Chapter XLI: Appendix: Vermiformis (20)

2. To think; to suppose. I will not believe so meanly of you. Fielding. To believe in. (a) To believe that the subject of the thought (if a person or thing) exists, or (if an event) that it has occurred, or will occur; -- as, to believe in the resurrection of the dead. "She does not believe in Jupiter." J. H. Newman. (b) To believe that the character, abilities, and purposes of a person are worthy of entire confidence; -- especially that his promises are wholly trustworthy. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John xiv. 1. (c) To believe that the qualities or effects of an action or state are beneficial: as, to believe in sea bathing, or in abstinence from alcoholic beverages. -- To believe on, to accept implicitly as an object of religious trust or obedience; to have faith in.

BELIEVER Be*liev"er, n.

1. One who believes; one who is persuaded of the truth or reality of some doctrine, person, or thing.

2. (Theol.)

Defn: One who gives credit to the truth of the Scriptures, as a revelation from God; a Christian; -- in a more restricted sense, one who receives Christ as his Savior, and accepts the way of salvation unfolded in the gospel. Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Book of Com. Prayer.

3. (Eccl. Hist.)

Defn: One who was admitted to all the rights of divine worship and instructed in all the mysteries of the Christian religion, in distinction from a catechumen, or one yet under instruction.

BELIEVING Be*liev"ing, a.

Defn: That believes; having belief. -- Be*liev"ing*ly, adv.

BELIGHT Be*light", v. t.

Defn: To illuminate. [Obs.] Cowley.

BELIKE Be*like", adv. Etym: [Pref. be- (for by) + like.]

Defn: It is likely or probably; perhaps. [Obs. or Archaic] -- Be*like"ly, adv. Belike, boy, then you are in love. Shak.

BELIME Be*lime", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Belimed.]

Defn: To besmear or insnare with birdlime.

BELITTLE Be*lit"tle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Belittled; p. pr. & vb. n. Belittling.]

Defn: To make little or less in a moral sense; to speak of in a depreciatory or contemptuous way. T. Jefferson.

BELIVE Be*live", adv. Etym: [Cf. Live, a.]

Defn: Forthwith; speedily; quickly. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BELK Belk, v. t. Etym: [See Belch.]

Defn: To vomit. [Obs.]

BELL Bell, n. Etym: [AS. belle, fr. bellan to bellow. See Bellow.]

1. A hollow metallic vessel, usually shaped somewhat like a cup with a flaring mouth, containing a clapper or tongue, and giving forth a ringing sound on being struck.

Note: Bells have been made of various metals, but the best have always been, as now, of an alloy of copper and tin. The Liberty Bell, the famous bell of the Philadelphia State House, which rang when the Continental Congress declared the Independence of the United States, in 1776. It had been cast in 1753, and upon it were the words "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, to all the inhabitants thereof."

2. A hollow perforated sphere of metal containing a loose ball which causes it to sound when moved.

3. Anything in the form of a bell, as the cup or corol of a flower. "In a cowslip's bell I lie." Shak.

4. (Arch.)

Defn: That part of the capital of a column included between the abacus and neck molding; also used for the naked core of nearly cylindrical shape, assumed to exist within the leafage of a capital.

5. pl. (Naut.)

Defn: The strikes of the bell which mark the time; or the time so designated.

Note: On shipboard, time is marked by a bell, which is struck eight times at 4, 8, and 12 o'clock. Half an hour after it has struck "eight bells" it is struck once, and at every succeeding half hour the number of strokes is increased by one, till at the end of the four hours, which constitute a watch, it is struck eight times. To bear away the bell, to win the prize at a race where the prize was a bell; hence, to be superior in something. Fuller. -- To bear the bell, to be the first or leader; -- in allusion to the bellwether or a flock, or the leading animal of a team or drove, when wearing a bell. -- To curse by bell, book, and candle, a solemn form of excommunication used in the Roman Catholic church, the bell being tolled, the book of offices for the purpose being used, and three candles being extinguished with certain ceremonies. Nares. -- To lose the bell, to be worsted in a contest. "In single fight he lost the bell." Fairfax. -- To shake the bells, to move, give notice, or alarm. Shak.

Note: Bell is much used adjectively or in combinations; as, bell clapper; bell foundry; bell hanger; bell-mouthed; bell tower, etc., which, for the most part, are self-explaining. Bell arch (Arch.), an arch of unusual form, following the curve of an ogee. -- Bell cage, or Bell carriage (Arch.), a timber frame constructed to carry one or more large bells. -- Bell cot (Arch.), a small or subsidiary construction, frequently corbeled out from the walls of a structure, and used to contain and support one or more bells. -- Bell deck (Arch.), the floor of a belfry made to serve as a roof to the rooms below. -- Bell founder, one whose occupation it is to found or cast bells. -- Bell foundry, or Bell foundery, a place where bells are founded or cast. -- Bell gable (Arch.), a small gable-shaped construction, pierced with one or more openings, and used to contain bells. -- Bell glass. See Bell jar. -- Bell hanger, a man who hangs or puts up bells. -- Bell pull, a cord, handle, or knob, connecting with a bell or bell wire, and which will ring the bell when pulled. Aytoun. -- Bell punch, a kind of conductor's punch which rings a bell when used. -- Bell ringer, one who rings a bell or bells, esp. one whose business it is to ring a church bell or chime, or a set of musical bells for public entertainment. -- Bell roof (Arch.), a roof shaped according to the general lines of a bell. -- Bell rope, a rope by which a church or other bell is rung. -- Bell tent, a circular conical-topped tent. -- Bell trap, a kind of bell shaped stench trap.

BELL Bell, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Belled; p. pr. & vb. n. Belling.]

Defn: To put a bell upon; as, to bell the cat.

2. To make bell-mouthed; as, to bell a tube.

BELL Bell, v. i.

Defn: To develop bells or corollas; to take the form of a bell; to blossom; as, hops bell.

BELL Bell, v. t. Etym: [AS. bellan. See Bellow.]

Defn: To utter by bellowing. [Obs.]

BELL Bell, v. i.

Defn: To call or bellow, as the deer in rutting time; to make a bellowing sound; to roar. As loud as belleth wind in hell. Chaucer. The wild buck bells from ferny brake. Sir W. Scott.

BELLADONNA Bel`la*don"na, n. Etym: [It., literally fine lady; bella beautiful + donna lady.] (Bot.) (a) An herbaceous European plant (Atropa belladonna) with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries. The whole plant and its fruit are very poisonous, and the root and leaves are used as powerful medicinal agents. Its properties are largely due to the alkaloid atropine which it contains. Called also deadly nightshade. (b) A species of Amaryllis (A. belladonna); the belladonna lily.

BELL ANIMALCULE Bell" an`i*mal"cule. (Zoöl.)

Defn: An infusorian of the family Vorticellidæ, common in fresh-water ponds.

BELLARMINE Bel"lar*mine, n.

Defn: A stoneware jug of a pattern originated in the neighborhood of Cologne, Germany, in the 16th century. It has a bearded face or mask supposed to represent Cardinal Bellarmine, a leader in the Roman Catholic Counter Reformation, following the Reformation; -- called also graybeard, longbeard.

