Chapter XLII: Appendix: Vermiformis (21)

3. Any neglected field or broken ground; a common; a moor. [Obs.] Wright. Bowmen bickered upon the bent. Chevy Chase.

BENT GRASS Bent" grass`. (Bot.)

Defn: Same as Bent, a kind of grass.

BENTHAL Ben"thal, a. Etym: [Gr. the depth of the sea.]

Defn: Relating to the deepest zone or region of the ocean.

BENTHAMIC Ben*tham"ic, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Bentham or Benthamism.

BENTHAMISM Ben"tham*ism, n.

Defn: That phase of the doctrine of utilitarianism taught by Jeremy Bentham; the doctrine that the morality of actions is estimated and determined by their utility; also, the theory that the sensibility to pleasure and the recoil from pain are the only motives which influence human desires and actions, and that these are the sufficient explanation of ethical and jural conceptions.

BENTHAMITE Ben"tham*ite, n.

Defn: One who believes in Benthamism.

BENTHOS Ben"thos, n. [NL., fr. Gr. depth of the sea.]

Defn: The bottom of the sea, esp. of the deep oceans; hence (Bot. & Zoöl.), the fauna and flora of the sea bottom; -- opposed to plankton.

BENTING TIME Bent"ing time".

Defn: The season when pigeons are said to feed on bents, before peas are ripe. Bare benting times . . . may come. Dryden.

BENTY Bent"y, a.

1. A bounding in bents, or the stalks of coarse, stiff, withered grass; as, benty fields.

2. Resembling bent. Holland.

BENUMB Be*numb", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Benumbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Benumbing.] Etym: [OE. binomen, p. p. of binimen to take away, AS. beniman; pref. be + niman to take. See Numb, a., and cf. Benim.]

Defn: To make torpid; to deprive of sensation or sensibility; to stupefy; as, a hand or foot benumbed by cold. The creeping death benumbed her senses first. Dryden.

BENUMBED Be*numbed", a.

Defn: Made torpid; numbed; stupefied; deadened; as, a benumbed body and mind. -- Be*numbed"ness, n.

BENUMBMENT Be*numb"ment, n.

Defn: Act of benumbing, or state of being benumbed; torpor. Kirby.

BENZAL Ben"zal, n. Etym: [Benzoic + aldehyde.] (Chem.)

Defn: A transparent crystalline substance,

BENZAMIDE Ben*zam"ide, n. Etym: [Benzoin + amide.] (Chem.)

Defn: A transparent crystalline substance, C6H5.CO.NH2, obtained by the action of ammonia upon chloride of benzoyl, as also by several other reactions with benzoyl compounds.

BENZENE Ben"zene, n. Etym: [From Benzoin.] (Chem.)

Defn: 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. Benzene nucleus, Benzene ring (Chem.), a closed chain or ring, consisting of six carbon atoms, each with one hydrogen atom attached, regarded as the type from which the aromatic compounds are derived. This ring formula is provisionally accepted as representing the probable constitution of the benzene molecule, C6H6, and as the type on which its derivatives are formed.

BENZILE Ben"zile, n. Etym: [From Benzoin.] (Chem.)

Defn: 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 Ben"zine, n. Etym: [From Benzoin.] (Chem.)

1. 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.

2. Same as Benzene. [R.]

Note: The hydrocarbons of benzine proper are essentially of the marsh gas series, while benzene proper is the typical hydrocarbon of the aromatic series.

BENZOATE Ben"zo*ate, n. Etym: [Cf. F. benzoate.] (Chem.)

Defn: A salt formed by the union of benzoic acid with any salifiable base.

BENZOIC Ben*zo"ic, a. Etym: [Cf. F. benzoïque.]

Defn: Pertaining to, or obtained from, benzoin. Benzoic acid, or flowers of benzoin, a peculiar vegetable acid, C6H5.CO2H, obtained from benzoin, and some other balsams, by sublimation or decoction. It is also found in the urine of infants and herbivorous animals. It crystallizes in the form of white, satiny flakes; its odor is aromatic; its taste is pungent, and somewhat acidulous. -- Benzoic aldehyde, oil of bitter almonds; the aldehyde, C6H5.CHO, intermediate in composition between benzoic or benzyl alcohol, and benzoic acid. It is a thin colorless liquid.

BENZOIN Ben*zoin", n. Etym: [Cf. F. benjoin, Sp. benjui, Pg. beijoin; all fr. Ar. luban-jawi incense form Sumatra (named Java in Arabic), the first syllable being lost. Cf. Benjamin.]

Note: [Called also benjamin.]

1. 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.

2. A white crystalline substance, C14H12O2, obtained from benzoic aldehyde and some other sources.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: The spicebush (Lindera benzoin). Flowers of benzoin, benzoic acid. See under Benzoic.

BENZOINATED Ben*zoin"a*ted, a. (Med.)

Defn: Containing or impregnated with benzoin; as, benzoinated lard.

BENZOLE; BENZOL Ben"zole Ben"zol, n. Etym: [Benzoin + L. oleum oil.] (Chem.)

Defn: An impure benzene, used in the arts as a solvent, and for various other purposes. See Benzene.

Note: It has great solvent powers, and is used by manufacturers of India rubber and gutta percha; also for cleaning soiled kid gloves, and for other purposes.

BENZOLINE Ben"zo*line, n. (Chem.) (a) Same as Benzole. (b) Same as Amarine. [R.] Watts.

BENZONAPHTHOL; BENZONAPHTOL Ben`zo*naph"thol, n. Also Ben`zo*naph"tol . [Benzoin + naphthol.] (Chem.)

Defn: A white crystalline powder used as an intestinal antiseptic; beta-naphthol benzoate.

BENZOSOL Ben"zo*sol, n. (Pharm.)

Defn: Guaiacol benzoate, used as an intestinal antiseptic and as a substitute for creosote in phthisis. It is a colorless crystalline pewder.

BENZOYL Ben"zoyl, n. Etym: [Benzoic + Gr. -yl.] (Chem.)

Defn: A compound radical, C6H5.CO; the base of benzoic acid, of the oil of bitter almonds, and of an extensive series of compounds. [Formerly written also benzule.]

BENZYL Ben"zyl, n. Etym: [Benzoic + -yl.] (Chem.)

Defn: A compound radical, C6H5.CH2, related to toluene and benzoic acid; -- commonly used adjectively.

BEPAINT Be*paint", v. t.

Defn: To paint; to cover or color with, or as with, paint. Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek. Shak.

BEPELT Be*pelt", v. t.

Defn: To pelt roundly.

BEPINCH Be*pinch", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bepinched.]

Defn: To pinch, or mark with pinches. Chapman.

BEPLASTER Be*plas"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beplastered; p. pr. & vb. n. Beplastering.]

Defn: To plaster over; to cover or smear thickly; to bedaub. Beplastered with rouge. Goldsmith.

BEPLUMED Be*plumed", a.

Defn: Decked with feathers.

BEPOMMEL Be*pom"mel, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bepommeled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bepommeling.]

