Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter B - Page 47

Biserrate (a.) Doubly serrate, or having the serratures serrate, as in some leaves.

Biserrate (a.) Serrate on both sides, as some antennae.

Bisetose (a.) Alt. of Bisetous

Bisetous (a.) Having two bristles.

Bisexous (a.) Bisexual.

Bisexual (a.) Of both sexes; hermaphrodite; as a flower with stamens and pistil, or an animal having ovaries and testes.

Bisexuous (a.) Bisexual.

Biseye () p. p. of Besee.

Bish (n.) Same as Bikh.

Bishop (n.) A spiritual overseer, superintendent, or director.

Bishop (n.) In the Roman Catholic, Greek, and Anglican or Protestant Episcopal churches, one ordained to the highest order of the ministry, superior to the priesthood, and generally claiming to be a successor of the Apostles. The bishop is usually the spiritual head or ruler of a diocese, bishopric, or see.

Bishop (n.) In the Methodist Episcopal and some other churches, one of the highest church officers or superintendents.

Bishop (n.) A piece used in the game of chess, bearing a representation of a bishop's miter; -- formerly called archer.

Bishop (n.) A beverage, being a mixture of wine, oranges or lemons, and sugar.

Bishop (n.) An old name for a woman's bustle.

Bishoped (imp. & p. p.) of Bishop

Bishoping (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Bishop

Bishop (v. t.) To admit into the church by confirmation; to confirm; hence, to receive formally to favor.

Bishoped (imp. & p. p.) of Bishop

Bishoping (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Bishop

Bishop (v. t.) To make seem younger, by operating on the teeth; as, to bishop an old horse or his teeth.

Bishopdom (n.) Jurisdiction of a bishop; episcopate.

Bishoplike (a.) Resembling a bishop; belonging to a bishop.

Bishoply (a.) Bishoplike; episcopal.

Bishoply (adv.) In the manner of a bishop.

Bishopric (n.) A diocese; the district over which the jurisdiction of a bishop extends.

Bishopric (n.) The office of a spiritual overseer, as of an apostle, bishop, or presbyter.

Bishop's cap () A plant of the genus Mitella; miterwort.

Bishop sleeve () A wide sleeve, once worn by women.

Bishop's length () A canvas for a portrait measuring 58 by 94 inches. The half bishop measures 45 by 56.

Bishop-stool (n.) A bishop's seat or see.

Bishop's-weed (n.) An umbelliferous plant of the genus Ammi.

Bishop's-weed (n.) Goutweed (Aegopodium podagraria).

Bishop's-wort (n.) Wood betony (Stachys betonica); also, the plant called fennel flower (Nigella Damascena), or devil-in-a-bush.

Bisie (v. t.) To busy; to employ.

Bisilicate (n.) A salt of metasilicic acid; -- so called because the ratio of the oxygen of the silica to the oxygen of the base is as two to one. The bisilicates include many of the most common and important minerals.

Bisk (n.) Soup or broth made by boiling several sorts of flesh together.

Bisk (n.) See Bisque.

Bismare (n.) Alt. of Bismer

Bismer (n.) Shame; abuse.

Bismer (n.) A rule steelyard.

Bismer (n.) The fifteen-spined (Gasterosteus spinachia).

Bismillah (interj.) An adjuration or exclamation common among the Mohammedans.

Bismite (n.) Bismuth trioxide, or bismuth ocher.

Bismuth (n.) One of the elements; a metal of a reddish white color, crystallizing in rhombohedrons. It is somewhat harder than lead, and rather brittle; masses show broad cleavage surfaces when broken across. It melts at 507¡ Fahr., being easily fused in the flame of a candle. It is found in a native state, and as a constituent of some minerals. Specific gravity 9.8. Atomic weight 207.5. Symbol Bi.

Bismuthal (a.) Containing bismuth.

Bismuthic (a.) Of or pertaining to bismuth; containing bismuth, when this element has its higher valence; as, bismuthic oxide.

Bismuthiferous (a.) Containing bismuth.

Bismuthine (n.) Alt. of Bismuthinite

Bismuthinite (n.) Native bismuth sulphide; -- sometimes called bismuthite.

Bismuthous (a.) Of, or containing, bismuth, when this element has its lower valence.

Bismuthyl (n.) Hydrous carbonate of bismuth, an earthy mineral of a dull white or yellowish color.

