Chapter 94

Bil`i*pra"sin (&?;), n. [L. bilis bile + prasinus green.] (Physiol.) A dark green pigment found in small quantity in human gallstones.

Bil`i*ru"bin (&?;), n. [L. bilis biel + ruber red.] (Physiol.) A reddish yellow pigment present in human bile, and in that from carnivorous and herbivorous animals; the normal biliary pigment.

Bi*lit"er*al (&?;), a. [L. bis twice + littera letter.] Consisting of two letters; as, a biliteral root of a Sanskrit verb. Sir W. Jones. -- n. A word, syllable, or root, consisting of two letters.

Bi*lit"er*al*ism (&?;), n. The property or state of being biliteral.

Bil`i*ver"din (&?;), n. [L. bilis bile + viridis green. Cf. Verdure.] (Physiol.) A green pigment present in the bile, formed from bilirubin by oxidation.

Bilk (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bilked (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bilking.] [Origin unknown. Cf. Balk.] To frustrate or disappoint; to deceive or defraud, by nonfulfillment of engagement; to leave in the lurch; to give the slip to; as, to bilk a creditor. Thackeray.

Bilk, n. 1. A thwarting an adversary in cribbage by spoiling his score; a balk.

2. A cheat; a trick; a hoax. Hudibras.

3. Nonsense; vain words. B. Jonson.

4. A person who tricks a creditor; an untrustworthy, tricky person. Marryat.

Bill (&?;), n. [OE. bile, bille, AS. bile beak of a bird, proboscis; cf. Ir. & Gael. bil, bile, mouth, lip, bird's bill. Cf. Bill a weapon.] A beak, as of a bird, or sometimes of a turtle or other animal. Milton.

Bill, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Billed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Billing.] 1. To strike; to peck. [Obs.]

2. To join bills, as doves; to caress in fondness. "As pigeons bill." Shak.

To bill and coo, to interchange caresses; -- said of doves; also of demonstrative lovers. Thackeray.

Bill, n. The bell, or boom, of the bittern

The bittern's hollow bill was heard. Wordsworth.

Bill, n. [OE. bil, AS. bill, bil; akin to OS. bil sword, OHG. bill pickax, G. bille. Cf. Bill bea&?;.] 1. A cutting instrument, with hook-shaped point, and fitted with a handle; -- used in pruning, etc.; a billhook. When short, called a hand bill, when long, a hedge bill.

2. A weapon of infantry, in the 14th and 15th centuries. A common form of bill consisted of a broad, heavy, double-edged, hook-shaped blade, having a short pike at the back and another at the top, and attached to the end of a long staff.

France had no infantry that dared to face the English bows end bills. Macaulay.

3. One who wields a bill; a billman. Strype.

4. A pickax, or mattock. [Obs.]

5. (Naut.) The extremity of the arm of an anchor; the point of or beyond the fluke.

Bill (&?;), v. t. To work upon ( as to dig, hoe, hack, or chop anything) with a bill.

Bill, n. [OE. bill, bille, fr. LL. billa (or OF. bille), for L. bulla anything rounded, LL., seal, stamp, letter, edict, roll; cf. F. bille a ball, prob. fr. Ger.; cf. MHG. bickel, D. bikkel, dice. Cf. Bull papal edict, Billet a paper.]

1. (Law) A declaration made in writing, stating some wrong the complainant has suffered from the defendant, or a fault committed by some person against a law.

2. A writing binding the signer or signers to pay a certain sum at a future day or on demand, with or without interest, as may be stated in the document. [Eng.]

In the United States, it is usually called a note, a note of hand, or a promissory note.

3. A form or draft of a law, presented to a legislature for enactment; a proposed or projected law.

4. A paper, written or printed, and posted up or given away, to advertise something, as a lecture, a play, or the sale of goods; a placard; a poster; a handbill.

She put up the bill in her parlor window. Dickens.

5. An account of goods sold, services rendered, or work done, with the price or charge; a statement of a creditor's claim, in gross or by items; as, a grocer's bill.