BELL BEARER Bell" bear`er. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A Brazilian leaf hopper (Bocydium tintinnabuliferum), remarkable for the four bell-shaped appendages of its thorax.

BELLBIRD Bell"bird`, n. Etym: [So called from their notes.] (Zoöl.) (a) A South American bird of the genus Casmarhincos, and family Cotingidæ, of several species; the campanero. (b) The Myzantha melanophrys of Australia.

BELL CRANK Bell" crank`.

Defn: A lever whose two arms form a right angle, or nearly a right angle, having its fulcrum at the apex of the angle. It is used in bell pulls and in changing the direction of bell wires at angles of rooms, etc., and also in machinery.

BELLE Belle, n. Etym: [F. belle, fem. of bel, beau, beautiful, fine. See Beau.]

Defn: A young lady of superior beauty and attractions; a handsome lady, or one who attracts notice in society; a fair lady.

BELLED Belled, a.

Defn: Hung with a bell or bells.

BELLEEK WARE Bel*leek" ware.

Defn: A porcelainlike kind of decorative pottery with a high gloss, which is sometimes iridescent. A very fine kind is made at Belleek in Ireland.

BELLE-LETTRIST Belle-let"trist, n.

Defn: One versed in belleslettres.

BELLEROPHON Bel*ler"o*phon, n. (Paleon.)

Defn: A genus of fossil univalve shells, believed to belong to the Heteropoda, peculiar to the Paleozoic age.

BELLES-LETTRES Belles-let"tres, n. pl. Etym: [F.]

Defn: Polite or elegant literature; the humanities; -- used somewhat vaguely for literary works in which imagination and taste are predominant.

BELLETRISTIC; BELLETRISTICAL Bel`le*tris"tic, Bel`le*tris"tic*al, a.

Defn: Occupied with, or pertaining to, belles-lettres. "An unlearned, belletristic trifler." M. Arnold.

BELL-FACED Bell"-faced`, a.

Defn: Having the striking surface convex; -- said of hammers.

BELLFLOWER Bell"flow`er, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant of the genus Campanula; -- so named from its bell- shaped flowers.

BELLFLOWER Bell"flow`er, n. Etym: [F. bellefleur, lit., beautiful flower.]

Defn: A kind of apple. The yellow bellflower is a large, yellow winter apple. [Written also bellefleur.]

BELLIBONE Bel"li*bone, n. Etym: [F. belle et bonne, beautiful and good.]

Defn: A woman excelling both in beauty and goodness; a fair maid. [Obs.] Spenser.

BELLIC; BELLICAL Bel"lic, Bel"li*cal, a. Etym: [L. bellicus. See Bellicose.]

Defn: Of or pertaining to war; warlike; martial. [Obs.] "Bellic Cæsar." Feltham.

BELLICOSE Bel"li*cose`, a. Etym: [L. bellicosus, fr. bellicus of war, fr. bellum war. See Duel.]

Defn: Inclined to war or contention; warlike; pugnacious. Arnold was, in fact, in a bellicose vein. W. Irving.

BELLICOSELY Bel"li*cose`ly, adv.

Defn: In a bellicose manner.

BELLICOUS Bel"li*cous, a.

Defn: Bellicose. [Obs.]

BELLIED Bel"lied

Defn: , a. Having (such) a belly; puffed out; -- used in composition; as, pot-bellied; shad-bellied.

BELLIGERENCE; BELLIGERENCY Bel*lig"er*ence, Bel*lig"er*en*cy, n.

Defn: The quality of being belligerent; act or state of making war; warfare.

BELLIGERENT Bel*lig"er*ent, a. Etym: [L. bellum war + gerens, -entis, waging, p. pr. of gerere to wage: cf. F. belligérant. See Bellicose, Jest.]

1. Waging war; carrying on war. "Belligerent powers." E. Everett.

2. Pertaining, or tending, to war; of or relating to belligerents; as, a belligerent tone; belligerent rights.

BELLIGERENT Bel*lig"er*ent, n.

Defn: A nation or state recognized as carrying on war; a person engaged in warfare.

BELLIGERENTLY Bel*lig"er*ent*ly, adv.

Defn: In a belligerent manner; hostilely.

BELLING Bell"ing, n. Etym: [From Bell to bellow.]

Defn: A bellowing, as of a deer in rutting time. Johnson.

BELLIPOTENT Bel*lip"o*tent, a. Etym: [L. bellipotens; bellum war + potens powerful, p. pr. of posse to be able.]

Defn: Mighty in war; armipotent. [R.] Blount.

BELL JAR Bell" jar`. (Phys.)

Defn: A glass vessel, varying in size, open at the bottom and closed at the top like a bell, and having a knob or handle at the top for lifting it. It is used for a great variety of purposes; as, with the air pump, and for holding gases, also for keeping the dust from articles exposed to view.

BELLMAN Bell"man, n.

Defn: A man who rings a bell, especially to give notice of anything in the streets. Formerly, also, a night watchman who called the hours. Milton.

BELL METAL Bell" met`al.

Defn: A hard alloy or bronze, consisting usually of about three parts of copper to one of tin; -- used for making bells. Bell metal ore, a sulphide of tin, copper, and iron; the mineral stannite.

BELL-MOUTHED Bell"-mouthed`, a.

Defn: Expanding at the mouth; as, a bell-mouthed gun. Byron.

BELLON Bel"lon, n.

Defn: Lead colic.

BELLONA Bel*lo"na, n. Etym: [L., from bellum war.] (Rom. Myth.)

Defn: The goddess of war.

BELLOW Bel"low, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bellowed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bellowing.] Etym: [OE. belwen, belowen, AS. bylgean, fr. bellan; akin to G. bellen, and perh. to L. flere to weep, OSlav. bleja to bleat, Lith. balsas voice. Cf. Bell, n. & v., Bawl, Bull.]

1. To make a hollow, loud noise, as an enraged bull.

2. To bowl; to vociferate; to clamor. Dryden.

3. To roar; as the sea in a tempest, or as the wind when violent; to make a loud, hollow, continued sound. The bellowing voice of boiling seas. Dryden.

BELLOW Bel"low, v. t.

Defn: To emit with a loud voice; to shout; -- used with out. "Would bellow out a laugh." Dryden.

BELLOW Bel"low, n.

Defn: A loud resounding outcry or noise, as of an enraged bull; a roar.

BELLOWER Bel"low*er, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, bellows.

BELLOWS Bel"lows, n. sing. & pl. Etym: [OE. bely, below, belly, bellows, AS. bælg, bælig, bag, bellows, belly. Bellows is prop. a pl. and the orig. sense is bag. See Belly.]

Defn: 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. Bellows camera, in photography, a form of camera, which can be drawn out like an accordion or bellows. -- Hydrostatic bellows. See Hydrostatic. -- A pair of bellows, the ordinary household instrument for blowing fires, consisting of two nearly heart-shaped boards with handles, connected by leather, and having a valve and tube.

