Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BI-MA'NA, n.

An animal having two hands, as man. – Cuvier. Bell.

BI-MA'NOUS, a. [bis and manus.]

Having two hands. Man is bimanous. – Lawrence.

BI-ME'DI-AL, a. [L. bis, twice, and medial.]

1. In mathematics, if two medial lines, A B and B C, commensurable only in power, and containing a rational rectangle, are compounded, the whole line A C will be irrational, and is called a first bimedial line. – Encyc.
2. Belonging to a quantity arising from a particular combination of two other quantities. – Ash.

BI-MENS'AL, a.

Occurring once in two months.

BI-MUS'CU-LAR, a. [bis and muscular.]

Having two attaching muscles and two muscular impressions, as a bivalve molluscan. – Kirby.

BIN, n. [Sax. binn, or binne.]

A wooden box or chest used as a repository of corn or other commodities.

BIN'A-CLE, n. [Formerly bittacle, supposed to be a corruption of Fr. habitacle; but more probably, boite d'aiguille, needle box.]

A wooden case or box in which the compass and lights are kept on board a ship. It is sometimes divided into three apartments, with sliding shutters; the two sides contain each a compass, and the middle division, a lamp or candle.

BI'NA-RY, a. [L. binus, two and two.]

Binary arithmetic, the invention of Leibnitz, is that in which two figures only, 0 and 1, are used, in lieu of ten; the cipher multiplying every thing by 2, as in common arithmetic by 10. Thus, 1 is one; 10 is two; 11 is three; 100 is four; 101 is five; 110 is six; 111 is seven; 1000 is eight; 1001 is nine; 1010 is ten. It is said this species of arithmetic has been used by the Chinese for 4000 years, being left in enigma by Fohi. – Encyc. Binary measure, in music, is that used in common time, in which the time of rising in beating, is equal to the time of falling. – Encyc. Binary number, is that which is composed of two units. – Encyc.

BI'NA-RY, n.

The constitution of two. – Fotherby.

BI'NATE, a. [L. binus. See Binary.]

Being double or in couples; growing in pairs. A binate leaf has a simple petiole, connecting two leaflets on the top; a species of digitate leaf. – Martyn.

BIND, n.

1. A stalk of hops, so called from its winding round a pole or tree, or being bound to it.
2. A bind of eels, is a quantity consisting of 10 strikes, each containing 25 eels, or 250 in the whole. – Encyc.
3. Among miners, indurated clay, when much mixed with the oxyd of iron. – Kirwan.

BIND, v.i.

1. To contract; to grow hard or stiff; as, clay binds by heat. – Mortimer.
2. To grow or become costive.
3. To be obligatory.

BIND, v.t. [pret. bound; pp. bound, and obs. bounden. Sax. bindan, gebindan, pret. band, bund, or bunden; Goth. bindan, gabindan; D. binden, verbinden; Ger. the same; Sw. binda, förbinda; Dan. binder, to bind, and bind, a band; also baand, a band; Hindu, bandna; Gypsy, bandopen; Pers. بَنْدَنْ bandan, and بَنْديدَنْ bandidan, to bind; the former signifies also, to apply, to bend the mind; and the latter, to shut, close, make fast. The sense is, to strain.]

1. To tie together, or confine with a cord, or any thing that is flexible; to fasten as with a band, fillet or ligature.
2. To gird, inwrap or involve; to confine by a wrapper, cover or bandage; sometimes with up; as, to bind up a wound.
3. To confine or restrain, as with a chain, fetters or cord; as, bind him hand and foot.
4. To restrain in any manner. He bindeth the floods from overflowing. – Job xxviii.
5. To oblige by a promise, vow, stipulation, covenant, law, duty or any other moral tie; to engage; as, we are bound by the laws of kindness, of nature, of a state, &c. If a man shall swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond. – Numbers xxx.
6. To confirm or ratify. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. – Matth. xvi.
7. To distress, trouble, or confine by infirmity. Whom Satan hath bound these eighteen years. – Luke xiii.
8. To constrain by a powerful influence or persuasion. I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem. – Acts xx.
9. To restrain the natural discharges of the bowels; to make costive; as, certain kinds of food bind the body or bowels.
10. To form a border; to fasten with a band, ribin, or any thing that strengthens the edges; as, to bind a garment or carpet.
11. To cover with leather or any thing firm; to sew together and cover; as, to bind a book.
12. To cover or secure by a band; as, to bind a wheel with tire.
13. To oblige to serve, by contract; as, to bind an apprentice; often with out; as, to bind out a servant.
14. To make hard or firm; as, certain substances bind the earth. The uses of this word are too various and numerous to be reduced to exact definitions. To bind to is to contract; as, to bind one's self to a wife. To bind over is to oblige by bond to appear at a court.

BIND'ER, n.

1. A person who binds; one whose occupation is to bind books; also, one who binds sheaves.
2. Any thing that binds, as a fillet, cord, rope, or band.

BIND'ER-Y, n.

A place where books are bound.

BIND'ING, a.

That obliges; obligatory; as, the binding force of a moral duty or of a command.

BIND'ING, n.

1. The act of fastening with a band, or obliging; a bandage; the cover of a book, with the sewing and accompanying work; any thing that binds; something that secures the edge of cloth.
2. In the art of defense, a method of securing or crossing the adversary's sword with a pressure, accompanied with a spring of the wrist. – Encyc. Binding-joists, in architecture, are the joists of a floor into which the trimmers of staircases, or well-holes of the stairs and chimney-ways, are framed. – Encyc.

BIND'ING, ppr.

Fastening with a band; confining; restraining; covering or wrapping; obliging by a promise or other moral tie; making costive; contracting; making hard or stiff.

BINDING-BEAN-TREE, n.

A name given to the Mimosa.

BIND'ING-LY, adv.

So as to bind.

BIND'ING-NESS, n.

State of having force to bind.

BIND'WEED, n.

A genus of plants, called Convolvulus, comprehending many species, as the white, the blue, the Syrian bind-weed, &c. The Black Briony or Tamus is called black bind-weed; and the Smilax is called rough bind-weed. – Encyc. Fam. of Plants.

BI-NERV'ATE, a. [L. bis and nerva.]

Supported by only two nerves, as the wing of an insect.

BING, n.

In alum works, a heap of alum thrown together in order to drain. – Encyc.

BIN'O-CLE, n. [L. binus, double, and oculus, an eye.]

A dioptric telescope, fitted with two tubes joining, so as to enable a person to view an object with both eyes at once. – Harris.