BOUTS-RIMÉS, b[=oo]-r[=e]-m[=a]', _n.pl._ rhyming words given out by some
one of a party as the endings of a stanza, the others having to fill up the
lines as best they may. [Fr.]
BOVINE, b[=o]'v[=i]n, _adj._ pertaining to cattle. [L. _bos_, _bovis_, Gr.
_bous_, an ox or cow.]
BOVRIL, bov'ril, _n._ a registered trade-mark applied to a special meat
extract. [Coined from Gr. _bous_, _bovis_, an ox, and _vril_, the electric
fluid represented as the one common origin of the forces in matter, in
Lytton's novel _The Coming Race_, 1871.]
BOW, bow, _v.i._ to bend the body in saluting a person, acknowledging a
compliment, &c.: to submit.--_v.t._ to bend or incline downwards, to crush
down (with _down_, _to_, _in_ or _out_, _up_ or _down_).--_n._ a bending of
the body in saluting a person.--_adj._ BOW'-BACKED, crook-backed.--A BOWING
ACQUAINTANCE, a slight acquaintance.--TO MAKE ONE'S BOW, to retire
ceremoniously, to leave the stage. [A.S. _búgan_, to bend; akin to L.
_fug-[)e]re_, to flee, to yield.]
BOW, b[=o], _n._ a piece of elastic wood or other material for shooting
arrows, bent by means of a string stretched between its two ends: anything
of a bent or curved shape, as the rainbow: the instrument by which the
strings of a violin are sounded: a ring of metal forming a handle: a knot
composed of one or of two loops and two ends (_single bow_, _double bow_),
a looped knot of ribbons, a necktie or the like, so tied.--_adj._ BOW'BENT
(_Milton_), bent like a bow.--_n._ BOW'-BOY, a boy archer: (_Shak._)
Cupid.--_n.pl._ BOW'-COM'PASSES, compasses, one leg of which slides on a
bow or curved plate of metal to steady its motion: a small pair of
compasses for describing circles with ink or pencil.--_adj._ BOWED.--_ns._
BOW'-HAND, in archery, the left hand, the one by which the bow is held:
(_mus._) the right hand, the one that draws the bow; BOW'-LEG, a leg
crooked like a bow.--_adj._ BOW'-LEGGED, having crooked legs.--_ns._
BOW'LINE, a rope from the weather side of the square sails (to which it is
fastened by _bridles_) to the larboard or starboard bow, to keep the sail
close to the wind; BOW'MAN, an archer; BOW'SHOT, the distance to which an
arrow can be shot from a bow; BOW'STRING, the string by which a bow is
drawn: a string with which the Turks strangled offenders; BOW'-WIN'DOW, a
bent or semicircular window.--_adj._ BOW'-WIN'DOWED (_slang_),
pot-bellied.--_n._ BOW'YER (_obs._), a bowman: a maker of bows.--BOWLINE
KNOT, a simple but secure knot, used in fastening the bowline bridles to
the cringles.--ON THE BOW HAND, wide of the mark.--TO DRAW THE LONG BOW, to
make extravagant statements; TO HAVE TWO (or more) STRINGS TO ONE'S BOW, to
have other alternatives. [A.S. _boga_; cog. with Ger. _bogen_.]
BOW, bow, _n._ the general name for the stem and forepart of a ship, or
that which cuts the water--often used in _pl._, the ship being considered
to have starboard and port bows, meeting at the stem.--_ns._ BOW'ER,
BOW'ER-ANCH'OR, an anchor at the bow or forepart of a ship--usually two,
the _best-bower_ and the _small-bower_; BOW'-OAR, the oar nearest the
bow.--A BOLD, or BLUFF, BOW, a broad bow; A LEAN BOW, a narrow one.--ON THE
BOW, within 45° of the point right ahead.
BOWDLERISE, bowd'l[.e]r-[=i]z, _v.t._ to expurgate a book or writing, to
remove indelicate words or phrases, esp. to do so unnecessarily.--_ns._
BOWDLERIS[=A]'TION; BOWD'LERISER; BOWD'LERISM. [From Dr T. _Bowdler_
(1754-1825), who published an expurgated Shakespeare in ten volumes in
1818.]
