Bushhammer Bush"ham`mer noun A hammer with a head formed of a bundle of square bars, with pyramidal points, arranged in rows, or a solid head with a face cut into a number of rows of such points; -- used for dressing stone.

Bushhammer Bush"ham`mer transitive verb To dress with bushhammer; as, to bushhammer a block of granite.

Bushido Bu"shi`do` (bō"shē`dō`) noun [ Jap. bu military + shi knight + dō way, doctrine, principle.] The unwritten code of moral principles regulating the actions of the Japanese knighthood, or Samurai; the chivalry of Japan.

Unformulated, Bushido was and still is the animating spirit, the motor force of our country.

Inazo Nitobé.

Bushiness Bush"i·ness noun The condition or quality of being bushy.

Bushing Bush"ing noun [ See 4th Bush .] 1. The operation of fitting bushes, or linings, into holes or places where wear is to be received, or friction diminished, as pivot holes, etc.

2. (Mech.) A bush or lining; -- sometimes called a thimble . See 4th Bush .

Bushless Bush"less adjective Free from bushes; bare.

O'er the long backs of the bushless downs.
Tennyson.

Bushman Bush"man noun ; plural Bushmen [ Confer Dutch boschman , boschjesman . See 1st Bush .] 1. A woodsman; a settler in the bush.

2. (Ethnol.) One of a race of South African nomads, living principally in the deserts, and not classified as allied in race or language to any other people.

Bushment Bush"ment noun [ Middle English busshement ambush, from bush .] 1. A thicket; a cluster of bushes. [ Obsolete] Raleigh.

2. An ambuscade. [ Obsolete] Sir T. More.

Bushranger Bush"ran`ger noun One who roams, or hides, among the bushes; especially, in Australia, an escaped criminal living in the bush.

Bushwhacker Bush"whack`er noun 1. One accustomed to beat about, or travel through, bushes. [ U.S.]

They were gallant bushwhackers , and hunters of raccoons by moonlight.
W. Irving.

2. A guerrilla; a marauding assassin; one who pretends to be a peaceful citizen, but secretly harasses a hostile force or its sympathizers. [ U.S.] Farrow.

Bushwhacking Bush"whack`ing noun 1. Traveling, or working a way, through bushes; pulling by the bushes, as in hauling a boat along the bushy margin of a stream. [ U.S.] T. Flint.

2. The crimes or warfare of bushwhackers. [ U.S.]

Bushy Bush"y adjective [ From 1st Bush .] 1. Thick and spreading, like a bush. " Bushy eyebrows." Irving.

2. Full of bushes; overgrowing with shrubs.

Dingle, or bushy dell, of this wild wood.
Milton.

Busily Bus"i·ly adverb In a busy manner.

Business Busi"ness noun ; plural Businesses [ From Busy .] 1. That which busies one, or that which engages the time, attention, or labor of any one, as his principal concern or interest, whether for a longer or shorter time; constant employment; regular occupation; as, the business of life; business before pleasure.

Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business ?
Luke ii. 49.

2. Any particular occupation or employment engaged in for livelihood or gain, as agriculture, trade, art, or a profession. "The business of instruction." Prescott.

3. Financial dealings; buying and selling; traffic in general; mercantile transactions.

It seldom happens that men of a studious turn acquire any degree of reputation for their knowledge of business .
Bp. Popteus.

4. That which one has to do or should do; special service, duty, or mission.

The daughter of the King of France,
On serious business , craving quick despatch,
Importunes personal conference.
Shak.

What business has the tortoise among the clouds?
L'Estrange.

5. Affair; concern; matter; -- used in an indefinite sense, and modified by the connected words.

It was a gentle business , and becoming
The action of good women.
Shak.

Bestow
Your needful counsel to our business .
Shak.

6. (Drama) The position, distribution, and order of persons and properties on the stage of a theater, as determined by the stage manager in rehearsal.

7. Care; anxiety; diligence. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

To do one's business , to ruin one. [ Colloq.] Wycherley. -- To make (a thing) one's business , to occupy one's self with a thing as a special charge or duty. [ Colloq.] -- To mean business , to be earnest. [ Colloq.]

Syn. -- Affairs; concern; transaction; matter; engagement; employment; calling; occupation; trade; profession; vocation; office; duty.

