Chapter XLV: Appendix: Vermiformis (24)

Defn: The act of dividing into two parts, or of making two correspondent parts, or the state of being so divided.

BIPECTINATE; BIPECTINATED Bi*pec"ti*nate, Bi*pec"ti*na`ted, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + pectinate.] (Biol.)

Defn: Having two margins toothed like a comb.

BIPED Bi"ped, n. Etym: [L. bipes; bis twice + pes, pedis, bipède.]

Defn: A two-footed animal, as man.

BIPED Bi"ped, a.

Defn: Having two feet; two-footed. By which the man, when heavenly life was ceased, Became a helpless, naked, biped beast. Byrom.

BIPEDAL Bip"e*dal, a. Etym: [L. bipedalis: cf. F. bipédal. See Biped, n.]

1. Having two feet; biped.

2. Pertaining to a biped.

BIPELTATE Bi*pel"tate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + peltate.]

Defn: Having a shell or covering like a double shield.

BIPENNATE; BIPENNATED Bi*pen"nate, Bi*pen"na*ted, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + pennate: cf. L. bipennis. Cf. Bipinnate.]

Defn: Having two wings. "Bipennated insects." Derham.

BIPENNIS Bi*pen"nis, n. Etym: [L.]

Defn: An ax with an edge or blade on each side of the handle.

BIPETALOUS Bi*pet"al*ous, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + petalous.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having two petals.

BIPINNARIA Bi`pin*na"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. bis twice + pinna feather.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The larva of certain starfishes as developed in the free- swimming stage.

BIPINNATE; BIPINNATED Bi*pin"nate, Bi*pin"na*ted, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + pinnate; cf. F. bipinné. Cf. Bipennate.]

Defn: Twice pinnate.

BIPINNATIFID Bi`pin*nat"i*fid, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + pinnatifid.] (Bot.)

Defn: Doubly pinnatifid.

Note: A bipinnatifid leaf is a pinnatifid leaf having its segments or divisions also pinnatifid. The primary divisions are pinnæ and the secondary pinnules.

BIPLANE Bi"plane, n. [Pref. bi- + plane.] (Aëronautics)

Defn: An aëroplane with two main supporting surfaces one above the other.

BIPLANE Bi"plane, a. (Aëronautics)

Defn: Having, or consisting of, two superposed planes, aërocurves, or the like; of or pertaining to a biplane; as, a biplane rudder.

BIPLICATE Bip"li*cate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + plicate.]

Defn: Twice folded together. Henslow.

BIPLICITY Bi*plic"i*ty, n.

Defn: The state of being twice folded; reduplication. [R.] Bailey.

BIPOLAR Bi*po"lar, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + polar. Cf. Dipolar.]

Defn: Doubly polar; having two poles; as, a bipolar cell or corpuscle.

BIPOLARITY Bi`po*lar"i*ty, n.

Defn: Bipolar quality.

BIPONT; BIPONTINE Bi"pont, Bi*pont"ine, a. (Bibliog.)

Defn: Relating to books printed at Deuxponts, or Bipontium (Zweibrücken), in Bavaria.

BIPRISM Bi"prism, n. [Pref. bi- + prism.]

1.

Defn: A prism whose refracting angle is very nearly 180 degrees.

2. A combination of two short rectangular glass prisms cemented together at their diagonal faces so as to form a cube; -- called also optical cube. It is used in one form of photometer.

BIPUNCTATE Bi*punc"tate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + punctate.]

Defn: Having two punctures, or spots.

BIPUNCTUAL Bi*punc"tu*al, a.

Defn: Having two points.

BIPUPILLATE Bi*pu"pil*late, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + pupil (of the eye).] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having an eyelike spot on the wing, with two dots within it of a different color, as in some butterflies.

BIPYRAMIDAL Bi`py*ram"i*dal, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + pyramidal.]

Defn: Consisting of two pyramids placed base to base; having a pyramid at each of the extremities of a prism, as in quartz crystals.

BIQUADRATE Bi*quad"rate, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + quadrate.] (Math.)

Defn: The fourth power, or the square of the square. Thus 4x4=16, the square of 4, and 16x16=256, the biquadrate of 4.

BIQUADRATIC Bi`quad*rat"ic, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + quadratic: cf. F. biquadratique.] (Math.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the biquadrate, or fourth power. Biquadratic equation (Alg.), an equation of the fourth degree, or an equation in some term of which the unknown quantity is raised to the fourth power. -- Biquadratic root of a number, the square root of the square root of that number. Thus the square root of 81 is 9, and the square root of 9 is 3, which is the biquadratic root of 81. Hutton.

BIQUADRATIC Bi`quad*rat"ic, n. (Math.) (a) A biquadrate. (b) A biquadratic equation.

BIQUINTILE Bi*quin"tile, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + quintile: cf. F. biquintile.] (Astron.)

Defn: An aspect of the planets when they are distant from each other by twice the fifth part of a great circle -- that is, twice 72 degrees.

BIRADIATE; BIRADIATED Bi*ra"di*ate, Bi*ra"di*a`ted, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + radiate.]

Defn: Having two rays; as, a biradiate fin.

BIRAMOUS Bi*ra"mous, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + ramous.] (Biol.)

Defn: Having, or consisting of, two branches.

BIRCH Birch, n.; pl. Birches. Etym: [OE. birche, birk, AS. birce, beorc; akin to Icel. björk, Sw. björk, Dan. birk, D. berk, OHG. piricha, MHG. birche, birke, G. birke, Russ. bereza, Pol. brzoza, Serv. breza, Skr. bh. sq. root254. Cf. 1st Birk.]

1. A tree of several species, constituting the genus Betula; as, the white or common birch (B. alba) (also called silver birch and lady birch); the dwarf birch (B. glandulosa); the paper or canoe birch (B. papyracea); the yellow birch (B. lutea); the black or cherry birch (B. lenta).

2. The wood or timber of the birch.

3. A birch twig or birch twigs, used for flogging.

Note: The twigs of the common European birch (B. alba), being tough and slender, were formerly much used for rods in schools. They were also made into brooms. The threatening twigs of birch. Shak.

4. A birch-bark canoe. Birch of Jamaica, a species (Bursera gummifera) of turpentine tree. -- Birch partridge. (Zoöl.) See Ruffed grouse. -- Birch wine, wine made of the spring sap of the birch. -- Oil of birch. (a) An oil obtained from the bark of the common European birch (Betula alba), and used in the preparation of genuine ( and sometimes of the imitation) Russia leather, to which it gives its peculiar odor. (b) An oil prepared from the black birch (B. lenta), said to be identical with the oil of wintergreen, for which it is largely sold.

BIRCH Birch, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the birch; birchen.

BIRCH Birch, v. t. [imp & p. p. Birched; p. pr. & vb. n. Birching.]

Defn: To whip with a birch rod or twig; to flog.

BIRCHEN Birch"en, a.

Defn: Of or relating to birch. He passed where Newark's stately tower Looks out from Yarrow's birchen bower. Sir W. Scott.

BIRD Bird, n. Etym: [OE. brid, bred, bird, young bird, bird, AS. bridd young bird.

