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Support or aid given to a person or cause.

rts, resulting from looseness in fitting or from wear; also, the jarring or reflex motion caused in badly fitting machinery by irregularities in velocity or a reverse of motion.

Whatever is thrown back in its course, as water. Slackwater, or the backset caused by the overflow. Harper's Mag.

de of the heavenly bodies, but now superseded by the quadrant and sextant; -- so called because the observer turned his back to the body observed.

An accumulation of water overflowing the low lands, caused by an obstruction.

spores. Certain species are active agents in fermentation, while others appear to be the cause of certain infectious diseases. See Bacillus.

manner; poorly; not well; unskillfully; imperfectly; unfortunately; grievously; so as to cause harm; disagreeably; seriously.

To cause to undergo a disgraceful punishment, as a recreant knight. [Obs.] He by the heels him hung upon a tree, And baffled so, that all which passed by The picture of his punishment might see. Spenser.

, a distorted foot. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor. -- Baker's itch, a rash on the back of the hand, caused by the irritating properties of yeast. -- Baker's salt, the subcarbonate of ammonia, sometimes used instead of soda, in making bread.

A common American bird (Icterus galbula), named after Lord Baltimore, because its colors (black and orange red) are like those of his coat of arms; -- called also golden robin.

Any cause of ruin, or lasting injury; harm; woe. Money, thou bane of bliss, and source of woe. Herbert.

To beat or thump, or to cause ( something) to hit or strike against another object, in such a way as to make a loud noise; as, to bang a drum or a piano; to bang a door (against the doorpost or casing) in shutting it.

r other place prescribed by law, in order that any person may object, if he knows of just cause why the marriage should not take place.

To christen ( because a name is given to infants at their baptism); to give a name to; to name. I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo. Shak.

A ravine caused by heavy rains or a watercourse. [Texas & N. Mex.]

unselor at law; a counsel admitted to plead at the bar, and undertake the public trial of causes, as distinguished from an attorney or solicitor. See Attorney. [Eng.]

A part of a lady's dress, resembling a jacket with a short skirt; -- probably so called because this fashion of dress came from the Basques.

A small European flycatcher (Muscicapa gricola), so called because it often nests on a beam in a building.

f Strychnos. -- Navy bean, the common dried white bean of commerce; probably so called because an important article of food in the navy. -- Pea bean, a very small and highly esteemed variety of the edible white bean; -- so called from its size. -- Sacred bean. See under Sacred. -- Screw bean. See under Screw. -- S…

el or drive back. -- To beat out, to extend by hammering. -- To beat out of a thing, to cause to relinquish it, or give it up. "Nor can anything beat their posterity out of it to this day." South. -- To beat the dust. (Man.) (a) To take in too little ground with the fore legs, as a horse. (b) To perform curvets too…