Defn: To pommel; to beat, as with a stick; figuratively, to assail or criticise in conversation, or in writing. Thackeray.

BEPOWDER Be*pow"der, v. t.

Defn: To sprinkle or cover with powder; to powder.

BEPRAISE Be*praise", v. t.

Defn: To praise greatly or extravagantly. Goldsmith.

BEPROSE Be*prose", v. t.

Defn: To reduce to prose. [R.] "To beprose all rhyme." Mallet.

BEPUFFED Be*puffed", a.

Defn: Puffed; praised. Carlyle.

BEPURPLE Be*pur"ple, v. t.

Defn: To tinge or dye with a purple color.

BEQUEATH Be*queath", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bequeathed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bequeathing.] Etym: [OE. biquethen, AS. becwe to say, affirm, bequeath; pref. be- + cwe to say, speak. See Quoth.]

1. To give or leave by will; to give by testament; -- said especially of personal property. My heritage, which my dead father did bequeath to me. Shak.

2. To hand down; to transmit. To bequeath posterity somewhat to remember it. Glanvill.

3. To give; to offer; to commit. [Obs.] To whom, with all submission, on my knee I do bequeath my faithful services And true subjection everlastingly. Shak.

Syn. -- To Bequeath, Devise. Both these words denote the giving or disposing of property by will. Devise, in legal usage, is property used to denote a gift by will of real property, and he to whom it is given is called the devisee. Bequeath is properly applied to a gift by will or legacy; i. e., of personal property; the gift is called a legacy, and he who receives it is called a legatee. In popular usage the word bequeath is sometimes enlarged so as to embrace devise; and it is sometimes so construed by courts.

BEQUEATHABLE Be*queath"a*ble, a.

Defn: Capable of being bequeathed.

BEQUEATHAL Be*queath"al, n.

Defn: The act of bequeathing; bequeathment; bequest. Fuller.

BEQUEATHMENT Be*queath"ment, n.

Defn: The act of bequeathing, or the state of being bequeathed; a bequest.

BEQUEST Be*quest", n. Etym: [OE. biquest, corrupted fr. bequide; pref. be- + AS. cwide a saying, becwe to bequeath. The ending -est is probably due to confusion with quest. See Bequeath, Quest.]

1. The act of bequeathing or leaving by will; as, a bequest of property by A. to B.

2. That which is left by will, esp. personal property; a legacy; also, a gift.

BEQUEST Be*quest", v. t.

Defn: To bequeath, or leave as a legacy. [Obs.] "All I have to bequest." Gascoigne.

BEQUETHEN Be*queth"en,

Defn: old p. p. of Bequeath. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BEQUOTE Be*quote", v. t.

Defn: To quote constantly or with great frequency.

BERAIN Be*rain, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Berained; p. pr. & vb. n. Beraining.]

Defn: To rain upon; to wet with rain. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BERATE Be*rate", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Berated; p. pr. & vb. n. Berating.]

Defn: To rate or chide vehemently; to scold. Holland. Motley.

BERATTLE Be*rat"tle (, v. t.

Defn: To make rattle; to scold vociferously; to cry down. [Obs.] Shak.

BERAY Be*ray" v.t. Etym: [Pref. be + ray to defile]

Defn: TO make foul; to soil; to defile. [Obs.] Milton.

BERBE Berbe, n. Etym: [Cf. Berber, Barb a Barbary horse.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: An African genet (Genetta pardina). See Genet.

BERBER Ber"ber, n. Etym: [See Barbary.]

Defn: A member of a race somewhat resembling the Arabs, but often classed as Hamitic, who were formerly the inhabitants of the whole of North Africa from the Mediterranean southward into the Sahara, and who still occupy a large part of that region; -- called also Kabyles. Also, the language spoken by this people.

BERBERINE Ber"ber*ine, n. (Chem.)

Defn: An alkaloid obtained, as a bitter, yellow substance, from the root of the barberry, gold thread, and other plants.

BERBERRY Ber"ber*ry,n.

Defn: See Barberry.

BERCEUSE Ber`ceuse", n. [F.] (Mus.)

Defn: A vocal or instrumental composition of a soft tranquil character, having a lulling effect; a cradle song.

BERDASH Ber"dash

Defn: ,n.A kind of neckcloth. [Obs.] A treatise against the cravat and berdash. Steele.

BERE Bere

Defn: , v. t. Etym: [Cf. OIcel. berja to strike.] To pierce. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BERE Bere

Defn: ,n.See Bear, barley. [Scot.]

BEREAVE Be*reave" (, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bereaved (, Bereft (; p. pr. & vb. n. Bereaving.] Etym: [OE. bireven, AS. bereáfian. See Be-, and Reave.]

1. To make destitute; to deprive; to strip; -- with of before the person or thing taken away. Madam, you have bereft me of all words. Shak. Bereft of him who taught me how to sing. Tickell.

2. To take away from. [Obs.] All your interest in those territories Is utterly bereft you; all is lost. Shak.

3. To take away. [Obs.] Shall move you to bereave my life. Marlowe.

Note: The imp. and past pple. form bereaved is not used in reference to immaterial objects. We say bereaved or bereft by death of a relative, bereft of hope and strength.

Syn. -- To dispossess; to divest.

BEREAVEMENT Be*reave"ment, n.

Defn: The state of being bereaved; deprivation; esp., the loss of a relative by death.

BEREAVER Be*reav"er, n.

Defn: One who bereaves.

BEREFT Be*reft", imp. & p. p.

Defn: of Bereave.

BERENICE'S HAIR Ber`e*ni"ce's Hair`. [See Berenice's, Locks, in Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.] (Astron.)

Defn: See Coma Berenices, under Coma.

BERETTA Be*ret"ta, n.

Defn: Same as Berretta.

BERG Berg, n. Etym: [sq. root95. See Barrow hill, and cf. Iceberg.]

Defn: A large mass or hill, as of ice. Glittering bergs of ice. Tennyson .

BERGAMOT Ber"ga*mot, n. Etym: [F. bergamote, fr. It. bergamotta; prob. a corruption of Turk. beg arm

1 . (Bot.) (a) A tree of the Orange family (Citrus bergamia), having a roundish or pear-shaped fruit, from the rind of which an essential oil of delicious odor is extracted, much prized as a perfume. Also, the fruit. (b) A variety of mint (Mentha aquatica, var. glabrata).

2. The essence or perfume made from the fruit.

3. A variety of pear. Johnson.

4. A variety of snuff perfumed with bergamot. The better hand . . . gives the nose its bergamot. Cowper .

5. A coarse tapestry, manufactured from flock of cotton or hemp, mixed with ox's or goat's hair; -- said to have been invented at Bergamo, Italy. Encyc. Brit. Wild bergamot (Bot.), an American herb of the Mint family (Monarda fistulosa).

BERGANDER Ber"gan*der, n. Etym: [Berg, for burrow + gander a male goose Cf. G. bergente, Dan. gravgaas.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A European duck (Anas tadorna). See Sheldrake.

BERGERET Ber"ger*et, n. Etym: [OF. bergerete, F. berger a shepherd.]