1. Orig., a chicken; the young of a fowl; a young eaglet; a nestling; and hence, a feathered flying animal (see 2). That ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird. Shak. The brydds [birds] of the aier have nestes. Tyndale (Matt. viii. 20).

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A warm-blooded, feathered vertebrate provided with wings. See Aves.

3. Specifically, among sportsmen, a game bird.

4. Fig.: A girl; a maiden. And by my word! the bonny bird In danger shall not tarry. Campbell. Arabian bird, the phenix. -- Bird of Jove, the eagle. -- Bird of Juno, the peacock. -- Bird louse (Zoöl.), a wingless insect of the group Mallophaga, of which the genera and species are very numerous and mostly parasitic upon birds. -- Bird mite (Zoöl.), a small mite (genera Dermanyssus, Dermaleichus and allies) parasitic upon birds. The species are numerous. -- Bird of passage, a migratory bird. -- Bird spider (Zoöl.), a very large South American spider (Mygale avicularia). It is said sometimes to capture and kill small birds. -- Bird tick (Zoöl.), a dipterous insect parasitic upon birds (genus Ornithomyia, and allies), usually winged.

BIRD Bird, v. i.

1. To catch or shoot birds.

2. Hence: To seek for game or plunder; to thieve. [R.] B. Jonson.

BIRDBOLT Bird"bolt`, n.

Defn: A short blunt arrow for killing birds without piercing them. Hence: Anything which smites without penetrating. Shak.

BIRD CAGE; BIRDCAGE Bird" cage", or Bird"cage`, n.

Defn: A cage for confining birds.

BIRDCALL Bird"call`, n.

1. A sound made in imitation of the note or cry of a bird for the purpose of decoying the bird or its mate.

2. An instrument of any kind, as a whistle, used in making the sound of a birdcall.

BIRDCATCHER Bird"catch`er, n.

Defn: One whose employment it is to catch birds; a fowler.

BIRDCATCHING Bird"catch`ing, n.

Defn: The art, act, or occupation or catching birds or wild fowls.

BIRD CHERRY Bird" cher`ry. (Bot.)

Defn: A shrub (Prunus Padus ) found in Northern and Central Europe. It bears small black cherries.

BIRDER Bird"er, n.

Defn: A birdcatcher.

BIRD-EYED Bird"-eyed`, a.

Defn: Quick-sighted; catching a glance as one goes.

BIRD FANCIER Bird" fan`ci*er.

1. One who takes pleasure in rearing or collecting rare or curious birds.

2. One who has for sale the various kinds of birds which are kept in cages.

BIRDIE Bird"ie, n.

Defn: A pretty or dear little bird; -- a pet name. Tennyson.

BIRDIKIN Bird"i*kin, n.

Defn: A young bird. Thackeray.

BIRDING Bird"ing, n.

Defn: Birdcatching or fowling. Shak. Birding piece, a fowling piece. Shak.

BIRDLET Bird"let, n.

Defn: A little bird; a nestling.

BIRDLIKE Bird"like`, a.

Defn: Resembling a bird.

BIRDLIME Bird"lime`, n. Etym: [Bird + lime viscous substance.]

Defn: An extremely adhesive viscid substance, usually made of the middle bark of the holly, by boiling, fermenting, and cleansing it. When a twig is smeared with this substance it will hold small birds which may light upon it. Hence: Anything which insnares. Not birdlime or Idean pitch produce A more tenacious mass of clammy juice. Dryden.

Note: Birdlime is also made from mistletoe, elder, etc.

BIRDLIME Bird"lime`, v. t. T

Defn: o smear with birdlime; to catch with birdlime; to insnare. When the heart is thus birdlimed, then it cleaves to everything it meets with. Coodwin.

BIRDLING Bird"ling, n.

Defn: A little bird; a nestling.

BIRDMAN Bird"man, n.

Defn: A fowler or birdcatcher.

BIRD OF PARADISE Bird" of par"a*dise. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The name of several very beautiful birds of the genus Paradisea and allied genera, inhabiting New Guinea and the adjacent islands. The males have brilliant colors, elegant plumes, and often remarkable tail feathers.

Note: The Great emerald (Paradisea apoda) and the Lesser emerald (P. minor) furnish many of the plumes used as ornaments by ladies; the Red is P. rubra or sanguinea; the Golden is Parotia aurea or sexsetacea; the King is Cincinnurus regius. The name is also applied to the longer-billed birds of another related group (Epimachinæ) from the same region. The Twelve-wired (Seleucides alba) is one of these. See Paradise bird, and Note under Apod.

BIRD PEPPER Bird" pep`per.

Defn: A species of capsicum (Capsicum baccatum), whose small, conical, coral-red fruit is among the most piquant of all red peppers.

BIRD'S-BEAK Bird's"-beak`, n. (Arch.)

Defn: A molding whose section is thought to resemble a beak.

BIRDSEED Bird"seed`, n.

Defn: Canary seed, hemp, millet or other small seeds used for feeding caged birds.

BIRD'S-EYE Bird's"-eye`, a.

1. Seen from above, as if by a flying bird; embraced at a glance; hence, generalas, a bird's-eye view.

2. Marked with spots resembling bird's eyes; as, bird's-eye diaper; bird's-eye maple.

BIRD'S-EYE Bird's"-eye`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant with a small bright flower, as the Adonis or pheasant's eye, the mealy primrose (Primula farinosa), and species of Veronica, Geranium, etc.

BIRD'S-EYE MAPLE Bird's"-eye` ma"ple.

Defn: See under Maple.

BIRD'S-FOOT Bird's"-foot`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A papilionaceous plant, the Ornithopus, having a curved, cylindrical pod tipped with a short, clawlike point. Bird's-foot trefoil. (Bot.) (a) A genus of plants (Lotus) with clawlike pods. L. corniculatas, with yellow flowers, is very common in Great Britain. (b) the related plant, Trigonella ornithopodioides, is also European.

BIRD'S-MOUTH Bird's-mouth`, n. (Arch.)

Defn: An interior acrow's-foot in the United States.

BIRD'S NEST; BIRD'S-NEST Bird's" nest`, or Bird's-nest, n.

1. The nest in which a bird lays eggs and hatches her young.

2. (Cookery)

Defn: The nest of a small swallow (Collocalia nidifica and several allied species), of China and the neighboring countries, which is mixed with soups.

Note: The nests are found in caverns and fissures of cliffs on rocky coasts, and are composed in part of algæ. They are of the size of a goose egg, and in substance resemble isinglass. See Illust. under Edible.

3. (Bot.)

Defn: An orchideous plant with matted roots, of the genus Neottia (N. nidus-avis.) Bird's-nest pudding, a pudding containing apples whose cores have been replaces by sugar. -- Yellow bird's nest, a plant, the Monotropa hypopitys.

BIRD'S-NESTING Bird's-nest`ing, n.

Defn: Hunting for, or taking, birds' nests or their contents.

BIRD'S-TONGUE Bird's"-tongue`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare).

BIRD-WITTED Bird"-wit`ted, a.

Defn: Flighty; passing rapidly from one subject to another; not having the faculty of attention. Bacon.

BIRDWOMAN Bird"wom`an, n.

Defn: An airwoman; an aviatress. [Colloq.]

