7 letter word starting with b

by
Words Parts of Speech Meaning/Definition/Similar Words
baalism noun Worship of Baal; idolatry.
baalist noun Alt. of Baalite
baalite noun A worshiper of Baal; a devotee of any false religion; an idolater.
babbitt verb t. To line with Babbitt metal.
babbled imp. & past participle of Babble
babbler noun An idle talker; an irrational prater; a teller of secrets., A hound too noisy on finding a good scent., A name given to any one of family (Timalinae) of thrushlike birds, having a chattering note.
babying present participle & vb. noun of Baby
babyish adjective Like a baby; childish; puerile; simple.
babyism noun The state of being a baby., A babyish manner of acting or speaking.
baccara noun Alt. of Baccarat
baccare interj. Alt. of Backare
backare interj. Stand back! give place! — a cant word of the Elizabethan writers, probably in ridicule of some person who pretended to a knowledge of Latin which he did not possess., Same as Baccare.
baccate adjective Pulpy throughout, like a berry; — said of fruits.
bacchic adjective Alt. of Bacchical
bacchii plural of Bacchius
bacchus noun The god of wine, son of Jupiter and Semele.
bacilli plural of Bacillus
backing present participle & vb. noun of Back, The act of moving backward, or of putting or moving anything backward., That which is behind, and forms the back of, anything, usually giving strength or stability., Support or aid given to a person or cause., The preparation of the back of a book with glue, etc., before putting on the cover.
backlog noun A large stick of wood, forming the back of a fire on the hearth.
backrag noun See Bacharach.
backsaw noun A saw (as a tenon saw) whose blade is stiffened by an added metallic back.
backset noun A check; a relapse; a discouragement; a setback., Whatever is thrown back in its course, as water., To plow again, in the fall; — said of prairie land broken up in the spring.
baddish adjective Somewhat bad; inferior.
badiaga noun A fresh-water sponge (Spongilla), common in the north of Europe, the powder of which is used to take away the livid marks of bruises.
badness noun The state of being bad.
baffled imp. & past participle of Baffle
baffler noun One who, or that which, baffles.
bagging present participle & vb. noun of Bag, Cloth or other material for bags., The act of putting anything into, or as into, a bag., The act of swelling; swelling., Reaping peas, beans, wheat, etc., with a chopping stroke.
bagasse noun Sugar cane, as it comes crushed from the mill. It is then dried and used as fuel. Also extended to the refuse of beetroot sugar.
baggage noun The clothes, tents, utensils, and provisions of an army., The trunks, valises, satchels, etc., which a traveler carries with him on a journey; luggage., Purulent matter., Trashy talk., A man of bad character., A woman of loose morals; a prostitute., A romping, saucy girl.
baggala noun A two-masted Arab or Indian trading vessel, used in Indian Ocean.
baggily adverb In a loose, baggy way.
bag net A bag-shaped net for catching fish.
bagpipe noun A musical wind instrument, now used chiefly in the Highlands of Scotland., To make to look like a bagpipe.
bagreef noun The lower reef of fore and aft sails; also, the upper reef of topsails.
bagworm noun One of several lepidopterous insects which construct, in the larval state, a baglike case which they carry about for protection. One species (Platoeceticus Gloveri) feeds on the orange tree. See Basket worm.
bailing present participle & vb. noun of Bail
bailiff noun Originally, a person put in charge of something especially, a chief officer, magistrate, or keeper, as of a county, town, hundred, or castle; one to whom power/ of custody or care are intrusted., A sheriff’s deputy, appointed to make arrests, collect fines, summon juries, etc., An overseer or under steward of an estate, who directs husbandry operations, collects rents, etc.
baillie noun Bailiff., Same as Bailie.
baiting present participle & vb. noun of Bait
bajocco noun A small copper coin formerly current in the Roman States, worth about a cent and a half.
balance noun An apparatus for weighing., Act of weighing mentally; comparison; estimate., Equipoise between the weights in opposite scales., The state of being in equipoise; equilibrium; even adjustment; steadiness., An equality between the sums total of the two sides of an account; as, to bring one’s accounts to a balance; — also, the excess on either side; as, the balance of an account., A balance wheel, as of a watch, or clock. See Balance wheel (in the Vocabulary)., The constellation Libra., The seventh sign in the Zodiac, called Libra, which the sun enters at the equinox in September., A movement in dancing. See Balance, v. i., S., To bring to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights; to weigh in a balance., To support on a narrow base, so as to keep from falling; as, to balance a plate on the end of a cane; to balance one’s self on a tight rope., To equal in number, weight, force, or proportion; to counterpoise, counterbalance, counteract, or neutralize., To compare in relative force, importance, value, etc.; to estimate., To settle and adjust, as an account; to make two accounts equal by paying the difference between them., To make the sums of the debits and credits of an account equal; — said of an item; as, this payment, or credit, balances the account., To arrange accounts in such a way that the sum total of the debits is equal to the sum total of the credits; as, to balance a set of books., To move toward, and then back from, reciprocally; as, to balance partners., To contract, as a sail, into a narrower compass; as, to balance the boom mainsail., To have equal weight on each side; to be in equipoise; as, the scales balance., To fluctuate between motives which appear of equal force; to waver; to hesitate., To move toward a person or couple, and then back.
balcony noun A platform projecting from the wall of a building, usually resting on brackets or consoles, and inclosed by a parapet; as, a balcony in front of a window. Also, a projecting gallery in places of amusement; as, the balcony in a theater., A projecting gallery once common at the stern of large ships.
baldrib noun A piece of pork cut lower down than the sparerib, and destitute of fat.
baldric noun A broad belt, sometimes richly ornamented, worn over one shoulder, across the breast, and under the opposite arm; less properly, any belt.
baldwin noun A kind of reddish, moderately acid, winter apple.
baleful adjective Full of deadly or pernicious influence; destructive., Full of grief or sorrow; woeful; sad.
balking present participle & vb. noun of Balk
balkish adjective Uneven; ridgy.
balling present participle & vb. noun of Ball
ballade noun A form of French versification, sometimes imitated in English, in which three or four rhymes recur through three stanzas of eight or ten lines each, the stanzas concluding with a refrain, and the whole poem with an envoy.
ballast adjective Any heavy substance, as stone, iron, etc., put into the hold to sink a vessel in the water to such a depth as to prevent capsizing., Any heavy matter put into the car of a balloon to give it steadiness., Gravel, broken stone, etc., laid in the bed of a railroad to make it firm and solid., The larger solids, as broken stone or gravel, used in making concrete., Fig.: That which gives, or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security., To steady, as a vessel, by putting heavy substances in the hold., To fill in, as the bed of a railroad, with gravel, stone, etc., in order to make it firm and solid., To keep steady; to steady, morally.
ballium noun See Bailey.
balloon noun A bag made of silk or other light material, and filled with hydrogen gas or heated air, so as to rise and float in the atmosphere; especially, one with a car attached for aerial navigation., A ball or globe on the top of a pillar, church, etc., as at St. Paul’s, in London., A round vessel, usually with a short neck, to hold or receive whatever is distilled; a glass vessel of a spherical form., A bomb or shell., A game played with a large inflated ball., The outline inclosing words represented as coming from the mouth of a pictured figure., To take up in, or as if in, a balloon., To go up or voyage in a balloon., To expand, or puff out, like a balloon.
balmify verb t. To render balmy.
balmily adverb In a balmy manner.
balneal adjective Of or pertaining to a bath.
bambino noun A child or baby; esp., a representation in art of the infant Christ wrapped in swaddling clothes., Babe Ruth.
banning present participle & vb. noun of Ban
banding present participle & vb. noun of Band
bandage noun A fillet or strip of woven material, used in dressing and binding up wounds, etc., Something resembling a bandage; that which is bound over or round something to cover, strengthen, or compress it; a ligature., To bind, dress, or cover, with a bandage; as, to bandage the eyes.
bandala noun A fabric made in Manilla from the older leaf sheaths of the abaca (Musa textilis).
bandana noun A species of silk or cotton handkerchief, having a uniformly dyed ground, usually of red or blue, with white or yellow figures of a circular, lozenge, or other simple form., A style of calico printing, in which white or bright spots are produced upon cloth previously dyed of a uniform red or dark color, by discharging portions of the color by chemical means, while the rest of the cloth is under pressure.
bandbox noun A light box of pasteboard or thin wood, usually cylindrical, for holding ruffs (the bands of the 17th century), collars, caps, bonnets, etc.
bandeau noun A narrow band or fillet; a part of a head-dress.
bandlet noun A small band or fillet; any little band or flat molding, compassing a column, like a ring., Same as Bandelet.
bandrol noun A little banner, flag, or streamer., Same as Banderole.
bandits plural of Bandit
bandore noun A musical stringed instrument, similar in form to a guitar; a pandore.
bandies plural of Bandy
bandied imp. & past participle of Bandy
baneful adjective Having poisonous qualities; deadly; destructive; injurious; noxious; pernicious.
banging present participle & vb. noun of Bang, Huge; great in size.
banking present participle & vb. noun of Bank, The business of a bank or of a banker.
bannock noun A kind of cake or bread, in shape flat and roundish, commonly made of oatmeal or barley meal and baked on an iron plate, or griddle; — used in Scotland and the northern counties of England.
banquet noun A feast; a sumptuous entertainment of eating and drinking; often, a complimentary or ceremonious feast, followed by speeches., A dessert; a course of sweetmeats; a sweetmeat or sweetmeats., To treat with a banquet or sumptuous entertainment of food; to feast., To regale one’s self with good eating and drinking; to feast., To partake of a dessert after a feast.
banshee noun Alt. of Banshie
banshie noun A supernatural being supposed by the Irish and Scotch peasantry to warn a family of the speedy death of one of its members, by wailing or singing in a mournful voice under the windows of the house.
banteng noun The wild ox of Java (Bibos Banteng).
baptism verb i. The act of baptizing; the application of water to a person, as a sacrament or religious ceremony, by which he is initiated into the visible church of Christ. This is performed by immersion, sprinkling, or pouring.
baptist noun One who administers baptism; — specifically applied to John, the forerunner of Christ., One of a denomination of Christians who deny the validity of infant baptism and of sprinkling, and maintain that baptism should be administered to believers alone, and should be by immersion. See Anabaptist.
baptize verb t. To administer the sacrament of baptism to., To christen ( because a name is given to infants at their baptism); to give a name to; to name., To sanctify; to consecrate.
barring present participle & vb. noun of Bar
barbing present participle & vb. noun of Barb
barbara noun The first word in certain mnemonic lines which represent the various forms of the syllogism. It indicates a syllogism whose three propositions are universal affirmatives.
barbaic adjective Of, or from, barbarian nations; foreign; — often with reference to barbarous nations of east., Of or pertaining to, or resembling, an uncivilized person or people; barbarous; barbarian; destitute of refinement.
barbary noun The countries on the north coast of Africa from Egypt to the Atlantic. Hence: A Barbary horse; a barb. [Obs.] Also, a kind of pigeon.
barbate adjective Bearded; beset with long and weak hairs.
barbule noun A very minute barb or beard., One of the processes along the edges of the barbs of a feather, by which adjacent barbs interlock. See Feather.
bardish adjective Pertaining to, or written by, a bard or bards.
bardism noun The system of bards; the learning and maxims of bards.
barfish noun Same as Calico bass.
bargain noun An agreement between parties concerning the sale of property; or a contract by which one party binds himself to transfer the right to some property for a consideration, and the other party binds himself to receive the property and pay the consideration., An agreement or stipulation; mutual pledge., A purchase; also ( when not qualified), a gainful transaction; an advantageous purchase; as, to buy a thing at a bargain., The thing stipulated or purchased; also, anything bought cheap., To make a bargain; to make a contract for the exchange of property or services; — followed by with and for; as, to bargain with a farmer for a cow., To transfer for a consideration; to barter; to trade; as, to bargain one horse for another.
