Bergamot Ber"ga·mot (bẽr"gȧ*mŏt)
noun [ French
bergamote , from Italian
bergamotta ; probably a corruption of Turk.
beg armūdi a lord's pear.]
1. (Botany) (a) A tree of the Orange family ( Citrus bergamia ), having a roundish or pear-shaped fruit, from the rind of which an essential oil of delicious odor is extracted, much prized as a perfume. Also, the fruit. (b) A variety of mint ( Mentha aquatica, var. glabrata ). 2. The essence or perfume made from the fruit. 3. A variety of pear. Johnson. 4. A variety of snuff perfumed with bergamot. The better hand . . . gives the nose its bergamot .
Cowper.
5. A coarse tapestry, manufactured from flock of cotton or hemp, mixed with ox's or goat's hair; -- said to have been invented at Bergamo, Italy. Encyc. Brit. Wild bergamot (Botany) ,
an American herb of the Mint family ( Monarda fistulosa ).
Bergander Ber"gan·der noun [
Berg , for
burrow +
gander a male goose? Confer German
bergente , Danish
gravgaas .]
(Zoology) A European duck ( Anas tadorna ). See Sheldrake .
Bergeret Ber"ger·et noun [ Old French
bergerete , French
berger a shepherd.]
A pastoral song. [ Obsolete]
Bergh Bergh noun [ Anglo-Saxon
beorg .]
A hill. [ Obsolete]
Bergmaster Berg"mas`ter noun See Barmaster .
Bergmeal Berg"meal noun [ German
berg mountain +
mehl meal.]
(Min.) An earthy substance, resembling fine flour. It is composed of the shells of infusoria, and in Lapland and Sweden is sometimes eaten, mixed with flour or ground birch bark, in times of scarcity. This name is also given to a white powdery variety of calcite.
Bergmote Berg"mote noun See Barmote .
Bergomask Ber"go·mask noun A rustic dance, so called in ridicule of the people of Bergamo, in Italy, once noted for their clownishness.
Bergschrund Berg"schrund` noun [ G., lit., mountain gap.]
(Physics Geology) The crevasse or series of crevasses, usually deep and often broad, frequently occurring near the head of a mountain glacier, about where the névé field joins the valley portion of the glacier.
Bergstock Berg"stock` noun [ G., lit., mountain stick.]
A long pole with a spike at the end, used in climbing mountains; an alpenstock.
Bergylt Ber"gylt noun [ Etymol. uncertain.]
(Zoology) The Norway haddock. See Rosefish .
Berhyme Be·rhyme" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Berhymed ;
present participle & verbal noun Berhyming .]
To mention in rhyme or verse; to rhyme about. [ Sometimes use depreciatively.]
Shak.
Beriberi Be`ri·be"ri noun [ Singhalese
beri weakness.]
An acute disease occurring in India, characterized by multiple inflammatory changes in the nerves, producing great muscular debility, a painful rigidity of the limbs, and cachexy.
Berime Be·rime" transitive verb To berhyme. [ The earlier and etymologically preferable spelling.]
Bering Sea Controversy Be"ring Sea Controversy A controversy (1886 -- 93) between Great Britain and the United States as to the right of Canadians not licensed by the United States to carry on seal fishing in the Bering Sea, over which the United States claimed jurisdiction as a mare clausum. A court of arbitration, meeting in Paris in 1893, decided against the claim of the United States, but established regulations for the preservation of the fur seal.
Berkeleian Berke·le"ian adjective Of or relating to Bishop Berkeley or his system of idealism; as, Berkeleian philosophy. --
Berke"ley*ism ,
noun
Berlin Ber"lin noun [ The capital of Prussia]
1. A four-wheeled carriage, having a sheltered seat behind the body and separate from it, invented in the 17th century, at Berlin. 2. Fine worsted for fancy-work; zephyr worsted; -- called also Berlin wool . Berlin black ,
a black varnish, drying with almost a dead surface; -- used for coating the better kinds of ironware. Ure. --
Berlin blue ,
Prussian blue. Ure. --
Berlin green ,
a complex cyanide of iron, used as a green dye, and similar to Prussian blue. --
Berlin iron ,
a very fusible variety of cast iron, from which figures and other delicate articles are manufactured. These are often stained or lacquered in imitation of bronze. --
Berlin shop ,
a shop for the sale of worsted embroidery and the materials for such work. --
Berlin work ,
worsted embroidery.
