Bench warrant Bench" war`rant (Law) A process issued by a presiding judge or by a court against a person guilty of some contempt, or indicted for some crime; -- so called in distinction from a justice's warrant .

Bencher Bench"er noun 1. (Eng. Law) One of the senior and governing members of an Inn of Court.

2. An alderman of a corporation. [ Eng.] Ashmole.

3. A member of a court or council. [ Obsolete] Shak.

4. One who frequents the benches of a tavern; an idler. [ Obsolete]

Bend Bend transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bended or Bent ; present participle & verbal noun Bending .] [ Anglo-Saxon bendan to bend, from bend a band, bond, from bindan to bind. See Bind , transitive verb , and confer 3d & 4th Bend .] 1. To strain or move out of a straight line; to crook by straining; to make crooked; to curve; to make ready for use by drawing into a curve; as, to bend a bow; to bend the knee.

2. To turn toward some certain point; to direct; to incline. " Bend thine ear to supplication." Milton.

Towards Coventry bend we our course.
Shak.

Bending her eyes . . . upon her parent.
Sir W. Scott.

3. To apply closely or with interest; to direct.

To bend his mind to any public business.
Temple.

But when to mischief mortals bend their will.
Pope.

4. To cause to yield; to render submissive; to subdue. "Except she bend her humor." Shak.

5. (Nautical) To fasten, as one rope to another, or as a sail to its yard or stay; or as a cable to the ring of an anchor. Totten.

To bend the brow , to knit the brow, as in deep thought or in anger; to scowl; to frown. Camden.

Syn. -- To lean; stoop; deflect; bow; yield.

Bend Bend intransitive verb 1. To be moved or strained out of a straight line; to crook or be curving; to bow.

The green earth's end
Where the bowed welkin slow doth bend .
Milton.

2. To jut over; to overhang.

There is a cliff, whose high and bending head
Looks fearfully in the confined deep.
Shak.

3. To be inclined; to be directed.

To whom our vows and wished bend .
Milton.

4. To bow in prayer, or in token of submission.

While each to his great Father bends .
Coleridge.

Bend Bend noun [ See Bend , transitive verb , and confer Bent , noun ] 1. A turn or deflection from a straight line or from the proper direction or normal position; a curve; a crook; as, a slight bend of the body; a bend in a road.

2. Turn; purpose; inclination; ends. [ Obsolete]

Farewell, poor swain; thou art not for my bend .
Fletcher.

3. (Nautical) A knot by which one rope is fastened to another or to an anchor, spar, or post. Totten.

4. (Leather Trade) The best quality of sole leather; a butt. See Butt .

5. (Mining) Hard, indurated clay; bind.

6. plural (Medicine) same as caisson disease . Usually referred to as the bends .

Bends of a ship , the thickest and strongest planks in her sides, more generally called wales . They have the beams, knees, and foothooks bolted to them. Also, the frames or ribs that form the ship's body from the keel to the top of the sides; as, the midship bend .

Bend Bend noun [ Anglo-Saxon bend . See Band , and confer the preceding noun.] 1. A band. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

2. [ Old French bende , bande , French bande . See Band .] (Her.) One of the honorable ordinaries, containing a third or a fifth part of the field. It crosses the field diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base.

Bend sinister (Her.) , an honorable ordinary drawn from the sinister chief to the dexter base.

Bendable Bend"a·ble adjective Capable of being bent.

Bender Bend"er noun 1. One who, or that which, bends.

2. An instrument used for bending.

3. A drunken spree. [ Low, U. S.] Bartlett.

4. A sixpence. [ Slang, Eng.]

Bending Bend"ing noun The marking of the clothes with stripes or horizontal bands. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Bendlet Bend"let noun [ Bend + - let : confer English bandlet .] (Her.) A narrow bend, esp. one half the width of the bend.

Bendwise Bend"wise adverb (Her.) Diagonally.

Bendy Ben"dy adjective [ From Bend a band.] (Her.) Divided into an even number of bends; -- said of a shield or its charge. Cussans.

Bene Ben"e noun (Botany) See Benne .

Bene Be"ne noun [ Anglo-Saxon bēn .] A prayer; boon. [ Archaic]

What is good for a bootless bene ?
Wordsworth.