Businesslike Busi"ness·like` adjective In the manner of one transacting business wisely and by right methods.

Busk Busk (bŭsk) noun [ French busc , perhaps from the hypothetical older form of English bois wood, because the first busks were made of wood. See Bush , and confer Old French busche , French bûche , a piece or log of wood, from the same root.] A thin, elastic strip of metal, whalebone, wood, or other material, worn in the front of a corset.

Her long slit sleeves, stiff busk , puff verdingall,
Is all that makes her thus angelical.
Marston.

Busk Busk transitive verb & i. [ imperfect & past participle Busked (bŭskt).] [ Middle English busken , from Icelandic būask to make one's self ready, rexlexive of būa to prepare, dwell. Confer 8th Bound .] 1. To prepare; to make ready; to array; to dress. [ Scot. & Old Eng.]

Busk you, busk you, my bonny, bonny bride.
Hamilton.

2. To go; to direct one's course. [ Obsolete]

Ye might have busked you to Huntly banks.
Skelton.

Busk Busk (bŭsk) noun Among the Creek Indians, a feast of first fruits celebrated when the corn is ripe enough to be eaten. The feast usually continues four days. On the first day the new fire is lighted, by friction of wood, and distributed to the various households, an offering of green corn, including an ear brought from each of the four quarters or directions, is consumed, and medicine is brewed from snakeroot. On the second and third days the men physic with the medicine, the women bathe, the two sexes are taboo to one another, and all fast. On the fourth day there are feasting, dancing, and games.

Busked Busked adjective Wearing a busk. Pollok.

Busket Bus"ket noun [ See Bosket , Bouquet .] 1. A small bush; also, a sprig or bouquet. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

2. A part of a garden devoted to shrubs. [ R.]

Buskin Bus"kin noun [ Prob. from Old French brossequin , or Dutch broosken . See Brodekin .] 1. A strong, protecting covering for the foot, coming some distance up the leg.

The hunted red deer's undressed hide
Their hairy buskins well supplied.
Sir W. Scott.

2. A similar covering for the foot and leg, made with very thick soles, to give an appearance of elevation to the stature; - - worn by tragic actors in ancient Greece and Rome. Used as a symbol of tragedy, or the tragic drama, as distinguished from comedy.

Great Fletcher never treads in buskins here,
No greater Jonson dares in socks appear.
Dryden.

Buskined Bus"kined adjective 1. Wearing buskins.

Her buskined virgins traced the dewy lawn.
Pope.

2. Trodden by buskins; pertaining to tragedy. "The buskined stage." Milton.

Busky Bus"ky adjective See Bosky , and 1st Bush , noun Shak.

Buss Buss noun [ Middle English basse , from Latin basium ; confer German bus ( Luther ), Prov. German busserl , dim. of bus kiss, bussen to kiss, Swedish puss kiss, pussa to kiss, W. & Gael. bus lip, mouth.] A kiss; a rude or playful kiss; a smack. Shak.

Buss Buss (bŭs) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bussed (bŭst); present participle & verbal noun Bussing .] To kiss; esp. to kiss with a smack, or rudely. "Nor bussed the milking maid." Tennyson.

Kissing and bussing differ both in this,
We buss our wantons, but our wives we kiss.
Herrick.

Buss Buss noun [ Confer Old French busse , Pr. bus , Late Latin bussa , busa , German büse , Dutch buis .] (Nautical) A small strong vessel with two masts and two cabins; -- used in the herring fishery.

The Dutch whalers and herring busses .
Macaulay.

Bust Bust (bŭst) noun [ French buste , from Italian busto ; confer Late Latin busta , bustula , box, of the same origin as English box a case; confer , for the change of meaning, English chest . See Bushel .] 1. A piece of sculpture representing the upper part of the human figure, including the head, shoulders, and breast.

Ambition sighed: she found it vain to trust
The faithless column, and the crumbling bust .
Pope.

2. The portion of the human figure included between the head and waist, whether in statuary or in the person; the chest or thorax; the upper part of the trunk of the body.

Bustard Bus"tard (bŭs"tẽrd) noun [ Old French & Prov. French bistarde , French outarde , from Latin avis tarda , lit., slow bird. Plin. 10, 22 ; "proximæ iis sunt, quas Hispania aves tardas appellat, Græcia 'wti`das ."] (Zoology) A bird of the genus Otis .