BIRECTANGULAR Bi`rec*tan"gu*lar, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + rectangular.]

Defn: Containing or having two right angles; as, a birectangular spherical triangle.

BIREME Bi"reme, n. Etym: [L. biremis; bis twice + remus oar: cf. F. birème.]

Defn: An ancient galley or vessel with two banks or tiers of oars.

BIRETTA Bi*ret"ta, n.

Defn: Same as Berretta.

BIRGANDER Bir"gan*der, n.

Defn: See Bergander.

BIRK Birk, n. Etym: [See Birch, n.]

Defn: A birch tree. [Prov. Eng.] "The silver birk." Tennyson.

BIRK Birk, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A small European minnow (Leuciscus phoxinus).

BIRKEN Birk"en, v. t. Etym: [From 1st Birk.]

Defn: To whip with a birch or rod. [Obs.]

BIRKEN Birk"en, a.

Defn: Birchen; as, birken groves. Burns.

BIRKIE Bir"kie, n.

Defn: A lively or mettlesome fellow. [Jocular, Scot.] Burns.

BIRL Birl, v. t. & i.

Defn: To revolve or cause to revolve; to spin. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

BIRL Birl, v. t. & i. Etym: [AS. byrlian.

Defn: To pour (beer or wine); to ply with drink; to drink; to carouse. [Obs. or Dial.] Skelton.

BIRLAW Bir"law, n. Etym: [See By-law.] (Law)

Defn: A law made by husbandmen respecting rural affairs; a rustic or local law or by-law. [Written also byrlaw, birlie, birley.]

BIROSTRATE; BIROSTRATED Bi*ros`trate, Bi*ros"tra*ted, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + rostrate.]

Defn: Having a double beak, or two processes resembling beaks. The capsule is bilocular and birostrated. Ed. Encyc.

BIRR Birr, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Birred; p. pr. & vb. n. Birring.] Etym: [Cf. OE. bur, bir, wind, storm wind, fr. Icel. byrr wind. Perh. imitative.]

Defn: To make, or move with, a whirring noise, as of wheels in motion.

BIRR Birr, n.

1. A whirring sound, as of a spinning wheel.

2. A rush or impetus; force.

BIRRUS Bir"rus, n. Etym: [LL., fr. L. birrus a kind of cloak. See Berretta.]

Defn: A coarse kind of thick woolen cloth, worn by the poor in the Middle Ages; also, a woolen cap or hood worn over the shoulders or over the head.

BIRSE Birse, n.

Defn: A bristle or bristles. [Scot.]

BIRT Birt, n. Etym: [OE. byrte; cf. F. bertonneau. Cf. Bret, Burt.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A fish of the turbot kind; the brill. [Written also burt, bret, or brut.] [Prov. Eng.]

BIRTH Birth, n. Etym: [OE. burth, birth, AS. beor, gebyrd, fr. beran to bear, bring forth; akin to D. geboorate, OHG. burt, giburt, G. geburt, Icel. bur, Skr. bhrti bearing, supporting; cf. Ir. & Gael. beirthe born, brought forth. Bear, and cf. Berth.]

1. The act or fact of coming into life, or of being born; -- generally applied to human beings; as, the birth of a son.

2. Lineage; extraction; descent; sometimes, high birth; noble extraction. Elected without reference to birth, but solely for qualifications. Prescott.

3. The condition to which a person is born; natural state or position; inherited disposition or tendency. A foe by birth to Troy's unhappy name. Dryden.

4. The act of bringing forth; as, she had two children at a birth. "At her next birth." Milton.

5. That which is born; that which is produced, whether animal or vegetable. Poets are far rarer births that kings. B. Jonson. Others hatch their eggs and tend the birth till it is able to shift for itself. Addison.

6. Origin; beginning; as, the birth of an empire. New birth (Theol.), regeneration, or the commencement of a religious life.

Syn. -- Parentage; extraction; lineage; race; family.

BIRTH Birth, n.

Defn: See Berth. [Obs.] De Foe.

BIRTHDAY Birth"day`, n.

1. The day in which any person is born; day of origin or commencement. Those barbarous ages past, succeeded next The birthday of invention. Cowper.

2. The day of the month in which a person was born, in whatever succeeding year it may recur; the anniversary of one's birth. This is my birthday; as this very day Was Cassius born. Shak.

BIRTHDAY Birth"day`, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to the day of birth, or its anniversary; as, birthday gifts or festivities.

BIRTHDOM Birth"dom, n. Etym: [Birth + -dom.]

Defn: The land of one's birth; one's inheritance. [R.] Shak.

BIRTHING Birth"ing, n. (Naut.)

Defn: Anything added to raise the sides of a ship. Bailey.

BIRTHLESS Birth"less, a.

Defn: Of mean extraction. [R.] Sir W. Scott.

BIRTHMARK Birth"mark`, n.

Defn: Some peculiar mark or blemish on the body at birth. Most part of this noble lineage carried upon their body for a natural birthmark, . . . a snake. Sir T. North.

BIRTHNIGHT Birth"night`, n.

Defn: The night in which a person is born; the anniversary of that night in succeeding years. The angelic song in Bethlehem field, On thy birthnight, that sung thee Savior born. Milton.

BIRTHPLACE Birth"place`, n.

Defn: The town, city, or country, where a person is born; place of origin or birth, in its more general sense. "The birthplace of valor." Burns.

BIRTHRIGHT Birth"right`, n.

Defn: Any right, privilege, or possession to which a person is entitled by birth, such as an estate descendible by law to an heir, or civil liberty under a free constitution; esp. the rights or inheritance of the first born. Lest there be any . . . profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. Heb. xii. 16.

BIRTHROOT Birth"root`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: An herbaceous plant (Trillium erectum), and its astringent rootstock, which is said to have medicinal properties.

BIRTHWORT Birth"wort`, n.

Defn: A genus of herbs and shrubs (Aristolochia), reputed to have medicinal properties.

BIS Bis, adv. Etym: [L. bis twice, for duis, fr. root of duo two. See Two, and cf. Bi-.]

Defn: Twice; -- a word showing that something is, or is to be, repeated; as a passage of music, or an item in accounts.

BIS; BIS- Bis*, pref.

Defn: A form of Bi-, sometimes used before s, c, or a vowel.

BISA ANTELOPE Bi"sa an"te*lope. (Zoöl.)

Defn: See Oryx.

BISACCATE Bi*sac"cate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + saccate.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having two little bags, sacs, or pouches.

BISCAYAN Bis*cay"an, a.

Defn: Of or pertaining to Biscay in Spain. -- n.

Defn: A native or inhabitant of Biscay.

BISCOTIN Bis"co*tin, n. Etym: [F. biscotin. See Biscuit.]

Defn: A confection made of flour, sugar, marmalade, and eggs; a sweet biscuit.

BISCUIT Bis"cuit, n. Etym: [F. biscuit (cf. It. biscotto, Sp. bizcocho, Pg. biscouto), fr. L. bis twice + coctus, p. p. of coquere to cook, bake. See Cook, and cf. Bisque a kind of porcelain.]

1. A kind of unraised bread, of many varieties, plain, sweet, or fancy, formed into flat cakes, and bakes hard; as, ship biscuit. According to military practice, the bread or biscuit of the Romans was twice prepared in the oven. Gibbon.