barilla noun A name given to several species of Salsola from which soda is made, by burning the barilla in heaps and lixiviating the ashes., The alkali produced from the plant, being an impure carbonate of soda, used for making soap, glass, etc., and for bleaching purposes., Impure soda obtained from the ashes of any seashore plant, or kelp.
barking present participle & vb. noun of Bark
barkery noun A tanhouse.
barmaid noun A girl or woman who attends the customers of a bar, as in a tavern or beershop.
barmote noun A court held in Derbyshire, in England, for deciding controversies between miners.
barocco adjective See Baroque.
baronet noun A dignity or degree of honor next below a baron and above a knight, having precedency of all orders of knights except those of the Garter. It is the lowest degree of honor that is hereditary. The baronets are commoners.
baroque adjective In bad taste; grotesque; odd.
barpost noun A post sunk in the ground to receive the bars closing a passage into a field.
barrack noun A building for soldiers, especially when in garrison. Commonly in the pl., originally meaning temporary huts, but now usually applied to a permanent structure or set of buildings., A movable roof sliding on four posts, to cover hay, straw, etc., To supply with barracks; to establish in barracks; as, to barrack troops., To live or lodge in barracks.
barrage noun An artificial bar or obstruction placed in a river or water course to increase the depth of water; as, the barrages of the Nile.
barrier noun A carpentry obstruction, stockade, or other obstacle made in a passage in order to stop an enemy., A fortress or fortified town, on the frontier of a country, commanding an avenue of approach., A fence or railing to mark the limits of a place, or to keep back a crowd., An any obstruction; anything which hinders approach or attack., Any limit or boundary; a line of separation.
barroom noun A room containing a bar or counter at which liquors are sold.
barruly adjective Traversed by barrulets or small bars; — said of the field.
bartery noun Barter.
bartram noun See Bertram.
barwise adverb Horizontally.
barwood noun A red wood of a leguminous tree (Baphia nitida), from Angola and the Gaboon in Africa. It is used as a dyewood, and also for ramrods, violin bows and turner’s work.
barytes noun Barium sulphate, generally called heavy spar or barite. See Barite.
barytic adjective Of or pertaining to baryta.
barytum noun The metal barium. See Barium.
basbleu noun A bluestocking; a literary woman.
bascule noun In mechanics an apparatus on the principle of the seesaw, in which one end rises as the other falls.
basenet noun See Bascinet.
bashful adjective Abashed; daunted; dismayed., Very modest, or modest excess; constitutionally disposed to shrink from public notice; indicating extreme or excessive modesty; shy; as, a bashful person, action, expression.
bashyle noun See Basyle.
basiled imp. & past participle of Basil
basilar noun Alt. of Basilary
basilic noun Basilica., Alt. of Basilical
basined adjective Inclosed in a basin.
basinet noun Same as Bascinet.
basking present participle & vb. noun of Bask
bassock noun A hassock. See 2d Bass, 2.
bassoon noun A wind instrument of the double reed kind, furnished with holes, which are stopped by the fingers, and by keys, as in flutes. It forms the natural bass to the oboe, clarinet, etc.
bastard noun A “natural” child; a child begotten and born out of wedlock; an illegitimate child; one born of an illicit union., An inferior quality of soft brown sugar, obtained from the sirups that / already had several boilings., A large size of mold, in which sugar is drained., A sweet Spanish wine like muscadel in flavor., A writing paper of a particular size. See Paper., Begotten and born out of lawful matrimony; illegitimate. See Bastard, n., note., Lacking in genuineness; spurious; false; adulterate; — applied to things which resemble those which are genuine, but are really not so., Of an unusual make or proportion; as, a bastard musket; a bastard culverin., Abbreviated, as the half title in a page preceding the full title page of a book., To bastardize.
basting present participle & vb. noun of Baste
bastion noun A work projecting outward from the main inclosure of a fortification, consisting of two faces and two flanks, and so constructed that it is able to defend by a flanking fire the adjacent curtain, or wall which extends from one bastion to another. Two adjacent bastions are connected by the curtain, which joins the flank of one with the adjacent flank of the other. The distance between the flanks of a bastion is called the gorge. A lunette is a detached bastion. See Ravelin.
batting present participle & vb. noun of Bat, The act of one who bats; the management of a bat in playing games of ball., Cotton in sheets, prepared for use in making quilts, etc.; as, cotton batting.
batable adjective Disputable.
batatas noun Alt. of Batata
bateaux plural of Bateau
bateful adjective Exciting contention; contentious.
batfish noun A name given to several species of fishes: (a) The Malthe vespertilio of the Atlantic coast. (b) The flying gurnard of the Atlantic (Cephalacanthus spinarella). (c) The California batfish or sting ray (Myliobatis Californicus.)
bathing present participle & vb. noun of Bathe, Act of taking a bath or baths.
batiste noun Originally, cambric or lawn of fine linen; now applied also to cloth of similar texture made of cotton.
batsmen plural of Batsman
batsman noun The one who wields the bat in cricket, baseball, etc.
batwing adjective Shaped like a bat’s wing; as, a bat’s-wing burner.
battler noun A student at Oxford who is supplied with provisions from the buttery; formerly, one who paid for nothing but what he called for, answering nearly to a sizar at Cambridge.
battery verb t. The act of battering or beating., The unlawful beating of another. It includes every willful, angry and violent, or negligent touching of another’s person or clothes, or anything attached to his person or held by him., Any place where cannon or mortars are mounted, for attack or defense., Two or more pieces of artillery in the field., A company or division of artillery, including the gunners, guns, horses, and all equipments. In the United States, a battery of flying artillery consists usually of six guns., A number of coated jars (Leyden jars) so connected that they may be charged and discharged simultaneously., An apparatus for generating voltaic electricity., A number of similar machines or devices in position; an apparatus consisting of a set of similar parts; as, a battery of boilers, of retorts, condensers, etc., A series of stamps operated by one motive power, for crushing ores containing the precious metals., The box in which the stamps for crushing ore play up and down., The pitcher and catcher together.
battled imp. & past participle of Battle, Embattled.
batture noun An elevated river bed or sea bed.
battuta noun The measuring of time by beating.
bauxite noun Alt. of Beauxite
bavaroy noun A kind of cloak or surtout.
bawcock noun A fine fellow; — a term of endearment.
bawdily adverb Obscenely; lewdly.
bawling present participle & vb. noun of Bawl
bayatte noun A large, edible, siluroid fish of the Nile, of two species (Bagrina bayad and B. docmac).
baybolt noun A bolt with a barbed shank.
bay ice See under Ice.
bayonet noun A pointed instrument of the dagger kind fitted on the muzzle of a musket or rifle, so as to give the soldier increased means of offense and defense., A pin which plays in and out of holes made to receive it, and which thus serves to engage or disengage parts of the machinery., To stab with a bayonet., To compel or drive by the bayonet.
bay rum A fragrant liquid, used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes.
beaches plural of Beach
beached imp. & past participle of Beach, Bordered by a beach., Driven on a beach; stranded; drawn up on a beach; as, the ship is beached.
beading present participle & vb. noun of Bead, Molding in imitation of beads., The beads or bead-forming quality of certain liquors; as, the beading of a brand of whisky.
bealing p. pr & vb. noun of Beal
beaming present participle & vb. noun of Beam, Emitting beams; radiant.
beamful adjective Beamy; radiant.
beamily adverb In a beaming manner.
beamlet noun A small beam of light.
bearing present participle & vb. noun of Bear, The manner in which one bears or conducts one’s self; mien; behavior; carriage., Patient endurance; suffering without complaint., The situation of one object, with respect to another, such situation being supposed to have a connection with the object, or influence upon it, or to be influenced by it; hence, relation; connection., Purport; meaning; intended significance; aspect., The act, power, or time of producing or giving birth; as, a tree in full bearing; a tree past bearing., That part of any member of a building which rests upon its supports; as, a lintel or beam may have four inches of bearing upon the wall., The portion of a support on which anything rests., Improperly, the unsupported span; as, the beam has twenty feet of bearing between its supports., The part of an axle or shaft in contact with its support, collar, or boxing; the journal., The part of the support on which a journal rests and rotates., Any single emblem or charge in an escutcheon or coat of arms — commonly in the pl., The situation of a distant object, with regard to a ship’s position, as on the bow, on the lee quarter, etc.; the direction or point of the compass in which an object is seen; as, the bearing of the cape was W. N. W., The widest part of a vessel below the plank-sheer., The line of flotation of a vessel when properly trimmed with cargo or ballast.
bearded imp. & past participle of Beard, Having a beard.
beardie noun The bearded loach (Nemachilus barbatus) of Europe.
bearish adjective Partaking of the qualities of a bear; resembling a bear in temper or manners.
beastly adjective Pertaining to, or having the form, nature, or habits of, a beast., Characterizing the nature of a beast; contrary to the nature and dignity of man; brutal; filthy., Abominable; as, beastly weather.
beating present participle & vb. noun of Beat, The act of striking or giving blows; punishment or chastisement by blows., Pulsation; throbbing; as, the beating of the heart., Pulsative sounds. See Beat, n., The process of sailing against the wind by tacks in zigzag direction.
beatify verb t. To pronounce or regard as happy, or supremely blessed, or as conferring happiness., To make happy; to bless with the completion of celestial enjoyment., To ascertain and declare, by a public process and decree, that a deceased person is one of “the blessed” and is to be reverenced as such, though not canonized.
beaufet noun A niche, cupboard, or sideboard for plate, china, glass, etc.; a buffet.
beaufin noun See Biffin.
beauish noun Like a beau; characteristic of a beau; foppish; fine.
beautie plural of Beauty
bebleed verb t. To make bloody; to stain with blood.
beblood verb t. Alt. of Bebloody
because conj. By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that., In order that; that.
becharm verb t. To charm; to captivate.
becking present participle & vb. noun of Beck
becloud verb t. To cause obscurity or dimness to; to dim; to cloud.
becomed adjective Proper; decorous.
bedding present participle & vb. noun of Bed, A bed and its furniture; the materials of a bed, whether for man or beast; bedclothes; litter., The state or position of beds and layers.
bedagat noun The sacred books of the Buddhists in Burmah.
bedcord noun A cord or rope interwoven in a bedstead so as to support the bed.
bedegar noun A gall produced on rosebushes, esp. on the sweetbrier or eglantine, by a puncture from the ovipositor of a gallfly (Rhodites rosae). It was once supposed to have medicinal properties.
bedelry noun Beadleship.
bedevil verb t. To throw into utter disorder and confusion, as if by the agency of evil spirits; to bring under diabolical influence; to torment., To spoil; to corrupt.
bedewed imp. & past participle of Bedew
bedewer noun One who, or that which, bedews.
bedgown noun A nightgown.
bedight past participle of Bedight, To bedeck; to array or equip; to adorn.
bedizen verb t. To dress or adorn tawdrily or with false taste.
bedouin noun One of the nomadic Arabs who live in tents, and are scattered over Arabia, Syria, and northern Africa, esp. in the deserts., Pertaining to the Bedouins; nomad.
bedpost noun One of the four standards that support a bedstead or the canopy over a bedstead., Anciently, a post or pin on each side of the bed to keep the clothes from falling off. See Bedstaff.
bedroom noun A room or apartment intended or used for a bed; a lodging room., Room in a bed.
bedside noun The side of a bed.
bedsite noun A recess in a room for a bed.
bedsore noun A sore on the back or hips caused by lying for a long time in bed.
bedtick noun A tick or bag made of cloth, used for inclosing the materials of a bed.
bedtime noun The time to go to bed.
bedward adverb Towards bed.
bedwarf verb t. To make a dwarf of; to stunt or hinder the growth of; to dwarf.
