Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BOT'TOM, n. [Sax. botm; Sw. botn; D. bodem; G. boden. It seems to be allied to Gr. βαθος, and to the Russ. pad, a valley, padayu, to fall. The sense is from throwing down, setting, laying or beating down; a dialect perhaps of basis. Class Bd.]

1. The lowest part of any thing; as, the bottom of a well, vat or ship; the bottom of a hill.
2. The ground under any body of water; as, the bottom of the sea, of a river or lake.
3. The foundation or ground work of any thing, as of an edifice, or of any system or moral subject; the base, or that which supports any superstructure.
4. A low ground; a dale; a valley; applied in the United States to the flat lands adjoining rivers, &c. It is so used in some parts of England. – Mitford.
5. The deepest part; that which is most remote from the view; as, let us examine this subject to the bottom.
6. Bound; limit. There is no bottom in my voluptuousness. – Shak.
7. The utmost extent or depth of cavity, or of intellect, whether deep or shallow. I do see the bottom of justice Shallow. – Shak.
8. The foundation, considered as the cause, spring or origin; the first moving cause; as, a foreign prince is at the bottom of the confederacy.
9. A ship or vessel. Goods imported in foreign bottoms pay a higher duty than those imported in our own. Hence, a, state of hazard, chance or risk; but in this sense it is used chiefly or solely in the singular. We say, venture not too much in one bottom; that is, do not hazard too much at a single risk.
10. A ball of thread. [W. botwm, a button; Corn. id. See Bottle.]
11. The bottom of a lane or alley, is the lowest end. This phrase supposes a declivity; but it is often used for the most remote part, when there is very little declivity.
12. The bottom of beer, or other liquor, is the grounds or dregs.
13. In the language of jockeys, stamina, native strength; as, a horse of good bottom.

BOT'TOM, v.i.

To rest upon, as its ultimate support. Find on what foundation a proposition bottoms. – Locke.

BOT'TOM, v.t.

1. To found or build upon; to fix upon as a support; followed by on; as, sound reasoning is bottomed on just premises.
2. To furnish with a seat or bottom; as, to bottom a chair.
3. To wind round something, as in making a ball of thread. – Shak.

BOT'TOM-ED, pp.

Furnished with a bottom; having a bottom. This word is often used in composition, as a flat-bottomed boat, in which case the compound becomes an adjective.

BOT'TOM-ING, ppr.

Founding; building upon; furnishing with a bottom.

BOT'TOM-LAND, n.

See Bottom, No. 4.

BOT'TOM-LESS, a.

Without a bottom; applied to water, caverns, &c. it signifies fathomless, whose bottom can not be found by sounding; as, a bottomless abyss or ocean.

BOT'TOM-RY, n. [from bottom.]

The act of borrowing money, and pledging the keel or bottom of the ship, that is, the ship itself, as security for the repayment of the money. The contract of bottomry is in the nature of a mortgage; the owner of a ship borrowing money to enable him to carry on a voyage, and pledging the ship as security for the money. If the ship is lost, the lender loses the money; but if the ship arrives safe, he is to receive the money lent, with the interest or premium stipulated, although it may exceed the legal rate of interest. The tackle of the ship also is answerable for the debt, as well as the person of the borrower. When a loan is made upon the goods shipped, the borrower is said to take up money at respondentia, as he is bound personally to answer the contract. – Blackstone. Park.

BOT'TON-Y, n. [from the same root as bud, button.]

In heraldry, a cross bottony terminates at each end in three buds, knots or buttons, resembling in some measure the three-leaved grass. – Encyc.

BOU-CHET', n. [Fr.]

A sort of pear.

BOUD, n.

An insect that breeds in malt or other grain; called also a weevil. – Dict.

BOU'DOIR, n. [Fr.]

1. A small private room for curiosities, &c.
2. A lady's private room.

BOUGE, n.

Provisions. [Not in use.] – Johnson.

BOUGE, v.i. [booj; Fr. bouge, a lodge, the bilge of a cask; from the root of bow which see.]

To swell out. [Little used.]

BOUGH, n. [bou; Sax. bog, boh or bogh, the shoulder, a branch, an arm, the body of a tree, a stake, a tail, an arch, or bow; Sw. bog; Dan. bov; from the same root as bow, to bend, to throw; Sax. bugan.]

The branch of a tree; applied to a branch of size, not to a small shoot.

BOUGHT, n. [bawt; D. bogt, a bend, a coil; from boogen, to bend. See Bight.]

1. A twist; a link; a knot; a flexure, or bend. – Milton. Brown.
2. The part of a sling that contains the stone.

BOUGHT, pp. [bawt; pret. and pp. of Buy. See Buy.]

BOUGHT'Y, a. [baw'ty.]

Bending. – Sherwood.

BOU-GIE', n. [boogee'; Fr., a wax-candle; Sp. bugia.]

In surgery, a long slender instrument, that is introduced through the urethra into the bladder, to remove obstructions. It is usually made of slips of waxed linen, coiled into a slightly conical form by rolling them on any hard smooth surface. It is also made of catgut, elastic gum, and metal; but those of waxed linen are generally preferred. – Hooper. Dorsey.

BOUIL'LON, n. [Fr., from bouillir, to boil. See Boil.]

Broth; soup.

BOUK, v.i.

To nauseate so as to be ready to vomit. [Local.]

BOUL'DER, n.

See BOWLDER.

BOUL'DER-WALL, n. [rather bowlder-wall. See Bowlder.]

A wall built of round flints or pebbles laid in a strong mortar, used where the sea has a beach cast up, or where there is a plenty of flints. – Builder's Dict.

BOU-LET', n. [from the root of ball, or bowl; Fr. boule.]

In the manege, a horse is so called, when the fetlock or pastern joint bends forward, and out of its natural position. – Encyc.

BOULT, n. [or v. An incorrect orthography.]

See Bolt.