The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
Chapter 143
Bede"house` (?) , n. Same as Beadhouse .
Bedel, Bedell <Xpage=130>
Be"del , Be"dell (?) , n. Same as Beadle .
Bedelry <Xpage=130>
Be"del*ry (?) , n. Beadleship. [Obs.]
Blount.
Beden <Xpage=130>
Bed"en (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The Abyssinian or Arabian ibex ( Capra Nubiana ). It is probably the wild goat of the Bible.
Bedesman <Xpage=130>
Bedes"man (?) , n. Same as Beadsman . [Obs.]
Bedevil <Xpage=130>
Be*dev"il (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedevilled (<?/); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedeviling or Bedevilling .] 1. To throw into utter disorder and confusion, as if by the agency of evil spirits; to bring under diabolical influence; to torment.
Bedeviled and used worse than St. Bartholomew. Sterne.
2. To spoil; to corrupt.
Wright.
Bedevilment <Xpage=130>
Be*dev"il*ment (?) , n. The state of being bedeviled; bewildering confusion; vexatious trouble. [Colloq.]
Bedew <Xpage=130>
Be*dew" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedewed (<?/); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedewing .] To moisten with dew, or as with dew. "Falling tears his face bedew ."
Dryden.
Bedewer <Xpage=130>
Be*dew"er (?) , n. One who, or that which, bedews.
Bedewy <Xpage=130>
Be*dew"y (?) , a. Moist with dew; dewy. [Obs.]
Night with her bedewy wings. A. Brewer.
Bedfellow <Xpage=130>
Bed"fel`low (?) , n. One who lies with another in the same bed; a person who shares one's couch.
Bedfere Bedphere <Xpage=130>
Bed"fere` Bed"phere` (?) , n. [ Bed + AS. fera a companion.] A bedfellow. [Obs.]
Chapman.
Bedgown <Xpage=130>
Bed"gown` (?) , n. A nightgown.
Bedight <Xpage=130>
Be*dight" (?) , v. t. [ p. p. Bedight , Bedighted .] To bedeck; to array or equip; to adorn. [Archaic]
Milton.
Bedim <Xpage=130>
Be*dim" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedimmed (<?/); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedimming .] To make dim; to obscure or darken.
Shak.
Bedizen <Xpage=130>
Be*diz"en (?) , v. t. To dress or adorn tawdrily or with false taste.
Remnants of tapestried hangings, . . . and shreds of pictures with which he had bedizened his tatters. Sir W. Scott.
Bedizenment <Xpage=130>
Be*diz"en*ment (?) , n. That which bedizens; the act of dressing, or the state of being dressed, tawdrily.
Bedkey <Xpage=130>
Bed"key` (?) , n. An instrument for tightening the parts of a bedstead.
Bedlam <Xpage=130>
Bed"lam (?) , n. [See Bethlehem .] 1. A place appropriated to the confinement and care of the insane; a madhouse.
Abp. Tillotson.
2. An insane person; a lunatic; a madman. [Obs.]
Let's get the bedlam to lead him. Shak.
3. Any place where uproar and confusion prevail.
Bedlam <Xpage=130>
Bed"lam , a. Belonging to, or fit for, a madhouse. "The bedlam , brainsick duchess."
Shak.
Bedlamite <Xpage=130>
Bed"lam*ite (?) , n. An inhabitant of a madhouse; a madman. "Raving bedlamites ."
Beattie.
Bedmaker <Xpage=130>
Bed"mak`er (?) , n. One who makes beds.
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Bed-molding <Xpage=131>
Bed"-mold`ing Bed"-mould`ing (?) , n. (Arch.) The molding of a cornice immediately below the corona.
Oxf. Gloss.
Bedote <Xpage=131>
Be*dote" (?) , v. t. To cause to dote; to deceive. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Bedouin <Xpage=131>
Bed"ou*in (?) , n. [F. b\'82douin , OF. b\'82duin , fr. Ar. bedaw\'c6 rural, living in the desert, fr. badw desert, fr. bad\'be to live in the desert, to lead a nomadic life.] One of the nomadic Arabs who live in tents, and are scattered over Arabia, Syria, and northern Africa, esp. in the deserts. -- Bed"ou*in*ism (<?/) , n.
Bedouin <Xpage=131>
Bed"ou*in , a. Pertaining to the Bedouins; nomad.
Bedpan <Xpage=131>
Bed"pan` (?) , n. 1. A pan for warming beds.
Nares.
