Bierbalk - Bilge

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Bierbalk (bērb�k), n. [See , and , n.] A church road (e. g., a path across fields) for funerals. [Obs.] Homilies.
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{ Biestings, Beestings } (�), n. pl. [OE. bestynge, AS. bȳsting, fr. bȳst, beost; akin to D. biest, OHG. biost, G. biest; of unknown origin.] The first milk given by a cow after calving. B. Jonson.
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The thick and curdy milk . . . commonly called biestings. Newton. (1574).
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Bifacial (�), a. [Pref. bi- + facial.] Having the opposite surfaces alike.
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Bifarious (�), a. [L. bifarius; bis twice + fari to speak. Cf. Gr. � twofold; � twice + � to say.] 1. Twofold; arranged in two rows.
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2. (Bot.) Pointing two ways, as leaves that grow only on opposite sides of a branch; in two vertical rows.
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Bifariously, adv. In a bifarious manner.
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Biferous (�), a. [L. bifer; bis twice + ferre to bear.] Bearing fruit twice a year.
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Biffin (�), n. [Cf. .] 1. A sort of apple peculiar to Norfolk, Eng. [Sometimes called beaufin; but properly beefin (it is said), from its resemblance to raw beef.] Wright.
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2. A baked apple pressed down into a flat, round cake; a dried apple. Dickens.
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Bifid (�), a. [L. bifidus; bis twice + root of findere to cleave or split: cf. F. bifide.] Cleft to the middle or slightly beyond the middle; opening with a cleft; divided by a linear sinus, with straight margins.
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Bifidate (�), a. [L. bifidatus.] See .
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Bifilar (�), a. [Pref. bi- + filar.] Two-threaded; involving the use of two threads; as, bifilar suspension; a bifilar balance.
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Coloq. Bifilar micrometer (often called Coloq. a bifilar ), an instrument form measuring minute distances or angles by means of two very minute threads (usually spider lines), one of which, at least, is movable; -- more commonly called a filar micrometer.
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Biflabellate (�), a. [Pref. bi- + flabellate.] (Zoöl.) Flabellate on both sides.
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Biflagellate (�), a. [Pref. bi- + flagellate.] Having two long, narrow, whiplike appendages.
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{ Biflorate (�), Biflorous (�), } a. [L. bis twice + flos, floris, flower.] (Bot.) Bearing two flowers; two-flowered.
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Bifocal (?), a. [Pref. bi-+ focal.] Having two foci, as some spectacle lenses.
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Bifocal (?), n. [Pref. bi-+ focal.] a bifocal lens.
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Bifocals (?), n. pl. [Pref. bi-+ focal.] eyeglasses whose lenses have two foci, allowing the wearer to see both far and nearby objects clearly. The lenses are partitioned horizontally, the upper and lower parts having different focal lengths.
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Bifold (�), a. [Pref. bi- + fold.] Twofold; double; of two kinds, degrees, etc. Shak.
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Bifoliate (�), a. [Pref. bi- + foliate.] (Bot.) Having two leaves; two-leaved.
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Bifoliolate (�), a. [Pref. bi- + foliolate.] (Bot.) Having two leaflets, as some compound leaves.
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Biforate (�), a. [L. bis twice + foratus, p. p. of forare to bore or pierce.] (Bot.) Having two perforations.
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Biforine (�), n. [L. biforis, biforus, having two doors; bis twice + foris door.] (Bot.) An oval sac or cell, found in the leaves of certain plants of the order Araceæ. It has an opening at each end through which raphides, generated inside, are discharged.
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Biforked (�), a. Bifurcate.
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Biform (�), a. [L. biformis; bis twice + forma shape: cf. F. biforme.] Having two forms, bodies, or shapes. Croxall.
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Biformed (�), a. [Pref. bi- + form.] Having two forms. Johnson.
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Biformity (�), n. A double form.
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Biforn (�), prep. & adv. Before. [Obs.]
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Biforous (�), a. [L. biforis having two doors; bis twice, two + foris door.] See .
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Bifronted (�), a. [Pref. bi- + front.] Having two fronts. “Bifronted Janus.” Massinger.
