Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter B - Page 80

Breeching (n.) A whipping on the breech, or the act of whipping on the breech.

I view the prince with Aristarchus' eyes, Whose looks were as a breeching to a boy. -- Marlowe.

Breeching (n.) That part of a harness which passes round the breech of a horse, enabling him to hold back a vehicle.

Breeching (n.) (Naut.) A strong rope rove through the cascabel of a cannon and secured to ringbolts in the ship's side, to limit the recoil of the gun when it is discharged.

Breeching (n.) The sheet iron casing at the end of boilers to convey the smoke from the flues to the smokestack.

Breechloader (n.) A firearm which receives its load at the breech.

For cavalry, the revolver and breechloader will supersede the saber. -- Rep. Sec. War (1860).

Breechloader (n.) A gun that is loaded at the breech.

Breech-loading (a.) Receiving the charge at the breech instead of at the muzzle. Breech pin

Breech-loading (a.) (Of guns) Designed to be loaded at the breech.

Breech pin () Alt. of Breech screw.

Breech screw () A strong iron or steel plug screwed into the breech of a musket or other firearm, to close the bottom of the bore.

Breech sight () A device attached to the breech of a firearm, to guide the eye, in conjunction with the front sight, in taking aim.

Bred (imp. & p. p.) of Breed.

Breeding (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Breed.

Breed (v. t.) To produce as offspring; to bring forth; to bear; to procreate; to generate; to beget; to hatch.

Yet every mother breeds not sons alike. -- Shak.

If the sun breed maggots in a dead dog. -- Shak.

Breed (v. t.) To take care of in infancy, and through the age of youth; to bring up; to nurse and foster.

To bring thee forth with pain, with care to breed. -- Dryden.

Born and bred on the verge of the wilderness. -- Everett.

Breed (v. t.) To educate; to instruct; to form by education; to train; -- sometimes followed by up.

But no care was taken to breed him a Protestant. -- Bp. Burnet.

His farm may not remove his children too far from him, or the trade he breeds them up in. -- Locke.

Breed (v. t.) To engender; to cause; to occasion; to originate; to produce; as, to breed a storm; to breed disease.

Lest the place And my quaint habits breed astonishment. -- Milton.

Breed (v. t.) To give birth to; to be the native place of; as, a pond breeds fish; a northern country breeds stout men.

Breed (v. t.) To raise, as any kind of stock.

Breed (v. t.) To produce or obtain by any natural process. [Obs.]

Children would breed their teeth with less danger. -- Locke.

Syn: To engender; generate; beget; produce; hatch; originate; bring up; nourish; train; instruct.

Breed (v. i.) To bear and nourish young; to reproduce or multiply itself; to be pregnant.

That they breed abundantly in the earth. -- Gen. viii. 17.

The mother had never bred before. -- Carpenter.

Ant. Is your gold and silver ewes and rams?

Shy. I can not tell. I make it breed as fast. -- Shak.

Breed (v. i.) To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated, or to grow, as young before birth.

Breed (v. i.) To have birth; to be produced or multiplied.

Heavens rain grace On that which breeds between them. -- Shak.

Breed (v. i.) To raise a breed; to get progeny.

The kind of animal which you wish to breed from. -- Gardner.

To breed in and in, To breed from animals of the same stock that are closely related.

Breed (n.) A race or variety of men or other animals (or of plants), perpetuating its special or distinctive characteristics by inheritance.

Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed. -- Shak.

Greyhounds of the best breed. -- Carpenter.

Breed (n.) Class; sort; kind; -- of men, things, or qualities.

Are these the breed of wits so wondered at? -- Shak.

This courtesy is not of the right breed. -- Shak.

Breed (n.) A number produced at once; a brood. [Obs.]

Note: Breed is usually applied to domestic animals; species or variety to wild animals and to plants; and race to men.

Breed (n.) A special variety of domesticated animals within a species; "he experimented on a particular breed of white rats"; "he created a new strain of sheep" [syn: breed, strain, stock].

