Chapter 165

Black"feet` (?) , n. pl. (Ethn.) A tribe of North American Indians formerly inhabiting the country from the upper Missouri River to the Saskatchewan, but now much reduced in numbers.

Blackfin <Xpage=151>

Black"fin` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) See Bluefin .

Blackfish <Xpage=151>

Black"fish (?) , n. 1. (Zo\'94l.) A small kind of whale, of the genus Globicephalus , of several species. The most common is G. melas . Also sometimes applied to other whales of larger size.

2. (Zo\'94l.) The tautog of New England ( Tautoga ).

3. (Zo\'94l.) The black sea bass ( Centropristis atrarius ) of the Atlantic coast. It is excellent food fish; -- locally called also black Harry .

4. (Zo\'94l.) A fish of southern Europe ( Centrolophus pompilus ) of the Mackerel family.

5. (Zo\'94l.) The female salmon in the spawning season.

&hand; The name is locally applied to other fishes.

Blackfoot <Xpage=151>

Black"foot` (?) , a. Of or pertaining to the Blackfeet; as, a Blackfoot Indian . -- n. A Blackfoot Indian.

Black friar <Xpage=151>

Black" fri`ar (?) . (Eccl.) A friar of the Dominican order; -- called also predicant and preaching friar ; in France, Jacobin . Also, sometimes, a Benedictine.

Blackguard <Xpage=151>

Black"guard (?) , n. [ Black + guard .] 1. The scullions and lower menials of a court, or of a nobleman's household, who, in a removal from one residence to another, had charge of the kitchen utensils, and being smutted by them, were jocularly called the "black guard"; also, the servants and hangers-on of an army. [Obs.]

A lousy slave, that . . . rode with the black guard in the duke's carriage, 'mongst spits and dripping pans. Webster (1612).

2. The criminals and vagrants or vagabonds of a town or community, collectively. [Obs.]

3. A person of stained or low character, esp. one who uses scurrilous language, or treats others with foul abuse; a scoundrel; a rough.

A man whose manners and sentiments are decidedly below those of his class deserves to be called a blackguard . Macaulay.

4. A vagrant; a bootblack; a gamin. [Obs.]

Blackguard <Xpage=151>

Black"guard` , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Blackguarded ; p. pr. & vb. n. Blackguarding .] To revile or abuse in scurrilous language.

Southey.

Blackguard <Xpage=151>

Black"guard , a. Scurrilous; abusive; low; worthless; vicious; as, blackguard language .

Blackguardism <Xpage=151>

Black"guard*ism (?) , n. The conduct or language of a blackguard; rufflanism.

Blackguardly <Xpage=151>

Black"guard*ly , adv. & a. In the manner of or resembling a blackguard; abusive; scurrilous; ruffianly.

Blackhead <Xpage=151>

Black"head` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The scaup duck.

Blackheart <Xpage=151>

Black"heart` (?) , n. A heart-shaped cherry with a very dark-colored skin.

Black-hearted <Xpage=151>

Black"-heart`ed , a. Having a wicked, malignant disposition; morally bad.

Black hole <Xpage=151>

Black" hole` (?) . A dungeon or dark cell in a prison; a military lock-up or guardroom; -- now commonly with allusion to the cell (the Black Hole) in a fort at Calcutta, into which 146 English prisoners were thrust by the nabob Suraja Dowla on the night of June 20, 17656, and in which 123 of the prisoners died before morning from lack of air.

A discipline of unlimited autocracy, upheld by rods, and ferules, and the black hole . H. Spencer.

Blacking <Xpage=151>

Black"ing , n. 1. Any preparation for making things black; esp. one for giving a black luster to boots and shoes, or to stoves.

2. The act or process of making black.

Blackish <Xpage=151>

Black"ish , a. Somewhat black.

Black-jack <Xpage=151>

Black"-jack` , n. 1. (Min.) A name given by English miners to sphalerite, or zinc blende; -- called also false galena . See Blende .

2. Caramel or burnt sugar, used to color wines, spirits, ground coffee, etc.

3. A large leather vessel for beer, etc. [Obs.]

4. (Bot.) The Quercus nigra , or barren oak.

5. The ensign of a pirate.

Black lead <Xpage=151>

Black` lead" (?) . Plumbago; graphite.It leaves a blackish mark somewhat like lead. See Graphite .

Blacklead <Xpage=151>

Black`lead" , v. t. To coat or to polish with black lead.