2. A shallow chamber vessel, so constructed that it can be used by a sick person in bed.
Bedphere <Xpage=131>
Bed"phere` (?) , n. See Bedfere . [Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Bedpiece, Bedplate <Xpage=131>
Bed"piece` (?) , Bed"plate` (?) , n. (Mach.) The foundation framing or piece, by which the other parts are supported and held in place; the bed; -- called also baseplate and soleplate .
Bedpost <Xpage=131>
Bed"post` (?) , n. 1. One of the four standards that support a bedstead or the canopy over a bedstead.
2. Anciently, a post or pin on each side of the bed to keep the clothes from falling off. See Bedstaff .
Brewer.
Bedquilt <Xpage=131>
Bed"quilt` (?) , n. A quilt for a bed; a coverlet.
Bedrabble <Xpage=131>
Be*drab"ble (?) , v. t. To befoul with rain and mud; to drabble.
Bedraggle <Xpage=131>
Be*drag"gle (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedraggled (<?/) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bedraggling (<?/) .] To draggle; to soil, as garments which, in walking, are suffered to drag in dust, mud, etc.
Swift.
Bedrench <Xpage=131>
Be*drench" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedrenched (<?/); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedrenching .] To drench; to saturate with moisture; to soak.
Shak.
Bedribble <Xpage=131>
Be*drib"ble (?) , v. t. To dribble upon.
Bedrid, Bedridden <Xpage=131>
Bed"rid` (?) , Bed"rid`den (?) , a. [OE. bedrede , AS. bedreda , bedrida ; from bed , bedd , a bed or couch + ridda a rider; cf. OHG. pettiriso , G. bettrise . See Bed , n. , and Ride , v. i. ] Confined to the bed by sickness or infirmity. "Her decrepit, sick, and bedrid father." Shak . "The estate of a bedridden old gentleman." Macaulay .
Bedright Bedrite <Xpage=131>
Bed"right` Bed"rite` (?) , n. [ Bed + right , rite .] The duty or privilege of the marriage bed.
Shak.
Bedrizzle <Xpage=131>
Be*driz"zle (?) , v. t. To drizzle upon.
Bed rock <Xpage=131>
Bed" rock" (?) . (Mining) The solid rock underlying superficial formations. Also Fig.
Bedroom <Xpage=131>
Bed"room (?) , n. 1. A room or apartment intended or used for a bed; a lodging room.
2. Room in a bed. [In this sense preferably bed room .]
Then by your side no bed room me deny. Shak.
Bedrop <Xpage=131>
Be*drop" (?) , v. t. To sprinkle, as with drops.
The yellow carp, in scales bedropped with gold. Pope.
Bedrug <Xpage=131>
Be*drug" (?) , v. t. To drug abundantly or excessively.
Bed screw <Xpage=131>
Bed" screw` (?) . 1. (Naut.) A form of jack screw for lifting large bodies, and assisting in launching.
2. A long screw formerly used to fasten a bedpost to one of the adjacent side pieces.
Bedside <Xpage=131>
Bed"side` (?) , n. The side of a bed.
Bedsite <Xpage=131>
Bed"site` (?) , n. A recess in a room for a bed.
Of the three bedrooms, two have fireplaces, and all are of fair size, with windows and bedsite well placed. Quart. Rev.
Bedsore <Xpage=131>
Bed"sore` (?) , n. (Med.) A sore on the back or hips caused by lying for a long time in bed.
Bedspread <Xpage=131>
Bed"spread` (?) , n. A bedquilt; a counterpane; a coverlet. [U. S.]
Bedstaff <Xpage=131>
Bed"staff` (?) , n. ; pl. Bedstaves (<?/) . "A wooden pin stuck anciently on the sides of the bedstead, to hold the clothes from slipping on either side."
Johnson.
Hostess, accommodate us with a bedstaff . B. Jonson.
Say there is no virtue in cudgels and bedstaves . Brome.
Bedstead <Xpage=131>
Bed"stead (?) , n. [ Bed + stead a frame.] A framework for supporting a bed.
Bed steps <Xpage=131>
Bed" steps` (?) . Steps for mounting a bed of unusual height.
Bedstock <Xpage=131>
Bed"stock (?) , n. The front or the back part of the frame of a bedstead. [Obs. or Dial. Eng.]
Bedstraw <Xpage=131>
Bed"straw` (?) , n. 1. Straw put into a bed.
Bacon.
2. (Bot.) A genus of slender herbs, usually with square stems, whorled leaves, and small white flowers.
Our Lady's bedstraw , which has yellow flowers, is Galium verum . -- White bedstraw is G. mollugo .
Bedswerver <Xpage=131>
Bed"swerv`er (?) , n. One who swerves from and is unfaithful to the marriage vow. [Poetic]
Shak.
