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e of the ejaculation "Ay me !" [Obs.] See Ay, interj. "Aymees and hearty heigh-hoes." J. Fletcher.

is the second letter of the English alphabet. (See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 196,220.) It is etymologically related to p , v , f , w and m , letters representing sounds having a close organic affinity to its own sound; as in Eng. bursar and purser; Eng. bear and Lat. pear; Eng. silver and Ger. silber; Lat. cubitum and…

To write upon the back of; as, to back a letter; to indorse; as, to back a note or legal document.

A receding or giving up; a complete surrender. [Colloq.]

A kind of handwriting in which the downward slope of the letters is from left to right.

Turned back, or inclining to the left; as, a backhanded letters.

To dip or lade water from; -- often with out to express completeness; as, to bail a boat. By the help of a small bucket and our hats we bailed her out. R. H. Dana, Jr.

Cowper. The order and balance of the country were destroyed. Buckle. English workmen completely lose their balance. J. S. Mill.

The defect of stammering; also, a kind of incomplete pronunciation.

chants of Nice brew and balderdash, and even mix it with pigeon's dung and quicklime. Smollett.

Misery; Let now your bliss be turned into bale. Spenser.

To miss intentionally; to avoid; to shun; to refuse; to let go by; to shirk. [Obs. or Obsolescent] By reason of the contagion then in London, we balked the Evelyn. Sick he is, and keeps his bed, and balks his meat. Bp. Hall. Nor doth he any creature balk, But lays on all he meeteth. Drayton.

ely; as, powder and ball. Spherical balls for the smaller firearms are commonly called bullets.

A fillet, strap, or any narrow ligament with which a thing is encircled, or fastened, or by which a number of things are tied, bound together, or confined; a fetter. Every one's bands were loosed. Acis xvi 26.

A fillet or strip of woven material, used in dressing and binding up wounds, etc.

A narrow band or fillet; a part of a head-dress. Around the edge of this cap was a stiff bandeau of leather. Sir W. Scott.

To toss about, as from man to man; to agitate. Let not obvious and known truth be bandied about in a disputation. I. Watts.

An ornamental circlet, of glass, gold, silver, or other material, worn by women in India and Africa, and in some other countries, upon the wrist or ankle; a ring bracelet. Bangle ear, a loose hanging ear of a horse, like that of a spaniel.

ts or contributions, to be used in transacting business; a joint stock or capital. [Obs.] Let it be no bank or common stock, but every man be master of his own money. Bacon.

Depleted of money; not having the means of meeting pecuniary liabilities; as, a bankrupt treasury.