beeches plural of Beech
beechen adjective Consisting, or made, of the wood or bark of the beech; belonging to the beech.
beehive noun A hive for a swarm of bees. Also used figuratively.
beeswax noun The wax secreted by bees, and of which their cells are constructed.
beetled imp. & past participle of Beetle
befrill verb t. To furnish or deck with a frill.
begging present participle & vb. noun of Beg
beggary noun The act of begging; the state of being a beggar; mendicancy; extreme poverty., Beggarly appearance., Beggarly.
beghard noun Alt. of Beguard
beguard noun One of an association of religious laymen living in imitation of the Beguines. They arose in the thirteenth century, were afterward subjected to much persecution, and were suppressed by Innocent X. in 1650. Called also Beguins.
begnawn of Begnaw
begonia noun A genus of plants, mostly of tropical America, many species of which are grown as ornamental plants. The leaves are curiously one-sided, and often exhibit brilliant colors.
begrave verb t. To bury; also, to engrave.
begrime verb t. To soil with grime or dirt deeply impressed or rubbed in.
beguile verb t. To delude by guile, artifice, or craft; to deceive or impose on, as by a false statement; to lure., To elude, or evade by craft; to foil., To cause the time of to pass without notice; to relieve the tedium or weariness of; to while away; to divert.
beguine noun A woman belonging to one of the religious and charitable associations or communities in the Netherlands, and elsewhere, whose members live in beguinages and are not bound by perpetual vows.
behaved imp. & past participle of Behave
behight imp. of Behight, of Behight, To promise; to vow., To give in trust; to commit; to intrust., To adjudge; to assign by authority., To mean, or intend., To consider or esteem to be; to declare to be., To call; to name; to address., To command; to order., A vow; a promise.
behoten of Behight
behoove verb t. To be necessary for; to be fit for; to be meet for, with respect to necessity, duty, or convenience; — mostly used impersonally., To be necessary, fit, or suitable; to befit; to belong as due., Advantage; behoof.
bejewel verb t. To ornament with a jewel or with jewels; to spangle.
beknave verb t. To call knave.
belabor verb t. To ply diligently; to work carefully upon., To beat soundly; to cudgel.
belaced imp. & past participle of Belace
belated imp. & past participle of Belate, Delayed beyond the usual time; too late; overtaken by night; benighted.
belayed of Belay
belched imp. & past participle of Belch
belcher noun One who, or that which, belches.
beldame noun Grandmother; — corresponding to belsire., An old woman in general; especially, an ugly old woman; a hag.
beleave verb t. & i. To leave or to be left.
beleper verb t. To infect with leprosy.
belgard noun A sweet or loving look.
belgian adjective Of or pertaining to Belgium., A native or inhabitant of Belgium.
belibel verb t. To libel or traduce; to calumniate.
belying present participle & vb. noun of Belie
believe noun To exercise belief in; to credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of, upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions of the mind, or by circumstances other than personal knowledge; to regard or accept as true; to place confidence in; to think; to consider; as, to believe a person, a statement, or a doctrine., To have a firm persuasion, esp. of the truths of religion; to have a persuasion approaching to certainty; to exercise belief or faith., To think; to suppose.
belight verb t. To illuminate.
belimed imp. & past participle of Belime
belling present participle & vb. noun of Bell, A bellowing, as of a deer in rutting time.
bellied adjective Having (such) a belly; puffed out; — used in composition; as, pot-bellied; shad-bellied., of Belly
bellman noun A man who rings a bell, especially to give notice of anything in the streets. Formerly, also, a night watchman who called the hours.
bellona noun The goddess of war.
bellows noun sing. & pl. An instrument, utensil, or machine, which, by alternate expansion and contraction, or by rise and fall of the top, draws in air through a valve and expels it through a tube for various purposes, as blowing fires, ventilating mines, or filling the pipes of an organ with wind.
bellies plural of Belly
beloved imp. & past participle of Belove, Greatly loved; dear to the heart., One greatly loved.
belsire noun A grandfather, or ancestor.
belting present participle & vb. noun of Belt, The material of which belts for machinery are made; also, belts, taken collectively.
beltane noun The first day of May (Old Style)., A festival of the heathen Celts on the first day of May, in the observance of which great bonfires were kindled. It still exists in a modified form in some parts of Scotland and Ireland.
beltein noun Alt. of Beltin
beluted imp. & past participle of Belute
bemired imp. & past participle of Bemire
bemourn verb t. To mourn over.
ben nut The seed of one or more species of moringa; as, oil of ben. See Moringa.
benamed past participle of Bename
benempt of Bename, Promised; vowed., Named; styled.
benches plural of Bench
benched imp. & past participle of Bench
bencher noun One of the senior and governing members of an Inn of Court., An alderman of a corporation., A member of a court or council., One who frequents the benches of a tavern; an idler.
bending present participle & vb. noun of Bend, The marking of the clothes with stripes or horizontal bands.
bendlet noun A narrow bend, esp. one half the width of the bend.
beneath preposition Lower in place, with something directly over or on; under; underneath; hence, at the foot of., Under, in relation to something that is superior, or that oppresses or burdens., Lower in rank, dignity, or excellence than; as, brutes are beneath man; man is beneath angels in the scale of beings. Hence: Unworthy of; unbecoming., In a lower place; underneath., Below, as opposed to heaven, or to any superior region or position; as, in earth beneath.
benefic adjective Favorable; beneficent.
benefit noun An act of kindness; a favor conferred., Whatever promotes prosperity and personal happiness, or adds value to property; advantage; profit., A theatrical performance, a concert, or the like, the proceeds of which do not go to the lessee of the theater or to the company, but to some individual actor, or to some charitable use., Beneficence; liberality., Natural advantages; endowments; accomplishments., To be beneficial to; to do good to; to advantage; to advance in health or prosperity; to be useful to; to profit., To gain advantage; to make improvement; to profit; as, he will benefit by the change.
bengali noun The language spoken in Bengal.
bengola noun A Bengal light.
benight verb t. To involve in darkness; to shroud with the shades of night; to obscure., To overtake with night or darkness, especially before the end of a day’s journey or task., To involve in moral darkness, or ignorance; to debar from intellectual light.
benison noun Blessing; beatitude; benediction.
benshee noun See Banshee.
benthal adjective Relating to the deepest zone or region of the ocean.
benzene noun A volatile, very inflammable liquid, C6H6, contained in the naphtha produced by the destructive distillation of coal, from which it is separated by fractional distillation. The name is sometimes applied also to the impure commercial product or benzole, and also, but rarely, to a similar mixed product of petroleum.
benzile noun A yellowish crystalline substance, C6H5.CO.CO.C6H5, formed from benzoin by the action of oxidizing agents, and consisting of a doubled benzoyl radical.
benzine noun A liquid consisting mainly of the lighter and more volatile hydrocarbons of petroleum or kerosene oil, used as a solvent and for cleansing soiled fabrics; — called also petroleum spirit, petroleum benzine. Varieties or similar products are gasoline, naphtha, rhigolene, ligroin, etc., Same as Benzene.
benzoic adjective Pertaining to, or obtained from, benzoin.
benzoin noun A resinous substance, dry and brittle, obtained from the Styrax benzoin, a tree of Sumatra, Java, etc., having a fragrant odor, and slightly aromatic taste. It is used in the preparation of benzoic acid, in medicine, and as a perfume., A white crystalline substance, C14H12O2, obtained from benzoic aldehyde and some other sources., The spicebush (Lindera benzoin).
benzole noun Alt. of Benzol
benzoyl noun A compound radical, C6H5.CO; the base of benzoic acid, of the oil of bitter almonds, and of an extensive series of compounds.
bepaint verb t. To paint; to cover or color with, or as with, paint.
bepinch verb t. To pinch, or mark with pinches.
beprose verb t. To reduce to prose.
bequest noun The act of bequeathing or leaving by will; as, a bequest of property by A. to B., That which is left by will, esp. personal property; a legacy; also, a gift., To bequeath, or leave as a legacy.
bequote verb t. To quote constantly or with great frequency.
berated imp. & past participle of Berate
berdash noun A kind of neckcloth.
bereave verb t. To make destitute; to deprive; to strip; — with of before the person or thing taken away., To take away from., To take away.
beretta noun Same as Berretta.
bergylt noun The Norway haddock. See Rosefish.
berhyme verb t. To mention in rhyme or verse; to rhyme about.
bernese adjective Pertaining to the city or canton of Bern, in Switzerland, or to its inhabitants., A native or natives of Bern.
berried adjective Furnished with berries; consisting of a berry; baccate; as, a berried shrub., of Berry
berries plural of Berry
berserk noun Alt. of Berserker
berstle noun See Bristle.
berthed imp. & past participle of Berth
bertram noun Pellitory of Spain (Anacyclus pyrethrum).
besaiel noun Alt. of Besayle
besaile noun Alt. of Besayle
besayle noun A great-grandfather., A kind of writ which formerly lay where a great-grandfather died seized of lands in fee simple, and on the day of his death a stranger abated or entered and kept the heir out. This is now abolished.
besaint verb t. To make a saint of.
bescorn verb t. To treat with scorn.
beseech verb t. To ask or entreat with urgency; to supplicate; to implore., Solicitation; supplication.
beshone imp. & past participle of Beshine
beshine verb t. To shine upon; to illumine.
beshrew verb t. To curse; to execrate.
besides adverb Alt. of Beside, Over and above; separate or distinct from; in addition to; other than; else than. See Beside, prep., 3, and Syn. under Beside.
besiege verb t. To beset or surround with armed forces, for the purpose of compelling to surrender; to lay siege to; to beleaguer; to beset.
beslave verb t. To enslave.
beslime verb t. To daub with slime; to soil.
besmear verb t. To smear with any viscous, glutinous matter; to bedaub; to soil.
besmoke verb t. To foul with smoke., To harden or dry in smoke.
besnuff verb t. To befoul with snuff.
besogne noun A worthless fellow; a bezonian.
besomed imp. & past participle of Besom
besomer noun One who uses a besom.
bespawl verb t. To daub, soil, or make foul with spawl or spittle.
bespoke imp. of Bespeak, of Bespeak, imp. & p. p. of Bespeak.
bespake of Bespeak
bespeak verb t. To speak or arrange for beforehand; to order or engage against a future time; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a favor., To show beforehand; to foretell; to indicate., To betoken; to show; to indicate by external marks or appearances., To speak to; to address., To speak., A bespeaking. Among actors, a benefit (when a particular play is bespoken.)
bespice verb t. To season with spice, or with some spicy drug.
bespirt verb t. Same as Bespurt.
bespurt verb t. To spurt on or over; to asperse.
bestain verb t. To stain.
bestead imp. & past participle of Bestead, To put in a certain situation or condition; to circumstance; to place., To put in peril; to beset., To serve; to assist; to profit; to avail.
bestial adjective Belonging to a beast, or to the class of beasts., Having the qualities of a beast; brutal; below the dignity of reason or humanity; irrational; carnal; beastly; sensual., A domestic animal; also collectively, cattle; as, other kinds of bestial.
bestuck imp. & past participle of Bestick, imp. & p. p. Bestick.
bestick verb t. To stick over, as with sharp points pressed in; to mark by infixing points or spots here and there; to pierce.
bestill verb t. To make still.
bestorm verb i. & t. To storm.
bestrew verb t. To strew or scatter over; to besprinkle.
bestrid of Bestride, of Bestride
beswike verb t. To lure; to cheat.
betting present participle & vb. noun of Bet
betaine noun A nitrogenous base, C5H11NO2, produced artificially, and also occurring naturally in beet-root molasses and its residues, from which it is extracted as a white crystalline substance; — called also lycine and oxyneurine. It has a sweetish taste.
betaken past participle of Betake
beteela noun An East India muslin, formerly used for cravats, veils, etc.
