Buffet Buf"fet transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Buffeted ; present participle & verbal noun Buffeting .] [ Middle English buffeten , Old French buffeter . See the preceding noun.] 1. To strike with the hand or fist; to box; to beat; to cuff; to slap.

They spit in his face and buffeted him.
Matt. xxvi. 67.

2. To affect as with blows; to strike repeatedly; to strive with or contend against; as, to buffet the billows.

The sudden hurricane in thunder roars,
Buffets the bark, and whirls it from the shores.
Broome.

You are lucky fellows who can live in a dreamland of your own, instead of being buffeted about the world.
W. Black.

3. [ Confer Buffer .] To deaden the sound of (bells) by muffling the clapper.

Buffet Buf"fet intransitive verb 1. To exercise or play at boxing; to strike; to smite; to strive; to contend.

If I might buffet for my love, or bound my horse for her favors, I could lay on like a butcher.
Shak.

2. To make one's way by blows or struggling.

Strove to buffet to land in vain.
Tennyson.

Buffeter Buf"fet·er noun One who buffets; a boxer. Jonson.

Buffeting Buf"fet·ing noun 1. A striking with the hand.

2. A succession of blows; continued violence, as of winds or waves; afflictions; adversity.

He seems to have been a plant of slow growth, but . . . fitted to endure the buffeting on the rudest storm.
Wirt.

Buffin Buf"fin noun [ So called from resembling buff ...eather.] A sort of coarse stuff; as, buffin gowns. [ Obsolete]

Buffing apparatus Buff"ing ap`pa·ra"tus See Buffer , 1.

Buffle Buf"fle noun [ Middle English , from French buffle . See Buffalo .] The buffalo. [ Obsolete] Sir T. Herbert.

Buffle Buf"fle intransitive verb To puzzle; to be at a loss. [ Obsolete] Swift.

Buffle-headed Buf"fle-head`ed adjective Having a large head, like a buffalo; dull; stupid; blundering. [ Obsolete]

So fell this buffle-headed giant.
Gayton.

Bufflehead Buf"fle·head` noun [ Buffle + head .] 1. One who has a large head; a heavy, stupid fellow. [ Obsolete]

What makes you stare so, bufflehead ?
Plautus (trans. 1694).

2. (Zoology) The buffel duck. See Buffel duck .

Buffo Buf"fo noun masc. [ Italian See Buffoon .] (Mus.) The comic actor in an opera.

Buffoon Buf·foon" noun [ French bouffon (cf. Italian buffone , buffo , buffa , puff of wind, vanity, nonsense, trick), from bouffer to puff out, because the buffoons puffed out their cheeks for the amusement of the spectators. See Buffet a blow.] A man who makes a practice of amusing others by low tricks, antic gestures, etc.; a droll; a mimic; a harlequin; a clown; a merry-andrew.

Buffoon Buf·foon" adjective Characteristic of, or like, a buffoon. " Buffoon stories." Macaulay.

To divert the audience with buffoon postures and antic dances.
Melmoth.

Buffoon Buf·foon" intransitive verb To act the part of a buffoon. [ R.]

Buffoon Buf·foon" transitive verb To treat with buffoonery. Glanvill.

Buffoonery Buf·foon"er·y noun ; plural Buffooneries [ French bouffonnerie .] The arts and practices of a buffoon, as low jests, ridiculous pranks, vulgar tricks and postures.

Nor that it will ever constitute a wit to conclude a tart piece of buffoonery with a "What makes you blush?"
Spectator.

Buffoonish Buf·foon"ish adjective Like a buffoon; consisting in low jests or gestures. Blair.

Buffoonism Buf·foon"ism noun The practices of a buffoon; buffoonery.

Buffoonly Buf·foon"ly adjective Low; vulgar. [ R.]

Apish tricks and buffoonly discourse.
Goodman.

Buffy Buff"y adjective (Medicine) Resembling, or characterized by, buff.

Buffy coat , the coagulated plasma of blood when the red corpuscles have so settled out that the coagulum appears nearly colorless. This is common in diseased conditions where the corpuscles run together more rapidly and in denser masses than usual. Huxley.