Defn: A pastoral song. [Obs.]

BERGH Bergh, n. Etym: [AS. beorg.]

Defn: A hill. [Obs.]

BERGMASTER Berg"mas`ter, n.

Defn: See Barmaster.

BERGMEAL Berg"meal, n. Etym: [G. berg mountain + mehl meal.]

Defn: (Min.) An earthy substance, resembling fine flour. It is composed of the shells of infusoria, and in Lapland and Sweden is sometimes eaten, mixed with flour or ground birch bark, in times of scarcity. This name is also given to a white powdery variety of calcite.

BERGMOTE Berg"mote, n.

Defn: See Barmote.

BERGOMASK Ber"go*mask, n.

Defn: A rustic dance, so called in ridicule of the people of Bergamo, in Italy, once noted for their clownishness.

BERGSCHRUND Berg"schrund`, n. [G., lit., mountain gap.] (Phys. Geog.)

Defn: The crevasse or series of crevasses, usually deep and often broad, frequently occurring near the head of a mountain glacier, about where the névé field joins the valley portion of the glacier.

BERGSTOCK Berg"stock`, n. [G., lit., mountain stick.]

Defn: A long pole with a spike at the end, used in climbing mountains; an alpenstock.

BERGYLT Ber"gylt, n. Etym: [Etymol. uncertain.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The Norway haddock. See Rosefish.

BERHYME Be*rhyme" (, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Berhymed; p. pr. & vb. n. Berhyming.]

Defn: To mention in rhyme or verse; to rhyme about.

Note: [Sometimes use depreciatively.] Shak.

BERIBERI Be`ri*be"ri, n. Etym: [Singhalese beri weakness.]

Defn: An acute disease occurring in India, characterized by multiple inflammatory changes in the nerves, producing great muscular debility, a painful rigidity of the limbs, and cachexy.

BERIME Be*rime" (, v. t.

Defn: To berhyme.

Note: [The earlier and etymologically preferable spelling.]

BERING SEA CONTROVERSY Be"ring Sea Controversy.

Defn: A controversy (1886 --93) between Great Britain and the United States as to the right of Canadians not licensed by the United States to carry on seal fishing in the Bering Sea, over which the United States claimed jurisdiction as a mare clausum. A court of arbitration, meeting in Paris in 1893, decided against the claim of the United States, but established regulations for the preservation of the fur seal.

BERKELEIAN Berke*le"ian

Defn: ,a.Of or relating to Bishop Berkeley or his system of idealism; as, Berkeleian philosophy. -- Berke"ley*ism, n.

BERLIN Ber"lin, n. Etym: [The capital of Prussia]

1. A four-wheeled carriage, having a sheltered seat behind the body and separate from it, invented in the 17th century, at Berlin.

2. Fine worsted for fancy-work; zephyr worsted; -- called also Berlin wool. Berlin black, a black varnish, drying with almost a dead surface; -- used for coating the better kinds of ironware. Ure. -- Berlin blue, Prussian blue. Ure. -- Berlin green, a complex cyanide of iron, used as a green dye, and similar to Prussian blue. -- Berlin iron, a very fusible variety of cast iron, from which figures and other delicate articles are manufactured. These are often stained or lacquered in imitation of bronze. -- Berlin shop, a shop for the sale of worsted embroidery and the materials for such work. -- Berlin work, worsted embroidery.

BERM; BERME Berm Berme, n. Etym: [F. berme, of German origin; cf. G. brame, bräme, border, akin to E. brim.]

1. (Fort.)

Defn: A narrow shelf or path between the bottom of a parapet and the ditch.

2. (Engineering)

Defn: A ledge at the bottom of a bank or cutting, to catch earth that may roll down the slope, or to strengthen the bank.

BERMUDA GRASS Ber*mu"da grass`. (Bot.)

Defn: A kind of grass (Cynodon Dactylon) esteemed for pasture in the Southern United States. It is a native of Southern Europe, but is now wide-spread in warm countries; -- called also scutch grass, and in Bermuda, devil grass.

BERMUDA LILY Ber*mu"da lil"y. (Bot.)

Defn: The large white lily (Lilium longiflorum eximium, syn. L. Harrisii) which is extensively cultivated in Bermuda.

BERNACLE Ber"na*cle, n.

Defn: See Barnacle.

BERNA FLY Ber"na fly`. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A Brazilian dipterous insect of the genus Trypeta, which lays its eggs in the nostrils or in wounds of man and beast, where the larvæ do great injury.

BERNARDINE Ber"nar*dine, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, or to the Cistercian monks. -- n.

Defn: A Cistercian monk.

BERNESE Ber*nese", a.

Defn: Pertaining to the city o -- n. sing. & pl.

Defn: A native or natives of Bern.

BERNICLE Ber"ni*cle, n. Etym: [OE. bernak, bernacle; cf. OF. bernac; prob. fr. LL. bernacula for hibernicula, bernicula, fr. Hibernia; the birds coming from Hibernia or Ireland. Cf. 1st Barnacle.]

Defn: A bernicle goose. [Written also barnacle.] Bernicle goose (Zoöl.), a goose (Branta leucopsis), of Arctic Europe and America. It was formerly believed that it hatched from the cirripeds of the sea (Lepas), which were, therefore, called barnacles, goose barnacles, or Anatifers. The name is also applied to other related species. See Anatifa and Cirripedia.

BERNOUSE Ber*nouse", n.

Defn: Some as Burnoose.

BEROB Be*rob", v. t.

Defn: To rob; to plunder. [Obs.]

BEROE Ber"o*e, n. Etym: [L. Beroe, one of the Oceanidæ Gr. : cf. F. beroé.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small, oval, transparent jellyfish, belonging to the Ctenophora.

BERRETTA Ber*ret"ta, n. Etym: [It., fr. LL. birrettum, berretum, a cap, dim. of L. birrus, birrum, a cloak to keep off rain, cf. Gr. tawny, red: cf. Sp. birreta, Pg. barrete, and E. Barret.]

Defn: A square cap worn by ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church. A cardinal's berretta is scarlet; that worn by other clerics is black, except that a bishop's is lined with green. [Also spelt beretta, biretta, etc.]

BERRIED Ber"ried, a.

Defn: Furnished with berries; consisting of a berry; baccate; as, a berried shrub.

BERRY Ber"ry, n.; pl. Berries. Etym: [OE. berie, AS. berie, berige; akin to D. bes, G. beere, OS. and OHG. beri, Icel. ber, Sw. bär, Goth. basi, and perh. Skr. bhas to eat.]

1. Any small fleshy fruit, as the strawberry, mulberry, huckleberry, etc.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A small fruit that is pulpy or succulent throughout, having seeds loosely imbedded in the pulp, as the currant, grape, blueberry.

3. The coffee bean.

4. One of the ova or eggs of a fish. Travis. In berry, containing ova or spawn.

BERRY Ber"ry, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Berried; p. pr. & vb. n. Berrying.]

Defn: To bear or produce berries.

BERRY Ber"ry, n. Etym: [AS. beorh. See Barrow a hill.]

Defn: A mound; a hillock. W. Browne.

