BISTORT, bis'tort, _n._ a perennial plant with astringent properties
(_Polygonum bistorta_), so named from its twisted roots, called also
_Snakeweed_ and _Adder's Wort_. [Fr.--L. _bistorta_; _bis_, twice, _torta_,
twisted.]
BISTOURY, bis't[=oo]r-i, _n._ a narrow surgical knife for making incisions,
having a straight, convex, or concave edge. [Fr.]
BISTRE, BISTER, bis't[.e]r, _n._ a pigment of a warm brown colour made from
the soot of wood, esp. beechwood.--_adj._ BIS'TRED. [Fr. _bistré_; origin
unknown.]
BISULCATE, b[=i]-sul'k[=a]t, _adj._ (_zool._) cloven-footed. [L. _bi-_,
twice, _sulcus_, a furrow.]
BISULPHATE, b[=i]-sul'f[=a]t, _n._ a salt of sulphuric acid, in which
one-half of the hydrogen of the acid is replaced by a metal. [L. _bi-_,
twice, and SULPHATE.]
BIT, bit, _n._ a bite, a morsel: a small piece: the smallest degree: a
small tool for boring (see BRACE): the part of the bridle which the horse
holds in his mouth (see BRIDLE)--hence, TO TAKE THE BIT IN HIS TEETH, to be
beyond restraint.--_v.t._ to put the bit in the mouth; to curb or
restrain:--_pr.p._ bit'ting; _pa.p._ bit'ted.--BIT BY BIT, piecemeal,
gradually. [From BITE.]
BITCH, bich, _n._ the female of the dog, wolf, and fox. [A.S. _bicce_; Ice.
_bikkja_.]
BITE, b[=i]t, _v.t._ to seize or tear with the teeth: to sting or pain: to
wound by reproach: to deceive, or take in--now only passive:--_pa.t._ bit;
_pa.p._ bit or bit'ten.--_n._ a grasp by the teeth: a nibble at the bait by
a fish: something bitten off: a mouthful.--_v.t._ BITE'-IN, to eat out the
lines of an etching with acid: to repress.--_n._ BIT'ER, one who bites: a
fish apt to take the bait: a cheat.--_n._ and _adj._ BIT'ING.--TO BITE THE
DUST, to fall, to die; TO BITE THE THUMB, to express defiance by putting
the thumbnail into the mouth and knocking it against the teeth. [A.S.
_bítan_; Goth. _beitan_, Ice. _bita_, Ger. _beissen_.]
BITT, bit, _v.t._ (_naut._) to fasten round the BITTS (q.v.).
BITTACLE. Same as BINNACLE.
BITTER, bit'[.e]r, _adj._ biting or acrid to the taste: sharp:
painful.--_n._ any substance having a bitter taste.--_adj._
BITT'ERISH.--_adv._ BITT'ERLY.--_n._ BITT'ERNESS.--_n.pl._ BITT'ERS, a
liquid prepared from bitter herbs or roots, and used as a stomachic.--_n._
BITT'ER-SWEET, the Woody Nightshade, a slender, climbing hedge-plant,
having red poisonous berries, said to be named from its root, when chewed,
having first a bitter, then a sweet taste: (_Shak._) an apple that has a
compound taste of sweet and bitter: a mixture of sweet and bitter. [A.S.
_bítan_, to bite.]
BITTER (_Spens._), used for BITTERN.
BITTERN, bit'[.e]rn, _n._ a bird of the heron family, said to have been
named from the resemblance of its voice to the lowing of a bull. [M. E.
_bittour_--Fr.--Low L. _butorius_ (_bos_, _taurus_).]
BITTERN, bit'[.e]rn, _n._ an oily liquid remaining in salt-works after the
crystallisation of the salt, and used in the manufacture of Epsom salts.
BITTOR, BITTOUR, bit'tur, _n._ (_Dryden_) the bird BITTERN.
BITTS, bits, _n._ a frame in the forepart of a ship round which the cables
are passed when the vessel rides at anchor.