BOWELS, bow'elz, _n.pl._ the interior parts of the body, the entrails, the
intestines: the interior part of anything: (_fig._) the heart, pity,
tenderness (the emotions being supposed to be seated in the bowels--_B._
and _Shak._).--_v.t._ BOW'EL, to take out the bowels. [O. Fr. _boel_--L.
_botellus_, a sausage, also an intestine.]
BOWER, bow'[.e]r, _n._ a shady enclosure or recess in a garden, an arbour:
an inner apartment, esp. the private room of a lady, a boudoir.--_n._
BOW'ER-BIRD, an Australian bird of the Starling family, remarkable for its
habit of making bower-like erections ornamented with gay feathers, shells,
&c.--_adj._ BOW'ERY, containing bowers: shady. [A.S. _búr_, a chamber;
Scot, _byre_--root A.S. _búan_, to dwell.]
BOWER, bow'[.e]r, _n._ the name in euchre for the two highest cards, the
knave of trumps, and the other knave of the same colour, the _right_ and
_left_ bower respectively. [Ger. _bauer_, peasant.]
[Illustration]
BOWIE-KNIFE, b[=o]'i-n[=i]f, _n._ a dagger-knife with a blade about twelve
inches long, carried in the southern states of America--so named from its
inventor, Colonel _Bowie_.
BOWL, b[=o]l, _n._ a wooden ball used for rolling along the ground.--_v.t._
and _v.i._ to play at bowls: to roll along like a bowl: to throw a ball, as
in cricket.--_ns._ BOWL'ER, one who plays at bowls: one who bowls the ball
in cricket; BOWL'ING, the act of playing at bowls, or of throwing a ball,
as in cricket; BOWL'ING-AL'LEY, a long narrow covered place for bowling;
BOWL'ING-GREEN, a green or grassy plat kept smooth for bowling. [Fr.
_boule_--L. _bulla_.]
BOWL, b[=o]l, _n._ a basin for domestic use, esp. of earthenware or
porcelain, nearly hemispherical in shape: a large punch-bowl, for brewing
punch in: a round drinking-cup, rather wide than deep--hence 'the bowl,'
'the flowing bowl,' as synonyms for conviviality; the round hollow part of
anything. [A.S. _bolla_. See BOLE.]
BOWLDER, b[=o]ld'[.e]r, _n._ Same as BOULDER.
BOWSE. Same as BOUSE.
BOWSPRIT, b[=o]'sprit, _n._ a strong spar projecting over the stem-head or
bows of a sailing-ship, and also of a steamship when her stem is of the
curved or cutwater description. [Dut. _boegspriet_.]
BOX, boks, _n._ a tree remarkable for the hardness and smoothness of its
wood--also BOX-TREE (_Shak._): a case or receptacle for holding anything:
the contents of a box: a small house or lodge, as a _shooting-box_, &c.: in
a theatre, a small enclosure with several seats--_the boxes_ = their
occupants, the ladies: an old square pew or similar enclosure, as a
_sentry-box_, _signal-box_, &c.: the driver's seat on a carriage: the case
in which the ship's compass is kept.--_v.t._ to put into or furnish with
boxes: (_slang_) to overturn a watchman in his box.--_ns._ BOX'-BED, a kind
of bed once common in Scotch cottages, having its ends, sides, and roof of
wood, and capable of being closed in front by two sliding panels; BOX'-DAY,
one of the Court of Session vacation days when papers ordered to be
deposited in court must be lodged.--_adj._ BOX'EN, made of or like
boxwood.--_ns._ BOX'ING-DAY, in England, the day after Christmas, when
boxes or presents are given; BOX'-[=I]'RON, a hollow smoothing-iron which
is heated by a heater put into it; BOX'-KEEP'ER, an attendant who opens the
doors of boxes at theatres or other places of public amusement;
BOX'-LOBB'Y, the lobby leading to the boxes in a theatre; BOX'WOOD, wood of
the box-tree.--IN THE WRONG BOX, in a false position, in a scrape.--TO BE
IN A BOX, to be in a fix; TO BOX HARRY, to take a beefsteak, mutton-chop,
or bacon and eggs with tea or ale, instead of the regulation dinner of the
commercial traveller; TO BOX THE COMPASS, to name the 32 points in their
order and backwards, hence to make a complete roundabout in any opinion.