BELLOWS FISH Bel"lows fish`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A European fish (Centriscus scolopax), distinguished by a long tubular snout, like the pipe of a bellows; -- called also trumpet fish, and snipe fish.

BELL PEPPER Bell" pep`per. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of Capsicum, or Guinea pepper (C. annuum). It is the red pepper of the gardens.

BELL PROCESS Bell process. (Iron Metal.)

Defn: The process of washing molten pig iron by adding iron oxide, proposed by I. Lowthian Bell of England about 1875.

BELL-SHAPED Bell"-shaped`, a.

Defn: Having the shape of a widemouthed bell; campanulate.

BELL'S PALSY Bell's palsy.

Defn: Paralysis of the facial nerve, producing distortion of one side of the face.

BELL SYSTEM OF CONTROL Bell system of control. (Aëronautics)

Defn: See Cloche.

BELLUINE Bel"lu*ine, a. Etym: [L. belluinus, fr. bellua beast.]

Defn: Pertaining to, or like, a beast; brutal. [R.] Animal and belluine life. Atterbury.

BELLWETHER Bell"weth`er, n.

1. A wether, or sheep, which leads the flock, with a bell on his neck.

2. Hence: A leader. [Contemptuous] Swift.

BELLWORT Bell"wort", n. (Bot.)

Defn: A genus of plants (Uvularia) with yellowish bell-shaped flowers.

BELLY Bel"ly, n.; pl. Bellies. Etym: [OE. bali, bely, AS. belg, bælg, bælig, bag, bellows, belly; akin to Icel. belgr bag, bellows, Sw. bälg, Dan. bælg, D. & G. balg, cf. W. bol the paunch or belly, dim. boly, Ir. bolg. Cf. Bellows, Follicle, Fool, Bilge.]

1. That part of the human body which extends downward from the breast to the thighs, and contains the bowels, or intestines; the abdomen.

Note: Formerly all the splanchnic or visceral cavities were called bellies; -- the lower belly being the abdomen; the middle belly, the thorax; and the upper belly, the head. Dunglison.

2. The under part of the body of animals, corresponding to the human belly. Underneath the belly of their steeds. Shak.

3. The womb. [Obs.] Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. Jer. i. 5.

4. The part of anything which resembles the human belly in protuberance or in cavity; the innermost part; as, the belly of a flask, muscle, sail, ship. Out of the belly of hell cried I. Jonah ii. 2.

5. (Arch.)

Defn: The hollow part of a curved or bent timber, the convex part of which is the back. Belly doublet, a doublet of the 16th century, hanging down so as to cover the belly. Shak. -- Belly fretting, the chafing of a horse's belly with a girth. Johnson. -- Belly timber, food. [Ludicrous] Prior. -- Belly worm, a worm that breeds or lives in the belly (stomach or intestines). Johnson.

BELLY Bel"ly, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bellied; p. pr. & vb. n. Bellying.]

Defn: To cause to swell out; to fill. [R.] Your breath of full consent bellied his sails. Shak.

BELLY Bel"ly, v. i.

Defn: To swell and become protuberant, like the belly; to bulge. The bellying canvas strutted with the gale. Dryden.

BELLYACHE Bel"ly*ache`, n.

Defn: Pain in the bowels; colic.

BELLYBAND Bel"ly*band`, n.

1. A band that passes under the belly of a horse and holds the saddle or harness in place; a girth.

2. A band of flannel or other cloth about the belly.

3. (Naut.)

Defn: A band of canvas, to strengthen a sail.

BELLYBOUND Bel"ly*bound` (, a.

Defn: Costive; constipated.

BELLYCHEAT Bel"ly*cheat`, n.

Defn: An apron or covering for the front of the person. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

BELLYCHEER Bel"ly*cheer`, n. Etym: [Perh. from F. belle chère.]

Defn: Good cheer; viands. [Obs.] "Bellycheer and banquets." Rowlands. "Loaves and bellycheer." Milton.

BELLYCHEER Bel"ly*cheer`, v. i.

Defn: To revel; to feast. [Obs.] A pack of clergymen [assembled] by themselves to bellycheer in their presumptuous Sion. Milton.

BELLYFUL Bel"ly*ful, n.

Defn: As much as satisfies the appetite. Hence: A great abundance; more than enough. Lloyd. King James told his son that he would have his bellyful of parliamentary impeachments. Johnson.

BELLY-GOD Bel"ly-god`, n.

Defn: One whose great pleasure it is to gratify his appetite; a glutton; an epicure.

BELLY-PINCHED Bel"ly-pinched`, a.

Defn: Pinched with hunger; starved. "The belly-pinched wolf." Shak.

BELOCK Be*lock", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Belocked.] Etym: [Pref. be- + lock: cf. AS. bel.]

Defn: To lock, or fasten as with a lock. [Obs.] Shak.

BELOMANCY Bel"o*man`cy, n. Etym: [Gr. ; arrow + a diviner: cf. F. bélomancie.]

Defn: A kind of divination anciently practiced by means of marked arrows drawn at random from a bag or quiver, the marks on the arrows drawn being supposed to foreshow the future. Encyc. Brit.

BELONG Be*long", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Belonged; p. pr. & vb. n. Belonging.] Etym: [OE. belongen (akin to D. belangen to concern, G. belangen to attain to, to concern); pref. be- + longen to desire. See Long, v. i.]

Note: [Usually construed with to.]

1. To be the property of; as, Jamaica belongs to Great Britain.

2. To be a part of, or connected with; to be appendant or related; to owe allegiance or service. A desert place belonging to . . . Bethsaids. Luke ix. 10. The mighty men which belonged to David. 1 Kings i. 8.

3. To be the concern or proper business or function of; to appertain to. "Do not interpretations belong to God " Gen. xl. 8.

4. To be suitable for; to be due to. Strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age. Heb. v. 14. No blame belongs to thee. Shak.

5. To be native to, or an inhabitant of; esp. to have a legal residence, settlement, or inhabitancy, whether by birth or operation of law, so as to be entitled to maintenance by the parish or town. Bastards also are settled in the parishes to which the mothers belong. Blackstone.

BELONG Be*long", v. t.

Defn: To be deserved by. [Obs.] More evils belong us than happen to us. B. Jonson.

BELONGING Be*long"ing, n. Etym: [Commonly in the pl.]

1. That which belongs to one; that which pertains to one; hence, goods or effects. "Thyself and thy belongings." Shak.

2. That which is connected with a principal or greater thing; an appendage; an appurtenance.

3. Family; relations; household. [Colloq.] Few persons of her ladyship's belongings stopped, before they did her bidding, to ask her reasons. Thackeray.

BELONITE Bel"o*nite, n. Etym: [Gr. a needle.] (Min.)

Defn: Minute acicular or dendritic crystalline forms sometimes observed in glassy volcanic rocks.

BELOOCHE; BELOOCHEE Bel*oo"che Bel*oo"chee, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Beloochistan, or to its inhabitants. -- n.

Defn: A native or an inhabitant of Beloochistan.

BELORD Be*lord", v. t.

