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A movable tower erected by besiegers for purposes of attack and defense.

Habitually attacking, harassing, or pressing upon or about; as, a besetting sin.

To attack with the tongue; to abuse; to insult.

The watch of a whole army by night, when in danger of surprise or attack.

words and artful caresses; cajolery; allurement. Cowering low with blandishment. Milton. Attacked by royal smiles, by female blandishments. Macaulay.

To attack with bombards or with artillery; especially, to throw shells, hot shot, etc., at or into. Next, she means to bombard Naples. Burke. His fleet bombarded and burnt down Dieppe. Wood.

An attack upon a fortress or fortified town, with shells, hot shot, rockets, etc.; the act of throwing bombs and shot into a town or fortified place.

of true turquoise. -- Bone whale (Zoöl.), a right whale. -- To be upon the bones of, to attack. [Obs.] -- To make no bones, to make no scruple; not to hesitate. [Low] -- To pick a bone with, to quarrel with, as dogs quarrel over a bone; to settle a disagreement. [Colloq.]

o the mouth; pyrosis. -- Weaning brash (Med.), a severe form of diarrhea which sometimes attacks children just weaned.

baiting, the practice of baiting bulls, or rendering them furious, as by setting dogs to attack them. -- John Bull, a humorous name for the English, collectively; also, an Englishman. "Good-looking young John Bull." W. D.Howells. -- To take the bull by the horns, to grapple with a difficulty instead of avoiding it.…

That which secures against an enemy, or defends from attack; any means of defense or protection. The royal navy of England hath ever been its greatest defense, . . . the floating bulwark of our island. Blackstone.

es. -- Cabbage worm (Zoöl.), the larva of several species of moths and butterfies, which attacks cabbages. The most common is usully the larva of a white butterfly. See Cabbage Butterfly, above. The cabbage cutworms, which eat off the stalks or young plants during the night, are the larvæ of several species of moths,…

n by soldiers over their uniform, in order to be able to recognize one another in a night attack.

for the purpose of destroying an army, or battering a town, ship, or fort; -- usually, an attack of some continuance. A furious cannonade was kept up from the whole circle of batteries on the devoted towm. Prescott.

h of the genus Serrasalmo of many species, remakable for its voracity. When numerous they attack man or beast, often with fatal results.

To bear down upon; to rush upon; to attack. Charged our main battle's front. Shak.

A mild, eruptive disease, generally attacking children only; varicella.

ecies of flea (Pulex penetrans), common in the West Indies and South America, which often attacks the feet or any exposed part of the human body, and burrowing beneath the skin produces great irritation. When the female is allowed to remain and breed, troublesome sores result, which are sometimes dangerous. See Jigger.…

a besieged place and the besieging army, to protect the camp of the besiegers against the attack of an enemy from without.

To come up with, to overtake or reach by pursuit. -- To come upon. (a) To befall. (b) To attack or invade. (c) To have a claim upon; to become dependent upon for support; as, to come upon the town. (d) To light or chance upon; to find; as, to come upon hid treasure.