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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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Bō'a-con-stric'-tor, n. p. 146(Zool.) A large and powerful serpent, sometimes 30 or 40 feet long, found in the tropical parts of America. It has a regular succession of spots, alternately black and yellow, extending the whole…Bō-a-nēr'jēs, n. pl. p. 146Sons of thunder; — an appellation given by Jesus Christ to his two disciples James and John. And he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, the sons of thunder. Mark iii. 17.Bōar, n. p. 146The male of swine not castrated; specifically, the wild hog.Bōar, v. i. p. 146(Man.) To shoot out the nose; to raise it high in the air, or toss it; — said of a horse.Bōard, n. p. 146A piece of timber sawed thin, and of considerable length and breadth compared with the thickness, used for building and other purposes. When very thick, as over one and a half or two inches, it is…Bōard, v. t. p. 146To lay or spread with boards; to cover with boards; as, to board a house. “The boarded hovel.” Cowper. 2. To go on board of, or enter, as a ship, whether in a hostile or friendly way. “You board an…Bōard, v. i. p. 146To obtain food or diet statedly for compensation; as, he boards at the price of two dollars a week. We are, several of us, gentlemen and ladies, who board in the same house. Spectator.Bōard'a-ble, a. p. 146Capable of being boarded, as a ship.Bōard'er, n. p. 146One who has food or diet statedly at another's table for pay, or compensation of any kind. 2. (Naut.) One who boards a ship in action; one whose duty is to board ships. Totten.Bōard'ing, n. p. 146(Naut.) The act of entering a ship, whether in combat or otherwise. “Both slain at one time, as they attempted the boarding of a frigate.” Sir F. Drake. 2. The act of covering with boards, and also…Bōard'ing-house, n. p. 146A house in which boarders are kept.Bōard'ing-nēt'tings, n. pl. p. 146(Naut.) Strong network of cords to prevent the boarding of a ship in battle. Totten.Bōard'ing-pīke, n. p. 146(Naut.) A pike used by sailors in boarding a vessel, or in repelling an attempt to board it. Totten.Bōard'ing-schōōl, n. p. 146A school in which the scholars receive board and lodging as well as instruction.Bōard'-rūle, n. p. 146A figured scale for finding the number of square feet in a board without calculation. Haldiman.Bōard'-wā'ges, n. pl. p. 146Wages allowed to servants to keep themselves in victuals. Not enough is left him to supply Board-wages, or a footman's livery. Dryden.Bōar'ish, a. p. 146Swinish; brutal; cruel. In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs. Shak.Bōar'-spēar, n. p. 146A spear used in hunting boars.Bōast, v. i. p. 146To brag, or vaunt one’s self; to exalt, or extravagantly praise one’s self; to glory;—usually followed with of. By grace are ye saved through faith; . . . not of works, lest any man should boast.…Bōast, v. t. p. 146To display in ostentatious language; to speak of with pride, vanity, or exultation, with a view to self-commendation. Lest men should boast their specious deeds. Milton. 2. Reflexively, to magnify or…Bōast, n. p. 146Expression of ostentation, pride, or vanity; a vaunting or bragging. Reason and morals? and where live they most, In Christian comfort, or in Stoic boast? Byron. 2. The cause of boasting; occasion of…Bōast'er, n. p. 146One who boasts, glories, or vaunts, ostentatiously; a braggart. But did this boaster threaten? did he pray, Or by his own example urge their stay? Dryden. Syn.—Braggard; braggart; braggadocio.Bōast'ful, a. p. 146Given to boasting; ostentatious of personal worth or actions.Bōast'ful-ly, adv. p. 146In a boastful manner.Bōast'ful-ness, n. p. 146State or quality of being boastful; ostentation.Bōast'ing, n. p. 146Ostentatious display of personal worth or actions; glorifying; vaunting. “When boasting ends, then dignity begins.” Young. 2. (Masonry.) The paring of a stone with a broad chisel and mallet. Weale.