Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Blăst'ed, a. p. 139Confounded; accursed; detestable;—a vulgar term of imprecation. “Some of her own blasted gipsies.” W. Scott.Blas-tē'ma, n. p. 139(Bot.) The embryo in a seed apart from the cotyledon. 2. (Zoöl.) The primitive basis of an organ yet unformed, from which it proceeds or grows. “The blastema of bone is a sub-transparent glairy…Blas-tē'mal, a. p. 139Pertaining to the rudimental mass of an organ in its state of formation; rudimentary.Blăst'er, n. p. 139One who blasts or destroys.Bläst'-fûr'nace, n. p. 139(Mech.) A furnace for smelting ores, in which the supply of air is furnished by a powerful bellows, or other pneumatic apparatus.Blåst'-hôle, n. p. 139A hole in the bottom of a pump, through which water enters. Mining Journal.Blăst'ing, p. a. p. 139Affecting with injury or blight; destructive. “A blasting . . . breath.” Shak.Blăst'ing, n. p. 139A blast; destruction by a pernicious cause. “I have smitten you with blasting and mildew.” Amos iv. 9.Blăst'ment, n. p. 139Blast; sudden stroke of some destructive cause. [Obs.] “Contagious blastments.” Shak.Blăst'-nŏz'zle or Blăst'-ôr'i-fîçe, n. p. 139The fixed or variable orifice in the delivery end of a blast-pipe.Bläs'to-cär'pōüs, a. p. 139(Bot.) Germinating inside the pericarp, as the mangrove. Brande.Blăs'to-dĕrm, n. p. 139The membrane in an ovum inclosing the yolk. Carpenter.Blås'to-dĕrm'ic, a. p. 139Relating to the blastoderm. Carpenter.Blăst'-pipe, n. p. 139The exhaust pipe of a steam-engine, or any pipe delivering steam or air, when so constructed as to cause a rapid current in the external atmosphere.Blăst'y, a. p. 139Causing or indicating blast or injury. [Obs.] Doyle.Blā'tant, a. p. 139Bellowing, as a calf; noisy; bawling; brawling. “The blatant beast.” Spenser. “Harsh and blatant tone.” R. H. Dana. Glory, that blatant word, which haunts some military minds like the bray of the…Blāte, a. p. 140Bashful. [Scot.]Blāth'er-skīte, n. p. 140A blustering, talkative fellow. [Local, U. S.] Bartlett.Blăt'ter, v. i. p. 140To patter; hence, to make a senseless noise; to rail. “The rain blattered.” Jeffrey. They procured, also, certain preachers to blatter against me, ... so that they had place and time to belie me…Blăt'ter-er, n. p. 140One who blatters; a noisy, blustering boaster. [Obs.] Spenser.Blăt'ter-ā'tion, n. p. 140Senseless noise or babble. [Obs.]Blăt'ter-ing, n. p. 140Senseless blustering.Blăt'ter-ōon', n. p. 140A senseless babbler. [Obs.] “I hate such blatteroons.” Howell.Blāy, n. p. 140(Ichth.) A small river fish; the bleak.Blāze, n. p. 140The stream of light and heat from any body when burning, proceeding from the combustion of inflammable gas; flame. “To heaven the blaze up-rolled.” Croly. 2. Light, as from flame; expanded light. O…Blāze, v. i. p. 140To shine with flame; as, the fire blazes. 2. To send forth or show a bright and expanded light. “And far and wide the icy summit blazed.” Wordsworth. 3. To be conspicuous.Blāze, v. t. p. 140To make public far and wide; to render conspicuous. “On charitable lists he blazed his name.” Pollok. To blaze those virtues which the good would hide. Pope. 2. To blazon. [Obs.] See BLAZON. Peacham.…Blāz'er, n. p. 140One who publishes and spreads reports. “Blazers of crime.” Spenser.Blāz'ing, a. p. 140Emitting flame or light; as, blazing torches. W. Scott.Blāz'ing-stār, n. p. 140A comet; a star that is accompanied with a coma, or train of light. 2. (Bot.) (a.) A plant of the Colchicum family, the Chamaelirium luteum. Dana. (b.) A medicinal plant (Aletris farinosa), called…Blā’zon, v. t. p. 140To display; to exhibit conspicuously; to make public far and wide. “Thyself thou blazon’st.” Shak. “There pride sits blazoned on th’ unmeaning brow.” Trumbull. “To blazon his own worthless name.”