BERRYING Ber"ry*ing, n.

Defn: A seeking for or gathering of berries, esp. of such as grow wild.

BERSEEM Ber*seem", n. [Ar. bershim clover.]

Defn: An Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) extensively cultivated as a forage plant and soil-renewing crop in the alkaline soils of the Nile valley, and now introduced into the southwestern United States. It is more succulent than other clovers or than alfalfa. Called also Egyptian clover.

BERSERK; BERSERKER Ber"serk, Ber"serk*er, n. Etym: [Icel. berserkr.]

1. (Scand. Myth.)

Defn: One of a class of legendary heroes, who fought frenzied by intoxicating liquors, and naked, regardless of wounds. Longfellow.

2. One who fights as if frenzied, like a Berserker.

BERSTLE Bers"tle, n.

Defn: See Bristle. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BERTH Berth, n. Etym: [From the root of bear to produce, like birth nativity. See Birth.] [Also written birth.]

1. (Naut.) (a) Convenient sea room. (b) A room in which a number of the officers or ship's company mess and reside. (c) The place where a ship lies when she is at anchor, or at a wharf.

2. An allotted place; an appointment; situation or employment. "He has a good berth." Totten.

3. A place in a ship to sleep in; a long box or shelf on the side of a cabin or stateroom, or of a railway car, for sleeping in. Berth deck, the deck next below the lower gun deck. Ham. Nav. Encyc. -- To give (the land or any object) a wide berth, to keep at a distance from it.

BERTH Berth, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Berthed; p. pr. & vb. n. Berthing.]

1. To give an anchorage to, or a place to lie at; to place in a berth; as, she was berthed stem to stern with the Adelaide.

2. To allot or furnish berths to, on shipboard; as, to berth a ship's company. Totten.

BERTHA Ber"tha, n. Etym: [F. berthe, fr. Berthe, a woman's name.]

Defn: A kind of collar or cape worn by ladies.

BERTHAGE Berth"age, n.

Defn: A place for mooring vessels in a dock or harbor.

BERTHIERITE Ber"thi*er*ite, n. Etym: [From Berthier, a French naturalist.] (Min.)

Defn: A double sulphide of antimony and iron, of a dark steel-gray color.

BERTHING Berth"ing, n. (Naut.)

Defn: The planking outside of a vessel, above the sheer strake. Smyth.

BERTILLON SYSTEM Ber`til`lon" sys"tem. [After Alphonse Bertillon, French anthropologist.]

Defn: A system for the identification of persons by a physical description based upon anthropometric measurements, notes of markings, deformities, color, impression of thumb lines, etc.

BERTRAM Ber"tram, n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. L. pyrethrum, Gr. a hot spicy plant, fr. fire.] (Bot.)

Defn: Pellitory of Spain (Anacyclus pyrethrum).

BERYCOID Ber"y*coid, a. Etym: [NL. beryx, the name of the typical genus + - oid.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the Berycidæ, a family of marine fishes.

BERYL Ber"yl, n. Etym: [F. béryl, OF. beril, L. beryllus, Gr. , prob. fr. Skr. vaid. Cf. Brilliant.] (Min.)

Defn: A mineral of great hardness, and, when transparent, of much beauty. It occurs in hexagonal prisms, commonly of a green or bluish green color, but also yellow, pink, and white. It is a silicate of aluminium and glucinum (beryllium). The aquamarine is a transparent, sea-green variety used as a gem. The emerald is another variety highly prized in jewelry, and distinguished by its deep color, which is probably due to the presence of a little oxide of chromium.

BERYLLINE Ber"yl*line, a.

Defn: Like a beryl; of a light or bluish green color.

BERYLLIUM Be*ryl"li*um (, n. Etym: [NL.] (Chem.)

Defn: A metallic element found in the beryl. See Glucinum.

BERYLLOID Ber"yl*loid, n. Etym: [Beryl + -oid.] (Crystallog.)

Defn: A solid consisting of a double twelve-sided pyramid; -- so called because the planes of this form occur on crystals of beryl.

BESAIEL; BESAILE; BESAYLE Be*saiel", Be*saile", Be*sayle" (, n. Etym: [OF. beseel, F. bisaïeul, fr. L. bis twice + LL. avolus, dim. of L. avus grandfather.]

1. A great-grandfather. [Obs.]

2. (Law)

Defn: 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. Blackstone.

BESAINT Be*saint", v. t.

Defn: To make a saint of.

BESANT Be*sant", n.

Defn: See Bezant.

BES-ANTLER Bes-ant"ler, n.

Defn: Same as Bez-antler.

BESCATTER Be*scat"ter, v. t.

1. To scatter over.

2. To cover sparsely by scattering (something); to strew. "With flowers bescattered." Spenser.

BESCORN Be*scorn", v. t.

Defn: To treat with scorn. "Then was he bescorned." Chaucer.

BESCRATCH Be*scratch", v. t.

Defn: To tear with the nails; to cover with scratches.

BESCRAWL Be*scrawl", v. t.

Defn: To cover with scrawls; to scribble over. Milton.

BESCREEN Be*screen", v. t.

Defn: To cover with a screen, or as with a screen; to shelter; to conceal. Shak.

BESCRIBBLE Be*scrib"ble, v. t.

Defn: To scribble over. "Bescribbled with impertinences." Milton.

BESCUMBER; BESCUMMER Be*scum"ber, Be*scum"mer, v. t. Etym: [Pref. be- + scumber, scummer.]

Defn: To discharge ordure or dung upon. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

BESEE Be*see", v. t. & i. Etym: [AS. beseón; pref. be- + to see.]

Defn: To see; to look; to mind. [Obs.] Wyclif.

BESEECH Be*seech", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besought; p. pr. & vb. n. Beseeching.] Etym: [OE. bisechen, biseken (akin to G. besuchen to visit); pref. be- + sechen, seken, to seek. See Seek.]

1. To ask or entreat with urgency; to supplicate; to implore. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts. Shak. But Eve . . . besought his peace. Milton.

Syn. -- To beg; to crave. -- To Beseech, Entreat, Solicit, Implore, Supplicate. These words agree in marking that sense of want which leads men to beg some favor. To solicit is to make a request, with some degree of earnestness and repetition, of one whom we address as a superior. To entreat implies greater urgency, usually enforced by adducing reasons or arguments. To beseech is still stronger, and belongs rather to the language of poetry and imagination. To implore denotes increased fervor of entreaty, as addressed either to equals or superiors. To supplicate expresses the extreme of entreaty, and usually implies a state of deep humiliation. Thus, a captive supplicates a conqueror to spare his life. Men solicit by virtue of their interest with another; they entreat in the use of reasoning and strong representations; they beseech with importunate earnestness; they implore from a sense of overwhelming distress; they supplicate with a feeling of the most absolute inferiority and dependence.

BESEECH Be*seech", n.

Defn: Solicitation; supplication. [Obs. or Poetic] Shak.

BESEECHER Be*seech"er, n.

Defn: One who beseeches.

BESEECHING Be*seech"ing, a.

