Chapter 129

By"-spell`(&?;), n. [AS. bigspell.] A proverb. [Obs.]

Byss (&?;), n. See Byssus, n., 1.

Bys*sa"ceous (&?;), a. [From Byssus.] (Bot.) Byssuslike; consisting of fine fibers or threads, as some very delicate filamentous algæ.

Bys*sif"er*ous (&?;), a. [Byssus + -ferous.] Bearing a byssus or tuft.

Bys"sin (&?;), n. See Byssus, n., 1.

Bys"sine (&?;), a. [L. byssinus made of byssus, Gr. by`ssinos See Byssus.] Made of silk; having a silky or flaxlike appearance. Coles.

Bys"soid (&?;), a. [Byssus + - oid.] Byssaceous.

Bys"so*lite (&?;), n. [Gr.&?; See flax + - lite.] (Min.) An olive-green fibrous variety of hornblende.

||Bys"sus (&?;), n.; pl. E. Byssuses (&?;); L. Byssi. (&?;) [L. byssus fine flax, fine linen or cotton, Gr. by`ssos .]

1. A cloth of exceedingly fine texture, used by the ancients. It is disputed whether it was of cotton, linen, or silk. [Written also byss and byssin.]

2. (Zoöl.) A tuft of long, tough filaments which are formed in a groove of the foot, and issue from between the valves of certain bivalve mollusks, as the Pinna and Mytilus, by which they attach themselves to rocks, etc.

3. (Bot.) An obsolete name for certain fungi composed of slender threads.

4. Asbestus.

By"stand`er (&?;), n. [By + stander, equiv. to stander-by; cf. AS. big-standan to stand by or near.] One who stands near; a spectator; one who has no concern with the business transacting.

He addressed the bystanders and scattered pamphlets among them. Palfrey.

Syn. -- Looker on; spectator; beholder; observer.

By"-street` (&?;), n. A separate, private, or obscure street; an out of the way or cross street.

He seeks by-streets, and saves the expensive coach. Gay.

By"-stroke` (&?;), n. An accidental or a slyly given stroke.

By"-turn`ing (&?;), n. An obscure road; a way turning from the main road. Sir P. Sidney.

By"-view`(&?;), n. A private or selfish view; self-interested aim or purpose.

No by-views of his own shall mislead him. Atterbury.

By"-walk`(&?;), n. A secluded or private walk.

He moves afterward in by-walks. Dryden.

By"-wash` (&?;), n. The outlet from a dam or reservoir; also, a cut to divert the flow of water.

By"way` (&?;), n. A secluded, private, or obscure way; a path or road aside from the main one. " Take no byways." Herbert.

By"-wipe` (&?;), n. A secret or side stroke, as of raillery or sarcasm. Milton.

By"word` (&?;), n. [AS. bïword; bï, E. by + word.] 1. A common saying; a proverb; a saying that has a general currency.

I knew a wise man that had it for a byword. Bacon.

2. The object of a contemptuous saying.

Thou makest us a byword among the heathen. Ps. xliv. 14

By"work (&?;), n. Work aside from regular work; subordinate or secondary business.

{ Byz"ant (&?;), Byz"an*tine (-n"tn) n. } [OE. besant, besaunt, F. besant, fr. LL. Byzantius, Byzantinus, fr. Byzantium.] (Numis.) A gold coin, so called from being coined at Byzantium. See Bezant.

By*zan"tian (b*zn"shan), a. & n. See Byzantine.

By*zan"tine (b*zn"tn), a. Of or pertaining to Byzantium. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Byzantium, now Constantinople; sometimes, applied to an inhabitant of the modern city of Constantinople. [ Written also Bizantine.]

Byzantine church, the Eastern or Greek church, as distinguished from the Western or Roman or Latin church. See under Greek. -- Byzantine empire, the Eastern Roman or Greek empire from a. d. 364 or a. d. 395 to the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, a. d. 1453. -- Byzantine historians, historians and writers (Zonaras, Procopius, etc.) who lived in the Byzantine empire. P. Cyc. -- Byzantine style (Arch.), a style of architecture developed in the Byzantine empire. Its leading forms are the round arch, the dome, the pillar, the circle, and the cross. The capitals of the pillars are of endless variety, and full of invention. The mosque of St. Sophia, Constantinople, and the church of St. Mark, Venice, are prominent examples of Byzantine architecture.

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