2. A small loaf or cake of bread, raised and shortened, or made light with soda or baking powder. Usually a number are baked in the same pan, forming a sheet or card.

3. Earthen ware or porcelain which has undergone the first baking, before it is subjected to the glazing.

4. (Sculp.)

Defn: A species of white, unglazed porcelain, in which vases, figures, and groups are formed in miniature. Meat biscuit, an alimentary preparation consisting of matters extracted from meat by boiling, or of meat ground fine and combined with flour, so as to form biscuits.

BISCUTATE Bi*scu"tate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + scutate.] (Bot.)

Defn: Resembling two bucklers placed side by side.

BISE Bise, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A cold north wind which prevails on the northern coasts of the Mediterranean and in Switzerland, etc.; -- nearly the same as the mistral.

BISE Bise, n. (Paint.)

Defn: See Bice.

BISECT Bi*sect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bisected; p. pr. & vb. n. Bisecting.] Etym: [L. bis twice + secare, sectum, to cut.]

1. To cut or divide into two parts.

2. (Geom.)

Defn: To divide into two equal parts.

BISECTION Bi*sec"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. bissection.]

Defn: Division into two parts, esp. two equal parts.

BISECTOR Bi*sec"tor, n.

Defn: One who, or that which, bisects; esp. (Geom.) a straight line which bisects an angle.

BISECTRIX Bi*sec"trix, n.

Defn: The line bisecting the angle between the optic axes of a biaxial crystal.

BISEGMENT Bi*seg"ment, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + segment.]

Defn: One of tow equal parts of a line, or other magnitude.

BISEPTATE Bi*sep"tate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + septate.]

Defn: With two partitions or septa. Gray.

BISERIAL; BISERIATE Bi*se"ri*al, Bi*se"ri*ate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + serial, seriate.]

Defn: In two rows or series.

BISERRATE Bi*ser"rate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + serrate.]

1. (Bot.)

Defn: Doubly serrate, or having the serratures serrate, as in some leaves.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Serrate on both sides, as some antennæ.

BISETOSE; BISETOUS Bi*se"tose, Bi*se"tous, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + setose, setous.]

Defn: Having two bristles.

BISEXOUS Bi*sex"ous, a. Etym: [L. bis twice + sexus sex: cf. F. bissexe.]

Defn: Bisexual. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

BISEXUAL Bi*sex"u*al, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + sexual.] (Biol.)

Defn: Of both sexes; hermaphrodite; as a flower with stamens and pistil, or an animal having ovaries and testes.

BISEXUOUS Bi*sex"u*ous, a.

Defn: Bisexual.

BISEYE Bi*seye", p. p.

Defn: of Besee. [Obs.] Chaucer. Evil biseye, ill looking. [Obs.]

BISH Bish, n.

Defn: Same as Bikh.

BISHOP Bish"op, n. Etym: [OE. bischop, biscop, bisceop, AS. bisceop, biscop, L. episcopus overseer, superintendent, bishop, fr. Gr. , over + inspector, fr. root of , , to look to, perh. akin to L. specere to look at. See Spy, and cf. Episcopal.]

1. A spiritual overseer, superintendent, or director. Ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 1 Pet. ii. 25. It is a fact now generally recognized by theologians of all shades of opinion, that in the language of the New Testament the same officer in the church is called indifferently "bishop" ( J. B. Lightfoot.

2. In the Roman Catholic, Greek, and Anglican or Protestant Episcopal churches, one ordained to the highest order of the ministry, superior to the priesthood, and generally claiming to be a successor of the Apostles. The bishop is usually the spiritual head or ruler of a diocese, bishopric, or see. Bishop in partibus [infidelium] (R. C. Ch.), a bishop of a see which does not actually exist; one who has the office of bishop, without especial jurisdiction. Shipley. -- Titular bishop (R. C. Ch.), a term officially substituted in 1882 for bishop in partibus. -- Bench of Bishops. See under Bench.

3. In the Methodist Episcopal and some other churches, one of the highest church officers or superintendents.

4. A piece used in the game of chess, bearing a representation of a bishop's miter; -- formerly called archer.

5. A beverage, being a mixture of wine, oranges or lemons, and sugar. Swift.

6. An old name for a woman's bustle. [U. S.] If, by her bishop, or her "grace" alone, A genuine lady, or a church, is known. Saxe.

BISHOP Bish"op, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bishoped; p. pr. & vb. n. Bishoping.]

Defn: To admit into the church by confirmation; to confirm; hence, to receive formally to favor.

BISHOP Bish"op, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bishoped; p. pr. & vb. n. Bishoping.] Etym: [From the name of the scoundrel who first practiced it. Youatt.] (Far.)

Defn: To make seem younger, by operating on the teeth; as, to bishop an old horse or his teeth.

Note: The plan adopted is to cut off all the nippers with a saw to the proper length, and then with a cutting instrument the operator scoops out an oval cavity in the corner nippers, which is afterwards burnt with a hot iron until it is black. J. H. Walsh.

BISHOPDOM Bish"op*dom, n.

Defn: Jurisdiction of a bishop; episcopate. "Divine right of bishopdom." Milton.

BISHOPLIKE Bish"op*like`, a.

Defn: Resembling a bishop; belonging to a bishop. Fulke.

BISHOPLY Bish"op*ly, a.

Defn: Bishoplike; episcopal. [Obs.]

BISHOPLY Bish"op*ly, adv.

Defn: In the manner of a bishop. [Obs.]

BISHOPRIC Bish"op*ric, n. Etym: [AS. bisceoprice; bisceop bishop + rice dominion. See -ric.]

1. A diocese; the district over which the jurisdiction of a bishop extends.

2. The office of a spiritual overseer, as of an apostle, bishop, or presbyter. Acts i. 20.

BISHOP'S CAP Bish"op's cap`. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant of the genus Mitella; miterwort. Longfellow.

BISHOP SLEEVE Bish"op sleeve`.

Defn: A wide sleeve, once worn by women.

BISHOP'S LENGTH Bish"op's length`.

Defn: A canvas for a portrait measuring 58 by 94 inches. The half bishop measures 45 of 56.

BISHOP-STOOL Bish"op-stool`, n.

Defn: A bishop's seat or see.

BISHOP'S-WEED Bish"op's-weed`, n. (Bot.) (a) An umbelliferous plant of the genus Ammi. (b) Goutweed (Ægopodium podagraria).

BISHOP'S-WORT Bish"op's-wort`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: Wood betony (Stachys betonica); also, the plant called fennel flower (Nigella Damascena), or devil-in-a-bush.

BISIE Bis"ie, v. t.

Defn: To busy; to employ. [Obs.]

BISILICATE Bi*sil"i*cate, n. (Min. Chem.)

Defn: A salt of metasilicic acid; -- so called because the ratio of the oxygen of the silica to the oxygen of the base is as two to one. The bisilicates include many of the most common and important minerals.

BISK Bisk, n. Etym: [F. bisque.]

Defn: Soup or broth made by boiling several sorts of flesh together. King.

BISK Bisk, n. Etym: [F. bisque.] (Tennis)

Defn: See Bisque.