Breed (n.) A special type; "Google represents a new breed of entrepreneurs".

Breed (v.) Call forth [syn: engender, breed, spawn].

Breed (v.) Copulate with a female, used especially of horses; "The horse covers the mare" [syn: breed, cover].

Breed (v.) Cause to procreate (animals); "She breeds dogs".

Breed (v.) Have young (animals) or reproduce (organisms); "pandas rarely breed in captivity"; "These bacteria reproduce" [syn: breed, multiply].

Breedbate (n.) One who breeds or originates quarrels. [Obs.] "No telltale nor no breedbate." -- Shak.

Breeder (n.) One who, or that which, breeds, produces, brings up, etc.

She was a great breeder. -- Dr. A. Carlyle.

Italy and Rome have been the best breeders of worthy men. -- Ascham.

Breeder (n.) A cause. "The breeder of my sorrow." -- Shak.

Breeder (n.) A person who breeds animals [syn: breeder, stock breeder].

Breeding (n.) The act or process of generating or bearing.

Breeding (n.) The raising or improving of any kind of domestic animals; as, farmers should pay attention to breeding.

Breeding (n.) Nurture; education; formation of manners.

She had her breeding at my father's charge. -- Shak.

Breeding (n.) Deportment or behavior in the external offices and decorums of social life; manners; knowledge of, or training in, the ceremonies, or polite observances of society.

Delicacy of breeding, or that polite deference and respect which civility obliges us either to express or counterfeit towards the persons with whom we converse. -- Hume.

Breeding (n.) Descent; pedigree; extraction. [Obs.]

Honest gentlemen, I know not your breeding. -- Shak.

Close breeding, In and in breeding, breeding from a male and female from the same parentage.

Cross breeding, Breeding from a male and female of different lineage.

Good breeding, Politeness; genteel deportment.

Syn: Education; instruction; nurture; training; manners. See Education. Breeze

Breeding (a.) Producing offspring or set aside especially for producing offspring; "the breeding population"; "retained a few bulls for breeding purposes".

Breeding (n.) Elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression [syn: breeding, genteelness, gentility].

Breeding (n.) The result of good upbringing (especially knowledge of correct social behavior); "a woman of breeding and refinement" [syn: education, training, breeding].

Breeding (n.) Helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community; "they debated whether nature or nurture was more important" [syn: breeding, bringing up, fostering, fosterage, nurture, raising, rearing, upbringing].

Breeding (n.) The production of animals or plants by inbreeding or hybridization.

Breeding (n.) The sexual activity of conceiving and bearing offspring [syn: reproduction, procreation, breeding, facts of life].

Breeze (n.) Alt. of Breeze fly.

Breeze fly (n.) (Zool.) A fly of various species, of the family Tabanidae, noted for buzzing about animals, and tormenting them by sucking their blood; -- called also horsefly, and gadfly. They are among the largest of two-winged or dipterous insects. The name is also given to different species of botflies. [Written also breese and brize.]

Breeze (n.) 微風,和風 [C] [U]  A light, gentle wind; a fresh, soft-blowing wind.

Into a gradual calm the breezes sink. -- Wordsworth.

Breeze (n.) An excited or ruffed state of feeling; a flurry of excitement; a disturbance; a quarrel; as, the discovery produced a breeze. [Colloq.]

Land breeze, A wind blowing from the land, generally at night.

Sea breeze, A breeze or wind blowing, generally in the daytime, from the sea.

Breeze (n.) Refuse left in the process of making coke or burning charcoal.

Breeze (n.) (Brickmaking) Refuse coal, coal ashes, and cinders, used in the burning of bricks.

Breeze (v. i.) To blow gently. [R.] -- J. Barlow.

To breeze up (Naut.), To blow with increasing freshness.

Breeze (n.) A slight wind (usually refreshing); "the breeze was cooled by the lake"; "as he waited he could feel the air on his neck" [syn: breeze, zephyr, gentle wind, air].

