Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BIX'WORT, n.

A plant.

BI-ZAN'TINE, a.

See BYZANTINE.

BI-ZAR'RE, a. [Fr.]

Odd, fanciful.

BLAB, n.

A babbler; a telltale; one who betrays secrets, or tells things which ought to be kept secret.

BLAB, v.i.

To tattle; to tell tales. – Shak.

BLAB, v.t. [W. llavaru, to speak; D. labbery, prattle; Ir. clabaire, a babbler; labhraim, to speak; Chaucer, labbe, a blabber.]

1. To utter or tell in a thoughtless manner; to publish secrets or trifles without discretion. It implies, says Johnson, rather thoughtlessness than treachery, but may be used in either sense. – Dryden.
2. To tell, or utter, in a good sense. – Shak.

BLAB'BER, n.

A tattler; a telltale.

BLAB'BING, ppr.

Telling indiscreetly what ought to be concealed; tattling.

BLACK, a. [Sax. blac, and blæc, black, pale, wan, livid; blacian, blæcan, to become pale, to turn white, to become black, to blacken; blæc, ink; Sw. blek, pale, wan, livid; bleck, ink; bleka, to insolate, to expose to the sun, or to bleach; also to lighten, to flash; D. bleek, pale; bleeken, to bleach; G. bleich, pale, wan, bleak; bleichen, to bleach; Dan. blæk, ink; bleeg, pale, wan, bleak, sallow; bleeger, to bleach. It is remarkable that black, bleak and bleach, are all radically one word. The primary sense seems to be, pale, wan or sallow, from which has proceeded the present variety of significations.]

1. Of the color of night; destitute of light; dark.
2. Darkened by clouds; as, the heavens black with clouds.
3. Sullen; having a cloudy look or countenance. – Shak.
4. Atrociously wicked; horrible; as, a black deed or crime. – Dryden.
5. Dismal; mournful; calamitous. – Shak. Black and blue, the dark color of a bruise in the flesh, which is accompanied with a mixture of blue.

BLACK, n.

1. That which is destitute of light or whiteness; the darkest color, or rather a destitution of all color; as, a cloth has a good black.
2. A negro; a person whose skin is black.
3. A black dress, or mourning; as, to be clothed in black.

BLACK, v.t.

To make black; to blacken; to soil. – Boyle.

BLACK'-ACT, n. [black and act.]

The English statute 9 Geo. I., which makes it felony to appear armed in any park or warren, &c, or to hunt or steal deer, &c., with the face blacked or disguised. – Blackstone.

BLACK'A-MOOR, n. [black and moor.]

A negro; a black man.

BLACK'-ART, n.

Conjuration.

BLACK'-BALL, n. [black and ball.]

A composition for blacking shoes.

BLACK'-BALL, v.t.

To reject or negative in choosing, by putting black balls into a ballot-box.

BLACK'-BAR, n. [black and bar.]

A plea obliging the plaintif to assign the place of trespass. – Ash.

BLACK'-BERRY, n. [Sax. blacberian, black and berry.]

The berry of the bramble or Rubus; a popular name applied, in different places, to different species, or varieties of this fruit.

BLACK'-BIRD, n. [black and bird.]

In England, a species of thrush, the Turdus Merula, a singing-bird with a fine note, but very loud. In America, this name is given to different birds, as to the Gracula quiscula, or crow black-bird, and to the Oriolus phœniceus, or red-winged black-bird. [Sturnus predatorius, Wilson.]

BLACK'-BOARD, n.

A board used in schools for writing or drawing lines on for instruction.

BLACK'-BOOK, n. [black and book.]

1. The black-book of the Exchequer in England, is a book said to have been composed in 1175, by Gervais of Tilbury. It contains a description of the court of Exchequer, its officers, their ranks and privileges, wages, perquisites and jurisdiction, with the revenues of the crown, in money, grain and cattle. – Encyc.
2. Any book which treats of necromancy. – Encyc.
3. A book compiled by order of the visitors of monasteries, under Henry VIII., containing a detailed account of the enormities practiced in religious houses, to blacken them and to hasten their dissolution. – Encyc.

BLACK'-BROW-ED, a. [black and brow.]

Having black eye-brows; gloomy; dismal; threatening; as, a black-browed gust. – Dryden.

BLACK-BRY'O-NY, n. [black and bryony.]

A plant, the Tamus. – Encyc.

BLACK'-CAP, n. [black and cap.]

1. A bird, the Motacilla atricapilla, or mock-nightingale; so called from its black crown. It is common in Europe. – Encyc. Pennant.
2. In cookery, an apple roasted till black, to be served up in a dish of boiled custard. – Mason.

BLACK'-CAT-TLE, n. [black and cattle.]

Cattle of the bovine genus, as bulls, oxen and cows. [English.] – Johnson.