The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section A and B

Chapter 128

Chapter 1284,175 wordsPublic domain

But"ter*ine (&?;), n. A substance prepared from animal fat with some other ingredients intermixed, as an imitation of butter.

The manufacturers ship large quantities of oleomargarine to England, Holland, and other countries, to be manufactured into butter, which is sold as butterine or suine. Johnson's Cyc.

But"ter*is (&?;), n. [The same word as buttress, noun, in a different application, F. bouter to push.] (Far.) A steel cutting instrument, with a long bent shank set in a handle which rests against the shoulder of the operator. It is operated by a thrust movement, and used in paring the hoofs of horses.

But"ter*man` (&?;), n.; pl. Buttermen (&?;). A man who makes or sells butter.

But"ter*milk` (&?;), n. The milk that remains after the butter is separated from the cream.

But"ter*nut` (&?;), n. 1. (Bot.) An American tree (Juglans cinerea) of the Walnut family, and its edible fruit; -- so called from the oil contained in the latter. Sometimes called oil nut and white walnut.

2. (Bot.) The nut of the Caryocar butyrosum and C. nuciferum, of S. America; -- called also Souari nut.

But"ter-scotch` (&?;), n. A kind of candy, mainly composed of sugar and butter. [Colloq.] Dickens.

But"ter*weed` (&?;), n. (Bot.) An annual composite plant of the Mississippi valley (Senecio lobatus).

But"ter*weight` (&?;), n. Over weight. Swift.

Formerly it was a custom to give 18 ounces of butter for a pound.

But"ter*wort` (&?;), n. (Bot.) A genus of low herbs (Pinguicula) having simple leaves which secrete from their glandular upper surface a viscid fluid, to which insects adhere, after which the margin infolds and the insects are digested by the plant. The species are found mostly in the North Temperate zone.

But"ter*y (&?;), a. Having the qualities, consistence, or appearance, of butter.

But"ter*y, n.; pl. Butteries (&?;). [OE. botery, botry; cf. LL. botaria wine vessel; also OE. botelerie, fr. F. bouteillerie, fr. boutellie bottle. Not derived from butter. See Bottle a hollow vessel, Butt a cask.] 1. An apartment in a house where butter, milk and other provisions are kept.

All that need a cool and fresh temper, as cellars, pantries, and butteries, to the north. Sir H. Wotton.

2. A room in some English colleges where liquors, fruit, and refreshments are kept for sale to the students.

And the major Oxford kept the buttery bar. E. Hall.

3. A cellar in which butts of wine are kept. Weale.

Buttery hatch, a half door between the buttery or kitchen and the hall, in old mansions, over which provisions were passed. Wright.

Butt" hinge` (&?;). See 1st Butt, 10.

But"-thorn` (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) The common European starfish (Asterias rubens).

But"ting (&?;), n. An abuttal; a boundary.

Without buttings or boundings on any side. Bp. Beveridge.

But"ting joint`. A joint between two pieces of timber or wood, at the end of one or both, and either at right angles or oblique to the grain, as the joints which the struts and braces form with the truss posts; -- sometimes called abutting joint.

Butt" joint` (&?;). A joint in which the edges or ends of the pieces united come squarely together instead of overlapping. See 1st Butt, 8.

But"tock (&?;), n. [From Butt an end.] 1. The part at the back of the hip, which, in man, forms one of the rounded protuberances on which he sits; the rump.

2. (Naut.) The convexity of a ship behind, under the stern. Mar. Dict.

But"ton (&?;), n. [OE. boton, botoun, F. bouton button, bud, prop. something pushing out, fr. bouter to push. See Butt an end.] 1. A knob; a small ball; a small, roundish mass.

2. A catch, of various forms and materials, used to fasten together the different parts of dress, by being attached to one part, and passing through a slit, called a buttonhole, in the other; -- used also for ornament.