Breeze (n.) 【美】【口】輕而易舉的事 [S] Any undertaking that is easy to do; "marketing this product will be no picnic" [syn: cinch, breeze, picnic, snap, duck soup, child's play, pushover, walkover, piece of cake].

Breeze (v.) Blow gently and lightly; "It breezes most evenings at the shore".

Breeze (v.) To proceed quickly and easily.

Breeze (n.) (Wind) (B1) [ C ] 和風,微風 A light and pleasant wind.

// A warm/ cool breeze.

// She let the gentle breeze cool her face.

Breeze (n.) (Something easy) [ S ] (Informal) (常指出乎意料的)輕而易舉的事 Something that is easy to achieve, often unexpectedly.

// You won't have any problems with the entrance test - it's an absolute breeze.

Breeze (v.) [ I usually + adv./ prep. ] (Walk) 飄然而行;輕盈而自信地走 To walk somewhere quickly and confidently, without worry or embarrassment.

// She just breezed in as if she'd only been away a day instead of a year.

Breeze (v.) [ I usually + adv./ prep. ] (Do easily)  (Informal) 輕鬆完成;輕鬆贏得 To easily complete or win something.

// She breezed through the song as though she'd been singing it for years.

// (Mainly US) He breezed to victory with 78 percent of the vote.

Breezeless (a.) Motionless; destitute of breezes.

A stagnant, breezeless air becalms my soul. -- Shenstone.

Breeziness (n.) State of being breezy.

Breeziness (n.) A mildly windy state of the air [syn: breeziness, windiness].

Breeziness (n.) A breezy liveliness; "a delightful breeziness of manner" [syn: breeziness, jauntiness].

Breezy (a.) Characterized by, or having, breezes; airy. "A breezy day in May." -- Coleridge.

'Mid lawns and shades by breezy rivulets fanned. -- Wordsworth.

Breezy (a.) Fresh; brisk; full of life. [Colloq.]

Breezy  (a.) Fresh and animated; "her breezy nature".

Breezy  (a.) Abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes; "blowy weather"; "a windy bluff" [syn: blowy, breezy, windy].

Bregma (n.) (Anat.) The point of junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures of the skull.

Bregma (n.) The craniometric point at the junction of the sagittal and coronal sutures at the top of the cranium.

Bregmatic (a.) (Anat.) Pertaining to the bregma.

Bregmatic (a.) Of or relating to the bregma of the skull.

Brehon (n.) An ancient Irish or Scotch judge.

Brehon laws, The ancient Irish laws, -- unwritten, like the common law of England. They were abolished by statute of Edward III.

Breme (a.) Fierce; sharp; severe; cruel. [Obs.] -- Spenser.

From the septentrion cold, in the breme freezin air. -- Drayton.

Breme (a.) Famous; renowned; well known. -- Wright. [Written also brim and brimme.] Bren

Brent, (imp. & p. p. of Bren.) Burnt. [Obs.]

Brent (n.) [Cf. Brant.] A brant. See Brant.

Bren, Brenne (v. t. & i.) [imp. & p. p. Brent; p. pr. & vb. n. Brenning.] [See Burn.] To burn. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.

Consuming fire brent his shearing house or stall. -- W. Browne.

Brent, Brant (a.) [AS. brant; akin to Dan. brat, Icel. brattr, steep.] Steep; high. [Obs.]

Grapes grow on the brant rocks so wonderfully that ye will marvel how any man dare climb up to them. -- Ascham.

Brent, Brant (a.) Smooth; unwrinkled. [Scot.]

Your bonnie brow was brent. -- Burns.

Brant (n.) [Cf.{Brand goose, Brent, Brenicle.] (Zool.) A species of wild goose ({Branta bernicla) -- called also brent and brand goose. The name is also applied to other related species.

Brent (n.) Small dark geese that breed in the north and migrate southward [syn: brant, brant goose, brent, brent goose].