Bedtick <Xpage=131>
Bed"tick` (?) , n. A tick or bag made of cloth, used for inclosing the materials of a bed.
Bedtime <Xpage=131>
Bed"time` (?) , n. The time to go to bed.
Shak.
Beduck <Xpage=131>
Be*duck" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Beducked (<?/) .] To duck; to put the head under water; to immerse. "Deep himself beducked ."
Spenser.
Beduin <Xpage=131>
Bed"uin (?) , n. See Bedouin .
Bedung <Xpage=131>
Be*dung" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedunged (#) .] To cover with dung, as for manuring; to bedaub or defile, literally or figuratively.
Bp. Hall.
Bedust <Xpage=131>
Be*dust" (?) , v. t. To sprinkle, soil, or cover with dust.
Sherwood.
Bedward <Xpage=131>
Bed"ward (?) , adv. Towards bed.
Bedwarf <Xpage=131>
Be*dwarf" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedwarfed (#) .] To make a dwarf of; to stunt or hinder the growth of; to dwarf.
Donne.
Bedye <Xpage=131>
Be*dye" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedyed (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bedyeing .] To dye or stain.
Briton fields with Sarazin blood bedyed . Spenser.
Bee <Xpage=131>
Bee (?) , p. p. of Be ; -- used for been . [Obs.]
Spenser.
Bee <Xpage=131>
Bee (?) , n. [AS. be\'a2 ; akin to D. bij and bije , Icel. b<?/ , Sw. & Dan. bi , OHG. pini , G. biene , and perh. Ir. beach , Lith. bitis , Skr. bha . &root;97.] 1. (Zo\'94l.) An insect of the order Hymenoptera , and family Apid\'91 (the honeybees), or family Andrenid\'91 (the solitary bees.) See Honeybee .
&hand; There are many genera and species. The common honeybee ( Apis mellifica ) lives in swarms, each of which has its own queen, its males or drones, and its very numerous workers, which are barren females. Besides the A. mellifica there are other species and varieties of honeybees, as the A. ligustica of Spain and Italy; the A. Indica of India; the A. fasciata of Egypt. The bumblebee is a species of Bombus . The tropical honeybees belong mostly to Melipoma and Trigona .
2. A neighborly gathering of people who engage in united labor for the benefit of an individual or family; as, a quilting bee ; a husking bee ; a raising bee . [U. S.]
The cellar . . . was dug by a bee in a single day. S. G. Goodrich.
3. pl. [Prob. fr. AS. be\'a0h ring, fr. b<?/gan to bend. See 1st Bow .] (Naut.) Pieces of hard wood bolted to the sides of the bowsprit, to reeve the fore-topmast stays through; -- called also bee blocks .
Bee beetle (Zo\'94l.) , a beetle ( Trichodes apiarius ) parasitic in beehives. -- Bee bird (Zo\'94l.) , a bird that eats the honeybee, as the European flycatcher, and the American kingbird. -- Bee flower (Bot.) , an orchidaceous plant of the genus Ophrys ( O. apifera ), whose flowers have some resemblance to bees, flies, and other insects. -- Bee fly (Zo\'94l.) , a two winged fly of the family Bombyliid\'91 . Some species, in the larval state, are parasitic upon bees. -- Bee garden , a garden or inclosure to set beehives in ; an apiary. Mortimer . -- Bee glue , a soft, unctuous matter, with which bees cement the combs to the hives, and close up the cells; -- called also propolis . -- Bee hawk (Zo\'94l.) , the honey buzzard. -- Bee killer (Zo\'94l.) , a large two-winged fly of the family Asilid\'91 (esp. Trupanea apivora ) which feeds upon the honeybee. See Robber fly . -- Bee louse (Zo\'94l.) , a minute, wingless, dipterous insect ( Braula c\'91ca ) parasitic on hive bees. -- Bee martin (Zo\'94l.) , the kingbird ( Tyrannus Carolinensis ) which occasionally feeds on bees. -- Bee moth (Zo\'94l.) , a moth ( Galleria cereana ) whose larv\'91 feed on honeycomb, occasioning great damage in beehives. -- Bee wolf (Zo\'94l.) , the larva of the bee beetle. See Illust. of Bee beetle . -- To have a bee in the head ∨ in the bonnet . (a) To be choleric. [Obs.] (b) To be restless or uneasy. B. Jonson . (c) To be full of fancies; to be a little crazy. "She's whiles crack-brained, and has a bee in her head ." Sir W. Scott .
Beebread <Xpage=131>
Bee"bread` (?) , n. A brown, bitter substance found in some of the cells of honeycomb. It is made chiefly from the pollen of flowers, which is collected by bees as food for their young.