3. A bud; a germ of a plant. Shak.

4. A piece of wood or metal, usually flat and elongated, turning on a nail or screw, to fasten something, as a door.

5. A globule of metal remaining on an assay cupel or in a crucible, after fusion.

Button hook, a hook for catching a button and drawing it through a buttonhole, as in buttoning boots and gloves. -- Button shell (Zoöl.), a small, univalve marine shell of the genus Rotella. -- Button snakeroot. (Bot.) (a) The American composite genus Liatris, having rounded buttonlike heads of flowers. (b) An American umbelliferous plant with rigid, narrow leaves, and flowers in dense heads. -- Button tree (Bot.), a genus of trees (Conocarpus), furnishing durable timber, mostly natives of the West Indies. -- To hold by the button, to detain in conversation to weariness; to bore; to buttonhole.

But"ton, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buttoned (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Buttoning (&?;).] [OE. botonen, OF. botoner, F. boutonner. See Button, n.] 1. To fasten with a button or buttons; to inclose or make secure with buttons; -- often followed by up.

He was a tall, fat, long-bodied man, buttoned up to the throat in a tight green coat. Dickens.

2. To dress or clothe. [Obs.] Shak.

But"ton, v. i. To be fastened by a button or buttons; as, the coat will not button.

But"ton*ball` (&?;), n. (Bot.) See Buttonwood.

But"ton*bush` (&?;), n. (Bot.) A shrub (Cephalanthus occidentalis) growing by the waterside; -- so called from its globular head of flowers. See Capitulum.

But"ton*hole` (&?;), n. The hole or loop in which a button is caught.

But"ton*hole`, v. t. To hold at the button or buttonhole; to detain in conversation to weariness; to bore; as, he buttonholed me a quarter of an hour.

But"ton*mold` (&?;), n. A disk of bone, wood, or other material, which is made into a button by covering it with cloth. [Written also buttonmould.]

Fossil buttonmolds, joints of encrinites. See Encrinite.

But"tons (&?;), n. A boy servant, or page, -- in allusion to the buttons on his livery. [Colloq.] Dickens.

But"ton*weed` (&?;), n. (Bot.) The name of several plants of the genera Spermacoce and Diodia, of the Madder family.

But"ton*wood` (&?;), n. (Bot.) The Platanus occidentalis, or American plane tree, a large tree, producing rough balls, from which it is named; -- called also buttonball tree, and, in some parts of the United States, sycamore. The California buttonwood is P. racemosa.

But"ton*y (&?;), a. Ornamented with a large number of buttons. "The buttony boy." Thackeray. "My coat so blue and buttony." W. S. Gilbert.

But"tress (&?;), n. [OE. butrasse, boterace, fr. F. bouter to push; cf. OF. bouteret (nom. sing. and acc. pl. bouterez) buttress. See Butt an end, and cf. Butteris.] 1. (Arch.) A projecting mass of masonry, used for resisting the thrust of an arch, or for ornament and symmetry.

When an external projection is used merely to stiffen a wall, it is a pier.

2. Anything which supports or strengthens. "The ground pillar and buttress of the good old cause of nonconformity." South.

Flying buttress. See Flying buttress.

But"tress (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Buttressed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Buttressing.] To support with a buttress; to prop; to brace firmly.

To set it upright again, and to prop and buttress it up for duration. Burke.

Butt" shaft` (&?;) An arrow without a barb, for shooting at butts; an arrow. [Also but shaft.] Shak.

Butt" weld` (&?;). See Butt weld, under Butt.

Butt"weld`, v. t. To unite by a butt weld.

But"ty (&?;), n. (Mining) One who mines by contract, at so much per ton of coal or ore.

Bu"tyl (&?;), n. [L. butyrum butter + -yl. See Butter.] (Chem.) A compound radical, regarded as butane, less one atom of hydrogen.

Bu"ty*lene (&?;), n. [From Butyl.] (Chem.) Any one of three metameric hydrocarbons, C4H8, of the ethylene series. They are gaseous or easily liquefiable.

Bu`ty*ra"ceous (&?;), a. [L. butyrum butter. See Butter.] Having the qualities of butter; resembling butter.

