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Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front. "A bluff or bold shore." Falconer. Its banks, if not really steep, had a bluff and precipitous aspect. Judd.

Given to, or full of, boasting; inclined to boast; vaunting; vainglorious; self-praising. -- Boast"ful*ly, adv. -- Boast"ful*ness, n.

An American singing bird (Dolichonyx oryzivorus). The male is black and white; the female is brown; -- called also, ricebird, reedbird, and Boblincoln. The happiest bird of our spring is the bobolink. W. Irving.

y politic, the collective body of a nation or state as politically organized, or as exercising political functions; also, a corporation. Wharton. As to the persons who compose the body politic or associate themselves, they take collectively the name of "people", or "nation". Bouvier. -- Body servant, a valet. -- The b…

To be agitated, or tumultuously moved, as a liquid by the generation and rising of bubbles of steam (or vapor), or of currents produced by heating it to the boiling point; to be in a state of ebullition; as, the water boils.

veering or fastening ropes. Bollard timber (Naut.), a timber, also called a knighthead, rising just within the stem in a ship, on either side of the bowsprit, to secure its end.

, and administrators, to pay a certain sum on or before a future day appointed. This is a single bond. But usually a condition is added, that, if the obligor shall do a certain act, appear at a certain place, conform to certain rules, faithfully perform certain duties, or pay a certain sum of money, on or before a time…

xultation, or for amusement. Full soon by bonfire and by bell, We learnt our liege was passing well. Gay.

cashbook, journal, and ledger. See Daybook, Cashbook, Journal, and Ledger. Bookkeeping by single entry, the method of keeping books by carrying the record of each transaction to the debit or credit of a single account. -- Bookkeeping by double entry, a mode of bookkeeping in which two entries of every transaction are…

A company of Irish herdsmen, or a single herdsman, wandering from place to place with flocks and herds, and living on their milk, like the Tartars; also, a place in the mountain pastures inclosed for the shelter of cattle or their keepers. [Obs.] [Written also boley, bolye, bouillie.] Spenser.

A line of connected floating timbers stretched across a river, or inclosing an area of water, to keep saw logs, etc., from floating away. Boom iron, one of the iron rings on the yards through which the studding-sail booms traverse. -- The booms, that space on the upper deck of a ship between the foremast and mainmast,…

A very singular missile weapon used by the natives of Australia and in some parts of India. It is usually a curved stick of hard wood, from twenty to thirty inches in length, from two to three inches wide, and half or three quarters of an inch thick. When thrown from the hand with a quick rotary motion, it describes ve…

Advancing or increasing amid noisy excitement; as, booming prices; booming popularity. [Colloq. U. S.]

The metal casing and flange fitted about a pipe where it passes through a roof. Boot catcher, the person at an inn whose business it was to pull off boots and clean them. [Obs.] Swift. -- Boot closer, one who, or that which, sews the uppers of boots. -- Boot crimp, a frame or device used by bootmakers for drawing and…

ng. 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.

having the right of sending a member to Parliament, whose nomination is in the hands of a single person. -- Rotten borough, a name given to any borough which, at the time of the passage of the Reform Bill of 1832, contained but few voters, yet retained the privilege of sending a member to Parliament.…

A form of cymose inflorescence with all the flowers on one side of the rachis, usually causing it to curl; -- called also a uniparous helicoid cyme.

Vexatious; causing bother; causing trouble or perplexity; troublesome.

ard part of a boat; the bow oar. Bow chaser (Naut.), a gun in the bow for firing while chasing another vessel. Totten. - Bow piece, a piece of ordnance carried at the bow of a ship. -- On the bow (Naut.), on that part of the horizon within 45º on either side of the line ahead. Totten.

A pair of compasses, with a bow or arched plate riveted to one of the legs, and passing through the other.