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.
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.Bāle'ful-ness, n. p. 104The state or quality of being baleful.Bāl'ing-prĕss, n. p. 104A power-press used for compressing cotton, goods, &c., into bales for transportation.Băl'is-ter or Băl'lis-ter, n. p. 104A cross-bow. Blount.Ba-līze', n. p. 104A sea-mark; a pole raised on a bank.Bālk, n. p. 104A ridge of land left unplowed between furrows, or at the end of a field. Bad plowmen made balks of such ground. Fuller. 2. A great beam, or rafter, or timber. “Tubs hanging in the balks.” Chaucer. 3.…Bālk, v. t. p. 104To leave untouched in plowing. Gower. 2. To omit, miss, or overlook. [Obs.] Nor doth he any creature balk, But lays on all he meets. Drayton. 3. To disappoint; to frustrate; to baffle; as, to balk…Balk, v. i. p. 104To deal in cross-purposes. [Obs.] “In strifeful terms with him to balk.” Spenser. 2. To stop abruptly in one's course; as, the horse balks; he balked in his speech. ☞ This has been regarded as an…Balk'er, n. p. 104One who balks. 2. A person who stands on a rock or eminence to espy the shoals of herring, and to give notice to the men in boats which way they pass. Cowell.Balk'ing-ly, adv. p. 104In a manner to balk or frustrate.Balk'ish, a. p. 104Uneven; ridgy. [Rare.] Holinshed.Balk'y, a. p. 104Apt to turn aside or stop abruptly; as, a balky horse. [Amer.]Ball or Ball-vein or Ball and socket joint, n. p. 104Any round body, or one nearly so; as, a ball of twine; a ball of snow; a ball to play with. 2. Any part of the body that is round or protuberant; as, the ball of the eye, of the thumb, &c. 3.…Ball, n. p. 104A social assembly for the purpose of dancing.Ball, v. i. p. 104To gather snow into balls, as on horses’ hoofs, or on the feet; as, the horse balls.Băl'lage, v. t. p. 104To ballast. [Obs.] Holland.Bāl'lad, n. p. 104(Poet.) A popular song, narrative or sentimental, in simple, homely verses, each song commonly to the same tune; as, the ancient ballad of Chevy Chase.Băl'lad, v. t. p. 104To make or sing ballads. 2. To make mention of in ballads. Shak.Băl'lad-er, n. p. 104A writer of ballads. Overbury.Băl'lad-mŏn/ger, n. p. 104A dealer in ballads. Shak.Băl'lad-ŏp/e-rā, n. p. 104An opera in which only ballads are sung. Johnson.Bāl'lad-ry, n. p. 104The subject or style of ballads. [Obs.] “Base balladry is so beloved.” Drayton.Băl'la-răg, v. t. p. 104To bully; to threaten. [Low.] Warton.Bāl'lass, v. t. p. 104To ballast. [Obs.] Webster, 1623.Băl'last, n. p. 104(Naut.) Any heavy substance, as stone, iron, &c., placed in the hold of a vessel, to sink it in the water to such a depth as to enable it to carry sufficient sail without oversetting. 2. Gravel…Băl'last, v. t. p. 104To steady, as a vessel, by placing heavy substances in the hold. 2. To fill in, as the bed of a railroad, with gravel, stone, &c., in order to make it firm and solid.Băl'last-aġe, n. p. 104(Law.) A toll paid for the privilege of taking up ballast in a port or harbor. Bouvier.Băl'last-ing, n. p. 104That which is used for steadying any thing; ballast.Băl'la-ted, a. p. 104Sung in a ballad. [Obs.] Webster, 1623.Băl'la-to͞on', n. p. 104A heavy luggage boat employed in the transport of timber in Russia. Simmonds.Băl'la-try, n. p. 104A song; a jig. [Obs.] Milton.Ball'-cär'tridge, n. p. 104A cartridge containing a ball.Ball'-cŏck, n. p. 104A contrivance which allows water to enter a cistern, but shuts of itself by means of a floating ball, when the cistern is full.Băl'let, n. p. 104A theatrical exhibition or pantomime, in which a story is told, or actions, characters, and passions are represented, by gestures accompanied by characteristic or illustrative music, dancing…Ball'-flow'er, n. p. 104(Arch.) An ornament resembling a ball placed in a circular flower, the three petals of which form a cup round it;—usually inserted in a hollow molding. Oxf. Gloss.Băl'li-aġe, n. p. 104Same as BAILAGE.Băl'liards, n. pl. p. 104See BILLIARDS.Băl'li-mong, n. p. 104A dredge. [Obs.] Holland.Bal-lĭs'tȧ, n. p. 104A machine or engine, in the form of a cross-bow, used by the ancients in war for throwing stones, &c.Băl'lis-ter or Bal-lĭs'ter, n. p. 104A cross-bow.Bal-lĭs'tic, a. p. 104Pertaining to the ballista, or to the art of shooting darts, and other missive weapons, by means of an engine. Ballistic pendulum, an instrument consisting of a mass of wood or other material…Bal-lĭs'tics, n. p. 104The art of throwing missive weapons by the use of an engine. 2. The science of projectiles. Whewell.Băl'li-ŭm, n. p. 104(Old Fort.) The same as BAILEY, q. v.Bal-lo͞on', n. p. 104A bag or hollow vessel, made of silk or other light material, and filled with hydrogen gas or heated air, so as to rise and float in the atmosphere;—called, for distinction, an air-balloon. 2.…Bal-lo͞oned', a. p. 104Swelled out like a balloon.Bal-lo͞on'-fish, n. p. 104(Ichth.) A fish of the genus Diodon, having the power of inflating its body bladder-like, by swallowing air and making it pass into cavities beneath the skin. Cuvier.Bal-lo͞on'ist, n. p. 104One who makes or ascends in a balloon; an aëronaut.Bal-lo͞on'ry, n. p. 104The art or practice of ascending in a balloon; aëronautics. Quarterly Rev.Băl'lot, n. p. 104Originally, a ball used in voting; hence, a piece of paper, or other thing used for the same purpose; whole amount of votes cast. 2. The act of voting by balls or tickets. “The insufficiency of the…Băl'lot, v. i. p. 105To vote or decide by ballot.Bál'lo-tāde, n. p. 105(Man.) A leap of a horse, as between two pillars, or upon a straight line, so that when his four feet are in the air, he shows only the shoes of his hind feet, without jerking out.Băl'lo-tānt, n. p. 105One who votes by ballot; a balloter. [Obs.] Harrington.Băl'lo-tā'tion, n. p. 105A voting by ballot. [Obs.] Wotton.Băl'lot-bŏx, n. p. 105A box for receiving ballots.Băl'lot-er, n. p. 105One who votes by ballot.Băl'lot-in, n. p. 105One who collects ballots. [Rare.] Harrington.Băl'lōw, n. p. 105A club or cudgel. [Obs.] Shak.Báll'-proof, a. p. 105Incapable of being penetrated by balls from fire-arms.