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{ Bifurcate (�), Bifurcated (�), } a. [Pref. bi- + furcate.] 1. Two-pronged; forked.
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2. divided into or made up of two parts. socially bifurcated populations
Syn. -- chesty.
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Bifurcate (�), v. i. To divide into two branches.
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Bifurcation (�), n. [Cf. F. bifurcation.] A forking, or division into two branches.
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Bifurcous (�), a. [L. bifurcus; bis twice + furca fork.] See , a. [R.] Coles.
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Big (bĭg), a. [Compar. Bigger; superl. Biggest.] [Perh. from Celtic; cf. W. beichiog, beichiawg, pregnant, with child, fr. baich burden, Arm. beac'h; or cf. OE. bygly, Icel. biggiligr, (properly) habitable; (then) magnigicent, excellent, fr. OE. biggen, Icel. byggja, to dwell, build, akin to E. be.] 1. Having largeness of size; of much bulk or magnitude; of great size; large. “He's too big to go in there.” Shak.
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2. Great with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce; -- often figuratively.
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[Day] big with the fate of Cato and of Rome. Addison.
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3. Having greatness, fullness, importance, inflation, distention, etc., whether in a good or a bad sense; as, a big heart; a big voice; big looks; to look big. As applied to looks, it indicates haughtiness or pride.
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God hath not in heaven a bigger argument. Jer. Taylor.
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☞ Big is often used in self-explaining compounds; as, big-boned; big-sounding; big-named; big-voiced.
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Coloq. To talk big , to talk loudly, arrogantly, or pretentiously.
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I talked big to them at first. De Foe.
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Syn. -- Bulky; large; great; massive; gross.
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{ Big, Bigg }, n. [OE. bif, bigge; akin to Icel. bygg, Dan. byg, Sw. bjugg.] (Bot.) Barley, especially the hardy four-rowed kind.
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“Bear interchanges in local use, now with barley, now with bigg.” New English Dict.
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{ Big, Bigg }, v. t. [OE. biggen, fr. Icel. byggja to inhabit, to build, b�a (neut.) to dwell (active) to make ready. See , and .] To build. [Scot. & North of Eng. Dial.] Sir W. Scott.
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Biga (�), n. [L.] (Antiq.) A two-horse chariot.
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Bigam (�), n. [L. bigamus twice married: cf. F. bigame. See ] A bigamist. [Obs.]
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Bigamist (�), n. [Cf. .] One who is guilty of bigamy. Ayliffe.
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Bigamous (�), a. Guilty of bigamy; involving bigamy; as, a bigamous marriage.
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Bigamy (�), n. [OE. bigamie, fr. L. bigamus twice married; bis twice + Gr. � marriage; prob. akin to Skt. jāmis related, and L. gemini twins, the root meaning to bind, join: cf. F. bigamie. Cf. .] (Law) The offense of marrying one person when already legally married to another. Wharton.
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☞ It is not strictly correct to call this offense bigamy: it more properly denominated polygamy, i. e., having a plurality of wives or husbands at once, and in several statutes in the United States the offense is classed under the head of polygamy.

In the canon law bigamy was the marrying of two virgins successively, or one after the death of the other, or once marrying a widow. This disqualified a man for orders, and for holding ecclesiastical offices. Shakespeare uses the word in the latter sense. Blackstone. Bouvier.
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Base declension and loathed bigamy. Shak.
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Big Apple (bĭg ăpp'l), prop. n. New York City; -- a nickname, usually written The Big Apple.
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{ Bigarreau (�), Bigaroon (�), } n. [F. bigarreau, fr. bigarré variegated.] (Bot.) The large white-heart cherry.
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big band, A band that is the size of an orchestra, usually playing mostly jazz or swing music. The big band typically features both ensemble and solo playing, sometimes has a lead singer, and is often located in a night club where the patrons may dance to its music. The big bands were popular from the late 1920's to the 1940's. Contrasted with , which has fewer players.