Berm, Berme Berm, Berme noun [ French
berme , of German origin; confer German
brame ,
bräme , border, akin to English
brim .]
1. (Fort.) A narrow shelf or path between the bottom of a parapet and the ditch. 2. (Engineering) A ledge at the bottom of a bank or cutting, to catch earth that may roll down the slope, or to strengthen the bank.
Bermuda grass Ber·mu"da grass` (Botany) A kind of grass ( Cynodon Dactylon ) esteemed for pasture in the Southern United States. It is a native of Southern Europe, but is now wide-spread in warm countries; -- called also scutch grass , and in Bermuda, devil grass .
Bermuda lily Ber·mu"da lil"y (Botany) The large white lily ( Lilium longiflorum eximium , syn. Latin Harrisii ) which is extensively cultivated in Bermuda.
Berna fly Ber"na fly` (Zoology) A Brazilian dipterous insect of the genus Trypeta , which lays its eggs in the nostrils or in wounds of man and beast, where the larvæ do great injury.
Bernacle Ber"na·cle noun See Barnacle .
Bernardine Ber"nar·dine adjective Of or pertaining to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, or to the Cistercian monks. --
noun A Cistercian monk.
Bernese Ber·nese" adjective Pertaining to the city or canton of Bern, in Switzerland, or to its inhabitants. --
noun sing. & plural A native or natives of Bern.
Bernicle Ber"ni·cle noun [ Middle English
bernak ,
bernacle ; confer Old French
bernac ; probably from Late Latin
bernacula for
hibernicula ,
bernicula , from
Hibernia ; the birds coming from
Hibernia or Ireland. Confer 1st
Barnacle .]
A bernicle goose. [ Written also
barnacle .]
Bernicle goose (Zoology) ,
a goose ( Branta leucopsis ), of Arctic Europe and America. It was formerly believed that it hatched from the cirripeds of the sea ( Lepas ), which were, therefore, called barnacles, goose barnacles, or Anatifers. The name is also applied to other related species. See Anatifa and Cirripedia .
Bernouse Ber·nouse" noun Same as Burnoose .
Berob Be·rob" transitive verb To rob; to plunder. [ Obsolete]
Beroe Ber"o·e noun [ Latin
Beroe , one of the Oceanidæ Greek
... : confer French
beroé .]
(Zoology) A small, oval, transparent jellyfish, belonging to the Ctenophora.
Berretta Ber·ret"ta noun [ Italian , from Late Latin
birrettum ,
berretum , a cap, dim. of Latin
birrus ,
birrum , a cloak to keep off rain, confer Greek
... tawny, red: confer Spanish
birreta , Portuguese
barrete , and English
Barret .]
A square cap worn by ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church. A cardinal's berretta is scarlet; that worn by other clerics is black, except that a bishop's is lined with green. [ Also spelt
beretta ,
biretta , etc.]
Berried Ber"ried adjective Furnished with berries; consisting of a berry; baccate; as, a berried shrub.
Berry Ber"ry noun ;
plural Berries . [ Middle English
berie , Anglo-Saxon
berie ,
berige ; akin to Dutch
bes , German
beere , Old Saxon and Old High German
beri , Icelandic
ber , Swedish
bär , Goth.
basi , and perhaps Sanskrit
bhas to eat.]
1. Any small fleshy fruit, as the strawberry, mulberry, huckleberry, etc. 2. (Botany) A small fruit that is pulpy or succulent throughout, having seeds loosely imbedded in the pulp, as the currant, grape, blueberry. 3. The coffee bean. 4. One of the ova or eggs of a fish. Travis. In berry ,
containing ova or spawn.
Berry Ber"ry intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Berried ;
present participle & verbal noun Berrying .]
To bear or produce berries.