» The great or bearded bustard ( Otis tarda ) is the largest game bird in Europe. It inhabits the temperate regions of Europe and Asia, and was formerly common in Great Britain. The little bustard ( O. tetrax ) inhabits eastern Europe and Morocco. Many other species are known in Asia and Africa.

Buster Bus"ter (bŭs"tẽr) noun Something huge; a roistering blade; also, a spree. [ Slang, U.S.] Bartlett.

Bustle Bus"tle (bŭs"s'l) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bustled (-s'ld); present participle & vb . noun Bustling (-slĭng).] [ Confer Middle English buskle , perhaps from Anglo-Saxon bysig busy, bysg-ian to busy + the verbal termination -le ; or Icelandic bustla to splash, bustle.] To move noisily; to be rudely active; to move in a way to cause agitation or disturbance; as, to bustle through a crowd.

And leave the world for me to bustle in.
Shak.

Bustle Bus"tle noun Great stir; agitation; tumult from stirring or excitement.

A strange bustle and disturbance in the world.
South.

Bustle Bus"tle noun A kind of pad or cushion worn on the back below the waist, by women, to give fullness to the skirts; -- called also bishop , and tournure .

Bustler Bus"tler (bŭs"slẽr) noun An active, stirring person.

Bustling Bus"tling (bŭs"slĭng) adjective Agitated; noisy; tumultuous; characterized by confused activity; as, a bustling crowd. "A bustling wharf." Hawthorne.

Busto Bus"to noun ; plural Bustoes [ Italian ] A bust; a statue.

With some antick bustoes in the niches.
Ashmole.

Busy Bus"y (bĭz"zȳ) adjective [ Middle English busi , bisi , Anglo-Saxon bysig ; akin to Dutch bezig , LG. besig ; confer Sanskrit bhūsh to be active, busy.] 1. Engaged in some business; hard at work (either habitually or only for the time being); occupied with serious affairs; not idle nor at leisure; as, a busy merchant.

Sir, my mistress sends you word
That she is busy , and she can not come.
Shak.

2. Constantly at work; diligent; active.

Busy hammers closing rivets up.
Shak.

Religious motives . . . are so busy in the heart.
Addison.

3. Crowded with business or activities; -- said of places and times; as, a busy street.

To-morrow is a busy day.
Shak.

4. Officious; meddling; foolish active.

On meddling monkey, or on busy ape.
Shak.

5. Careful; anxious. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Syn. -- Diligent; industrious; assiduous; active; occupied; engaged.

Busy Bus"y (bĭz"zȳ) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Busied (bĭz"zĭd); present participle & verbal noun Busying .] [ Anglo-Saxon bysgian .] To make or keep busy; to employ; to engage or keep engaged; to occupy; as, to busy one's self with books.

Be it thy course to busy giddy minds
With foreign quarrels.
Shak.

Busybody Bus"y·bod`y (-bŏd`ȳ) noun ; plural Busybodies (-bŏd`ĭz). One who officiously concerns himself with the affairs of others; a meddling person.

And not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies , speaking things which they ought not.
1 Tim. v. 13.

But But (bŭt) preposition , adverb & conj. [ Middle English bute , buten , Anglo-Saxon būtan , without, on the outside, except, besides; prefix be- + ūtan outward, without, from ūt out. Primarily, būtan , as well as ūt , is an adverb. √198. See By , Out ; confer About .] 1. Except with; unless with; without. [ Obsolete]

So insolent that he could not go but either spurning equals or trampling on his inferiors.
Fuller.

Touch not the cat but a glove.
Motto of the Mackintoshes.

2. Except; besides; save.

Who can it be, ye gods! but perjured Lycon?
E. Smith.

» In this sense, but is often used with other particles; as, but for , without, had it not been for. "Uncreated but for love divine." Young.

3. Excepting or excluding the fact that; save that; were it not that; unless; -- elliptical, for but that .

And but my noble Moor is true of mind . . . it were enough to put him to ill thinking.
Shak.

4. Otherwise than that; that not; -- commonly, after a negative, with that .

It cannot be but nature hath some director, of infinite power, to guide her in all her ways.
Hooker.

There is no question but the king of Spain will reform most of the abuses.
Addison.

5. Only; solely; merely.

Observe but how their own principles combat one another.
Milton.