BISKARA BOIL; BISKARA BUTTON Bis"ka*ra boil`, Bis"ka*ra but"ton . [Named after the town Biskara, in Algeria.] (Med.)

Defn: Same as Aleppo boil.

BISMARE; BISMER Bi*smare", Bi*smer", n. Etym: [AS. bismer.]

Defn: Shame; abuse. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BISMER Bis"mer, n.

1. A rule steelyard. [Scot.]

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The fifteen-spined (Gasterosteus spinachia).

BISMILLAH Bis*mil"lah, interj. Etym: [Arabic, in the name of God!]

Defn: An adjuration or exclamation common among the Mohammedans. [Written also Bizmillah.]

BISMITE Bis"mite, n. (Min.)

Defn: Bismuth trioxide, or bismuth ocher.

BISMUTH Bis"muth, n. Etym: [Ger. bismuth, wismuth: cf. F. bismuth.] (Chem.)

Defn: One of the elements; a metal of a reddish white color, crystallizing in rhombohedrons. It is somewhat harder than lead, and rather brittle; masses show broad cleavage surfaces when broken across. It melts at 507º Fahr., being easily fused in the flame of a candle. It is found in a native state, and as a constituent of some minerals. Specific gravity 9.8. Atomic weight 207.5. Symbol Bi.

Note: Chemically, bismuth (with arsenic and antimony is intermediate between the metals and nonmetals; it is used in thermo-electric piles, and as an alloy with lead and tin in the fusible alloy or metal. Bismuth is the most diamagnetic substance known. Bismuth glance, bismuth sulphide; bismuthinite. -- Bismuth ocher, a native bismuth oxide; bismite.

BISMUTHAL Bis"muth*al, a.

Defn: Containing bismuth.

BISMUTHIC Bis"muth*ic, a. (Chem.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to bismuth; containing bismuth, when this element has its higher valence; as, bismuthic oxide.

BISMUTHIFEROUS Bis`muth*if"er*ous, a. Etym: [Bismuth + -ferous.]

Defn: Containing bismuth.

BISMUTHINE; BISMUTHINITE Bis"muth*ine, Bis"muth*in*ite, n.

Defn: Native bismuth sulphide; -- sometimes called bismuthite.

BISMUTHOUS Bis"muth*ous, a.

Defn: Of, or containing, bismuth, when this element has its lower valence.

BISMUTHYL Bis"muth*yl`, n. (Min.)

Defn: Hydrous carbonate of bismuth, an earthy mineral of a dull white or yellowish color. [Written also bismuthite.]

BISON Bi"son, n. Etym: [L. bison, Gr. , a wild ox; akin to OHG. wisunt, wisant, G. wisent, AS. wesend, Icel. visundr: cf. F. bison.] (Zoöl.) (a) The aurochs or European bison. (b) The American bison buffalo (Bison Americanus), a large, gregarious bovine quadruped with shaggy mane and short black horns, which formerly roamed in herds over most of the temperate portion of North America, but is now restricted to very limited districts in the region of the Rocky Mountains, and is rapidly decreasing in numbers.

BISPINOSE Bi*spi"nose, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + spinose.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having two spines.

BISQUE Bisque, n. Etym: [A corruption of biscuit.]

Defn: Unglazed white porcelain.

BISQUE Bisque, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A point taken by the receiver of odds in the game of tennis; also, an extra innings allowed to a weaker player in croquet.

BISQUE Bisque, n. Etym: [F.]

Defn: A white soup made of crayfish.

BISSELL TRUCK Bis"sell truck.

Defn: A truck for railroad rolling stock, consisting of two ordinary axle boxes sliding in guides attached to a triangular frame; -- called also pony truck.

BISSEXTILE Bis*sex"tile, n. Etym: [L. bissextilis annus, fr. bissextus (bis + sextus sixth, fr. sex six) the sixth of the calends of March, or twenty-fourth day of February, which was reckoned twice every fourth year, by the intercalation of a day.]

Defn: Leap year; every fourth year, in which a day is added to the month of February on account of the excess of the tropical year (365 d. 5 h. 48 m. 46 s.) above 365 days. But one day added every four years is equivalent to six hours each year, which is 11 m. 14 s. more than the excess of the real year. Hence, it is necessary to suppress the bissextile day at the end of every century which is not divisible by 400, while it is retained at the end of those which are divisible by 400.

BISSEXTILE Bis*sex"tile, a.

Defn: Pertaining to leap year.

BISSON Bis"son, a. Etym: [OE. bisen, bisne, AS. bisen, prob. for bis; bi by + s clear, akin to seón to see; clear when near, hence short-sighted. See See.]

Defn: Purblind; blinding. [Obs.] "Bisson rheum." Shak.

BISTER; BISTRE Bis"ter, Bis"tre, n. Etym: [F. bistre a color made of soot; of unknown origin. Cf., however, LG. biester frowning, dark, ugly.] (Paint.)

Defn: A dark brown pigment extracted from the soot of wood.

BISTIPULED Bi*stip"uled, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + stipule.] (Bot.)

Defn: Having two stipules.

BISTORT Bis"tort, n. Etym: [L. bis + tortus, p. p. of torquere to twist: cf. F. bistorte.] (Bot.)

Defn: An herbaceous plant of the genus Polygonum, section Bistorta; snakeweed; adderwort. Its root is used in medicine as an astringent.

BISTOURY Bis"tou*ry, n.; pl. Bistouries. Etym: [F. bistouri.]

Defn: A surgical instrument consisting of a slender knife, either straight or curved, generally used by introducing it beneath the part to be divided, and cutting towards the surface.

BISTRE Bis"tre, n.

Defn: See Bister.

BISULCATE Bi*sul"cate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + sulcate.]

1. Having two grooves or furrows.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Cloven; said of a foot or hoof.

BISULCOUS Bi*sul"cous, a. Etym: [L. bisulcus; bis twice + sulcus furrow.]

Defn: Bisulcate. Sir T. Browne.

BISULPHATE Bi*sul"phate, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + sulphate.] (Chem.)

Defn: A sulphate in which but half the hydrogen of the acid is replaced by a positive element or radical, thus making the proportion of the acid to the positive or basic portion twice what it is in the normal sulphates; an acid sulphate.

BISULPHIDE Bi*sul"phide, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + sulphide.] (Chem.)

Defn: A sulphide having two atoms of sulphur in the molecule; a disulphide, as in iron pyrites, FeS2; -- less frequently called bisulphuret.

BISULPHITE Bi*sul"phite, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of sulphurous acid in which the base replaces but half the hydrogen of the acid; an acid sulphite.

BISULPHURET Bi*sul"phu*ret, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + sulphuret.] (Chem.)

Defn: See Bisulphide.

BIT Bit, n. Etym: [OE. bitt, bite, AS. bite, bite, fr. bitan to bite. See Bite, n. & v., and cf. Bit a morsel.]

1. The part of a bridle, usually of iron, which is inserted in the mouth of a horse, and having appendages to which the reins are fastened. Shak. The foamy bridle with the bit of gold. Chaucer.

2. Fig.: Anything which curbs or restrains.

BIT Bit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Bitting.]