6. Any paper, containing a statement of particulars; as, a bill of charges or expenditures; a weekly bill of mortality; a bill of fare, etc.

Bill of adventure. See under Adventure. -- Bill of costs, a statement of the items which form the total amount of the costs of a party to a suit or action. -- Bill of credit. (a) Within the constitution of the United States, a paper issued by a State, on the mere faith and credit of the State, and designed to circulate as money. No State shall "emit bills of credit." U. S. Const. Peters. Wharton. Bouvier (b) Among merchants, a letter sent by an agent or other person to a merchant, desiring him to give credit to the bearer for goods or money. -- Bill of divorce, in the Jewish law, a writing given by the husband to the wife, by which the marriage relation was dissolved. Jer. iii. 8. -- Bill of entry, a written account of goods entered at the customhouse, whether imported or intended for exportation. -- Bill of exceptions. See under Exception. -- Bill of exchange (Com.), a written order or request from one person or house to another, desiring the latter to pay to some person designated a certain sum of money therein generally is, and, to be negotiable, must be, made payable to order or to bearer. So also the order generally expresses a specified time of payment, and that it is drawn for value. The person who draws the bill is called the drawer, the person on whom it is drawn is, before acceptance, called the drawee, -- after acceptance, the acceptor; the person to whom the money is directed to be paid is called the payee. The person making the order may himself be the payee. The bill itself is frequently called a draft. See Exchange. Chitty. -- Bill of fare, a written or printed enumeration of the dishes served at a public table, or of the dishes (with prices annexed) which may be ordered at a restaurant, etc. -- Bill of health, a certificate from the proper authorities as to the state of health of a ship's company at the time of her leaving port. -- Bill of indictment, a written accusation lawfully presented to a grand jury. If the jury consider the evidence sufficient to support the accusation, they indorse it "A true bill," otherwise they write upon it "Not a true bill," or "Not found," or "Ignoramus", or "Ignored." -- Bill of lading, a written account of goods shipped by any person, signed by the agent of the owner of the vessel, or by its master, acknowledging the receipt of the goods, and promising to deliver them safe at the place directed, dangers of the sea excepted. It is usual for the master to sign two, three, or four copies of the bill; one of which he keeps in possession, one is kept by the shipper, and one is sent to the consignee of the goods. -- Bill of mortality, an official statement of the number of deaths in a place or district within a given time; also, a district required to be covered by such statement; as, a place within the bills of mortality of London. -- Bill of pains and penalties, a special act of a legislature which inflicts a punishment less than death upon persons supposed to be guilty of treason or felony, without any conviction in the ordinary course of judicial proceedings. Bouvier. Wharton. -- Bill of parcels, an account given by the seller to the buyer of the several articles purchased, with the price of each. -- Bill of particulars (Law), a detailed statement of the items of a plaintiff's demand in an action, or of the defendant's set-off. - - Bill of rights, a summary of rights and privileges claimed by a people. Such was the declaration presented by the Lords and Commons of England to the Prince and Princess of Orange in 1688, and enacted in Parliament after they became king and queen. In America, a bill or declaration of rights is prefixed to most of the constitutions of the several States. -- Bill of sale, a formal instrument for the conveyance or transfer of goods and chattels. -- Bill of sight, a form of entry at the customhouse, by which goods, respecting which the importer is not possessed of full information, may be provisionally landed for examination. -- Bill of store, a license granted at the customhouse to merchants, to carry such stores and provisions as are necessary for a voyage, custom free. Wharton. -- Bills payable (pl.), the outstanding unpaid notes or acceptances made and issued by an individual or firm. -- Bills receivable (pl.), the unpaid promissory notes or acceptances held by an individual or firm. McElrath. -- A true bill, a bill of indictment sanctioned by a grand jury.

Bill, v. t. 1. To advertise by a bill or public notice.

2. To charge or enter in a bill; as, to bill goods.

Bil"lage (&?;), n. ∧ v. t. & i. Same as Bilge.

