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One who receives anything as a gift; one who receives a benefit or advantage; esp. one who receives help or income from an educational fund or a trust estate. The rich men will be offering sacrifice to their Deity whose beneficiaries they are. Jer. Taylor.

Whatever promotes prosperity and personal happiness, or adds value to property; advantage; profit. Men have no right to what is not for their benefit. Burke.

established for best, and not to be mended." Milton. -- To get the best of, to gain an advantage over, whether fairly or unfairly. -- To make the best of. (a) To improve to the utmost; to use or dispose of to the greatest advantage. "Let there be freedom to carry their commodities where they can make the best of them…

Advantage, superiority, or victory; -- usually with of; as, to get the better of an enemy.

Any process in which advantage is taken of the fact that prepared bitumen is rendered insoluble by exposure to light, as in photolithography.

tensils, and being smutted by them, were jocularly called the "black guard"; also, the servants and hangers-on of an army. [Obs.] A lousy slave, that . . . rode with the black guard in the duke's carriage, 'mongst spits and dripping pans. Webster (1612).

im that gives and him that takes. Shak. It hath pleased thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee. 1 Chron. xvii. 27 (R. V. )

signal at sea, and in military operations. -- Blue mantle (Her.), one of the four pursuivants of the English college of arms; -- so called from the color of his official robes. -- Blue mass, a preparation of mercury from which is formed the blue pill. McElrath. -- Blue mold, or mould, the blue fungus (Aspergillus g…

man happened by long sitting to sleep . . . he was suddenly bobbed on the face by the servants. Elyot.

themselves, they take collectively the name of "people", or "nation". Bouvier. -- Body servant, a valet. -- The bodies seven (Alchemy), the metals corresponding to the planets. [Obs.] Sol gold is, and Luna silver we threpe (=call), Mars yren (=iron), Mercurie quicksilver we clepe, Saturnus lead, and Jupiter is tin, an…

The condition of a bond servant; sevice without wages; slavery. Their children . . . upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bond service. 1 Kings ix. 21.

A female slave, or one bound to service without wages, as distinguished from a hired servant.

(F., prop. good woman.) A female servant charged with the care of a young child.

Profit; gain; advantage; use. [Obs.] Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot. Shak. To boot, in addition; over and above; besides; as a compensation for the difference of value between things bartered. Helen, to change, would give an eye to boot. Shak. A man's heaviness is refreshed long before he comes to drunkenne…

Advantage; gain; gain by plunder; booty. [Obs.] Sir. J. Harrington.

Unavailing; unprofitable; useless; without advantage or success. Chaucer. I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers. Shak. -- Boot"less*ly, adv. -- Boot"less*ness, n.

A servant at a hotel or elsewhere, who cleans and blacks the boots and shoes.

A wooden hut or humble cot, esp. a rude hut or barrack for unmarried farm servants; a shepherd's or hunter's hut; a booth. [Scot.]

An allowance of meat and drink for the tables of inferior officers or servants in a nobleman's palace or at court. [Obs.]

Armor for the arm; vantbrace.