If they kill us, we shall but die.
2 Kings vii. 4.

A formidable man but to his friends.
Dryden.

6. On the contrary; on the other hand; only; yet; still; however; nevertheless; more; further; -- as connective of sentences or clauses of a sentence, in a sense more or less exceptive or adversative; as, the House of Representatives passed the bill, but the Senate dissented; our wants are many, but quite of another kind.

Now abideth faith hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Cor. xiii. 13.

When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom.
Prov. xi. 2.

All but . See under All . -- But and if , but if; an attempt on the part of King James's translators of the Bible to express the conjunctive and adversative force of the Greek ....

But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; . . . the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him.
Luke xii. 45, 46.

But if , unless. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

But this I read, that but if remedy
Thou her afford, full shortly I her dead shall see.
Spenser.

Syn. -- But , However , Still . These conjunctions mark opposition in passing from one thought or topic to another. But marks the opposition with a medium degree of strength; as, this is not winter, but it is almost as cold; he requested my assistance, but I shall not aid him at present. However is weaker, and throws the opposition (as it were) into the background; as, this is not winter; it is, however , almost as cold; he required my assistance; at present, however , I shall not afford him aid. The plan, however , is still under consideration, and may yet be adopted. Still is stronger than but , and marks the opposition more emphatically; as, your arguments are weighty; still they do not convince me. See Except , However .

» "The chief error with but is to use it where and is enough; an error springing from the tendency to use strong words without sufficient occasion." Bain.

But But noun [ Confer But , preposition , adverb & conj. ] The outer apartment or kitchen of a two-roomed house; -- opposed to ben , the inner room. [ Scot.]

But But noun [ See 1st But .] 1. A limit; a boundary.

2. The end; esp. the larger or thicker end, or the blunt, in distinction from the sharp, end. See 1st Butt .

But end , the larger or thicker end; as, the but end of a log; the but end of a musket. See Butt , noun

But But intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Butted ; present participle & verbal noun Butting .] See Butt , v. , and Abut , v.

But-thorn But"-thorn` noun (Zoology) The common European starfish ( Asterias rubens ).

Butane Bu"tane noun [ Latin but yrum butter. See Butter .] (Chemistry) An inflammable gaseous hydrocarbon, C4H10, of the marsh gas, or paraffin, series.

Butcher Butch"er noun [ Middle English bochere , bochier , Old French bochier , French boucher , orig., slaughterer of buck goats, from Old French boc , French bouc , a buck goat; of German or Celtic origin. See Buck the animal.] 1. One who slaughters animals, or dresses their flesh for market; one whose occupation it is to kill animals for food.

2. A slaughterer; one who kills in large numbers, or with unusual cruelty; one who causes needless loss of life, as in battle. " Butcher of an innocent child." Shak.

Butcher bird (Zoology) , a species of shrike of the genus Lanius .

» The Lanius excubitor is the common butcher bird of Europe. In England, the bearded tit is sometimes called the lesser butcher bird . The American species are Latin borealis , or northern butcher bird , and Latin Ludovicianus or loggerhead shrike . The name butcher bird is derived from its habit of suspending its prey impaled upon thorns, after killing it.

Butcher's meat , such flesh of animals slaughtered for food as is sold for that purpose by butchers, as beef, mutton, lamb, and pork.

Butcher Butch"er transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Butchered ; present participle & verbal noun Butchering .] 1. To kill or slaughter (animals) for food, or for market; as, to butcher hogs.

2. To murder, or kill, especially in an unusually bloody or barbarous manner. Macaulay.

[ Ithocles] was murdered, rather butchered .
Ford.

Butcher's broom Butch"er's broom` (Botany) A genus of plants ( Ruscus ); esp. R. aculeatus , which has large red berries and leaflike branches. See Cladophyll .

Butchering Butch"er·ing noun 1. The business of a butcher.

2. The act of slaughtering; the act of killing cruelly and needlessly.

That dreadful butchering of one another.
Addison.

Butcherliness Butch"er·li·ness noun Butchery quality.

Butcherly Butch"er·ly adjective Like a butcher; without compunction; savage; bloody; inhuman; fell. "The victim of a butcherly murder." D. Webster.

What stratagems, how fell, how butcherly ,
This deadly quarrel daily doth beget!
Shak.

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