Chapter 116

1. To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live. "I am in health, I breathe." Shak.

Breathes there a man with soul so dead? Sir W. Scott.

2. To take breath; to rest from action.

Well! breathe awhile, and then to it again! Shak.

3. To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to exhale; to emanate; to blow gently.

The air breathes upon us here most sweetly. Shak.

There breathes a living fragrance from the shore. Byron.

Breathe, v. t. 1. To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to respire.

To view the light of heaven, and breathe the vital air. Dryden.

2. To inject by breathing; to infuse; -- with into.

Able to breathe life into a stone. Shak.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Gen. ii. 7.

3. To emit or utter by the breath; to utter softly; to whisper; as, to breathe a vow.

He softly breathed thy name. Dryden.

Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse, A mother's curse, on her revolting son. Shak.

4. To exhale; to emit, as breath; as, the flowers breathe odors or perfumes.

5. To express; to manifest; to give forth.

Others articles breathe the same severe spirit. Milner.

6. To act upon by the breath; to cause to sound by breathing. "They breathe the flute." Prior.

7. To promote free respiration in; to exercise.

And every man should beat thee. I think thou wast created for men to breathe themselves upon thee. Shak.

8. To suffer to take breath, or recover the natural breathing; to rest; as, to breathe a horse.

A moment breathed his panting steed. Sir W. Scott.

9. To put out of breath; to exhaust.

Mr. Tulkinghorn arrives in his turret room, a little breathed by the journey up. Dickens.

10. (Phonetics) To utter without vocality, as the nonvocal consonants.

The same sound may be pronounces either breathed, voiced, or whispered. H. Sweet.

Breathed elements, being already voiceless, remain unchanged [in whispering]. H. Sweet.

To breathe again, to take breath; to feel a sense of relief, as from danger, responsibility, or press of business. -- To breathe one's last, to die; to expire. -- To breathe a vein, to open a vein; to let blood. Dryden.

Breath"er (&?;), n. 1. One who breathes. Hence: (a) One who lives.(b) One who utters. (c) One who animates or inspires.

2. That which puts one out of breath, as violent exercise. [Colloq.]

Breath"ful (&?;), a. Full of breath; full of odor; fragrant. [Obs.]

Breath"ing (&?;), n. 1. Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air.

Subject to a difficulty of breathing. Melmoth.

2. Air in gentle motion.

3. Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration; as, the breathings of the Spirit.

4. Aspiration; secret prayer. "Earnest desires and breathings after that blessed state." Tillotson.

5. Exercising; promotion of respiration.

Here is a lady that wants breathing too; And I have heard, you knights of Tyre Are excellent in making ladies trip. Shak.

6. Utterance; communication or publicity by words.

I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose. Shak.

7. Breathing place; vent. Dryden.

8. Stop; pause; delay.

You shake the head at so long a breathing. Shak.

9. Also, in a wider sense, the sound caused by the friction of the outgoing breath in the throat, mouth, etc., when the glottis is wide open; aspiration; the sound expressed by the letter h.

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10. (Gr. Gram.) A mark to indicate aspiration or its absence. See Rough breathing, Smooth breathing, below.

Breathing place. (a) A pause. "That cæsura, or breathing place, in the midst of the verse." Sir P. Sidney. (b) A vent. -- Breathing time, pause; relaxation. Bp. Hall. -- Breathing while, time sufficient for drawing breath; a short time. Shak. -- Rough breathing (spiritus asper) (). See 2d Asper, n. -- Smooth breathing (spiritus lenis), a mark (') indicating the absence of the sound of h, as in 'ie`nai (ienai).

Breath"less (brth"ls), a. 1. Spent with labor or violent action; out of breath.

2. Not breathing; holding the breath, on account of fear, expectation, or intense interest; attended with a holding of the breath; as, breathless attention.

But breathless, as we grow when feeling most. Byron.

3. Dead; as, a breathless body.

Breath"less*ly, adv. In a breathless manner.

