Chapter 25

ØBat¶ta (?), n. [Hind. ba??a.] Rate of exchange; also, the discount on uncurrent coins. [India] Bat¶taÏble (?), a. [See Batful.] Capable of culti?ation; fertile; productive; fattening. [Obs.] Burton. Bat¶tailÏant (?), a. [F. bataillant, p. pr. See Battle, v. i. ] [Obs.] Prepared for battle; combatant; warlike. Spenser. Ð n. A combatant. Shelton. Bat¶tailÏous (?), a. [OF. bataillos, fr. bataille. See Battle, n.] Arrayed for battle; fit or eager for battle; warlike. [Obs.] ½In battailous aspect.¸ Milton. BatÏtal¶ia (?), n. [LL. battalia battle, a body of troops. See Battle, n.] 1. Order of battle; disposition or arrangement of troops (brigades, regiments, battalions, etc.), or of a naval force, for action. A drawing up the armies in battalia. Jer. Taylor. 2. An army in battle array; also, the main battalia or body. [Obs.] Shak. BatÏtal¶ion (?), n. [F. bataillon, fr. It. battaglione. See Battalia.] 1. A body of troops; esp. a body of troops or an army in battle array. ½The whole battalion views.¸ Milton. 2. (Mil.) A regiment, or two or more companies of a regiment, esp. when assembled for drill or battle. BatÏtal¶ion (?), v. t. To form into battalions. [R.] Bat¶tel (?), n. [Obs. form. of Battle.] (Old Eng. Law) A single combat; as, trial by battel. See Wager of battel, under Wager. Bat¶tel, n. [Of uncertain etymology.] Provisions ordered from the buttery; also, the charges for them; Ð only in the pl., except when used adjectively. [Univ. of Oxford, Eng.] Bat¶tel, v. i. To be supplied with provisions from the buttery. [Univ. of Oxford, Eng.] Bat¶tel, v. t. [Cf. Batful, Batten, v. i.] To make fertile. [Obs.] ½To battel barren land.¸ Ray. Bat¶tel, a. Fertile; fruitful; productive. [Obs.] A battel soil for grain, for pasture good. Fairfax. Bat¶telÏer (?), Bat¶tler (?), n. [See 2d Battel, n.] A student at Oxford who is supplied with provisions from the buttery; formerly, one who paid for nothing but what he called for, answering nearly to a sizar at Cambridge. Wright. Bat¶ten (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Battened (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Battening.] [See Batful.] 1. To make fat by plenteous feeding; to fatten. ½Battening our flocks.¸ Milton. 2. To fertilize or enrich, as land. Bat¶ten, v. i. To grow fat; to grow fat in ease and luxury; to glut one's self. Dryden. The pampered monarch lay battening in ease. Garth. Skeptics, with a taste for carrion, who batten on the hideous facts in history, Ð persecutions, inquisitions. Emerson. Bat¶ten, n . [F. b?ton stick, staff. See Baton.] A strip of sawed stuff, or a scantling; as, (a) pl. (Com. & Arch.) Sawed timbers about 7 by 2 1/2 inches and not less than 6 feet long. Brande & C. (b) (Naut.) A strip of wood used in fastening the edges of a tarpaulin to the deck, also around masts to prevent chafing. (c) A long, thin strip used to strengthen a part, to cover a crack, etc. Batten door (Arch.), a door made of boards of the whole length of the door, secured by battens nailed crosswise. Bat¶ten, v. t. To furnish or fasten with battens. To batten down, to fasten down with battens, as the tarpaulin over the hatches of a ship during a storm. Bat¶ten, n. [F. battant. See Batter, v. t.] The movable bar of a loom, which strikes home or closes the threads of a woof. Bat¶tenÏing (?), n. (Arch.) Furring done with small pieces nailed directly upon the wall. Bat¶ter (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Battered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Battering.] [OE. bateren, OF. batre, F. battre, fr. LL. battere, for L. batuere to strike, beat; of unknown origin. Cf. Abate, Bate to abate.] 1. To beat with successive blows; to beat repeatedly and with violence, so as to bruise, shatter, or demolish; as, to batter a wall or rampart. 