bethink verb t. To call to mind; to recall or bring to recollection, reflection, or consideration; to think; to consider; — generally followed by a reflexive pronoun, often with of or that before the subject of thought., To think; to recollect; to consider.
bethumb verb t. To handle; to wear or soil by handling; as books.
bethump verb t. To beat or thump soundly.
betided imp. & past participle of Betide
betimes adverb In good season or time; before it is late; seasonably; early., In a short time; soon; speedily; forth with.
betitle verb t. To furnish with a title or titles; to entitle.
betoken verb t. To signify by some visible object; to show by signs or tokens., To foreshow by present signs; to indicate something future by that which is seen or known; as, a dark cloud often betokens a storm.
betroth verb t. To contract to any one for a marriage; to engage or promise in order to marriage; to affiance; — used esp. of a woman., To promise to take (as a future spouse); to plight one’s troth to., To nominate to a bishopric, in order to consecration.
betrust verb t. To trust or intrust.
bettong noun A small, leaping Australian marsupial of the genus Bettongia; the jerboa kangaroo.
betulin noun A substance of a resinous nature, obtained from the outer bark of the common European birch (Betula alba), or from the tar prepared therefrom; — called also birch camphor.
betutor verb t. To tutor; to instruct.
between preposition In the space which separates; betwixt; as, New York is between Boston and Philadelphia., Used in expressing motion from one body or place to another; from one to another of two., Belonging in common to two; shared by both., Belonging to, or participated in by, two, and involving reciprocal action or affecting their mutual relation; as, opposition between science and religion., With relation to two, as involved in an act or attribute of which another is the agent or subject; as, to judge between or to choose between courses; to distinguish between you and me; to mediate between nations., In intermediate relation to, in respect to time, quantity, or degree; as, between nine and ten o’clock., Intermediate time or space; interval.
betwixt preposition In the space which separates; between., From one to another of; mutually affecting.
beveled imp. & past participle of Bevel, Alt. of Bevelled
bevered imp. & past participle of Bever
beviled adjective Alt. of Bevilled
bewhore verb t. To corrupt with regard to chastity; to make a whore of., To pronounce or characterize as a whore.
bewitch verb t. To gain an ascendency over by charms or incantations; to affect (esp. to injure) by witchcraft or sorcery., To charm; to fascinate; to please to such a degree as to take away the power of resistance; to enchant.
bewreck verb t. To wreck.
bewreke verb t. To wreak; to avenge.
bezique noun A game at cards in which various combinations of cards in the hand, when declared, score points.
bezzled imp. & past participle of Bezzle
bhunder noun An Indian monkey (Macacus Rhesus), protected by the Hindoos as sacred. See Rhesus.
biasing present participle & vb. noun of Bias
biaxial adjective Having two axes; as, biaxial polarization.
bibasic adjective Having to hydrogen atoms which can be replaced by positive or basic atoms or radicals to form salts; — said of acids. See Dibasic.
bibcock noun A cock or faucet having a bent down nozzle.
biblist noun One who makes the Bible the sole rule of faith., A biblical scholar; a biblicist.
bicched adjective Pecked; pitted; notched.
bickern noun An anvil ending in a beak or point (orig. in two beaks); also, the beak or horn itself.
bicolor adjective Alt. of Bicolored
bicycle noun A light vehicle having two wheels one behind the other. It has a saddle seat and is propelled by the rider’s feet acting on cranks or levers.
bidding present participle & vb. noun of Bid, Command; order; a proclamation or notifying., The act or process of making bids; an offer; a proposal of a price, as at an auction.
bifilar adjective Two-threaded; involving the use of two threads; as, bifilar suspension; a bifilar balance.
biggest adjective superl. of Big.
bigging verb t. A building.
bighorn noun The Rocky Mountain sheep (Ovis / Caprovis montana).
bigness noun The state or quality of being big; largeness; size; bulk.
bigoted adjective Obstinately and blindly attached to some creed, opinion practice, or ritual; unreasonably devoted to a system or party, and illiberal toward the opinions of others.
bigotry noun The state of mind of a bigot; obstinate and unreasoning attachment of one’s own belief and opinions, with narrow-minded intolerance of beliefs opposed to them., The practice or tenets of a bigot.
bilboes plural of Bilbo
bilcock noun The European water rail.
bilging present participle & vb. noun of Bilge
biliary adjective Relating or belonging to bile; conveying bile; as, biliary acids; biliary ducts.
bilimbi noun Alt. of Bilimbing
bilious adjective Of or pertaining to the bile., Disordered in respect to the bile; troubled with an excess of bile; as, a bilious patient; dependent on, or characterized by, an excess of bile; as, bilious symptoms., Choleric; passionate; ill tempered.
bilking present participle & vb. noun of Bilk
billing present participle & vb. noun of Bill, Caressing; kissing.
billage noun / verb t. & i. Same as Bilge.
billard noun An English fish, allied to the cod; the coalfish.
billbug noun A weevil or curculio of various species, as the corn weevil. See Curculio.
billion noun According to the French and American method of numeration, a thousand millions, or 1,000,000,000; according to the English method, a million millions, or 1,000,000,000,000. See Numeration.
billmen plural of Billman
billman noun One who uses, or is armed with, a bill or hooked ax.
billowy adjective Of or pertaining to billows; swelling or swollen into large waves; full of billows or surges; resembling billows.
bilobed adjective Bilobate.
bilsted noun See Sweet gum.
biltong noun Lean meat cut into strips and sun-dried.
binning present participle & vb. noun of Bin
bounden of Bind, Bound; fastened by bonds., Under obligation; bound by some favor rendered; obliged; beholden., Made obligatory; imposed as a duty; binding.
binding present participle & vb. noun of Bind, That binds; obligatory., The act or process of one who, or that which, binds., Anything that binds; a bandage; the cover of a book, or the cover with the sewing, etc.; something that secures the edge of cloth from raveling., The transoms, knees, beams, keelson, and other chief timbers used for connecting and strengthening the parts of a vessel.
bindery noun A place where books, or other articles, are bound; a bookbinder’s establishment.
binocle noun A dioptric telescope, fitted with two tubes joining, so as to enable a person to view an object with both eyes at once; a double-barreled field glass or an opera glass.
biogeny noun A doctrine that the genesis or production of living organisms can take place only through the agency of living germs or parents; — opposed to abiogenesis., Life development generally.
biology noun The science of life; that branch of knowledge which treats of living matter as distinct from matter which is not living; the study of living tissue. It has to do with the origin, structure, development, function, and distribution of animals and plants.
bionomy noun Physiology.
biorgan noun A physiological organ; a living organ; an organ endowed with function; — distinguished from idorgan.
biotaxy noun The classification of living organisms according to their structural character; taxonomy.
biotite noun Mica containing iron and magnesia, generally of a black or dark green color; — a common constituent of crystalline rocks. See Mica.
bipedal noun Having two feet; biped., Pertaining to a biped.
bipolar adjective Doubly polar; having two poles; as, a bipolar cell or corpuscle.
birches plural of Birch
birched imp. & past participle of Birch
birchen adjective Of or relating to birch.
birding noun Birdcatching or fowling.
birdlet noun A little bird; a nestling.
birdman noun A fowler or birdcatcher.
biretta noun Same as Berretta.
birring present participle & vb. noun of Birr
biscuit noun A kind of unraised bread, of many varieties, plain, sweet, or fancy, formed into flat cakes, and bakes hard; as, ship biscuit., A small loaf or cake of bread, raised and shortened, or made light with soda or baking powder. Usually a number are baked in the same pan, forming a sheet or card., Earthen ware or porcelain which has undergone the first baking, before it is subjected to the glazing., A species of white, unglazed porcelain, in which vases, figures, and groups are formed in miniature.
bismare noun Alt. of Bismer
bismite noun Bismuth trioxide, or bismuth ocher.
bismuth noun One of the elements; a metal of a reddish white color, crystallizing in rhombohedrons. It is somewhat harder than lead, and rather brittle; masses show broad cleavage surfaces when broken across. It melts at 507¡ Fahr., being easily fused in the flame of a candle. It is found in a native state, and as a constituent of some minerals. Specific gravity 9.8. Atomic weight 207.5. Symbol Bi.
bistort noun An herbaceous plant of the genus Polygonum, section Bistorta; snakeweed; adderwort. Its root is used in medicine as an astringent.
bitting present participle & vb. noun of Bit
bitless adjective Not having a bit or bridle.
bittern noun A wading bird of the genus Botaurus, allied to the herons, of various species., The brine which remains in salt works after the salt is concreted, having a bitter taste from the chloride of magnesium which it contains., A very bitter compound of quassia, cocculus Indicus, etc., used by fraudulent brewers in adulterating beer.
bitters noun pl. A liquor, generally spirituous in which a bitter herb, leaf, or root is steeped.
bittock noun A small bit of anything, of indefinite size or quantity; a short distance.
bitumed adjective Smeared with bitumen.
bitumen noun Mineral pitch; a black, tarry substance, burning with a bright flame; Jew’s pitch. It occurs as an abundant natural product in many places, as on the shores of the Dead and Caspian Seas. It is used in cements, in the construction of pavements, etc. See Asphalt., By extension, any one of the natural hydrocarbons, including the hard, solid, brittle varieties called asphalt, the semisolid maltha and mineral tars, the oily petroleums, and even the light, volatile naphthas.
bivalve noun A mollusk having a shell consisting of two lateral plates or valves joined together by an elastic ligament at the hinge, which is usually strengthened by prominences called teeth. The shell is closed by the contraction of two transverse muscles attached to the inner surface, as in the clam, — or by one, as in the oyster. See Mollusca., A pericarp in which the seed case opens or splits into two parts or valves., Having two shells or valves which open and shut, as the oyster and certain seed vessels.
bivious adjective Having, or leading, two ways.
bivouac noun The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack., An encampment for the night without tents or covering., To watch at night or be on guard, as a whole army., To encamp for the night without tents or covering.
biwreye verb t. To bewray; to reveal.
bizarre adjective Odd in manner or appearance; fantastic; whimsical; extravagant; grotesque.
blabbed imp. & past participle of Blab
blabber noun A tattler; a telltale.
blacked imp. & past participle of Black
blacken verb t. To make or render black., To make dark; to darken; to cloud., To defame; to sully, as reputation; to make infamous; as, vice blackens the character., To grow black or dark.
blackly adverb In a black manner; darkly, in color; gloomily; threateningly; atrociously.
bladder noun A bag or sac in animals, which serves as the receptacle of some fluid; as, the urinary bladder; the gall bladder; — applied especially to the urinary bladder, either within the animal, or when taken out and inflated with air., Any vesicle or blister, especially if filled with air, or a thin, watery fluid., A distended, membranaceous pericarp., Anything inflated, empty, or unsound., To swell out like a bladder with air; to inflate., To put up in bladders; as, bladdered lard.
blaming present participle & vb. noun of Blame
blandly adverb In a bland manner; mildly; suavely.
blanked imp. & past participle of Blank
blanket adjective A heavy, loosely woven fabric, usually of wool, and having a nap, used in bed clothing; also, a similar fabric used as a robe; or any fabric used as a cover for a horse., A piece of rubber, felt, or woolen cloth, used in the tympan to make it soft and elastic., A streak or layer of blubber in whales., To cover with a blanket., To toss in a blanket by way of punishment., To take the wind out of the sails of (another vessel) by sailing to windward of her.
blankly adverb In a blank manner; without expression; vacuously; as, to stare blankly., Directly; flatly; point blank.
blaring present participle & vb. noun of Blare
blarney noun Smooth, wheedling talk; flattery., To influence by blarney; to wheedle with smooth talk; to make or accomplish by blarney.
blasted imp. & past participle of Blast, Blighted; withered., Confounded; accursed; detestable., Rent open by an explosive.