BITUMEN, bi-t[=u]'men, or bit'yu-men, _n._ a name applied to various
inflammable mineral substances, as naphtha, petroleum, asphaltum.--_v.t._
BIT[=U]'MINATE, to mix with or make into bitumen--also
BIT[=U]'MINISE.--_adjs._ BIT[=U]'MINOUS, BIT[=U]MED' (_Shak._), impregnated
with bitumen. [L.]
BIVALVE, b[=i]'valv, _n._ an animal having a shell in two valves or parts,
like the oyster: a seed-vessel of like kind.--_adj._ having two
valves.--_adj._ BIVALV'ULAR. [L. _bi-_, twice, _valva_, a valve.]
BIVIOUS, biv'i-us, _adj._ leading two, or different, ways. [L.
_bivius_--_bi-_, twice, _via_, a way.]
BIVOUAC, biv'[=oo]-ak, _n._ the resting at night of soldiers in the open
air, instead of under cover in camp.--_v.i._ to pass the night in the open
air:--_pr.p._ biv'ouacking; _pa.p._ biv'ouacked. [Fr.--Ger. _beiwacht_, to
watch beside--_bei_ by, _wachen_, to watch.]
BI-WEEKLY, b[=i]'-w[=e]k'li, _adj._ properly, occurring once in two weeks,
but usually twice in every week. [L. _bi-_, twice, and WEEK.]
BIZARRE, bi-zär', _adj._ odd: fantastic: extravagant.--_n._ BIZAR'RERIE.
[Fr.--Sp. _bizarro_, high-spirited; acc. to Littré, adapted from Basque
_bizarre_, the beard.]
BIZCACHA. See VISCACHA.
BLAB, blab, _v.i._ to talk much: to tell tales.--_v.t._ to tell what ought
to be kept secret (with _out_, _forth_):--_pr.p._ blab'bing; _pa.p._
blabbed.--_n._ an open-mouthed person, a tattler: tattling.--_n._ BLAB'BER,
one who blabs. [M. E. _blabbe_, a chatterer, also BLABBER, to babble, with
which cf. Norse _blabbra_, Ger. _plappern_.]
BLACK, blak, _adj._ of the darkest colour: without colour: obscure: dismal:
sullen: horrible: dusky: foul, dirty: malignant: dark-haired, wearing dark
armour or clothes.--_n._ black colour: absence of colour: a negro:
mourning: the dark smut which attacks wheat: a speck of black on the face,
a sooty particle in the air: black clothes, esp. dress trousers.--_v.t._ to
make black: to soil or stain: to draw in black.--_n._ BLACK'AMOOR, a black
Moor: a negro.--_adjs._ BLACK'-AND-TAN, having black hair on the back, and
tan or yellowish-brown elsewhere, esp. of a terrier; BLACK'-A-VISED, of
dark complexion (probably originally _black-à-vis_).--_v.t._ BLACK'BALL, to
reject in voting by putting a black ball into a ballot-box.--_ns._
BLACK'BALLING, the act of so rejecting a candidate; BLACK'-BAND, iron ore
containing enough of coal to calcine it; BLACK'-BEE'TLE, a cockroach;
BLACK'BERRY, the berry of the bramble; BLACK'BIRD, a species of thrush of a
black colour: a current name for a negro or Polynesian kidnapped for
labour; BLACK'BIRDING, the kidnapping of such; BLACK'BOARD, a board painted
black, used in schools for writing, forming figures, &c.--_adjs._
BLACK'-BOD'ING, of evil omen; BLACK'-BROWED, having black eyebrows:
sullen.--_ns._ BLACK'-CAP, a bird, a species of warbler, so called from its
black crown: (_cook._) an apple roasted until it is black, and served up in
a custard: the full-dress cap put on by English judges when about to
pronounce sentence of death; BLACK'-CATT'LE, oxen, bulls, and cows;
BLACK'-CHALK, a variety of clay-slate of a bluish-black colour, used for
drawing, and also for making black paint; BLACK'COCK, a species of grouse,
common in the north of England and in Scotland; BLACK'-CURR'ANT, a garden
shrub with black fruit used in making preserves; BLACK'-DEATH, a name given
to the plague of the 14th century from the black spots which appeared on
the skin; BLACK'-DRAUGHT, the popular name for a purgative medicine
consisting chiefly of senna and Epsom salts; BLACK'-DROP, a liquid
preparation of opium, vinegar, and sugar.--_v.t._ BLACK'EN, to make black:
to defame.--_adj._ BLACK'FACED, having a black face: dismal.--_ns._
BLACK'-FLAG, the flag of a pirate, or that hoisted at the execution of a
criminal--from its colour; BLACK'-FRIAR, a friar of the Dominican order, so
called from his black mantle (over a white woollen habit): (_pl._) the
region in a city, as London, where their convent stood; BLACKGUARD
(blag'ärd), originally applied to the lowest menials about a court, who
took charge of the pots, kettles, &c.: a low, ill-conducted fellow.--_adj._
low: scurrilous.--_v.t._ to treat as a blackguard; _v.i._ to play the
blackguard.--_n._ BLACK'GUARDISM.--_adv._ BLACK'GUARDLY.--_ns._
BLACK'-HEART'EDNESS; BLACK'-HOLE, formerly the name for the punishment-cell
in a barrack: the memorable black-hole in the Fort-William barracks at
Calcutta, into which, in in 1756, as many as 146 Europeans were thrust over
night, of whom only 23 were found surviving in the morning; BLACK'ING, a
substance used for blacking leather, &c.--_adj._ BLACK'ISH.--_ns._
BLACK'-JACK, a vessel for holding drink, originally made of leather:
(_naut._) the flag of a pirate; BLACK'-LEAD, a black mineral (plumbago, not
lead) used in making pencils, blacking grates, &c.; BLACK'LEG, a low,
gambling fellow: a turf-swindler: a term applied by strikers to men willing
to work for the wages against which themselves have struck--also
BLACK'-NEB; BLACK'-LET'TER, the old English (also called Gothic) letter
([Black-letter]); BLACK'-LIST, a list of defaulters; BLACK'-MAR[=I]'A, the
closely covered, usually black-painted van in which prisoners are conveyed
between the court and the prison; BLACK'-MON'DAY, Easter Monday, so called
on account of the sufferings experienced by the army of Edward III. from
the severity of the weather on that day in 1360; BLACK'-MONK, a monk of the
order of St Benedict, from his garments; BLACK'NESS; BLACK'-PUDD'ING, a
blood-pudding (q.v.).; BLACK'-ROD, the usher of the chapter of the Garter
and of the House of Lords, so called from the black wand tipped with a
golden lion which he carries; BLACK'-SHEEP, a disreputable member of a
family or group; BLACK'SMITH, a smith who works in iron, as opposed to a
_Whitesmith_, or one who works in tin; BLACK'THORN, a species of
dark-coloured thorn: the sloe: a stick made from its stem.--_adjs._
BLACK'-TRESSED, having black tresses; BLACK-VISAGED (blak'-viz'[=a]jd),
having a black visage or appearance.--_n._ BLACK'-WASH, a lotion of calomel
and lime-water: anything that blackens.--BLACK AND BLUE, with the livid
colour of a bruise in the flesh; BLACK BOOK, an official book bound in
black, a book recording the names of persons deserving punishment; BLACK
EYE, an eye of which the iris is dark--a point of beauty: a discoloration
around the eye due to a blow or fall; BLACK FELLOW, a native in
Australia.--IN BLACK AND WHITE, in writing or in print: in art, in no
colours but black and white.--TO BE BLACK IN THE FACE, to have the face
purple through strangulation, passion, or effort; TO BE IN ANY ONE'S BLACK
BOOKS, to have incurred any one's displeasure; TO BLACK OUT, to obliterate
with black. [A.S. _blac_, _blæc_, black.]
BLACK-ART, blak'-ärt, _n._ necromancy: magic. [Acc. to Trench, a
translation of the Low L. _nigromantia_, substituted erroneously for the
Gr. _necromanteia_ (see NECROMANCY), as if the first syllable had been L.
_niger_, black.]
BLACKMAIL, blak'm[=a]l, _n._ rent or tribute formerly paid to robbers for
protection: hush-money extorted under threat of exposure or denunciation,
esp. of a baseless charge.--_v.t._ to extort money from a person by this
expedient. [BLACK and A.S. _mal_, tribute, toll.]