BATHE, b[=a]_th_, _v.t._ to wash as in a bath: to wash or moisten with any liquid: to moisten, suffuse, encompass.--_v.i._ to take a bath.--_n._ the act of taking a bath.--_ns._ BATH'ING-BOX, a box for bathers to undress and dress in; BATH'ING-MACHINE', a small carriage in which a bather may be carried out into water conveniently deep for bathing. [A.S. _bathian_; Old High Ger. _badon_, _bathon_ (Ger. _baden_).]
BATHOMETER, bath-om'et-[.e]r, _n._ an instrument for ascertaining depth.
[Gr. _bathos_, depth, _metron_, measure.]
BATHORSE, baw'hors, _n._ a packhorse carrying the baggage of an officer.
[Fr. _bat_, a pack-saddle.]
BATHOS, b[=a]'thos, _n._ a ludicrous descent from the elevated to the mean in writing or speech.--_adj._ BATHET'IC, irregularly formed on the analogy of _pathos_, _pathetic_. [Gr. _bathos_, depth, from _bathys_, deep.]
BATHYBIUS, bath-ib'i-us, _n._ name given to a supposed low form of life at the bottom of some parts of the deep sea. [Formed from Gr. _bathys_, deep, and _bios_, life.]
BATHYMETRY, bath-im'et-ri, _n._ the science of measuring the depth of seas and lakes. [Gr. _bathys_, deep, _metria_, measurement.]
BATING, b[=a]t'ing, _prep._ abating, excepting.
BATISTE, ba-t[=e]st', _n._ usual French name for cambric: applied in commerce to a fine texture of linen and cotton. [Littre derives from _Baptiste_, the original maker; others from its use in wiping the heads of children after baptism.]
BATLET, bat'let, _n._ a wooden mallet used by laundresses for beating clothes. [Dim. of BAT.]
BATMAN, bat'man, baw'man, _n._ a man who has charge of a bathorse. [See BATHORSE.]
[Illustration]
BATON, bat'on, BATOON, ba-toon', _n._ a staff or truncheon, esp. of a policeman: a marshal's staff.--_v.t._ to strike with a baton.--_n._ BAT'ON-SIN'ISTER, a well-known heraldic indication of illegitimacy, improperly called BAR-SINISTER, a diminutive of a bend-sinister, not extending to the sides of the shield, so as to resemble a marshal's baton laid diagonally over the family arms from left to right. [Fr. _baton_--Low L. _basto_, a stick; of unknown origin.]
BATRACHIA, ba-tr[=a]'ki-a, _n.pl._ the order of reptiles which includes the frogs.--_adj._ and _n._ BATR[=A]'CHIAN. [From Gr. _batrachos_, a frog.]
BATSWING, bats'wing, _n._ a kind of gas-burner, with a slit at the top which causes the flame to take the shape of a bat's wing.
BATTA, bat'ta, _n._ an allowance to officers in the British Indian army in addition to their ordinary pay: subsistence money. [Hind.]
BATTAILANT, bat't[=a]l-ant, _adj._ (_Spens._) fighting.--_adj._ BAT'TAILOUS (_arch._), war-like. [Fr. _bataillant_, pr.p. of _batailler_, to fight. See BATTLE.]
BATTALIA, bat-t[=a]l'ya, _n._ the order of battle: the main body of an army in array. [It. _battaglia_. Doublet of BATTLE.]
BATTALIA PIE, bat-t[=a]l'ya p[=i], titbits in a pie: articles like pin-cushions, embroidered by nuns in convents with scenes from the Bible.
[Corrupted from Fr. _beatilles_, dim. formed from L. _beatus_.]
BATTALION, bat-al'yun, _n._ a body of soldiers consisting of several companies: a body of men drawn up in battle-array. [Fr.; from root of BATTLE.]
BATTELS, bat'lz, _n.pl._ an Oxford term signifying accounts for provisions received from college kitchens and butteries: applied generally to the whole of the sums for tuition, &c., charged in college accounts.--_v.i._ BAT'TILL, BAT'TEL (_Spens._), to fatten. [Late L. _batilli_, perh. conn.
with BATTLE, to feed.]
BATTEN, bat'n, _v.i._ to grow fat: to live in luxury.--_v.t._ (_obs._) to fatten. [Ice. _batna_, to grow better--_bati_, advantage; cf. Dut. _baten_, to avail.]
BATTEN, bat'n, _n._ a piece of board: a ledge, clamp: in ships, a strip of wood used to fasten down the hatches.--_n._ BAT'TENING, battens forming a structure. [Same as BATON.]
BATTER, bat'er, _v.t._ to beat with successive blows: to wear with beating or by use: to attack with artillery.--_n._ ingredients beaten along with some liquid into a paste: paste for sticking.--_ns._ BAT'TERING-CHARGE, the full charge of powder for a cannon; BAT'TERING-RAM, an ancient engine for battering down walls, consisting of a large beam with an iron head like that of a ram. [O. Fr. _batre_ (Fr. _battre_), from the root of BAT.]
BATTER, bat'[.e]r, _n._ the inclination of a wall from the perpendicular.--_v.i._ to slope backward from the perpendicular. [Perh.
from Fr. _battre_, to beat down.]
BATTERY, bat'[.e]r-i, _n._ (_Shak._) a wound: a number of cannon with their equipment: the place on which cannon are mounted: the men and horses attending one battery, constituting the unit in the artillery: an instrument used in electric and galvanic experiments: (_law_) an assault by beating or wounding: apparatus for preparing or serving meals.--CROSS BATTERIES, two batteries commanding the same spot from different directions; FLOATING BATTERY (see FLOAT); MASKED BATTERY, a battery in action out of the enemy's view; TO CHANGE ONE'S BATTERY, to alter the direction of attacking.
