Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
- 1,538
- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Bāin, n. p. 103A bath; a bagnio. [Obs.] Holland. 2. [See BAN.] A ban; a curse. [Obs.] Spenser.Bai'ram, n. p. 103A Mohammedan festival held at the close of the fast called Ramadan.Bāirn or Bārn, n. p. 103A child. [Scottish & Prov. Eng.] W. Scott.Bāit, n. p. 103Any substance used to catch fish, or other animals, by alluring them to swallow a hook, or to be caught in snares, or in an inclosure or net; a lure. 2. Any thing which serves to allure: enticement…Bāit, v. t. p. 103To put on or in, as on a hook or in an inclosure, to allure fish, fowls, and other animals into human power. A crooked pin for a hook, baited with a vile earth-worm. W. Irving. 2. To give a portion…Bāit, v. i. p. 103To stop to take a portion of food and drink for refreshment on a journey. My lord's coach conveyed me to Bury, and thence baiting at Newmarket. Evelyn.Bāit, v. t. p. 103To provoke and harass; as, to bait a bear with dogs.Bāit, v. i. p. 103To clap the wings; to flutter as if to fly; or to hover, as a hawk when she stoops to her prey. “Kites that bait and beat.” Shak.Bāize, n. p. 103A coarse woolen stuff, with a long nap.Ba-jŏ'cō, n. p. 103A small copper coin in the Roman States, worth about three farthings, or a cent and a half. Simmonds.Bake, v. t. p. 103To heat, dry, and harden, as in an oven or furnace, or under coals of fire, or by the solar rays; as, to bake bricks; the sun bakes the ground. Specifically, to prepare for food, in a close place…Bāke, v. i. p. 103To do the work of baking; as, she brews, washes, and bakes. 2. To be baked; to dry and harden in heat; as, the bread bakes; the ground bakes in the hot sun.Bāke'house, n. p. 103A house or building for baking.Bāke'-mēat or Bāked'-mēat, n. p. 103Meat prepared by baking. 2. A pie, particularly a meat pie. [Obs.] Sherwood. Shak.Bāk'en, p. p. p. 103The same as BAKED. [Obs.]Bāk'er, n. p. 103One whose occupation is to bake bread, biscuit, &c. 2. A small portable tin oven in which baking is performed. [An Americanism.] Baker's dozen, thirteen in number, was formerly called the devil's…Bāk'er-fōot, n. p. 103An ill-shaped or distorted foot. [Obs.] Bp. Taylor.Bāk'er-lĕgged, a. p. 103Having legs like a baker, that is, crooked legs, or legs that bend inward at the knees. Wright.Bāk'er-y, n. p. 103The trade of a baker. [Rare.] 2. A place used for the business of baking bread, &c.; a bakehouse. Smollett.Bāk'ing, n. p. 103The quantity baked at once; as, a baking of bread. [Colloq.]Bāk'shīsh, n. p. 103See BACKSHISH.Bā'laam, n. p. 103Paragraphs in a newspaper describing something wonderful, used to fill out the columns; — an allusion to the miracle of Balaam's ass speaking "with man's voice," Numb. xxii. [Cant.]Bāl'a-chong, n. p. 103A kind of cake formed of small fishes or shrimps, pounded up with salt and spices, and then dried. It is much esteemed in China as a condiment for rice, &c.Bāl'ance, n. p. 103An apparatus for weighing bodies. Balance or Scales. In its original and simplest form, it consists of a beam or lever suspended exactly in the middle, with a scale or basin of precisely equal…Băl'ance, v. t. p. 103To bring to an equipoise, as the weights in the scales of a balance; to weigh in a balance. 2. To equal in number, weight, force, proportion, &c.; to counterpoise. One expression in the letter must…Bāl'ançe, v. i. p. 103To have equal weight on each side; to be in equipoise; as, the scales balance. 