Bil"lard (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) An English fish, allied to the cod; the coalfish. [Written also billet and billit.]

{Bill`bee"tle (&?;), or Bill"bug` } (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) A weevil or curculio of various species, as the corn weevil. See Curculio.

Bill"board` (&?;), n. 1. (Naut.) A piece of thick plank, armed with iron plates, and fixed on the bow or fore channels of a vessel, for the bill or fluke of the anchor to rest on. Totten.

2. A flat surface, as of a panel or of a fence, on which bills are posted; a bulletin board.

Bill" book` (&?;). (Com.) A book in which a person keeps an account of his notes, bills, bills of exchange, etc., thus showing all that he issues and receives.

Bill" bro`ker (&?;). One who negotiates the discount of bills.

Billed (&?;), a. Furnished with, or having, a bill, as a bird; -- used in composition; as, broad- billed.

Bil"let (&?;), n. [F. billet, dim. of an OF. bille bill. See Bill a writing.] 1. A small paper; a note; a short letter. "I got your melancholy billet." Sterne.

2. A ticket from a public officer directing soldiers at what house to lodge; as, a billet of residence.

Bil"let, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Billeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Billeting.] [From Billet a ticket.] (Mil.) To direct, by a ticket or note, where to lodge. Hence: To quarter, or place in lodgings, as soldiers in private houses.

Billeted in so antiquated a mansion. W. Irving.

Bil"let, n. [F. billette, bille, log; of unknown origin; a different word from bille ball. Cf. Billiards, Billot.] 1. A small stick of wood, as for firewood.

They shall beat out my brains with billets. Shak.

2. (Metal.) A short bar of metal, as of gold or iron.

3. (Arch.) An ornament in Norman work, resembling a billet of wood either square or round.

4. (Saddlery) (a) A strap which enters a buckle. (b) A loop which receives the end of a buckled strap. Knight.

5. (Her.) A bearing in the form of an oblong rectangle.

||Bil`let-doux" (bl`l*d"), n.; pl. Billets-doux (bl`l*dz"). [F. billet note + doux sweet, L. dulcis.] A love letter or note.

A lover chanting out a billet-doux. Spectator.

Bil"let*head` (bl"lt*hd), n. (Naut.) A round piece of timber at the bow or stern of a whaleboat, around which the harpoon line is run out when the whale darts off.

Bill"fish` (-fsh`), n. (Zoöl.) A name applied to several distinct fishes: (a) The garfish (Tylosurus, or Belone, longirostris) and allied species. (b) The saury, a slender fish of the Atlantic coast (Scomberesox saurus). (c) The Tetrapturus albidus, a large oceanic species related to the swordfish; the spearfish. (d) The American fresh-water garpike (Lepidosteus osseus).

Bill"head` (-hd`), n. A printed form, used by merchants in making out bills or rendering accounts.

Bill" hold`er (bl" hl`dr). 1. A person who holds a bill or acceptance.

2. A device by means of which bills, etc., are held.

Bill"hook` (&?;), n. [Bill + hook.] A thick, heavy knife with a hooked point, used in pruning hedges, etc. When it has a short handle, it is sometimes called a hand bill; when the handle is long, a hedge bill or scimiter.

Bil"liard (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to the game of billiards. "Smooth as is a billiard ball." B. Jonson.

Bil"liards (&?;), n. [F. billiard billiards, OF. billart staff, cue form playing, fr. bille log. See Billet a stick.] A game played with ivory balls o a cloth-covered, rectangular table, bounded by elastic cushions. The player seeks to impel his ball with his cue so that it shall either strike (carom upon) two other balls, or drive another ball into one of the pockets with which the table sometimes is furnished.

Bill"ing (&?;), a. & n. Caressing; kissing.

Bil"lings*gate` (&?;), n. 1. A market near the Billings gate in London, celebrated for fish and foul language.

