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BELGARD, bel-gard', _n._ (_Spens._) fair or kind looks. [It. _bel guardo_, lovely look.]

BELGIAN, bel'ji-an, _adj._ belonging to _Belgium_, a country of Europe.--_n._ a native of Belgium.

BELGIC, bel'jik, _adj._ pertaining to the _Belgae_ who anciently possessed Belgium, or to _Belgium_. [L. _Belgicus_--_Belgae_, the Belgians.]

BELGRAVIAN, bel-gr[=a]'vi-an, _adj._ belonging to _Belgravia_ (a fashionable part of London), or to fashionable life: aristocratic.

BELIAL, b[=e]l'yal, _n._ a name for the devil, and, in Milton, for one of the fallen angels. Not a proper name in Old Test. [Heb. _b'li-ya'al_, _b'li_, without _ya'al_, usefulness.]

BELIE, be-l[=i]', _v.t._ to give the lie to: to speak falsely of: to present in a false character: to counterfeit: to be false to: falsify: (_Shak._) to fill with lies:--_pr.p._ bely'ing; _pa.p._ bel[=i]ed'. [A.S.

_be_, and LIE.]

BELIEVE, be-l[=e]v', _v.t._ to regard as true: to trust in.--_v.i._ to be firmly persuaded of anything: to exercise faith (with _in_, _on_): to think or suppose.--_n._ BELIEF', persuasion of the truth of anything: faith: the opinion or doctrine believed: intuition, natural judgment (as used by some philosophers).--_adjs._ BELIEF'LESS; BELIEV'ABLE, that may be believed.--_n._ BELIEV'ER, one who believes: a professor of Christianity.--_p.adj._ BELIEV'ING, trustful.--_adv._ BELIEV'INGLY.--THE BELIEF (_arch._), the Apostles' Creed.--TO MAKE BELIEVE, to pretend. [M. E.

_bileven_--_bi-_, _be-_, and _leven_. Murray says that _believe_ is an erroneous spelling of the 17th century, prob. after _relieve_. The A.S.

form _gelefan_ survived to the 14th century; the present compound, which superseded it, appears in the 12th century.]

BELIKE, be-l[=i]k', _adv._ probably: perhaps. [A.S. pfx. _be-_, and LIKE.]

BELITTLE, be-lit'l, _v.t._ to make small: to cause to appear small, to depreciate or disparage.--_n._ BELIT'TLEMENT.--_adj._ BELIT'TLING. [Pfx.

_be-_, and LITTLE.]

BELIVE, be-l[=i]v', _adv._ (_Scot._) with speed: soon, erelong. [M. E. _bi life_; _be_, _bi_, by, _life_, dat. of _l[=i]f_, life.]

BELL, bel, _n._ a hollow vessel of metal, which gives forth a ringing sound when struck by the tongue or clapper suspended inside--as in _church-bell_, _hand-bell_, _alarm-bell_, _night-bell_, _marriage-bell_, &c.: a corolla shaped like a bell: the body of a Corinthian or composite capital, without the surrounding foliage: anything bell-shaped, as in _diving-bell_, _bell-glass_, the _bell_ or outward-turned orifice of a trumpet, &c.: a bell rung to tell the hour: (_naut._) the bell struck on shipboard every half-hour as many times as there are half-hours of the watch elapsed--'two bells,' 'three bells,' &c., meaning that there are two or three half-hours past; the watch of four hours is eight bells.--_v.t._ to furnish with a bell, esp. in TO BELL THE CAT, to take the leading part in any hazardous movement, from the ancient fable of the mice who proposed to hang a warning bell round the cat's neck.--_ns._ BELL'COTE (_archit._), an ornamental [Illustration] structure made to contain one or two bells, and often crowned by a small spire; BELL'-CRANK, a rectangular lever in the form of a crank, used for changing the direction of bell-wires; BELL'-FOUND'ER, one who founds or casts bells; BELL'-GLASS, a bell-shaped glass for sheltering flowers; BELL'-HANG'ER, one who hangs and repairs bells; BELL'MAN, one who rings a bell, esp. on the streets, before making public announcements: a town-crier; BELL'-MET'AL, the metal of which bells are made--an alloy of copper and tin; BELL'-PUNCH, a hand-punch containing a signal-bell, used for punching a hole in a ticket in order to keep a record of the number of fares taken; BELL'-RING'ER, one whose business it is to ring a bell on stated occasions: a performer with musical hand-bells; BELL'-ROPE, the rope by which a bell is rung.--_adj._ BELL'-SHAPED.--_ns._ BELL'-TOW'ER, a tower built to contain one or more bells, a campanile; BELL'-TUR'RET, a turret containing a bell-chamber, usually crowned with a spire; BELL'-WETH'ER, the leading sheep of a flock, on whose neck a bell is hung: (_fig._) any loud, turbulent fellow, esp. the leader of a mob.--BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE, a phrase popularly used in reference to a form of excommunication ending with the words, 'Do to [shut] the book, quench the candle, ring the bell.'--TO BEAR or CARRY OFF THE BELL, to have or to gain the first place. [A.S.