Defn: Entreating urgently; imploring; as, a beseeching look. -- Be*seech"ing*ly, adv. -- Be*seech"ing*ness, n.

BESEECHMENT Be*seech"ment, n.

Defn: The act of beseeching or entreating earnestly. [R.] Goodwin.

BESEEK Be*seek", v. t.

Defn: To beseech. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BESEEM Be*seem", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beseemed; p. pr. & vb. n. Beseeming.] Etym: [Pref. be- + seem.]

Defn: Literally: To appear or seem (well, ill, best, etc.) for (one) to do or to have. Hence: To be fit, suitable, or proper for, or worthy of; to become; to befit. A duty well beseeming the preachers. Clarendon. What form of speech or behavior beseemeth us, in our prayers to God Hocker.

BESEEM Be*seem", v. i.

Defn: To seem; to appear; to be fitting. [Obs.] "As beseemed best." Spenser.

BESEEMING Be*seem"ing, n.

1. Appearance; look; garb. [Obs.] I . . . did company these three in poor beseeming. Shak.

2. Comeliness. Baret.

BESEEMING Be*seem"ing, a.

Defn: Becoming; suitable. [Archaic] -- Be*seem"ing*ly, adv. -- Be*seem"ing*ness, n.

BESEEMLY Be*seem"ly, a.

Defn: Fit; suitable; becoming. [Archaic] In beseemly order sitten there. Shenstone.

BESEEN Be*seen", a. Etym: [Properly the p. p. of besee.]

1. Seen; appearing. [Obs. or Archaic]

2. Decked or adorned; clad. [Archaic] Chaucer.

3. Accomplished; versed. [Archaic] Spenser.

BESET Be*set", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beset; p. pr. & vb. n. Besetting.] Etym: [AS. besettan (akin to OHG. bisazjan, G. besetzen, D. bezetten); pref. be- + settan to set. See Set.]

1. To set or stud (anything) with ornaments or prominent objects. A robe of azure beset with drops of gold. Spectator. The garden is so beset with all manner of sweet shrubs that it perfumes the air. Evelyn.

2. To hem in; to waylay; to surround; to besiege; to blockade. "Beset with foes." Milton. Let thy troops beset our gates. Addison.

3. To set upon on all sides; to perplex; to harass; -- said of dangers, obstacles, etc. "Adam, sore beset, replied." Milton. "Beset with ills." Addison. "Incommodities which beset old age." Burke.

4. To occupy; to employ; to use up. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Syn. -- To surround; inclose; environ; hem in; besiege; encircle; encompass; embarrass; urge; press.

BESETMENT Be*set"ment, n.

Defn: The act of besetting, or the state of being beset; also, that which besets one, as a sin. "Fearing a besetment." Kane.

BESETTER Be*set"ter, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, besets.

BESETTING Be*set"ting, a.

Defn: Habitually attacking, harassing, or pressing upon or about; as, a besetting sin.

BESHINE Be*shine", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beshone; p. pr. & vb. n. Beshining.]

Defn: To shine upon; to ullumine.

BESHOW Be*show", n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large food fish (Anoplopoma fimbria) of the north Pacific coast; -- called also candlefish.

BESHREW Be*shrew", v. t.

Defn: To curse; to execrate. Beshrew me, but I love her heartily. Shak.

Note: Often a very mild form of imprecation; sometimes so far from implying a curse, as to be uttered coaxingly, nay even with some tenderness. Schmidt.

BESHROUD Be*shroud", v. t.

Defn: To cover with, or as with, a shroud; to screen.

BESHUT Be*shut", v. t.

Defn: To shut up or out. [Obs.]

BESIDE Be*side", prep. Etym: [OE. biside, bisiden, bisides, prep. and adv., beside, besides; pref. be- by + side. Cf. Besides, and see Side, n.]

1. At the side of; on one side of. "Beside him hung his bow." Milton.

2. Aside from; out of the regular course or order of; in a state of deviation from; out of. [You] have done enough To put him quite beside his patience. Shak.

3. Over and above; distinct from; in addition to.

Note: [In this use besides is now commoner.] Wise and learned men beside those whose names are in the Christian records. Addison. To be beside one's self, to be out ob one's wits or senses. Paul, thou art beside thyself. Acts xxvi. 24.

Syn. -- Beside, Besides. These words, whether used as prepositions or adverbs, have been considered strictly synonymous, from an early period of our literature, and have been freely interchanged by our best writers. There is, however, a tendency, in present usage, to make the following distinction between them: 1. That beside be used only and always as a preposition, with the original meaning "by the side of; " as, to sit beside a fountain; or with the closely allied meaning "aside from", "apart from", or "out of"; as, this is beside our present purpose; to be beside one's self with joy. The adverbial sense to be wholly transferred to the cognate word. 2. That besides, as a preposition, take the remaining sense "in addition to", as, besides all this; besides the considerations here offered. "There was a famine in the land besides the first famine." Gen. xxvi. 1. And that it also take the adverbial sense of "moreover", "beyond", etc., which had been divided between the words; as, besides, there are other considerations which belong to this case. The following passages may serve to illustrate this use of the words: -- Lovely Thais sits beside thee. Dryden. Only be patient till we have appeased The multitude, beside themselves with fear. Shak. It is beside my present business to enlarge on this speculation. Locke. Besides this, there are persons in certain situations who are expected to be charitable. Bp. Porteus. And, besides, the Moor May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril. Shak. That man that does not know those things which are of necessity for him to know is but an ignorant man, whatever he may know besides. Tillotson.

Note: See Moreover.

BESIDES; BESIDE Be*sides", Be*side", adv. Etym: [OE. Same as beside, prep.; the ending -s is an adverbial one, prop. a genitive sign.]

1. On one side. [Obs.] Chaucer. Shak.

2. More than that; over and above; not included in the number, or in what has been mentioned; moreover; in addition. The men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides Gen. xix. 12. To all beside, as much an empty shade, An Eugene living, as a Cæsar dead. Pope.

Note: These sentences may be considered as elliptical.

BESIDES Be*sides, prep.

Defn: Over and above; separate or distinct from; in addition to; other than; else than. See Beside, prep., 3, and Syn. under Beside. Besides your cheer, you shall have sport. Shak.

BESIEGE Be*siege", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besieged; p. pr. & vb. n. Besieging.] Etym: [OE. bisegen; pref. be- + segen to siege. See Siege.]

Defn: To beset or surround with armed forces, for the purpose of compelling to surrender; to lay siege to; to beleaguer; to beset. Till Paris was besieged, famished, and lost. Shak.

Syn. -- To environ; hem in; invest; encompass.

BESIEGEMENT Be*siege"ment, n.

Defn: The act of besieging, or the state of being besieged. Golding.

BESIEGER Be*sie"ger, n.

Defn: One who besieges; -- opposed to the besieged.

BESIEGING Be*sie"ging, a.

Defn: That besieges; laying siege to. -- Be*sie"ging*ly, adv.

BESIT Be*sit", v. t. Etym: [Pref. be- + sit.]

Defn: To suit; to fit; to become. [Obs.]