Brent, AL -- U.S. city in Alabama

Population (2000): 4024

Housing Units (2000): 1274

Land area (2000): 8.721728 sq. miles (22.589172 sq. km)

Water area (2000): 0.007617 sq. miles (0.019728 sq. km)

Total area (2000): 8.729345 sq. miles (22.608900 sq. km)

FIPS code: 09136

Located within: Alabama (AL), FIPS 01

Location: 32.940240 N, 87.174982 W

ZIP Codes (1990): 35034

Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.

Headwords:

Brent, AL

Brent

Brent, FL -- U.S. Census Designated Place in Florida

Population (2000): 22257

Housing Units (2000): 7796

Land area (2000): 10.437340 sq. miles (27.032585 sq. km)

Water area (2000): 0.087407 sq. miles (0.226384 sq. km)

Total area (2000): 10.524747 sq. miles (27.258969 sq. km)

FIPS code: 08300

Located within: Florida (FL), FIPS 12

Location: 30.470496 N, 87.249127 W

ZIP Codes (1990):   

Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.

Headwords:

Brent, FL

Brent

Brent, OK -- U.S. Census Designated Place in Oklahoma

Population (2000): 504

Housing Units (2000): 233

Land area (2000): 11.147890 sq. miles (28.872901 sq. km)

Water area (2000): 4.490584 sq. miles (11.630559 sq. km)

Total area (2000): 15.638474 sq. miles (40.503460 sq. km)

FIPS code: 08650

Located within: Oklahoma (OK), FIPS 40

Location: 35.366510 N, 94.786501 W

ZIP Codes (1990):   

Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.

Headwords:
Brent, OK

Brent

Brent (imp. & p. p.) of Brenne.

Brenning (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Brenne.

Bren (v. t. & i.) Alt. of Brenne.

Brenne (v. t. & i.) To burn. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.
Consuming fire brent his shearing house or stall. -- W.
Browne.

Bren (n.) Bran. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.

Bren (n.) A submachine gun operated by gas pressure; used by the British in World War II [syn: Bren, Bren gun].

Brennage (n.) (Old Eng. Law) A tribute which tenants paid to their lord, in lieu of bran, which they were obliged to furnish for his hounds.

Brenningly (adv.) Burningly; ardently. [Obs.]

Brent (a.) Alt. of Brant.

Brant (a.) Steep; high.

Brant (a.) Smooth; unwrinkled.

Brent (imp. & p. p.) Burnt.

Brent (n.) A brant. See Brant.

Brequet chain () A watch-guard.

Brere (n.) A brier. [Archaic] -- Chaucer.

Brest (3d sing. pr.) for Bursteth.

Brest (n.) Alt. of Breast.

Breast (n.) (Arch.) A torus. [Obs.]

Brest (n.) A port city in northwestern France (in Brittany); the chief naval station of France.

Brast (imp.) of Breste.

Brusten (p. p.) of Breste.

Borsten () of Breste.

Bursten () of Breste.

Breste (v. t. & i.) To burst. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.

Compare: Brast

Brast (v. t. & i.) [See Burst.] To burst. [Obs.]

And both his y["e]n braste out of his face. -- Chaucer.

Dreadfull furies which their chains have brast. -- Spenser.

Compare: Breastsummer

Breastsummer (n.) (Arch.) A summer or girder extending across a building flush with, and supporting, the upper part of a front or external wall; a long lintel; a girder; -- used principally above shop windows. [Written also brestsummer and bressummer.]

Brestsummer (n.) See Breastsummer.

Compare: Birt

Birt (n..) (Zool.) A fish of the turbot kind; the brill. [Written also burt, bret, or brut.] [Prov. Eng.]

Compare: Brill
Brill (n.) [Cf. Corn. brilli mackerel, fr. brith streaked, speckled.] (Zool.) A fish allied to the turbot ({Rhombus levis), much esteemed in England for food; -- called also bret, pearl, prill. See Bret.