Breath"less*ness, n. The state of being breathless or out of breath.

||Brec"cia (&?;), n. [It., breach, pebble, fragments of stone, fr. F. brèche; of German origin. See Breach.] (Geol.) A rock composed of angular fragments either of the same mineral or of different minerals, etc., united by a cement, and commonly presenting a variety of colors.

Bone breccia, a breccia containing bones, usually fragmentary. -- Coin breccia, a breccia containing coins.

Brec"ci*a`ted (&?;), a. Consisting of angular fragments cemented together; resembling breccia in appearance.

The brecciated appearance of many specimens [of meteorites]. H. A. Newton.

Bred (&?;), imp. & p. p. of Breed.

Bred out, degenerated. "The strain of man's bred out into baboon and monkey." Shak. -- Bred to arms. See under Arms. -- Well bred. (a) Of a good family; having a good pedigree. "A gentleman well bred and of good name." Shak. [Obs., except as applied to domestic animals.] (b) Well brought up, as shown in having good manners; cultivated; refined; polite.

{ Brede, or Breede } (&?;), n. Breadth. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Brede (&?;), n. [See Braid woven cord.] A braid. [R.]

Half lapped in glowing gauze and golden brede. Tennyson.

Breech (&?;), n. [See Breeches.] 1. The lower part of the body behind; the buttocks.

2. Breeches. [Obs.] Shak.

3. The hinder part of anything; esp., the part of a cannon, or other firearm, behind the chamber.

4. (Naut.) The external angle of knee timber, the inside of which is called the throat.

Breech, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Breeched (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Breeching (&?;).] 1. To put into, or clothe with, breeches.

A great man . . . anxious to know whether the blacksmith's youngest boy was breeched. Macaulay.

2. To cover as with breeches. [Poetic]

Their daggers unmannerly breeched with gore. Shak.

3. To fit or furnish with a breech; as, to breech a gun.

4. To whip on the breech. [Obs.]

Had not a courteous serving man conveyed me away, whilst he went to fetch whips, I think, in my conscience, he would have breeched me. Old Play.

5. To fasten with breeching.

Breech"block (&?;), n. The movable piece which closes the breech of a breech-loading firearm, and resists the backward force of the discharge. It is withdrawn for the insertion of a cartridge, and closed again before the gun is fired.

Breech"cloth` (&?;), n. A cloth worn around the breech.

Breech"es (&?;), n. pl. [OE. brech, brek, AS. brk, pl. of brc breech, breeches; akin to Icel. brk breeches, ODan. brog, D. broek, G. bruch; cf. L. bracae, braccae, which is of Celtic origin. Cf. Brail.] 1. A garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs; smallclothes.

His jacket was red, and his breeches were blue. Coleridge.

2. Trousers; pantaloons. [Colloq.]

Breeches buoy, in the life-saving service, a pair of canvas breeches depending from an annular or beltlike life buoy which is usually of cork. This contrivance, inclosing the person to be rescued, is hung by short ropes from a block which runs upon the hawser stretched from the ship to the shore, and is drawn to land by hauling lines. -- Breeches pipe, a forked pipe forming two branches united at one end. -- Knee breeches, breeches coming to the knee, and buckled or fastened there; smallclothes. -- To wear the breeches, to usurp the authority of the husband; -- said of a wife. [Colloq.]

Breech"ing (&?;), n. 1. A whipping on the breech, or the act of whipping on the breech.

I view the prince with Aristarchus' eyes, Whose looks were as a breeching to a boy. Marlowe.

2. That part of a harness which passes round the breech of a horse, enabling him to hold back a vehicle.

3. (Naut.) A strong rope rove through the cascabel of a cannon and secured to ringbolts in the ship's side, to limit the recoil of the gun when it is discharged.

4. The sheet iron casing at the end of boilers to convey the smoke from the flues to the smokestack.

Breech"load`er (&?;), n. A firearm which receives its load at the breech.

For cavalry, the revolver and breechloader will supersede the saber. Rep. Sec. War (1860).

Breech"-load`ing, a. Receiving the charge at the breech instead of at the muzzle.