blaster noun One who, or that which, blasts or destroys.
blatant adjective Bellowing, as a calf; bawling; brawling; clamoring; disagreeably clamorous; sounding loudly and harshly.
blatter verb i. To prate; to babble; to rail; to make a senseless noise; to patter.
blaubok noun The blue buck. See Blue buck, under Blue.
blazing present participle & vb. noun of Blaze, Burning with a blaze; as, a blazing fire; blazing torches.
bleared imp. & past participle of Blear, Dimmed, as by a watery humor; affected with rheum.
bleated imp. & past participle of Bleat
bleater noun One who bleats; a sheep.
bleeder noun One who, or that which, draws blood., One in whom slight wounds give rise to profuse or uncontrollable bleeding.
blemish verb t. To mark with deformity; to injure or impair, as anything which is well formed, or excellent; to mar, or make defective, either the body or mind., To tarnish, as reputation or character; to defame., Any mark of deformity or injury, whether physical or moral; anything that diminishes beauty, or renders imperfect that which is otherwise well formed; that which impairs reputation.
blended imp. & past participle of Blend
blender noun One who, or that which, blends; an instrument, as a brush, used in blending.
blesbok noun A South African antelope (Alcelaphus albifrons), having a large white spot on the forehead.
blessed imp. & past participle of Bless, Hallowed; consecrated; worthy of blessing or adoration; heavenly; holy., Enjoying happiness or bliss; favored with blessings; happy; highly favored., Imparting happiness or bliss; fraught with happiness; blissful; joyful., Enjoying, or pertaining to, spiritual happiness, or heavenly felicity; as, the blessed in heaven., Beatified., Used euphemistically, ironically, or intensively.
blesser noun One who blesses; one who bestows or invokes a blessing.
bleynte imp. of Blench.
blickey noun A tin dinner pail.
blinded imp. & past participle of Blind
blinder noun One who, or that which, blinds., One of the leather screens on a bridle, to hinder a horse from seeing objects at the side; a blinker.
blindly adverb Without sight, discernment, or understanding; without thought, investigation, knowledge, or purpose of one’s own.
blinked imp. & past participle of Blink
blinker noun One who, or that which, blinks., A blinder for horses; a flap of leather on a horse’s bridle to prevent him from seeing objects as his side hence, whatever obstructs sight or discernment., A kind of goggles, used to protect the eyes form glare, etc.
blisses plural of Bliss
blissom verb i. To be lustful; to be lascivious., Lascivious; also, in heat; — said of ewes.
blister noun A vesicle of the skin, containing watery matter or serum, whether occasioned by a burn or other injury, or by a vesicatory; a collection of serous fluid causing a bladderlike elevation of the cuticle., Any elevation made by the separation of the film or skin, as on plants; or by the swelling of the substance at the surface, as on steel., A vesicatory; a plaster of Spanish flies, or other matter, applied to raise a blister., To be affected with a blister or blisters; to have a blister form on., To raise a blister or blisters upon., To give pain to, or to injure, as if by a blister.
bloated imp. & past participle of Bloat, Distended beyond the natural or usual size, as by the presence of water, serum, etc.; turgid; swollen; as, a bloated face. Also, puffed up with pride; pompous.
bloater noun The common herring, esp. when of large size, smoked, and half dried; — called also bloat herring.
blobber noun A bubble; blubber.
blocage noun The roughest and cheapest sort of rubblework, in masonry.
blocked imp. & past participle of Block
blomary noun See Bloomery.
blonket adjective Gray; bluish gray.
blooded imp. & past participle of Blood, Having pure blood, or a large admixture or pure blood; of approved breed; of the best stock.
bloomed imp. & past participle of Bloom
bloomer noun A costume for women, consisting of a short dress, with loose trousers gathered round ankles, and (commonly) a broad-brimmed hat., A woman who wears a Bloomer costume.
blossom noun The flower of a plant, or the essential organs of reproduction, with their appendages; florescence; bloom; the flowers of a plant, collectively; as, the blossoms and fruit of a tree; an apple tree in blossom., A blooming period or stage of development; something lovely that gives rich promise., The color of a horse that has white hairs intermixed with sorrel and bay hairs; — otherwise called peach color., To put forth blossoms or flowers; to bloom; to blow; to flower., To flourish and prosper.
blotted imp. & past participle of Blot
blotchy adjective Having blotches.
bloting present participle & vb. noun of Blote
blotter noun One who, or that which, blots; esp. a device for absorbing superfluous ink., A wastebook, in which entries of transactions are made as they take place.
blowing present participle & vb. noun of Blow, of Blow
blowess noun A prostitute; a courtesan; a strumpet.
blowfly noun Any species of fly of the genus Musca that deposits its eggs or young larvae (called flyblows and maggots) upon meat or other animal products.
blowgun noun A tube, as of cane or reed, sometimes twelve feet long, through which an arrow or other projectile may be impelled by the force of the breath. It is a weapon much used by certain Indians of America and the West Indies; — called also blowpipe, and blowtube. See Sumpitan.
blowzed adjective Having high color from exposure to the weather; ruddy-faced; blowzy; disordered.
blubber noun A bubble., The fat of whales and other large sea animals from which oil is obtained. It lies immediately under the skin and over the muscular flesh., A large sea nettle or medusa., To weep noisily, or so as to disfigure the face; to cry in a childish manner., To swell or disfigure (the face) with weeping; to wet with tears., To give vent to (tears) or utter (broken words or cries); — with forth or out.
blucher noun A kind of half boot, named from the Prussian general Blucher.
bluecap noun The bluepoll., The blue bonnet or blue titmouse., A Scot; a Scotchman; — so named from wearing a blue bonnet.
bluefin noun A species of whitefish (Coregonus nigripinnis) found in Lake Michigan.
bluffed imp. & past participle of Bluff
bluffer noun One who bluffs.
blunder verb i. To make a gross error or mistake; as, to blunder in writing or preparing a medical prescription., To move in an awkward, clumsy manner; to flounder and stumble., To cause to blunder., To do or treat in a blundering manner; to confuse., Confusion; disturbance., A gross error or mistake, resulting from carelessness, stupidity, or culpable ignorance.
blunger noun A wooden blade with a cross handle, used for mi/ing the clay in potteries; a plunger.
blunted imp. & past participle of Blunt
bluntly adverb In a blunt manner; coarsely; plainly; abruptly; without delicacy, or the usual forms of civility.
blurred imp. & past participle of Blur
blurted imp. & past participle of Blurt
blushed imp. & past participle of Blush
blusher noun One that blushes.
blushet noun A modest girl.
bluster verb i. To blow fitfully with violence and noise, as wind; to be windy and boisterous, as the weather., To talk with noisy violence; to swagger, as a turbulent or boasting person; to act in a noisy, tumultuous way; to play the bully; to storm; to rage., To utter, or do, with noisy violence; to force by blustering; to bully., Fitful noise and violence, as of a storm; violent winds; boisterousness., Noisy and violent or threatening talk; noisy and boastful language.
boarded imp. & past participle of Board
boarder noun One who has food statedly at another’s table, or meals and lodgings in his house, for pay, or compensation of any kind., One who boards a ship; one selected to board an enemy’s ship.
boarish adjective Swinish; brutal; cruel.
boasted imp. & past participle of Boast
boaster noun One who boasts; a braggart., A stone mason’s broad-faced chisel.
boating present participle & vb. noun of Boat, The act or practice of rowing or sailing, esp. as an amusement; carriage in boats., In Persia, a punishment of capital offenders, by laying them on the back in a covered boat, where they are left to perish.
boatage noun Conveyance by boat; also, a charge for such conveyance.
boatful noun The quantity or amount that fills a boat.
boation noun A crying out; a roaring; a bellowing; reverberation.
boatmen plural of Boatman
boatman noun A man who manages a boat; a rower of a boat., A boat bug. See Boat bug.
bobbing present participle & vb. noun of Bob
bobance noun A boasting.
bobbery noun A squabble; a tumult; a noisy disturbance; as, to raise a bobbery.
bobbish adjective Hearty; in good spirits.
bobsled noun Alt. of Bobsleigh
bobstay noun A rope or chain to confine the bowsprit of a ship downward to the stem or cutwater; — usually in the pl.
bobtail noun An animal (as a horse or dog) with a short tail., Bobtailed.
bob wig A short wig with bobs or short curls; — called also bobtail wig.
bocardo noun A form of syllogism of which the first and third propositions are particular negatives, and the middle term a universal affirmative., A prison; — originally the name of the old north gate in Oxford, which was used as a prison.
bocking noun A coarse woolen fabric, used for floor cloths, to cover carpets, etc.; — so called from the town of Bocking, in England, where it was first made.
boddice noun See Bodick.
bodeful adjective Portentous; ominous.
bodiced adjective Wearing a bodice.
bodrage noun A raid.
bodying present participle & vb. noun of Body
bogging present participle & vb. noun of Bog
boggard noun A bogey.
boggled imp. & past participle of Boggle
boggler noun One who boggles.
bogwood noun The wood of trees, esp. of oaks, dug up from peat bogs. It is of a shining black or ebony color, and is largely used for making ornaments.
bohemia noun A country of central Europe., Fig.: The region or community of social Bohemians. See Bohemian, n., 3.
boiling present participle & vb. noun of Boil, Heated to the point of bubbling; heaving with bubbles; in tumultuous agitation, as boiling liquid; surging; seething; swelling with heat, ardor, or passion., The act of ebullition or of tumultuous agitation., Exposure to the action of a hot liquid.
boilary noun See Boilery.
boilery noun A place and apparatus for boiling, as for evaporating brine in salt making.
bokadam noun See Cerberus.
boletic adjective Pertaining to, or obtained from, the Boletus.
boletus noun A genus of fungi having the under side of the pileus or cap composed of a multitude of fine separate tubes. A few are edible, and others very poisonous.
bollard noun An upright wooden or iron post in a boat or on a dock, used in veering or fastening ropes.
bolling verb t. A tree from which the branches have been cut; a pollard.
bologna noun A city of Italy which has given its name to various objects., A Bologna sausage.
bolster noun A long pillow or cushion, used to support the head of a person lying on a bed; — generally laid under the pillows., A pad, quilt, or anything used to hinder pressure, support any part of the body, or make a bandage sit easy upon a wounded part; a compress., Anything arranged to act as a support, as in various forms of mechanism, etc., A cushioned or a piece part of a saddle., A cushioned or a piece of soft wood covered with tarred canvas, placed on the trestletrees and against the mast, for the collars of the shrouds to rest on, to prevent chafing., Anything used to prevent chafing., A plate of iron or a mass of wood under the end of a bridge girder, to keep the girder from resting directly on the abutment., A transverse bar above the axle of a wagon, on which the bed or body rests., The crossbeam forming the bearing piece of the body of a railway car; the central and principal cross beam of a car truck., the perforated plate in a punching machine on which anything rests when being punched., That part of a knife blade which abuts upon the end of the handle., The metallic end of a pocketknife handle., The rolls forming the ends or sides of the Ionic capital., A block of wood on the carriage of a siege gun, upon which the breech of the gun rests when arranged for transportation., To support with a bolster or pillow., To support, hold up, or maintain with difficulty or unusual effort; — often with up.
bolting present participle & vb. noun of Bolt, of Bolt, A darting away; a starting off or aside., A sifting, as of flour or meal., A private arguing of cases for practice by students, as in the Inns of Court.
boluses plural of Bolus
bombace noun Cotton; padding.
bombard noun A piece of heavy ordnance formerly used for throwing stones and other ponderous missiles. It was the earliest kind of cannon., A bombardment., A large drinking vessel or can, or a leather bottle, for carrying liquor or beer., Padded breeches., See Bombardo., To attack with bombards or with artillery; especially, to throw shells, hot shot, etc., at or into.