Bu"ty*rate (&?;), n. (Chem.) A salt of butyric acid.

Bu*tyr"ic (&?;), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, butter.

Butyric acid, C3H7.CO2H, an acid found in butter; an oily, limpid fluid, having the smell of rancid butter, and an acrid taste, with a sweetish aftertaste, like that of ether. There are two metameric butyric acids, called in distinction the normal- and iso- butyric acid. The normal butyric acid is the one common in rancid butter.

Bu"ty*rin (&?;), n. (Physiol. Chem.) A butyrate of glycerin; a fat contained in small quantity in milk, which helps to give to butter its peculiar flavor.

Bu`ty*rom"e*ter (&?;), n. [L. butyrum butter + -meter.] An instrument for determining the amount of fatty matter or butter contained in a sample of milk.

Bu"ty*rone (&?;), n. [Butyric + - one.] (Chem.) A liquid ketone obtained by heating calcium butyrate.

Bu"ty*rous (&?;), a. Butyraceous.

Bux"e*ous (&?;), a. [L. buxeus, fr. buxus the box tree.] Belonging to the box tree.

Bux"ine (&?;), n. (Chem.) An alkaloid obtained from the Buxus sempervirens, or common box tree. It is identical with bebeerine; -- called also buxina.

Bux"om (&?;), a. [OE. buxum, boxom, buhsum, pliable, obedient, AS. bcsum, bhsum (akin to D. buigzaam blexible, G. biegsam); bgan to bow, bend + -sum, E. - some. See Bow to bend, and -some.] 1. Yielding; pliable or compliant; ready to obey; obedient; tractable; docile; meek; humble. [Obs.]

So wild a beast, so tame ytaught to be, And buxom to his bands, is joy to see. Spenser.

I submit myself unto this holy church of Christ, to be ever buxom and obedient to the ordinance of it. Foxe.

2. Having the characteristics of health, vigor, and comeliness, combined with a gay, lively manner; stout and rosy; jolly; frolicsome.

A daughter fair, So buxom, blithe, and debonair. Milton.

A parcel of buxom bonny dames, that were laughing, singing, dancing, and as merry as the day was long. Tatler.

-- Bux"om*ly, adv. -- Bux"om*ness, n.

Buy (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bought (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Buying (&?;).] [OE. buggen, buggen, bien, AS. bycgan, akin to OS. buggean, Goth. bugjan.] 1. To acquire the ownership of (property) by giving an accepted price or consideration therefor, or by agreeing to do so; to acquire by the payment of a price or value; to purchase; -- opposed to sell.

Buy what thou hast no need of, and ere long thou wilt sell thy necessaries. B. Franklin.

2. To acquire or procure by something given or done in exchange, literally or figuratively; to get, at a cost or sacrifice; to buy pleasure with pain.

Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Prov. xxiii. 23.

To buy again. See Againbuy. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- To buy off. (a) To influence to compliance; to cause to bend or yield by some consideration; as, to buy off conscience. (b) To detach by a consideration given; as, to buy off one from a party. -- To buy out (a) To buy off, or detach from. Shak. (b) To purchase the share or shares of in a stock, fund, or partnership, by which the seller is separated from the company, and the purchaser takes his place; as, A buys out B. (c) To purchase the entire stock in trade and the good will of a business. -- To buy in, to purchase stock in any fund or partnership. -- To buy on credit, to purchase, on a promise, in fact or in law, to make payment at a future day. -- To buy the refusal (of anything), to give a consideration for the right of purchasing, at a fixed price, at a future time.

Buy, v. i. To negotiate or treat about a purchase.

I will buy with you, sell with you. Shak.

Buy"er (&?;), n. One who buys; a purchaser.

Buz (&?;), v. & n. See Buzz. [Obs.]

Buzz (&?;), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Buzzed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Buzzing.] [An onomatopœia.] To make a low, continuous, humming or sibilant sound, like that made by bees with their wings. Hence: To utter a murmuring sound; to speak with a low, humming voice.

Like a wasp is buzzed, and stung him. Longfellow.