{ Breech" pin` (&?;), Breech" screw` } (&?;). A strong iron or steel plug screwed into the breech of a musket or other firearm, to close the bottom of the bore.

Breech" sight` (&?;). A device attached to the breech of a firearm, to guide the eye, in conjunction with the front sight, in taking aim.

Breed (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bred (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Breeding.] [OE. breden, AS. brdan to nourish, cherish, keep warm, from brd brood; akin to D. broeden to brood, OHG. bruoten, G. brüten. See Brood.] 1. To produce as offspring; to bring forth; to bear; to procreate; to generate; to beget; to hatch.

Yet every mother breeds not sons alike. Shak.

If the sun breed maggots in a dead dog. Shak.

2. To take care of in infancy, and through the age of youth; to bring up; to nurse and foster.

To bring thee forth with pain, with care to breed. Dryden.

Born and bred on the verge of the wilderness. Everett.

3. To educate; to instruct; to form by education; to train; -- sometimes followed by up.

But no care was taken to breed him a Protestant. Bp. Burnet.

His farm may not remove his children too far from him, or the trade he breeds them up in. Locke.

4. To engender; to cause; to occasion; to originate; to produce; as, to breed a storm; to breed disease.

Lest the place And my quaint habits breed astonishment. Milton.

5. To give birth to; to be the native place of; as, a pond breeds fish; a northern country breeds stout men.

6. To raise, as any kind of stock.

7. To produce or obtain by any natural process. [Obs.]

Children would breed their teeth with less danger. Locke.

Syn. -- To engender; generate; beget; produce; hatch; originate; bring up; nourish; train; instruct.

Breed, v. i. 1. To bear and nourish young; to reproduce or multiply itself; to be pregnant.

That they breed abundantly in the earth. Gen. viii. 17.

The mother had never bred before. Carpenter.

Ant. Is your gold and silver ewes and rams? Shy. I can not tell. I make it breed as fast. Shak.

2. To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated, or to grow, as young before birth.

3. To have birth; to be produced or multiplied.

Heavens rain grace On that which breeds between them. Shak.

4. To raise a breed; to get progeny.

The kind of animal which you wish to breed from. Gardner.

To breed in and in, to breed from animals of the same stock that are closely related.

Breed, n. 1. A race or variety of men or other animals (or of plants), perpetuating its special or distinctive characteristics by inheritance.

Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed. Shak.

Greyhounds of the best breed. Carpenter.

2. Class; sort; kind; -- of men, things, or qualities.

Are these the breed of wits so wondered at? Shak.

This courtesy is not of the right breed. Shak.

3. A number produced at once; a brood. [Obs.]

Breed is usually applied to domestic animals; species or variety to wild animals and to plants; and race to men.

Breed"bate (&?;), n. One who breeds or originates quarrels. [Obs.] "No telltale nor no breedbate." Shak.

Breed"er (&?;), n. 1. One who, or that which, breeds, produces, brings up, etc.

She was a great breeder. Dr. A. Carlyle.

Italy and Rome have been the best breeders of worthy men. Ascham.

2. A cause. "The breeder of my sorrow." Shak.

Breed"ing (&?;), n. 1. The act or process of generating or bearing.

2. The raising or improving of any kind of domestic animals; as, farmers should pay attention to breeding.

3. Nurture; education; formation of manners.

She had her breeding at my father's charge. Shak.

4. Deportment or behavior in the external offices and decorums of social life; manners; knowledge of, or training in, the ceremonies, or polite observances of society.

Delicacy of breeding, or that polite deference and respect which civility obliges us either to express or counterfeit towards the persons with whom we converse. Hume.

5. Descent; pedigree; extraction. [Obs.]

Honest gentlemen, I know not your breeding. Shak.

Close breeding, In and in breeding, breeding from a male and female from the same parentage. -- Cross breeding, breeding from a male and female of different lineage. -- Good breeding, politeness; genteel deportment.

Syn. -- Education; instruction; nurture; training; manners. See Education.