Bison (n.) The aurochs or European bison.

Bison (n.) The American bison buffalo (Bison Americanus), a large, gregarious bovine quadruped with shaggy mane and short black horns, which formerly roamed in herds over most of the temperate portion of North America, but is now restricted to very limited districts in the region of the Rocky Mountains, and is rapidly decreasing in numbers.

Bispinose (a.) Having two spines.

Bisque (n.) Unglazed white porcelain.

Bisque (n.) A point taken by the receiver of odds in the game of tennis; also, an extra innings allowed to a weaker player in croquet.

Bisque (n.) A white soup made of crayfish.

Bissextile (n.) Leap year; every fourth year, in which a day is added to the month of February on account of the excess of the tropical year (365 d. 5 h. 48 m. 46 s.) above 365 days. But one day added every four years is equivalent to six hours each year, which is 11 m. 14 s. more than the excess of the real year. Hence, it is necessary to suppress the bissextile day at the end of every century which is not divisible by 400, while it is retained at the end of those which are divisible by 400.

Bissextile (a.) Pertaining to leap year.

Bisson (a.) Purblind; blinding.

Bister (n.) Alt. of Bistre

Bistre (n.) A dark brown pigment extracted from the soot of wood.

Bistipuled (a.) Having two stipules.

Bistort (n.) An herbaceous plant of the genus Polygonum, section Bistorta; snakeweed; adderwort. Its root is used in medicine as an astringent.

Bistouries (pl. ) of Bistoury

Bistoury (n.) A surgical instrument consisting of a slender knife, either straight or curved, generally used by introducing it beneath the part to be divided, and cutting towards the surface.

Bistre (n.) See Bister.

Bisulcate (a.) Having two grooves or furrows.

Bisulcate (a.) Cloven; said of a foot or hoof.

Bisulcous (a.) Bisulcate.

Bisulphate (n.) A sulphate in which but half the hydrogen of the acid is replaced by a positive element or radical, thus making the proportion of the acid to the positive or basic portion twice what it is in the normal sulphates; an acid sulphate.

Bisulphide (n.) A sulphide having two atoms of sulphur in the molecule; a disulphide, as in iron pyrites, FeS2; -- less frequently called bisulphuret.

Bisulphite (n.) A salt of sulphurous acid in which the base replaces but half the hydrogen of the acid; an acid sulphite.

Bisulphuret (n.) See Bisulphide.

Bit (v.) The part of a bridle, usually of iron, which is inserted in the mouth of a horse, and having appendages to which the reins are fastened.

Bit (v.) Fig.: Anything which curbs or restrains.

Bitted (imp. & p. p.) of Bit

Bitting (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Bit

Bit (v. t.) To put a bridle upon; to put the bit in the mouth of.

Bit () imp. & p. p. of Bite.

Bit (v.) A part of anything, such as may be bitten off or taken into the mouth; a morsel; a bite. Hence: A small piece of anything; a little; a mite.

Bit (v.) Somewhat; something, but not very great.

Bit (v.) A tool for boring, of various forms and sizes, usually turned by means of a brace or bitstock. See Bitstock.

Bit (v.) The part of a key which enters the lock and acts upon the bolt and tumblers.

Bit (v.) The cutting iron of a plane.

Bit (v.) In the Southern and Southwestern States, a small silver coin (as the real) formerly current; commonly, one worth about 12 1/2 cents; also, the sum of 12 1/2 cents.

Bit () 3d sing. pr. of Bid, for biddeth.

Bitake (v. t.) To commend; to commit.

Bitangent (a.) Possessing the property of touching at two points.

Bitangent (n.) A line that touches a curve in two points.

Bitartrate (n.) A salt of tartaric acid in which the base replaces but half the acid hydrogen; an acid tartrate, as cream of tartar.

Bitch (n.) The female of the canine kind, as of the dog, wolf, and fox.

Bitch (n.) An opprobrious name for a woman, especially a lewd woman.

Bit (imp.) of Bite

Bitten (p. p.) of Bite

Bit () of Bite

Biting (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Bite

Bite (v. t.) To seize with the teeth, so that they enter or nip the thing seized; to lacerate, crush, or wound with the teeth; as, to bite an apple; to bite a crust; the dog bit a man.

Bite (v. t.) To puncture, abrade, or sting with an organ (of some insects) used in taking food.

[previous page] [Index] [next page]