Bufo Bu"fo noun [ Latin bufo a toad.] (Zoology) A genus of Amphibia including various species of toads.

Bufonite Bu"fon·ite noun [ Latin bufo toad: confer French bufonite .] (Paleon.) An old name for a fossil consisting of the petrified teeth and palatal bones of fishes belonging to the family of Pycnodonts (thick teeth), whose remains occur in the oölite and chalk formations; toadstone; -- so named from a notion that it was originally formed in the head of a toad.

Bug Bug noun [ Middle English bugge , from W. bwg , bwgan , hobgoblin, scarecrow, bugbear. Confer Bogey , Boggle .] 1. A bugbear; anything which terrifies. [ Obsolete]

Sir, spare your threats:
The bug which you would fright me with I seek.
Shak.

2. (Zoology) A general name applied to various insects belonging to the Hemiptera; as, the squash bug ; the chinch bug , etc.

3. (Zoology) An insect of the genus Cimex , especially the bedbug ( C. lectularius ). See Bedbug .

4. (Zoology) One of various species of Coleoptera; as, the lady bug ; potato bug , etc.; loosely, any beetle.

5. (Zoology) One of certain kinds of Crustacea; as, the sow bug ; pill bug ; bait bug ; salve bug , etc.

» According to present popular usage in England, and among housekeepers in America, bug , when not joined with some qualifying word, is used specifically for bedbug . As a general term it is used very loosely in America, and was formerly used still more loosely in England. "God's rare workmanship in the ant, the poorest bug that creeps." Rogers ( Naaman ). "This bug with gilded wings." Pope.

Bait bug . See under Bait . -- Bug word , swaggering or threatening language. [ Obsolete] Beau. & Fl.

Bugaboo, Bugbear Bug`a·boo", Bug"bear` noun [ See Bug .] Something frightful, as a specter; anything imaginary that causes needless fright; something used to excite needless fear; also, something really dangerous, used to frighten children, etc. " Bugaboos to fright ye." Lloyd.

But, to the world no bugbear is so great
As want of figure and a small estate.
Pope.

The bugaboo of the liberals is the church pray.
S. B. Griffin.

The great bugaboo of the birds is the owl.
J. Burroughs.

Syn. -- Hobgoblin; goblin; specter; ogre; scarecrow.

Bugbane Bug"bane` noun (Botany) A perennial white-flowered herb of the order Ranunculaceæ and genus Cimiciguga ; bugwort. There are several species.

Bugbear Bug"bear` noun Same as Bugaboo . -- adjective Causing needless fright. Locke.

Bugbear Bug"bear` transitive verb To alarm with idle phantoms.

Bugfish Bug"fish` noun (Zoology) The menhaden. [ U.S.]

Bugger Bug"ger noun [ French bougre , from Late Latin Bulgarus , a Bulgarian, and also a heretic; because the inhabitants of Bulgaria were infected with heresy. Those guilty of the crime of buggery were called heretics , because in the eyes of their adversaries there was nothing more heinous than heresy, and it was therefore thought that the origin of such a vice could only be owing to heretics.] 1. One guilty of buggery or unnatural vice; a sodomite.

2. A wretch; -- sometimes used humorously or in playful disparagement. [ Low]

Buggery Bug"ger·y noun [ Old French bougrerie , bogrerie , heresy. See Bugger .] Unnatural sexual intercourse; sodomy.

Bugginess Bug"gi·ness noun [ From Buggy , adjective ] The state of being infested with bugs.

Buggy Bug"gy adjective [ From Bug .] Infested or abounding with bugs.

Buggy Bug"gy noun ; plural Buggies . 1. A light one horse two- wheeled vehicle. [ Eng.]

Villebeck prevailed upon Flora to drive with him to the race in a buggy .
Beaconsfield.

2. A light, four-wheeled vehicle, usually with one seat, and with or without a calash top. [ U.S.]

Buggy cultivator , a cultivator with a seat for the driver. -- Buggy plow , a plow, or set of plows, having a seat for the driver; -- called also sulky plow .