BATTLE, bat'l, _n._ a contest between opposing armies: a fight or encounter: (_arch._) a body of troops in battle array, esp. in phrase 'main battle.'--_v.i._ to contend in fight: to maintain, champion (with _against_, _with_).--_ns._ BAT'TLE-AXE, -AX, a kind of axe once used in battle; BAT'TLE-CRY, a war-shout; BAT'TLEFIELD, the place on which a battle is fought; BAT'TLE-PIECE, a passage, or a painting, describing a battle.--_adj._ BAT'TLE-SCARRED, scarred in battle.--_ns._ BAT'TLESHIP, a war-ship of the first class; PITCHED'-BAT'TLE, a battle fought on chosen ground.--BATTLE ROYAL, a general melee--HALF THE BATTLE, said of anything which ensures success.--LINE OF BATTLE, troops in array for battle; LINE-OF-BATTLE SHIP, a ship strong enough to form one of the line.--TO JOIN, DO BATTLE, to fight. [Fr. _bataille_--_battre_, to beat. See BATTER.]
BATTLE, bat'l, _adj._ (_dial._) nourishing.--_v.t._ (_obs._) to feed. [Most prob. from Ice. _bati_, improvement. See BATTEN.]
BATTLEDOOR, BATTLEDORE, bat'l-d[=o]r, _n._ a light bat for striking a ball or shuttlecock.--NOT TO KNOW A B FROM A BATTLEDOOR, to be thoroughly ignorant. [Sp. _batidor_, a beater, a washing-beetle; but this is doubtful.]
BATTLEMENT, bat'l-ment, _n._ a wall or parapet on the top of a building with openings or embrasures, originally used only on fortifications: the towering roof of heaven,--_adj._ BAT'TLEMENTED, fortified with battlements--also _pa.p._ BAT'TLED (_poet._).
BATTOLOGY, bat-ol'o-ji, _n._ repetition in speech or writing.--_adj._ BATTOLOG'ICAL. [Gr. _battos_, a person who repeated himself, and _legein_, to speak.]
BATTUE, bat-t[=oo]', _n._ a method of hunting in which the woods are beaten and the game driven from cover into some place for the convenience of the shooters: any indiscriminate slaughter. [Fr.--_battre_, to beat.]
[Illustration]
BAUBLE, baw'bl, _n._ a trifling piece of finery: a child's plaything: a stick surmounted by a head with ass's ears, and forming the mock emblem of the court-jester: a piece of childish foolery: (_Shak._) a foolish person.--_adj._ BAU'BLING (_obs._), trifling. [O. Fr. _babel_, prob. from the root seen in L. _babulus_, a babbler.]
BAUDEKIN, bawd'i-kin, BAWDKIN, bawd'kin. Same as BALDACHIN.
BAUDRIC, bawd'rik. Same as BALDRICK.
BAUDRONS, bawd'runs, _n._ Scotch name for the cat. [Perh. of Celt. origin; cf. Ir. _beadrac_, frolicsome, Gael. _beadrach_, a frolicsome girl.]
BAUK, BAULK. Same as BALK.
BAUSOND, bawz'ond, _adj._ (_obs._) having white spots, esp. on the forehead, or a white stripe down the face.--_adj._ BAUS'ON-FACED (_Scott_), with a face like a badger. [O. Fr. _bausant_ (It. _balzano_), black and white spotted. Further ety. dub.]
BAUXITE, b[=o]'z[=i]t, _n._ a clay found at Les _Baux_, near Arles, yielding alumina.--Also BEAU'XITE.
BAVARDAGE, bav-ar-d[=a]j', _n._ chattering. [Fr. _bavard_, garrulous--_bave_, drivel.]
BAVIN, bav'in, _n._ a fagot of brushwood.--BAVIN WITS (_Shak._), wits that blaze and die like bavins. [O. Fr. _baffe_, a fagot; but this is doubtful.]
BAWBEE, baw-b[=e]', _n._ a halfpenny: originally a Scotch coin of base silver equivalent to six Scotch pennies. [Ety. dub., but very prob. derived from a 16th-cent. Scotch mint-master, the laird of _Sillebawby_; others identify with 'baby.']
BAWBLE. Same as BAUBLE.
BAWCOCK, baw'kok, _n._ (_Shak._) a fine fellow. [From Fr. _beau_, fine, and _coq_, a cock.]
BAWD, bawd, _n._ a procurer or procuress of women for lewd purposes--_fem._ only since about 1700.--_n._ BAWD'RY.--_adj._ BAWD'Y, obscene, unchaste, filthy.--_n._ BAWD'Y-HOUSE, a brothel. [Perh. abbrev. from BAWD'STROT, a word for a pander, now obsolete, derived from O. Fr. _baldestrot_--_bald_, gay, and perh. the Teut. root found in _strut_.]
BAWD, bawd, _n._ (_Shak._) a hare. [Perh. a contr. of BAUDRONS.]
BAWL, bawl, _v.i._ to shout or cry out loudly (with _at_, _against_).--_n._ a loud cry or shout.--_n._ BAWL'ER. [Perh. from Low L. _baulare_, to bark like a dog; but cf. Ice. _baula_, to low like a cow, _baula_, a cow.]
BAWN, bawn, _n._ a fortification round a house: an enclosure for cattle.