1. To act the lord over.

2. To address by the title of "lord".

BELOVE Be*love", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beloved.] Etym: [OE. bilufien. See pref. Be-, and Love, v. t.]

Defn: To love. [Obs.] Wodroephe.

BELOVED Be*loved", p. p. & a.

Defn: Greatly loved; dear to the heart. Antony, so well beloved of Cæsar. Shak. This is my beloved Son. Matt. iii. 17.

BELOVED Be*lov"ed, n.

Defn: One greatly loved. My beloved is mine, and I am his. Cant. ii. 16.

BELOW Be*low", prep. Etym: [Pref. be- by + low.]

1. Under, or lower in place; beneath not so high; as, below the moon; below the knee. Shak.

2. Inferior to in rank, excellence, dignity, value, amount, price, etc.; lower in quality. "One degree below kings." Addison.

3. Unworthy of; unbefitting; beneath. They beheld, with a just loathing and disdain, . . . how below all history the persons and their actions were. Milton. Who thinks no fact below his regard. Hallam.

Syn. -- Underneath; under; beneath.

BELOW Be*low", adv.

1. In a lower place, with respect to any object; in a lower room; beneath. Lord Marmion waits below. Sir W. Scott.

2. On the earth, as opposed to the heavens. The fairest child of Jove below. Prior.

3. In hell, or the regions of the dead. What businesss brought him to the realms below. Dryden.

4. In court or tribunal of inferior jurisdiction; as, at the trial below. Wheaton.

5. In some part or page following.

BELOWT Be*lowt", v. t.

Defn: To treat as a lout; to talk abusively to. [Obs.] Camden.

BELSIRE Bel"sire`, n. Etym: [Pref. bel- + sire. Cf. Beldam.]

Defn: A grandfather, or ancestor. "His great belsire Brute." [Obs.] Drayton.

BELSWAGGER Bel"swag`ger, n. Etym: [Contr. from bellyswagger.]

Defn: A lewd man; also, a bully. [Obs.] Dryden.

BELT Belt, n. Etym: [AS. belt; akin to Icel. belti, Sw. bälte, Dan. bælte, OHG. balz, L. balteus, Ir. & Gael. balt bo

1. That which engirdles a person or thing; a band or girdle; as, a lady's belt; a sword belt. The shining belt with gold inlaid. Dryden.

2. That which restrains or confines as a girdle. He cannot buckle his distempered cause Within the belt of rule. Shak.

3. Anything that resembles a belt, or that encircles or crosses like a belt; a strip or stripe; as, a belt of trees; a belt of sand.

4. (Arch.)

Defn: Same as Band, n., 2. A very broad band is more properly termed a belt.

5. (Astron.)

Defn: One of certain girdles or zones on the surface of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, supposed to be of the nature of clouds.

6. (Geog.)

Defn: A narrow passage or strait; as, the Great Belt and the Lesser Belt, leading to the Baltic Sea.

7. (Her.)

Defn: A token or badge of knightly rank.

8. (Mech.)

Defn: A band of leather, or other flexible substance, passing around two wheels, and communicating motion from one to the other.

Note: [See Illust. of Pulley.]

9. (Nat. Hist.)

Defn: A band or stripe, as of color, round any organ; or any circular ridge or series of ridges. Belt lacing, thongs used for lacing together the ends of machine belting.

BELT Belt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Belted; p. pr. & vb. n. Belting.]

Defn: To encircle with, or as with, a belt; to encompass; to surround. A coarse black robe belted round the waist. C. Reade. They belt him round with hearts undaunted. Wordsworth.

2. To shear, as the buttocks and tails of sheep. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

BELTANE Bel"tane, n. Etym: [Gael. bealltainn, bealltuinn.]

1. The first day of May (Old Style). The quarter-days anciently in Scotland were Hallowmas, Candlemas, Beltane, and Lammas. New English Dict.

2. 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.

BELTED Belt"ed, a.

1. Encircled by, or secured with, a belt; as, a belted plaid; girt with a belt, as an honorary distinction; as, a belted knight; a belted earl.

2. Marked with a band or circle; as, a belted stalk.

3. Worn in, or suspended from, the belt. Three men with belted brands. Sir W. Scott. Belted cattle, cattle originally from Dutch stock, having a broad band of white round the middle, while the rest of the body is black; -- called also blanketed cattle.

BELTEIN; BELTIN Bel"tein, Bel"tin, n.

Defn: See Beltane.

BELTING Belt"ing, n.

Defn: The material of which belts for machinery are made; also, belts, taken collectively.

BELUGA Be*lu"ga, n. Etym: [Russ. bieluga a sort of large sturgeon, prop. white fish, fr. bieluii white.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A cetacean allied to the dolphins.

Note: The northern beluga (Delphinapterus catodon) is the white whale and white fish of the whalers. It grows to be from twelve to eighteen feet long.

BELUTE Be*lute", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beluted; p. pr. & vb. n. Beluting.] Etym: [Pref. be- + L. lutum mud.]

Defn: To bespatter, as with mud. [R.] Sterne.

BELVEDERE Bel`ve*dere", n. Etym: [It., fr. bello, bel, beautiful + vedere to see.] (Arch.)

Defn: A small building, or a part of a building, more or less open, constructed in a place commanding a fine prospect.

BELZEBUTH Bel"ze*buth, n. Etym: [From Beelzebub.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth) of Brazil.

BEMA Be"ma, n. Etym: [Gr. step, platform.]

1. (Gr. Antiq.)

Defn: A platform from which speakers addressed an assembly. Mitford.

2. (Arch.) (a) That part of an early Christian church which was reserved for the higher clergy; the inner or eastern part of the chancel. (b) Erroneously: A pulpit.

BEMAD Be*mad", v. t.

Defn: To make mad. [Obs.] Fuller.

BEMANGLE Be*man"gle, v. t.

Defn: To mangle; to tear asunder. [R.] Beaumont.

BEMASK Be*mask", v. t.

Defn: To mask; to conceal.

BEMASTER Be*mas"ter, v. t.

Defn: To master thoroughly.

BEMAUL Be*maul", v. t.

Defn: To maul or beat severely; to bruise. "In order to bemaul Yorick." Sterne.

BEMAZE Be*maze, v. t. Etym: [OE. bimasen; pref. be- + masen to maze.]

Defn: To bewilder. Intellects bemazed in endless doubt. Cowper.

BEMEAN Be*mean", v. t.

Defn: To make mean; to lower. C. Reade.

BEMEET Be*meet", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bemet; p. pr. & vb. n. Bemeeting.]

Defn: To meet. [Obs.] Our very loving sister, well bemet. Shak.

BEMETE Be*mete", v. t.

Defn: To mete. [Obs.] Shak.

BEMINGLE Be*min"gle, v. t.

Defn: To mingle; to mix.

BEMIRE Be*mire", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bemired; p. pr. & vb. n. Bemiring.]

Defn: To drag through, encumber with, or fix in, the mire; to soil by passing through mud or dirt. Bemired and benighted in the dog. Burke.