…Blā'zon, v. i. p. 140To shine; to be brilliant or conspicuous. [Rare.]Blā'zon, n. p. 140The art of drawing, describing, or explaining coats of arms. Peacham. 2. The representation on coats of arms. “Their blazon o’er his towers displayed.” W. Scott. 3. Ostentatious display, either by…Blā'z'on-er, n. p. 140One who blazons; a herald; a proclaimer or propagator. Burke.Blā'zōn-ry, n. p. 140The art of describing or explaining coats of arms in proper terms. “The principles of blazonry.” Peacham. 2. The exhibition of coats of arms. “The blazonry of Argyle.” Lord Dufferin.Blēa, n. p. 140The part of a tree which lies immediately under the bark. Chambers.Blēa'ber-ry, n. p. 140(Bot.) A plant and its fruit, a species of Vaccinium (V. uliginosum), having small leaves like those of box-wood, and little purple berries.Blēach, v. t. p. 140To make white, or whiter, by removing the original color; to blanch; to whiten. The destruction of the coloring matters attached to the bodies to be bleached is effected either by the action of the…Blēach, v. i. p. 140To grow white in any manner.Bleached, p. a. p. 140Whitened; made white. Let their bleached bones, and blood’s unbleaching stain, Long mark the battle-field with hideous awe. Byron.Blēach'er, n. p. 140One who whitens, or whose occupation is to whiten, by bleaching.Blēach'er-y, n. p. 140A place or establishment for bleaching.Blēach'-field, n. p. 140A field where any thing is bleached.Blēach'ing, n. p. 140The act or art of whitening, especially the process of whitening fabrics by chemical agents, &c. Ure.Blēach'ing-pow'der, n. p. 140A powder for bleaching, consisting of chloride of lime.Bleak, a. p. 140Without color; pale. [Obs.] When she came out she looked as pale and as bleak as one that were laid out dead. Foxe. 2. Desolate and exposed; swept by cold winds. Wastes too bleak to rear The common…Bleak, n. p. 140(Ichth.) A small river fish, five or six inches long, so named from its whiteness; called, by contraction, blay. It belongs to the family Cyprinidæ and genus Leuciscus (L. alburnus). ☞ The silvery…Bleak'ly, adv. p. 140Openly as to cold and wind; desolately.Bleak'ness, n. p. 140The quality of being bleak; openness of situation; exposure to the wind; hence, coldness. “The bleakness of the air.” Addison.Bleak'y, a. p. 140Bleak; unsheltered; cold. [Obs.] “Bleaky plains.” Dryden.Blear, a. p. 140Dim or sore with water or rheum; — applied to the eyes. His blear eyes ran in gutters to his chin. Dryden. 2. Causing dimness of sight; obscuring. “To cheat the eye with blear illusion.” Milton.Blear, v. t. p. 140To make sore; to affect with soreness of eyes, or a watery humor. Hence, 2. To make dim, or partially to obscure the sight of. Enticing dames my patience still did prove, And bleared mine eyes.…Bleared, p. a. p. 140Dimmed by a watery humor; affected with rheum. Dardanian wives, With bleared visages come forth to view The issue of th’ exploit. Shak.Blear'ed-ness, n. p. 140The state of being bleared, or dimmed with rheum. Wiseman.Blear'-eye or Blear'-eyed-ness, n. p. 140(Med.) A disease of the eyelids, consisting in chronic inflammation of the margins, with a gummy secretion of the sebaceous humor. Dunglison.Blear'-eyed, a. p. 140Having sore eyes; having the eyes dim with rheum; dim sighted. “The blear-eyed Crispin.” Drant. 2. Lacking in perception or penetration; as, a blear-eyed bigot.Blēar'y, n. p. 140A kind of porridge made of flour and water. Boiling a bleary, which was no other than flour and water, and that without salt. Judge Henry.Blēat, v. i. p. 140To make the noise of a sheep; to cry as a sheep. Then suddenly was heard along the main, To low the ox, to bleat the woolly train. Pope.Blēat, n. p. 140The cry of a sheep. “The bleat of fleecy sheep.” Chapman’s Homer.Blēat'er, n. p. 140One who bleats; a sheep. In cold, stiff soils the bleaters oft complain Of gouty ills. Dyer.