bombast noun Originally, cotton, or cotton wool., Cotton, or any soft, fibrous material, used as stuffing for garments; stuffing; padding., Fig.: High-sounding words; an inflated style; language above the dignity of the occasion; fustian., High-sounding; inflated; big without meaning; magniloquent; bombastic., To swell or fill out; to pad; to inflate.
bombolo noun A thin spheroidal glass retort or flask, used in the sublimation of camphor.
bonanza noun In mining, a rich mine or vein of silver or gold; hence, anything which is a mine of wealth or yields a large income.
bonasus noun Alt. of Bonassus
bonding present participle & vb. noun of Bond
bondage adjective The state of being bound; condition of being under restraint; restraint of personal liberty by compulsion; involuntary servitude; slavery; captivity., Obligation; tie of duty., Villenage; tenure of land on condition of doing the meanest services for the owner.
bondmen plural of Bondman
bondman noun A man slave, or one bound to service without wages., A villain, or tenant in villenage.
bonedog noun The spiny dogfish.
boneset noun A medicinal plant, the thoroughwort (Eupatorium perfoliatum). Its properties are diaphoretic and tonic.
bonetta noun See Bonito.
bonfire noun A large fire built in the open air, as an expression of public joy and exultation, or for amusement.
bonnily adverb Gayly; handsomely.
bon ton The height of the fashion; fashionable society.
bonuses plural of Bonus
boobies plural of Booby
booking present participle & vb. noun of Book
bookful noun As much as will fill a book; a book full., Filled with book learning.
bookish adjective Given to reading; fond of study; better acquainted with books than with men; learned from books., Characterized by a method of expression generally found in books; formal; labored; pedantic; as, a bookish way of talking; bookish sentences.
booklet noun A little book.
bookmen plural of Bookman
bookman noun A studious man; a scholar.
boolies plural of Booly
booming present participle & vb. noun of Boom, Rushing with violence; swelling with a hollow sound; making a hollow sound or note; roaring; resounding., Advancing or increasing amid noisy excitement; as, booming prices; booming popularity., The act of producing a hollow or roaring sound; a violent rushing with heavy roar; as, the booming of the sea; a deep, hollow sound; as, the booming of bitterns.
boomdas noun A small African hyracoid mammal (Dendrohyrax arboreus) resembling the daman.
boomkin noun Same as Bumkin.
boorish adjective Like a boor; clownish; uncultured; unmannerly.
boosted imp. & past participle of Boost
booting present participle & vb. noun of Boot, of Boot, Advantage; gain; gain by plunder; booty., A kind of torture. See Boot, n., 2., A kicking, as with a booted foot.
boozing present participle & vb. noun of Booze
borable adjective Capable of being bored.
boracic adjective Pertaining to, or produced from, borax; containing boron; boric; as, boracic acid.
boramez noun See Barometz.
bordage noun The base or servile tenure by which a bordar held his cottage.
bordman noun A bordar; a tenant in bordage.
bordrag noun Alt. of Bordraging
bordure noun A border one fifth the width of the shield, surrounding the field. It is usually plain, but may be charged.
boredom noun The state of being bored, or pestered; a state of ennui., The realm of bores; bores, collectively.
borneol noun A rare variety of camphor, C10H17.OH, resembling ordinary camphor, from which it can be produced by reduction. It is said to occur in the camphor tree of Borneo and Sumatra (Dryobalanops camphora), but the natural borneol is rarely found in European or American commerce, being in great request by the Chinese. Called also Borneo camphor, Malay camphor, and camphol.
bornite noun A valuable ore of copper, containing copper, iron, and sulphur; — also called purple copper ore (or erubescite), in allusion to the colors shown upon the slightly tarnished surface.
borough noun In England, an incorporated town that is not a city; also, a town that sends members to parliament; in Scotland, a body corporate, consisting of the inhabitants of a certain district, erected by the sovereign, with a certain jurisdiction; in America, an incorporated town or village, as in Pennsylvania and Connecticut., The collective body of citizens or inhabitants of a borough; as, the borough voted to lay a tax., An association of men who gave pledges or sureties to the king for the good behavior of each other., The pledge or surety thus given.
borrage adjective Alt. of Borraginaceous
boruret noun A boride.
boscage noun A growth of trees or shrubs; underwood; a thicket; thick foliage; a wooded landscape., Food or sustenance for cattle, obtained from bushes and trees; also, a tax on wood.
boshbok noun A kind of antelope. See Bush buck.
boskage noun Same as Boscage.
bosquet noun A grove; a thicket; shrubbery; an inclosure formed by branches of trees, regularly or irregularly disposed., See Bosket.
bosomed imp. & past participle of Bosom, Having, or resembling, bosom; kept in the bosom; hidden.
bossing present participle & vb. noun of Boss
bossage noun A stone in a building, left rough and projecting, to be afterward carved into shape., Rustic work, consisting of stones which seem to advance beyond the level of the building, by reason of indentures or channels left in the joinings.
bossism noun The rule or practices of bosses, esp. political bosses.
botanic adjective Alt. of Botanical
botargo noun A sort of cake or sausage, made of the salted roes of the mullet, much used on the coast of the Mediterranean as an incentive to drink.
botches plural of Botch
botched imp. & past participle of Botch
botcher noun One who mends or patches, esp. a tailor or cobbler., A clumsy or careless workman; a bungler., A young salmon; a grilse.
bothnic adjective Of or pertaining to Bothnia, a country of northern Europe, or to a gulf of the same name which forms the northern part of the Baltic sea.
bo tree The peepul tree; esp., the very ancient tree standing at Anurajahpoora in Ceylon, grown from a slip of the tree under which Gautama is said to have received the heavenly light and so to have become Buddha.
bottine noun A small boot; a lady’s boot., An appliance resembling a small boot furnished with straps, buckles, etc., used to correct or prevent distortions in the lower extremities of children.
bottled imp. & past participle of Bottle, Put into bottles; inclosed in bottles; pent up in, or as in, a bottle., Having the shape of a bottle; protuberant.
bottler noun One who bottles wine, beer, soda water, etc.
bottony adjective Alt. of Bottone
bottone adjective Having a bud or button, or a kind of trefoil, at the end; furnished with knobs or buttons.
boudoir noun A small room, esp. if pleasant, or elegantly furnished, to which a lady may retire to be alone, or to receive intimate friends; a lady’s (or sometimes a gentleman’s) private room.
boughty adjective Bending.
bouilli noun Boiled or stewed meat; beef boiled with vegetables in water from which its gravy is to be made; beef from which bouillon or soup has been made.
boulder noun Same as Bowlder., A large stone, worn smooth or rounded by the action of water; a large pebble., A mass of any rock, whether rounded or not, that has been transported by natural agencies from its native bed. See Drift.
boultel noun Alt. of Boultin
boultin noun A molding, the convexity of which is one fourth of a circle, being a member just below the abacus in the Tuscan and Roman Doric capital; a torus; an ovolo., One of the shafts of a clustered column.
boulter noun A long, stout fishing line to which many hooks are attached.
bounced imp. & past participle of Bounce
bouncer noun One who bounces; a large, heavy person who makes much noise in moving., A boaster; a bully., A bold lie; also, a liar., Something big; a good stout example of the kind.
bounded imp. & past participle of Bound
bounder noun One who, or that which, limits; a boundary.
bouquet noun A nosegay; a bunch of flowers., A perfume; an aroma; as, the bouquet of wine.
bourbon noun A member of a family which has occupied several European thrones, and whose descendants still claim the throne of France., A politician who is behind the age; a ruler or politician who neither forgets nor learns anything; an obstinate conservative.
bourder noun A jester.
bourdon noun A pilgrim’s staff., A drone bass, as in a bagpipe, or a hurdy-gurdy. See Burden (of a song.), A kind of organ stop.
bourree noun An old French dance tune in common time.
boutade noun An outbreak; a caprice; a whim.
bowable adjective Capable of being bowed or bent; flexible; easily influenced; yielding.
bowbell noun One born within hearing distance of Bow-bells; a cockney.
bowbent adjective Bent, like a bow.
boweled imp. & past participle of Bowel, Having bowels; hollow.
bowhead noun The great Arctic or Greenland whale. (Balaena mysticetus). See Baleen, and Whale.
bowknot noun A knot in which a portion of the string is drawn through in the form of a loop or bow, so as to be readily untied.
bowling present participle & vb. noun of Bowl, The act of playing at or rolling bowls, or of rolling the ball at cricket; the game of bowls or of tenpins.
bowlder noun Alt. of Boulder
bowless adjective Destitute of a bow.
bowline noun A rope fastened near the middle of the leech or perpendicular edge of the square sails, by subordinate ropes, called bridles, and used to keep the weather edge of the sail tight forward, when the ship is closehauled.
bow net A trap for lobsters, being a wickerwork cylinder with a funnel-shaped entrance at one end., A net for catching birds.
bow oar The oar used by the bowman., One who rows at the bow of a boat.
bow-pen noun Bow-compasses carrying a drawing pen. See Bow-compass.
bow-saw noun A saw with a thin or narrow blade set in a strong frame.
bowshot noun The distance traversed by an arrow shot from a bow.
bowssen verb t. To drench; to soak; especially, to immerse (in water believed to have curative properties).
boxfish noun The trunkfish.
boxhaul verb t. To put (a vessel) on the other tack by veering her short round on her heel; — so called from the circumstance of bracing the head yards abox (i. e., sharp aback, on the wind).
boxwood noun The wood of the box (Buxus).
boycott verb t. To combine against (a landlord, tradesman, employer, or other person), to withhold social or business relations from him, and to deter others from holding such relations; to subject to a boycott., The process, fact, or pressure of boycotting; a combining to withhold or prevent dealing or social intercourse with a tradesman, employer, etc.; social and business interdiction for the purpose of coercion.
boyhood noun The state of being a boy; the time during which one is a boy.
brabble verb i. To clamor; to contest noisily., A broil; a noisy contest; a wrangle.
bracing present participle & vb. noun of Brace, Imparting strength or tone; strengthening; invigorating; as, a bracing north wind., The act of strengthening, supporting, or propping, with a brace or braces; the state of being braced., Any system of braces; braces, collectively; as, the bracing of a truss.
brachia noun pl. See Brachium.
bracken noun A brake or fern.
bracket noun An architectural member, plain or ornamental, projecting from a wall or pier, to support weight falling outside of the same; also, a decorative feature seeming to discharge such an office., A piece or combination of pieces, usually triangular in general shape, projecting from, or fastened to, a wall, or other surface, to support heavy bodies or to strengthen angles., A shot, crooked timber, resembling a knee, used as a support., The cheek or side of an ordnance carriage., One of two characters [], used to inclose a reference, explanation, or note, or a part to be excluded from a sentence, to indicate an interpolation, to rectify a mistake, or to supply an omission, and for certain other purposes; — called also crotchet., A gas fixture or lamp holder projecting from the face of a wall, column, or the like., To place within brackets; to connect by brackets; to furnish with brackets.
bractea noun A bract.
bracted adjective Furnished with bracts.
bradoon noun Same as Bridoon.
bragged imp. & past participle of Brag
bragger noun One who brags; a boaster.
bragget noun A liquor made of ale and honey fermented, with spices, etc.
brahman noun Alt. of Brahmin
brahmin noun A person of the highest or sacerdotal caste among the Hindoos.
braided imp. &. past participle of Braid
brained imp. & past participle of Brain, Supplied with brains.
braiser noun A kettle or pan for braising.
bramble noun Any plant of the genus Rubus, including the raspberry and blackberry. Hence: Any rough, prickly shrub., The brambling or bramble finch.
brambly adjective Pertaining to, resembling, or full of, brambles.
branchy adjective Full of branches; having wide-spreading branches; consisting of branches.
