with _against_,
_upon_); TO LOSE ONE'S BEARINGS, to become uncertain as to one's position.
[A.S. _beran_; Goth. _bairan_, L. _ferre_, Gr. _pher-ein_, Sans. _bhri_.]
BEAR, an obsolete form of BIER.
BEAR, b[=a]r, _n._ a heavy quadruped of the order Carnivora, with long
shaggy hair and hooked claws: any rude, rough, or ill-bred fellow: one who
sells stocks for delivery at a future date, anticipating a fall in price so
that he may buy first at an advantage--opp. to _Bull_: the old phrase 'a
bearskin jobber' suggests an origin in the common proverb, 'to sell the
bearskin before one has caught the bear' (hence TO BEAR, to speculate for a
fall): (_astron._) the name of two constellations, the Great and the Little
Bear.--_ns._ BEAR'-BER'RY, a trailing plant of the heath family, a species
of the Arbutus; BEAR'BINE, a species of convolvulus, closely allied to the
bindweed; BEAR'-GAR'DEN, an enclosure where bears are kept; a rude,
turbulent assembly.--_adj._ BEAR'ISH, like a bear.--_ns._ BEAR'ISHNESS;
BEAR'-LEAD'ER, a person who leads about a bear for exhibition: the tutor or
governor of a youth at the university or on travel; BEAR'S'-BREECH, a
common name for plants of the genus Acanthus; BEAR'S'-EAR, a common English
name for the auricula; BEAR'S'-FOOT, a species of hellebore; BEAR'SKIN, the
skin of a bear: a shaggy woollen cloth for overcoats: the high fur cap worn
by the Guards in England; BEAR'-WARD, a warden or keeper of bears. [A.S.
_bera_; Ger. _bär_; cf. L. _fera_, a wild beast, akin to Gr. _th[=e]r_,
Æolian _ph[=e]r_.]
BEAR, b[=e]r, _n._ barley, applied in Scotland to the now little grown
variety _Hordeum hexastichon_. [A.S. _bere_.]
BEARD, b[=e]rd, _n._ the hair that grows on the chin and adjacent parts of
a grown man's face: the tuft on the lower jaw of a goat, seal, &c.: the
barbel of the cod, loach, &c.; prickles on the ears of corn: the barb of an
arrow: the gills of oysters, &c.--_v.t._ to take by the beard: to oppose to
the face.--_adj._ BEARD'ED, having a beard: prickly: barbed.--_n._
BEARD'-GRASS, a kind of bearded grass.--_adj._ BEARD'LESS. [A.S.; W.
_barf_, Ger. _bart_, Russ. _boroda_, L. _barba_.]
BEAST, b[=e]st, _n._ an irrational animal, as opposed to man: a four-footed
animal: a brutal person: the Beast, Antichrist in the Revelation--dim.
BEAST'IES.--_n.pl._ BEAST'-F[=A]'BLES, stories in which animals play human
parts--a widely-spread primitive form of literature, often surviving in
more or less developed forms in the more advanced civilisations.--_ns._
BEAST'HOOD; BEAST'LIHEAD (_Spens._), the state or nature of a beast,
beastliness; BEAST'LINESS.--_adj._ BEAST'LY, like a beast in actions or
behaviour: coarse: obscene: (_colloq._) vile, disagreeable. [O. Fr. _beste_
(Fr. _bête_)--L. _bestia_.]
BEASTINGS. Same as BIESTINGS.
BEAT, b[=e]t, _v.t._ to strike repeatedly: to break or bruise: to strike,
as bushes, in order to rouse game: to thrash: to overcome: to be too
difficult for: to spread flat and thin by beating with a tool, as gold by a
gold-beater--also TO BEAT OUT.--_v.i._ to give strokes repeatedly: to
throb: to dash, as a flood or storm:--_pr.p._ beat'ing; _pa.t._ beat;
_pa.p._ beat'en.--_n._ a recurrent stroke: a stroke recurring at intervals,
or its sound, as of a watch or the pulse: a round or course, as a
policeman's _beat_: a place of resort.--_adj._ weary: fatigued.--_adj._
BEAT'EN, made smooth or hard by beating or treading: trite: worn by
use.--_ns._ BEAT'ER, one that beats or strikes: one who rouses or beats up
game: a crushing instrument; BEAT'ING, the act of striking: chastisement by
blows: regular pulsation or throbbing: rousing of game: exercising the
brain.--BEATEN WORK, metal shaped by being hammered on an anvil or block of
the necessary shape.--DEAD BEAT, completely exhausted.--TO BEAT ABOUT THE
BUSH, to approach a subject in an indirect way; TO BEAT A RETREAT, to
retreat, originally to beat the drum as a signal for retreat; TO BEAT OFF,
to drive back; TO BEAT OUT, to work out fully, to make gold or silver leaf
out of solid metal; TO BEAT THE AIR, to fight to no purpose, or against an
imaginary enemy; TO BEAT THE BOUNDS, to trace out the boundaries of a
parish in a periodic survey or perambulation, certain natural objects in
the line of journey being formally struck with a rod, and sometimes also
the boys whipped to make them remember; TO BEAT THE BRAINS, to puzzle one's
brains about something; TO BEAT THE TATTOO (_mil._), to sound the drum for
evening roll-call; TO BEAT UP, to alarm by a sudden attack: to disturb: to
pay an untimeous visit to any one--also in 'to beat up for recruits,' to go
about a town to enlist men. [A.S. _béatan_, pa.t. _béot_.]