Bret (n.) (Zool.) See Birt.

Bretful (a.) Brimful. [Obs.] -- Chaucer.

Plymouth Brethren, () The members of a religious sect which first appeared at Plymouth, England, about 1830. They protest against sectarianism, and reject all official ministry or clergy. Also called Brethren, Christian Brethren, Plymouthists, etc. The Darbyites are a division of the Brethren.

Dunker (prop. n.) [G. tunken to dip.] One of a religious denomination whose tenets and practices are mainly those of the Baptists, but partly those of the Quakers; -- called also Tunkers, Dunkards, Dippers, and, by themselves, Brethren, and German Baptists, and they call their denomination the Church of the Brethren.

Note: The denomination was founded in Germany in 1708, but after a few years the members emigrated to the United States; they were opposed to military service and taking legal oaths, and practiced trine immersion.

Seventh-day Dunkers, A sect which separated from the Dunkers and formed a community, in 1728. They keep the seventh day or Saturday as the Sabbath.

Brethren (n.) 弟兄們,同胞 pl. of Brother.

Note: This form of the plural is used, for the most part, in solemn address, and in speaking of religious sects or fraternities, or their members.

Brother (n.; pl. Brothers) A male person who has the same father and mother with another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter case he is more definitely called a half brother, or brother of the half blood.

Note: A brother having the same mother but different fathers is called a uterine brother, and one having the same father but a different mother is called an agnate brother, or in (Law) a consanguine brother. A brother having the same father and mother is called a brother-german or full brother. The same modifying terms are applied to sister or sibling.

Two of us in the churchyard lie, My sister and my brother. -- Wordsworth.

Brother (n.) One related or closely united to another by some common tie or interest, as of rank, profession, membership in a society, toil, suffering, etc.; -- used among judges, clergymen, monks, physicians, lawyers, professors of religion, etc. "A brother of your order." -- Shak.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother. -- Shak.

Brother (n.) One who, or that which, resembles another in distinctive qualities or traits of character.

He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. -- Prov. xviii. 9.

That April morn Of this the very brother. -- Wordsworth.

Note: In Scripture, the term brother is applied to a kinsman by blood more remote than a son of the same parents, as in the case of Abraham and Lot, Jacob and Laban. In a more general sense, brother or brethren is used for fellow-man or fellow-men.

For of whom such massacre Make they but of their brethren, men of men? -- Milton.

Brother Jonathan, A humorous designation for the people of the United States collectively. The phrase is said to have originated from Washington's referring to the patriotic Jonathan Trumbull, governor of Connecticut, as "Brother Jonathan."

Blood brother. See under Blood.

Brethren (n.) (pl.) The lay members of a male religious order.

Brethren (n.) (pl.) (Old-fashioned) (用於稱呼組織或宗教團體的成員)兄弟們 (used as a form of address to members of an organization or religious group) Brothers.

Breton (a.) [F. breton.]

 Of or relating to Brittany, or Bretagne, in France.

Breton (n.) A native or inhabitant of Brittany, or Bretagne, in France; also, the ancient language of Brittany; Armorican.

Breton (n.) A native or inhabitant of Brittany (especially one who speaks the Breton language).

Breton (n.) A Celtic language of Brittany.

Brett (n.) Same as Britzska.

Brettices (n. pl. ) of Brettice.

Brettice (n.) The wooden boarding used in supporting the roofs and walls of coal mines. See Brattice.

Bretwalda (n.) (Eng. Hist.) The official title applied to that one of the Anglo-Saxon chieftains who was chosen by the other chiefs to lead them in their warfare against the British tribes. -- Brande & C.

Bretzel (n.) [G.] See Pretzel.

Breve (n.) (Mus.) A note or character of time, equivalent to two semibreves or four minims. When dotted, it is equal to three semibreves. It was formerly of a square figure (as thus: ? ), but is now made oval, with a line perpendicular to the staff on each of its sides; -- formerly much used for choir service. -- Moore.