2. To fluctuate between motives which appear of equal force; to hesitate. He would not balance nor err in the…Bāl'ance-fish, n. p. 103(Ichth.) The hammer-headed shark (Carcharias zygæna). ☞ It is distinguished by the peculiar form of its head, which is flattened in front, and projects laterally, like the head of a hammer.Bāl'ance-knife, n. p. 103A table knife, which, when laid on the table, rests wholly on the handle, without the blade touching the cloth; — so called because the weight of the handle counterbalances that of the blade.Bāl'an-çer, n. p. 103One who balances, or uses a balance.Băl'ance-reef, n. p. 103(Naut.) A reef-band that crosses a sail diagonally, used to contract it in a storm.Bāl'ance-reef, v. t. p. 103To reduce a sail to its last reef. Totten.Bāl'ance-sheet, n. p. 103(Book-keeping.) A paper giving a summation and balance of accounts.Bāl'a-nite, n. p. 103(Paleon.) A fossil shell of the genus Balanus.Bāl'a-nŭs, n. p. 103(Zoöl.) A genus of the barnacle tribe; a barnacle. See CIRRIPED. Dana.Bāl'ase, v. t. p. 103To balance or to ballast; to counterpoise. [Obs.] Webster, 1623.Bā'las-rū'by, n. p. 103(Min.) A variety of spinel ruby, of a pale rose red, or inclining to orange. Its crystals are usually octahedrons. See SPINEL. Dana.Ba-lau'stine, n. p. 103The wild pomegranate tree. Coxe. Balaustine flowers, the dried flowers of the pomegranate, which are used in medicine as astringents.Bal-bū'ti-āte or Bal-bū'ci-nāte, v. i. p. 103To stammer. [Obs.]Bal-bū'ti-ēs, n. p. 103(Med.) The defect of stammering, or a vicious and imperfect pronunciation. Dunglison.Băl'con, n. p. 103A balcony or gallery. [Obs.] Pepys.Băl'co-nied, a. p. 103Having balconies.Băl'co-ny, n. p. 103(Arch.) A platform or projection from the external wall of a house or other building, usually resting on brackets or consoles, and having the sides encompassed with a balustrade. “The accent has…Bald, a. p. 103Destitute of the natural or common covering, as of hair, feathers, foliage, trees, &c.; as, a bald man, a bald eagle, a bald oak. On the bald top of an eminence. Wordsworth. 2. Destitute of suitable…Băl'da-chĭn, n. p. 104(Arch.) (a.) A structure in form of a canopy, sometimes supported by columns, and sometimes suspended from the roof or projecting from the wall, generally placed over an altar; as, the baldachin in…Bal′der-dash, n. p. 104A worthless mixture, especially bad mixed liquor. Indeed beer, by a mixture of wine, hath lost both name and nature, and is called balderdash. Taylor, Drink and Welcome. 2. A senseless jargon of…Bal'der-dash, v. t. p. 104To mix or adulterate, as liquors. [Obs.] The wine-merchants of Nice brew and balderdash, and even mix it with pigeon's dung and quicklime. Smollett.Bald'hĕad, n. p. 104A man bald on the head; a bald person. 2 Kings ii. 23.Bald'ly, adv. p. 104In a bald, naked manner; inelegantly; openly.Bald'ness, n. p. 104State of being bald; destitution of the natural covering on the head or top; as, baldness of the head; the baldness of a hill. 2. Destitution of ornament; inelegance; as, baldness of style.Bald'pāte, n. p. 104A pate without hair. Shak.Bald'pāte or Bald'pāt-ed, a. p. 104Destitute of hair; shorn of hair. Shak.Bal'dric, n. p. 104A girdle, or richly ornamented belt, worn pendent from one shoulder across the breast, and under the opposite arm. “A radiant baldric o’er his shoulders tied.” Pope.Bāle, n. p. 104A bundle or package of goods in a cloth cover, and corded for carriage or transportation. Bale of dice, a pair of dice. [Obs.] B. Jonson.Bāle, v. t. p. 104To make up in a bale. “These goods are baled up.” Goldsmith. 2. To free from water by dipping; as, to bale a boat. [More properly bail. See BAIL.]Bāle, n. p. 104Misery; calamity; misfortune; sorrow. Let now your bliss be turned into bale. Spenser.Băl'e-ār'ie, a. p. 104(Geog.) Pertaining to the isles of Majorca, Minorca, Ivica, Formentera, and Cabrera, in the Mediterranean Sea.Ba-leen’, n. p. 104(Com.) Plates of whale-bone. Tomlinson.Bāle'-fire, n. p. 104A signal-fire; an alarm-fire. Sweet Teviot! on thy silver tide The gloomy bale-fires blaze no more. W. Scott.Bāle'ful, a. p. 104Full of bale or misery; calamitous; destructive. “Baleful enemies.” Shak. 2. Full of grief or sorrow; woful; sad. “Baleful eyes.” Milton.Bāle'ful-ly, adv. p. 104In a baleful manner; perniciously.