2. To wear or impair as if by beating or by hard usage. ½Each battered jade.¸ Pope. 3. (Metallurgy) To flatten (metal) by hammering, so as to compress it inwardly and spread it outwardly. Bat¶ter, n. [OE. batere, batire; cf. OF. bateure, bature, a beating. See Batter, v. t.] 1. A semiÐliquid mixture of several ingredients, as, flour, eggs, milk, etc., beaten together and used in cookery. King. 2. Paste of clay or loam. Holland. 3. (Printing) A bruise on the face of a plate or of type in the form. Bat¶ter, n. A backward slope in the face of a wall or of a bank; receding slope. Batter rule, an instrument consisting of a rule or frame, and a plumb line, by which the batter or slope of a wall is regulated in building. Bat¶ter, v. i. (Arch.) To slope gently backward. Bat¶ter, n. One who wields a bat; a batsman. Bat¶terÏer (?), n. One who, or that which, batters. Bat¶terÏingÐram· (?), n. 1. (Mil.) An engine used in ancient times to beat down the walls of besieged places. µ It was a large beam, with a head of iron, which was sometimes made to resemble the head of a ram. It was suspended by ropes t a beam supported by posts, and so balanced as to swing backward and forward, and was impelled by men against the wall. Grose. 2. A blacksmith's hammer, suspended, and worked horizontally. Bat¶terÏing train· (?). (Mil.) A train of artillery for siege operations. Bat¶terÏy (?), n.; pl. Batteries (?). [F. batterie, fr. battre. See Batter, v. t.] 1. The act of battering or beating. 2. (Law) The unlawful beating of another. It includes every willful, angry and violent, or negligent touching of another's person or clothes, or anything attached to his person or held by him. 3. (Mil.) (a) Any place where cannon or mortars are mounted, for attack or defense. (b) Two or more pieces of artillery in the field. (c) A company or division of artillery, including the gunners, guns, horses, and all equipments. In the United States, a battery of flying artillery consists usually of six guns. Barbette battery. See Barbette. Ð Battery d'enfilade, or Enfilading battery, one that sweeps the whole length of a line of troops or part of a work. Ð Battery en ‚charpe, one that plays obliquely. Ð Battery gun, a gun capable of firing a number, of shots simultaneously or successively without stopping to load. Ð Battery wagon, a wagon employed to transport the tools and materials for repair of the carriages, etc., of the battery. Ð In battery, projecting, as a gun, into an embrasure or over a parapet in readiness for firing. Ð Masked battery, a battery artificially concealed until required to open upon the enemy. Ð Out of battery, or From battery, withdrawn, as a gun, to a position for loading. 4. (Elec.) (a) A number of coated jars (Leyden jars) so connected that they may be charged and discharged simultaneously. (b) An apparatus for generating voltaic electricity. µ In the trough battery, copper and zinc plates, connected in pairs, divide the trough into cells, which are filled with an acid or oxidizing liquid; the effect is exhibited when wires connected with the two endÐplates are brought together. In Daniell's battery, the metals are zinc and copper, the former in dilute sulphuric acid, or a solution of sulphate of zinc, the latter in a saturated solution of sulphate of copper. A modification of this is the common gravity battery, so called from the automatic action of the two fluids, which are separated by their specific gravities. In Grove's battery, platinum is the metal used with zinc; two fluids are used, one of them in a porous cell surrounded by the other. In Bunsen's or the carbon battery, the carbon of gas coke is substituted for the platinum of Grove's. In Leclanch‚'s battery, the elements are zinc in a solution of ammonium