Defn: To put a bridle upon; to put the bit in the mouth of.

BIT Bit,

Defn: imp. & p. p. of Bite.

BIT Bit, n. Etym: [OE. bite, AS. bita, fr. bitan to bite; akin to D. beet, G. bissen bit, morsel, Icel. biti. See Bite, v., and cf. Bit part of a bridle.]

1. A part of anything, such as may be bitten off or taken into the mouth; a morsel; a bite. Hence: A small piece of anything; a little; a mite.

2. Somewhat; something, but not very great. My young companion was a bit of a poet. T. Hook.

Note: This word is used, also, like jot and whit, to express the smallest degree; as, he is not a bit wiser.

3. A tool for boring, of various forms and sizes, usually turned by means of a brace or bitstock. See Bitstock.

4. The part of a key which enters the lock and acts upon the bolt and tumblers. Knight.

5. The cutting iron of a plane. Knight.

6. In the Southern and Southwestern States, a small silver coin (as the real) formerly current; commonly, one worth about 12 1/2 cents; also, the sum of 12 1/2 cents. Bit my bit, piecemeal. Pope.

BIT Bit, 3d sing. pr.

Defn: of Bid, for biddeth. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BITAKE Bi*take", v. t. Etym: [See Betake, Betaught.]

Defn: To commend; to commit. [Obs.] Chaucer.

BITANGENT Bi*tan"gent, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + tangent.] (Geom.)

Defn: Possessing the property of touching at two points. -- n.

Defn: A line that touches a curve in two points.

BITARTRATE Bi*tar"trate, n. (Chem.)

Defn: A salt of tartaric acid in which the base replaces but half the acid hydrogen; an acid tartrate, as cream of tartar.

BITCH Bitch, n. Etym: [OE. biche, bicche, AS. bicce; cf. Icel. bikkja, G. betze, peize.]

1. The female of the canine kind, as of the dog, wolf, and fox.

2. An opprobrious name for a woman, especially a lewd woman. Pope.

BITE Bite, v. t. [imp. Bit; p. p. Bitten, Bit; p. pr. & vb. n. Biting.] Etym: [OE. biten, AS. bitan; akin to D. bijten, OS. bitan, OHG. bizan, G. beissen, Goth. beitan, Icel. bita, Sw. bita, Dan. bide, L. findere to cleave, Skr. bhid to cleave. sq. root87. Cf. Fissure.]

1. To seize with the teeth, so that they enter or nip the thing seized; to lacerate, crush, or wound with the teeth; as, to bite an apple; to bite a crust; the dog bit a man. Such smiling rogues as these, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain. Shak.

2. To puncture, abrade, or sting with an organ (of some insects) used in taking food.

3. To cause sharp pain, or smarting, to; to hurt or injure, in a literal or a figurative sense; as, pepper bites the mouth. "Frosts do bite the meads." Shak.

4. To cheat; to trick; to take in. [Colloq.] Pope.

5. To take hold of; to hold fast; to adhere to; as, the anchor bites the ground. The last screw of the rack having been turned so often that its purchase crumbled, . . . it turned and turned with nothing to bite. Dickens. To bite the dust, To bite the ground, to fall in the agonies of death; as, he made his enemy bite the dust. -- To bite in (Etching), to corrode or eat into metallic plates by means of an acid. -- To bite the thumb at (any one), formerly a mark of contempt, designed to provoke a quarrel; to defy. "Do you bite your thumb at us " Shak. -- To bite the tongue, to keep silence. Shak.

BITE Bite, v. i.

1. To seize something forcibly with the teeth; to wound with the teeth; to have the habit of so doing; as, does the dog bite

2. To cause a smarting sensation; to have a property which causes such a sensation; to be pungent; as, it bites like pepper or mustard.

3. To cause sharp pain; to produce anguish; to hurt or injure; to have the property of so doing. At the last it [wine] biteth like serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Prov. xxiii. 32.

4. To take a bait into the mouth, as a fish does; hence, to take a tempting offer.

5. To take or keep a firm hold; as, the anchor bites.

BITE Bite, n. Etym: [OE. bite, bit, bitt, AS. bite bite, fr. bitan to bite, akin to Icel. bit, OS. biti, G. biss. See Bite, v., and cf. Bit.]

1. The act of seizing with the teeth or mouth; the act of wounding or separating with the teeth or mouth; a seizure with the teeth or mouth, as of a bait; as, to give anything a hard bite. I have known a very good fisher angle diligently four or six hours for a river carp, and not have a bite. Walton.

2. The act of puncturing or abrading with an organ for taking food, as is done by some insects.

3. The wound made by biting; as, the pain of a dog's or snake's bite; the bite of a mosquito.

4. A morsel; as much as is taken at once by biting.

5. The hold which the short end of a lever has upon the thing to be lifted, or the hold which one part of a machine has upon another.

6. A cheat; a trick; a fraud. [Colloq.] The baser methods of getting money by fraud and bite, by deceiving and overreaching. Humorist.

7. A sharper; one who cheats. [Slang] Johnson.

8. (Print.)

Defn: A blank on the edge or corner of a page, owing to a portion of the frisket, or something else, intervening between the type and paper.

BITER Bit"er, n.

1. One who, or that which, bites; that which bites often, or is inclined to bite, as a dog or fish. "Great barkers are no biters." Camden.

2. One who cheats; a sharper. [Colloq.] Spectator.

BITERNATE Bi*ter"nate, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + ternate.] (Bot.)

Defn: Doubly ternate, as when a petiole has three ternate leaflets. -- Bi*ter"nate*ly, adv. Gray.

BITHEISM Bi"the*ism, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + theism.]

Defn: Belief in the existence of two gods; dualism.

BITING Bit"ing, a.

Defn: That bites; sharp; cutting; sarcastic; caustic. "A biting affliction." "A biting jest." Shak.

BITING IN Bit"ing in". (Etching.)

Defn: The process of corroding or eating into metallic plates, by means of an acid. See Etch. G. Francis.

BITINGLY Bit"ing*ly, adv.

Defn: In a biting manner.

BITLESS Bit"less, a.

Defn: Not having a bit or bridle.

BITO; BITO TREE Bi"to, n., Bi"to tree`. [Etym. uncertain.] (Bot.)

Defn: A small scrubby tree (Balanites Ægyptiaca) growing in dry regions of tropical Africa and Asia.

The hard yellowish white wood is made into plows in Abyssinia; the bark is used in Farther India to stupefy fish; the ripe fruit is edible, when green it is an anthelmintic; the fermented juice is used as a beverage; the seeds yield a medicinal oil called zachun. The African name of the tree is hajilij.

BITSTOCK Bit"stock`, n.

Defn: A stock or handle for holding and rotating a bit; a brace.

BITT Bitt, n. (Naut.)

Defn: See Bitts.

BITT Bitt, v. t. Etym: [See Bitts.] (Naut.)

Defn: To put round the bitts; as, to bitt the cable, in order to fasten it or to slacken it gradually, which is called veering away. Totten.

BITTACLE Bit"ta*cle, n.

Defn: A binnacle. [Obs.]

BITTEN Bit"ten, p. p.

Defn: of Bite.

BITTEN Bit"ten, a. (Bot.)