BEMIST Be*mist", v. t.

Defn: To envelop in mist. [Obs.]

BEMOAN Be*moan", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bemoaned; p. pr. & vb. n. Bemoaning.] Etym: [OE. bimenen, AS. bem; pref. be- + m to moan. See Moan.]

Defn: To express deep grief for by moaning; to express sorrow for; to lament; to bewail; to pity or sympathize with. Implores their pity, and his pain bemoans. Dryden.

Syn. -- See Deplore.

BEMOANER Be*moan"er, n.

Defn: One who bemoans.

BEMOCK Be*mock", v. t.

Defn: To mock; to ridicule. Bemock the modest moon. Shak.

BEMOIL Be*moil", v. t. Etym: [Pref. be- + moil, fr. F. mouiller to wet; but cf. also OE. bimolen to soil, fr. AS. mal spot: cf. E. mole.]

Defn: To soil or encumber with mire and dirt. [Obs.] Shak.

BEMOL Be"mol, n. Etym: [F. bémol, fr. bé soft.] (Mus.)

Defn: The sign [Obs.]

BEMONSTER Be*mon"ster, v. t.

Defn: To make monstrous or like a monster. [Obs.] Shak.

BEMOURN Be*mourn", v. t.

Defn: To mourn over. Wyclif.

BEMUDDLE Be*mud"dle, v. t.

Defn: To muddle; to stupefy or bewilder; to confuse.

BEMUFFLE Be*muf"fle, v. t.

Defn: To cover as with a muffler; to wrap up. Bemuffled with the externals of religion. Sterne.

BEMUSE Be*muse", v. t.

Defn: To muddle, daze, or partially stupefy, as with liquor. A parson much bemused in beer. Pope.

BEN; BEN NUT Ben, Ben" nut`. Etym: [Ar. ban, name of the tree.] (Bot.)

Defn: The seed of one or more species of moringa; as, oil of ben. See Moringa.

BEN Ben, adv. & prep. Etym: [AS. binnan; pref. be- by + innan within, in in.]

Defn: Within; in; in or into the interior; toward the inner apartment. [Scot.]

BEN Ben, n. Etym: [See Ben, adv.]

Defn: The inner or principal room in a hut or house of two rooms; -- opposed to but, the outer apartment. [Scot.]

BEN Ben.

Defn: An old form of the pl. indic. pr. of Be. [Obs.]

BENAME Be*name", v. t. [p. p. Benamed, Benempt.]

Defn: To promise; to name. [Obs.]

BENCH Bench, n.; pl. Benches. Etym: [OE. bench, benk, AS. benc; akin to Sw. bänk, Dan bænk, Icel. bekkr, OS., D., & G. bank. Cf. Bank, Beach.]

1. A long seat, differing from a stool in its greater length. Mossy benches supplied the place of chairs. Sir W. Scott.

2. A long table at which mechanics and other work; as, a carpenter's bench.

3. The seat where judges sit in court. To pluck down justice from your awful bench. Shak.

4. The persons who sit as judges; the court; as, the opinion of the full bench. See King's Bench.

5. A collection or group of dogs exhibited to the public; -- so named because the animals are usually placed on benches or raised platforms.

6. A conformation like a bench; a long stretch of flat ground, or a kind of natural terrace, near a lake or river. Bench mark (Leveling), one of a number of marks along a line of survey, affixed to permanent objects, to show where leveling staffs were placed. -- Bench of bishops, the whole body of English prelates assembled in council. -- Bench plane, any plane used by carpenters and joiners for working a flat surface, as jack planes, long planes. -- Bench show, an exhibition of dogs. -- Bench table (Arch.), a projecting course at the base of a building, or round a pillar, sufficient to form a seat.

BENCH Bench, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Benched; p. pr. & vb. n. Benching.]

1. To furnish with benches. 'T was benched with turf. Dryden. Stately theaters benched crescentwise. Tennyson.

2. To place on a bench or seat of honor. Whom I . . . have benched and reared to worship. Shak.

BENCH Bench, v. i.

Defn: To sit on a seat of justice. [R.] Shak.

BENCHER Bench"er, n.

1. (Eng. Law)

Defn: One of the senior and governing members of an Inn of Court.

2. An alderman of a corporation. [Eng.] Ashmole.

3. A member of a court or council. [Obs.] Shak.

4. One who frequents the benches of a tavern; an idler. [Obs.]

BENCH MARK Bench mark. (Leveling)

Defn: Any permanent mark to which other levels may be referred. Specif. : A horizontal mark at the water's edge with reference to which the height of tides and floods may be measured.

BENCH WARRANT Bench" war`rant. (Law)

Defn: A process issued by a presiding judge or by a court against a person guilty of some contempt, or indicted for some crime; -- so called in distinction from a justice's warrant.

BEND Bend, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bended or Bent; p. pr. & vb. n. Bending.] Etym: [AS. bendan to bend, fr. bend a band, bond, fr. bindan to bind. See Bind, v. t., and cf. 3d & 4th Bend.]

1. To strain or move out of a straight line; to crook by straining; to make crooked; to curve; to make ready for use by drawing into a curve; as, to bend a bow; to bend the knee.

2. To turn toward some certain point; to direct; to incline. "Bend thine ear to supplication." Milton. Towards Coventry bend we our course. Shak. Bending her eyes . . . upon her parent. Sir W. Scott.

3. To apply closely or with interest; to direct. To bend his mind to any public business. Temple. But when to mischief mortals bend their will. Pope.

4. To cause to yield; to render submissive; to subdue. "Except she bend her humor." Shak.

5. (Naut.)

Defn: To fasten, as one rope to another, or as a sail to its yard or stay; or as a cable to the ring of an anchor. Totten. To bend the brow, to knit the brow, as in deep thought or in anger; to scowl; to frown. Camden.

Syn. -- To lean; stoop; deflect; bow; yield.

BEND Bend, v. i.

1. To be moved or strained out of a straight line; to crook or be curving; to bow. The green earth's end Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend. Milton.

2. To jut over; to overhang. There is a cliff, whose high and bending head Looks fearfully in the confined deep. Shak.

3. To be inclined; to be directed. To whom our vows and wished bend. Milton.

4. To bow in prayer, or in token of submission. While each to his great Father bends. Coleridge.

BEND Bend, n. Etym: [See Bend, v. t., and cf. Bent, n.]

1. A turn or deflection from a straight line or from the proper direction or normal position; a curve; a crook; as, a slight bend of the body; a bend in a road.

2. Turn; purpose; inclination; ends. [Obs.] Farewell, poor swain; thou art not for my bend. Fletcher.

3. (Naut.)

Defn: A knot by which one rope is fastened to another or to an anchor, spar, or post. Totten.

4. (Leather Trade)

Defn: The best quality of sole leather; a butt. See Butt.

5. (Mining)

Defn: Hard, indurated clay; bind. Bends of a ship, the thickest and strongest planks in her sides, more generally called wales. They have the beams, knees, and foothooks bolted to them. Also, the frames or ribs that form the ship's body from the keel to the top of the sides; as, the midship bend.