Breeze (&?;), Breeze" fly` (&?;), n. [OE. brese, AS. briósa; perh. akin to OHG. brimissa, G. breme, bremse, D. brems, which are akin to G. brummen to growl, buzz, grumble, L. fremere to murmur; cf. G. brausen, Sw. brusa, Dan. bruse, to roar, rush.] (Zoöl.) A fly of various species, of the family Tabanidæ, noted for buzzing about animals, and tormenting them by sucking their blood; -- called also horsefly, and gadfly. They are among the largest of two-winged or dipterous insects. The name is also given to different species of botflies. [Written also breese and brize.]

Breeze, n. [F. brise; akin to It. brezza breeze, Sp. briza, brisa, a breeze from northeast, Pg. briza northeast wind; of uncertain origin; cf. F. bise, Pr. bisa, OHG. bisa, north wind, Arm. biz northeast wind.] 1. A light, gentle wind; a fresh, soft-blowing wind.

Into a gradual calm the breezes sink. Wordsworth.

2. An excited or ruffed state of feeling; a flurry of excitement; a disturbance; a quarrel; as, the discovery produced a breeze. [Colloq.]

Land breeze, a wind blowing from the land, generally at night. -- Sea breeze, a breeze or wind blowing, generally in the daytime, from the sea.

Breeze (&?;), n. [F. braise cinders, live coals. See Brasier.] 1. Refuse left in the process of making coke or burning charcoal.

2. (Brickmaking) Refuse coal, coal ashes, and cinders, used in the burning of bricks.

Breeze, v. i. To blow gently. [R.] J. Barlow.

To breeze up (Naut.), to blow with increasing freshness.

Breeze"less, a. Motionless; destitute of breezes.

A stagnant, breezeless air becalms my soul. Shenstone.

Breez"i*ness (&?;), n. State of being breezy.

Breez"y (&?;), a. 1. Characterized by, or having, breezes; airy. "A breezy day in May." Coleridge.

'Mid lawns and shades by breezy rivulets fanned. Wordsworth.

2. Fresh; brisk; full of life. [Colloq.]

||Breg"ma (&?;), n. [Gr. &?; the front part of the head: cf. F. bregma.] (Anat.) The point of junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures of the skull.

Breg*mat"ic (&?;), a. (Anat.) Pertaining to the bregma.

Bre"hon (&?;), n. [Ir. breitheamh judge.] An ancient Irish or Scotch judge.

Brehon laws, the ancient Irish laws, -- unwritten, like the common law of England. They were abolished by statute of Edward III.

Breme (brm), a. [OE. breme, brime, fierce, impetuous, glorious, AS. brme, brme, famous. Cf. Brim, a.] 1. Fierce; sharp; severe; cruel. [Obs.] Spenser.

From the septentrion cold, in the breme freezing air. Drayton.

2. Famous; renowned; well known. Wright.

[Written also brim and brimme.]

{ Bren (&?;), Bren"ne (&?;), } v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Brent (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Brenning.] [See Burn.] To burn. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Consuming fire brent his shearing house or stall. W. Browne.

Bren, n. Bran. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Bren"nage (&?;), n. [OF. brenage; cf. LL. brennagium, brenagium. See Bran.] (Old Eng. Law) A tribute which tenants paid to their lord, in lieu of bran, which they were obliged to furnish for his hounds.

Bren"ning*ly, adv. Burningly; ardently. [Obs.]

{ Brent (&?;), Brant } (&?;), a. [AS. brant; akin to Dan. brat, Icel. brattr, steep.] 1. Steep; high. [Obs.]

Grapes grow on the brant rocks so wonderfully that ye will marvel how any man dare climb up to them. Ascham.

2. Smooth; unwrinkled. [Scot.]

Your bonnie brow was brent. Burns.

Brent, imp. & p. p. of Bren. Burnt. [Obs.]

Brent, n. [Cf. Brant.] A brant. See Brant.

Breq"uet chain` (&?;). A watch-guard.