BESLABBER Be*slab"ber, v. t.

Defn: To beslobber.

BESLAVE Be*slave", v. t.

Defn: To enslave. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

BESLAVER Be*slav"er, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Beslavered; p. pr. & vb. n. Beslavering.]

Defn: To defile with slaver; to beslobber.

BESLIME Be*slime", v. t.

Defn: To daub with slime; to soil. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

BESLOBBER Be*slob"ber, v. t.

Defn: To slobber on; to smear with spittle running from the mouth. Also Fig.: as, to beslobber with praise.

BESLUBBER Be*slub"ber, v. t.

Defn: To beslobber.

BESMEAR Be*smear", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besmeared; p. pr. & vb. n. Besmearing.]

Defn: To smear with any viscous, glutinous matter; to bedaub; to soil. Besmeared with precious balm. Spenser.

BESMEARER Be*smear"er, n.

Defn: One that besmears.

BESMIRCH Be*smirch", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besmirched; p. pr. & vb. n. Besmirching.]

Defn: To smirch or soil; to discolor; to obscure. Hence: To dishonor; to sully. Shak.

BESMOKE Be*smoke", v. t.

1. To foul with smoke.

2. To harden or dry in smoke. Johnson.

BESMUT Be*smut", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besmutted; p. pr. & vb. n. Besmutting.] Etym: [Pref. be- + smut: cf. AS. besmitan, and also OE. besmotren.]

Defn: To blacken with smut; to foul with soot.

BESNOW Be*snow", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besnowed.] Etym: [OE. bisnewen, AS. besniwan; pref. be- + sniwan to snow.]

1. To scatter like snow; to cover thick, as with snow flakes. [R.] Gower.

2. To cover with snow; to whiten with snow, or as with snow.

BESNUFF Be*snuff", v. t.

Defn: To befoul with snuff. Young.

BESOGNE Be*sogne", n. Etym: [F. bisogne.]

Defn: A worthless fellow; a bezonian. [Obs.]

BESOM Be"som, n. Etym: [OE. besme, besum, AS. besma; akin to D. bezem, OHG pesamo, G. besen; of uncertain origin.]

Defn: A brush of twigs for sweeping; a broom; anything which sweeps away or destroys. [Archaic or Fig.] I will sweep it with the besom of destruction. Isa. xiv. 23. The housemaid with her besom. W. Irving.

BESOM Be"som, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besomed.]

Defn: To sweep, as with a besom. [Archaic or Poetic] Cowper. Rolls back all Greece, and besoms wide the plain. Barlow.

BESOMER Be"som*er, n.

Defn: One who uses a besom. [Archaic]

BESORT Be*sort", v. t.

Defn: To assort or be congruous with; to fit, or become. [Obs.] Such men as may besort your age. Shak.

BESORT Be*sort", n.

Defn: Befitting associates or attendants. [Obs.] With such accommodation and besort As levels with her breeding. Shak.

BESOT Be*sot", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Besotting.]

Defn: To make sottish; to make dull or stupid; to stupefy; to infatuate. Fools besotted with their crimes. Hudibras.

BESOTTED Be*sot"ted, a.

Defn: Made sottish, senseless, or infatuated; characterized by drunken stupidity, or by infatuation; stupefied. "Besotted devotion." Sir W. Scott. -- Be*sot"ted*ly, adv. -- Be*sot"ted*ness, n. Milton.

BESOTTINGLY Be*sot"ting*ly, adv.

Defn: In a besotting manner.

BESOUGHT Be*sought", p. p.

Defn: of Beseech.

BESPANGLE Be*span"gle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bespangled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespangling.]

Defn: To adorn with spangles; to dot or sprinkle with something brilliant or glittering. The grass . . . is all bespangled with dewdrops. Cowper.

BESPATTER Be*spat"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bespattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespattering.]

1. To soil by spattering; to sprinkle, esp. with dirty water, mud, or anything which will leave foul spots or stains.

2. To asperse with calumny or reproach. Whom never faction could bespatter. Swift.

BESPAWL Be*spawl", v. t.

Defn: To daub, soil, or make foul with spawl or spittle. [Obs.] Milton.

BESPEAK Be*speak", v. t. [imp. Bespoke, Bespake (Archaic); p. p. Bespoke, Bespoken (; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespeaking.] Etym: [OE. bispeken, AS. besprecan, to speak to, accuse; pref. be- + sprecan to speak. See Speak.]

1. To speak or arrange for beforehand; to order or engage against a future time; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a favor. Concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favor. Sir W. Scott.

2. To show beforehand; to foretell; to indicate. [They] bespoke dangers . . . in order to scare the allies. Swift.

3. To betoken; to show; to indicate by external marks or appearances. When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so little the figure of a man that it bespoke him rather a monster. Locke.

4. To speak to; to address. [Poetic] He thus the queen bespoke. Dryden.

BESPEAK Be*speak", v. i.

Defn: To speak. [Obs.] Milton.

BESPEAK Be*speak", n.

Defn: A bespeaking. Among actors, a benefit (when a particular play is bespoken.) "The night of her bespeak." Dickens.

BESPEAKER Be*speak"er, n.

Defn: One who bespeaks.

BESPECKLE Be*spec"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bespeckled; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespeckling.]

Defn: To mark with speckles or spots. Milton.

BESPEW Be*spew", v. t.

Defn: To soil or daub with spew; to vomit on.

BESPICE Be*spice", v. t.

Defn: To season with spice, or with some spicy drug. Shak.

BESPIRT Be*spirt", v. t.

Defn: Same as Bespurt.

BESPIT Be*spit, v. t. [imp. Bespit; p. p. Bespit, Bespitten (; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespitting.]

Defn: To daub or soil with spittle. Johnson.

BESPOKE Be*spoke",

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Bespeak.

BESPOT Be*spot", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bespotted; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespotting.]

Defn: To mark with spots, or as with spots.

BESPREAD Be*spread", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bespread; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespreading.]

Defn: To spread or cover over. The carpet which bespread His rich pavilion's floor. Glover.

BESPRENT Be*sprent", p. p. Etym: [OE. bespreynt, p. p. of besprengen, bisprengen, to besprinkle, AS. besprengan, akin to D. & G. besprengen; pref. be- + sprengan to sprinkle. See Sprinkle.]

Defn: Sprinkled over; strewed. His face besprent with liquid crystal shines. Shenstone. The floor with tassels of fir was besprent. Longfellow.

BESPRINKLE Be*sprin"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Besprinkled; p. pr. & vb. n. Besprinkling.]

Defn: To sprinkle over; to scatter over. The bed besprinkles, and bedews the ground. Dryden.

BESPRINKLER Be*sprin"kler, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, besprinkles.

BESPRINKLING Be*sprin"kling, n.

Defn: The act of sprinkling anything; a sprinkling over.

BESPURT Be*spurt", v. t.

Defn: To spurt on or over; to asperse. [Obs.] Milton.

BESSEMER STEEL Bes"se*mer steel` (.

