Search the Dictionary

beautiful and beloved of the gods; the god of peace; the son of Odin and Freya. [Written also Baldur.]

er one shoulder, across the breast, and under the opposite arm; less properly, any belt. [Also spelt bawdrick.] A radiant baldric o'er his shoulder tied Sustained the sword that glittered at his side. Pope.

A bundle or package of goods in a cloth cover, and corded for storage or transportation; also, a bundle of straw Bale of dice, a pair of dice. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

near one end, marking a limit within which the cue balls are placed in beginning a game; also, a line around the table, parallel to the sides, used in playing a particular game, called the balk line game.

, because its colors (black and orange red) are like those of his coat of arms; -- called also golden robin.

A calling together of the king's (esp. the French king's) vassals for military service; also, the body of vassals thus assembled or summoned. In present usage, in France and Prussia, the most effective part of the population liable to military duty and not in the standing army.

A perennial herbaceous plant of almost treelike size (Musa sapientum); also, its edible fruit. See Musa.

A little banner, flag, or streamer. [Written also bannerol.] From the extremity of which fluttered a small banderole or streamer bearing a cross. Sir W. Scott.

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

A bench, as for rowers in a galley; also, a tier of oars. Placed on their banks, the lusty Trojan sweep Neptune's smooth face, and cleave the yielding deep. Waller.

A title of rank, conferred for heroic deeds, and hence, an order of knighthood; also, the person bearing such title or rank.

A gigantic African tree (Adansonia digitata), also naturalized in India. See Adansonia.

and cattle. The name is mostly applied when the barbs are inflamed and swollen. [Written also barbel and barble.]

north coast of Africa from Egypt to the Atlantic. Hence: A Barbary horse; a barb. [Obs.] Also, a kind of pigeon. Barbary ape (Zoöl.), an ape (Macacus innus) of north Africa and Gibraltar Rock, being the only monkey inhabiting Europe. It is very commonly trained by showmen.

fficacious in fluxes and fevers. The bark dyes a fine yellow, esp. the bark of the root. [Also spelt berberry.]

A purchase; also ( when not qualified), a gainful transaction; an advantageous purchase; as, to buy a thing at a bargain.

A goblin, in the shape of a large dog, portending misfortune. [Also written barguest.]

A name given to several species of Salsola from which soda is made, by burning the barilla in heaps and lixiviating the ashes.

ineral occurring in transparent, colorless, white to yellow crystals (generally tabular), also in granular form, and in compact massive forms resembling marble. It has a high specific gravity, and hence is often called heavy spar. It is a common mineral in metallic veins.

Formerly, any small sailing vessel, as a pinnace, fishing smack, etc.; also, a rowing boat; a barge. Now applied poetically to a sailing vessel or boat of any kind. Byron.