Beech <Xpage=131>
Beech (?) , n. ; pl. Beeches (#) . [OE. beche , AS. b<?/ce ; akin to D. beuk , OHG. buocha , G. buche , Icel. beyki , Dan. b\'94g , Sw. bok , Russ. buk , L. fagus , Gr. <?/ oak, <?/ to eat, Skr. bhaksh ; the tree being named originally from the esculent fruit. See Book , and cf. 7th Buck , Buckwheat .] (Bot.) A tree of the genus Fagus .
&hand; It grows to a large size, having a smooth bark and thick foliage, and bears an edible triangular nut, of which swine are fond. The Fagus sylvatica is the European species, and the F. ferruginea that of America.
Beech drops (Bot.) , a parasitic plant which grows on the roots of beeches ( Epiphegus Americana ). -- Beech marten (Zo\'94l.) , the stone marten of Europe ( Mustela foina ). -- Beech mast , the nuts of the beech, esp. as they lie under the trees, in autumn. -- Beech oil , oil expressed from the mast or nuts of the beech tree. -- Cooper beech , a variety of the European beech with copper-colored, shining leaves.
Beechen <Xpage=131>
Beech"en (?) , a. [AS. b<?/cen .] Consisting, or made, of the wood or bark of the beech; belonging to the beech. "Plain beechen vessels."
Dryden.
Beechnut <Xpage=131>
Beech"nut` (?) , n. The nut of the beech tree.
Beech tree <Xpage=131>
Beech" tree` (?) . The beech.
Beechy <Xpage=131>
Beech"y (?) , a. Of or relating to beeches.
Bee-eater <Xpage=131>
Bee"-eat`er (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) (a) A bird of the genus Merops , that feeds on bees. The European species ( M. apiaster ) is remarkable for its brilliant colors. (b) An African bird of the genus Rhinopomastes .
Beef <Xpage=131>
Beef (?) , n. [OE. boef , befe , beef , OF. boef , buef , F. b<?/ef , fr. L. bos , bovis , ox; akin to Gr. <?/ , Skr. g<?/ cow, and E. cow . See 2d Cow .] 1. An animal of the genus Bos , especially the common species, B. taurus , including the bull, cow, and ox, in their full grown state; esp., an ox or cow fattened for food. [In this, which is the original sense, the word has a plural, beeves (<?/) .]
A herd of beeves , fair oxen and fair kine. Milton.
2. The flesh of an ox, or cow, or of any adult bovine animal, when slaughtered for food. [In this sense, the word has no plural.] "Great meals of beef ."
Shak.
3. Applied colloquially to human flesh.
Beef <Xpage=131>
Beef (?) , a. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, beef.
Beef tea , essence of beef, or strong beef broth.
Beefeater <Xpage=131>
Beef"eat`er (?) , n. [ Beef + eater ; prob. one who eats another's beef , as his servant. Cf. AS. hl\'bef<?/ta servant, properly a loaf eater.] 1. One who eats beef; hence, a large, fleshy person.
2. One of the yeomen of the guard, in England.
3. (Zo\'94l.) An African bird of the genus Buphaga , which feeds on the larv\'91 of botflies hatched under the skin of oxen, antelopes, etc. Two species are known.
Beefsteak <Xpage=131>
Beef"steak` (?) , n. A steak of beef; a slice of beef broiled or suitable for broiling.
Beef-witted <Xpage=131>
Beef"-wit`ted (?) , n. Stupid; dull.
Shak.
Beefwood <Xpage=131>
Beef"wood` (?) , n. An Australian tree ( Casuarina ), and its red wood, used for cabinetwork; also, the trees Stenocarpus salignus of New South Wales, and Banksia compar of Queensland.
Beefy <Xpage=131>
Beef"y , a. Having much beef; of the nature of beef; resembling beef; fleshy.
Beehive <Xpage=131>
Bee"hive` (?) , n. A hive for a swarm of bees. Also used figuratively.
&hand; A common and typical form of beehive was a domeshaped inverted basket, whence certain ancient Irish and Scotch architectural remains are called beehive houses .
Beehouse <Xpage=131>
Bee"house` (?) , n. A house for bees; an apiary.
Bee larkspur <Xpage=131>
Bee" lark`spur (?) . (Bot.) See Larkspur .
Beeld <Xpage=131>
Beeld (?) , n. Same as Beild .
Fairfax.
Bee line <Xpage=131>
Bee" line` (?) . The shortest line from one place to another, like that of a bee to its hive when loaded with honey; an air line. "A bee line for the brig."
Kane.
Beelzebub <Xpage=131>