Defn: Terminating abruptly, as if bitten off; premorse.

BITTER Bit"ter, n. Etym: [See Bitts.] (Naut.)

Defn: AA turn of the cable which is round the bitts. Bitter end, that part of a cable which is abaft the bitts, and so within board, when the ship rides at anchor.

BITTER Bit"ter, a. Etym: [AS. biter; akin to Goth. baitrs, Icel. bitr, Dan., Sw., D., & G. bitter, OS. bittar, fr. root of E. bite. See Bite, v. t.]

1. Having a peculiar, acrid, biting taste, like that of wormwood or an infusion of hops; as, a bitter medicine; bitter as aloes.

2. Causing pain or smart; piercing; painful; sharp; severe; as, a bitter cold day.

3. Causing, or fitted to cause, pain or distress to the mind; calamitous; poignant. It is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God. Jer. ii. 19.

4. Characterized by sharpness, severity, or cruelty; harsh; stern; virulent; as, bitter reproach. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Col. iii. 19.

5. Mournful; sad; distressing; painful; pitiable. The Egyptians . . . made their lives bitter with hard bondage. Ex. i. 14. Bitter apple, Bitter cucumber, Bitter gourd. (Bot.) See Colocynth. -- Bitter cress (Bot.), a plant of the genus Cardamine, esp. C. amara. -- Bitter earth (Min.), tale earth; calcined magnesia. -- Bitter principles (Chem.), a class of substances, extracted from vegetable products, having strong bitter taste but with no sharply defined chemical characteristics. -- Bitter salt, Epsom salts;; magnesium sulphate. -- Bitter vetch (Bot.), a name given to two European leguminous herbs, Vicia Orobus and Ervum Ervilia. -- To the bitter end, to the last extremity, however calamitous.

Syn. -- Acrid; sharp; harsh; pungent; stinging; cutting; severe; acrimonious.

BITTER Bit"ter, n.

Defn: Any substance that is bitter. See Bitters.

BITTER Bit"ter, v. t.

Defn: To make bitter. Wolcott.

BITTERBUMP Bit"ter*bump`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: the butterbump or bittern.

BITTERFUL Bit"ter*ful, a.

Defn: Full of bitterness. [Obs.]

BITTERING Bit"ter*ing, n.

Defn: A bitter compound used in adulterating beer; bittern.

BITTERISH Bit"ter*ish, a.

Defn: Somewhat bitter. Goldsmith.

BITTERLING Bit"ter*ling, n. Etym: [G.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A roachlike European fish (Rhodima amarus).

BITTERLY Bit"ter*ly, adv.

Defn: In a bitter manner.

BITTERN Bit"tern, n. Etym: [OE. bitoure, betore, bitter, fr. F. butor; of unknown origin.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A wading bird of the genus Botaurus, allied to the herons, of various species.

Note: The common European bittern is Botaurus stellaris. It makes, during the brooding season, a noise called by Dryden bumping, and by Goldsmith booming. The American bittern is B. lentiginosus, and is also called stake-driver and meadow hen. See Stake-driver.

Note: The name is applied to other related birds, as the least bittern (Ardetta exilis), and the sun bittern.

BITTERN Bit"tern, n. Etym: [From Bitter, a.]

1. The brine which remains in salt works after the salt is concreted, having a bitter taste from the chloride of magnesium which it contains.

2. A very bitter compound of quassia, cocculus Indicus, etc., used by fraudulent brewers in adulterating beer. Cooley.

BITTERNESS Bit"ter*ness, n. Etym: [AS. biternys; biter better + -nys = -ness.]

1. The quality or state of being bitter, sharp, or acrid, in either a literal or figurative sense; implacableness; resentfulness; severity; keenness of reproach or sarcasm; deep distress, grief, or vexation of mind. The lip that curls with bitterness. Percival. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Job vii. 11.

2. A state of extreme impiety or enmity to God. Thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Acts viii. 23.

3. Dangerous error, or schism, tending to draw persons to apostasy. Looking diligently, . . . lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you. Heb. xii. 15.

BITTERNUT Bit"ter*nut", n. (Bot.)

Defn: The swamp hickory (Carya amara). Its thin-shelled nuts are bitter.

BITTERROOT Bit"ter*root`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A plant (Lewisia rediviva) allied to the purslane, but with fleshy, farinaceous roots, growing in the mountains of Idaho, Montana, etc. It gives the name to the Bitter Root mountains and river. The Indians call both the plant and the river Spæt'lum.

BITTERS Bit"ters, n. pl.

Defn: A liquor, generally spirituous in which a bitter herb, leaf, or root is steeped.

BITTER SPAR Bit"ter spar".

Defn: A common name of dolomite; -- so called because it contains magnesia, the soluble salts of which are bitter. See Dolomite.

BITTERSWEET Bit"ter*sweet`, a.

Defn: Sweet and then bitter or bitter and then sweet; esp. sweet with a bitter after taste; hence (Fig.), pleasant but painful.

BITTERSWEET Bit"ter*sweet`, n.

1. Anything which is bittersweet.

2. A kind of apple so called. Gower.

3. (Bot.) (a) A climbing shrub, with oval coral-red berries (Solanum dulcamara); woody nightshade. The whole plant is poisonous, and has a taste at first sweetish and then bitter. The branches are the officinal dulcamara. (b) An American woody climber (Celastrus scandens), whose yellow capsules open late in autumn, and disclose the red aril which covers the seeds; -- also called Roxbury waxwork.

BITTERWEED Bit"ter*weed`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A species of Ambrosia (A. artemisiæfolia); Roman worm wood. Gray.

BITTERWOOD Bit"ter*wood`, n.

Defn: A West Indian tree (Picræna excelsa) from the wood of which the bitter drug Jamaica quassia is obtained.

BITTERWORT Bit"ter*wort`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea), which has a very bitter taste.

BITTOCK Bit"tock, n. Etym: [See Bit a morsel.]

Defn: A small bit of anything, of indefinite size or quantity; a short distance. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

BITTOR; BITTOUR Bit"tor Bit"tour, n. Etym: [See Bittern] (Zoöl.)

Defn: The bittern. Dryden.

BITTS Bitts, n. pl. Etym: [Cf. F. bitte, Icel. biti, a beam. (Naut.)

Defn: A frame of two strong timbers fixed perpendicularly in the fore part of a ship, on which to fasten the cables as the ship rides at anchor, or in warping. Other bitts are used for belaying (belaying bitts), for sustaining the windlass (carrick bitts, winch bitts, or windlass bitts), to hold the pawls of the windlass (pawl bitts) etc.

BITUME Bi*tume", n. Etym: [F. See Bitumen.]

Defn: Bitumen. [Poetic] May.

BITUMED Bi*tumed", a.

Defn: Smeared with bitumen. [R.] "The hatches caulked and bitumed." Shak.

BITUMEN Bi*tu"men, n. Etym: [L. bitumen: cf. F. bitume. Cf. Béton.]

1. Mineral pitch; a black, tarry substance, burning with a bright flame; Jew's pitch. It occurs as an abundant natural product in many places, as on the shores of the Dead and Caspian Seas. It is used in cements, in the construction of pavements, etc. See Asphalt.