Defn: Steel made directly from cast iron, by burning out a portion of the carbon and other impurities that the latter contains, through the agency of a blast of air which is forced through the molten metal; -- so called from Sir Henry Bessemer, an English engineer, the inventor of the process.

BEST Best, a.; superl. of Good. Etym: [AS. besta, best, contr. from betest, betst, betsta; akin to Goth. batists, OHG. pezzisto, G. best, beste, D. best, Icel. beztr, Dan. best, Sw. bäst. This word has no connection in origin with good. See Better.]

1. Having good qualities in the highest degree; most good, kind, desirable, suitable, etc.; most excellent; as, the best man; the best road; the best cloth; the best abilities. When he is best, he is a little worse than a man. Shak. Heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight. Milton.

2. Most advanced; most correct or complete; as, the best scholar; the best view of a subject.

3. Most; largest; as, the best part of a week. Best man, the only or principal groomsman at a wedding ceremony.

BEST Best, n.

Defn: Utmost; highest endeavor or state; most nearly perfect thing, or being, or action; as, to do one's best; to the best of our ability. At best, in the utmost degree or extent applicable to the case; under the most favorable circumstances; as, life is at best very short. -- For best, finally. [Obs.] "Those constitutions . . . are now established for best, and not to be mended." Milton. -- To get the best of, to gain an advantage over, whether fairly or unfairly. -- To make the best of. (a) To improve to the utmost; to use or dispose of to the greatest advantage. "Let there be freedom to carry their commodities where they can make the best of them." Bacon. (b) To reduce to the least possible inconvenience; as, to make the best of ill fortune or a bad bargain.

BEST Best, adv.; superl. of Well.

1. In the highest degree; beyond all others. "Thou serpent! That name best befits thee." Milton. He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small. Coleridge.

2. To the most advantage; with the most success, case, profit, benefit, or propriety. Had we best retire I see a storm. Milton. Had I not best go to her Thackeray.

3. Most intimately; most thoroughly or correctly; as, what is expedient is best known to himself.

BEST Best, v. t.

Defn: To get the better of. [Colloq.]

BESTAD Be*stad", imp. & p. p. of Bestead.

Defn: Beset; put in peril. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BESTAIN Be*stain", v. t.

Defn: To stain.

BESTAR Be*star", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bestarred.]

Defn: To sprinkle with, or as with, stars; to decorate with, or as with, stars; to bestud. "Bestarred with anemones." W. Black.

BESTEAD Be*stead", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bestead or Bested, also (Obs.) Bestad. In sense 3 imp. also Besteaded.] Etym: [Pref. be- + stead a place.]

1. To put in a certain situation or condition; to circumstance; to place. [Only in p. p.] They shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: . . . and curse their king and their God. Is. viii. 21. Many far worse bestead than ourselves. Barrow.

2. To put in peril; to beset.

Note: [Only in p. p.] Chaucer.

3. To serve; to assist; to profit; to avail. Milton.

BESTIAL Bes"tial, a. Etym: [F. bestial, L. bestialis, fr. bestia beast. See Beast.]

1. Belonging to a beast, or to the class of beasts. Among the bestial herds to range. Milton.

2. Having the qualities of a beast; brutal; below the dignity of reason or humanity; irrational; carnal; beastly; sensual. Shak.

Syn. -- Brutish; beastly; brutal; carnal; vile; low; depraved; sensual; filthy.

BESTIAL Bes"tial, n.

Defn: A domestic animal; also collectively, cattle; as, other kinds of bestial. [Scot.]

BESTIALITY Bes*tial"i*ty, n. Etym: [F. bestialité.]

1. The state or quality of being bestial.

2. Unnatural connection with a beast.

BESTIALIZE Bes"tial*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bestialized; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestializing.]

Defn: To make bestial, or like a beast; to degrade; to brutalize. The process of bestializing humanity. Hare.

BESTIALLY Bes"tial*ly, adv.

Defn: In a bestial manner.

BESTIARY Bes"ti*a*ry, n. [LL. bestiarium, fr. L. bestiarius pert. to beasts, fr. bestia beast: cf. F. bestiaire.]

Defn: A treatise on beasts; esp., one of the moralizing or allegorical beast tales written in the Middle Ages.

A bestiary . . . in itself one of the numerous mediæval renderings of the fantastic mystical zoölogy. Saintsbury.

BESTICK Be*stick", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bestuck; p. pr. & vb. n. Besticking.]

Defn: To stick over, as with sharp points pressed in; to mark by infixing points or spots here and there; to pierce. Truth shall retire Bestuck with slanderous darts. Milton.

BESTILL Be*still", v. t.

Defn: To make still.

BESTIR Be*stir", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bestirred; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestirring.]

Defn: To put into brisk or vigorous action; to move with life and vigor; -- usually with the reciprocal pronoun. You have so bestirred your valor. Shak. Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake. Milton.

BESTORM Be*storm", v. i. & t.

Defn: To storm. Young.

BESTOW Be*stow", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bestowed; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestowing.] Etym: [OE. bestowen; pref. be- + stow a place. See Stow.]

1. To lay up in store; to deposit for safe keeping; to stow; to place; to put. "He bestowed it in a pouch." Sir W. Scott. See that the women are bestowed in safety. Byron.

2. To use; to apply; to devote, as time or strength in some occupation.

3. To expend, as money. [Obs.]

4. To give or confer; to impart; -- with on or upon. Empire is on us bestowed. Cowper. Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor. 1 Cor. xiii. 3.

5. To give in marriage. I could have bestowed her upon a fine gentleman. Tatler.

6. To demean; to conduct; to behave; -- followed by a reflexive pronoun. [Obs.] How might we see Falstaff bestow himself to-night in his true colors, and not ourselves be seen Shak.

Syn. -- To give; grant; present; confer; accord.

BESTOWAL Be*stow"al, n.

Defn: The act of bestowing; disposal.

BESTOWER Be*stow"er, n.

Defn: One that bestows.

BESTOWMENT Be*stow"ment, n.

1. The act of giving or bestowing; a conferring or bestowal. If we consider this bestowment of gifts in this view. Chauncy.

2. That which is given or bestowed. They almost refuse to give due praise and credit to God's own bestowments. I. Taylor.

BESTRADDLE Be*strad"dle, v. t.

Defn: To bestride.

BESTRAUGHT Be*straught", a. Etym: [Pref. be- + straught; prob. here used for distraught.]

Defn: Out of one's senses; distracted; mad. [Obs.] Shak.

BESTREAK Be*streak", v. t.

Defn: To streak.

BESTREW Be*strew", v. t. [imp. Bestrewed; p. p. Bestrewed, Bestrown (p. pr. & vb. n. Bestrewing.]

Defn: To strew or scatter over; to besprinkle. [Spelt also bestrow.] Milton.

BESTRIDE Be*stride", v. t. [imp. Bestrode, (Obs. or R.) Bestrid (; p. p. Bestridden, Bestrid, Bestrode; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestriding.] Etym: [AS. bestridan; pref. be- + stridan to stride.]

1. To stand or sit with anything between the legs, or with the legs astride; to stand over That horse that thou so often hast bestrid. Shak. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus. Shak.