BEND Bend, n. Etym: [AS. bend. See Band, and cf. the preceding noun.]

1. A band. [Obs.] Spenser.

2. Etym: [OF. bende, bande, F. bande. See Band.] (Her.)

Defn: One of the honorable ordinaries, containing a third or a fifth part of the field. It crosses the field diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base. Bend sinister (Her.), an honorable ordinary drawn from the sinister chief to the dexter base.

BENDABLE Bend"a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being bent.

BENDER Bend"er, n.

1. One who, or that which, bends.

2. An instrument used for bending.

3. A drunken spree. [Low, U. S.] Bartlett.

4. A sixpence. [Slang, Eng.]

BENDING Bend"ing, n.

Defn: The marking of the clothes with stripes or horizontal bands. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BENDLET Bend"let, n. Etym: [Bend + -let: cf. E. bandlet.] (Her.)

Defn: A narrow bend, esp. one half the width of the bend.

BENDWISE Bend"wise, adv. (Her.)

Defn: Diagonally.

BENDY Ben"dy, a. Etym: [From Bend a band.] (Her.)

Defn: Divided into an even number of bends; -- said of a shield or its charge. Cussans.

BENE Ben"e, n. (Bot.)

Defn: See Benne.

BENE Be"ne, n. Etym: [AS. b.]

Defn: A prayer; boon. [Archaic] What is good for a bootless bene Wordsworth.

BENE; BEN Bene, Ben, n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A hoglike mammal of New Guinea (Porcula papuensis).

BENEAPED Be*neaped", a. (Naut.)

Defn: See Neaped.

BENEATH Be*neath", prep. Etym: [OE. benethe, bineo, AS. beneo, beny; pref. be- + neo, ny, downward, beneath, akin to E. nether. See Nether.]

1. Lower in place, with something directly over or on; under; underneath; hence, at the foot of. "Beneath the mount." Ex. xxxii. 19. Beneath a rude and nameless stone he lies. Pope.

2. Under, in relation to something that is superior, or that oppresses or burdens. Our country sinks beneath the yoke. Shak.

3. 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. He will do nothing that is beneath his high station. Atterbury.

BENEATH Be*neath", adv.

1. In a lower place; underneath. The earth you take from beneath will be barren. Mortimer.

2. Below, as opposed to heaven, or to any superior region or position; as, in earth beneath.

BENEDICITE Ben`e*dic"i*te, n. Etym: [L., (imperative pl.,) bless ye, praise ye.]

Defn: A canticle (the Latin version of which begins with this word) which may be used in the order for morning prayer in the Church of England. It is taken from an apocryphal addition to the third chapter of Daniel.

BENEDICITE Ben`e*dic"i*te, interj. Etym: [See Benedicite, n.]

Defn: An exclamation corresponding to Bless you !.

BENEDICT; BENEDICK Ben"e*dict, Ben"e*dick, n. Etym: [From Benedick, one of the characters in Shakespeare's play of "Much Ado about Nothing."]

Defn: A married man, or a man newly married.

BENEDICT Ben"e*dict, a. Etym: [L. benedictus, p. p. of benedicere to bless. See Benison, and cf. Bennet.]

Defn: Having mild and salubrious qualities. [Obs.] Bacon.

BENEDICTINE Ben`e*dic"tine, a.

Defn: Pertaining to the monks of St. Benedict, or St. Benet.

BENEDICTINE Ben`e*dic"tine, n. (Eccl. Hist.)

Defn: One of a famous order of monks, established by St. Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century. This order was introduced into the United States in 1846.

Note: The Benedictines wear black clothing, and are sometimes called Black Monks. The name Black Fr which belongs to the Dominicans, is also sometimes applied to the Benedictines.

BENEDICTION Ben`e*dic"tion, n. Etym: [L. benedictio: cf. F. bénédiction. See Benison.]

1. The act of blessing.

2. A blessing; an expression of blessing, prayer, or kind wishes in favor of any person or thing; a solemn or affectionate invocation of happiness. So saying, he arose; whom Adam thus Followed with benediction. Milton. Homeward serenely she walked with God's benediction upon her. Longfellow. Specifically:

Defn: The short prayer which closes public worship; as, to give the benediction.

3. (Eccl.)

Defn: The form of instituting an abbot, answering to the consecration of a bishop. Ayliffe.

4. (R. C. Ch.)

Defn: A solemn rite by which bells, banners, candles, etc., are blessed with holy water, and formally dedicated to God.

BENEDICTIONAL Ben`e*dic"tion*al, n.

Defn: A book of benedictions.

BENEDICTIONARY Ben`e*dic"tion*a*ry, n.

Defn: A collected series of benedictions. The benedictionary of Bishop Athelwold. G. Gurton's Needle.

BENEDICTIVE Ben`e*dic"tive, a.

Defn: Tending to bless. Gauden.

BENEDICTORY Ben`e*dic"to*ry, a.

Defn: Expressing wishes for good; as, a benedictory prayer. Thackeray.

BENEDICTUS Ben`e*dic"tus, n. Etym: [L., blessed. See Benedict, a.]

Defn: The song of Zacharias at the birth of John the Baptist (Luke i. 68); -- so named from the first word of the Latin version.

BENEDIGHT Ben"e*dight, a.

Defn: Blessed. [R.] Longfellow.

BENEFACTION Ben`e*fac"tion, n. Etym: [L. benefactio, fr. benefacere to do good to one; bene well + facere to do. See Benefit.]

1. The act of conferring a benefit. Johnson.

2. A benefit conferred; esp. a charitable donation.

Syn. -- Gift; present; gratuity; boon; alms.

BENEFACTOR Ben`e*fac"tor,n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: One who confers a benefit or benefits. Bacon.

BENEFACTRESS Ben`e*fac"tress, n.

Defn: A woman who confers a benefit. His benefactress blushes at the deed. Cowper.

BENEFIC Be*nef"ic, a. Etym: [L. beneficus. See Benefice.]

Defn: Favorable; beneficent. Milton.

BENEFICE Ben"e*fice, n. Etym: [F. bénéfice, L. beneficium, a kindness , in LL. a grant of an estate, fr. L. beneficus beneficent; bene well + facere to do. See Benefit.]

1. A favor or benefit. [Obs.] Baxter.

2. (Feudal Law)

Defn: An estate in lands; a fief.

Note: Such an estate was granted at first for life only, and held on the mere good pleasure of the donor; but afterward, becoming hereditary, it received the appellation of fief, and the term benefice became appropriated to church livings.

3. An ecclesiastical living and church preferment, as in the Church of England; a church endowed with a revenue for the maintenance of divine service. See Advowson.

Note: All church preferments are called benefices, except bishoprics, which are called dignities. But, ordinarily, the term dignity is applied to bishoprics, deaneries, archdeaconries, and prebendaryships; benefice to parsonages, vicarages, and donatives.

BENEFICE Ben"e*fice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beneficed.]

Defn: To endow with a benefice.

Note: [Commonly in the past participle.]

BENEFICED Ben"e*ficed, a.

