BEDRENCH, be-drensh', _v.t._ to drench or wet thoroughly.
BEDROP, be-drop', _v.t._ to drop upon.--_pa.p._ BEDROPT', sprinkled as with
drops: strewn.
BEDUCK, be-duk', _v.t._ to duck or plunge under water.
BEDUIN, a form of BEDOUIN.
BEDUNG, be-dung', _v.t._ to manure: to befoul with dung.
BEDUST, be-dust', _v.t._ to cover with dust.
BEDWARF, be-dwawrf', _v.t._ to make dwarfish.
BEDYE, be-d[=i]', _v.t._ (_Spens._) to dye or stain.
BEE, b[=e], _n._ a four-winged insect that makes honey: (_U.S._) a
gathering of persons to unite their labour for the benefit of one
individual or family, or for some joint amusement or exercise, as 'a
quilting bee,' 'a husking bee,' 'a spelling bee' (from the bee's habit of
combined labour).--Compound words are BEE'-FLOW'ER, BEE'-GAR'DEN,
BEE'-HOUSE, BEE'-MAS'TER.--_ns._ BEE'-BREAD, the pollen of flowers
collected by bees as food for their young; BEE'-EAT'ER, a brightly-plumaged
family of birds nearly allied to the kingfisher, which feeds on bees;
BEE'-GLUE, the soft glutinous matter by which bees fix their combs to the
hive; BEE'HIVE, a case or box in which bees are kept, of straw-work, wood,
&c.--Scotch _Bee-skep_.--_adj._ shaped like a beehive, dome-shaped.--_ns._
BEE'-LINE, the most direct road from one point to another, like the
honey-laden bee's way home to the hive; BEE'-MOTH, a species of moth whose
larvæ are very destructive to young bees; BEES'WAX, the wax secreted by
bees, and used by them in constructing their cells.--_v.t._ to polish with
beeswax.--_n._ BEES'WING, a filmy crust of tartar formed in port and some
other wines after long keeping.--_adj._ BEES'WINGED, so old as to show
beeswing.--A BEE IN ONE'S BONNET, a whimsical or crazy fancy on some point.
[A. S. _béo_; Ger. _biene_.]
BEECH, b[=e]ch, _n._ a common forest tree with smooth silvery-looking bark
and small edible nuts.--_adj._ BEECH'EN.--_ns._ BEECH'-MAST, the mast or
nuts of the beech-tree, which yield a valuable oil; BEECH'-OIL, oil
expressed from the nuts of the beech-tree. [A.S. _bóece_, _béce_; Ger.
_buche_, L. _fagus_, Gr. _ph[=e]gos_--from root of _phag-ein_, to eat.]
BEEF, b[=e]f, _n._ the flesh of an ox or cow:--_pl._ BEEVES, used in
original sense, oxen.--_adj._ consisting of beef.--_ns._ BEEF'-EAT'ER
(b[=e]f'-[=e]t'[.e]r), a popular name for a yeoman of the sovereign's
guard, also of the warders of the Tower of London [the obvious ety. is the
right one, there being no such form as _buffetier_, connected with
_buffet_, a sideboard, as often stated]; BEEF'INESS; BEEF'STEAK, a thick
slice of beef for broiling or frying; BEEF'TEA, a stimulating rather than
nutritious food for invalids, being the juice of beef strained off, after
simmering chopped beef in water.--_adjs._ BEEF'-WIT'TED, BEEF'-BRAINED,
dull or heavy in wits: stupid.--_n._ BEEF'-WOOD, an Australian wood, of
reddish colour, used in cabinetwork.--_adj._ BEEF'Y, like beef, fleshy,
stolid. [O. Fr. _boef_ (Fr. _boeuf_)--L. _bos_, _bovis_; cf. Gr. _bous_,
Gael. _bò_, Sans. _go_, A.S. _cú_.]
BEELZEBUB, b[=e]-el'ze-bub, _n._ the name under which the Philistines at
Ekron worshipped their god _Baal_ or _Bel_: (_New Test._) the prince of the
evil spirits. [Heb. _ba'al z'b[=u]b_, fly-lord.]
BEEN, b[=e]n, _pa.p._ of BE.
BEENAH, b[=e]'na, _n._ a primitive form of marriage (the name taken from
Ceylon) in which the man goes to live with his wife's family--he is an
unimportant person in the family, and the children are not counted his, but
belong to the family and kindred of the wife.
BEER, b[=e]r, _n._ an alcoholic beverage made by fermentation from malted
barley flavoured with hops. It was anciently distinguished from ale by
being hopped; now _beer_ is the generic name of malt liquor, including ale
and porter.--_ns._ BEER'-EN'GINE, BEER'-PUMP, a machine for drawing beer up
from the casks to the bar; BEER'-HOUSE, a house where beer or malt liquors
are sold; BEER'INESS; BEER'-MON'EY, money given to soldiers in the British
army, in lieu of beer and spirits.--_adj._ BEER'Y, of or affected by
beer.--BEER AND SKITTLES, a phrase used vaguely for Bohemian pleasures,
from a simple form supposed to be a rustic ideal.--BITTER BEER = pale ale,
a highly hopped beer made from the very finest selected malt and hops; MILD
or SWEET ale being of greater gravity or strength, and comparatively
lightly hopped; BLACK BEER, a kind of beer made at Danzig, black and
syrupy; SMALL BEER, weak beer, hence trifling things, as in the familiar
phrase, 'to think no small beer of one's self.' [A.S. _béor_; Ger. and Dut.
_bier_, Ice. _bjorr_.]
BEESTINGS, b[=e]st'ingz, _n._ the first milk drawn from a cow after
calving. [A.S. _býsting_, _béost_; Ger. and Dut. _biest_.]
BEET, b[=e]t, _n._ a plant with a carrot-shaped succulent root, eaten as
food, from which sugar is extracted.--_ns._ BEET'-FLY, a two-winged insect,
which deposits its eggs on beet or mangel-wurzel, and whose larvæ are
injurious to the plant; BEET'ROOT, the root of the beet plant. [A.S. _béte_
(Fr. _bette_)--L. _b[=e]ta_.]
BEET, BETE, b[=e]t, _v.t._ (_obs._ except _dial._) to improve, mend, to
kindle a fire, to rouse. [A.S. _bóetan_, _bétan_; cf. _bót_, BOOT.]
BEETLE, b[=e]'tl, _n._ an order of insects technically known as Coleoptera,
usually with four wings, the front pair forming hard and horny covers for
those behind, which alone are used in flight.--The BLACK BEETLE or
cockroach is not a true beetle. [M.E. _bityl_--A.S. _bitula_, _bitela_,
_bítan_, to bite.]
BEETLE, b[=e]'tl, _n._ a heavy wooden mallet used for driving wedges,
crushing or beating down paving-stones, or the like: a wooden pestle-shaped
utensil for mashing potatoes, beating linen, &c.--_n._ BEE'TLE-HEAD, a
heavy, stupid fellow.--_adj._ BEE'TLE-HEAD'ED. [A.S. _bíetel_; cog. with
_béatan_, to beat.]
BEETLE-BROWED, b[=e]'tl-browd, _adj._ with overhanging or prominent brow:
scowling.--_v.i._ BEE'TLE, to jut, to hang over--first used by
Shakespeare.--_n._ BEET'LING.--_p.adj._ jutting out: prominent:
overhanging. [Dr Murray notes that the word is first found in the compound
_bitel_-browed, in the 14th century, and favours the explanation, 'with
eyebrows like a beetle's'--i.e. projecting eyebrows. See BEETLE (1).]