However these disturbers of our peace Buzz in the people's ears. Shak.

Buzz, v. t. 1. To sound forth by buzzing. Shak.

2. To whisper; to communicate, as tales, in an under tone; to spread, as report, by whispers, or secretly.

I will buzz abroad such prophecies That Edward shall be fearful of his life. Shak.

3. To talk to incessantly or confidentially in a low humming voice. [Colloq.]

4. (Phonetics) To sound with a "buzz". H. Sweet.

Buzz, n. 1. A continuous, humming noise, as of bees; a confused murmur, as of general conversation in low tones, or of a general expression of surprise or approbation. "The constant buzz of a fly." Macaulay.

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I found the whole room in a buzz of politics. Addison.

There is a buzz all around regarding the sermon. Thackeray.

2. A whisper; a report spread secretly or cautiously.

There's a certain buzz Of a stolen marriage. Massinger.

3. (Phonetics) The audible friction of voice consonants. H. Sweet.

Buz"zard (bz"zrd), n. [O.E. busard, bosard, F. busard, fr. buse, L. buteo, a kind of falcon or hawk.]

1. (Zoöl.) A bird of prey of the Hawk family, belonging to the genus Buteo and related genera.

The Buteo vulgaris is the common buzzard of Europe. The American species (of which the most common are B. borealis, B. Pennsylvanicus, and B. lineatus) are usually called hen hawks. -- The rough-legged buzzard, or bee hawk, of Europe (Pernis apivorus) feeds on bees and their larvæ, with other insects, and reptiles. -- The moor buzzard of Europe is Circus æruginosus. See Turkey buzzard, and Carrion buzzard.

Bald buzzard, the fishhawk or osprey. See Fishhawk.

2. A blockhead; a dunce.

It is common, to a proverb, to call one who can not be taught, or who continues obstinately ignorant, a buzzard. Goldsmith.

Buz"zard, a. Senseless; stupid. [R. & Obs.] Milton.

Buz"zard*et` (-t`), n. (Zoöl.) A hawk resembling the buzzard, but with legs relatively longer.

Buzz"er (bz"r), n. One who, or that which, buzzes; a whisperer; a talebearer.

And wants not buzzers to infect his ear With pestilent speeches of his father's death. Shak.

Buzz"ing*ly (&?;), adv. In a buzzing manner; with a buzzing sound.

Buzz"saw` (&?;) A circular saw; -- so called from the buzzing it makes when running at full speed.

By (b), prep. [OE. bi, AS. b, big, near to, by, of, from, after, according to; akin to OS. & OFries. bi, be, D. bij, OHG. b, G. bei, Goth. bi, and perh. Gr. 'amfi`. E. prefix be- is orig. the same word. &radic;203. See pref. Be-.] 1. In the neighborhood of; near or next to; not far from; close to; along with; as, come and sit by me. [1913 Webster]

By foundation or by shady rivulet He sought them both. Milton.

2. On; along; in traversing. Compare 5.

Long labors both by sea and land he bore. Dryden.

By land, by water, they renew the charge. Pope.

3. Near to, while passing; hence, from one to the other side of; past; as, to go by a church.

4. Used in specifying adjacent dimensions; as, a cabin twenty feet by forty.

5. Against. [Obs.] Tyndale [1. Cor. iv. 4].

6. With, as means, way, process, etc.; through means of; with aid of; through; through the act or agency of; as, a city is destroyed by fire; profit is made by commerce; to take by force.

