Your ShelfYour Projects
Library

Dictionary

An American Dictionary of the English Language

by Noah Webster

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.

Read it page by page The scan at the Internet Archive
  1. Báll'-proof, a.p. 105Incapable of being penetrated by balls from fire-arms.
  2. Ball'-room, n.p. 105A room for balls, assemblies, &c.
  3. Ball'-vălve, n.p. 105(Mach.) A contrivance by which a ball, placed in a circular cup with a hole in its bottom, operates as a valve. Francis.
  4. Ball'-vein, n.p. 105(Mining.) A sort of iron ore, found in loose masses of a circular form, containing sparkling particles.
  5. Bălm, n.p. 105(Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus Melissa. 2. The resinous and odoriferous or aromatic sap or juice of certain trees. Dryden. 3. Any fragrant or valuable ointment. Shak. 4. Any thing which heals…
  6. Bālm, v. t.p. 105To anoint with balm, or with any thing medicinal. Shak. 2. To soothe; to mitigate; to assuage. Shak.
  7. Bālm'i-fy, v. t.p. 105To render balmy. [Obs.] Cheyne.
  8. Bālm'ī-ly, adv.p. 105In a balmy manner. Coleridge.
  9. Bălm'y, a.p. 105Having the qualities or properties of balm; odoriferous; aromatic; assuaging; soothing; refreshing; mild. “The balmy breeze.” Tickell. “Balmy night.” Coleridge. Tired Nature’s sweet restorer, balmy…
  10. Bāl'ne-al, a.p. 105Pertaining to a bath. [Obs.] Howell.
  11. Bāl'ne-a-ry, n.p. 105A bathing room. [Obs.] Browne.
  12. Bāl'ne-ā'tion, n.p. 105The act of bathing. [Obs.]
  13. Bāl'ne-a-to-ry, a.p. 105Belonging to a bath or stove. [Obs.]
  14. Bāl'o-tāde, n.p. 105See BALLOTĀDE.
  15. Băl'să, n.p. 105(Naut.) A raft or fishing-float, used principally on the Pacific coast of South America. [Written also balza.] Simmonds.
  16. Bāl'sam, n.p. 105A resin containing more or less of an essential or volatile oil. ¶ The balsams are aromatic resinous substances, flowing spontaneously or by incision from certain plants; and a great variety of…
  17. Bāl'sam, v. t.p. 105To impregnate with balsam; to render balsamic. [Obs.] Hacket.
  18. Bāl'sa-mā'tion, n.p. 105The act of rendering balsamic.
  19. Băl-săm'ic or Băl-săm'ic-al, a.p. 105Having the qualities of balsam; containing, or resembling, balsam; soft; mitigatory. “Balsamic cups, to wheezing lungs Medicinal.” Philips.
  20. Bāl-sām'ic, n.p. 105That which has the properties of a balsam. Bp. Berkeley.
  21. Bāl-sām'ic-al-ly, adv.p. 105In a balsamic manner.
  22. Bāl'sa-mĭf'er-oŭs, a.p. 105Producing balsam.
  23. Bāl'sa-mīne, n.p. 105(Bot.) The Balsamina hortensis (Impatiens balsamina, Linn.), or garden balsam.
  24. Bāl'sa-mo-dēn'dron, n.p. 105(Bot.) A genus of balsamiferous plants, natives of tropical Asia.
  25. Bal'sa-moŭs, a.p. 105Having the quality of balsam. “A balsamous substance.” Sterne.
  26. Bal'ter, v. t.p. 105To stick together. [Obs.] Holland.
  27. Bal'tic, a.p. 105Pertaining to the sea of the same name, which separates Norway and Sweden from Jutland, Holstein, and Germany; situated on the Baltic Sea. Each Baltic state to join the righteous cause. Barlow.
  28. Băl'us-ter, n.p. 105(Arch.) (a.) A small column or pilaster, used as a support to the rail of a staircase, &c. (b.) The lateral part of the volute of the Ionic capital. Gwilt.
  29. Băl'us-tered, a.p. 105Having balusters. [Rare.] “Balustered with gold.” Dryden.
  30. Bāl'us-trāde, n.p. 105[Fr. balustrade, Sp. balustrada, balustrado, It. balaustrata, from Fr. balustre, &c. See BALUSTER. (Arch.) A row of balusters, topped by a rail, serving as a fence or inclosure, for altars…
  31. Bāl'za-rīne', n.p. 105A light mixed material of worsted and cotton, for ladies’ dresses. Simmonds.
  32. Bān, n.p. 105An imposition; a cheat. [Vulgar.] Garrick. To relieve the tedium, he kept plying them with all manner of bams. Prof. Wilson.
