Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BEND'ED, or BENT, pp.

Strained; incurvated: made crooked; inclined; subdued.

BEND'ER, n.

The person who bends, or makes crooked; also, an instrument for bending other things.

BEND'ING, ppr.

Incurvating; forming into a curve; stooping; subduing; turning, as a road or river; inclining; leaning; applying closely, as the mind; fastening.

BEND'LET, n.

In heraldry, a little bend, which occupies a sixth part of a shield. – Bailey.

BEND'WITH, n.

A plant. – Dict.

BEND'Y, n.

In heraldry, the field divided into four, six or more parts, diagonally, and varying in metal and color. – Encyc. Ash.

BEN'E, n. [ben'y.]

The popular name of the Sesamum oriental, called in the West Indies Vangloe, an African plant. – Mease.

BE-NEAP'ED, a. [be and neap.]

Among seamen, a ship is beneaped, when the water does not flow high enough to float her from a dock or over a bar. – Encyc.

BE-NEATH', adv.

1. In a lower place; as, the earth from beneath will be barren. – Mortimer.
2. Below, as opposed to heaven, or to any superior region; as, in heaven above, or in earth beneath.

BE-NEATH', prep. [Sax. beneath, beneothan, benythan; of be and neothan, below, under. See Nether.]

1. Under; lower in place, with something directly over or on, as to place a cushion beneath one often with the sense of pressure or oppression, as to sink beneath a burden, in a literal sense.
2. Under, in a figurative sense; bearing heavy impositions, as taxes, or oppressive government. Our country sinks beneath the yoke. – Shak.
3. Lower in rank, dignity or excellence; as, brutes are beneath man; man is beneath angels, in the scale of beings.
4. Unworthy of; unbecoming; not equal to; as, he will do nothing beneath his station or character.

BEN'E-DICK, n. [From one of the characters in Shakspeare's play of “Much ado about nothing.”]

A married man, or a man newly married. Often written Benedict.

BEN'E-DICT, a. [L. benedictus.]

Having mild and salubrious qualities. [Not in use.] – Bacon.

BE-NE-DIC'TINE, a.

Pertaining to the order or monks of St. Benedict, or St. Benet.

BEN-E-DIC'TINES, n.

An order of monks, who profess to follow the rules of St. Benedict; an order of great celebrity. They wear a loose black gown, with large wide sleeves, and a cowl on the head, ending in a point. In the canon law, they are called Black friars.

BEN-E-DIC'TION, n. [L. benedictio, from bene, well, and dictio, speaking. See Boon and Diction.]

1. The act of blessing; a giving praise to God or rendering thanks for his favors; a blessing pronounced; hence, grace before and after meals.
2. Blessing, prayer, or kind wishes, uttered in favor of any person or thing; a solemn or affectionate invocation of happiness; thanks; expression of gratitude.
3. The advantage conferred by blessing. – Bacon.
4. The loan of instituting an abbot, answering to the consecration of a bishop. – Ayliffe.
5. The external ceremony performed by a priest in the office of matrimony is called the nuptial benediction. – Encyc.
6. In the Romish Church, an ecclesiastical ceremony by which a thing is rendered sacred or venerable. – Encyc.

BEN-E-DIC'TIVE, a.

Tending to bless; giving a blessing. – Gauden.

BEN-E-FAC'TION, n. [L. benefacio, of bene, well, and facio, to make or do.]

1. The act of conferring a benefit. More generally,
2. A benefit conferred, especially a charitable donation. – Atterbury.

BEN-E-FAC'TOR, n.

He who confers a benefit, especially one who makes charitable contributions either for public institutions or for private use.

BEN-E-FAC'TRESS, n.

A female who confers a benefit. – Delany.

BEN'E-FICE, n. [L. beneficium; Fr. benefice. See Benefaction.]

1. Literally, a benefit, advantage or kindness. But in present usage, an ecclesiastical living; a church endowed with a revenue, for the maintenance of divine service, or the revenue itself. All church preferments are called benefices, except bishoprics, which are called dignities. But ordinarily, the term dignity is applied to bishoprics, deaneries, arch-deaconries, and prebendaries; and benefice, to parsonages, vicarages, and donatives. – Encyc.
2. In the middle ages, benefice was used for a fee, or an estate in lands, granted at first for life only, and held ex mero beneficio of the donor. The estate afterward becoming hereditary, took the appellation of feud, and benefice became appropriated to church livings. – Encyc.

BEN'E-FIC-ED, a.

Possessed of a benefice or church preferment. – Ayliffe.

BEN'E-FICE-LESS, a.

Having no benefice. [Not used.] – Sheldon.

BE-NEF'I-CENCE, n. [L. beneficentia, from the participle of benefacio.]

The practice of doing good; active goodness, kindness, or charity.

BE-NEF'I-CENT, a.

Doing good; performing acts of kindness and charity. It differs from benign, as the act from the disposition; beneficence being benignity or kindness exerted in action. – Johnson.

BE-NEF'I-CENT-LY, adv.

In a beneficent manner.