Brere (&?;), n. A brier. [Archaic] Chaucer.

Brest (&?;), 3d sing.pr. for Bursteth. [Obs.]

{ Brest, Breast } (&?;), n. (Arch.) A torus. [Obs.]

Bres"te (&?;), v. t. & i. [imp. Brast; p. p. Brusten, Borsten, Bursten.] To burst. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Brest"sum`mer (&?;), n. See Breastsummer.

Bret (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) See Birt.

Bret"ful (&?;), a. [OE. also brerdful, fr. brerd top, brim, AS. brerd.] Brimful. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Breth"ren (&?;), n.; pl. of Brother.

This form of the plural is used, for the most part, in solemn address, and in speaking of religious sects or fraternities, or their members.

Bret"on (&?;), a. [F. breton.] Of or relating to Brittany, or Bretagne, in France. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Brittany, or Bretagne, in France; also, the ancient language of Brittany; Armorican.

Brett (&?;), n. Same as Britzska.

Bret"tice (&?;), n.; pl. Brettices (&?;). [OE. bretasce, bretage, parapet, OF. bretesche wooden tower, F. bretèche, LL. breteschia, bertresca, prob. fr. OHG. bret, G. brett board; akin to E. board. See Board, n., and cf. Bartizan.] The wooden boarding used in supporting the roofs and walls of coal mines. See Brattice.

Bret"wal*da (&?;), n. [AS. Bretwalda, br&?;ten walda, a powerful ruler.] (Eng. Hist.) The official title applied to that one of the Anglo-Saxon chieftains who was chosen by the other chiefs to lead them in their warfare against the British tribes. Brande & C.

Bret"zel (&?;), n. [G.] See Pretzel.

Breve (brv), n. [It. & (in sense 2) LL. breve, fr. L. brevis short. See Brief.] 1. (Mus.) A note or character of time, equivalent to two semibreves or four minims. When dotted, it is equal to three semibreves. It was formerly of a square figure (as thus: &?; ), but is now made oval, with a line perpendicular to the staff on each of its sides; -- formerly much used for choir service. Moore.

2. (Law) Any writ or precept under seal, issued out of any court.

3. (Print.) A curved mark [] used commonly to indicate the short quantity of a vowel.

4. (Zoöl.) The great ant thrush of Sumatra (Pitta gigas), which has a very short tail.

Bre*vet" (br*vt"; 277), n. [F. brevet, LL. brevetum, fr. L. brevis short. See Brief.] 1. A warrant from the government, granting a privilege, title, or dignity. [French usage].

2. (Mil.) A commission giving an officer higher rank than that for which he receives pay; an honorary promotion of an officer.

In the United States army, rank by brevet is conferred, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for "gallant actions or meritorious services." A brevet rank gives no right of command in the particular corps to which the officer brevetted belongs, and can be exercised only by special assignment of the President, or on court martial, and detachments composed of different corps, with pay of the brevet rank when on such duty.

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Bre*vet" (br*vt"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brevetted (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Brevetting.] (Mil.) To confer rank upon by brevet.

Bre*vet", a. (Mil.) Taking or conferring rank by brevet; as, a brevet colonel; a brevet commission.

Bre*vet"cy (br*vt"s), n.; pl. Brevetcies (- sz). (Mil.) The rank or condition of a brevet officer.

Bre"vi*a*ry (&?;), n.; pl. Breviaries (&?;). [F. bréviarie, L. breviarium summary, abridgment, neut. noun fr. breviarius abridged, fr. brevis short. See Brief, and cf. Brevier.] 1. An abridgment; a compend; an epitome; a brief account or summary.

A book entitled the abridgment or breviary of those roots that are to be cut up or gathered. Holland.

2. A book containing the daily public or canonical prayers of the Roman Catholic or of the Greek Church for the seven canonical hours, namely, matins and lauds, the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours, vespers, and compline; -- distinguished from the missal.

Bre"vi*ate (&?;), n. [L. breviatus, p. p. of breviare to shorten, brevis short.] 1. A short compend; a summary; a brief statement.