  33. Băm, v. t.p. 105To cheat; to wheedle. [Vulgar.] This is some conspiracy, I suppose, to bam, to chouse me out of my money. Foote.
  34. Bam-bōō', n.p. 105(Bot.) A plant of the family of grasses, and genus Bambusa, growing in tropical countries. ☞ B. arundinacea has a woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem; it grows to the height of forty feet…
  35. Bam-bōō', v. t.p. 105To flog with the bamboo. Williams.
  36. Bam-bōō'zle, v. t.p. 105To deceive; to play low tricks upon. [Low.]
  37. Bam-bōō'zler, n.p. 105A cheat; one who plays low tricks. Arbuthnot.
  38. Bān, n.p. 105A kind of fine muslin, brought from the East Indies. Simmonds.
  39. Bān, n.p. 105A public proclamation or edict; a public order or notice, mandatory or prohibitory. 2. (pl.) Notice of a marriage proposed, or of a matrimonial contract, proclaimed in a church, or other place…
  40. Bān, n.p. 105An ancient title belonging to the wardens of the eastern marches of Hungary; now given to the viceroy of Croatia. He is appointed by the emperor of Austria. The Pitter-Ban of Hungary Came back…
  41. Băn, v. t.p. 105To curse; to execrate. Banning his boisterous and unruly beast. Shak.
  42. Băn, v. i.p. 105To curse. [Obs.] Spenser.
  43. Ba-nä'na, n.p. 105(Bot.) A species of the genus Musa, and its fruit. ☞ The banana has a soft, herbaceous stalk, with leaves of great length and breadth. The flowers grow in bunches, covered with a sheath of a green or…
  44. Ban'co, n.p. 105A bank, especially that of Venice. ☞ This term is used in some parts of Europe to distinguish between the value of money at a bank, and its current value; as, at Hamburg banco is worth about 23½ per…
  45. Bänd, n.p. 105Any narrow ligament with which a thing is encircled, or fastened, or by which a number of things are confined together; a fillet; a cord. “Bound with leaden bands.” Bacon. 2. (Arch.) (a.) Any flat…
  46. Bānd, v. t.p. 105To bind, tie, or mark with a band. 2. To unite in a troop, company, or confederacy. “Banded against his throne.” Milton. “Banded nations.” Byron. 3. To ban or banish. [Obs. and very rare.] Spenser.
  47. Bănd, v. i.p. 105To confederate for some common purpose; to unite; to conspire together. “Certain of the Jews banded together.” Acts xxiii. 12.
  48. Bänd, imp.p. 105of bind. [Obs.] And with a belt his gown about him band. Spenser.
  49. Bänd'age, n.p. 105A fillet, roller, or swath, used in dressing and binding up wounds, &c. 2. Something resembling a bandage; that which is bound over another.
  50. Bănd'age, v. t.p. 105To bind with a bandage; as, to bandage the eyes.
  51. Ban'da-gīst, n.p. 105One who makes bandages, especially for hernia. Dunglison.
  52. Ban-dū'la, n.p. 105The fiber from which Manilla white rope is made. It is an outer layer of the abaca (Musa textilis), a variety of the plantain. Simmonds.
  53. Ban-dăn'ă or Ban-dăn'nā, n.p. 105A species of silk or cotton handkerchief, having a uniformly dyed ground, usually of red or blue, with white figures of a circular or lozenge form, made by discharging the color. 2. A style of calico…
  54. Bănd'bŏx, n.p. 105A slight paper box for bands, caps, bonnets, muffs, or other light articles. Gay.
  55. Băn'deau, n.p. 105A narrow band or fillet; a head-dress. Around the edge of this cap was a stiff bandeau of leather. W. Scott.
  56. Bän'de-liēr', n.p. 105See BANDOLIER.
  57. Bänd'er, n.p. 105One banded with others.
  58. Bän'de-rōle, n.p. 105A small banner or flag, carried on the masts of vessels, or on military weapons. From the extremity of which fluttered a small banderole or streamer bearing a cross. W. Scott.
  59. Bănd'-fish, n.p. 105(Ichth.) An acanthopterygious fish, of the genus Cepola; ribbon-fish.
  60. Băn'di-cōot, n.p. 105(Zoöl.) A species of the rat family (Mus bandicota or giganteus), in appearance like a large brown rat, found in India and Australia, and very mischievous in its habits. Its chief food is grain and…