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big bang n. (Astron.) The explosive event marking the beginning of the known universe, according to ; the beginning of time. The big bang is likened to a massive explosion from a point containing all of the matter and energy of the beginning universe, which started the expansion and evolution of the universe which continues today. The evidence for such an event includes the apparently expanding size of the present universe, and a background microwave radiation of about 3° Kelvin, equal to that predicted from mathematical models of such an explosive event.
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big bang theory n. (Astronomy, Cosmology) The theory that the known universe originated in an explosive event (the ) in which all of the matter and energy of the universe was contained in a single point and began to rapidly expand and evolve, starting as high-energy particles and radiation, and, as it cooled over time, evolving into ordinary subatomic particles, atoms, and then stars and galaxies. According to this theory, the four-dimensional space-time continuum which we perceive as our universe continues to expand to the present time, but it is unknown whether the expansion will continue indefinitely or eventually stop or even reverse, possibly leading to a contraction to a single point sometimes referred to as the “big crunch”. The competing “Steady-state Theory” gradually lost favor in the 1980's and 1990's. See also .
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Big-bellied (�), a. Having a great belly; as, a big-bellied man or flagon; advanced in pregnancy.
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Big Bend State. Tennessee; -- a nickname.
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Big Board (bĭg bôrd), prop. n. (Finance) The New York Stock Exchange; -- a nickname often used in financial reporting.
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bigeminate (�), a. [Pref. bi- + geminate.] (Bot.) Having a forked petiole, and a pair of leaflets at the end of each division; biconjugate; twice paired; -- said of a decompound leaf.
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bigential (�), a. [Pref. bi- + L. gens, gentis, tribe.] (Zoöl.) Including two tribes or races of men.
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Bigeye (�), n. (Zoöl.) A fish of the genus Priacanthus, remarkable for the large size of the eye.
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Bigg (�), n. & v. See , n. & v.
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Biggen (�), v. t. & i. To make or become big; to enlarge. [Obs. or Dial.] Steele.
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Bigger (�), a., compar. of .
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Biggest (�), a., superl. of .
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Biggin (�), n. [F. béguin, prob. from the cap worn by the Béguines. Cf. , .] A child's cap; a hood, or something worn on the head.
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An old woman's biggin for a nightcap. Massinger.
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Biggin, n. A coffeepot with a strainer or perforated metallic vessel for holding the ground coffee, through which boiling water is poured; -- so called from Mr. Biggin, the inventor.
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{ Biggin, Bigging, } n. [OE. bigging. See , , v. t.] A building. [Obs.]
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{ Biggon (�), Biggonnet (�), } n. [F. béguin and OF. beguinet, dim of béguin. See a cap.] A cap or hood with pieces covering the ears.
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Bigha (�), n. A measure of land in India, varying from a third of an acre to an acre.
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bighearted adj. given or giving freely.
Syn. -- big, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, generous, handsome, giving, liberal, openhanded.
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Bighorn (�), n. (Zoöl.) The Rocky Mountain sheep (Ovis montana or Caprovis montana); called also bighorn sheep.
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Bight (bīt), n. [OE. biȝt a bending; cf. Sw. & Dan. bugt bend, bay; fr. AS. byht, fr. būgan. √88. Cf. , a bend, and see , v.] 1. A corner, bend, or angle; a hollow; as, the bight of a horse's knee; the bight of an elbow.
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2. (Geog.) A bend in a coast forming an open bay; as, the Bight of Benin.
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3. (Naut.) The double part of a rope when folded, in distinction from the ends; that is, a round, bend, or coil not including the ends; a loop.
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Biglandular (�), a. [Pref. bi- + glandular.] Having two glands, as a plant.
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Bigly (�), adv. [From , a.] In a tumid, swelling, blustering manner; haughtily; violently.
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He brawleth bigly. Robynson (More's Utopia. )
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Bigness, n. The state or quality of being big; largeness; size; bulk.
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Bignonia (�), prop. n. [Named from the Abbé Bignon.] 1. (Bot.) A large genus of American, mostly tropical, climbing shrubs, having compound leaves and showy somewhat tubular flowers. Bignonia capreolata is the cross vine of the Southern United States. The trumpet creeper (also called the trumpet vine), with large red tubular flowers, was formerly considered to be of this genus, but is now classified as Campsis radicans.