branded imp. & past participle of Brand
brander noun One who, or that which, brands; a branding iron., A gridiron.
brandle verb t. & i. To shake; to totter.
brangle noun A wrangle; a squabble; a noisy contest or dispute., To wrangle; to dispute contentiously; to squabble.
branlin noun A young salmon or parr, in the stage in which it has transverse black bands, as if burned by a gridiron., A small red worm or larva, used as bait for small fresh-water fish; — so called from its red color.
bransle noun A brawl or dance.
brasier noun Alt. of Brazier, Alt. of Brazier
brazier noun An artificer who works in brass., A pan for holding burning coals., Same as Brasier.
brasses plural of Brass
bravade noun Bravado.
bravado noun Boastful and threatening behavior; a boastful menace.
braving present participle & vb. noun of Brave, A bravado; a boast.
bravely adverb In a brave manner; courageously; gallantly; valiantly; splendidly; nobly., Finely; gaudily; gayly; showily., Well; thrivingly; prosperously.
bravery noun The quality of being brave; fearless; intrepidity., The act of braving; defiance; bravado., Splendor; magnificence; showy appearance; ostentation; fine dress., A showy person; a fine gentleman; a beau.
bravoes plural of Bravo
bravura noun A florid, brilliant style of music, written for effect, to show the range and flexibility of a singer’s voice, or the technical force and skill of a performer; virtuoso music.
brawled imp. & past participle of Brawl
brawler noun One that brawls; wrangler.
brawned adjective Brawny; strong; muscular.
brawner noun A boor killed for the table.
braying present participle & vb. noun of Bray, Making a harsh noise; blaring.
brazing present participle & vb. noun of Braze
breachy adjective Apt to break fences or to break out of pasture; unruly; as, breachy cattle.
breaded adjective Braided
breaden adjective Made of bread.
breadth adjective Distance from side to side of any surface or thing; measure across, or at right angles to the length; width.
breaker noun One who, or that which, breaks., Specifically: A machine for breaking rocks, or for breaking coal at the mines; also, the building in which such a machine is placed., A small water cask., A wave breaking into foam against the shore, or against a sand bank, or a rock or reef near the surface.
breamed imp. & past participle of Bream
breathe verb i. To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live., To take breath; to rest from action., To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to exhale; to emanate; to blow gently., To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to respire., To inject by breathing; to infuse; — with into., To emit or utter by the breath; to utter softly; to whisper; as, to breathe a vow., To exhale; to emit, as breath; as, the flowers breathe odors or perfumes., To express; to manifest; to give forth., To act upon by the breath; to cause to sound by breathing., To promote free respiration in; to exercise., To suffer to take breath, or recover the natural breathing; to rest; as, to breathe a horse., To put out of breath; to exhaust., To utter without vocality, as the nonvocal consonants.
breccia noun A rock composed of angular fragments either of the same mineral or of different minerals, etc., united by a cement, and commonly presenting a variety of colors.
breeder noun One who, or that which, breeds, produces, brings up, etc., A cause.
brusten past participle of Breste
borsten of Breste
bursten of Breste, p. p. of Burst, v. i.
bretful adjective Brimful.
bretzel noun See Pretzel.
brevier noun A size of type between bourgeois and minion.
brevity noun Shortness of duration; briefness of time; as, the brevity of human life., Contraction into few words; conciseness.
brewing present participle & vb. noun of Brew, The act or process of preparing liquors which are brewed, as beer and ale., The quantity brewed at once., A mixing together., A gathering or forming of a storm or squall, indicated by thick, dark clouds.
brewage noun Malt liquor; drink brewed.
brewery noun A brewhouse; the building and apparatus where brewing is carried on.
bribing present participle & vb. noun of Bribe
bribery noun Robbery; extortion., The act or practice of giving or taking bribes; the act of influencing the official or political action of another by corrupt inducements.
bricked imp. & past participle of Brick, of Brisk
brickle adjective Brittle; easily broken.
bricole noun A kind of traces with hooks and rings, with which men drag and maneuver guns where horses can not be used.
bridged imp. & past participle of Bridge
bridgey adjective Full of bridges.
bridled imp. & past participle of Bridle
bridler noun One who bridles; one who restrains and governs, as with a bridle.
bridoon noun The snaffle and rein of a military bridle, which acts independently of the bit, at the pleasure of the rider. It is used in connection with a curb bit, which has its own rein.
briefly adverb Concisely; in few words.
briered adjective Set with briers.
brigade noun A body of troops, whether cavalry, artillery, infantry, or mixed, consisting of two or more regiments, under the command of a brigadier general., Any body of persons organized for acting or marching together under authority; as, a fire brigade., To form into a brigade, or into brigades.
brigand noun A light-armed, irregular foot soldier., A lawless fellow who lives by plunder; one of a band of robbers; especially, one of a gang living in mountain retreats; a highwayman; a freebooter.
brigose noun Contentious; quarrelsome.
brimmed imp. & past participle of Brim, Having a brim; — usually in composition., Full to, or level with, the brim.
brimful adjective Full to the brim; completely full; ready to overflow.
brimmer noun A brimful bowl; a bumper.
brinded adjective Of a gray or tawny color with streaks of darker hue; streaked; brindled.
brindle noun The state of being brindled., A brindled color; also, that which is brindled., Brindled.
brought imp. & past participle of Bring
bringer noun One who brings.
brinish adjective Like brine; somewhat salt; saltish.
brisket noun That part of the breast of an animal which extends from the fore legs back beneath the ribs; also applied to the fore part of a horse, from the shoulders to the bottom of the chest.
briskly adverb In a brisk manner; nimbly.
bristle noun A short, stiff, coarse hair, as on the back of swine., A stiff, sharp, roundish hair., To erect the bristles of; to cause to stand up, as the bristles of an angry hog; — sometimes with up., To fix a bristle to; as, to bristle a thread., To rise or stand erect, like bristles., To appear as if covered with bristles; to have standing, thick and erect, like bristles., To show defiance or indignation.
bristly adjective Thick set with bristles, or with hairs resembling bristles; rough.
bristol noun A seaport city in the west of England.
brisure noun Any part of a rampart or parapet which deviates from the general direction., A mark of cadency or difference.
british adjective Of or pertaining to Great Britain or to its inhabitants; — sometimes restricted to the original inhabitants., People of Great Britain.
brittle adjective Easily broken; apt to break; fragile; not tough or tenacious.
broaden adjective To grow broad; to become broader or wider., To make broad or broader; to render more broad or comprehensive.
broadly adverb In a broad manner.
brocade noun Silk stuff, woven with gold and silver threads, or ornamented with raised flowers, foliage, etc.; — also applied to other stuffs thus wrought and enriched.
brocage noun See Brokkerage.
brocard noun An elementary principle or maximum; a short, proverbial rule, in law, ethics, or metaphysics.
brocket noun A male red deer two years old; — sometimes called brock., A small South American deer, of several species (Coassus superciliaris, C. rufus, and C. auritus).
broggle noun To sniggle, or fish with a brog.
brogues noun pl. Breeches.
broider verb t. To embroider.
broiled imp. & past participle of Broil
broiler noun One who excites broils; one who engages in or promotes noisy quarrels., One who broils, or cooks by broiling., A gridiron or other utensil used in broiling., A chicken or other bird fit for broiling.
brokage noun See Brokerage.
brokery noun The business of a broker.
broking adjective Of or pertaining to a broker or brokers, or to brokerage.
bromate noun A salt of bromic acid., To combine or impregnate with bromine; as, bromated camphor.
bromide noun A compound of bromine with a positive radical.
bromine noun One of the elements, related in its chemical qualities to chlorine and iodine. Atomic weight 79.8. Symbol Br. It is a deep reddish brown liquid of a very disagreeable odor, emitting a brownish vapor at the ordinary temperature. In combination it is found in minute quantities in sea water, and in many saline springs. It occurs also in the mineral bromyrite.
bromism noun A diseased condition produced by the excessive use of bromine or one of its compounds. It is characterized by mental dullness and muscular weakness.
bromize verb t. To prepare or treat with bromine; as, to bromize a silvered plate.
bronchi noun pl. See Bronchus., of Bronchus
broncho noun A native or a Mexican horse of small size.
bronzed imp. & past participle of Bronze
brooded imp. & past participle of Brood
brooked imp. & past participle of Brook
brothel noun A house of lewdness or ill fame; a house frequented by prostitutes; a bawdyhouse.
brother noun A male person who has the same father and mother with another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter case he is more definitely called a half brother, or brother of the half blood., One related or closely united to another by some common tie or interest, as of rank, profession, membership in a society, toil, suffering, etc.; — used among judges, clergymen, monks, physicians, lawyers, professors of religion, etc., One who, or that which, resembles another in distinctive qualities or traits of character., To make a brother of; to call or treat as a brother; to admit to a brotherhood.
brouded p.adjective Braided; broidered.
browned imp. & past participle of Brown
brownie noun An imaginary good-natured spirit, who was supposed often to perform important services around the house by night, such as thrashing, churning, sweeping.
browsed imp. & past participle of Browse
browser noun An animal that browses.
brucine noun A powerful vegetable alkaloid, found, associated with strychnine, in the seeds of different species of Strychnos, especially in the Nux vomica. It is less powerful than strychnine. Called also brucia and brucina.
brucite noun A white, pearly mineral, occurring thin and foliated, like talc, and also fibrous; a native magnesium hydrate., The mineral chondrodite.
bruised imp. & past participle of Bruise
bruiser noun One who, or that which, bruises., A boxer; a pugilist., A concave tool used in grinding lenses or the speculums of telescopes.
bruited imp. & past participle of Bruit
brumous adjective Foggy; misty.
brunion noun A nectarine.
brushed imp. & past participle of Brush
brusher noun One who, or that which, brushes.
brusque adjective Rough and prompt in manner; blunt; abrupt; bluff; as, a brusque man; a brusque style.
brustle verb i. To crackle; to rustle, as a silk garment., To make a show of fierceness or defiance; to bristle., A bristle.
brutely adverb In a rude or violent manner.
brutify verb t. To make like a brute; to make senseless, stupid, or unfeeling; to brutalize.
brutish adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, a brute or brutes; of a cruel, gross, and stupid nature; coarse; unfeeling; unintelligent.
brutism noun The nature or characteristic qualities or actions of a brute; extreme stupidity, or beastly vulgarity.
bruting noun Browsing.
bryonin noun A bitter principle obtained from the root of the bryony (Bryonia alba and B. dioica). It is a white, or slightly colored, substance, and is emetic and cathartic.
bryozoa noun pl. A class of Molluscoidea, including minute animals which by budding form compound colonies; — called also Polyzoa.
bubbled imp. & past participle of Bubble
bubbler verb t. To cheat; to deceive., One who cheats., A fish of the Ohio river; — so called from the noise it makes.
bubonic adjective Of or pertaining to a bubo or buboes; characterized by buboes.
bubukle noun A red pimple.
buceros noun A genus of large perching birds; the hornbills.
bucking present participle & vb. noun of Buck, The act or process of soaking or boiling cloth in an alkaline liquid in the operation of bleaching; also, the liquid used., A washing., The process of breaking up or pulverizing ores.
buckety noun Paste used by weavers to dress their webs.
buckeye noun A name given to several American trees and shrubs of the same genus (Aesculus) as the horse chestnut., A cant name for a native in Ohio.
buckish adjective Dandified; foppish.
buckled imp. & past participle of Buckle
buckler noun A kind of shield, of various shapes and sizes, worn on one of the arms (usually the left) for protecting the front of the body., One of the large, bony, external plates found on many ganoid fishes., The anterior segment of the shell of trilobites., A block of wood or plate of iron made to fit a hawse hole, or the circular opening in a half-port, to prevent water from entering when the vessel pitches., To shield; to defend.