To the meaning of by, as denoting means or agency, belong, more or less closely, most of the following uses of the word: (a) It points out the author and producer; as, "Waverley", a novel by Sir W.Scott; a statue by Canova; a sonata by Beethoven. (b) In an oath or adjuration, it indicates the being or thing appealed to as sanction; as, I affirm to you by all that is sacred; he swears by his faith as a Christian; no, by Heaven. (c) According to; by direction, authority, or example of; after; -- in such phrases as, it appears by his account; ten o'clock by my watch; to live by rule; a model to build by. (d) At the rate of; according to the ratio or proportion of; in the measure or quantity of; as, to sell cloth by the yard, milk by the quart, eggs by the dozen, meat by the pound; to board by the year. (e) In comparison, it denotes the measure of excess or deficiency; when anything is increased or diminished, it indicates the measure of increase or diminution; as, larger by a half; older by five years; to lessen by a third. (f) It expresses continuance or duration; during the course of; within the period of; as, by day, by night. (g) As soon as; not later than; near or at; -- used in expressions of time; as, by this time the sun had risen; he will be here by two o'clock.

In boxing the compass, by indicates a pint nearer to, or towards, the next cardinal point; as, north by east, i.e., a point towards the east from the north; northeast by east, i.e., on point nearer the east than northeast is.

With is used instead of by before the instrument with which anything is done; as, to beat one with a stick; the board was fastened by the carpenter with nails. But there are many words which may be regarded as means or processes, or, figuratively, as instruments; and whether with or by shall be used with them is a matter of arbitrary, and often, of unsettled usage; as, to a reduce a town by famine; to consume stubble with fire; he gained his purpose by flattery; he entertained them with a story; he distressed us with or by a recital of his sufferings. see With.

By all means, most assuredly; without fail; certainly. -- By and by. (a) Close together (of place). [Obs.] "Two yonge knightes liggyng [lying] by and by." Chaucer. (b) Immediately; at once. [Obs.] "When . . . persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." Matt. xiii. 21. (c) Presently; pretty soon; before long. In this phrase, by seems to be used in the sense of nearness in time, and to be repeated for the sake of emphasis, and thus to be equivalent to "soon, and soon," that is instantly; hence, -- less emphatically, -- pretty soon, presently. -- By one's self, with only one's self near; alone; solitary.- By the bye. See under Bye. -- By the head (Naut.), having the bows lower than the stern; -- said of a vessel when her head is lower in the water than her stern. If her stern is lower, she is by the stern. -- By the lee, the situation of a vessel, going free, when she has fallen off so much as to bring the wind round her stern, and to take her sails aback on the other side. -- By the run, to let go by the run, to let go altogether, instead of slacking off. -- By the way, by the bye; -- used to introduce an incidental or secondary remark or subject. -Day by day, One by one, Piece by piece, etc., each day, each one, each piece, etc., by itself singly or separately; each severally. -- To come by, to get possession of; to obtain. -- To do by, to treat, to behave toward. -- To set by, to value, to esteem. -- To stand by, to aid, to support.

The common phrase good-by is equivalent to farewell, and would be better written good-bye, as it is a corruption of God be with you (b'w'ye).

By (&?;), adv. 1. Near; in the neighborhood; present; as, there was no person by at the time.

2. Passing near; going past; past; beyond; as, the procession has gone by; a bird flew by.

3. Aside; as, to lay by; to put by.

By (&?;), a. Out of the common path; aside; -- used in composition, giving the meaning of something aside, secondary, or incidental, or collateral matter, a thing private or avoiding notice; as, by-line, by-place, by-play, by- street. It was formerly more freely used in composition than it is now; as, by-business, by-concernment, by-design, by- interest, etc.

By"ard (&?;), n. A piece of leather crossing the breast, used by the men who drag sledges in coal mines.

By"-bid`der (&?;), n. One who bids at an auction in behalf of the auctioneer or owner, for the purpose of running up the price of articles. [U.S.]

By"-blow` (&?;), n. 1. A side or incidental blow; an accidental blow.

With their by-blows they did split the very stones in pieces. Bunyan.

2. An illegitimate child; a bastard.

The Aga speedily . . . brought her [his disgraced slave] to court, together with her pretty by-blow, the present Padre Ottomano. Evelyn.

By"-cor`ner (&?;), n. A private corner.

Britain being a by-corner, out of the road of the world. Fuller.

By"-de*pend`ence (&?;), n. An appendage; that which depends on something else, or is distinct from the main dependence; an accessory. Shak.