…Bōast'ing-ly, adv. p. 146In an ostentatious manner; with boasting. “He boastingly tells you.” Burke.Bōast'ive, a. p. 146Presumptuous. [Rare.]Boast'less, a. p. 146Without boasting or ostentation. Boastless, as now descends the silent dew. Thomson.Bōst'on, n. p. 146A game at cards.Bōat, n. p. 146A small open vessel, or water craft, usually moved by oars, or rowing, but often by a sail. 2. Hence, any vessel; usually with some epithet descriptive of its use or mode of propulsion; as…Bōat, v. t. p. 146To transport in a boat; as, to boat goods across a lake.Bōat, v. i. p. 146To go in a boat. “I boated over, ran my craft aground.” Tennyson.Bōat'a-ble, a. p. 146Navigable for boats, or small river craft. “The boatable waters of the Alleghany.” Morse.Bōat'-bĭll, n. p. 146(Ornith.) (a.) A species of bird, the Cancroma cochlearia, of the order of Waders, a native of the tropical parts of South America. It has a bill four inches long, not unlike a boat with the keel…Bōat'-fly or Bōat'-in'sect, n. p. 146(Entom.) An aquatic hemipterous insect of different species of the genus Notonecta;—so called from swimming on its back, which gives it the appearance of a little boat. Baird.Bōat'-hōok, n. p. 146(Naut.) An iron hook with a point on the back, fixed to a long pole, to pull or push a boat. Totten.Bōat'-house, n. p. 146A house for sheltering boats. “Half the latticed boat-house hides.” Wordsworth.Bōat'ing, n. p. 146The act or practice of sailing or transporting in boats. 2. In Persia, a punishment of capital offenders, by laying them on the back in a covered boat, where they perish.Bo-ā'tion, n. p. 146A crying out; a roar; noise; reverberation. [Obs.] The guns were heard . . . about a hundred Italian miles, in long boations. Derham.Bōat'man or Bōats'man, n. p. 146A man who manages a boat; a rower of a boat. As late the boatman hies him home. Percival.Bōat'-rōpe, n. p. 146A rope to fasten a boat;—usually called a painter.Bōat'-shāped, a. p. 146(Bot.) Having the shape of a boat; navicular; cymbiform; hollow like a boat, as the valve of some pericarps. Lindley.Bōat'shell, n. p. 146(Conch.) A species of shell, of the genus Cymba.Boat'swain, n. p. 146(Naut.) An officer who has charge of the boats, sails, rigging, colors, anchors, cables, cordage, &c., of a ship, and who also summons the crew, and performs various other duties. Totten. Boatswain's…Bŏb, n. p. 146Any thing that plays loosely, or with a short, abrupt motion, as at the end of a string; a pendant. In jewels dressed and at each ear a bob. Dryden. 2. A knot of worms, or of rags, on a string, used…Bŏb, v. t. p. 146To move in a short, jerking manner; as, to bob a courtesy. “He bobbed his head.” Irving. 2. To beat; to strike with a quick, light blow. If any man happened by long sitting to sleep ... he was…Bŏb, v. i. p. 146To have a short, jerking motion; to play to and fro, or up and down; to play loosely. “Bobbing and courtesying.” Thackeray. 2. To angle with a bob, or with a bobbing motion of the bait. “He ne’er had…Bo-bănce', n. p. 147A boasting. [Obs.] Chaucer.Bŏb'ber-y, n. p. 147A squabble; a tumult; as, to raise a bobbery. [Low.] Halliwell.Bŏb'bin, n. p. 147A small pin, or cylindrical piece of wood, with a head, on which thread is wound for making lace. A similar instrument, bored through to receive an iron pivot, and with a border at one or both ends…Bob-bin-èt' or Bôb'bin-èt', n. p. 147A kind of lace which is wrought by machines, and not by hand. “The English machine-made net is now confined to point-net, warp-net, and bobbin-net, so called from the peculiar construction of the…Bŏb'bin-work, n. p. 147Work woven with bobbins.Bŏb'-chĕr'ry, n. p. 147A play among children, in which a cherry is hung so as to bob against the mouth, and be caught with the teeth.Bob-lin'coln p. 147Bŏb'o·link, n. p. 147(Ornith.) The rice-bird, rice bunting, or reed-bird; the Dolichonyx orizivorus, an American singing-bird. Baird. The happiest bird of our spring is the bobolink. W. Irving.Bŏb'stāys, n. pl. p. 147(Naut.) Ropes or chains to confine the bowsprit of a ship downward to the stem or cutwater.Bŏb'tāil, n. p. 147A short tail, or a tail cut short. 2. The rabble; used in contempt. Braunston.Bŏb'tāiled, a. p. 147Having the tail cut short, as a dog, or naturally short and thick. L'Estrange.Bŏb'-white, n. p. 147(Ornith.) The common partridge of North America (the Odontophorus Virginianus), so called from its note. S. F. Baird.