Berry Ber"ry noun [ Anglo-Saxon
beorh . See
Barrow a hill.]
A mound; a hillock. W. Browne.
Berrying Ber"ry·ing noun A seeking for or gathering of berries, esp. of such as grow wild.
Berseem Ber·seem" noun [ Arabic
bershīm clover.]
An Egyptian clover ( Trifolium alexandrinum ) extensively cultivated as a forage plant and soil- renewing crop in the alkaline soils of the Nile valley, and now introduced into the southwestern United States. It is more succulent than other clovers or than alfalfa. Called also Egyptian clover .
Berserk, Berserker Ber"serk, Ber"serk·er noun [ Icelandic
berserkr .]
1. (Scand. Myth.) One of a class of legendary heroes, who fought frenzied by intoxicating liquors, and naked, regardless of wounds. Longfellow. 2. One who fights as if frenzied, like a Berserker.
Berstle Bers"tle noun See Bristle . [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Berth Berth noun [ From the root of
bear to produce, like
birth nativity. See
Birth .] [ Also written
birth .]
1. (Nautical) (a) Convenient sea room. (b) A room in which a number of the officers or ship's company mess and reside. (c) The place where a ship lies when she is at anchor, or at a wharf. 2. An allotted place; an appointment; situation or employment. "He has a good
berth ."
Totten. 3. A place in a ship to sleep in; a long box or shelf on the side of a cabin or stateroom, or of a railway car, for sleeping in. Berth deck ,
the deck next below the lower gun deck. Ham. Nav. Encyc. --
To give (the land or any object)
a wide berth ,
to keep at a distance from it.
Berth Berth transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Berthed ;
present participle & verbal noun Berthing .]
1. To give an anchorage to, or a place to lie at; to place in a berth; as, she was berthed stem to stern with the Adelaide. 2. To allot or furnish berths to, on shipboard; as, to berth a ship's company. Totten.
Bertha Ber"tha noun [ French
berthe , from
Berthe , a woman's name.]
A kind of collar or cape worn by ladies.
Berthage Berth"age noun A place for mooring vessels in a dock or harbor.
Berthierite Ber"thi·er·ite noun [ From
Berthier , a French naturalist.]
(Min.) A double sulphide of antimony and iron, of a dark steel-gray color.
Berthing Berth"ing noun (Nautical) The planking outside of a vessel, above the sheer strake. Smyth.
Bertillon system Ber`til`lon" sys"tem [ After Alphonse Bertillon , French anthropologist.] A system for the identification of persons by a physical description based upon anthropometric measurements, notes of markings, deformities, color, impression of thumb lines, etc.
Bertram Ber"tram noun [ Corrupted from Latin
pyrethrum , Greek
... a hot spicy plant, from
... fire.]
(Botany) Pellitory of Spain ( Anacyclus pyrethrum ).
Berycoid Ber"y·coid (bĕr"ĭ*koid)
adjective [ New Latin
beryx , the name of the typical genus +
-oid .]
(Zoology) Of or pertaining to the Berycidæ , a family of marine fishes.
Beryl Ber"yl (bĕr"ĭl)
noun [ French
béryl , Old French
beril , Latin
beryllus , Greek
bh`ryllos , probably from Sanskrit
vaidūrya . Confer
Brilliant .]
(Min.) A mineral of great hardness, and, when transparent, of much beauty. It occurs in hexagonal prisms, commonly of a green or bluish green color, but also yellow, pink, and white. It is a silicate of aluminium and glucinum (beryllium). The aquamarine is a transparent, sea-green variety used as a gem. The emerald is another variety highly prized in jewelry, and distinguished by its deep color, which is probably due to the presence of a little oxide of chromium.
Berylline Ber"yl·line adjective Like a beryl; of a light or bluish green color.
Beryllium Be·ryl"li·um noun [ New Latin ]
(Chemistry) A metallic element found in the beryl. See Glucinum .
Berylloid Ber"yl·loid noun [
Beryl +
- oid .]
(Crystallog.) A solid consisting of a double twelve- sided pyramid; -- so called because the planes of this form occur on crystals of beryl.
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