Bugle Bu"gle noun [ Middle English bugle buffalo, buffalo's horn, Old French bugle , from Latin buculus a young bullock, steer, dim. of bos ox. See Cow the animal.] A sort of wild ox; a buffalo. E. Phillips.

Bugle Bu"gle noun [ See Bugle a wild ox.] 1. A horn used by hunters.

2. (Mus.) A copper instrument of the horn quality of tone, shorter and more conical that the trumpet, sometimes keyed; formerly much used in military bands, very rarely in the orchestra; now superseded by the cornet; -- called also the Kent bugle .

Bugle Bu"gle noun [ Late Latin bugulus a woman's ornament: confer German bügel a bent piece of metal or wood, from the same root as German biegen to bend, English bow to bend.] An elongated glass bead, of various colors, though commonly black.

Bugle Bu"gle adjective [ From Bugle a bead.] Jet black. " Bugle eyeballs." Shak.

Bugle Bu"gle noun [ French bugle ; confer Italian bugola , Latin bugillo .] (Botany) A plant of the genus Ajuga of the Mint family, a native of the Old World.

Yellow bugle , the Ajuga chamæpitys .

Bugle horn Bu"gle horn` 1. A bugle.

One blast upon his bugle horn
Were worth a thousand men.
Sir W. Scott.

2. A drinking vessel made of horn. [ Obsolete]

And drinketh of his bugle horn the wine.
Chaucer.

Bugled Bu"gled adjective Ornamented with bugles.

Bugler Bu"gler noun One who plays on a bugle.

Bugleweed Bu"gle·weed` noun (Botany) A plant of the Mint family and genus Lycopus ; esp. Latin Virginicus , which has mild narcotic and astringent properties, and is sometimes used as a remedy for hemorrhage.

Bugloss Bu"gloss noun ; plural Buglosses [ French buglosse , Latin buglossa , buglossus , from Greek ... oxtongue ... ox + ... tongue.] (Botany) A plant of the genus Anchusa , and especially the A. officinalis , sometimes called alkanet ; oxtongue.

Small wild bugloss , the Asperugo procumbens and the Lycopsis arvensis . -- Viper's bugloss , a species of Echium .

Bugwort Bug"wort` noun (Botany) Bugbane.

Buhl, Buhlwork Buhl, Buhl"work noun [ From A. Ch. Boule , a French carver in wood.] Decorative woodwork in which tortoise shell, yellow metal, white metal, etc., are inlaid, forming scrolls, cartouches, etc. [ Written also boule , boulework .]

Buhlbuhl Buhl"buhl noun (Zoology) See Bulbul .

Buhrstone Buhr"stone` noun [ Middle English bur a whetstone for scythes.] (Min.) A cellular, flinty rock, used for mill stones. [ Written also burrstone .]

Build Build transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Built ; present participle & verbal noun Building . The regular imperfect & past participle Builded is antiquated.] [ Middle English bulden , bilden , Anglo-Saxon byldan to build, from bold house; confer Icelandic bōl farm, abode, Danish bol small farm, OSw. bol , böle , house, dwelling, from root of Icelandic b...a to dwell; akin to English be , bower , boor . √97.] 1. To erect or construct, as an edifice or fabric of any kind; to form by uniting materials into a regular structure; to fabricate; to make; to raise.

Nor aught availed him now
To have built in heaven high towers.
Milton.

2. To raise or place on a foundation; to form, establish, or produce by using appropriate means.

Who builds his hopes in air of your good looks.
Shak.

3. To increase and strengthen; to increase the power and stability of; to settle, or establish, and preserve; -- frequently with up ; as, to build up one's constitution.

I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up.
Acts xx. 32.

Syn. -- To erect; construct; raise; found; frame.

Build Build intransitive verb 1. To exercise the art, or practice the business, of building.

2. To rest or depend, as on a foundation; to ground one's self or one's hopes or opinions upon something deemed reliable; to rely; as, to build on the opinions or advice of others.

Build Build noun Form or mode of construction; general figure; make; as, the build of a ship.

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