_belle_; cog. with Dut. _bel_.]

BELL, bel, _n._ a bubble formed in a liquid. [Ety. dub.; cf. Dut. _bel_, a bubble in water, perh. from L. _bulla_, bubble in water.]

BELL, bel, _v.i._ to bellow, roar: to utter loudly.--_n._ the cry of a stag at rutting-time. [A.S. _bellan_, to roar; cf. Ger. _bellen_.]

BELLADONNA, bel'la-don-na, _n._ the deadly nightshade or dwale, all parts of which are narcotic and poisonous from the presence therein of the alkaloid atropia: the drug prepared from the foregoing. [It. _bella donna_, fair lady; one property of belladonna is to enlarge the pupil, and so add a brilliance to the eyes.]

BELLARMINE, bel'lar-m[=e]n, _n._ a large stoneware drinking jug with a big belly and a narrow neck, decorated with a bearded face, originally that of Cardinal _Bellarmine_, made in mockery by the Dutch Protestants.

BELLE, bel, _n._ a handsome woman: the chief beauty of a place: a fair lady generally. [Fr. _belle_--L. _bella_, _bellus_.]

BELLES-LETTRES, bel-let'r, _n.pl._ polite or elegant literature, including poetry, fiction, criticism, aesthetics, &c.--_ns._ BELLET'RIST, BELLET'TRIST.--_adj._ BELLETRIS'TIC. [Fr., lit. 'fine letters.']

BELLIBONE, bel'i-b[=o]n, _n._ (_Spens._) a beautiful and good woman.

BELLICOSE, bel'ik-[=o]s, _adj._ contentious, war-like.--_adv._ BEL'LICOSELY.--_n._ BELLICOS'ITY. [L. _bellicosus_.]

BELLIED, bel'lid, _p.adj._ with a belly, esp. a big belly, pot-bellied: bulging: puffed out. [See BELLY.]

BELLIGERENT, bel-ij'[.e]r-[.e]nt, _adj._ carrying on regular war.--_n._ a party or person waging such.--_n._ BELLIG'ERENCY. [L. _belligerant-em_, _belliger[=a]re_, to wage war.]

BELLONA, bel'l[=o]-na, _n._ the Roman goddess of war--hence (_fig._) a woman of great spirit and vigour.

BELLOW, bel'l[=o], _v.i._ to roar like a bull: to make any violent outcry, often with sense of contempt or ridicule: to shout aloud: to roar, as of cannon, the ocean, &c.--with objective, to give forth a loud sound.--_n._ the roar of a bull: any deep sound or cry. [M. E. _belwen_; there is an A.S. _bellan_, to roar.]

BELLOWS, bel'l[=o]z, or bel'lus, _n.pl._ an instrument for producing a current of air so as to blow up a fire, either in a kitchen, a furnace, or a forge--or for producing the current of air by which the pipes and reeds of an organ are sounded: (_fig._) that which fans the fire of hatred, jealousy, &c.: the lungs. [Same as BELLY (q.v.); now used only in _pl._, the sing. not having survived the 15th century.]

BELLY, bel'li, _n._ the part of the body between the breast and the thighs, containing the bowels: the stomach, as the receptacle of the food: the bowels proper: the womb or uterus: the interior of anything: the bulging part of anything, as a bottle, or any concave or hollow surface, as of a sail: the inner or lower surface of anything, as opposed to the _back_, as of a violin, &c.--_adj._ ventral, abdominal: (_theol._) belonging to the flesh, carnal.--_v.i._ to swell or bulge out.--_ns._ BEL'LY-BAND, a saddle-girth: a band fastened to the shafts of a vehicle, and passing under the belly of the horse drawing it; BEL'LYFUL, a sufficiency; BEL'LY-GOD, one who makes a god of his belly, a glutton.--_p.adj._ BEL'LYING.--_n._ BEL'LY-TIM'BER, provisions. [M. E. _bali_, _bely_--A.S. _baelig_, _belig_; _baelg_, _belg_, bag.]