2. Coarsely abusive, foul, or profane language; vituperation; ribaldry.

Bil"lion (&?;), n. [F. billion, arbitrarily formed fr. L. bis twice, in imitation of million a million. See Million.] According to the French and American method of numeration, a thousand millions, or 1,000,000,000; according to the English method, a million millions, or 1,000,000,000,000. See Numeration.

Bill"man (&?;), n.; pl. Billmen (&?;). One who uses, or is armed with, a bill or hooked ax. "A billman of the guard." Savile.

||Bil`lon" (&?;), n. [F. Cf. Billet a stick.] An alloy of gold and silver with a large proportion of copper or other base metal, used in coinage.

Bil"lot (&?;), n. [F. billot, dim. of bille. See Billet a stick.] Bullion in the bar or mass.

Bil"low (&?;), n. [Cf. Icel. bylgja billow, Dan. bölge, Sw. bölja; akin to MHG. bulge billow, bag, and to E. bulge. See Bulge.] 1. A great wave or surge of the sea or other water, caused usually by violent wind.

Whom the winds waft where'er the billows roll. Cowper.

2. A great wave or flood of anything. Milton.

Bil"low, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Billowed (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Billowing.] To surge; to rise and roll in waves or surges; to undulate. "The billowing snow." Prior.

Bil"low*y (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to billows; swelling or swollen into large waves; full of billows or surges; resembling billows.

And whitening down the many-tinctured stream, Descends the billowy foam. Thomson.

{ Bill"post`er (&?;), Bill"stick"er (&?;), } n. One whose occupation is to post handbills or posters in public places.

Bil"ly (&?;), n. 1. A club; esp., a policeman's club.

2. (Wool Manuf.) A slubbing or roving machine.

Bil"ly*boy` (&?;), n. A flat-bottomed river barge or coasting vessel. [Eng.]

Bil"ly goat` (&?;). A male goat. [Colloq.]

<! p. 146 !>

Bi*lo"bate (b*l"bt or b"l*bt), a. [Pref. bi- + lobate.] Divided into two lobes or segments.

Bi"lobed (b"lbd), a. [Pref. bi- + lobe.] Bilobate.

Bi`lo*ca"tion (&?;), n. [Pref. bi- + location.] Double location; the state or power of being in two places at the same instant; -- a miraculous power attributed to some of the saints. Tylor.

Bi*loc"u*lar (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + locular: cf. F. biloculaire.] Divided into two cells or compartments; as, a bilocular pericarp. Gray.

Bil"sted (&?;), n. (Bot.) See Sweet gum.

||Bil"tong (&?;), n. [S. African.] Lean meat cut into strips and sun-dried. H. R. Haggard.

Bi*mac"u*late (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + maculate, a.] Having, or marked with, two spots.

||Bim"a*na (&?;), n. pl. [NL. See Bimanous.] (Zoöl.) Animals having two hands; -- a term applied by Cuvier to man as a special order of Mammalia.

Bim"a*nous (&?;), a. [L. bis twice + manus hand.] (Zoöl.) Having two hands; two- handed.

Bi*mar"gin*ate (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + marginate.] Having a double margin, as certain shells.

Bi*mas"tism (&?;), n. [Pref. bi- + Gr. &?; breast.] (Anat.) The condition of having two mammæ or teats.

Bi*me"di*al (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + medial.] (Geom.) Applied to a line which is the sum of two lines commensurable only in power (as the side and diagonal of a square).

Bi*mem"bral (&?;), a. [L. bis twice + membrum member.] (Gram.) Having two members; as, a bimembral sentence. J. W. Gibbs.

Bi*men"sal (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + mensal.] See Bimonthly, a. [Obs. or R.]

Bi*mes"tri*al (&?;), a. [L. bimestris; bis twice + mensis month.] Continuing two months. [R.]

Bi`me*tal"lic (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + metallic: cf. F. bimétallique.] Of or relating to, or using, a double metallic standard (as gold and silver) for a system of coins or currency.

