BILLION n.
According to the French and American method of numeration, a thousand millions, or 1,000,000,000; according to the English method, a million millions, or 1,000,000,000,000. See Numeration.
BINARY a.
ts; characterized by two (things). Binary arithmetic, that in which numbers are expressed according to the binary scale, or in which two figures only, 0 and 1, are used, in lieu of ten; the cipher multiplying everything by two, as in common arithmetic by ten. Thus, 1 is one; 10 is two; 11 is three; 100 is four, etc. Da…
BISCUIT n.
ieties, 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.
BOOMERANG n.
hen thrown from the hand with a quick rotary motion, it describes very remarkable curves, according to the shape of the instrument and the manner of throwing it, often moving nearly horizontally a long distance, then curving upward to a considerable height, and finally taking a retrograde direction, so as to fall near…
CALICO n.
Plain white cloth made from cotton, but which receives distinctive names according to quality and use, as, super calicoes, shirting calicoes, unbleached calicoes, etc. [Eng.] The importation of printed or stained colicoes appears to have been coeval with the establishment of the East India Company. Beck (Draper's Dict.…
CARBON n.
ed with oxygen it forms carbon dioxide, commonly called carbonic acid, or carbonic oxide, according to the proportions of the oxygen; when united with hydrogen, it forms various compounds called hydrocarbons. Compare Diamond, and Graphite. Carbon compounds, Compounds of carbon (Chem.), those compounds consisting largel…
CARD n.
yet brought to pass; -- a phrase of fortune tellers that has come into common use; also, according to the programme. -- Playing card, cards used in playing games; specifically, the cards cards used playing which and other games of chance, and having each pack divided onto four kinds or suits called hearts, diamonds,…