[A.S. _box_--L. _buxus_--Gr. _pyxos_, the tree, _pyxis_, a box.]
BOX, boks, _n._ a blow on the head or ear with the hand.--_v.t._ to strike
with the hand or fist.--_v.i._ to fight with the fists.--_ns._ BOX'ER;
BOX'ING, the act of fighting with the fists: a combat with the fists;
BOX'ING-GLOVE, a padded glove worn in boxing.
BOXHAUL, boks'hawl, _v.t._ to veer a ship sharp round on her heel, by
putting the helm a-lee, bracing the head-yards flat aback, and hauling to
windward the head-sheets.
BOY, boy, _n._ a male child: a lad: a young man generally, used for 'man'
in Ireland and elsewhere: (_Shak._) a camp-follower: (_obs._) knave: a
native servant in South India, China, a male negro slave or native labourer
in the South Seas.--_v.t._ to play the boy.--_n._ BOY'HOOD.--_adj._
BOY'ISH.--_adv._ BOY'ISHLY.--_n._ BOY'ISHNESS.--BOY'S LOVE, a popular name
for southernwood; BOY'S PLAY, trifling. [M. E. _boi_, _boy_; Fris. _boi_;
Dut. _boef_, Ger. _bube_.]
BOYAR, boy'är, _n._ an order of the old Russian aristocracy, holding the
chief military and civil offices prior to the reforms of Peter the Great.
BOYCOTT, boy'kot, _v.t._ to shut out from all social and commercial
intercourse--a kind of secular excommunication. [From Captain _Boycott_ of
County Mayo, who was so treated by his neighbours in Dec. 1880.]
BRABBLE, brab'bl, _v.i._ to babble or clamour: to brawl or wrangle.--_n._
(_Shak._) a clamorous contest, a brawl: a quibble. [Dut. _brabbelen_, to
stammer, to jabber.]
BRACCIO, brach'yo, _n._ an Italian measure of length, varying from half a
yard to a yard:--_pl._ BRACCIA (brach-ya). [It., an arm.]
[Illustration]
BRACE, br[=a]s, _n._ anything that draws together and holds tightly: a
bandage: a pair or couple: an instrument of wood or iron used by carpenters
and metal-workers for turning boring tools: in printing, a mark connecting
two or more words or lines (}): (_pl._) straps for supporting the trousers:
ropes for squaring or traversing horizontally the yards of a ship.--_v.t._
to tighten or strengthen, to give firmness to.--_adj._ BRAC'ING, giving
strength or tone. [O. Fr. _brace_ (Fr. _bras_), the arm, power--L.
_brachium_, Gr. _brachi[=o]n_, the arm, as holding together.]
BRACE, br[=a]s, _v.t._ (_Spens._) to embrace, encompass.
BRACELET, br[=a]s'let, _n._ an ornament for the wrist. [Fr.; dim. of O. Fr.
_brac_. See BRACE.]
BRACH, brach, _n._ a dog for the chase, a bitch-hound. [O. Fr. _brachet_,
pl. _brachès_, dim. of _brac_--Low L. _bracco_, of Teut. origin.]
BRACHIAL, brak'i-al, _adj._ belonging to the arm.--BRACHIAL ARTERY, the
great arterial trunk supplying the upper extremity between the armpit and
the elbow--the direct continuation of the axillary artery. [See BRACE.]
BRACHIOPODA, brak-i-op'o-da, BRACHIOPODS, brak'i-o-pods, _n.pl._ a class of
shelled animals having certain affinities with worms and with Polyzoa, but
less with molluscs, provided with two long arm-like processes arising from
the sides of the mouth, probably respiratory, and certainly serving to waft
little food particles to the mouth. [Gr. _brachi[=o]n_, an arm, and _pous_,
_pod-os_, a foot.]
BRACHYCEPHALIC, brak-i-sef-al'ik (also sef'-), BRACHYCEPHALOUS,
brak-i-sef'al-us, _adj._ short-headed, applied in ethnology to skulls of
which the breadth is at least four-fifths of the length--opp. to
_Dolichocephalic_.
BRACHYPTEROUS, brak-ip't[.e]r-us, _adj._ lit. short-winged: having wings
which, when folded, do not reach to the base of the tail. [Gr. _brachys_,
short, _pteron_, a wing.]