Bi*met"al*lism (&?;), n. [F. bimétalisme.] The legalized use of two metals (as gold and silver) in the currency of a country, at a fixed relative value; -- in opposition to monometallism.

The words bimétallisme and monométallisme are due to M. Cernuschi [1869]. Littré.

Bi*met"al*list (&?;), n. An advocate of bimetallism.

Bi*month"ly (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + monthly.] Occurring, done, or coming, once in two months; as, bimonthly visits; bimonthly publications. -- n. A bimonthly publication.

Bi*month"ly, adv. Once in two months.

Bi*mus"cu*lar (&?;), a. [Pref. bi- + muscular.] (Zoöl.) Having two adductor muscles, as a bivalve mollusk.

Bin (&?;), n. [OE. binne, AS. binn manager, crib; perh. akin to D. ben, benne, basket, and to L. benna a kind of carriage ( a Gallic word), W. benn, men, wain, cart.] A box, frame, crib, or inclosed place, used as a receptacle for any commodity; as, a corn bin; a wine bin; a coal bin.

Bin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Binned (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Binning.] To put into a bin; as, to bin wine.

Bin. An old form of Be and Been. [Obs.]

Bin-. A euphonic form of the prefix Bi-.

Bi"nal (&?;), a. [See Binary.] Twofold; double. [R.] "Binal revenge, all this." Ford.

Bin`ar*se"ni*ate (&?;), n. [Pref. bin- + arseniate.] (Chem.) A salt having two equivalents of arsenic acid to one of the base. Graham.

Bi"na*ry (&?;), a. [L. binarius, fr. bini two by two, two at a time, fr. root of bis twice; akin to E. two: cf. F. binaire.] Compounded or consisting of two things or parts; characterized by two (things).

Binary arithmetic, that in which numbers are expressed according to the binary scale, or in which two figures only, 0 and 1, are used, in lieu of ten; the cipher multiplying everything by two, as in common arithmetic by ten. Thus, 1 is one; 10 is two; 11 is three; 100 is four, etc. Davies & Peck. -- Binary compound (Chem.), a compound of two elements, or of an element and a compound performing the function of an element, or of two compounds performing the function of elements. -- Binary logarithms, a system of logarithms devised by Euler for facilitating musical calculations, in which 1 is the logarithm of 2, instead of 10, as in the common logarithms, and the modulus 1.442695 instead of .43429448. -- Binary measure (Mus.), measure divisible by two or four; common time. -- Binary nomenclature (Nat. Hist.), nomenclature in which the names designate both genus and species. -- Binary scale (Arith.), a uniform scale of notation whose ratio is two. -- Binary star (Astron.), a double star whose members have a revolution round their common center of gravity. -- Binary theory (Chem.), the theory that all chemical compounds consist of two constituents of opposite and unlike qualities.

Bi"na*ry, n. That which is constituted of two figures, things, or parts; two; duality. Fotherby.

Bi"nate (&?;), a. [L. bini two and two.] (Bot.) Double; growing in pairs or couples. Gray.

Bin*au"ral (&?;), a. [Pref. bin- + aural.] Of or pertaining to, or used by, both ears.

Bind (&?;), v. t. [imp. Bound (&?;); p. p. Bound, formerly Bounden (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Binding.] [AS. bindan, perfect tense band, bundon, p. p. bunden; akin to D. & G. binden, Dan. binde, Sw. & Icel. binda, Goth. bindan, Skr. bandh (for bhandh) to bind, cf. Gr. &?; (for &?;) cable, and L. offendix. &radic;90.] 1. To tie, or confine with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc.; to fetter; to make fast; as, to bind grain in bundles; to bind a prisoner.

2. To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind; as, attraction binds the planets to the sun; frost binds the earth, or the streams.

He bindeth the floods from overflowing. Job xxviii. 11.

Whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years. Luke xiii. 16.

3. To cover, as with a bandage; to bandage or dress; -- sometimes with up; as, to bind up a wound.

4. To make fast ( a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something; as, to bind a belt about one; to bind a compress upon a part.