Defn: Possessed of a benefice o "Beneficed clergymen." Burke.

BENEFICELESS Ben"e*fice*less, a.

Defn: Having no benefice. "Beneficeless precisians." Sheldon.

BENEFICENCE Be*nef"i*cence, n. Etym: [L. beneficentia, fr. beneficus: cf. F. bénéficence. See Benefice.]

Defn: The practice of doing good; active goodness, kindness, or charity; bounty springing from purity and goodness. And whose beneficence no charge exhausts. Cowper.

Syn. -- See Benevolence.

BENEFICENT Be*nef`i*cent

Defn: , a. Doing or producing good; performing acts of kindness and charity; characterized by beneficence. The beneficent fruits of Christianity. Prescott.

Syn. -- See Benevolent.

BENEFICENTIAL Be*nef`i*cen"tial, a.

Defn: Relating to beneficence.

BENEFICENTLY Be*nef"i*cent*ly, adv.

Defn: In a beneficent manner; with beneficence.

BENEFICIAL Ben`e*fi"cial, a. Etym: [Cf. F. bénéficial, LL. beneficialis.]

1. Conferring benefits; useful; profito. The war which would have been most beneficial to us. Swift.

2. (Law)

Defn: Receiving, or entitled to have or receive, advantage, use, or benefit; as, the beneficial owner of an estate. Kent.

3. King. [Obs.] "A beneficial foe." B. Jonson.

Syn. -- See Advantage.

BENEFICIALLY Ben`e*fi"cial*ly, adv.

Defn: In a beneficial or advantageous manner; profitably; helpfully.

BENEFICIALNESS Ben`e*fi"cial*ness, n.

Defn: The quality of being beneficial; profitableness.

BENEFICIARY Ben`e*fi"ci*a*ry, a. Etym: [Cf. F. bénéficiaire, LL. beneficiarius.]

1. Holding some office or valuable possession, in subordination to another; holding under a feudal or other superior; having a dependent and secondary possession. A feudatory or beneficiary king of England. Bacon.

2. Bestowed as a gratuity; as, beneficiary gifts.

BENEFICIARY Ben`e*fi"ci*a*ry, n.; pl. Beneficiaries (.

1. A feudatory or vassal; hence, one who holds a benefice and uses its proceeds. Ayliffe.

2. One who receives anything as a gift; one who receives a benefit or advantage; esp. one who receives help or income from an educational fund or a trust estate. The rich men will be offering sacrifice to their Deity whose beneficiaries they are. Jer. Taylor.

BENEFICIATE Ben`e*fi"ci*ate, v. t. Etym: [Sp. beneficiar to benefit, to work mines.] (Mining)

Defn: To reduce (ores). -- Ben`e*fi`ci*a"tion (n.

BENEFICIENT Ben`e*fi"cient, a.

Defn: Beneficent. [Obs.]

BENEFIT Ben"e*fit, n. Etym: [OE. benefet, benfeet, bienfet, F. bienfait, fr. L. benefactum; bene well (adv. of bonus good) + factum, p. p. of facere to do. See Bounty, and Fact.]

1. An act of kindness; a favor conferred. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Ps. ciii. 2.

2. Whatever promotes prosperity and personal happiness, or adds value to property; advantage; profit. Men have no right to what is not for their benefit. Burke.

3. 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.

4. Beneficence; liberality. [Obs.] Webster (1623).

5. pl.

Defn: Natural advantaged; endowments; accomplishments. [R.] "The benefits of your own country." Shak. Benefit of clergy. (Law) See under Clergy.

Syn. -- Profit; service; use; avail. See Advantage.

BENEFIT Ben"e*fit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Benefited; p. pr. & vb. n. Benefitting.]

Defn: To be beneficial to; to do good to; to advantage; to advance in health or prosperity; to be useful to; to profit. I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Jer. xviii. 10.

BENEFIT Ben"e*fit, v. i.

Defn: To gain advantage; to make improvement; to profit; as, he will benefit by the change.

BENEFITER Ben"e*fit`er, n.

Defn: One who confers a benefit; -- also, one who receives a benefit.

BENEFIT SOCIETY Benefit society.

Defn: A society or association formed for mutual insurance, as among tradesmen or in labor unions, to provide for relief in sickness, old age, and for the expenses of burial. Usually called friendly society in Great Britain.

BENEME Be*neme", v. t. Etym: [AS. ben. Cf. Benim.]

Defn: To deprive (of), or take away (from). [Obs.]

BENEMPT Be*nempt", p. p.

Defn: of Bename.

1. Promised; vowed. [Obs.] Spenser.

2. Named; styled. [Archaic] Sir W. Scott.

BENE PLACITO Be`ne plac"i*to. Etym: [It. beneplacito pleasure, fr. L. bene well + placitus pleasing.]

1. At or during pleasure. For our English judges there never was . . . any bene placito as their tenure. F. Harrison.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: At pleasure; ad libitum.

BENET Be*net", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Benetted.]

Defn: To catch in a net; to insnare. Shak.

BENEVOLENCE Be*nev"o*lence, n. Etym: [OF. benevolence, L. benevolentia. See Benevolent.]

1. The disposition to do good; good will; charitableness; love of mankind, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness. The wakeful benevolence of the gospel. Chalmers.

2. An act of kindness; good done; charity given.

3. A species of compulsory contribution or tax, which has sometimes been illegally exacted by arbitrary kings of England, and falsely represented as a gratuity.

Syn. -- Benevolence, Beneficence, Munificence. Benevolence marks a disposition made up of a choice and desire for the happiness of others. Beneficence marks the working of this disposition in dispensing good on a somewhat broad scale. Munificence shows the same disposition, but acting on a still broader scale, in conferring gifts and favors. These are not necessarily confined to objects of immediate utility. One may show his munificence in presents of pictures or jewelry, but this would not be beneficence. Benevolence of heart; beneficence of life; munificence in the encouragement of letters.

BENEVOLENT Be*nev"o*lent, a. Etym: [L. benevolens, -entis; bene well (adv. of bonus good) + volens, p. pr. of volo I will, I wish. See Bounty, and Voluntary.]

Defn: Having a disposition to do good; possessing or manifesting love to mankind, and a desire to promote their prosperity and happiness; disposed to give to good objects; kind; charitable. -- Be*nev"o*lent*ly, adv.

Syn. -- Benevolent, Beneficent. Etymologically considered, benevolent implies wishing well to others, and beneficent, doing well. But by degrees the word benevolent has been widened to include not only feelings, but actions; thus, we speak of benevolent operations, benevolent labors for the public good, benevolent societies. In like manner, beneficent is now often applied to feelings; thus, we speak of the beneficent intentions of a donor. This extension of the terms enables us to mark nicer shades of meaning. Thus, the phrase "benevolent labors" turns attention to the source of these labors, viz., benevolent feeling; while beneficent would simply mark them as productive of good. So, "beneficent intentions" point to the feelings of the donor as bent upon some specific good act; while "benevolent intentions" would only denote a general wish and design to do good.

BENEVOLOUS Be*nev"o*lous, a. Etym: [L. benevolus.]