BELOMANCY, bel'o-man-si, _n._ a kind of divination by means of arrows. [Gr.

_belos_, a dart, _manteia_, divination.]

BELONG, be-long', _v.i._ to go along with: to pertain to: to be one's property: to be a part of, or appendage of, or in any way connected with: to be specially the business of: (_U.S._) to be a native of, or have a residence in.--_n.pl._ BELONG'INGS, circumstances or relations of any person: possessions: persons connected, relatives: accessories. [_Bi-_, _be-longen_, intens. of _longen_, with pfx. _be-_. See LONG.]

BELOVED, be-luvd', or be-luv'ed, _p.adj._ much loved, very dear--often compounded with _well-_; _best-_, &c.--_n._ one who is much loved.--_adj._ BELOV'ING (_Shak._) = loving.

BELOW, be-l[=o]', _prep._ beneath in place, rank, or quality: underneath: not worthy of.--_adv._ in a lower place: (_fig._) on earth, or in hell, as opposed to heaven. [Pfx. _be-_, and adj. LOW.]

BELT, belt, _n._ a girdle, zone, or band: such a piece, as of leather, worn by way of ornament, or given as a prize or badge of victory in wrestling or the like: a broad strip of anything, different in colour or material: that which confines or restrains: (_geog._) a strait.--_v.t._ to surround with a belt, or to invest formally with such, as in knighting a man: to encircle: to thrash with a belt.--_p.adj._ BELT'ED, wearing a belt, of a knight: marked with a belt, as the 'belted kingfisher.'--_n._ BELT'ING, flexible belts for the transmission of motion in machinery, made of leather, indiarubber, &c.--as in _chainbelt_, _crossed belt_, _endless belt_, &c.; a thrashing.--TO HOLD THE BELT, to hold the championship in wrestling, boxing, or the like. [A.S. _belt_; Ice. _belti_, Gael. _balt_, L.

_balteus_.]

BELTANE, bel't[=a]n, _n._ an ancient Celtic heathen festival, held in the beginning of May, when bonfires were lighted on the hills: the first day of May (O.S.)--one of the four old quarter-days of Scotland, the others being Lammas, Hallowmas, and Candlemas.--_adj._ in _Beltane_ games, &c. [Gael.

_bealltainn_, _beilteine_; usually explained as 'Beal's fire,' _Beal_ being a supposed Celtic deity who has been courageously identified with the Baal or Bel of the Phoenicians and other Semitic peoples, and Gael. _teine_, fire. But even this last is doubtful.]

BELUGA, be-l[=oo]'ga, _n._ the white whale, one of the dolphin family, closely allied to the narwhal, 12 to 16 feet long, of creamy-white colour, found in droves round Greenland and all over the Arctic seas: applied also to a great Russian sturgeon--the _Acipenser Huso_. [Russ.]

BELVEDERE, bel've-d[=e]r, _n._ a pavilion or raised turret or lantern on the top of a house, open for the view, or to admit the cool evening breeze: a summer-house on an eminence in a park or garden. [It. _belvedere_; _bel_, beautiful, _vedere_, a view.]

BEMA, b[=e]'ma, _n._ the tribune or rostrum from which Athenian orators made their speeches--hence the apse or chancel of a basilica. [Gr.

_b[=e]ma_, a step.]

BEMAD, be-mad', _v.t._ to madden.

BEMAUL, be-mawl', _v.t._ to maul thoroughly.

BEMAZED, be-m[=a]zd', _p.adj._ stupefied, bewildered.

BEMBEX, bem'beks, _n._ a genus of solitary sand-wasps, with broad heads and very large eyes, noted for their making a loud buzz during their rapid flight. [Gr. _bembix_.]

BEMEAN, be-m[=e]n', _v.t._ to make mean, to lower or debase: (_obs._) to signify.

BEMIRE, be-m[=i]r', _v.t._ to soil with mire.--_p.adj._ BEMIRED'.

BEMOAN, be-m[=o]n', _v.t._ to lament: bewail: to pity.--_v.i._ to grieve.--_ns._ BEMOAN'ER; BEMOAN'ING.

BEMOCK, be-mok', _v.t._ to mock at, to deride.

BEMOIL, be-moil', _v.t._ (_Shak._) to bemire, to bedraggle.

BEMONSTER, be-mon'ster, _v.t._ to make monstrous: to regard or treat as a monster.

BEMOUTH, be-mowth', _v.i._ to declaim, to overpraise.

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