Breve (n.) (Law) Any writ or precept under seal, issued out of any court.

Breve (n.) (Print.) A curved mark [[breve]]

 used commonly to indicate the short quantity of a vowel.

Breve (n.) (Zool.) The great ant thrush of Sumatra ({Pitta gigas), which has a very short tail.

Breve (n.) A diacritical mark (U-shaped) placed over a vowel to indicate a short sound.

Breve, () practice. A writ in which the cause of action is briefly stated, hence its name. Fleta, lib. 2, c. 13, Sec. 25; Co. Lit. 73 b.

Breve, () Writs are distributed into several classes. Some are called brevia formata, others brevia de cursu, brevia judicialia, or brevia magistralia.

There is a further distinction with respect to real actions into brevia nominata and innominata. The former, says Bacon, contain the time, place and demand very particularly; and therefore by such writ several lands by several titles cannot be demanded by the same writ. The latter contain only a general complaint, without expressing time, damages, &c., as in trespass quare clausum fregit, &o., and therefore several lands coming to the demandant by several titles may be demanded in such writ. F. N. B. 209; 8 Co. 87;  Kielw. 105; Dy. 145; 2 Brownl. 274; Bac. Ab. Actions in General, C. See Innominate contracts.

Brevet (n.) A warrant from the government, granting a privilege, title, or dignity. [French usage].

Brevet (n.) (Mil.) A commission giving an officer higher rank than that for which he receives pay; an honorary promotion of an officer.

Note: In the United States army, rank by brevet is conferred, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for "gallant actions or meritorious services." A brevet rank gives no right of command in the particular corps to which the officer brevetted belongs, and can be exercised only by special assignment of the President, or on court martial, and detachments composed of different corps, with pay of the brevet rank when on such duty.

Brevetted (imp. & p. p.) of Brevet.

Brevetting (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Brevet.

Brevet (v. t.) (Mil.) To confer rank upon by brevet.

Brevet (a.) (Mil.) Taking or conferring rank by brevet; as, a brevet colonel; a brevet commission.

Brevet (n.) A document entitling a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily (but without higher pay).

Brevet (v.) Promote somebody by brevet, in the military.

Brevet. () In France, a brevet is a warrant granted by the government to authorize an individual to do something for his own benefit, as a brevet d'invention, is a patent to secure a man a right as inventor.

Brevet. () In our army, it signifies a commission conferring on an officer a degree of rank immediately above the one which he holds in his particular regiment, without, however conveying a right to receive a corresponding pay.

Brevetcies (n. pl. ) of Brevetcy.

Brevetcy (n.) (Mil.) The rank or condition of a brevet officer.

Breviaries (n. pl. ) of Breviary.

Breviary (n.) 摘要;節略An abridgment; a compend; an epitome; a brief account or summary.

A book entitled the abridgment or breviary of those roots that are to be cut up or gathered. -- Holland.

Breviary (n.) (天主教)每日祈禱書 A book containing the daily public or canonical prayers of the Roman Catholic or of the Greek Church for the seven canonical hours, namely, matins and lauds, the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours, vespers, and compline; -- distinguished from the missal.

Breviary (n.) (Roman Catholic Church) A book of prayers to be recited daily certain priests and members of religious orders.

Breviary (n.) Syn : Portuary.

Breviary (n.) Often capitalized a :  A book of the prayers, hymns, psalms, and readings for the canonical hours.

Breviary (n.) b : Divine Office. : The office for the canonical hours of prayer that priests and religious say daily.

Breviary (n.) [Latin breviarium] :  A brief summary.

Breviate (n.) A short compend; a summary; a brief statement.

I omit in this breviate to rehearse. -- Hakluyt.

The same little breviates of infidelity have . . . been published and dispersed with great activity. -- Bp. Porteus.

Breviate (n.) A lawyer's brief. [R.] -- Hudibras.

Breviate (v. t.) To abbreviate. [Obs.]

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