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nt or crossed with catgut, used to strike a shuttlecock in play; also, the play of battledoor and shuttlecock.

Among distillers, a certain degree of strength in alcoholic liquor, as formerly ascertained by the floating or sinking of glass globules of different specific gravities thrown into it; now ascertained by more accurate meters.

A species of hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), with digitate leaves. It has an offensive smell and acrid taste, and is a powerful emetic, cathartic, and anthelmintic.

State or nature of a beast.

To make bloody; to stain with blood. [Obs.] Sheldon.

A room or apartment intended or used for a bed; a lodging room.

An Australian tree (Casuarina), and its red wood, used for cabinetwork; also, the trees Stenocarpus salignus of New South Wales, and Banksia compar of Queensland.

To fool; to delude or lead into error; to infatuate; to deceive. This story . . . contrived to befool credulous men. Fuller.

The condition of being a beggar; also, the class of beggars.

Advantage; profit; benefit; interest; use. No mean recompense it brings To your behoof. Milton.

Supplying need; profitable; advantageous. [Obs.] Udall.

h respect to necessity, duty, or convenience; -- mostly used impersonally. And thus it behooved Christ to suffer. Luke xxiv. 46. [Also written behove.]

Advantageous; useful; profitable. [Archaic] -- Be*hoove"ful*ly, adv. -- Be*hoove"ful*ness, n. [Archaic]

Of or pertaining to Beloochistan, or to its inhabitants. -- n.

A highly elastic wood, used for fishing rods, etc. The tree is unknown, but it is thought to be East Indian.

of Betake.

The large white-heart cherry.

A book in which a person keeps an account of his notes, bills, bills of exchange, etc., thus showing all that he issues and receives.

A thick, heavy knife with a hooked point, used in pruning hedges, etc. When it has a short handle, it is sometimes called a hand bill; when the handle is long, a hedge bill or scimiter.

Ornithopus, having a curved, cylindrical pod tipped with a short, clawlike point. Bird's-foot trefoil. (Bot.) (a) A genus of plants (Lotus) with clawlike pods. L. corniculatas, with yellow flowers, is very common in Great Britain.