5. To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action; as, certain drugs bind the bowels.

6. To protect or strengthen by a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment.

7. To sew or fasten together, and inclose in a cover; as, to bind a book.

8. Fig.: To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other moral tie; as, to bind the conscience; to bind by kindness; bound by affection; commerce binds nations to each other.

Who made our laws to bind us, not himself. Milton.

9. (Law) (a) To bring (any one) under definite legal obligations; esp. under the obligation of a bond or covenant. Abbott. (b) To place under legal obligation to serve; to indenture; as, to bind an apprentice; -- sometimes with out; as, bound out to service.

To bind over, to put under bonds to do something, as to appear at court, to keep the peace, etc. -- To bind to, to contract; as, to bind one's self to a wife. -- To bind up in, to cause to be wholly engrossed with; to absorb in.

Syn. -- To fetter; tie; fasten; restrain; restrict; oblige.

Bind (&?;), v. i. 1. To tie; to confine by any ligature.

They that reap must sheaf and bind. Shak.

2. To contract; to grow hard or stiff; to cohere or stick together in a mass; as, clay binds by heat. Mortimer.

3. To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction.

4. To exert a binding or restraining influence. Locke.

Bind, n. 1. That which binds or ties.

2. Any twining or climbing plant or stem, esp. a hop vine; a bine.

3. (Metal.) Indurated clay, when much mixed with the oxide of iron. Kirwan.

4. (Mus.) A ligature or tie for grouping notes.

Bind"er (&?;), n. 1. One who binds; as, a binder of sheaves; one whose trade is to bind; as, a binder of books.

2. Anything that binds, as a fillet, cord, rope, or band; a bandage; -- esp. the principal piece of timber intended to bind together any building.

Bind"er*y (&?;), n. A place where books, or other articles, are bound; a bookbinder's establishment.

Bind"heim*ite (&?;), n. [From Bindheim, a German who analyzed it.] (Min.) An amorphous antimonate of lead, produced from the alteration of other ores, as from jamesonite.

Bind"ing (&?;), a. That binds; obligatory.

Binding beam (Arch.), the main timber in double flooring. -- Binding joist (Arch.), the secondary timber in double-framed flooring.

Syn. -- Obligatory; restraining; restrictive; stringent; astringent; costive; styptic.

Bind"ing, n. 1. The act or process of one who, or that which, binds.

2. Anything that binds; a bandage; the cover of a book, or the cover with the sewing, etc.; something that secures the edge of cloth from raveling.

3. pl. (Naut.) The transoms, knees, beams, keelson, and other chief timbers used for connecting and strengthening the parts of a vessel.

Bind"ing*ly, adv. So as to bind.

Bind"ing*ness, n. The condition or property of being binding; obligatory quality. Coleridge.

Bind"weed` (&?;), n. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Convolvulus; as, greater bindweed (C. Sepium); lesser bindweed (C. arvensis); the white, the blue, the Syrian, bindweed. The black bryony, or Tamus, is called black bindweed, and the Smilax aspera, rough bindweed.

The fragile bindweed bells and bryony rings. Tennyson.

Bine (&?;), n. [Bind, cf. Woodbine.] The winding or twining stem of a hop vine or other climbing plant.

Bi*nerv"ate (&?;), a. [L. bis twice + nervus sinew, nerve.] 1. (Bot.) Two- nerved; -- applied to leaves which have two longitudinal ribs or nerves.

2. (Zoöl.) Having only two nerves, as the wings of some insects.

Bing (&?;), n. [Cf. Icel. bingr, Sw. binge, G. beige, beuge. Cf. Prov. E. bink bench, and bench coal the uppermost stratum of coal.] A heap or pile; as, a bing of wood. "Potato bings." Burns. "A bing of corn." Surrey. [Obs. or Dial. Eng. & Scot.]

Bin*i"o*dide (&?;), n. Same as Diiodide.

Bink (&?;), n. A bench. [North of Eng. & Scot.]