I omit in this breviate to rehearse. Hakluyt.

The same little breviates of infidelity have . . . been published and dispersed with great activity. Bp. Porteus.

2. A lawyer's brief. [R.] Hudibras.

Bre"vi*ate (&?;), v. t. To abbreviate. [Obs.]

Bre"vi*a*ture (&?;), n. An abbreviature; an abbreviation. [Obs.] Johnson.

Bre*vier" (br*vr"), n. [Prob. from being originally used in printing a breviary. See Breviary.] (Print.) A size of type between bourgeois and minion.

This line is printed in brevier type.

Bre*vil"o*quence (&?;), n. [L. breviloquentia.] A brief and pertinent mode of speaking. [R.]

Brev"i*ped (&?;), a. [L. brevis short + pes, pedis, foot: cf. F. brévipède.] (Zoöl.) Having short legs. -- n. A breviped bird.

Brev"i*pen (&?;), n. [L. brevis short + penna wing: cf. F. brévipenne.] (Zoöl.) A brevipennate bird.

Brev`i*pen"nate (&?;), a. [L. brevis short + E. pennate.] (Zoöl.) Short-winged; -- applied to birds which can not fly, owing to their short wings, as the ostrich, cassowary, and emu.

{ Brev`i*ros"tral (&?;), Brev`i*ros"trate (&?;), } a. [L. brevis short + E. rostral, rostrate.] (Zoöl.) Short-billed; having a short beak.

Brev"i*ty (&?;), n.; pl. Brevities (&?;). [L. brevitas, fr. brevis short: cf. F. brièvité. See Brief.] 1. Shortness of duration; briefness of time; as, the brevity of human life.

2. Contraction into few words; conciseness.

Brevity is the soul of wit. Shak.

This argument is stated by St. John with his usual elegant brevity and simplicity. Bp. Porteus.

Syn. -- Shortness; conciseness; succinctness; terseness.

Brew (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Brewed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Brewing.] [OE. brewen, AS. breówan; akin to D. brouwen, OHG. priuwan, MHG. briuwen, br&?;wen, G. brauen, Icel. brugga, Sw. brygga, Dan. brygge, and perh. to L. defrutum must boiled down, Gr. &?; (for &?;?) a kind of beer. The original meaning seems to have been to prepare by heat. &radic;93. Cf. Broth, Bread.] 1. To boil or seethe; to cook. [Obs.]

2. To prepare, as beer or other liquor, from malt and hops, or from other materials, by steeping, boiling, and fermentation. "She brews good ale." Shak.

3. To prepare by steeping and mingling; to concoct.

Go, brew me a pottle of sack finely. Shak.

4. To foment or prepare, as by brewing; to contrive; to plot; to concoct; to hatch; as, to brew mischief.

Hence with thy brewed enchantments, foul deceiver! Milton.

Brew (&?;), v. i. 1. To attend to the business, or go through the processes, of brewing or making beer.

I wash, wring, brew, bake, scour. Shak.

2. To be in a state of preparation; to be mixing, forming, or gathering; as, a storm brews in the west.

There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest. Shak.

Brew (&?;), n. The mixture formed by brewing; that which is brewed. Bacon.

Brew"age (&?;), n. Malt liquor; drink brewed. "Some well-spiced brewage." Milton.

A rich brewage, made of the best Spanish wine. Macaulay.

Brew"er (&?;), n. One who brews; one whose occupation is to prepare malt liquors.

Brew"er*y (&?;), n. A brewhouse; the building and apparatus where brewing is carried on.

Brew"house` (&?;), n. A house or building appropriated to brewing; a brewery.

Brew"ing (&?;), n. 1. The act or process of preparing liquors which are brewed, as beer and ale.

2. The quantity brewed at once.

A brewing of new beer, set by old beer. Bacon.

3. A mixing together.

I am not able to avouch anything for certainty, such a brewing and sophistication of them they make. Holland.

4. (Naut.) A gathering or forming of a storm or squall, indicated by thick, dark clouds.