2. By extension, any one of the natural hydrocarbons, including the hard, solid, brittle varieties called asphalt, the semisolid maltha and mineral tars, the oily petroleums, and even the light, volatile naphthas.

BITUMEN PROCESS Bi*tu"men proc"ess. (Photog.)

Defn: Any process in which advantage is taken of the fact that prepared bitumen is rendered insoluble by exposure to light, as in photolithography.

BITUMINATE Bi*tu"mi*nate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bituminated; p. pr. & vb. n. Bituminating.] Etym: [L. bituminatus, p. p. of bituminare to bituminate. See Bitumen.]

Defn: To treat or impregnate with bitumen; to cement with bitumen. "Bituminated walls of Babylon." Feltham.

BITUMINIFEROUS Bi*tu`mi*nif"er*ous, a. Etym: [Bitumen + -ferous.]

Defn: Producing bitumen. Kirwan.

BITUMINIZATION Bi*tu`mi*ni*za"tion, n. Etym: [Cf. F. bituminisation.]

Defn: The process of bituminizing. Mantell.

BITUMINIZE Bi*tu"mi*nize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bituminized (; p. pr. & vb. n. Bituminizing.] Etym: [Cf. F. bituminiser.]

Defn: To prepare, treat, impregnate, or coat with bitumen.

BITUMINOUS Bi*tu"mi*nous, a. Etym: [L. bituminosus: cf. F. bitumineux.]

Defn: Having the qualities of bitumen; compounded with bitumen; containing bitumen. Near that bituminous lake where Sodom flamed. Milton. Bituminous coal, a kind of coal which yields, when heated, a considerable amount of volatile bituminous matter. It burns with a yellow smoky flame. -- Bituminous limestone, a mineral of a brown or black color, emitting an unpleasant smell when rubbed. That of Dalmatia is so charged with bitumen that it may be cut like soap. -- Bituminous shale, an argillaceous shale impregnated with bitumen, often accompanying coal.

BIURET Bi"u*ret, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + urea.] (Chem.)

Defn: A white, crystalline, nitrogenous substance, C2O2N3H5, formed by heating urea. It is intermediate between urea and cyanuric acid.

BIVALENCY Biv"a*len*cy, n. (Chem.)

Defn: The quality of being bivalent.

BIVALENT Biv"a*lent, a. Etym: [L. bis twice + valens, p. pr. See Valence.] (Chem.)

Defn: Equivalent in combining or displacing power to two atoms of hydrogen; dyad.

BIVALVE Bi"valve, n. Etym: [F. bivalve; bi- (L. bis) + valve valve.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A mollusk having a shell consisting of two lateral plates or valves joined together by an elastic ligament at the hinge, which is usually strengthened by prominences called teeth. The shell is closed by the contraction of two transverse muscles attached to the inner surface, as in the clam, -- or by one, as in the oyster. See Mollusca.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: A pericarp in which the seed case opens or splits into two parts or valves.

BIVALVE Bi"valve, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + valve.] (Zoöl. & Bot.)

Defn: Having two shells or valves which open and shut, as the oyster and certain seed vessels.

BIVALVED Bi"valved, a.

Defn: Having two valves, as the oyster and some seed pods; bivalve.

BIVALVOUS Bi*val"vous, a.

Defn: Bivalvular.

BIVALVULAR Bi*val"vu*lar, a.

Defn: Having two valves.

BIVAULTED Bi*vault"ed, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + vault.]

Defn: Having two vaults or arches.

BIVECTOR Bi*vec"tor, n. Etym: [Pref. bi- + vector.] (Math.)

Defn: A term made up of the two parts

BIVENTRAL Bi*ven"tral, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + ventral.]

Defn: (Anat.) Having two bellies or protuberances; as, a biventral, or digastric, muscle, or the biventral lobe of the cerebellum.

BIVIAL Biv"i*al, a.

Defn: Of or relating to the bivium.

BIVIOUS Biv"i*ous, a. Etym: [L. bivius; bis twice + via way.]

Defn: Having, or leading, two ways. Bivious theorems and Janus-faced doctrines. Sir T. Browne.

BIVIUM Biv"i*um, n. Etym: [L., a place with two ways. See Bivious.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: One side of an echinoderm, including a pair of ambulacra, in distinction from the opposite side (trivium), which includes three ambulacra.

BIVOUAC Biv"ouac, n. Etym: [F. bivouac, bivac, prab. fr. G. beiwache, or beiwacht; bei by, near + wachen to watch, wache watch, guard. See By, and Watch.] (Mil.) (a) The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack. (b) An encampment for the night without tents or covering.

BIVOUAC Biv"ouac, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bivouacked (p. pr. & vb. n. Bivouacking.] (Mil.) (a) To watch at night or be on guard, as a whole army. (b) To encamp for the night without tents or covering.

BIWEEKLY Bi"week`ly, a. Etym: [Pref. bi- + weekly.]

Defn: Occurring or appearing once every two weeks; fortnightly. -- n.

Defn: A publication issued every two weeks. -- Bi"week"ly, adv.

BIWREYE Bi*wreye", v. t.

Defn: To bewray; to reveal. [Obs.]

BIZANTINE Biz"an*tine.

Defn: See Byzantine.

BIZARRE Bi*zarre", a. Etym: [F. bizarre odd, fr. Sp. bizarro gallant, brave, liberal, prob. of Basque origin; cf. Basque bizarra beard, whence the meaning manly, brave.]

Defn: Odd in manner or appearance; fantastic; whimsical; extravagant; grotesque. C. Kingsley.

BIZET Bi*zet", n. Etym: [Cf. Bezel.]

Defn: The upper faceted portion of a brilliant-cut diamond, which projects from the setting and occupies the zone between the girdle and the table. See Brilliant, n.

BLAB Blab, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blabbed (p. pr. & vb. n. Blabbing.] Etym: [Cf. OE. blaberen, or Dan. blabbre, G. plappern, Gael. blabaran a stammerer; prob. of imitative origin. Cf. also Blubber, v.]

Defn: To utter or tell unnecessarily, or in a thoughtless manner; to publish (secrets or trifles) without reserve or discretion. Udall. And yonder a vile physician blabbing The case of his patient. Tennyson.

BLAB Blab, v. i.

Defn: To talk thoughtlessly or without discretion; to tattle; to tell tales. She must burst or blab. Dryden.

BLAB Blab, n. Etym: [OE. blabbe.]

Defn: One who blabs; a babbler; a telltale. "Avoided as a blab." Milton. For who will open himself to a blab or a babbler. Bacon.

BLABBER Blab"ber, n.

Defn: A tattler; a telltale.

BLACK Black, a. Etym: [OE. blak, AS. blæc; akin to Icel. blakkr dark, swarthy, Sw. bläck ink, Dan. blæk, OHG. blach, LG. & D. blaken to burn with a black smoke. Not akin to AS. blac, E. bleak pallid.

1. Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark color, the opposite of white; characterized by such a color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes. O night, with hue so black! Shak.

2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the heavens black with clouds. I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud. Shak.

3. Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness; destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked; cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible. "This day's black fate." "Black villainy." "Arise, black vengeance." "Black day." "Black despair." Shak.

4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen; foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.