Blackleg <Xpage=151>

Black"leg` (?) , n. 1. A notorious gambler. [Colloq.]

2. A disease among calves and sheep, characterized by a settling of gelatinous matter in the legs, and sometimes in the neck. [Eng.]

Black letter <Xpage=151>

Black" let`ter (?) . The old English or Gothic letter, in which the Early English manuscripts were written, and the first English books were printed. It was conspicuous for its blackness. See Type .

Black-letter <Xpage=151>

Black"-let`ter , a. 1. Written or printed in black letter; as, a black-letter manuscript or book .

2. Given to the study of books in black letter; that is, of old books; out of date.

Kemble, a black-letter man! J. Boaden.

3. Of or pertaining to the days in the calendar not marked with red letters as saints' days. Hence: Unlucky; inauspicious.

Blacklist <Xpage=151>

Black"list` (?) , v. t. To put in a black list as deserving of suspicion, censure, or punishment; esp. to put in a list of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, -- as tradesmen and employers do for mutual protection; as, to blacklist a workman who has been discharged . See Black list , under Black , a.

If you blacklist us, we will boycott you. John Swinton.

Blackly <Xpage=151>

Black"ly , adv. In a black manner; darkly, in color; gloomily; threateningly; atrociously. "Deeds so blackly grim and horrid."

Feltham.

Blackmail <Xpage=151>

Black"mail` (?) , n. [ Black + mail a piece of money.] 1. A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to certain men who were allied to robbers, or moss troopers, to be by them protected from pillage.

Sir W. Scott.

2. Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation; also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.

3. (Eng. Law) Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to "white rent", which paid in silver.

To levy blackmail , to extort money by threats, as of injury to one's reputation.

Blackmail <Xpage=151>

Black"mail` , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Blackmailed (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Blackmailing .] To extort money from by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation, distress of mind, etc.; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud . [U. S.]

Blackmailer <Xpage=151>

Black"mail`er (?) , n. One who extorts, or endeavors to extort, money, by black mailing.

Blackmailing <Xpage=151>

Black"mail`ing , n. The act or practice of extorting money by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation.

Black Monday <Xpage=151>

Black" Mon`day (?) . 1. Easter Monday, so called from the severity of that day in 1360, which was so unusual that many of Edward III.'s soldiers, then before Paris, died from the cold.

Stow.

Then it was not for nothing that may nose fell a bleeding on Black Monday last. Shak.

2. The first Monday after the holidays; -- so called by English schoolboys.

Halliwell.

Black monk <Xpage=151>

Black" monk` (?) . A Benedictine monk.

Blackmoor <Xpage=151>

Black"moor (?) , n. See Blackamoor .

Black-mouthed <Xpage=151>

Black"-mouthed` (?) , a. Using foul or scurrilous language; slanderous.

Blackness <Xpage=151>

Black"ness , n. The quality or state of being black; black color; atrociousness or enormity in wickedness.

They're darker now than blackness . Donne.

Blackpoll <Xpage=151>

Black"poll` (?) , n. [ Black + poll head.] (Zo\'94l.) A warbler of the United States ( Dendroica striata ).

Black pudding <Xpage=151>

Black" pud"ding (?) . A kind of sausage made of blood, suet, etc., thickened with meal.

And fat black puddings , -- proper food, For warriors that delight in blood. Hudibras.

Black Rod <Xpage=151>

Black" Rod` (?) . (a) the usher to the Chapter of the Garter, so called from the black rod which he carries. He is of the king's chamber, and also usher to the House of Lords. [Eng.] (b) An usher in the legislature of British colonies.

Cowell.

Committed to the custody of the Black Rod . Macaulay.

Blackroot <Xpage=151>

Black"root` , n. (Bot.) See Colicroot .

Blacks <Xpage=151>

Blacks (?) , n. pl. 1. The name of a kind of in used in copperplate printing, prepared from the charred husks of the grape, and residue of the wine press.

2. Soot flying in the air. [Eng.]

3. Black garments, etc. See Black , n. , 4.

Blacksalter <Xpage=151>

Black"salt`er (?) , n. One who,makes crude potash, or black salts.

Black salts <Xpage=151>

Black" salts` (?) . Crude potash.

De Colange.

Blacksmith <Xpage=151>

Black"smith` (?) , n. [ Black (in allusion to the color of the metal) + smith . Cf. Whitesmith .] 1. A smith who works in iron with a forge, and makes iron utensils, horseshoes, etc.

