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To keep steady; to steady, morally. 'T is charity must ballast the heart. Hammond.

An officer who has charge of a ballot box. [Obs.] Harrington.

right spots are produced upon cloth previously dyed of a uniform red or dark color, by discharging portions of the color by chemical means, while the rest of the cloth is under pressure. Ure.

under the left arm. Originally it was used for supporting the musket and twelve cases for charges, but later only as a cartridge belt.

Being a bankrupt or in a condition of bankruptcy; unable to pay, or legally discharged from paying, one's debts; as, a bankrupt merchant.

To jest about; to ridicule in speaking of, as some trait, habit, characteristic, and the like. [Archaic] If they banter your regularity, order, and love of study, banter in return their neglect of them. Chatham.

A method of reducing corpulence by avoiding food containing much farinaceous, saccharine, or oily matter; -- so called from William Banting of London.

An opening in the wall of a fortress, through which missiles were discharged upon an enemy.

A large, roomy boat for the conveyance of passengers or goods; as, a ship's barge; a charcoal barge.

each of duty or willful act of known illegality on the part of a master of a ship, in his character of master, or of the mariners, to the injury of the owner of the ship or cargo, and without his consent. It includes every breach of trust committed with dishonest purpose, as by running away with the ship, sinking or de…

A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is discharged. Knight.

A disease characterized by enlargement of the thyroid gland, prominence of the eyeballs, and inordinate action of the heart; -- called also exophthalmic goiter. Flint.

basic, or not siliceous, is used, and additions of basic material are made to the molten charge during treatment. Opposed to acid process, above. Called also Thomas process.

A large subdivision of fungi coördinate with the Ascomycetes, characterized by having the spores borne on a basidium. It embraces those fungi best known to the public, such as mushrooms, toadstools, etc.

Deep or grave in tone. Bass clef (Mus.), the character placed at the beginning of the staff containing the bass part of a musical composition. [See Illust. under Clef.] -- Bass voice, a deepsounding voice; a voice fitted for singing bass.

Having the character of bathos. [R.]

Descriptive of the ocean depth; as, a bathygraphic chart.

A man who has charge of a bathorse and his load. Macaulay.

Provisions ordered from the buttery; also, the charges for them; -- only in the pl., except when used adjectively. [Univ. of Oxford, Eng.]

, one that sweeps the whole length of a line of troops or part of a work. -- Battery en écharpe, one that plays obliquely. -- Battery gun, a gun capable of firing a number, of shots simultaneously or successively without stopping to load. -- Battery wagon, a wagon employed to transport the tools and materials for re…