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The root of plants of the genus Beta, different species and varieties of which are used for the table, for feeding stock, or in making sugar.

bing woody vine of the tropics with the habit of a liane; in the Philippines, esp. any of various species of Calamus, the cane or rattan palm.

ike a bell, and having a knob or handle at the top for lifting it. It is used for a great variety of purposes; as, with the air pump, and for holding gases, also for keeping the dust from articles exposed to view.

y rise and fall of the top, draws in air through a valve and expels it through a tube for various purposes, as blowing fires, ventilating mines, or filling the pipes of an organ with wind. Bellows camera, in photography, a form of camera, which can be drawn out like an accordion or bellows. -- Hydrostatic bellows. See…

A province in India, giving its name to various stuffs, animals, etc.

ent and for cleansing soiled fabrics; -- called also petroleum spirit, petroleum benzine. Varieties or similar products are gasoline, naphtha, rhigolene, ligroin, etc.

An impure benzene, used in the arts as a solvent, and for various other purposes. See Benzene.

tial oil of delicious odor is extracted, much prized as a perfume. Also, the fruit. (b) A variety of mint (Mentha aquatica, var. glabrata).

ur or ground birch bark, in times of scarcity. This name is also given to a white powdery variety of calcite.

iron, used as a green dye, and similar to Prussian blue. -- Berlin iron, a very fusible variety of cast iron, from which figures and other delicate articles are manufactured. These are often stained or lacquered in imitation of bronze. -- Berlin shop, a shop for the sale of worsted embroidery and the materials for s…

ilicate of aluminium and glucinum (beryllium). The aquamarine is a transparent, sea-green variety used as a gem. The emerald is another variety highly prized in jewelry, and distinguished by its deep color, which is probably due to the presence of a little oxide of chromium.

e; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a favor. Concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favor. Sir W. Scott.

er of the Greek alphabet, B, b. See B, and cf. etymology of Alphabet. Beta (B, b) is used variously for classifying, as:

Specifically, a name applied to various kinds of drink.

A game at cards in which various combinations of cards in the hand, when declared, score points.

The prayer before the sermon, with petitions for various specified classes of persons.

A weevil or curculio of various species, as the corn weevil. See Curculio.

Relating to books printed at Deuxponts, or Bipontium (Zweibrücken), in Bavaria.

One who has for sale the various kinds of birds which are kept in cages.

A kind of unraised bread, of many varieties, plain, sweet, or fancy, formed into flat cakes, and bakes hard; as, ship biscuit. According to military practice, the bread or biscuit of the Romans was twice prepared in the oven. Gibbon.