Defn: Kind; benevolent. [Obs.] T. Puller.

BENGAL Ben*gal", n.

1. A province in India, giving its name to various stuffs, animals, etc.

2. A thin stuff, made of silk and hair, originally brought from Bengal.

3. Striped gingham, originally brought from Bengal; Bengal stripes. Bengal light, a firework containing niter, sulphur, and antimony, and producing a sustained and vivid colored light, used in making signals and in pyrotechnics; -- called also blue light. -- Bengal stripes, a kind of cotton cloth woven with colored stripes. See Bengal, 3. -- Bengal tiger. (Zoöl.). See Tiger.

BENGALEE; BENGALI Ben*gal"ee, Ben*gal"i, n.

Defn: The language spoken in Bengal.

BENGALESE Ben`gal*ese", a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Bengal. -- n. sing. & pl. A native or natives of Bengal.

BENGOLA Ben*go"la, n.

Defn: A Bengal light.

BENIGHT Be*night", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Benighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Benighting.]

1. To involve in darkness; to shroud with the shades of night; to obscure. [Archaic] The clouds benight the sky. Garth.

2. To overtake with night or darkness, especially before the end of a day's journey or task. Some virgin, sure, . . . benighted in these woods. Milton.

3. To involve in moral darkness, or ignorance; to debar from intellectual light. Shall we to men benighted The lamp of life deny Heber.

BENIGHTMENT Be*night"ment, n.

Defn: The condition of being benighted.

BENIGN Be*nign", a. Etym: [OE. benigne, bening, OF. benigne, F. bénin, fem. bénigne, fr. L. benignus, contr. from benigenus; bonus good + root of genus kind. See Bounty, and Genus.]

1. Of a kind or gentle disposition; gracious; generous; favorable; benignant. Creator bounteous and benign. Milton.

2. Exhibiting or manifesting kindness, gentleness, favor, etc.; mild; kindly; salutary; wholesome. Kind influences and benign aspects. South.

3. Of a mild type or character; as, a benign disease.

Syn. -- Kind; propitious; bland; genial; salubrious; favorable salutary; gracious; liberal.

BENIGNANCY Be*nig"nan*cy, n.

Defn: Benignant quality; kindliness.

BENIGNANT Be*nig"nant, a. Etym: [LL. benignans, p. pr. of benignare, from L. benignus. See Benign.]

Defn: Kind; gracious; favorable. -- Be*nig"nant*ly, adv.

BENIGNITY Be*nig"ni*ty, n. Etym: [OE. benignite, F. bénignité, OF. bénigneté, fr. L. benignitas. See Benign.]

1. The quality of being benign; goodness; kindness; graciousness. "Benignity of aspect." Sir W. Scott.

2. Mildness; gentleness. The benignity or inclemency of the season. Spectator.

3. Salubrity; wholesome quality. Wiseman.

BENIGNLY Be*nign"ly, adv.

Defn: In a benign manner.

BENIM Be*nim", v. t. Etym: [AS. beniman. See Benumb, and cf. Nim.]

Defn: To take away. [Obs.] Ire . . . benimeth the man fro God. Chaucer.

BENISON Ben"i*son, n. Etym: [OE. beneysun, benesoun, OF. beneï, beneïson, fr. L. benedictio, fr. benedicere to bless; bene (adv. of bonus good) + dicere to say. See Bounty, and Diction, and cf. Benediction.]

Defn: Blessing; beatitude; benediction. Shak. More precious than the benison of friends. Talfourd.

BENITIER Bé*ni"tier`, n. Etym: [F., fr. bénir to bless.] (R. C. Ch.)

Defn: A holy-water stoup. Shipley.

BENJAMIN Ben"ja*min, n. Etym: [Corrupted from benzoin.]

Defn: See Benzoin.

BENJAMIN Ben"ja*min, n.

Defn: A kind of upper coat for men. [Colloq. Eng.]

BENJAMITE Ben"ja*mite, n.

Defn: A descendant of Benjamin; one of the tribe of Benjamin. Judg. iii. 15.

BENNE Ben"ne, n. Etym: [Malay bijen.] (Bot.)

Defn: The name of two plants (Sesamum orientale and S. indicum), originally Asiatic; -- also called oil plant. From their seeds an oil is expressed, called benne oil, used mostly for making soap. In the southern United States the seeds are used in candy.

BENNET Ben"net, n. Etym: [F. benoîte, fr. L. benedicta, fem. of benedictus, p. p., blessed. See Benedict, a.] (Bot.)

Defn: The common yellow-flowered avens of Europe (Geum urbanum); herb bennet. The name is sometimes given to other plants, as the hemlock, valerian, etc.

BENSHEE Ben"shee, n.

Defn: See Banshee.

BENT Bent,

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Bend.

BENT Bent, a. & p. p.

1. Changed by pressure so as to be no longer straight; crooked; as, a bent pin; a bent lever.

2. Strongly inclined toward something, so as to be resolved, determined, set, etc.; -- said of the mind, character, disposition, desires, etc., and used with on; as, to be bent on going to college; he is bent on mischief.

BENT Bent, n. Etym: [See Bend, n. & v.]

1. The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity; as, the bent of a bow. [Obs.] Wilkins.

2. A declivity or slope, as of a hill. [R.] Dryden.

3. A leaning or bias; proclivity; tendency of mind; inclination; disposition; purpose; aim. Shak. With a native bent did good pursue. Dryden.

4. Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course. Bents and turns of the matter. Locke.

5. (Carp.)

Defn: A transverse frame of a framed structure.

6. Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus. [Archaic] The full bent and stress of the soul. Norris.

Syn. -- Predilection; turn. Bent, Bias, Inclination, Prepossession. These words agree in describing a permanent influence upon the mind which tends to decide its actions. Bent denotes a fixed tendency of the mind in a given direction. It is the widest of these terms, and applies to the will, the intellect, and the affections, taken conjointly; as, the whole bent of his character was toward evil practices. Bias is literally a weight fixed on one side of a ball used in bowling, and causing it to swerve from a straight course. Used figuratively, bias applies particularly to the judgment, and denotes something which acts with a permanent force on the character through that faculty; as, the bias of early education, early habits, etc. Inclination is an excited state of desire or appetency; as, a strong inclination to the study of the law. Prepossession is a mingled state of feeling and opinion in respect to some person or subject, which has laid hold of and occupied the mind previous to inquiry. The word is commonly used in a good sense, an unfavorable impression of this kind being denominated a prejudice. "Strong minds will be strongly bent, and usually labor under a strong bias; but there is no mind so weak and powerless as not to have its inclinations, and none so guarded as to be without its prepossessions." Crabb.

BENT Bent, n. Etym: [AS. beonet; akin to OHG. pinuz, G. binse, rush, bent grass; of unknown origin.]

1. A reedlike grass; a stalk of stiff, coarse grass. His spear a bent, both stiff and strong. Drayton.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A grass of the genus Agrostis, esp. Agrostis vulgaris, or redtop. The name is also used of many other grasses, esp. in America.