buckram noun A coarse cloth of linen or hemp, stiffened with size or glue, used in garments to keep them in the form intended, and for wrappers to cover merchandise., A plant. See Ramson., Made of buckram; as, a buckram suit., Stiff; precise., To strengthen with buckram; to make stiff.
bucolic adjective Of or pertaining to the life and occupation of a shepherd; pastoral; rustic., A pastoral poem, representing rural affairs, and the life, manners, and occupation of shepherds; as, the Bucolics of Theocritus and Virgil.
budding present participle & vb. noun of Bud, The act or process of producing buds., A process of asexual reproduction, in which a new organism or cell is formed by a protrusion of a portion of the animal or vegetable organism, the bud thus formed sometimes remaining attached to the parent stalk or cell, at other times becoming free; gemmation. See Hydroidea., The act or process of ingrafting one kind of plant upon another stock by inserting a bud under the bark.
budging present participle & vb. noun of Budge
buffalo noun A species of the genus Bos or Bubalus (B. bubalus), originally from India, but now found in most of the warmer countries of the eastern continent. It is larger and less docile than the common ox, and is fond of marshy places and rivers., A very large and savage species of the same genus (B. Caffer) found in South Africa; — called also Cape buffalo., Any species of wild ox., The bison of North America., A buffalo robe. See Buffalo robe, below., The buffalo fish. See Buffalo fish, below.
buffoon noun A man who makes a practice of amusing others by low tricks, antic gestures, etc.; a droll; a mimic; a harlequin; a clown; a merry-andrew., Characteristic of, or like, a buffoon., To act the part of a buffoon., To treat with buffoonery.
bugaboo noun Alt. of Bugbear
bugbear noun Something frightful, as a specter; anything imaginary that causes needless fright; something used to excite needless fear; also, something really dangerous, used to frighten children, etc., Same as Bugaboo., Causing needless fright., To alarm with idle phantoms.
bugbane noun A perennial white-flowered herb of the order Ranunculaceae and genus Cimiciguga; bugwort. There are several species.
bugfish noun The menhaden.
buggery noun Unnatural sexual intercourse; sodomy.
buggies plural of Buggy
bugloss noun A plant of the genus Anchusa, and especially the A. officinalis, sometimes called alkanet; oxtongue.
bugwort noun Bugbane.
builded imp. & past participle of Build
builder noun One who builds; one whose occupation is to build, as a carpenter, a shipwright, or a mason.
bulblet noun A small bulb, either produced on a larger bulb, or on some aerial part of a plant, as in the axils of leaves in the tiger lily, or replacing the flowers in some kinds of onion.
bulbose adjective Bulbous.
bulbous noun Having or containing bulbs, or a bulb; growing from bulbs; bulblike in shape or structure.
bulbule noun A small bulb; a bulblet.
bulchin noun A little bull.
bulging present participle & vb. noun of Bulge
bulimia noun Alt. of Bulimy
bulimus noun A genus of land snails having an elongated spiral shell, often of large size. The species are numerous and abundant in tropical America.
bulking present participle & vb. noun of Bulk
bullace noun A small European plum (Prunus communis, var. insitita). See Plum., The bully tree.
bullary noun A collection of papal bulls., A place for boiling or preparing salt; a boilery.
bullate adjective Appearing as if blistered; inflated; puckered.
bulldog noun A variety of dog, of remarkable ferocity, courage, and tenacity of grip; — so named, probably, from being formerly employed in baiting bulls., A refractory material used as a furnace lining, obtained by calcining the cinder or slag from the puddling furnace of a rolling mill., Characteristic of, or like, a bulldog; stubborn; as, bulldog courage; bulldog tenacity.
bullfly noun Any large fly troublesome to cattle, as the gadflies and breeze flies.
bullion noun Uncoined gold or silver in the mass., Base or uncurrent coin., Showy metallic ornament, as of gold, silver, or copper, on bridles, saddles, etc., Heavy twisted fringe, made of fine gold or silver wire and used for epaulets; also, any heavy twisted fringe whose cords are prominent.
bullish adjective Partaking of the nature of a bull, or a blunder.
bullist noun A writer or drawer up of papal bulls.
bullock noun A young bull, or any male of the ox kind., An ox, steer, or stag., To bully.
bullies plural of Bully
bullied imp. & past participle of Bully
bulrush noun A kind of large rush, growing in wet land or in water.
bulwark noun A rampart; a fortification; a bastion or outwork., That which secures against an enemy, or defends from attack; any means of defense or protection., The sides of a ship above the upper deck., To fortify with, or as with, a rampart or wall; to secure by fortification; to protect.
bumming noun of Bum
bumbard See Bombard.
bumbast See Bombast.
bumbelo noun A glass used in subliming camphor.
bumboat noun A clumsy boat, used for conveying provisions, fruit, etc., for sale, to vessels lying in port or off shore.
bummalo noun A small marine Asiatic fish (Saurus ophidon) used in India as a relish; — called also Bombay duck.
bummery noun See Bottomery.
bumping present participle & vb. noun of Bump
bumpkin noun An awkward, heavy country fellow; a clown; a country lout.
bunched imp. & past participle of Bunch
bundled imp. & past participle of Bundle
bunging present participle & vb. noun of Bung
bungled imp. & past participle of Bungle
bungler noun A clumsy, awkward workman; one who bungles.
bunking present participle & vb. noun of Bunk
bunnian noun See Bunyon.
bunting noun A bird of the genus Emberiza, or of an allied genus, related to the finches and sparrows (family Fringillidae)., Alt. of Buntine
buntine noun A thin woolen stuff, used chiefly for flags, colors, and ships’ signals.
buoying present participle & vb. noun of Buoy
buoyage noun Buoys, taken collectively; a series of buoys, as for the guidance of vessels into or out of port; the providing of buoys.
buoyant verb t. & i. Having the quality of rising or floating in a fluid; tending to rise or float; as, iron is buoyant in mercury., Bearing up, as a fluid; sustaining another body by being specifically heavier., Light-hearted; vivacious; cheerful; as, a buoyant disposition; buoyant spirits.
burbolt noun A birdbolt.
burdock noun A genus of coarse biennial herbs (Lappa), bearing small burs which adhere tenaciously to clothes, or to the fur or wool of animals.
bureaus plural of Bureau
bureaux plural of Bureau
burette noun An apparatus for delivering measured quantities of liquid or for measuring the quantity of liquid or gas received or discharged. It consists essentially of a graduated glass tube, usually furnished with a small aperture and stopcock.
burgage noun A tenure by which houses or lands are held of the king or other lord of a borough or city; at a certain yearly rent, or by services relating to trade or handicraft.
burgall noun A small marine fish; — also called cunner.
burgeon verb i. To bud. See Bourgeon.
burgess noun An inhabitant of a borough or walled town, or one who possesses a tenement therein; a citizen or freeman of a borough., One who represents a borough in Parliament., A magistrate of a borough., An inhabitant of a Scotch burgh qualified to vote for municipal officers.
burghal adjective Belonging to a burgh.
burgher noun A freeman of a burgh or borough, entitled to enjoy the privileges of the place; any inhabitant of a borough., A member of that party, among the Scotch seceders, which asserted the lawfulness of the burgess oath (in which burgesses profess “the true religion professed within the realm”), the opposite party being called antiburghers.
burglar noun One guilty of the crime of burglary.
burrhel noun The wild Himalayan, or blue, sheep (Ovis burrhel).
burking present participle & vb. noun of Burke
burkism noun The practice of killing persons for the purpose of selling their bodies for dissection.
burling present participle & vb. noun of Burl
burmans plural of Burman
burmese adjective Of or pertaining to Burmah, or its inhabitants., A native or the natives of Burmah. Also (sing.), the language of the Burmans.
burning present participle & vb. noun of Burn, That burns; being on fire; excessively hot; fiery., Consuming; intense; inflaming; exciting; vehement; powerful; as, burning zeal., The act of consuming by fire or heat, or of subjecting to the effect of fire or heat; the state of being on fire or excessively heated.
burnish adjective To cause to shine; to make smooth and bright; to polish; specifically, to polish by rubbing with something hard and smooth; as, to burnish brass or paper., To shine forth; to brighten; to become smooth and glossy, as from swelling or filling out; hence, to grow large., The effect of burnishing; gloss; brightness; luster.
burnous noun A cloaklike garment and hood woven in one piece, worn by Arabs., A combination cloak and hood worn by women.
burring present participle & vb. noun of Burr
burrock noun A small weir or dam in a river to direct the stream to gaps where fish traps are placed.
bursary noun The treasury of a college or monastery., A scholarship or charitable foundation in a university, as in Scotland; a sum given to enable a student to pursue his studies.
burster noun One that bursts.
burthen noun & verb t. See Burden.
burying present participle & vb. noun of Bury
busbies plural of Busby
bushing present participle & vb. noun of Bush, The operation of fitting bushes, or linings, into holes or places where wear is to be received, or friction diminished, as pivot holes, etc., A bush or lining; — sometimes called a thimble. See 4th Bush.
bushboy noun See Bushman.
bushmen plural of Bushman
bushman noun A woodsman; a settler in the bush., One of a race of South African nomads, living principally in the deserts, and not classified as allied in race or language to any other people.
bussing present participle & vb. noun of Buss
bustard noun A bird of the genus Otis.
bustled imp. & past participle of Bustle
bustler noun An active, stirring person.
bustoes plural of Busto
busying present participle & vb. noun of Busy
butting present participle & vb. noun of But, of Butt, An abuttal; a boundary.
butcher noun One who slaughters animals, or dresses their flesh for market; one whose occupation it is to kill animals for food., A slaughterer; one who kills in large numbers, or with unusual cruelty; one who causes needless loss of life, as in battle., To kill or slaughter (animals) for food, or for market; as, to butcher hogs., To murder, or kill, especially in an unusually bloody or barbarous manner.
butment noun A buttress of an arch; the supporter, or that part which joins it to the upright pier., The mass of stone or solid work at the end of a bridge, by which the extreme arches are sustained, or by which the end of a bridge without arches is supported.
buttery adjective Having the qualities, consistence, or appearance, of butter., An apartment in a house where butter, milk and other provisions are kept., A room in some English colleges where liquors, fruit, and refreshments are kept for sale to the students., A cellar in which butts of wine are kept.
buttock noun The part at the back of the hip, which, in man, forms one of the rounded protuberances on which he sits; the rump., The convexity of a ship behind, under the stern.
buttons noun A boy servant, or page, — in allusion to the buttons on his livery.
buttony adjective Ornamented with a large number of buttons.
butyric adjective Pertaining to, or derived from, butter.
butyrin noun A butyrate of glycerin; a fat contained in small quantity in milk, which helps to give to butter its peculiar flavor.
buxeous adjective Belonging to the box tree.
buzzing present participle & vb. noun of Buzz
buzzard noun A bird of prey of the Hawk family, belonging to the genus Buteo and related genera., A blockhead; a dunce., Senseless; stupid.
buzzsaw A circular saw; — so called from the buzzing it makes when running at full speed.
by-blow noun A side or incidental blow; an accidental blow., An illegitimate child; a bastard.
by-lane noun A private lane, or one opening out of the usual road.
by-name noun A nickname.
by-pass noun A by-passage, for a pipe, or other channel, to divert circulation from the usual course.
by-past adjective Past; gone by.
bypaths plural of Bypath
byronic adjective Pertaining to, or in the style of, Lord Byron.
by-room noun A private room or apartment.
byssine adjective Made of silk; having a silky or flaxlike appearance.
byssoid adjective Byssaceous.
by-view noun A private or selfish view; self-interested aim or purpose.
by-walk noun A secluded or private walk.
by-wash noun The outlet from a dam or reservoir; also, a cut to divert the flow of water.
by-wipe noun A secret or side stroke, as of raillery or sarcasm.