Bene placito Be`ne plac"i·to (bē`ne plăs"ĭ*to; Italian bā`na plä"che*to). [ Italian beneplacito pleasure, from Latin bene well + placitus pleasing.] 1. At or during pleasure.

For our English judges there never was . . . any bene placito as their tenure.
F. Harrison.

2. (Mus.) At pleasure; ad libitum.

Bene, Ben Bene, Ben noun [ Native name.] (Zoology) A hoglike mammal of New Guinea ( Porcula papuensis ).

Beneaped Be·neaped" adjective (Nautical) See Neaped .

Beneath Be·neath" preposition [ Middle English benethe , bineoðen , Anglo-Saxon beneoðan , benyðan ; prefix be- + neoðan , nyðan , downward, beneath, akin to English nether . See Nether .] 1. Lower in place, with something directly over or on; under; underneath; hence, at the foot of. " Beneath the mount." Ex. xxxii. 19.

Beneath a rude and nameless stone he lies.
Pope.

2. Under, in relation to something that is superior, or that oppresses or burdens.

Our country sinks beneath the yoke.
Shak.

3. Lower in rank, dignity, or excellence than; as, brutes are beneath man; man is beneath angels in the scale of beings. Hence: Unworthy of; unbecoming.

He will do nothing that is beneath his high station.
Atterbury.

Beneath Be·neath" adverb 1. In a lower place; underneath.

The earth you take from beneath will be barren.
Mortimer.

2. Below, as opposed to heaven, or to any superior region or position; as, in earth beneath .

Benedicite Ben`e·dic"i·te noun [ Latin , (imperative plural,) bless ye, praise ye.] A canticle (the Latin version of which begins with this word) which may be used in the order for morning prayer in the Church of England. It is taken from an apocryphal addition to the third chapter of Daniel.

Benedicite Ben`e·dic"i·te interj. [ See Benedicite , noun ] An exclamation corresponding to Bless you !.

Benedict Ben"e·dict adjective [ Latin benedictus , past participle of benedicere to bless. See Benison , and confer Bennet .] Having mild and salubrious qualities. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

Benedict, Benedick Ben"e·dict, Ben"e·dick noun [ From Benedick , one of the characters in Shakespeare's play of "Much Ado about Nothing."] A married man, or a man newly married.

Benedictine Ben`e·dic"tine adjective Pertaining to the monks of St. Benedict, or St. Benet.

Benedictine Ben`e·dic"tine noun (Eccl. Hist.) One of a famous order of monks, established by St. Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century. This order was introduced into the United States in 1846.

» The Benedictines wear black clothing, and are sometimes called Black Monks . The name Black Fr............rs which belongs to the Dominicans, is also sometimes applied to the Benedictines.

Benediction Ben`e·dic"tion noun [ Latin benedictio : confer French bénédiction . See Benison .] 1. The act of blessing.

2. A blessing; an expression of blessing, prayer, or kind wishes in favor of any person or thing; a solemn or affectionate invocation of happiness.

So saying, he arose; whom Adam thus
Followed with benediction .
Milton.

Homeward serenely she walked with God's benediction upon her.
Longfellow.

Specifically: The short prayer which closes public worship; as, to give the benediction .

3. (Eccl.) The form of instituting an abbot, answering to the consecration of a bishop. Ayliffe.

4. (R. C. Ch.) A solemn rite by which bells, banners, candles, etc., are blessed with holy water, and formally dedicated to God.

Benedictional Ben`e·dic"tion·al noun A book of benedictions.

Benedictionary Ben`e·dic"tion·a·ry noun A collected series of benedictions.

The benedictionary of Bishop Athelwold.
G. Gurton's Needle.

Benedictive Ben`e·dic"tive adjective Tending to bless. Gauden.

Benedictory Ben`e·dic"to·ry adjective Expressing wishes for good; as, a b enedictory prayer. Thackeray.

Benedictus Ben`e·dic"tus noun [ Latin , blessed. See Benedict , adjective ] The song of Zacharias at the birth of John the Baptist ( Luke i. 68 ); -- so named from the first word of the Latin version.

Benedight Ben"e·dight adjective Blessed. [ R.] Longfellow.

Benefaction Ben`e·fac"tion noun [ Latin benefactio , from benefacere to do good to one; bene well + facere to do. See Benefit .] 1. The act of conferring a benefit. Johnson.

