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Any one of several varieties of friable earthy clay, usually colored more or less strongly red by oxide of iron, and used to color and adulterate various substances. It was formerly used in medicine. It is composed essentially of hydrous silicates of alumina, or more rarely of magnesia. See Clay, and Terra alba.…

Moral or political duty or obligation. I love your majesty According to my bond, nor more nor less. Shak.

Sensitive or responsive to moral excellence. Dr. H. More.

A method of leveling a line or surface by sighting along the tops of two or more straight edges, or a range of properly spaced poles. See 3d Bone, v. t.

A covering for the head, worn by women, usually protecting more or less the back and sides of the head, but no part of the forehead. The shape of the bonnet varies greatly at different times; formerly the front part projected, and spread outward, like the mouth of a funnel.

Six tricks taken by one side, in the game of whist; in certain other games, two or more corresponding cards, forming a set.

A strong and extensive advance, with more or less noisy excitement; -- applied colloquially or humorously to market prices, the demand for stocks or commodities and to political chances of aspirants to office; as, a boom in the stock market; a boom in coffee. [Colloq. U. S.]

Profit; gain; advantage; use. [Obs.] Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot. Shak. To boot, in addition; over and above; besides; as a compensation for the difference of value between things bartered. Helen, to change, would give an eye to boot. Shak. A man's heaviness is refreshed long before he comes to drunkenne…

vailing; unprofitable; useless; without advantage or success. Chaucer. I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers. Shak. -- Boot"less*ly, adv. -- Boot"less*ness, n.

occasionally rushes into certain rivers of peculiar configuration or location, in one or more waves which present a very abrupt front of considerable height, dangerous to shipping, as at the mouth of the Amazon, in South America, the Hoogly and Indus, in India, and the Tsien-tang, in China.

A binary compound of boron with a more positive or basic element or radical; -- formerly called boruret.

s or fragments made by boring. Boring bar, a revolving or stationary bar, carrying one or more cutting tools for dressing round holes. -- Boring tool (Metal Working), a cutting tool placed in a cutter head to dress round holes. Knight.

To take (one or more) from the next higher denomination in order to add it to the next lower; -- a term of subtraction when the figure of the subtrahend is larger than the corresponding one of the minuend.

; -- sometimes with up. Sick bodies . . . to be kept and botched up for a time. Robynson (More's Utopia).

or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline. Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion. Bacon. Not to bow and bias their opinions. Fuller.

shed by producing, by oxidation at about 1600º F. in a closed space, a coating containing more or less of the ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and the subsequent change of this in a reduced atmosphere to the magnetic oxide (Fe2O4).

A blow on the head or ear with the hand. A good-humored box on the ear. W. Irving.

missioner, under whose supervision are scout masters, each in charge of a troop of two or more patrols of eight scouts each, who are of three classes, tenderfoot, second-class scout, and first-class scout.

A vertical curved line connecting two or more words or lines, which are to be taken together; thus, boll, bowl; or, in music, used to connect staves.

of one's exploits, courage, or money, or of the great things one intends to do. Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, Brags of his substance, not of ornament. Shak.