chloride, and gas carbon surrounded with manganese dioxide in a porous cell. A secondary battery is a battery which usually has the two plates of the same kind, generally of lead, in dilute sulphuric acid, and which, when traversed by an electric current, becomes charged, and is then capable of giving a current of itself for a time, owing to chemical changes produced by the charging current. A storage battery is a kind of secondary battery used for accumulating and storing the energy of electrical charges or currents, usually by means of chemical work done by them; an accumulator. 5. A number of similar machines or devices in position; an apparatus consisting of a set of similar parts; as, a battery of boilers, of retorts, condensers, etc. 6. (Metallurgy) A series of stamps operated by one motive power, for crushing ores containing the precious metals. Knight. 7. The box in which the stamps for crushing ore play up and down. 8. (Baseball) The pitcher and catcher together. Bat¶ting (?), n. 1. The act of one who bats; the management of a bat in playing games of ball. Mason. 2. Cotton in sheets, prepared for use in making quilts, etc.; as, cotton batting. Bat¶tle (?), a. Fertile. See Battel, a. [Obs.] Bat¶tle, n. [OE. bataille, bataile, F. bataille battle, OF., battle, battalion, fr. L. battalia, battualia, the fighting and fencing exercises of soldiers and gladiators, fr. batuere to strike, beat. Cf. Battalia, 1st Battel, and see Batter, v. t. ] 1. A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; an engagement; a combat. 2. A struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life. The whole intellectual battle that had at its center the best poem of the best poet of that day. H. Morley. 3. A division of an army; a battalion. [Obs.] The king divided his army into three battles. Bacon. The cavalry, by way of distinction, was called the battle, and on it alone depended the fate of every action. Robertson. 4. The main body, as distinct from the van and rear; battalia. [Obs.] Hayward. µ Battle is used adjectively or as the first part of a selfÐexplaining compound; as, battle brand, a ½brand¸ or sword used in battle; battle cry; battlefield; battle ground; battlearray; battle song. Battle piece, a painting, or a musical composition, representing a battle. Ð Battle royal. (a) A fight between several gamecocks, where the one that stands longest is the victor. Grose. (b) A contest with fists or cudgels in which more than two are engaged; a mˆl‚e. Thackeray. Ð Drawn battle, one in which neither party gains the victory. Ð To give battle, to attack an enemy. Ð To join battle, to meet the attack; to engage in battle. Ð Pitched battle, one in which the armies are previously drawn up in form, with a regular disposition of the forces. Ð Wager of battle. See under Wager, n. Syn. Ð Conflict; encounter; contest; action. Battle, Combat, Fight, Engagement. These words agree in denoting a close encounter between contending parties. Fight is a word of less dignity than the others. Except in poetry, it is more naturally applied to the encounter of a few individuals, and more commonly an accidental one; as, a street fight. A combat is a close encounter, whether between few or many, and is usually premeditated. A battle is commonly more general and prolonged. An engagement supposes large numbers on each side, engaged or intermingled in the conflict. Bat¶tle (?), v. i. [imp. & p.p. Battled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Battling.] [F. batailler, fr. bataille. See Battle, n.] To join in battle; to contend in fight; as, to battle over theories. To meet in arms, and battle in the plain. Prior. Bat¶tle, v. t. To assail in battle; to fight. Bat¶tleÐax· Bat¶tleÐaxe· } (?), n. (Mil.) A kind of broadax formerly used as an offensive weapon. Bat¶tled (?), p. p. Embattled. [Poetic] Tennyson. Bat¶tleÏdoor· (?), n. [OE. batyldour. A corrupted form of uncertain origin; cf. Sp. batallador a great combatant, he who has fought many battles, Pg. batalhador, Pr. batalhador, warrior, soldier, fr. L. battalia; or cf. Pr. batedor batlet, fr. batre to beat, fr. L. batuere. See Battle, n.] 1. An instrument, with a handle and a flat part covered with parchment or crossed with catgut, used to strike a shuttlecock in play; also, the play of battledoor and shuttlecock. 