By"-drink`ing, n. A drinking between meals. [Obs.]

Bye (b), n. 1. A thing not directly aimed at; something which is a secondary object of regard; an object by the way, etc.; as in on or upon the bye, i. e., in passing; indirectly; by implication. [Obs. except in the phrase by the bye.]

The Synod of Dort condemneth upon the bye even the discipline of the Church of England. Fuller.

2. (Cricket) A run made upon a missed ball; as, to steal a bye. T. Hughes.

By the bye, in passing; by way of digression; apropos to the matter in hand. [Written also by the by.]

Bye (b) n. [AS. b; cf. Icel. bygð dwelling, byggja, ba, to dwell &radic;97.] 1. A dwelling. Gibson.

2. In certain games, a station or place of an individual player. Emerson.

By"-e*lec"tion (&?;), n. An election held by itself, not at the time of a general election.

By"-end` (&?;), n. Private end or interest; secret purpose; selfish advantage. [Written also bye- end.]

"Profit or some other by-end." L'Estrange.

By"gone` (b"gn`; 115), a. Past; gone by. "Bygone fooleries." Shak.

By"gone` (&?;), n. Something gone by or past; a past event. "Let old bygones be" Tennyson.

Let bygones be bygones, let the past be forgotten.

By"-in`ter*est (&?;), n. Self-interest; private advantage. Atterbury.

By"land (&?;), n. A peninsula. [Obs.]

By"land*er (&?;), n. See Bilander. [Obs.]

By"-lane` (b"-ln`), n. A private lane, or one opening out of the usual road.

By"-law` (b"-l`), n. [Cf. Sw. bylag, D. bylov, Icel. barlög, fr. Sw. & Dan. by town, Icel. bær, byr (fr. bûa to dwell) + the word for law; hence, a law for one town, a special law. Cf. Birlaw and see Law.] 1. A local or subordinate law; a private law or regulation made by a corporation for its own government.

There was likewise a law to restrain the by-laws, or ordinances of corporations. Bacon.

The law or institution; to which are added two by- laws, as a comment upon the general law. Addison.

2. A law that is less important than a general law or constitutional provision, and subsidiary to it; a rule relating to a matter of detail; as, civic societies often adopt a constitution and by- laws for the government of their members. In this sense the word has probably been influenced by by, meaning secondary or aside.

By"-name` (&?;), n. A nickname. Camden.

By"name`, v. t. To give a nickname to. Camden.

By"-pass (&?;), n. (Mech.) A by- passage, for a pipe, or other channel, to divert circulation from the usual course.

By"-pas`sage (&?;), n. A passage different from the usual one; a byway.

By"-past (&?;), a. Past; gone by. "By-past perils." Shak.

By"path` (&?;), n.; pl. Bypaths (&?;). A private path; an obscure way; indirect means.

God known, my son, By what bypaths, and indirect crooked ways, I met this crown. Shak.

By"-place` (&?;), n. A retired or private place.

By"play (&?;), n. Action carried on aside, and commonly in dumb show, while the main action proceeds.

By"-prod`uct (&?;), n. A secondary or additional product; something produced, as in the course of a manufacture, in addition to the principal product.

Byre (&?;), n. [Cf, Icel. bür pantry, Sw. bur cage, Dan. buur, E. bower.] A cow house. [N. of Eng. & Scot.]

By"-re*spect` (b"r*spkt`), n. Private end or view; by-interest. [Obs.] Dryden.

By"road` (&?;), n. A private or obscure road. "Through slippery byroads" Swift.

By"ron`ic (&?;), a. Pertaining to, or in the style of, Lord Byron.

With despair and Byronic misanthropy. Thackeray

By"-room` (&?;), n. A private room or apartment. "Stand in some by-room" Shak.

By*smot"ter*ed (b*smt"tr*d), p.a. [See Besmut.] Bespotted with mud or dirt. [Obs.] Chaucer.

By"-speech`(&?;), n. An incidental or casual speech, not directly relating to the point. "To quote by- speeches." Hooker.