2. To step over; to stride over or across; as, to bestride a threshold.

BESTRODE Be*strode",

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Bestride.

BESTROWN Be*strown",

Defn: p. p. of Bestrew.

BESTUCK Be*stuck",

Defn: imp. & p. p. Bestick.

BESTUD Be*stud", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bestudded; p. pr. & vb. n. Bestudding.]

Defn: To set or adorn, as with studs or bosses; to set thickly; to stud; as, to bestud with stars. Milton.

BESWIKE Be*swike", v. t. Etym: [AS. beswican; be- + swican to deceive, entice; akin to OS. swikan, OHG. swihhan, Icel. svikja.]

Defn: To lure; to cheat. [Obs.] Gower.

BET Bet, n. Etym: [Prob. from OE. abet abetting, OF. abet, fr. abeter to excite, incite. See Abet.]

Defn: That which is laid, staked, or pledged, as between two parties, upon the event of a contest or any contingent issue; the act of giving such a pledge; a wager. "Having made his bets." Goldsmith.

BET Bet, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bet, Betted; p. pr. & vb. n. Betting.]

Defn: To stake or pledge upon the event of a contingent issue; to wager. John a Gaunt loved him well, and betted much money on his head. Shak. I'll bet you two to one I'll make him do it. O. W. Holmes.

BET Bet,

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Beat. [Obs.]

BET Bet, a. & adv.

Defn: An early form of Better. [Obs.] To go bet, to go fast; to hurry. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BETA Be"ta, n. [Gr. bh a.]

Defn: The second letter of the Greek alphabet, B, b. See B, and cf. etymology of Alphabet. Beta (B, b) is used variously for classifying, as: (a) (Astron.) To designate some bright star, usually the second brightest, of a constellation, as, b Aurigæ. (b) (Chem.) To distinguish one of two or more isomers; also, to indicate the position of substituting atoms or groups in certain compounds; as, b-naphthol. With acids, it commonly indicates that the substituent is in union with the carbon atom next to that to which the carboxyl group is attached.

BETACISM; BETACISMUS Be"ta*cism, Be`ta*cis"mus, n.

Defn: Excessive or extended use of the b sound in speech, due to conversion of other sounds into it, as through inability to distinguish them from b, or because of difficulty in pronouncing them.

BETAINE Be"ta*ine, n. Etym: [From beta, generic name of the beet.] (Chem.)

Defn: A nitrogenous base, C5H11NO2, produced artificially, and also occurring naturally in beetroot molasses and its residues, from which it is extracted as a white crystalline substance; -- called also lycine and oxyneurine. It has a sweetish taste.

BETAKE Be*take", v. t. [imp. Betook; p. p. Betaken; p. pr. & vb. n. Betaking.] Etym: [Pref. be- + take.]

1. To take or seize. [Obs.] Spenser.

2. To have recourse to; to apply; to resort; to go; -- with a reflexive pronoun. They betook themselves to treaty and submission. Burke. The rest, in imitation, to like arms Betook them. Milton. Whither shall I betake me, where subsist Milton.

3. To commend or intrust to; to commit to. [Obs.]

BETA RAYS Be"ta rays. (Physics)

Defn: Penetrating rays readily deflected by a magnetic or electric field, emitted by radioactive substances, as radium. They consist of negatively charged particles or electrons, apparently the same in kind as those of the cathode rays, but having much higher velocities (about 35,000 to 180,000 miles per second).

BETAUGHT Be*taught",a. Etym: [p. p. of OE. bitechen, AS. bet, to assign, deliver. See Teach.]

Defn: Delivered; committed in trust. [Obs.]

BETE Bete, v. t.

Defn: To better; to mend. See Beete. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BETEELA Be*tee"la, n. Etym: [Pg. beatilha.]

Defn: An East India muslin, formerly used for cravats, veils, etc. [Obs.]

BETEEM Be*teem", v. t. Etym: [Pref. be- + an old verb teem to be fitting; cf. D. betamen to beseem, G. ziemen, Goth. gatiman, and E. tame. See Tame, a.]

1. To give ; to bestow; to grant; to accord; to consent. [Obs.] Spenser. Milton.

2. To allow; to permit; to suffer. [Obs.] So loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Shak.

BETEL Be"tel, n. Etym: [Pg., fr. Tamil vettilei, prop. meaning, a mere leaf.] (Bot.)

Defn: A species of pepper (Piper betle), the leaves of which are chewed, with the areca or betel nut and a little shell lime, by the inhabitants of the East Indies. I is a woody climber with ovate manynerved leaves.

BETELGUESE Bet"el*guese, n. Etym: [F. Bételgeuse, of Arabic origin.] (Astron.)

Defn: A bright star of the first magnitude, near one shoulder of Orion. [Written also Betelgeux and Betelgeuse.]

BETEL NUT Be"tel nut`.

Defn: The nutlike seed of the areca palm, chewed in the East with betel leaves (whence its name) and shell lime.

BETE NOIRE Bête" noire". Etym: [Fr., lit. black beast.]

Defn: Something especially hated or dreaded; a bugbear.

BETHABARA WOOD Beth*ab"a*ra wood`. (Bot.)

Defn: A highly elastic wood, used for fishing rods, etc. The tree is unknown, but it is thought to be East Indian.

BETHEL Beth"el, n. Etym: [Heb. b house of God.]

1. A place of worship; a hallowed spot. S. F. Adams.

2. A chapel for dissenters. [Eng.]

3. A house of worship for seamen.

BETHINK Be*think", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bethought; p. pr. & vb. n. Bethinking.] Etym: [AS. be; pref. be- + to think. See Think.]

Defn: 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. I have bethought me of another fault. Shak. The rest . . . may . . . bethink themselves, and recover. Milton. We bethink a means to break it off. Shak.

Syn. -- To recollect; remember; reflect.

BETHINK Be*think", v. i.

Defn: To think; to recollect; to consider. "Bethink ere thou dismiss us." Byron.

BETHLEHEM Beth"le*hem, n. Etym: [Heb. b house of food; b house + lekhem food, lakham to eat. Formerly the name of a hospital for the insane, in London, which had been the priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem. Cf. Bedlam.]

1. A hospital for lunatics; -- corrupted into bedlam.

2. (Arch.)

Defn: In the Ethiopic church, a small building attached to a church edifice, in which the bread for the eucharist is made. Audsley.

BETHLEHEMITE; BETHLEMITE Beth"le*hem*ite, Beth"lem*ite, n.

1. An inhabitant of Bethlehem in Judea.

2. An insane person; a madman; a bedlamite.

3. One of an extinct English order of monks.

BETHOUGHT Be*thought",

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Bethink.

BETHRALL Be*thrall", v. t.

Defn: To reduce to thralldom; to inthrall. [Obs.] Spenser.

BETHUMB Be*thumb", v. t.

Defn: To handle; to wear or soil by handling; as books. Poe.

BETHUMP Be*thump", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bethumped, or Bethumpt; p. pr. & vb. n. Bethumping.]

Defn: To beat or thump soundly. Shak.