The blacksmith may forge what he pleases. Howell.

2. (Zo\'94l.) A fish of the Pacific coast (Chromis, or Heliastes, punctipinnis) , of a blackish color.

Black snake &or; Blacksnake <Xpage=151>

Black" snake` (?) &or; Black"snake , n. (Zo\'94l.) A snake of a black color, of which two species are common in the United States, the Bascanium constrictor , or racer, sometimes six feet long, and the Scotophis Alleghaniensis , seven or eight feet long.

&hand; The name is also applied to various other black serpents, as Natrix atra of Jamaica.

Blackstrap <Xpage=151>

Black"strap` (?) , n. 1. A mixture of spirituous liquor (usually rum) and molasses.

No blackstrap to-night; switchel, or ginger pop. Judd.

2. Bad port wine; any commo wine of the Mediterranean; -- so called by sailors.

Blacktail <Xpage=151>

Black"tail` (?) , n. [ Black + tail .] 1. (Zo\'94l.) A fish; the ruff or pope.

2. (Zo\'94l.) The black-tailed deer (Cervus or Cariacus Columbianus) of California and Oregon; also, the mule deer of the Rocky Mountains. See Mule deer .

Blackthorn <Xpage=151>

Black"thorn` (?) , n. (Bot.) (a) A spreading thorny shrub or small tree ( Prunus spinosa ), with blackish bark, and bearing little black plums, which are called sloes; the sloe. (b) A species of Crat\'91gus or hawthorn (C. tomentosa) . Both are used for hedges.

Black vomit <Xpage=151>

Black" vom"it (?) . (Med.) A copious vomiting of dark-colored matter; or the substance so discharged; -- one of the most fatal symptoms in yellow fever.

Black wash &or; Blackwash <Xpage=151>

Black" wash` (?) &or; Black"wash , n. 1. (Med.) A lotion made by mixing calomel and lime water.

2. A wash that blackens, as opposed to whitewash ; hence, figuratively, calumny.

To remove as far as he can the modern layers of black wash , and let the man himself, fair or foul, be seen. C. Kingsley.

Blackwood <Xpage=151>

Black"wood (?) , n. A name given to several dark-colored timbers. The East Indian black wood is from the tree Dalbergia latifolia .

Balfour.

Blackwork <Xpage=151>

Black"work` (?) , n. Work wrought by blacksmiths; -- so called in distinction from that wrought by whitesmiths.

Knight.

Bladder <Xpage=151>

Blad"der (?) , n. [OE. bladder , bleddre , AS. bl<?/dre , bl<?/ddre ; akin to Icel. bla<?/ra , SW. bl\'84ddra , Dan. bl\'91re , D. blaar , OHG. bl\'betara the bladder in the body of animals, G. blatter blister, bustule; all fr. the same root as AS. bl\'bewan , E. blow , to puff. See Blow to puff.]

1. (Anat.) A bag or sac in animals, which serves as the receptacle of some fluid; as, the urinary bladder ; the gall bladder ; -- applied especially to the urinary bladder, either within the animal, or when taken out and inflated with air.

2. Any vesicle or blister, especially if filled with air, or a thin, watery fluid.

3. (Bot.) A distended, membranaceous pericarp.

4. Anything inflated, empty, or unsound. "To swim with bladders of philosophy."

Rochester.

Bladder nut , &or; Bladder tree (Bot.) , a genus of plants ( Staphylea ) with bladderlike seed pods. -- Bladder pod (Bot.) , a genus of low herbs ( Vesicaria ) with inflated seed pods. -- Bladdor senna (Bot.) , a genus of shrubs ( Colutea ), with membranaceous, inflated pods. -- Bladder worm (Zo\'94l.) , the larva of any species of tapeworm ( T\'91nia ), found in the flesh or other parts of animals. See Measle , Cysticercus . -- Bladder wrack (Bot.) , the common black rock weed of the seacoast ( Fucus nodosus and F. vesiculosus ) -- called also bladder tangle . See Wrack .

Bladder <Xpage=151>

Blad"der , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bladdered (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bladdering .] 1. To swell out like a bladder with air; to inflate. [Obs.]

G. Fletcher.

2. To put up in bladders; as, bladdered lard .

Bladderwort <Xpage=151>

Blad"der*wort` (?) , n. (Bot.) A genus ( Utricularia ) of aquatic or marshy plants, which usually bear numerous vesicles in the divisions of the leaves. These serve as traps for minute animals. See Ascidium .