2. [OE. battleder.] A child's hornbook. [Obs.] Halliwell. Bat¶tleÏment (?), n. [OE. batelment; cf. OF. bataillement combat, fr. batailler, also OF. bastillier, bateillier, to fortify. Cf. Battle, n., Bastile, Bastion.] (Arch.) (a) One of the solid upright parts of a parapet in ancient fortifications. (b) pl. The whole parapet, consisting of alternate solids and open spaces. At first purely a military feature, afterwards copied on a smaller scale with decorative features, as for churches. Bat¶tleÏmentÏed (?), a. Having battlements. A battlemented portal. Sir W. Scott. BatÏtol¶oÏgist (?), n. One who battologizes. BatÏtol¶oÏgize (?), v. t. To keep repeating needlessly; to iterate. Sir T. Herbert. BatÏtol¶oÏgy (?), n. [F. battologie, fr. Gr. ?; ? a stammerer + ? speech.] A needless repetition of words in speaking or writing. Milton. Bat¶ton (?), n. See Batten, and Baton. ØBat¶tue· (?), n. [F. battue, fr. battre to beat. See Batter, v. t., and cf. Battuta.] (Hunting) (a) The act of beating the woods, bushes, etc., for game. (b) The game itself. (c) The wanton slaughter of game. Howitt. ØBat·ture¶ (?), n. [F., fr. battre to beat. ] An elevated river bed or sea bed. ØBatÏtu¶ta (?), n. [It. battuta, fr. battere to beat.] (Mus.) The measuring of time by beating. Bat¶ty (?), a. Belonging to, or resembling, a bat. ½Batty wings.¸ Shak. Bat¶ule (?), n. A springboard in a circus or gymnasium; Ð called also batule board. ØBatz (?), n.; pl. Batzen (?). [Ger. batz, batze, batzen, a coin bearing the image of a bear, Ger. b„tz, betz, bear.] A small copper coin, with a mixture of silver, formerly current in some parts of Germany and Switzerland. It was worth about four cents. BauÏbee¶ (?), n. Same as Bawbee. Bau¶ble (?), n. [Cf. OF. baubel a child's plaything, F. babiole, It. babbola, LL. baubellum gem, jewel, L. babulus,a baburrus, foolish.] 1. A trifling piece of finery; a gewgaw; that which is gay and showy without real value; a cheap, showy plaything. The ineffective bauble of an Indian pagod. Sheridan. 2. The fool's club. [Obs.] ½A fool's bauble was a short stick with a head ornamented with an ass's ears fantastically carved upon it.¸ Nares. Bau¶bling (?), a. See Bawbling. [Obs.] Bau¶deÏkin (?), n. [OE. bawdekin rich silk stuff, OF. baudequin. See Baldachin.] The richest kind of stuff used in garments in the Middle Ages, the web being gold, and the woof silk, with embroidery : Ð made originally at Bagdad. [Spelt also baudkin, baudkyn, bawdekin, and baldakin.] Nares. Bau¶drick (?), n. A belt. See Baldric. Bauk, Baulk (?), n. & v. See Balk. Baun¶scheidtÏism (?), n. [From the introducer, a German named Baunscheidt.] (Med.) A form of acupuncture, followed by the rubbing of the part with a stimulating fluid. Baux¶ite, Beaux¶ite (?), n. [F., fr. Baux or Beaux, near Arles.] (Min.) A ferruginous hydrate of alumina. It is largely used in the preparation of aluminium and alumina, and for the lining of furnaces which are exposed to intense heat. BaÏva¶riÏan (?), a. Of or pertaining to Bavaria. Ð n. A native or an inhabitant of Bavaria. Bavarian cream. See under Cream. Bav¶aÏroy (?), n. [F. Bavarois Bavarian.] A kind of cloak or surtout. [Obs.] Johnson. Let the looped bavaroy the fop embrace. Gay.

<-- p. 126 -->