Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BADG'ER, n. [Qu. badge, supra; or Sax. bygan, byegan, to buy; Norm. bugge.]

In law, a person who is licensed to buy corn in one place and sell it in another, without incurring the penalties of engrossing. – Cowel.

BADG'ER, n.

A quadruped of the genus Ursus, of a clumsy make, with short, thick legs, and long claws on the fore feet. It inhabits the north of Europe and Asia, burrows, is indolent and sleepy, feeds by night on vegetables, and is very fat. Its skin is used for pistol furniture; its flesh makes good bacon, and its hair is used for brushes to soften the shades in painting. – Encyc. The American badger is called the ground hog, and is sometimes white. – Pennant.

BADG'ER-LEG-GED, a.

Having legs like a badger. Johnson says, having legs of unequal length; but, qu. short thick legs. – Shak.

BAD-I-A'GA, n.

A small spunge, common in the north of Europe, the powder of which is used to take away the livid marks of bruises. – Encyc.

BAD'I-ANE, or BAN'DI-AN, n.

The seed of a tree in China, which smells like anise seeds; used by the Chinese and Dutch to give their tea an aromatic taste. – Encyc.

BAD-I-GE'ON, n.

A mixture of plaster and freestone, ground together and sifted, used by statuaries to fill the small holes and repair the defects of the stones, of which they make their statues. – Encyc.

BAD'IN-AGE, n. [Fr.]

Light or playful discourse. – Chesterfield.

BAD'LY, adv. [from bad.]

In a bad manner; not well; unskillfully; grievously; unfortunately; imperfectly.

BAD'NESS, n.

The state of being bad, evil, vicious or depraved; want of good qualities, natural or moral; as, the badness of the heart, of the season, of the roads, &c.

BAF'FE-TAS, or BAF'TAS, n. [or BAS'TAS.]

An India cloth or plain muslin. That of Surat is said to be the best. – Encyc.

BAF'FLE, n.

A defeat by artifice, shifts and turns. – South.

BAF'FLE, v.i.

To practice deceit. – Barrow.

BAF'FLE, v.t. [Fr. befler, to make, or play the fool with; Sp. befar; It. beffare, id. It coincides in origin with buffoon. In Scottish beff, baff, signifies to strike.]

To mock or elude by artifice; to elude by shifts and turns; hence to defeat, or confound; as, to baffle the designs of an enemy. Fashionable follies baffle argument. – Anon.

BAF'FLED, pp.

Eluded; defeated; confounded.

BAF'FLER, n.

One that baffles.

BAF'FLING, ppr.

Eluding by shifts, and turns, or by stratagem; defeating; confounding. A baffling wind, among seamen, is one that frequently shifts from one point to another.

BAF'FLING-LY, adv.

In a baffling manner.

BAF'FLING-NESS, n.

Quality of baffling.

BAG, n. [Norm. bage, a bag, a coffer; bagnes, baggage. This word seems to be from the root of pack, pouch, Fr. poche, or of the same family; or it is from the sense of tying, binding; Sp. baga, a rope or cord for fastening loads on beasts of burden. Hence baggage; It. bagaglia; Sp. bagage; Port. bagagem; Fr. bagage; Arm. pacq, a pack, and bagaich.]

1. A sack; a pouch, usually of cloth or leather, used to hold, preserve or convey corn, and other commodities.
2. A sack in animal bodies containing some fluid or other substance; the udder of a female beast.
3. Formerly, a sort of silken purse tied to the hair.
4. In commerce, a certain quantity of a commodity, such as it is customary to carry to market in a sack; as, a bag of pepper or hops; a bag of corn.
5. Among farriers, a bag of asafetida and savin is tied to the bits of horses to restore their appetites. – Encyc.

BAG, v.i.

To swell like a full bag, as sails when filled with wind.

BAG, v.t.

1. To put into a bag.
2. To load with bags.

BA-GASSE', n.

The sugar-cane, when crushed and dry; used as fuel. – Ure.

BAG-A-TELLE', n. [bagatel'; Fr.; Sp. bagatela; It. bagatella; Arm. bagauh.]

A trifle; a thing of no importance.

BAG'GAGE, n. [Fr. bagage. Qu. Eng. package; D. pakkaadje, baggage, that which is packed. See Bag.]

1. The tents, clothing, utensils, and other necessaries of an army.
2. The clothing and other conveniencies which a traveler carries with him, on a journey. Having dispatched my baggage by water to Altdorf. – Coxe, Switz. [The English now call this luggage.]

BAG'GAGE, n. [Fr. bagasse; It. bagascia; Sp. bagazo, a catamite; Pers. baga, a strumpet.]

A low worthless woman; a strumpet.