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2. any member of the family Bignoniaceae, including the bignonia{1}, catalpa, trumpet creeper, and princess tree. They typically have brightly colored tubular (trumpet-shaped) flowers.
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Bignoniaceae n. a natural family comprising the trees or shrubs or woody vines or herbs having gourdlike or capsular fruit; the are sometimes placed in the order Scrophulariales.
Syn. -- family Bignoniaceae.
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Bignoniaceous (�), a. (Bot.) Of pertaining to, or resembling, the family of plants of which the trumpet flower (also called trumpet creeper and trumpet vine) is an example.
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Bigot (�), n. [F. bigot a bigot or hypocrite, a name once given to the Normans in France. Of unknown origin; possibly akin to Sp. bigote a whisker; hombre de bigote a man of spirit and vigor; cf. It. s-bigottire to terrify, to appall. Wedgwood and others maintain that bigot is from the same source as Beguine, Beghard.]
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1. A hypocrite; esp., a superstitious hypocrite. [Obs.]
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2. A person who regards his own faith and views in matters of religion as unquestionably right, and any belief or opinion opposed to or differing from them as unreasonable or wicked. In an extended sense, a person who is intolerant of opinions which conflict with his own, as in politics or morals; one obstinately and blindly devoted to his own church, party, belief, or opinion.
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To doubt, where bigots had been content to wonder and believe. Macaulay.
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Bigot, a. Bigoted. [Obs.]
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In a country more bigot than ours. Dryden.
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Bigoted, a. Obstinately and blindly attached to some creed, opinion practice, or ritual; unreasonably devoted to a system or party, and illiberal toward the opinions of others. “Bigoted to strife.” Byron.
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Syn. -- Prejudiced; intolerant; narrow-minded.
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Bigotedly, adv. In the manner of a bigot.
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Bigotry (�), n. [Cf. F. bigoterie.] 1. The state of mind of a bigot; obstinate and unreasoning attachment of one's own belief and opinions, with narrow-minded intolerance of beliefs opposed to them.
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2. The practice or tenets of a bigot.
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bigram n. a word that is written with two letters in an alphabetic writing system.
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big-shouldered adj. having unusually large shoulders. big-shouldered and heavy-armed
Syn. -- broad-shouldered, square-shouldered.
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big-ticket adj. prenom. same as , but in an absolute sense; -- referring to items of a type which are all expensive, such as automobiles, refrigerators, or large-screen television sets. The roaring stock market led to an increase in the purchase of big-ticket items during the 1996 Christmas season. cheap
Syn. -- costly, dear, high-priced, pricey, pricy.
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Bigwig (�), n. [Big,a.+ wig.] A person of consequence; as, the bigwigs of society. [Jocose]
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In our youth we have heard him spoken of by the bigwigs with extreme condescension. Dickens.
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Big-wigged (�), a. characterized by pomposity of manner. [Eng.]
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Bihydroguret (�), n. [Pref. bi- + hydroguret.] (Chem.) A compound of two atoms of hydrogen with some other substance. [Obs.]
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Bijou (�), n.; pl. Bijoux (�). [F.; of uncertain origin.] A trinket; a jewel; -- a word applied to anything small and of elegant workmanship.
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Bijoutry (�), n. [F. bijouterie. See .] Small articles of virtu, as jewelry, trinkets, etc.
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Bijugate (�), a. [L. bis twice + jugatus, p. p. of jugare to join.] (Bot.) Having two pairs, as of leaflets.
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Bijugous (�), a. [L. bijugus yoked two together; bis twice + jugum yoke, pair.] (Bot.) Bijugate.
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Bike (�), n. [Ethymol. unknown.] A nest of wild bees, wasps, or ants; a swarm. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.
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Bikh (�), n. [Hind., fr. Skr. visha poison.] (Bot.) The East Indian name of a virulent poison extracted from Aconitum ferox or other species of aconite: also, the plant itself.
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bilabial adj. (Linguistics) produced using both lips; -- said of a consonant. As, bilabial fricatives. See , adj. and n.
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bilabial n. (Linguistics) a consonant that is articulated using both lips, as p or b or w.