Bladdery <Xpage=151>

Blad"der*y (?) , a. Having bladders; also, resembling a bladder.

Blade <Xpage=151>

Blade (?) , n. [OE. blade , blad , AS. bl\'91d leaf; akin to OS., D., Dan., & Sw. blad , Icel. bla<?/ , OHG. blat , G. blatt , and perh. to L. folium , Gr. <?/ . The root is prob. the same as that of AS. bl<?/wan , E. blow , to blossom. See Blow to blossom, and cf. Foil leaf of metal.]

1. Properly, the leaf, or flat part of the leaf, of any plant, especially of gramineous plants. The term is sometimes applied to the spire of grasses.

The crimson dulse . . . with its waving blade . Percival.

First the blade , then ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark iv. 28.

2. The cutting part of an instrument; as, the blade of a knife or a sword .

3. The broad part of an oar; also, one of the projecting arms of a screw propeller.

4. The scapula or shoulder blade.

5. pl. (Arch.) The principal rafters of a roof.

Weale.

6. pl. (Com.) The four large shell plates on the sides, and the five large ones of the middle, of the carapace of the sea turtle, which yield the best tortoise shell.

De Colange.

7. A sharp-witted, dashing, wild, or reckless, fellow; -- a word of somewhat indefinite meaning.

He saw a turnkey in a trice Fetter a troublesome blade . Coleridge.

<page="152"> Page 152

Blade <Xpage=152>

Blade (?) , v. t. To furnish with a blade.

Blade <Xpage=152>

Blade , v. i. To put forth or have a blade.

As sweet a plant, as fair a flower, is faded As ever in the Muses' garden bladed . P. Fletcher.

Bladebone <Xpage=152>

Blade"bone` (?) , n. The scapula. See Blade , 4.

Bladed <Xpage=152>

Blad"ed (?) , a. 1. Having a blade or blades; as a two-bladed knife.

Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass. Shak.

2. Divested of blades; as, bladed corn .

3. (Min.) Composed of long and narrow plates, shaped like the blade of a knife.

Bladefish <Xpage=152>

Blade"fish` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A long, thin, marine fish of Europe ( Trichiurus lepturus ); the ribbon fish.

Bladesmith <Xpage=152>

Blade"smith` (?) , n. A sword cutler. [Obs.]

Blady <Xpage=152>

Blad"y (?) , a. Consisting of blades. [R.] " Blady grass."

Drayton.

Bl\'91 <Xpage=152>

Bl\'91 (?) , a. [See Blue .] Dark blue or bluish gray; lead-colored. [Scot.]

Bl\'91berry <Xpage=152>

Bl\'91"ber*ry (?) , n. [ Bl\'91 + berry ; akin to Icel bl\'beber , Sw. bl<?/b\'84r , D. blaab\'91r . Cf. Blueberry .] The bilberry. [North of Eng. & Scot.]

Blague <Xpage=152>

Blague (?) , n. [F.] Mendacious boasting; falcefood; humbug.

Blain <Xpage=152>

Blain (?) , n. [OE. blein , bleyn , AS. bl<?/gen ; akin to Dan. blegn , D. blein ; perh. fr. the same root as E. bladder . See Bladder .] 1. An inflammatory swelling or sore; a bulla, pustule, or blister.

Blotches and blains must all his flesh emboss. Milton.

2. (Far.) A bladder growing on the root of the tongue of a horse, against the windpipe, and stopping the breath.

Blamable <Xpage=152>

Blam"a*ble (?) , a. [Cf. F. bl\'83mable .] Deserving of censure; faulty; culpable; reprehensible; censurable; blameworthy. -- Blam"a*ble*ness , n. -- Blam"a*bly (<?/) , adv.

Blame <Xpage=152>

Blame , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Blamed (#) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Blaming .] [OE. blamen , F. bl\'83r , OF. blasmer , fr. L. blasphemare to blaspheme, LL. also to blame, fr. Gr. <?/ to speak ill to slander, to blaspheme, fr. <?/ evil speaking, perh, for <?/ ; <?/ injury (fr. <?/ to injure) + <?/ a saying, fr. <?/ to say. Cf. Blaspheme , and see Fame .]

1. To censure; to express disapprobation of; to find fault with; to reproach.

We have none to blame but ourselves. Tillotson.

2. To bring reproach upon; to blemish. [Obs.]

She . . . blamed her noble blood. Spenser.