Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BOLE, n.

A kind of fine clay, often highly colored by iron. Its color is reddish yellow of various shades, often with a tinge of brown, sometimes passing to reddish, yellowish, or blackish brown, flesh red, or yellowish white. It is opake or a little translucid, especially at the edges, in the red and yellow varieties. It is compact and its fracture conchoidal. It is brittle, smooth, a little unctuous, and receives a polish from the finger nail. It adheres to the tongue, melts by degrees in the mouth, and impresses a slight sense of astringency. – Cleaveland. Armenian bole is of a bright red color with a tinge of yellow, harder than the other kinds, and of a rough dusty surface. Bole of Blois is yellow, lighter than the other kinds, and it effervesces with acids. Bohemian bole is of a yellow color with a cast of red, and of a flaky texture. French bole is of a pale red color, variegated with specks of white and yellow. Lemnian bole is of a pale red color. Silesian bole is of a pale yellow color. – Encyc.