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Bilabiate (�), a. [Pref. bi- + labiate.] (Bot.) Having two lips, as the corols of certain flowers.
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Bilaciniate (�), a. [Pref. bi- + laciniate.] Doubly fringed.
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Bilalo (�), n. A two-masted passenger boat or small vessel, used in the bay of Manila.
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{ Bilamellate (�), Bilamellated (�), } a. [Pref. bi- + lamellate.] (Bot.) Formed of two plates, as the stigma of the Mimulus; also, having two elevated ridges, as in the lip of certain flowers.
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{ Bilaminar (�), Bilaminate (�), } a. [Pref. bi- + laminar, laminate.] Formed of, or having, two laminæ, or thin plates.
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Biland (�), n. A byland. [Obs.] Holland.
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Bilander (�), n. [D. bijlander; bij by + land land, country.] (Naut.) A small two-masted merchant vessel, fitted only for coasting, or for use in canals, as in Holland.
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Why choose we, then, like bilanders to creep
Along the coast, and land in view to keep? Dryden.
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Bilateral (�), a. [Pref. bi- + lateral: cf. F. bilatéral.] 1. Having two sides; arranged upon two sides; affecting two sides or two parties.
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2. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to the two sides of a central area or organ, or of a central axis; as, bilateral symmetry in animals, where there is a similarity of parts on the right and left sides of the body.
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Bilaterality (�), n. State of being bilateral.
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Bilberry (�), n.; pl. Bilberries (�). [Cf. Dan. böllebær bilberry, where bölle is perh. akin to E. ball.] 1. (Bot.) The European whortleberry (Vaccinium myrtillus); also, its edible bluish black fruit.
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There pinch the maids as blue as bilberry. Shak.
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2. (Bot.) Any similar plant or its fruit; esp., in America, the species Vaccinium myrtilloides, Vaccinium cæspitosum and Vaccinium uliginosum.
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Bilbo (�), n.; pl. Bilboes (�). 1. A rapier; a sword; so named from Bilbao, in Spain. Shak.
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2. pl. A long bar or bolt of iron with sliding shackles, and a lock at the end, to confine the feet of prisoners or offenders, esp. on board of ships.
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Methought I lay
Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. Shak.
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Bilboquet (�), n. [F.] The toy called cup and ball.
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Bilcock (�), n. (Zoöl.) The European water rail.
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Bildstein (�), n. [G., fr. bild image, likeness + stein stone.] Same as .
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Bile (�), n. [L. bilis: cf. F. bile.] 1. (Physiol.) A yellow, or greenish, viscid fluid, usually alkaline in reaction, secreted by the liver. It passes into the intestines, where it aids in the digestive process. Its characteristic constituents are the bile salts, and coloring matters.
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2. Bitterness of feeling; choler; anger; ill humor; as, to stir one's bile. Prescott.
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☞ The ancients considered the bile to be the “humor” which caused irascibility.
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Bile, n. [OE. byle, bule, bele, AS. b�le, b�l; skin to D. buil, G. beule, and Goth. ufbauljan to puff up. Cf. a tumor, .] A boil. [Obs. or Archaic]
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Bilection (�), n. (Arch.) That portion of a group of moldings which projects beyond the general surface of a panel; a bolection.
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Bilestone (�), n. [Bile + stone.] A gallstone, or biliary calculus. See . E. Darwin.
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Bilge (�), n. [A different orthography of bulge, of same origin as belly. Cf. , .] 1. The protuberant part of a cask, which is usually in the middle.
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2. (Naut.) That part of a ship's hull or bottom which is broadest and most nearly flat, and on which she would rest if aground.
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3. Bilge water.
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Coloq. Bilge free (Naut.), stowed in such a way that the bilge is clear of everything; -- said of a cask. -- Coloq. Bilge pump , a pump to draw the bilge water from the gold of a ship. -- Coloq. Bilge water (Naut.), water which collects in the bilge or bottom of a ship or other vessel. It is often allowed to remain till it becomes very offensive. -- Coloq. Bilge ways , the timbers which support the cradle of a ship upon the ways, and which slide upon the launching ways in launching the vessel.
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