2. A benefit conferred; esp. a charitable donation.

Syn. -- Gift; present; gratuity; boon; alms.

Benefactor Ben`e·fac"tor noun [ Latin ] One who confers a benefit or benefits. Bacon.

Benefactress Ben`e·fac"tress noun A woman who confers a benefit.

His benefactress blushes at the deed.
Cowper.

Benefic Be·nef"ic adjective [ Latin beneficus . See Benefice .] Favorable; beneficent. Milton.

Benefice Ben"e·fice noun [ French bénéfice , Latin beneficium , a kindness , in Late Latin a grant of an estate, from Latin beneficus beneficent; bene well + facere to do. See Benefit .]

1. A favor or benefit. [ Obsolete] Baxter.

2. (Feudal Law) An estate in lands; a fief.

» Such an estate was granted at first for life only, and held on the mere good pleasure of the donor; but afterward, becoming hereditary, it received the appellation of fief , and the term benefice became appropriated to church livings.

3. An ecclesiastical living and church preferment, as in the Church of England; a church endowed with a revenue for the maintenance of divine service. See Advowson .

» All church preferments are called benefices , except bishoprics, which are called dignities . But, ordinarily, the term dignity is applied to bishoprics, deaneries, archdeaconries, and prebendaryships; benefice to parsonages, vicarages, and donatives.

Benefice Ben"e·fice transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Beneficed .] To endow with a benefice. [ Commonly in the past participle.]

Beneficed Ben"e·ficed adjective Possessed of a benefice or church preferment. " Beneficed clergymen." Burke.

Beneficeless Ben"e·fice·less adjective Having no benefice. " Beneficeless precisians." Sheldon.

Beneficence Be·nef"i·cence noun [ Latin beneficentia , from beneficus : confer French bénéficence . See Benefice .] The practice of doing good; active goodness, kindness, or charity; bounty springing from purity and goodness.

And whose beneficence no charge exhausts.
Cowper.

Syn. -- See Benevolence .

Beneficent Be·nef`i·cent adjective Doing or producing good; performing acts of kindness and charity; characterized by beneficence.

The beneficent fruits of Christianity.
Prescott.

Syn. -- See Benevolent .

Beneficential Be·nef`i·cen"tial adjective Relating to beneficence.

Beneficently Be·nef"i·cent·ly (be*nĕf"ĭ*s e nt*lȳ) adverb In a beneficent manner; with beneficence.

Beneficial Ben`e·fi"cial adjective [ Confer French bénéficial , Late Latin beneficialis .] 1. Conferring benefits; useful; profitable; helpful; advantageous; serviceable; contributing to a valuable end; -- followed by to .

The war which would have been most beneficial to us.
Swift.

2. (Law) Receiving, or entitled to have or receive, advantage, use, or benefit; as, the beneficial owner of an estate. Kent.

3. King. [ Obsolete] "A beneficial foe." B. Jonson.

Syn. -- See Advantage .

Beneficially Ben`e·fi"cial·ly adverb In a beneficial or advantageous manner; profitably; helpfully.

Beneficialness Ben`e·fi"cial·ness noun The quality of being beneficial; profitableness.

Beneficiary Ben`e·fi"ci·a·ry adjective [ Confer French bénéficiaire , Late Latin beneficiarius .] 1. Holding some office or valuable possession, in subordination to another; holding under a feudal or other superior; having a dependent and secondary possession.

A feudatory or beneficiary king of England.
Bacon.

2. Bestowed as a gratuity; as, beneficiary gifts.

Beneficiary Ben`e·fi"ci·a·ry noun ; plural Beneficiaries 1. A feudatory or vassal; hence, one who holds a benefice and uses its proceeds. Ayliffe.

2. One who receives anything as a gift; one who receives a benefit or advantage; esp. one who receives help or income from an educational fund or a trust estate.

The rich men will be offering sacrifice to their Deity whose beneficiaries they are.
Jer. Taylor.

Beneficiate Ben`e·fi"ci·ate transitive verb [ Spanish beneficia r to benefit, to work mines.] (Mining) To reduce (ores). -- Ben`e*fi`ci*a"tion noun

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter B > Page 37 of 120.
« Previous ¦29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 ¦ Next »