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Evil; an evil, pernicious influence; something causing great injury. [Now chiefly poetic]

A species of silk or cotton handkerchief, having a uniformly dyed ground, usually of red or blue, with white or yellow figures of a circular, lozenge, or other simple form.

A Hindoo trader, merchant, cashier, or money changer. [Written also banyan.]

A kind of flag attached to a spear or pike by a crosspiece, and used by a chief as his standard in battle. Hang out our banners on the outward walls. Shak.

e ancient Celts, whose occupation was to compose and sing verses in honor of the heroic achievements of princes and brave men.

A covered building used chiefly for storing grain, hay, and other productions of a farm. In the United States a part of the barn is often used for stables. Barn owl (Zoöl.), an owl of Europe and America (Aluco flammeus, or Strix flammea), which frequents barns and other buildings. -- Barn swallow (Zoöl.), the common A…

ly to the English hundred, and supposed to have been originally the district of a native chief. There are 252 of these baronies. In Scotland, an extensive freehold. It may be held by a commoner. Brande & C.

The chief ingredient in a compound.

The name given to several aromatic herbs of the Mint family, but chiefly to the common or sweet basil (Ocymum basilicum), and the bush basil, or lesser basil (O. minimum), the leaves of which are used in cookery. The name is also given to several kinds of mountain mint (Pycnanthemum). Basil thyme, a name given to the f…

hy to be field. Spenser. It is quite startling, on going over the beadroll of English worthies, to find how few are directly represented in the male line. Quart. Rev.

A name given to the seed of certain leguminous herbs, chiefly of the genera Faba, Phaseolus, and Dolichos; also, to the herbs.

The hair that grows on the chin, lips, and adjacent parts of the human face, chiefly of male adults.

that he fainted, and wisbed in himself to die. Jonah iv. 8. Public envy seemeth to beat chiefly upon ministers. Bacon.

Beaver cloth, a heavy felted woolen cloth, used chiefly for making overcoats. Beaver rat (Zoöl.), an aquatic ratlike quadruped of Tasmania (Hydromys chrysogaster). -- Beaver skin, the furry skin of the beaver. -- Bank beaver. See under 1st Bank.

A brown, bitter substance found in some of the cells of honeycomb. It is made chiefly from the pollen of flowers, which is collected by bees as food for their young.

of improvement Hence: Inferior to in dignity, rank, knowledge, or excellence, or in any achievement. I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. 2 Cor. xi. 5.

ith interest; to direct. To bend his mind to any public business. Temple. But when to mischief mortals bend their will. Pope.

Divided into an even number of bends; -- said of a shield or its charge. Cussans.

n, desires, etc., and used with on; as, to be bent on going to college; he is bent on mischief.

A short bar used by thieves to wrench doors open. [Written also bettee.] The powerful betty, or the artful picklock. Arbuthnot.